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Antipsychotic Drugs And Autism

Risperidone, a drug used to control schizophrenia symptoms, may also help treat behaviors found in autism spectrum disorder, according to a new review of studies.

The reviewers looked at three randomized, placebo-controlled studies of risperidone (Risperdal) involving 211 participants, including 31 adults.

"[We found] that risperidone may be beneficial for various aspects of autism including irritability, repetition and hyperactivity,"........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 1/30/2007 9:25:36 PM)

MR Angiography Highly Accurate

A novel type of contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) angiography is highly accurate in identifying blockages in the arteries that carry blood to the brain, as per a research studyin the recent issue of Radiology.

"Contrast-enhanced MR angiography provided highly accurate information about the supra-aortic arteries," said Kambiz Nael, M.D., research fellow and radiology resident at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in Los........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 1/30/2007 4:53:08 AM)

Lowering Antibiotic Requirements By 50 Times

Antibiotic doses could be reduced by up to 50 times using a new approach based on bacteriophages.

Steven Hagens, previously at the University of Vienna, told Chemistry & Industry, the magazine of the SCI, that certain bacteriophages, a type of virus that infects bacteria, can boost the effectiveness of antibiotics gentamicin, gramacidin or tetracycline.

It is the phages' ability to channel through bacterial cell membranes that boosts........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 1/28/2007 9:36:31 PM)

100 Percent Juices As Good As Fruits And Vegetables

When it comes to some of today's health issues, 100 percent fruit and vegetable juices do help reduce risk factors related to certain diseases.

This conclusion is the result of a European study designed to question traditional thinking that 100 percent juices play a less significant role in reducing risk for both cancer and cardiovascular disease than whole fruits and vegetables.

Juices are comparable in their ability to reduce risk........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 1/28/2007 8:58:57 PM)

Gene That May Predispose To Schizophrenia

In a new study from The American Journal of Human Genetics, a research team lead by Xinzhi Zhao and Ruqi Tang (Shanghai Jiao Tong University) present evidence that genetic variation may indicate predisposition to schizophrenia. Specifically, their findings identify the chitinase 3-like 1 gene as a potential schizophrenia-susceptibility gene and suggest that the genes involved in biological response to adverse conditions are likely linked to........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 1/24/2007 6:36:17 PM)

First Human Metabalome

Scientists at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, Canada, have announced the completion of the first draft of the human metabolome, the chemical equivalent of the human genome.

The metabolome is the complete complement of all small molecule chemicals (metabolites) found in or produced by an organism. By analogy, if the genome represents the blueprint of life, the metabolome represents the ingredients of life.

The researchers have........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 1/24/2007 6:10:49 PM)

One-third Of Children Having Surgery Overweight Or Obese

A very high proportion of children who are having surgery are overweight or obese, and because of the excess weight have a greater chance of experiencing problems associated with the surgery, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Health System.

Researchers looked at a database of all 6,017 pediatric surgeries at the U-M Hospital from 2000 to 2004, and they found that nearly a third of the patients - 31.5 percent - were........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 1/16/2007 9:33:55 PM)

Marker For Head And Neck Cancer

Researchers have found a marker on head and neck tumor cells that indicates which cells are capable of fueling the cancer's growth. The finding is the first evidence of cancer stem cells in head and neck tumors.

Cancer stem cells are the small number of cancer cells that replicate to drive tumor growth. Researchers believe current cancer treatments sometimes fail because they are not attacking the cancer stem cells. By identifying the stem........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 1/16/2007 9:31:19 PM)

Help For The Alcoholic

Question: If an alcoholic is unwilling to get help, what can you do about it?.

Alcoholics don't respond very well to advice, suggestions, or threats. One would imagine that under these circumstances an alcoholic is doomed to oblivion. You must realize the alcoholic is desperate to get more and more alcohol, and he or she may lie, cheat and steal in order to do so.

Very simply, an alcoholic is a person whose life is controlled by alcohol.........Go to the Health-articles (Added on 1/15/2007 10:01:43 PM)

High-Power MRI in Unusual Tumor Cases

A Mayo Clinic surgical team has found that using a 3-Tesla MRI in surgical decision making provides a new level of capability to predict surgical outcomes that improves patient care by minimizing the potential for unsuccessful tumor-removal surgeries. The Mayo Clinic report appears in the recent issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery www.thejns-net.org/jns/issues/current/toc.html.

