Twins News and Research

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DNA testing can help individuals make more-informed health and lifestyle decisions

Mention the term “genetic testing” and reactions can vary widely—from curiosity, to reticence or anxiety, to enthusiastic acceptance. The reality is, DNA testing has been used for decades, primarily to determine the paternity of children and to obtain forensic evidence for police investigations and legal trials.

20 Jan 2010

Gently rocking embryos during IVF may improve success rates

Gently rocking embryos while they grow during in vitro fertilization (IVF) improves pregnancy rates in mice by 22 percent, new University of Michigan research shows. The procedure could one day lead to significantly higher IVF success rates in humans.

20 Jan 2010

Finding supports modularity of mind theory

Recognizing faces is an important social skill, but not all of us are equally good at it. Some people are unable to recognize even their closest friends (a condition called prosopagnosia), while others have a near-photographic memory for large numbers of faces.

20 Jan 2010

New procedure could lead to higher IVF success rates in humans

19 Jan 2010

Fertility drugs cause a high percentage of multiple births; contribute to growing crisis of prematurity

The widespread use of so-called fertility drugs, not just high-tech laboratory procedures, likely plays a larger role than previously realized in the growing problem of premature births in the United States, because these drugs cause a high percentage of multiple births, the March of Dimes said today.

18 Jan 2010

Additional birth weight decreases risk of developing tuberculosis later in life

Researchers at the University of Michigan looked at how much protection additional birth weight added against developing the disease years later. They found that every 1.1 pounds of birth weight decreases the risk of developing tuberculosis later by 46 percent among identical twins.

7 Jan 2010

Study reveals hereditary factors contribute to abdominal aortic aneurysm in twins

A new study in the January issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery(®), published by the Society for Vascular Surgery®, reveals robust epidemiological evidence that hereditary factors contribute to aneurysm formation in twins.

6 Jan 2010

Burr Leonard launches The Bar Method program at Rancho La Puerta

Burr Leonard, Founder of The Bar Method and author of the popular Bar Method Exercise Blog, announced the launch of The Bar Method program at Rancho La Puerta, the famous destination spa located near San Diego.

30 Dec 2009

American League MVP partners with Anytime Fitness to promote healthy lifestyles

The world's #1 fitness club chain just hit another homerun. Joe Mauer, the newly-crowned American League MVP, two-time Gold Glove award winner and three-time AL batting champ, will soon be appearing in television commercials and other advertisements for Anytime Fitness, a rapidly-growing health club chain with nearly 1,300 clubs worldwide.

22 Dec 2009

Scientists identify role of epigenetic changes in SLE

Identical twins look the same and are nearly genetically identical, but environmental factors and the resulting cellular changes could cause disease in one sibling and not the other.

22 Dec 2009

Smoking, weight and skin cancer are associated with skin aging

Smoking, being heavier, not using sunscreen and having had skin cancer appear to be associated with sun damage and aging of skin on the face, according to report based on a study of twins in the December issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

22 Dec 2009

USC Fetal Therapy Program achieves improved survival rate in TTTS fetal surgery

A Southern California fetal surgery institute, one of only a handful in the United States, has posted enormously successful rates in treating a dangerous disorder that affects 10 percent of unborn identical twins.

10 Dec 2009

Study shows positive association between adolescent fitness and cognitive performance

In the first study to demonstrate a clear positive association between adolescent fitness and adult cognitive performance, Nancy Pedersen of the University of Southern California and colleagues in Sweden find that better cardiovascular health among teenage boys correlates to higher scores on a range of intelligence tests - and more education and income later in life.

8 Dec 2009

Fitness levels linked to higher IQ in young adults

Young adults who are fit have a higher IQ and are more likely to go on to university, reveals a major new study carried out at the Sahlgrenska Academy and Sahlgrenska University Hospital.

3 Dec 2009

New PBS documentary examines why people view happiness as an elusive goal

On the eve of a new year, as millions of Americans struggle to find more meaning in their lives, Vulcan Productions and NOVA/WGBH have teamed up with Harvard psychologist and best-selling author of Stumbling on Happiness, Professor Daniel Gilbert, to produce This Emotional Life. This three-part documentary premieres on PBS January 4-6, 2010 (at 9:00 p.m. check local listings) and examines why people find happiness to be such an elusive goal.

2 Dec 2009

Gene deletion can increase common complication of bone marrow transplants

A commonly inherited gene deletion can increase the likelihood of immune complications following bone marrow transplantation, an international team of researchers reports in the November 22 advance online issue of Nature Genetics.

23 Nov 2009

Workshop on "Neuroeconomics and Endocrinological Economics" organized

A workshop on "Neuroeconomics and Endocrinological Economics," to be held Nov. 20 and 21 at UC Davis, will be the first to bring together experts in neuroscience, economics and hormone physiology in one event, according to organizers.

20 Nov 2009

Baby's sleep position can predict misshapen skull condition

A baby's sleep position is the best predictor of a misshapen skull condition known as deformational plagiocephaly - or the development of flat spots on an infant's head - according to findings reported by Arizona State University scientists in the December issue of the journal Pediatrics.

18 Nov 2009

New minimally invasive laser treatment saves the lives of twins with TTTS

As the number of women having twins has increased, so has the odds of developing a serious pregnancy complication called twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). This disorder affects as many as 15 percent of identical twin pregnancies, and results in uneven blood flow between the fetuses. Until recently the outcome was usually death or disabilities for the surviving babies.

13 Nov 2009

Three IVF attempts increase chances of a live birth

Just one in three women gives birth after a single IVF attempt, but the cumulative chance of a live birth increases with each cycle - where women are offered three cycles nearly two thirds go on to have babies, reveals a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

10 Nov 2009