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Showing posts from March, 2009

Working Memory Fluctuates in Kids With ADHD

Study reveals varied response times for tasks, though answers were still correct. Compared with other children, those with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have more inconsistent responses when doing short-term memory tasks, a new study finds. "Our study helps explain why working memory may be fine at one moment and poor at another, just as one day a child with ADHD seems to be able to learn and focus in class and on another day seems distracted and not paying attention," study author Julie Schweitzer, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of California, Davis, said in a news release from the school. The study was done while Schweitzer was at the University of Maryland. "We think poor working memory is a characteristic present in many children and adults with ADHD," she said. The study included 25 children with ADHD and 25 children without the disorder. All of them performed a computer task involving numbers an

Many Americans Fear Being Diagnosed With Diabetes

But most do little to reduce risks of getting blood sugar disease, survey finds. More than half of Americans fear developing diabetes, but many continue the unhealthy behaviors that boost their odds of getting the blood sugar disease, a new survey shows. "I think people continue the risky behaviors because they think, 'It's not going to happen to me,'" said Dr. Richard M. Bergenstal, president-elect for medicine and science for the American Diabetes Association, which commissioned the survey. "Or, they know they are at risk but they are so ingrained in their daily lifestyle they have not been motivated to change." The survey, released Tuesday as part of American Diabetes Alert Day, is meant as a "wake-up call" to raise awareness of diabetes and its risk factors. The poll was conducted online by Harris Interactive in February and early March. More than 2,500 U.S. adults aged 18 and above were polled. Choosing from a list, 52 percent of responden

Time to understand West Virginia

NEW YORK -- West Virginia beat Pittsburgh, beat the Panthers soundly with badly, beat 'em on offense, and beat 'em by defense. And with the exception of the people residing among Wheeling and Charleston, or those holding West Virginia diplomas, all anyone will be talking about this morning is Pitt. They'll debate whether the Panthers, 74-60 victims of the Mountaineers in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament, will still be a No. 1 seed. They'll marvel about how a team that won four games in four nights a year ago to win the Big East Tournament couldn't win one game in one night after holding fort as the No. 1 team in the nation at different portions of the season. Figures. It's been that way all season. Somehow the Mountaineers have managed to fly under the radar despite playing in a conference more hyped than the return of Britney. The really good teams -- Pitt, Louisville, Marquette, Villanova and Connecticut -- earned lots of love. The surprisingly bad

Mickelson joins front bunch at CA

As players since around the globe kept pouring in birdies - relative unknown players like Prayad Marksaeng and Jeev Milka Singh, followed in the familiar name of Phil Mickelson - Tiger Woods was stuck here the middle of the CA Championship pack. Mickelson chipped in three times on his way to a 7-under-par 65 in Doral, Fla. that gave him a four-way share of the lead with Retief Goosen, Marksaeng, and Singh. Woods made only three birdies - two on par 5s - and have to settle for a 71 that put him here a tie for 40th. "I need to be a touch sharper," said Woods, who has never finished out of the top 10 at Doral. Mickelson has rarely been this excited. He can't recall hitting the ball this long or having a short game this superb. Along with taking only eight putts on the back nine, he pounded a tee shot so far that he had wedge left for his second shot on the par-5 first hole. Singh ran off five birdies in a six-hole stretch around the turn and be the first player to post a 65

Clear Skies Have Become Less So Over Time, Data Show

U.S. researchers find aerosol levels have diminished visibility. THURSDAY, March 12 (HealthDay News) -- More than three decades of data showing how clear, or unclear, the sky over land has been should reveal how changes in air pollution have affected climate change, according to a University of Maryland-led team of researchers. The data show that what the researchers call clear sky visibility over land has decreased worldwide since the early 1970s because of an increase in aerosols, which are solid particles or liquid droplets suspended in air. Aerosols, which include soot, dust and sulfur dioxide particles, are created by the burning of fossil fuels, industrial processes and burning of tropical rain forests. Aerosols pose a threat to human health and the environment, the researchers said. "Creation of this database is a big step forward for researching long-term changes in air pollution and correlating these with climate change," Kaicun Wang, an assistant research scientist

