ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Heart attacks in young women -- not all have chest pain
• Rare gene variant linked to macular degeneration
• Young women with breast cancer overestimate the benefit of having second breast removed
• Lifestyle changes may lengthen telomeres, a measure of cell aging
• Immune system marker tied to improved bone marrow transplant outcomes
• 'Vicious cycle' shields, spreads cancer cells
• How and where imagination occurs in human brains
• Sex differences in presentation of acute coronary syndrome
• Economic impact of childhood food allergies estimated
• Binge drinking: Five or more drinks common for high school seniors, some drink more
• New target for melanoma treatment
• Extremely potent, improved derivatives of successful anticancer drug created
• Novel biomarker identified for diabetes risk
• Risk of birth defects among women who take antihistamines in pregnancy
• Women can lower their risk for gynecologic cancers
• Gut microbes closely linked to proper immune function, other health issues
• Cold sore linked to mutation in gene
• Use of cognitive enhancers discouraged in some patients
• Hospital study finds connection between dementia, delirium and declining health
• Feeling small: Fingers can detect nano-scale wrinkles even on a seemingly smooth surface
• White blood cell levels tied to meal time
• Specific sugar molecule causes growth of cancer cells
• Potential treatment for a specific kind of pancreatic cancer
• Diet is associated with risk of depression
• Automated telephone calls improve blood pressure control
• Score system to predict likelihood of diabetes remission after weight-loss surgery
• Exposure to pig farms and manure fertilizers associated with MRSA infections
• Obese stomachs tell us diets are doomed to fail
• Diminishing fear vicariously by watching others
• Projected climate change in West Africa not likely to worsen malaria situation
• Driven to clean: Nesting instinct among pregnant women has an evolutionary backstory
• Functional genetic variation in humans: Comprehensive map published

Heart attacks in young women -- not all have chest pain Posted: 16 Sep 2013 05:47 PM PDT Chest pain is recognized as a symptom of heart troubles, but one out of five women aged 55 years or less having a heart attack do not experience this symptom. The research findings are the first to describe this phenomenon in young women.

Rare gene variant linked to macular degeneration Posted: 16 Sep 2013 05:42 PM PDT An international team of researchers has identified a gene mutation linked to age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in Americans over age 50.

Young women with breast cancer overestimate the benefit of having second breast removed Posted: 16 Sep 2013 05:39 PM PDT A survey of young women with breast cancer found that many often overestimate the odds that cancer will occur in their other, healthy breast, and decide to have the healthy breast surgically removed even though most understood that removing both breasts does not extend their survival.

Lifestyle changes may lengthen telomeres, a measure of cell aging Posted: 16 Sep 2013 05:39 PM PDT A small pilot study shows for the first time that changes in diet, exercise, stress management and social support may result in longer telomeres, the parts of chromosomes that affect aging.

Immune system marker tied to improved bone marrow transplant outcomes Posted: 16 Sep 2013 01:20 PM PDT The risk of death following bone marrow transplantation can be reduced about 60 percent using a new technique to identify bone marrow donors who make the most potent cancer-fighting immune cells.

'Vicious cycle' shields, spreads cancer cells Posted: 16 Sep 2013 01:20 PM PDT A "vicious cycle" produces mucus that protects uterine and pancreatic cancer cells and promotes their proliferation, according to research.

How and where imagination occurs in human brains Posted: 16 Sep 2013 01:20 PM PDT Philosophers and scientists have long puzzled over where human imagination comes from. In other words, what makes humans able to create art, invent tools, think scientifically and perform other incredibly diverse behaviors? The answer, researchers conclude, lies in a widespread neural network -- the brain's "mental workspace" -- that consciously manipulates images, symbols, ideas and theories and gives humans the laser-like mental focus needed to solve complex problems and come up with new ideas.

Sex differences in presentation of acute coronary syndrome Posted: 16 Sep 2013 01:17 PM PDT A higher proportion of women than men 55 years and younger did not have chest pain in acute coronary syndromes (ACS, such as heart attacks or unstable angina), although chest pain was the most common symptom for both sexes, according to a new study.

Economic impact of childhood food allergies estimated Posted: 16 Sep 2013 01:17 PM PDT The overall cost of childhood food allergies was estimated at nearly $25 billion annually in a study of caregivers that quantified medical, out-of-pocket, lost work productivity and other expenses, according to a new report.

Binge drinking: Five or more drinks common for high school seniors, some drink more Posted: 16 Sep 2013 01:17 PM PDT Consuming five or more alcoholic drinks in a row is common among high school seniors, with some students engaging in extreme binge drinking of as many as 15 or more drinks, according to a new study.

New target for melanoma treatment Posted: 16 Sep 2013 11:32 AM PDT The PDK1 gene, known to regulate many cell functions such as metabolism and survival, is now identified as a key regulator in melanoma development and metastasis, offering new opportunities to interfere with cancer progression.

Extremely potent, improved derivatives of successful anticancer drug created Posted: 16 Sep 2013 11:05 AM PDT Scientists have found a way to make dramatic improvements to the cancer cell-killing power of vinblastine, one of the most successful chemotherapy drugs of the past few decades. The team's modified versions of vinblastine showed 10 to 200 times greater potency than the clinical drug.

Novel biomarker identified for diabetes risk Posted: 16 Sep 2013 10:11 AM PDT Researchers have identified a biomarker that can predict diabetes risk up to 10 years before onset of the disease.

