Dr. House
Dr. House
Friday, June 29, 2018
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Monday, June 25, 2018
Bariatric Surgery Patients May Require Microbiome Boost, Research Suggests.
researchers pointed to a need to shore up the composition of the gut’s microbiota ecosystem before or during bariatric surgery after they found persistent decreased microbial richness in severely obese patients.” The researchers “found that both adjustable gastric banding and Roux-en-Y-gastric bypass improved microbial gene richness, but that microbial abundance was only partly restored in the majority of patients.” MedPage Today adds, “Most had persistently low richness despite major metabolic improvement and weight loss.” The findings were published in Gut. https://mail.google.com/_/scs/mail-static/_/js/k=gmail.main.en.qldmEFqhsso.O/m=pds,pdl,pdit,m_i,pdt,t,it/am=Xv8O4A4Qbx8QEAA4O2MRhoOANANh5v8IsjTA2w3I7P__D0BgANADwDfg_w_QcgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKAFBX4B/rt=h/d=1/im=1/rs=AHGWq9BbmyS6wg0vO76uENrOSmz7KH1QfQ
Friday, June 22, 2018
Increasing Cost Of Insulin Sparks Concern.
reports there is growing concern and outrage about the increasing cost of insulin. The article explains that Eli Lilly, Sanofi, and Novo Nordisk control 99% “of the world’s insulin,” and according to the American Diabetes Association, the average price almost tripled from 2002 to 2013. http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/393378-skyrocketing-insulin-prices-provoke-new-outrage
Fresh Food Farmacy Program Helping Some Patients Better Manage Diabetes.
reports that rather than “relying solely on drugs to manage” diabetes, “doctors are writing prescriptions for certain patients to enter” the “Fresh Food Farmacy program: 15 hours of education about diabetes and healthier living, followed by 10 free nutritious meals a week for participants and their families.” The program specifically “targets people with diabetes and food insecurity, those for whom it’s not always clear where the next meal will come from.” https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/20/diabetes-defeated-by-diet-new-fresh-food-prescriptions-beat-drugs.html
Clinicians Following USPSTF Screening Criteria For Diabetes Missed Almost Half Of Adults With Diabetes, Prediabetes
“Clinicians who followed the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force 2015 screening criteria for diabetes missed almost half of the adults who had prediabetes or diabetes and not been previously diagnosed,” researchers concluded after analyzing “data from 3,643 respondents of the National Health and Nutrition Examination 2011 to 2014 Survey who had not been diagnosed with diabetes.” The findings were published online in the Journal of General Medicine. https://www.healio.com/family-medicine/diabetes/news/online/%7B554139e1-3b0a-4cf0-9988-db5da128b7d8%7D/uspstf-criteria-fails-to-identify-almost-half-of-adults-with-prediabetes-diabetes
Vitamin D Deficiency Linked To Subclinical Interstitial Lung Disease
reports that researchers found that “vitamin D deficiency was independently associated with subclinical interstitial lung disease (ILD) and its progression in adults in a community setting participating in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).” The investigators “said the observational findings, published in the Journal of Nutrition, ‘lend support to the potential role of adequate vitamin D concentrations for the prevention of early interstitial lung disease.’” https://www.medpagetoday.com/pulmonology/generalpulmonary/73624
Researchers Say 16:8 Diet May Help Obese Individuals Lose Weight.
reports that in a 23-participant study, researchers “demonstrated the weight loss benefits of the 16:8 diet for obese individuals.” That diet, “a type of intermittent fasting (IF), involves 16-hour fasts followed by 8 hours of eating anything you want.” Beverages without calories are allowed “during the fasting period,” but no food. After 12 weeks on the diet, participants were “found to have lost weight” and to have had lower blood pressure. The findings were published in the journal Nutrition and Healthy Aging. https://www.medicaldaily.com/168-diet-may-help-lose-weight-what-are-risks-424924
BCG Vaccine May Benefit Some People With Type 1 Diabetes
reports that the “bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, used to prevent tuberculosis and to treat some forms of bladder cancer,” may help some people with type 1 diabetes. The 282-person study revealed that a few people with diabetes “who got the vaccine had much better control of their blood sugar after eight years than people who did not get it.” The findings were published online in the journal npj Vaccines. “Levels of...hemoglobin a1c (HbA1c), which measures a person’s blood sugar, dropped more than 10% three years after treatment and by more than 18% four years after treatment,” the study found. This study is ongoing. Additionally, participants who have gotten the vaccine “are using about one-third less the amount of insulin as they did prior to vaccination.” More research is needed to make sure the study’s findings are replicated. http://time.com/5318733/vaccine-type-1-diabetes/
Thursday, June 21, 2018
Scientists Show Simple Sugar Stops Neurodegeneration
Scientists Show Simple Sugar Stops Neurodegeneration
News Jun 21, 2018 | Original Story by Allison Mickey for Baylor College of Medicine
Simple Sugar Prevents Neurodegeneration in Lysosomal Storage Disease
Credit: Pixabay
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A new therapeutic approach may one day delay neurodegeneration typical of a disease called mucopolysaccharidoses IIIB (MPS IIIB). Neurodegeneration in this condition results from the abnormal accumulation of essential cellular molecules called mucopolysaccharides. Looking to find alternative therapeutic strategies for this rare genetic disease, a team of researchers investigated whether enhancing the cells’ ability to clear accumulation of cellular waste would help eliminate the abnormal storage of mucopolysaccharides. They report in the journal Autophagy that the sugar trehalose increases cellular waste disposal and improves the neurological symptoms in a mouse model of the disease.
