PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Evidence that BMI has an independent and causal effect on heart disease risk

2012-05-02
(Press-News.org) In addition to the many risk factors associated with poor health, reducing body mass index (BMI) will have a considerable and independent impact if you want to reduce the risk of developing ischemic heart disease (IHD). This is the key finding from new research, published in PLoS Medicine, which evaluated the causal relationship between BMI and heart disease in 76,000 individuals.

BMI, alongside age, smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels, and individuals who have family history of the disease, has been long recognised as a risk factor for heart disease. Despite this, the actual causal contribution of BMI to disease risk has been difficult to quantify.

New findings from a collaborative effort between the Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Causal Analyses in Translational Epidemiology (CAiTE) at the University of Bristol and colleagues from Copenhagen University Hospital, have revealed that an elevation in BMI of around 4kg/m2 across the life-course will increase the risk of developing the disease by 50 per cent on average.

Using genetic data from three large Danish studies — the Copenhagen General Population Study, the Copenhagen City Heart Study and the Copenhagen Ischemic Heart Disease Study — the researchers were able to use genetic variation known to be related to BMI to measure the true causal effect between this and IHD.

In observational estimates, the researchers found that for every 4 kg increase in BMI a 26 per cent increase in odds for developing IHD, while causal analysis identified a 52 per cent increase.

Dr Timpson, Lecturer in Genetic Epidemiology from the University's School of Social and Community Medicine, said: "In light of rising obesity levels, these findings are fundamental to improving public health. Our research shows that shifting to a lifestyle that promotes a lower BMI (even if it does nothing else) will reduce the odds of developing the disease."

Professor Børge Nordestgaard, lead author of the study from the University of Copenhagen, added: "These findings are of key importance, as obesity linked to diabetes is the only major cardiovascular risk factor on the rise in North America and Europe, while smoking, cholesterol levels and hypertension have been decreasing."

INFORMATION:

The paper, entitled The effect of elevated body mass index on ischemic heart disease risk: causal estimates from a Mendelian Randomisation Approach, by Børge Nordestgaard, Tom Palmer, Marianne Benn, Jeppe Zacho, Anne Tybjaerg-Hansen, George Davey-Smith, Nicholas Simpson, is published in PLoS Medicine today [01 May 2012].

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Flooring Contractor Figures are Alarming

2012-05-02
According to a recent survey by the National Specialist Contractors Council in association with the School of the Built and Natural Environment at Northumbria University, flooring contractors fear a 'double dip' recession. The survey was carried out at the end of the last quarter of 2011. There has been a significant rise in specialist flooring contractors reporting a severe fall in new contracts being won, at nearly 50% compared to just 37% in the previous quarter. This is an alarming finding, especially as general enquiries have also fallen according to over a third ...

Squid and zebrafish cells inspire camouflaging smart materials

2012-05-02
Researchers from the University of Bristol have created artificial muscles that can be transformed at the flick of a switch to mimic the remarkable camouflaging abilities of organisms such as squid and zebrafish. They demonstrate two individual transforming mechanisms that they believe could be used in 'smart clothing' to trigger camouflaging tricks similar to those seen in nature. The study is published today, 2 May, in IOP Publishing's journal Bioinspiration and Biomimetics, and is accompanied by a video showing the camouflaging in action. "We have taken inspiration ...

Celebrate Cinco in the City with Cinco "D" Mayo in Detroit on May 5

2012-05-02
Join Chuck and Dave's for "Cinco 'D' Mayo" on Saturday May 5 in Foxtown at Bookie's Bar & Grille in Detroit. This FREE Cinco de Mayo party celebrates the Mexican holiday of freedom, democracy, heritage and pride - with a distinctively Detroit flair! Revelers are invited to join the party at this fun and flavorful event, featuring Latin dance demonstrations (and lessons), Mexican food, salsa and tequila sampling and music! Cinco "D" Mayo will take place inside Bookie's Bar & Grille and outside in a huge heated tent from 2 p.m. - 10 p.m. All ages ...

Heavy new arguments weigh in on the danger of obesity

2012-05-02
A true obesity epidemic is gradually advancing throughout the developed world. A large new Danish-British study from the University of Copenhagen and University of Bristol documents for the first time a definite correlation between a high BMI and the risk of developing life-threatening cardiac disease. Heart attack, atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries and angina – also called ischemic heart disease – are the most common causes of death in adults worldwide. In the US alone, 500,000 people die each year from heart disease. Now for the first time, researchers can ...

Gene mutation leads to impairment of 2 senses: Touch and hearing

2012-05-02
People with good hearing also have a keen sense of touch; people with impaired hearing generally have an impaired sense of touch. Extensive data supporting this hypothesis was presented by Dr. Henning Frenzel and Professor Gary R. Lewin of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch, Germany. The two researchers showed that both senses – hearing and touch – have a common genetic basis. In patients with Usher syndrome, a hereditary form of deafness accompanied by impaired vision, they discovered a gene mutation that is also causative for the patients' ...

