Author: healthadmin

While postpartum and perinatal depression are well-known challenges for pregnant women, more common anxiety disorders have received less attention. Approximately 15% of people experience anxiety-related disorders during pregnancy and the postpartum period, or in the weeks after giving birth, increasing the risk of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms. Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis wanted to understand how sleep disorders affect all of this. In a recently published study, sleepResearchers, including senior author and psychiatrist Mary Kimmel, M.D., of WashU Medicine, and psychologist Rebecca Cox, Ph.D., of Arts & Sciences, studied approximately 230 women during early and late pregnancy and…

A new technique will allow scientists to map the DNA-binding sites of transcription factors and other regulatory proteins that control gene activity in single cells, according to a study led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medical Institute and the New York Genome Center. This technique offers important advantages over currently used methods and is expected to be a powerful addition to biologists’ toolkits for studying cells in health and disease. The new method, called D&D-seq, uses antibodies to bring a DNA-editing enzyme close to a target protein, allowing researchers to record where the protein interacts with DNA. A study describing…

Announcement of new article publication Cardiovascular innovations and applications journal. The long-term effects of sustained weight gain or loss on the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) remain unclear. The authors of this article investigated the association between long-term weight change and the development of atrial fibrillation. 64,119 participants without AF from the Kailuan cohort whose height and weight were measured in 2006-2007 and 2010-2011 were tested. Weight change was assessed as change in body mass index (BMI), body weight, and percent weight change. The occurrence of atrial fibrillation was confirmed according to the International Classification of Diseases code and biennial…

Amplified Sciences, a clinical-stage diagnostics company pioneering next-generation multi-omic assays, today announced new investment from the American Gastroenterology Association’s (AGA) GI Opportunities Fund as part of its recent Seed+ funding round. The round was led by existing investor OCA Ventures, with additional institutional investors participating. This investment reflects growing confidence from leading gastroenterology stakeholders in PanCystPro, Amplified Sciences’ first diagnostic assay designed to improve risk stratification of pancreatic cystic lesions and support more accurate clinical decision-making. With the widespread use of high-resolution imaging, pancreatic cysts are increasingly being detected in clinical practice, and prevalence estimates have increased significantly over the…

Eight members of the House of Lords with backgrounds in nursing or medicine are calling on MPs to continue their support for emergency legislation on assisted dying after the End of Life Adults (End of Life Care) Bill failed to reach a vote in the House of Lords before the adjournment of the last Parliament. In an open letter published by BMJ Today, Baroness Claire Gelada and her colleagues expressed their regret and warned that the failure to pass the bill, and that MPs did not have the opportunity to vote on it, put more dying people and their families…

Global progress in reducing preventable deaths among newborns, children and adolescents has slowed significantly since 2015, putting many countries at risk of failing to meet global child survival targets by 2030, a series of papers published by the US government has found. BMJ today. Researchers estimate that up to 9.4 million people could die by 2030, including 2.5 million children under five, and are calling for renewed efforts and sustained investment to prevent the tragedy from spreading. The results also showed that of the estimated 4.9 million deaths of children under five in 2024, preterm birth complications (860,000) and respiratory…

In an overwhelmingly unanimous vote, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with Hikma Pharmaceuticals, ruling that Amarin’s generic version of its fish oil-based cardiovascular drug Vascepa does not infringe the Irish company’s patents. The ruling is a victory for the generic drug industry, particularly for the use of “skinny” labels that allow cheaper copies to be sold for certain indications, as long as they do not infringe on patents protecting other uses. In a 9-0 vote, the Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling that Hikma infringed on Amarin’s patents (PDF). The ruling was over Amarin’s patent protection for Vascepa, which…

For decades, ultrafast lasers have been one of the most powerful tools in modern optics. Its pulses last just a few hundred femtoseconds, or one quintillionth of a second, and enable a variety of technologies, from precision manufacturing and eye surgery to optical frequency combs, a Nobel Prize-winning technology that powers the world’s most accurate optical atomic clocks. Despite their importance, these lasers remain large and expensive systems that occupy entire optical tables. Now, researchers led by Professor Tobias J. Kippenberg at EPFL have achieved a breakthrough that could dramatically scale down this technology. Writing in progress naturethe research team…

Older adults who report enjoying good quality sleep are significantly less likely to develop symptoms of depression over the long term than those who sleep poorly. Tracking changes over several years, researchers found that maintaining or improving sleep quality was linked to a lower risk of future mental health problems. These findings were published in the Journal of Affective Disorders. Depression is a major cause of mental distress for older adults. It often leads to a decreased quality of life and is linked to various physical illnesses. Mental health struggles in later life often occur alongside heart disease, widespread body…

For thousands of years, people have used salt to flavor and preserve food. Salt remains a staple in kitchens around the world, but consuming too much salt can increase your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease, and even hasten cognitive decline. To reduce these risks, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults consume no more than 5 grams of salt per day. Much of the salt people consume comes from processed and prepared foods, but added salt at the table still accounts for 6% to 20% of total intake. Researchers know this habit varies between groups…