New blood test could predict second heart attack risk

A blood test that quickly and easily detects whether a person is at the risk of a secondary heart attack is being developed by scientists. The researchers at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Australia have identified plasma lipid biomarkers (fats in the blood) that improve upon traditional risk factors in predicting heart disease and stroke. The blood test is proposed to be trialled in Australia over the next 2-3 years, said Peter Meikle, a professor Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute. Eventually this test will help better assess a…

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This new blood test can predict due date and premature birth

Researchers from Standford University have developed a new blood test for pregnant women that may detect whether their pregnancies will end in premature birth. The technique can also be used to estimate a foetus’s gestational age — or the mother’s due date — as reliably and less expensively than ultrasound. There have been several studies on preterm births in the past, and the reasons for it. A study by the University of Pennsylvania linked such births to changes in the mother’s bacteria. Another study by CHU Sainte-Justine in Canada found that having a baby…

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All in the hands: Finger length may predict athletic ability

Your hands may predict how good you are at sports, say scientists who found that athletic prowess could be related to the length of your fingers. Researchers explored the difference in length between one’s index finger and ring finger, and a possible link to muscular strength. They found that the ratio of the length of the index finger and the length of the ring finger – called the ‘digit ratio’ – is favourably related to muscular strength in boys. The ring finger in males is typically longer than the index…

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Brain Scans Can Predict a Baby’s Future Risk of Anxiety and Depression

Not too long ago mental diseases were not really spoken about openly. If anyone was undergoing any treatment, it was all hushed about and done behind closed doors. Now, with more and more people and celebrities voicing their opinions and sharing their experiences on social platforms, those affected are learning to open up rather than ignoring the issue at hand and suffering alone. The kind of lifestyles we lead today, stress is almost inevitable. And stress is what gives rise to many other health issues, as we start ignoring our…

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The Brain’s Need for Glucose: Low Levels Could Predict Alzheimer’s Risk

People often confuse sugar with calories but they are very different. Sugar is a glucose compound which is broken down by the process of metabolism, into simpler molecules with the release of energy. Sugar, a form of glucose is necessary for sustaining life in a living organism. Any living organism or tissue or even a cell eventually dies when the sugar level depreciates. This glucose compound helps in manufacturing energy to perform essential biological processes. Such biological processes taking place inside a living organization leads to the sustaining of respective…

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Brain Activity May Predict Risk of Falls in Elderly

Measuring the level of brain activity in healthy older adults while they are walking can predict their risk of falling, suggests a study led by an Indian-origin scientist. Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries among older adults and all too often lead to physical decline and loss of independence. “Previous studies have shown that when older people perform cognitively demanding tasks, their brains are required to become more active to handle the challenge,” said lead author Joe Verghese, Director at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in…

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