Category: Health

{Canada’s Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines, released with the endorsement of key medical and public health organizations, provide 10 science-based recommendations to enable cannabis users to reduce their health risks. The guidelines, based on a scientific review by an international team of experts, are published in the American Journal of Public Health.}

The guidelines address the fact that, despite the health risks of cannabis use, the rate of cannabis use in Canada is among the highest in the world. More than 10 per cent of adults and 25 per cent of adolescents report cannabis use over the past year. The health risks range from problems with memory and physical coordination, to motor vehicle accidents and mental health or dependence problems.

As Canada moves towards legalization with the introduction of the federal Cannabis Act, it provides an opportunity not only to regulate the use and supply, but also to educate and inform cannabis users to prevent or reduce cannabis-related health problems.

“Factual, science-based information can provide guidance to cannabis users to make choices that reduce both immediate and long-term risks to their health,” says Dr. Benedikt Fischer, Senior Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), who led the development of the guidelines. They are a project of the Ontario site of the Canadian Research Initiative on Substance Misuse (CRISM), a national initiative funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

“Cannabis use carries with it real health risks, and mitigating those risks for Canadians — particularly young Canadians — must be the first priority,” says Dr. Laurent Marcoux, President-Elect of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA). “The CMA continues to recommend a broad public health policy approach focused on preventing problematic drug use; ensuring the availability of assessment and treatment services for those who wish to stop using; and harm reduction to increase the safety for those who are using.”

While the first guideline recommendation is to abstain from cannabis use to avoid all risks, the remaining recommendations address the elevated potential of risks related to initiating use at a young age, high potency products, alternative delivery systems, heavy use and driving, as well as identifying people at higher risk of problems — with concrete recommendations for risk reduction in each case.

“These guidelines are an important tool supporting a public health approach to cannabis use,” says Ian Culbert, Executive Director of the Canadian Public Health Association. “People who use cannabis and cannabis-derived products, front-line practitioners, and public health professionals can all benefit from having access to evidence-informed guidelines that can help reduce the potential negative health effects associated with cannabis use. Through their widespread adoption, the guidelines will provide people who use cannabis with the information they need to manage their use and protect their health and well-being.”

The other organizations endorsing the guidelines are the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine, the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, and CAMH.

“Given the many people, especially young people, who use and may be harmed by cannabis use, we are pleased to recommend this evidence-based harm-reduction guidance to Canadians who do choose to use cannabis,” says Dr. David Allison, Chief Medical Officer of Health for Newfoundland and Labrador, speaking on behalf of the Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health. “This document is a welcome addition to our tool box for protecting and promoting the health of Canadians.”

Using scientific evidence as the basis for public guidelines is similar to existing public health initiatives for low-risk drinking, or safer sexual behaviours to avoid infection or unwanted pregnancy.

In addition to the scientific paper, the guidelines are available as a public brochure for users and an evidence summary for health professionals.

Source:Science Daily

{Your cognitive capacity is significantly reduced when your smartphone is within reach — even if it’s off. That’s the takeaway finding from a new study from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.}

McCombs Assistant Professor Adrian Ward and co-authors conducted experiments with nearly 800 smartphone users in an attempt to measure, for the first time, how well people can complete tasks when they have their smartphones nearby even when they’re not using them.

In one experiment, the researchers asked study participants to sit at a computer and take a series of tests that required full concentration in order to score well. The tests were geared to measure participants’ available cognitive capacity — that is, the brain’s ability to hold and process data at any given time. Before beginning, participants were randomly instructed to place their smartphones either on the desk face down, in their pocket or personal bag, or in another room. All participants were instructed to turn their phones to silent.

The researchers found that participants with their phones in another room significantly outperformed those with their phones on the desk, and they also slightly outperformed those participants who had kept their phones in a pocket or bag.

The findings suggest that the mere presence of one’s smartphone reduces available cognitive capacity and impairs cognitive functioning, even though people feel they’re giving their full attention and focus to the task at hand. “We see a linear trend that suggests that as the smartphone becomes more noticeable, participants’ available cognitive capacity decreases,” Ward said. “Your conscious mind isn’t thinking about your smartphone, but that process — the process of requiring yourself to not think about something — uses up some of your limited cognitive resources. It’s a brain drain.”

