Saturday, December 27, 2014

Fwd: memory

'New research indicates that lost memories can be restored, according to new research into a type of marine snail called Aplysia. The findings offer some hope for patients in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease'

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

lifespan

'A common over-the-counter drug that tackles pain and fever may also hold keys to a longer, healthier life, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist.

Regular doses of ibuprofen extended the lifespan of multiple species, according to research published in the journal Public Library of Science, Genetics.

"We first used baker's yeast, which is an established aging model, and noticed that the yeast treated with ibuprofen lived longer," said Dr. Michael Polymenis, an AgriLife Research biochemist in College Station. "Then we tried the same process with worms and flies and saw the same extended lifespan. Plus, these organisms not only lived longer, but also appeared healthy."

He said the treatment, given at doses comparable to the recommended human dose, added about 15 percent more to the species lives. In humans, that would be equivalent to another dozen or so years of healthy living.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141218141004.htm


Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Fwd: Glycemic index

'Some studies have suggested that carbs with a low glycemic index—such as whole grains—led to fewer spikes in blood sugar, and therefore more efficient breakdown into energy, while higher glycemic index foods—including refined flours—led to larger peaks in glucose that the body couldn't process and therefore stored as fat.

So two of the diets in the study were high in carbs overall, but one was made up of low-glycemic-index foods while the other was composed of high-glycemic-index foods. The other two diets were low in carbs overall, with the same breakdown or low- and high-glycemic items

​...​

In fact, among those eating the high-carb diets, those consuming low-glycemic-index foods had worse insulin response and higher LDL cholesterol…

we did not show that the glycemic index of the carb really had any favorable effect," says Sacks.

That suggests that all the attention to knowing the glycemic index of various foods—and basing your eating habits on these numbers—may not be worth the effort.'

​...

Overall, those eating the low-carb diets had lower risk factors for heart disease compared to the group eating more carbohydrates, but the type of carbs didn't seem to make much difference​

http://time.com/3636690/glycemic-index-heart-health-low-carb/


Fwd: Malaria

'An international research collaborative has determined that a promising anti-malarial compound tricks the immune system to rapidly destroy red blood cells infected with the malaria parasite but leave healthy cells unharmed. 

Fwd: Ebola

'Endless Ebola Endemic? That's The 'Risk We Face Now,' CDC Says

Speed. That's key to ending the Ebola epidemic, says the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Thomas Frieden is visiting West Africa this week to figure out how to reduce the time it takes to find new Ebola cases and isolate them.

Otherwise, Ebola could become a permanent disease in West Africa.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/goatsandsoda/2014/12/15/370446566/endless-ebola-endemic-thats-the-risk-we-face-now-cdc-says

 

 

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Fwd: Cancer

'Simple blood test could detect breast cancer long before symptoms appear - and spell the end of the mammogram 


A metal-detecting blood test that can give vital early warning of breast cancer is being developed by Oxford University scientists.

They hope the inexpensive and simple test will spot the disease long before a woman develops a lump – and say it could be used in a national screening programme.

Picking up the cancer at the earliest stages when it is easiest to treat could save thousands of lives, as well as spare patients and their loves ones the pain and distress of prolonged illness.

Researcher Fiona Larner said: 'Prevention is better than cure.

'There is a survival rate of about 80 per cent for breast cancer but the earlier you can detect it, the more chance you have of treating it.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2867188/Simple-blood-test-detect-breast-cancer-long-symptoms-appear-spell-end-mammogram.html#ixzz3LRJSFQ1k