Health News for July 9, 2008

Internet, alcohol making teenage girls obese
A new study has shown that more Internet time, more alcohol consumption, and less sleep are contributing to weight gain in teenage girls. ANI

Insect warning colours may help in cancer drug discovery
Researchers at Smithsonians Tropical Research Institute in Panama have revealed that brightly coloured beetles or butterfly larvae nibbling on a plant may signal the presence of chemical compounds active against cancer cell lines and tropical parasitic diseases. ANI

Art therapy may offer treatment for mental disease
Art therapy, a therapy through visual art, can offer a treatment option for people with mental disease, suggests a new study. ANI

Most patients ignorant of link between smoking, bladder cancer
A majority of cigarette smokers are ignorant of the association between smoking and bladder cancer, according to a new study. ANI

Natural substance raises new cancer therapies hope
Scientists at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig, the Hannover Medical School (MHH) and Leibniz-Universitat in Hanover have discovered a chemical mechanism with which a natural substance - argyrin - destroys cancerous tumours. ANI

Your jewellery could be the reason for your backache
Those shiny earrings, neck chains and even fillings might be giving you the bling edge over the others, but in the bargain youre putting your back at stake, thats what a leading chiropractor says. ANI

Researchers discover how bird flu adapts in patients
Researchers at Mahidol University, Thailand, have discovered how bird flu adapts in patients - offering a new way to monitor the disease and prevent a pandemic. ANI

Happiness hormone variant may make women more vulnerable to alcoholism
Researchers at the Universities of Bonn and Swedens Karolinska Institute have found that a particular gene variant might make women more vulnerable to alcoholism. ANI

High level of certain protein linked to increased diabetes risk
A new study has shown that having a higher than normal level of fetuin-A, a protein produced in the liver and secreted into the blood stream, is linked to an increased risk of developing diabetes. ANI

Study sheds light on how malaria parasite hijacks human red blood cells
A new study from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Australia is shedding light on how malaria parasite hijacks human red blood cells and fuels disease progression. ANI

Genetic change in dopamine transporter linked to ADHD
Researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Centre have uncovered a mechanism that might be responsible for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in kids ANI

Index for atherosclerosis may help accurately estimate cardiovascular risk
A new study led by researchers at the Scotland-based University of Edinburgh suggests that the ankle brachial index (ABI)-the ratio of systolic pressure at the ankle to that in the arm which is used to indicate the risk of peripheral artery disease and atherosclerosis-may be useful to improve the accuracy of cardiovascular risk prediction. ANI

Popular American fish has high levels of bad fatty acids
Researchers at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine have found that farm-raised tilapia, one of the most highly consumed fish in America, has very low levels of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and, perhaps worse, very high levels of omega-6 fatty acids. ANI

IVF does not boost developmental disorder risk in kids
Researchers at the University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands, have found that IVF does not increase risk of developmental disorders in children. ANI

Maintaining a food diary can help double your diet weight loss
Want to intensify your weight loss regimen? Well, just maintain a food diary, suggests a new study, which found that by keeping food records, people can double their chances of losing that extra flab. ANI

Frozen embryos make for healthier babies
Infants born from frozen embryos are likely to weigh more at birth as well as do better than those born from fresh transfers, says a study. ANI

Surgeons, lawyers call for transplanted tourism ban
Surgeons, lawyers and ethicists from 78 countries have called for a ban on transplant tourism - the practice of treating rich westerners with donated organs from poorer countries. ANI

Slowing aging may be the best way to fight diseases in 21st century
Experts believe that slowing the aging process can be the best way to fight diseases in 21st century. ANI

Why young womens breast cancers are more aggressive than older women
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center say they may have uncovered the reason why young womens breast cancers are more aggressive than those of older women. ANI

Sex really does improves with age
They say as time passes, couples desire to get naughty in the bedroom fades away, but according to a new research, sex - just like wine and friendship -gets better with age. ANI

Dietary cocktail therapy may keep Alzheimers at bay
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have shown that a dietary cocktail that includes a type of omega-3 fatty acid can improve memory and learning in gerbils - paving the way for a possible beverage-based treatment for Alzheimers and other brain diseases. ANI

Trans-fatty acids dont increase insulin resistance, diabetes risk
A dietary study in rats suggests that trans-fats do not increase the risk of insulin resistance and diabetes. ANI

Fish oil and red yeast rice help lower bad blood cholesterol
Researchers from University of Pennsylvania Health System have revealed that fish oil and yeast rice supplements can effectively lower bad cholesterol levels, thus proving a better treatment option than statins. ANI

Mineral-rich diet may cut heart disease, stroke risk
A diet rich in minerals such as potassium, and possibly magnesium and calcium may cut a persons risk of developing coronary heart disease and stroke, suggests a new study. ANI

Tomatoes may harbour Alzheimers cure
Besides making pastas curry tangy, the plump and red tomato has far more serious benefits - the humble fruit can be a suitable carrier for an oral vaccine against Alzheimers disease, says a group of researchers. ANI

Intervention needed to improve Asian mums, babies health
Intervention is needed in South-East Asia to improve the health of pregnant women and their babies and prevent child and mother mortality, shows a new major international study. ANI

Ending moderate drinking may lead to depression
Heres another reason to keep drinking moderate amounts of alcohol - without it you might end up in depression. ANI

Deadly salmonella designed to administer vaccines in the body
Scientists at the Biodesign Institute, affiliated to Arizona State University, claim to have made a significant advance towards developing a biologically engineered organism that can effectively deliver an antigen in the body. ANI

Scientists uncover protein biomarker for schizophrenia risk
Neuroscientists at the UK-based University of Cambridge say that a protein found in immune cells may be a reliable marker for schizophrenia risk. ANI