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Serotonin 2C receptors induce fast-acting antidepressant effects in mice

More than 1 in 10 Americans take antidepressants, but these medications can take weeks-and for some patients, months-before they begin to alleviate symptoms. Now, scientists from the University of Chicago have discovered that selectively blocking a serotonin receptor subtype induces fast-acting antidepressant effects in mice, indicating a potential new class of therapeutics for depression. The work was published Oct. 29 in Molecular Psychiatry.

29 Oct 2013

Houston Methodist physicians provide tips for training, protecting the entire body

For avid runners, training for the next marathon never stops. While it's important to focus on running faster or farther, Houston Methodist physicians encourage runners to expand their training regimen and are providing the following tips for training and protecting the entire body.

29 Oct 2013

World Bank must define life expectancy, say international public health experts

The World Bank must define life expectancy, its key poverty indicator, as starting at the time of conception and not at the time of birth if millions of lives are to be saved from injury or death. International public health experts, writing in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, said that definitional oversight, in which the life of the child is inadvertently cut into two, ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ the womb, covers up risks to the fetus and is particularly unfair to children born in areas increasingly at risk to disasters and already disadvantaged by poverty, hunger and social deprivation.

25 Oct 2013

Researchers discover novel genetic cause of severe obesity

Researchers from the University of Cambridge have discovered a novel genetic cause of severe obesity which, although relatively rare, demonstrates for the first time that genes can reduce basal metabolic rate - how the body burns calories.

25 Oct 2013

Elderly people at increased risk for getting flu

Flu season lurks around the corner throughout the United States, and gerontologists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham say the elderly are at increased risk for getting the flu and often have a worse time coping with flu symptoms than do younger people.

24 Oct 2013

Psychotherapy: New treatment choice for anorexia nervosa

A large-scale study has now shown that adult women with anorexia whose disorder is not too severe can be treated successfully on an out-patient basis. Even after conclusion of therapy, they continue to make significant weight gains.

22 Oct 2013

Tips to overcome feelings of discouragement or blues

Whether it is simply waking up on the wrong side of the bed or a bad week at work, many situations may trigger an onset of the blues. One University of Alabama at Birmingham mental health expert says feeling down is a form of depression and should be addressed.

19 Oct 2013

Community health awareness delivered by paramedics leads to 32% reduction in EMS calls

Emergency Medical Service (EMS) staff are accustomed to responding to emergencies. A study presented today at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress finds they may be able to prevent many emergencies as well, judging by the preliminary success of a pilot project at a Hamilton building for seniors.

19 Oct 2013

Ghrelin hormone released during chronic stress may predispose people to PTSD

About a dozen years ago, scientists discovered that a hormone called ghrelin enhances appetite. Dubbed the "hunger hormone," ghrelin was quickly targeted by drug companies seeking treatments for obesity - none of which have yet panned out.

16 Oct 2013

TSRI scientists discover viable strategy for weight loss in people

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have discovered key details of a brain-to-body signaling circuit that enables roundworms to lose weight independently of food intake. The weight-loss circuit is activated by combined signals from the worm versions of the neurotransmitters serotonin and adrenaline, and there are reasons to suspect that it exists in a similar form in humans and other mammals.

11 Oct 2013

Research suggests almonds may be good snack option for those concerned about weight

A new study published in the October issue of the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that study participants eating 1.5 ounces of dry-roasted, lightly salted almonds every day experienced reduced hunger and improved dietary vitamin E and monounsaturated ("good") fat intake without increasing body weight.

9 Oct 2013

Study of fruit flies could help better understand food choice in obese people

Think of the smell of freshly baking bread. There is something in that smell, without any other cues - visual or tactile - that steers you toward the bakery. On the flip side, there may be a smell, for instance that of fresh fish, that may not appeal to you. If you haven't eaten a morsel of food in three days, of course, a fishy odor might seem a good deal more attractive.

8 Oct 2013

Scientists discover key function in molecule that regulates sleep, metabolism and hunger

Why does hunger keep us awake and a full belly make us tired? Why do people with sleep disorders such as insomnia often binge eat late at night? What can sleep patterns tell us about obesity?

5 Oct 2013

Dietary modifications can reduce gastroparesis in diabetes patients

Many diabetes patients suffer from symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and lack of appetite. A doctoral thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy shows that a diet consisting of foods that fall apart easily, for example boiled potatoes and fish gratin, can help alleviate the condition.

5 Oct 2013

Using Botox as weight loss tool in rats

Researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology have had promising experimental results from using Botox as a weight loss tool in rats. The research group hopes to win approval for human testing in the near future.

5 Oct 2013

Opinions on shutdown: Opening marketplaces makes this impasse different; don't repeal medical device tax; Democrats are 'intransigents'

It's different because the new health-care system got up and running on the very day the shutdown began. Conceding to the GOP would take health insurance away from people and ruin a program for which we now know there is a public appetite. It's not going to happen (E.J. Dionne Jr., 10/2).

4 Oct 2013

Despite snags, online insurance marketplaces open for business

The technical glitches were complicated by the millions of people who visited the online health exchanges on Tuesday, their first day of operations. For instance, Health and Human Services officials reported that 2.8 million unique visitors had been to the federal website.

3 Oct 2013

Diet high in certain type of fat may actually increase metabolism

A diet high in a certain type of fat may actually increase metabolism, according to recent research by Texas Tech University nutrition scientists.

3 Oct 2013

First Edition: October 2, 2013

Today's headlines include news reports about how the health law's new online insurance marketplaces -- glitches and all -- went live at both the federal and state levels.

2 Oct 2013

New insights into how obesity, type 2 diabetes can create stress response in the brain

Joslin researchers have gained new insights into how obesity and type 2 diabetes can create a stress response in the brain, especially in the hypothalamus (the brain region that regulates appetite and energy production), that may contribute to altering metabolism throughout the body. The findings are reported in the October issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

2 Oct 2013