(www.americanheart.org)Every year, in the United States about 1,500 people have surgical objects accidentally left inside them after surgery, according to medical studies. About two-thirds of the surgical objects left behind are sponges, which can lead to pain, infection, bowel obstructions, problems in healing, longer hospital stays, additional surgeries and in rare cases, death.

Labels: genetic, health, symptoms

(www.americanheart.org)One type of over-the-counter product for topical wound care is more effective than others in killing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, or MRSA, which is potentially deadly and in recent years has moved from its historic hospital setting to a much broader public concern.

Labels: genetic, health, symptoms

(www.americanheart.org)Researchers have used PET imaging to see hyperactive cancer genes inside breast tumors in laboratory animals, marking the first time such gene activity has been observed from outside the body. This technology might someday help physicians to detect and classify cancer, enabling them to find cancerous breast tumors as early as possible, and determine the appropriate treatment.

Labels: genetic, health, symptoms

(www.americanheart.org)With the holiday season's hustle and bustle in full swing, most of us will race to our favorite coffee shop to get that caffeine boost to make it through the day. However, that daily jolt that we crave might be the reason we need the caffeine in the first place.

Labels: genetic, health, symptoms

(www.americanheart.org)One version of a gene puts women who are under chronic stress at risk for more severe depressive symptoms. But among men, the same gene variant appeared to be protective against depression. In fact, men with the opposite gene variant were the ones who experienced more depressive symptoms when under chronic stress. The researchers analyzed two independent samples of healthy individuals for the presence of a genetic variant that regulates levels of serotonin -- a neurotransmitter that is linked to health in numerous ways, including emotion regulation.

Labels: genetic, health, symptoms

(www.americanheart.org)Scientists have genetic reprogrammed human skin cells to create cells indistinguishable from embryonic stem cells. The finding is not only a critical scientific accomplishment, but potentially remakes the tumultuous political and ethical landscape of stem cell biology as human embryos may no longer be needed to obtain the blank slate stem cells capable of becoming any of the 220 types of cells in the human body. Perfected, the new technique would bring stem cells within easy reach of many more scientists as they could be easily made in labs of moderate sophistication, and without the ethical and legal constraints that now hamper their use by scientists.

Labels: genetic, health, symptoms

(www.americanheart.org)A new "lung-on-a-chip" mimics the fluid mechanics of the real thing on a plastic wafer just bigger than a quarter. It allows researchers to grow lung airway cells that act more like they're in a human body instead of a Petri dish. Biomedical engineers used the device to show that the respiratory crackles stethoscopes pick up in patients with diseases including asthma, cystic fibrosis, pneumonia and congestive heart failure aren't just symptoms, but may actually cause lung damage.

Labels: genetic, health, symptoms

(www.americanheart.org)New research suggests that the presence or absence of two proteins may be important markers for long-term survival in some breast cancer patients. One of the proteins, called ErbB-4, is important for the growth and differentiation of several types of cells in the body. The second protein, called Wwox, is a tumor suppressor – it helps prevent cells from becoming cancerous – and it is missing in many breast cancers.

Labels: genetic, health, symptoms

Brain Compensatory Mechanisms Enhance The Recovery From Spinal Cord Injury
Brain compensatory mechanisms contribute to recovery from spinal cord injury. The basis of neurorehabilitation relies on the concept that training recruits remaining intact neuronal systems to compensate for partial injury to the spinal cord or brain.
Imaging Neural Progenitor Cells In The Living Human Brain
For the first time, investigators have identified a way to detect neural progenitor cells, which can develop into neurons and other nervous system cells, in the living human brain using a type of imaging called magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The finding may lead to improved diagnosis and treatment for depression, Parkinson's disease, brain tumors, and a host of other disorders.
(pharmareleas.blogspot.com)

Labels: genetic, spinal cord, treatment disorders

(www.americanheart.org)Researchers used their expertise in radiation science to help a young company create weakened, harmless versions of malaria-causing parasites that, in turn, are being used to create a new type of vaccine that shows promise of being more effective than current malaria vaccines.

Labels: genetic, health, symptoms

(www.americanheart.org)Our brains, unlike the skin covering our bodies, do not wrinkle and sag as we age. But new studies show that our brains do change structurally and functionally in ways that may underlie the memory and thinking impairments that can limit independence and quality of life for senior citizens. Neuroscientists have recently discovered that the region of the brain that stores episodic memories -- those for specific events and their context -- was less engaged in older people, particularly those who have a common variant of a particular gene. Researchers also have determined that senior citizens who suspect that their sense of direction is declining are astute observers of a newly discovered age-related mental change.

Labels: genetic, health, symptoms

(www.americanheart.org)An international team of scientists have announced the results of a systematic effort to map the genetic changes underlying lung cancer, the world's leading cause of cancer deaths. Comprehensive analysis of DNA from human lung tumors uncovers more than 50 common genetic abnormalities, less than half involve known cancer genes.

