Potassium News and Research

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A drug-sensitive 'traffic cop' tells potassium channels to get lost

Our brains are buzzing with electrical activity created by sodium and potassium ions moving in and out of neurons through specialized pores. To prevent the constant chatter from descending into chaos the activity of these ion channels has to be tightly regulated.

3 Sep 2007

Brain's impaired ability to sense glucose might play role in type 2 diabetes

New findings from studies in mice suggest that defects in the brain's ability to respond to glucose play a role in the development of non-insulin dependent (type 2) diabetes, and that a high-fat diet may contribute to impairing brain cells' ability to regulate glucose throughout the body.

30 Aug 2007

Lack of sleep leads to increased urinary output and more salt in urine

Our body's production of urine follows a circadian rhythm. During the day, we experience greater urinary frequency; at night, urine production declines, enabling us to get uninterrupted sleep.

9 Aug 2007

Potential new ways to prevent smoking-related cellular damage

In the current issue of PLoS One, researchers show how a poorly understood and previously unsuspected mechanism may be the key to understanding how life-style associated forms of oxidative stress, such as exposure to cigarette smoke, damage cells in the lungs.

7 Aug 2007

Alkaline diet can combat the effects of acid reflux

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), more commonly known as acid reflux, affects 19.8 percent of adults in the United States (roughly 47.3 million people).

25 Jul 2007

New understanding of how anaesthetics work in the brain

An important clue to how anaesthetics work on the human body has been provided by the discovery of a molecular feature common to both the human brain and the great pond snail nervous system, scientists say today.

20 Jul 2007

Low potassium levels linked to increased mortality in heart failure patients

New research from University of Alabama at Birmingham indicates that patients with heart failure who have low to low-normal serum potassium levels are at increased risk of death.

8 Jun 2007

Study looks at brain damage that occurs after stroke

Brain damage that occurs even days after a stroke, increasing stroke size and devastation, is the focus of researchers trying to identify new treatments.

1 Jun 2007

More complete understanding of lactic acid production in muscle

In a paper published in The Journal of Physiology, Frank de Paoli and colleagues, working at the University of Aarhus in Denmark, add to the growing literature leading to a more complete understanding of the physiological role of lactic acid production in muscle.

1 Jun 2007

More evidence found indicating potassium channels play a critical role in sleep

A gene that controls the flow of potassium into cells is required to maintain normal sleep in fruit flies, according to researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH).

24 May 2007

Effects of Taser on human health

Using a Taser to control agitated suspects in police custody is standard operating procedure for many law enforcement agencies.

18 May 2007

100 percent juice is not associated with young children being overweight

Using the same database that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) uses to confirm the rise in obesity rates, researchers have concluded that 100 percent juice is not associated with young children being overweight or at risk for becoming overweight

9 May 2007

"Cup of joe" found to have more health benefits

According to a new study drinking coffee may offer protection from type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer.

7 May 2007

Should the UK adopt Dutch rules on euthanasia in newborn babies?

Euthanasia for newborn babies with lethal and disabling conditions is illegal worldwide, but in reality, its acceptance and practice vary between different countries.

4 May 2007

Americans are filling their glasses with too many sugary drinks

... and not enough nutrient-rich beverage choices like lowfat milk, which may be affecting their weight and diet quality, suggests a new study presented at the Experimental Biology meeting.

2 May 2007

Levosimendan compared to dobutamine for decompensated heart failure

The drug levosimendan did not improve survival for patients with decompensated heart failure when compared with a more widely-used treatment for this condition, dobutamine, according to a study in the May 2 issue of JAMA.

2 May 2007

Moderate coffee drinking reduces many risks

Although the American Society for Nutrition's popular ,controversy session, at Experimental Biology 2007 focuses on the health effects of coffee drinking, panel chair Dr. James Coughlin, a toxicology/safety consultant at Coughlin & Associates, says that recent advances in epidemiologic and experimental knowledge have transformed many of the negative health myths about coffee drinking into validated health benefits.

1 May 2007

Anti-dandruff compound may be a potential treatment for seizures

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have discovered that the same ingredient used in dandruff shampoos to fight the burning, itching and flaking on your head also can calm overexcited nerve cells inside your head, making it a potential treatment for seizures.

30 Apr 2007

Headaches may act like tiny transient strokes

Migraines may be doing more than causing people skull-splitting pain. Scientists have found evidence that the headaches may also be acting like tiny transient strokes, leaving parts of the brain starved for oxygen and altering the brain in significant ways.

30 Apr 2007

Report calls for more dairy foods at school

The National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine released a report recommending nutrition standards be established for "competitive" foods in the school environment, such as a la carte cafeteria items, vending machines and school stores.

26 Apr 2007