In another experiment, researchers looked at how a person’s self-reported smartphone dependence — or how strongly a person feels he or she needs to have a smartphone in order to get through a typical day — affected cognitive capacity. Participants performed the same series of computer-based tests as the first group and were randomly assigned to keep their smartphones either in sight on the desk face up, in a pocket or bag, or in another room. In this experiment, some participants were also instructed to turn off their phones.

The researchers found that participants who were the most dependent on their smartphones performed worse compared with their less-dependent peers, but only when they kept their smartphones on the desk or in their pocket or bag.

Ward and his colleagues also found that it didn’t matter whether a person’s smartphone was turned on or off, or whether it was lying face up or face down on a desk. Having a smartphone within sight or within easy reach reduces a person’s ability to focus and perform tasks because part of their brain is actively working to not pick up or use the phone.

“It’s not that participants were distracted because they were getting notifications on their phones,” said Ward. “The mere presence of their smartphone was enough to reduce their cognitive capacity.”

Source:Science Daily

{Canada’s Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines, released with the endorsement of key medical and public health organizations, provide 10 science-based recommendations to enable cannabis users to reduce their health risks. The guidelines, based on a scientific review by an international team of experts, are published in the American Journal of Public Health.}

The guidelines address the fact that, despite the health risks of cannabis use, the rate of cannabis use in Canada is among the highest in the world. More than 10 per cent of adults and 25 per cent of adolescents report cannabis use over the past year. The health risks range from problems with memory and physical coordination, to motor vehicle accidents and mental health or dependence problems.

As Canada moves towards legalization with the introduction of the federal Cannabis Act, it provides an opportunity not only to regulate the use and supply, but also to educate and inform cannabis users to prevent or reduce cannabis-related health problems.

“Factual, science-based information can provide guidance to cannabis users to make choices that reduce both immediate and long-term risks to their health,” says Dr. Benedikt Fischer, Senior Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), who led the development of the guidelines. They are a project of the Ontario site of the Canadian Research Initiative on Substance Misuse (CRISM), a national initiative funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

“Cannabis use carries with it real health risks, and mitigating those risks for Canadians — particularly young Canadians — must be the first priority,” says Dr. Laurent Marcoux, President-Elect of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA). “The CMA continues to recommend a broad public health policy approach focused on preventing problematic drug use; ensuring the availability of assessment and treatment services for those who wish to stop using; and harm reduction to increase the safety for those who are using.”

While the first guideline recommendation is to abstain from cannabis use to avoid all risks, the remaining recommendations address the elevated potential of risks related to initiating use at a young age, high potency products, alternative delivery systems, heavy use and driving, as well as identifying people at higher risk of problems — with concrete recommendations for risk reduction in each case.

“These guidelines are an important tool supporting a public health approach to cannabis use,” says Ian Culbert, Executive Director of the Canadian Public Health Association. “People who use cannabis and cannabis-derived products, front-line practitioners, and public health professionals can all benefit from having access to evidence-informed guidelines that can help reduce the potential negative health effects associated with cannabis use. Through their widespread adoption, the guidelines will provide people who use cannabis with the information they need to manage their use and protect their health and well-being.”

The other organizations endorsing the guidelines are the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine, the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, and CAMH.

“Given the many people, especially young people, who use and may be harmed by cannabis use, we are pleased to recommend this evidence-based harm-reduction guidance to Canadians who do choose to use cannabis,” says Dr. David Allison, Chief Medical Officer of Health for Newfoundland and Labrador, speaking on behalf of the Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health. “This document is a welcome addition to our tool box for protecting and promoting the health of Canadians.”

Using scientific evidence as the basis for public guidelines is similar to existing public health initiatives for low-risk drinking, or safer sexual behaviours to avoid infection or unwanted pregnancy.

In addition to the scientific paper, the guidelines are available as a public brochure for users and an evidence summary for health professionals.

Source:Science Daily

{More frequent sexual activity has been linked to improved brain function in older adults, according to a study by the universities of Coventry and Oxford.}

Researchers found that people who engaged in more regular sexual activity scored higher on tests that measured their verbal fluency and their ability to visually perceive objects and the spaces between them.

The study, published yesterday in The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological and Social Sciences, involved 73 people aged between 50 and 83.

