Latest news with #SemmelweisUniversity
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Common pill taken by millions already ‘slashes risk of killer cancer by 69%'
While the new finding is an important consideration for patients and doctors, researchers also warn of the side effects PILL POPPER Common pill taken by millions already 'slashes risk of killer cancer by 69%' WOMEN who use oral contraceptives for a decade or more can reduce their risk of developing womb cancer by as much as 69 per cent, say scientists. Shorter use is still linked to a significant reduction in the likelihood of developing the disease, new research found. 1 Researchers found oral contraceptives can reduce the risk of womb cancer up to 69 per cent Credit: Getty Oral contraceptives (OC) offer several benefits beyond preventing pregnancy. They're known to regulate menstrual cycles, reduce menstrual pain and bleeding, and improve acne. Previous studies have linked OC with reduced risk of ovarian cancer. Now, new research published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, confirms a clear association between OC use and the risk of womb cancer. Researchers found the protective association between the use of OCs and the risk of womb cancer, also known as endometrial cancer, is stronger with duration of use. Women using OCs for less than five years had a 34 per cent lower risk, those using them for five or more years had a 61 per cent lower risk, and the strongest benefit – a 69 per cent reduction – was observed in women who used OCs for at least 10 years. When the analysis was restricted to users of combined oral contraceptives (COCs) - hormonal birth control that contains both estrogen and progestogen - the protective association was even more pronounced, with a 54 per cent reduction in the odds of womb cancer compared to non-users. 'The use of oral contraceptives, which regulate hormone levels, appears to reduce the proliferation of endometrial cells, potentially lowering mutation rates and long-term cancer risk,' said Dr András Harajka, a PhD student at Semmelweis University's Centre for Translational Medicine, and the first author of the study. Womb cancer is now the most common gynaecological malignancy in high-income countries, with more than 417,000 new cases reported globally in 2020 alone, the research warns. The World Health Organisation (WHO) projects a 49 per cent increase in EMC cases by 2050. What is womb cancer and what are the symptoms? These rising trends have been linked to factors such as ageing, obesity, and hormonal influences. Earlier studies have shown hormonal factors – particularly the roles of oestrogen and progesterone – play a central role in womb cancer risk. Co-author Dr Nándor Ács, also head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Semmelweis University, added: 'Our findings provide robust and up-to-date evidence that oral contraceptive use is significantly associated with lower risk of endometrial cancer, particularly with longer use. "This is an important consideration for patients and clinicians when discussing contraceptive options.' But the researchers caution while OCs used by more than 150 million worldwide offer significant protective benefits, they can also carry side effects including mood changes, nausea, and, in rare cases, an increased risk of blood clots or stroke. The NHS says you may have some side effects when you first start taking the combined contraceptive pill, including bleeding between periods (breakthrough bleeding) or changes to your periods. Taking the pill can also cause high blood pressure in a small number of people. The NHS advises: "If you still have side effects after three months and they're a problem for you, speak to a pharmacist or doctor. "It may help to change to a different pill, or to have a shorter pill-free break or no break between pills (a tailored regime)." It adds the risk of getting a blood clot is very small and affects up to one in 1,000 people.
