A new autism study indicates that a probiotic could be used to treat subsets of people with autism spectrum disorder, according to commentary offered in the current issue of the journal Cell by University of Colorado professor Rob Knight. Knight's commentary appears in tandem with the study, also published in Cell, which showed that feeding mice a beneficial type of bacteria can improve autism-like symptoms, which the professor termed "groundbreaking." The study bolsters recent scientific understanding that microbes living in people's gut may affect what goes on in their brain. Also, it's the first to show that a specific probiotic may be able to reverse autism-like behaviors in mice. "The broader potential of this research is obviously an analogous probiotic that could treat subsets of individuals with autism spectrum disorder," wrote the commentary authors, who also included CU research associate Dorota Porazinska and doctoral student Sophie Weiss. People with autism spectrum disorder who would like to have their gut microbes sequenced can do so now through the American Gut Project, a crowdfunded research effort led by Knight. For more information on the American Gut Project, visit americangut.org. See more here: CU-Boulder professor says study carries groundbreaking potential for autism treatment … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 18-Dec-2013 Contact: CJ Volpe cj.volpe@autismspeaks.org 646-385-8532 Autism Speaks NEW YORK, N.Y. (December 18, 2013) Each year Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, asks its science leadership and scientific advisory committee to consider the hundreds of studies that have been reported on this year in the organization's news column. From these, they selected the ten advances in autism research they saw as the most significant in 2013. The year 2013 brought a number of advances in autism research. Many of the year's most important advances used new technologies and built on the foundation of knowledge established by years of investment in basic research. Increasingly, there has been a shift toward research projects that delivered concrete advances in the prevention, diagnosis and personalized treatment of autism and its associated medical conditions. This progress also reflected the growing appreciation that, for some individuals, autism is a whole-body disorder. "This year has offered us plenty of exciting and relevant science stories to discuss, making it incredibly difficult to narrow down to a top ten," said Autism Speaks Chief Science Officer Rob Ring. "When it comes to scientific discovery in autism research, it just keeps getting better and … Continue reading →

The drug, warfarin, is an anti-coagulant that is often prescribed to prevent blood clots in the heart. But a recent study shows that for those who take the drug and have atrial fibrillation, the risk for stroke is almost doubled in the first 30 days of treatment, the Canadian Press reports. The findings, published in the European Heart Journal, revealed that patients were at a high risk of stroke in the first week after taking warfarin, peaking at about three days. The results seemed contradictory to the drugs intended purpose since doctors commonly prescribe warfarin to patients with atrial fibrillation to prevent the chances of stroke. "Warfarin is a highly effective drug for the prevention of stroke, there is no question there," lead author Laurent Azoulay, an epidemiologist at Montreals Jewish General Hospital who specializes in pharmacology, said in a press release. "But it is documented that for some paradoxical reason, warfarin can increase the risk of stroke in the first weeks of treatment." Data taken from 70,000 adults diagnosed with atrial fibrillation between 1993 and 2008. Researchers followed patients for 16 years and found that 5,519 patients, or two percent per year, suffered a stroke. But after the first … Continue reading →

Retired vet John Mallalieu was minutes from treatment when his ambulance crew got a call diverting them to a hospital 14 miles away A stroke victim aged 89 was turned away from a hospital because it was too late on a Friday afternoon, his distraught wife claimed yesterday. Retired vet John Mallalieu was minutes from treatment when his ambulance crew got a call diverting them to a hospital 14 miles away. His wife Ruth said the switch was ordered because a consultant was going away for the weekend. She added: Johns treatment was delayed an hour and Im 100% convinced it made his present condition worse. John is now in intensive care and hospital chiefs have launched an investigation. Ruth, 84, phoned for an ambulance after he fell ill at his home in Caunton, Notts, on December 6. Fears: Wife Ruth SWNS She said: They took 40 minutes to get here at 4.30pm and we set off for Kings Mill Hospital 17 miles away in Mansfield. We were told he would be accepted if we arrived by 5pm. The rest is here: Stroke victim turned away from hospital because it was '5pm on a Friday' … Continue reading →

Warfarin linked to increased stroke risk Thursday, December 19, 2013 A widely-used anti-clotting pill can double the risk of stroke when patients with a faulty heart rhythm first start taking it, a study has found. By John von Radowitz Although only a small number of patients are believed to be at risk, the study authors urged doctors to be vigilant. Warfarin, originally developed as a rat poison, is the most commonly prescribed oral anti-clotting agent. Scientists carrying out the new research analysed data on 70,766 adult patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF), which occurs when the heart pumps haphazardly instead of with a steady beat. AF leads to blood pooling, thereby increasing the risk of clotting and strokes. Over a 10-year period, 5,519 of the patients suffered a stroke. The study found during the first 30 days of treatment, warfarin increased the risk of ischaemic stroke one caused by the blockage of blood flow to the brain by 71%. The risk peaked on the third day after starting warfarin, when patients on the drug were more than twice as likely to have a stroke than those not treated with it. See the original post: Warfarin linked to ‘increased stroke risk’ … Continue reading →