Health & WellnessS


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A genetic variant increases the risk of developing schizophrenia in women

A complete scan of the human genome has revealed that a genetic variant in the Reelin gene increases the risk of developing schizophrenia in women only. Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the University of Oxford, who conducted the study in the Ashkenazi Jewish population, confirmed their findings by establishing a multinational collaboration that included populations and researchers from the United Kingdom, Ireland, United States, and China. Their research is published in the February issue of the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.

Eye 2

Blinded by sFRP-1: A WNT signaling protein plays a key role in glaucoma

Glaucoma is one of the major causes of visual impairment and blindness throughout the world. A major risk factor for the disease is an increase in the pressure in the eye (intraocular pressure [IOP]). IOP is determined by the rate of production of the clear fluid in the eye and the rate at which this fluid flows out of the eye.

Pills

Blood Pressure Rx May Have Added Benefit

Lexington − University of Kentucky researchers have discovered a possible added benefit of a novel new drug that lowers blood pressure.

Dr. Lisa Cassis and Dr. Alan Daugherty found in animal studies that aliskiren not only lowered blood pressure but also significantly reduced artery-clogging lesions that are the leading cause of heart attack and stroke, the top cause of death worldwide.

Attention

How to deal with a psychopath at work

Edmonton - Even the politest people have called their boss a psycho over Friday beers or while lamenting a work problem to a spouse at dinner - few of us actually mean it.

And yet you just might be right. One person in 100 is a psychopath, meaning that they lack a moral compass, sense of responsibility or empathy (this is a personality disorder, not a mental illness). And although they are overrepresented in the prison system, according to research by American psychologist Dr. Paul Babiak, and his Canadian counterpart Dr. Robert Hare, psychopaths are also well-represented in corporate environments.

Attention

CDC: Death Count 82 for 'Choking Game'

Atlanta, Georgia - At least 82 youths have died from the so-called "choking game," according to the first government count of fatalities from the tragic fad.

In the game, children use dog leashes or bungee cords wrapped around their necks or other means to temporarily cut blood flow to their head. The goal is a dreamlike, floating-in-space feeling when blood rushes back into the brain.

Monkey Wrench

CDC: Gulf Coast Trailers Have Toxic Air

Atlanta, Georgia - U.S. health officials are urging that Gulf Coast hurricane victims be moved out of their government-issued trailers as quickly as possible after tests found toxic levels of formaldehyde fumes.


People

Hierarchy Games: When people feel powerful, they ignore new opinions, study finds

Don't bother trying to persuade your boss of a new idea while he's feeling the power of his position - new research suggests he's not listening to you.

"Powerful people have confidence in what they are thinking. Whether their thoughts are positive or negative toward an idea, that position is going to be hard to change," said Richard Petty, co-author of the study and professor of psychology at Ohio State University.

Bulb

Pepper may help disfiguring skin condition: study

Black pepper could lead to better treatments for a disfiguring skin condition that affects about 1 percent of the world's population, British researchers said on Thursday.

A team at King's College London showed in a study of mice that piperine -- the compound that gives black pepper its spicy, pungent flavor -- and its synthetic derivatives helped stimulate pigmentation in the skin of people with vitiligo.

Question

US: Military Eyeing Mysterious Deaths

The Army's top doctor, noting the drug overdose death of actor Heath Ledger, said Thursday the military is investigating a series of suspected similar deaths among wounded and injured soldiers.

Lt. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker, the Army's surgeon general, said there has been "a series, a sequence of deaths" in the new, so-called "warrior transition units." Those are special units set up last year to give sick, injured and war-wounded troops coordinated medical care, financial advice, legal help and other services as they transition toward either a return to uniform or back into civilian life.

Question

Report: Troops Transmitted Mysterious Bacteria That Has Killed 7 And Affected Military And Civilians Alike

Troops arriving home from Iraq and Afghanistan have been carrying a mysterious, deadly bacteria, according to a new magazine report.

Doctors have linked the bacterium acinetobacter baumannii to at least seven deaths, as well as to loss of limbs and other severe ailments, according to the report, which found the bacterium has spread quickly since the war in Afghanistan began in the fall of 2001.