Latest news with #AarhusUniversity
The Hindu
a day ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Consilient evidence links lack of vitamin D to neurodevelopmental issues
From bones to immune cells, vitamin D is everywhere, guiding growth and shaping defence. But could it also have an effect on the mind? A major new study suggests so. Published in The Lancet Psychiatry, the study drew from the extraordinary depth of Danish health data to establish whether neonatal vitamin D levels might contribute to psychological and neurodevelopmental conditions. What the study found Researchers at Aarhus University in collaboration with the Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen used dried blood spot samples from 88,764 individuals born between 1981 and 2005 — part of a universal neonatal screening programme that stores nearly all newborns' blood in the Danish Neonatal Screening Biobank. From these samples, the team measured levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, or 25(OH)D, which is the standard marker of vitamin D status, and vitamin D-binding protein, which carries vitamin D in the blood and prolongs its activity. Using nationwide Danish health registries, the researchers tracked which individuals developed major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder or anorexia nervosa — and asked whether their vitamin D levels at birth were linked to these outcomes. The results were striking. Babies with higher vitamin D levels were less likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia, ADHD or autism. Newborns with levels about 12.6 nmol/l higher than average had an 18% lower risk of schizophrenia, 11% lower risk of ADHD, and 7% lower risk of autism. Vitamin D-binding protein levels were also linked to schizophrenia risk. To understand the broader public health impact, the researchers modelled a scenario in which every baby had vitamin D levels in the top 60% of the sample. In that case, they estimated that 15% of schizophrenia cases, 9% of ADHD cases, and 5% of autism cases might have been prevented. These effects appeared early, with children who had higher vitamin D levels showing lower risk from a young age. The lack of association with depression or bipolar disorder, the authors suggested, may reflect both the later onset of these conditions in life and the possibility that neonatal vitamin D plays a more central role in early neurodevelopmental pathways than in mood disorders. Testing plausible causality Observational studies, especially in nutrition, often face two big problems. One is reverse causation, where what looks like a cause is actually an early effect. For example, early brain changes might influence how the body handles vitamin D, making it look like vitamin D is the cause when it's actually an effect. The second is confounding, where a third factor like a mother's diet or immune health influences both vitamin D levels and the child's risk of mental illness. To check for these biases, the researchers turned to genetics. They started with the polygenic risk score (PRS), which looks at many small inherited differences that alter a person's vitamin D levels and generates a score. They found that individuals with higher PRS scores for vitamin D were less likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia, ADHD or autism. PRS also helped rule out reverse causation since a child's later psychiatric diagnosis can't influence the vitamin D genes they were born with. However, PRS couldn't fully resolve confounding: where some variants might still influence other traits beyond vitamin D. Perhaps a gene variant perturbing vitamin D levels also alters neurodevelopment? As Upasana Bhattacharyya, a scientist at Northwell Health in New York, explained: 'While PRS can suggest a biological link, they mainly capture variants that are associated with a trait — not necessarily ones that cause it.' She added that PRS typically uses variations that are related to many other functions as well, thereby establishing associations without directionality. To test for a more direct effect, the researchers turned to Mendelian randomisation, a method that uses genetic variants that have a stronger effect on vitamin D levels. If people who inherit variants that raise (only) vitamin D levels consistently have a lower risk of schizophrenia, ADHD or autism, it will be stronger evidence of a causal relationship between vitamin D levels and the risk of developing these conditions. The researchers used two levels of Mendelian randomisation. First, they tested whether genetic predictors of vitamin D were associated with lower risk of psychiatric conditions. Then they examined two specific genetic variants in the GC gene, which regulates levels of vitamin D-binding protein in the blood. Together, they suggested that higher vitamin D levels may play a protective role, particularly in lowering the risk of ADHD and possibly schizophrenia and autism. What the findings don't mean While the study used powerful genetic tools to test for causality, the authors have cautioned that some important uncertainties remain. Some gene variants might influence both vitamin D and brain development independently, a phenomenon known as pleiotropy. And because vitamin D was measured only at birth, the study couldn't pinpoint which periods in pregnancy were more critical. Second, if deficiency begins in the womb, it makes sense for intervention to begin there, too. However, a 2024 randomised controlled trial in Denmark found that high-dose vitamin D supplementation (2800 IU/day) starting at pregnancy week 24 had no significant effect on the