ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• 'Surveillance minimization' needed to restore trust
• Texting changes the way we walk: Walkers swerve and slow down while texting
• Humans can use smell to detect levels of dietary fat
• Nighttime smartphone use zaps workers' energy
• Athletes' performance declines following contract years
• Scientists offer new insight into neuron changes brought about by aging
• Live feed device monitors drugs in bloodstream in real time
• New avenue to treat diabetes-related vision problems
• The unexpected power of baby math: Adults still think about numbers like kids
• Number of cancer stem cells might not predict outcome in HPV-related oral cancers
• Holographic diagnostics in medicine
• Just how do our brains control our arms?
• Health disparities among African-American, Hispanic men cost economy more than $450 billion over four years in U.S.
• Scientists find estrogen promotes blood-forming stem cell function
• Research backs more strategies for children with autism
• New test targets salmonella
• Nothing to declare: Researchers find disclosure leads to avoiding conflicts of interest
• 'Love hormone' oxytocin carries unexpected side effect
• Men forget most
• Asthma: Disease Management Program is largely consistent with guidelines
• Long-term follow-up shows need for new chemotherapy strategies for rectal cancer
• Reducing liver protein SIRT1 levels
• Best techniques for intracellular particle tracking
• Online comments can undermine anti-smoking PSAs
• Research presents new hope of early diagnosis of major cause of blindness
• Guys: Get married for the sake of your bones, but wait until you're 25
• Parental exposure to marijuana linked to drug addiction, compulsive behavior in unexposed progeny, rodent sudy finds
• Probing changes to infant milk formulations
• Small elliptical exercise device may promote activity while sitting
• Losing a family member in childhood associated with psychotic illness
• Famine, not calcium absorption, may have driven evolution of milk tolerance in Europeans
• Giving up smoking? Try positive psychotherapy
• If overweight, your child will be less active
• Particulate air pollution leads to increased heart attack risk
• Long term study: Breast cancer risk increased in young women after treatment for Hodgkin's disease
• Brain development: Researchers identify key protein
• Familial risks for multiple sclerosis less than previously thought
• Assay for pulmonary tuberculosis and rifampicin resistance in adults
• Disadvantaged, non-college bound young adults at risk for excessive weight gain
• Fever-reducing meds may help spread the flu
• Internet advertising: Paid search ads don't always pay off, study finds
• Researchers identify innate channel that protects against pain
• Large amounts of folic acid shown to promote growth of breast cancer in rats
• Elevated blood pressure at home but not in clinic can indicate increased heart attack risk
• Cancer diagnosis doesn't increase child's risk of post-traumatic stress disorder
• All FDA drug approvals not created equal
• Biomarkers in blood show potential as early detection method of pancreatic cancer
• Mediterranean diet associated with lower risk of peripheral artery disease
• Study examines reasons for delay, denial of new drugs by FDA
• Many cardiac devices approved by process that often does not require new clinical data
• Exercising more, sitting less reduces heart failure risk in men
• Genetic counseling via telephone as effective as in-person counseling
• Scientists propose breast cancer drug for bladder cancer patients
• Study could aid in development of 'liquid biopsy' screening, diagnostic tests for bladder cancer
• Study: 'Icy' technique improves robotic kidney transplants
• What nurses need to know, do to offer evidence-based care
• Large-scale HPV self-testing proves effective for screening cervical cancer

'Surveillance minimization' needed to restore trust Posted: 22 Jan 2014 05:22 PM PST Surveillance minimization -- where surveillance is the exception, not the rule -- could help rebuild public trust following revelations about the collection of personal data, according to a law academic.

Texting changes the way we walk: Walkers swerve and slow down while texting Posted: 22 Jan 2014 05:22 PM PST Texting on your phone while walking alters posture and balance according to a new study.

Humans can use smell to detect levels of dietary fat Posted: 22 Jan 2014 05:20 PM PST New research reveals humans can use the sense of smell to detect and differentiate levels of dietary fat in everyday food.

Nighttime smartphone use zaps workers' energy Posted: 22 Jan 2014 02:06 PM PST Using a smartphone to cram in more work at night results in less work the next day, indicates new research.

