During a recent trial, rats were genetically altered to show signs of the digestive disease, and then injected with prostaglandin D2, the newly discovered compound.

The researchers discovered that the higher chemical level reversed some of the damage associated with ulcerative colitis. Also, the results of the study showed that prostaglandin D2 elongated stages of remission.

Because of the positive results found during the animal trial, the team concluded that these findings may contribute to developing drugs and treatments for humans.

John Wallace, co-author of the trial, stated "the levels of prostaglandin D2 were only elevated in those patients in long-term remission, and that suggests it is a key factor in preventing new episodes of ulcerative colitis." He added that "it is entirely possible our findings could extend to Crohn’s disease, [which is another form of irritable bowel syndrome], as well."

According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, an estimated 82,000 people in the United States were hospitalized for ulcerative colitis in 2008.

Psoriatic arthritis is a joint condition that affects the fingers or toes and leads to stiffness and pain. Individuals who develop psoriasis, a skin-related disease, could have a higher risk of developing psoriatic arthritis.

In order to better understand how excessive weight gain could contribute to developing this type of arthritis, more than 900 individuals were enrolled in a six-year study. Of the group, 51 percent had been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis and 27 percent had psoriasis.

The researchers then screened the body mass index (BMI) of each participant, and found that an unhealthy BMI at age 18 years was a sign of psoriatic arthritis later in life.

The results showed that 20 percent of overweight or obese participants developed psoriatic arthritis by age 45, while 20 percent of healthy-BMI individuals showed signs of joint problems by age 48.

"Patients with psoriasis represent a unique opportunity to identify individuals at very high risk of developing [psoriatic arthritis]," the authors stated. They added that "to determine which patients are at greatest risk, it is essential that risk factors be identified using robust epidemiologic approaches."

Approximately 7.5 million Americans have been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. And of this population, 2.2 percent suffer from psoriasis, the National Psoriasis Foundation reports.

During a 20-year study conducted at the University of California in San Francisco, more than 3,200 individuals aged 18 to 30 had their cholesterol measured. The researchers also used commuted axial tomography (CT) scans to examine each participant’s coronary artery calcium, which is plaque that accumulates in the arteries.

The team discovered that those who recorded unhealthy levels of bad cholesterol in their bodies also suffered from an increase in coronary calcium, which is a cause of coronary heart disease. The results of the study also showed that the longer a person suffered increased measurements of bad cholesterol, the more likely they were to be diagnosed with related cardiovascular problems.

"We don’t usually worry too much about heart disease risk until a person is in middle age because it’s rare to have a heart attack in young adulthood," said Mark J. Pletcher, lead author of the trial. He added that "however, our evidence shows that young adulthood is an important time because lasting damage already starts to accumulate at this age."

One of the most common heart problems, coronary heart disease was the cause of more 445,000 deaths in the United States during 2005, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A total of 519 participants with an average age of 56 were enrolled in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study in which researchers observed BMC over the course of 11 years. During 35 years of follow-ups, 76 of the men developed prostate cancer.

Investigators discovered that patients who had been diagnosed with the disease were among the men with the lowest BMC. Also, the results of the study showed that patients with lower BMC levels were more likely to develop prostate cancer.

Stacy Loeb, researcher from Johns Hopkins University, stated that "there are numerous possible mechanisms to explain the relation between prostate cancer and BMC, [including] that prostate cancer frequently [spreads] to bone." She added that "our findings suggest that common growth factors might be involved in both bone maintenance and the progression of prostate cancer."

In addition to improving bone health, a high intake of vitamin D may also help protect cognitive function, as a recent report from The Alzheimer’s Association stated that consuming vitamin D-rich foods and beverages can lower the risk of developing memory problems.

Previous trials have found that women who have already experienced menopause are among the most common high-risk populations. In order to better understand the connection between low hormone levels and this health problem, researchers enrolled 60 women aged 31 to 80 who had been diagnosed with aneurysms in a two-year study.

The team then surveyed the participants about their gynecologic history and hormone treatment use, and compared their responses to a control group of more than 4,600 women.

The researchers discovered that approximately 78 percent of the control group reported the use of oral contraceptives, while 60 percent of the aneurysm group had used these medications. Also, an estimated 45 percent of the aneurysm-free women used HRT, while only 24 percent of the study group had a history of HRT.

Michael Chen, co-author of the study, stated that these findings "support our hypothesis that drops in estrogen that occur in menstruation and particularly at menopause may explain why cerebral aneurysms are more frequently found in women."