“MPS IIIB is one of about 50 lysosomal storage disorders characterized by the accumulation of material inside tiny cellular sacs called lysosomes,” said corresponding author Dr. Marco Sardiello, assistant professor of molecular and human genetics and a member of the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine. “In the case of MPS IIIB, a mutation on a gene that codes for a lysosomal enzyme that breaks down a cellular material called heparan sulfate, renders the enzyme ineffective. Consequently, the lysosome cannot do its work of degrading heparan sulfate to either discard it or recycle it, and the material accumulates.”
Over the years, accumulation of heparan sulfate in lysosomes leads to degeneration of brain tissue. Although infants appear healthy at first, they slowly begin to show behavioral problems, hyperactivity, aggressiveness, sleep disturbances and loss of vision and hearing. Later in life, they become immobile and develop swallowing difficulties. Usually, they don’t live past the second decade. Current strategies being tested for the treatment of this condition in animal models include attempting to correct the enzyme deficiency by providing a fully working enzyme. However, this approach faces challenges such as having limited ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and reaching the brain areas where the enzyme is needed. https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/simple-sugar-prevents-neurodegeneration-in-lysosomal-storage-disease-305244?utm_campaign=Newsletter_TN_BreakingScienceNews&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=63934286&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_KSihquDbCd801Vm1SkdkaNyj1SxyuamoU47xrTyQFUF4XJ9lLL5YEFWc6Gj1Yp6xOUqNe7RK2aAXZfhKfT4mnN2nHmg&_hsmi=63934286
Eating Activates Calorie-Burning Fat
The importance of the human brown adipose tissue (BAT) has become clearer during the past ten years. Using functional imaging, positron emission tomography, PET, it was possible to show that adult humans have functional BAT. Coldness is one of the most effective activators of the BAT metabolic function but, in rodents, eating has also been shown to activate BAT. The debate on whether eating has the same effect on humans has lasted for decades. Now, the researchers at Turku PET Centre have proven that having a meal increases oxygen consumption in human BAT to the same extent as coldness. https://www.technologynetworks.com/proteomics/news/eating-activates-calorie-burning-fat-305224?utm_campaign=Newsletter_TN_BreakingScienceNews&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=63934286&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_KSihquDbCd801Vm1SkdkaNyj1SxyuamoU47xrTyQFUF4XJ9lLL5YEFWc6Gj1Yp6xOUqNe7RK2aAXZfhKfT4mnN2nHmg&_hsmi=63934286
Vascular Disease Mortality Rates Declining In The US, Study Indicates.
“Vascular disease mortality rates are declining in the United States, which is leading to a diversification of types of diabetes-related mortality,” researchers concluded after examining “data from the National Health Interview Survey Linked Mortality files from 1985 to 2015” to estimate “age-specific death rates and proportional mortality from all causes, vascular causes, cancers, nonvascular causes, and noncancer causes among adults in the United States by diabetes status.” The findings were published online in The Lancet. https://www.endocrinologyadvisor.com/type-2-diabetes-advisor/cause-mortality-adults-diabetes-united-states/article/774024/
Bicycling, Other Regular Exercise May Help Reduce Inflammation In Obese People By Changing Blood Characteristics,
The study included young obese adults who were otherwise healthy. The participants took part in a six-week exercise program that included three one-hour bicycling or treadmill-running sessions a week.
Blood samples were taken from the participants at the start and the end of the study. The samples showed that after six weeks of regular workouts, there was a decline in stem cells that create blood cells responsible for inflammation. https://consumer.healthday.com/general-health-information-16/inflammation-news-757/exercise-may-ease-inflammation-tied-to-obesity-734995.html
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Compound as Effective as FDA-Approved Drugs Against Life-Threatening Infections
Purdue researchers identified F6 by screening a chemical library for compounds with antibacterial activity. They tried to force bacteria resistance on F6, performing experiments to evaluate the ability of MRSA USA400 to develop resistance to F6 in vitro.
