Health News for July 16, 2008

Quit-smoking contests fail to induce people to kick the habit
A new study has revealed that quit-smoking contests fail to induce people to kick the butt. ANI

Forensic patients with tattoos might suffer from antisocial personality disorder
Forensic psychiatric patients with tattoos are likely to suffer from antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), say researchers. ANI

Further evidence of genetic link to autism found
American researchers have found evidence that further explains a genetic link to autism. ANI

Even pacemakers can be hacked
A Harvard cardiologist has warned that even pacemakers - small machines that are implanted in the chest to keep ailing hearts beating steadily - can be hacked. ANI

Kidney transplants carried out at night are less successful
A survey conducted by urologists and internists at the University of Bonn has found that kidney transplants carried out at night require a further operation more than twice as often as operations during the day. ANI

Turning on hormone tap may help fight osteoporosis
European pharmacologists say that a potential new drug that opens the taps for the release of useful hormones may trigger the growth of new bones, and eventually bring relief to osteoporosis sufferers. ANI

Soon, a simple fluorescence test to check for urinary tract infections
A simple fluorescent light test would soon make it possible for people to have an almost instantaneous diagnosis for urinary tract infections and that too at home. ANI

Brit couples urged to have fewer sex partners as infections rise
With sex infections rising sharply in the UK, couples have been warned to have fewer lovers and to stop having overlapping relationships. ANI

Bullies more at risk of health problems than their victims
While bullying in schools is a common scenario, its not the victims but the bullies who are more at risk of facing a wide range of health, safety and educational problems, says a new study. ANI

Breast self-exams may be doing more harm than good
A new review challenges the effectiveness of breast self-exams, claiming that there is no evidence that would prove that it actually reduces breast cancer deaths. ANI

Giving 6-month-old-babies zinc supplements could keep diarrhoea at bay
Zinc supplementation is beneficial for kids suffering from diarrhoea in developing countries, but only if theyre over six months old, according to a group of researchers. ANI

X-rays may up prostate cancer risk
A new study conducted by experts at The University of Nottingham has cast light on a possible link between x-rays and prostate cancer risk. ANI

Kids physical activity drops off between 9-15
Kids cut back dramatically on exercise as they hit the teen years, shows a new US study. ANI

Diabetes could be hidden condition for heart disease patients
Diabetes could be a hidden condition for some patients with coronary heart disease, says a new research conducted by scientists at the University of Warwick. ANI

Scientists close to finding the source of X-rays in lightning
Engineering researchers at University of Florida and Florida Institute of Technology have now come closer to discovering the source of X-rays emitted by lightning, in what may one day help predict where lightning will strike. ANI

Eating nuts during pregnancy may make babies more prone to asthma
Gorging on nuts or nut products like peanut butter regularly during pregnancy may not be a good idea for expectant mothers, for this may actually make their children more prone to allergies like asthma. ANI

40-minute daily walk cuts disability risk in older adults
A 40-minute daily walk can cut disability risk in older adults, suggests a new study. ANI

How vitamin A promotes cancer growth
A new study from Georgetown University Medical Centre has found that vitamin A can push breast cancer cells to form blood vessel, thus promoting tumour growth in patients. ANI

Gene variants that may help predict sickle cell disease severity identified
A new collaborative study by scientists at Childrens Hospital Boston and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, has cited the discovery of five gene variants that could potentially be helpful in predicting sickle cell disease severity. ANI

Cutting salt consumption may not help control asthma
New research from The University of Nottingham suggests that reducing salt consumption does not appear to have any appreciable impact on asthma control. ANI

Over-expression of an enzyme cuts Alzheimers-like plaques in fly brain
Experiments on fruit flies have revealed that over-expression of an enzyme in the brain can reduce the telltale deposits causally linked with Alzheimers disease, say US scientists. ANI