http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress provides the latest news from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc National guidelines recommend that at-risk women be screened for elevated cholesterol levels to reduce their chances of developing cardiovascular disease. But who is 'at risk?' The results of a study by investigators at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to estimate the proportion of women young and old who have cholesterol levels that meet the definition of being at-risk are reported in an article in Journal of Women's Health. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-women-screened-high-cholesterol.html Cardiology Mon, 20 May 2013 12:36:48 EST news288272197 As scientists learn more about processing bodies (PBs), granules present within normal cells, they are unraveling the complex role PBs play in maintaining cellular homeostasis by regulating RNA metabolism and cell signaling. Emerging research is revealing how virus infection alters PBs to enhance viral replication and how, in turn, PBs are able respond and limit a virus's ability to reproduce. This novel mechanism allows PBs to contribute to the body's immune defenses, as described in an article in DNA and Cell Biology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-role-bodies-cell-survival-viral.html Medical research Thu, 16 May 2013 11:40:02 EST news287922497 Animals, insects, and plants use a variety of sensing mechanisms to detect invading pathogens such as viruses. One complex and effective antiviral defense system they share is based on recognition of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), often produced when a virus invades a host cell. New information leading to a clearer understanding of the mechanisms underlying viral dsRNA sensing is presented in a comprehensive Review article published in Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-role-double-stranded-rna-antiviral-host.html Medical research Tue, 14 May 2013 16:55:08 EST news287769138 Breastfeeding has a positive impact on the physical and mental development of infants. A new study suggests that breastfeeding may protect against the development of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) later in childhood. The study is reported in Breastfeeding Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-breastfeeding-adhd.html Attention deficit disorders Tue, 14 May 2013 12:35:28 EST news287753715 New approaches to applying noninvasive imaging tests such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance (MR), and positron emission tomography (PET) may play a bigger role in evaluating and managing patients with diabetes. Advances in noninvasive imaging technology can assess important changes in fat composition and distribution in the body that may affect the metabolic complications and diseases associated with diabetes, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. A forward-looking Review article on "Obesity and Diabetes: Newer Concepts in Imaging" in Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics (DTT), a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers, highlights these emerging advances. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-advanced-imaging-diabetes.html Diabetes Mon, 13 May 2013 12:39:45 EST news287667576 Insomnia and other sleep disturbances are common among perimenopausal and postmenopausal women and may increase their risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Evidence that a combination of altered sleep duration and insomnia among women ages 50-79 doubled their risk of both CHD and CVD over a period of more than 10 years is presented in an article in Journal of Women's Health. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-insomnia-disrupted-menopause-woman-heart.html Health Thu, 09 May 2013 16:19:50 EST news287335178 Congestive heart failure affects more than 5.3 million Americans, is increasing in prevalence, and is ultimately fatal, but the duration and quality of life leading up to death can be unpredictable and vary greatly. Patients and caregivers could better plan for this difficult time if they knew what to expect. Five of the most common scenarios for the last 12 months of life in end-stage heart failure are clearly described in the article "Trajectory of Illness for Patients with Congestive Heart Failure," published in Journal of Palliative Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-path-death-patients-cope-end-stage.html Health Fri, 03 May 2013 17:37:42 EST news286821455 In a team-based care approach, a diverse group of clinicians shares responsibility for a panel of patients and consults with each other regularly. This model of delivering primary care can improve patient care, practice workflows, and patient and physician satisfaction, according to a study published in Population Health Management. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-team-based-primary-delivery-patient-outcomes.html Health Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:31:08 EST news285852662 Interferons have antitumor activity and have been used to treat a variety of malignancies, including colorectal and ovarian cancers. However, their effectiveness varies. A clearer understanding of the role of interferon in immune-mediated tumor cell death and how its antitumor effects could be optimized are presented in a comprehensive Review article published in Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-approaches-maximize-antitumor-interferon.html Medical research Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:25:51 EST news285330333 Even as medical acupuncture is increasingly being validated as an effective treatment for a broad range of medical conditions, what has been missing is an understanding of the basic science and mechanisms of action of this age-old method of healing. A special issue of Medical Acupuncture, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers presents a series of articles by authors from around the world who provide diverse and insightful perspectives on the science and physiologic responses underlying medical acupuncture. The issue is available free on the Medical Acupuncture website at http://www.liebertpub.com/acu. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-acupuncture-science-therapy-explored.html Other Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:24:36 EST news285330269 Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) derived from blood contains growth factors and other bioactive molecules that promote healing at sites of tissue injury. However, it is difficult to deliver and retain these molecules at a target site, and clinical results have proven to be mixed – until now. A new solid form of bioactive plasma-based biomaterials, known as PBMs, can accelerate tissue healing. Not only are PBMs easier to work with, inexpensive to produce, and safe to use, they are available as off-the-shelf products. All of these promising advantages, and the potential to use PBMs to enhance healing of difficult-to-treat connective tissue injuries affecting cartilage, tendons, and ligaments, contribute to their unique possibilities as described in the article "Biologically Active Blood Plasma-Based Biomaterials as a New Paradigm for Tissue Repair Therapies," by Smith et al. in Disruptive Science and Technology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-plasma-based-biomaterials-tissues.html Other Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:38:59 EST news285244727 Pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic, deadly disease that affects five million people worldwide. It is irreversible, its cause is poorly understood, and it has a median survival of only about 3 years. A new study that implicates mast cells—an immune cell involved in allergic asthma—in the development of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis could lead to new, more effective therapies. The study is published in DNA and Cell Biology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-mast-cells-critical-role-pulmonary.html Medical research Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:54:58 EST news284903686 New classes of drugs that can silence specific genes, such as small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), offer great therapeutic potential. But the specific delivery of siRNAs to target cells to exert their effects remains a significant challenge. A novel nanoparticle-based approach that enables more efficient delivery of siRNA drugs is presented in Nucleic Acid Therapeutics. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-nanoparticles-boost-therapeutic-potential-sirna.html Medical research Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:40:26 EST news284830819 One of the main obstacles that stands in the way of using human hematopoietic stem cells (hHSCs) to treat a variety of diseases is the difficulty growing them in culture—they quickly die or differentiate into other cell types. A series of experiments that demonstrate the successful use of fat cells as part of a feeder layer to support prolonged growth of hHSCs in culture is reported in an article in BioResearch Open Access. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-fat-cells-prolong-survival-human.html Medical research Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:36:42 EST news284733393 The decision to perform an invasive procedure to open clogged arteries in the heart instead of first trying medication and lifestyle changes may not reduce a patient's risk of death or of a major cardiac event. Unnecessary procedures to treat chronic, stable heart disease contribute to rising health care costs. A targeted approach to avoiding this kind of overutilization by instead relying on evidence-based decision-making is presented in Population Health Management, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Population Health Management website at http://www.liebertpub.com/bari. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-medical-therapy-safer-choice-angioplasty.html Cardiology Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:35:29 EST news284729717