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▲ Research results have shown that BPA, a plastic additive, affects the development of autism or ADHD. (Photo = DB)

[메디컬투데이=최재백 기자] Bisphenol A (BPA), a plastic additive, has been shown to affect the development of autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Research results showing that BPA, a plastic additive, affects the development of autism or ADHD were published in the academic journal ‘PLOS ONE’.

While research is being conducted to find the cause of the annual increase in the prevalence of autism and ADHD in children, a research team from the Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine recently focused on environmental factors such as heavy metal residues in food and air pollution. .

BPA is a synthetic chemical that has been used in the production of polycarbonate plastic since the 1950s and is found in water bottles, metal cans, water pipes, eyeglass lenses, plastic containers, dental materials, and receipts. In the past, it has been suggested that BPA is associated with neurological diseases such as infertility, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, childhood anxiety, hyperactivity, attention deficit, depression, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. As such, BPA that enters the body must be properly removed.

Synthetic chemicals such as BPA are mostly insoluble and cannot be directly excreted through urine. However, insoluble chemicals can also be excreted through urine through the glucoronidation process in the liver where they combine with glucose, a water-soluble compound.

According to the study results, the research team reported that pediatric patients with autism and ADHD are vulnerable to BPA exposure due to a reduced ability to remove BPA, which is commonly used as a plastic additive, from the body.

The research team noted that the ability to detoxify BPA is genetically different, and explained that people with a poor ability to remove BPA are at risk of having their organs and tissues exposed to high concentrations of BPA for a long time.

They recruited 150 children from the Rutgers-NJ Medical School clinical clinic, divided them into an autism group, an ADHD group, and a healthy control group, and compared each group’s glucuronidation ability and BPA removal ability. did.

The results showed that pediatric patients in the autism and ADHD groups had 10% and 17% inefficient glucuronidation abilities, respectively, compared to healthy controls.

The research team said that while they expected BPA to have a specific effect on autism, it was unexpected that the glucuronidation ability was reduced even in the ADHD group, which was set as another control group.

To reduce exposure to many hazardous chemicals, including BPA, they recommended avoiding heating plastic containers in microwaves and handling especially hot foods and liquids in containers made of glass, porcelain, or stainless steel.

In addition, they announced that they plan to determine whether the reduced ability to glucuronidize BPA is inherited through future research. Furthermore, it was predicted that more research would be needed on the negative effects of similar chemicals, such as bisphenol F (BPF), which is used as a substitute for BPA, on neurodevelopment.

Medical Today Reporter Jaebaek Choi (jaebaekchoi@naver.com)

[저작권자ⓒ 메디컬투데이. 무단전재-재배포 금지]

2023-10-17 06:23:22

#Plastic #additive #BPA #affects #childhood #autism #ADHD

▲ Research results have shown that patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease have difficulty turning their bodies when walking. (Photo = DB)

[메디컬투데이=조민규 기자] Patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease were found to have difficulty turning their bodies when walking.

A study was published in ‘Current Biology’ showing that early-stage Alzheimer’s disease patients have difficulty turning their body when walking, and that this can be used to diagnose early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common degenerative brain disease that causes dementia and mainly shows deterioration of cognitive function. A cure for Alzheimer’s disease has not yet been discovered, and early diagnosis is known to be important to slow its progression. Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is made through brain imaging analysis or blood tests, and non-invasive methods for early diagnosis are being studied.

Researchers at University College London used virtual reality to analyze the gait of Alzheimer’s patients.

The researchers analyzed 31 healthy young participants, 36 healthy older participants, and 43 participants with mild cognitive impairment. The researchers had participants wear virtual reality goggles and walk a pre-designed route. The researchers had participants repeat this in three different environments.

The results of the study showed that participants with mild cognitive impairment who showed biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease consistently overestimated the turns of their walking path and had increased variability in their sense of direction. These results were not seen in other participants.

The researchers concluded that rotation errors occur only in patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease and that this can be used as a basis for diagnosing early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.

Medical Today Reporter Jo Min-gyu (awe0906@mdtoday.co.kr)

[저작권자ⓒ 메디컬투데이. 무단전재-재배포 금지]

2023-10-15 03:23:51

#Patients #earlystage #Alzheimers #disease #difficulty #turning #bodies #walking

▲ Research results have shown that DNA damage in mitochondria within brain cells is valuable as an early diagnostic biomarker for Parkinson’s disease. (Photo = DB)

Research results have shown that DNA damage in mitochondria within brain cells is valuable as an early diagnostic biomarker for Parkinson’s disease.

