Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University say they’ve found a genetic “switch” that helps determine whether our bodies have a tendency to burn or store fat. If that’s the case, they may have an explantion for why some people are more likely to become obese.

For the study, the team analyzed gene control circuits from more than 100 types of cells and tissues. They found that a gene “switchboard” of sorts, controls the pathway for adipocyte progenitor cells - the immature cells that eventually become fat cells. They also found that genetic differences changed the outcome of the adipocyte cells. 

These processes were shown to operate without input from the brain – which means that in some cases, obesity is not just caused by bad habits. Previously, obesity was believed to be caused solely by “an imbalance between the amount of food we eat and how much we exercise.” But researchers say that this study supports that there is a genetic component to obesity, and that genetic differences can affect how each person’s body controls fat.

Obesity today is estimated to affect more than 500 million people worldwide. In the US, more than one third (78.6 million) of adults are thought to be obese. The burden on the economy is estimated to be at least $200 billion a year.

Sourced from: Medical News Today, Scientists discover ‘obesity master switch’ for burning or storing fat

Score another potential benefit of a daily aspirin. According to a Danish study, people who took one or two baby aspirins a day for at least five years reduced their risk of colon cancer significantly.

The study at the Danish Cancer Society Research Center found that taking low-dose aspirin on a continuous basis for at least that long reduced the risk of colorectal cancer by 27 percent and that using nonaspirin NSAIDs (non-stereroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen lowered cancer risk by 30 percent. No positive effects regarding cancer prevention were seen if these drugs were only taken intermittently.

Limitations of the study included using data for people who received prescriptions for the aspirin or NSAIDs and the data didn’t include people who made over-the-counter purchases. Additionally, researchers cannot rule out other factors that may have increased people’s risk for colorectal cancer such as family history or obesity.

The researchers emphasized, however, that no one should start a daily aspirin regimen without first talking to their doctor.

Colon cancer affects mostly people over the age of 50, according to the National Cancer Institute.

NEXT: Steroid Injections Not So Effective for Back Pain

_This Week’s Slice of History: _Taking on DDT: Aug. 29, 1962

Sourced from: Reuters, An aspirin a day – for years – may keep colon cancer away

Compounds found in sesame seeds and flax seeds may actually help slow weight gain, according to a study at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Researchers analyzed data on 1,000 women who gave urine samples at the beginning of the study and were then followed for 10 years. The urine samples were checked for two compounds: enterodiol and enterolactone, which are made when bacteria in the gut break down lignans in foods.

At the start, women with the lowest body mass index (BMI) had the highest amounts of these compounds in their urine. For instance, women with the highest levels of enterolactone had an average BMI of 24.6, compared to an average BMI of 27.5 among women with the lowest levels of enterolactone. Also, women with the highest levels of enterodiol in their urine gained about 0.6 pounds less per year than those with the lowest levels of enterodiol.

It is not known, however, how these compounds help slow weight gain. Researchers believe that since lignans contained in sesame and flax are similar in structure to estrogen, they may attach themselves to estrogen and, therefore, influence weight gain.

The results, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, are considered preliminary. More research is needed to see if this link also applies to men and other ethnic groups since most of the participants in the study were of European ancestry.

See this week’s Slice of History: Taking on DDT: Aug. 29, 1962

Sourced from: livescience.com, Compounds in Flax & Sesame Seeds May Prevent Weight Gain

According to a new study from University College London, working long hours may significantly increase a person’s risk of suffering a stroke. Researchers found that working 55 hours a week or more increased stroke risk by at least 33 percent.

The researchers used 17 studies in order to track data for more than 500,000 men and women over 7.5 years. In addition to the overall stroke risk increase, the study found that the more a person worked, the higher that risk grew. The scientists determined that for those working between 41 to 48 hours a week had a 10 percent greater chance of stroke but those working 49 to 54 hours a week saw that risk roughly triple to 27 percent. Even after adjusting for other risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, alcohol use and physical activity, researchers found the results didn’t change.

A survey conducted last year reported that Americans work an average of 47 hours a week. Not only does this almost add an extra work day to the typical work week, but based on this research, it may put many Americans at higher risk for a stroke or other coronary conditions.

Researchers say this was the largest study to be conducted investigating the relationship between cardiovascular health and working hours. Results were published in The Lancet.

Sourced from: Medical News Today, Longer working hours linked to greater stroke risk

Researchers at the NYU School of Medicine in New York say that people who suffer from psoriasis—the autoimmune disease that mainly affects the skin—are more likely to be depressed, because of their condition.

The scientists analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), involving 12,382 adults, some of whom had plaque psoriasis. According to the results, around 16.5 percent of patients with psoriasis met the criteria for major depression, and the team calculated that individuals with the skin disease had twice the risk of depression than those without psoriasis.

The researchers say they are unable to pinpoint exactly why individuals with psoriasis are at greater risk of depression, but they hypothesizes that it may be down to stigma associated with the skin disease.

The team recommended that patients with psoriasis consult a doctor if they begin to experience any depressive symptoms and that friends and family of patients with psoriasis should watch for signs of depression and encourage treatment. It is estimated that around 7.5 million people in the U.S. have psoriasis. While it can occur in people of all ages, it most commonly develops between the ages of 15 and 25.

The study was presented at the annual meeting of the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in New York.

 

Sourced from: Medical News Today, Psoriasis linked to greater risk of depression

Couples who split childcare duties evenly are more likely to have a better sex life and more marital satisfaction, concludes a new study recently presented to the American Sociological Association. Conversely, according to the research at Georgia State University, both men and women in couples in which women handled most of the childcare reported feeling less content in the relationship.

Using data from the 2006 Marital and Relationship Study, the researchers looked at 487 heterosexual couples who were selected at random and included low-to-moderate income couples who had children living with them and where the woman was under 45 years.

The team found that both the quality and sex life of a couple’s relationship was negatively afected when women handled more than 60 percent of the childcare. The tasks included in childcare included rule-making, praising and playing. On the other hand, the team found that fathers could take on most or all of the childcare responsibilities and it didn’t seem to have a negative impact on the relationship.

The researchers are planning more studies into how and why the balance of child rearing responsibilities may affect the overall relationship between couples.

Sourced from: BBC, Sharing childcare ‘improves sex lives’ of couples

Researchers have found a strong association between attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). In fact, according to a study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, people who have suffered a brain injury are more than twice as likely to report symptoms of ADHD than those who haven’t had a head injury.

For the study, scientists at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto examined the responses of 3,993 adults 18 and older participating in the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s (CAMH) Monitor, which is a continuous survey assessing the physical health, mental health and substance use of adults in Ontario. The researchers found that among participants with a history of TBI, 5.9 percent said that they had previously been diagnosed with ADHD at some point during their life. An additional 6.6 percent went on to screen positive for ADHD on the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale during their phone interviews.

Experts have previously suggested that TBI could result in psycho-neurological changes that increase the chances of ADHD developing. Others, however, have suggested that the cause and effect may be the reverse–that people with ADHD have a higher risk of falling or having an accident that could cause a TBI.

The researchers suggested that adults assessed for ADHD should also get tested for TBI.

Sourced from: Medical News Today, New study supports link between ADHD and traumatic brain injury