Author: healthadmin

The researchers found that while maternal BMI influenced birth weight, genetics accounted for most of the similarity in parent-child BMI throughout childhood, challenging the idea that obesity risk is largely programmed before birth. Study: Parental body mass index and offspring’s childhood body size and dietary behavior: A structural equation modeling analysis in the Norwegian Mother-Child Cohort Study. Image credit: NDAB Creativity/Shutterstock.com Recent research published in journals PLoS Medicine Our findings suggest that maternal obesity influences birth weight more strongly than childhood BMI, and that associations with parental BMI are better explained by common genetics. Investigating the genetics of childhood obesity…

UNSW Sydney researchers have developed a fully synthetic soft robotic heart that replicates the complex movements and internal structures of the human heart, opening the door to better treatments, safer medical devices and more personalized care. Published in nature communications and cutting edge scienceThis study introduces a left-sided beating model of the heart, including an artificial valve, papillary muscles, and chordae tendineae. These structures are essential for healthy heart function and are often affected by disease. The device can accurately replicate the process in a real heart where heart valves leak and blood flows backwards, increasing the risk of heart…

Researchers have discovered another clue that diet may influence how the brain ages. A study of more than 2,000 elderly Japanese people found that those with low levels of vitamin C in their blood tended to have less gray matter and weaker connections in important brain networks involved in memory and attention. Although the findings do not prove that vitamin C protects the brain, they strengthen the evidence that proper nutrition may play a role in maintaining subsequent cognitive function. The study, led by Haruka Nagaya from Hirosaki University in Japan, was published in an open access journal on June…

Real-world data suggest that new obesity drugs may have a different mental health profile, with warning signs for anxiety and insomnia shown for tirzepatide compared to semaglutide in people without diabetes, although rates of some psychiatric diagnoses are lower. Study: Neuropsychiatric associations of tirzepatide and semaglutide in obesity with and without type 2 diabetes. Image credit: Love Employee / Shutterstock In a recent study published in the journal communication medicineA group of researchers examined the association between initiation of tirzepatide or semaglutide and incident neuropsychiatric diagnoses compared with other weight loss treatments in adults with obesity, analyzing individuals with and…

Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have identified a critical missing piece in the long-standing mystery of how melanoma tumors avoid death and continue to grow. This week I am writing: scienceDr. Jonathan Alder and colleagues describe a combination of genetic changes that can dramatically extend the lifespan of melanoma cells while promoting rapid tumor growth. The discovery could reshape the way researchers understand melanoma and could suggest new treatment strategies. “We’ve done something essentially obvious based on previous basic research and tied it to what’s going on inside the patient’s body,” said Alder, an assistant professor…

McMaster University researchers have developed a new cancer immunotherapy strategy that can simultaneously attack deadly brain tumors and the immune cells that help them grow. The study was published on July 1, naturefocuses on glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive and difficult to treat cancers, and on immune cells called macrophages, which normally help protect the body from infection. But glioblastomas can hijack these cells and use them to help the tumor grow, suppress immune attacks, and resist treatment.Researchers identified non-metastatic melanoma protein B (GPNMB), a glycoprotein present in cancer cells and these tumor-supporting macrophages. This has presented a unique…

A nationwide study suggests that severe COVID-19 infections may make some survivors more vulnerable to tuberculosis, highlighting the potential role of targeted screening after hospitalization. Study: Risk of developing tuberculosis after severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19): a national cohort study. Image credit: Tatiana Shepeleva / Shutterstock In a recent article in a magazine nature communicationsresearchers assessed the risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) after severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Chilean adults. In 2024, approximately 10.7 million people worldwide will be infected with tuberculosis and 1.2 million will die. Tuberculosis control efforts have been significantly disrupted by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic,…

Installation view of offshore wind pilot turbines on the Virginia coast under construction in 2020. Duke Energy, located on the southern tip of the North Carolina coast, accepted a $129 million takeover from federal taxpayers, citing the president’s aversion to renewable energy. Photo: Dominion Energy Duke Energy has agreed to terminate its wind leases off the coast of Brunswick County, instead pledging to reinvest funds into grid enhancements and additional power generation. The U.S. Department of the Interior announced Monday that the Charlotte-based company is terminating its offshore wind lease in the Carolina Long Bay Wind Area, about 35 miles…

Sleep supplements, widely used to treat insomnia, may help reduce dependence on the most common and potentially harmful painkillers, new research from the University of Sydney suggests. Published in painThe study found that melatonin can reduce chronic musculoskeletal pain with a similar range of effectiveness as drugs such as opioids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and paracetamol. Musculoskeletal pain affects up to 47% of people worldwide, and our findings point to a low-cost, widely available option that could change the way chronic pain is managed. Melatonin for chronic pain “We know that melatonin is already in people’s homes, it’s cheap, and…

To be precise, blood tests don’t lie. Report numbers. Issues raised by new mini-review brain medicine, Collecting and comparing 10 years of scattered research results is whether clinicians were unknowingly reading the same numbers in two different ways. The marker is the plasma neurofilament light chain known as NfL, a fragment of the internal scaffold that holds the long fibers of neurons open. When axons fray, fragments leak into the bloodstream. The combined results, compiled by researchers from Fudan University and Wuhan University and bringing together evidence from interdisciplinary teams, argue that identical levels of this protein may carry more…