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Study provides further insights into the relationship between smoking and COVID-19

A Canadian study available on the preprint server medRxiv* shows that current smokers are slightly more likely than never smokers to test positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), but cautions about the possibility of reverse causality where smokers actually quit to avoid the disease.

12 May 2020

Study shows COVID-19 vulnerability is highly dependent on host genetic architecture

A new US study available on the preprint server medRxiv reveals certain genetic variations that are associated with infection susceptibility and diverse clinical presentation of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) – including asymptomatic cases and severe forms of the disease in younger patients.

10 May 2020

AI-enabled precision medicine may increase survival rate of patients with COVID-19-related sepsis

Data scientists from UK-headquartered AI precision medicine company, PrecisionLife, have used the Company’s proprietary AI enabled precision medicine platform to identify 59 repurposing drug candidates that could be used to develop new therapeutic strategies to increase the survival rate of patients who develop sepsis while suffering from severe COVID-19.

7 May 2020

Researchers discover gene variants that reduce the risk of glaucoma

An international research collaboration led by researchers from the University of Helsinki and Stanford University has identified rare changes in a gene called ANGPTL7 that lower intraocular pressure and significantly reduce the risk of glaucoma

6 May 2020

Individuals with high risk of cancer and CVD cannot be identified based on family history

Certain genetic changes, termed "pathogenic variants," substantially increase risk for cardiovascular disease and cancer--the leading causes of death--but testing to identify individual carriers is not part of current clinical practice.

4 May 2020

Combination of rare, damaging mutations negatively affects healthspan and longevity

Scientists report that the combined effects of rare, damaging mutations present at birth have a negative impact on healthspan and longevity, according to a study published this week in eLife.

9 Apr 2020

Genetic tests to predict heart disease risk have limited benefit

Genetic tests to predict a person's risk of heart disease and heart attack have limited benefit over conventional testing.

18 Feb 2020

High testosterone in women ups risk for cancer, diabetes, and metabolic disease

Testosterone is a steroid hormone that triggers the development of male secondary sex characteristics. Though found mainly in men, the ovaries in women release small amounts of testosterone. When combined with estrogen, testosterone aids in the growth and repair of a woman's reproductive tissues.

12 Feb 2020

Study sheds new light on genetic relationship between three mood disorders

Researchers shed new light on the genetic relationship between three mood disorders associated with depression--major depression and bipolar disorder types 1 and 2, in a new study in the journal Biological Psychiatry, published by Elsevier.

5 Feb 2020

Daily alcohol consumption ages brain

There are several studies looking at the effects of alcohol intake on the brain. Anew study adds to the existing knowledge. The large study with around 11,651 participants from United Kingdom shows that each gram of alcohol consumed could lead to around a week of aging of the brain.

2 Feb 2020

Pulmonary fibrosis associated with short and long sleep duration

Scientists have discovered that people who regularly sleep for more than 11 hours or less than 4 hours are 2-3 times more likely to have the incurable disease, pulmonary fibrosis, compared to those that sleep for 7 hours in a day. They attribute this association to the body clock.

30 Dec 2019

Genomic data can accurately and reliably predict stroke risk

Estimates based on genomic data predict stroke risk with an accuracy similar to, or greater than those based on clinical risk factors. This result implies that persons at high risk might benefit from more rigorous preventive measures.

21 Dec 2019

Researchers develop powerful computer algorithm for large-scale genomic analysis

Haplotypes are a set of genetic variations that, located side by side on the same chromosome, are transmitted in a single group to the next generation. Their examination makes it possible to understand the heritability of certain complex traits, such as the risk of developing a disease.

20 Dec 2019

New genetic score is similar or more predictive than common risk factors for stroke

A group of investigators from Australia, Germany, and the UK have shown that genetic data obtained from a single blood draw or saliva sample can be used to identify individuals at a 3-fold increased risk of developing ischemic stroke, a devastating condition and one of the leading causes of disability and death world-wide.

20 Dec 2019

Healthy sleep patterns could help offset genetic risk of heart disease or stroke

Getting a good night's sleep could be beneficial for long-term health. A pioneering new study led by Dr. Lu Qi, director of the Tulane University Obesity Research Center, found that even if people had a high genetic risk of heart disease or stroke, healthy sleep patterns could help offset that risk.

18 Dec 2019

Immune cells may link body composition to how cognition changes with age, study suggests

Iowa State researchers have found for the first time that less muscle and more body fat may affect our thinking as we age, and changes in parts of the immune system could be responsible.

17 Dec 2019

Glaucoma risk increased by air pollution

The more polluted the air, the higher the risk is that those who live in that area will develop glaucoma, says an interesting new study from the UK, published today in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science.

25 Nov 2019

Air pollution associated with greater risk of glaucoma

Living in a more polluted area is associated with a greater likelihood of having glaucoma, a debilitating eye condition that can cause blindness, finds a new UCL-led study in the UK.

25 Nov 2019

Women with gestational hypertension have elevated cardiovascular risk later in life

Research published online today in Journal of the American College of Cardiology, confirms that women who have gestational hypertension or preeclampsia in at least one pregnancy will have higher cardiovascular risk than women without such a history, and that this elevated risk persists at least into their 60s.

11 Nov 2019

Heavy smoking causes rapid facial aging

“Smoker’s Face,” a condition where smokers look older than they are, is just one of many negative effects caused by heavy tobacco usage. Louise Millard of the University of Bristol and colleagues report these findings in a new study published 31st October in PLOS Genetics.

8 Nov 2019