Germy mouths linked to heart attacks, study finds
People with the germiest mouths are the most likely to have heart attacks, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday. A study that compared heart attack victims to healthy volunteers found the heart patients had higher numbers of bacteria in their mouths, the researchers said. Their findings add to a growing body of evidence linking oral hygiene with overall health. Oelisoa Andriankaja and colleagues... Read more
Combo Screening Doesn’t Spot Early Ovarian Cancer
A screening regimen that combines ultrasound and a blood test to detect CA125, a marker for ovarian cancer, fails to discover the cancer in its early stages and often results in unnecessary surgery, a new study shows. This finding contrasts with another recent study that found that these same two tests did find early cancer. Taken together, experts say these studies highlight the need to find an effective... Read more
Alzheimer’s Drug May Someday Help Head Trauma Victims
A new class of Alzheimer’s disease drugs may prevent long-term damage from traumatic brain injury, suggests a study of mice by Georgetown University Medical Center researchers. The drugs — gamma-secretase inhibitors — are designed to target amyloid plaque that accumulates in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease, according to background information in the study. “No... Read more
Caffeine May Kill Some Cancer Cells
A cup of joe a day may help keep skin cancer away: A new study shows that caffeine helps kill off human cells damaged by ultraviolet light, one of the key triggers of several types of skin cancer. The finding, detailed in Feb. 26 online issue of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, could one day lead to the development of caffeine creams or ointments to help reverse the effects of UV damage in... Read more
Clean living could cut third of many cancers
Healthier living could prevent about a third of the most common cancers in rich countries and about a quarter in poorer ones, international researchers said on Thursday. Better diets, more exercise and controlling weight could also prevent more than 40 percent of colon and breast cancer cases in some countries, according to the study which urged governments and individuals to do more to cut the number... Read more
Media Influences Cancer Care
Cancer patients who research their disease on the Internet and in other media are more likely to get the latest treatments from their doctors, a new study suggests. Although studies have found that about 40 percent of cancer patients look to the Internet for medical information, it hasn’t been clear just how that information influences their choice of treatments, the researchers noted. “We... Read more
British reality star’s cancer sparks rise in tests
Hospitals in Britain are seeing a surge in testing for cervical cancer due to the so-called “Jade Goody Effect”, after the reality TV star who is dying from the disease, reports said Tuesday. Goody, whose publicist confirmed she plans to marry her fiance in the coming week, discovered she had cervical cancer last year and revealed last week that doctors had given her months to live. The... Read more
Japan scientists identify enzyme that may suppress cancer
Scientists in Japan have identified an enzyme which appears to suppress breast cancer and they hope the finding will spur new therapies to control the second most common cancer in the world. At issue is the enzyme CHIP, which experts say can stunt cancer growth by degrading a number of cancer-causing proteins. The enzyme occurs naturally in human breast tissue. In an article published in Nature Cell... Read more
Two-Thirds of Hispanic Women Discover Breast Cancer Themselves
Most breast cancers in Hispanic women are detected by self-exam, despite high rates of screening mammography in this population, a new study shows. What’s troubling, however, is that about half of all women who noticed an abnormality during a self-exam waited at least a month before seeking medical help, according to new research being presented at the American Association for Cancer Research... Read more
Mental illness alone not a trigger for violence
Severe mental illness such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression does not make a person more violent than anyone else but adding substance abuse does, researchers said on Monday. Experts long have sought to understand the link between mental illness and violence. Eric Elbogen of the University of North Carolina and colleagues tracked 34,653 people who gave detailed information from... Read more