"The idea is that if you keep adding increasing concentrations to bacteria and then you keep regrowing the bacteria, after so many cycles you are going to develop resistance," Sintim said. "Scientists do this to figure out whether whatever they have created develops resistance quickly." https://www.technologynetworks.com/drug-discovery/news/compound-as-effective-as-fda-approved-drugs-against-life-threatening-infections-305146?utm_campaign=Newsletter_TN_BreakingScienceNews&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=63899742&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--z_PVdLKUiMtzpLcZ6SjgPhtdqnP9vAW5reBihloo0xuMmAcrnnQl0NnlQH9tsUAJlPy-0j_bnrt1Oc2Vv0lLApRbKbg&_hsmi=63899742
Severe Obesity Rates On The Rise, Disproportionately Affecting People In Rural Communities
reports, “Severe obesity rates have been on the rise nationwide since the turn of the century, disproportionately affecting children and adults in rural communities, two US studies” indicate. Researchers, including Cynthia Ogden, PhD, of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and colleagues found that “in rural communities, severe obesity rates more than tripled for men and more than doubled for women” from 2001 to 2016, “while climbing 29 percent among young people.” Meanwhile, “obesity rates in rural areas...rose about 9 percent among children and teens and about 36 percent for adults,” investigators found. The studies, both published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, can be seen here and here. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-obesity-rural/severe-obesity-rates-surging-in-rural-america-idUSKBN1JF2ID
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
Monday, June 18, 2018
Long-Term Remission in SLE? A single center study finds it may be possible, but longer follow-up needed
Researchers from the Toronto Lupus Clinic have described an atypical "monophasic" course in a small number (7.5%) of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients who achieved and sustained clinical remission, with most of the patients able to be off all medications for an average of 18 years. https://www.medpagetoday.com/rheumatology/lupus/73529?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2018-06-18&eun=g721819d0r&pos=1&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20Headlines%202018-06-18&utm_term=Daily%20Headlines%20-%20Active%20User%20-%20180%20days
Friday, June 15, 2018
Workplace Noise In Daytime May Negatively Impact Sleep Quality
reports that research suggests “being exposed to a noisy workplace all day may cause stress that carries over into the evening and reduces sleep quality.” Investigators “found that when workers had higher occupational noise exposure, they had higher blood pressure and higher levels of the stress-hormone cortisol after work, and got less restful sleep that night, compared to days with lower daytime noise exposure.” The findings were published online in Sleep Medicine. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-sleep-noise/workplace-noise-in-daytime-linked-to-sleep-problems-at-night-idUSKBN1JA2ZU
Higher Concentrations Of Vitamin D In Blood May Be Tied To Lower Risk Of Colorectal Cancer
reports researchers at the National Cancer Institute and other institutions found “higher concentrations of vitamin D circulating in the bloodstream are linked to a lower risk of colorectal cancer.” The findings were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
NPR (6/14, Neighmond) reports on its “All Things Considered” program and its “Shots” blog that the study “provides the strongest evidence yet that vitamin D may indeed be protective against colorectal cancer and that a deficiency may increase the risk of this cancer.” https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/06/14/619896924/does-vitamin-d-really-protect-against-colorectal-cancer
Foods With Both Fat And Carbs Trigger Instincts In Brain That May Promote Overeating,
reports researchers found that “the brain values foods...with both fats and carbohydrates, more than foods high in only fats” or “only carbs.” The article reports that “the findings of the study suggest that the brain may have distinct pathways that guide information about the fat-and-carb combination foods.”
NBC News (6/14, Fox) reports, “Foods that combine fat and processed carbohydrates stimulate the brain even when people claimed they did not particularly like that food more than others.” Researchers suggest that the investigation, “using real-time brain scans, may help explain why so many of us are obese, and why we overeat even when we are not hungry.” The findings were published in Cell Metabolism. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/foods-carbs-fats-make-brain-light-study-finds/story?id=55861080
Thursday, June 14, 2018
Hawaii Becomes First State To Ban Widely-Used Chlorpyrifos Pesticide.
reports Hawaii “has become the first U.S. state to ban the use of pesticides containing chlorpyrifos, a widely-used chemical that’s been linked to severe developmental delays in children and other health risks.” Gov. David Ige (D) on Wednesday signed the measure into law, which prohibits chlorpyrifos across the state but allows businesses “to apply for a three-year extension to adjust to the new guidelines.” The article says the law “also prohibits the spraying of pesticides within 100 feet of schools during normal school hours.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/chlorpyrifos-ban-hawaii-pesticide_us_5b21fd3ee4b09d7a3d7a2fd9
Type 2 Diabetes May Increase Risk Of Parkinson’s Disease
reports researchers found that “people with type 2 diabetes had a higher risk for subsequent Parkinson’s disease (PD).” The findings were published in Neurology. reports researchers found that “people with type 2 diabetes had a higher risk for subsequent Parkinson’s disease (PD).” The findings were published in Neurology. https://www.medpagetoday.com/neurology/parkinsonsdisease/73479
Children, Teens Treated With Antipsychotic Medications May Experience Weight Gain, Develop Increased Risk Of Diabetes, Small Scan Study Indicates.