Labels: genetic, health, symptoms

(www.americanheart.org)A region of the brain -- the insular cortex -- plays a role in drug craving in amphetamine-addicted rats, according to an article in Science. This finding ultimately may help support the development of new therapies to treat drug addiction as well as certain behavioral side effects of medications.

Labels: genetic, health, symptoms

(www.americanheart.org)A neural network that may generate the human tendency to be optimistic has been identified. As humans, we expect to live longer and be more successful than average, and we underestimate our likelihood of getting a divorce or having cancer. The results, reported in the most recent issue of Nature, link the optimism bias to the same brain regions that show irregularities in depression.

Labels: genetic, health, symptoms

(www.americanheart.org)Viruses may contribute to cancer by causing excessive death to normal cells while promoting the growth of surviving cells with cancerous traits. Viruses may act as forces of natural selection by wiping out normal cells that support the replication of viruses, leaving behind those cells that have acquired defects in their circuitry.

Labels: cancer, genetic, health, viruses

(www.americanheart.org)A common human virus may prove useful in attacking the deadliest form of brain tumors, according to a new study. The researchers said the finding is an important step in developing a vaccine that can attack the tumors by enlisting the help of the body's immune system.

Labels: genetic, health, symptoms

Geneticists have discovered two genes linked to a disabling form of arthritis called ankylosing spondylitis, a painful and progressive disease in which some or all of the spine's vertebrae fuse together. The researchers also validated the association of two genes implicated in Graves' disease, an autoimmune condition that causes overactivity of the thyroid gland.
(www.americanheart.org)

Labels: genetic, Graves' disease, health

An experimental drug that attacks cancer in an entirely new way has shown promise in treating advanced melanoma, delaying progression of the disease and prolonging the lives of patients. Giving the new drug in addition to chemotherapy more than doubled the amount of time patients survived without progression of their cancer.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine discovered a novel mechanism that works over an extensive genomic distance and controls the expression of human growth hormone (hGH) in the pituitary gland. This mechanism involves a newly discovered set of "non-coding RNAs" expressed in the vicinity of the hGH gene.
By examining the relationship between these non-coding RNAs and the hGH gene, researchers hope to understand how these remote regions impact hGH gene expression and dysfunction. Such insight may aid researchers in the development of therapeutics for growth hormone defects and lead to a greater understanding of the causes of other genetic disorders.
With every step forward in understanding how genes are expressed, we increase our awareness of how naturally occurring and acquired mutations interfere with this process. Research sets the groundwork for advances in diagnosis and eventual treatment of genetic diseases
(National Institutes of Health.)

Labels: cancer, dysfunction, experimental drug, genetic, hgh, mutations

H5N1 influenza, also known as avian influenza, is considered a major global threat to human health, with high fatality rates. Studies of human H5N1 victims shed light on the anatomic distribution of the avian flu virus and its pathogenesis. Scientists found that the avian influenza H5N1 virus affects much more than respiratory system: disseminates to gastrointestinal tract, immune and central nervous systems, and can be transmitted mother to fetus through the placenta.

Alcohol Amount, Not Type -- Wine, Beer, Liquor -- Triggers Breast Cancer
One of the largest individual studies of the effects of alcohol on the risk of breast cancer has concluded that it makes no difference whether a woman drinks wine, beer or spirits -- it is the alcohol itself and the quantity consumed that is likely to trigger the onset of cancer.

Sense Of Taste Different In Women With Anorexia Nervosa
Although anorexia nervosa is categorized as an eating disorder, it is not known whether there are alterations of the portions of the brain that regulates appetite. Now, a new study finds that women with anorexia have distinct differences in the insulta -- the specific part of the brain that is important for recognizing taste.

Alcohol And Cancer: Is Drinking The New Smoking?
Researchers have clarified the link between alcohol consumption and the risk of head and neck cancers, showing that people who stop drinking can significantly reduce their cancer risk. These results have important implications for tailoring alcohol policies and prevention strategies, especially for people with a family risk of cancer.

Radiologists Identify Early Brain Marker Of Alzheimer's Disease
Researchers using functional magnetic resonance imaging have found a new marker which may aid in early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain disorder characterized by memory loss, confusion, personality or behavioral changes and other symptoms. According to the Alzheimer's Association, more than five million Americans currently have Alzheimer's disease. While there is still no cure for the disorder, early diagnosis is crucial so that the patient receives proper treatment.
(Pharmaceutical Releases)

Labels: alcohol, appetite, cancer risk, early diagnosis, genetic, influenza, placenta

(www.americanheart.org)Giving a daily antiretroviral pill to people could profoundly slow the spread of the infection in sub-Saharan Africa by potentially preventing 3.2 million cases of HIV in 10 years. The findings are based on a mathematical model developed to predict the public-health impact of pre-exposure chemoprophylaxis -- an HIV prevention strategy that uses antiretroviral drugs to stop the infection from occurring in the first place.

Labels: genetic, health, symptoms