Gene therapy may restore sense of smell

Can’t smell anything? This discovery may give you hope – Gene therapy in mice restores sense of smell, may also aid research into other diseases caused by cilia defects, U-M researchers say – Scientists have restored the sense of smell in mice through gene therapy for the first time — a hopeful sign for people who can’t smell anything from birth or lose it due to disease. The achievement in curing congenital anosmia — the medical term for lifelong inability to detect odors — may also aid research on other conditions that also stem from problems with the cilia.

High blood pressure risk rising in US kids

More hospitalizations, higher charges, for kids with high blood pressure – Hospitalizations for children with high blood pressure and related charges dramatically increased during 10 years ending in 2006, according to a study published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension. This nationally-based study is the first in which researchers examined hypertension hospitalizations in children.

Alcohol abuse increases after bariatric surgery

Adults who had a common bariatric surgery to lose weight had a significantly higher risk of alcohol use disorders (AUD) two years after surgery – Among patients who underwent bariatric surgery, there was a higher prevalence of alcohol use disorders in the second year after surgery, and specifically after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, compared with the years immediately before and following surgery.

Vitamin D therapy does not improve heart disease risk

Vitamin D Therapy Does Not Improve Certain Cardiac Measures for Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease – Patients with chronic kidney disease who received the vitamin D compound paricalcitol for up to 48 weeks did not show improvement on measures of cardiac structure, function, or left ventricular mass, compared to patients who received placebo.

Abatacept and GAD-alum to slow progression of type 1 diabetes

Two Studies Test Impact of Drugs to Slow Progression of Type 1 Diabetes – Abatacept (Orencia), an immune system modulator and GAD-alum, an antigen based therapy found beneficial for patients with type 1 diabetes. TrialNet researchers are conducting a series of studies to test ways to prevent or delay progression of type 1 diabetes. Results of two studies testing drugs to slow or stop the immune system’s attack on insulin-producing cells in people newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes will be presented at the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) 71st Scientific Sessions in San Diego and simultaneously published online in the Lancet.

Increased metabolic rate may lead to accelerated aging

Increased metabolic rate may lead to accelerated aging — Findings from new study may explain why low-calorie diets are beneficial for human health – A recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) found that higher metabolic rates predict early natural mortality, indicating that higher energy turnover may accelerate aging in humans.

Depression increases kidney failure risk

Depression may increase the risk of kidney failure – Depression is associated with an increased risk of developing kidney failure in the future, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN).

Breastfeeding lowers type 2 diabetes risk in women

Moms who don’t breastfeed more likely to develop type 2 diabetes – Mothers who did not breastfeed their children have significantly higher rates of type 2 diabetes later in life than moms who breastfed, report University of Pittsburgh researchers in a study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Medicine.

Cancer risks in blood pressure medicines

Cancer risks in blood pressure medicines

University Hospitals Case Medical Center cardiologists discover cancer risks in blood pressure meds – University Hospitals Case Medical Center cardiologists have uncovered new research showing an increased risk of cancer with a group of blood pressure medications known as angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs).

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