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Cognitive function improves with aerobic exercise, but not for people exposed to high levels of mercury before birth, according to research funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health …
Source: Brain benefits of aerobic exercise lost to mercury exposure
Cognitive function improves with aerobic exercise, but not for people exposed to high levels of mercury before birth, according to research funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health. Adults with high prenatal exposure to methylmercury, which mainly comes from maternal consumption of fish with high mercury levels, did not experience the faster cognitive processing and better short term memory benefits of exercise that were seen in those with low prenatal methylmercury exposures.
“We need to pay special attention to the environment we create for pregnant moms and babies.”
This is one of the first studies to examine how methylmercury exposure in the womb may affect cognitive function in adults. Mercury comes from industrial pollution in the air that falls into the water, where it turns into methylmercury and accumulates in fish. The scientists, based at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, suspect that prenatal exposure to methylmercury, known to have toxic effects on the developing brain and nervous system, may limit the ability of nervous system tissues to grow and develop in response to increased aerobic fitness.
“We know that neurodevelopment is a delicate process that is especially sensitive to methylmercury and other environmental toxins, but we are still discovering the lifelong ripple effects of these exposures,” said Gwen Collman, Ph.D., director of the NIEHS Division of Extramural Research and Training. “This research points to adult cognitive function as a new area of concern.”
The 197 study participants are from the Faroe Islands, 200 miles north of England, where fish is a major component of the diet. Their health has been followed since they were in the womb in the late 1980s. At age 22, this subset of the original 1,022 participants took part in a follow-up exam that included estimating the participants’ VO2 max, or the rate at which they can use oxygen, which increases with aerobic fitness. Also, a range of cognitive tests were performed related to short-term memory, verbal comprehension and knowledge, psychomotor speed, visual processing, long-term storage and retrieval, and cognitive processing speed.
Overall, the researchers found that higher VO2 max values were associated with better neurocognitive function, as expected based on prior research. Cognitive efficiency, which included cognitive processing speed and short term memory, benefitted the most from increased VO2 max.
But when the researchers divided the participants into two groups based on the methylmercury levels in their mothers while they were pregnant, they found that these benefits were confined to the group with the lowest exposure. Participants with prenatal methylmercury levels in the bottom 67 percent, or levels of less than 35 micrograms per liter in umbilical cord blood, still demonstrated better cognitive efficiency with higher VO2 max. However, for participants with higher methylmercury levels, cognitive function did not improve as VO2 max increased.
“We know that aerobic exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, but these findings suggest that early-life exposure to pollutants may reduce the potential benefits,” added Collman. “We need to pay special attention to the environment we create for pregnant moms and babies.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends that children and women of childbearing age eat two to three weekly servings of fish low in mercury as part of a healthy diet. Low mercury fish include salmon, shrimp, pollock, canned light tuna, tilapia, catfish, and cod. Four types of fish should be avoided because of typically high mercury levels — tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico, shark, swordfish, and king mackerel.
The findings were published Sept. 9 in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. In addition to NIH funding, the research was supported by the Danish Council for Strategic Research, Programme Commission on Health, Food, and Welfare.
Grant Number: R01ES009797
NIEHS supports research to understand the effects of the environment on human health and is part of NIH. For more information on environmental health topics, visit http://www.niehs.nih.gov. Subscribe to one or more of the NIEHS news lists to stay current on NIEHS news, press releases, grant opportunities, training, events, and publications.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.
The Knockout Mice Project The most commonly observed abnormalities included slowed growth and embryonic development. They also saw many abnormalities in cardiovascular development, malformations of…
Source: Genes, environmental factors and other random events during development define life and death
The most commonly observed abnormalities included slowed growth and embryonic development. They also saw many abnormalities in cardiovascular development, malformations of the head and face, and defects in limb development.
As evidence to suggest the findings are relevant to understanding human disease, the researchers showed that loss-of-function mutations for those essential mouse genes are rarely found in the corresponding genes of living people. The finding suggests those genes are also essential to human life and health and could be good places to look for answers to miscarriages, stillbirths, or unexplained genetic conditions in people.
There were some surprises, too. Despite the fact that researchers in the consortium all conducted their studies according to standardized protocols, embryonic mice carrying exactly the same set of genes didn’t always share the same physical features or experience the same life or death outcomes. The findings suggest that in addition to genes and environmental factors, other seemingly random events during development can also play an important role.
The work is ongoing. In fact, the consortium already has data on hundreds more knockout mice available, just waiting to be analyzed. All of the data is being openly provided in real time to investigators around the world to explore and expand on as needed. The consortium is also making the knockout mice themselves available to enable other researchers with particular interests to study them in even greater detail.
It goes to show the remarkable progress to be made in biomedicine when researchers around the world rally as a team around a common approach to achieve a common goal. That’s a great take-home message.
References:
[1] Knockout Mouse Project (KOMP) Repository (University of California, Davis and Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute)
[2] High-throughput discovery of novel developmental phenotypes. Dickinson ME, Flenniken AM, Ji X, Teboul L, Wong MD, White JK, Meehan TF, Weninger WJ, Westerberg H, Adissu H, Baker CN, Bower L, Brown JM, Caddle LB, Chiani F, Clary D, Cleak J, Daly MJ, Denegre JM, Doe B, Dolan ME, Edie SM, Fuchs H, Gailus-Durner V, Galli A, Gambadoro A, Gallegos J, Guo S, Horner NR, Hsu CW, Johnson SJ, Kalaga S, Keith LC, Lanoue L, Lawson TN, Lek M, Mark M, Marschall S, Mason J, McElwee ML, Newbigging S, Nutter LM, Peterson KA, Ramirez-Solis R,…
International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium
International Knockout Mouse Consortium
Knockout Mice Fact Sheet (National Human Genome Research Institute/NIH)
Steve Murray (The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME)
Mary Dickinson (Baylor College of Medicine, Houston)
The Centre for Phenogenomics (Toronto, Canada)
Medical Research Council Harwell (Oxfordshire, U.K.)
Maja Bucan (University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia)
NIH Support: National Human Genome Research Institute; Common Fund
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered a two-way link between depression and gestational diabetes. Women who reported feeling depressed during the first two trimesters of …
Source: Depression and gestational diabetes, to post partum depression
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered a two-way link between depression and gestational diabetes. Women who reported feeling depressed during the first two trimesters of pregnancy were nearly twice as likely to develop gestational diabetes, according to an analysis of pregnancy records. Conversely, a separate analysis found that women who developed gestational diabetes were more likely to report postpartum depression six weeks after giving birth, compared to a similar group of women who did not develop gestational diabetes.
The study was published online in Diabetologia.
Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes (high blood sugar level) occurring only in pregnancy, which if untreated may cause serious health problems for mother and infant.
“Our data suggest that depression and gestational diabetes may occur together,” said the study’s first author, Stefanie Hinkle, Ph.D., staff scientist in the Division of Intramural Population Health Research at the NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). “Until we learn more, physicians may want to consider observing pregnant women with depressive symptoms for signs of gestational diabetes. They also may want to monitor women who have had gestational diabetes for signs of postpartum depression.”
Although obesity is known to increase the risk for gestational diabetes, the likelihood of gestational diabetes was higher for non-obese women reporting depression than for obese women with depression.
The researchers analyzed pregnancy records from the NICHD Fetal Growth Studies-Singleton Cohort, which tracked the progress of thousands of pregnancies, to understand the patterns of fetal growth. The study enrolled 2,334 non-obese and 468 obese women in weeks eight to 13 of pregnancy. The women responded to questionnaires on symptoms of depression when they enrolled in the study, again between the 16th and 22nd week of pregnancy, and then six weeks after giving birth. The researchers also reviewed the women’s records to identify who had developed gestational diabetes.
“Of particular note, persistent depression from the first to second trimester set women at even greater risk for gestational diabetes” said the study’s senior author, Cuilin Zhang, M.D., Ph.D, in the Division of Intramural Population Health Research at NICHD. Women who had the highest scores for depression in the first and second trimesters — about 17 percent — had nearly triple the risk for gestational diabetes when compared to women who had lower depression scores.
“Our results suggest it would be a good idea for clinicians to pay particular attention to women with high depression scores when evaluating the risk of gestational diabetes,” Dr. Zhang added.
Although obesity increases the risk for gestational diabetes, non-obese women with high depression scores had nearly triple the risk for gestational diabetes than the other women in the study. Depression did not appear to increase the risk for gestational diabetes among obese women.
Currently, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends(link is external) that physicians screen patients at least once for depression during the perinatal period(link is external) (22 weeks of pregnancy through 7 days after birth.)
The researchers also found a higher risk for postpartum depression among the women who had gestational diabetes. Of the women who developed gestational diabetes, nearly 15 percent experienced depressive symptoms after birth, which was more than four times that of women who had not had gestational diabetes.
Dr. Hinkle stressed that the study was not able to prove a cause and effect relationship between symptoms of depression and gestational diabetes. The researchers added that earlier studies have shown that depression is associated with impaired glucose metabolism that may lead to higher blood sugar levels. Similarly, high blood sugar levels may lead to inflammation, hormonal, and other changes that could lead to symptoms of depression.