“First time administration of antipsychotic medications to children and teenagers diagnosed with disruptive behavior disorders was associated with increased body fat and decreased insulin sensitivity,” researchers concluded. In fact, “aripiprazole, olanzapine, and risperidone...were tested and demonstrated a combined increase in adiposity amongst participants from 30% at baseline to 46.5% after 12 weeks of treatment,” the 144-participant study found. The findings were published online June 13 in JAMA Psychiatry. https://www.usnews.com/news/health-care-news/articles/2018-06-13/study-children-on-antipsychotics-at-risk-for-weight-gain-and-diabetes
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Potential Treatment for Drug Addiction Relapse
n this study researchers at Bath, working with colleagues from the University of Surrey and RenaSci, used an animal model to study relapse to morphine seeking behaviour. Rats or mice learned to associate particular environmental cues with morphine. After removal of the drugs, relapse back to drug-seeking behaviour occurred in response to getting the cues again.
The Bath team wanted to test the effect of using a blocker for a brain neurotransmitter called acetylcholine, which is involved in memory processes. They tested the effect of a blocker of a specific receptor for acetylcholine - the alpha7 nicotinic receptor - to see if this might impair relapse. This drug, methyllycaconitine (MLA), that comes from Delphinium plants, selectively blocked morphine relapse (but not the initial learning to seek drugs), in both mice and rats.
This exciting novel observation led the researchers to investigate the brain region responsible for MLA's effect and identified the ventral hippocampus as the locus. The hippocampus is well known for its role in memory, and the ventral domain is particularly associated with emotional memories, an obvious link to addiction pathways.
Professor Sue Wonnacott, from the University of Bath's Department of Biology & Biochemistry, said: "It's an exciting step forward that links the cholinergic system, more commonly associated with nicotine addiction, with the mechanisms of relapse a different class of abused drug - the opioids. More work needs to be done to uncover the brain mechanisms involved, but it raises the prospect of erasing long-term drug-associated memories that underpin addiction and the propensity to relapse." https://www.technologynetworks.com/drug-discovery/news/potential-treatment-for-drug-addiction-relapse-305005?utm_campaign=Newsletter_TN_BreakingScienceNews&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=63721315&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--kC1Qngf5FRxyUWVo1XB3aq8es_sAPujwN9lxcShOjqSnIM3aQqVZc0sEZEeU74t8e2GaftH9Srr3zCj1eyacXmj3RPA&_hsmi=63721315
New Method to Quickly and Accurately Detect Infections
The most common method of testing for infection in medical facilities is a strip that turns a certain color when infected fluids come into contact with it.
“The problem with this method is that it’s imprecise,” Gorski said. “The human eye is forced to judge the level of infection based on the hue and deepness of a color. It’s difficult to make an accurate call based on that.” Furthermore, roughly a third of samples cannot be tested because the fluids contain blood or are too opaque.
Other methods include microbiology or examining body fluid samples under a microscope and counting white blood cells, also known as leukocytes, which are an indicator of an infection. However, these can be slow processes and require more highly trained personnel.
Gorski, seeing a need for an easier and more rapid method of testing for infection, resolved to test an electrochemical approach, and sought out McHardy, a medicinal chemist. Together, they created molecules that bind to leukocyte enzymes and produce an electrical current to signal the presence of an infection.
Their new molecules are housed on a testing strip. After being contacted with infected bodily fluids, the strip is connected to a computer monitor that displays a clear range of electrochemical responses demonstrating the severity of an infection.
“The signs and symptoms people demonstrate aren’t always reflective of the level of the infection they have,” McHardy said. “This method could very easily show just how serious an infection is and make diagnosis a much quicker process, possibly preventing a more serious illness.” https://www.technologynetworks.com/diagnostics/news/new-method-to-quickly-and-accurately-detect-infections-304999?utm_campaign=Newsletter_TN_BreakingScienceNews&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=63721315&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--kC1Qngf5FRxyUWVo1XB3aq8es_sAPujwN9lxcShOjqSnIM3aQqVZc0sEZEeU74t8e2GaftH9Srr3zCj1eyacXmj3RPA&_hsmi=63721315
Single Area of the Brain Wakes You Up and Puts You to Asleep
centers" located in the lower part of the brain including the brainstem that directly activates the neocortex, which is the part of the mammalian brain involved in higher-order brain functions such as sensory perception, cognition and generation of motor commands.
