Menopause that occurs before a woman is 40 years old accelerates aging and is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. New research led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) reveals women with such premature menopause often exhibit certain blood cell changes that elevate their risk of developing coronary artery disease. The findings, which were […]
New study reveals undetected rare neurodegenerative disorder that looks like Parkinson’s disease
A joint study by the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI) and Singapore General Hospital (SGH) revealed that patients who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease might actually have NIID instead. NIID is a disabling neurodegenerative condition due to a gene mutation and has no effective treatment. Symptoms of NIID include dementia, Parkinsonism, poor balance, as well […]
Common mutation in Parkinson’s disease increases cell calcium, may cause brain cell death
Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have mapped out the cellular pathway that connects the most common genetic mutation associated with Parkinson’s disease to brain cell death. In a new study, they show that the mutation initiates a biological pathway that could target brain cells most susceptible to the patterns of cell death leading to Parkinson’s disease […]
Treatment for inflammatory bowel disease doesn’t always work; new study uncovers why
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects more than 70,000 children in the United States and the prevalence is rising. In fact, 25% of the 3.1 million individuals with IBD present before 21 years of age. There is no cure for IBD, and treatment often includes medication to block a molecule that causes inflammation in the intestines […]
Even mild fatty liver disease is linked to increased mortality
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, NAFLD, affects nearly one in four adults in Europe and the U.S. Earlier research has demonstrated an increased risk of death in patients with NAFLD and advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis. Now, researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and Massachusetts General Hospital in the U.S. show that mortality increases with disease severity, […]
Yes or No: Forcing a choice increased statin prescribing for heart disease patients
In a clinical trial testing two different forms of “nudging,” statin prescriptions at the right dosages increased significantly among patients with heart disease when doctors had to actively choose whether or not to prescribe the medications, which are used to lower cholesterol. However, for patients who were just deemed at-risk for heart disease, neither an […]
Genetic study reveals ancestry-specific risk factors for coronary artery disease
A large team of researchers affiliated with a host of institutions across Japan has identified multiple loci associated with ancestry-specific risk factors for coronary artery disease. In their paper published in the journal Nature Genetics, the group describes their analysis of genetic information from several publicly available databases and its results. Coronary artery disease is […]
Bronchitis in early childhood linked to later lung disease
(HealthDay)—Children who have bronchitis at least once before the age of 7 years are more likely to develop lung problems in later life, according to a study presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress 2020, held virtually from Sept. 7 to 9. Jennifer Perret, Ph.D., from the University of Melbourne in Australia, and colleagues […]
Social isolation increases anxiety and asymmetry in brain atrophy in Alzheimer’s disease
Researchers at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) have conducted a study which allows estimating the effects of isolation in the current pandemic scenarios in elderly patients with dementia. The findings could serve as a guide to the rethinking of these conditions after the COVID-19 crisis. The study was published in a special edition of […]
Q&A: Infectious disease specialist discusses why it’s more important than ever to get the flu shot
While the world awaits the development and approval of a vaccine that will help in the global fight against COVID-19, medical experts are worried about how the impending flu season could exacerbate already strained health care systems around the world. Public health officials and medical experts have stressed that it’s more important than ever to […]