Participants filled in a questionnaire on how often, on average, they had engaged in sexual activity over the past 12 months — whether that was never, monthly or weekly — as well as answering questions about their general health and lifestyle.

The 28 men and 45 women also took part in a standardized test, which is typically used to measure different patterns of brain function in older adults, focusing on attention, memory, fluency, language and visuospatial ability.

This included verbal fluency tests in which participants had 60 seconds to name as many animals as possible, and then to say as many words beginning with F as they could — tests which reflect higher cognitive abilities.

They also took part in tests to determine their visuospatial ability which included copying a complex design and drawing a clock face from memory.

It was these two sets of tests where participants who engaged in weekly sexual activity scored the most highly, with the verbal fluency tests showing the strongest effect.

The results suggested that frequency of sexual activity was not linked to attention, memory or language. In these tests, the participants performed just as well regardless of whether they reported weekly, monthly or no sexual activity.

This study expanded on previous research from 2016, which found that older adults who were sexually active scored higher on cognitive tests than those who were not sexually active.

But this time the research looked more specifically at the impact of the frequency of sexual activity (i.e. does it make a difference how often you engage in sexual activity) and also used a broader range of tests to investigate different areas of cognitive function.

The academics say further research could look at how biological elements, such as dopamine and oxytocin, could influence the relationship between sexual activity and brain function to give a fuller explanation of their findings.

Lead researcher Dr Hayley Wright, from Coventry University’s Centre for Research in Psychology, Behaviour and Achievement, said:

“We can only speculate whether this is driven by social or physical elements — but an area we would like to research further is the biological mechanisms that may influence this.

“Every time we do another piece of research we are getting a little bit closer to understanding why this association exists at all, what the underlying mechanisms are, and whether there is a ’cause and effect’ relationship between sexual activity and cognitive function in older people.

“People don’t like to think that older people have sex — but we need to challenge this conception at a societal level and look at what impact sexual activity can have on those aged 50 and over, beyond the known effects on sexual health and general wellbeing.”

Source:Science Daily

{A good diet is essential for healthy sperm. According to a study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, a healthy intake of nutrients like vitamin C, E, folate and zinc can boost sperm quality.}

Here are 8 foods you should eat for a healthy sperm

{{1. Tomatoes }}

Lycopene has been found to significantly improve sperm quality and tomatoes are one of the best sources of lycopene. Lycopene can boost sperm count up to 70%.

{{2. Oysters }}

Oysters are a good source of zinc which has been found to increase sperm production and sperm potency. A study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility found that men who took zinc sulphates daily saw a 74 per cent increase in sperm count after 26 weeks.

{{3. Walnuts}}

Walnuts are rich in omega 3 fatty acids and a study by the Society for the Study of Reproduction found that eating 2.5 oz or around 75g of walnuts daily increases sperm motility, vitality and morphology.

4. Eggs

Including egg in your diet will help boost sperm count and fertility because eggs are rich in vitamin E, D, B6, B12, iron, copper and other sperm boosting properties like zinc.

{{5. Salmon }}

Salmon or other fatty fish like mackerel, sardines and tuna should be added to your diet for a healthy sperm because they are good source of omega 3 fatty acids which are known to give higher quality sperm.

{{6. Water }}

Drinking enough water is another way of improving your sperm count and quality. Semen is water based and staying hydrated will help improve semen production.

{{7. Beef }}

Adding beef to your diet would help boost sperm production and quality due to a nutrient known as L-carnitine which is found in beef. A study by European Academy of Andrology found that men who supplemented their diet with L-carnitine increased their sperm concentration and motility significantly.

{{8. Pomegranates }}

Researchers have found that consumption of pomegranates improves sperm quality. According to a Turkish study, consumption of pomegranates increases the production of antioxidants that help protect the vulnerable fatty acids in sperm against oxidation.

Source:Elcrema

{Finding sleep can be a difficult task sometimes, due to stress from the day’s activity, depression, or just worry. However medical experts say it’s important to get enough sleep every day (at least, 7 hours), in order to stay in good physical and mental shape. So stress or not, it’s expedient to find a way around sleeplessness by all means possible. If you have a challenge with sleeping easily at night, I have a few tips that can help change that.}

{{Try the ‘sleep paradox’ }}

The sleep Paradox is a technique designed by psychologists, meant to help people overcome sleeplessness. The technique involves one simply pretending to want to be awake all night, when in reality, they want to sleep.