In an important new study, neuroscientists at the Department of BioMedical Research (DBMR) at the University of Bern and the Department of Neurology at Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, found that neurons in the thalamus, a central hub of the brain, control sleep as well as wakefulness. The thalamus is connected to almost all other brain areas and supports important brain functions including attention, sensory perception, cognition and consciousness.
Switching sleep on and off
The researchers headed by Prof. Dr. Antoine Adamantidis discovered that a small population of these thalamic neurons have a dual control over sleep and wakefulness, by generating sleep slow waves but also waking up from sleep, depending on their electrical activity. The research group used a technique called optogenetics, with which they used light pulses to precisely control the activity of thalamic neurons of mice. When they activated thalamic neurons with regular long-lasting stimuli the animals woke up, but if they activated them in a slow rhythmical manner, the mice had a deeper, more restful sleep.
This is the first time that an area of the brain has been found to have both sleep and wake promoting functions. https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/brains-single-centre-that-controls-sleep-and-wakefulness-found-304985?utm_campaign=Newsletter_TN_BreakingScienceNews&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=63721315&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--kC1Qngf5FRxyUWVo1XB3aq8es_sAPujwN9lxcShOjqSnIM3aQqVZc0sEZEeU74t8e2GaftH9Srr3zCj1eyacXmj3RPA&_hsmi=63721315
More Than A Third Of Americans Taking Prescription Medicines That Carry Potential Risk Of Depression
reports the study revealed that “approximately 15 percent of adults who used three or more of these medications simultaneously experienced depression, compared to five percent not taking the” medications, seven “percent taking only one” medicine, and nine “percent taking two” medications simultaneously. The study authors also “observed the symptoms in” medicines “that listed suicide as a side effect but also saw similar results when they excluded participants taking psychotropic medications, which is considered an indicator of underlying depression unrelated to medication use.” The findings were published online June 12 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. https://www.usnews.com/news/health-care-news/articles/2018-06-12/study-adults-use-medications-that-lead-to-depression-and-suicide
Mode Of Birth Appears To Have No Effect On BMI In Children,
reports that “mode of birth has no effect on body mass index [BMI] in children,” researchers concluded after examining “a large clinical database to study 16,140 siblings born between 1987 and 2003 and their 8,070 mothers.” The findings were published online as a research letter in JAMA Pediatrics. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/12/well/c-sections-not-tied-to-overweight-children.html
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Less Than 10% Of American Adults Get Recommended Preventive Healthcare,
reports that according to a new study surveying nearly 2,800 American adults over age 35, “only 8 percent were getting all of the highly recommended preventive services with the greatest potential for improving health.” Reuters explains the survey included questions “about the receipt of 15 high-priority preventive services including blood pressure and cholesterol checks, screening for osteoporosis and several cancers, counseling on tobacco use, obesity, alcohol use and depression, plus vaccinations and aspirin use.” The study was published online June 4 in Health Affairs. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-prevention/most-americans-miss-out-on-preventive-healthcare-idUSKBN1J72JG
Young Women Get Less Exercise Than Young Men, Study Suggests.
Shots” blog provides coverage of a study by researchers at Duke University suggesting that young women, particularly black women, get less exercise than young men, and that women’s “exercise rates drop significantly after high school.” The findings were published in JAMA Pediatrics. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/06/11/618878274/after-high-school-young-womens-exercise-rates-plunge
Monday, June 11, 2018
Scientists Reverse Tau Pathology With Drug
Reversing memory deficits and impairments in spatial learning is a major goal in the field of dementia research. A lack of knowledge about cellular pathways critical to the development of dementia, however, has stood in the way of significant clinical advance. But now, researchers at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM) are breaking through that barrier. They show, for the first time in an animal model, that tau pathology – the second-most important lesion in the brain in patients with Alzheimer's disease – can be reversed by a drug.
“We show that we can intervene after disease is established and pharmacologically rescue mice that have tau-induced memory deficits,” explained senior investigator Domenico Praticò, MD, Scott Richards North Star Foundation Chair for Alzheimer’s Research, Professor in the Departments of Pharmacology and Microbiology, and Director of the Alzheimer’s Center at Temple at LKSOM. The study, published online in the journal Molecular Neurobiology, raises new hope for human patients affected by dementia. https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/scientists-reverse-tau-pathology-with-drug-304919?utm_campaign=Newsletter_TN_BreakingScienceNews&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=63648751&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9mj6Eu4Wou1uucfRBK1qmZ4wegcu-UERbphjba5m5MvkILUr8IHU8aR9e96l0WWXMaVurHUXcxYK066rL5-DiMRn_aFA&_hsmi=63648751
Treg Cells Protect Babies from Getting HIV Infection from their Mothers
Lymphocytes are cells of the immune system that protect the body by fighting bacteria and viruses. Treg cells, or regulatory T cells, are an important “self-check” in the immune system to prevent excessive immune reactions that could lead to tissue damage.
