From the monthly archives:

September 2010

House-Sharing With Microbes

September 20, 2010 Asthma Research

Household dust contains up to 1000 different species of microbes, with tens of millions of individual bacterial cells in each gram. And these are just the ones that can be grown in the lab! Dr Helena Rintala, speaking at the Society for General Microbiology’s autumn meeting in Nottingham describes how we share our living and working spaces with millions of microbes, not all of whom are bad news.

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Biologists Discover Biochemical Link Between Biological Clock And Diabetes

September 20, 2010 Diabetes Research

Biologists have found that a key protein that regulates the biological clocks of mammals also regulates glucose production in the liver and that altering the levels of this protein can improve the health of diabetic mice.

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Popular Supplements To Combat Joint Pain Do Not Work, Study Finds

September 20, 2010 Arthritis Research

Two popular supplements taken by millions of people around the world to combat joint pain, do not work, finds research published online in the British Medical Journal. The supplements, glucosamine and chondroitin, are either taken on their own or in combination to reduce the pain caused by osteoarthritis in hips and knees.

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Aerobic Exercise Relieves Insomnia

September 20, 2010 Insomnia Research

The millions of middle-aged and older adults who suffer from insomnia have a new drug-free prescription for a more restful night’s sleep. Regular aerobic exercise improves the quality of sleep, mood and vitality, according to a small but significant new study from Northwestern Medicine.

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Mild Memory Loss Is Not a Part Of Normal Aging, New Research Finds

September 20, 2010 Cognitive Function

Simply getting older is not the cause of mild memory lapses often called senior moments, according to a new study by researchers at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center. The study, published in the September 15, 2010, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, found that even the very early mild changes in memory that are much more common in old age than dementia are caused by the same brain lesions associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

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Discovery Highlights Promise Of New Immune System-Based Therapies

September 20, 2010 Immune System

A new focus on the immune system’s ability to both unleash and restrain its attack on disease has led Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists to identify cells in mice that prevent the immune system from attacking the animals’ own cells, protecting them from autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, and lupus.

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Traditional Risk Assessment Tools Do Not Accurately Predict Coronary Heart Disease

September 16, 2010 Cardiovascular Research

The Framingham and National Cholesterol Education Program tools, NCEP, do not accurately predict coronary heart disease, according to a study performed at the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, CT.

Tagged as: Heart

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Fountain Of Youth In Bile? Longevity Molecule Identified

September 15, 2010 Life Extension

The human quest for longer life may be one step closer, thanks to research from Concordia University. Published in the journal Aging, a new study is the first to identify the role of a bile acid, called lithocholic acid (LCA), in extending the lifespan of normally aging yeast. The findings may have significant implications for human longevity and health, as yeast share some common elements with people.

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Benefits Of Healthy Lifestyle Factors Stronger In Combination

September 15, 2010 Life Extension

It is widely known that a healthy lifestyle that includes not smoking, limiting alcohol intake, and maintaining a proper weight reduces disease risk. In the journal PLoS Medicine, Wei Zheng, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., and colleagues at Vanderbilt University Medical Center now report results from a large study quantifying the impact of combining healthy lifestyle factors.

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Present Imperfect: Doctors In Training Work Even When Ill, Study Finds

September 15, 2010 News & Research

A new study demonstrates that young doctors often fail to heed the Biblical injunction, “physician, heal thyself.” In a research letter published in the September 15, 2010, issue of JAMA, researchers report that three out of five residents surveyed came to work in the previous year while sick, possibly exposing their patients and colleagues to suboptimal performance and, in many cases, communicable disease.

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Consumption Of ‘Good Salt’ Can Reduce Population Blood Pressure Levels, Research Finds

September 15, 2010 Cardiovascular Research

An increased intake of ‘good’ potassium salts could contribute significantly to improving blood pressure at the population level, according to new research. The favorable effect brought about by potassium is even estimated to be comparable with the blood pressure reduction achievable by halving the intake of ‘bad’ sodium salts (mostly from table salt).

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Key Mechanism Behind Sleep Discovered: Finding Holds Promise For Treatment Of Fatigue And Sleep Disorders

September 15, 2010 Insomnia Research

Washington State University researchers have discovered the mechanism by which the brain switches from a wakeful to a sleeping state. The finding clears the way for a suite of discoveries, from sleeping aids to treatments for stroke and other brain injuries.

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