risk of autism or ADHD in children. But such results also depend on timing, dosage, and whether mothers were actually deficient to begin with. In short, while vitamin D may not be the sole or dominant factor shaping neurodevelopment, it remains a plausible piece of a larger, complex puzzle. Another key limitation was that nearly all participants were of European ancestry. In a smaller non-European group, the results were less consistent — possibly due to lower vitamin D levels, smaller sample size, and/or genetic diversity. For these reasons, the researchers concluded that while their findings support a causal link, they can't yet prove it outright. India's vitamin D problem Sunlight is abundant in India but vitamin-D deficiency is rampant, and the findings carry especial weight here. A study conducted at AIIMS Rishikesh between 2017 and 2018 found that 74% of infants and 85.5% of their mothers were deficient in vitamin D, with nearly half experiencing severe deficiency. Another study from Bengaluru observed that 92.1% of newborns were deficient. During pregnancy, the mother's body undergoes a complex set of hormonal and metabolic changes to supply calcium for the developing foetal skeleton. These changes intensify in the third trimester as the skeleton grows rapidly. To meet this need, the mother's intestines absorb more calcium, her kidneys excrete more, and her levels of active vitamin D rise to roughly twice their pre-pregnancy levels. Despite these adaptations, maternal vitamin D levels don't rise unless sunlight exposure or dietary intake improves. This is why even well-nourished pregnancies in India can result in deficiency. Sunlight alone isn't always enough. Evidence from Indian hospitals has also shown that a mother's vitamin D status directly shapes her baby's. A 2024 study conducted in the Bundelkhand region of India found a strong positive correlation between mothers' and their infants' vitamin D levels and interpreted it to mean babies born to vitamin D-deficient mothers were very likely to be deficient themselves. This reinforces the idea that vitamin D insufficiency is not just an individual issue: it is a biological legacy passed from one generation to the next, shaping not just bones but, as the Danish study suggests, brains too. These findings align with clinical experience in India. According to Anuradha Kapur, principal director of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at a Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital in New Delhi, timely supplementation in deficient mothers can remarkably improve both maternal and neonatal levels. In her practice, she said high-dose therapy — typically of 60,000 IU per week in the third trimester — has been effective and safe, with clear benefits in infant growth and immunity. A small Indian trial last year echoed these findings: babies born to supplemented mothers had significantly better vitamin D levels at birth. By six months, none had developed severe deficiency, compared to more than half in the control group. Caution rather than alarm The Danish study adds to growing evidence that early-life exposure, including nutrition, can shape long-term mental health. Vitamin D is no magic bullet, but through the right window, it might tilt the odds. Dr. Kapur noted that routine vitamin D screening during pregnancy remains uncommon across much of the country. While some obstetricians in urban areas do test high-risk pregnancies, cost and lack of awareness continue to limit uptake in rural and semi-urban settings. As a result, many deficiencies go undiagnosed, especially when symptoms are subtle or overlooked during pregnancy. She argued that India needs to shift from reactive treatment to preventive care. The growing evidence of vitamin D's role in neurodevelopment, she said, strengthens the case for routine antenatal supplementation, ideally beginning as early as the first or second trimester. 'This is not about alarm,' Dr. Kapur said, 'but about recognising that early brain development is shaped by access to nutrients — and vitamin D is one such modifiable element we can and must intervene on.' Anirban Mukhopadhyay is a geneticist by training and science communicator from Delhi.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Runners, you need to read this — study suggests a simple training tip could be the key to avoiding injury
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A new study from Aarhus University has thrown into doubt everything we know about running injuries, suggesting that the most common cause of them is going too far on a single run. Most injuries are caused suddenly by a single workout where you run too far compared to your normal distance. Until now the most common advice for runners looking to avoid injuries was to gradually increase your overall training load each week. This advice is built into the best running watches, which monitor your acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) training load to ensure they are balanced and you're not pushing too hard compared to what your body is able to handle. However, research done on 5,200 runners found that most injuries don't develop over time because you're exceeding a suggested weekly training load, but are caused suddenly by a single workout where you run too far compared to your normal distance. The longer the run, the bigger the injury risk The study found that the risk of injury grew when you ran more than 10% further than your longest run from the past 30 days. If you ran 10-30% further than your longest run in the last 30 days, the injury risk increased by 64%. If you