Euractiv
14-07-2025
- Health
- Euractiv
Europe's Alzheimer's research needs generational renewal, warns neurology expert
Despite promising strides in European dementia research, Hungarian neurologist Tibor Kovács warns that turning science into patient care still depends too heavily on national systems. In an interview with Euractiv during the 'Mind the Future' summit in Milan, Tibor Kovács, Full Professor and Deputy Director at the Department of Neurology at Semmelweis University in Budapest, welcomed the growing momentum behind international cooperation on dementia. But he also issued a warning: cooperation is not the problem - implementation is. 'There is extensive collaboration through various European and international grants,' Kovács said, welcoming the increasing involvement of less-resourced partners in cutting-edge research through inclusive application systems. 'The trend is clearly moving in a positive direction, which is promising for the future.' However, turning research into patient care remains a much tougher task. 'When it comes to translating that research into clinical practice, things become much more dependent on national contexts,' he explained. In other words, supranational efforts may push the frontier of discovery, but clinical neuroscience still lives - and often stalls - within domestic borders. Keep it local Any common European regulation, he added, would still need to be adapted to local realities: 'Applied and clinical research must be grounded in specific national circumstances.' Despite these challenges, Kovács remains cautiously hopeful: more funding, he said, could help smaller institutions take part in research at the highest level. And in Hungary, that kind of shift is sorely needed. While the country has long had a strong tradition in neuroscience, Kovács pointed out that this strength lies mainly in basic science, not in clinical applications. 'We still face a lot of handicaps,' he said, particularly when it comes to the use of new biomarkers for early diagnosis of degenerative dementias. A few centres in Hungary are conducting high-level clinical research on dementias and movement disorders, but staffing shortages and limited resources continue to slow progress. For Kovács, the solution must begin with generational renewal: 'We need to attract young researchers into the field, starting from university years.' The challenge isn't a lack of talent - quite the opposite. Many Hungarian researchers, he said, are working on neurodegenerative diseases abroad. 'The idea,' he added, 'is to bring those brains back and improve the local research environment.' Until then, the gap between what is discovered and what is delivered will remain. And for countries like Hungary, bridging that gap is now the real frontier. Alessia Peretti, Cesare Ceccato [Edited By Brian Maguire | Euractiv's Advocacy Lab ]
Telegraph
19-06-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Too much sleep is more dangerous than not enough
Sleeping for too long is worse for your health than a lack of sleep, a new study has suggested. Researchers found people who regularly sleep for fewer than seven hours per night or more than nine hours per night were increasing their risk of death. The study revealed that those sleeping for fewer than seven hours were 14 per cent more likely to die from any cause than those getting the optimal seven to eight hours of shut-eye. But it also showed the increased risk of death rose to 34 per cent among people who were regularly sleeping for nine hours or more per night. Experts from the Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary, analysed data from more than 2.1 million participants across 79 separate international studies. Men were at greater risk of death than women from sleeping too little, while women faced a greater risk than men from sleeping for too long each night, the research said. The study found men who slept for less than seven hours a night had a 16 per cent higher risk of death, and those who slept for eight hours or more had a 36 per cent increased risk. Meanwhile, women with short sleep durations had a 14 per cent higher risk, and those sleeping for longer faced a 44 per cent increased risk. The researchers said the differences were likely due to hormonal, behavioural or cardiovascular differences between men and women. 'A sleep epidemic' Dr. György Purebl, director of Semmelweis University's Institute of Behavioural Sciences and co-author of the study said: 'As a society, we are experiencing a sleep epidemic. Even though awareness has grown, our behaviour hasn't changed much in the last decade. 'The constant exposure to blue light, pressure to remain available around the clock, and disruption of our natural biological rhythms continue to take a toll on our health.' The authors of the study warned that sleep deprivation is a growing global health concern, with millions of people regularly sleeping too little because of work demands, exposure to digital screens and stress. Shift workers and those with irregular schedules are particularly affected, it said. Chronic sleep loss is not only linked to premature death but also a range of health issues including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and a worsening immune system. Sleep and strokes In a second study the Hungarian researchers looked at the impact of sleep duration on the risk of stroke and subsequent death. They found that people sleeping for five to six hours per night had a 29 per cent higher risk of stroke than those sleeping for seven to eight hours and were 12 per cent more likely to die because of the stroke. Those sleeping more than eight hours had a 46 per cent higher risk of stroke and were 45 per cent more likely to die from it. Dr. Balázs Győrffy, head of the Department of Bioinformatics at Semmelweis University, and senior author of both studies, said: 'Stroke remains one of the leading causes of death and long-term disability worldwide. 'Identifying modifiable risk factors like sleep can offer powerful public health benefits. Our findings make it clear that sleep duration should be considered in stroke prevention strategies to reduce the burden on healthcare systems and improve population health.'
