Body | Page 158 of 274 | SpiritIndia.com

Weight concerns more impairing for those with Body dysmorphic disorder

In a new study on Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) — a distressing or impairing preoccupation with an imagined or slight defect in one’s appearance — researchers from Bradley Hospital and Brown Medical School found that individuals who are concerned about their weight are more impaired than those whose appearance-concerns are not weight-related. This is particularly important, as weight-related preoccupations have at times not been considered diagnostic of BDD.

Heartburn :: Unexpected results in acid suppression between two OTC heartburn treatments

This release announces research that directly compared the early therapeutic response of drugs from widely used classes of heartburn medications, omeprazole magnesium, a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) and famotidine, a histamine-2 receptor antagonist (H2RAs), in an over-the-counter (OTC) setting.

Mating with showy males may reduce offspring?s ability to fight off pathogens

In many animals, males advertise to potential mates with showy traits, many of which are linked to testosterone levels. However, a new study suggests that, in fish, choosing a flashier mate may cause future generations to be more susceptible to pathogens.

Infection :: Programed cell death protects against infections

They are the largest group of white blood cells: neutrophil granulocytes kill microorganisms. Neutrophils catch microbes with extracellular structures nicknamed Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) that are composed of nucleic acid and aggressive enzymes. A group of scientists lead by Arturo Zychlinsky at the Max-Planck-Institute for Infectious Biology in Berlin, Germany discovered, how the neutrophils form this snaring network (Journal of Cell Biology, online, January 8, 2007).

Rift Valley Fever :: Rift Valley Fever Spreading In Kenya

Heavy flooding has provoked the spread of Rift Valley Fever from north-east Kenya to near Garissa in the north-west of the country, the World Health Organization warned.

Gene Therapy :: Dramatic results from combo therapy surprises Krabbe-disease researchers

By all expectations, it shouldn’t have worked as well as it did. A combination of bone marrow transplantation and gene therapy greatly lengthened the lives of laboratory mice doomed by a rapidly progressing, fatal neurodegenerative disorder also found in people.

Caffeine :: Caffeine cuts post-workout pain by nearly 50 percent

Although it’s too soon to recommend dropping by Starbucks before hitting the gym, a new study suggests that caffeine can help reduce the post-workout soreness that discourages some people from exercising. In a study to be published in the February issue of The Journal of Pain, a team of University of Georgia researchers finds that moderate doses of caffeine, roughly equivalent to two cups of coffee, cut post-workout muscle pain by up to 48 percent in a small sample of volunteers.

Immunity :: Why doesn’t the immune system attack the small intestine?

Answering one of the oldest questions in human physiology, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have discovered why the body’s immune system — perpetually on guard against foreign microbes like bacteria — doesn’t attack tissues in the small intestine that harbor millions of bacteria cells.

Tea :: Milk eliminates cardiovascular health benefits of tea

Tests on volunteers showed that black tea significantly improves the ability of the arteries to relax and expand, but adding milk completely blunts the effect. Supporting tests on rat aortas (aortic rings) and endothelial (lining) cells showed that tea relaxed the aortic rings by producing nitric oxide, which promotes dilation of blood vessels. But, again, adding milk blocked the effect.

Prostate Cancer :: Strong correlation between obesity and death from prostate cancer

There is a “strong correlation” between obesity and the risk of dying from prostate cancer, a study has revealed. The US National Cancer Institute study examined the incidence and outcomes of prostate cancer in 287,760 men aged between 50 and 71.