Health & Medicine : Science World Report

Feb 10, 2012 02:25 PM EST

Tell Me How You Are â€“ and I Know How Long You Will Live

The way people rate their health determines their probability of survival in the following decades. Researchers from the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine at the University of Zurich demonstrate that for ratings ranging from "excellent", "good", "fair" and "poor" to "very poor", the risk o...

Feb 09, 2012 09:16 PM EST

Ultraviolet Protection Molecule in Plants Yields Its Secrets

Lying around in the sun all day is hazardous not just for humans but also for plants, which have no means of escape. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun can damage proteins and DNA inside cells, leading to poor growth and even death (as well as carcinogenesis in humans).

Feb 09, 2012 08:46 PM EST

Complex Tissue Culture No Longer Exclusive to High-Tech Labs

With the discovery of a simple, straightforward approach to building scaffolds for 3-D tissue cultures by scientist at the University of San Diego, California, soon virtually all biomedical laboratories could be able to break into heights of tissue engineering formerly only reserved to a much smalle...

Feb 07, 2012 09:46 AM EST

Study: Rapid Bone Loss as Possible Side Effect of Anti-obesity Drug Now in Clinical Trials

An endocrine hormone used in clinical trials as an anti-obesity and anti-diabetes drug causes significant and rapid bone loss in mice, raising concerns about its safe use, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have shown.

Feb 07, 2012 09:39 AM EST

Long-term Study Shows Epilepsy Surgery Improves Seizure Control and Quality of Life

While epilepsy surgery is a safe and effective intervention for seizure control, medical therapy remains the more prominent treatment option for those with epilepsy. However, a new 26-year study reveals that following epilepsy surgery, nearly half of participants were free of disabling seizures and ...

Feb 07, 2012 09:34 AM EST

New Guidelines Suggest DVT Prophylaxis Not Appropriate For All Patients

New evidence-based guidelines from the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) recommend considering individual patients' risk of thrombosis when deciding for or against the use of preventive therapies for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and venous thromboembolism (VTE).

Feb 06, 2012 03:06 PM EST

Increased Clumsiness in Former Welders

Welders who are exposed to manganese from welding fumes, risk developing increased clumsiness - and the result may remain decades after exposure has ceased. This is the finding of a study at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, of former shipyard workers.

Feb 06, 2012 02:47 PM EST

Obesity Surgery Cuts Heart Attacks by a Third

Obese patients who undergo bariatric surgery run a 30% lower risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke, reveal researchers from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, who believe that the priorities for bariatric surgery need to be revised. Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) is ...

Feb 06, 2012 02:40 PM EST

Combined oral contraceptive pill helps painful periods

A large Scandinavian study, that has been running for 30 years, has finally provided convincing evidence that the combined oral contraceptive pill does, indeed, alleviate the symptoms of painful menstrual periods reports scientists from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Feb 06, 2012 02:07 PM EST

PET Techniques Provide More Accurate Diagnosis, Prognosis in Challenging Breast Cancer Cases

In two new studies featured in the February issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine, researchers are revealing how molecular imaging can be used to solve mysteries about difficult cases of breast cancer. One article focuses on an imaging agent that targets estrogen receptors in estrogen receptor-po...

Feb 06, 2012 01:58 PM EST

Hormel Institute Study Makes Key Finding in Stem Cell Self-renewal

A University of Minnesota-led research team has proposed a mechanism for the control of whether embryonic stem cells continue to proliferate and stay stem cells, or differentiate into adult cells like brain, liver or skin.

Feb 06, 2012 01:46 PM EST

Exercise Triggers Stem Cells in Muscle

University of Illinois researchers determined that an adult stem cell present in muscle is responsive to exercise, a discovery that may provide a link between exercise and muscle health. The findings could lead to new therapeutic techniques using these cells to rehabilitate injured muscle and preven...