Despite their greater life expectancy, the adults of today are less “metabolically” healthy than their counterparts of previous generations. That’s the conclusion of a large cohort study from the Netherlands which compared generational shifts in [...]
Tag Archives | Disease
Meth withdrawal like a chronic disease such as Parkinson’s
University of Florida researchers have found changes in the behavior and in the brains of mice in withdrawal from methamphetamine addiction. These findings may affect the way physicians treat recovering methamphetamine addicts, the researchers write in [...]
Just like cars, developmental genes have more than 1 way to stop
EAST LANSING, Mich. — There’s more than one way to silence gene activity, according to a Michigan State University researcher.
Downregulating activity is how healthy genes should shift out of their development cycle. The results, published in t…
Blocking rogue gene could stop the spread of most cancers
Scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have discovered a rogue gene which — if blocked by the right drugs — could stop cancer in its tracks.
Published today by the journal Oncogene, the discovery is a breakthrough in our understandi…
23andMe presents top 10 most interesting genetic findings of 2010
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA — January 11, 2011 — 23andMe has released its first annual list of what it felt to be the 10 most interesting and significant genetic findings in 2010, as part of an ongoing journey to understand the role of genetics in pe…
New ways to detect and treat Alzheimer’s disease
SAN DIEGO — New studies identify brain changes in people with Alzheimer’s disease. The results give researchers a greater understanding of the disease and may help at-risk individuals by improving early detection. New animal research also shows a…
Motor Neurone Disease Association study identifies MND biomarker
A study funded by the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association, in collaboration with the Medical Research Council (MRC), has identified a common signature of nerve damage in the brains of MND patients.
The study’s exciting findings have been publ…
Mayo researchers find mortality rates from liver diseases underestimated
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (http://www.cdc.gov/) rank mortality related to chronic liver disease and cirrhosis as the 12th most common cause of death in adults in the U.S. Using a modifie…
Vitamin D deficiency puts IBD patients at greater risk of osteoporosis
San Antonio, Texas (October 18, 2010) — Vitamin D deficiency puts patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) at greater risk of osteoporosis, osteopenia and an overall higher rate of abnormal bone density, according to the results of a new stu…
MEPs and health professionals call for urgent action to tackle chronic diseases
Members of the European Parliament are calling on the Presidency of the EU and Member States to tackle urgently the problem of chronic non-communicable diseases that are responsible for 86% of all deaths in the WHO European Region. Their call is sup…
Parkinson’s Disease: Excess of Special Protein Identified as Key to Symptoms and Possible New Target for Treatment with Widely Used Anti-Cancer Drug Imatinib
Johns Hopkins scientists have discovered that the over-activation of a single protein may shut down the brain-protecting effects of a molecule and facilitate the most common form of Parkinson’s disease. The finding of this mechanism [...]
Disease transmission model says media coverage cuts infection rate and pandemic extent
At the first sign of a disease pandemic, public health officials should begin strongly communicating about the extent of the outbreak and the steps that can be taken by the public to avoid infection. That’s the recommendation of two mathematica…
Strategy discovered to prevent Alzheimer’s-associated traffic jams in the brain
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — September 9, 2010 — Amyloid beta (Αβ) proteins, widely thought to cause Alzheimer’s disease (AD), block the transport of vital cargoes inside brain cells. Scientists at the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Diseas…
‘Rotten eggs’ gas and inflammation in arthritic joints
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a gas more commonly associated with the smell of ‘rotten eggs’ and blocked drains. However, it has now been shown to be present naturally in our bodies and reside in knee joint synovial fluid, the protective fluid found in …
Black women with SLE develop cardiovascular disease at early age
A recent study by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine found significant racial disparities in the age of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients at the time of hospital admission for cardiovascular disease (CVD) events and CVD-related …
Hispanics and Asians less likely to receive liver transplants
Researchers at the University of Michigan and Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, both in Ann Arbor, have identified geographic variation as a key factor accounting for disparities in access to liver transplantation among racial and ethnic grou…
Study identifies factors which predict alcohol use after liver transplantation
Patients who receive a liver transplant due to alcoholic liver disease need to demonstrate periods of abstinence and often attend addiction treatment before transplantation. However, alcohol use disorders can recur, as can other diseases requiring t…
Parkinson’s Disease Linked to High Iron Intake
People with high levels of iron in their diet are more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease, according to a study in the June 10 issue of Neurology. People with both high levels of iron and manganese were nearly two times more likely to develop the disease than those with the lowest levels of the minerals in their diets. The study compared 250 people who were newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s to 388 people without the disease. Interviews were conducted to determine how often participants ate certain foods during their adult life.
