Health News

Schizophrenia enters the molecular diagnostics era

Date: Feb-13-2014
With a drop of blood and some laboratory analyses, doctors have been able to tell patients whether they suffer from diabetes or some sort of cancer. Measuring changes in the cells or molecules of human tissues or fluids, by detecting so-called biomarkers, has aided the diagnosis of various diseases for some time. But when it comes to severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, "patients are just diagnosed by asking questions," says Sabine Bahn, head of the Cambridge Centre for Neuropsychiatric Research, at the University of Cambridge, UK. "This hasn't changed over the last 100 years.

Exon skipping prevents formation of toxic protein fragments in Huntington's disease

Date: Feb-13-2014
An innovative therapeutic strategy for reducing the levels of toxic protein fragments associated with Huntington's disease uses a new approach called exon skipping to remove the disease-causing component of the essential protein, huntingtin. Proof of concept using antisense oligonucleotides to "skip over" the specific exon in a mouse model of Huntington's disease is reported in an article in Nucleic Acid Therapeutics, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

Impulse spending? Save money by getting organized

Date: Feb-13-2014
Reality television has turned the spotlight on to people with excessive behaviors like hoarding and stockpiling. According to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, controlling the chaotic environment may be one of the biggest factors in helping people stop.

Are you a high achiever? Even the best products might leave you dissatisfied

Date: Feb-13-2014
Make the honor roll, go for the promotion, or try the tastiest entrée on the menu. In almost every facet of our culture, we are told to "go for the gold." So, why settle for "good enough" when "something better" is within reach? According to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, constantly striving for the best may be magnifying negative feelings like regret and dissatisfaction in other parts of our daily lives."We found that individuals who have a 'must have the best' mindset experience more regret and are less satisfied with the products they purchase or consume.

Proton therapy for prostate cancer results in long-term patient survival and excellent quality of life

Date: Feb-13-2014
Five years after having proton therapy for early- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer, 99 percent of men are living cancer-free and with excellent quality of life, according to a University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute study. Three-quarters of those with high-risk prostate cancer are also disease-free. The study, published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, adds to the body of evidence pointing to a significant role for proton therapy in the effective and efficient treatment of prostate cancer, said Nancy P. Mendenhall, M.D.

U.S. commercial availability of Versacloztm (clozapine, USP) oral suspension for schizophrenia patients announced

Date: Feb-13-2014
Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc has announced U.S. commercial availability of Versacloz™ (clozapine, USP) oral suspension, the first and only oral suspension clozapine for severely ill treatment-resistant schizophrenia patients or those at risk of recurrent suicidal behavior with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. "We are pleased to offer patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia a new liquid formulation of clozapine that is FDA approved to treat this difficult condition," said Bruce C. Cozadd, chairman and CEO at Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc.

Could restless sleep cause widespread pain in older folks?

Date: Feb-13-2014
Researchers in the U.K. report that non-restorative sleep is the strongest, independent predictor of widespread pain onset among adults over the age of 50. According to the study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology (formerly Arthritis & Rheumatism), a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), anxiety, memory impairment, and poor physical health among older adults may also increase the risk of developing widespread pain.Muscle, bone and nerve (musculoskeletal) pain is more prevalent as people age, with up to 80% of people 65 years of age and older experiencing daily pain.

€85million European programme targets novel antibiotics

Date: Feb-13-2014
The growing problem of resistance to antibiotics is very costly, both in human lives and in resources. Uppsala University is now to be a leading actor in a gigantic EU-funded project in which academia, the pharmaceutical industry and the biotechnology industry will collaborate to fast-track the development of new antibiotics.

Why some 'non-identifying smokers' face risks while denying the behavior

Date: Feb-13-2014
While smoking among California adults has dramatically declined in recent decades, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report there is a surprisingly large number of people who say they use cigarettes, but don't consider themselves to be "smokers."Writing in the online issue of Tobacco Control, Wael K. Al-Delaimy, MD, PhD, professor and chief of the Division of Global Health in the UC San Diego Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, and colleagues estimate that, in 2011, almost 396,000 Californians (12.

Technique to measure blood flow is first to diagnose aortic disease and may predict complications

Date: Feb-13-2014
A new imaging technique for measuring blood flow in the heart and vessels can diagnose a common congenital heart abnormality, bicuspid aortic valve, and may lead to better prediction of complications.A Northwestern Medicine team reported the finding in the journal Circulation. In the study, the authors demonstrated for the first time a previously unknown relationship between heart valve abnormalities, blood flow changes in the heart and aortic disease.