Category: Health Problems

Drug resistance genes shared among bacteria in hospitals can be deadly

A hospital outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) became more worrisome when researchers found resistance genes being shared among unrelated bacteria via plasmids and other mobile genetic elements. This new research will be presented at ASM Microbe, the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, held from June 7th through June 11th in Atlanta, Georgia.

US farm belt tries to head off another surge in suicides

Responding to signs of rising despair in rural America over a farming downturn exacerbated by the current trade war fears, agricultural leaders are mobilizing to try to prevent another suicide crisis. Two high profile deaths in the past week, of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain and fashion designer Kate Spade, have shined a spotlight on the

In the wake of Kate Spade’s death, looking at suicide differently

The list of warning factors for suicide reads, in part, like a catalog of everyday modern ills: lagging self-esteem, depression, loss of relationships or economic security, insomnia. “When you look at those lists,” says Eric Beeson, core faculty member at Northwestern University’s Counseling@Northwestern, “it almost seems like who’s not a candidate for suicide?” And yet,

Study examines racial/ethnic disparities in diabetes diagnosis and management among women of reproductive age

New research demonstrates that diabetes is increasingly common in young adults and disproportionately affects women of color. In a new study published in the Journal of Women’s Health, Laura Britton, Ph.D. Candidate, BSN, RN demonstrated that there were significant racial/ethnic variation in the rates of diabetes and level of diabetes management among women 24-32 years

Are birth mothers satisfied with their decisions to place children for adoption? Time will tell, study says

New research findings from Baylor University’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work could change the adoption landscape for birth mothers struggling with the life-altering decision to place their children. There is consensus among adoption researchers that for many birth mothers the experience of placing their children for adoption brings feelings of grief, loss, shame,

Learning disabilities diagnosed in childhood are associated with adult-age psychological wellbeing

Recently published research shows that learning disabilities (LD) diagnosed in childhood are associated with adult-age mental health problems, delays or difficulties in attaining an educational degree, and unemployment. In the longitudinal study conducted by the Niilo Mäki Institute and University of Jyväskylä Finland, individuals with childhood LD (n = 439) were compared to a population-based

Human midcingulate cortex sustains the execution of difficult or boring tasks, study finds

A breakthrough in brain research has promising implications for health and may lead to new answers about depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Parkinson’s disease. In a recent study, University of Victoria cognitive neuroscientist Clay Holroyd—with post-doctoral fellow José Ribas-Fernandes and Ph.D. student Danesh Shahnazian from UVic, and colleagues Tom Verguts and Massimo Silvetti from

When life gives you lemons, you take more risks

Anyone needing a little excitement in their lives could do worse than suck a lemon, surprising new research at the University of Sussex suggests. Scientists at the Sussex Computer Human Interaction (SCHI) Lab say they have found for the first time empirical evidence that sour tastes lead to more risk-taking behaviour in a paper published

Never ignore depression

(HealthDay)—Studies show that depression is underreported. People aren’t getting the help they need, sometimes because they don’t know the warning signs or where to turn, or are embarrassed because of the stigma that can still surround mental health issues. But the numbers are too great to ignore. Up to 26 percent of U.S. women and

Thyroid dysfunction may lead to diabetes during pregnancy

Women with thyroid dysfunction in the first half of pregnancy face an increased risk for gestational diabetes, a form of diabetes that is typically diagnosed during the second trimester, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Thyroid dysfunction is common among pregnant women and has been

Malaria: Cooperating antibodies enhance immune response

Malaria is one of the most infectious diseases worldwide. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg, Germany, and from the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, Canada, have studied how the human immune system combats malaria infections. In this study, the researchers discovered a previously unnoticed characteristic of antibodies against the

Intellectual activities in later life may cut dementia risk

(HealthDay)—Active participation in intellectual activities among adults aged 65 years or older is associated with reduced risk of dementia, according to a study published online May 30 in JAMA Psychiatry. Allen T.C. Lee, M.B.Ch.B., from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and colleagues conducted a longitudinal study among 15,582 community-living Chinese individuals aged 65 years

Rare bacteria boosts immunotherapy in prostate cancer

A unique bacterial strain isolated from a patient with pelvic pain may represent a promising path to treating prostate cancer with immunotherapy, according to a Northwestern Medicine study published in Nature Communications. The study demonstrated how the bacterial strain travels directly to the prostate and induces low-level inflammation, boosting the effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitor

A deeper understanding of AFib could lower risk

More than 2.5 million Americans are living with Atrial Fibrillation (AFib). AFib is an irregular heartbeat that can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications. What doctors and researchers currently understand about treating AFib stems mainly from whether a patient has been diagnosed with the condition or not. University of Minnesota