Health News

Protecting the brain from detrimental effects linked to diabetes and high blood sugar

Date: Jan-31-2014
Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have created a molecule that could potentially lower diabetic patients' higher risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer's disease.Recent studies indicate that high levels of sugar in the blood in diabetics and non-diabetics are a risk factor for the development of dementia, impaired cognition, and a decline of brain function. Diabetics have also been found to have twice the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease compared to non-diabetics.

Caffeine is the most widely used drug, but little is known about helping those who depend on it

Date: Jan-31-2014
"I'm a zombie without my morning coffee." "My blood type is Diet Coke." "Caffeine isn't a drug, it's a vitamin." Most people make jokes like these about needing a daily boost from their favorite caffeinated beverage - whether first thing in the morning or to prevent the after-lunch slump.

Diabetes Care journal features future directions for landmark diabetes study

Date: Jan-31-2014
UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital diabetes physician-researcher charts course for Diabetes Control and Complications Trial and Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications, most highly cited diabetes research trials.The two most highly cited diabetes research trials - Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) and its follow-up study Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC) - are marking their 30th anniversary.

After rhinoplasty, patients perceive differences in voice quality, but not in function

Date: Jan-31-2014
Patients who have undergone plastic surgery to change the appearance of their nose may also notice changes in the sound of their voice, reports a study in the February issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).Changes in voice after rhinoplasty are perceptible to patients as well as to experts, but generally don't cause problems with speech function, according to the new research by Dr. Kamran Khazaeni and colleagues of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran.

Vodka confirmed as major factor in early death of Russian men

Date: Jan-31-2014
A large study shows that alcohol - and, in particular, vodka - is responsible for Russia's high and sharply fluctuating death rates. Russia currently has an abnormally high early death rate in men - 25% of all Russian men will die before the age of 55.One of the authors of the new study, Prof. Sir Richard Peto, explains: "Russian death rates have fluctuated wildly over the past 30 years as alcohol restrictions and social stability varied under Presidents Gorbachev, Yeltsin, and Putin, and the main thing driving these wild fluctuations in death was vodka.

Video game teaches kids about stroke symptoms and calling 9-1-1

Date: Jan-30-2014
Children improved their understanding of stroke symptoms and what to do if they witness a stroke after playing a 15-minute stroke education video game, according to new research reported in the American Heart Association journal Stroke.Researchers tested 210 9- and 10-year-old, low-income children from the Bronx, New York, on whether they could identify stroke and knew to call 9-1-1 if they saw someone having a stroke. Researchers tested the children again after they played a stroke education video game, called Stroke Hero.

Postmenopausal hormones containing estrogen may reduce glaucoma risk

Date: Jan-30-2014
Using postmenopausal hormones (PMH) containing estrogen may reduce a woman's risk for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), a common form of the disease related to the build-up of pressure inside the eye, according to a report published by JAMA Ophthalmology, a JAMA Network publication. Some prior research has suggested that PMH use may be associated with modestly reduced intraocular pressure (IOP), which suggests PMH may decrease the risk for POAG, according to the study background.

Adult tonsillectomy safe with low mortality, complication rates

Date: Jan-30-2014
Getting your tonsils removed as an adult is a safe procedure with low mortality and complication rates, according to a study by Michelle M. Chen, B.A., of the Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn., and colleagues. Tonsillectomy is one of the most commonly performed otolaryngology procedures but there are few data on the safety of tonsillectomy in adults, according to the study background. The authors identified 5,968 adults in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program who underwent tonsillectomy in 2005 to 2011.

New study finds link between slow reaction time and early death

Date: Jan-30-2014
A new study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, has found that adults who have slow reaction times have a higher risk of an early death.Reaction time was studied because it reflects how well the central nervous system is working. It also reflects basic mental skills, such as how quickly a person is able to process information.In a reaction time test, participants have to press a button as soon as they see an image appear on a computer monitor. An example of a test similar to the one used in this study can be found here.

Exposure to peanuts builds immunity in allergic children

Date: Jan-30-2014
With the caveat that this should not be tried at home, researchers conducting a study in children with peanut allergies found that the participants could build up a tolerance by consuming increasingly larger amounts of peanut protein on a regular basis.The technique, called oral immunotherapy (OIT), was used as part of the STOP II trial, results of which are published in The Lancet.Allergies to peanuts are quite common, and symptoms can range from mild to severe.