Risk of birth defects among women who take antihistamines in pregnancy Posted: 16 Sep 2013 10:11 AM PDT Antihistamines are a group of medications that are used to treat various conditions, including allergies and nausea and vomiting. Some antihistamines require a prescription, but most are available over-the-counter, and both prescription and OTC antihistamines are often used by women during pregnancy. Until recently, little information was available to women and their health care providers on the possible risks and relative safety of these medications in pregnancy, particularly when it came to specific birth defects.

Women can lower their risk for gynecologic cancers Posted: 16 Sep 2013 10:10 AM PDT From losing weight to knowing their family history, there are several things women can do to lower their risk of developing certain types of cancer, and improve their chances for survival if they do develop one of them.

Gut microbes closely linked to proper immune function, other health issues Posted: 16 Sep 2013 09:22 AM PDT A new understanding of the essential role of gut microbes in the immune system may hold the key to dealing with some of the more significant health problems facing people in the world today, researchers say in a new analysis.

Cold sore linked to mutation in gene Posted: 16 Sep 2013 09:20 AM PDT Why some people are troubled by cold sores while others are not has finally been explained by scientists. Cold sores affect around one in five people but, until now, no one has been sure why some are more prone to the virus that causes them.

Use of cognitive enhancers discouraged in some patients Posted: 16 Sep 2013 09:20 AM PDT Cognitive enhancers -- drugs taken to enhance concentration, memory, alertness and moods -- do not improve cognition or function in people with mild cognitive impairment in the long term, according to a new study by researchers at St. Michael's Hospital.

Hospital study finds connection between dementia, delirium and declining health Posted: 16 Sep 2013 08:10 AM PDT More than half of all patients with pre-existing dementia will experience delirium while hospitalized. Failing to detect and treat their delirium early leads to a faster decline of both their physical and mental health, according to health researchers.

Feeling small: Fingers can detect nano-scale wrinkles even on a seemingly smooth surface Posted: 16 Sep 2013 08:08 AM PDT In a ground-breaking study, Swedish scientists have shown that people can detect nano-scale wrinkles while running their fingers upon a seemingly smooth surface. The findings could lead such advances as touch screens for the visually impaired and other products.

White blood cell levels tied to meal time Posted: 16 Sep 2013 07:36 AM PDT A new link between meal times and daily changes in the immune system has been identified, and has led them to question assumptions about the roles of specific immune cells in infection and allergy.

Specific sugar molecule causes growth of cancer cells Posted: 16 Sep 2013 07:36 AM PDT The process of glycosylation, where sugar molecules are attached to proteins, has long been of interest to scientists, particularly because certain sugar molecules are present in very high numbers in cancer cells. It now turns out that these sugar molecules are not only present but actually aid the growth of the malignant cells. In the long term this discovery is an important step towards a cure that can stop the growth of cancer cells.

Potential treatment for a specific kind of pancreatic cancer Posted: 16 Sep 2013 07:35 AM PDT Researchers have identified a potentially treatable subtype of pancreatic cancer, which accounts for about 2 percent of new cases. This subtype expresses high levels of the HER2 gene. HER2-amplified breast and gastric cancers are currently treated with Herceptin.

Diet is associated with risk of depression Posted: 16 Sep 2013 07:35 AM PDT A healthy diet may reduce the risk of severe depression, according to a prospective follow-up study of more than 2,000 men. In addition, weight loss in the context of a lifestyle intervention was associated with a reduction in depressive symptoms.

Automated telephone calls improve blood pressure control Posted: 16 Sep 2013 07:35 AM PDT Patients who received automated telephone calls inviting them to get their blood pressure checked at a walk-in clinic were more likely to have controlled hypertension than patients who did not receive calls, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published today in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension.

Score system to predict likelihood of diabetes remission after weight-loss surgery Posted: 16 Sep 2013 07:33 AM PDT Researchers have developed a simple scoring system, based on four readily available preoperative patient characteristics, that can predict which candidates for gastric bypass surgery are likely to achieve type 2 diabetes remission within 5 years. A predictive model is likely to help patients and clinicians better manage the disease and could even save lives.

Exposure to pig farms and manure fertilizers associated with MRSA infections Posted: 16 Sep 2013 07:33 AM PDT Researchers have for the first time found an association between living in proximity to high-density livestock production and community-acquired infections with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as MRSA.

Obese stomachs tell us diets are doomed to fail Posted: 16 Sep 2013 07:33 AM PDT The way the stomach detects and tells our brains how full we are becomes damaged in obese people but does not return to normal once they lose weight, according to new research.

Diminishing fear vicariously by watching others Posted: 16 Sep 2013 06:12 AM PDT Phobias -- whether it's fear of spiders, clowns, or small spaces -- are common and can be difficult to treat. New research suggests that watching someone else safely interact with the supposedly harmful object can help to extinguish these conditioned fear responses, and prevent them from resurfacing later on.

Projected climate change in West Africa not likely to worsen malaria situation Posted: 16 Sep 2013 06:12 AM PDT A new model of malaria transmission combined with global forecasts for temperature and rainfall results in improved predictions of malaria with climate change.

Driven to clean: Nesting instinct among pregnant women has an evolutionary backstory Posted: 16 Sep 2013 06:04 AM PDT The overwhelming urge that drives many pregnant women to clean, organize and get life in order -— otherwise known as nesting —- is not irrational, but an adaptive behavior stemming from humans' evolutionary past.

Functional genetic variation in humans: Comprehensive map published Posted: 15 Sep 2013 10:43 AM PDT Scientists have presented a map that points to the genetic causes of differences between people. The study offers the largest-ever dataset linking human genomes to gene activity at the level of RNA.

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