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This page shows you the latest news and research items in this category.

Improved Detection Of Elephantiasis Worm Infection
A new diagnostic test for a worm infection that can lead to severe enlargement and deformities of the legs and genitals is far more sensitive than the currently used test, according to results of a field study in Liberia, in West Africa, where the infection is endemic. The new test found evidence of the infection - lymphatic filariasis - in many more people that the standard test had missed. The study, the first to independently evaluate the new test, was led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - May 22, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Tropical Diseases Source Type: news

GW launches center to address health disparities in the Latino immigrant community
(George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services) Today the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS) announced the launch of the Avance Center for the Advancement of Immigrant/Refugee Health, a collaboration between SPHHS, the Maryland Multicultural Youth Centers, the Rivera Group, and other community partners. This university-community partnership aims to address public health problems that disproportionately affect Latino communities through research, mutual capacity building and prevention efforts. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)
Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science - May 22, 2013 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news

Gates Fellowship addresses parasite infection in developing world
(Washington University in St. Louis) Washington University in St. Louis announced today that it is a Grand Challenges Explorations winner, an initiative funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Tae Seok Moon, Ph.D., assistant professor of energy, environmental and chemical engineering, will pursue an innovative global health and development research project titled "Programmed Killing of Parasite Eggs by Probiotic Organisms." (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - May 21, 2013 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news

New test better detects elephantiasis worm infection
(Washington University School of Medicine) A new diagnostic test for a worm infection that can lead to severe enlargement of the legs and genitals is far more sensitive than the currently used test, according to results of a field study in Liberia, in West Africa, where the infection is endemic. The study was led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)
Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science - May 20, 2013 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news

ICU Admissions From Emergency Departments Nearly Double
A study released by George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS) researchers offers an in-depth look at hospitals nationwide and admissions to intensive care units (ICU). The study, published in the journal Academic Emergency Medicine, finds a sharp increase - nearly 50 percent - in ICU admissions coming from U.S. emergency departments. "These findings suggest that emergency physicians are sending more patients on to the ICU," said SPHHS researcher and lead author Peter Mullins... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - May 16, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Public Health Source Type: news

Detect Alzheimer's Disease Years Before Memory Loss And Cognitive Decline Become Apparent
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have helped identify many of the biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease that could potentially predict which patients will develop the disorder later in life. Now, studying spinal fluid samples and health data from 201 research participants at the Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, the researchers have shown the markers are accurate predictors of Alzheimer's years before symptoms develop... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - May 16, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Alzheimer's / Dementia Source Type: news

The George Washington University will hold symposium on Latino health disparities
(George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services) The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS) will hold a forum on May 22 to discuss public health issues that disproportionately affect Latino immigrant communities. At the same time, SPHHS will announce the launch of the Avance Center for the Advancement of Immigrant/Refugee Health, a collaborative partnership that aims to prevent/address Latino health disparities with a unique program that provides support to Latino youth and families. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)
Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science - May 15, 2013 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news

Alzheimer's markers predict start of mental decline
(Washington University School of Medicine) Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have helped identify many of the biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease that could potentially predict which patients will develop the disorder later in life. Now, studying spinal fluid samples and health data from 201 research participants at the Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, the researchers have shown the markers are accurate predictors of Alzheimer's years before symptoms develop. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - May 14, 2013 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news

Nearly 50 percent increase in ICU admissions, new study says
(George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services) A study released today by George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services researchers offers an in-depth look at hospitals nationwide and admissions to intensive care units (ICU). The study, published in the journal Academic Emergency Medicine, finds a sharp increase -- nearly 50 percent -- in ICU admissions coming from US emergency departments. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - May 14, 2013 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news

How Nerve Wiring Self-Destructs Has Relevance To Diseases Of Peripheral And Central Nervous Systems
Many medical issues affect nerves, from injuries in car accidents and side effects of chemotherapy to glaucoma and multiple sclerosis. The common theme in these scenarios is destruction of nerve axons, the long wires that transmit signals to other parts of the body, allowing movement, sight and sense of touch, among other vital functions. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found a way the body can remove injured axons, identifying a potential target for new drugs that could prevent the inappropriate loss of axons and maintain nerve function... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - May 13, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Neurology / Neuroscience Source Type: news

Professor, Ex-Addict, Confronts Perils American Indians Face
David A. Patterson, a professor at Washington University in St. Louis, has firsthand knowledge of the cultural disconnect, substance abuse and other problems facing American Indian communities. (Source: NYT Health)
Source: NYT Health - May 11, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: By ALAN SCHWARZ Tags: Patterson, David A Native Americans Colleges and Universities Dropouts Waste Management Inc WM NYSE Washington University Addiction (Psychology) Source Type: news

