http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. They identified blood-based biological markers that are associated with the build up of a toxic protein in the brain which occurs years before symptoms appear and irreversible brain damage has occurred. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-scientists-closer-screening-early-alzheimer.html Alzheimer's disease & dementia Wed, 01 May 2013 08:22:40 EST news286615351 Triple-negative breast cancers are more biologically diverse than previously believed and classification should be expanded to reflect this heterogeneity, according to University of North Carolina researchers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-biological-diversity-triple-negative-breast-cancer.html Cancer Wed, 13 Feb 2013 11:28:24 EST news279977290 Lesbians, gays and bisexuals (LGBs) who are out to others have lower stress hormone levels and fewer symptoms of anxiety, depression, and burnout, according to researchers at the Centre for Studies on Human Stress (CSHS) at Louis H. Lafontaine Hospital, affiliated with the University of Montreal. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-health-benefits-closet.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 29 Jan 2013 00:10:01 EST news278613398 Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders typically characterized by difficulties in social interactions and delayed or abnormal language development. Although ASD reportedly affects 1 in 88 people in the United States, to date there have been no distinctive biomarkers to diagnose the disease. In a special themed issue of Disease Markers, investigators report on the current understanding of ASD genetics and the possibilities of translating genetic research toward biomarker development in ASD. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-biomarker-early-autism-spectrum-disorder.html Autism spectrum disorders Fri, 30 Nov 2012 10:43:51 EST news273494616 The psychological scars of childhood abuse can last well into adulthood. New research from Concordia University shows the harm can have longterm negative physical effects, as well as emotional ones. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-childhood-abuse-poor-adult-health.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 13 Nov 2012 13:01:33 EST news272034086 In a column appearing in the current issue of the journal Nature, McLean Hospital biostatistician Nicholas Lange, ScD, cautions against heralding the use of brain imaging scans to diagnose autism and urges greater focus on conducting large, long-term multicenter studies to identify the biological basis of the disorder. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-brain-imaging-autism.html Autism spectrum disorders Fri, 02 Nov 2012 12:17:34 EST news271077435 Always look on the bright side of life. Thanks to a new study from Concordia University, this catchy refrain offers a prescription for staying healthy during one's golden years. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-lonely-older-adults-health.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 25 Oct 2012 11:28:27 EST news270383286 Using biological markers—genetic characteristics that are associated with some patients with breast cancer—can increase the success rate of clinical trials for breast cancer drugs by almost 50 per cent, says new research from the University of Toronto Mississauga. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-biological-markers-clinical-trial-success.html Cancer Mon, 01 Oct 2012 12:51:48 EST news268314695 Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is one of the viruses that most infected people carry without ill effects. Once infected you are infected for life and, although it normally is dormant, it can become active again at any point in time. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Immunity and Ageing shows that CMV infection is a significant risk factor for the type 2 diabetes in the elderly. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-virus-diabetic-life.html Immunology Mon, 27 Aug 2012 20:00:01 EST news265307310 Six months ago, researchers at UCLA published a study that showed using a specific type of yoga to engage in a brief, simple daily meditation reduced the stress levels of people who care for those stricken by Alzheimer's and dementia. Now they know why. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-yoga-stress.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 24 Jul 2012 15:27:29 EST news262362442 A pre-diet measurement of two hormones related to weight regulation can help predict which dieters will be more likely to maintain their weight loss and who will not, according to a new study. The results will be presented Sunday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-ratio-appetite-regulating-hormones-marker-successful.html Overweight and Obesity Mon, 25 Jun 2012 10:40:01 EST news259838524 (Medical Xpress) -- Autism is difficult to diagnose because of a lack of specific biological markers and a variability of symptoms, ranging from mild in some individuals to severely disabling in others. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-scientists-potential-biomarker-autism.html Autism spectrum disorders Fri, 27 Apr 2012 06:20:01 EST news254725807 Over the last few decades numerous studies have shown negative states, such as depression, anger, anxiety, and hostility, to be detrimental to cardiovascular health. Less is known about how positive psychological characteristics are related to heart health. In the first and largest systematic review on this topic to date, Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers found that positive psychological well-being appears to reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-positive-cardiovascular-health.html Cardiology Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:00:02 EST news253884405 In the largest study of its kind, researchers have profiled genetic changes in cancer with drug sensitivity in order to develop a personalised approach to cancer treatments. The study is published in Nature on Thursday 29 March 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-path-personalized-cancer-treatment.html Cancer Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:00:03 EST news252151008 Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infects nine out of ten people worldwide at some point during their lifetimes. Infections in early childhood often cause no disease symptoms, but people infected during adolescence or young adulthood may develop infectious mononucleosis, a disease characterized by swollen lymph nodes, fever and severe fatigue. EBV also is associated with several kinds of cancer, including Hodgkin lymphoma and stomach and nasal cancers. Organ transplant recipients and people infected with HIV (who become infected with or who already are infected with EBV) also may develop EBV-associated cancers. There is no vaccine to prevent EBV infection and no way for doctors to predict whether an EBV-infected person will develop virus-associated cancer. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-nih-scientists-outline-epstein-barr-virus.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:43:22 EST news239467388 One of the ways an alcohol dependence (AD) diagnosis can be made is through measurement of biological markers of hepatic injury such as gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV). These markers, however, are not always sufficiently sensitive or specific enough for determining AD, nor do their levels change rapidly in response to abstinence or relapse. A new study of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which regulates neuronal plasticity, indicates it may predict relapse in AD individuals undergoing treatment. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-linking-brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor-alcohol.html Medical research Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:00:39 EST news232641766 (Medical Xpress) -- Parts of the brain appear to shrink when people suffer from severe depression, according to research funded by the Wellcome Trust and the National Institute for Health Research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-brain-aid-diagnosis-clinical-depression.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 05 Jul 2011 04:05:11 EST news229057492