http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Chemicals called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been used for decades to reduce fires in everyday products such as baby strollers, carpeting and electronics. A new study to be presented on Monday, May 6, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting shows that prenatal exposure to the flame retardants is associated with lower intelligence and hyperactivity in early childhood. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-flame-retardants-toxic-children.html Pediatrics Mon, 06 May 2013 05:20:03 EST news287034636 Thyroid hormone resistance has been linked to mutations in the IGSF1 gene for the first time—surprising researchers who did not suspect it played a role in the maintenance of normal thyroid function. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-scientists-localise-genetic-mutations-responsible.html Genetics Wed, 16 Jan 2013 10:32:56 EST news277554769 Scientists at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, in collaboration with colleagues in Germany and the Netherlands, have identified a previously unknown group of nerve cells in the brain. The nerve cells regulate cardiovascular functions such as heart rhythm and blood pressure. It is hoped that the discovery, which is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, will be significant in the long term in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases in humans. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-nerve-cell-brain.html Neuroscience Fri, 21 Dec 2012 12:00:04 EST news275306103 People with an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) carry a greater risk of developing irregular heart rhythm (known as atrial fibrillation) than those with normal thyroid function, finds a study published on BMJ today. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-thyroid-problems-linked-irregular-heart.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 28 Nov 2012 04:46:25 EST news273300372 International researchers, including a team at McGill University, have discovered a new cause for thyroid hormone deficiency, or hypothyroidism. This common endocrine disorder is typically caused by problems of the thyroid gland, and more rarely, by defects in the brain or the pituitary gland (hypophysis). However, a new cause of the disease has been discovered from an unsuspected source and is reported in the journal Nature Genetics. The scientists, led by McGill Professor Daniel Bernard, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics in the Faculty of Medicine, identified a new hereditary form of hypothyroidism that is more prevalent in males than in females. This sex bias shone a light on where to look for the underlying cause. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-thyroid-hormone-deficiency.html Genetics Mon, 12 Nov 2012 13:24:42 EST news271949074 (Medical Xpress)—The flame-retardant mixture known as "Firemaster 550" is an endocrine disruptor that causes extreme weight gain, early onset of puberty and cardiovascular health effects in lab animals, according to a new study spearheaded by researchers from North Carolina State University and Duke University. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-flame-retardant-firemaster-endocrine-disruptor.html Overweight and Obesity Wed, 24 Oct 2012 11:32:29 EST news270297129 Bisphenol A (BPA), an estrogen-like compound that has drawn increased scrutiny in recent years, has been linked to changes in thyroid hormone levels in pregnant women and newborn boys, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-bpa-linked-thyroid-hormone-pregnant.html Health Thu, 04 Oct 2012 00:00:01 EST news268505034 Tafamidis meglumine (trade name: Vyndaqel) was approved in November 2011 for the treatment of transthyretin amyloidosis in adults. This rare disorder ("orphan disease") is caused by a defective gene and is associated with progressive nerve damage (neurological degeneration) that tafamidis is supposed to delay. According to § 35a SGB (Social Code Book) V, an added benefit is regarded as proven if a drug for a rare disease - known as an orphan drug - has been approved. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has assessed tafamidis at the request of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-tafamidis-denotes-proven-added-benefit.html Medications Mon, 17 Sep 2012 10:34:43 EST news267096867 There is no evidence to link mildly elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels to an increase in mortality among the elderly, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM). The findings suggest that reflexively treating mild elevations of TSH in those of advanced age is unnecessary. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-mild-thyroid-stimulating-hormone-elderly.html Medical research Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:00:02 EST news266688983 A Purdue University student's research project related to zebrafish eye development could lead to a better understanding of vision problems that affect billions of people worldwide. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-fish-eye-view-insights-human-vision.html Ophthalmology Thu, 02 Aug 2012 12:39:38 EST news263129971 Congenital hypothyroidism is thyroid hormone deficiency at birth that, if left untreated, can lead to neurocognitive impairments in infants and children. Although the World Health Organization recommends 200-300 µg of iodine daily during pregnancy for normal fetal thyroid hormone production and neurocognitive development, the US Institute of Medicine considers 1,100 µg to be the safe upper limit for daily ingestion. A case series scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics describes three infants who developed congenital hypothyroidism as a result of excess maternal iodine supplementation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-associates-excess-maternal-iodine-supplementation.html Pediatrics Thu, 26 Jul 2012 00:00:01 EST news262458126 An overactive thyroid gland, or hyperthyroidism, may increase the risk of hospitalization for heart and blood-vessel disease even after surgery to remove the gland, according to a new study. The results will be presented Saturday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-hyperthyroidism-linked-hospitalization-heart-blood-vessel.