Brain Function Altered By Nerve Stimulation For Severe Depression
For nearly a decade, doctors have used an implanted electronic stimulator to treat severe depression in people who don't respond to standard antidepressant therapy. Now, preliminary brain scan studies conducted by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are beginning to reveal the processes occurring in the brain during stimulation and may provide some clues about how the device improves depression. They found that vagus nerve stimulation brings about changes in brain metabolism weeks or even months before patients begin to feel better... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - May 10, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Depression Source Type: news

Rethinking Therapeutic Strategies That Target APOE To Slow Amyloid Plaque Accumulation And Alzheimer's
Scientists' picture of how a gene strongly linked to Alzheimer's disease harms the brain may have to be revised, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found. People with harmful forms of the APOE gene have up to 12 times the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease compared with those who have other variations of the gene. Many researchers believe that the memory loss and cognitive problems of Alzheimer's result from the buildup over many years of brain amyloid plaques. The plaques are made mostly of a sticky substance called amyloid beta... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - May 9, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Alzheimer's / Dementia Source Type: news

Researchers Discover How Breast Cancer Spreads
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered why breast cancer patients with dense breasts are more likely than others to develop aggressive tumors that spread. The finding opens the door to drug treatments that prevent metastasis. It has long been known that women with denser breasts are at higher risk for breast cancer. This greater density is caused by an excess of a structural protein called collagen... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - May 8, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Breast Cancer Source Type: news

Pumpless Paracorporeal Assist Device Helps Infants With Severe Respiratory Failure Survive Until Lung Transplantation
Adults with end-stage respiratory failure and pulmonary hypertension requiring ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) have been "bridged" toward lung transplantation with novel lung assist devices such as the Novalung. This and related devices work based on pumpless application of oxygenators. A presentation by David M. Hoganson, MD, and colleagues from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis at the Congenital Heart Disease Session of the 93rd AATS Annual Meeting described the first time application of this technology to newborns and small children... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - May 8, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Transplants / Organ Donations Source Type: news

GW receives Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute award to evaluate cancer survivorship care
(George Washington University) The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute has approved a $2.1 million, three-year research award to the GW Cancer Institute, housed within the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and the GW School of Public Health and Health Services to evaluate cancer survivorship care models. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - May 8, 2013 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news

New Sleep Loss Marker Discovered
For years, Paul Shaw, PhD, a researcher at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has used what he learns in fruit flies to look for markers of sleep loss in humans. Shaw reverses the process in a new paper, taking what he finds in humans back to the flies and gaining new insight into humans as a result: identification of a human gene that is more active after sleep deprivation. "I'm calling the approach cross-translational research," says Shaw, associate professor of neurobiology... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - May 7, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia Source Type: news

Nerve stimulation for severe depression changes brain function
(Washington University School of Medicine) For nearly a decade, doctors have used implanted electronic stimulators to treat severe depression in people who don't respond to standard antidepressant treatments. Now, preliminary brain scan studies conducted by School of Medicine researchers are revealing that vagus nerve stimulation brings about changes in brain metabolism weeks or even months before patients begin to feel better. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)
Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science - May 7, 2013 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news

New device can extract human DNA with full genetic data in minutes
(University of Washington) University of Washington engineers and NanoFacture, a Bellevue, Wash., company, have created a device that can extract human DNA from fluid samples in a simpler, more efficient and environmentally friendly way than conventional methods. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - May 6, 2013 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news

Discovery helps show how breast cancer spreads
(Washington University School of Medicine) Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered why breast cancer patients with dense breasts are more likely than others to develop aggressive tumors that spread. The finding opens the door to drug treatments that prevent metastasis. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - May 5, 2013 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news

Unusual comparison nets new sleep loss marker
(Washington University School of Medicine) For years, Paul Shaw, Ph.D., a researcher at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has used what he learns in fruit flies to look for markers of sleep loss in humans. Shaw reverses the process in a new paper, taking what he finds in humans back to the flies and gaining new insight into humans as a result: identification of a human gene that is more active after sleep deprivation. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - May 3, 2013 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news

