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March 27, 2009 - Red meat consumption is positively associated with early age-related macular degeneration (AMD); high intake of chicken, on the other hand, is inversely associated with late AMD, according to findings from a prospective Australian study.

Floyd Chilton and colleagues wanted to examine whether theses fatty acids might have other effects, and developed a dietary intervention strategy in which 27 healthy humans were fed a controlled diet mimicking the w6/w3 ratios of early humans over 5 weeks. They then looked at the gene levels of immune signals and cytokines (protein immune messengers), that impact autoimmunity and allergy in blood cells and found that many key signaling genes that promote inflammation were markedly reduced compared to a normal diet, including a signaling gene for a protein called PI3K, a critical early step in autoimmune and allergic inflammation responses. This study demonstrates, for the first time in humans, that large changes in gene expression are likely an important mechanism by which these omega fatty acids exert their potent clinical effects

SAN DIEGO, May 20 -- The effects of exposure to secondhand smoke in childhood may persist for decades, a researcher said here. In a large cohort of nonsmokers, early signs of emphysema were noticeable on CT scans among those who had lived with one or more smokers in childhood, according to Gina Lovasi, Ph.D., of Columbia University. Those signs -- a significant increase in the number of "air-like spaces" -- were not accompanied by any clinical symptoms, Dr. Lovasi said at the annual meeting of the American Thoracic Society.

Phospholipase A(2) activation as a therapeutic approach for cognitive enhancement in early-stage Alzheimer disease. Schaeffer EL, Forlenza OV, Gattaz WF. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2009 Jan;202(1-3):37-51. Epub 2008 Oct 14. PMID: 18853146 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-008-1351-0

Scientists have long known that a lack of vitamin D can weaken our bones. A new study shows that low levels of this nutrient may also be linked to a higher chance of dying early from heart and circulation problems, as well as other causes.

Feb 23, 2009 (CIDRAP News) - In a development that could create new tools to prevent and treat seasonal and pandemic influenza, researchers have identified and tested human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that can neutralize influenza A viruses, including lethal H5N1 avian influenza.\n\nThe findings raise hopes for a universal flu vaccine and shed light on new options for preventing and treating influenza infections, researchers from Dana-Farber Cancer Center, Burnham Institute for Medical Research, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported yesterday in an early online edition of Nature Structural and Molecular Biology. The study was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

ScienceDaily (May 12, 2009) - A research project at the University of Gothenburg has been testing large groups of 13-year-olds in Sweden since the early 1960s using the same intelligence test. The tests have taken place at approximately five year intervals and consist of an inductive-logic test, a verbal test and a spatial test. Crucial factor The most recent study, which was reported in the new issue of Journal of Swedish Educational Research, shows that today's teenagers are achieving demonstrably better results in the logic test than was the case fifty years ago. This is positive as logic is a crucial factor for achievement in mathematics. "With regard to pupils chances of assimilating maths teaching, there is thus nothing to indicate that the preconditions have deteriorated in recent decades," says Professor Allan Svensson at the Department of Education.

Scientists have developed the first "personalised" drug shown to be effective against advanced melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer which is on the rise in Britain. Warnings about the risks of melanoma were heightened this weekend as the fine weather drew thousands to sunbathe outdoors, putting them at increased risk. "Binge tanning", where sunbathers allow their skin to burn in their eagerness to get a tan, is a key cause of the cancer. Melanoma, which starts as a blemish or change to a mole on the skin, is treatable in its early stages but once it has spread to other organs such as the lungs and liver there are no treatment options. Patients with melanoma that has spread usually die within months

A very deceptive cancer that affects the prostate, does not start early, but does grow fast once it does start. This cancer like many can be life threatening as well as very damaging.

Red meat and chicken consumption and its association with age-related macular degeneration. Chong EW, Simpson JA, Robman LD, Hodge AM, Aung KZ, English DR, Giles GG, Guymer RH. Am J Epidemiol. 2009 Apr 1;169(7):867-76. Epub 2009 Feb 20. PMID: 19234096 doi:10.1093/aje/kwn393

An estimated 80 percent of all women don't like they way they look. Eating disorders don't just affect women though. Of those diagnosed with disorders such as anorexia or bulimia, 10 to 15 percent are males.