Athletes' performance declines following contract years Posted: 22 Jan 2014 02:06 PM PST A professor has determined that the contract year performance boost is real, but they caution team managers and coaches that it might be followed by a post-contract performance crash -- a two-year pattern they call the "contract year syndrome."

Scientists offer new insight into neuron changes brought about by aging Posted: 22 Jan 2014 12:39 PM PST A new study offers insights into how aging affects the brain's neural circuitry, in some cases significantly altering gene expression in single neurons. These discoveries could point the way toward a better understanding of how aging affects our cognitive ability and new therapeutic targets for the treatment of neurodegenerative disease, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

Live feed device monitors drugs in bloodstream in real time Posted: 22 Jan 2014 10:43 AM PST A device that can monitor the levels of specific drugs as they flow through the bloodstream may soon take the guesswork out of drug dosing and allow physicians to tailor prescriptions to their patients' specific biology. The biosensor combines engineering and biochemistry and has far-reaching potential.

New avenue to treat diabetes-related vision problems Posted: 22 Jan 2014 10:43 AM PST Dopamine-restoring drugs already used to treat Parkinson's disease may also be beneficial for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of blindness in adults.

The unexpected power of baby math: Adults still think about numbers like kids Posted: 22 Jan 2014 10:42 AM PST A new study has found new evidence that educated adults retain traces of their innate sense of numbers from childhood -- and that it's more powerful than many scientists think. The findings could contribute to the development of methods to more effectively educate or treat children with learning disabilities and people with brain injuries.

Number of cancer stem cells might not predict outcome in HPV-related oral cancers Posted: 22 Jan 2014 10:41 AM PST New research suggests that it may be the quality of cancer stem cells rather than their quantity that leads to better survival in certain patients with oral cancer.

Holographic diagnostics in medicine Posted: 22 Jan 2014 10:41 AM PST 'Smart' holograms, which are currently being tested to monitor diabetes, and could be used to monitor a wide range of medical and environmental conditions in future, have been developed by researchers.

Just how do our brains control our arms? Posted: 22 Jan 2014 10:38 AM PST How do the neurons in the brain control planned versus unplanned arm movements? Bioengineers wanted to answer that question as part of ongoing efforts to develop and improve brain-controlled prosthetic devices.

Health disparities among African-American, Hispanic men cost economy more than $450 billion over four years in U.S. Posted: 22 Jan 2014 10:36 AM PST African-American men incurred $341.8 billion in excess medical costs due to health inequalities between 2006 and 2009, and Hispanic men incurred an additional $115 billion over the four-year period, according to a new study. The study looks at the direct and indirect costs associated with health inequalities and projects the potential cost savings of eliminating these disparities for minority men in the U.S.

Scientists find estrogen promotes blood-forming stem cell function Posted: 22 Jan 2014 10:34 AM PST Scientists have known for years that stem cells in male and female sexual organs are regulated differently by their respective hormones. In a surprising discovery, researchers have found that stem cells in the blood-forming system — which is similar in both sexes — also are regulated differently by hormones, with estrogen proving to be an especially prolific promoter of stem cell self-renewal.

Research backs more strategies for children with autism Posted: 22 Jan 2014 08:28 AM PST The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders has released its much-anticipated update on evidence-based practices for children and youth with autism. Articles published over two decades were reviewed in order to locate the soundest research on interventions for children from birth to age 22.

New test targets salmonella Posted: 22 Jan 2014 08:27 AM PST An array of tiny diving boards can perform the Olympian feat of identifying many strains of salmonella at once.

Nothing to declare: Researchers find disclosure leads to avoiding conflicts of interest Posted: 22 Jan 2014 08:27 AM PST Professionals, such as doctors, lawyers and financial advisers, face conflicts of interest when they have a personal, and often financial, interest in giving biased advice. New research examines situations in which advisers have the ability to not have any conflicts of interest -- such as doctors who can decide whether to meet with and accept gifts from pharmaceutical companies.

