Amish provide clues to genetics of heart disease

piggy submitted, created time 3 weeks 6 days (sciencenow.sciencemag.org)

Downing eight-hundred-calorie milkshakes is a great way to make the fat levels in your blood skyrocket. But a small proportion of Amish in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, are not so easily affected, researchers have found. These lucky few harbor a genetic mutation that keeps their levels of fat particles called triglycerides in check and possibly protects them from heart disease. Although their particular mutation doesn't show up very often in the general population, the gene itself could play an important role in heart disease

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New genetic markers for ulcerative colitis identified

piggy submitted, created time 3 days 21 hours (www.eurekalert.org)

An international team led by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers has identified genetic markers associated with risk for ulcerative colitis. The findings, which appear today as an advance online publication of the journal Nature Genetics, bring researchers closer to understanding the biological pathways involved in the disease and may lead to the development of new treatments that specifically target them.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic, relapsing disorder that causes inflammation and ulceration in the inner lining of the rectum and large intestine

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Antioxidants Offer Pain Relief in Patients with Chronic Pancreatitis

sea-maid submitted, created time 5 days 6 hours (www.docguide.com)

Antioxidant supplementation was found to be effective in relieving pain and reducing levels of oxidative stress in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP), according to a study published in the January issue of the journal Gastroenterology.

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Is bismuth a safe medicine for the treatment of peptic ulcer disease?

sea-maid submitted, created time 1 week 1 day (www.eurekalert.org)

Bismuth compounds have been used for centuries in medicine. The discovery of H. pylori in 1983 led to renewed interest in bismuth compounds, because these were found to successfully treat the infection in combination with antibiotics. However, in the 1970s bismuth salts, used at high doses for prolonged periods, were found to lead to neurotoxicity. However, there has been no summary of evidence for the toxicity of bismuth when used for short periods as part of H. pylori eradication therapy and some researchers think it might have applications in treating ulcers.

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