Health Research: Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis symptoms curbed by bariatric surgery♦ Leading cause of blindness could be prevented or delayed ♦ Molecular clocks control mutation rate in human cells

Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis symptoms curbed by bariatric surgery Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis symptoms were significantly lessened in patients who underwent bariatric -- or weight loss -- surgery, according to researchers. According to the study's authors, the findings suggest that losing excess weight may improve symptoms in people who have these lifelong condition

Deaths from heart disease declining among rheumatoid arthritis patients Rheumatoid arthritis patients are twice as likely as the average person to develop heart disease, but a new study shows that efforts to prevent heart problems and diagnose and treat heart disease early may be paying off

Leading cause of blindness could be prevented or delayed In a major scientific breakthrough, a drug used to treat Parkinson's and related diseases may be able to delay or prevent macular degeneration, the most common form of blindness among older Americans.

Molecular clocks control mutation rate in human cells A theory that our cells have molecular clock processes ticking inside them, that damage DNA by generating mutations continuously throughout life, has just been proven.These clock-like mutational processes could ultimately be responsible for a large proportion of human cancer and contribute to human aging. Two clock-like mutational processes have been found in human cells and the rates at which the two clocks tick in different human cell types have been determined.