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).
Tag: depressive symptoms
The Subtle Signs of Diabetes
FROM THE MAYO CLINIC
Early symptoms of diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes, can be subtle or seemingly harmless — if you have symptoms at all. Over time, however, you may develop diabetes complications, even if you haven’t had diabetes symptoms.
In the United States alone, nearly 7 million people have undiagnosed diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. But you don’t need to become a statistic. Understanding possible diabetes symptoms can lead to early diagnosis and treatment — and a lifetime of better health.
Breakthrough in Fighting Skin & Lung Cancers
Researchers at UCLA’s 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
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
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.
NIH Proposes Standards for Back Pain Research
Standardized research methods are needed to make greater progress toward reducing the high burden and costs of chronic low back pain, according to a National Institutes for Health Task Force report published in the June 15th 2014 issue of the journal Spine.
Night Owls Tend to Be More Sedentary
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.
A Cheaper But Effective Eye-Disease Drug
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.
Is It Too Hot For Your Health?
Almost every summer, there’s a deadly heat wave in some parts of the country. Excessive heat isn’t safe for anyone, especially for older people or those with health problems. But exactly what dangers are you facing and how can you protect yourself? Here’s some advice from the National Institute on Aging:
Your body is always working to keep a balance between how much heat it makes and how much it loses. Too much heat causes sweating.
5 Facts To Know About Depression
Depression, a serious and potentially life-threatening condition, affects 14.8 million American adults, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The percentage of seniors who have the disorder varies from less than 1 percent to 5 percent, the CDC says. But the percentage rises sharply to 11.5 percent among elderly hospital patients to 13.5 percent among those who have home health care.
The condition is complex and multi-faceted, encompassing both physical and mental symptoms, and for a patient or caregiver it’s essential to know as much as possible about it.
Memory Restoration May Be Possible
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.
Preventive Surgery Can Have Serious After-Effects
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).
Throw It Out or Eat It? The Truth About Expiration Dates
By Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RD, LD
So you’re standing in front of the refrigerator staring at a “sell by” date on food and you have the internal debate: Do I throw it in the trash or take my chances?
You’re not the only one. Upwards of 91 percent of consumers have thrown food out based on the dates on packaging. But the dating system isn’t as clear as it seems. Nobody wants food poisoning — no fun — but few people want to waste food, either.
Debunking the “Link” Between MS and CCVI
In 2009, an Italian doctor named Paolo Zamboni postulated that a condition he dubbed “chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency” (CCVI) is a cause of multiple sclerosis (MS). CCVI refers to compromised blood flow in the veins that drain the central nervous system. However, no one has been able replicate Zamboni’s findings.
Infection Risks in Home Health Care
Each year, an estimated 12 million Americans receive care from more than 33,000 home health providers in the U.S., where the annual tab for home health services exceeds $72 billion. Patients depend on home health care services to recover from surgeries and hospital stays, as well as to manage daily life with chronic conditions. All too often, however, proven practices for preventing infections aren’t followed when care is provided at home.
Combo Tx for Melanoma: Encouraging Results
The first long-term follow-up results from a an immunotherapy trial combining drugs for advanced melanoma patients has shown long-lasting rsultswith high survival rates, according to researchers at Yale Cancer Center led by Dr. Mario Sznol, professor of medical oncology. Dr. Sznol presented the updated data in June at the 2014 annual conference of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago.
Metformin Lengthens Lifespan
Metformin, the world’s most widely used anti-diabetic drug, slows aging and increases lifespan. That is the finding of Wouter De Haes and colleagues at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium and reported in June 2014 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
According to a release from the university, the researchers teased out the mechanism behind metformin’s age-slowing effects: the drug causes an increase in the number of toxic oxygen molecules released in the cell and this, surprisingly, increases cell robustness and longevity in the long term.
Watch: Heart-Healthy Barbecue Tips
Here’s another addition to the Third Age video collection. Press play to start learning.