In their report, Mayo physicians describe a case study of five........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 1/12/2007 4:47:40 AM)

Diabetes Drug Prevents Brain Injury

Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine are the first to report that in animal studies, a common diabetes drug prevents the memory and learning problems that cancer patients often experience after whole-brain radiation treatments.

"These findings offer the promise of improving the quality of life of these patients," said Mike Robbins, Ph.D., senior researcher. "The drug is already prescribed for diabetes and we know the........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 1/10/2007 9:12:07 PM)

About Children's Packed Lunches

Packed lunches taken to school by 7-year olds are even less healthy than school meals used to be before Jamie Oliver set out to reform them.

The Children of the 90s study, based at the University of Bristol, revealed today that in the year 2000, school meals were every bit as bad a Jamie Oliver suggested - but that children given packed lunches instead were even worse off nutritionally.

Dr Pauline Emmett, Nutritionist and Dietician, who........Go to the Health-articles (Added on 1/10/2007 4:25:34 AM)

Caffeine Cuts Post-workout Pain

Although it's too soon to recommend dropping by Starbucks before hitting the gym, a new study suggests that caffeine can help reduce the post-workout soreness that discourages some people from exercising.

In a study would be published in the recent issue of The Journal of Pain, a team of University of Georgia researchers finds that moderate doses of caffeine, roughly equivalent to two cups of coffee, cut post-workout muscle pain by up to 48........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 1/9/2007 8:54:17 PM)

Antibody therapy prevents type 1 diabetes in mice

University of Pittsburgh scientists have successfully prevented the onset of type 1 diabetes in mice prone to developing the disease using an antibody against a receptor on the surface of immune T-cells. According to the investigators, these findings, which are being published in the recent issue of the journal Diabetes, have significant implications for the prevention of type 1 diabetes.

More than 700,000 Americans have type 1 diabetes, an........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 1/9/2007 5:06:57 AM)

Obese Patients Fair Better

Researchers report that for patients hospitalized with acute heart failure, a higher body mass index (BMI) was associated with a substantially lower in-hospital mortality rate. For every 5-unit increase in body mass, the odds of risk-adjusted mortality fell 10 percent. The finding held when adjusted for age, sex, blood urea nitrogen, blood pressure, and additional prognostic factors.

IMPACT: The finding offers more insight into an observed........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 1/8/2007 9:41:37 PM)

Limited Options For Backup Hiv Treatment

Thai scientists have discovered that patients who fail therapy with a usually used, inexpensive, first-line antiretroviral treatment (ART) are also commonly resistant to other, similar drugs, leaving progressively fewer options for replacement therapies. Since catching therapy failure early is key to preventing further resistance, this research, reported in the Feb. 1 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases and currently available online, also........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 1/8/2007 9:07:34 PM)

MRI Of The Ankle Changes Patient Treatment

MR imaging can make a dramatic difference in the management of patients with ankle pain, changing treatment in about one-third of the patients, a new study finds.

The study, of 91 patients, found that MR changed the management plans of 35% of patients, said Philip W.P. Bearcroft, MD, of Cambridge University Hospitals in England. "This is itself is significant, but more significant is the fact that before an MRI was done, 65 of the 91........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 1/7/2007 8:32:38 AM)

How A Protein Stabilises Microtubules

A cell is a busy place. In a permanent rush hour, molecules are transported along a dynamic motorway system made up of filaments called microtubules. Microtubules constantly grow and shrink and are rapidly assembled wherever a cargo needs to go, but during this transportation process they need to be kept stable. Scientists from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) have discovered for the first time that a protein stabilises........Go to the Health-articles (Added on 12/28/2006 8:57:32 PM)

Transplant Right On Time

In hemophilia, a mutated gene prevents the production of a critical blood-clotting protein. Treatments for hemophilia and other such genetic diseases, when they exist, may consist of risky blood transfusions or expensive enzyme replacement treatment. But what if the body could be induced to begin producing these proteins, say by transplanting healthy tissue with the abilities that are lacking?

Prof. Yair Reisner and Ph.D. student Anna........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 12/28/2006 8:37:17 PM)

Pet Owners Are Sick More Often

A common perception is that pet owner is a young person who is full of action, exercises a lot, and actively plays with a pet, especially with a dog. The reality is different, however.

