ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Body shape index as new predictor of mortality
• A paper diagnostic for cancer: Low-cost urine test amplifies signals from growing tumors to detect disease
• Guideline: People with irregular heartbeat should take blood thinners to prevent stroke, experts say
• Cancer patients turning to mass media, non-experts for info
• New ideas change your brain cells, research shows
• Personalized medicine best way to treat cancer, study argues
• Preventing suicide should start in general medical setting
• Did you hear the one about the doctor? Using Facebook to eavesdrop on the collective conversation of current societal issues
• Higher risks among perinatal women with bipolar disorder
• Toxic injection with elastic band: Discovering how bacteria get toxins into cells
• Fast, effective mechanism to combat an aggressive cancer
• Novel assay developed for detecting ALK rearrangement in lung cancer
• Significant discrepancies between FISH, IHC results for ALK testing
• New biological scaffold offers promising foundation for engineered tissues
• Biomedical bleeding affects horseshoe crab behavior
• New technology detects cellular memory, aids in understanding of how diseases such as cancer arise
• Light used to quickly, easily measure blood's clotting properties
• Abdominal fat accumulation prevented by unsaturated fat
• Tip to dieters: Beware of friends and late night cravings
• New research helps explain how social understanding is performed by the brain
• Computerized checklist reduces type of hospital infection, study finds
• Age-21 drinking laws save lives, study confirms
• Equal and equal is unequal: Choosing marriage partner contributes to income inequality, study finds
• Pointing is infants' first communicative gesture
• Gender-quota boardrooms come at high price
• Peer-to-peer nursing aggression threatens patient care, outcomes
• Practice-based learning improves end of life care confidence in community nurses
• Cancer patients want more written information on side effects
• Exercise in older patients improves long-term health, wellbeing
• Stimulation glove for stroke patients helps improve tactile perception, motor function
• Culture influences young people's self-esteem: Fulfillment of value priorities of other individuals important to youth
• New tumor suppressor gene will facilitate detection of people susceptible to skin cancer
• Secondary thyroid cancer more deadly than primary malignancy in young individuals

Body shape index as new predictor of mortality Posted: 24 Feb 2014 02:16 PM PST Scientists have developed a new method to quantify the risk specifically associated with abdominal obesity. A follow-up study, published Feb. 20 by the online journal PLOS ONE, supports their contention that the technique, known as 'A Body Shape Index,' is a more effective predictor of mortality than body mass index, the most common measure used to define obesity.

A paper diagnostic for cancer: Low-cost urine test amplifies signals from growing tumors to detect disease Posted: 24 Feb 2014 02:14 PM PST A low-cost urine test amplifies signals from growing tumors to detect disease. Cancer rates in developing nations have climbed sharply in recent years, and now account for 70 percent of cancer mortality worldwide. Early detection has been proven to improve outcomes, but screening approaches such as mammograms and colonoscopy, used in the developed world, are too costly to be implemented in settings with little medical infrastructure. To address this gap, engineers have developed a simple, cheap, paper test that could improve diagnosis rates and help people get treated earlier. The diagnostic, which works much like a pregnancy test, could reveal within minutes, based on a urine sample, whether a person has cancer. This approach has helped detect infectious diseases, and the new technology allows noncommunicable diseases to be detected using the same strategy.

Guideline: People with irregular heartbeat should take blood thinners to prevent stroke, experts say Posted: 24 Feb 2014 02:11 PM PST An updated guideline recommends that people with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, or irregular heartbeat, take oral anticoagulants, a type of blood thinner pill, to prevent stroke.

Cancer patients turning to mass media, non-experts for info Posted: 24 Feb 2014 11:04 AM PST The increasing use of expensive medical imaging procedures in the US like positron emission tomography scans is being driven, in part, by patient decisions made after obtaining information from lay media and non-experts, and not from health care providers. The study sought to understand what drives cancer patients to seek such inappropriate procedures, to help inform interventions or policies to stem their overuse. The authors theorized that exposure to cancer-related information may play a role. They suggested that the potential benefit of new medical technologies receives substantial attention in the lay media and may promote positive attitudes toward the role of imaging technology such as PET.

New ideas change your brain cells, research shows Posted: 24 Feb 2014 10:31 AM PST An important molecular change has been discovered that occurs in the brain when we learn and remember. The research shows that learning stimulates our brain cells in a manner that causes a small fatty acid to attach to delta-catenin, a protein in the brain. This biochemical modification is essential in producing the changes in brain cell connectivity associated with learning, the study finds. Findings may provide an explanation for some mental disabilities, the researchers say.

Personalized medicine best way to treat cancer, study argues Posted: 24 Feb 2014 10:31 AM PST Assessing the route to cancer on a case-by-case basis might make more sense than basing a patient's cancer treatment on commonly disrupted genes and pathways, a new study indicates. "This paper argues for the importance of personalized medicine, where we treat each person by looking for the etiology of the disease in patients individually," said the lead author. "The findings have ramifications on how we might best optimize cancer treatments as we enter the era of targeted gene therapy."

Preventing suicide should start in general medical setting Posted: 24 Feb 2014 09:42 AM PST The mental health conditions of most people who commit suicide remain undiagnosed, even though most visit a primary care provider or medical specialist in the year before they die. To help prevent suicides, health care providers should therefore become more attuned to their patients' mental health states and possible suicide ideations. Results of the study indicate that mental health and suicide risk may need to be assessed more thoroughly, especially in general medical settings, the author state.

Did you hear the one about the doctor? Using Facebook to eavesdrop on the collective conversation of current societal issues Posted: 24 Feb 2014 09:42 AM PST Researchers studied jokes made about doctors posted on Facebook in a new review that demonstrates the potential of using social networking sites for research on health and medicine. "Social networking sites, such as Facebook, have become immensely popular in recent years and present a unique opportunity for researchers to eavesdrop on the collective conversation of current societal issues," said the lead author. Results showed that jokes in which the doctor (or the healthcare system) was the butt of the joke tended to be more successful, although the association was not statistically significant. Interestingly, the joke in the study that received the greatest number of Facebook likes was a "doctor, lawyer, priest joke" in which the lawyer was the butt of the joke.

Higher risks among perinatal women with bipolar disorder Posted: 24 Feb 2014 09:42 AM PST Women with bipolar disorder often struggle with the illness during and after pregnancy. A new study finds that they were significantly more likely to face important psychiatric and childrearing challenges compared to women who were seeking treatment for other psychiatric disorders. The findings indicate the importance of properly identifying the disorder and developing specific treatments for women during and after pregnancy, the lead author states.

Toxic injection with elastic band: Discovering how bacteria get toxins into cells Posted: 24 Feb 2014 09:42 AM PST Bacteria have developed many different ways of smuggling their toxic cargo into cells. A new study has helped scientists discover how Tc toxins inject bacterial toxins. The discovery has wide-reaching potential impact, from health solutions to farming and other industry.

Fast, effective mechanism to combat an aggressive cancer Posted: 24 Feb 2014 09:41 AM PST A new strategy to tackle an aggressive subtype of ovarian cancer using a new nanoscale drug-delivery system designed to target specific cancer cells has been developed. A research team has devised a cluster of nanoparticles called gagomers, made of fats and coated with a kind of polysugar. When filled with chemotherapy drugs, these clusters accumulate in tumors, producing dramatically therapeutic benefits. The objective of the research is two-fold: to provide a specific target for anti-cancer drugs, and to reduce the toxic side effects of anti-cancer therapies.

Novel assay developed for detecting ALK rearrangement in lung cancer Posted: 24 Feb 2014 09:41 AM PST A novel technique for detecting ALK rearrangements in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) has been developed that is more sensitive and easier to perform than currently available techniques. The technique can help enhance the routine practice of diagnostic ALK testing on NSCLCs, which is crucial for identifying patients with advanced NSCLC who are most likely to benefit from targeted therapy with an ALK inhibitor.

Significant discrepancies between FISH, IHC results for ALK testing Posted: 24 Feb 2014 09:41 AM PST Routine testing with both fluorescent in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry may enhance the detection of ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer, new research suggests. Accurate determination of ALK-positive tumors is necessary to identify patients with advanced NSCLC who are most likely to benefit from targeted therapy with an ALK inhibitor. The study also demonstrated that systematic testing of NSCLC by both FISH and IHC is feasible in routine practice.

New biological scaffold offers promising foundation for engineered tissues Posted: 24 Feb 2014 09:38 AM PST Engineered tissues like the ones used to create artificial skin need a scaffold for cells to grow on. Now a team of researchers has coaxed cells called fibroblasts into creating a scaffold that mimics the body's own internal matrix, and in early tests, cells seem happy to set up residence, and had the added advantage of provoking a very low immune response.

Biomedical bleeding affects horseshoe crab behavior Posted: 24 Feb 2014 09:38 AM PST Collecting and bleeding horseshoe crabs for biomedical purposes causes short-term changes in their behavior and physiology that could exacerbate the crabs' population decline in parts of the East Coast. Authors of a new report examined this issue as well as possible solutions to its problems. Each year, the U.S. biomedical industry harvests the blue blood from almost half a million living horseshoe crabs for use in pharmaceuticals -- most notably, a product called Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL), used to ensure vaccines and medical equipment are free of bacterial contamination. This lifesaving product can only be made from horseshoe crab blood.

New technology detects cellular memory, aids in understanding of how diseases such as cancer arise Posted: 24 Feb 2014 08:01 AM PST In 2009, a new technology was developed that could elucidate the mystery behind cellular memory. Building on this technology, researchers have now identified 100 new molecular players that ensure cellular knowledge of own identity at cell division. This is crucial for fetal development, to maintain body functions throughout life and prevent disease. Understanding the fundamental principles of how chromatin is faithfully duplicated is essential to understand how our organism is developed and maintained, and also how diseases such as cancer arise. If cells lose their chromatin memory, they can potentially develop into cancer cells and form tumors. Such a loss of what is also called 'epigenetic' memory is now known to be involved in almost all cancer types.

Light used to quickly, easily measure blood's clotting properties Posted: 24 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST Defective blood coagulation is one of the leading causes of preventable death in patients who have suffered trauma or undergone surgery. Now, a new optical device requires only a few drops of blood and a few minutes to measure the key coagulation parameters that can guide medical decisions, like how much blood to transfuse or what doses of anticoagulant drugs to administer. The new device has the potential to provide rapid test results for patients in operating suites, emergency departments, and intensive care units, or for any patient with a coagulation disorder.

Abdominal fat accumulation prevented by unsaturated fat Posted: 24 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST New research shows that saturated fat builds more fat and less muscle than polyunsaturated fat. This is the first study on humans to show that the fat composition of food not only influences cholesterol levels in the blood and the risk of cardiovascular disease but also determines where the fat will be stored in the body. Gaining weight on excess calories from polyunsaturated fat appears to cause more gain in muscle mass, and less body fat than overeating a similar amount of saturated fat.

Tip to dieters: Beware of friends and late night cravings Posted: 24 Feb 2014 07:59 AM PST There's more to dieting than just sheer willpower and self-control. The presence of friends, late night cravings or the temptation of alcohol can often simply be too strong to resist. Research in the UK monitored the social and environmental factors that make people, who are following weight management programs, cheat. Eighty people who were either part of a weight-loss group or were dieting on their own participated in the one-week study. They were given mobile phones on which they kept an electronic diary of all the temptations that came their way, and the situations during which they gave in to these temptations. This helped the researchers to make a complete real-time record, known as 'ecological momentary assessment,' of participants' dietary temptations and lapses.

New research helps explain how social understanding is performed by the brain Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:17 AM PST An important question has been answered about how social understanding is performed in the brain. The findings may help us to attain a better understanding of why people with autism and schizophrenia have difficulties with social interaction. Using magnetic stimulation to temporarily disrupt normal processing of the areas of the human brain involved in the production of actions of human participants, it is demonstrated that these areas are also involved in the understanding of actions. The study is the first to demonstrate a clear causal effect, whereas earlier studies primarily have looked at correlations, which are difficult to interpret.

Computerized checklist reduces type of hospital infection, study finds Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:16 AM PST A computerized safety checklist that automatically pulls information from patients' electronic medical records was associated with a threefold drop in rates of one serious type of hospital-acquired infection, according to a study. The study targeted bloodstream infections that begin in central lines -- catheters inserted into major veins. The automated checklist, and a dashboard-style interface used to interact with it, made it fast and easy for caregivers to follow national guidelines for keeping patients' central lines infection-free.

Age-21 drinking laws save lives, study confirms Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:16 AM PST Although some advocates want to lower the legal drinking age from 21, research continues to show that the law saves lives. Researchers found that studies done since 2006 -- when a new debate over age-21 laws flared up -- have continued to demonstrate that the mandates work. The laws, studies show, are associated with lower rates of drunk-driving crashes among young people. And it seems they also curb other hazards of heavy drinking -- including suicide, dating violence and unprotected sex.

