http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/health_medicine/diseases_and_conditions/ Read the latest research on diseases and conditions, symptoms, new treatment options and more. Updated daily. en-us Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:05:01 EDT Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/health_medicine/diseases_and_conditions/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701182914.htm New research suggests a link between the circadian rhythm and control of sodium (salt) levels in the blood of mice. Specifically, the circadian clock protein Period 1 was found to function downstream of the hormone aldosterone (a known controller of blood sodium levels and thereby blood pressure) to regulate levels of the alpha-subunit of the epithelial sodium channel in the mouse kidney. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701182914.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629211805.htm A new study finds no evidence to suggest that a controversial antidote recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to treat patients poisoned with highly toxic insecticides improves their chance of survival. The results may even add weight to existing concerns about pralidoxime, the treatment recommended by the WHO, by suggesting that it could be harmful in patients who have deliberately poisoned themselves with insecticides. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629211805.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629200800.htm A mathematical epidemiologist is researching the A(H1N1) influenza pandemic strain circulating around the world. The new study's findings reveal an age shift in the proportion of cases toward a younger population when compared with historical patterns of seasonal influenza in Mexico. "For the 1918 ("Spanish flu") influenza pandemic, this was the pattern -- first a mild wave, and then a severe one with higher case fatality rates," notes one of the researchers. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629200800.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701182912.htm Scientists have shed light on the processes that lead to certain human DNA mutations that are implicated in hundreds of inherited diseases. The results one day could influence the way couples who seek to have children receive genetic counseling. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701182912.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630074953.htm For couples beginning infertility treatments, an accelerated path to in-vitro fertilization can offer a shorter time to pregnancy, cost savings of nearly $10,000, and a lowered risk of multiple births. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630074953.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630101231.htm Researchers have discovered a new brain mechanism involved in alcohol addiction involving the stomach hormone ghrelin. When ghrelin's actions in the brain are blocked, alcohol's effects on the reward system are reduced. It is an important discovery that could lead to new therapies for addictions such as alcohol dependence. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630101231.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630075259.htm Researchers have discovered a mechanism lung cancer cells use when spreading into the body to form metastases. They have also found a factor controlling the spreading of several different cancer types. The common feature in both findings is that they explain the lethal ability of cancer cells to “start running” and spread from the original tumor to other parts of the body. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630075259.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623163652.htm A novel method to seal leaking heart valves was shown to be safe in its first use in heart failure patients. If effective in larger trials, the PTMA system could significantly reduce the life-threatening risks associated with surgical repair of the mitral valve. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623163652.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629200641.htm The current H1N1 swine flu strain has genetic roots in an illness that sickened pigs at the 1918 Cedar Rapids Swine Show in Iowa, report experts. Their paper describes H1N1's nearly century-long and often convoluted journey, which may include the accidental resurrection of an extinct strain. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629200641.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629200634.htm The first microsatellite-based genetic linkage map has been published for Schistosoma mansoni, a blood fluke that is known to infect over 90 million people in Africa, the Middle East and the New World. Researchers hope the map will stimulate research and open doors to new advances in combating this neglected human pathogen. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629200634.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090703110637.htm A mother's weight and the amount she gains during pregnancy both impact her daughter's risk of obesity decades later, according to a new study. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090703110637.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705131814.htm Scientists have found a connection between DNA alterations on human chromosome 9 and aggressive brain cancer known as glioblastoma. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705131814.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705131812.htm Researchers have discovered a key switch that makes stem cells turn into the type of muscle cells that reside in the wall of blood vessels. The same switch might be used in the future to limit growth of vascular muscle cells that cause narrowing of arteries leading to heart attacks and strokes, limit formation of blood vessels that feed cancers or make new blood vessels for organs that are not getting enough blood flow. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705131812.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705131810.htm Using zebrafish, researchers have identified and described an enzyme inhibitor that increases the number of cardiac progenitor cells and influences the size of the developing heart. The task was accomplished primarily because of the powerful advantages of studying embryonic development in zebrafish, vertebrates whose transparent embryos develop rapidly, are small and easy to handle and, most importantly, grow outside of the mother. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705131810.