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Excessive consumption of phosphate damages health

Excessive consumption of phosphate is damaging to health. Therefore, food that contains phosphate additives should be labeled, as recommended by Eberhard Ritz and coauthors in their article in the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International.

12 Feb 2012

Y chromosome may be the link that passes heart disease risk from father to son

The study, published in The Lancet, focused on genetic markers on the Y chromosome — which is present only in male DNA (women have two X chromosomes) — and found that men with a certain genetic variant were 50% more likely to have coronary artery disease than those without it. The increased risk was independent of other contributors to heart disease such as age, weight, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking.

12 Feb 2012

Deep brain stimulation helps improve memory and cognitive skills in epilepsy patients

Researchers have found that deep brain stimulation by sending in electric shocks to a part of the brain that plays a key role in memory improved people's ability to learn. This could raise hope for patients of Alzheimer’s.

12 Feb 2012

Tai chi could benefit Parkinson’s disease patients

A new study found that a six-month program of Tai Chi exercises helped people with various stages of Parkinson's disease improve stability, their ability to walk and reduced the frequency of falls.

12 Feb 2012

Cancer drug bexarotene effective in mouse model of Alzheimer’s

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine neuroscientist Gary Landreth and colleagues reported Thursday that the drug - bexarotene quickly cleared away beta-amyloid plaque, believed to cause the cognitive deficits of Alzheimer's disease, from the brains of genetically engineered mice.

12 Feb 2012

Human 'shock absorbers' discovered

An international team of scientists, led by the University of Sydney, has found the molecular structure in the body which functions as our “shock absorber”. The discovery of the previously unknown part of the molecule will be applied to the researchers’ work on designing improved versions of a human blood vessel and on repairing skin damage, including burns.

12 Feb 2012

Study: Syncope results in unexplained cardiac arrests

Up to 45,000 sudden cardiac arrests occur each year in Canada, and less than five percent survive. In some of these cases, the event cannot be explained by the presence of underlying heart disease. In order to identify people at risk of these unexplained cardiac events, a newly published study examined the presence of certain warning symptoms that are present in people who have been resuscitated from a cardiac arrest.

10 Feb 2012

Most young Spaniards do not consume alcohol or illegal drugs

Despite the clich-s surrounding the habits of adolescents, the results of a study by the University of Seville show that most young people do not fit the risk profile of taking substances. Some 60% of Spaniards aged 13 to 18 say they do not take drugs and rarely drink alcohol - only in moderation - and at the same time, less than 10% admit to have taken some form of illegal drug.

10 Feb 2012

One in four low-income cohabiting couples with children maintain romantic relationship

When low-income cohabiting couples with children decide to no longer live together, that doesn't necessarily mean the end of their romantic relationship.

10 Feb 2012

Most disabled seniors rate their quality of life 'fair to very good'

Quality of life for disabled elderly people is most closely tied to two factors: a sense of dignity and a sense of control, according to a study by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC) and the University of California, San Francisco.

10 Feb 2012

U-M research sheds light on aging process

Beauty is more than skin deep, at least for fruit flies studied in new research that demonstrates how age-related changes in pheromone production can reduce sexual attractiveness.

10 Feb 2012

Eighth grader develops AnimalGrams to support pediatric cancer research at UCLA

When he was 11, Cameron Cohen created the hit drawing app iSketch for the iPhone and donated $20,000 of the proceeds from its sales to the Chase Child Life program at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA.

10 Feb 2012

LFA seeks grant applications to address important areas of lupus research

The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) seeks grant applications to advance the science and medicine of lupus and to help improve the quality of lives of all people affected by this disease. The LFA is seeking grant applications to address the following areas of lupus research: cutaneous (skin) lupus, pediatric lupus, adult stem cell transplantation, and neuropsychiatric lupus, which affects the brain and nervous system.

10 Feb 2012

Cancer-related fatigue linked to muscle mass and strength

Many patients with advanced cancer suffer from cachexia, a condition also called body-wasting or wasting syndrome, which causes significant weight loss, extreme fatigue and reduces quality of life.

10 Feb 2012

Low-glycemic-index foods can improve dietary habits of people with Type 2 diabetes

A specific goal to eat a set number of daily servings of low-glycemic-index foods can improve dietary habits of people with Type 2 diabetes, according to new research.

9 Feb 2012

Two new cancer research laboratories at WEHI receive $2M ACRF funding

The Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) has committed $2 million towards the fit-out of two new cancer research laboratories at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute.

9 Feb 2012

Obama administration pledges $156 million for Alzheimer's research and care

Research to investigate the genetic underpinnings of the disease and to test drugs that may arrest its development will get an immediate $50 million boost.

9 Feb 2012

Examining debate over bird flu research

In this post on KPLU's "Humanosphere" blog, journalist Tom Paulson describes "five reasons why you should not panic" about the recent news that two research teams have created bird flu strains that are easily transmissible among ferrets, which are used as a lab model for humans.

9 Feb 2012

Study reveals widening gap in suicide rates between Scotland and England & Wales

A new study has revealed the widening gap in suicide rates between Scotland and England & Wales due to a large extent to the number of young Scottish men taking their lives.

From The University of Manchester 9 Feb 2012

First study to examine how changes in fitness and fatness affect heart health

Good news for active adults fighting the battle of the bulge. Exercising and getting fit may protect your heart, even if you have a few extra pounds, according to a study published in the Feb. 14 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC).

9 Feb 2012