Health News NetworkHealth News NetworkA blog on news and articles related to health Articles
BruneiDirect.com: Scientists said on Sunday they have pinpoi
2007-01-16 23:54:02 BruneiDirect .com: Scientist s said on Sunday they have pinpointed a new gene linked to Alzheimer?s disease, the incurable brain disorder that is the top cause of dementia in the elderly.Abnormalities in a gene called SORL1 increased the risk for the disease, and this finding could help scientists develop new treatments, the researchers reported in the journal Nature Genetics. The researchers looked at DNA samples from 6,000 people from four ethnic groups: Caribbean-Hispanics, North Europeans, black Americans and Israeli-Arabs. They found certain variations of SORL1 more often in people with late-onset Alzheimer's disease than in healthy people. The late-onset form, affecting people age 65 and up, represents about 90 percent of Alzheimer's cases. The rarer early-onset form affects people from about age 30 to 65. Only one other gene, called ApoE4, has been identified as a risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's. It was identified in 1993. Several genes are linked with early Alzheimer... More About: Have
In this video, Dr. Becky Kuhn, Co-founder, Global Lifeworks,
2007-01-16 11:54:01 In this video, Dr. Becky Kuhn, Co-founder, Global Life works, explains about the top ten myths on HIV/AIDS and why they aren?t true. More About: Video , Founder , Work
Voice of America: The World Health Organization (WHO) says t
2007-01-14 23:52:02 Voice of America : The World Health Organization (WHO) says that cardiovascular disease causes approximately one third of all deaths worldwide (16.7 million). And those deaths are not just limited to industrialized nations. By 2010, the WHO estimates that heart disease and stroke also will be the leading causes of death in developing countries. But the WHO says heart disease is not always a death sentence. At least 20 million people survive heart disease and stroke every year. And now a blood test can accurately predict a patient's chances of a heart attack. Many people already know what they should do to avoid a heart attack or stroke: Stay away from foods full of saturated fat, salt and carbohydrates. Eat more fruit and vegetables. Exercise more. Don't smoke. Take a cholesterol-lowering drug.But sometimes the odds of a future heart attack or stroke are still higher for those people who have already been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. Sixty-four-year-old Thomas Gray has su... More About: Voice
SpiritIndia.com: Answering one of the oldest questions in hu
2007-01-13 23:52:01 SpiritIndia .com: Answer ing one of the oldest questions in human physiology, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have discovered why the body's immune system -- perpetually on guard against foreign microbes like bacteria -- doesn't attack tissues in the small intestine that harbor millions of bacteria cells.In a study in the February issue of Nature Immunology, and which is currently available on the journal's Web site as an advanced online publication, investigators led by Shannon Turley, PhD, of Dana-Farber identify an unlikely group of peacemakers: lymph node cells that instruct key immune system cells to leave healthy tissue alone. The finding, which illuminates a previously unknown corner of the human immune system, may lead to new forms of treatment for autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 diabetes and multiple scelerosis."We've discovered that cells not generally thought of as part of the immune system actually play an important role in protecting the intestine from ... More About: Question , Questions , Ring
Leptin, a protein hormone that plays a vital role in regulat
2007-01-13 23:52:01 Leptin, a protein hormone that plays a vital role in regulation of appetite and metabolism, is now found to prevent Type 2 diabetes in animals. A research carried out by University of Florida has shown that leptin was able to cure diabetes in animals and animals that received leptin therapy lived longer than the ones that didn?t. This finding could eventually become a breakthrough in the fight against diabetes, if the leptin therapy is successfully tested on humans.Watch this video, which speaks more about this remarkable finding, More About: Play , Hat , Vita , Protein , Lays
Medindia.com: Smoking was never known to be good. And the li
