Today's Health Links September 5, 2013

A new study of the megabladder mouse model suggests that tracking changes in the expression of key genes involved in kidney disease could help physicians predict the severity of urinary tract obstruction in pediatric patients, which could help identify children at the greatest risk of chronic kidney disease and permanent organ damage.

A new technique to measure the stiffness of the aorta, a common risk factor for heart disease, involves measuring the pulse in the finger or on the arm, combined with an individual’s age and body mass index.

Researchers have discovered a protein that is the missing link in the complicated chain of events that lead to Alzheimer’s disease, they report in the Sept. 4 issue of the journal Neuron. Researchers also found that blocking the protein with an existing drug can restore memory in mice with brain damage that mimics the disease.

A defective trash-disposal system in the brain’s resident immune cells may be a major contributor to neurodegenerative disease, scientists have found.

New research has found a ‘very significant’ relationship between a nation’s wealth and hygiene and the Alzheimer’s ‘burden’ on its population. High-income, highly industrialized countries with large urban areas and better hygiene exhibit much higher rates of Alzheimer’s.

A stress-related protein genetically linked to depression, anxiety and other psychiatric disorders contributes to the acceleration of Alzheimer’s disease, a new study has found.