The sleep Paradox technique works because it is everything the mind doesn’t like. The brain never accepts negatives well, so it perceives this measure as an instruction not to sleep, and then, sooner or later, your eye muscles will become fatigued, and sleep will set in. To achieve success using this tip, simply lay in your bed and continually tell yourself in your mind you do not want to sleep.

{{Use your imagination }}

Sleep, more often than not, is a product of calm, peace and quiet. You can trick your mind into falling asleep by creating an atmosphere of peace and quiet in your mind. Just picture yourself in that place of comfort, and before you know it, sleep will come.

{{Try humming }}

This is very cliché, isn’t it? But the truth is it actually works. Have you ever thought about why mothers hum to their children to put them to sleep? Humming creates calm and peace around you. If you want to sleep so bad, then lay in your bed, drop your shoulders, close your mouth, but not so much, so you can vibrate while you hum. Do for a few minute, and possibly focus on the vibration. In a short while, you’ll sleep off.

{{Keep yourself and the room you are sleeping in cool }}

Naturally, when you sleep, your body’s temperature drops to a certain level. If you could drop the temperature yourself, what’s to say sleep won’t come? So you just need to give your body the same conditions it thrives in during sleep in order to get sleep. All you need do is take a cold bath or get your room well ventilated. Good luck!

Source:Elcrema

{A vaccine to immunize people against high levels of cholesterol and the narrowing of the arteries caused by build-up of fatty material (atherosclerosis) may be possible following successful results in mice. Now, a phase I trial in patients has started to see if the findings translate to humans.}

The study, which is published in the European Heart Journal, is the first to show that it is possible to immunize genetically modified mice with a molecule that causes the body to produce antibodies against an enzyme called PCSK9 (Proprotein covertase subtilisin/kexin type 9), which plays a role in preventing the clearance of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) from the blood.

People with high levels of LDL cholesterol, either due to their genetic inheritance, or to poor diet and lifestyles, are at much greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease prematurely. These diseases of the heart and blood vessels, caused by atherosclerosis, have overtaken infections as the main cause of illness and death throughout the world. At present, drugs such as statins can be used to lower LDL cholesterol, but they have to be taken on a daily basis and although they are generally well-tolerated they can cause adverse side effects in some people. The most recently approved cholesterol-lowering compounds are monoclonal antibodies targeting PCSK9, which are highly effective, but their effect is short-lived, resulting in frequent re-application and high costs.

The research published today shows that the AT04A vaccine, when injected under the skin in mice that have been fed fatty, Western-style food in order to induce high cholesterol and the development of atherosclerosis, reduced the total amount of cholesterol by 53%, shrank atherosclerotic damage to blood vessels by 64%, and reduced biological markers of blood vessel inflammation by 21-28%, compared to unvaccinated mice. Furthermore, the induced antibodies remained functional over the whole study period and concentrations were still high at the end of the study.

Dr Günther Staffler, chief technology officer at AFFiRis (the company that developed AT04A) and one of the authors of the study, said: “AT04A was able to induce antibodies that specifically targeted the enzyme PCSK9 throughout the study period in the circulation of the treated mice. As a consequence, levels of cholesterol were reduced in a consistent and long-lasting way, resulting in a reduction of fatty deposits in the arteries and atherosclerotic damage, as well as reduced arterial wall inflammation.

“The reduction in total cholesterol levels was significantly correlated with induced antibody concentration, proving that induced antibodies caused the reduction in cholesterol and also are ultimately responsible for the reduction of atherosclerosis development. As antibody concentrations remained high at the end of the study, it can be assumed they would continue to reduce cholesterol levels for some time afterwards, resulting in a long-lasting effect, as has been shown in previous studies.

“If these findings translate successfully into humans, this could mean that, as the induced antibodies persist for months after a vaccination, we could develop a long-lasting therapy that, after the first vaccination, just needs an annual booster. This would result in an effective and more convenient treatment for patients, as well as higher patient compliance.”

