http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Scientists from King's College London have identified patterns of epigenetic changes involved in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by studying genetically identical twins who differ in autism traits. The study, published in Molecular Psychiatry, is the largest of its kind and may shed light on the biological mechanism by which environmental influences regulate the activity of certain genes and in turn contribute to the development of ASD and related behaviour traits. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-epigenetic-biological-mechanism-autism.html Autism spectrum disorders Tue, 23 Apr 2013 04:00:01 EST news285877545 (Medical Xpress)—Researchers have identified a new disorder caused by a genetic mutation that leads to short sightedness and deafness. They say the new link between the two sensory problems could lead to better understanding of the disease mechanism of each. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-mutation-short-sightedness-loss.html Genetics Mon, 08 Apr 2013 08:31:11 EST news284628664 (HealthDay)—Only 11 percent of the estimated 79 million Americans who are at risk for diabetes know they are at risk, federal health officials reported Thursday. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-millions-verge-diabetes-dont-cdc.html Diabetes Thu, 21 Mar 2013 14:38:45 EST news283095507 Fetal alcohol syndrome is the leading preventable cause of developmental disorders in developed countries. And fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a range of alcohol-related birth defects that includes fetal alcohol syndrome, is thought to affect as many as 1 in 100 children born in the United States. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-pathway-linked-fetal-alcohol-molecular.html Medical research Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:48:42 EST news280601315 Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a genetic mutation that may underlie common behaviors seen in some people with autism, such as difficulty communicating and resistance to change. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-autism-behaviors-linked-gene.html Neuroscience Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:18:40 EST news279911901 An independent panel convened by the National Institutes of Health has concluded that the name of a common hormone disorder in women, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), causes confusion and is a barrier to research progress and effective patient care. The current name focuses on a criterion—ovarian cysts—which is neither necessary nor sufficient to diagnose the syndrome. In a report released today, the panel recommended assigning a new name that more accurately reflects the disorder. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-polycystic-ovary-syndrome-panel-common.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 23 Jan 2013 13:35:06 EST news278170489 Researchers at UCLA say it's not just what you eat that makes those pants tighter—it's also genetics. In a new study, scientists discovered that body-fat responses to a typical fast-food diet are determined in large part by genetic factors, and they have identified several genes they say may control those responses. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-genes-obesity-fast-food-isnt.html Medical research Tue, 08 Jan 2013 12:00:01 EST news276862092 More than two hundred gene locations have now been identified for the chronic bowel condition Crohn's Disease, in a study that analysed the entire human genome. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-genes-crohn-disease.html Genetics Thu, 13 Dec 2012 12:00:05 EST news274620107 The University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) participated in the largest genetic study of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) to date. Researchers from the CARDIoGRAMplusC4D Consortium report the identification of 15 genetic regions newly associated with the disease, bringing to 46 the number of regions associated with CAD risk. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-largest-coronary-artery-disease-evidence.html Genetics Mon, 03 Dec 2012 10:17:38 EST news273752229 In the largest genetic study of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) to date, researchers from the CARDIoGRAMplusC4D Consortium report the identification of 15 genetic regions newly associated with the disease, bringing to 46 the number of regions associated with CAD risk. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-insights-genetic-coronary-artery-disease.html Genetics Sun, 02 Dec 2012 13:00:37 EST news273668467 Researchers at McMaster University have discovered new genetic evidence about why some people are happier than others. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-obese-happy-gene-common-perception.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 20 Nov 2012 05:43:58 EST news272612627 A paper by Shizhong Han and colleagues in the current issue of Biological Psychiatry implicates a new gene in the risk for cannabis dependence. This gene, NRG1, codes for the ErbB4 receptor, a protein implicated in synaptic development and function. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-gene-implicated-schizophrenia-cannabis.html Genetics Thu, 11 Oct 2012 12:09:44 EST news269176168 (Medical Xpress)—You can thank your parents for your smarts—or at least some of them. Psychologists have long known that intelligence, like most other traits, is partly genetic. But a new study led by psychological scientist Christopher Chabris reveals the surprising fact that most of the specific genes long thought to be linked to intelligence probably have no bearing on one's IQ. And it may be some time before researchers can identify intelligence's specific genetic roots. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-intelligence-genes.