Thursday 31 December 2015

Medical News Today: New form of transmissible cancer found in Tasmanian devils

Devil facial tumor disease is a contagious cancer threatening to wipe out Tasmanian devils. Now, researchers have identified a second form of transmissible cancer in the animals.

Wednesday 30 December 2015

Medical News Today: Epilepsy and marijuana: could cannabidiol reduce seizures?

A newly published study reveals that CBD reduces seizure frequency for children and young adults with epilepsy, offering hope for the over 5 million Americans with the condition.

Tuesday 29 December 2015

Medical News Today: Are anxious people better equipped to handle danger?

New research suggests that non-clinical anxiety changes the 'neural coding' of external threats from sensory circuits to motor circuits, which produce action.

Monday 28 December 2015

Medical News Today: Coffee might improve your endurance during exercise

A new analysis, looking at previous research into the effects of caffeine on endurance, shows that a cup of joe might be more beneficial than we thought.

Sunday 27 December 2015

Medical News Today: Omega-3 helps ward off rheumatoid arthritis

People who are predisposed to develop RA are less likely to develop it if they have been taking omega-3 fish oil and supplements, say researchers.

Saturday 26 December 2015

Medical News Today: Obesity: how much is in the genes?

Gaining weight and being unable to lose it is probably influenced by genetic factors. A better understanding of individual differences could lead to personalized therapy.

Friday 25 December 2015

Medical News Today: Can a person learn to empathize with strangers?

Researchers suggest that just a few surprisingly positive experiences with a stranger triggers a learning signal in the brain that can increase a person's ability to empathize.

Thursday 24 December 2015

Medical News Today: Hormone suppresses appetite for sugar and alcohol

The liver-derived hormone FGF21 suppresses mouse and primate appetite for sugar; the findings could help regulate diet to prevent or treat diabetes.

Wednesday 23 December 2015

Medical News Today: Study reveals how hereditary gene mutations affect risk of certain cancers

Researchers have found rare germline mutations in genes across 12 different cancer types that affect a person's risk of cancer, which they say could lead to better genetic testing.

Tuesday 22 December 2015

Medical News Today: Prolonging IVF treatment could boost success rates

While IVF is often stopped after three or four unsuccessful attempts, new research finds increasing the number of cycles past this point could lead to live births.

Vitamin A quells severity of preemie gastrointestinal disease in mice

After observing that some gastrointestinal disease in premature human and mouse infants progresses only when certain immune system white blood cells go into inflammatory overdrive, Johns Hopkins...

Monday 21 December 2015

Medical News Today: Home births not linked to increased risk of complications

A large study reveals that planned home births do not put babies or their mothers at increased risk of harm, compared with planned hospital births.

Sunday 20 December 2015

Medical News Today: Exercise eases hot flashes during menopause

Women who participated in a 16-week exercise program experienced milder symptoms of hot flashes than those who did not exercise. Sweating and cutaneous vasodilation were decreased.

Acupuncture 'safe and effective' for chronic pain in children

While studies have shown acupuncture is effective for chronic pain in adults, new research suggests the treatment may also be a feasible treatment for children with the condition.

Saturday 19 December 2015

Medical News Today: Less sleep, more food and drink?

People who sleep less spend more time eating and drinking while doing another activity - such as watching television - increasing the risk of obesity.

Friday 18 December 2015

Pycnogenol bolsters cognitive function in baby boomers

A pine bark extract called Pycnogenol has been shown to improve cognitive function in people with high levels of oxidative stress in a new study.

Medical News Today: Study provides more evidence that coffee may reduce mortality

Drinking four to five cups of coffee daily - even the decaffeinated kind - could lower risk of death from a number of causes, including heart disease and diabetes, say researchers.

Thursday 17 December 2015

Medical News Today: The English do not have worse teeth than Americans, study proves

Austin Powers - a character created by comedian Mike Myers - plays to the stereotype that the English have bad teeth; a new study dispels this myth.

Wednesday 16 December 2015

Medical News Today: Good outcomes when families choose antibiotics to treat appendicitis

Antibiotics can successfully treat appendicitis, if the choice is made by the family, leading to fewer disability days and lower costs.

Tuesday 15 December 2015

Medical News Today: Shingles may lead to stroke and heart attack

The herpes zoster virus causes chickenpox and shingles; following shingles, there appears to be a higher risk of acute cardiovascular events such as stroke or myocardial infarction

Medical News Today: 22 weeks pregnant: your pregnancy week by week

What is happening in week 22 of your pregnancy? Your baby is the size of a small doll and their grip is growing stronger and stronger.

Monday 14 December 2015

Medical News Today: Cancer rates fall in some countries, rise in others

Cancer rates have dropped in wealthier countries, where screening and prevention have improved, but they have risen in low- and middle-income countries due to lifestyle factors.

Friday 11 December 2015

Medical News Today: How eating herbs could boost your brain

Researchers found the flavonoid apigenin - found in thyme, parsley and other plants and herbs - boosts formation of human cells and strengthens their connections.

Medical News Today: Singing and music benefit memory, emotional well-being in dementia

Helping people with dementia engage in singing or listening to music benefits not only their memory, but it also improves mood, new study finds.

Witnessing drug use can spur immediate antisocial behavior by teens

Likelihood much greater for those with 'risk-taking' gene.Seeing others drink alcohol or use drugs makes it more likely that teenagers will engage in antisocial behavior on the same day, according...

