It’s generally known that exposing pale skin to the harmful UV rays of the sun (or tanning beds) can cause melanoma – the most deadly form of skin cancer.  But what may come as a surprise is that men die of the condition at a significantly higher rate than women. That’s the finding of a study from the University of Leeds in Great Britain, which determined that while two women per 100,000 die of melanoma each year, the figure for men jumps to 3.4 per 100,000.  Additionally, despite similar rates of diagnosis, mortality rates are 70 percent higher for more advanced forms of cancer in men than women.

According to data provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 35,436 men are diagnosed with melanoma in the U.S. each year, compared with 26,210 women.  Of these, nearly 6,000 men die from the cancer, as opposed to 3,200 women.  The researchers found that while women tend to develop cancerous spots on their arms and legs, men are more prone to get it on their backs and chests.  Men are also more likely to be diagnosed with more advanced stages of the disease.

While sun exposure damages cells, which can lead to melanoma, it can be prevented using sun block.  Of greater concern to doctors are the number of people who soak in harmful rays in tanning beds, where tanning for people under 35 can increase melanoma risk by 60 percent.

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Sourced from: Medical News Today, Melanoma death risk much higher in men

Are you extroverted?  Introverted?  Your personality could actually affect your fertility, contends new research published in the European Journal of Personality.  The study, based on extensive survey and birth registry data from Norway, concluded that both men’s and women’s personalities can affect their likelihood of having children–extroverted men had more children than introverts, and conscientious women were found to have fewer children.  The researchers also found that men with neurotic personality traits are having fewer children compared to previous generations.

The study could have important implications for population changes at a time when birth rates are falling in many developed countries.  Personality appears to be one of the factors that could contribute to the decline in fertility, especially in Europe.  While the research focused on data from only Norway, many trends that have been observed there first–increasing cohabitation, divorce rates, and later marriage, for example – have then been observed later in many other parts of the world.

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Sourced from: Science Daily, How Personality Affects Fertility: Men’s and Women’s Personalities Linked to Likelihood That They Will Have Children

Identifying potential suicide victims can be a difficult and emotionally trying task.  But new research from the Indiana University School of Medicine indicates that a simple blood test could help evaluate suicide risk through the analysis of RNA biomarkers found in the blood.  Certain chemicals were found in significantly higher levels in the blood of bipolar patients with thoughts of suicide and in people who had actually committed suicide.

This study investigated a large group of patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder over a three-year period, complete with interviews and blood samples every three to six months.  The researchers conducted a variety of analyses on the blood, and investigated gene expression between “low” and “high” states of suicidal thoughts.  The researchers found that marker SAT1 and a series of other biomarkers provided a strong biological link with suicidal thoughts.  And this  information correlated with blood samples taken from people who had had suicide-related hospitalizations.

The study authors concluded that these biomarkers reflect more than just current state of mind, and that they could correlate with long term risk.  The next step of the research, according to the authors, is to evaluate how the results translate across demographic groups.

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Sourced from: Science Daily, Biomarkers for Possible Blood Test to Predict Suicide Risk Identified