Vienna, Austria: Comparisons of cancer patients’ survival and care in Europe up to 2007 show that although more patients are surviving for at least five years after diagnosis, there are large variations between countries, which are particularly significant in cancers of the blood. Dr Milena Sant, from the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori in […]
Discovery of significant genetic differences between breast cancers that relapse and those that do not will lead to better treatment
Vienna, Austria: Although most patients with breast cancer are cured after treatment, in about one in five the cancer will recur, returning either to the same place as the original tumour or spreading to other parts of the body (metastasis). Now, researchers have taken an important step towards understanding why some primary breast cancers return […]
New research suggests not all trans fatty acids are bad for you
New evidence suggests that low levels of trans fatty acids (TFAs) may not be as harmful to human health as previously thought, even if industrially produced, and may even be beneficial if they occur naturally in foods such as dairy and meat products, according to a study published in the European Heart Journal [1]. Artificial […]
New cardiovascular disease death rates show stark inequalities between European countries
Diseases of the heart and blood vessels are the most common cause of death in Europe, resulting in over four million deaths a year (45% of all deaths) according to the latest available figures published in the European Heart Journal [1]. Although deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD) are declining in most of Europe, there are […]
Get up for your heart health and move for your waistline
More time spent standing rather than sitting could improve your blood sugar, fats in the blood and cholesterol levels, according to a new study published in the European Heart Journal [1]. The study also shows that replacing time spent sitting with time walking could have additional benefits for your waistline and body mass index (BMI). […]
Experts call for ‘all hands on deck’ to tackle global burden of non-communicable disease
A group of some of the world’s top doctors and scientists working in cardiology and preventive medicine have issued a call to action to tackle the global problem of deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as heart problems, diabetes and cancer, through healthy lifestyle initiatives. They say that identifying the enormous burden caused by NCDs […]
First live birth after transplantation of ovarian tissue removed and frozen during childhood
A young woman has become the first in the world to give birth to a healthy child after doctors restored her fertility by transplanting ovarian tissue that had been removed and frozen while she was a child. A report of the case is published in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine […]
People want access to their own genomic data, even when uninterpretable
Glasgow, United Kingdom: The largest study to date of attitudes towards the use of genomic information shows that the majority of people want access to results from genome sequencing, even if these are not directly related to the condition for which the analysis has been undertaken. This applies even when the data are not health-related […]
First national study of non-invasive prenatal testing shows it works and is preferred by high-risk women
Glasgow, United Kingdom: Results from a national study of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in women at high risk of having a baby with Down’s syndrome have been presented at the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics. The Netherlands is the first country in the world to include NIPT in a government supported, […]
Discovery of new genetic mutation in aortic disease allows better diagnosis and brings personalised medicine a step closer
Glasgow, United Kingdom: Thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection (TAAD), an enlargement or tearing of the walls of the aorta in the chest, is, together with abdominal aortic aneurysms, responsible for about 2% of all deaths in Western countries. The aorta is the largest artery in the body, and carries blood from the heart. About one […]