Health News

Low pre-pregnancy levels of specific protein linked to higher risk of diabetes during pregnancy

Date: Feb-21-2014
Women with low levels of an important protein known to bind to sex hormones prior to pregnancy were five times more likely to develop gestational diabetes than women with higher levels of the protein, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in the journal Diabetes Care."This study is among the first to find that low circulating levels of sex hormone binding globulin, measured years before pregnancy, are associated with increased risk of gestational diabetes," said Monique M.

Mechanism behind the activation of dormant memory cells discovered

Date: Feb-21-2014
The electrical stimulation of the hippocampus in in-vivo experiments activates precisely the same receptor complexes as learning or memory recall. This has been discovered for the first time and the finding has now been published in the highly respected journal Brain Structure Function. "This may form the basis for the use of medications aimed at powering up dormant or less active memory cells," says Gert Lubec, Head of Fundamental Research / Neuroproteomics at the University Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the MedUni Vienna.

Geneticists show how molecular switches coordinate development of the nervous system

Date: Feb-21-2014
Geneticists from Trinity College Dublin interested in 'reverse engineering' the nervous system have made an important discovery with wider implications for repairing missing or broken links. They found that the same molecular switches that induce originally non-descript cells to specialise into the billions of unique nerve cell types are also responsible for making these nerve cells respond differently to the environment.

Greece's deepening health crisis

Date: Feb-21-2014
Greece's health crisis is worsening as a result of continued healthcare budget cuts, says a new study published in the medical journal, The Lancet. Researchers say the harmful effects of austerity are linked to the increasing inability of patients to access the health system, large rises in the incidence of infectious disease, and a deterioration in the overall mental health of Greek people.

Regenerating heart muscle with gene therapy

Date: Feb-21-2014
VentriNova, a regenerative medicine company with a novel gene therapy product, has announced that the journal Science Translational Medicine has published the results of a preclinical study demonstrating the ability of VN-100 to regenerate heart muscle in large animals following a heart attack. The research was led by Dr. Hina Chaudhry, founder of VentriNova and Director of Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

FDA clearance & CE Mark of miniaturized Medtronic heart monitor leads to global launch

Date: Feb-21-2014
Medtronic, Inc. has announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance, CE (Conformité Européenne) Mark, and the global launch of its Reveal LINQ Insertable Cardiac Monitor (ICM) System, the smallest implantable cardiac monitoring device available for patients. The Reveal LINQ ICM is approximately one-third the size of a AAA battery (~1 cc), making it more than 80 percent smaller than other ICMs.

Brains of dogs and humans have 'voice areas' in same places

Date: Feb-21-2014
The first study to compare brain scans of non-primates and humans has revealed that both dogs and humans have dedicated brain areas for voices, and they react in similar ways when processing emotional cues.First author Dr. Attila Andics, of MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group in Budapest, and colleagues report their findings in the Cell Press journal Current Biology.

Two-year study explores youth football injuries

Date: Feb-21-2014
USA Football has released findings from a two-year study to advance player health and safety in organized youth tackle football.USA Football, the sport's national governing body, commissioned its Youth Football Player Safety Surveillance Study in February 2012 with Indianapolis-based Datalys Center for Sports Injury Research and Prevention. The independent scientific study monitored leagues in six states and is believed to be the first of its scope in youth football's 80-plus year history.

Gathering the clues to rare gene variants contributing to schizophrenia

Date: Feb-21-2014
Schizophrenia has long been known to be highly heritable and is present in approximately 1% of the population. Researchers have been following two paths in their pursuit of identifying schizophrenia risk genes.Initially, they studied common gene variants that, individually, only increase the risk for schizophrenia by a few percent, perhaps increasing the likelihood of developing schizophrenia from a 10 out of a 1000 chance to an 11 or 12 out of a 1000 chance.

ME: The male disorder that became a female disorder

Date: Feb-21-2014
Previously long-term fatigue was considered a male disorder caused by societal pressures. Today women comprise the majority of ME patients, and they feel that their condition is their own fault.Throughout history some people have suffered from a lack of energy and long-term, physical fatigue. Today these symptoms are classified as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).It is commonly thought that chronic fatigue has mainly psychological causes and that it affects perfectionistic women who cannot live up to their own unreasonably high standards.