Research results were published in ‘Molecular Psychiatry’ showing that DNA damage in brain cells, especially mitochondria within neurons, is valuable as an early diagnostic biomarker for Parkinson’s disease.

A research team from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, focused on the link between mitochondrial damage and Parkinson’s disease.

The research team explained that if damaged mitochondrial DNA spreads to the brain, it can cause symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease and lead to dementia. Next, they predicted that if mitochondrial DNA from damaged brain cells leaks into the blood, it could be detected with a simple blood test and used for early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease or evaluation of response to treatment.

They said future studies should compare blood samples from Parkinson’s disease patients and healthy controls to determine whether damaged mitochondrial DNA is found specifically in Parkinson’s disease patients.

Experts noted that the cause of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease is often unclear, so treatment is limited, and the fact that mitochondrial DNA can cause sporadic Parkinson’s disease is encouraging.

They said that sporadic Parkinson’s disease symptoms were induced when damaged mitochondrial DNA was injected into the brains of mice, and they expected to be able to develop a new Parkinson’s disease treatment by studying the signaling pathway related to mitochondrial DNA.

Meanwhile, experts said further research is needed to understand the impact of mitochondrial damage in neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, they explained that exercise therapy for patients with neurodegenerative diseases can be used to manage the disease by improving clinical physical function.

The most effective exercise treatment is high-intensity aerobic exercise, which not only provides basic life energy but also improves the ATP production capacity of mitochondria and cells for mRNA and protein transcription.

Experts emphasized that it is important to prescribe exercise therapy from the beginning of Parkinson’s disease diagnosis to relieve symptoms caused by mitochondrial damage.

Physical therapists are researching the ideal exercise method, intensity, and timing to achieve maximum therapeutic benefit, and currently believe that exercise therapy may be the best option for working on mitochondrial DNA and energy systems.

Medical Today Reporter Jaebaek Choi (jaebaekchoi@naver.com)

[저작권자ⓒ 메디컬투데이. 무단전재-재배포 금지]

2023-10-10 06:14:11

#Parkinsons #disease #caused #DNA #damage

▲ Research results have been published showing that the cardiovascular risk of insomnia patients is significantly higher than that of normal people. (Photo = DB)

[메디컬투데이=한지혁 기자] The cardiovascular risk of insomnia patients was found to be significantly higher than that of normal people.

The results of a study investigating the impact of insomnia on the risk of cardiovascular disease were published in the academic journal ‘PLoS One’.

Insomnia refers to a condition in which it is difficult to fall asleep or maintain sleep throughout the night. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), approximately 30% of adults worldwide experience insomnia.

Statistically, insomnia patients are exposed to the risk of various diseases such as diabetes, kidney disease, and gastrointestinal disease. Several previous studies have addressed the link between insomnia and cardiovascular disease, but these series of studies have produced mixed results.

Accordingly, a research team conducted a meta-analysis of previously published research data to determine whether an unknown link exists between insomnia and cardiovascular disease.

The analysis included data from 21 studies published over the past 20 years, totaling 389,000 insomnia patients and more than 2 million healthy participants. All participants were adults over 18 years of age, and the average ages of the insomnia and normal participant groups were 59.4 and 58.6 years, respectively.

As a result of the analysis, various diseases, including cardiovascular disease, were associated with insomnia. The risk of cardiovascular death in the insomnia group was 53% higher than that of the normal control group, and the incidence rate was also 31% higher.

When only study data that followed participants for more than 10 years were included in the analysis, the difference in mortality rates between the two groups was much higher. This means that insomnia causes not only short-term symptoms but also long-term significant problems.

The researchers speculated that various changes occurring in the body due to insomnia, such as changes in autonomic nervous system activity and increased levels of systemic inflammation, may have had a complex effect on cardiovascular health.

They noted that maintaining sleep hygiene and improving overall sleep quality are very important factors in maintaining health, and suggested healthy sleep habits such as exercising regularly during the day and avoiding naps.