Patients who have been diagnosed with a brain aneurysm have a 15 to 20 percent chance of developing at least one more during their lifetime, The Aneurysm and AVM Foundation reports.

In an effort to better understand how certain forms of exercise may protect against memory loss, researchers from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign enrolled 65 people aged 59 to 80 years in a one-year study. During the trial, the team had one group of individuals walk three times a week while the other group followed a stretching and toning exercise program.

Prior to and at the six- and 12-month mark of the study, the participants completed a series of cognitive-specific tasks. After recording the results of these tests, the researchers discovered that the walking group had better memory function compared to the non-walking individuals.

These findings show how walking regularly can benefit "the executive control tasks – things like planning, scheduling, dealing with ambiguity, working memory and multitasking," said Art Kramer, lead author of the study.

In addition to improving cognitive function, walking on a regular basis may improve respiratory health, as a recent study conducted by the American Thoracic Society showed that this exercise proved beneficial for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

While smoking has been linked to the increased risk of being diagnosed with this disease, little is known about how it may cause colon cancer.

After analyzing data collected during the Iowa Women’s Health Study, a team of researchers surveyed more than 98,000 women aged 55 to 69 about their smoking habits. Participants were asked to identify if they were non-smokers, as well as former or active smokers.

Approximately 43 percent of the women responded, and the team found that 66 percent were non-smokers, while the remaining 34 percent currently or used to smoke. The researchers also discovered that while few cases of colon cancer among participants were found in those who smoked, a specific type of the disease was linked to cigarette smoking.

The authors concluded that the results provide "additional support that cigarette smoking is a risk factor for colorectal cancer but further indicate that the smoking-related risk may pertain to specific molecularly defined colorectal cancer subtypes that develop through epigenetically mediated carcinogenic pathways."

In 2006, an estimated 68,857 women were diagnosed with colon cancer and more than 26,000 female patients died from the disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports.

During a recent trial, researchers surveyed more than 2,000 men about their sexual health. While interviewing the participants, the investigators also monitored the men for depression-related symptoms.

The findings showed that the participants who were diagnosed with ED and depression were more likely to suffer from cardiovascular complications, which could lead to a higher mortality rate. Also, the researchers found that taking antidepressants wasn’t linked to the increased risk of developing these health problems.

Irwin Goldstein, editor-in-chief of the journal and director of sexual medicine at Alvarado Hospital in San Diego, stated that "the broader concept of the sexual medicine problem [is] no longer being just about a man’s performance in the bedroom, but about his psychological mood and his cardiovascular health." He added that "this is a valid reason for a woman to encourage her partner to seek help for his erectile dysfunction."

While depression symptoms have been linked to developing ED, the team concluded that physicians who treat men with ED should also screen their patients for the mood disorder to improve cardiac health.

Currently, an estimated 30 million men in the United States have been diagnosed with ED, according to the Minnesota Men’s Health Center.

Teams of researchers will incorporate botanical mixtures into their trials, which could lead to more effective and safer therapies for cancer patients. Also, by using natural compounds, New Earth BioMed hopes advancements in treatments will result in fewer side effects.

John Boik, president of the company, stated that "recent advances in bioinformatics, analytical technology and other related fields are strongly pointing to the concept that activities of a cell are dictated by a complex and dynamic internal web of protein interactions." He added that "this new screening program is representative of a new breed of drug discovery initiatives brought about through an evolution in biological understanding."

Advancements in natural alternatives for cancer therapies with fewer side effects may benefit those receiving treatments for these diseases. For example, the American Cancer Society reports that patients who undergo radiation therapy can experience fatigue, hair loss, skin problems, digestive problems, shortness of breath and negative psychological effects.

Previous studies using animals have proven that consuming coffee could lower the risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Using two groups of mice, a team of researchers gave the animals either water or coffee.

The results of the study showed the mice that drank coffee had improved sensitivity to insulin and better prevention against the development of high-blood sugar levels. The team discovered that coffee consumption could help reduce inflammation of the liver, which may also lower the risks of developing diabetes.

The scientists concluded that other trials have also showed that caffeine may be "one of the most effective antidiabetic compounds in coffee."

In addition to preventing diabetes, coffee drinkers can also lower the risks of developing Parkinson’s disease, as a recent report by researchers at the University of Porto in Portugal found that consuming the beverage reduces the chance of being diagnosed with the illness by 25 percent.