Category: Health News

Factors ID’d for breastfeeding behavior in women with BMI >30

(HealthDay)—Five psychological factors are associated with breastfeeding behaviors among women with a body mass index ≥30 kg/m², according to a review published online March 24 in Obesity Reviews. Stephanie Lyons, from the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, and colleagues examined the correlation between any psychological factor and breastfeeding behavior among women with a

Medical Campus students to perform ‘The Addams Family’

Washington University Medical Campus students will get creepy and kooky, mysterious and spooky, and altogether ooky in their performance of “The Addams Family Musical” March 22, 23 and 24 in St. Louis College of Pharmacy’s Auditorium, 4530 Parkview Place, on the Medical Campus. The production is the 13th annual musical produced, directed and performed by

6 things keeping CIOs up at night

Last month, LexisNexis brought together 30 high-level executives, most of whom were CIOs from hospitals, nursing homes and health plans of all sizes from across the county to find out what data-related issues are weighing on them most as we get further into 2018. Ed Domansky, LexisNexis manager of media and analyst relations, and Erin

Unprecedented psychological distress months after Hurricane Harvey: More than half of Harris County residents are still struggling

Four months after Hurricane Harvey soaked the Houston area and displaced more than a third of the population, an alarming 52 percent of Harris County residents said they were still struggling to recover, according to a new report from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health. “What we

Old and healthy: Researchers find novel genes for longevity in mammals

The genetic basis of lifespan determination is poorly understood. Most research has been done on short-lived animals, and it is unclear if these insights can be transferred to long-lived mammals like humans. By comparing genes of long- and short-lived rodents, researchers from Leibniz Institute on Aging (FLI) in Jena/Germany now identified in a collaborative project

Molecular details of protein crystal nucleation uncovered

A team of researchers led by Dr. Mike Sleutel from the VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology in collaboration with scientists from the Institute for Complex Molecular Systems of the Eindhoven University of Technology, and the CNRS in Grenoble, have for the first time uncovered the molecular details of protein crystal nucleation, a process with great

Eating less enables lemurs to live longer

Chronic caloric restriction consists in eating a reduced but balanced diet from early adult life onward. Previous research, into macaques in particular (which have an average lifespan of forty years), had already demonstrated its beneficial effect on the incidence of age-related pathologies. However, its positive effect on the lifespan of primates remained controversial. To study

Butterflies of the soul: Developmental origins of interneurons

Modern neuroscience, for all its complexity, can trace its roots directly to a series of pen-and-paper sketches rendered by Nobel laureate Santiago Ramón y Cajal in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His observations and drawings exposed the previously hidden composition of the brain, revealing neuronal cell bodies and delicate projections that connect individual

New trigger for onset of colon cancer: May lead to better therapies

Colon cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths. The APC protein has long been known for its critical role in preventing colorectal cancer. When APC is inactivated, the development of colorectal cancer is triggered. Inactivation of APC is responsible for the vast majority (80%) of all colorectal cancers. Researchers from the laboratory

Shaping behavior, not changing minds, more effective in boosting vaccination rates: Doctor reminders, prompts, reducing barriers can lead to more immunizations

A comprehensive review of scientific literature surrounding the psychology of vaccinations has shown that shaping behavior rather than trying to change minds is far more effective at persuading people to get immunized. “There is very little evidence to suggest that we can change people’s beliefs or knowledge in a way that will lead to increased

Are people with Parkinson’s disease depressed or demoralized?

People with Parkinson’s disease who show signs of depression may actually have a condition called demoralization, according to a study published in the April 4, 2018, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. That study found demoralization may be common in Parkinson’s disease. Demoralization is a state of feeling

New compound helps activate cancer-fighting T cells: Study identifies mechanisms responsible for improved immune system activity, offering new approaches for more effective cancer treatments and vaccines.

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are powerful weapons our body’s immune systems count on to fight infection and combat diseases like cancer, multiple sclerosis, and lupus. Finding ways to spark these potent cells into action could lead to more effective cancer treatments and vaccines. While several chemical compounds have shown promise stimulating iNKT cells

Vanderbilt creates AI and natural language processing voice assistant for its Epic EHR

Vanderbilt University Medical Center has developed a voice assistant for caregivers to use navigating the hospital's Epic electronic health record. The new tool processes requests using natural language processing and understanding technology, and not just macros, officials say – noting that it could represent an important paradigm shift in how providers interact with their EHRs

Monitor detects dangerously low white blood cell levels: Technology could help prevent life-threatening infections in patients receiving chemotherapy

One of the major side effects of chemotherapy is a sharp drop in white blood cells, which leaves patients vulnerable to dangerous infections. MIT researchers have now developed a portable device that could be used to monitor patients’ white blood cell levels at home, without taking blood samples. Such a device could prevent thousands of

Smartphone app performs better than traditional exam in cardiac assessment: Randomized clinical trial

A smartphone application using the phone’s camera function performed better than traditional physical examination to assess blood flow in a wrist artery for patients undergoing coronary angiography, according to a randomized trial published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). These findings highlight the potential of smartphone applications to help physicians make decisions at the bedside.