Category Health/Medical

rheumatoid arthritis in hands

But no such association found for breastfeeding after influential factors accounted for. Taking the contraceptive pill, particularly for 7 or more consecutive years, is linked to a lowered risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, finds research published online in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. But no significant link was found for breastfeeding – a practice that has been associated with a protective effect – after accounting for various potentially influential factors, the findings show.

Because rheumatoid arthritis is 2 to 3 times as common in women as it is in men, it is thought hormonal and reproductive factors may partly explain this gender difference. But the research to date has produced equivocal results...

Marathon runners. Credit: © pavel1964 / Fotolia

Scientists have now tapped into the microbiome of exceptional runners and rowers, and have identified particular bacteria that may aid athletic performance. The goal is to develop probiotic supplements that may help athletes – and even amateur fitness enthusiasts – recover from a tough workout or more efficiently convert nutrients to energy. “When we first started thinking about this, I was asked whether we could use genomics to predict the next Michael Jordan,” Jonathan Scheiman, Ph.D., says. “But my response was that a better question is: Can you extract Jordan’s biology and give it to others to help make the next Michael Jordan?”

To answer that question, microbes seemed like a good place to start...

Silk could soon be used to produce more sensitive and flexible body sensors like this one. Credit: Yingying Zhang

From smart socks to workout clothes that measure exertion, wearable body sensors are becoming the latest “must-have” technology. Now scientists report they are on the cusp of using silk, one of the world’s most coveted fabrics, to develop a more sensitive and flexible generation of these multi-purpose devices that monitor a slew of body functions in real time. Yingying Zhang, Ph.D., says. “One possibility we foresee is for them to be used as an integrated wireless system that would allow doctors to more easily monitor patients remotely so that they can respond to their medical needs more rapidly than ever before.”

Body sensors, which are usually made with semiconductors, have s...

The latest research from Hiroshima University connecting DHA synthesis to estrogen production, and consequentially brain health, backs up further the old adage that a daily intake of fish oil is good for you. Credit: Yasuhiro Ishihara

Estrogen production in the brain has been directly linked to the presence of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA is found in abundance in fish oils and is also synthesized from alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid found in some vegetable-based oils. The latest research from Hiroshima University connecting DHA synthesis to estrogen production, and consequentially brain health, backs up further the old adage that a daily intake of fish oil is good for you.

Assistant Professor Yasuhiro Ishihara, from HU’s Laboratory of Molecular Brain Science, keenly aw...