Patients with raised blood pressure have a two-fold increased risk of dying from the coronavirus COVID-19 compared to patients without high blood pressure, according to new research published in the European Heart Journal [1]. In addition, the study found that patients with high blood pressure who were not taking medication to control the condition were […]
2020
Benzodiazepine use before conception is linked to increased risk of ectopic pregnancy
Women who use a class of tranquilisers called benzodiazepines before becoming pregnant are at greater risk of ectopic pregnancies, according to a study of nearly 1.7 million women. The study, which is published in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals, found that the risk of an ectopic pregnancy, where the […]
Men’s blood contains greater concentrations of enzyme that helps COVID-19 infect cells
Finding may explain why men with heart failure suffer more from the coronavirus than women Evidence from a large study of several thousand patients shows that men have higher concentrations of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in their blood than women. Since ACE2 enables the coronavirus to infect healthy cells, this may help to explain why […]
What are your chances of having a second IVF baby after fertility treatment for the first?
Women have a good chance of having a second child with the help of fertility treatment after the birth of their first child born this way, according to the first study to investigate this, published in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals. Researchers in Australia calculated that after a woman […]
Androgen-deprivation treatments for prostate cancer could protect men from COVID-19
A study of 4532 men in the Veneto region of Italy has found that those who were being treated for prostate cancer with androgen-deprivation therapies (ADT) were less likely to develop the coronavirus COVID-19 and, if they were infected, the disease was less severe. The authors of the study, published in the leading cancer journal […]
Death rates from prostate cancer predicted to decline overall in EU but rise in Poland
Lung and pancreatic cancer death rates continue to rise in women Death rates from prostate cancer are predicted to fall in 2020 in the EU, largely due to better diagnosis and treatment, according to new research published in the leading cancer journal Annals of Oncology [1]. In the latest predictions for cancer deaths in the […]
Aspirin linked to reduction in risk of several cancers of the digestive tract
Aspirin is associated with a reduction in the risk of developing several cancers of the digestive tract, including some that are almost invariably fatal, such as pancreatic and liver cancers. The largest and most comprehensive analysis to date of the link between aspirin and digestive tract cancers, published in the leading cancer journal Annals of […]
Risk of severe COVID-19 could be increased in people with COPD and smokers due to higher levels of ‘entry point’ enzyme in lungs
People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and people who currently smoke may have higher levels of a molecule, called angiotensin converting enzyme II (ACE-2), in their lungs according to a study published in the European Respiratory Journal. [1] Previous research shows that ACE-2, which sits on the surface of lung cells, is the ‘entry point’ […]
Newborns infected with COVID-19 in China experienced mild symptoms
Researchers have identified a total of four cases of newborn babies with COVID-19 infection in China. In all cases the babies experienced only mild symptoms with none requiring intensive care or mechanical ventilation according to research published in in the European Respiratory Journal. [1] The study was carried out by Dr Zhi-Jiang Zhang and colleagues […]
Blood test accurately detects over 50 types of cancer, often before symptoms show
Test also identifies where in the body the cancer has originated Researchers have developed the first blood test that can accurately detect more than 50 types of cancer and identify in which tissue the cancer originated, often before there are any clinical signs or symptoms of the disease. In a paper published in the leading […]