Archive for February 2009

Doodling may help with concentration and memory, so says a newly published study comparing doodlers and non-doodlers. Study volunteers were tested on how much they were able to recall after listening to a dull 2.5 minute-long telephone message. Those who doodled while listening performed 29% better in recalling specific names and places mentioned in the message. The other half of the group were left to daydream or do anything they pleased while on the phone. Researchers say that doodling is a simple task that may be sufficient to stop daydreaming, but it won’t necessarily distract you from the task at hand.

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A new report from the Institute of Medicine finds that more US residents will lose their health insurance as the economy continues to weaken and health care costs continue to rise. Many companies have begun to replace full-time positions with part-time, contract and temporary positions that do not include health insurance. The report also found that increased health insurance premiums have prompted more employees to seek out alternative options outside of plans offered by companies. According to the report, the average annual employee premium contribution for family health insurance coverage increased from $1,543 to $3,354 between 1999 and 2008.

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You think by now scientist would have figured out why our hair goes gray as we age. However, only recently do we know that it’s not necessarily from attainment of wisdom. A team of European scientists just discovered that going gray is caused by a build up of hydrogen peroxide, which our hair follicles normally produce in small amounts. But as we age, wear and tear of our hair follicles renders them unable to properly process the hydrogen peroxide. The peroxide then winds up blocking the normal synthesis of melanin, the substance that gives hair its natural pigment.

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Scientists have discovered a small family of antibodies capable of fighting off an unprecedented range of influenza A viruses, including the avian flu virus and previous pandemic viruses. One of the reasons why it’s difficult to formulate a cure to the flu is because the viruses are always mutating. However, the newly discovered antibodies are able to hone in on a small portion of flu viral structure that remains the same from virus to virus thereby neutralizing them before they cause an infection.

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Almost 7,000 people died from HIV/AIDS in China during the first nine months of 2008, making HIV the leading cause of death from infection. Tuberculosis and rabies have fallen to second and third places. Just three years ago, less than 8,000 Chinese in total had died from HIV/AIDS. However, with the tremendous movement of populations from the countryside to cities, and the gradual shift towards a less conservative society, the spread of HIV has gained momentum. Initially, HIV primarily affected injection drug workers. Now, the main cause of transmission is thought to be unsafe sex.

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Researchers from Cambridge University have successfully treated a small group of children with peanut allergy through a desensitization technique. The children were given daily doses of peanut flour with the dose increasing by a small amount twice a week. By the end they were able to eat 10 whole peanuts without having an allergic reaction. This research is important as there is currently no treatment for peanut allergy. Those with peanut allergy should not try to do this without medical supervision as there is a real risk that a person will react and need emergency treatment. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America estimates that peanut allergy is the most common cause of food-related death.

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In this month’s issue of the Archives of Dermatology researchers noted that common skin diseases can lead to poor morale and combat ineffectiveness of troops on the front line. Poor control and misdiagnosis of common, benign conditions such as itchy rashes, eczema, psoriasis, non-cancerous moles can often lead to evacuation of troops for evaluation and treatment. The study authors say that measures such as identification of individuals with chronic skin diseases during medical screening before they are deployed and emphasizing preventive measures to clinicians in the field can reduce the number of evacuations. Teledermatolgy may someday play a role as well, allowing physicians with dermatological expertise to visually examine soldiers remotely.

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German scientists published in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association that drugs of the anti-TNF-α (anti-tumor necrosis factor) class used to treat rheumatoid arthritis are associated with an elevated risk of shingles. There are a number of anti-TNF-α drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, including Humira, Enbrel and Remicade. These drugs provide tremendous benefit to many with arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. However, based on this new study, doctor’s should now be aware of this potential serious side effect.

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The US Food and Drug Administration has given approval to the first new gout drug to appear on the market in 40 years. Gout is an intensely painful form of arthritis. The new drug, febuxostat, will be marketed in the US under the name Uloric by Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Febuxostat lower the concentration of uric acid in the blood of people with gout. It has been shown to be effective in clinical trials and is safe for patient with kidney or liver problems.

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A team of researchers from University of Wisconsin and the University of Maryland reported that they have sequenced the genomes of all 99 cataloged human rhinoviruses, the viruses that cause the common cold. Knowing the sequences of the viral genomes will allow us to understand the virus, its evolution, structure and vulnerabilities. Eventually, this may pave the way for development of drugs that will

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