'Love hormone' oxytocin carries unexpected side effect Posted: 22 Jan 2014 08:26 AM PST Some psychologists are keen to prescribe oxytocin off-label, in order to treat mild social unease in those who don't suffer from a diagnosed disorder. Not such a good idea, say researchers.

Men forget most Posted: 22 Jan 2014 08:26 AM PST Your suspicions have finally been confirmed. Men forget more than women do. Nine out of 10 men have problems with remembering names and dates, according to an analysis of a large Norwegian population-based health study.

Asthma: Disease Management Program is largely consistent with guidelines Posted: 22 Jan 2014 08:26 AM PST Few discrepancies exist between the disease management program "Asthma" and current clinical practice guidelines. However, guidelines are in part more detailed.

Long-term follow-up shows need for new chemotherapy strategies for rectal cancer Posted: 22 Jan 2014 08:26 AM PST Long-term results of EORTC trial 22921 with 10.4 years median follow-up show that 5-FU-based adjuvant chemotherapy after preoperative (chemo)-radiotherapy for patients with cT3-resectable T4 M0 rectal cancer does not improve survival or disease-free survival.

Reducing liver protein SIRT1 levels Posted: 22 Jan 2014 07:41 AM PST A new study demonstrates that the abnormal metabolism linked to obesity could be regulated in part by the interaction of two metabolic regulators, called the NAD-dependent deacetylase SIRT1 and fibroblast growth factor 21. Using experimental models, the researchers found that a lack of SIRT1 protein in the liver led to lower levels of a liver secreted protein FGF21, which resulted in an increased likelihood of developing fatty liver disease and obesity.

Best techniques for intracellular particle tracking Posted: 22 Jan 2014 07:40 AM PST A new article describes a contest for the best technique of intracellular particle tracking. Intracellular particle tracking requires simultaneous tracking of the motions of hundreds and thousands of intracellular organelles, virions and even individual molecules. Techniques proposed by all the participants find their own ways for solving the problem.

Online comments can undermine anti-smoking PSAs Posted: 22 Jan 2014 07:40 AM PST Commentary accompanying anti-smoking public service announcements (PSAs) in online forums like YouTube has an impact on the PSA's overall effectiveness. Both negative and positive comments accompanying PSAs degrade the persuasiveness of the videos.

Research presents new hope of early diagnosis of major cause of blindness Posted: 22 Jan 2014 07:26 AM PST Research is under way to develop new techniques for detecting diabetic retinopathy at early onset with the hope of improving prevention and treatment of this major cause of blindness.

Guys: Get married for the sake of your bones, but wait until you're 25 Posted: 22 Jan 2014 07:25 AM PST Men who married when they were younger than 25 had lower bone strength than men who married for the first time at a later age. Men in stable marriages or marriage-like relationships who had never previously divorced or separated had greater bone strength than men whose previous marriages had fractured.

Parental exposure to marijuana linked to drug addiction, compulsive behavior in unexposed progeny, rodent sudy finds Posted: 22 Jan 2014 07:25 AM PST Teen marijuana use may have repercussions in unexposed progeny. This rodent study found that parental use of marijuana/THC was linked to molecular and neurobiological disturbances and increased motivation to get drugs.

Probing changes to infant milk formulations Posted: 22 Jan 2014 06:24 AM PST A chip-based detection system for minor functional proteins in infant milk formula could assist quality-control testing.

Small elliptical exercise device may promote activity while sitting Posted: 22 Jan 2014 06:19 AM PST People may be able to keep the weight off by using a compact elliptical device while sitting at a desk or watching TV, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

Losing a family member in childhood associated with psychotic illness Posted: 22 Jan 2014 06:18 AM PST Experiencing a family death in childhood is associated with a small but significant increase in risk of psychosis, suggests a paper published today.

Famine, not calcium absorption, may have driven evolution of milk tolerance in Europeans Posted: 22 Jan 2014 06:18 AM PST Ancient DNA from early Iberian farmers shows that the wideheld evolutionary hypothesis of calcium absorption was not the only reason Europeans evolved milk tolerance. In the West, people take milk drinking for granted because most people of European decent are able to produce the enzyme lactase in adulthood and so digest the milk sugar lactose. However, this is not the norm in much of the world, and was not the norm for our Stone Age ancestors.

