Culture | Page 2208 | Science Codex

Teen moms at greater risk for later obesity

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A new study debunks the myth that younger moms are more likely to "bounce back" after having a baby – teenage pregnancy actually makes women more likely to become obese.

Women who give birth as teens are significantly more likely to be overweight or obese later in life than women who were not teen moms, University of Michigan Health System researchers found.

The nationally representative study, which is the first believed to identify teen pregnancy as a predictor of obesity, appears in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Knee bracing can 'significantly' reduce pain of kneecap osteoarthritis

Wearing a knee brace has been shown to "significantly improve the pain and symptoms" of a type of osteoarthritis affecting the kneecap, according to a new study.

Arthritis Research UK-funded researchers at The University of Manchester claim their findings, presented at the Osteoarthritis Research Society International meeting in Philadelphia tomorrow (Friday April 19) have enormous potential for treating this common joint condition effectively – as well as providing a simple and cheap alternative to painkillers.

2 venous punctures not always needed for intravascular ultrasound-guided

One venous puncture, rather than two, is a safe and effective approach to intravascular ultrasound-guided inferior vena cava filter placement in critically-ill patients, a new study shows. Inferior vena cava filter placement is done to prevent or treat pulmonary emboli or deep venous thrombosis.

Healthcare professionals need more guidance on surrogate pregnancy, says new review

Additional legislation and guidance around surrogate pregnancy is needed for healthcare professionals, says a new review published today (19th April) in The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist (TOG).

The review looks at the medico-legal challenges of surrogacy in modern obstetrics, highlighting recent changes in UK laws, the guidelines and legislation available and the legal requirements for parenthood and parental rights.

Phosphate-binding drug does not improve heart health of patients with mild kidney disease

Highlights

Slow walking speed linked with premature death in kidney disease patients

Highlights

Study reveals austerity's harmful impact on health in Greece

In one of the most detailed studies of its kind, a team of Greek and U.S. researchers have vividly chronicled the harmful public health impacts of the economic austerity measures imposed on Greece's population in the wake of the global economic crisis.

Writing in today's [Thursday, April 18] American Journal of Public Health, the researchers cite data showing the economic recession and subsequent austerity policies in Greece have led to a sharp deterioration of health services and health outcomes.

Topical use of arthritis drug provides relief for dry eye disease

BOSTON (April 18, 2013) – Dry eye disease (DED) is a common condition that causes discomfort, visual disturbance and potentially damaging ocular surface inflammation that greatly impacts a person's quality of life. An estimated nine million people in the United State alone suffer from significant DED; millions more may have milder forms or experience discomfort when exposed to low humidity or contact lens use. DED, the most common reason people visit ophthalmologists, is estimated to cost $55 billion in annual direct and indirect costs to society in the nation alone.

Risk factor for depression can be 'contagious'

A new study with college roommates shows that a particular style of thinking that makes people vulnerable to depression can actually "rub off" on others, increasing their symptoms of depression six months later.

The research, from psychological scientists Gerald Haeffel and Jennifer Hames of the University of Notre Dame, is published in Clinical Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

No Child Left Behind would have fixed science education too

No Child Left Behind increased reading and math ability for minorities. Females achieved parity with males in math for the first time in history while it was in effect. But by making standards for those areas, and not science, education critics have found an easy scapegoat for the problems they couldn't solve - the reasons No Child Left Behind was an overwhelmingly bipartisan effort.

Now some would like science standards also, but an education insider argues in Science that America's K-12 teachers can't do it.

Outpatients, hospital patients face growing, but different problems with antibiotic resistance

CORVALLIS, Ore. – A new study concludes that problems with antibiotic resistance faced by outpatients may be as bad as those in hospitalized patients, and that more studies of outpatients are needed – both to protect their health and to avoid inappropriate or unnecessary drug use.

Antibiotic resistance is a huge and growing problem in both hospital and outpatient settings. Failure to select an effective antibiotic, without appropriate consideration for this resistance, can increase the risk of continued illness or death.

New stem cell-based screen reveals promising drug for Lou Gehrig's disease

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig's disease, is a fatal disease that causes motor neurons, which are responsible for controlling muscles, to die. A study published by Cell Press on April 18th in Cell Stem Cell has revealed a novel stem-cell-based approach to screen for effective treatments, which are sorely lacking.

Twitter can give power to the people (even the bad ones)

Twitter can easily teach people about social movements such as Occupy Wall Street and even entice them to participate, according to a new study by a Michigan State University academic.

Of course, as we saw in the Egypt uprisings and Occupy Wall Street, it could always be a way to dupe gullible people into believing they are making a positive change.

Tell me where you're from and I'll tell you what tastes you prefer

Children love fatty and sugary foods. Or do they? New research contradicts the idea that all children under the age of ten have the same taste in food and highlights the importance of the country of residence, culture and age in these preferences.

SINC

Until now the scientific community believed that children's favourite foods were chips, sweets and sugary drinks, the very foods that are the most damaging to their health.

Nearly 30 percent of women fail to pick up new prescriptions for osteoporosis, study finds

PASADENA, Calif., April 18, 2013 — Nearly 30 percent of women failed to pick up their bisphosphonate prescriptions, a medication that is most commonly used to treat osteoporosis and similar bone diseases, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published this week in the journal Osteoporosis International. The failure to pick up these newly prescribed medications, called primary nonadherence, can lead to an increased risk of fractures for these patients.