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705131759.htm A newly discovered mechanism controls whether muscle cells in blood vessels hasten the development of both atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's disease, according to a new article. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705131759.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705131757.htm Common genetic variations spread across five genes raise a person's risk of developing the most frequent type of brain tumor, scientists report. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705131757.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705131755.htm In a discovery that rebuffs conventional scientific thinking, researchers have discovered a novel way to block the activity of the fusion protein responsible for Ewing's sarcoma, a rare cancer found in children and young adults. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705131755.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090703065220.htm Research has identified a new gene associated with diabetes, together with a mechanism that makes obese mice less susceptible to diabetes. A genomic fragment that occurs naturally in some mouse strains diminishes the activity of the risk gene Zfp69. The researchers also found that the corresponding human gene (ZNF642) is especially active in overweight individuals with diabetes. Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090703065220.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618124950.htm New research uses the Ras protein to fight its own malign effects. Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618124950.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622163027.htm Coronary artery bypass surgery provides "excellent" long-term survival for children who have severe inflammatory heart and blood vessel damage caused by Kawasaki disease. While post-operative problems may increase over time, these can be managed with proper follow-up care. Most of the young patients have normal lives, including participation in sports. Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622163027.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090703065222.htm Mental stress causes carotid artery dilation and increases brain blood flow. A series of ultrasound experiments also found that this dilatory reflex was absent in people with high blood pressure. Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090703065222.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090703065218.htm Existing drugs used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease could be repositioned for use in the treatment of extreme drug-resistant tuberculosis, which kills about 2 million people each year, according to a new study. The rise of these strains of TB throughout the world, including industrialized countries, poses a great threat to human health. Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090703065218.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616121351.htm Chemists have developed novel compounds that show promise for photodynamic cancer therapy, which uses light-activated drugs to kill tumor cells. The new compounds, called dye-sensitized ruthenium nitrosyls, are absorbed by cancer cells and respond to specific wavelengths of light by releasing nitric oxide, which triggers cell death. Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616121351.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619112431.htm Researchers have determined that individuals with mild to severe symptoms of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are more likely to suffer from metabolic syndrome, a collection of cardiovascular risk factors thought to be linked by insulin resistance). LUTS encompass voiding (incomplete emptying, weak stream, intermittency, straining) and storage (frequency, urgency, nocturia) difficulties. Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619112431.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701102910.htm Dental researchers have demonstrated three-year success with a tissue regeneration application that reduces the pain and recovery time of gum grafting surgery. This specific treatment eliminates the need to take tissue from the roof of the mouth. Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701102910.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615185424.htm Researchers have identified cells in blood that predict which HIV-positive individuals are most likely to develop deadly fungal meningitis, a major cause of HIV-related death. This form of meningitis affects more than 900,000 HIV-infected people globally--most of them in sub-Saharan Africa and other areas of the world where antiretroviral therapy for HIV is not available. Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615185424.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619090456.htm Interleukin-21 plays a crucial role in fighting off chronic viral infections, scientists recently concluded. The discovery offers hope for specific treatments against HIV, hepatitis C and B, and tumors. Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619090456.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701082716.htm Scientists have shown that if elderly men who were given growth hormone and exercised their legs showed an appreciable muscle mass increase. Researchers say, "This raises the question: Can age-related loss of muscle strength and increased fragility be ameliorated by the therapeutic application of mechano growth factor?" Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701082716.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630132017.htm It is well documented that police officers have a higher risk of developing heart disease: The question is why. In the most recent results coming out of one of the few long-term studies being conducted within this tightly knit society, researchers have determined that underlying the higher incidence of subclinical atherosclerosis -- arterial thickening that precedes a heart attack or stroke -- may be the stress of police work. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630132017.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617161504.htm Risk for hepatocellular carcinoma, a primary malignancy of the liver, was statistically significantly higher among women with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection than among women without the virus, according to a new study. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617161504.