Study finds Alzheimer’s disease link in eyes of children with Down syndrome — Findings may lead to eye tests for brain disease in Alzheimer’s and Down syndrome – Researchers are going to develop an innovative eye test for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and Down syndrome. As they discovered the protein that forms plaques in the brain in Alzheimer’s disease also accumulates in the eyes of people with Down syndrome.
Health, life insurers hold $1.88 billion in fast-food stocks: AJPH article — Harvard researchers say insurers put profits over health – Just weeks after the passage of a health bill that will dramatically increase the number of Americans covered by private health insurers, Harvard researchers have detailed the extent to which life and health insurance companies are major investors in the fast-food industry ? to the tune of nearly $2 billion.
Use of certain anticonvulsant medications may be associated with increased risk of suicide – An analysis of prescription and clinical claims data suggests that the use of certain anticonvulsant medications may be associated with an increased risk of suicide, attempted suicide or violent death, according to a study in the April 14 issue of JAMA.
Replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) is good for the heart – The replacement of dietary saturated fatty acids with polyunsaturated fatty acids reduces coronary heart disease events, bringing much needed scientific evidence to an issue debated by experts and clinical guidelines.
Genes found linked to breast cancer drug resistance could guide future treatment choices – Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have discovered a gene activity signature that predicts a high risk of cancer recurrence in certain breast tumors that have been treated with commonly used chemotherapy drugs.
US birth weights on the decline — U.S. infants are getting smaller – Birth weights in US have declined during the past 15 years, revealed by researchers at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute’s Department of Population Medicine.
Study explains why light worsens migraine headaches — Extreme light sensitivity in blind patients helps researchers identify a new visual pathway for photophobia during migraines – Ask anyone who suffers from migraine headaches what they do when they’re having an attack, and you’re likely to hear “go into a dark room.” And although it’s long been known that light makes migraines worse, the reason why has been unclear.
Study links restless leg syndrome with erectile dysfunction in older men – Erectile dysfunction was more common in older men with restless leg syndrome (RLS) than in those without RLS, and the magnitude of this association increased with a higher frequency of RLS symptoms, revealed by researchers.
Researchers find human protein that prevents H1N1 influenza infection – Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers have identified a naturally occurring human protein that helps prevent infection by H1N1 influenza and other viruses, including West Nile and dengue virus.
Study finds increased risk of death, stroke in postmenopausal women taking antidepressants — Findings signal need for individual risk assessment, additional study – Women participating in the Women’s Health Initiative study who reported taking an antidepressant drug had a small but statistically significant increase in the risk of stroke and of death compared with participants not taking antidepressants.
Uninsured Americans have a higher mortality rate after trauma. Treatment delay, different care (via receipt of fewer diagnostic tests), and decreased health literacy are possible mechanisms. – Americans without health insurance appear more likely to die following admission to the hospital for trauma than those with health care coverage, revealed by researchers.
Institute for Aging Research study says dementia is a terminal illness — Understanding clinical course of disease leads to better end-of-life care. – Patients with advanced dementia experience distressing symptoms similar to patients dying of more commonly recognized terminal conditions, such as cancer, revealed by researchers.
