Health News

Researchers identify key enzyme found in disease-causing bacteria responsible for heart valve disease

Date: Mar-08-2014
A disease-causing bacterium found in the mouth needs manganese, a trace mineral, in order to cause a serious heart infection, according to a preclinical study led by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth UniversityPhilips Institute for Oral Health Research in the School of Dentistry.The findings, which may solve a longstanding mystery of why some bacteria need manganese to cause disease, provide possible new targets for antibiotics.

Childhood nightmare frequency linked to psychotic experience risk

Date: Mar-08-2014
Frequent nightmares in childhood could indicate an increased risk of psychosis, according to research from the University of Warwick in the UK. The study authors have published their findings in the journal Sleep.It is very common for young children to have nightmares. Having bad dreams is a normal part of growing up, and the frequency of nightmares usually decreases as the child grows older.Nightmares happen during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep - one of the five stages that most people experience over the course of a night's sleep.

Kidney failure: nanofiber mesh 'a cheap, wearable alternative to dialysis'

Date: Mar-08-2014
The main role of the kidney is to filter waste products from the blood before converting them into urine. But this process ceases for individuals who have kidney failure, causing waste to build up in their blood. Now, researchers have created a nanofiber mesh that they say could be a wearable and cheaper alternative to kidney dialysis.This is according to a study published in the journal Biomaterials Science.Kidney dialysis is the most common treatment for patients with kidney failure.

Multidisciplinary teams helped marathon bombing survivors rebuild their lives

Date: Mar-08-2014
Due to rigorous disaster preparedness and the heroic actions of first responders and emergency and trauma personnel, not a single one of the nearly 200 people hospitalized after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings died, despite many grave injuries. And, thanks to the orthopaedic surgeons and physical therapists who have helped those affected, survivors are now well on the road to recovery.

Study aims to define risk factors for falls in post-menopausal women

Date: Mar-08-2014
A new study appearing in the March issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) showed that women with distal radius (wrist) fractures had decreased strength compared to similar patients without fractures. This could explain why these women were more likely to fall and might sustain future fractures.The investigators used a variety of balance and strength tests combined with patient-provided information about walking habits to evaluate the physical performance and risk of falls for post-menopausal women with and without previous wrist fractures.

Changes in hospital orders increase pertussis immunization rates

Date: Mar-08-2014
Changing the hospital orders for women who have just delivered a child led to a 69% increase in the new mothers' pertussis vaccination rate, providing protection for themselves and their newborns against the disease, commonly known as whooping cough, according to a study in the March issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

ALS-linked gene causes disease by changing genetic material's shape

Date: Mar-08-2014
Johns Hopkins researchers say they have found one way that a recently discovered genetic mutation might cause two nasty nervous system diseases. While the affected gene may build up toxic RNA and not make enough protein, the researchers report, the root of the problem seems to be snarls of defective genetic material created at the mutation site.The research team, led by Jiou Wang, Ph.D., an assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, reports its finding March 5 on the journal Nature's website.

High vitamin D levels may increase breast cancer survival

Date: Mar-07-2014
Past studies have claimed that vitamin D may reduce the risk of heart disease, bone fractures and even depression. Now, new research suggests that breast cancer patients with high levels of the vitamin in their blood are twice as likely to survive the disease than patients with low levels.The researchers, led by Prof. Cedric F. Garland of the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, recently published their findings in the journal Anticancer Research.

Alzheimer's biomarkers decrease as symptoms emerge

Date: Mar-07-2014
There is evidence that the brain changes associated with Alzheimer's disease begin many years before clinical symptoms like memory loss and mental decline emerge. With this in mind, biomarkers of these changes could be valuable ways to identify individuals at the "preclinical" stage, which is early enough for brain-preserving treatment to be effective.

Could global warming push malaria to higher elevations?

Date: Mar-07-2014
Each year, more than 300 million individuals are infected with malaria, a life-threatening blood disease caused by a parasite transmitted to humans by mosquitos. Whether malaria cases could be affected by warming climates has been a topic of debate, but now, researchers present the first evidence that the disease climbs to higher elevations during warmer years.The study, published in the journal Science, suggests future warming climate trends may prompt an increase in malaria cases, particularly in highly populated areas of Africa and South America that are at higher elevations.