News by Subject Medicine & Health

Individualized dietary recommendations based on genetic information are currently a popular trend. A team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has systematically analyzed scientific articles and reached the following conclusion: There is no clear evidence for the effect of genetic factors on the consumption of total calories, carbohydrates, and fat. According to the current state of knowledge, the expedience of gene-based dietary recommendations has yet to be proven.

Researchers at the University of Oulu in Finland have discovered novel genes and mechanisms that can explain how a genomic variant in a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs11672691 influences prostate cancer aggressiveness. Their findings also suggest ways to improve risk stratification and clinical treatment for advanced prostate cancer. The study is published in the journal Cell.

A drug currently in clinical trials for treating symptoms of Parkinson's disease may someday have value for treating heart failure, according to results of early animal studies by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers.

A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and published in the Journal of the American Heart Association examines the prevalence of frailty and its association with long-term mortality in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Greening vacant urban land significantly reduces feelings of depression and improves overall mental health for the surrounding residents, researchers show in a new randomized, controlled study published in JAMA Network Open. The findings have implications for cities across the United States, where 15 percent of land is deemed "vacant" and often blighted or filled with trash and overgrown vegetation.

By drawing in a bit of sweat, a patch developed in the lab of Alberto Salleo can reveal how much cortisol a person is producing. Cortisol is known as the stress hormone but is involved in many important physiological functions.

Physical conditions in a neighborhood matter. Trash, a lack of sidewalks and parks, and vacant or dilapidated spaces have been associated with depression, while living near green spaces has been associated with less depression, anxiety and stress. In Philadelphia, a citywide cluster randomized trial looked at whether greening vacant urban land by getting rid of trash, grading the land, planting new grass and some trees, and installing low wooden fencing could improve self-reported mental health.

A diet with calorie restriction two days per week was comparable to a diet with daily calorie restriction for glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes.