ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Experts call for prison health improvements
• Binge drinking is harmful to older drinkers, may be hidden by weekly average
• Hangovers do not seem to have much influence on the time to next drink
• Blurred lines? Sexual boundaries are not really all that blurred
• Big stride in understanding PP1, the ubiquitous enzyme
• New biological mechanisms, treatment paradigm for kidney disease
• Think it’s safe to type a quick text while walking? Think again
• New approach to breast reconstruction surgery reduces opioid painkiller use, hospital stays
• New procedure opens up new world for people who have trouble swallowing food
• Particle beam cancer therapy: The promise and challenges
• In academia, men more likely to cooperate with lower-ranked colleagues
• People with sleep apnea may be at higher risk of pneumonia
• Gut microbes spur development of bowel cancer
• Alcohol may ease the nerves that cause atrial fibrillation
• Blocking key signaling chemical in the immune system stalls chronic inflammation, insulin resistance tied to obesity
• Positive health technique for stressed nurses found
• Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage saved $1.5 billion a year in first 4 years
• Ancient Chinese medicine put through its paces for pancreatic cancer
• Personality clashes not the cause of workplace harassment -- organizational structure to blame
• Tears and fears: How do emotions change our political attitudes?
• Potent HIV antibody research has opened up possibilities for HIV prevention, treatment
• World-class orchestras judged by sight not sound
• Homing in on cancer with new imaging method
• Increased intake of fish can boost good cholesterol levels
• First highly sensitive, small molecule fluorescence probe to evaluate risk, monitor progression of Parkinson's disease
• Health benefits from free play confirmed by research
• Herbal cannabis not recommended for rheumatology patients
• College athletes often sidelined from healthy lifestyle later in life
• Food allergy nearly doubles among black children
• Got an itch? Allergy to moistened wipes rising, says dermatologist
• Improved screening means new targets for pediatric neuroblastoma therapies

Experts call for prison health improvements Posted: 03 Mar 2014 01:36 PM PST Experts unveil their recommendations to improve health care for prisoners both during incarceration and after release. From a public health standpoint, they argue, it's shortsighted to regard prison populations as separate from the community. More than 95 percent of prisoners will return to the community, often carrying significant health burdens and associated costs with them. "The general public doesn't pay attention to what's going on behind bars," said lead author. "But this is very important if you are concerned about the health of our population and health care costs."

Binge drinking is harmful to older drinkers, may be hidden by weekly average Posted: 03 Mar 2014 01:36 PM PST Studies examining the potential health benefits of moderate drinking generally focus on average levels of drinking rather than drinking patterns. A new study shows that, among older moderate drinkers, those who binge drink have a significantly greater mortality risk than regular moderate drinkers. The findings highlight the importance of focusing on drinking patterns, as well as absolute amounts of ethanol consumed, as predictors of health and mortality outcomes among older adults.

Hangovers do not seem to have much influence on the time to next drink Posted: 03 Mar 2014 01:36 PM PST Many people believe that hangovers can either delay subsequent drinking due to pain and discomfort, or hasten drinking to relieve hangover symptoms. A new study investigates if a hangover that follows a drinking episode can influence the time to next drink. Results indicate that hangovers appear to have a very modest effect on subsequent drinking.

Blurred lines? Sexual boundaries are not really all that blurred Posted: 03 Mar 2014 01:36 PM PST Sexual aggression has become a common experience in bars. New findings show that approximately 90 percent of the incidents involve male initiators and female targets. The initiators' level of invasiveness was related to intoxication of the targets but not their own intoxication. This suggests that intoxicated women were being targeted, perhaps perceived as easier or more blameworthy.

Big stride in understanding PP1, the ubiquitous enzyme Posted: 03 Mar 2014 12:41 PM PST The enzyme PP1 has a key role in many of the body's healthy functions and diseases. It's so generally important that drug developers dare not target it. In a new study, scientists report a big leap in understanding how PP1 interacts with other proteins to behave specifically in distinct situations. That could lead to medicines that target it for precise benefits.

New biological mechanisms, treatment paradigm for kidney disease Posted: 03 Mar 2014 12:39 PM PST Prevention and reversal of chronic kidney disease is an urgent public health need. The disease affects 1 in 10 Americans, is debilitating and deadly, and existing drugs, at best, offer only mild delay in progression to end-stage kidney failure. New research has uncovered abnormal molecular signaling pathways from disease initiation to irreversible kidney damage, kidney failure, and death.

Think it’s safe to type a quick text while walking? Think again Posted: 03 Mar 2014 11:33 AM PST Texting and walking is a known danger, but an emergency doctor says distracted walking results in more injuries per mile than distracted driving. Consequences include bumping into walls, falling down stairs, tripping over clutter or stepping into traffic. The issue is so common that in London, bumpers were placed onto light posts along a frequented avenue to prevent people from slamming into them. Though injuries from car accidents involving texting are often more severe, physical harm resulting from texting and walking occurs more frequently, research shows.

New approach to breast reconstruction surgery reduces opioid painkiller use, hospital stays Posted: 03 Mar 2014 11:33 AM PST A new approach to breast reconstruction surgery aimed at helping patients' bodies get back to normal more quickly cut their postoperative opioid painkiller use in half and meant a day less in the hospital on average, a study found. The method includes new pain control techniques, preventive anti-nausea treatment and getting women eating and walking soon after free flap breast reconstruction surgery.

New procedure opens up new world for people who have trouble swallowing food Posted: 03 Mar 2014 11:32 AM PST A new minimally-invasive procedure called Per Oral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM) will help people with "jackhammer esophagus," a condition that occurs when they esophagus doesn't open properly making it difficult to impossible to swallow food. It also makes the patient feel like he or she is having a heart attack 24/7. The POEM procedure leaves no surgical scars and is essentially pain free and patients can return to work in less than a week.

Particle beam cancer therapy: The promise and challenges Posted: 03 Mar 2014 11:32 AM PST Advances in accelerators built for fundamental physics research have inspired improved cancer treatment facilities. Accelerator physicists are natural-born problem solvers, finding ever more powerful ways to generate and steer particle beams for research into the mysteries of physics, materials, and matter. And from the very beginning, this field born at the dawn of the atomic age has actively sought ways to apply advanced technologies to tackle more practical problems. At the top of the list has always been taking aim at cancer, the second leading cause of death in the U.S. today, affecting one in two men and one in three women. But will one of the most promising -- a carbon ion treatment facility -- be built in the U.S.?

In academia, men more likely to cooperate with lower-ranked colleagues Posted: 03 Mar 2014 11:01 AM PST Women of different social or professional 'ranks' cooperate less well with each other than men do, according to a new study. With those they see as equals, the study found no difference between the sexes. Cooperation among women was as frequent as cooperation among men.

People with sleep apnea may be at higher risk of pneumonia Posted: 03 Mar 2014 11:01 AM PST People with sleep apnea appear to be at higher risk of pneumonia than people without, according to a study. Sleep apnea is characterized by disrupted sleep, caused when the upper airway becomes obstructed by soft tissue, cutting off oxygen. It has been linked to several types of heart disease and cognitive impairment. People with obstructive sleep apnea are at higher risk of aspiration while sleeping.

Gut microbes spur development of bowel cancer Posted: 03 Mar 2014 10:59 AM PST It is not only genetics that predispose to bowel cancer; microbes living in the gut help drive the development of intestinal tumors, according to new research in mice. Bowel cancer, also called colorectal cancer, results from a series of genetic changes (mutations) that cause healthy cells to become progressively cancerous, first forming early tumors called polyps that can eventually become malignant. New research focused on these polyps demonstrated that bacteria are essential for early tumor development.

Alcohol may ease the nerves that cause atrial fibrillation Posted: 03 Mar 2014 10:59 AM PST Doctors in the U.S. and Japan have devised a way to treat atrial fibrillation by adding a little alcohol to minimally invasive therapies that target a cluster of misbehaving nerves known to trigger arrhythmia, dulling or stopping the transmission of electrical impulses that cause atrial fibrillation. The addition of alcohol appeared to be far more effective at disrupting the nerves than the standard surgical therapy alone -- concentrated radio waves that cause tissues in a small area to burn and scar.

