Health, Medicine and fitness news for March 26, 2008

Ant guts may hold secrets of more effective drugs
Researchers have identified two key proteins that aid one of the two groups of pathogenic bacteria develop the protective coating that is their defence against the world. ANI

Youngsters social problems add to anxiety and depression: Study
A new study by researchers at the University of Vermont and the University of Minnesota, has cited that social problems are more likely to contribute to anxiety and depression than vice versa. Also, this phenomenon is more evident during the transition from adolescence into young adulthood. ANI

Addicted to e-mails, text messages? You may be suffering from a mental illness
If you are one of those who send excessive emails and text messages, then chances are that you are suffering from a mental illness, according to a new research. ANI

Sewer gas exposure sends mice into instant suspended animation
A new study at Massachusetts General Hospital has revealed that low doses of the toxic gas Hydrogen sulfide, found in sewers, can safely and reversibly depress both metabolism and aspects of cardiovascular function in mice, producing a suspended-animation-like state. ANI

Low levels of radon exposure seems to cut lung cancer risk by 60pc
Scientists say that exposure to low levels of radon gas, which generally percolates out of the ground into basements, seems to reduce the risk of developing lung cancer by about 60 per cent. ANI

Discovery about fertilization may pave way for malaria vaccine
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Centre have discovered a reproductive mechanism of the organism responsible for malaria, a finding that may harbour the possibility of developing new vaccines for the mosquito borne disease. ANI

Scientists identify new form of inherited risk of cancer
Scientists from Weill Cornell Medical College have identified a new form of inherited risk of cancer that may help in predicting susceptibility to the disease. ANI

10,000 health workers stop polio in Somalia
Somalia is again polio-free, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) announced today, calling it a historic achievement in public health. ANI

Your partners may help or hinder your attempts at changing diet
A Canadian study has revealed that people generally show a positive and supportive behaviour towards their partners decision to change their diet, but sometimes they may respond in negative ways. ANI

Hair dyes may increase hairdressers and barbers cancer risk
Covering up those greying hair roots with dyes is injurious to hairdressers and barbers health, for a new study has found that hair dyes can increase cancer risk. ANI

Older women find it harder to stay in shape
Women aged 65 and above find it more difficult to than men of their age to stay strong and fit, say researchers. ANI

Preterm birth linked to diminished long-term survival, reproduction
A new study by researchers at the Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C., has found that premature babies have an increased risk of death throughout childhood and lower rates of reproduction in adulthood, as compared to full-term babies. ANI

People who wear glasses are not geeks or nerds
Melbourne University researchers say that they have found evidence by conducting a research into myopia or shortsightedness - an eye condition which renders one unable to see distant things clearly - that people who wear glasses are not stereotypical geeks or nerds. ANI

Biosensing nanodevice may revolutionize health screenings, airport security checks
An Arizona State University researcher has developed a novel biosensing nanodevice that may do away with long lines at airport security checkpoints and revolutionize health screenings for diseases like anthrax, cancer and antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). ANI

Smoking doesnt make girls skinny but does make boys short
Busting a myth around smoking a new study has revealed that while smoking doesnt make girls skinny, it does hinder growth in their teenage male counterparts. ANI

Spit tests may soon replace painful blood test pin pricks
Painful blood tests may soon be a thing of the past when it comes to testing for cancer, heart disease or diabetes, for they may be replaced by a simple spit test. ANI

Anti-depressants increase type 2 diabetes risk by 30pc
People taking anti-depression medications are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, says a researcher. ANI

Neural hub network leads to seizures in epilepsy: Study
A University of California Irvine (UCI) study has cited that a large number of neuron hubs in the epileptic brain account for the seizures in epilepsy, offering new insight into the development of this severe disorder. ANI

Beta-blocker drugs target the brain to treat heart failure
Heart failure patients are routinely given drugs known as beta-blockers to boost cardiac performance and reduce the risk of death. These drugs were thought work directly on the heart. Now however, researchers at the University College London (UCL) have found that these drugs also work via the brain. ANI

Red wine antioxidant may help destroy pancreatic cancer
Researchers already know that a glass or two of red wine a day is good for the heart. Now, theyve found that a naturally occurring antioxidant in grape and wine can help destroy pancreatic cancer cells. ANI