Schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism share common underpinnings genetically, despite the difference in symptoms and the course of each disease, discovered researchers. The study indicates that the single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs in two calcium channel activity genes appear to have a role in all five of the disorders, said researchers from Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital. The new findings come from the genome... 

By drinking only one 12 ounce can of a fizzy drink  each day the risk of Type 2 diabetes developing is increased, according to a new study recently completed by researchers from the University of California at Berkley, the University of California at San Francisco and Palo Alto, California’s Stanford University. Type 2 diabetes can be life threatening and scientists found that calorie, which are sugar based, like the ones in carbonated or fizzy drinks more likely cause that type of diabetes, than... 

About 21% of people who actively track their health use some form of technology to help them with their tracking efforts.  There are devices available that collect personal health data automatically, compiling it into easy to read records for the participants.  There were more than 500 companies making or developing health self-management tools by the end of last year, up 35% from January 2012. More smartphone apps are appearing that can help individuals track certain health measures.  There are... 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday announced it had stopped all clinical pediatric trials for Sensipar an Amgen, Inc. drug following the death of a patient who was 14 years old, who had been taking part in the study of Amgen’s drug. Sensipar, which is already approved for use by adults, is used to help lower calcium levels that are dangerously high in blood. The FDA said it was in the process of collecting data on the teenager’s death. The regulatory agency said it did not know... 

While the U.S. makes progress against cancer overall, a new study has medical experts worried over the rise in diagnoses of advanced, incurable cancer of the breast in young women. The diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer in women between the age of 25 and 39 in the U.S. increased by 3.5% per year between 2000 and 2009, according to the new study published this week online. Metastatic cancer is cancer that has spread to other organs in the body before being found. That trend started during the 1970s,... 

Two reviews of research done in the past has started a debate over the two vitamins considered to be the most important in strengthening bones to prevent them from breaking. In bone and general health, both vitamin D and calcium are important. Because of that, researchers reviewed data to see if supplements of calcium and vitamin D can help to prevent bone fractures. Each year nearly 1.5 million people in the U.S. suffer from bone fractures tied to bones that are brittle. Close to 50% of all women... 

Just one week of lack of sleep could shut off hundreds of different genes and increase the risk of a number of different illnesses including heart disease and obesity, claimed scientists. A new study says that getting less than six hours of sleep each night deactivates the genes, which are key in the constant process in the body of replenishment and self-repair. Bodies need genes to produce a continual supply of different proteins that are used to repair or replace damaged tissue. However, after... 

A rich in olive oil and nuts Mediterranean diet lowered the risk of developing cardiovascular events amongst individuals who were already at an increased risk for those same events, said researchers. The study was performed in Spain and was randomized. The study included people already at high risk that ate a Mediterranean diet that had an additional supplement of either olive oil or nuts. Those eating either one of those two diets compared to the control group diet, which was low fat, saw their... 

Figuring out what genes are involved in causing a disease and what turns those genes on or off have been the toughest problems in genetics.  Now, researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden have released a pathbreaking report on a way to evaluate one gene-regulation system.  It was an investigation of epigenetics, a popular area of molecular biology.  Epigenetics looks for modifications of genes that can help determine disease risk. The... 

This is a tricky situation.  Patients that are diagnosed with cancer are learning of treatments available that are safe, effective, and inexpensive, but they cannot get these treatments because their doctors cannot prescribe it for them.  Although these medications are widely available at any local pharmacy, they have never been approved for the treatment of cancer. Vikas P. Sukhatme, M.D. Ph.D. is professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, chief academic officer at Beth Israel Deaconess...