Twins News and Research

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Spousal choices can influence alcohol dependence

Alcohol dependence (AD) is more common among partners of alcoholics than among partners of non-alcoholics.

24 Apr 2007

Twin studies identify genes that influence human health in unexpected ways

Daniel O'Connor, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine has studied about 265 twin pairs over the past few years, which has led him to some surprising discoveries.

18 Apr 2007

Immune system disorder may be the cause of unexplained infertility

It's been a topic on Sex and the City and was rumored to be a problem for a popular sitcom star when she and her husband were trying to conceive.

18 Apr 2007

Behavior influenced by our genes

A new study in Journal of Personality shows that selfless and social behavior is not purely a product of environment, specifically religious environment.

7 Apr 2007

Weaker performance of siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder

Younger siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders do not perform as well on tests of social and communication development compared with siblings of children without developmental problems at ages as young as 12 months, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, a theme issue on autism spectrum disorders.

4 Apr 2007

New type of chemistry promises less expensive drugs

With a newly discovered method of assembling organic molecules, a team of Princeton University chemists may have found a way to sidestep many of the expensive and hazardous barriers that stand in the way of drug development.

3 Apr 2007

Risks of being a second twin

A nine year study published on the British Medical Journal website concludes that being a second born twin confers a small increased risk of suffering fatal complications during birth.

4 Mar 2007

Genetic variations contribute to a person's risk for nicotine dependence

Americans are bombarded with antismoking messages, yet at least 65 million of us continue to light up. Genetic factors play an important role in this continuing addiction to cigarettes, suggest scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

18 Feb 2007

Twin study on the increased cardiometabolic risk in obesity

A unique monozygotic twin study by researchers from the Finnish Twin Cohort, Helsinki University Central Hospital, and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland found that obesity, already in its early stages and independent of genetic influences, is associated with deleterious alterations in the lipid metabolism known to facilitate atherogenesis, inflammation and insulin resistance.

15 Feb 2007

What's the best way to treat twin-twin transfusion syndrome?

It's one of the biggest controversies in fetal surgery and the cause of heated debate among surgeons and maternal-fetal medicine physicians around the world: What's the best way to treat twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), one of the most common conditions requiring fetal surgery and the leading cause of mortality in twins?

11 Feb 2007

Marital conflict and conduct problems in children

Children's conduct problems--skipping school, sneaking out of the house, lying to parents, shoplifting, or bullying other children--are a major source of concern for parents and teachers.

7 Feb 2007

Children report more frequent sleep problems than parents acknowledge

Elementary-school-aged children commonly experience sleep problems, but little research has addressed the reasons behind this phenomenon.

14 Nov 2006

Chronic fatigue syndrome begins with childhood trauma and stress

According to the latest research traumatic events in childhood, and stress or emotional instability at any period in life, may be linked to the development of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

8 Nov 2006

Conjoined Canadian twins doing well

Canadian conjoined twins born in a complicated c-section procedure are apparently doing well.

26 Oct 2006

Birth of conjoined twins a medical and practical challenge

Another set of conjoined twins are expected to be born this week in Canada.

25 Oct 2006

Many emergency caesareans could be prevented

Many emergency caesareans could be prevented by the attendance of a more skilled obstetrician, say senior doctors in this week's British Medical Journal.

21 Sep 2006

Genetic link to chronic fatigue

Unexplained disabling fatigue in childhood is mainly due to genetic inheritance, a study of twins has revealed.

7 Sep 2006

Another set of conjoined twins undergo lengthy separation surgery

In what is expected to be a long and lengthy operation, four-month-old conjoined twin boys have embarked on separation surgery in a hospital in Washington.

6 Sep 2006

Link between morbid obesity in toddlers and lower IQ scores

University of Florida researchers have discovered a link between morbid obesity in toddlers and lower IQ scores, cognitive delays and brain lesions similar to those seen in Alzheimer's disease patients, a new study shows.

4 Sep 2006

Variation in 3 genes influences risk of age-related macular degeneration

Researchers in Boston have discovered a new common, noncoding variant in the Complement Factor H (CFH) gene that is associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of irreversible visual impairment and blindness among persons aged 60 and older.

30 Aug 2006