Medscape
03-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Mental Health Drives Life Quality in Treated Hypothyroidism
In patients with primary hypothyroidism receiving a stable dose of levothyroxine, thyroid-dependent quality of life (QOL) was driven by psychological factors, including somatosensory amplification and depression, and body mass index (BMI), rather than by thyroid biomarkers. METHODOLOGY: Levothyroxine monotherapy to normalise serum thyrotropin (TSH) is the standard treatment for primary hypothyroidism and greatly improves symptoms and life expectancy, yet at least 10%-15% of patients still experience persistent symptoms and reduced QOL despite having normal TSH levels. Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study (August 2021 to 2022) to examine predictors of QOL in 157 adults (mean age, 49.5 years) with primary hypothyroidism for more than 2 years who were free of major comorbidities and had been on a stable dose of levothyroxine monotherapy and maintained a normal TSH level for more than 6 months; 70.7% of participants had autoimmune thyroiditis and 29.3% had iatrogenic hypothyroidism. Levels of various thyroid-specific biomarkers such as TSH, free tissue triiodothyronine, and free thyroxine were measured. Participants completed the Underactive Thyroid-Dependent Quality of Life Questionnaire and Underactive Thyroid Symptom Rating Questionnaire to assess thyroid-dependent QOL and the number of hypothyroidism symptoms; other validated questionnaires were used to measure depressive symptoms and somatosensory amplification. TAKEAWAY: The negative impact of hypothyroidism on QOL was most evident in women and participants with higher BMI, autoimmune thyroiditis, greater somatosensory amplification, more severe depression, and a higher count of hypothyroidism-related symptoms. None of the thyroid-specific biomarkers were associated with thyroid-dependent QOL. In the final model, significant predictors of thyroid-dependent QOL were somatosensory amplification ( P = .002), BMI ( P = .021), and depression ( P < .001). IN PRACTICE: "When considered collectively, our findings are consistent with the theory that once TSH is normalized, thyroid-dependent QoL is primarily influenced by unrecognized comorbidities such as obesity, somatic symptom disorder, and depression," the authors wrote. SOURCE: This study was led by Bence Bakos, Department of Internal Medicine and Oncology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary. It was published online on May 26, 2025, in BMC Endocrine Disorders . LIMITATIONS: Researchers could not establish causality owing to the cross-sectional design of this study. DISCLOSURES: This study did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency. The authors declared having no conflicts of interest.
Daily Mail
21-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Key vitamin supplement slashes the risk of colon cancer, study finds
Taking vitamin D could help you avoid colon cancer, Hungarian research suggests. The nutrient was linked to both reducing the odds of developing the disease and improving the outcomes among patients that did, the researchers said. Also known as the 'sunshine vitamin' people get vitamin D from exposure to sunlight as well as from foods like oily fish, red meat and egg yolks. However, the authors of the new study warned that Europeans, especially those living in cities, were at increased risk of having a deficiency. As such they highlighted the potential use of vitamin D supplements, available for about 2p per pill at high-street pharmacies. Their findings comes amid a mysterious rise in colon cancer among young adults, with diagnoses having shot up 80 per cent in 30 years. In new study, Hungarian experts conducted an analysis of 50 previous studies, involving more than 1.3million patients. They found that people with an adequate intake of vitamin D were between 25 to 58 per cent less likely to develop colon cancer. Researchers also found taking a vitamin D supplement was specifically linked to a 4 per cent reduced risk of colon cancer for ever 2.5micrograms consumed. The NHS recommends every adult and child above the age of one get 10micrograms of vitamin D each day. The Hungarian review also found evidence that colon cancer patients with high levels of the vitamin had better outcomes. Experts cited one trial which found late stage colon cancer patients given a high daily dose of vitamin D lived two months longer, on average. Other past studies have shown patients with bowel cancer, another name for colon cancer, with higher vitamin D levels are 50 per cent less likely to die from the disease. Vitamin D may be providing anti-cancer