Amsterdam, The Netherlands: For the first time researchers have been able to watch what happens to the brain as it loses consciousness. Using sophisticated imaging equipment they have constructed a 3-D movie of the brain as it changes while an anaesthetic drug takes effect. Brian Pollard, Professor of Anaesthesia at The University of Manchester (UK), […]
Study finds a decline in heart attacks over 20 years, but rising BMIs may reverse this in the future
Better control of cholesterol levels and blood pressure and a decline in smoking have contributed to a 74% drop in the risk of heart attack among nearly 10,000 civil servants working in London over a 20-year period, according to new research. However, the reduction would have been even greater were it not for the fact […]
Fear of dying during a heart attack is linked to increased inflammation
Intense distress and fear of dying, which many people experience when suffering the symptoms of a heart attack, are not only fairly common emotional responses but are also linked to biological changes that occur during the event, according to new research published online today in the European Heart Journal [1]. These changes, in turn, are […]
Mother’s body size and placental size predict heart disease in men
Researchers investigating the foetal origins of chronic disease have discovered that combinations of a mother’s body size and the shape and size of her baby’s placenta can predict heart disease in men in later life. The research is published online today in the European Heart Journal [1]. Professor David Barker and colleagues studied 6975 men […]
Direct-to-consumer genetic tests neither accurate in their predictions nor beneficial to individuals, say European geneticists
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests give inaccurate predictions of disease risks and many European geneticists believe that some of them should be banned, the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics will hear today (Tuesday). In the first of two studies to be presented, Rachel Kalf, from the department of epidemiology […]
Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis can permit the birth of healthy children to women carrying mitochondrial DNA disease
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) can give women at risk of passing on a mitochondrial DNA disorder to their offspring a good chance of being able to give birth to an unaffected child, a researcher told the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics today (Monday). Dr. Debby Hellebrekers, from Maastricht […]
New advances in lipid genetics lead to better detection and prevention of major diseases
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Studying the genetic make-up of different varieties of lipids (fatty molecules) in the blood plasma of an individual can lead to a better and earlier prediction of diseases such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, and heart disease, two researchers will tell the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics today (Monday 30 […]
Research suggests that lipofilling may be safe during conservation treatment for breast cancer
A new study has gone some way to answering the question about whether or not a technique called lipofilling is safe for women who are having their breasts reconstructed after surgery for breast cancer. Lipofilling involves taking some fat from another area of a woman’s body, such as her abdomen, and using it to fill […]
First study to investigate how many eggs are needed to achieve a live birth after IVF finds 15 is the perfect number
An analysis of over 400,000 IVF cycles in the UK has shown that doctors should aim to retrieve around 15 eggs from a woman’s ovaries in a single cycle in order to have the best chance of achieving a live birth after assisted reproduction technology. The study, which is published online in Europe’s leading reproductive […]
Study reveals increased inequality in stroke deaths across Europe and central Asia
There is growing inequality between different countries in Europe and central Asia in the proportion of people who die from stroke, according to a study published online in the European Heart Journal [1]. In countries where the proportions of stroke deaths have been low at the end of the 20th century, the death rates are […]