MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'abnormalities'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:11:30 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615189&cid=t_139615_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F19%2Fcompulsive-hoarding-and-6-tips-to-help%2F It’s been awhile since I covered the topic of compulsive hoarding, because the last time I did I posted photos of my nut collection and book pile, and the next thing I know I was contacted by Discovery Disney to be fixed on some hoarding special show. Seems like that’s kind of a pattern, now that I think about it. I go public with my stuff … I get invited onto shows! Well, anyway, I was reading an article in the Fall 2007 issue of The Johns Hopkins Depression & Anxiety Bulletin — an interview with Gerald Nestadt, M.D., M.P.H, Director of the Johns Hopkins Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Clinic and Jack Samuels, Ph.D., an assistant professor with a joint appointment in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Me... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615189 Sat, 19 Mar 2011 18:30:05 +0100 4615189 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4219746&cid=t_139615_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Foocyte-preservation-egg-freezing-readily-available-yet-still-experimental%2F2010.12.01 Oocyte preservation, or egg freezing as it’s popularly called, is now being offered by over half of U.S. fertility clinics, and half of those not offering it now plan to do so in the future. This according to a national survey conducted in mid 2009 and reported this week in Fertility and Sterility. Over two-thirds of the 143 centers offering oocyte cryopreservation will do it electively, as opposed to those that offer it only to women undergoing cancer treatments that threaten their natural fertility. Go West, But Be Prepared To Pay Centers located in the Western part of the U.S. are more likely to offer elective egg freezing than those in the East. Not surprisingly, centers that only accept out of pocket (as opposed to insurance) payments were more likely to offer the procedure, ref... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4219746 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 17:00:59 +0100 4219746 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3934505&cid=t_139615_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F09%2F04%2Fspecial-issue-on-schizophrenia-is-free-and-open%2F Late last week, I received this notice that may be of interest to readers who are interested in the topic of schizophrenia and peer-reviewed journal articles: The Special Issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science on Schizophrenia has been getting so much attention that, in special arrangement with our publisher SAGE, we have just made the issue completely Open Access. Open Access means that all the articles are open to anyone to read and download — it’s free! It’s rare to see a journal publisher agree to make an entire issue of their journal open and free to the public to read. So enjoy this little gift from the Association for Psychological Science and SAGE. While schizophrenia is likely to affect less than 1% of the general population, it’s impact on ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3934505 Sat, 04 Sep 2010 14:08:21 +0100 3934505 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3872600&cid=t_139615_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F08%2F16%2Fodd-side-effects-reduces-homosexuality%2F A particular kind of hormone treatment therapy to treat a rare birth defect is getting unwanted attention for one of its possible side effects — reducing the likelihood that the baby will be homosexual. The treatment is used to prevent genital abnormalities in the baby. Normally, of course, such treatment would be unremarkable and nobody would much care. But some gay and lesbian groups seem to be outraged by this treatment, and want to turn a medical decision and medical issue into a political one. Should such medical therapies be regulated by the government? Or should they be left to the judgment of the patient and the doctor? A hormonal treatment to prevent ambiguous genitalia can now be offered to women who may be carrying such infants. It’s not without health risks, but to... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3872600 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:05:29 +0100 3872600 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3635862&cid=t_139615_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F06%2F07%2Fdsm-5-sleep-disorders-overhaul%2F The DSM-5 Sleep Disorders workgroup has been especially busy. They are calling for a nearly complete overhaul of the sleep disorders category in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (“DSM”). According to a presentation at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in May, Charles Reynolds, MD, suggested that the reworking of this category will make sleep problems easier for professionals to diagnose and discriminate between different sleep disorders. He stated that the current DSM-IV puts too much emphasis on presumed causes of symptoms, something that the rest of the DSM-IV does not do. Bringing the sleep disorder section more in line with the other sections in the DSM should make it less confusing. Primary and commonly diagnosed sleep diso... