Body

Washington, DC (Monday, October 24, 2011) — The most common kidney disease passed down through families, autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) affects one in 400 to 1,000 individuals and is characterized by cysts on the kidneys. The condition slowly gets worse and leads to kidney failure.

• Patients who take at least one blood pressure-lowering medication at bedtime have better control of their blood pressure and are less likely to experience heart problems than patients who take medications in the morning
• Sleep-time blood pressure is a better measure of heart health than wake-time blood pressure
• About one out of three U.S. adults has high blood pressure

Washington, DC -- Babies born with autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) often develop kidney failure because they have very large kidneys filled with tiny cysts. Even with excellent medical care, about 30% die shortly after birth. New research now provides clues into how gene defects may cause this condition, which occurs in 1 out of 20,000 newborns. The findings appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN), a publication of the American Society of Nephrology.

COLUMBIA, Mo.– Women living in rural areas face unique challenges concerning health and wellness issues. Now, an MU researcher has found that rural women are more likely than women living in cities to be diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer, the most severe form of the disease.

HOUSTON - A research team led by scientists from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered four new "ZIP codes" in their quest to map the vast blood vessel network of the human body.

Professor Sarah Butcher's research group from Helsinki University's Institute of Biotechnology report in the 24th October online issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (U.S.A.) a three-dimensional model of measles virus. The new model helps to explain many previous, unaccounted for observations in the life cycle of the virus.

(Embargoed) CHAPEL HILL – Research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill suggests that the timing of exposure to UV rays – early in the morning or later in the afternoon – can influence the onset of skin cancer. The study, performed in mice, found that exposure to UV radiation in the morning increased the risk of skin cancer by 500 percent over identical doses in the afternoon.

GALVESTON, October 19, 2011 – Women with cancer-causing strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) may be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke even when no conventional risk factors for CVD are present.

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston are the first to investigate a potential connection between CVD and HPV, one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the U.S. Their findings are published in the November 1st issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Having trouble sleeping? If so, you could have a moderately higher risk of having a heart attack, according to research reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

In a recent study, the risk of heart attack in people with insomnia ranged from 27 percent to 45 percent greater than for people who rarely experienced trouble sleeping.

Researchers related heart attack risks to three major insomnia symptoms. Compared to people who reported never or almost never having these problems, people who:

CHICAGO – An analysis of financial payments made by orthopedic device manufacturers to orthopedic surgeons shows that the patterns of payments from 2007 to 2010 appear to be complex with a reduction in the total number of payments and the total amount of funds distributed after payment disclosure was required, as well as an increase in the proportion of consultants with academic affiliations, according to a report in the October 24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The article is part of the journal's Health Care Reform series.

CHICAGO – A model used to estimate breast cancer survival rates found that the probability that a woman with screen-detected breast cancer will avoid a breast cancer death because of screening mammography may be lower than previously thought, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

CHICAGO -- Non-targeted HIV rapid test screening among emergency department patients in metropolitan Paris resulted in identifying only a few new HIV diagnoses, often at late stages and mostly among patients who are in a high-risk group, according to a study published Online First by the Archives of Internal Medicine.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have identified a number of stem rust-resistant wheat varieties and are retesting them to verify their resistance.

Stem rust occurs worldwide wherever wheat is grown. Over a large area, losses from stem rust can be severe, ranging from 50 to 70 percent, and individual fields can be destroyed.

CINCINNATI – Scientists who developed a novel mouse model mimicking human preterm labor have described a molecular signaling pathway underlying preterm birth and targeted it to stop the problem.

In a study to be published online the week of Oct. 24 by PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), the researchers report their findings may lead to new strategies for combating this major global health issue in humans. The study was led by scientists in the division of Reproductive Sciences and Perinatal Institute at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

Researchers at the University of Leeds investigating the genetic causes of bipolar disorder have identified two new drugs – one of which has already been found safe in clinical trials – that may be effective in treating the disorder.

Bipolar disorder is characterised by mood swings between mania and depression. Like autism, it is thought to be a spectrum of disorders and, although its causes are not well understood, it seems to run in families and is thought to be caused by both genetic and environmental factors.