Category: Features
Smokeless tobacco product snus increases risk of fatality among prostate cancer patients
Men with prostate cancer who take the smokeless tobacco product snus – used mainly in Sweden but also sold in the US – are more likely to die from the disease and prematurely from any cause, according to a study […]
Molecular guardian defends cells, organs against excess cholesterol
A team of researchers at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health has found a critical player in cholesterol metabolism that acts as a molecular guardian in cells to help maintain cholesterol levels within a safe, narrow range. […]
Doctors attempt to gene-edit a living person’s DNA – a medical first
Brian Madeux was born 44 years ago with a rare medical disorder called Mucopolysaccharidoses II, known as MPS II or Hunter syndrome, which causes progressive damage to the body’s cells. But good news may come his way: recently, in a medical […]
Babies born by C-section more likely to become obese children
A large new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has found that individuals born by caesarean delivery were 15% more likely to become obese as children than individuals born by vaginal birth—and the increased risk may persist through adulthood. Furthermore, individuals […]
Mothers in poorer countries more likely to develop maternal depression than their wealthier counterparts
Mothers in low- and middle-income countries are more vulnerable to high rates of depression during pregnancy and following the birth of their babies, according to a study led by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The researchers […]
Antibodies may offer protection against tuberculosis
Despite being one of the body’s first lines of defense against infection, the role of antibodies in tuberculosis (TB) has gone largely unstudied. Now, by harnessing a unique technology for rapidly analysing human antibodies, a team of researchers led by Harvard […]
Disaster causes elderly people more likely to develop dementia
A new study has found that elderly people tend t develop dementia in the aftermath of disasters, such as tsunami. Elderly people who were uprooted from damaged or destroyed homes and who lost touch with their neighbours after the 2011 tsunami […]
15 minutes of time alone increases happiness
A new paper in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, a research team led by They-vy Nguyen at the University of Rochester, explains shows how 15 minutes solitude can have beneficial effects on our emotions. Their results suggest that if you want to […]
Being optimistic reduces early death among elderly women
Elderly women who have an optimistic outlook of life – a general expectation that good things will happen – tend to live longer, a study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health says. The study found that women who were […]
This skin cancer-detecting device bags 2017 James Dyson award
Four engineering graduates from Ontario’s McMaster University have created a skin cancer-detecting device, bagging them this year’s international James Dyson Award. The Skan is low cost and non-invasive andmade from widely available and inexpensive components and could make detection of […]
