Category: Health Problems

Kidney disease doesn’t just affect a patient’s body, it’s hard on their brain too—but no one really knows to what extent. Now, new research by Queen’s University researcher Gord Boyd (School of Medicine) at Kingston Health Sciences Centre is offering intriguing insights into the kidney-brain connection that could change the way that kidney disease is

In the first review of its kind, new research has found that depression and the use of antidepressants are each associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). The study led by academics from the Musculoskeletal Research Unit at the University of Bristol has also shown that each of the various classes of antidepressant

Short- and long-term depressive symptoms can predict the occurrence of cardiovascular events, according to a new study by University of Maine researchers. In addition, short-term or baseline depressive symptoms increase risk for cardiovascular events for up to 15 years, and chronic depressive symptoms for up to 10 years. The study by the UMaine research team—Emily

New research in humans demonstrates the potential to improve memory with a non-invasive brain stimulation technique delivered during sleep. The results, published in JNeurosci, come from a project funded by the United States Department of Defense that aims to better understand the process of memory consolidation, which could translate into improved memory function in both

Sleep is an autonomic process and is not always under our direct, voluntary control. Awake or asleep, we are basically under the regulation of two biological processes: sleep homeostasis, commonly known as ‘sleep pressure’, and the circadian rhythm, otherwise known as the ‘body clock’. These two processes work in harmony to promote good consolidated sleep

A world-first study led by University of Sydney has found that Australians aged 18-40 years who were regular users of sunscreen in childhood reduced their risk of developing melanoma by 40 percent, compared to those who rarely used sunscreen. Melanoma is the most common cancer diagnosed in Australian men aged 25-49 years and second most

The desire for unblemished, clear skin permeates all cultures and societies, making the practice of skin lightening to minimize spots and even a skin tone quite common worldwide. Internationally, the use of creams to lighten skin is widespread and widely studied. In the U.S. however, information about use of these creams is sparse. In what

About a third of epilepsy sufferers require treatment through surgery. To check for severe epilepsy, clinicians use a surgical procedure called electrocorticography (ECoG). An ECoG maps a section of brain tissue to help clinicians identify areas damaged by seizures. “But ECoG requires taking a part of your skull out and putting electrodes directly on brain

Diabetes is a risk factor for all-site cancer for both men and women, but the increased risk is higher in women than in men, according to a new article in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes). Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world. It is

Women who eat a high amount of fruits and vegetables each day may have a lower risk of breast cancer, especially of aggressive tumors, than those who eat fewer fruits and vegetables, according to a new study led by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. In their findings, cruciferous vegetables such as

In a small study of military personnel who had suffered head trauma and had reported memory and mood problems, UCLA researchers found brain changes similar to those seen in retired football players with suspected chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated blows to the head. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, occurs in

Single-cell sequencing technologies are filling in fine details in the catalog of life. Researchers at the University of Connecticut Health Center (UConn Health) and The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) have identified 40 subtypes of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) along with the genetic markers and transcription factors that differentiate them. Thanks to recent advances in droplet-based single-cell

Previous research has shown that cannabinoids can help lessen side effects of anti-cancer therapies. Now a new British Journal of Pharmacology review has examined their potential for the direct treatment of cancer. Phytocannabinoids are the most notable type of cannabinoid, and they occur naturally in the cannabis plant. Studies have shown that cannabinoids may stop

Even in areas with moderate-to-high levels of traffic pollution, regular physical activity reduced the risk of first and recurrent heart attack, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. “While exercise is known to reduce cardiovascular disease risk; pollution can increase

“We don’t just want to find the genes involved in cancer,” says Prof. Yardena Samuels of the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Department of Molecular Cell Biology, “we want to understand what those genes do. We want to reveal the complete picture of a cancer genome.” That is something of a tall order, considering that cells

Adult rats that had been exposed before birth and during nursing to a mixture of chemicals found in a wide range of consumer products have a smaller medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and perform worse on an attention-switching task than rats not exposed to the chemicals early in life. These findings, published in JNeurosci, demonstrate a

Professor of Electronic Engineering Andrew Flewitt is working with researchers at the Cancer Research UK (CRUK) Cambridge Centre on a more accurate PSA blood test to detect prostate cancer. At present, the test has limitations for diagnosis and has to be sent off to central labs for the results, a process which can take up

Children in England with high-risk neuroblastoma will now be offered a cancer drug that could extend their life. Final recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) mean children over the age of 12 months, who have responded to previous treatment but have a high risk of their cancer coming back, will

Death rates from heart failure are higher for women than men, and hospitalization rates have increased in women while declining in men, found a study from the University of Ottawa Heart Institute published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). “This is the first of a series of studies to examine the sex differences in heart

Tackling unsolved problems is a cornerstone of scientific research, propelled by the power and promise of new technologies. Indeed, one of the shiniest tools in the biomedical toolkit these days is the genome editing system known as CRISPR/Cas9. Whitehead Institute Member David Sabatini and his colleagues pioneered the use of this tool as a foundation