2007-01-13 23:52:01 Medindia.com: Smoking was never known to be good. And the list of harmful consequences due to smoking seems to be ever growing. A school of thought, courtesy- research from the Boston University School of Medicine and Mayo Clinic, has revealed the heightened risk of cartilage loss, coupled with excruciating pain in men who smoke, and suffer knee osteoarthritis. For 30 months, researchers tracked 159 men with knee osteoarthritis. Nineteen men of the group were smokers. After accommodating the study results with factors of age, body mass index and cartilage scores, they discovered that smokers portrayed an enhanced risk of experiencing cartilage loss and felt more pain as compared to men who did not smoke. Dr. David Felson, director of the Clinical Epidemiology Research and Training Unit and professor of medicine and public health at Boston University School of Medicine, said ?Our findings also suggest smoking plays a role in the progression of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis and, the... More About: India , King , Know , Ever
Teenage girls who read a lot of articles on weight loss and
2007-01-04 23:46:01 Medindia.com: Parents of teenage girls might want to have another look at that attractive magazine their daughter is reflecting upon.According to recent studies, teenage girls who read articles on weight loss and dieting in such magazines are more prone to resort to drastic weight reducing techniques such as vomiting, laxatives or smoking more cigarettes, than those who don?t.The study, published in Pediatrics' January edition, was conducted by studying 2,516 Minnesota teens, almost half boys and half girls. The teens were studied for five years, starting when they were about 13 to 15 years old and a follow- up done, 5 years later.At the study's start, the teens completed surveys about dieting, body image, and self-esteem. The survey also included this question: "How often do you read magazine articles in which dieting or weight loss is discussed?"Forty-four percent of the girls reported reading such articles frequently, compared with 14 percent of the boys.In results of the follo... More About: Articles , Girls , Weight Loss , Weight , Article
An awareness video on ?Anorexia Nervosa?
2007-01-01 23:45:01 Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that is characterized by low body weight and body image distortion. Individuals suffering from this disease control body weight by voluntary starvation, purging vomiting, excessive exercise, or other weight control measures, such as diet pills or diuretic drugs. This disease primarily affects young adolescent girls in the western world and has one of the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric condition, with approximately 10% of people diagnosed with the condition eventually dying due to related factors.This video is made with an intention to create awareness on this disease and to show how this disease could ruin one?s lifestyle. More About: Video , War , Ware , Anorexia , Awareness
Top ten myths about HIV/AIDS
2007-01-01 23:45:01 In this video Dr. Becky Kuhn, Co-founder, Global Lifeworks, explains about the top ten myths on HIV/AIDS and why there aren?t true. More About: Myths , About , Top Ten , Aids , Myth
Stroke and heart diseases top the list of killers in the Uni
2006-12-29 11:42:01 HealthDay News: Rising obesity and poor nutrition are keeping heart disease at the top of the list of America's fatal illnesses, according to the 2007 edition of the American Hear t Association's annual statistical round-up."Changes in lifestyle behaviors such as healthy diet and exercise could reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease," Wayne Rosamond, an epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina and chairman of the committee that drew up the report, said in a statement.Instead, cardiovascular disease remains the nation's leading cause of death, accounting for 36.3 percent of all deaths, said the report, published in the journal Circulation. Heart disease topped the list of causes of death for Americans, with stroke third (behind cancer).Stroke got special mention in this year's AHA report. Some 700,000 Americans experience a stroke each year, and the report concentrates on transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), often called "mini-strokes." These attacks are temporary art... More About: Diseases , Killer , List
Your waistline could eventually determine your fate!