Equal and equal is unequal: Choosing marriage partner contributes to income inequality, study finds Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:11 AM PST Changes in society in choosing a marriage partner contribute to income inequality across households, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed the interaction of marriage partner choices and the distribution of income across households. Positive assortative mating, or in other words, the tendency of choosing a partner with the same level of education or income, has increased so significantly over the past five decades in the U.S., that it has a considerable effect on the national income distribution.

Pointing is infants' first communicative gesture Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:11 AM PST Researchers have studied the acquisition and development of language in babies on the basis of the temporary coordination of gestures and speech. The results are the first in showing how and when they acquire the pattern of coordination between the two elements which allows them to communicate very early on.

Gender-quota boardrooms come at high price Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:11 AM PST Boardroom gender quotas seem to be a success story. According to a new PhD study however, affected companies pay a high price for the gender quota law. As the first country in the world to do so, Norway adopted a law that requires public limited companies to ensure at least 40 per cent representation of both men and women on the company board. To make sure this law is obeyed, a death sentence, i.e. liquidation, may be imposed on companies that do not comply. The boardroom gender-quota law appears to be a huge success, and it has also garnered considerable attention internationally.

Peer-to-peer nursing aggression threatens patient care, outcomes Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:11 AM PST Horizontal violence between nurses at the same level of authority is jeopardizing patient outcomes, research has revealed. A relationship between horizontal violence and ineffective communication, as well as between horizontal violence and poor patient outcome or near misses, was demonstrated. Peer-to-peer abuse has been widely documented in fast-paced healthcare environments in other countries.

Practice-based learning improves end of life care confidence in community nurses Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:10 AM PST District and community nurses who completed a practice-based educational pathway reported greater confidence in delivering palliative and end of life care to patients. Nurses working in these roles said communication was their main area of concern in relation to end of life care but this increased significantly during the project, due to interaction with colleagues experienced in this area.

Cancer patients want more written information on side effects Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:10 AM PST Patients who undergo radiotherapy for pelvic cancers want to be better informed about side effects before treatment, research has revealed. Half of patients who took part in a UK survey reported unmet information needs on a range of issues, including rehabilitation, ways to access supportive services and how to cope with the treatment's sexual consequences.

Exercise in older patients improves long-term health, wellbeing Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:10 AM PST Nurses can increase independence and quality of life as well as reduce social isolation in older patients by promoting exercise. A 12-week community fitness program for the over 60s was found to motivate and encourage individuals to continue with regular physical activity after they completed the intervention.

Stimulation glove for stroke patients helps improve tactile perception, motor function Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:10 AM PST A glove that uses weak electrical pulses to stimulate the nerve fibers that connect the hands with the brain has been developed and been used to help recovery of patients who have suffered a stroke by using passive stimulation that improves sense of touch and motor skills. If applied regularly, this passive stimulation results in an improvement of both tactile perception and motor function.

Culture influences young people's self-esteem: Fulfillment of value priorities of other individuals important to youth Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:10 AM PST Regardless of our personal values, we base most of our self-esteem on the fulfillment of the dominant values of our culture, reveals a global survey. The results of the study reflect the responses of more than 5,000 teenagers and young adults in 19 countries. They show that the young respondents base their self-esteem not on their own personal values - which seem to have little or no influence on their self-regard - but on the fulfillment of the value priorities of other individuals in their cultural environments.

New tumor suppressor gene will facilitate detection of people susceptible to skin cancer Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:10 AM PST The human genome contains approximately 20,000 protein coding genes which are responsible for the formation, development and functioning of the human body. A similar number of genes exists in the mouse genome. In this pool only some genes -- called tumor suppressors -- can initiate the production of proteins having anti-cancer properties. One of the mouse genes displays strong suppressive properties against the development of non-melanoma skin cancers, which was proven by a team of Polish and Australian researchers. The experimental results are a promising step towards more effective prophylactic tests and new methods of treatment of this type of tumors in human patients.

Secondary thyroid cancer more deadly than primary malignancy in young individuals Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:10 AM PST A new analysis has found that adolescents and young adults who develop thyroid cancer as a secondary cancer have a significantly greater risk of dying than those with primary thyroid cancer. The findings stress the importance of screening young cancer survivors to detect early signs of a potentially life-threatening thyroid malignancy. Thyroid cancer is one of the five most common malignancies in adolescent and young adult patients (ages 15 to 39 years). It can develop as an initial cancer or rarely after treatment for a previous cancer.

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