Health News

Poor oxytocin development could be to blame for alcohol and drug addiction

Date: Mar-20-2014
New research from the University of Adelaide in Australia suggests that poor development of oxytocin in early childhood may explain why some individuals succumb to addictive behavior, such as alcohol or drug abuse.Oxytocin, more commonly referred to as the "love hormone," is known to play an important role in partnership, social interaction and maternal behavior.The research team, led by Dr. Femke Buisman-Pijlman of the School of Medical Sciences at the university, recently published their findings in the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior.Dr.

3D-printed implants restore baby's breathing

Date: Mar-20-2014
Because of a condition that put huge pressure on his airways, 18-month-old Garrett Peterson of Utah had been tethered to ventilators and lived in hospitals since he was born. He was in mortal danger because his airways had collapsed, and even on their highest settings, the ventilators could not prevent his breathing from stopping several times a day.Now, thanks to splints that surgeons at the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital have implanted in his airway, thus saving his life, Garrett can go home and gradually be weaned off the ventilators.

More advanced math and reading in kindergarten benefits school performance

Date: Mar-20-2014
A new study finds that when kindergarten teachers expose young children to advanced content in math and reading, the kids perform better at elementary school later on, regardless of their economic background. In fact, Amy Claessens, assistant professor of public policy at Chicago University's Harris School of Public Policy Studies and lead author of the study, says if anything, children tend to stagnate later in elementary school when kindergarten teachers neglect advanced content and only teach basic content.

Low protein intake in infancy reduces childhood obesity risk

Date: Mar-20-2014
Results of a European study to be presented at an international conference this week have revealed that a low intake of protein during infancy can reduce a child's risk of becoming obese by the time they go to school. The paper "Lower protein content in infant formula reduces BMI and obesity risk at school age" is now published on-line on the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) and the print publication later this month and was presented at the international 'The Power of Programming' Conference at LMU in Munich 13-15 March 2014).

Swiss study: Non-academic young people take brain stimulants more frequently than students

Date: Mar-20-2014
Three per cent of young men in Switzerland take cognitive enhancement drugs at least once each year. Students hope this consumption will improve their exam performance, while their non-academic contemporaries seek primarily to remain awake for longer. These are the conclusions reached by a study supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)."Brain stimulants", "Neuroenhancers" and "Smart Pills" - the terms used for chemical-induced cognitive enhancement are numerous.

NICE recommends Giotrif (afatinib) for first line treatment of EGFR mutation positive advanced lung cancer

Date: Mar-20-2014
Lung cancer patients in the UK are closer to gaining access to a new targeted treatment Giotrif® (afatinib), the first oncology treatment to be developed by Boehringer Ingelheim. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued the Final Appraisal Determination (FAD) recommending afatinib as a first line treatment "for treating epidermal growth factor receptor mutation-positive locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer".

U.S. women unfamiliar with most stroke warning signs

Date: Mar-20-2014
Many U.S. women don't know most of the warning signs of a stroke, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism 2014 Scientific Sessions.The study is also published in the American Heart Association journal, Stroke.In a phone survey of 1,205 U.S. women:More than half (51 percent) of the women identified sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the face, arms or legs as a warning sign of a stroke.

101 liver cancer drug candidates pave the way to personalized medicine

Date: Mar-20-2014
The heart disease drug perhexiline is one of 101 compounds predicted to prevent cancer growth in most patients suffering from our most common liver cancer, HCC. This is an outcome from a novel simulation-based approach using personal sets of proteins of six HCC patients."This is the first time personalized models have been used to find and evaluate new potential drugs," says Professor Jens Nielsen at Chalmers University of Technology.Our most common liver cancer, Hepatocellular carcinoma, HCC, causes more than half a million deaths worldwide every year.

Researchers show stem cells from muscle can repair nerve damage after injury

Date: Mar-20-2014
Stem cells derived from human muscle tissue were able to repair nerve damage and restore function in an animal model of sciatic nerve injury, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The findings, published online in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, suggest that cell therapy of certain nerve diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, might one day be feasible.

New approach promises to transform care for patients with long term conditions

Date: Mar-20-2014
A new approach to care is transforming the lives of patients with Parkinson's disease and has promise for other long term conditions like COPD and rheumatoid arthritis, say Dutch researchers in The BMJ.Evidence suggests it empowers patients, improves the quality of care, shifts care away from institutions and into the community, and lowers healthcare costs.Parkinson's disease is a common and disabling neurodegenerative disorder. Most patients live with the disease for many years and the burden on patients and carers is considerable.