Injected Medication Errors a Major Problem

Study found significant amount occurred in ICUs. THURSDAY, March 12 (HealthDay News) -- Mistakes involving injected medications are a major safety problem in intensive care units, a new study reveals. Researchers monitored errors in 1,328 patients in 113 ICUs in 27 countries over a 24-hour period in January 2007. Two U.S. sites with 50 patients were included in the study. Dr. Andreas Valentin of the Rudolfstiftung Hospital in Vienna, Austria, and colleagues identified 861 injected medication errors involving 441 patients. No errors occurred in 67 percent of patients, while 250 patients (19 percent) experienced one error, and 191 patients (14 percent) experienced more than one error. Errors caused no harm in the majority (71 percent) of patients, but 15 errors did cause permanent harm or death in 12 patients (0.9 percent). Medical trainees were involved in eight of those 15 errors. The most common causes of errors were: wrong time of administration (386); missed medication (259); wrong

Too Little Sleep May Raise Diabetes Risk

Less than 6 hours of slumber per night heightened the odds, study found WEDNESDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- A good night's sleep may help lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, researchers say. People averaging less than six hours of shuteye during the work week over a period of years were shown to have nearly five times the chance of developing the disease compared to those who averaged six to eight hours of sleep, according to research scheduled to be presented Wednesday at an American Heart Association conference in Palm Harbor, Fla. "This study supports growing evidence of the association of inadequate sleep with adverse health issues. Sleep should be assessed in the clinical setting as part of well-care visits throughout the life cycle," study lead author Lisa Rafalson, a research assistant professor at the University at Buffalo in New York, said in a news release issued by the association. The study, in which 1,455 people reported on their sleep habits,

DNA Testing Lays Romanov Murder Mystery to Rest

Bodies found near rest of Tsar Nicholas II's family identified as 2 missing children WEDNESDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- An enduring mystery has been laid to rest with the DNA identification of the bodies of two children of the last Tsar of Russia. The bones of the siblings, Tsarevich Alexei and a sister, were discovered in a grave outside Yekaterinburg in 2007. The remains of their father, Tsar Nicholas II, the Tsarina Alexandra and their three other daughters were found in 1991 about 70 meters away and were subsequently identified. "The DNA evidence is strong, but if you if you look at the entire evidence, it's very convincing that this was, in fact, the Romanovs," said Michael Coble, lead author of a study published in the March 11 online issue of PLoS One and research section chief of the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory. Other evidence included three silver amalgam fillings on the crowns of two molars which undoubtedly belonged to an aristocrat. The

Shootings Linked to Alcohol-to-Go Outlets, Study Finds

Tighter controls are urged to help reduce urban violence. TUESDAY, March 10 (HealthDay News) -- The chances of being shot increase when excess drinking occurs near a place that sells alcohol to go, according to a study by University of Pennsylvania researchers. "Individuals in and around off-premise alcohol outlets were shot as the victims of predatory crimes, possibly because they had heavily consumed and were easier targets or they were shot as the victims of otherwise tractable arguments that became violent, because one or more of the combatants had consumed alcohol," Charles C. Branas, an associate professor of epidemiology at the university and corresponding author of the study, said in a university news release. Light drinking and being near bars, taverns and other places that sold alcohol but not on a to-go basis were not linked to an increased chance of being a victim of gun play, he said. "On-premise outlets were by comparison highly monitored, relatively safe h

Study Links Blood Type and Pancreatic Cancer

Findings shed light on gene serving as marker for others involved in tumor development. TUESDAY, March 10 (HealthDay News) --- People with type O blood have a much lower risk of developing pancreatic cancer, a finding that might help explain the origins of the often fatal disease. The study, by researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, confirms a previously suggested tie between blood type and the disease, which is diagnosed in about 40,000 people each year in the United States. The study found that the chances of developing pancreatic cancer were greater for people with a blood type other than O: 32 percent higher for those with type A blood, 51 percent greater for type AB and 72 percent higher for type B . However, because only a little more than 1 percent of the general population is at risk for the disease, the researchers said that blood type would not serve as a helpful screening method in the future. "Except for several rare familial syndromes, the genetic

