Alternative Health

A new study suggests that receiving rewards as you learn can help cement new facts and skills in your memory, particularly when combined with a daytime nap. The findings from the University of Geneva, to be published in the journal eLife, reveal that memories associated with a reward are preferentially reinforced by sleep. Even a short nap after a period of learning is … [Read more...]

Why some people live much longer than others is an enduring mystery. Now, based on a study of a worm, scientists are getting one step closer to understanding longevity. They report in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research that the metabolic profiles of the worms could accurately predict how long they would live and that middle age could be a key turning point. Other than … [Read more...]

  Researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center have discovered that a hormone long associated with weight loss and improved glucose metabolism is linked to activation of calorie-burning brown fat. This finding could have implications for production of new medications for type 2 diabetes and obesity. The results are published in the January issue of The Journal of Clinical … [Read more...]

Patients with diabetes who used an online patient portal to refill medications increased their medication adherence and improved their cholesterol levels, according to a new study in the journal Medical Care. Online patient portals allow users to perform tasks such as scheduling appointments, accessing their health records, viewing their lab test results and emailing their … [Read more...]

A multicenter study of young patients with bipolar disorder provides what may be the most scientifically rigorous demonstration to date that lithium -- a drug used successfully for decades to treat adults with the condition -- can also be safe and effective for children suffering from it. The study, led by a researcher at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center and published … [Read more...]

Ever since human beings first began climbing the world's tallest mountains, they have struggled with a basic problem: altitude sickness, caused by lower air pressures which affect the ability of our bodies to take up oxygen. Or, as actor Jason Clarke says in his role as the climbing guide Rob Hall in the recently released movie, Everest, "Human beings simply aren't built to … [Read more...]

Osteoporosis, a disease of progressive bone loss, affects 70 percent of the U.S. population older than age 50: one in two women--and one in five men. These individuals are at risk for fragility fractures, a break that results from a fall, or occurs in the absence of obvious trauma, and most commonly seen in the wrist, the upper arm, the hip, and the spine. People who sustain … [Read more...]

If you have diabetes, or cancer or even heart problems, maybe you should blame it on your dad's behaviour or environment. Or even your grandfather's. That's because, in recent years, scientists have shown that, before his offspring are even conceived, a father's life experiences involving food, drugs, exposure to toxic products and even stress can affect the development and … [Read more...]

A supervised exercise program and self-management advice, like those commonly given with physical therapy, did not improve activity limitation or quality of life compared with advice alone after removal of immobilization for patients with an uncomplicated ankle fracture, according to a study in the October 6 issue of JAMA. Ankle fracture is a common injury and is treated … [Read more...]

The marijuana extract tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) isn't effective in preventing nausea and vomiting after surgery in patients at high risk of this common complication, reports a study in Anesthesia & Analgesia. Intravenous THC had a "negligible" effect on postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), as well as "unpredictable psychotropic and sedative side effects," according … [Read more...]

  A study to be published in the October 2015 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP) reports that exercise for 4 or more days per week is associated with an approximate 23% reduction in both suicidal ideation and attempt in bullied adolescents in the U.S. Across the U.S., nearly 20% of students report being bullied on … [Read more...]

  As high schools across the country continue to reduce physical education, recess, and athletic programs, a new study shows that regular exercise significantly reduces both suicidal thoughts and attempts among students who are bullied. Using data from the CDC's National Youth Risk Behavior Survey of 13,583 high school students, researchers at the University of … [Read more...]

Everyone knows that exercise improves health, and ongoing research continues to uncover increasingly detailed information on its benefits for metabolism, circulation, and improved functioning of organs such as the heart, brain, and liver. With this knowledge in hand, scientists may be better equipped to develop "exercise pills" that could mimic at least some of the beneficial … [Read more...]

  A novel approach for the identification of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been developed by a team of researchers in the USA. The findings, presented at the European Respiratory Society's International Congress, could speed up current diagnosis times for the disease and uncover COPD before serious exacerbations and further loss of lung function … [Read more...]

The chronic inflammatory skin condition psoriasis was associated with the risk of major depression, although the risk was unrelated to the severity of the disorder, according to an article published online by JAMA Dermatology. Psoriasis affects 3 percent to 4 percent of the U.S. population, and the psychological impact of psoriasis can be substantial. The identification of … [Read more...]

