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Scientists use non-invasive way to track rapid myelination of nerve fibers in children's brains

Much like electricity traveling down wires, nerve impulses in our brain travel along nerve fibers. And just as wires need insulation to function well, nerve fibers, too, rely on a kind of insulation called myelin, a fatty substance that protects them and increases the speed at which nerve impulses travel.

6 May 2016

Drinking tart Montmorency cherry juice can reduce early signs of hypertension

Drinking tart Montmorency cherry juice significantly reduces high blood pressure at a level comparable to that achieved by medication, according to new research from Northumbria University, Newcastle.

6 May 2016

Climate change may be key factor for increasing rates of chronic kidney disease

Climate change may be accelerating rates of chronic kidney disease caused by dehydration and heat stress, according to research appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

6 May 2016

Researchers link global increase in type 1 diabetes to advances in medical care

Researchers from the University of Adelaide say the global increase in cases of type 1 diabetes is directly linked to advances in medical care, with the underlying genetics of the disease more likely to be passed from one generation to the next.

6 May 2016

Better understanding of mechanisms linked to human heart valve disease

A cell-to-cell signaling network that serves as a developmental timer could provide a framework for better understanding the mechanisms underlying human heart valve disease, say University of Oregon scientists.

6 May 2016

Enzyme previously thought beneficial could pose threat to developing embryos

A pair of Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientists have discovered that an enzyme previously thought only to be beneficial could, in fact, pose significant danger to developing embryos. The new research could have implications not only for prenatal development but also for treating lymphedema and liver damage resulting from acetaminophen overdose.

5 May 2016

New study finds genetic overlap between bipolar disorder and autism

A new study suggests there may be an overlap between rare genetic variations linked to bipolar disorder (BD) and those implicated in schizophrenia and autism.

5 May 2016

Older adults experience greater survival rates after lung cancer surgery

Patients aged 65 years and older are living longer after lung cancer surgery, and with older people representing a rapidly growing proportion of patients diagnosed with lung cancer, this improved survival is especially significant, according to an article posted online today by The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

5 May 2016

High-fructose diet during pregnancy may affect fetal growth

Consuming a high-fructose diet during pregnancy may cause defects in the placenta and restrict fetal growth, potentially increasing a baby's risk for metabolic health problems later in life, according to research in mice and people by a team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

5 May 2016

Detailed digital models of human organs could bring substantial benefits to clinical trials

Computer simulations of disease processes and detailed digital models of our organs could provide more accurate monitoring and outcome measurements for clinical trials, according to research being presented in Sheffield today.

5 May 2016

Human milk hormones may play vital role in shaping healthy infant microbiome

A new University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus study finds that hormones in breast milk may impact the development of healthy bacteria in infants' guts, potentially protecting them from intestinal inflammation, obesity and other diseases later in life.

5 May 2016

Candida yeast infections more common in men with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder

In a study prompted in part by suggestions from people with mental illness, Johns Hopkins researchers found that a history of Candida yeast infections was more common in a group of men with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder than in those without these disorders, and that women with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder who tested positive for Candida performed worse on a standard memory test than women with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder who had no evidence of past infection.

4 May 2016

Unfolding story of Zika virus in the Americas

Health Systems & Reform presents the article "Zika Virus and Health Systems in Brazil: From Unknown to a Menace," a commentary by Professor Marcia C. Castro, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, on the Zika Virus epidemic in Brazil and the Americas.

4 May 2016

Respiratory tract infection in infants linked with increased T1D risk

In a study appearing in the May 3, 2016 issue of JAMA, Anette-Gabriele Ziegler, M.D., of Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, Munich, Germany, and colleagues examined associations between infection types during the first 2 years of life and between respiratory tract infections in the first 6 months and type l diabetes (T1D). Viral infections, particularly enteroviruses, have been hypothesized to cause T1D. Recent studies suggest that respiratory tract infections are associated with increased T1D risk if they are encountered within the first 6 months.

4 May 2016

Diabetes risk linked to increased dosage, duration and timing of steroids

Glucocorticoid (or steroid) therapy, prescribed to around half of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, is a known risk factor for developing diabetes. A study from The University of Manchester has found how the risk of diabetes increases in relation to the dosage, duration and timing of steroids.

4 May 2016

Riluzole drug can reverse key genetic changes linked to Alzheimer's disease

Aging takes its toll on the brain, and the cells of the hippocampus--a brain region with circuitry crucial to learning and memory--are particularly vulnerable to changes that can lead to Alzheimer's disease or cognitive decline. With the hope of counteracting the changes that can lead to these two conditions, researchers at Rockefeller University and their colleagues have begun examining the effects of a drug known to affect this circuitry.

4 May 2016

Important changes in social lives of older adults indicate cognitive decline

Small changes in the social lives of older people are early red flags showing that their thought processes and brain functioning could be on the decline. This is according to Ashwin Kotwal of Brigham and Women's Hospital in the US, who led a study¹ in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, published by Springer.

3 May 2016

Self-reported care delays linked to long waiting times in VA health coverage system

Military veterans are more likely to report delays in seeking necessary healthcare, compared to the US general population, reports a study in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

3 May 2016

Positive effects of Mediterranean diet on health of elderly population

Sticking to a Mediterranean style diet might slow down ageing finds the EU funded project NU-AGE. At a recent conference in Brussels, researchers presented that a NU-AGE Mediterranean style diet, tested in the project, significantly decreased the levels of the protein known as C-reactive protein, one of the main inflammatory marker linked with the ageing process

3 May 2016

Scientists discover genetic switches linked to increased lifespan in mammals

Newly discovered genetic switches that increase lifespan and boost fitness in worms are also linked to increased lifespan in mammals, offering hope that drugs to flip these switches could improve human metabolic function and increase longevity.

3 May 2016