WHO extends SARS warning to Tianjin, Inner Mongolia and Taipei in China
As a result of ongoing assessments as to the nature of outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), WHO is now recommending, as a measure of precaution, that people planning to travel to the following areas of China: Tianjin, Inner Mongolia, and Taipei in Taiwan province, consider postponing all but essential travel. This temporary advice will be reassessed regularly.
DHEA Supplement Shows No Effect on Alzheimer's Disease
The supplement dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA, which has been touted by some as an anti-aging hormone and a treatment for diseases such as cancer, AIDS, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease, showed no effect for Alzheimer’s disease patients who took the supplement for six months, according to a study published in the April 8 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology. DHEA is a hormone produced naturally in the adrenal glands. The body then converts it into the hormones estrogen and testosterone. DHEA as a supplement is made from plant chemicals.
Pacific Command Limits Asia Trips Due to SARS Outbreak
Defense Department personnel may make only mission-essential trips to China and Hong Kong because of the threat of severe acute respiratory syndrome, U.S. Pacific Command officials said today. “All Hong Kong port visits by U.S. Navy ships will be deferred until the restriction has been lifted,” Pacific Command spokeswoman Lt. Cmdr. Jensin Sommer said. The restriction is consistent with recommendations made by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The U.S. State Department has also issued a travel advisory citing the disease. The travel advisory includes China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Hanoi, Vietnam.
Cells Use Patch to Heal Rips and Tears, Avoid Destruction and Disease
Most cells in the body rapidly repair many tears to their delicate surface that result from everyday use, trauma or disease, says a Medical College of Georgia researcher. Dr. Paul L. McNeil’s decade-old hypothesis says that when the cell surface is so compromised, calcium ions from outside the cell rush in, prompting membranes inside the cell to fuse and patch the hole. he cell biologist seems to have proven his theory by taking the red blood cell — the one cell in the body known to lack these internal membranes — and documenting its inability to self-repair.<
Controlling Neurons May Ease Parkinson's Disease
Blocking or eliminating a specific potassium channel in a small group of brain cells may improve or prevent the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, a debilitating and progressive neurodegenerative disease that afflicts over 1 million people in the United States. In Parkinson’s disease, neurons that release dopamine die. The loss of dopamine causes an array of debilitating symptoms that include resting tremor, muscle rigidity and slowed movement. Although the cause of the disease remains uncertain, James Surmeier and colleagues at Northwestern University have discovered a way of potentially lessening the symptoms and progression of the disease. The investigators describe their findings in the March issue of Nature Neuroscience.<
Mayo Clinic Begins Enrolling for Smallpox Vaccination Trial
Healthy adults ages 18 to 29 are needed for a research study comparing the safety and effectiveness of two different vaccines for the prevention of the smallpox disease. The study will compare three dose levels of a new vaccine with the current, approved smallpox vaccine that was provided to all U.S. residents during the period of routine smallpox vaccination. The effectiveness of these trial vaccinations will be measured by observing whether or not there is a skin reaction, such as a blister, at the sight of the vaccination. A skin reaction is a typical response to smallpox vaccination. The response also will be measured by examining the size of the skin reaction and the time it takes for the blister to heal. Participants may become immune to smallpox, which would reduce or prevent infection with smallpox.