Latest news with #KarolinskaInstitute
Mint
3 days ago
- Health
- Mint
How much coffee is too much?
HUMANITY DRINKS around 2bn cups of coffee every day. The good news for those who contribute to that figure is that regularly consuming moderate amounts does not appear to be harmful. There may even be health benefits. Experiments conducted in vitro and in animals have long shown that key components of coffee, including cafestol, kahweol, caffeine and chlorogenic acids, can reduce inflammation as well as cell damage caused by a chemical process known as oxidation. When a team led by Marzieh Moeenfard of the University of Porto looked more closely, they found that the potential benefits ran deeper. She reported in the Journal of Cellular Biochemistry in 2016 that cafestol and kahweol (which tend to be more prevalent in unfiltered than in filtered coffee) arrested tumour growth by making it less likely that new blood vessels would form around tumour cells, and that chlorogenic acids inhibited the formation of carcinogens within the body. This suggested coffee might be good for fending off cancer. One follow-up study led by Jin-Kyoung Oh of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm reported in the International Journal of Cancer that post-menopausal women who claimed to drink three or four cups of coffee per day were significantly less likely to develop breast cancer than women who said they drank up to two cups. Similar work in Japan suggested that those who said they drank three or more cups of coffee every day was associated with a reduced risk of developing liver cancer. Because caffeine is a stimulant that improves mood, enhances vigilance and combats tiredness, its presence in coffee has prompted some labs to test whether it reduces the risk of a person developing psychiatric and neurological diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and depression. Some have found beneficial effects. For example, Hong Chien-Tai of Taipei Medical University reported in Nutrients in 2020 that patients with Parkinson's who consumed caffeine regularly had their disease progress more slowly than those who abstained. Other findings, whether on cancer or mental health, have yielded mixed results. The uncertainty may well come down to the multitudes that coffee contains. Beans are sourced from different species, roasted in different fashions and served up in a variety of drinks of different sizes and strengths. Still, moderate consumption seems, at worst, harmless. Overindulgence has clearer-cut consequences. Ingesting more than 400 milligrams of caffeine daily (an espresso contains around 60) has been found to lead to headaches, nervousness, irritability, muscle tremors and insomnia. It is also associated with mental-health conditions such as anxiety, and can make chronic health problems, like heart disease, worse by increasing blood pressure. The effects of overdosing on coffee's other active ingredients are unclear. But these are not the only risks associated with drinking coffee. Many lace their cup with additives like milk, sugar, cream and syrup, chronic overconsumption of which can also have negative impacts on the body. Though the amount included in coffee is unlikely to be harmful on its own, sugar and syrup can predispose people to metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes, for example, while whole milk and cream raise cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart attack. To maximise the chance of feeling any potential benefits, don't overdo the cups and take it as black—and as bitter—as you like.© 2025, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on
Iraqi News
25-05-2025
- Health
- Iraqi News
Iraqi researcher Dr. Tawana Elias wins award in Sweden for cancer prevention research
Malmo ( – Iraqi researcher Dr. Tawana Hasib Al-Qass Elias has won a Best Poster award at a prestigious international scientific conference on oncology in Malmö, Sweden, held May 22-23, 2025. His work focuses on a groundbreaking approach to breast cancer prevention. Dr. Elias, who earned his PhD from Sweden's renowned Karolinska Institute after graduating from Salahaddin University in Iraq, presented research on an innovative laboratory model that mimics natural breast cell behavior. This model aids in evaluating a potential preventative hormonal drug for women at extremely high genetic risk (up to 75%) of breast cancer, offering a possible alternative to preventative surgeries. The research, involving an initial 50 participants over three months, yielded encouraging results, demonstrating – reportedly for the first time globally – the drug's potential for breast cancer prevention in this high-risk group. Dr. Elias stated work is underway to expand the study. He credits his education, including support from Salahaddin University and the KRG for his studies at Karolinska, and his dedication to science for this achievement, aiming to serve patients and advance human progress.
