A global team of scientists has completed the largest sequencing study of human disease to date, investigating the genetic basis of six autoimmune diseases.
The exact cause of these diseases – autoimmune thyroid disease, coeliac disease, Crohn`s disease, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes- is unknown, but is believed to be a complex combination of genetic and environmental factors.
A new study has found neurobiological evidence for dysfunction in the neural circuitry underlying emotion regulation in people with insomnia.
The finding may have implications for the risk relationship between insomnia and depression.
“Insomnia has been consistently identified as a risk factor for depression,” said lead author Peter Franzen, PhD, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Research shows that high-fructose corn syrup can cause behavioural reactions in rats similar to those produced by drugs of abuse such as cocaine.
These results, presented by addiction expert Francesco Leri, Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Applied Cognitive Science at the University of Guelph, suggest food addiction could explain, at least partly, the current global obesity epidemic.
The ” Food Addiction” hypothesis suggests one could be addicted to food just as one is addicted to drugs of abuse.
A new study has found that widely-used fish oil supplements modestly increase amounts of a hormone that is associated with lower risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Fish oil supplements, also called omega 3 fatty acid capsules, raise levels of adiponectin in the bloodstream. Adiponectin is an important hormone that has beneficial effects on metabolic processes like glucose regulation and the modulation of inflammation. In long-term human studies, higher levels of adiponectin are associated with lower risks of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease.
A father’s depression can have tremendous effect on his young son or daughter, a new study has revealed.
According to the University of Illinois study, when fathers report a high level of emotional intimacy in their marriage, their children benefit.
“When a parent is interacting with their child, they need to be able to attend to the child’s emotional state, be cued in to his developmental stage and abilities, and notice whether he is getting frustrated or needs help. Depressed parents have more difficulty doing that,” Nancy McElwain, a U of I professor of human development, said.
In a surprising discovery, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have determined that vitamin C kills drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) bacteria in laboratory culture.
The finding suggests that vitamin C added to existing TB drugs could shorten TB therapy, and it highlights a new area for drug design.
Getting rid of belly fat is simpler than you might have thought.
With the right plan, it’s actually easier to lose that stubborn lower-body fat or the seemingly impossible to tone back-of-the-arm flab.
Stick to a healthy diet and exercise guidelines, and you’ll be slimmer and healthier by summer.
Obviously, you want to keep your calories in a healthy range and avoid meals that are high in saturated fat.
But research has also shown that eating more of certain foods can help you burn excess visceral fat and pave the way to a smaller middle, the Huffington Post reported.
Newbie actress Alia Bhatt, who is currently shooting the final league of filmmaker Imtiaz Ali`s road romance `Highway`, says the film is special to her.
Bhatt, 20, is paired against Randeep Hooda in the flick, which will hit theatres on December 13.
“Dec 13 guys !! Shooting for the last few days of `Highway` in Delhi. Cannot believe this film is coming to an end.. Now time for yoga.
“Thank you so much for all the amazing feedback on the recent stills of `Highway`! It is a very special film to me hope you guys love it too,” she posted on Twitter.
Researchers at the University of Missouri have found a way to create radioactive nanoparticles that target lymphoma tumor cells wherever they may be in the body.
Cancers of all types become most deadly when they metastasize and spread tumors throughout the body. Once cancer has reached this stage, it becomes very difficult for doctors to locate and treat the numerous tumors that can develop.
Researchers have found that an important genetic risk factor for pulmonary fibrosis can be used to identify individuals at risk for this deadly lung disease.
The team including physicians and scientists at the University of Colorado School of Medicine looked at a fairly common variant of the gene for mucin-5B, a protein that is a component of the mucous produced by the bronchial tubes. While this variant of the MUC5B gene is fairly common, pulmonary fibrosis is an uncommonly reported disease.
Researchers have claimed that mild iodine deficiency during pregnancy could be dimming the intellect of some babies born in the UK.
Their study of 1,000 families showed lower IQs and reading scores in primary school pupils whose mother had had too little iodine while pregnant.
Academics advise women of child-bearing age to maintain iodine in their diets by eating dairy products and fish.
Women were warned not to take seaweed pills, as they contain too much iodine.
Iodine is essential for the development of the brain as it is needed to build some of the body`s hormones.
A new research found that early-life exposure to traffic-related air pollution was significantly associated with higher hyperactivity scores at age 7.
