Depression in elderly people is causing early mortality, a University of Liverpool study has found. In a project involving more than 300 elderly people who had been discharged from hospital, 17% were found to have previously undiagnosed depression and of that figure, 7% died within two years of leaving hospital.
A new study in the March issue of the journal Cell Metabolism, published by Cell Press, has identified a common link between multiple assaults on the body, including saturated fats, obesity, and certain types of drugs, all of which can lead to insulin resistance. The researchers found that these metabolic stresses lead to an upswing in production of a particular kind of fat molecule, known as ceramide.
For the first time in humans, scientists have found early indicators of inflammation ? potential warning signs ? in work-related injuries caused by repetitive motion. Their findings could someday lead to early detection and prevention of debilitating conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis.
In experiments with laboratory mice that bearaggressive human breast cancers, UC Davis researchers have used hotnanoprobes to slow the growth of tumors — without damage to surroundinghealthy tissue. The researchers describe their work in the March issue ofthe Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
UVa Cancer Center Director Michael Weber, Ph.D., and his team of researchers have won a $100,000 grant to further their work toward a treatment for prostate cancer.
The response of tumors to anticancer drugs has been observed in real-time 3-D images using technology developed at Purdue University. The new digital holographic imaging system uses a laser and the same microchip used in household digital cameras, to see inside tumor cells. The device also may have applications in drug development and medical imaging.
Critical portions of the brain in those who are obese don’t really know they are overweight, researchers have reported in the March issue of the journal Cell Metabolism, published by Cell Press.
Across the country, states are embroiled in a debate over “specialty hospitals” ? physician-owned hospitals that focus on a single disease process such as heart care or orthopedics. The debate has intensified ever since a federal government moratorium on opening new specialty hospitals expired last year.
Getting enough calcium and vitamin D while reducing calorie intake can increase the beneficial effects of weight loss on cholesterol levels adding to the number of mechanisms by which calcium can benefit weight loss on blood fats.
Blood tests for panic disorder and other mental health conditions are potentially around the corner, based on results from a University of Iowa study. The findings, which were based on analysis of genetic information in lymphoblasts, or immature white blood cells, appear online March 6 in the American Journal of Medical Genetics.