Euronews
18-05-2025
- Health
- Euronews
Teens with high screen time more likely to be depressed, sleep poorly
Teenage girls who spend more time on their phones are more likely to sleep badly and have signs of depression, researchers in Sweden found. The study included 4,810 Swedish students aged 12 to 16. Researchers from the Karolinska Institute monitored their screen time habits, sleep patterns, and symptoms of depression over a one-year period. Both girls and boys spent three to four hours per day on their devices, above the two- or three-hour limit that Sweden's public health agency recommends for teenagers. But at the roughly same level of screen time, teen girls had an average depression score that was twice as high as among boys. The findings, published in the journal PLOS Global Public Health, confirmed that high screen time leads to sleep 'displacement,' meaning people fall asleep ater than they would on the body's natural schedule. Among teen girls, screen-driven displacement impacted their sleep quality, how long they slept and their chronotype, or the natural inclination of the body to sleep at a certain time. Teen girls were also more likely to report symptoms of depression – but this wasn't the case for boys. 'Our results do suggest that less… screen time seems healthier, in line with previous World Health Organization statements,' the authors said. If people lowered their screen time, 'the high burden of depressive states among young Swedish women, and maybe young men, would likely decrease,' they added. The findings are in line with previous research that followed 45,000 Norwegian university students, and found a strong relationship between screen time in bed, insomnia symptoms, and shorter sleep duration. But other researchers urged caution and for more studies to be done before jumping to any conclusions. Notably, the Swedish analysis doesn't establish that high screen time causes poor sleep and depression – just that they are correlated. The study has some other limitations. The teenagers reported their own screen time, 'a method known for its unreliability,' Chris Ferguson, a professor of psychology at Stetson University in the US who wasn't involved with the study, said in a statement. Even so, other scientists said the findings could help make the case for national guidelines on smartphone use on school nights. Ben Carter, a professor of medical statistics at King's College London who was not involved with the study, said such guidelines could 'empower parents and help adolescents improve their sleep and prevent daytime sleepiness'. That's especially important, he said in a statement, because 'sleep in the development of adolescents is essential'.
Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Taking vitamin B could help to fight glaucoma, study finds
A common vitamin supplement could slow down the progression of the degenerative eye disease glaucoma, a study has found. Vitamin B, found in whole grains, dark leafy greens, such as kale and broccoli, eggs, fish and dairy, appears to diminish the damage caused by the condition. Glaucoma, which is suffered by nearly 700,000 people in the UK, is caused by an abnormality in the eye's drainage system causing fluid to build up, increasing pressure on the optic nerve. Primarily affecting older adults and those with a genetic disposition to the condition, it causes blurred vision and even blindness if left untreated. Glaucoma is usually managed by reducing the pressure through eye drops, surgery or laser treatments. The researchers gave supplements of vitamins B6, B9 and B12 to rats and mice with glaucoma. In rats with a more aggressive form of the disease, it slowed damage to the optic nerve. In mice with slower-developing glaucoma, the damage was halted completely. Scientists believe this could be due to the increased pressure in the eye changing the retina's ability to use vitamins which are crucial to maintaining healthy vision. Dr James Tribble, from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, which carried out the study, said: 'The results are so promising that we have started a clinical trial, with patients already being recruited.' It comes after a 2019 study showed that vitamin B3 could be effective in preventing glaucoma. Scientists at The Jackson Laboratory in Maine, US, added B3 to water given to mice which were genetically predisposed to the condition. It kept their eyes healthier for longer compared to those given plain water.
New York Post
17-05-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Losing either of these two senses could be deadly, studies show
Losing these two senses could indicate potentially fatal health conditions, new research shows. Hearing loss has been linked to a higher chance of heart failure while people with a poor sense of smell are more likely to die of neurodegenerative, respiratory and cardiovascular complications, according to two new studies. Scientists from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that out of 2,500 participants, those who flunked a 16-item 'odor identification test,' which included scents like lemon, garlic and coffee, had a nearly 70% higher risk of mortality than those who aced it. Advertisement 3 A study published in JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery found that deficits in the sense of smell are associated with increased mortality in older adults. AntonioDiaz – The study, which was published in JAMA Otolaryngology: Head & Neck Surgery last month, looked at the most common causes of death associated with having a poor sense of smell and found that dementia was the biggest risk factor. Experts say regular screenings, similar to hearing and vision assessments, could help, and the research is a reminder that olfaction, the ability to smell that research indicates also impacts taste and memory, is an important marker of overall health. Advertisement 'Your sense of smell is not only your smell and taste,' the study's senior author, Ingrid Ekström, told JAMA. 'It's your memory and your perception and knowing about your environment around you.' 3 New research suggests a connection between hearing loss and an increased risk of heart failure. lovelyday12 – 3 Psychological stress caused by hearing loss plays a 'notable' role in developing heart problems, the study found. Rene La/ – Meanwhile, people with slight and significant hearing problems were 15% and 28% more likely, respectively, to develop heart failure than those with adequate hearing, according to an observational study of 164,000 UK participants published in the medical journal Heart last month. Advertisement Those using hearing aids had a 26% heightened risk. Though vascular issues are likely to blame, researchers found that the psychological stress that comes with losing the ability to hear can exacerbate heart disease. The scientists concluded: 'These findings suggest that hearing health and psychological well-being should be considered in cardiovascular risk assessment and prevention strategies.'