ran 10-30% further than your longest run in the last 30 days, the injury risk increased by 64%. The risk of injury increases by 52% if you run 30-100% further than your longest run from the past 30 days, which is interestingly smaller compared to the risk from a 10-30% increase in distance. Unsurprisingly, if you increase the distance of your run by over 100% compared with your longest run from the last 30 days, it poses the biggest risk of injury, with a 128% increase. How to use this advice to avoid injury The takeaways from this study are refreshingly simple — don't go too far on a single run. If your longest run in the last 30 days was five miles, then don't suddenly run 10 miles; build up to that distance carefully. This does tie-in with the advice on training load you get from running watches in some ways, as avoiding big increases in training load each week will usually help to keep the length of your longest runs down. The lead author on the study, Associate Professor Rasmus Ø. Nielsen from the Department of Public Health at Aarhus University, suggests that watches could use the advice from the research to create new features to help users. "I imagine, for example, that sports watches with our algorithm will be able to guide runners in real-time during a run and give an alarm if they run a distance where injury risk is high,' says Nielsen. 'Like a traffic light that gives green light if injury risk is low; yellow light if injury risk increases and red light when injury risk becomes high.' This advice is particularly important for those marathon training, who might well suddenly start doing very long runs to prepare for the 26.2-mile event. Give yourself time to build-up to those 20-milers if you can. Hoka has announced a limited-edition collaboration with Australian cycling brand, MAAP, merging the world of running and cycling in a version of the Tecton X2. Built for the trails, the Tecton X2 has a carbon fibre plate for a faster heel-toe transition on all Deal More from Tom's Guide Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button. Does running build muscle? How to warm up for a run — 5 running coach-approved exercises Yoga for runners: This six-move routine boosts flexibility and builds stronger muscles
Tom's Guide
7 days ago
- Health
- Tom's Guide
Runners, you need to read this — study suggests a simple training tip could be the key to avoiding injury
A new study from Aarhus University has thrown into doubt everything we know about running injuries, suggesting that the most common cause of them is going too far on a single run. Most injuries are caused suddenly by a single workout where you run too far compared to your normal distance. Until now the most common advice for runners looking to avoid injuries was to gradually increase your overall training load each week. This advice is built into the best running watches, which monitor your acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) training load to ensure they are balanced and you're not pushing too hard compared to what your body is able to handle. However, research done on 5,200 runners found that most injuries don't develop over time because you're exceeding a suggested weekly training load, but are caused suddenly by a single workout where you run too far compared to your normal distance. The study found that the risk of injury grew when you ran more than 10% further than your longest run from the past 30 days. If you ran 10-30% further than your longest run in the last 30 days, the injury risk increased by 64%. If you ran 10-30% further than your longest run in the last 30 days, the injury risk increased by 64%. The risk of injury increases by 52% if you run 30-100% further than your longest run from the past 30 days, which is interestingly smaller compared to the risk from a 10-30% increase in distance. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Unsurprisingly, if you increase the distance of your run by over 100% compared with your longest run from the last 30 days, it poses the biggest risk of injury, with a 128% increase. The takeaways from this study are refreshingly simple — don't go too far on a single run. If your longest run in the last 30 days was five miles, then don't suddenly run 10 miles; build up to that distance carefully. This does tie-in with the advice on training load you get from running watches in some ways, as avoiding big increases in training load each week will usually help to keep the length of your longest runs down. The lead author on the study, Associate Professor Rasmus Ø. Nielsen from the Department of Public Health at Aarhus University, suggests that watches could use the advice from the research to create new features to help users. "I imagine, for example, that sports watches with our algorithm will be able to guide runners in real-time during a run and give an alarm if they run a distance where injury risk is high,' says Nielsen. 'Like a traffic light that gives green light if injury risk is low; yellow light if injury risk increases and red light when injury risk becomes high.' This advice is particularly important for those marathon training, who might well suddenly start doing very long runs to prepare for the 26.2-mile event. Give yourself time to build-up to those 20-milers if you can. Hoka has announced a limited-edition collaboration with Australian cycling brand, MAAP, merging the world of running and cycling in a version of the Tecton X2. Built for the trails, the Tecton X2 has a carbon fibre plate for a faster heel-toe transition on all terrains. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
BBC News
