disease

A Toxic Fungus Could Be Contributing to Some People’s Irritable Bowel Disease

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Some strains of yeast in the human gut can produce toxins that could contribute to irritable bowel disease (IBD), according to new research. These “high-damaging” Candida albicans yeast strains aren’t usually a problem when they are kept in balance, but in the guts of those with IBD, the fungi appear to proliferate, triggering inflammation.   The … Read more

Wild Paper Claims Psychopathy May Not Be a Mental Disorder, But Something Else

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For more than half a century, the kinds of antisocial personality traits we think of as psychopathic – such as a lack of remorse, aggression, and disregard for the wellbeing of others – have been associated with mental illness.   The line between broken and useful traits can be hazy in biology, leaving open the … Read more

A Strain of Tuberculosis Traveled Across The Pacific Thousands of Years Pre-Contact

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Centuries before first contact with Europeans, new research suggests a strain of tuberculosis was already circulating from the South American coasts to the mountains. Deadly European diseases, like tuberculosis (TB), whooping cough, and smallpox, were spread around the world with colonization, but recent evidence indicates this wasn’t the first time TB arrived in South America. … Read more

Huge Study Finds Blood Proteins That Could Increase Risk of Severe COVID

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Multiple factors play a role in complex diseases like COVID, and knowing what they are is important for predicting how different people will be affected. Early on in the pandemic, being older, overweight, or smoking were identified as increasing your risk of developing severe COVID. This then informed public health decisions – the elderly were … Read more

A Single Genetic Test Can Accurately Diagnose 25 Rare Diseases Faster Than Ever

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Scientists have developed a quick genetic test that can diagnose a large range of rare muscle and nerve diseases with near perfect accuracy. Tandem repeat disorders are a family of over 50 inherited diseases, including Huntington’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), that seem to occur when short DNA sequences are repeated too many times. … Read more

Why Sex Chromosomes Matter When It Comes to Heart Disease

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Most mammals, including humans, have two sex chromosomes, X and Y. One sex chromosome is usually inherited from each parent, and they pair up as either XX or XY in every cell of the body.   People with XX chromosomes typically identify as female, and people with XY chromosomes typically identify as male. The genes … Read more

Diabetes and heart disease: Fat levels in blood could improve risk prediction

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Measuring the levels of 184 fat molecules in the blood could improve how we assess people’s risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease Health 3 March 2022 By Carissa Wong Low-density lipoprotein particles in the blood transport fats ANIMATED HEALTHCARE LTD/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY The levels of 184 fat molecules in the blood can help to … Read more

We’re closing in on the causes of long covid and possible treatments

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Medicines for long covid will probably be with us within a year, as the mechanisms behind the disease are finally starting to be understood Health 23 February 2022 By Michael Marshall Pete Reynolds   LAUREN NICHOLS first fell ill on 10 March 2020. Her symptoms started with crushing fatigue, swiftly followed by headaches, brain fog … Read more

Study of Over 1 Million People Reveals Heart Attacks Can Reduce Parkinson’s Risk

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We know the devastating effects Parkinson’s disease can have, but scientists are still trying to figure out how it gets started and how to cure it. Some new research may have found helpful clues, linking having a heart attack with a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s later.   The drop in risk is around 20 … Read more