2025

Common pregnancy complications may be a signal of future stroke risk

Women who experience complications during pregnancy face a higher risk of stroke in the following decades according to research published in the European Heart Journal [1]. The study, which included data on more than two million women over more than 40 years, found an increased risk for women who had diabetes or high blood pressure […]

Royal visit to Evelina London Children’s Hospital

Sophie, Lady Frederick Windsor calls for more donations to buy vital ultrasound vein finders London, UK: Lady Frederick Windsor, also known as the actress Sophie Winkleman, visited Evelina London Children’s Hospital on Wednesday to see the ultrasound vein finder that The Children’s Surgery Foundation donated to the paediatric surgical ward. The mother of two children, […]

Women who work nightshifts are more likely to have asthma

Women who work night shifts are more likely to suffer with moderate or severe asthma compared to women who work in the daytime, according to a study published in ERJ Open Research [1]. The research, which included more than 270,000 people, found no such link between asthma and working nightshifts in men. The study was […]

Scientists find unusual build-up of soot-like particles in lung cells of COPD patients

— As a result, cells grow abnormally large and cause inflammation — Cells taken from the lungs of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have a larger accumulation of soot-like carbon deposits compared to cells taken from people who smoke but do not have COPD, according to a study published in ERJ Open Research […]

Integrating pharmacogenomic-guided prescribing into routine clinical practice: promising results from the NHS PROGRESS study

Milan, Italy: Pharmacogenomics studies how individuals respond to drugs based on their genetic code. Using that knowledge to guide prescribing in routine care could lead to better outcomes for patients and save money for health systems. Generating pharmacogenomic data in the laboratory is relatively straightforward, but a major challenge is making that information available to […]

Genetic investigations reveal reason for severe neuropathy after infection

Milan, Italy: Neuropathy, a disorder in which damage to nerves can impair sensation and movement, has many causes, including infection1. Now, researchers from the UK have identified distinct genetic changes in a newly-discovered neuropathy and believe that their work will provide insights into the causal mechanism and why some previously healthy people develop neuropathies after […]

New blood test enables the rapid diagnosis of thousands of rare genetic diseases

Milan, Italy: A new, rapid testing method will greatly help the diagnosis of rare diseases in babies and children, according to research to be presented to the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics. While rare genetic diseases are uncommon, as their name suggests, there are more than 7,000 types of disease caused […]

Early prediction of preterm birth in cell-free RNA may revolutionise prevention strategies

Milan, Italy: Children born before 37 weeks of gestation have a considerably increased risk of dying before they reach the age of five. Predicting the risk of preterm birth (PTB) and hence implementing preventive strategies is complicated by the heterogeneity of the condition, the many unknown mechanisms involved, and the lack of reliable predictive tools. […]

European regulation needed to prevent the birth of children with inherited cancer-causing genetic mutation after sperm donation

Milan, Italy: A case in which a sperm donor was later found to be carrying a cancer-causing pathogenic variant in his gametes has highlighted the problems of regulating gamete donation at European and international level, the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics will hear on Saturday. Dr Edwige Kasper, a specialist in […]

Male bodybuilders face high risk of sudden cardiac death, especially those who compete professionally

Sudden cardiac death is responsible for an unusually high proportion of deaths in male bodybuilders worldwide with the highest risk among professional bodybuilders, according to research published in the European Heart Journal [1]. Sudden cardiac death is when someone dies suddenly and unexpectedly due to a problem with their heart. It is generally rare in […]