'Coming' Out May No Longer Be A Matter Of Popular Debate But Rather A Matter Of Public Health

Lesbians, gays and bisexuals (LGBs) who are out to others have lower stress hormone levels and fewer symptoms of anxiety, depression, and burnout, according to researchers at the Centre for Studies on Human Stress (CSHS) at Louis H. Lafontaine Hospital, affiliated with the University of Montreal. Cortisol is a stress hormone in our body. When chronically strained, cortisol contributes to the 'wear and tear' exerted on multiple biological systems. Taken together, this strain is called "allostatic load"... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

Women With BRCA Gene More Likely To Experience Early Menopause

Women with harmful mutations in the BRCA gene, which put them at higher risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, tend to undergo menopause significantly sooner than other women, allowing them an even briefer reproductive window and possibly a higher risk of infertility, according to a study led by researchers at UC San Francisco. Moreover, the study showed that carriers of the mutation who are heavy smokers enter menopause at an even earlier age than non-smoking women with the mutation... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

Sports Concussion-Risk Studies At Virginia Tech Expanded To Include Hockey And Baseball

The Virginia Tech - Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences is expanding its ground-breaking research of testing football helmets to reduce the number of concussions to now include hockey, baseball, softball, and lacrosse. The five-year plan will see the Virginia Tech research center, headed by Stefan Duma, rate helmets worn by hockey, baseball, softball, and lacrosse athletes in their ability to lessen the likelihood of a concussion resulting from a violent head impact... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

New Protein Discovered That Protects Against Viral Infections Such As Influenza

Reseachers from the University of Melbourne and The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) have discovered a new protein that protects against viral infections such as influenza. As influenza spreads through the northern hemisphere winter, Dr Linda Wakim and her colleagues in the Laboratory of Professor Jose Villadangos from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, believe they have a new clue to why some people fight infections better than others... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

New Mutant Mouse Model Useful In The Treatment Of Neuromuscular Diseases

At three to six months of life, this genetic alteration in mice - similar to that which occurrs in humans - causes a rapid degeneration in the lower limbs, leading to death from cardiac arrest. For the first time in the world, researchers at the Center for Biomedical Research of the University of Granada have created mice with a genetic mutation inducing a deficiency in the coenzyme Q10, a rare mitochondrial disease prevailingly affecting children... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

Botox Injections In The Stomach Do Not Promote Weight Loss

Despite conflicting data in support of the practice, some overweight Americans looking for an easy fix have turned to gastric botox injections to help them lose weight. This month in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association, researchers from the Mayo Clinic publish a definitive study finding that Botox doesn't promote weight loss. Injecting botulinum toxin A (BTA), or Botox, into the stomach had been believed to delay emptying of the stomach, increase feelings of fullness and reduce body weight... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

Blue Light Destroys Skin, Soft Tissue Infections

Blue light can selectively eradicate Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections of the skin and soft tissues, while preserving the outermost layer of skin, according to a proof-of-principle study led by Michael R. Hamblin of the Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Harvard Medical School, Boston. The research is published online ahead of print in the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy "Blue light is a potential non-toxic, non-antibiotic approach for treating skin and soft tissue infections, especially those caused by antibiotic resistant pathogens," says Hamblin... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

During The Second Trimester, Hyperemesis Gravidarum Is More Likely To Cause Placental Complications

Pregnancies complicated by hyperemesis gravidarum in the second trimester of pregnancy are at a much higher risk of associated placental dysfunction disorders such as placental abruption and small for gestational age babies (SGA), finds a new study published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Hyperemesis gravidarum occurs in 0.5-3% of pregnancies and is generally defined as severe illness or vomiting before 22 weeks gestation, usually requiring hospitalisation for intravenous fluid... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

Late Diagnosis Of Cancer Symptoms More Likely In UK Due To Worry And Embarrassment

Embarrassment and not wanting to waste their doctors' time are more frequently reported by British people than in other countries, according to new research led jointly by King's College London and UCL (University College London). This may be holding British people back from presenting early with symptoms of cancer... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

Antidepressant Contribution To Arrhythmia Risk Clarified By Electronic Health Record Analysis

A 2011 warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about the popular antidepressant citalopram (Celexa) left many patients and physicians with more questions than answers. Now an analysis of the medical records of more than 38,000 patients by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators clarifies the contribution of citalopram and other antidepressants to lengthening of the QT interval, an aspect of the heart's electrical activity that - when prolonged - may increase the risk of dangerous arrhythmias... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

Campylobacter Uses 'Sat Nav' To Find Food

A rumbling tummy is our body's way of telling us "it's time for lunch." Likewise, bacteria need to know when it's time to eat. Researchers at the Institute of Food Research on the Norwich Research Park have uncovered how the food-borne bacterial pathogen Campylobacter jejuni can change its swimming behaviour to find a location with more food. Campylobacter is the most common cause of bacterial food-borne illness in the UK, with more than 371,000 cases annually... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

Warning For Men: Erection Problems May Signal 'Silent' Heart Disease And Early Death

