Diet & Nutrition News and Research

Latest Diet & Nutrition News and Research

Coronary artery heart disease in Ireland halved since the mid 80s

Deaths from coronary artery heart disease in Ireland have halved since the mid 1980s, finds research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

15 Mar 2006

Statin drug reverses heart disease

Researchers say a high dose of a cholesterol-lowering statin drug can reverse the build-up of plaque in coronary arteries.

15 Mar 2006

Bariatric procedure offers long-term reduction in heart risk factors

As rates of obesity in America continue to soar, surgery has become an increasingly popular solution when diet and exercise regimens fail.

14 Mar 2006

Yale researchers identifiy a gene that protects the body against kidney stones

The research identifies a transporter, encoded by the gene, as a potential target for drugs to boost oxalate secretion in the gut and help prevent kidney stones, said Peter Aronson, M.D., professor of internal medicine and physiology and senior author of the research.

14 Mar 2006

Best seller Lipitor shown to improve kidney function

According to drug maker Pfizer it's top selling product worldwide, the cholesterol lowering medication Lipitor (Atorvastatin) has been shown to improve kidney function in patients with heart disease.

13 Mar 2006

Link between beverage fluoride and fluorosis of the front teeth

Fluoride is a mineral that protects against dental cavities; however, too much fluoride during tooth formation can lead to dental fluorosis, which is usually characterized by white streaks or splotches on the teeth.

13 Mar 2006

Scientists exploit novel route to reverse enlarged hearts in obese mice

Working on genetically engineered obese mice with seriously thickened hearts, a condition call cardiac hypertrophy, scientists at Johns Hopkins have used a nerve protection and growth factor on the heart to mimic the activity of the brain hormone leptin, dramatically reducing the size of the heart muscle.

13 Mar 2006

A more accurate method for measuring blood levels of endothelial progenitor cells

A more accurate method for measuring blood levels of specialized cells that circulate in the bloodstream and repair damage to the arterial lining has been discovered by Duke University Medical Center cardiologists.

13 Mar 2006

A map of recent positive selection in the human genome

By scanning the entire human genome in search of genetic variations that may signal recent evolution, University of Chicago researchers found more than 700 genetic variants that may be targets of recent natural positive selection during the past 10,000 years of human evolution.

13 Mar 2006

Pills containing plant sterols lower LDL cholesterol

A pill containing plant substances called sterols can help lower cholesterol, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

9 Mar 2006

Whites have higher blood serum levels of perfluorochemicals than Hispanics and blacks

Whites have three times higher blood serum levels of perfluorochemicals (PFCs) than Hispanics and two times higher levels than blacks, according to a study scheduled for publication in the April 1 issue of the American Chemical Society's journal, Environmental Science & Technology.

9 Mar 2006

A map of recent positive selection in the human genome

9 Mar 2006

Child's fatness at age five is not related to being breastfed

Does breastfeeding or the age at which other foods are introduced to infants affect the risk of obesity in early childhood? Research on this question has produced mixed results

9 Mar 2006

Many nursing home residents have poorly controlled pain due to inadequate medication treatment

"The inclusion of pain as a quality measure for both short-term and long-term residents is intended to provide an incentive for nursing homes to improve their practices in this area," say researchers.

9 Mar 2006

Gene regulation determines human-chimp differences

The vast differences between humans and chimpanzees are due more to changes in gene regulation than differences in individual genes themselves

9 Mar 2006

Novel compound may help fight obesity

A new study reveals an attractive new target for therapies aimed at the treatment of obesity and related metabolic disorders, researchers report in the March Cell Metabolism.

9 Mar 2006

Soy protein, almonds, plant sterol enriched margarines, oats and barley among most effective cholesterol-lowering foods

Cholesterol-lowering foods such as soy protein, almonds, plant sterol enriched margarines, oats and barley may reduce cholesterol levels more effectively when eaten in combination, says a new University of Toronto study by Professor David Jenkins.

9 Mar 2006

Pregnancy diet has lifelong effects for baby

University of Nottingham researchers are targeting Europe's biggest killer diseases - by focusing on the diet of unborn babies.

8 Mar 2006

Inflammation is a crucial and dangerous step in the development of obesity

New research by the University of Warwick's Warwick Medical School shows that the biggest health threat to fat and obese people isn't the fat itself but the fact that the fat fuels a killer inflammation response in people.

8 Mar 2006

Bottle-fed babies more likely to be obese children

The objective of the research, which was based on the detailed feeding history of almost 900 mothers and babies in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, was to find out whether different feeding patterns and energy intakes provided to infants, affected body weight and BMI later in childhood.

8 Mar 2006