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news archive: May-Jun 2007
Health & longevity news archive: May-June 2007
Breathing technique 'aids asthma'
(Jun 29, 2007)
An old-fashioned breathing and relaxation technique could help
those with asthma, research suggests. In a trial of 85 people
with mild asthma, the symptoms of those using the Papworth method
alongside drugs were significantly eased, Thorax reports. The
1960s technique involves focusing on the diaphragm while breathing,
and emphasises breathing through the nose, accompanied by relaxation
training.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
HRT may protect brain against effects of
ageing
(Jun 26, 2007)
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may protect the brain cells
of post-menopausal women from memory loss and other effects of
ageing – if it is given early enough, a study in primates suggests.
John Morrison at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York,
and colleagues gave injections of the hormone oestrogen to rhesus
macaques – which have a menstrual cycle and menopause similar
to humans.
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
Echinacea 'can prevent a cold'
(Jun 25, 2007)
Taking the herbal remedy echinacea can more than halve the risk
of catching a common cold, US researchers say. They found it decreased
the odds of developing a cold by 58% and the duration of colds
by a day-and-a-half. The results in The Lancet Infectious Diseases
conflict with other studies that show no beneficial effect.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
'Insulin pill' hope for diabetes
(Jun 22, 2007)
Diabetes patients may soon be able to take a pill to control their
condition instead of repeated injections. UK company Diabetology,
with experts at Cardiff University, says it has solved a crucial
problem with oral insulin. The capsule's special coating protects
the drug from acids in the stomach, allowing it to pass into the
small intestine where it is absorbed.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
First-borns have higher IQ scores
(Jun 22, 2007)
The child raised as the eldest in a family is likely to have a
higher IQ than his or her siblings, work reveals. A Norwegian
team found first born children and those who had lost elder siblings
and had hence become the eldest, scored higher on intelligence.
The link, reported in Science, was found by looking at more than
250,000 male Norwegian conscripts.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Rose-hip 'remedy' for arthritis
(Jun 18, 2007)
Rose-hips could offer a cheap and effective way of treating debilitating
rheumatoid arthritis, research from Germany and Denmark has suggested.
Seventy-four sufferers, mostly females, took part in the six-month
trial. Just under half took the rose-hip remedy LitoZin while
the others took a placebo. Both groups continued to take their
usual medication.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Eye flickers key for fine detail
(Jun 14, 2007)
Tiny, involuntary movements made by our eyes when we focus on
something could be more useful than we might think, scientists
have found. We may not be aware that our eyes are making these
movements, but without them our vision fades. And scientists have
now found that they could also be important in helping us to see
very fine details.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Molded connections could improve brain
implants
(Jun 14, 2007)
A liquid that sets into a conducting web around brain cells might
solve the problem of wiring up medical implants to nerves or the
brain, US researchers say. Connecting electrodes to the nervous
system is difficult because the tissue becomes inflamed when in
contact with metal. This creates a layer of electrically insulating
scar tissue that makes it harder to send or receive signals.
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
Cod liver oil 'treats depression'
(Jun 13, 2007)
It may make the stomach turn, but scientists in Norway suggest
that taking a spoonful of cod liver oil each day could stave off
depression. In a study of almost 22,000 people aged over 40, those
who regularly took the oil were less likely to suffer depression
than those who did not. The study in the Journal of Affective
Disorders also suggested the longer one took it, the less depressed
one became.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Arthritis 'hope' over new drugs
(Jun 13, 2007)
A new generation of drugs could revolutionise treatment for people
with rheumatoid arthritis, experts believe. Austrian researchers
said trials show MabThera, Tocilizumab and Orencia slowed progression
of the disease and reduced symptoms, the Lancet reported. They
work by targeting the immune system, but have side effects, the
Medical University of Vienna said.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Serious diseases genes revealed
(Jun 7, 2007)
A major advance in understanding the genetics behind several of
the world's most common diseases has been reported. The landmark
Wellcome Trust study analysed DNA from the blood of 17,000 people
to find genetic differences. They found new genetic variants for
depression, Crohn's disease, coronary heart disease, hypertension,
rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 and 2 diabetes.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Fidgeters 'likely to be thinner'
(Jun 6, 2007)
Scientists working in Germany and the US say they have found a
"fidget" molecule and if you have it in your genes you are less
likely to be fat. Mice with the molecule are more likely to be
primed athletic beasts, while those without laze around getting
fat. It is the second time in recent months scientists have claimed
to have located genetic material linked to body weight.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Low testosterone 'death risk'
(Jun 6, 2007)
Low levels of testosterone may increase the risk of death in men
over the age of 50, US research suggests. A study of 800 men over
50 found that those with low levels had a 33% increased risk of
death over an 18-year period than those with higher levels. At
a Toronto meeting of The Endocrine Society, researchers said they
did not recommend taking supplements. Experts warn there could
be side effects and say men should keep active to help maintain
testosterone levels.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
'Exercise after eating' diet tip
(Jun 5, 2007)
Exercising after meals can help promote weight loss by boosting
hormones that suppress appetite, say UK scientists. Thanks to
these hormones, active people feel less hungry immediately after
exercise, and this carries through to their next meal, experiments
suggest. Even when their meals were bigger, sporty people gained
fewer calories overall because they burned off more.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Boost to artery block treatment
(Jun 2, 2007)
Scientists are working on ways to cut the risk of blood clots
following treatment to unblock clogged arteries. Stents, which
are tiny tubes used to hold open the diseased blood vessels of
heart patients, can themselves become blocked following treatment.
