Researchers at McMaster and the University of Guelph have discovered a convenient new way to track levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the bloodstream, making it much easier to access information that is critical to cardiovascular and cognitive health, but which has previously been challenging to gather. While the human body can generate most of the fats it needs, it cannot … [Read more...]
How Caregiver Speech Shapes Infant Brain
The researchers used MRI and audio recordings to demonstrate that caregiver speech is associated with infant brain development in ways that improve long-term language progress. Dr. Meghan Swanson, assistant professor of psychology in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, is corresponding author of the study, which was published online April 11 and in the June print … [Read more...]
Children Lost a Primary or Secondary Caregiver due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
More than 1.5 million children around the world are estimated to have lost at least one parent, custodial grandparent, or grandparent who lived with them due to death related to COVID-19 during the first 14 months of the pandemic, according to a study published today in The Lancet. The study highlights orphanhood as an urgent and overlooked consequence of the pandemic and … [Read more...]
Researchers Develop New Measure of Brain Health
How old is your brain compared to your chronological age? A new measure of brain health developed by researchers at Rush University Medical Center may offer a novel approach to identifying individuals at risk of memory and thinking problems, according to research results published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association on June 1. Dubbed … [Read more...]
Baby’s First Stool can Help Predict Risk of Developing Allergies
It may seem like an unusual place to go looking for answers, but the contents of a baby's first diaper can reveal a lot about a newborn's future health. In a new study published today in Cell Reports Medicine, a team of University of British Columbia (UBC) researchers has shown that the composition of a baby's first poop -- a thick, dark green substance known as meconium -- … [Read more...]
PROSIT app tracks your mental health based on how you use your phone
Have you ever wondered if your phone is helpful or harmful to your mental health? Well, now there's an app that could tell you. As our phones get smarter by the year, the debate around just how detrimental they might be to our mental health continues without any definitive resolution. Does using Instagram make you aspirational or just plain … [Read more...]
New diagnostic test for heart failure patients could also help COVID-19 patients
A new blood test that reliably predicts outcomes for heart failure patients could lead to new diagnostics and treatments for COVID-19 patients as well, according to newly published research from cardiologists at the University of Alberta. The researchers examined circulating angiotensin peptide levels in the blood of 110 people who were experiencing heart failure due to a … [Read more...]
Aerobics may be a smart workout for your brain at any age
It's never too late to lace up some sneakers and work up a sweat for brain health, according to a study published in the May 13, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study suggests older adults, even couch potatoes, may perform better on certain thinking and memory tests after just six months of aerobic … [Read more...]
Long-term study finds faster breast cancer radiation treatment as effective as long course
A shorter course of higher-dose radiation treatment to part of the breast is showing promise in women with early-stage breast cancer who undergo breast conserving surgery, says a study led by Hamilton researchers. Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) sees larger doses of radiation delivered to parts of the breast affected by cancer. This treatment takes place in … [Read more...]
Avocados may help manage obesity, prevent diabetes
Your guacamole may hold the key to managing obesity and helping delay or prevent diabetes, according to a new study by a University of Guelph research team. For the first time, researchers led by Prof. Paul Spagnuolo have shown how a compound found only in avocados can inhibit cellular processes that normally lead to diabetes. In safety testing in humans, the team also … [Read more...]
Eat fat, live longer?
As more people live into their 80s and 90s, researchers have delved into the issues of health and quality of life during aging. A recent mouse study at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine sheds light on those questions by demonstrating that a high fat, or ketogenic, diet not only increases longevity but also improves physical strength. "The results surprised me a … [Read more...]
Regular use of aspirin can lower risk of breast cancer for women
A City of Hope-led study found that the use of low-dose aspirin (81mg) reduces the risk of breast cancer in women who are part of the California's Teacher's Study. This study -- which is the first to suggest that the reduction in risk occurs for low-dose aspirin -- was proposed by City of Hope's Leslie Bernstein, Ph.D., professor and director of the Division of Biomarkers of … [Read more...]
Silent heart attack in women
Many women put too much pressure on themselves to make the holidays perfect for everyone. This can add a lot of unnecessary stress and anxiety that can lead to serious heart problems. Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center cardiologist Karla Kurrelmeyer, M.D. says in their quest to get everything done on time, some women will ignore the mild symptoms of a … [Read more...]
Birth defects, pregnancy terminations, miscarriages in users of acne drug
Canada's program that aims to prevent pregnancy in women who use the powerful acne drug isotretinoin (Accutane) is not effective, found a new study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). Of the women taking the drug, 30% to 50% do not comply with the program's requirements, which, given the severe harm the drug can cause to a fetus, represents poor performance … [Read more...]
Women have problems sticking to cardiac rehab programs
Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of disability globally. Participation in cardiac rehabilitation programs is associated with significantly lower death, but evidence suggests that women are significantly less likely to stick to a cardiac rehabilitation program than men, according to investigators writing in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology. Cardiac … [Read more...]
Refugee women at higher risk of preterm birth, study finds
Refugee women who come to Canada have greater risk of giving birth prematurely than non-refugee immigrants, a study by a St. Michael's Hospital researcher has found. Those risks are fueled by the fact that the preterm birth rate was 7.1 per cent among secondary refugees -- those who spent more than six months in a transit country before arriving in Canada -compared to five per … [Read more...]