New Solutions Offered for Ethernet/ipdh

2012-05-02
DataLink Technologies Group Inc is proud to announce that it now offers an excellent solution for those looking for Ethernet/ip dh+ answers. For over 20 years, DataLink Technologies Group Inc has been providing connection solutions for its customers. Now, they offer an outstanding Ethernet/ip dh+ solution in the form of their GW1000 gateway. Past customers already know how superior DataLink Technologies Group Inc products are. They are reliable, stable, and easy to install and use. Now that the company is doing its own engineering, it is able to meet even more of its ...

Delirium mouse model helps researchers understand the condition's causes

2012-05-02
A new mouse model of delirium developed by Wellcome Trust researchers has provided an important insight into the mechanisms underlying the condition, bringing together two theories as to its causes. Details of the research are published today in the Journal of Neuroscience. Delirium is a profound state of mental confusion which can include hallucinations and severe mood swings. According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, one in ten hospital patients will experience a period of delirium. Dr Colm Cunningham, a Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow at Trinity College ...

Let Orange County Pest Control Services Prevent Problems Before They Start

2012-05-02
If you have ever had a pest problem in your house, you know what it feels like to have the sanctity and privacy of your home violated. Whether the pest is something small like a cockroach, or invasive like a colony of rats, you know how uncomfortable it feels to have unwanted visitors in your home. As well, a lot of people are under the mistaken impression that if they have pests in their home, they have done something wrong or they must live in a bad area. This is simply not the case. Pests, even those as nasty as rats and mice, are in the circle of life and they will ...

Insulin resistance, inflammation and a muscle-saving protein

2012-05-02
In the online May 2 issue of the journal Cell Metabolism, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine publish three distinct articles exploring: the complex interactions of lipids and inflammation in insulin resistance the roles of omega 3 fatty acids and a particular gene in fighting inflammation how elevated levels of a particular protein might delay the muscle-destroying effects of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Type 2 diabetes has reached epidemic proportions around the world, fueled in large part by the equally alarming expansion ...

New study identifies how information technology is used to solve global health challenges

2012-05-02
WASHINGTON, DC (MAY 1, 2012) – In response to the considerable challenges in providing high-quality, affordable and universally accessible care in low- and middle-income countries, policy makers, donors and program implementers are increasingly looking at the potential of e-health and m-health (the use of information communication technology for health) as a solution. Today, Results for Development Institute published a study in the May 1 issue of the Bulletin of the World Health Organization demonstrating that information technology is being increasingly employed to ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

All DRII-ed up: How do plants recover after drought?

Research on stigma says to just ‘shake it off’

Scientists track lightning “pollution” in real time using NASA satellite

Millions of women rely on contraceptives, but new Rice study shows they may do more than just prevent pregnancy

Hot days make for icy weather, Philippine study finds

Roxana Mehran, MD, receives the most prestigious award given by the European Society of Cardiology

World's first clinical trial showing lubiprostone aids kidney function

Capturing language change through the genes

Public trust in elections increases with clear facts

Thawing permafrost raised carbon dioxide levels after the last ice age

New DNA test reveals plants’ hidden climate role

Retinitis pigmentosa mouse models reflect pathobiology of human RP59

Cell’s ‘antenna’ could be key to curing diseases

Tiny ocean partnership between algae and bacteria reveals secrets of evolution

Scientists uncover cellular “toolkit” to reprogram immune cells for cancer therapy

Blocking protein control pathway slows rhabdomyosarcoma growth in mice

2026 Hertz Fellowship Application Now Open

The gut immune system is altered in mouse model of Alzheimer’s, providing a new target for therapeutics

ADHD drugs are being prescribed too quickly to preschoolers

UCLA scientists develop off-the-shelf immunotherapy for metastatic kidney cancer

Extreme heat linked to spike in domestic violence calls in New Orleans, study finds

Mount Sinai-Duke University study identifies DNA variants that increase testosterone production in PCOS patients

Physiology-guided complete revascularization in older patients with myocardial infarction

Metals and sulfate in air pollution mixture may contribute most to asthma hospitalizations

Understanding the profound yet hidden effects of neglect on white matter structures

SEOULTECH researchers develop revolutionary 3D-printed smart materials create high-performance pressure sensors for wearables

Pusan National University scientists develop self-deploying material for next-gen robotics

Remote screening for asymptomatic atrial fibrillation

Inflammation may explain why women with no standard modifiable risk factors have heart attacks and strokes

Unusual carbon dioxide-rich disk detected around young star challenges planet formation models

[Press-News.org] Evidence that BMI has an independent and causal effect on heart disease risk