Older age, chronic co-morbidities associated with more severe COVID disease in children
Over the course of the pandemic, researchers nationwide noticed differences in COVID-19 disease between children and adults. While risk factors for hospitalization and poor outcomes are well documented in adults, less is known about the clinical factors associated with COVID disease severity in children. In an effort to aid mitigation strategies for children who are […]
New findings on ambient UVB radiation, vitamin D, and protection against severe COVID-19
New research from Trinity College Dublin and University of Edinburgh has examined the association between vitamin D and COVID-19, and found that ambient ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation (which is key for vitamin D production in the skin) at an individual’s place of residence in the weeks before COVID-19 infection, was strongly protective against severe disease […]
Gut flora composition and function may impact susceptibility to konzo, a neurological disease caused by world staple crop cassava: New study is first to shed light on gut microbiome of people that rely on this food source
Differences between gut flora and genes from konzo-prone regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) may affect the release of cyanide after poorly processed cassava is consumed, according to a study with 180 children. Cassava is a food security crop for over half a billion people in the developing world. Children living in high-risk […]
Link between ADHD and dementia across generations
A large study at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has found a link between ADHD and dementia across generations. The study, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, shows that parents and grandparents of individuals with ADHD were at higher risk of dementia than those with children and grandchildren without ADHD. “The […]
Gut and heart signals affect how we see ourselves: Study: Weak internal connections linked to body shame and weight preoccupation
New research has discovered that the strength of the connection between our brain and internal organs is linked to how we feel about our appearance. Published in the journal Cortex, the study is the first to investigate, and first to identify, the association between body image and the brain’s processing of internal signals that occur […]
Antibiotics linked to increased risk of colon cancer
There is a clear link between taking antibiotics and an increased risk of developing colon cancer within the next five to ten years. This has been confirmed by researchers at Umeå University, Sweden, after a study of 40,000 cancer cases. The impact of antibiotics on the intestinal microbiome is thought to lie behind the increased […]
Wildfire smoke may have contributed to thousands of extra COVID-19 cases and deaths in western U.S. in 2020
Thousands of COVID-19 cases and deaths in California, Oregon, and Washington between March and December 2020 may be attributable to increases in fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) from wildfire smoke, according to a new study co-authored by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study is the first to quantify the degree […]
Preterm Birth, Autism Link Cemented
Forty-plus years of Swedish birth and health data demonstrated a strong relationship between premature delivery and autism risk, according to a new analysis. Among more than 4 million singleton births from 1973 to 2013, the risk for diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was 2.1% for children born prior to 37 weeks’ gestation compared with […]