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Researchers discover potential link between inflammation and structure of specific brain regions

A potential link between inflammation and the structure of specific regions of the brain has been identified by researchers at the University of Birmingham.

30 Mar 2022

Genetic risk for asthma may be mediated through altered gene expression in the airway cells

A significant amount of genetic risk for asthma is likely mediated through altered gene expression within the airway epithelium.

28 Mar 2022

Daily coffee intake associated with benefits to heart health

Drinking coffee-; particularly two to three cups a day-;is not only associated with a lower risk of heart disease and dangerous heart rhythms but also with living longer, according to studies being presented at the American College of Cardiology's 71st Annual Scientific Session.

24 Mar 2022

Brain-wide association studies need thousands of people to achieve higher reproducibility

As brain scans have become more detailed and informative in recent decades, neuroimaging has seemed to promise a way for doctors and scientists to "see" what's going wrong inside the brains of people with mental illnesses or neurological conditions.

16 Mar 2022

Mild SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to tissue damage and shrinkage in brain areas related to smell

Researchers from the University of Oxford have used data from UK Biobank participants to look at changes to the brain on average 4.5 months after mild SARS-CoV-2 infection.

11 Mar 2022

COVID-19 may cause brain shrinkage in some people

In a recent study posted to the journal Nature as an unedited manuscript, researchers assessed the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-associated brain changes among United Kingdom (UK) Biobank patients.

8 Mar 2022

Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption associated with reductions in overall brain volume

The science on heavy drinking and the brain is clear: The two don't have a healthy relationship. People who drink heavily have alterations in brain structure and size that are associated with cognitive impairments.

4 Mar 2022

Consuming wine with meals linked to lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes

An analysis of health data for nearly 312,400 current drinkers suggests consuming alcohol, most notably wine, with meals is associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to preliminary research to be presented at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health Conference 2022.

4 Mar 2022

Early menopause puts women at greater risk of dementia later in life

Women who enter menopause very early, before age 40, were found to be more likely to develop dementia of any type later in life compared to women who begin menopause at the average menopause-onset age of 50 to 51 years, according to preliminary research to be presented at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health Conference 2022.

1 Mar 2022

COVID-19 severity is correlated with body composition

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers assessed the effect of changes in the abdominal well-being and physique on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

28 Feb 2022

Neanderthal gene makes people susceptible to COVID-19, but protects against HIV

A study recently published in the top-tier journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) shows how a specific gene flow from Neandertals can act as a double-edged sword by increasing the risk for the development of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and at the same time decreasing the risk for the infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

23 Feb 2022

Higher consumption of vegetables unlikely to affect cardiovascular disease risk, study shows

A sufficient intake of vegetables is important for maintaining a balanced diet and avoiding a wide range of diseases.

21 Feb 2022

Study suggests folic acid supplementation linked to increased risk for COVID-19 diagnosis

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers evaluated if folic acid or methotrexate use impacts the risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) diagnosis or associated mortality in the United Kingdom (UK).

15 Feb 2022

Study suggests an etiological link between obesity and female reproductive disorders

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of developing female reproductive disorders, however, the roles and mechanisms of obesity in the cause(s) of reproductive conditions are unclear.

1 Feb 2022

Weekly alcohol intake of less than 14 units still increases the risk of cardiovascular events

Drinking less than the UK's recommended limit of 14 units of alcohol per week still increases the risk of cardiovascular issues such as heart and cerebrovascular disease, according to new research published in the journal Clinical Nutrition.

29 Jan 2022

Study finds link between lifetime workplace exposure to pesticides and elevated COPD risk

Lifetime workplace exposure to pesticides is linked to a heightened risk of COPD, the umbrella term for a group of respiratory diseases that cause airflow blockage and breathing problems, finds a large population based study, published online in the journal Thorax.

26 Jan 2022

AI system can analyze eye scans to identify patients at high risk of heart attack

Scientists have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) system that can analyze eye scans taken during a routine visit to an optician or eye clinic and identify patients at a high risk of a heart attack.

25 Jan 2022

Lucky genes can help lower risk of diseases in people with obesity

Geneticists have revealed why some people with obesity remain relatively healthy, whilst others suffer from life-changing ailments such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

25 Jan 2022

Environmental risk factors driving the nearsightedness 'epidemic' in the UK

A team of researchers used the UK Biobank Study to investigate whether changing environmental factors are causing an increase in myopia.

20 Jan 2022

'Retinal age gap' can be an independent predictor of increased mortality risk

The difference between the biological age of the retina, the light sensitive layers of nerve tissue at the back of the eye, and a person's real (chronological) age, is linked to their risk of death, finds research published online in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

19 Jan 2022