Blocking key signaling chemical in the immune system stalls chronic inflammation, insulin resistance tied to obesity Posted: 03 Mar 2014 10:58 AM PST Blocking the action of a key signaling molecule in the immune system known as Netrin-1 stalls chronic inflammation and insulin resistance tied to obesity and often derived from fatty diets, new research shows. Among the study's key findings was that inflammatory macrophage buildup is controlled by Netrin-1, which not only attracts more macrophages into fat tissue, but also prevents macrophages from carrying away pathogens and unwanted fat cells as the immune cells would normally do. Uncontrolled inflammation is known to damage arteries and vital organs.

Positive health technique for stressed nurses found Posted: 03 Mar 2014 07:37 AM PST Within the health care industry and beyond, daily exposure to stress can lead to negative consequences for employees both on and off the job -- from apathy and burnout to physical illness or mental impairments. New research suggests the implementation of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program can reduce employee stress and burnout.

Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage saved $1.5 billion a year in first 4 years Posted: 03 Mar 2014 06:26 AM PST Medicare Part D prescription coverage significantly reduced hospital admissions and program expenditures totaling $1.5 billion annually, a new study concludes. In the largest and most rigorous impact analysis of Medicare Part D to date, researchers found that gaining prescription drug insurance through Medicare Part D reduced hospitalizations by 8%, decreased annual Medicare expenditures for hospitalization by 7% and reduced hospital charges associated with hospitalization by 12% during the program's first four years.

Ancient Chinese medicine put through its paces for pancreatic cancer Posted: 03 Mar 2014 05:44 AM PST The bark of the Amur cork tree has traveled a centuries-long road with the healing arts. Now it is being put through its paces by science in the fight against pancreatic cancer, with the potential to make inroads against several more. Researchers were already exploring the cork tree extract's promise in treating prostate cancer when the team found that deadly pancreatic cancers share some similar development pathways with prostate tumors. The potential of natural substances to treat and cure disease has great appeal, but the advantage of cork tree extract, available as a dietary supplement in capsule form, is that it already has been established as safe for use in patients.

Personality clashes not the cause of workplace harassment -- organizational structure to blame Posted: 03 Mar 2014 05:43 AM PST While it may be easy to put workplace harassment down to personality conflicts, in reality workplace harassment is most often a product of the workplace itself, not the people in it. More research needs to be done into the role organizations play in workplace harassment, in order to address a critical issue with widespread social and economic impacts, the researchers say.

Tears and fears: How do emotions change our political attitudes? Posted: 03 Mar 2014 05:39 AM PST Politicians know that turning on the tears can be a vote winner, but how does the political manipulation of our emotions actually work? Researchers explore how emotions such as anxiety, even if their cause has nothing to do with politics, can result in a hardening of our views.

Potent HIV antibody research has opened up possibilities for HIV prevention, treatment Posted: 03 Mar 2014 05:39 AM PST The discovery of how a KwaZulu-Natal woman's body responded to her HIV infection by making potent antibodies (called broadly neutralizing antibodies, because they are able to kill multiple strains of HIV from across the world), has been reported by an international team of scientists. All HIV infected people respond to HIV by making antibodies. In most patients, these antibodies are not able to kill a wide range of HIV -- this is described as a lack of neutralization breadth. However, in a few infected people, they naturally make antibodies that kill (neutralize) many different kinds of HIV. The identification and successful cloning of these special antibodies enables the researchers to make sufficiently large quantities for further testing, similar to the way a medicine used to prevent or treat HIV would be tested.

World-class orchestras judged by sight not sound Posted: 03 Mar 2014 05:39 AM PST World-class orchestras can be accurately identified by silent video footage of performances, but not through sound recordings, a new study has found.

Homing in on cancer with new imaging method Posted: 03 Mar 2014 05:35 AM PST There are many reasons why in the era of cutting-edge medicine it is still difficult to cure cancer. A tumor may, for instance, consist of different tumor cell subpopulations, each of which has its own profile and responds differently to therapy – or not. Furthermore, the cancer cells and the healthy cells in the body interact and communicate with one another. How a tumor then actually develops and whether metastases form depends on which signals a tumor cell receives from its environment. With the development of a new method a team of reserachers has succeeded in comprehensively profiling and visualizing tumor cells from patient samples.

