Folic acid lowers risk of autism – Women who took folic acid supplements from four weeks before conception to eight weeks into pregnancy had a 40 per cent lower risk of giving birth to children with childhood autism (classic autism).
Coffee and tea during pregnancy affect fetal growth – Drinking just two cups of coffee a day is associated with the risk of low birth weight. Researchers at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have conducted a study on 59,000 women in collaboration with the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.
Rush scientists identify buphenyl as a possible drug for Alzheimer’s disease – Buphenyl, an FDA-approved medication for hyperammonemia, may protect memory and prevent the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Hyperammonemia is a life-threatening condition that can affect patients at any age. It is caused by abnormal, high levels of ammonia in the blood.
Aspirin may lower melanoma risk – Women who take aspirin have a reduced risk of developing melanoma – and that the longer they take it, the lower the risk. The findings of the new study suggest that aspirin’s anti-inflammatory effects may help protect against this type of skin cancer.
Use of certain therapies for inflammatory diseases does not appear to increase risk of shingles – Although patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a disproportionately higher incidence of herpes zoster (shingles), an analysis that included nearly 60,000 patients with RA and other inflammatory diseases found that those who initiated anti-tumor necrosis factor therapies were not at higher risk of herpes zoster compared with patients who initiated nonbiologic treatment regimens.
Intermountain study finds length of DNA strands can predict life expectancy — Findings may help patients at risk – Can the length of strands of DNA in patients with heart disease predict their life expectancy? Researchers from the Intermountain Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City, who studied the DNA of more that 3,500 patients with heart disease, say yes it can.
Early detection of MS treatment complication may improve survival – The drug natalizumab is effective for treating multiple sclerosis (MS), but it increases the risk of a rare but potentially fatal brain infection called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). The study suggests that early detection of PML may help improve survival and disability levels.
Cleveland Clinic research shows anemia drug does not improve health of anemic heart failure patients — Phase 3 findings published in NEJM provide answers about treatment with darbepoetin alfa – Researchers from Cleveland Clinic and Sweden-based Sahlgrenska University Hospital have found that a commonly used drug to treat anemia in heart failure patients – darbepoetin alfa – does not improve patients’ health, nor does it reduce their risk of death from heart failure.
Anti-aging drug breakthrough — potential to prevent age-related diseases and extend lifespans – Drugs that combat ageing may be available within five years, following landmark work led by an Australian researcher. The study finally proves that a single anti-ageing enzyme in the body can be targeted, with the potential to prevent age-related diseases and extend lifespans.
Maternal obesity increases the risk of frequent wheezing in offspring — Tobacco and excess weight: 2 factors linked to asthma in babies – The fact that excess weight during pregnancy has negative consequences is not new information. A new study now concludes that the children of mothers obese before falling pregnant are four times more likely to have frequent wheezing, which is one of the symptoms of asthma, compared to the children of mothers weighing a normal weight.
Weight loss may prevent, treat osteoarthritis in obese patients — Obesity may trigger biomechanical changes, pathways that contribute to osteoarthritis – Weight loss may prevent and significantly alleviate the symptoms of osteoarthritis, a progressive disease of the joints known as “wear and tear” arthritis. Obesity actually may trigger the biomechanical and inflammatory changes that cause osteoarthritis, and the pain and loss of mobility associated with the condition.
Enhanced brain acetate metabolism may reward heavy drinkers – Increased brain uptake and oxidation of acetate in heavy drinkers – In addition to its well-known effects on the CNS, alcohol consumption has a significant impact on metabolism. After consumption, the body rapidly begins converting ethanol to acetate, which can serve as an energy source for the brain and other organs.
