More than a Dozen Genes Linked to Obesity
Razi Berry Promising news in the effort to develop drugs to treat obesity: University of Virginia scientists have identified 14 genes that can cause and three that can prevent weight gain. The findings pave the way for treatments to combat a health problem that affects more than 40% of American adults. “We know of hundreds […]
Communication Skills May be Somewhat Genetic
Razi Berry From inside the womb and as soon as they enter the world, babies absorb information from their environment and the adults around them, quickly learning after birth how to start communicating through cries, sounds, giggles, and other kinds of baby talk. But are a child’s long-term language skills shaped by how their brain […]
New Research on Genetic Link to Gut Bacteria
Razi Berry Our gut microbiome — the ever-changing “rainforest” of bacteria living in our intestines — is primarily affected by our lifestyle, including what we eat or the medications we take, most studies show. But a University of Notre Dame study has found a much greater genetic component at play than was once known. In […]
What Are ‘Zombie Genes?’
Razi Berry In the hours after we die, certain cells in the human brain are still active. Some cells even increase their activity and grow to gargantuan proportions, according to new research from the University of Illinois Chicago. In a newly published study in the journal Scientific Reports, the UIC researchers analyzed gene expression in […]
New Research on Daytime Napping
Razi Berry How often a person takes daytime naps, if at all, is partly regulated by their genes, according to new research led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and published in Nature Communications. In this study, the largest of its kind ever conducted, the MGH team collaborated with colleagues at the University of […]
Good Heart Health Equals Good Brain Health
Razi Berry Emory University researchers are giving us double the reasons to pay attention to our cardiovascular health – showing in a recently published study in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease that good heart health can equal good brain health. Good heart health = good brain health The American Heart Association defines ideal cardiovascular health […]
Can a little bit of exercise make you smarter?
Razi Berry Most people know that regular exercise is good for your health. New research shows it may make you smarter, too. Exercise is cheap and ubiquitous with smart results Neuroscientists at OHSU in Portland, Oregon, working with mice, have discovered that a short burst of exercise directly boosts the function of a gene that […]
Toxic Effects of Racism are Not Only Psychological
Razi Berry A team of USC and UCLA scientists found that racist experiences appear to increase inflammation in African American individuals, raising their risk of chronic illness, according to the study published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology on April 18. A new study indicates that racism is toxic to humans We know discrimination is linked to […]
DNA Changes from Heavy Drinking May Increase Cravings for Alcohol
Razi Berry From Rutgers University Binge and heavy drinking may trigger a long-lasting genetic change, resulting in an even greater craving for alcohol, according to a Rutgers-led study in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. Heavy drinkers may be altering their DNA to crave even more alcohol “We found that people who drink heavily […]
Father’s Smoking Habits May Impact Son’s Fertility
Razi Berry A recent study has linked parental tobacco smoking to lower sperm count in sons. However, this study wasn’t looking at maternal smoking, but rather the smoking status of the father. The research team found that independently of nicotine exposure from the mother, men who had fathers who smoked during their pregnancy had half as […]