Early exposure to excess hormone causes genital defects in females
University of Florida researchers have identified cells targeted by a male hormone and found that an excess of that hormone at a specific time can cause genital defects in female mice. The findings appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study identifies a window of fetal development and a type of cell targeted by masculinizing hormones that … [Read more...]
Canola Oil May Cut Your Belly Fat
Including canola oil in a healthy diet may help reduce abdominal fat in as little as four weeks, according to health researchers. "Visceral, or abdominal, fat increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, and is also associated with increased risk for conditions such as metabolic syndrome and diabetes," said Penny M. Kris-Etherton, Distinguished Professor of Nutrition, … [Read more...]
Natural Metabolite can Suppress Inflammation
An international group of scientists from US, Canada, Germany and Russia has revealed a substance produced in humans that can suppress the pro-inflammatory activity of macrophages -- specific cells of immune system. The substance known as itaconate is released in large quantities by macrophages themselves, but until now its role remained poorly studied. Now scientists have … [Read more...]
Bacteria may protect you from breast cancer
Bacteria that have the potential to abet breast cancer are present in the breasts of cancer patients, while beneficial bacteria are more abundant in healthy breasts, where they may actually be protecting women from cancer, according to Gregor Reid, PhD, and his collaborators. These findings may lead ultimately to the use of probiotics to protect women against breast … [Read more...]
New Canadian guidelines to help prevent and manage adult obesity
A new guideline from the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care to help prevent and manage obesity in adult patients recommends body mass index measurement for both prevention and management and structured behavioural changes to help those who are overweight or obese to lose weight. The guideline, aimed at physicians and health care providers, is published in CMAJ … [Read more...]
Effect of antidepressants during pregnancy: A Canadian Study
Using antidepressants during pregnancy greatly increases the risk of autism, Professor Anick Bérard of the University of Montreal and its affiliated CHU Sainte-Justine children's hospital revealed. Prof. Bérard, an expert in the fields of pharmaceutical safety during pregnancy, came to her conclusions after reviewing data covering 145,456 pregnancies. "The variety of causes of … [Read more...]
Online cognitive behavioral therapy benefits people with depression, anxiety: A Canadian Study
Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) combined with clinical care has been shown to benefit people with depression, anxiety and emotional distress from illness, according to an evidence-based review in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). "In the age of Google, this psychological intervention is empowering, clinically efficient and consistent with … [Read more...]
Discovery of an early predictor of increased diabetes risk: A Canadian Study
A Montréal research team led by Jennifer Estall at the IRCM discovered that a protein found in muscle tissue may contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes later in life. The study's results, published in today's printed edition of the scientific journal American Journal of Physiology -- Endocrinology and Metabolism, indicate that the protein could be a promising early … [Read more...]
Researchers identify gene that increases risk of sudden death in patients with mild epilepsy: A Canadian Study
Researchers in the Adult Genetic Epilepsy Program of the Krembil Neuroscience Centre have discovered a gene mutation that increases the risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) in patients with mild forms of the disease. The study, entitled "Two definite sudden unexpected deaths in epilepsy in a family with a DEPDC5 mutation" and published in the journal … [Read more...]
Young adults have higher survival rates and longer life expectancies: A Canadian Study
Advances in the treatment of adolescents and young adults with cancer have resulted in higher survival rates and longer life expectancies. But up to 20 years after people in the 20-44 age group are declared cancer-free, they still have more hospitalizations than the general public, new research has found. "Even when young adults survive cancer, the cancer still has an impact … [Read more...]
Molecules involved in Alzheimer’s have a role in weakening of connections between neurons: A Canadian Study
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting over 44 million people worldwide. Inside the brain, Alzheimer's disease is characterized by loss of neurons, and presence of abnormal tangles and plaques in the brain. Dr. Graham Collingridge, recently recruited from Bristol (U.K.) to the University of Toronto, has found that molecules that are strongly … [Read more...]
Infant gut bacteria and food sensitization: A Canadian Study
A new study from Canadian researchers at the University of Alberta and University of Manitoba is shedding new light on changes in intestinal bacteria of infants that can predict future development of food allergies or asthma. The research, published in the February edition of the journal Clinical & Experimental Allergy and highlighted as the publication's "Editor's … [Read more...]
Birthweight charts tailored to specific ethnic groups may be better predictor of adverse outcomes: A Canadian Study
Immigrant women give birth to about one-third of the babies born in Ontario. Yet clinicians still measure those babies before and after birth using the same scales that measure babies whose mothers were born in Canada, often of Western European ancestry. As a result, many babies born to immigrant mothers, especially those from South and East Asia, may be incorrectly labelled … [Read more...]
Preventing, treating common cold: A Canadian Study
How do you prevent and treat the common cold? Handwashing and zinc may be best for prevention whereas acetaminophen, ibuprofen and perhaps antihistamine-decongestant combinations are the recommended treatments, according to a review in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). The common cold is well, common, affecting adults approximately 2-3 times a year and children … [Read more...]