Giving up smoking? Try positive psychotherapy Posted: 22 Jan 2014 06:16 AM PST The thousands of people who've resolved to stop smoking this New Year might soon be able to make use of a new method to help them break free from tobacco.

If overweight, your child will be less active Posted: 22 Jan 2014 06:16 AM PST A new study reports that being overweight makes children less active. The findings underscore that parents of overweight children have an obligation to keep their children active, as physical activity is vital for the general health of all children. The study also shows that slender children do not become overweight due to a lack of activity.

Particulate air pollution leads to increased heart attack risk Posted: 22 Jan 2014 06:16 AM PST Long-term exposure to particulate matter is associated with an increased risk for heart attack. Moreover, this association can already be observed in levels of particulate exposure below the current specified European limit values.

Long term study: Breast cancer risk increased in young women after treatment for Hodgkin's disease Posted: 22 Jan 2014 06:16 AM PST Girls treated for Hodgkin's disease during adolescence acquire a considerable risk of developing breast cancer, as shown by an observational study. This study is of great interest because of its unusually long follow-up time (average 17.8 years, maximum 33 years).

Brain development: Researchers identify key protein Posted: 22 Jan 2014 06:14 AM PST A group of proteins has been on the watch list of scientists because of their important function in epigenetics: histone deacetylases coordinate the transcription of genetic information and play an important role in the development of diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Researchers recently demonstrated that deactivating HDAC1 accelerates skin tumor development – a vital finding that has to be taken into account when developing new drugs to treat skin tumors.

Familial risks for multiple sclerosis less than previously thought Posted: 22 Jan 2014 06:14 AM PST Even though multiple sclerosis is largely caused by genetic factors, the risk of patients' relatives developing the disease is lower than previously assumed, according to a new population registry-based study.

Assay for pulmonary tuberculosis and rifampicin resistance in adults Posted: 22 Jan 2014 06:14 AM PST A second systematic review of a diagnostic test for tuberculosis (TB) endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO), has confirmed the accuracy of the test. The updated review assesses the accuracy of Xpert MTB/RIF, and finds that Xpert MTB/RIF is more accurate than smear microscopy for diagnosing TB and also accurate for detecting rifampicin resistance.

Disadvantaged, non-college bound young adults at risk for excessive weight gain Posted: 22 Jan 2014 06:14 AM PST Nutritionists develop weight management program relevant to low-income population, as outlined in a newly published article.

Fever-reducing meds may help spread the flu Posted: 22 Jan 2014 06:13 AM PST Researchers assembled information from many sources, including experiments on human volunteers and on ferrets, then used a mathematical model to compute how the increase in the amount of virus given off by a single person taking fever-reducing drugs would increase the overall number of cases in a typical year. The bottom line is that fever suppression increases the number of annual cases by approximately 5%, corresponding to more than 1,000 additional deaths from influenza in a typical year across North America.

Internet advertising: Paid search ads don't always pay off, study finds Posted: 22 Jan 2014 06:13 AM PST Businesses spend billions to reach customers through online advertising but just how effective are paid search ads? Using data from eBay, economists compared whether consumers are more likely to click on paid ads than on free, generic search results and found that advertisers may not be getting their money's worth.

Researchers identify innate channel that protects against pain Posted: 21 Jan 2014 03:34 PM PST Scientists have identified a channel present in many pain detecting sensory neurons that acts as a "brake," limiting spontaneous pain. It is hoped that the new research will ultimately contribute to new pain relief treatments.

Large amounts of folic acid shown to promote growth of breast cancer in rats Posted: 21 Jan 2014 03:34 PM PST Folic acid supplements at levels consumed by breast cancer patients and survivors in North America promoted the growth of existing breast cancer in rats, new research found.

Elevated blood pressure at home but not in clinic can indicate increased heart attack risk Posted: 21 Jan 2014 03:34 PM PST Patients with masked hypertension, or normal BP in clinic but elevated BP when measured at home, had an increased risk of death and cardiovascular events compared with those who had normal BP in both the clinic and at home.