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702132827.htm As childhood obesity rates continue to increase, experts agree that more information is needed about the implications of being overweight as a step toward reversing current trends. A new study has found that overweight children, especially girls, show signs of the negative consequences of being overweight as early as kindergarten. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702132827.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702170207.htm A similarity in brain disturbance between insects and people suffering from migraines, stroke and epilepsy points the way toward new drug therapies to address these conditions. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702170207.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702132820.htm A new study reveals the genetic underpinnings of what causes lung cancer to quickly metastasize, or spread, to the brain and the bone -- the two most prominent sites of lung cancer relapse. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702132820.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701183005.htm Scientists have found laboratory evidence that a cluster of peptides may be the toxic agent in Alzheimer's disease. Scientists say the discovery may lead to new drugs for the disease. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701183005.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702090603.htm Cancer experts say a study tracking 774 prostate cancer patients for a median of eight years has shown that a three-way combination of measurements has the best chance yet of predicting disease metastasis. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702090603.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702132829.htm New research provides for the first time a solid scientific answer for the long-standing question of whether there is an association between preterm birth and brain malformations. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702132829.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702132834.htm Prostate cancer patients who receive brachytherapy and remain free of disease for five years or greater are unlikely to have a recurrence at 10 years, according to a new study. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702132834.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702140847.htm The need for a clear set of rules governing genetic ancestry testing is becoming more urgent, according to experts, given the proliferation of private corporations that promise consumers insight into their genetic origins. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702140847.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702114210.htm Researchers have discovered that gene mutations that once helped humans survive may increase the possibility for diseases, including cancer. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702114210.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629081449.htm Researchers have found the first evidence that a process of inactivating the X chromosome during embryo development and implantation, which was known to occur in mice but unknown in humans, does, in fact, take place in human female embryos prior to implantation in the womb. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629081449.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702132818.htm New research describes a molecular tool that shows great promise as a therapeutic for human acute myeloid leukemia, a notoriously treatment-resistant blood cancer. The study describes exciting preclinical studies in which a new therapeutic approach selectively attacks human cancer cells grown in the lab and in animal models of leukemia. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702132818.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702140849.htm Scientists have found a genetic explanation for why the new H1N1 "swine flu" virus has spread from person to person less effectively than other flu viruses. But researchers say the new strain bears watching as it could mutate. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702140849.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701182922.htm Researchers have found a treatment that significantly slows the progression of eye injury in people with type 1 diabetes, a common complication caused by this disease. By administering an antihypertensive, medication commonly prescribed to treat high blood pressure, they were able to slow progression of diabetic eye damage in more than 65 percent of participants involved in the study. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701182922.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702112230.htm Researchers have found that embryonic stem cells and skin cells reprogrammed into embryonic-like cells have inherent molecular differences, demonstrating for the first time that the two cell types are clearly distinguishable from one another. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702112230.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702140837.htm Although the tiny roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans has only 302 neurons in its entire nervous system, studies of this simple animal have significantly advanced our understanding of human brain function because it shares many genes and neurochemical signaling molecules with humans. Now researchers have found novel C. elegans neurochemical receptors, the discovery of which could lead to new therapeutic targets for psychiatric disorders if similar receptors are found in humans. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702140837.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630163326.htm Researchers have used mathematical models to demonstrate that cells infected with HIV could die sooner than was thought until now. If infected cells have a shorter lifespan then this increases the chances of the virus escaping the attention of the immune system. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630163326.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702184146.htm Randomized controlled trials are considered the "gold standard" research method for assessing new medical treatments. But new research shows that the design of a remarkable 93 percent of 2235 so-called RCTs published in some Chinese medical journals during 1994 to 2005 was flawed, casting doubt on the reliability of research that is likely to influence medical decision-makers. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702184146.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702112842.htm Researchers have found a way to use a natural compound to stop one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702112842.htm