benefits by combatting the inflammation that can trigger changes that become cancer, as well as helping kill cancer cells and inhibiting tumour growth by boosting the body's immune system, the researchers said. Study author Professor János Tamás Varga, from Semmelweis University, told Fox News Digital: 'Vitamin D plays a critical role in the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer.' He added: 'The results suggest that the effect of vitamin D may depend on factors such as the dosage, the individual condition of the patients and the duration of treatment.' Bowel cancer can cause you to have blood in your poo, a change in bowel habit, a lump inside your bowel which can cause an obstructions. Some people also suffer with weight loss a s a result of these symptoms In the study, published in the journal Nutrients, the experts also highlighted how vulnerable many people are of having a vitamin D deficiency. 'Urban populations, where air pollution and dense infrastructure limit sunlight exposure, are at greater risk,' they They said this was especially a risk among European populations. 'Approximately 40 per cent of Europeans are considered vitamin D deficient, with 13 per cent classified as severely deficient,' they wrote. British data as many as two in five adults may be vitamin D deficient during the winter months when there are fewer daylight hours. The Hungarian experts, while confident in the link between vitamin D and colon cancer prevention and treatment, acknowledged their study did have some limitations. They noted that the studies they used in their analysis used different vitamin D dosages and involved patients at various stages of cancer. As such they said further research was needed to determine the optimal potential dosage of vitamin D and of its effectiveness. There is still scientific debate on the links between vitamin D and cancer prevention. Charity Cancer Research UK (CRUK) states that, while research is ongoing, there is no strong evidence that having a vitamin D deficiency increases your risk of cancer. The body adds that there is also no firm evidence that taking a vitamin D supplement specifically helps prevent cancer. Separate data from the charity shows suggests bowel cancer, also called colon cancer, has seen a 52 per cent increase in incidence rates for adults aged 25 to 49 since the early 1990s. Some scientists have suggested increasing pollution might be to blame, while others say the trend is due to growing consumption of ultra-processed food. CRUK while acknowledging the rise, stresses that bowel cancer rates in younger adults are still low, with only around one in 20 diagnosed in people under 50. There are around 2,600 new bowel cancer cases in people aged 25-49 in Britain every year, and around 44,100 new cases among all ages. Symptoms of the colon cancer include changes in bowel movements such as diarrhoea or constipation, needing or feeling the need to empty your bowels more or less frequently, blood in the stool, stomach pain, bloating, unexpected weight-loss and fatigue. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and phosphate, vital nutrients for keeping bones, teeth, nerves muscles healthy. It also helps keep the immune system functioning correctly. A lack of the vitamin can lead to bone problems, including rickets a condition that causes bone pain, bone weakness and can lead to deformities. The NHS states most people will be able to get the vitamin D they need from sunlight between April to the end of September. However, during the darker months all British adults and children over the age of one are advised to take a vitamin D supplement to keep their levels up. Some people are advised to consider taking supplements throughout the year. This includes people with darker skin tones — that causes less vitamin D to be absorbed — and those who are housebound and don't get as much natural light. But people should be careful not to have too much vitamin D. The NHS warns taking too much vitamin D over a long time can be detrimental to our health. As vitamin D helps absorb calcium too much can cause a condition called hypercalcaemia. This can ironically cause bones to become weaker as well as damage the kidneys and the heart. As such the NHS recommends people don't take more than 100micrograms of vitamin D per day unless specifically advised to by their doctor. The amount of vitamin D in the body can be determined by a blood test – and the results are reported in units of nanomoles per litre, written as nmol/l. A level of 25 nmol/l or lower is considered a deficiency – this was set about two decades ago, as falling below it was linked to an increased risk of rickets.
