http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. As we grow older, we are less capable of correctly estimating differences in the weights of objects we lift, according to a study published Oct. 24 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Jessica Holmin and Farley Norman from North Dakota State University and Western Kentucky University, respectively. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-older-adults-worse-distinguishing-weights.html Health Wed, 24 Oct 2012 18:20:01 EST news270318655 A complex genetic regulatory network mediates the regeneration of adult skeletal muscles. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn report that HEXIM1, a protein that regulates gene transcription, is important for skeletal muscle regeneration in mice. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-hex-muscle-regeneration.html Medical research Mon, 01 Oct 2012 12:00:09 EST news268308115 Just six months of exercise can improve memory, language, thinking and judgment problems by almost 50 per cent, says a study presented today at the Canadian Stroke Congress. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-memory.html Cardiology Mon, 01 Oct 2012 03:00:01 EST news268277633 Working with mice, Johns Hopkins researchers have solved a key part of a muscle regeneration mystery plaguing scientists for years, adding strong support to the theory that muscle mass can be built without a complete, fully functional supply of muscle stem cells. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-key-mystery-muscle-mass.html Medical research Thu, 27 Sep 2012 13:37:34 EST news267971821 (Medical Xpress)—A study by Human Nutrition researchers at the University of Glasgow has revealed that Scots' waistlines have become bigger in the last 10 years. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-ten-years-waist-scots-fatter.html Overweight and Obesity Tue, 25 Sep 2012 08:11:14 EST news267779465 Presented last week at the British Science Festival, a new study by University of Aberdeen scientists will examine if the consumption of fish oil combined with weight training exercises could help protect the elderly against muscle deterioration. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-fish-oil-key-sarcopenia-elderly.html Health Mon, 10 Sep 2012 07:50:01 EST news266481562 (Medical Xpress)—Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have developed a new way to identify and study the stem cells that are capable of giving rise to new Leydig cells in adult testes. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-stem-cell-method-leydig-cells.html Medical research Thu, 06 Sep 2012 08:47:23 EST news266140002 Scientists have moved closer toward helping people grow big, strong muscles without needing to hit the weight room. Australian researchers have found that by blocking the function of a protein called Grb10 while mice were in the womb, they were considerably stronger and more muscular than their normal counterparts. This discovery appears in the September 2012 issue of The FASEB Journal. Outside of aesthetics, this study has important implications for a wide range of conditions that are worsened by, or cause muscle wasting, such as injury, muscular dystrophy, Type 2 diabetes, and problems produced by muscle inflammation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-hulk-protein-grb10-muscle-growth.html Medical research Thu, 30 Aug 2012 12:47:52 EST news265549659 Men can significantly cut the visceral fat in their abdomen with one hour of interval sprinting per week instead of relying on seven hours of jogging a week for a similar result, according to new Australian research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-sprint-fat.html Overweight and Obesity Fri, 29 Jun 2012 03:35:21 EST news260159606 Obesity and its associated problems such as diabetes and fatty liver disease are increasingly common global health concerns. A new study by University of Iowa researchers shows that a natural substance found in apple peel can partially protect mice from obesity and some of its harmful effects. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-apple-compound-boosts-calorie-obesity.html Overweight and Obesity Wed, 20 Jun 2012 17:00:06 EST news259418390 Researchers have long been aware that the progressive loss of muscle mass and bone density is a natural part of aging. But little work has investigated how muscle tissue affects the inner and outer layers of bone microstructure. A Mayo Clinic study looked at skeletal muscle mass and bone health across the life span and discovered distinct differences in how muscle affects the two layers of bone in men and women. The findings are published in the Journal of Bone & Mineral Research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-links-healthy-muscle-mass-bones.html Health Wed, 20 Jun 2012 13:00:34 EST news259416027 Scientists at Aarhus University, Denmark in collaboration with the biotech company Cytoguide now publish a key to use glucocorticoid steroids in a kind of intelligent medicine that specifically hits the relevant cells. Data are based on rodent studies but if this principle is translated to humans it may greatly improve todays hazardous treatment with this type of potent steroids. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-intelligent-medicine-erases-side-effects.html Medical research Thu, 31 May 2012 11:30:01 EST news257681451 Working memory training is unlikely to be an effective treatment for children suffering from disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity or dyslexia, according to a research analysis published by the American Psychological Association. In addition, memory training tasks appear to have limited effect on healthy adults and children looking to do better in school or improve their cognitive skills. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-memory-adhd-boosting-iq.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 31 May 2012 10:55:42 EST news257680534 Weight training at a lower intensity but with more repetitions may be as effective for building muscle as lifting heavy weights says a new opinion piece in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-muscle-heavy-weights.html Health Thu, 26 Apr 2012 04:36:54 EST news254633670 A team of Japanese researchers will reveal study results Monday at the Experimental Biology 2012 meeting that show how acupuncture therapy mitigates skeletal muscle loss and holds promise for those seeking improved mobility through muscle rejuvenation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-japanese-acupuncture-skeletal-muscle-atrophy.html Medical research Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:30:01 EST news254397275 The scope of the obesity epidemic in the United States has been greatly underestimated, according to a study published Apr. 2 in the open access journal PLoS ONE. Researchers found that the Body Mass Index (BMI) substantially under-diagnoses obesity when compared to the Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) scan, a direct simultaneous measure of body fat, muscle mass, and bone density. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-obesity-epidemic-america-significantly-worse.html Health Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:00:04 EST news252590702 A middle-aged man goes to see his doctor, complaining of a host of vague symptoms: He's lethargic, somewhat depressed and feeling a little anxious about his manliness. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-reality.html Sleep apnea Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:20:01 EST news250772176 Men receiving testosterone supplementation who also received a drug (dutasteride) commonly used to treat an enlarged prostate gland and which blocks the conversion of testosterone to its potent metabolite DHT did not experience a significant difference in changes in certain outcomes such as muscle mass, muscle strength, or sexual function compared to men who did not receive dutasteride, according to a study in the March 7 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-relative-roles-testosterone-metabolite-dihydrotestosterone.html Medical research Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:00:08 EST news250269494 If you want big muscles without working out, there's hope. In the March 2012 print issue of the FASEB Journal, scientists from the University of Florida report that a family of protein transcription factors, called "Forkhead (Fox0)" plays a significant role in the regulation of skeletal muscle mass. Specifically, they found that interfering with the activity of these transcription factors prevents muscle wasting associated with cancer and sepsis, and even promotes muscle growth. This discovery is likely to be relevant to any disease, condition or lifestyle that leads to muscle wasting, including voluntary inactivity. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-workout-scientists-muscle-loss-mice.html Medical research Wed, 29 Feb 2012 11:10:01 EST news249735328 Permanent disconnection between nerves and muscles may be the reason behind progressive loss of muscle mass and function in elderly people, Perth-based researchers have found. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-clues-muscle-elderly-people.html Medical research Fri, 24 Feb 2012 07:00:01 EST news249288240 Many patients with advanced cancer suffer from cachexia, a condition also called body-wasting or wasting syndrome, which causes significant weight loss, extreme fatigue and reduces quality of life. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-heavy-cancer.html Cancer Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:37:50 EST news248002645 Medical researchers at the University of Alberta reviewed the medical records of more than 100 patients who had a liver scarring condition and discovered those who were losing muscle were more apt to die while waiting for a liver transplant. These cirrhosis patients were placed at a lower spot on the transplant list because they had a higher functioning liver and were seemingly less sick than others with the same condition, based on scoring systems physicians commonly use today. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-cirrhosis-patients-muscle-mass-higher.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:54:05 EST news247841606 A research team led by Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute has for the first time demonstrated that the effect of obesity on the risk of premature death is seriously underestimated unless a person's hip circumference is taken into account. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-hip-size-key-link-obesity.html Health Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:08:48 EST news246521315 Patients with cancer, heart disease and other chronic illness struggle not only with complications inherent to their disease, they also experience an involuntary loss of weight and muscle mass triggered by the body's natural response to infection and inflammation. Increasing nutrition intake does not mitigate the process and there is no treatment. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-loss-weight-chronic-illness-treatment.html Medical research Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:31:35 EST news240575488 In 2008, as part of a larger initiative aimed at reducing preventable hospital errors and lowering costs, Medicare stopped reimbursing for the treatment of injuries related to in-hospital falls. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-link-elderly-patient-hospital-falls.html Health Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:58:01 EST news239025475 A recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) found that higher levels of testosterone were associated with reduced loss of lean muscle mass in older men, especially in those who were losing weight. In these men, higher testosterone levels were also associated with less loss of lower body strength. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-older-men-higher-testosterone-muscle.html Medical research Thu, 27 Oct 2011 07:59:17 EST news238921150 New research in The FASEB Journal suggests that rats fed homobrassinolide, found in the mustard plant, produced an anabolic effect, and increased appetite and muscle mass, as well as the number and size of muscle fibers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-weights-mustard-muscles.html Medical research Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:00:01 EST news236511133 Children with severe therapy-resistant asthma (STRA) may have poorer lung function and worse symptoms compared to children with moderate asthma, due to lower levels of vitamin D in their blood, according to researchers in London. Lower levels of vitamin D may cause structural changes in the airway muscles of children with STRA, making breathing more difficult. The study provides important new evidence for possible treatments for the condition. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-vitamin-d-deficiency-linked-airway.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:41:23 EST news235914041 A new study from the University of New Hampshire finds that the leg strength and power of overweight older women is significantly less than that of normal-weight older women, increasing their risk for disability and loss of independence. With more Americans aging and becoming overweight or obese, the study, published recently in the Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, dispels the popular image of the bird-thin elder being at greatest risk of becoming disabled due to loss of muscle mass. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-overweight-older-women-leg-strength.html Overweight and Obesity Mon, 19 Sep 2011 11:26:55 EST news235650385 New research suggests a higher-protein, lower-carbohydrate energy-restricted diet has a major positive impact on body composition, trimming belly fat and increasing lean muscle, particularly when the proteins come from dairy products. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-foods-rich-protein-dairy-products.html Health Mon, 29 Aug 2011 10:06:16 EST news233831123