2006-12-29 11:42:01 Medindia.com: Did you know that a flabby waist certainly points to a greater risk of developing a heart attack? If you didn?t, read on.A recent study has revealed that the risk for coronary illness is inflated to almost 44%, when instead of an hour glass figure one sports a podgy flabby waistline. The diameter along the median sagittal plane was measured in a group of volunteers. This roughly amounts to an imaginary line cutting through the body joining two points from the back to the front of the abdomen. This distance is referred to as the sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD), measured using callipers. The researchers claim that this measurement is more reliable to measure obesity than the more commonly used body mass index (BMI). The team gauged that bigger the waist measurement the greater is the risk to develop heart disease. Young people who have a huge waistline, better watch out as they stand a greater danger of developing heart diseases.SAD measurements that are over and above... More About: Event , Your , Fate , Mine , Ne Yo
Pig embryo tissue transplants could cure genetic diseases
2006-12-27 17:39:01 The Jerusalem Post: Weizmann Institute scientists show how a "window of opportunity" could enable pig embryo tissue transplants to eventually cure genetic diseases. It doesn't sound kosher, but pig embryo tissue could eventually induce the human body to produce blood-clotting proteins for hemophilia patients and other critical substances to cure disease. Immunology Prof. Yair Reisner and doctoral student Anna Aronovich of the Weizmann Institute's Immunology Department, together with colleagues, showed how such a transplant could be made feasible in the future. The study was published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). In hemophilia, a mutated gene prevents the production of a critical blood-clotting protein. Treatments for hemophilia and other such genetic diseases, when they exist, may consist of risky blood transfusions or expensive enzyme replacement therapy. But if the body could be induced to begin producing these proteins by transplanting... More About: Plants , Diseases , Disease , Ants , Trans
Osteoarthritis patients with stronger quadriceps suffer less
2006-12-26 23:37:01 HearldNet: Strong quadriceps muscles - those at the front of the thigh - are a must for anyone who wants to fly downhill on skis, attempt a double axel on skates or scale a mountain by foot or by bike. These muscles do more than help you straighten your legs and stand; they're integral in everything from walking to high jumping. But they may have special importance for people with knee osteoarthritis. A recent study of people with the condition found that those who had stronger quadriceps had less cartilage loss behind the kneecap. Less cartilage loss can mean better range of motion and less discomfort. "Although this was not an exercise study, our results suggest that (exercise) is beneficial for the knees, especially the knee joints," said Dr. Shreyasee Amin, assistant professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and lead author of the study. "Other studies have shown that it can help with decreasing pain and improving function."Most experts agree that excess weight, inj... More About: With , Rice , Patients , Arthritis
Drug-resistant tuberculosis is more widespread than previous
2006-12-26 11:36:04 Voice of America: A new study by the World Health Organization has found drug-resistant tuberculosis in virtually all of the 79 countries the organization surveyed around the world, with particularly high levels in countries of the former Soviet Union and some Chinese provinces. VOA's Jessica Berman reports.About one third of the world's population is infected with the bacterium that causes tuberculosis and, every year, nine million people become contagious.But misuse of two, potent antibiotics, izoniazid and rifampacin, has made them ineffective in treating the disease, causing multi-drug resistance, or MDR-TB.The WHO estimates that in 2004, one-point-seven million people died of TB, many of whom could not be cured with either antibiotic.Ten years ago, the world body began a project to study TB drug resistance around the globe. In their latest report, investigators identified the emergence of more than 400-thousand new cases of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis in the 79 nations ... More About: Tube , Read , Wide , More , Tuberculosis
Women are more likely to inherit stroke than men
2006-12-24 17:34:01 HealthDay News: Women are at higher inherited risk for the most common type of stroke than men, a British study finds. The study of 806 men and women who suffered ischemic strokes or the minor artery blockages called transient ischemic attacks showed women were more likely to have at least one close relative who suffered a stroke, and that was due entirely to an excess of affected female relatives."The main implication for clinical practice is that when you consider who is at risk for stroke, it looks like family history in particular is more important in women than men, particularly if there is a family history of stroke in female relatives," said study author Dr. Peter M. Rothwell, director of the Stroke Prevention Research Unit at the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford.The study was published in the Dec. 22 online issue of The Lancet Neurology.Ischemic strokes occur when an artery in the brain becomes blocked. They account for about 83 percent of all strokes, according to the American... More About: Men , More , Like
Bacteria living in your gut can make you fatter!