Meditation: how could it benefit your health?

Around 18 million Americans practice meditation, primarily to reduce stress. But there are many more benefits to this ancient mind and body practice. We investigate.

Wednesday 9 December 2015

No treatment difference between some antidepressants and behaviour therapy for severe depression

Both treatments should be made accessible to patients with major depressive disorder, experts advise.

Medical News Today: Ebola transmission in Liberia tracked to one source

Genome sequencing by a research team shows that most Ebola cases in Liberia probably came from a single introduction of the virus, and this helped fuel the disease elsewhere.

Tuesday 8 December 2015

Medical News Today: Cannabidiol shows promise for childhood epilepsy

A cannabis derivative shows promise in treating childhood epilepsy that is resistant to other medications. FDA-approved clinical trials are under way.

Monday 7 December 2015

Medical News Today: Stroke risk for older men who take alpha-blockers

New research finds that older men who take alpha-blockers - typically used to treat high blood pressure and improve urine flow - are at increased risk for stroke.

Sunday 6 December 2015

Medical News Today: How to improve the social status of an anxious rat

Innovative neuroscience research uses pharmaceutical interventions to turn anxious rats from shrinking violets into social butterflies.

Saturday 5 December 2015

Medical News Today: Should portion size be regulated?

There is strong evidence that people eat more if portions are larger. To defeat obesity, researchers suggest regulatory measures to reduce portion sizes.

Transcendental Meditation and lifestyle modification increase telomerase, new study finds

Increased telomerase associated with decreased hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and cellular aging.

Thursday 3 December 2015

Medical News Today: Obesity may be passed on through marks in men's sperm

Epigenetic markers in men's sperm change according to their weight, and if they have children when they are obese, their offspring may inherit tendencies to obesity.

New study shows high use of complementary therapies by cancer inpatients

Patients hospitalized for cancer treatment commonly use complementary and integrative health (CIH) approaches such as nutritional supplements, special diets, and massage according to a new study.

Wednesday 2 December 2015

Medical News Today: Watching TV might slow your brain

The latest study to investigate long-term effects of television watching on cognitive functioning might have you reaching for power button on the remote.

Tuesday 1 December 2015

Medical News Today: Protein chatter to blame for cystic fibrosis

Irrelevant chatter among proteins appears to underlie cystic fibrosis; the discovery offers hope for a solution to the life-threatening condition.

Medical News Today: Poor fitness in early adulthood linked to future death, cardiovascular risks

A study that examines cardiorespiratory fitness in young adulthood finds long-term cardiovascular benefits; previously, most studies have only examined this link in older adults.

Medical News Today: Yet another role for aspirin?

Salicylic acid and derivatives could help prevent neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's by binding to GAPDH and preventing it from entering nuclei, causing cell death.

Medical News Today: Some sugar-free drinks can also damage teeth, experts warn

Experts say consumers should be just as aware of the potential for sugar-free beverages, candy and sports drinks to cause tooth decay as they are of the link to sugar.

Medical News Today: Weight loss can preserve knee cartilage in obese people

An MRI study reveals that substantial weight loss can significantly slow the progression of knee cartilage degeneration in people who are obese.

Medical News Today: Could testosterone therapy benefit men with type 2 diabetes?

Researchers have established a link between testosterone, type 2 diabetes, obesity and renal failure, leading them to ask if testosterone could be a metabolic hormone.

Medical News Today: People who follow their instincts might be more trustworthy

New research implies that people who ignore their instinct and do not follow their gut are more likely to be dishonest and cheat when given the opportunity.

Medical News Today: Food prices influence how we judge food quality

How we rate the taste and overall quality of foods may be largely dependent on the price we pay for them, according to new research.

Medical News Today: Children with pets have less stress

Children who have a dog at home are less likely to have mental or emotional problems and anxiety. Owning pets could be a strategy to ward off mental health issues later in life.

Medical News Today: Stress worsens skin woes for students

A study of university students has shown that certain skin problems, including alopecia and pruritis can be exacerbated by stress.

Medical News Today: The hunt for the perfect condom continues

An innovation in condom technology has the potential to save countless lives. On World AIDS Day, we look at a groundbreaking condom design with a double pronged attack.

Medical News Today: WHO suggest new C-section recommendations

Rates of cesarean section vary widely between countries. The WHO suggest that 19% may be the optimal rate; the current US rate is over 30%.

Medical News Today: Breast cancer gene BRCA1 may be involved in Alzheimer's disease

Brain accumulation of beta-amyloid protein in Alzheimer's disease may cause impairments by depleting levels of a DNA repair protein produced by the breast cancer gene BRCA1.

Medical News Today: Scientists discover how giant cells dispose of big garbage

While they have known about multinucleated giant cells for a 100 years, scientists are only now clarifying their role as the immune system's specialist removers of large materials.

Medical News Today: Newly evolved human gene prevents Alzheimer's

A new study comparing levels of certain genes in chimpanzees and humans might show us a glimpse of mechanisms that evolved to stave off Alzheimer's.

Medical News Today: 20 weeks pregnant: your pregnancy week by week

What is happening in week 20 of your pregnancy? Your baby is the size of a cantaloupe and you may be able to identify its gender with an ultrasound scan.

Medical News Today: Tax increases on tobacco decrease infant mortality rates

Tobacco tax is a hot political topic. A new study shows that an increase in tobacco taxation produces a significant drop in infant mortality.