The researchers examined the blood of 64 babies who were born HIV-uninfected and 28 babies born HIV-infected and found that Treg cell levels were higher in uninfected babies at the time of birth. In contrast, other lymphocyte types were activated and higher in HIV-infected infants. The HIV virus can only infect cells that are activated, so Treg may protect from HIV infection by suppressing activation of other lymphocytes. https://www.technologynetworks.com/biopharma/news/treg-cells-protect-babies-from-getting-hiv-infection-from-their-mothers-304904?utm_campaign=Newsletter_TN_BreakingScienceNews&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=63648751&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9mj6Eu4Wou1uucfRBK1qmZ4wegcu-UERbphjba5m5MvkILUr8IHU8aR9e96l0WWXMaVurHUXcxYK066rL5-DiMRn_aFA&_hsmi=63648751
If Americans Ate Healthier Diets, US Could Save Tens Of Billions Of Dollars In Healthcare Costs, Research Indicates.
, “If more Americans ate healthier diets, the nation could save tens of billions of dollars in health care costs for major problems such as heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, strokes, hip fractures and Alzheimer’s disease.” After evaluating “different scenarios,” investigators “determined that boosting the number of Americans with healthy eating habits could save between $21 billion and $135 billion a year in health care costs.” The study was slated for presentation at the American Society for Nutrition annual meeting. https://consumer.healthday.com/vitamins-and-nutrition-information-27/nutrition-score-high-502/study-sees-financial-windfall-if-more-americans-ate-healthful-foods-734561.html
Is Immunity to MMR Vax Waning? Mumps infection confirmed in vaccinated military members
A 2017 mumps outbreak at a military facility mostly infected service members who had been immunized with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, a researcher said here.
Of the six cases of mumps from this outbreak, four of six had IgG titers that were seropositive, indicating they should have been immune to the disease, reported Lindsey Nielsen, PhD, of Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, in San Antonio, Texas.
Laboratory PCR testing confirmed all six strains were Mumps Genotype G, which could suggest that the current MMR vaccine may not provide cross-protection against this particular strain of the disease, according to the poster presentation at the ASM Microbe meeting.
Nielsen noted that many components of the MMR vaccine were developed back in the 1960s -- specifically, the mumps component is live attenuated Jeryl-Lynn strain genotype A -- but that "the strains circulating are not the strains circulating now."
"Some of the laboratory tests we do is based on science that is 30 or more years old. We have to make sure that's still relevant today, taking that into the context of clinical presentation," she told MedPage Today. Researchers examined a mumps outbreak that occurred in a barrack of 252 service members. There were 11 service members evaluated for mumps, with six confirmed positive cases. The authors noted that of the 252 service members tested for mumps, 20.1% were mumps IgG seronegative, with seronegativity rates for rubella and measles at 24.4% and 28%, respectively.
They explained that on April 12, three patients reported to the emergency department for evaluation with "fever, swollen unilateral parotitis and malaise." Two of those three patients had elevated IgM mumps antibodies, which prompted an alert to public health officials and further screening with PCR testing.
On April 20, all 252 service members received a third dose of the MMR vaccine, following the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices guidelines to give a third dose of vaccine during an outbreak. https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/asmmicrobe/73400?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MorningBreak_061118&utm_term=Morning%20Break%20-%20Active%20Users%20-%20180%20days
Pathogens Tied to Food Poisoning Linger on Kitchen Towels E. coli and more found on towels in Mauritian households even after a month
Friday, June 8, 2018
Blood Test Predicts Premature Birth
The tests measure the activity of maternal, placental and fetal genes by assessing maternal blood levels of cell-free RNA, tiny bits of the messenger molecule that carry the body’s genetic instructions to its protein-making factories. The team used blood samples collected during pregnancy to identify which genes gave reliable signals about gestational age and prematurity risk.
“We found that a handful of genes are very highly predictive of which women are at risk for preterm delivery,” said Melbye, who is also president and CEO of the Statens Serum Institute in Copenhagen. “I’ve spent a lot of time over the years working to understand preterm delivery. This is the first real, significant scientific progress on this problem in a long time.” https://www.technologynetworks.com/diagnostics/news/blood-test-predicts-premature-birth-304838?utm_campaign=Newsletter_TN_BreakingScienceNews&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=63609833&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--VRlTP7N2FT-m1w3eTfyaBpipd3ko_kaEq4K2BlYqXcKn-YvrDLv-QYPd-KB-JqCslFRGoDz90EsU180NfRICZxN0NGw&_hsmi=63609833
Thursday, June 7, 2018
Is a Stress Shot on the Horizon?
