chronic diseases

A new study may open the door to new therapies for combating chronic diseases associated with obesity. While analyzing samples taken from morbidly obese patients undergoing weight loss surgery, researchers discovered that substantial quantities of melanin were being produced in the study participants' fat tissue.

Turning up the heat on the red tomato during processing has the potential to give the popular garden staple added disease-fighting power.

Scientists have found that lycopene molecules in tomatoes that are combined with fat and subjected to intense heat during processing are restructured in a way that appears to ease their transport into the bloodstream and tissue.

DHEA supplements are widely-available and touted as a preventive agent for many chronic diseases. A new study however, finds no evidence of a beneficial effect of DHEA supplements on cognitive function in healthy older adults.

Researchers have found direct evidence to support the claim of the Centers for Disease Control that a reduction in daily physical activity is an actual cause of many of the risk factors for chronic diseases, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The research team also found that it only takes about two weeks of reduced activity for individuals to start noticing the effects.

Advances in genomic medicine for common adult chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer hold promise for improved prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

But a new study finds that health professionals and the public are not prepared to effectively integrate these new tools into practice.