About the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): NICHD conducts and supports research in the United States and throughout the world on fetal, infant and child development; maternal, child and family health; reproductive biology and population issues; and medical rehabilitation. For more information, visit NICHD’s website.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
The first study analyzed Cardio-Metabochip microarray data from 74 studies that included over 342,000 people of European ancestry. Using these data, the researchers identified 66 blood-pressure associated regions of the genome (loci), 17 of which were previously unknown. Analyses suggested that many of the newly identified loci may play a role within cells lining blood vessels in controlling blood pressure. There was no enrichment of a single predominant genetic pathway in the data, reflecting the complexity of blood pressure influences. The group found comparable results in a group of more than 64,000 people of South Asian, East Asian, and African descent.
The second research group performed a genome-wide analysis of more than 327,000 people. Their meta-analysis of Human Exome BeadChip gene array (Exome Chip) data revealed 31 new blood pressure-associated loci and confirmed 39 that had been previously identified. These loci were strongly linked to genetic risk of heart disease and heart attack.
A third team led by United Kingdom-based researchers used Exome Chip data to screen nearly 350,000 people. Their meta-analysis identified 30 new blood pressure-associated regions of the genome. Taken together, these 3 studies expand our understanding of the genetic components of blood pressure by doubling the number of reported blood pressure genes. They also highlight potential new targets for treating hypertension.
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/genetics-blood-pressure
Meta-analyses of association results for blood pressure using exome-centric single-variant and gene-based tests identified 31 new loci in a discovery stage among 146,562 individuals, with follow-up and meta-analysis in 180,726 additional individuals (total n = 327,288). These blood pressure-associated loci are enriched for known variants for cardiometabolic traits. Associations were also observed for the aggregation of rare and low-frequency missense variants in three genes, NPR1, DBH, and PTPMT1. In addition, blood pressure associations at 39 previously reported loci were confirmed.
Genetic risk scores constructed from the identified variants were strongly associated with coronary disease and myocardial infarction. This large collection of blood pressure-associated loci suggests new therapeutic strategies for hypertension, emphasizing a link with cardiometabolic risk.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27618448
Individuals with favorable levels of all readily measured major CVD risk factors (low CV risk) during middle age incur lower cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, lower all-cause mortality, and l…
Source: Length of residence in the USA unrelated to low CV (heart disease) risk among hispanics
Individuals with favorable levels of all readily measured major CVD risk factors (low CV risk) during middle age incur lower cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, lower all-cause mortality, and lower Medicare costs at older ages compared to adults with one or more unfavorable CVD risk factors.
Studies on predictors of low CV risk in Hispanics/Latinos have focused solely on Mexican-Americans.
The objective of this study was to use data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL; enrolled 2008 to 2011) to assess relationships of nativity and length of residence in the US, a commonly used proxy for acculturation, with low CV risk (not currently smoking; no diabetes; untreated total cholesterol <200mg/dL; untreated blood pressure<120/<80; body mass index <25kg/m(2); and no major ECG abnormalities) in 15,047 Central American, South American, Cuban, Dominican, Mexican, Puerto Rican men and women, and Hispanic/Latino men and women identifying as other or >1 heritage.
We also tested whether associations varied by Hispanic/Latino background. Women living in the US<10years were 1.96 (95% confidence interval: 1.37, 2.80) times more likely to be low CV risk than US-born women after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, diet, physical activity, and self-reported experiences of ethnic discrimination.
Findings varied in men by Hispanic/Latino background, but length of residence was largely unrelated to low CV risk. These findings highlight the role acculturative processes play in shaping cardiovascular health in Hispanics/Latinos.
Favorable levels of all readily measurable major cardiovascular disease risk factors (ie, low risk [LR]) are associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. Data are …
Source: Lower acculturation is associated with higher odds of a LR profile among American Latina but not men
Favorable levels of all readily measurable major cardiovascular disease risk factors (ie, low risk [LR]) are associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. Data are not available on LR prevalence among Hispanic/Latino adults of diverse ethnic backgrounds. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of a low cardiovascular disease risk profile among Hispanic/Latino adults in the United States and to examine cross-sectional associations of LR with measures of acculturation.
The multicenter, prospective, population-based Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos examined 16 415 men and women aged 18 to 74 years at baseline (2008-2011) with diverse Hispanic/Latino backgrounds. Analyses involved 14 757 adults (mean age 41.3 years; 60.6% women). LR was defined using national guidelines for favorable levels of serum cholesterol, blood pressure, and body mass index and by not having diabetes mellitus and not currently smoking. Age-adjusted LR prevalence was low (8.4% overall; 5.1% for men, 11.2% forwomen) and varied by background (4.2% in men of Mexican heritage versus 15.0% in women of Cuban heritage). Lower acculturation (assessed using proxy measures) was significantly associated with higher odds of a LR profile among women only: Age-adjusted odds ratios of having LR were 1.64 (95% CI 1.24-2.17) for foreign-born versus US-born women and 1.96 (95% CI 1.49-2.58) for women residing in the United States <10 versus ≥10 years.
