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New research has shown that results of blood tests routinely performed by GPs everywhere contain a hidden fingerprint that can identify people silently developing potentially fatal liver cirrhosis.
The researchers have developed an algorithm to detect this fingerprint that could be freely installed on any clinical computer, making this a low-cost way for GPs to carry out large scale screening using patient data they already hold.
Liver cirrhosis is the second leading disease causing premature death in working-age people (after heart disease). It develops silently and most patients will have no signs or symptoms until they experience a serious medical emergency and the first admission is fatal in one in three patients. Unlike most major diseases, the mortality rate for liver cirrhosis continues to increase and is now four times higher than forty years ago.
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Credit: Pxhere (Image Link: https://pxhere.com/en/photo/613480?fbclid=IwAR3Ep8o7jJEgv)
A new genetic study of Native Hawaiians by Charleston Chiang at the University of Southern California and colleagues finds that people who have a greater proportion of Polynesian ancestry in their genomes face a higher risk of obesity, Type-2 diabetes and heart failure. The study is published February 11 in
PLOS Genetics.
Previous studies have shown that Native Hawaiians appear to have high rates of cancers and chronic health conditions, especially when compared to other people living in Hawaii. In their genes, Native Hawaiians carry a mix of Polynesian, European and Asian ancestry, but due to the group s small size, there
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LAWRENCE Nearly every fall, as football teams return to the field, tragic stories of players falling ill and even dying of heat trauma make the headlines. What many don t consider is that marching band members who don heavy uniforms and perform in the same sweltering temperatures may also be at risk.
A study led by the University of Kansas has measured core temperatures, hydration and sweat levels of marching band members and found that they are very much at risk and deserve access to athletic trainers for their safety just as players do.
The study used high tech methods to gauge band members body core temperatures during practices and performances. The results show that, while the performers often do their best to stay hydrated, the risks are such that policies should be enacted to respond when they suffer heat illnesses. The results also show that bands and institutions should start conversations on how to provide access to trainers and prevent heat illness fro
Obesity and excess body fat may have contributed to more deaths in England and Scotland than smoking since 2014, according to research published in the open access journal
Credit: Diogo Matias
A study led by scientists from the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, in Lisbon, concludes that bariatric surgery - that is, procedures used to treat severe obesity by reconfiguring the gastrointestinal tract -, leads to greater weight loss in patients who, before the surgery, had a heightened perception of sweetness.
Although bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for severe obesity, the outcome of the procedure in terms of weight loss varies significantly from patient to patient. Thus, understanding why some patients benefit more than others from bariatric surgery may be paramount to estimate what to expect from the surgery for a given patient - and ultimately, to decide whether to perform it at all on that patient.