Inflammation

Presence Of Gum Disease May Help Dentists And Physicians Identify Risk For Cardiovascular Disease — Individuals reporting a history of periodontal disease were more likely to have increased levels of inflammation, a risk factor for heart disease, compared to those who reported no history of periodontal disease, according to new research. The findings suggest persons with increased levels of inflammatory markers associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease might be identified by asking about oral health history.... [Tags: dentists, gum disease, health history, heart disease, inflammation]

Study Shows How Social Support May Protect Brain During Stroke — New research in mice suggests that high levels of social support may provide some protection against strokes by reducing the amount of damaging inflammation in the brain. Researchers found that male mice that lived with a female partner before and after a stroke had a much higher survival rate compared to those mice that lived alone.... [Tags: brain researchers, female partner, inflammation, male mice, strokes]

First 3-D Images Inside Human Arteries — The walls that line human coronary arteries have been imaged for the first time in 3-D. Such images will allow cardiologists to visualize areas of inflammation and plaque deposits more clearly.... [Tags: human arteries, human coronary arteries, images, inflammation, plaque deposits]

Marijuana Could Be Good for Memory — But Not if You're High — Everybody knows a forgetful stoner, but research suggests that low doses of marijuana could be good for memory, and even help prevent Alzheimer's disease. When given a compound similar to THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, rat brains displayed reduced levels of inflammation associated with Alzheimer's disease. The drug also stimulated the production of proteins associated with memory formation and brain cell growth. "Everyone is aware that smoking too much marijuana impairs memory," said Ohio State University psychologist Yannick Marchalant. "Our work stays on the safe side — doses that we know are not going to impair memory, but... [Tags: adults, brain cell, dementia, gary wenk, inflammation]

Key Contributor To Alzheimer's Disease Process Identified — A professor of neuroscience and ophthalmology led new research identifying a specific function of a fragment of ribonucleic acid, once thought to be no more than a byproduct, in regulating inflammation and the development of Alzheimer's disease.... [Tags: byproduct, contributor, fragment, inflammation, neuroscience]

How Eating Red Meat Can Spur Cancer Progression: New Mechanism Identified — Researchers have shown a new mechanism for how human consumption of red meat and milk products could contribute to the increased risk of cancerous tumors. Their findings suggest that inflammation resulting from a molecule introduced through consumption of these foods could promote tumor growth.... [Tags: cancer progression, cancerous tumors, human consumption, inflammation, milk products]

For people who have elevated levels of C-reactive protein, a predictor of heart disease, taking vitamin C supplements can help lower levels of the inflammation biomarker, according to a new study. The new findings come just days after a major, eight-year clinical trial failed to show that vitamins C or E could cut the risk of heart attacks or strokes.... [Tags: c reactive protein, clinical trial, heart attacks, heart disease, inflammation]

Well-known Drug (AAT) Could Overcome Obstacles To Islet Transplantation, Study Suggests — Researchers have demonstrated that treating diabetic animals with alpha-1-antitrypsin following an islet transplantation procedure eliminates the inflammation that causes islet transplants to fail.... [Tags: aat, diabetic animals, inflammation, islet transplantation, islet transplants]

Anti-Inflammatory Medications May Become A Treatment For Schizophrenia — Many of the structural and neurochemical features of schizophrenia are present long before the full syndrome of schizophrenia develops. What processes tip the balance between the ultra-high risk states and the development of schizophrenia? One candidate mechanism is cerebral inflammation, according to an article in Biological Psychiatry.... [Tags: anti inflammatory medications, biological psychiatry, high risk, inflammation, schizophrenia]

Non-AIDS Deaths In People With HIV Linked To Inflammation And Coagulation, Study Suggests — In an analysis of deaths occurring during a large international trial of treatments for HIV-positive patients, researchers have found a strong association between markers of inflammation and coagulation and increased risk of death from non-AIDS diseases, including cardiovascular problems.... [Tags: aids, aids deaths, aids diseases, cardiovascular problems, hiv]

Steroid Treatment Offers No Benefit In Preemies, Study Suggests — Results of a new study challenge the longstanding practice of treating premature babies with hydrocortisone, a steroid believed to fight inflammation and prevent lung disease.... [Tags: benefit, hydrocortisone, inflammation, longstanding practice, lung disease]

Protein Made In Liver Restores Blood Glucose In Type 1 Diabetes Model — A protein made by the liver in response to inflammation and used to treat patients suffering from a genetic form of emphysema has been shown to restore blood glucose levels in a mouse model of type 1 diabetes mellitus, according to a new study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.... [Tags: beth israel deaconess, beth israel deaconess medical, beth israel deaconess medical center, blood glucose levels, deaconess medical center]

Proteins Involved In Blood Vessel Dysfunction In Type 2 Diabetes Are Identified — Using precise microscopes, researchers are dissecting coronary microvessels and testing which proteins are responsible for inflammation that causes blood-vessel dysfunction. By identifying the proteins that play important roles in blood-vessel dysfunction, they hope to develop new treatments for blood-vessel dysfunction in people with type 2 diabetes.... [Tags: blood vessel, diabetes, inflammation, microscopes, proteins]

Biophysicists Create New Model For Protein-cholesterol Interactions In Brain And Muscle Tissue — Using 3,200 computer processors and long-established data on cholesterol, a clearer picture emerges of a protein involved in inflammation, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, addiction and more.... [Tags: addiction, brain, cholesterol, computer processors, inflammation]

Novel Approaches To Heart Disease And Inflammation — While cholesterol-lowering drugs and new technologies have significantly advanced the nation's battle against heart disease, it continues to rank as the No. 1 killer of US men and women. But new research shows that the body's immune system could become an important player in reducing heart disease.... [Tags: cholesterol, cholesterol lowering drugs, heart disease, immune system, inflammation]

Novel Mechanism To Reduce Nervous System Inflammation Identified — Researchers have discovered a new way to limit inflammation caused by the activation of microglia -- key immune cells in the brain. Although the role of such cells is to "clean up damage" after injury, they often worsen the damage by releasing toxic inflammatory factors.... [Tags: brain, immune cells, inflammation, nervous system, novel mechanism]

New Drug Target For Inflammatory Disease Discovered — Researchers have defined a cellular process that promotes inflammation and, at the same time, found an important starting point for identifying and testing new drugs for diseases such as sepsis, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.... [Tags: arthritis, cancers, cardiovascular disease, diseases, drug target]

Dark Chocolate: Half A Bar Per Week May Keep Heart Attack Risk At Bay — Good news for chocolate lovers: 6.7 grams of chocolate per day represent the ideal amount for a protective effect against inflammation and subsequent cardiovascular disease.... [Tags: cardiovascular disease, chocolate lovers, dark chocolate, heart attack, heart attack risk]

Exhaled Nitric Oxide Monitoring Does Not Improve On Guidelines-based Asthma Management, Study Finds — New research indicates that adolescent and young adult patients whose asthma is managed according to the latest NIH guidelines do not benefit from the addition of nitric-oxide monitoring. Nitric oxide is a biomarker for inflammation in the lungs.... [Tags: adolescent, adult patients, asthma, asthma management, biomarker]