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Yale study on impact of anti-smoking measures that began half century ago

A Yale study estimates that 8 million lives have been saved in the United States as a result of anti-smoking measures that began 50 years ago this month with the groundbreaking report from the Surgeon General outlining the deadly consequences of tobacco use. The Yale School of Public Health-led analysis is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

8 Jan 2014

AP-1 proteins modulate fat accumulation in liver, say researchers

Excessive alcohol consumption, as well as obesity leads to the accumulation of fat in the liver, a disease termed fatty liver disease (FLD) or steatosis. FLD is one of the most prevalent diseases in Western societies and affects about 30% of the adult population. Importantly, FLD increases the risk of liver failure, diabetes and cancer and no pharmacological therapies exist for this detrimental disease.

8 Jan 2014

Research reveals two new genetic causes of neonatal diabetes

Research by the University of Exeter Medical School has revealed two new genetic causes of neonatal diabetes.

8 Jan 2014

Fetal exposure to Bisphenol A can increase risk for prostate cancer later in life

Fetal exposure to a commonly used plasticizer found in products such as water bottles, soup can liners and paper receipts can increase the risk for prostate cancer later in life, according to a study from the University of Illinois at Chicago published Jan. 7 online in the journal Endocrinology.

8 Jan 2014

Study shows ability to make living human cells from biobanked brain tissue of Alzheimer's patients

Scientists at The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute, working in collaboration with scientists from Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC), for the first time generated induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells lines from non-cryoprotected brain tissue of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

7 Jan 2014

Added benefit of dabrafenib not proven

Dabrafenib has been approved in Germany since August 2013 for the treatment of advanced melanoma. In an early benefit assessment pursuant to the Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products, the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care examined whether this new drug offers an added benefit over the appropriate comparator therapy.

7 Jan 2014

PET imaging of brain reveals ketamine may act as antidepressant by regulating serotonin activity

Ketamine is a potent anesthetic employed in human and veterinary medicine, and sometimes used illegally as a recreational drug. The drug is also a promising candidate for the fast treatment of depression in patients who do not respond to other medications.

7 Jan 2014

10 simple points to know and monitor alcohol intake

Much the same way individuals are encouraged to know their blood pressure and cholesterol numbers to maintain a healthy lifestyle, a new editorial in the Journal of Psychopharmacology urges the European public to know and monitor their alcohol intake number using a simple 10 point plan.

7 Jan 2014

African American men have increased risk of prostate cancer

African American men have an increased risk of prostate cancer and are two times more likely than Caucasian American men to die from the disease. Despite recent questions about the overall usefulness of prostate-specific antigen testing to detect prostate cancer, should PSA screening be used to detect early-stage disease to help save lives in this at-risk population? The controversy is explored in a Review article in Journal of Men's Health, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

7 Jan 2014

Erythropoietin may promote cancer cell proliferation and survival

In recent years, non-hematopoietic effects of erythropoietin (EPO), via its binding to the EPO receptor in non-hematopoietic tissues, including cancerous tissues, has been reported by many different laboratories worldwide.

7 Jan 2014

Study sheds light on the biological underpinnings of obesity

A new neuroscience study sheds light on the biological underpinnings of obesity. The in vivo study, published in the January 8 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, reveals how a protein in the brain helps regulate food intake and body weight. The findings reveal a potential new avenue for the treatment of obesity and may help explain why medications that are prescribed for epilepsy and other conditions that interfere with this protein, such as gabapentin and pregabalin, can cause weight gain.

7 Jan 2014

Study finds link between common beliefs and e-cigarette use among young adults

Despite years of anti-smoking education and legislation, tobacco use still remains an important public health issue in the United States. In 2010, 25.2% of all adults and 35.6% of young adults reported current tobacco use.

7 Jan 2014

Hotspots of fuel consumption in adult brain also show key characteristics of developing brain

Although brain growth slows as individuals age, some regions of the brain continue to develop for longer than others, creating new connections and remodeling existing circuitry.

7 Jan 2014

Aggression treatment needed for patients with bipolar disorder

Patients with bipolar disorder are at increased risk for aggression, particularly when acutely ill, show results from a longitudinal study.

7 Jan 2014

Substance use ‘dramatically’ high in severe psychosis

Patients with severe psychotic disorders have a risk for smoking, heavy alcohol use, and other drug use that “far exceeds” that documented in patients with mild mental illness, shows a large study.

7 Jan 2014

Fruit smoothies visibly improve skin's appearance

A group of university students are enjoying a specially designed fruit smoothie a day to discover whether it can improve their appearance and make them feel healthier.

7 Jan 2014

Elderly people with high serum vitamin E levels less likely to suffer from memory disorders

Elderly people with high serum vitamin E levels are less likely to suffer from memory disorders than their peers with lower levels, according to a study published recently in Experimental Gerontology.

7 Jan 2014

Minnesota professor receives Hazelden's Dan Anderson Research Award for hybrid CBT study

Matt G. Kushner, Ph.D., professor of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota (Minneapolis) has earned the latest Dan Anderson Research Award for his study examining the effectiveness of a hybrid cognitive behavioral therapy in the treatment of individuals with co-occurring anxiety disorders and alcohol dependence.

7 Jan 2014

Crowdsourcing fungal metabolites with antitumor activity: an interview with Dr. Robert H. Cichewicz, University of Oklahoma

Fungi have played a large role in the development of many important drugs that are in wide use today. The most well-known of these are the penicillins.

7 Jan 2014

Low gut microbial diversity in infants' intestines can increase risk for asthma

Low gut microbial diversity in the intestines of infants can increase the risk for asthma development. These are the findings of the age 7 follow-up in a multi-year study led by researchers at Linköping University in Sweden.

7 Jan 2014