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 02 Oct 2012 05:12:46 EST news268373556 (Medical Xpress)—For teenagers struggling with acne, Sophia Yen, MD, has a simple message: Your doctor can help. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-acne-easier-adolescents.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 24 Sep 2012 07:42:16 EST news267691330 The ongoing obesity epidemic is creating an unprecedented challenge for healthcare systems around the world, but what determines who gets fat? Two experts debate the issue in the British Medical Journal today. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-main-obesityour-genes-environment.html Overweight and Obesity Tue, 11 Sep 2012 18:30:01 EST news266597980 Fainting has a strong genetic predisposition, according to new research published in the August 7, 2012, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Fainting, also called vasovagal syncope, is a brief loss of consciousness when your body reacts to certain triggers, such as emotional distress or the sight of blood. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-fainting-family.html Neuroscience Mon, 06 Aug 2012 16:03:00 EST news263487682 A genetic screening approach to studying bone disease has found nine new genes associated with bone health and suggests a new way to discover genes that may be implicated in human skeletal diseases. A collaborative study of the mineral content, strength and flexibility of bones has found clues to the cause of bone disorders such as osteoporosis, osteogenesis imperfecta, and high bone density syndromes. The study, which brings together specialist skills in mouse gene deletion and bone measurement to assess the strength of bones in 100 mutant mouse lines, is the largest reported screen of its type for genes that regulate bone health. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-gene-deletions-mice-genes-bone.html Genetics Thu, 02 Aug 2012 17:46:24 EST news263148377 In the current online issue of PLoS ONE, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine say they have identified a set of laboratory-based biomarkers that can be useful for understanding brain-based abnormalities in schizophrenia. The measurements, known as endophenotypes, could ultimately be a boon to clinicians who sometimes struggle to recognize and treat the complex and confounding mental disorder. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-biomarkers-schizophrenia.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 11 Jul 2012 13:30:54 EST news261232247 A pioneering report of genome-wide gene expression in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) finds genetic changes that help explain why one person has an ASD and another does not. The study, published by Cell Press on June 21 in The American Journal of Human Genetics, pinpoints ASD risk factors by comparing changes in gene expression with DNA mutation data in the same individuals. This innovative approach is likely to pave the way for future personalized medicine, not just for ASD but also for any disease with a genetic component. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-functional-links-autism-genes.html Genetics Thu, 21 Jun 2012 13:20:04 EST news259497632 Scientists led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified the first gene directly linked to the most common form of psoriasis, a chronic skin condition. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-gene-linked-common-psoriasis.html Genetics Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:10:04 EST news254058159 Genetics researchers have identified at least two new gene variants that increase the risk of common childhood obesity. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-largest-ever-genome-wide-genes-common-childhood.html Genetics Sun, 08 Apr 2012 13:00:23 EST news253087071 For decades, scientists have understood that there is a genetic component to intelligence, but a new Harvard study has found both that most of the genes thought to be linked to the trait are probably not in fact related to it, and identifying intelligence’s specific genetic roots may still be a long way off. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-genes-earlier-linked-specific-intelligence.html Genetics Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:25:07 EST news249297896 Anyone who has a close relative with Alzheimer's shares the same worry: Am I next? However, a growing body of research indicates that our lifestyles - particularly what we eat and whether we're obese - play a greater role than our genes in determining our brain health as we age. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-dementia-diet-weight-important-genes.html Alzheimer's disease & dementia Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:14:30 EST news246813214 No cure exists for frontotemporal dementia, which strikes between the ages of 40 and 64 and accounts for at least one in four cases of early-onset dementia. Caused by the death of cells in the front and sides of the brain, the disease can lead to dramatic changes in a patient's personality and behavior, including the loss of the ability to communicate. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-scientists-uncover-potential-common-early-onset.html Neuroscience Wed, 21 Sep 2011 13:34:57 EST news235830884 Today 23andMe, an industry leader in personal genetics, announced the discovery of two significant, novel genetic associations with Parkinson's disease (PD) and provided new evidence that there is a substantial genetic component remaining to be discovered for Parkinson's. "Web-based genome-wide association study identifies two novel loci and a substantial genetic component for Parkinson's disease" was published online today in PLoS Genetics. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-23andme-genetic-associations-substantial-component.html Genetics Fri, 24 Jun 2011 09:06:55 EST news228125180