The enzyme PCSK9 is made in the liver and it locks on to LDL cholesterol receptors, reducing their ability to get rid of LDL cholesterol from the blood. When injected, AT04A causes the body to produce antibodies that block the function of PCSK9, so that the activity of the LDL cholesterol receptors is increased.

“The way that AT04A is administered is comparable to a vaccine,” explained Dr Staffler. “However, the difference between a conventional vaccine and our approach is that a vaccine induces antibodies that are specific to bacterial or viral proteins that are foreign to the body — pathogens — whereas AT04A induces antibodies against a target protein that is produced by the body — endogenous proteins. This it is really an immunotherapeutic approach rather than a vaccine approach.”

In 2015, a phase I clinical study started at the Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria, studying AT04A and another molecule AT06A in 72 healthy people to assess its safety and activity. The study is expected to complete at the end of this year.

In an accompanying editorial, Professor Ulrich Laufs, of Saarland University, Germany, and Professor Brian Ference, of the University of Bristol, UK, and the Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, USA, write: “It appears promising to further evaluate long-term LDL cholesterol lowering by vaccination against PCSK9 for the prevention of atherosclerotic events.” However, they say that “safety, the response in humans and the very important but unknown long-term immune effects need to be very carefully addressed during the course of clinical development.” In particular, reductions in total cholesterol via statins and other drugs are associated with an increase in new onset diabetes.

“Therefore, one potential safety concern for long-term lowering of LDL cholesterol with a vaccine directed against PCSK9 is the potential for an increased risk of new onset diabetes. In the short term, the LDL cholesterol lowering effect of statins and PCS9 inhibitors appears to far outweigh the risks of new onset diabetes.”

Source:Science Daily

{Adolescent male mice fed a diet lacking omega-3 fatty acids show increased anxiety-like behavior and worse performance on a memory task in adulthood, according to new research published in The Journal of Neuroscience. The study suggests adequate nutrition in adolescence is important for the refinement of the adult brain and behavior.}

The structure and function of the brain continue to change throughout adolescence, at the same time that teenagers gain increasing independence and begin to make their own food choices. Since high-calorie, low-quality diets tend to be more affordable than healthy ones, teenagers may opt for foods that lack key nutrients important for brain health such as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), which cannot be produced by the human body and must be obtained from foods such as fish and vegetables.

Oliver Manzoni and colleagues fed mice a balanced diet until early adolescence, when some mice were switched to a diet lacking n-3 PUFAs. Mice fed the poor diet during adolescence had reduced levels of n-3 PUFA in the medial prefrontal cortex and the nucleus accumbens in adulthood compared to control mice. The low-quality diet impaired the brain’s ability to fine-tune connections between neurons in these regions.

Source:Science Daily

{Pimples are small rashes that appear on the body, especially on the face, as a result of irritation. Pimples are annoying, nobody likes them, and they affect people of all ages, although they’re more common with teenagers and younger adults.
}

Like I already mentioned, pimples are caused by irritation on (in) the skin, so to avoid them, you simply must avoid possible irritation and causal agents.

These things that mostly cause irritation include;

{{Body lotion (or cream) }}

As we differ in our thinking and functionality, we are also different in the ways we react to things. The body is built to fight harmful chemicals and germs, but it’s not everything that it can fight in the long run, so you have to be careful what you apply and put on your body so you do not endanger yourself.

Body lotions are made with all sorts of chemicals and ingredients. Some of these, our bodies can handle and accept well, and others, it can’t. When the body doesn’t accept something, it shows as irritation, which could be pimples. So you must be wary of what lotions and body creams you use. If you notice you suddenly start to suffer pimples after using a particular beauty product, you might want to stop and try another before things get out of control.

{{Insufficient water intake }}

Water is important for the body’s health, not just because it helps digestion, but because it also helps maintain the temperature level of the body. Pimples can be caused by heat, drinking enough water can make the story different.

{{Overexposure to Sunlight,stress and sex }}

Stress is unhealthy. It can lead to a young death, but asides that, it can cause a great deal of pimples. The more you subject yourself to stress, the more pimples you’re likely to get. The same applies to sunlight. I did mention before now that heat causes pimples too. Avoid these things and excessive sex because it’s been said that the more sperm you release from your body, the more likely you’re to suffer pimples attack.

