Smoking may strongly increase long-term risk of eye disease
...igher risk of late AMD than the effect of any risk factor alone. However, interactions between smoking and HDL cholesterol level, ratio of total to HDL cholesterol and fish consumption were not statistically significant, the authors write. In summary, the findings from this large population-based prospec...Fluctuating eye pressure associated with visual field deterioration in glaucoma patients
...pinpointed as a potential cause for glaucoma and a factor in worsening the eye damage caused by the disease, writes Joseph Caprioli, M.D., of the Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA, in an accompanying editorial. Why should IOP fluctuation be damaging" Theories abound about the mechanisms of retinal ganglion...RAND finds cases of undiagnosed diabetes drop sharply
...e the fact that obesity is the second largest risk factor for the disease following family history. It may be that since the link between obesity and diabetes has received wide attention only in recent years, it may take more time for physicians to routinely test the obese for the disease, Smith said. D...Pot bellies linked to early signs of cardiovascular disease
...an older population, in which the duration of risk factor exposure is longer and the likelihood of coronary artery calcium is higher, the association between obesityas measured by BMI and waist circumferenceand signs of early atherosclerosis is stronger....New cause of tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer cells discovered at Lombardi
... (XBP1), is an alternatively spliced transcription factor that participates in a stress-signaling pathway to protect cells from damage. In a paper published online in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEBJ) on July 27, Clarke and his colleagues at the Lombardi...Childhood obesity indicates greater risk of school absenteeism, Penn study reveals
... that body mass index, or BMI, is as significant a factor in determining absenteeism from school as age, race, socioeconomic status and gender, formerly the four main predictors. The study found that overweight children were absent on average 20 percent more than their normal-weight peers. At this young...Chromatin remodeling complex connected to DNA damage control
... that wants access to DNA, such as a transcription factor or DNA repair machinery," Shen says. "Chromatin ...n in the absence of another replication checkpoint factor called Tof1. Shen discovered the INO80 chromatin remodeling complex as a post-doctoral fellow at t...Pathway links inflammation, angiogenesis and breast cancer
...OR is freed to produce vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which creates new blood vessels to feed br...viously were known to free the oncoprotein nuclear factor kappa B (NF"B) from the cytosol, allowing it to move to the nucleus and activate genes that promote ...Women with migraines and visual symptoms may have higher stroke risk
...hermore, migraine has long been regarded as a risk factor for ischemic stroke (stroke caused by a blot clot blocking blood flow to the brain). Few prior studies have addressed the different potential reasons for an association between migraine and stroke. Researchers analyzed stroke incidence among 386 wom...Obesity linked to hyperparathyroidism in chronic kidney disease
...reated by the decreased kidney function, and don't factor in these other mechanisms." The study is the first to show that a higher body mass index is associated with higher parathyroid hormone levels in CKD. The results raise the possibility that weight loss might help to lower PTH levels in patients wit...Better mobility keeps seniors healthier
...ericans. The study revealed that mobility is a key factor impacting quality of life for older adults. Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for EldersPilot study (LIFEP) was a randomized, controlled trial that compared a physical activity intervention to a non-exercise educational intervention with 424...Speeding up CT scans with cellphone technology, ultrasound warning signal for breast cancer
...rom multiple views at the same time. In general, a factor of N/2 (N=total number of images) increase in the ...,000 views per gantry rotation would increase by a factor of 500. A team from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, has been developing multiplexin...Environmental inequality study finds no direct links to segregation, income
...or example, if residential segregation was the key factor producing environmental racial inequality, then bl...if. Likewise, if income inequality was the key factor producing environmental racial inequality, black/white environmental inequality should have been str...New survey uncovers how insomnia affects job performance and safety
...t of insomnia, which is a significant contributing factor to workplace errors that may compromise safety, said Dr. Mark Rosekind, president and chief scientist of Alertness Solutions, who conducted the survey. The results from this study show that insomnia affects workplace productivity, performance and sa...New nutritional research: College students face obesity, high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome
... I wasnt getting enough calcium and I had one risk factor for metabolic syndrome. I was shocked. The research can also help inform school policy, from portion size education in dining halls to routine blood pressure screenings at health services. In addition to publishing their results, the faculty team...Report calls for new directions, innovative approaches in testing chemicals for toxicity to humans
...pproach's components, the report says. A critical factor for success is the creation of an institution that fosters multidisciplinary research. If the research is dispersed among different locations and organizations without a core organizing institute to enable communication and problem-solving across di...Simple test predicts 6-year risk of dementia
.... The presence of APO-E e4 alleles is a known risk factor for Alzheimers disease. A best test score of 0 to 4 indicates a 4 percent chance of developing dementia within six years. A score of 5 to 8 indicates a 25 percent chance. A score of 9 or higher indicates a 52 percent chance of developing dementi...Brightening prospects of using fluorescent nanotubes in medical applications
...anotubes with a quantum efficiency of 1 percent, a factor of 100 better than previous ensemble measurements and close to the best quantum efficiencies reported for individual nanotubes. The methods researchers use to produce nanotubes creates soot that contains a number of different types of nanotubes: meta...Researchers develop criteria to detect bone mass deficiencies in children with chronic diseases
...sis of previous data were inconsistent and did not factor in variables for age, sex and race all important reference points in evaluating the bone health of children. Before this data it was like comparing apples to oranges, Dr. Kalkwarf said. Now, pediatricians can monitor children according to the char......ve established that, for women, the most important factor for maintaining sexual desire is the quality of their intimate relationships. Diminished desire can be a red flag that the relationship needs some work, she said. Middle age is a great time for couples to check in with each other and work toward impr...