17-07-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Dolphins use sponges to help hunt fish scientists say
Some dolphins in western Australia have developed an unusual technique to help them find fish on the have spotted them biting sponges and "wearing" them on their snouts - a bit like a clown's nose!This allows the dolphins to protect their noses while stirring up sand on the rocky seabed, helping them to uncover fish hiding say this new discovery could help us better understand use of tools by animals, as well as their behaviour in the wild. What did scientists discover about the dolphins? The new research published in the Royal Society Open Science journal featured an international team of spotted that some bottlenose dolphins in Shark Bay, in western Australia, pick up sponges from the seafloor and use them as tools to help them hunt have called this behaviour "sponging" and say that its a bit like wearing a glove - helping dolphins protect their sensitive skin whilst digging through rough sand and sharp rocks on the ocean say that it's a difficult hunting method and they've only spotted a small number of dolphins using the Jacobs, from Denmark's Aarhus University, who was involved with the study, explained: "Sponging is a very unique foraging behaviour. It's only dolphins in Shark Bay, Western Australia, that have been observed doing it. "It's only about 5% of the population do this technique. So it's maybe like 30 dolphins right now. So it's quite rare."Scientists think the art of sponge hunting is taught and passed down by mother dolphins to their offspring. Dolphin calves usually spend around 3 or 4 years with their mothers, observing and learning important life Jacobs added that dolphins can spend a lot of their time sponging in the said: "Once they've scared up a fish they will drop the sponge off of the front of the face and they will go after the fish, grab it, pick up their sponge again, and keep going and they'll do it for hours at a time."
Euronews
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Danish universities increasingly rejecting foreign researchers
Growing scrutiny against espionage is leading higher institutions of learning in Denmark to reject foreign researchers, as officials report threat levels as high. University authorities in the Nordic nation say they are particularly vigilant when researchers come from Russia, Iran, and China, as sensitive Danish research must not fall into the wrong hands. At Aarhus University, one of Denmark's foremost institutions of higher education, at least 24 foreign researchers have been rejected this year. This equates to one in twelve applicants from China, Russia, and Iran, the institution said. According to Brian Vinter, vice-dean of Aarhus University's Faculty of Engineering, the applicant researchers were rejected on the basis that they would have access to material that could lead them to divulge information to a third party. The Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) says there are four ways in which foreign states can exploit and pressure researchers into becoming spies. Bribery or buying access to knowledge, blackmail, threats, coercion, digital influence campaigns, and simple methods such as surveillance, theft, and burglary are among the ways it mentions. At the University of Southern Denmark, André Ken Jakobsen, associate professor at the Centre for War Studies, warns that advanced technology can be applied by many powers. "And that makes the interest bigger, the intensity bigger, the competition bigger, and thus the threat is also bigger," he said, adding that a lot of unwanted attention may arise, especially in the areas of quantum technology and the green transition. This is what has informed the need for caution, according to Professor Jakobsen. Denmark's security and defence agenda The tightened rules on this also come in light of Denmark's security and defence agenda when it took over the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union. On 3 July, Denmark marked the takeover of the Presidency of the Council of the EU with an official opening ceremony in Aarhus. While analysts believe this may particularly be geared to rearmament efforts, as the Scandinavian country tends to do with defence as a priority, associate professor Jakobsen notes that the threat of cyber espionage is real. The Danish Emergency Management Agency reports that the threat of cyber espionage and cybercrime against Danish universities is very high. That's why screenings are necessary, according to Jakobsen. Despite the efforts to mitigate risks, there are fears the situation may have some impact. "Of course, I think that's super sad because we want the best people to come in and work for us. This is also why we do everything we can to avoid overimplementation," said Vinter of the Aarhus University Technical Faculty. "But there is no doubt that we say no to some people who probably could have had employment at Aarhus University without anything going wrong with it, but we have assessed that the risk is too high," he explained. Several other Danish universities have also rejected foreign researchers for fear of espionage, but they have said they don't keep count of the number of rejections. To screen applicants, the University of Copenhagen told local media it has employed two staff members in addition to using a third-party consultancy. The majority of the screenings have been carried out in the natural and health sciences, although the university told DR, the official Danish broadcaster, that they do not have statistics on how many applications have been refused.