2006-12-23 23:32:02 BBC News : 'Friendly' bacteria living in our digestive systems may be helping to make us fatter, say scientists. Trillions of bugs live in the human gut, helping us break down food. A team from Washington University School of Medicine claim when one type is dominant, this may impact on how many calories we extract from our diet. Writing in the journal Nature, they described how they were able to make mice obese simply by adjusting the levels of certain types of bacteria. They say it may be possible to treat obesity by doing the same to humans. Obesity is recognised as a major health threat in many Western countries, including the UK, where a recent study suggested its effects consumed 9% of the total NHS budget. While eating too much is the obvious primary cause, scientists have been looking for other factors which might pre-dispose people to gain weight. The Washington University team, led by Dr Jeffrey Gordon, has been looking at the levels of two types of bacteria normally foun... More About: Living , Bacteria , Your , Make , Teri
All they brought was measles! Spiritual group from India bla
2006-12-23 23:32:02 The Times of India : After holding the dubious distinction of exporting the polio virus to countries that had eradicated the disease, India's measles virus has now caused an outbreak in Australia. According to WHO's latest weekly epidemiological report, an importation of measles virus from India into Australia caused an outbreak that affected 84 people in six Australian states. The report says the outbreak "has been linked to the arrival of a spiritual group from India". Health minister A Ramadoss said:"Virus strains travel across the globe and are exported and imported by travellers harbouring it. Australia should have been careful." Measles is a serious health problem in India and is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality among children below five. According to India's Central Bureau of Health Intelligence, an estimated 52,500 children were affected by measles in 2005. WHO estimates that 180,000 children may have died due to measles in 2005. To meet the threat, healt... More About: Spiritual , They , Ritual
Too much of vitamins can be harmful!
2006-12-23 11:32:01 News 8 Austin ? Can too much of a good thing be bad for you body? Yes, actually. By filling your body with too many vitamins you are putting your health at risk. The following supplements can have negative effects if taken in large quantities: Vita min C: Millions of Americans take vitamin C supplements at widely varying doses up to thousands of milligrams. The recommended daily dose is 60 mg. Two thousand milligrams taken daily can cause diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramps, and headache. Routine mega doses may also create vitamin C dependency. When intake is suddenly reduced, signs of withdrawal can include a rebound deficiency -- bleeding gums, lingering wounds, and skin problems. Vitamin E: This vitamin is being studies to reduce heart disease but too much of it can cause muscle weakness, fatigue, nausea and diarrhea. Supplements can cause serious bleeding problems, especially among those who take anticoagulants. The recommended daily dose for men is 15 IU and 12 IU for women.Read ... More About: Vitamins , Much , Harm
An influenza pandemic today can kill around 62 million peopl
2006-12-23 11:32:01 Washington Post ? An influenza pandemic of the type that ravaged the globe in 1918 and 1919 would kill about 62 million people today, with 96 percent of the deaths occurring in developing countries. That is the conclusion of a study published yesterday in the Lancet medical journal, which uses mortality records kept by governments during the time of "Spanish flu" to predict the effect of a similarly virulent outbreak in the contemporary worldThe analysis, the first of its kind, found a nearly 40-fold difference in death rates between central India, the place with the highest recorded mortality, and Denmark, the country with the lowest. The reason for the huge variation is not known, but it may reflect differences in nutrition and crowding.If a modern Spanish flu killed all its victims in one year, it would more than double global mortality. About 59 million people now die each year. "It is a huge, huge number," said Christopher J.L. Murray, a physician and biostatistician at the Har... More About: Influenza , Today , Lion , Pandemic , Million
Indian state to pass a legislation for mandatory pre-marriag
2006-12-21 17:29:01 The India n Express ? Andhra Pradesh, among the worst hit by HIV/AIDS in India, is set to become the first state to pass a legislation to make it mandatory for couples to undergo HIV testing before they can get married. According to officials, the intention behind the move is to make sure that there are no HIV positive babies born in the state by 2007. The issue was discussed today in the Andhra Assembly, shortly after Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy and other MLAs took HIV tests.Andhra Pradesh Principal Secretary (Health) P K Agarwal said that the government has not yet decided on how exactly the new measure will be implemented. He said the Assembly had not yet passed any legislation on this but had only discussed it. ?The climate in the state is right for such a Bill and legislators are serious about bringing in such legislation. So a formal Bill should be passed soon,?? he said. Sources said that such a Bill is likely to come up for approval in the March session of the Assembl... More About: Indian , State , Anda , Dian