Immunization with beneficial bacteria can have long-lasting anti-inflammatory effects on the brain, making it more resilient to the physical and behavioral effects of stress, according to new research by University of Colorado Boulder scientists.
The findings, if replicated in clinical trials could ultimately lead to new probiotic-based immunizations to protect against posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety or new treatments for depression, the authors say.
"We found that in rodents this particular bacterium, Mycobacterium vaccae, actually shifts the environment in the brain toward an anti-inflammatory state," said lead author Matthew Frank, a senior research associate in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. "If you could do that in people, it could have broad implications for a number of neuroinflammatory diseases."
Anxiety, PTSD and other stress-related mental disorders impact as many as one in four people in their lifetime. Mounting research suggests that stress-induced brain inflammation can boost risk of such disorders, in part by impacting mood-influencing neurotransmitters like norepinephrine or dopamine. https://www.technologynetworks.com/biopharma/news/is-a-stress-shot-on-the-horizon-304795?utm_campaign=Newsletter_TN_BreakingScienceNews&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=63575853&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_19k-W99OJWwUJxSyNjTTQR0wiS6-7Fba_ObgU61ORqGyi0ZoOlk5Bu7-pFU30gxSx3tSaIqo-GN5hmRI0SM17na--AQ&_hsmi=63575853
Increasing Number Of Clinicians Prescribing Fasting To People With Type 2 Diabetes.
reports that an increasing number of healthcare professionals are “prescribing fasting to people with type 2 diabetes.” But, “a recent study warns that going for long stretches without eating could cause the very damage it’s supposed to prevent.” In that study, “rats subjected to intermittent fasting showed an increase in fat tissue, with damage to insulin-releasing cells in the pancreas.” Such effects “could lead to diabetes and serious health issues.” http://www.newsweek.com/could-fasting-cure-diabetes-evidence-not-eating-long-stretches-compelling-and-962014
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
Stress At Work May Shorten The Lives Of Men With Heart Disease Or Diabetes,
reports that investigators found that “in men with cardiometabolic disease, mortality rates were significantly higher in those reporting high levels of work stress (149.8 per 10,000 person-years) than in those who did not (97.7 per 10,000 person-years).” The data indicated that “the mortality difference was 52.1 per 10,000 person-years.” https://www.medpagetoday.com/primarycare/diabetes/73305
Bariatric Surgery Can Put Patients At Risk For Mineral Deficiencies And Osteoporosis
“Anatomical changes due to bariatric surgery can put patients at risk for mineral deficiencies and subsequent osteoporosis, and managing this risk can pose a challenge for healthcare providers,” according to experts. For example, Dr. Elaine W. Yu of Massachusetts General Hospital said, “Many forms of bariatric surgery lead to malabsorption of calcium and vitamin D, which can cause secondary hyperparathyroidism in the absence of treatment.” https://www.medpagetoday.com/clinical-challenges/aace-osteoporosis/73288
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
Researchers Find No Statistically Significant Relationship Between Vitamin D Supplementation, MS
reports researchers found no “statistically significant relationship between vitamin D supplementation and multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse.” The “preliminary findings from an ongoing retrospective analysis” were presented at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers annual meeting. https://mail.google.com/_/scs/mail-static/_/js/k=gmail.main.en.-dxVNc9Y02g.O/m=pds,pdl,pdit,m_i,pdt,t,it/am=vP4ngB1Anj4AAQGAdoxFDoiQZiDM_B9BWRqAtxuGZP7__x-AQAA0AHwD_s19gJ4DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALSj4BQ/rt=h/d=1/rs=AHGWq9B87mpvDstMrRVIu5ND94zFWO9WZQ
Advertisement Circadian Clock’s Impact On Adipose Tissue May Play Role In “Battle Against Obesity,”
reports that “understanding how the circadian clock, as well as key clock proteins, affect the formation and accumulation of adipose tissue could be another front in the battle against obesity, according to a” review published in Endocrine Reviews. https://endocrinenews.endocrine.org/understanding-circadian-clock-may-be-key-to-combatting-obesity/
Monday, June 4, 2018
Drowsy Worms Enhance Our Understanding of Sleep
Through a series of experiments in the roundworm C. elegans, the researchers show that glial cells play an unexpected role in ensuring that worms don’t suddenly succumb to sleep-associated immobility. It’s the latest in a growing list of functions ascribed to glial cells, which were once thought to function solely as scaffolding for neurons, but are turning out to be sophisticated biological actors in their own right.