The association of pet ownership and health of working aged Finns (20-54 years of age) was studied at the University of Turku as part of a large research project entitled Health and Social Support (HeSSup). The findings were published in PLoS ONE, the new........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 12/26/2006 7:32:21 PM)

Multiple Copies Of Genes And Disease Risk

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the biotech firm Nimblegen Systems Inc. have successfully tested a technique for identifying newly recognized DNA variations that may influence disease risk.

Rather than focus on errors and alterations in DNA sequence, the new technique highlights variations in the number of copies of a particular gene. Additional copies of a gene may lead to overproduction of that........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 1/30/2007 6:30:46 PM)

How To Make The Most Of Health Dollars?

Like a one-size-fits-all shirt that doesn't fit anyone very well, American health insurance plans charge every person the same out of pocket cost for medical services - regardless of their effect on a person's health.

So, whether your visit to the doctor is for life-threatening cancer, or just the common cold or a sprained ankle, you'll pay the same co-pay or deductible. These cash costs set by your employer and your insurance plan are........Go to the Health-articles (Added on 1/30/2007 4:28:29 AM)

Nudging Genes Into Activity

A new technique that employs RNA, a tiny chemical cousin of DNA, to turn on genes could lead to therapeutics for conditions in which nudging a gene awake would help alleviate disease, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center say.

The gene-activating method, which is being developed by UT Southwestern scientists, also is providing researchers with a novel research tool to investigate the role that genes play in human health.

In a........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 1/28/2007 9:40:59 PM)

Role Of Appetite Hormone Mch In Insulin Production

A new Joslin Diabetes Center-led study has shown conclusively that a neuropeptide, melanin concentrating hormone (MCH), found in the brain and known for its role in increasing appetite in people, plays a role in the growth of insulin-producing beta cells and the secretion of insulin. This finding has the potential to spur the development of new treatments for diabetes that stimulate the production of insulin-producing beta cells in the........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 1/26/2007 4:28:40 AM)

Genetic Risk Factor For Smoking-linked Head And Neck Cancer

A simple blood test may be able to identify those most at risk for developing head and neck cancer as a result of smoking. This was the finding of a recent study by Prof. Zvi Livneh, Head of the Weizmann Institute's Biological Chemistry Department, Dr. Tamar Paz-Elizur of the same department, and their research team that worked in collaboration with Dr. Rami Ben-Yosef of Tel Aviv-Sourasky Medical Center, Prof. Laurence Freedman of Sheba Medical........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 1/24/2007 6:49:49 PM)

Turning A Cellular Sentinel Into A Cancer Killer

Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers have developed two strategies to reactivate the p53 gene in mice, causing blood, bone and liver tumors to self destruct. The p53 protein is called the "guardian of the genome" because it triggers the suicide of cells with damaged DNA.

Inactivation of p53 can set the stage for the development of different types of cancer. The researchers' findings show for the first time that inactivating the p53........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 1/24/2007 6:05:29 PM)

If Mom Smoked During Pregnancy

Quitting smoking may be more difficult for individuals whose mothers smoked during pregnancy, according to animal research conducted by Duke University Medical Center researchers.

Prenatal exposure to nicotine is known to alter areas of the brain critical to learning, memory and reward. Scientists at the Duke Center for Nicotine and Smoking Cessation Research have discovered that these alterations may program the brain for relapse to........Go to the Health-articles (Added on 1/24/2007 5:50:23 PM)

blood test to distinguish between mononucleosis and tonsillitis

Measuring a patient's ratio of white blood cell types may help physicians accurately distinguish between the similar conditions infectious mononucleosis and bacterial tonsillitis, potentially guiding therapy decisions, as per an article in the recent issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Acute tonsillitis (inflammation of the tonsils) and infectious mononucleosis (caused by the........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 1/16/2007 4:57:27 AM)

Gene That Regulates Adult Stem Cell Growth

A new discovery in stem cell research may mean big things for cancer patients in the future. Gary Van Zant, Ph.D., and a research team at the University of Kentucky published their findings today in Nature Genetics, an international scientific journal.

