Body | Page 196 of 274 | SpiritIndia.com

Crohn’s Disease :: Gene found for crohn’s disease – hope for better therapy in inflammatory bowel diseases

A consortium of American and Canadian researchers report in Science Express, a rapid online publication by the journal Science, the discovery of a new genetic link to Crohn’s disease. While most of the mutations in the gene, which codes for a receptor in a major inflammatory pathway, are strongly associated with Crohn?s, surprisingly, one type of mutation appears to confer significant protection. The finding, say the researchers, points to a crucial target for drugs that might better manage Crohn?s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Psychiatry :: Survivors of Organized Violence Often Left with Traumatic Memories

A series of studies, conducted by a psychotraumatology research group headed by Thomas Elbert in collaboration with Penn State psychologist William Ray, has examined a group of people who have been exposed to different magnitudes of torture and found the appearance of dissociation (mental separation from the incident) long after the event. The research is published in the latest issue of Psychological Science.

Alzheimer’s Disease :: Curcumin helps in better performance for elderly in dementia, eat turmeric curry

Curcumin, the natural pigment that gives the spice turmeric its yellow colour, could slow mental decline in elderly people by 49 per cent, suggests a study of non-demented Asian people.

Health :: Racial discrimination a key factor in African-American health disparities

The experience of racial discrimination may be a key factor in explaining why African Americans have higher rates of obesity and suffer at higher rates from such diseases as diabetes and cardiovascular disorders, according to UCLA researchers. Repeated responses to such discrimination — which include elevated blood pressure and heart rate — can cause enormous stress on a person’s mental and physical health, according to research scheduled to be published in Volume 58 of the Annual Review of Psychology.

Gene Therapy :: IICB scientists achieve breakthrough in gene therapy

In a significant breakthrough in gene therapy, scientists of the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB) here claimed to have isolated a protein molecule from a parasite that could provide better treatment in some inherited disorders.

Pregnancy :: Omega-3 is very good for fetuses, especially those whose mothers have HIV

Tom Brenna of Cornell University in America has conducted research on how fatty acids, in particular, plant and animal forms of omega-3, are essential to the development of the brains of infants. He particularly stresses the importance of the animal form, called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), present in oily fish and the eggs of hens fed seeds high in plant omega-3.

Health :: No link between juice and children’s weight

Drinking a glass of 100 percent fruit juice has long been thought of as a healthy habit for both adults and children. Recently, however, people have been confused about juice — how much to drink, how much to serve their children — partly because of the natural sweet taste of fruit juice.

ADHD :: Lisdexamfetamine dimesylate in ADHD phase 3 data presented

Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY, TSX: SHQ) and its collaborative partner New River Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: NRPH) announced today that their investigational ADHD treatment, lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (also known as NRP104 or LDX), yielded a 60 percent improvement in the primary rating scale scores for symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children aged 6 to 12 years who received six months of treatment in an open-label phase III study. Results also demonstrated that at 6 months, 95 percent of children taking lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (NRP104/LDX) produced a “much improved” or “very much improved” rating on the Clinical Global Impressions ? Improvement score. These results were presented last weekend at a national meeting of child and adolescent psychiatrists.

Diabetes :: Sanofi-Aventis’s Acomplia, rimonabant obesity pill may treat type 2 diabetes

A new obesity pill that helps to control blood sugar levels could treat patients with type 2 diabetes, researchers say. They found that the Sanofi-Aventis drug Acomplia, which is also known as rimonabant, also reduced risk factors for heart disease in patients with type 2 diabetes who had not responded to standard treatments.

Exercise :: Brisk walk may help prevent the common cold

New research suggests a brisk walk may help prevent the common cold. Add a half-hour’s worth of exercise to your day, and you may be able to toss out the cough drops and Kleenex, says a new study. Not only that, but researchers found the longer you exercise on a regular basis, the greater the benefit.