Twins News and Research

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The pursuit of genetic happiness

The pursuit of happiness characterizes the human condition. But for those suffering from stress, money trouble or chronic illness, a positive outlook on life can be difficult to find. Now, a Tel Aviv University researcher says we should look to our genes.

24 Jun 2009

Women warned not to wait too long to have a baby

Women are being warned that they should consider starting a family before the age of 35 or they will risk missing out on motherhood.

21 Jun 2009

Bartering for health care rises

With no health insurance and little money, Gilberto Carrasco, a Reno, Nev., auto mechanic, didn't see much point in getting a physical. At 50, he felt healthy and couldn't afford treatment even if a doctor found a medical problem.

17 Jun 2009

Does sleep duration influence body mass index in twins?

Body Mass Index (BMI) varies as a function of habitual sleep duration, according to a research abstract presented at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

12 Jun 2009

Adolescents suffering from anxiety and depression should be screened for insomnia

The genes that play a role in adolescent insomnia are the same as those involved in depression and anxiety, according to a research abstract presented at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

9 Jun 2009

Genetic and environmental relations between insomnia and intrusive thinking

The genetic factors that cause increased sleep problems during times of stress seem to be the same as those that make people with intrusive and ruminative thoughts have a higher prevalence of insomnia, according to a research abstract that will be presented on Tuesday, June 9, at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

9 Jun 2009

Discovery of genetic factors that influence the age at which natural menopause occurs in women

For the first time, scientists have been able to identify genetic factors that influence the age at which natural menopause occurs in women. Ms Lisette Stolk, a researcher from Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, told the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics today ( Monday 25 May) that a greater understanding of the factors influencing age at menopause might eventually help to improve the clinical treatment of infertile women.

25 May 2009

Life is tough for IVF twins early on

Australian researchers have found that twins conceived as a result of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) do it tough, especially early in life.

22 May 2009

Twins born after fertility treatment have a higher risk of problems at birth and in the first three years of life

Twins born as a result of assisted reproductive technology (ART) are more likely to be admitted to neonatal intensive care and to be hospitalised in their first three years of life than spontaneously conceived twins, according to new research published online today (Wednesday 20 May) in Europe’s leading reproductive medicine journal Human Reproduction.

20 May 2009

Good advice for a healthy pregnancy

Women can increase their chances for a healthy pregnancy by eating right, exercising, not smoking, and getting early medical care, says a podcast featuring a National Institutes of Health obstetrician who oversees research on pregnancy and birth.

20 May 2009

Negative mood-related drinking may mean vulnerability for major depression and alcohol dependence

Major depression (MD) and alcohol dependence (AD) co-occur in individuals and within families at higher rates than expected by chance. This study looked at how mood-related drinking motives may explain the overlapping familial risk for MD and AD. Findings suggest that individuals with strong mood-related drinking motives, especially those based on negative feelings, may be vulnerable to developing both MD and AD.

12 May 2009

Genes that influence brain cell connections linked to autism

In three studies, including the most comprehensive study of autism genetics to date, investigators funded in part by the National Institutes of Health have identified common and rare genetic factors that affect the risk of autism spectrum disorders.

30 Apr 2009

For cancer cells, genetics alone is poor indicator for drug response

In certain respects, cells are less like machines and more like people.

12 Apr 2009

Heart burn surgery reverses chronic rejection in transplant patient

Acid reflux is thought to be - at most - an irritating condition easily controlled with medication, diet and weight loss.

1 Apr 2009

Researchers look at how the host reacts to a flu virus infection

"Where there are many scientific works dealing solely with the flu virus, we have investigated how the host reacts to an infection," says Klaus Schughart, head of the Experimental Mouse Genetics research group.

29 Mar 2009

Single embryo transfer is the cheapest and most effective strategy for assisted reproduction

Transferring single embryos to women's wombs over several assisted reproduction cycles that use both fresh and frozen embryos is more effective and cheaper than transferring two or more embryos at one time, according to data from the world's longest running series of patients who choose to have only one embryo implanted per cycle - elective single embryo transfer (eSET).

24 Mar 2009

A new method for assessing women’s eggs could enhance IVF success

Many couples who have trouble conceiving a child have turned to a process known as in vitro fertilization.

23 Mar 2009

Understanding mental illness through gene-environment interactions

Biological Psychiatry, published by Elsevier, is very pleased to present a special section of its February 1st issue devoted to fundamental new insights into epigenetics, a field of research devoted to understanding how the environment can produce long-lasting or even heritable changes in gene function without altering the DNA sequence.

17 Mar 2009

Intelligence is strongly influenced by the quality of the brain's axons

They say a picture tells a thousand stories, but can it also tell how smart you are? Actually, say UCLA researchers, it can.

17 Mar 2009

Does stress damage the brain?

In the March 1st issue of Biological Psychiatry, published by Elsevier, a paper by Tibor Hajszan and colleagues provides an important new chapter to this question.

16 Mar 2009