Church-Based Weight Plan Peels Off Pounds for Blacks

Members dropped 5% of body weight and sustained it for 6 months, study finds. TUESDAY, March 10 (HealthDay News) -- A 12-week church-based weight loss program helped many overweight/obese blacks lose 5 percent or more of their body weight, and most of them maintained their weight loss for at least six months. The study included 35 men and women, average age 46, with an average body mass index (BMI) of 36. They took part in a pilot program conducted by lay leaders at Gospel Water Branch Baptist Church near Augusta, Ga. The lay leaders had received two days of training to present the 12 modules of Fit Body and Soul, a faith-based diabetes prevention program adapted from the U.S. National Institutes of Health-sponsored Diabetes Prevention Program. By the end of the program, 16 of the 35 (46 percent) participants had lost 5 percent or more of their starting weight, and about 26 percent had lost 7 percent of more. After the initial 12-week program, participants had six monthly "booster

Jack Straw opens new probation headquarters in Norfolk

Secretary of State for Justice Jack Straw will officially open Norfolk Probation Area's new headquarters at Centenary House today. The building brings together staff from five separate sites in the city. Jack Straw will also visit offenders working on a community payback project run in partnership with local enterprise 'Mow and Grow'. Launched in 2006, 'Mow and Grow' works with offenders on supervision at Norfolk Probation to offer gardening services to elderly and vulnerable people in some of the most deprived wards in the area. Speaking at the visit, Jack Straw said: 'I'm pleased to be in Norfolk today opening the new probation headquarters at Centenary House and seeing the positive work being carried out by offenders on community payback. This type of partnership with "Mow and Grow" not only improves the quality of life for residents and reduces crime and antisocial behaviour in the local community, but it also offers valuable work experience a

Obama Lifts Ban on Stem Cell Research

Scientists applaud his action, which is expected to kick-start efforts to unlock therapeutic potential. MONDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Separating science from politics with his signature, President Barack Obama lifted the eight-year ban on embryonic stem cell research on Monday. During a late morning press conference, Obama issued the executive order removing federal funding limits on such research that were first imposed by his predecessor, President George W. Bush, in 2001. According to the Associated Press, Obama said Monday that he is allowing federal taxpayer dollars to fund significantly broader research on embryonic stem cells because "medical miracles do not happen simply by accident," and promised his administration would make up for the ground lost under his predecessor. The Obama order does not address a separate legislative ban, which precludes any federal money paying for the development of stem cell lines, according to the AP. The legislation, however, does

Women With Breast Cancer Gene Favor Preventive Mastectomy

Most carriers view the procedure as best security against the disease, study finds. MONDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Women who know they carry a gene that puts them at higher risk of breast cancer tend to opt for preventive mastectomy, a new study concludes. Several type of risk management strategies are available to women found to have a mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, which is known to elevate a woman's risk of breast cancer. These range from simply having more frequent screening exams to the preemptive removal of a breast. Researchers at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston interviewed women who were tested for the mutation. They researchers found that roughly two-thirds of women who tested positive for the BRCA mutation believed that a preventive mastectomy was the most effective way to prevent breast cancer from developing or reduce their worry about the disease. Only 40 percent of women who tested negative for the mutation saw the surgery as the bes

Most Insured Adults Worry About Health Care Costs: Poll

Many are skipping medical, dental visits because of financial concerns. MONDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- More than three-quarters of adult Americans who have health insurance say they still worry about paying more for their medical care, and nearly 50 percent say they're "very" or "extremely" worried about the issue, a new Harris Interactive/HealthDay poll shows. More than half (57 percent) of those polled said they feared losing their health insurance sometime in the future, which may explain another key finding in the poll -- sizeable numbers of Americans said they're skipping doctor visits or not getting prescriptions filled to save money. Middle-aged Americans -- people too old to be blasé about their health but too young to be covered by Medicare -- seemed most worried about paying their health care bills. Among insured individuals aged 45 to 64, a full 84 percent said they were concerned that rising health care costs would exceed their ability to pa