Men with erection problems now have an extra reason to see their doctor: even relatively minor erectile difficulties could signal 'silent' heart disease and may indicate an increased risk of dying early from any cause, a major new study shows. An Australian study - the world's largest to investigate the link between erectile dysfunction and heart disease - has found that men with erectile dysfunction have a higher risk of hospital admission for heart disease, even if they have no history of heart problems. They are also at greater risk of premature death from any cause... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

Head And Neck Cancers: Common Genetic Alteration May Not Be Key To Effective Treatment

Although a large majority of head and neck cancers have a deregulation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, data recently published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, indicated that deregulation of this pathway does not necessarily signify that the tumor is dependent on it for survival and progression. Cancer, particularly of the head and neck, is highly heterogeneous, with a large number of genetic alterations rendering it resistant to specific targeted treatments... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

RNA Interference Reveals Gene That Turns Up Effect Of Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is one of the most common treatments for cancer patients. However, many patients suffer from serious side-effects and a large proportion do not respond to the treatment. Researchers from the Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC) and Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, now show that the gene FBH1 helps turn up the effect of chemotherapy. The results are published in the Journal Nature Communications. "Our results show that the gene FBH1 is crucial in order for some chemotherapeutics to become active in the body and kill the cancer cells... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

Culturing Central Nervous Cells Outside The Body To Treat Patients With Neurodegenerative Diseases

A protein associated with neuron damage in Alzheimer's patients provides a superior scaffold for growing central nervous system cells in the lab. The findings could have clinical implications for producing neural implants and offers new insights on the complex link between the apoE4 apolipoprotein and Alzheimer's disease. Results appear in the journal Biomaterials. A protein associated with neuron damage in people with Alzheimer's disease is surprisingly useful in promoting neuron growth in the lab, according to a new study by engineering researchers at Brown University... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

Patients Can Emit Small, Influenza-Containing Particles Into The Air During Routine Care, Study Finds

A new study suggests that patients with influenza can emit small virus-containing particles into the surrounding air during routine patient care, potentially exposing health care providers to influenza. Published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, the findings raise the possibility that current influenza infection control recommendations may not always be adequate to protect providers from influenza during routine patient care in hospitals. Werner E... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

Risk Of Unwarranted Pregnancies With Morning After Pill Conscience Clauses

Ban or enhance clauses, but don't leave this muddle, say pharmacists Conscience clauses, which allow pharmacists to opt out of providing the "morning after pill" without a prescription, risk unwanted pregnancies and undermine the principle of universal healthcare in the NHS, say pharmacists in the Journal of Medical Ethics. These clauses should either be banned or enhanced so that pharmacists and patients know exactly where they stand, rather than the current "fudge", which serves nobody well, the authors conclude... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

Vegetarian Diet Reduces Risk Of Heart Disease By A Third

A vegetarian diet can reduce a person's risk of heart disease by a third. Vegetarians have a 32% lower risk of hospitalization or death from cardiovascular disease than people who consume meat and fish. The finding came from new research from the University of Oxford and was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study is the largest yet to compare cardiovascular disease rates between vegetarians and meat eaters. Heart disease is the biggest cause of death in developed countries and accounts for 65,000 deaths in the UK each year... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

Leafy Green Vegetables Rank Among Top Causes Of Food Poisoning

Leafy green vegetables such as lettuce and spinach have been found to be one of the top sources of food poisoning, according to a new report released by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Each year, nearly 48 million Americans, roughly 1 in 6, catch a food-borne illness. These numbers include 128,000 hospitalizations and 2,000 deaths. This new report reveals which foods are to blame for these stomach illnesses, based on a decade of data... via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..

Study Says Young Footballers Risk Burnout

According to a recent report, school-age footballers are at risk of burn-out due to the overwhelming demands of coaches, parents and team-mates. Researchers from the University of Leeds found that some youngsters were showing signs of chronic stress, exhaustion and disillusion with the sport due to demands for perfection from those overseeing their development. The researchers studied 167 junior male players in eight academies and centres of excellence ...

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Scientists Design New Type of Vaccine Delivery

A new, safer and more effective vaccine delivery has been designed by scientists. This new delivery system holds promise for improving the effectiveness of DNA vaccines. About 20 years ago, DNA coding for viral proteins was found to induce strong immune responses in rodents, but so far, tests in humans have failed to duplicate that success. MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) researchers have developed this new vaccine-delivery film with ...

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BIAW presents workshops on navigating health care reform

BIAW presents workshops on navigating health care reform Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal The Building Industry Association of Washington is presenting free workshops around the state to help businesses understand and deal with federal health care reform. The Affordable Care Act is reshaping the manner in which all of us think about health …

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Binge Drinking Ups Risk of Diabetes

Binge drinking is found to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, warns study. "Insulin resistance has emerged as a key metabolic defect leading to Type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD)," said Christoph Buettner, MD, PhD, senior author of the study and Associate Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease) at Mount Sinai. "Someone who regularly binge drinks even once a week, over many years, may remain in an insulin resistant ...

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