Metabolite levels may be able to improve diabetes risk prediction — Elevations in 5 amino acids may signal future disease risk, indicate candidates for preventive measures – Measuring the levels of small molecules in the blood may be able to identify individuals at elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes as much as a decade before symptoms of the disorder appear.
New treatment may desensitize kids with milk allergies, say researchers at Stanford and Boston – Milk allergy is the most common, affecting 2.5 percent of children under age 3. In a small clinical study, researchers report effectively desensitizing milk-allergic patients by increasing their exposure to milk in tandem with an allergy drug called omalizumab, allowing children to build up resistance quickly with limited allergic reactions.
Coffee drinking linked to reduced stroke risk in women — American Heart Association rapid access journal report – Drinking more than a cup of coffee a day was associated with a 22 percent to 25 percent lower risk of stroke, compared with those who drank less, in a study reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Imaging Procedure Can Identify Biomarker Associated With Alzheimer Disease – Preliminary research suggests that use of a type of molecular imaging procedure may have the ability to detect the presence of beta-amyloid in the brains of individuals during life, a biomarker that is identified during autopsy to confirm a diagnosis of Alzheimer disease.
Taking more steps every day can help ward off diabetes — Association of change in daily step count over five years with insulin sensitivity and adiposity – Simply taking more steps every day not only helps ward off obesity but also reduces the risk of diabetes, finds a study published in BMJ UK.
Adopting Healthy Habits in Youth Associated With More Favorable Cholesterol Levels in Early Adulthood – Lifestyle changes between childhood and adulthood appear associated with whether an individual will maintain, improve or develop high-risk cholesterol levels.
Parents favor genetic testing for melanoma in their children – The vast majority of parents who tested positive for a genetic mutation that increases the risk of melanoma (the most serious form of skin cancer) support genetic testing of their children or grandchildren. Results of the two-year study at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah (U of U) appear in the December issue of the journal Genetics in Medicine. The data could lead to the establishment of formal, evidence-based guidelines for genetic testing of people younger than 18 years.
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy appears to be similar to maintenance antidepressant medication for preventing relapse or recurrence among patients successfully treated for depression. – A new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has found that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy–using meditation-provides equivalent protection against depressive relapse as traditional antidepressant medication.
Updated guidelines include new research, advances in stroke prevention — American Heart Association scientific statement – Healthy lifestyle choices and emergency room interventions can help prevent first-time strokes, according to revised American Heart Association/American Stroke Association guidelines.
Recurrent miscarriage raises heart attack risk fivefold in later life — Pregnancy loss and risk of cardiovascular disease: A prospective population-based cohort study (EPIC-Heidelberg) – Recurrent miscarriage increases a woman’s chance of having a heart attack fivefold in later life, indicates research published online in the journal Heart.
High alpha-carotene levels associated with longer life – High blood levels of the antioxidant alpha-carotene appear to be associated with a reduced risk of dying over a 14-year period’
Allotment gardeners reap healthy rewards – People who have an allotment, especially those aged over 60, tend to be significantly healthier than those who do not, reveales researchers in BioMed Central’s journal Environmental Health.