Increased intake of fish can boost good cholesterol levels Posted: 03 Mar 2014 05:35 AM PST The consumption of fish has long been known to be beneficial for health; however, the mechanisms by which fats and other useful nutrients found in fish work in the human body are not fully known. Now research confirms that increasing the intake of fatty fish increases the number of large HDL particles. People who increased their intake of fish to a minimum of 3-4 weekly meals had more large HDL particles in their blood than people who are less frequent eaters of fish. Large HDL particles are believed to protect against cardiovascular diseases.

First highly sensitive, small molecule fluorescence probe to evaluate risk, monitor progression of Parkinson's disease Posted: 03 Mar 2014 05:35 AM PST The first two-photon, small molecule fluorogenic probe that can serve as a useful tool for the rapid assessment of an individual's potential risk for Parkinson's disease has been developed by scientists. The probe can detect with high precision the activity of Monoamine Oxidase B (MAO-B), an enzyme that is found in elevated levels in patients with Parkinson's disease. This innovation paves the way for the development of less costly non-invasive technologies and devices to help monitor the risk and progression of Parkinson's disease.

Health benefits from free play confirmed by research Posted: 03 Mar 2014 05:35 AM PST Cheap items like crates and buckets encourage children to be more active and creative than expensive play equipment, researchers have found. The findings are the result of a long-term study into the play differences of primary school children with access to different playgrounds. Introducing simple, everyday objects during recess and lunchtime can cut sedentary behavior by half, improve creativity and boost social and problem-solving skills, the research shows.

Herbal cannabis not recommended for rheumatology patients Posted: 03 Mar 2014 05:35 AM PST Patients with rheumatic conditions are in need of symptom relief and some are turning to herbal cannabis as a treatment option. However, the effectiveness and safety of medical marijuana to treat symptoms of rheumatic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or fibromyalgia is not supported by medical evidence. A new article explores the risks associated with using herbal cannabis for medicinal purposes and advises healthcare providers to discourage rheumatology patients from using this drug as therapy.

College athletes often sidelined from healthy lifestyle later in life Posted: 03 Mar 2014 05:32 AM PST Elite college athletes often struggle to stay active in later years, facing limitations to their day-to-day activities in middle age that could be a result of injuries during their athletic career, new research shows. Researchers have long known that compared to non-athletes, college athletes experience more severe injuries -- and long-term effects of those injuries. However, surprising results from a recent study indicated that former elite athletes also scored worse on depression, fatigue and sleep scales.

Food allergy nearly doubles among black children Posted: 03 Mar 2014 05:32 AM PST Children's food allergies are gradually increasing, but they may be as much as doubling among black children. According to a study, self-reported food allergy nearly doubled in black children over 23 years.

Got an itch? Allergy to moistened wipes rising, says dermatologist Posted: 03 Mar 2014 05:32 AM PST Spring allergies aren't the only thing to worry about these days. More people are developing an itchy, painful rash in an effort to stay clean. A dermatologist says a preservative in many pre-moistened wipes is linked to a dramatic rise in allergic reactions. The allergen, a chemical preservative referred to as MI, is found in many water-based products like liquid soaps, hair products, sunscreen, cosmetics, laundry products and cleaners as well as pre-moistened personal hygiene products and baby wipes. The irritated skin can be red, raised, itchy and even blistery, appearing much like a reaction to poison ivy. The three most common areas affected by the allergic reaction include the face, from using soaps and shampoos, the fingers and hands, from handling the wipes, and the buttocks and genitals from using moistened flushable wipes. "Concentrations of the preservative have increased dramatically in some products in the last few years, as manufacturers stopped using other preservatives like paraben and formaldehyde," Zirwas said.

Improved screening means new targets for pediatric neuroblastoma therapies Posted: 02 Mar 2014 11:36 AM PST Neuroblastoma is one of the most common and lethal types of childhood cancers. In a paper recently published, a researcher unveils an improved screening technique that shows the important role of microRNAs in regulating neuroblastoma development, pointing to new therapeutic possibilities. Neuroblastomas, which account for 15 percent of childhood cancer deaths, happen when some cells do not differentiate and grow as they should. A promising type of therapy called differentiation therapy targets these malignant cells so that they can resume the process of differentiating into mature cells.

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