Cancer diagnosis doesn't increase child's risk of post-traumatic stress disorder Posted: 21 Jan 2014 03:32 PM PST Despite being diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses, childhood cancer patients are no more likely than their healthy peers to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a new study indicates.

All FDA drug approvals not created equal Posted: 21 Jan 2014 01:47 PM PST Many patients and physicians assume that the safety and effectiveness of newly approved drugs is well understood by the federal Food and Drug Administration -- but a new study shows that the clinical trials used by the federal Food and Drug Administration to approve new drugs between 2005 and 2012 vary widely in their thoroughness.

Biomarkers in blood show potential as early detection method of pancreatic cancer Posted: 21 Jan 2014 01:47 PM PST Researchers have identified diagnostic microRNA panels in whole blood that had the ability to distinguish, to some degree, patients with and without pancreatic cancer, according to a study. The authors caution that the findings are preliminary, and that further research is necessary to understand whether these microRNAs have clinical implications as a screening test for early detection of pancreatic cancer.

Mediterranean diet associated with lower risk of peripheral artery disease Posted: 21 Jan 2014 01:47 PM PST A multicenter study that previously reported a reduction in heart attack and stroke with a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or with nuts now also reports a lower risk of peripheral artery disease, according to a study.

Study examines reasons for delay, denial of new drugs by FDA Posted: 21 Jan 2014 01:47 PM PST Several potentially preventable deficiencies, including failure to select optimal drug doses and suitable outcome measures for a study, account for significant delays in the approval of new drugs by the Food and Drug Administration.

Many cardiac devices approved by process that often does not require new clinical data Posted: 21 Jan 2014 01:47 PM PST Many cardiac implantable electronic device models currently in use were approved via a Food and Drug Administration review process in which the models were assumed safe and effective based on approval of prior versions of the device, according to a study.

Exercising more, sitting less reduces heart failure risk in men Posted: 21 Jan 2014 01:47 PM PST Increased sedentary time may be linked to greater heart failure risk, according to first study its kind. Being very physically active and less sedentary reduces heart failure risk. High sedentary levels increase heart failure risk regardless of physical activity levels.

Genetic counseling via telephone as effective as in-person counseling Posted: 21 Jan 2014 01:47 PM PST The demand for genetic counseling is rapidly increasing as genetic testing for susceptibility to a vast range of diseases is now available. Can telephone counseling deliver the same quality and satisfaction as face-to-face interactions? A study says yes, and there's an added bonus: "Counseling on the phone reduces costs and expands genetic counseling and testing access to rural areas, where counseling isn't always available," says lead author Marc Schwartz.

Scientists propose breast cancer drug for bladder cancer patients Posted: 21 Jan 2014 12:16 PM PST Researchers have found amplification of HER2, a known driver of some breast cancers, in a type of bladder cancer called micropapillary urothelial carcinoma (MPUC) and have shown that the presence of HER2 amplification is associated with particularly aggressive tumors. These findings suggest that administering trastuzumab to MPUC patients with HER2 amplification could improve outcomes, just as it has for breast cancer.

Study could aid in development of 'liquid biopsy' screening, diagnostic tests for bladder cancer Posted: 21 Jan 2014 12:16 PM PST Findings from a study ultimately could lead to tests to screen for and diagnose bladder cancer.

Study: 'Icy' technique improves robotic kidney transplants Posted: 21 Jan 2014 11:38 AM PST A collaboration of surgeons in the U.S. and India successfully transplanted kidneys into 50 recipients using an innovative robot-assisted procedure in which the organ is cooled with sterile ice during the operation.

What nurses need to know, do to offer evidence-based care Posted: 21 Jan 2014 11:38 AM PST Researchers have come up with an answer for health care systems and professionals struggling with how to most effectively adopt evidence-based practice in their clinical settings. They've developed evidence-based practice competencies for nurses.

Large-scale HPV self-testing proves effective for screening cervical cancer Posted: 21 Jan 2014 10:09 AM PST Self-testing for human papillomavirus (HPV) -- the virus that causes cervical cancer -- is as effective at detecting cancer as a conventional smear test (cytology screening) even when scaled up to test large populations.

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