Twins News and Research

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Twins joined at birth successfully undergo lengthy surgery

It took over seven hours but a team of 30 doctors, which included 18 surgeons from different specialties at the Mayo Clinic, to complete the surgery.

14 May 2006

Search for cancer genes unlikely to be successful

The hunt to find common genes that are associated with cancer is unlikely to be successful, say experts in this week's British Medical Journal.

11 May 2006

New method designed to analyze the genes that regulate the immune system

Seattle scientists have developed a new method for analyzing the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) of the human genome.

20 Apr 2006

Environment and genes determine whether a child will an avid reader

"Children don't come into this world as clay to be molded," said Phillip Dale, professor and chair of the Communication Science and Disorders Department in the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Health Professions.

10 Apr 2006

Extreme personality poses risk of ADHD

Children with personalities marked by aggressiveness, mood swings, a sense of alienation and a need for excitement may be at greater risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or conduct disorder, according to a new Florida State University study.

23 Mar 2006

Pregnancy complications increase risk of heart disease

Young women who have a range of complications during pregnancy, including preeclampsia, gestational diabetes or preterm birth, are at an increased risk of developing heart disease and of dying later in life

14 Mar 2006

Genes play a key role in stress response

Both nature and nurture - genetic makeup and the environment experienced through life - combine to influence health and well-being, Duke University Medical Center researchers and their colleagues have determined in four new studies.

7 Mar 2006

As children transform into adults some of the genes involved in controlling their blood pressure change as well

The study of black and white identical and fraternal twins showed that changes in gene expression between ages 14 and 18 accounted for up to one third of the blood pressure variation that occurred by age 18, says Dr. Harold Snieder, genetic epidemiologist at the Medical College of Georgia.

7 Mar 2006

Reading problems and behavior problems in boys are intertwined

It's been known for more than a decade that children with reading problems, particularly boys, also tend to have behavior problems, and vice versa. The reason behind the connection, however, remained unclear.

16 Feb 2006

Risk of Alzheimer's 80% genetic

In the largest twin study to date, researchers in the U.S. looked at the Swedish Twin Registry to see which factors lead to Alzheimer's disease (AD).

14 Feb 2006

Alzheimer's disease appears to be highly heritable

In a large study of twins, Alzheimer's disease appears to be highly heritable and genetic factors may also influence timing of the disease, according to an article in the February Archives of General Psychiatry.

9 Feb 2006

Alzheimer disease has a genetic cause in up to 80 percent of cases

"Our finding confirms the higher estimates that have been suggested previously. The important thing is that no one has had this large a sample before," Gatz said, adding the size was 10 times that of any previous study.

7 Feb 2006

Married, happy and rich, means you should look young!

According to Danish researchers, in order to hang on to your looks and retain a youthful demeanor all you need is happy family life and plenty of money.

2 Feb 2006

Risk for depression similar in men and women

Men and women may share more similarities than previously thought when it comes to the risk factors for major depression, according to a new study by Virginia Commonwealth University researchers.

10 Jan 2006

Genetic risk factors for depression greater in women

Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have found that genes contribute more strongly to the risk of depression in women than in men, and that there may be some genetic factors that are operating uniquely in one sex and not in the other.

5 Jan 2006

Remarkable developmental pathway in frog embryos discovered

Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers have discovered an important regulatory pathway that enables frog embryos to develop normally even after being split in half -- as happens in the development of identical twins.

15 Dec 2005

Genetics play a part in the inability to stop caffeine use

A study led by Johns Hopkins investigators has shown that women with a serious caffeine habit and a family history of alcohol abuse are more likely to ignore advice to stop using caffeine during pregnancy.

5 Dec 2005

Twins, triplets have greater chance of birth defects

Twins, triplets and other multiples have a nearly 50 percent greater chance of being born with birth defects, and boys tend to be more at risk than girls, according to two population-based studies conducted at the University of Florida.

5 Dec 2005

Genes affect patriotism

Research showing how genes affect group loyalty and patriotism was published in the October 2005 issue of Nations and Nationalism, an academic journal of the London School of Economics.

15 Nov 2005

Genetic makeup helps dictate how physically and mentally healthy you feel

You can blame your parents for your hair that frizzes in high humidity and for your short stature. And now researchers at Saint Louis University School of Public Health say your genetic makeup partly dictates how physically and mentally healthy you feel.

15 Nov 2005