Virus may cause prostate cancer, study hints
A newly identified virus, tentatively called XMRV, seems to be associated with the development of prostate cancer in genetically susceptible men, researchers report.
XMRV is closely related to a virus that causes leukemia in mice and is a “newly identified infectious agent in humans,” Dr. Eric Klein of the Cleveland Clinic said in a statement.
Rheumatoid arthritis costly for employers
The medical costs of employees with rheumatoid arthritis are among the highest of any chronic health condition, new research suggests.
In a study of nine large U.S. employers, researchers found that workers with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) had an average yearly medical cost of $7,337, versus $3,250 for employees without the disease.
Considering direct medical expenditures and indirect costs—like disability payment and lost work days—RA was second only to kidney failure in expense. Nearly all of the excess costs of RA were for direct medical care.
Research Links Hunger Hormone to Learning and Memory
The hormone produced in the stomach that tells you you’re hungry also helps you remember and learn, according to a new study co-authored by Saint Louis University scientists.
While more research is needed, the findings could point to a new direction for a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease: a replacement therapy for ghrelin, the hunger hormone, to restore memory.
“This shows a direct link between the stomach and the brain,” says John E. Morley, M.D., director of the division of geriatric medicine at Saint Louis University and study researcher. “A human is truly what he or she eats.”
Study finds gene variant is no strong risk factor for osteoporosis
Variations in a number of different genes and environmental factors affect an individual’s risk for osteoporosis. Several gene variants have been linked to osteoporosis, but few have stood the test of time.
The GENOMOS study, a large European collaboration led by Andre Uitterlinden (Erasmus University Medical Center), John Ioannidis (University of Ioannina), and Stuart Ralston (University of Edinburgh), now shows that a top candidate gene plays a role in osteoporosis, but with effects that are less marked than those described in previous studies.
The so-called Sp1 polymorphism in the COL1A1 gene is a plausible candidate: the gene contains the genetic information to make type 1 collagen, a major component of bone, and preclinical studies suggested that one of the two variants (the T version) led to weaker bones. Earlier genetic studies had found an association between the T variant and low bone mineral density (BMD) and fractures, prompting some scientists to suggest that genetic testing of people for this variant could help in assessing fracture risk. The GENOMOS study was done to evaluate how good the COL1A1 genetic test was at predicting fractures and to determine if it was associated with osteoporosis.
