Metformin during pregnancy affects the brain development in offspring mice, study finds
With the rise in gestational diabetes and metabolic disorders during pregnancy, metformin is also being prescribed more frequently. Although it is known that the oral antidiabetic agent can cross the placental barrier, the impacts on the brain development of the child are largely unknown. An interdisciplinary research team from the German Institute of Human Nutrition […]
Neurologic Conditions Now Leading Cause of Disability Worldwide
Disorders affecting the nervous system were the leading cause of ill health and disability globally, affecting 3.4 billion people worldwide, a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study showed. Neurologic conditions affected 43.1% of the world’s population and were the top contributor to the global disease burden in 2021, ahead of cardiovascular […]
Sinusitis Tied to Later Autoimmune Disease
A history of sinus congestion and drip may be a precursor to serious autoimmune disorders, a population-based study suggested. Rates of rheumatologic conditions including antiphospholipid syndrome and Sjögren’s disease were significantly higher in people with any experience with sinusitis, with odds up to seven times greater than in individuals with no such history, according to […]
Hypertension, Diabetes in Pregnancy Affects Offspring’s Heart Health in Adolescence
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Moms who had hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) were more likely to have kids with worse cardiovascular health (CVH) in adolescence, a secondary analysis of an observational cohort study found. Adjusted models showed higher risks for less-than-ideal CVH in kids ages 10 to 14 when mothers […]
Fat cells help repair damaged nerves
Damage to the body’s peripheral nerves can cause pain and movement disorders. Researchers at the Leipzig University have recently investigated how damaged nerves can regenerate better. They found that fat tissue strongly supports the Schwann cells needed for repair during the healing process. The results were published in the journal Cell Metabolism. Our bodies are […]
Clinical Challenges: Early Disease in Axial Spondyloarthritis
Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is the currently favored term for a spectrum of painful disorders affecting the spine, and most specifically the sacroiliac joints. Its prototypical form was ankylosing spondylitis, defined some 40 years ago as a condition characterized by the presence of radiographic sacroiliitis. However, ankylosing spondylitis today is considered a misnomer because while it […]
Study shows how to prevent a high-fat diet from throwing metabolism out of whack: Biologists discover removing a protein inhibitor restores metabolic balance
Eating lots of fats increases the risk of metabolic disorders, but the mechanisms behind the problem have not been well understood. Now, University of California, Irvine biologists have made a key finding about how to ward off harmful effects caused by a high-fat diet. Their study appears in Nature Communications. The UC Irvine research centered […]
Women With Hypertension During Pregnancy Face Higher CVD Risks
Women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) were at a significant risk for developing new cardiovascular disease (CVD) within a couple of years of giving birth, a researcher reported. Within 2 years postpartum, patients with HDP had almost two times the risk for cerebrovascular disease, nearly three times the risk for cardiomyopathy and heart failure […]
Body Dissatisfaction Can Lead to Eating Disorders at Any Age: New study suggests that perimenopause may be an especially risky time for women who are trying to overcome a poor body image
Eating disorders are stereotypically associated with adolescents and young adults. Growing evidence, however, suggests that these conditions can occur at any time during a woman’s lifespan, including at midlife. A new study finds that body dissatisfaction is a primary cause of eating disorders, especially during perimenopause. Study results are published online today in Menopause, the […]
Newly identified neuromarker reveals clues about drug and food craving
Craving is known to be a key factor in substance use disorders and can increase the likelihood of future drug use or relapse. Yet its neural basis — or, how the brain gives rise to craving — is not well understood. In a new study, researchers from Yale, Dartmouth, and the French National Centre for […]