Milan, Italy: Respiratory tract infections in young children are linked to an increased risk of asthma and worse lung function in later life, according to new research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress. An international study of 154,492 European children found that those who had had upper respiratory infections, such as colds, sinusitis, […]
2017
Number of Europeans exposed to second-hand smoke at work rising to more than one in four
Milan, Italy: More than one in four of people who work indoors are being exposed to second-hand smoke at work, according to new research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress 2017. The study by researchers at Imperial College London, UK, looked at all 28 countries currently in the European Union (EU), the majority of […]
City kids with asthma suffer less if they live near a park
Milan, Italy: Children with asthma who live in the city may have fewer days with symptoms the closer they live to parks and green spaces, according to research to be presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress 2017 on Monday. The study looked at inner-city children with persistent asthma and compared the number of days they suffered […]
Researchers identify a common genetic variant linked to muscle pains in statin users
People who have been prescribed statins to lower their cholesterol levels sometimes complain of muscle aches and pains and therefore stop taking their medication in the belief that it is causing their symptoms. This puts them at higher risk of developing diseases of the heart and blood vessels which the statins had been prescribed to […]
Long working hours increases the risk of developing atrial fibrillation
People who work long hours have an increased risk of developing an irregular heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation, according to a study of nearly 85,500 men and women published in the European Heart Journal [1]. The study showed that, compared to people who worked a normal week of between 35-40 hours, those who worked […]
Vaccine that lowers cholesterol in mice offers hope of immunising against cardiovascular disease
A vaccine to immunise people against high levels of cholesterol and the narrowing of the arteries caused by build-up of fatty material (atherosclerosis) may be possible following successful results in mice. Now, a phase I trial in patients has started to see if the findings translate to humans. The study, which is published in the […]
China’s mass collection of human DNA without informed consent is contrary to the right to privacy
China holds the largest searchable DNA database in the world; genetic information from over 40 million individuals that is ostensibly to be used in the fight against crime. However, the way in which these data are collected and the protection given to providers leave much to be desired, according to the European Society of Human […]
Screening for both genetic diseases and chromosomal defects with a single biopsy improves pregnancy rates
Couples who are undergoing pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) in order to avoid transmission of inherited diseases, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy or cystic fibrosis, should also have their embryos screened for abnormal numbers of chromosomes at the same time, say Italian researchers. By doing this, only embryos that are free not only of the genetic […]
Increasing the age limit for Lynch syndrome genetic testing may save lives
Copenhagen, Denmark: Raising the age limit for routine genetic testing in colorectal cancer could identify more cases of families affected by Lynch syndrome, a condition that accounts for around 5% of all colon cancers, according to new research presented at the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics. Professor Nicoline Hoogerbrugge, head of […]
Genomics tracks migration from lost empires to modern cities
Copenhagen, Denmark: New genomic tools are enabling researchers to overturn long-held beliefs about the origins of populations, a researcher told the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics. Dr Eran Elhaik, Assistant Professor of Animal and Plant Sciences at the University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK, said that new technologies were enabling scientists to track the origins […]