A study by Brigham and Women's Hospital found that the circadian system contributes to daily patterns of vasovagal syncope, a common type of fainting. The vulnerability to presyncope peaks at specific times between 10:30 PM and 10:30 AM, with the highest risk occurring at 4:30 AM.
Dr. Christopher J. Morris, a researcher at Brigham and Women's Hospital, has been awarded a postdoctoral fellowship by the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI). He will investigate the effects of sudden shifts in sleep/wake patterns on the cardiovascular system in astronauts.
A recent study published in JNCI found that shift work may be associated with a reduced risk of skin cancer in women. The researchers analyzed data from the Nurses' Health Study and discovered that rotating night shifts were linked to a lower risk of skin cancer, particularly melanoma. Darker-haired women had the lowest risk.
A study published in Annals of Internal Medicine found that obesity and knee osteoarthritis result in the loss of approximately 86 million healthy years of life among US adults aged 50-84. This loss disproportionately affects Black and Hispanic women, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to address these conditions.
Researchers have created a new framework for analyzing key genetic variations that were previously overlooked. The study analyzed the genomes of 185 individuals and identified 22,025 deletions and 6,000 other structural variants.
Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital have identified a progenitor cell in adult zebrafish kidneys that can be transplanted to generate new nephrons. This finding offers hope for improving kidney function and treating renal disease.
Researchers at BWH have engineered human mesenchymal adult stem cells with internal depots that can slowly release agents to influence cell behavior. The cells demonstrated controlled differentiation into bone cells, even affecting distant cells.