_ Relationships & Love ΓÇ£SolomonΓÇÖs ParadoxΓÇ¥ Causes Unwise Choices By Sondra Forsyth article If you're faced with a troubling personal dilemma, such as a cheating spouse, you are more likely to think wisely about it if you consider it as an observer would, according to a study done at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada and the University of Michigan. The findings, which will appear in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, demonstrate that talking about yourself in the third person and using your name when reflecting on a relationship conflict helps you solve the issue wisely.
_ Depression LInked to Quicker Progression of Alzheimer's By Jane Farrell article Late-life depression could be a major risk factor for developing AlzheimerΓÇÖs more quickly than those who arenΓÇÖt depressed. The finding was presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. ΓÇ£Our results clearly indicate that mild cognitively impaired subjects with depressive symptoms suffer from elevated amyloid-levels when compared with non-depressed individuals,ΓÇ¥ said the studyΓÇÖs principal scientist Axel Rominger, MD, from the department of nuclear medicine at the University of Munich in Germany.
_ Gene Variants Identified As Source of Deadly Illnesses By Jane Farrell article Two widely carried gene variants that lead to longer chromosome caps also increase the risk of developing the brain cancers known as gliomas. The researchers, led by scientists from the University of California, San Francisco, found that the variants lead to longer telomeres, the caps on chromosome ends that are thought to protect cells from aging. The genetic variants, in two genes known as TERT and TERC, are respectively carried by 51 percent and 72 percent of the general population.
_ How Obesity-Induced Diabetes Begins By Jane Farrell article Scientists from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have discovered the sequence of early cellular responses that can ultimately lead to obesity-induced insulin resistance and diabetes. The cells respond, the investigators said, to a high-fat diet. ΓÇ£WeΓÇÖve described the etiology [cause] of obesity-related diabetes. WeΓÇÖve pinpointed the steps, the way the whole thing happens,ΓÇ¥ said Jerrold M. Olefsky, MD, associate dean for Scientific Affairs and Distinguished Professor of Medicine at UC San Diego.
_ Transplanted Neurons Last Many Years in PD Brains By Sondra Forsyth article Neurons transplanted into Parkinson's-affected brains appear healthy after 14 years, according to research done at Harvard University and McLean Hospital and published June 5th 2014 in the journal Cell Reports.
_ Sleep Health Sleeping in Sync When the Wife is Happy By Sondra Forsyth article A study done at the University of Pittsburgh suggests that couples are more likely to sleep in sync when the wife is more satisfied with their marriage. Results show that overall synchrony in sleep-wake schedules among couples was high, as those who slept in the same bed were awake or asleep at the same time about 75 percent of the time. When the wife reported higher marital satisfaction, the percent of time the couple was awake or asleep at the same time was greater.
_ Pain Management Virtual Reality Therapy for Pain By Sondra Forsyth article Virtual reality as a means of distraction, inducing positive emotions, or creating the perception of "swapping" a limb or bodily area affected by chronic pain can be a powerful therapeutic tool, according to a series of studies done in Belgium, the U.S., Korea, and Spain. Subsequent articles were published in print and online in June 2014 Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.
_ Healthy Diet & Nutrition Fruits and Vegetables: Fresh vs. Frozen and Canned By Sondra Forsyth article By Sondra Forsyth Plenty of people assume that fresh produce is healthier than the frozen and canned versions, but thatΓÇÖs not always the case. Flash-frozen fruits and vegetables are actually better for you than most fresh produce. The same goes for many canned vegetables if the salt content is low, and for many canned fruits if no sugary syrups are added. (Tip: Rinse canned vegetables to lower the salt content, and buy canned fruits packed in their own juice.) Why Frozen and Canned Products Are Healthy
New Gene Involved in Parkinson's Disease By Sondra Forsyth article Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles have identified a new gene involved in Parkinson's disease, a finding that may one day provide a target for a new drug to prevent and potentially even cure the debilitating neurological disorder. The five-year study appears June 4th , 2014 in eLife, a new, open access scientific journal for groundbreaking biomedical and life research sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (United States), the Wellcome Trust (United Kingdom) and Max Plank Institutes (Germany).
_ Differentiating Among Dementia Diseases By Sondra Forsyth article Not all cognitive decline is Alzheimer’s. Now a new diagnostic tool developed at the University of Eastern Finland helps clinicians differentiate among Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, and mild cognitive impairment. The method, devised by Miguel Ángel Muñoz Ruiz MD and explained in articles in PloS ONE and Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, consists of a Disease State Index combining data from multiple sources, and of a Disease State Fingerprint showing the findings in a visual format.
Aging Well Latest Developments in Aging Research By Sondra Forsyth article The 43rd Annual Meeting of the American Aging Association (AGE), held May 30th to June 2nd 2014 at the Westin Riverwalk Hotel in San Antonio, Texas, featured the latest scholarship and research findings in the field of aging research from more than 70 leading experts. The event has long been recognized as a launching pad for researchers to share cutting-edge discoveries into the underlying mechanisms of the causes of aging as well as the possible breakthroughs in finding ways to increase healthspan.
_ Breakthrough in Fighting Skin & Lung Cancers By Sondra Forsyth article Researchers at UCLAΓÇÖs Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center are reporting promising treatment milestones for patients with deadly skin and lung cancers who are being treated with an experimental drug called MK-3475.
_ On The Horizon: A Better Way To Measure Blood Glucose By Jane Farrell article Researchers have developed a method for measuring glucose concentrations in saliva, and they say it would be a significant improvement in managing diabetes. The scientists, from Brown University, devised a new biochip sensor that measures blood sugar levels in saliva rather than blood.
Life-Saving Drug for Older Adults with Pneumonia By Sondra Forsyth article In a study that included nearly 65,000 older patients hospitalized with pneumonia, treatment that included azithromycin compared with other antibiotics was associated with a significantly lower risk of death but a slightly increased risk of heart attack, according to a study done at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and published in the June 4th 2014 issue of JAMA. The authors report that overall, the benefits outweigh the risks.
_ Exercise Night Owls Tend to Be More Sedentary By Sondra Forsyth article A study done at Northwestern University in Chicago suggests that night owls are more sedentary and feel that they have a harder time maintaining an exercise schedule. The research abstract was published in June 2014 in an online supplement of the journal Sleep, and presented on Wednesday, June 4th in Minneapolis at SLEEP 2014, the 28th annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC.
_ Vision Health A Cheaper But Effective Eye-Disease Drug By Jane Farrell article Eye doctors could save billions in health-care costs if they prescribed a less expensive but effective drug to treat two common forms of serious eye disease in older adults. Researchers from the University of Michigan focused on two medicines used to treat the wet form of macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema.
_ Memory Restoration May Be Possible By Jane Farrell article Researchers are now able to reactivate a memory that has vanished from the brain. A study from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, detailed how researchers removed a memory from the brain of rat subjects and then restored it.
_ Women's Health and Wellness Preventive Surgery Can Have Serious After-Effects By Jane Farrell article Women with the cancer-causing BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations have a number of serious issues that need to be monitored following preventive surgery, researchers say. A study from the University of Pennsylvania examined the after-effects of a preventive hysterectomy - known as risk-reducing salpingo-oopherectomy (RRSO).