Tips for integrating health apps and EHRs
Baltimore-based WellDoc has announced the publication of a case study on the integration of it’s mobile diabetes management offering with the electronic health record system Allscripts, implemented at George Washington University School of Medicine. Back in 2010, MobiHealthNews reported on the partnership, which was funded by the US Air Force. WellDoc’s diabetes management offering is FDA-cleared as [...] (Source: mobihealthnews)
Source: mobihealthnews - May 1, 2013 Category: Information Technology Authors: Jonah Comstock Tags: Uncategorized AllScripts Allscripts EHR Diabetes diabetes app EHR integration George Washington University School of Medicine Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology WellDoc Source Type: news

Challenges Faced By Adolescent And Young Adult Cancer Survivors
New research out of the George Washington University Cancer Institute (GWCI) focuses on the difficulties of transitioning to adulthood while dealing with the long-term and late effects of cancer and its treatment. The study was recently published in the Journal of Oncology Navigation and Survivorship, titled "Improving Cancer Survivorship for Adolescents and Adults." Based on information obtained at GWCI's second Cancer Survivorship Research Symposium, the paper summarizes the discussion amongst cancer survivors, caregivers, researchers, clinicians and other healthcare professionals... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - April 30, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer / Oncology Source Type: news

Grocery delivery service is greener than driving to the store
(University of Washington) University of Washington engineers have found that using a grocery delivery service can cut carbon dioxide emissions by at least half when compared with individual household trips to the store. Trucks filled to capacity that deliver to customers clustered in neighborhoods produced the most savings in carbon dioxide emissions. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)
Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science - April 29, 2013 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news

Mitochondrial Quality Control Links Parkinson's Disease And Heart Failure
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have described a missing link in understanding how damage to the body's cellular power plants leads to Parkinson's disease and, perhaps surprisingly, to some forms of heart failure. These cellular power plants are called mitochondria. They manufacture the energy the cell requires to perform its many duties. And while heart and brain tissue may seem entirely different in form and function, one vital characteristic they share is a massive need for fuel... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - April 28, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Parkinson's Disease Source Type: news

Phenotypic characteristics of early Wolfram syndrome
Conclusions: WFS causes multiple endocrine and neurologic deficits detectable on exam, even early in the course of the disease. Defects in olfaction have been underappreciated. The proposed mechanism of these deficits in WFS is ER stress-induced damage to neuronal and hormone-producing cells. This group of subjects with detailed clinical phenotyping provides a pool for testing proposed treatments for ER stress. Longitudinal follow-up is necessary for establishing the natural history and identifying potential biomarkers of progression. (Source: BioMed Central)
Source: BioMed Central - April 27, 2013 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Bess A MarshallM Alan PermuttAlexander R PaciorkowskiJames HoekelRoanne KarzonJon WassonAmy ViehoverNeil H WhiteJoshua S ShimonyLinda ManwaringPaul AustinTimothy E HullarTamara Hersheythe Washington University Wolfram Study Group Source Type: research

GW Cancer Institute publishes research on challenges faced by adolescent cancer survivors
(George Washington University) New research out of the George Washington University Cancer Institute focuses on the difficulties of transitioning to adulthood while dealing with the long-term and late effects of cancer and its treatment. The study was recently published in the Journal of Oncology Navigation and Survivorship, titled "Improving Cancer Survivorship for Adolescents and Adults." (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - April 26, 2013 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news

REFLECTIONS: Inositol, Glycogen, Insulin, and Six Nobelists [Bioenergetics]
Introduction My reflections cover my scientific work over a sixty-year period. At the University of Michigan, I was initially interested in embryology. In medical school in the army, I became entranced with biochemistry and DeWitt Stetten, who introduced me to Carl Cori. Carl along with Gerty Cori and Earl Sutherland became my scientific mentors. After medical school and a nine-month medical internship, I re-entered the army and was assigned to Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland, where I established the NAD requirement for brain pyruvate dehydrogenase to oxidize pyruvate and published my first Journal of Biological Chemistry (JB...
Source: Journal of Biological Chemistry - April 26, 2013 Category: Chemistry Authors: Larner, J. Tags: Reflections Source Type: research

Gardnerella Vaginalis May Contribute To Premature Births, STDs
New research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis points to a common species of bacteria as an important contributor to bacterial vaginosis, a condition linked to preterm birth and increased risk of sexually transmitted diseases. The condition affects one in every three women, making it more common than yeast infections. But bacterial vaginosis often does not cause significant symptoms, leaving many women unaware they have it... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - April 25, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Sexual Health / STDs Source Type: news