There is little doubt that the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV, is devastating. More than 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV and more than 47,000 people are diagnosed annually. Now, University of Missouri researchers have made a discovery in how specialized proteins can inhibit the virus, opening the door for progress in the fight against HIV and … [Read more...]

When amputees receive powered prosthetic legs, the power of the prosthetic limbs needs to be tuned by a prosthetics expert so that a patient can move normally -- but the prosthetic often needs repeated re-tuning. Biomedical engineering researchers at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have now developed software that allows … [Read more...]

Vitamin D insufficiency among the elderly is highly correlated with accelerated cognitive decline and impaired performance, particularly in domains such as memory loss that are associated with Alzheimer's disease and dementia, researchers with the UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Center and Rutgers University have found. The effect is "substantial," with individuals with low … [Read more...]

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, are significantly more likely to have an eating disorder -- a loss of control eating syndrome (LOC-ES) -- akin to binge eating, a condition more generally diagnosed only in adults, according to results of a new Johns Hopkins Children's Center study. The findings, reported ahead of print April 9 in the … [Read more...]

Epilepsy patients undergoing intracranial monitoring for seizure localization provide an excellent model to study discharge patterns of single neurons within the mesial temporal lobe during memory tasks. Animal models have shown that discharge patterns of CA3 neuronal populations influence the discharge of CA1 neurons. The researchers hypothesized that human hippocampal neurons … [Read more...]

A brain imaging study shows that patients with chronic fatigue syndrome may have reduced responses, compared with healthy controls, in a region of the brain connected with fatigue. The findings suggest that chronic fatigue syndrome is associated with changes in the brain involving brain circuits that regulate motor activity and motivation. Compared with healthy controls, … [Read more...]

A new guideline that aims to prevent fractures in residents of long-term care facilities is targeted at frail seniors and their families as well as health care workers. The guideline, published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal), was developed with input from residents of long-term care facilities and their families, as well as researchers and health care … [Read more...]

Lupus is an autoimmune disease with so many different symptoms that it is often difficult to diagnose and to treat. Despite huge medical advances over the last few years, lupus is incurable. Modern, individually tailored therapeutic approaches are aimed at helping sufferers. The world congress organized by MedUni Vienna brings experts from more than 80 countries together in … [Read more...]

Since implementation of a medical need-based allocation system of donor lungs in 2005, double-lung transplantation has been associated with better graft survival than single-lung transplantation in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF); at 5 years, there has been no survival difference between single- and double-lung transplant recipients in patients with chronic … [Read more...]

A Northwestern University research team potentially has found a safer way to keep blood vessels healthy during and after surgery. During open-heart procedures, physicians administer large doses of a blood-thinning drug called heparin to prevent clot formation. When given too much heparin, patients can develop complications from excessive bleeding. A common antidote is the … [Read more...]

In recent years, researchers have hotly pursued immunotherapy, a promising form of treatment that relies on harnessing and training the body's own immune system to better fight cancer and infection. Now, results of a study led by Johns Hopkins investigators suggests that a device composed of a magnetic column paired with custom-made magnetic nanoparticles may hold a key to … [Read more...]

Researchers at Inserm (Inserm Unit 930 "Imaging and Brain") attached to François-Rabelais University and Tours Regional University Hospital have combined three clinical, neurophysiological and genetic approaches in order to better understand the brain mechanisms that cause autism. When tested on two families, this strategy enabled the researchers to identify specific gene … [Read more...]

Over the last 60 years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved 20 medications for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) based on clinical trials that were not designed to study their long-term efficacy and safety or to detect rare adverse events, researchers at Boston Children's Hospital report today in PLOS ONE. The study highlights gaps in how the … [Read more...]

A breakthrough in machine learning has also brought about a "game changer" for the science of metabolomics -- and will hasten the development of diagnostic and predictive tests for Alzheimer's, cancer, diabetes and numerous other conditions, leading to improved prevention and treatment. University of Alberta computing science PhD graduate Siamak Ravanbakhsh published his … [Read more...]