The researchers genetically mapped a stem cell gene and its protein product, Laxetin, and building on that effort, carried the investigation all the way through to the identification of the........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 1/15/2007 5:04:53 AM)

Prehypertension In Young Linked With Heart Enlargement

Hypertension and prehypertension in adolescents and young adults was associated with a higher risk of having an abnormally enlarged heart, researchers report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

In a study of American Indians, average age 26.5, those with hypertension or prehypertension were more likely to have changes in the heart structure associated with increased cardiovascular risk: higher left ventricular wall........Go to the Health-articles (Added on 1/11/2007 9:04:14 PM)

New Therapy For Severely Elevated Cholesterol Levels

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have demonstrated the potential of a new type of therapy for patients who suffer from high cholesterol levels. The findings are in the January 11 issue of the New England Journal (NEJM) (NEJM). In this study, patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), a high-risk condition refractory to conventional therapy, had a remarkable 51% reduction in low-density........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 1/10/2007 8:59:34 PM)

Gene That Leads To Kidney Failure In Diabetes

A research team at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and the University of Heidelberg has proven that a gene protects some people with diabetes from developing severe kidney failure or "end-stage renal disease".

Diabetes is the leading cause of end-stage kidney disease worldwide, an illness that requires either kidney dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant for survival.

The carnosinase 1 gene, located on human chromosome........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 1/10/2007 4:51:18 AM)

Education Does Not Protect Against Age-related Memory Loss

Adults over 70 with higher levels of education forgot words at a greater rate than those with less education, as per a new study from the University of Southern California.

The findings, reported in the current issue of Research on Aging, suggest that after age 70, educated adults may begin to lose the ability to use their schooling to compensate for normal, age-related memory loss.

Study director Eileen Crimmins of the USC Leonard Davis........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 1/9/2007 9:26:58 PM)

Tracing Agent, Ultrasound Combo And Cancer

An inexpensive tracing agent used in combination with ultrasound can pinpoint how effectively drugs targeting pancreas cancer work, scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have shown for the first time.

The study, involving human pancreatic tumor cells implanted in mice, opens a new avenue for real-time imaging of a patient's response to cancer therapies. It appears in the Jan. 1 issue of the journal Clinical Cancer Research.

The UT........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 1/9/2007 4:59:30 AM)

Jefferson Cardiologists Fix Broken Heart

Unexplained chest pain after a heart attack might be more dangerous than many physicians originally think.

In a case study would be published in the recent issue of the international journal Clinical Cardiology, physicians at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia report on a seemingly healthy 55-year-old man who had a silent heart attack and subsequent unexplained chest pain.

Once he was admitted to the hospital, it was........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 1/8/2007 9:44:43 PM)

Nanoparticles Pack Multiple Assault On Tumors

A collaborative team led by Erkki Ruoslahti, M.D., Ph.D., of the Burnham Institute for Medical Research at UC Santa Barbara (Burnham) has developed nanoparticles that seek out tumors and bind to their blood vessels, and then attract more nanoparticles to the tumor target. Using this system the team demonstrated that the homing nanoparticle could be used to deliver a "payload" of an imaging compound, and in the process act as a clotting agent,........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 1/8/2007 9:28:24 PM)

Shed Pounds And Keep Cancer At Bay

While millions of Americans place fitness as one of their top New Year's resolutions to improve shape, muscle tone and overall appearance, cancer survivors have another priority - life.

Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have developed a customized fitness program to help survivors of endometrial cancer - or cancer of the uterus - shed pounds and keep cancer at bay. Karen Basen-Engquist, Ph.D., principal........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 1/7/2007 8:37:09 AM)

New Drug Targets For Cancer

Solving a 100-year-old genetic puzzle, scientists at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine have determined that the same genetic mechanism that drives tumor growth can also act as a tumor suppressor. Their findings could lead to new drug targets for cancer therapies.

As per a research findings reported in the January 1 issue of Cancer Cell, Don Cleveland, Ph.D., UCSD Professor of Medicine, Neurosciences and........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 12/28/2006 8:48:13 PM)

Incidence Of Stroke Decreasing

The incidence of stroke in the U.S. over the past 50 years has declined, although the severity of stroke has not, according to a study in the December 27 issue of JAMA.

Stroke continues to be a major public health concern, with more than 750,000 new strokes occurring each year in the United States. It is the third leading cause of death behind heart disease and cancer and the leading neurologic cause of long-term disability, according to........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 12/26/2006 7:54:38 PM)

Hypertension Start At Young Age

At what age does high blood pressure starts showing up. I was thinking may be when you are age 50 or more, or may be when you are at age 40 or more. I was surprised to read this study. Who would think that high blood pressure starts at age 10.

By age 10, some African American children already have high nighttime blood pressure as per latest research findings.

As they grow up, black children also show greater increases in nighttime blood........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 12/23/2006 9:18:29 AM)

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