ALS trial shows novel therapy is safe
(Washington University School of Medicine) An investigational treatment for an inherited form of Lou Gehrig's disease has passed an early phase clinical trial for safety, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Massachusetts General Hospital report. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - April 23, 2013 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news

Bacteria may contribute to premature births, STDs
(Washington University School of Medicine) New research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis points to a common species of bacteria as an important contributor to bacterial vaginosis, a condition linked to preterm birth and increased risk of sexually transmitted diseases. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - April 22, 2013 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news

How to Build an Integrated Biobank: The Washington University Translational Cardiovascular Biobank & Repository Experience
Abstract Translational studies that assess and extend observations made in animal models of human pathology to elucidate relevant and important determinants of human diseases require the availability of viable human tissue samples. However, there are a number of technical and practical obstacles that must be overcome in order to perform cellular and electrophysiological studies of the human heart. In addition, changing paradigms of how diseases are diagnosed, studied and treated require increasingly complex integration of rigorous disease phenotyping, tissue characterization and detailed delineation of a multitude of “_o...
Source: Clinical and Translational Science - April 18, 2013 Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Kathryn A. Yamada, Akshar Y. Patel, Gregory A. Ewald, Donna S. Whitehead, Michael K. Pasque, Scott C. Silvestry, Deborah L. Janks, Douglas L. Mann, Jeanne M. Nerbonne Tags: Special Report Source Type: research

Circumcision lowers risk of HIV and other sexually-transmitted diseases by half because it changes bacteria levels
Researchers at George Washington University found that the procedure alters the living conditions for certain bacteria that live on the penis. (Source: the Mail online | Health)
Source: the Mail online | Health - April 16, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Advances In Understanding Of Genetic Defects Underlying Childhood Low-Grade Gliomas
The St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project has identified mutations responsible for more than half of a subtype of childhood brain tumor that takes a high toll on patients. Researchers also found evidence the tumors are susceptible to drugs already in development. The study focused on a family of brain tumors known as low-grade gliomas (LGGs). These slow-growing cancers are found in about 700 children annually in the U.S., making them the most common childhood tumors of the brain and spinal cord... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - April 15, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer / Oncology Source Type: news

Tiny Wireless Device Generates Reward In Mouse Model: Implications For Sleep, Depression, Addiction, Anxiety
Using a miniature electronic device implanted in the brain, scientists have tapped into the internal reward system of mice, prodding neurons to release dopamine, a chemical associated with pleasure. The researchers, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, developed tiny devices, containing light emitting diodes (LEDs) the size of individual neurons. The devices activate brain cells with light. The scientists report their findings in the journal Science... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - April 15, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia Source Type: news

Fish prone to melanoma get DNA decoded
(Washington University School of Medicine) Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and elsewhere have decoded the genome of the platyfish, a cousin of the guppy and a popular choice for home aquariums.Among scientists, the fish are meticulously studied for their tendency to develop melanoma and for other attributes more common to mammals, like courting prospective mates and giving birth to live young. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - April 15, 2013 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news

Gene sequencing project finds new mutations to blame for a majority of brain tumor subtype
(St. Jude Children's Research Hospital) The St. Jude Children's Research Hospital -- Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project has identified mutations responsible for more than half of a subtype of childhood brain tumor that takes a high toll on patients. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - April 14, 2013 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news

Tiny wireless device shines light on mouse brain, generating reward
(Washington University School of Medicine) Using a miniature electronic device implanted in the brain, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign have tapped into the internal reward system of mice, prodding neurons to release dopamine, a chemical associated with pleasure. The scientists report their findings in the journal Science. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)
Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science - April 11, 2013 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news

4 ways health IT can help minorities
While the powers of healthcare IT to radically transform the health of a patient population are widely lauded, one thing that isn't discussed as much are the areas where the technology could do the most good but doesn't often reach to. Take Washington, D.C., for example: One of the richest, most tech-savvy cities in the nation, it also has remarkably low rates of obesity. Almost. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News)
Source: Healthcare IT News - April 10, 2013 Category: Information Technology Authors: Benjamin Harris Tags: Online Only Boston George Washington University Industry News Ivor Horn National Medical Center University School Washington D.C. Washington DC Washington, D.C. Quality and Safety Source Type: news

The Potential To Move Cells With Light Holds Medical Promise
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown they can coax cells to move toward a beam of light. The feat is a first step toward manipulating cells to control insulin secretion or heart rate using light. Their research is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Online Early Edition. "We have succeeded in using light as a kind of on-off switch to control cells' behavior," says principal investigator N. Gautam, PhD, a professor of anesthesiology... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - April 10, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Diabetes Source Type: news