Getting some extra sunshine everyday could prevent the devel
2006-12-21 05:28:01 HealthDay News ? Could getting some extra sunshine help prevent the development of multiple sclerosis ?Maybe, according to new research that found white people with high circulating levels of vitamin D -- a vitamin mainly produced by the body after sun exposure -- had a lower risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). No such association was found for blacks or Hispanics in this study, which is published in the Dec. 20 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association."The group [of whites] with the highest vitamin D levels had a 62 percent decreased risk compared to the group with the lowest levels," said the study's lead author, Dr. Alberto Ascherio, an associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. However, Ascherio cautioned that it was too soon to recommend that anyone -- even those at high risk of developing MS -- start taking vitamin D supplements or increasing their sun exposure with the hope of preventing MS. Mul... More About: Event , Sunshine , Shine , Ever , Extra
Rota Glide, an emulsion used to reduce catheter friction can
2006-12-21 05:28:01 Medindia.com ? An emulsion made up from olive oil, glycerine and egg yolk would prevent the patient from undergoing a cardiac bypass surgery.The journal of Cat heterization and Cardiovascular Interventions has already published this study which was led by Michael Savage, M.D., director, Cardiac Cath eterization Laboratory at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia.The mixture is not swallowed, Dr. Savage explains. Rather, it is used in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory to bathe surgical stents before they are inserted into problem heart arteries.Since being introduced in 1994, stents--the metal mesh tubes placed in a coronary artery to keep it open after an interventional procedure--have worked in the majority of patients.Coated or drug-eluting stents, which prevented restenosis (the re-closing of the artery a short time after stent insertion) were the next advance in this field."There are still a small number of patients with arteries that cannot be stented because of... More About: Reduce , Sion , Redu
Genetic mutations identified in children with autism may pro
2006-12-19 11:25:02 Reuters Health ? French scientists have identified genetic mutations in a small number of children with autism which could provide insight into the biological basis of the disorder.They sequenced a gene called SHANK3 in more than 200 people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which includes autism, and found mutations in the gene in members of three families.ASD covers a range of problems that affect communication, social interaction, verbal skills and behavior."These mutations concern only a small number of individuals, but they shed light on one gene ... that is involved in autism spectrum disorders," Thomas Bourgeron, of the Pasteur Institute in Paris, said in a report in the journal Nature Genetics.ASD, which affect six out of 1,000 children, range from mild to severe forms. The disorders are caused by chromosomal rearrangements in 3 to 6 percent of cases.Read more of this story? More About: Children , Autism , With , Child , Muta
Genes influence blood pressure differently in men and women
2006-12-18 17:23:01 Toronto Daily News ? The influence of genes on blood pressure may vary based on gender, the new study revealed. ?Sex is like a prism that refracts the effects of the gene very differently for men and women,? said Daniel T. O?Connor, M.D., UCSD professor of Medicine and Pharmacology. The research team found that the gene-by-sex interaction was the rule, not the exception in their study of a large, community-based sample of 1,200 primary care patients in Southern California. ?Our findings show that specific genetic variations ? which give rise to receptors that might be targets for ACE inhibitors or beta-blockers and other therapies used to treat hypertension ? impact blood pressure differently in men and women." "Knowing these genetic mutations may help us better diagnose hypertension and select the appropriate therapy," said O?Connor, adding that these findings support that the most appropriate therapy might well depend on whether the patient is a man or a woman.Read more of this st... More About: Women , Press , Men , Blood , Gene
Scientists develop a new technique to treat high blood press
2006-12-18 17:23:01 MedicineNews.net ? Nearly one-third of American adults have high blood pressure, a major cause of myocardial infarctions, strokes and kidney failure. But a new technique tested at the University of Florida (UF) could prove to be a long-term way to treat the disorder in humans, researchers say. UF researchers kept blood pressure from worsening and nearly eliminated kidney damage in rats exposed to cold weather, which can constrict blood vessels and overload the kidneys with hormones.Using a corrective gene, scientists were able to block a protein in the kidneys that triggers high blood pressure and kidney damage, said Zhongjie Sun, the lead author of the study.The protein, called a mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), signals the body to absorb sodium and water into the bloodstream. This increases the amount of blood in the body, also increasing blood pressure.?This new technique can specifically and efficiently inhibit the protein and prevent the progression of hypertension," Sun said.T... More About: Scientist , Tech , Press , Technique , Blood