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3635862 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 09:35:07 +0100 3635862 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3398988&cid=t_139615_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F03%2F23%2Fa-psychopaths-brain-on-fmri%2F Our newest blogger, Dr. Kelly McAleer, has an interesting two-part post about the use of fMRI imaging technologies to try and detect psychopathology in criminals: In my last post, I discussed how Dr. Kent Kiehl, a neuroscientist, is using fMRI technology to detect brain abnormalities in people with psychopathy. His participants are prison inmates who score high on the PCL-R, a psychodiagnostic measure used to assess psychopathy. Once he determines that the participant is, in fact, a psychopath based on their PCL-R score, he takes scans of their brains using an fMRI to determine if there are brain differences between psychopathic participants and normal controls. He has found defects in the paralimbic system that he believes relate to psychopathy. Interestingly, Dr. Kiehl’s research ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3398988 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 21:28:39 +0100 3398988 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2561490&cid=t_139615_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FPPrMZHXnyEw%2F Will a new prenatal genetic test create designer babies? That’s one of the questions raised as news that a universal embryo test could be available next year. The current method for prenatal genetic testing involves either amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS) to get embryo fluids or placenta cells from a pregnant woman’s abdomen. The placenta or placental fluids contain cells generated by the fetus. These cells are used to identify chromosomal abnormalities that can affect a baby’s survival or capacity at birth. Prenatal genetic tests are mainly used to provide information to the parents about their unborn child’s genetic condition before birth, so they can make informed decisions and manage the pregnancy better. Unfortunately, the current methods are invasive and te... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2561490 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:34:17 +0100 2561490 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1726561&cid=t_139615_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fabstract_fluoxetine_prozacreg_but_not_fluvoxamine_luv.htm Conclusions: These results indicate that prenatal fluoxetine exposure affects fetal development, resulting in cardiomyopathy and a higher vulnerability to affective disorders in a dose-dependent manner. (Text has been reformatted for clarity; ed.) Source + Full text... © 2008 Noorlander et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Comment:  Studies have not found similar abnormalities in children exposed to fluoxetine in the womb. As we have often reported, untreated maternal anxiety, depression, and stress during pregnancy can adversely affect fetal development and have long term heal... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1726561 Sat, 23 Aug 2008 08:13:00 +0100 1726561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1546984&cid=t_139615_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F320532902%2F Much of the hoopla one reads about the controversial antidepressant concerns the risk of suicide and the extent to which the drugmaker disclosed - or did not disclose - meaningful clinical trial data. However, a pending lawsuit points up another issue - whether Glaxo adequately disclosed and investigated the risk of congenital abnormalities. In an expert witness report written by Suzanne Parisian, an industry consultant who is a former FDA medical officer and US Public Health Service officer, the drugmaker is taken to task for failing to adequately design pre-clinical trials to detect cardiovascular effects; not including and later updating risk info for developing fetuses in the Paxil labeling; and failing to investigate indications of an association between first trimester Paxil use and ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1546984 Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:42:08 +0100 1546984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1492026&cid=t_139615_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbolt.net%2F2008%2F06%2F03%2Fmedical-abnormalities-and-miracles-abound%2F Just a quick post today, because, after seeing this, there’s not a whole lot to say. Well, I could go on and on, but this is truly one of those cases where pictures really are worth a thousand words…and then some. ABC News has an amazing slide show of medical abnormalities and medical miracles. We’ve featured a few here at Healthbolt, like Tree Man, the two-faced baby, and the world’s largest and shortest men, but there are many, many more. Warning, though: viewer discretion is definitely advised, especially if you don’t want to get knee-deep in discussions of “why does that happen?” with the kids. Staggering visuals that’ll make you feel blessed, indeed… Tags: Healthbolt, Medical Abnormalities, medical miracles, Medical Oddities, Tree ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1492026 Wed, 04 Jun 2008 01:29:48 +0100 1492026 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1466094&cid=t_139615_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F297231439%2F King Akhenaten (photo credit www.usu.edu)  The feminine features and elongated head of ancient Egypt’s King Akhenaten may be attributed to two genetic defects called aromatose excess syndrome and craniosynostosis, reports Yale School of Medicine dermatology Professor Irwin Braverman, M.D. Akhenaten, a pharaoh during Egypt’s 18th Dynasty credited with starting the practice of worshipping one God, fathered six children. He was often portrayed in sculptures and carvings with a thin neck, elongated head, large buttocks, breasts, and even a prominent belly, suggesting pregnancy. Aromatose excess syndrome can lead to feminine features in men and advanced sexual development in girls. Akhenaten’s daughters are depicted with breasts at age three and seven in some carvings. It ma... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1466094 Sat, 24 May 2008 12:00:08 +0100 1466094 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1419319&cid=t_139615_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F283183180%2F (Photo courtesy www.leukemia101.com)  Researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center may have discovered a better way to distinguish acute leukemia patients who require aggressive treatment to prevent recurrence from those who need only standard therapy for cure. About 13,300 new cases of AML and 8,200 deaths from the disease are expected this year in the United States. In about half of cases, patients’ leukemia cells have chromosome changes that help doctors determine whether standard therapy will suffice to prevent recurrence, or whether the individual needs aggressive treatment such as a stem-cell transplant or an experimental therapy. The remaining patients have leukemia cells with chromosomes that look normal. Determining the best therapy for these individ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1419319 Sun, 04 May 2008 08:26:48 +0100 1419319 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1386861&cid=t_139615_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F274240044%2F   MRI of a migraine Migraine is the most common cause of episodic headache, and by far the most common neurological cause of a doctor’s visit. It affects some 15% of the world’s population. Researchers from Helsinki University, Finland and the Sanger Institute, UK were able for the first time to convincingly demonstrate a genomic locus to be linked to migraine susceptibility in two diverse populations - 1700 patients from 210 Finnish and Australian families. This is especially interesting as Finnish and Australian populations are genetically distant.  It also tied together previous research, resulting in very robust evidence for pinpointing the susceptibility region. Researchers identified one gene locus on chromosome 10q23, which showed significant evidence of genetic l... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1386861 Sun, 20 Apr 2008 20:05:46 +0100 1386861 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1252848&cid=t_139615_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F240340915%2F This study was based on the analysis of more than 500,000 SNPs and nearly 400 copy number variants — sections of DNA that are repeated or duplicated in the genome — for 485 individuals. These samples, representing individuals from 29 different populations around the world, were obtained as part of the Human Genome Diversity Project. The results suggest East Africans are the most genetically diverse, while Native American genomes exhibit the lowest genetic diversity. Middle Eastern, Asian, and European populations, on the other hand, fall somewhere in between.  By following this decline in diversity, the Michigan team was able to retrace global human migration patterns. Consistent with previous archaeological date, language studies, and smaller genetic studies of mitochondrial DNA or a... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1252848 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:59:34 +0100 1252848 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1252849&cid=t_139615_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F240332692%2F Molecular structure of Aspartame  I recently wrote an article on my first hand research experience on the potential carcinogenicity of Aspartame - the artificial sweetener used in thousands of everyday products, particularly diet products. It was titled “Aspartame is safe … really!” One of www.geneticsandhealth.com readers  author Carol Guilford sent me the following interesting link to a piece of research on aspartame carried out by scientist Victoria Inness-Brown.  I cannot comment on the science behind Victoria’s study as I have not investigated it.  However, the results are quite thought provoking. Here is the quoted introduction to Victoria’s research by Carol, followed by the link to Victoria’s results: “In any such study of even a few hun... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1252849 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:59:12 +0100 1252849 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1220856&cid=t_139615_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F232766268%2F This study provides the most comprehensive answer yet to the longstanding question of how kinship affects fertility in humans. For example, for women born between 1800 and 1824, those with a mate related at the level of a third cousin had an average of 4.04 children and 9.17 grandchildren, while those related to their mates as eighth cousins or more distantly had 3.34 children and 7.31 grandchildren. For women born in the period 1925-1949 with mates related at the degree of third cousins, the average number of children and grandchildren were 3.27 and 6.64, compared to 2.45 and 4.86 for those with mates who were eighth cousins or more distantly related. The findings hold for every 25-year interval studied, beginning with those born in the year 1800 up to the present day. Because of the stre... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1220856 Sun, 10 Feb 2008 20:30:19 +0100 1220856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1207463&cid=t_139615_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F229720416%2F   Scientists from Newcastle University, UK led by Professor Patrick Chinnery, have created an embryo with three separate parents.  The team believe the technique could help to eradicate a whole class of hereditary diseases, including some forms of epilepsy and ensure women with genetic defects do not pass the diseases on to their children. Ten severely deformed embryos, left over from traditional fertility treatment were created using DNA from a man and two women in lab tests. Within hours of their creation, the nucleus, containing DNA from the mother and father, was removed from the embryo, and implanted into a donor egg whose DNA had been largely removed. The only genetic information remaining from the donor egg was the tiny bit that controls production of mitochondria - around 16,0... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1207463 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:29:56 +0100 1207463 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1196726&cid=t_139615_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F227776114%2F   Human chromosomes (grey) capped by telomeres (white) We all know the benefits of regular exercise but scientists now have proof that it can really make you look younger! Telomeres, regions of highly repetitive DNA at the end of a linear chromosome shorten over time.  The shortening of telomeres is strongly correlated with ageing and it is believed that telomeres have a function in the ageing process. Latest research indictates that the rate of shortening of telomeres increases with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. A group of 2,401 white twins was studied by Lynn F. Cherkas, Ph.D., of King’s College London, and colleagues. The team administered questionnaires related to physical activity level, smoking habits, and social and economic factors. Notably, the participants also pro... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1196726 Sat, 02 Feb 2008 10:28:09 +0100 1196726 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1194805&cid=t_139615_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F227299755%2F   Scientists from deCODE genetics have reported the discovery of two common, single-letter variants in the sequence of the human genome (SNPs) that regulate one of the principle motors of evolution. Versions of the two SNPs, located on chromosome 4p16, have a genome-wide impact on the rate of recombination - the reshuffling of the genome that occurs in the formation of eggs and sperm. Recombination is largely responsible for generating human diversity, the novel configurations of the genome that enable each species to adapt and evolve in an ever-changing environment. Yet remarkably, the versions of the SNPs that increase recombination in men decrease it in women, and vice versa. The deCODE team identified the SNPs through a genome-wide analysis of more than 300,000 SNPs in approximately ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1194805 Fri, 01 Feb 2008 15:27:51 +0100 1194805 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1188637&cid=t_139615_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F225814260%2F Herpes simplex virusThere’s a high probability that people who are prone to herpes simplex virus (HSV) outbreaks can inherit that susceptibility through their genes, University of Utah researchers report in The Journal of Infectious Diseases. Researchers have identified a region on the long arm of human chromosome 21 with high odds - at least 1,000-to-1 - of being linked to cold sore susceptibility. The researchers further say they pinpointed six specific genes in that chromosomal region as candidates for making people prone to outbreaks of cold sores (also called “fever blisters”). Cold sores occur when the herpes virus reactivates from its quiescent state within the nerve, infecting the lip, nose, or face. Discovery of the probable link could lead to the development of ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1188637 Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:04:12 +0100 1188637 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1182837&cid=t_139615_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F224514644%2F   New research has shown evidence that genes have the ability to recognize similarities in each other from a distance, without any proteins or other biological molecules aiding the process. This discovery could explain how similar genes find each other and group together in order to perform key processes involved in the evolution of species. According to new research from Imperial College, UK published this week in the Journal of Physical Chemistry B, this ability to seek each other out could be the key to how genes identify one another and align with each other in order to begin the process of ‘homologous recombination’ - whereby two double-helix DNA molecules come together, break open, swap a section of genetic information, and then close themselves up again. Recombination i... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1182837 Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:48:14 +0100 1182837 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1167223&cid=t_139615_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F220876166%2F The EU funded GEN2PHEN project plans to internationally orchestrate the electronic gathering and use of data that show how gene sequences (’genotypes’) contribute to individual differences in disease, drug response, and other characteristics (’phenotypes’). These relationships (usually in the form of “genotype-phenotype” information stored in scattered databases) are deemed to become essential for future prognosis, diagnosis and treatment of diseases. GEN2PHEN will build a set of database components, tools and technologies that will help all research results pertaining to genome variation and disease to be properly integrated and immediately available for holistic analysis via the internet. The project will deploy a major internet portal, called the &#82... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1167223 Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:57:30 +0100 1167223 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1166415&cid=t_139615_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F220372857%2F Early embryos yield stem cells,(photo courtesy of BBC news www.bbc.co.uk/news)  The Uk’s fertility regulator Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has given the green light to two teams of scientists for the creation of hybrid human-animal embryos. Scientists, research institutions and patient groups have challenged the UK government for much of the last year: the Department of Health wanted to prevent the creation of human-animal hybrid embryos - which would be used to create stem cells for medical research - but scientists argued it would slow down crucial work into treatments for diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and diabetes. Reason eventually triumphed and the government has now backed down. Scientists from King’s College London and ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1166415 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:31:31 +0100 1166415 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1146424&cid=t_139615_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F215415157%2F Grace at Kids Health Notes and Kristina at Autism Vox have both written about the gene CNTNAP2 being unequivocally implicated in Type 1 Autism. In her article CNTNAP2, an autism susceptibility gene which I highly recommend,  Kristina writes a personal account of her ongoing experience with her son Charlie’s autism and discusses the recent research findings. Do read Grace’s article titled CNTNAP2 ‘unequivocally implicated’ in Type 1 autism which summarizes the three main pieces of research appearing in the American Journal of Genetics. For the scientists: Contactin Associated Protein-Like 2 is also known as CDFE; NRXN4; CASPR2; DKFZp781D1846. This gene encodes a member of the neurexin family which functions in the vertebrate nervous system as cell adhesion molecule... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1146424 Sat, 12 Jan 2008 08:28:43 +0100 1146424 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1140975&cid=t_139615_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F214269236%2F My colleague Kristina at Autism Vox has written a great article about the genetic basis of Autism.  Research has indicated that either a deletion or a duplication of a section of chromosome 16 seems to contribute strongly to susceptibility to autism. I highly recommend you click on the following link to read more: http://www.autismvox.com/like-father-like-son/ Elaine Warburton Share This (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1140975 Thu, 10 Jan 2008 08:23:37 +0100 1140975 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1140977&cid=t_139615_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F214245847%2F   Breast awareness and regular checking are important in early detection of breast cancer Further to my articles on the BRCA breast cancer genes, an American and Danish study has found the risk of developing cancer amongst carriers of the BRCA1 and 2 breast cancer gene mutations varies greatly.  The risk of breast cancer in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers has been examined in many studies, but relatively little attention has been paid to the degree to which the risk may vary among carriers.  This knowledge of risk is important when deciding cancer treatment and prevention. The study lead Dr Colin Begg of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York genotyped 2,098 women for mutations in BRCA1 and 2 genes.  The women were participants in the Women’s Environmental Cancer an... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1140977 Thu, 10 Jan 2008 07:26:35 +0100 1140977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1133982&cid=t_139615_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2F212714380%2F This study showed that blocking GIP activity using (Pro3)GIP in mice with established, high fat diet-induced obesity and diabetes results in significant weight loss, improvement of insulin resistance and amelioration of diabetes. Researchers are now examining the findings as an interesting new way to battle obesity and metabolic disorders. Share This (Source: Diabetes Notes) Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1133982 Mon, 07 Jan 2008 18:09:39 +0100 1133982 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1132178&cid=t_139615_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F212104559%2F    Male Down’s Syndrome with trisome at chromosome 21 People with Down’s Syndrome are less likey to get solid tumor cancers, research from Johns Hopkins University has revealed. Up to 95% of Down’s syndrome cases are caused by “trisomy 21″, in which the baby has three, rather than two, copies of chromosome 21, and the hundreds of genes it contains. Advances in medical management of Down’s Syndrome patients has increased life expectancy from around 30 years of age to over 60 years of age.  