{{Bathroom habits }}

You don’t clean up well when it’s shower time? You don’t use the sponge responsibly in the bathroom? You could be handing out an invitation to pimples. Clean up well in the bathroom and don’t scrub too hard on your face. Scrub gently, and you’ll see how good your face will look.

{{What you eat }}

Foods like margarine (butter), groundnut, chips, can increase your chances of getting pimples in a minute. The main reason is that these foods contain a certain kind of acid which increases the chances of an inflammation happening on your skin.

It’s advised you stay away from these types of food, and consume more foods containing omega-3 fatty acids, like fish for example. This is to balance your consumption of butter, groundnut etc which contain omega- 6 fatty acids.

Source:Elcrema

{When a baby is born small, it’s often attributed to genetic factors or maternal risk factors like poor nutrition or smoking. But a twin study led by researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital now find that slower transport of oxygen from mother to baby across the placenta predicts slower fetal growth, as well as a smaller brain and liver.}

The study, published in Scientific Reports is the first to make a direct connection between birth outcomes and placental oxygen transport.

By studying identical twins, the researchers were uniquely able to control for both genetic factors and maternal risk factors. Although identical twins also share a placenta, it is divided into two separate compartments, and one may be healthier than the other.

P. Ellen Grant, MD, director of Boston Children’s Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center, and Elfar Adalsteinsson, PhD at MIT have developed a noninvasive method that uses MRI to map the timing of oxygen delivery across the placenta in real time. Using this technique, called Blood-Oxygenation-Level-Dependent (BOLD) MRI, they showed that dysfunctional placentas have large regions with slow oxygen transport to the fetus.

“Until now, we had no way to look at regional placental function in vivo,” says Grant. “Prenatal ultrasound or routine clinical MRI can assess placental structure, but cannot assess regional function, which is not uniform across the placenta. Doppler ultrasound, the current clinical method of assessing placental function, measures blood flow in the umbilical arteries and other fetal vessels, but it cannot tell how well oxygen or nutrients are being transported from mother to fetus.”

{{Real-time placental oxygen mapping}}

In the new study, part of the NIH-funded Human Placenta Project, Grant, co-senior investigator Julian Robinson, MD, chief of obstetrics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), and their colleagues followed seven sets of identical twins all the way to birth, specifically tracking pregnancies in which one twin was smaller than the other.

At 29 to 34 weeks of pregnancy, the seven mothers underwent BOLD MRI for about 30 minutes. While they inhaled pure oxygen for 10-minute stretches, Grant’s team measured how long it took oxygen to reach its maximum concentration in the placenta, known as the time to plateau (TTP), and then how long it took for the oxygen to pass through the umbilical cord into the fetus and penetrate the brain and liver. Researchers led by Polina Golland, PhD, at MIT CSAIL used image-correction algorithms developed by MIT to adjust for fetal motion.

They found that a longer TTP in the placenta correlated with lower liver and brain volumes and lower newborn birth weights. TTP also correlated with placental pathology when placentas were examined after birth by placental pathologist Drucilla Roberts, MD, at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).

Grant hopes her team’s work will be used to better understand pregnancy risk factors, develop a prenatal test for mothers in whom placental dysfunction is suspected and ultimately improve prenatal care. “Our next goal is to figure out what causes variation in oxygen transport in the placenta and identify a cutoff value that would be of concern in a pregnancy, including singleton pregnancies,” she says. “Then, we can think about potential treatments to improve placental oxygen transport, and use our methods to immediately assess the success of these treatments.”

{{Future directions}}

Grant believes placental oxygen transport is a prime example of how environmental factors can modify the DNA we all inherit. Future studies will investigate how placental oxygen transport affects fetal gene expression and specific measures of brain development and organ metabolism. These studies will use a special MRI coil to improve image accuracy, developed for pregnant mothers by collaborator Larry Wald, PhD, at the Athinoula A. Martinos Center. William Barth, MD, chief of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at MGH and Chloe Zera, MD, MPH, a BWH obstetrician, have also joined the team to guide the development of novel MR imaging strategies to improve the management of pregnant mothers.

“The placenta plays a key role in fetal development and maternal health,” says David Weinberg, project lead for NIH’s Human Placenta Project, launched by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

“Understanding how it functions is essential for developing interventions to improve the health of mothers and their infants.”

Source:Science Daily