Health News

Scientists slow development of cell-killing plaques in Alzheimer's disease

Date: Mar-19-2014
University of Michigan researchers have learned how to fix a cellular structure called the Golgi that mysteriously becomes fragmented in all Alzheimer's patients and appears to be a major cause of the disease.They say that understanding this mechanism helps decode amyloid plaque formation in the brains of Alzheimer's patients - plaques that kill cells and contribute to memory loss and other Alzheimer's symptoms.The researchers discovered the molecular process behind Golgi fragmentation, and also developed two techniques to 'rescue' the Golgi structure.

MicroRNAs target 'jumping genes' in reproductive cells, protecting against genomic damage

Date: Mar-19-2014
Reproductive cells, such as an egg and sperm, join to form stem cells that can mature into any tissue type. But how do reproductive cells arise? We humans are born with all of the reproductive cells that we will ever produce. But in plants things are very different. They first generate mature, adult cells and only later "reprogram" some of them to produce eggs and sperm.For a plant to create reproductive cells, it must first erase a key code, a series of tags attached to DNA across the genome known as epigenetic marks. These marks distinguish active and inactive genes.

Genetic predispositions make fans of fried food 'more likely to be obese'

Date: Mar-19-2014
For people genetically predisposed to obesity, eating fried food can have twice the effect on body mass index than it can on people with a lower genetic predisposition, a new study finds.There has been a worldwide increase in obesity over the past 30 years. This epidemic is usually believed to have been caused by modern changes in lifestyle and diet. However, the new study, which is published in the BMJ, argues that the genetic component of obesity is being overlooked.

More women experience cardiac arrest during childbirth than is reported

Date: Mar-19-2014
Cardiac arrest during childbirth is rare, but it may still be seriously under-reported, according to a new study in the journal Anesthesiology.Maternal cardiac arrest is when, during or after childbirth, the mother's heart stops beating. It can be caused by excessive bleeding, heart failure, heart attack, preeclampsia, blood infection and amniotic fluid embolism - all of which can result in irregular heart rhythms or reduce the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart.

Improving quality, safety for percutaneous coronary interventions performed without on-site backup

Date: Mar-19-2014
The increasing number of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) being performed at low-volume centers without on-site cardiac surgery backup has driven the need for new safety and quality protocols, according to an expert consensus document written by a committee representing the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) and the American Heart Association (AHA).

Sequencing reveals genetic diversity in hospital-acquired bacterium

Date: Mar-19-2014
Using genome sequencing, National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists and their colleagues have tracked the evolution of the antibiotic-resistant bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae sequence type 258 (ST258), an important agent of hospital-acquired infections. While researchers had previously thought that ST258 K. pneumoniae strains spread from a single ancestor, the NIH team showed that the strains arose from at least two different lineages.

Detecting spoiled food without opening the container

Date: Mar-19-2014
A color-coded smart tag could tell consumers whether a carton of milk has turned sour or a can of green beans has spoiled without opening the containers, according to researchers. The tag, which would appear on the packaging, also could be used to determine if medications and other perishable products were still active or fresh, they said.This report on the color-changing food deterioration tags was presented as part of the 247th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society.

NHS sight tests include unevaluated screening examinations that lead to waste

Date: Mar-19-2014
On bmj.com, a leading eye doctor says that opticians are making too many referrals to doctors.Michael Clarke, Consultant Ophthalmologist at Newcastle Eye Centre, says that apart from trauma and orthopaedics, ophthalmology receives more NHS outpatient referrals than any other speciality.He says that opticians are constrained by legislation to refer patients to a medical practitioner if abnormalities are found at an NHS sight test.

'Molecular drill bits' to fight antibiotic resistance

Date: Mar-19-2014
In response to drug-resistant "superbugs" that send millions of people to hospitals around the world, scientists are building tiny, "molecular drill bits" that kill bacteria by bursting through their protective cell walls. They presented some of the latest developments on these drill bits, better known to scientists as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), at the 247th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society.

Fighting antibiotic resistance with honey

Date: Mar-19-2014
Honey, that delectable condiment for breads and fruits, could be one sweet solution to the serious, ever-growing problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, researchers say.Medical professionals sometimes use honey successfully as a topical dressing, but it could play a larger role in fighting infections, the researchers predicted. Their study was part of the 247th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society.