Indicator

Shapely sperm-a valuable indicator of fertility

According to a study, shapely sperm is the best indicator of a man's fertility, that rewrites the standards for analyzing semen samples. According to Dr. Dav Guzhik, chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Cleavland, every treatment for infertility depends upon first establishing what's normal and abnormal. The World Health Organization's widely used standards to classify seme...

Leptin is "new breast cancer indicator"

A study, published in the Proceedings for the 2003 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, suggests that assessing leptin levels may be a more effective means of cancer prognosis than measuring body mass index and the amount of fat in a woman’s diet. None of the measures for detecting breast cancer are perfect, says lead author Dr Richard Hajek from the University of Texas...

Low Protein Levels A Possible Indicator For A Miscarriage

A new study shows low levels of a protein involved in the immune system could be a potential indicator for a miscarriage.// Approximately 10 percent to 15 percent of pregnancies end in a miscarriage. Currently there are no treatments to prevent a miscarriage and no markers to identify women at high risk for one. Macrophage inhibitory cytokine 1 (MIC1) plays an important part in the im...

Poor Oral Health An Indicator Of Heart Disease

In a recent study, a poor oral health diagnosis was a stronger predictor of heart disease than other standard markers, such as // high levels of fibrinogen (a clotting factor), low HDL (“good”) cholesterol or high triglycerides. Researchers compared the oral health data of 256 cardiac patients to 250 non-cardiac patients with similar demographic characteristics. Results of the study sho...

‘Protein’ Produced By Overstressed Heart Muscle a Strong Indicator Of Heart Diseae

Congestive heart failure is the most frequent cause of hospitalization among people 65 or older but is difficult to diagnose.// Treatment delays increase the chances of heart damage or complications and the costs of care. Already, doctors in many emergency rooms test for high levels of the peptide in patients with severe shortness of breath to determine whether they have congestive heart...

Dental Caries An Indicator Of Heart Disease

In a recent study, a poor oral health diagnosis was a stronger predictor of heart disease than other standard markers, such as // high levels of fibrinogen (a clotting factor), low HDL (“good”) cholesterol or high triglycerides. Researchers compared the oral health data of 256 cardiac patients to 250 non-cardiac patients with similar demographic characteristics. Results of the study sho...

Weight Loss An Indicator Of Dementia In The Elderly

New research suggests weight loss may be an early sign of dementia in the elderly. Researchers found weight loss begins before the onset of // definite dementia symptoms and accelerates by the time of diagnosis. Weight loss in the elderly is common and may be associated with various diseases including Alzheimer's. This has been documented in people who already have dementia. For the stud...

Shortness Of Breath A More Reliable Indicator Of High Risk Cardiac Disease

Shortness of breath can be a more reliable indicator of the underlying cardiac disease following the finding that such patients have a higher risk of dying from heart disease than patients without cardiac pain or other symptoms. //The general notion that chest pain alone is an indicator of cardiac disease has been disapproved by the finding. A retrospective evaluation of the medical rec...

Shortness Of Breath An Important Indicator Of Heart Attack

A recent study published in the November issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, reveals that dyspnea, or shortness of breath may be an important indicator of a heart attack. // Although dyspnea is a common symptom, there has been only limited investigation of its prognostic significance among patients referred for cardiac evaluation.Cardiologists at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Cent...

Persistent Fatigue Could Be An Early Indicator Of Postpartum Depression

A new study says that constant fatigue immediately after birth may be the best indicator of subsequent postpartum depression. The study also says that women who felt fatigues two weeks after the birth of their child were more// likely to be depressed. "All mothers are tired right after having a baby - it helps them get the rest that they needs to recover and heal from the physical and...

Indicators of Dementia Found In Blood

Dementia risk can be assayed by determining the levels of two proteins in the blood of the patient. The two proteins play an important role in determining the risk of dementia in patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease//. Increased levels of one amyloid protein and decreased levels of another were found to be associated with a 10-fold increased dementia risk. The Dutch researchers a...

Indicator of your state of mind is your saliva

Douglas A Granger of Pennsylvania State University and other scientists have found out that a little saliva can tell how you feel// . This was revealed after four independent studies released this month found that a simple test of an infant’s saliva can determine the level of alpha amylase, an enzyme secreted by the salivary glands that has been linked in previous studies in adults to th...

Insulin Resistance: An Important Indicator of Heart Disease and Diabetes for Teens

Researchers have pointed out that Insulin resistance during adolescence is an important indicator of diabetes and heart disease in adulthood.// Obesity is indicated by a body-mass index of 30 or higher. The key factor to ward off diabetes and heart disease is to ensure that people do not gain weight in childhood and adolescence, which will certainly reduce the risks of disease during...

Fitness and Childhood IQ Indicators of Cognitive Ability in Old Age

How well your mind works in old age depends on physical fitness and your IQ score as a child, according to a study published in the October 10, 2006, issue of Neurology//, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology. In determining whether physical fitness is associated with more successful cognitive aging, the study examined 460 men and women who had been participants...

Calcium in Arterial Plaque is a Good Indicator for Risk of Stroke

A new study by researchers at the University of Virginia Health System suggests that composition of plaque deposits in the carotid arteries indicate// a patient’s risk of having a stroke. Published in the March edition of Stroke, the study looked retrospectively at the composition of plaque deposits in the carotid arteries of 102 patients treated at UVa. Its findings suggest that, in...

Penguin: an Alternative Bio-indicator to Monitor Climate Change

We are used to hearing about the effects of climate change in terms of unusual animal behavior, such as altering patterns of fish and bird migration//. However, scientists at the University of Birmingham are trying out an alternative bio-indicator – the king penguin – to investigate whether they can be used to monitor the effects of climate change. “If penguins are travelling further...

Smoking Indicator of Alcohol Misuse

Where there is cigarette smoking there is probably misuse of alcohol too, according to a study by Yale School of Medicine researchers in the Archives// of Internal Medicine. “This means cigarette smoking status can be used as a clinical indicator for alcohol misuse, which presents an opportunity for intervention,” said the principal investigator, Sherry McKee, assistant professor of p...

Crucial Gene may Be Indicator of Breast Cancer Metastasis

Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center have zeroed in on a crucial gene, thought to be the reason for the spread of breast cancer and resistance// to long-term estrogen deprivation. The gene may be beneficial in ascertaining the risk factors of breast cancer reappearance, and would enable a good idea to specialists about potential treatment options. The research targeted breast cancer...

Early Indicator of Kidney Disease May Also Predict Risk of Pre-Diabetes

Buffalo, N.Y. -- A blood component called cystatin C, used to test forearly-stage kidney impairment, also may be a very early marker forthose at risk of developing a condition known as pre-diabetes, a studyconducted by researchers at the University at Buffalo has shown. Pre-diabetes is diagnosed when the amount of glucose in the bloodstream begins to rise and remain above...