Healthy Lifestyle Can Reduce Genetic Heart Attack Risk

Following a healthy lifestyle can cut in half the probability of a heart attack or similar events even among those at high genetic risk, say researchers, including one of Indian-origin. “The basic message of our study is that DNA is not destiny,” said study senior author Sekar Kathiresan, Director, Center for Human Genetic Research at Massachusetts General Hospital in the US. The study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that lifestyle factors — not smoking, avoiding excess weight and getting regular exercise — significantly alter the risk…

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Higher Maternal Iron Levels May up Gestational Diabetes Risk

Pregnant women who are particularly vulnerable to iron deficiency, may also be at risk if iron is found in excess in their bodies. They are likely to develop gestational diabetes, a study has found. As a strong pro-oxidant, free iron can promote several cellular reactions that generate reactive oxygen species and increase the level of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress induced from excess iron accumulation can cause damage to and death of pancreatic beta cells which produce insulin, and consequently, contribute to impaired insulin synthesis and secretion. In the liver, high…

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Proteins Can Warn of Diabetes Risk in Children

Certain proteins in the blood of children have the potential to predict the development of Type 1 diabetes even before the first symptoms appear, a study has found. The researchers studied children who have a first-degree relative with Type 1 diabetes and who consequently have an increased risk of developing the disease due to the familial predisposition. Scientists, from Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen in Germany, analysed blood samples from 30 children with auto-antibodies who had developed Type 1 diabetes either very rapidly or with a very long delay. They then compared…

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Low Vitamin D Levels May up Bladder Cancer Risk

Individuals with Vitamin D deficiency can be at an increased risk of developing bladder cancer, a study has warned. Vitamin D, which is produced by the body through exposure to sunshine, helps the body control calcium and phosphate levels. It can also be obtained from food sources such as fatty fish and egg yolks. According to previous studies, Vitamin D deficiency causes health problems including cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, autoimmune conditions, and cancer. In the study, the researchers looked at the cells that line the bladder, known as transitional epithelial…

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Menopause Before 40 Ups Fracture Risk

If you are in menopause before the age of 40, you have a higher fracture risk, even with calcium and vitamin D supplements, says a study. For years, calcium and vitamin D have been touted for their abilities to increase bone mineral density. Hormone therapy is also recognised for its ability to help ward off osteoporosis. That is what prompted this latest study — published online in Menopause, the journal of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) — to evaluate the effectiveness of calcium, vitamin D, and/or hormones in offsetting…

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Maternal B12 Deficiency May up Diabetes Risk in Babies

Women with vitamin B12 deficiency during pregnancy may predispose their children to metabolic diseases such as Type-2 diabetes, a team of researchers led by one of Indian origin has warned. The vitamin is found in animal products, including fish, meat, poultry, eggs and milk. Its deficiency are more likely to occur in pregnant women, who follow a vegetarian diet, the study said. “The nutritional environment provided by the mother can permanently programme the baby’s health,” said Ponusammy Saravanan, Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Warwick in Britain. In this…

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