Medical Today Reporter Han Ji-hyuk (hanjh3438@mdtoday.co.kr)

[저작권자ⓒ 메디컬투데이. 무단전재-재배포 금지]

2023-10-05 22:35:33

#Chronic #insomnia #increases #cardiovascular #risk

▲ Research results have shown that migraines and breast cancer may be genetically linked. (Photo = DB)

[메디컬투데이=최재백 기자] Research has shown that migraines and breast cancer are genetically linked.

Research results showing that migraines and breast cancer may be genetically linked were published in ‘BMC Cancer.’

A research team at the Cancer Center of West China Hospital, Sichuan University, China, focused on the genetic link between migraine and breast cancer.

Migraines and breast cancer are both accompanied by changes in estrogen levels, and high estrogen levels can increase the risk of developing breast cancer. Additionally, the severity and frequency of migraines in women may be affected by changes in estrogen levels due to the menstrual cycle, menopause, or pregnancy.

Accordingly, research on the relationship between migraine and breast cancer has been conducted in the past, but the results are inconsistent, diverse, and sometimes contradictory, and have not been clearly revealed.

The Chinese research team collected genetic data from migraine patients and breast cancer patients from genome-wide association analysis (GWAS). Migraine-related genetic information was collected from more than 102,000 migraine patients and 771,000 control subjects, and breast cancer-related genetic information used data from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC).

As a result of investigating the causal relationship between migraine and breast cancer using Mendelian randomization, it was found that women with migraine had a high risk of developing overall breast cancer and estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer.

Additionally, the research team added that female patients with migraine without aura had a higher incidence of ER-negative breast cancer and overall breast cancer.

Experts assessed that it is difficult to prove a link between migraine, which is a non-specific and common disease, and breast cancer, and that a conclusion can only be drawn if the same trend is confirmed in other countries or population groups.

Medical Today Reporter Jaebaek Choi (jaebaekchoi@naver.com)

[저작권자ⓒ 메디컬투데이. 무단전재-재배포 금지]

2023-10-04 02:09:46

#genetic #link #migraines #breast #cancer

▲ Research results have shown that mutations in several genes involved in the survival of nerve cells can cause Parkinson’s disease. (Photo = DB)

[메디컬투데이=이승재 기자] Research has shown that mutations in several genes involved in the survival of nerve cells can cause Parkinson’s disease.

The results of a sister study revealing a genetic predisposition related to the development of Parkinson’s disease were published in Neuron.

Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s disease. There are more than 1 million Parkinson’s disease patients in the United States alone and more than 10 million worldwide. Parkinson’s disease is more common in men than women, and the risk of developing it increases with age.

The exact cause of Parkinson’s disease is not known, but 10% to 15% of Parkinson’s disease patients have a genetic predisposition, and environmental factors such as some chemicals and head trauma are also involved. At the cellular level, Parkinson’s disease occurs when the amount of dopamine, a substance that mediates signal transmission between brain cells, decreases. It is known that this decrease in dopamine concentration occurs because a large number of dopamine neurons die in an area called the substantia nigra of the midbrain. The main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include slowed movement, tremors, stiffness, sleep disorders, and mood disorders.

The researchers studied the genetic predisposition involved in the development of Parkinson’s disease by analyzing the genetic information of a sister who developed Parkinson’s disease at an early age. One of the sisters developed Parkinson’s disease at age 16, and the other at age 49. Analysis of genetic information revealed that both sisters had mutations in the ‘PINK1’ gene, a gene that protects nerve cells.

A woman who developed Parkinson’s disease at the age of 16 also had a mutation in a gene called ‘parkin’. Parkin is a gene involved in endoplasmic reticulum recycling, and if there is a mutation in the Parkin gene, dopamine is not recycled properly and remains oxidized. Oxidized dopamine is toxic and, if accumulated in large amounts, can cause loss of nerve cells.

The researchers explained that the level of oxidized dopamine was very high in a woman who developed Parkinson’s disease at the age of 16, and that a mutation in the Parkin gene may have been involved in this. She also added that having mutations in both the PINK1 and Parkin genes also inhibits the process by which mitochondria, which produce energy within cells, are recycled at the synapse.

From these results, the researchers concluded that several genes involved in the survival of nerve cells are involved in the development of Parkinson’s disease.

Medical Today Reporter Seungjae Lee (ecthomas@mdtoday.co.kr)

[저작권자ⓒ 메디컬투데이. 무단전재-재배포 금지]

2023-09-29 04:33:18

#genes #involved #nerve #cell #survival #influence #development #Parkinsons #disease