This increase led to some studies finding that adults with Down’s syndrome appear to have less chance of developing certain cancers which involved “solid” tumors. On mouse studies, the Johns Hopkins team pinpointed a single gene, Ets2, and found t... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1132178 Sun, 06 Jan 2008 16:13:30 +0100 1132178 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1124885&cid=t_139615_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F209784389%2F       Klinefelter’s Syndrome Almost one in every 500-1,000 males babies are born with an extra X chromosome.  This condition is known as Klinefelter’s Syndrome. These men are also known as XXY males or 47XXY males. Klinefelter’s syndrome is a condition that occurs in men who have an extra X chromosome in most of their cells. The syndrome can affect different stages of physical, language and social development. The most common symptom is infertility. Because they often don’t make as much of the male hormone testosterone as other boys, teenagers with Klinefelter’s syndrome may have less facial and body hair and may be less muscular than other boys (see the diagram above). They may have trouble using language to express themselves. They may be shy and hav... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1124885 Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:44:40 +0100 1124885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1024363&cid=t_139615_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2F184234112%2F The brains of full-term infants with congenital heart disease appear more similar to those of premature newborns than to the brains of normal term infants, a study conducted by researchers at UCSF has found. The study suggests that the mental and physical impairments in children with congenital heart disease may also have their origins in utero in addition to injuries resulting from surgery. Up till now we have not fully understood the widespread deficits in cognition, including memory, attention, and higher-order language skills, as well as deficits in fine motor skills of these children. The suggestion is now that the deficits themselves can be attributed to abnormal fetal circulation and lower levels of oxygen-saturated blood reaching the brain in while in the womb… which makes a ... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1024363 Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:16:01 +0100 1024363 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=869603&cid=t_139615_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2F156086069%2F How do you feel about AED’s in schools? I know as a parent of 3 little girls, 2 of which are now full day in the school system, I say “heck yeah”. They are so easy to operate and it saves that 5-10 minutes of “down time” while awaiting the ambulance. How many children actually die from sudden cardiac arrest? An astounding 7,000 a year. Holy stuff! And worse yet, it is estimated that over 200,000 high school athletes dies suddenly from cardiac arrest yearly. The exact causes in many cases are unknown. Congenital heart abnormalities and enlarged heart tissue that go undiagnosed contribute to some of the deaths. Are you in favor of AED’s at schools? Let me know what you think. Personally I am in favor of having the little life saving devices in the schools.... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=869603 Thu, 13 Sep 2007 19:27:59 +0100 869603 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=817600&cid=t_139615_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F08%2F23%2Fwhat-tests-do-we-really-need%2F Filed under: Breast Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Lung Cancer, PreventionWouldn't it be great if we could receive full-body scans every year to check for early signs of cancer and other disease? Even if possible and affordable -- right now, scans cost about $900 -- it still wouldn't be such a great idea.Full-body scans often result in false alarms. People with harmless abnormalities may end up facing more tests, more risks, and more worry in order to rule out illness. The scan itself can present health hazards too. It exposes patients to more radiation than a chest X-ray and could slightly increase the risk of cancer, especially for those scanned every year.How do we know, then, if something has gone awry in our bodies? Well, we can do our self-exams -- breast exams, testicular exams, skin exams... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=817600 Thu, 23 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 817600 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=797934&cid=t_139615_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F08%2F14%2Fleft-sided-breast-cancer-radiation-spikes-heart-risk%2F Filed under: Breast Cancer, RadiationI hate it when I fit the mold for some not-so-great research finding. Like the recent news about how women with early-stage cancer of the left breast (that's me) who are treated with radiation following lumpectomy (me again) face an increased risk of developing radiation-related coronary damage. OK, so the benefits of radiation therapy still outweigh the risks. Still, when radiation is applied to the breast on the same side as the heart, there are worries. I knew about these concerns. My radiation oncologist addressed them prior to my treatment. Hearing that an actual, important, convincing study confirms what I already knew may be a side effect, though, makes my heart race a little bit more.There were 961 women with stage I and II breast cancer who wer... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=797934 Tue, 14 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 797934