A nationwide study of nearly 7,500 people who are obese or severely obese has found that bariatric surgery is linked to significantly fewer heart attacks and strokes. The study, which is published in the European Heart Journal [1], found there were 60% fewer fatal and non-fatal heart attacks and stroke among 3,701 men and women […]
Higher concentrations of IGF-1 are a probable cause of breast cancer
A growth hormone called insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is likely to play a role in the development of breast cancer, according to new research published in the leading cancer journal Annals of Oncology [1]. IGF-1 is already known to encourage the growth and proliferation of cancer cells. Now, two analyses of information from several hundred […]
The world faces an air pollution ‘pandemic’. Researchers say people’s lives are shortened by an average of nearly three years worldwide from different sources of air pollution
Air pollution is responsible for shortening people’s lives worldwide on a scale far greater than wars and other forms of violence, parasitic and vector-born diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS and smoking, according to a study published in Cardiovascular Research [1]. Professors Jos Lelieveld and Thomas Münzel, of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and the […]
Study of 418,000 Europeans finds different foods linked to different types of stroke
Different types of food are linked to risks of different types of stroke, according to the largest study to investigate this, published in the European Heart Journal [1]. Until now, most studies have looked at the association between food and total stroke (all types of stroke combined), or focused on ischaemic stroke only. However, the […]
First baby born to cancer patient from eggs matured in the lab and frozen
Fertility doctors in France have announced the birth of the first baby to be born to a cancer patient from an immature egg that was matured in the laboratory, frozen, then thawed and fertilised five years later. A letter in the leading cancer journal Annals of Oncology [1] describes how the baby boy was born […]
Bleeding may be a sign of bowel cancer not just a side-effect of blood-thinning drugs: study of 125,500 atrial fibrillation patients
Patients who are being treated with blood-thinning drugs for irregular heart beat should always be investigated for bowel cancer if they experience gastrointestinal bleeding, say the authors of a study published in the European Heart Journal [1]. If doctors see bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation, they may assume that it is due to oral […]
Premature menopause increases the risk of multiple health problems in your 60s
Women who experience premature menopause are almost three times more likely to develop multiple, chronic medical problems in their 60s compared to women who went through the menopause at the age of 50 or 51. These are the findings from a study of 5107 women who were part of a national study of 11,258 Australian […]
Can good sleep patterns offset genetic susceptibility to heart disease and stroke?
For the first time researchers have assessed the impact on the risk of heart or blood vessel problems from the combination of sleep patterns and genetic susceptibility to cardiovascular disease. The study, which is published in the European Heart Journal [1], found that even if people had a high genetic risk of heart disease or […]
Low income and work stress contribute to link between education, heart disease and stroke: first nationwide study of 1.68 million people
Low educational levels predict an increased risk of developing or dying from heart disease and stroke according to the first nationwide study of the link between education and risk of cardiovascular disease. The study, which is published in the European Heart Journal [1], is also the first nationwide study to look at the extent to […]
Baby boys born small for gestational age have increased risk of infertility in adulthood
Baby boys who are born small for their gestational age are at increased risk of having fertility problems in adulthood, according to research published in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals. Researchers in Denmark looked at 5594 men and 5342 women born between 1984 and 1987 and followed them through […]