Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and MIT have developed a new way to determine whether individual patients will respond to a specific cancer drug or not. This kind of test could help doctors to choose alternative therapies for patients who don’t respond to the therapies normally used to treat their cancer. The new study, which […]
First link between stillbirths, birth complications and excessive heat in lower-income countries
Scientists at UC San Diego and colleagues have found links between extreme heat and a heightened incidence of stillbirths and preterm births in relatively poor countries. The study, published Oct. 6 in the journal Environment International, is believed to be the first to link the two phenomena in a global context. “We notably found that […]
Insights on the link between chronic stress and Alzheimers disease
Chronic psychosocial stress—which involves a pathway called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis)—may contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. A new review published in Biological Reviews describes how environmental and genetic factors can impact individuals’ HPA axis, and ultimately their risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The review also proposes a mechanism by which genetic factors that […]
New analysis reveals link between birthdays and COVID-19 spread during the height of the pandemic
In counties with already high COVID-19 infection rates, birthday bashes may have fueled infection spread during the peak months of the pandemic, according to a new analysis led by researchers at Harvard Medical School and the RAND Corporation. The report, published June 21 in JAMA Internal Medicine, shows that in counties with high rates of […]
Temporal link between medical cannabis for epilepsy and early puberty
The use of medical cannabis for severe childhood epilepsy may be linked to early puberty, doctors have warned in the journal BMJ Case Reports after treating a 2 year old boy with the condition. Some previously published studies have linked cannabis use to increased levels of the male hormone testosterone, raising the question of a […]
The link between structural racism, high blood pressure and Black people’s health
High blood pressure. Structural racism. What do they have in common? Researchers say they are two of the biggest factors responsible for the gap in poor heart and brain health between Black and white adults in the United States. And they are inextricably linked. Studies show high blood pressure, also called hypertension, affects Black adults—particularly […]
Study ratifies link of processed meat to cardiovascular disease and death
A global study led by Hamilton scientists has found a link between eating processed meat and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. The same study did not find the same link with unprocessed red meat or poultry. The information comes from the diets and health outcomes of 134,297 people from 21 countries spanning five continents, […]
How stigma and discrimination link to rise in drug deaths among Scotland’s poor
For more than a decade, drug-related deaths (DRD) in Scotland have been rising – alongside evidence which suggests that the country has had much less success in treating and supporting people who use drugs compared to the rest of the UK and Europe. The figures for 2019, which were released in December 2020, recorded 1,264 […]
Study shows link between economic, social, environmental factors and oral health
More than one in four adults in California report having poor oral health, but that figure rises to roughly one in two for the state’s lowest-income residents and drops to one in five for those with the highest incomes, according to a UCLA policy brief that looks at the role economic, social and environmental factors […]
Link between sleep apnea and increased risk of dementia
A new study by Monash University has found that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been linked to an increased risk of dementia. The study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, and led by Dr Melinda Jackson from the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, found that severe OSA is linked to an increase […]