A Protective Mechanism Against Neuronal Death in Alzheimer’s
UCLA researchers have uncovered what appears to be a natural protective mechanism against a central cause of neuronal death in Alzheimer’s and similar neurodegenerative diseases. They discovered that a particular enzyme snips apart the abnormal tangles of protein called tau that are associated with cognitive decline and neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s and similar diseases.
New method of developing antibiotics
University of Minnesota and University of Michigan researchers have discovered a new method of developing antibiotics, an important step in fighting the growing number of drug-resistant infections.
In two articles published in the current online issue of Nature Chemical Biology, researchers describe an approach that is more efficient--and environmentally friendly--in developing new antibiotics, those needed to kill the increasing number of infections resistant to multiple drugs.
“We’re striving to create new drugs that can have a positive impact on the growing threat of infectious diseases,” says Robert Fecik, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy and one of the lead authors of the study. “This type of research can help us make new antibiotic molecules.”
Health advisors improve mammography usage
Women who receive visits from a lay health advisor are more likely to undergo the recommended mammography screening for breast cancer, a new study conducted in a poor, rural population shows.
“Lay health advisors provide a personalized intervention, as well as navigation through the health care system, social networking, and social support, and serve as a link between community members and the medical care system through outreach, education (and) information dissemination,” Dr. Electra Paskett of Ohio State University in Columbus and her colleagues write.
Many women don’t get regular mammograms, while poor and minority women, as well as those living in rural areas, have particularly low rates of breast cancer screening, Paskett and her team point out in the September 6 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Updated Sleep Apnea Screening Recommended for Commercial Drivers
New recommendations released today by a joint task force of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM), and the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) offer an updated and consistent approach to the screening and management of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operators. Published as a supplement to the September issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, these recommendations include a more thorough screening and evaluation process, modified criteria for returning to work after treatment, and provide follow-up and recertification recommendations.
“Sleepiness and inattention contribute to a significant number of CMV crashes each year and OSA has been shown to significantly increase a driver’s risk of driving drowsy. Yet, current CMV screening and treatment procedures for OSA are ambiguous and not reflective of the latest advancements in the diagnosis and management of OSA,” said Nancy Collop, MD, FCCP, Sleep Institute, American College of Chest Physicians. “Conflicting approaches to screening and management of OSA have left drivers undiagnosed, which puts the driver and general public at risk. We hope our joint recommendations will assist the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and states to update screening and treatment guidelines for sleep apnea which, in turn, may help identify and treat more CMV drivers who suffer from this serious condition.”
Childless women run the risk of earlier death
Childless women run the risk of earlier death and poorer health in later life.
A new study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) finds that not only childless women but also mothers of five or more children, teenage mothers and mothers who have children with less than an 18 month gap between births all have higher risks of death and poor health later in life.
Findings are based on a study of three separate datasets of women born from 1911 onwards in Great Britain and the USA. “We already know quite of lot about the impact of a person’s very early life or their socio-economic history on health and mortality in later life,” explains researcher Professor Emily Grundy of the Centre for Population Studies, School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London. “But, in this study we were able to analyse the long-term health implications of a person’s partnership and parenting experiences while taking into account education and other indicators of socio-economic status as well.”
Anti-obesity compound found in brown seaweed
Studies in animals suggest that brown seaweed, also known as wakame—commonly used to flavor Asian soups and salads, contains a compound that promotes weight loss. The compound, called fucoxanthin, also has anti-diabetes effects.
At the 232nd American Chemical Society National Meeting in San Francisco today, Dr. Kazuo Miyashita from Hokkaido University reported seeing significant reductions in fat tissue in rats and obese mice fed the edible seaweed carotenoid fucoxanthin.
“The mechanism for this effect is a new one,” Dr. Miyashita points out in a statement, explaining that fucoxanthin induces expression of the fat-burning protein UCP1 that accumulates in fat tissue around the internal organs. Mice fed fucoxanthin showed clear signs of UCP1 expression in fat tissue, whereas mice fed a control diet showed little expression of this protein.
Women’s family choices have impact on later health
Not having children, having five or more children, giving birth in adolescence, and spacing pregnancies less than 18 months apart could be detrimental to a woman’s health later in life, researchers said on Tuesday.
In addition, though women have a harder time conceiving after 40, those who do seem to have fewer medical problems as they age.
“We have shown that partnership and parenting histories are important influences on later life health and, in many cases, are as influential as the effects of a person’s socioeconomic status,” said Professor Emily Grundy of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Before Dementia Appears, Weight-Loss Rate Doubles
A long-term study of the elderly has revealed that their average rate of weight loss doubles in the year before symptoms of Alzheimer’s-type dementia first become detectable. The finding may be useful to researchers seeking ways to detect and treat Alzheimer’s before it causes irreversible brain damage.
The study is the first to confirm in precise detail a link between weight loss and dementia tentatively identified a decade ago. Researchers report in the September 2006 Archives of Neurology that one year before study volunteers were diagnosed with very mild dementia, their rate of weight loss doubled from 0.6 pounds per year to 1.2 pounds per year. The analysis used data from the Memory and Aging Project at the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