The research was conducted by faculty members from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine`s Department of Environmental Health in collaboration with Cincinnati Children`s Hospital Medical Center.
Ladies, your stressful job may not only harm your health but also your love life!
Men find women with high levels of stress hormone less attractive, a new study has found.
Previous research has found that women also prefer men who are less-stressed.
Stress can suppress fertility, said study researcher Markus Rantala, a professor of biology at the University of Turku in Finland.
Thus, it`s no surprise that both men and women might have evolved to prefer chilled-out faces, Rantala told LiveScience.
A new study by investigators at the University of Michigan and Eli Lilly may reveal the “switch” that helps our brains to make the shift from current behaviours to new ones.
They measured levels of a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine, which is involved in attention and memory, while rats monitored a screen for a signal. At the end of each trial, the rat had to indicate if a signal had occurred.
A class of pharmaceuticals can both prevent and treat Alzheimer`s disease in mice, researchers at University of Southern California have found.
The drugs, known as “TSPO ligands,” are currently used for certain types of neuroimaging.
“We looked at the effects of TSPO ligand in young adult mice when pathology was at an early stage, and in aged mice when pathology was quite severe,” said lead researcher Christian Pike of the USC Davis School of Gerontology.
“TSPO ligand reduced measures of pathology and improved behavior at both ages,” Pike added.
A teenage girl from Canada can rotate her leg 180 degrees after undergoing a lifesaving cancer operation.
In a video uploaded on YouTube, Jen O’Shea documents the reactions of pals, family and classmates to her new trick.
The video clip is part of a video appeal to Ellen DeGeneres, who asked her talk show viewers to send her their hidden talents as part of a contest.
A new research found that early-life exposure to traffic-related air pollution was significantly associated with higher hyperactivity scores at age 7.
The research was conducted by faculty members from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine’s Department of Environmental Health in collaboration with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Activating an enzyme known to play a role in the anti-aging benefits of calorie restriction delays the loss of brain cells and preserves cognitive function in mice, a new study has found.
The findings could one day guide researchers to discover drug alternatives that slow the progress of age-associated impairments in the brain.
Previous studies have shown that reducing calorie consumption extends the lifespan of a variety of species and decreases the brain changes that often accompany aging and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
A study has claimed that exposure to traffic during the prenatal period is associated with an increased risk of respiratory infection being developed in young children by the age of 3.
Lead author Mary Rice, MD, a pulmonary and critical care fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, said that their study extends previous findings by showing that proximity to a major roadway during the prenatal period is associated with increased risk of subsequent respiratory infection in children.
A Mediterranean diet with added extra virgin olive oil or mixed nuts seems to improve the brain power of older people better than advising them to follow a low-fat diet, according to a new research.
The researchers from the University of Navarra in Spain base their findings on 522 men and women aged between 55 and 80 without cardiovascular disease but at high vascular risk because of underlying disease/conditions.
An infant has a fivefold increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) when they share their bed with their parents, according to an analysis.
The authors of this analysis estimate that around 88 percent of all SIDS deaths while bed sharing would not have occurred if it had been avoided.
The results show that even when neither parent smoked, and the baby was less than 3 months old, breastfed and the mother did not drink or take drugs, the risk of SIDS was five times higher than if the baby had slept in a cot next to their parents` bed.
People who are consistently exposed to both wood smoke and tobacco smoke are at a greater risk for developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and for experiencing more frequent and severe symptoms of the disease, as well as more severe airflow obstruction, than those who are exposed to only one type of smoke, a new study has found.
Increasing the amount of time that elementary schoolchildren spent in gym class reduces the probability of obesity, a new study from Cornell University has found.
The study represents some of the first evidence of a causal effect of physical education (PE) on youth obesity.
A new research has suggested that frequency of candy consumption is not associated with weight or certain adverse health risks.
According to a recent data analysis, adults who consume candy at least every other day are no more likely to be overweight nor have greater risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) than moderate consumers (about once a week) or even less frequent candy eaters (less than 3 times per month).
It`s not watching too much television or playing computer games but spending too much time indoors that will ruin your child`s eyes, according to a new study.
The five-year study by Sydney University researchers suggests children aged under six years should spend at least 10 hours a week outdoors in the sunshine to reduce their risk of becoming short-sighted or myopic.