Among diverse US Hispanic/Latino adults, the prevalence of a LR profile is low. Lower acculturation is associated with higher odds of a LR profile among women but not men. Comprehensive public health strategies are needed to improve the cardiovascular health of USHispanic/Latino adults.
The majority of men and women tested positive for oxycodone (68% and 65%, respectively) and morphine (89% each). More women than men tested positive for amphetamines (4% vs. 1%, p<0.01), methamp…
Source: Cravings for opioids, narcotics, higher in women than men – higher in alcohol cravings
The majority of men and women tested positive for oxycodone (68% and 65%, respectively) and morphine (89% each).
More women than men tested positive for amphetamines (4% vs. 1%, p<0.01), methamphetamine (11% vs. 4%, p<0.01) and phencyclidine (8% vs. 4%, p=0.02). More men than women tested positive for methadone (11% vs. 6%, p=0.05) and marijuana (22% vs. 15%, p=0.03).
Craving for opioids was significantly higher among women (p<0.01).
Men evidenced higher alcohol (p<0.01) and legal (p=0.04) ASI composite scores, whereas women had higher drug (p<0.01), employment (p<0.01), family (p<0.01), medical (p<0.01), and psychiatric (p<0.01) ASI composite scores. Women endorsed significantly more current and past medical problems.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3164783/
Rates of lifetime and past-year non-medical use of prescription opiates were 13.6% and 5.1%, respectively. Significantly more men than women endorsed lifetime (15.9% vs. 11.2%) and past-year use (5.9% vs. 4.2%; ps<0.0001). Among past-year users, 13.2% met criteria for current prescription opiate abuse or dependence, and this did not differ significantly by gender.
Polysubstance use and treatment underutilization were common among both men and women, however significantly fewer women than men had received alcohol or drug abuse treatment (p=0.001).
Men were more likely than women to obtain prescription opioids for free from family or friends, and were more likely to purchase them from a dealer (ps<.01). Gender-specific predictors of use as compared to abuse/dependence were also observed.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20598809/
Despite the fact that important gender differences in drug and alcohol use have been previously reported, little research to date has focused on gender differences with regard to nonmedical prescription opioid use. This study preliminarily examined the presenting characteristics and correlates (e.g., age of onset, route of administration, motives for using, and method of introduction) of men and women with prescription opioid dependence. Participants were 24 (12 men and 12 women) non-treatment seeking individuals at least 18 years of age with current (i.e., past 12 months) prescription opioid dependence who participated in an in-depth interview. The average age of onset of prescription opioid use was 22.2 years (SD=8.5). In comparison to men, women were approximately six years older when they initiated prescription opioid use, but were only three years older when they began to use prescription opioids regularly (i.e., weekly), suggesting an accelerated course of disease progression among women. Over half of the sample (61.5%) endorsed chewing and almost half (45.8%) endorsed crushing and snorting prescription opioids. Men were significantly more likely than women to crush and snort prescription opioids (75.0% vs. 16.7%; p=0.01).
Women were significantly more likely than men to be motivated to use prescription opioids in order to cope with interpersonal stress, and to use them first thing in the morning (ps=0.04). Concomitant alcohol and other drug use were common among both men and women. The findings highlight clinically relevant gender differences and may help enhance the design of gender-sensitive screening and treatment interventions for prescription opioids.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21514061
29,906 assessments from 220 treatment centers were included, of which 12.8% (N=3821) reported past month prescription opioid abuse. Women were more likely than men to report use of any prescription opioid (29.8% females vs. 21.1% males, p<0.001) and abuse of any prescription opioid (15.4% females vs. 11.1% males, p<0.001) in the past month. Route of administration and source of prescription opioids displayed gender-specific tendencies.
Women-specific correlates of recent prescription opioid abuse were problem drinking, age <54, inhalant use, residence outside of West US Census region, and history of drug overdose. Men-specific correlates were age <34, currently living with their children, residence in the South and Midwest, hallucinogen use, and recent depression.
Women prescription opioid abusers were less likely to report a pain problem although they were more likely to report medical problems than women who abused other drugs.
Dairy foods (organic) contain tryptophan, which is a sleep-promoting substance. Other foods that are high in tryptophan include nuts and seeds, bananas, honey, and eggs. Carbohydrate-rich foods com…
Source: Foods to help you sleep
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