Scientists decode genome of painted turtle, revealing clues to extraordinary adaptations
(University of California - Los Angeles) A UCLA scientist and other researchers who have just sequenced the first turtle genome uncovered clues about how people can benefit from the shelled creatures' remarkable longevity and ability to survive long stretches without oxygen. Understanding the natural mechanisms turtles use to protect the heart and brain from oxygen deprivation may one day improve treatments for heart attack or stroke. Lead author UCLA Professor Brad Shaffer collaborated with Washington University's Genome Institute and 58 co-authors. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - April 10, 2013 Category: Biology Source Type: news

Walking For 20 Minutes A Day Can Help Teens Quit Smoking
Walking for just 20 minutes a day can help teenage smokers cut down on their smoking habit. Teens are even more likely to quit altogether if they participate in a smoking cessation/fitness program and increase the days on which they get at least 30 minutes of exercise. The finding came from a new study conducted by a team of researchers at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS) and was published in the Journal of Adolescent Health... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - April 9, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Smoking / Quit Smoking Source Type: news

Short daily walk might help teen smokers cut down or quit, new study says
(George Washington University) Teenagers who increased the days on which they got just 20 minutes of exercise were able to cut down on their smoking habit. And teenage smokers were more likely to quit altogether if they participated in a smoking cessation/fitness program -- and they ramped up the days on which they got at least 30 minutes of physical activity, according to a study published online April 9. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)
Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science - April 9, 2013 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news

Autism in black and white: NIH grant helps scientist study disorder in African Americans
The National Institutes of Health has awarded Dr. Daniel Geschwind, director of the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment, a five-year, $10 million grant to continue his research on the genetic causes of autism spectrum disorders and to expand his investigations to include the genetics of autism in African Americans. The new network grant, which will fund collaborative work by Geschwind and experts at other autism centers around the country, is part of the NIH's Autism Centers of Excellence program, which was launched in 2007 to support coordinated research into the causes of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) ...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - April 8, 2013 Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news

Painted turtle gets DNA decoded
Scientists have decoded the genome of the western painted turtle, one of the most abundant turtles on Earth, finding clues to their longevity and ability to survive without oxygen during long winters spent hibernating in ice-covered ponds. Understanding the natural mechanisms turtles use to protect the heart and brain from oxygen deprivation may one day improve treatments for heart attacks or strokes, the researchers say. The research team includes scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the University of California at Los Angeles, St. Louis University and other institutions. Their analysis is ...
Source: NHGRI-Related News - April 4, 2013 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: news

How Deposits Of Cholesterol Contribute To Macular Degeneration And Atherosclerosis
A new study raises the intriguing possibility that drugs prescribed to lower cholesterol may be effective against macular degeneration, a blinding eye disease. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in Americans over 50, shares a common link with atherosclerosis. Both problems have the same underlying defect: the inability to remove a buildup of fat and cholesterol. The new study is published online in the journal Cell Metabolism... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - April 4, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Eye Health / Blindness Source Type: news

Genetic markers ID second Alzheimer's pathway
(Washington University School of Medicine) Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a new set of genetic markers for Alzheimer's disease that point to a second pathway through which the disease develops. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - April 4, 2013 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news

AMD Blindness May Be Avoidable With Anti-Cholesterol Drugs
New research that links the causes of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with clogged arteries suggests anti-cholesterol drugs may halt the eye disease, the leading cause of blindess among older people in the US. In the 2 April issue of Cell Metabolism, senior investigator Rajendra S. Apte, of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis in the US, and colleagues, report how AMD and atherosclerosis share a common underlying problem: an inability to remove remove a buildup of fat and cholesterol. For their study, Apte, a Paul A... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - April 3, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Eye Health / Blindness Source Type: news

Collaborations forged to create innovative solutions to children's health issues
(Children's National Medical Center) Virginia Tech, Children's National Medical Center, and the George Washington University have partnered in a unique program to create research breakthroughs in children's health. The three institutions contributed a total of $375,000 to support seven collaborative research projects that will use translational science to address health issues so complex they require new insights, conceptual approaches, and technological advances. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - April 3, 2013 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news

Painted turtle gets DNA decoded
(Washington University School of Medicine) Scientists have decoded the genome of the western painted turtle, one of the most abundant turtles on Earth, finding clues to their longevity and ability to survive without oxygen during long winters spent hibernating in ice-covered ponds. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - April 3, 2013 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news