The research may offer new insight into the function of glial cells in humans, and reveals a nuanced relationship between sleep and movement. https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/role-of-glia-in-sleep-investigated-in-drowsy-worms-304685?utm_campaign=Newsletter_TN_BreakingScienceNews&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=63464653&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8EzT3zMIDr4XsxRzdckefhQV6CnggNvjOAit3Jssw2HriZcLblvcTez2D-ubIwM1qBBMcqPfOYgNWDkykMDdoFx2KFzA&_hsmi=63464653
Neural Correlate of Spirituality Identified
Yale scientists have identified a possible neurobiological home for the spiritual experience — the sense of connection to something greater than oneself.
Activity in the parietal cortex, an area of the brain involved in awareness of self and others as well as attention processing, seems to be a common element among individuals who have experienced a variety of spiritual experiences, according to a study published online May 29 in the journal Cerebral Cortex.
“Spiritual experiences are robust states that may have profound impacts on people’s lives,” said Marc Potenza, professor of psychiatry, of the Yale Child Study Center, and of neuroscience. “Understanding the neural bases of spiritual experiences may help us better understand their roles in resilience and recovery from mental health and addictive disorders.”
Spiritual experiences can be religious in nature or not, such as feeling of oneness in nature or the absence of self during sporting events. Researchers at Yale and the Spirituality Mind Body Institute at Columbia University interviewed 27 young adults to gather information about past stressful and relaxing experiences as well as their spiritual experiences. The subjects then underwent fMRI scans while listening for the first time to recordings based on their personalized experiences. While individual spiritual experiences differed, researchers noted similar patterns of activity in the parietal cortex as the subjects imagined experiencing the events in the recordings. https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/neuroscientists-pin-point-personal-spiritual-belief-brain-network-304679?utm_campaign=Newsletter_TN_BreakingScienceNews&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=63464653&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8EzT3zMIDr4XsxRzdckefhQV6CnggNvjOAit3Jssw2HriZcLblvcTez2D-ubIwM1qBBMcqPfOYgNWDkykMDdoFx2KFzA&_hsmi=63464653
Some Women With Early-Stage Breast Cancers Can Safely Skip Chemotherapy
reports that research indicates “many women with early-stage breast cancer who would receive chemotherapy under current standards do not actually need it, according to a major international study that is expected to quickly change medical treatment.” Investigators “found that gene tests on tumor samples were able to identify women who could safely skip chemotherapy and take only a drug that blocks the hormone estrogen or stops the body from making it.” The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/03/health/breast-cancer-chemo.html
Group Medical Appointments Result In Better Health For Some Patients.
reported on group medical appointments that “aim to offer patients expanded information, access and control over their health,” and “help providers see more patients more efficiently.” The article said the shared appointment “has proved promising in areas such as managing diabetes and reducing emergency room visits,” and featured several patients who have experienced significant improvements in their health after attending group medical appointments. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/going-to-the-doctor-in-a-group-means-better-health-for-some-patients/2018/06/01/180a051c-47d6-11e8-9072-f6d4bc32f223_story.html?utm_term=.81e3ab016766
Among Older Adults, Osteoporosis May Be An Independent Risk Factor For Sudden Sensory Neural Hearing Loss
Among adults aged at least 50 years, osteoporosis may be an independent risk factor for sudden sensory neural hearing loss,” researchers concluded after analyzing “Korean national health insurance data.” The findings were published online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. https://www.healio.com/endocrinology/bone-mineral-metabolism/news/in-the-journals/%7B4af2a9ee-5151-4bb2-afa8-6edf2821af6a%7D/osteoporosis-associated-with-risk-for-sudden-hearing-loss
Friday, June 1, 2018
Vitamin D May Reduce The Risk Of Another Miscarriage
reports that “vitamin D can reduce the risk of another miscarriage,” research indicated. Investigators “found that women with sufficient levels of Vitamin D were 10 percent more likely to become pregnant and 15 percent more likely to have a live birth after miscarriage.” The study was published online in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/allthemoms/2018/05/31/study-vitamin-d-can-reduce-risk-second-miscarriage/660321002/
Loud Music At Restaurants May Encourage Patrons To Eat Fewer Healthy Meals
reports a new “series of lab studies and real-life field experiments” led by behavioral scientists and published in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science found that study “participants selected more unhealthful or calorie-laden items like red meat and cake” while dining at restaurants when the ambient music at the dining locations was loud. Researchers found the effects were the same regardless of genre, but said that music at high volumes “makes you physically more excited, less inhibited and more likely to choose something indulgent.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/31/well/eat/ill-have-the-cake-the-music-made-me-do-it.html
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