Discover the Science of Health
With crude oil hitting a record high this week, gas prices here in the U.S. are soaring. According to CNN.com, the $100 fill-up has arrived in the United States.
Want to reduce your stress level, spend less money at the pump and do your part to help save the planet? Here’s one of the most simple yet effective tips that will accomplish all three: Slow Down.
A study published earlier this year in the American Journal of Medical Genetics suggests that lymphoblast gene expression may be used to identify biomarkers for panic disorder. Researchers at the University of Iowa evaluated gene expression profiles in lymphoblasts (immature white blood cells) cultured from patients with and without panic disorder and found specific disorder- and sex-related differences [1]. A blood test for panic disorder and other mental health conditions based on the study results is being developed. However, a commercial diagnostic test may be premature as the study results are far from conclusive.
A novel gene was discovered recently that suppresses the growth of human tumors in a number of different cancers. The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, found that the gene HACE1, an acronym for HECT domain and ankyrin repeat containing, E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1, is able to help cells deal with various forms of stress that cause tumor formation [1].
Health Highlights is a biweekly summary of particularly interesting articles from credible sources of health and medical information that we follow & read. For a complete list of recommeded sources, see our links page.
Part of staying healthy is managing stress. Borzack over at Healthy Lifestyle presents a series of mental exercises that can help increase and protect our energy levels to better manage everyday stress.
Clark over at Unintellegent Design discusses a study that examines the impact of birth order on intelligence. Conclusions are difficult to make given the small but significant differences in IQ. My take on the subject is that parental bias trumps other factors. What do you think?
The Beauty Brains presents an example of why references are so important in the deluge of information we all are bombarded with everyday.
Universal Health’s N=1 offers an interesting perspective to the “healthcare as a right” argument, namely keeping disease under control, and suggests the number of sick and disabled will eventually poise the US for “pandemics of untold proportion”.
Bob over at InsureBlog writes about the surprising results of a heathcare survey given to Americans living in Canada. What are your thoughts on publicly funded healthcare?
Health Highlights is a biweekly summary of particularly interesting articles from credible sources of health and medical information that we follow & read. For a complete list of recommeded sources, see our links page.
At Mark’s Daily Apple, Mark is writing a new column called Primal Health, addressing issues of diet, exercise and stress in the context of our DNA blueprints. It looks to be an interesting series.
Sandy over at Junkfood Science writes about childhood obesity and efforts focusing on legislation calling for further restrictions on televsion food advertising.
I read somewhere recently that it takes close to $900 million dollars to bring a new drug to market. I have to wonder how much of that money is spent on advertising. I should ask David over at Health Business Blog …
N=1 over at Universal Health writes about the absence of nurses’ voices in public dialogue and urges nurses to tear down the walls that separate them and speak about diagnosing and treating responses to health problems.
Just as I wrote previously about Neurofibromatosis and The Children’s Tumor Foundation, Pat over at The Health Wisdom Blog writes about FightSMA.org, an organization created to accelerate the search for a treatment and cure for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the number-one inherited cause of infant death. The article includes a number of other websites associated with FightSMA.
