Scientists use blood test to predict who is likely to develop psychotic disorders

Scientists have discovered that testing the levels of certain proteins in blood samples can predict whether a person at risk of psychosis is likely to develop a psychotic disorder years later. The study is published in the current edition of JAMA Psychiatry and was led by researchers from RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences. […]

Obesity rates likely to rise during COVID-19 pandemic, study suggests

As financial stress mounts, so does the desire for all kinds of foods, according to a University of Alberta study that hints the COVID-19 pandemic will increase obesity rates, especially among those who have lost their job. U of A consumer psychology researcher Jim Swaffield and his co-researcher Qi Guo conducted an experiment with 564 […]

Scotland’s first introductions of coronavirus likely occurred prior to the country’s first confirmed case

Scientists sequencing the virus samples from the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Scotland have determined multiple introductions, mainly from European countries such as Italy, Austria and Spain—and showed that Scotland’s first introductions of the virus likely occurred prior to the country’s first confirmed case on March 1st. In order to provide timely information during […]

Young men most likely to break lockdown rules, mental health study shows

More than half of young men aged 19-24 have breached the UK’s lockdown rules by meeting with a group of friends, according to a study showing they are far less compliant than other young people. This group was also more likely to think they were not at risk of catching COVID-19 or spreading it to […]

Home births will likely need to be cancelled because of coronavirus

The NHS is starting to suspend home births amid the coronavirus pandemic. With official guidance telling us to stay at home as much as possible in order to save lives, you might assume that giving birth at home would be the best option – but medics are warning that hospitals could be the safest place. […]

How stress and loneliness can make you more likely to get COVID-19

What do stress, loneliness and lack of sleep have in common? They are all factors that can weaken your immune system and make you more susceptible to COVID-19, according to Rice University’s Christopher Fagundes, an associate professor in the department of psychological sciences who studies the link between mental and immune health. Fagundes is available […]

Why women are less likely to die from the coronavirus than men

As we brace ourselves for the impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus, it may be worth looking at a study carried out by the Chinese Center for Disease Control. The research, which studied the impact of the novel coronavirus, covered 44 thousand people, and tried to come to grips with the illness that shut the country […]

Tall lean girls may be less likely to conceive, scientists warn

Tall, slim girls are more likely to develop endometriosis – a common condition that can cause infertility, study warns Endometriosis, which affects 10% of women, makes it harder to get pregnant The study was based on research on more than 170,000 girls aged seven to 13 Researchers suspect the endometriosis is linked to higher levels […]