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Sat, 23 Jun 2012 12:51:50 EST news259674688 Even moderate thyroid dysfunction during early pregnancy significantly increases the risk of serious complications, underscoring the need for universal screening in the first trimester, a new study finds. The results will be presented Saturday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-mild-thyroid-dysfunction-early-pregnancy.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Sat, 23 Jun 2012 12:49:42 EST news259674563 Scientists have identified a protein which regulates the activation of brown fat in both the brain and the body's tissues. Their research, which was conducted in mice, was published today, Friday 11 May, in the journal Cell. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-scientists-protein-brown-fat-calories.html Medical research Thu, 10 May 2012 12:00:01 EST news255868823 Treatment of subclinical hypothyroidism with the medication levothyroxine appears to be related to fewer ischemic heart disease events in younger patients but this finding was not evident in older patients, according to a report published Online First in Archives of Internal Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-treatment-subclinical-hypothyroidism-linked-ischemic.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:00:01 EST news254398138 Children of mothers screened and treated for reduced thyroid function during pregnancy show no signs of improved IQ compared to women who receive no treatment, new research has uncovered. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-antenatal-thyroid-screening-iq-year-olds.html Health Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:26:13 EST news247944353 People who use over-the-counter "thyroid support" supplements may be putting their health at risk, according to a study being presented at the annual meeting of the American Thyroid Association. The supplements contain varying amounts of two different kinds of thyroid hormones apparently derived in large part from chopped up animal thyroid glands, says the study's senior investigator, Victor Bernet, M.D., an endocrinologist at Mayo Clinic in Florida. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-over-the-counter-thyroid-pills-risky.html Health Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:39:37 EST news238941568 A discovery by scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies might explain why some premature infants fail to respond to existing treatments for a deadly respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and offers clues for new ways to treat the breathing disorder. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-life-primary-killer-premature-infants.html Medical research Tue, 18 Oct 2011 09:38:45 EST news238149507 A new study finds that pregnant women in Northern California have the highest PBDE flame retardant exposures reported to date among pregnant women worldwide. It also describes some of the first evidence from humans that certain flame retardants may interfere with thyroid hormone signaling during pregnancy, which is critical to fetal brain development. The study, described as one of the most extensive to date on flame retardant exposures in pregnant women, appears in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-high-potentially-toxic-flame-retardants.html Health Wed, 10 Aug 2011 11:15:05 EST news232193691 A new study that was prompted by recent reports of an increase in cases of congenital hypothyroidism in the United States, and aimed at assessing the incidence of this condition among Quebec newborns, suggests that the increase is entirely artifactual. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-commonest-intellectual-disability-years.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 19 Jul 2011 03:04:11 EST news230263427 A link between chemicals called phthalates and thyroid hormone levels was confirmed by the University of Michigan in the first large-scale and nationally representative study of phthalates and BPA in relation to thyroid function in humans. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-large-human-links-phthalates-bpa.html Health Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:27:55 EST news229609657 New clinical guidelines developed by an expert panel that include 100 evidence-based recommendations for optimal care of patients with hyperthyroidism and other causes of thyrotoxicosis are presented in the current issue of Thyroid, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-guidelines-diagnosis-hyperthyroid.html Cancer Mon, 13 Jun 2011 09:21:10 EST news227175582 Many older adults may be taking "excessive" doses of drugs for thyroid problems which can lead to an increased risk of fractures, finds a study published in the British Medical Journal today. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-04-excessive-doses-thyroid-drugs-older.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Fri, 29 Apr 2011 05:26:27 EST news223273556 (Medical Xpress) -- In a new report released by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics, the results show that over 78% of the almost four billion prescriptions written in the U.S. in 2010 were for generic drugs. The top 10 prescribed drugs for the year were all generic medications, and there were only three brand name drugs which made the top 25 list. This information is good for consumers as it means medication costs are lowering, however not as good for the pockets of the pharmaceutical companies. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-04-americans-medication.html Medications Fri, 22 Apr 2011 12:54:29 EST news222695519 Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are chemicals that have been widely used as flame retardants and are now classified as persistent organic pollutants. Health concerns in humans have arisen based primarily on studies with laboratory animals exposed to high levels of PBDEs. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-04-doses-penta-brominated-diphenyl-ether-flame.html Other Wed, 13 Apr 2011 09:18:14 EST news221905079