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Expanding insurance coverage for elective single-embryo transfer could result in ideal pregnancy outcomes

Expanding insurance coverage for a type of in vitro fertilization known as elective single-embryo transfer could lead to improved health outcomes and lower health care costs, according to a newly published study that included researchers from the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

15 Apr 2016

Diet and lifestyle may play greater role than genetics in cataract development, severity

A diet rich in vitamin C could cut risk of cataract progression by a third, suggests a study being published online today in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The research is also the first to show that diet and lifestyle may play a greater role than genetics in cataract development and severity.

24 Mar 2016

New study shows that structural changes within the spine alter vibration response

Magnetic resonance image isn't everything. A new University of Alberta study shows that vibrating the spine may reveal more when it comes to treating back pain. Teaming with the University of South Denmark to study the lumbar spine of twins, Greg Kawchuk and his team demonstrate that structural changes within the spine alter its vibration response significantly.

11 Mar 2016

Many women have short length of stay after childbirth, new study finds

A substantial proportion of women in countries around the world do not stay in health facilities for long enough after giving birth, which could result in them receiving inadequate postnatal care, according to a new study published in PLOS Medicine.

10 Mar 2016

IVF could reduce unintended twin births

The twin birth rate in the U.S. has surged over the last 30 years, mostly because of reproductive technologies including in vitro fertilization. Though it's partly the cause, IVF could also be the most promising solution to reducing unintended twin births, argues Dr. Eli Adashi in a new editorial in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

7 Mar 2016

African Americans and Hispanics at higher risk of developing heart failure

More than 915,000 Americans will be diagnosed with heart failure this year, according to the recently published American Heart Association 2016 Statistical Update.

18 Feb 2016

UMass Amherst cognitive neuroscientist receives NSF CAREER award to study brain functions

Cognitive neuroscientist Rosie Cowell at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently received a five-year, $599,619 CAREER award from the National Science Foundation to develop and test a theory of how memory interacts with fine-grained visual perception and how both brain functions depend on the medial temporal lobe (MTL), which once was thought to be critical for memory but not for visual perception.

29 Jan 2016

Scientists discover epigenetic switch linked to obesity

It is well known that a predisposition to adiposity lies in our genes. A new study by researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg now shows that it is also crucial how these genes are regulated. The scientists led by Andrew Pospisilik discovered a novel regulatory, epigenetic switch, which causes individuals with identical genetic material, such as monozygotic twins, to either be lean or obese.

29 Jan 2016

Study explores role of genetic and environmental factors in development of social anxiety

Genes play a crucial role over time although environmental factors matter most in the short term, according to a major study into social anxiety and avoidant personality disorders from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

21 Jan 2016

Study provides evidence for use of inherited genetic markers to improve melanoma prognostication

Melanoma is the most dangerous and lethal form of skin cancer. But just how long will a patient survive following the removal of a melanoma tumor? A more definitive answer to that question could come from new studies at NYU Langone Medical Center and its Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center. Researchers there have discovered an inherited genetic marker that might provide clinicians with a personalized tool to gauge an individual's survival and determine which patients require closer monitoring in the years following surgery.

21 Jan 2016

Scientists find genetic link to unexplained heart failure affecting pregnant women

Scientists have found that women who suffer unexplained heart failure towards the end of pregnancy or shortly after giving birth share certain genetic changes.

7 Jan 2016

Study shows that twins may share cancer risk

In a long-term follow-up study among approximately 200,000 Nordic twin individuals, there was an increased cancer risk in twins whose co-twin was diagnosed with cancer, with an increased risk for cancer overall and for specific types of cancer, including prostate, melanoma, breast, ovary, and uterus, according to a study in the January 5 issue of JAMA.

7 Jan 2016

New study finds familial risk and heritability of cancer among twins

A large new study of twins has found that having a twin sibling diagnosed with cancer poses an excess risk for the other twin to develop any form of cancer. Among the 23 different types of cancer studied, an excess familial risk was seen for almost all of the cancers, including common cancers such as breast and prostate cancer, but also more rare cancers such as testicular cancer, head and neck cancer, melanoma, ovarian and stomach cancer.

6 Jan 2016

Children conceived through infertility treatments no more likely to have developmental delays

Children conceived via infertility treatments are no more likely to have a developmental delay than children conceived without such treatments, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health, the New York State Department of Health and other institutions.

5 Jan 2016

New Penn study shows that social behavior in carpenter ants can be reprogrammed

In Florida carpenter ant colonies, distinct worker castes called minors and majors exhibit pronounced differences in social behavior throughout their lives. In a new study published today in Science, a multi-institution team anchored at University of Pennsylvania found that these caste-specific behaviors are not set in stone.

4 Jan 2016

New study outlines risk for in-hospital and out-of-hospital births in Oregon

The out-of-hospital birth setting in Oregon was associated with a higher risk of perinatal death, while the in-hospital birth setting was associated with a higher risk for cesarean delivery and other obstetric interventions (e.g., induction or augmentation of labor), according a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University.

31 Dec 2015

Novel antibody improves glucose regulation and reduces fatty liver in obese mice

A new study by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and colleagues describes the pre-clinical development of a therapeutic that could potentially be used to treat type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and other metabolic diseases.

24 Dec 2015