March 14, 2022
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. However, why premenopausal women are more resistant to NAFLD than men is currently unknown. Now, scientists demonstrate, through sex-balanced experiments on mice, that the female liver produces higher levels of a protein that has a protective effect against NAFLD. Their findings could lead to new therapeutic strategies for treating NAFLD.
Scientists discover why women are more resistant to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease than men
March 14, 2022
One in three new mothers during early COVID-19 screened positive for postpartum depression -- nearly triple pre-pandemic levels -- and 1 in 5 had major depressive symptoms, say researchers.
A third of new moms during early COVID had postpartum depression
March 14, 2022
Having dense breasts (more fibroglandular tissue than fatty tissue, as visualized on a mammogram) reduces the sensitivity of mammography by masking breast cancers and carries a 1.6- to 2.0-fold increased independent risk for breast cancer. To inform women about these risks, 38 U.S. states and the federal government have enacted legislation requiring a written dense breast notification (DBN) of a patient's breast density after a mammogram, but there still is limited evidence about what breast density means, and what the implications are, to women. According to a new study, while women are receiving these notifications about their breast density, not all recipients are fully understanding what they mean in terms of future health implications.
March 14, 2022
Women who are obese and struggling to become pregnant are often advised to lose weight, but a new study finds no fertility benefits from weight loss.
March 14, 2022
Higher lead levels in a mother's blood can increase the chance of her bearing male offspring, according to new research.
Maternal lead exposures correlated with sex ratios of offspring
March 11, 2022
Researchers have developed a smartphone app that can calculate users' genetic risk for coronary artery disease (CAD)--and found that users at high risk sought out appropriate medication after using the app.
March 10, 2022
Infants whose mothers participated in a mindfulness-based program during pregnancy had healthier stress responses at 6 months old, a new study found.
Prenatal mindfulness program improves stress response in infants
March 10, 2022
A recent study shows promising results for a blood test that could be used to identify Alzheimer's changes in the brain before the onset of any symptoms, which could result in preventative treatments being used before any memory loss.
Blood test as possible diagnostic tool for Alzheimer’s disease
March 10, 2022
Schools with mandatory masking during the Delta surge had approximately 72% fewer cases of in-school transmission of SARS-CoV-2 when compared to schools with optional or partial masking policies, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The study included more than 1.1 million students and over 157,000 staff attending in-person school across nine states: North Carolina, Wisconsin, Missouri, California, Washington, Georgia, Tennessee, Kansas and Texas. The study is supported by NIH’s Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics – Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) program and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). It appears in Pediatrics.
Mandatory masking in schools reduced COVID-19 cases during Delta surge
March 9, 2022
Investigators studying old flies have gained some new insight into retinal degeneration, seeking an understanding "of the molecular mechanisms that drive age-associated changes and the external and internal factors that influence them.”
The difference between night and day: Circadian clock may offer protection to aging eyes