A team from Germany reports success in The Lancet with a new biodegradable
prototype. And an Irish team is to begin testing a new coating
for stents.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Folic acid 'reduces stroke risks'
(Jun 1, 2007)
Adding folic acid to their diet can cut a person's stroke risk
by a fifth, cumulative evidence suggests. Food advisors have already
recommended to ministers that the vitamin should be added to flour
or bread. This is to benefit pregnant women and those trying to
conceive, by protecting the unborn child against birth defects.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Caution: Some soft drinks may seriously
harm your health
(May 27, 2007)
A new health scare erupted over soft drinks last night amid evidence
they may cause serious cell damage. Research from a British university
suggests a common preservative found in drinks such as Fanta and
Pepsi Max has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA. The
problem – more usually associated with ageing and alcohol
abuse – can eventually lead to cirrhosis of the liver and
degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's.
Read
more. Source: The Independent |
New breast cancer genes discovery
(May 27, 2007)
Scientists have identified four more genes that increase breast
cancer risk. Cancer Research UK scientists led an international
team of experts in the world's first large-scale "whole genome
search" for breast cancer genes. They sifted through the DNA of
nearly 50,000 women, half of them breast cancer patients and half
healthy. It is hoped their discovery, published in Nature journal,
will lead to more genes being identified, and better testing to
identify women most at risk.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Exercise 'reverses' muscle ageing
(May 23, 2007)
A twice-weekly trip to the gym may not just give you stronger
muscles – it may give you younger muscles as well. Research
on over-65s has shown that regular resistance training appears
to reverse signs of ageing in the muscles. Analysis of muscle
tissue showed the molecular machinery powering muscle cells became
as active as that in 20-year olds after exercise.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Vitamin A cream 'cuts wrinkles'
(May 22, 2007)
A cream containing vitamin A managed to reduce wrinkles significantly
in elderly people, scientists report. Not only did the cream make
skin appear more youthful, tissue samples from 23 people revealed
it boosted levels of important skin repair chemicals. Michigan
University Medical School experts described their findings in
the journal Archives of Dermatology.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Gene find triggers baldness hope
(May 17, 2007)
Hair loss in humans might not be irreversible, suggest scientists
who have helped create new hair cells on the skin of mice. It
was thought hair follicles, once damaged, could never be replaced.
But a University of Pennsylvania team, writing in the journal
Nature, says hair growth can actually be encouraged using
a single gene.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Med diet 'cuts lung disease risk'
(May 15, 2007)
Eating a Mediterranean diet halves the risk of serious lung disease
like emphysema and bronchitis, a study says. Grouped under the
umbrella term chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), they
are expected to become the world's third leading cause of death
by 2020. French researchers tracked almost 43,000 men for 12 years.
The Thorax study suggests the key could be that the Mediterranean
diet is rich in anti-oxidants, which reduce the risk of tissue
inflammation.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Gene clue to longevity uncovered
(May 3, 2007)
The mystery of how eating less boosts longevity is closer to being
solved. Studies have shown that severe calorie restriction markedly
extends lifespan in mice and many other species – but the
reasons for this remained elusive. But now US research on nematode
worms, published in Nature, has uncovered a gene linked to this
unusual effect.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
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