Gene Explains How High-Fructose Diets Lead to Insulin Resistance

Corn syrup more easily metabolizes to fat in liver, which may trigger disease, study says. Researchers found that mice fed a high-fructose diet were protected from insulin resistance when PGC-1b activity was blocked in the rodents' liver and fat tissue. The findings were published in the March issue of Cell Metabolism. "There has been a remarkable increase in consumption of high-fructose corn syrup," Gerald Shulman, of the Yale School of Medicine, said in a journal news release. "Fructose is much more readily metabolized to fat in the liver than glucose is, and, in the process, can lead to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)," which, in turn, leads to hepatic insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. High-fructose corn syrup -- a mixture of the simple sugars fructose and glucose -- came into use in the 1970s. By 2005, the average American consumed about 60 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup a year. The study authors said their findings indicate that PGC-1b pl

Teens Undertreated for Substance Abuse

Therapy gap likely driven by limited availability of adolescent-only services, researchers say. "Part of this treatment gap may be driven by the limited availability of adolescent-only treatment services. Less than one-third of addiction programs in the U.S. have a specialized program for adolescents," study author Hannah Knudsen, of the University of Kentucky, said in a news release from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which funded the research. "Despite the public health significance of adolescent substance abuse and the knowledge that treatment can be effective for this group, services for them are less available than for adults. It means we lose our chance at early intervention, and that families may be unable to find services for their children in their communities," Knudsen said. She also found wide variations in quality among the randomly selected 154 addiction treatment programs for teens she studied. Knudsen analyzed nine areas of quality, including whe

Gene Variant Allies Autism, Gastrointestinal Woes

It's associated with both brain development and GI system functions, study finds. "This association was not present in another group who have autism and don't have gastrointestinal problems," said study author Dr. Daniel B. Campbell, a research assistant professor of pharmacology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. "We think we're subdividing types of autism in a way that's finally useful." The report was published in the March issue of Pediatrics. Autism is widely recognized to be not one condition, but a collection of very heterogeneous disorders. Many prefer to use the term "autism spectrum disorders" (ASD) to describe the variety. Several studies have now shown an association between ASD and this specific genetic variant. The study authors put this together with the fact that 30 percent to 70 percent of children with autism have GI problems and the fact that the MET C gene is involved with both brain development and how the GI system

Across All Cultures, Dreams Affect Behavior

They may rarely predict future events, but most people believe they are meaningful. "Psychologists' interpretations of the meaning of dreams vary widely," lead author Carey Morewedge, an assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon University, said in an American Psychological Association news release. "But our research shows that people believe their dreams provide meaningful insight into themselves and their world." For example, 149 university students in the United States, India and South Korea in one survey largely agreed that hidden truths present themselves in their dreams, a theory a nationally representative sample of Americans also supports. Dreams also affect how people act when they awake, another study found. A survey of Boston train commuters found that when they dreamed of a plane crash the night before a scheduled air trip, they would be more likely to change their travel plans than if they had had a dream about an increased terrorist threat or conscio

Travel Safety Can Be a Passport to Good Health

Just because it's a resort, doesn't mean precautions should be abandoned, experts note "Just because it says resort or five-star hotel doesn't mean it's safe," Laura Gonzalez, a nurse with The Loyola University Health System International Medicine and Travelers Immunization Clinic, said in a news release issued by the school. "You still need to watch what you eat, protect against insect bites and don't go out at night alone." The clinic offers these tips to help all travelers, regardless of their destination: * Practice good hygiene. Hand washing is critical. Rather than packing gels, bring sanitizing wipes so eating utensils can be wiped as well as your hands. * Bring or buy clothing and items to help protect yourself from insect and animal bites. * When going to new time zones or high altitude destinations, drink plenty of water and stay rested. * Watch what you drink and eat. In developing nations, avoid drinking tap water and using ic