Study: IQ determines dietary preference in Children
2006-12-18 05:22:01 HealthDay News? As a child's IQ rises, his taste for meat in adulthood declines, a new study suggests. British researchers have found that children's IQ predicts their likelihood of becoming vegetarians as young adults -- lowering their risk for cardiovascular disease in the process. The finding could explain the link between smarts and better health, the investigators say."Brighter people tend to have healthier dietary habits," concluded lead author Catharine Gale, a senior research fellow at the MRC Epidemiology Resource Centre of the University of Southampton and Southampton General Hospital.Recent studies suggest that vegetarianism may be associated with lower cholesterol, reduced risk of obesity and heart disease. This might explain why children with high IQs tend to have a lower risk of heart disease in later life.The report is published in the Dec. 15 online edition of the British Medical Journal."We know from other studies that brighter children tend to behave in a healthi... More About: Children , Diet , Study , Mine , Child
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is profound in patients with h
2006-12-18 05:22:01 Zee News? When fluid in tissues is displaced from the lower body into the upper body, the circumference of the neck grows, which may hinder the flow of air, Canadian Researchers Report. These findings may help explain why the prevalence of Obstructive Sleep Apne a (OSA) is increased in patients with diseases characterized by `fluid overload,` like heart failure and kidney failure, for example.People with sleep apnea stop breathing temporarily and repeatedly while asleep causing them to gasp for breath. Although obesity and a thick neck are known risk factors for the disorder, they account for only about one third of variability in the apnea-hypopnea index -- a measure of the frequency of slow or stopped breathing episodes at night. Dr T Douglas Bradley, from the Toronto General Hospital, and his team theorized that fluid accumulation in soft tissues in the neck might cause narrowing or blockage of the pharynx -- the tube that connects the mouth and nasal passages with the esophagus.... More About: With , Prof , Patients
Regular users of cannabis are at greater risk to mental illn
2006-12-16 17:20:02 The Sydney Morning Herald ? When tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient in cannabis, collides with the growing brain of a teenager the results are dangerously unpredictable.Some use cannabis socially for a time then dump it as they take on the responsibilities of adulthood, suffering no serious effects. But for a significant number of others, psychosis, schizophrenia and other mental illnesses develop and a vicious cycle of self-medication and worsening symptoms is amplified by torrid teenage emotions.In 1920, when Australia first outlawed cannabis, there was little evidence of its use here. Now it is the country's most widely used illicit drug: at its peak in 1998, 60 per cent of 20- to 29-year-olds reported having used cannabis.Once viewed as a bit of harmless fun, it is now recognized as the third most prevalent drug of dependence after alcohol and tobacco. About 10 per cent of people who try cannabis become dependent - this is 3 per cent of Australia's population, or 700,... More About: Mental , Men , Great , User , Risk
Americans are getting more sensitive to health issues
2006-12-15 05:19:03 Medindia.com ? A new study has found that more America ns, especially the senior citizens have become sensitive to health issues, and to begin with have managed to bring their blood pressure under control. Study author, Bernard M.Y. Cheung, said,"It is hard to attribute the improvement to any particular factor. We have tried to see if the explanation lies in better awareness, detection or treatment. There is no statistically significant increase in these, so probably all of these contribute in a small way."The study revealed that knowledge and awareness about blood pressure control increased from 70.6 percent to 81 percent, and treatment rates also rose from 63.8 percent to 73.4 percent. Visible improvement was observed among obese people, where control rates increased from 25.1 percent to 36.2 percent, and was superb for people with diabetes; improvement doubled from 15.7% to 33.2%. Read more of this story? More About: Health , Issues , American , More
An informative clip on the life cycle of HIV
More articles from this author:2006-12-13 17:18:06 Watch this really informative video on the life cycle of HIV and it gives a great deal of information on the 'biology' of the virus. More About: Life , Cycle , Info , Clip , Inform 1, 2, 3 |
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