Latest news with #UKBiobank
Irish Independent
7 hours ago
- Health
- Irish Independent
Your ‘five-a-day' can now include chocolate and red wine, study finds
A new five-a-day diet including tea, apples, oranges and berries − all foods rich in chemicals called flavonoids – will help people to live longer, a study has found. Flavonoids have a range of benefits, including lowering high blood pressure. Scientists have long known them to be good for health, but the new study is the first to investigate the benefits of a diversity of different flavonoids, not just the quantity. There are five main groups of flavonoids covering dozens of unique chemicals, but one main tranche is anthocyanins, found in abundance in grapes and red wine. Tea is rich in flavan-3-ols, another flavonoid, while orange juice is full of flavonones, and kale has high levels of flavones. Some foods, such as apples and tea, contain several flavonoids of different categories. Scientists looked at the benefits of a diversity of these chemicals in a person's diet by assessing almost 125,000 Britons enrolled in the UK Biobank. Specific food and drink intake was compared to health outcomes over a decade of follow-up by scientists at Queen's University Belfast. Participants who consumed at least 1,000 milligrams of flavonoids a day were a fifth less likely to die during the study period, data showed, confirming that flavonoid quantity was linked to better health. Further analysis on the impact of flavonoid diversity found people in the lowest 20pc of the study consumed on average just one food product which was rich in flavonoids a day. Those in the top 20pc who ate five portions of flavonoid-rich foods a day were found to have a 16pc lower risk of death during the study period.
Telegraph
17 hours ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Your ‘five-a-day' now includes chocolate... and wine
For those people who find cramming in five portions of fruit and veg a day about as appealing as limp lettuce, scientists have good news: now you can count red wine and dark chocolate. A new five-a-day diet including tea, apples, oranges and berries – all foods rich in chemicals called flavonoids - will help people to live longer, a study has found. Flavonoids have a range of benefits, including lowering high blood pressure and dampening inflammation. Scientists have long known them to be good for health, but the new study is the first to investigate the benefits of a diversity of different flavonoids, not just the quantity. There are five main groups of flavonoids covering dozens of unique chemicals, but one main tranche is anthocyanins, found in abundance in grapes and red wine. Tea is rich in flavan-3-ols, another flavonoid, while orange juice is full of flavonones, and kale has high levels of flavones. Some foods, such as apples and tea, contain several flavonoids of different categories, while some only contain one. Scientists looked at the benefits of a diversity of these chemicals in a person's diet by assessing almost 125,000 Britons enrolled in the UK Biobank. Specific food and drink intake was compared to health outcomes over a decade of follow-up by scientists at Queen's University Belfast. Participants who consumed at least 1,000 milligrams of flavonoids a day were a fifth less likely to die during the study period, data showed, confirming that flavonoid quantity was linked to better health. Further analysis on the impact of flavonoid diversity found people in the lowest 20 per cent of the study consumed on average just one food product which was rich in flavonoids a day. Those in the top 20 per cent who ate five portions of flavonoid-rich foods a day were found to have a 16 per cent lower risk of death during the study period. Prof Aedín Cassidy, study author and chair in nutrition and preventive medicine at Queen's University Belfast, told The Telegraph: 'A flavonoid 'five-a-day' has the potential to reduce mortality. 'The data suggest that there is a benefit to consuming a wide range of flavonoids beyond that of simply consuming a high quantity as different flavonoids work in different ways, some improve blood pressure, others help with cholesterol levels and decrease inflammation. 'So having a variety of flavonoid-rich foods is important – eg one apple, a handful of berries, two cups of tea, and one orange. Other rich sources are onions, red wine, grapes, plums, and red cabbage.' People who hit their flavonoid five-a-day were also found to be 10 per cent less at risk of cardiovascular disease, when accounting for factors such as sex, education, BMI, profession, income, alcohol and smoking habits, prior medical history and other aspects of diet. The cancer risk was also 20 per cent lower for five-a-dayers compared to those who ate just one of their five-a-day, the study found. Risk of respiratory conditions was eight per cent lower, data showed, and there was no link for neurodegenerative conditions. 'Our findings highlight the importance of consuming a diverse range of flavonoids for the management of chronic disease risk, which, from a public health perspective, provides support for consuming a variety of flavonoid-rich foods such as green and/or black tea, berries, apples, oranges and grapes,' said the study authors in their paper. 'The collective actions of multiple flavonoids appear to lead to greater health protection compared with single subclasses or compounds. 'We found that consuming both a higher quantity and wider diversity of dietary flavonoids appears better for longer-term health than higher intakes of either component alone.'
Medscape
5 days ago
- Health
- Medscape
Mixed Dietary Patterns Among Patients With Psoriasis
A recent study found that patients with psoriasis showed better adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet but a higher consumption of processed foods than participants without psoriasis. However, patients with more severe psoriasis and with comorbidities were more likely to have a lower overall diet quality, suggesting opportunities for targeted dietary interventions. METHODOLOGY: Researchers analysed 2613 patients with psoriasis (mean age, 56.5 years) identified through self-report and/or linked health records at baseline using data from the UK Biobank and compared them with 120,555 participants without psoriasis (mean age, 56.2 years). Dietary intake was assessed through online 24-hour recalls conducted every 3-4 months over 1 year through the Oxford WebQ questionnaire. Researchers estimated participants' adherence to national food-based dietary guidelines (Eatwell Guide) and a Mediterranean-style diet by nutrient and food group intakes determined from 24-hour dietary recalls. Associations among the severity of psoriasis, presence of major comorbidities, and diet quality were evaluated using regression models with covariate adjustments. TAKEAWAY: Both groups had the same Eatwell Guide score (mean ± SD, 3.9 ± 1.7), but the psoriasis group had a higher Alternative Mediterranean Diet score than the non-psoriasis group (mean ± SD, 4.4 ± 1.8 vs 3.8 ± 1.7; P < .0001). < .0001). Patients with psoriasis reported a significantly higher intake of red and processed meat, sodium, free sugars, and alcohol than participants without the condition (all P < .05). < .05). Patients with psoriasis who had one or more comorbidities had significantly lower Eatwell Guide and Alternative Mediterranean Diet scores (beta coefficient [β], −0.184; 95% CI, −0.354 to −0.014; P = .034 and β, −0.266; 95% CI, −0.442 to −0.089; P = .003, respectively). = .034 and β, −0.266; 95% CI, −0.442 to −0.089; = .003, respectively). The proportion of patients with psoriasis who had at least five portions of fruits and vegetables per day was significantly lower for those on systemic treatment than for those with no reported treatment (odds ratio, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.48-0.98; P = .040). IN PRACTICE: "Participants with psoriasis showed slightly better adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet (assessed between 0 and 6 years after recruitment) compared to those without psoriasis, which may indicate an active interest in dietary changes for symptom management in this population. However, their diets were also higher in processed meat, sodium, free sugars, and alcohol," the authors wrote. "These findings underscore the role of dietary management in preventative care for psoriasis," they concluded. SOURCE: This study was led by Yifan Xu, PhD, Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, England. It was published online on May 21, 2025, in Clinical Nutrition . LIMITATIONS: The cross-sectional study design limited the establishment of causal inference, as dietary changes may have occurred both before and after diagnosis. Self-reported 24-hour recall data may have been subjected to misreporting and recall bias. The assessment of psoriasis severity on the basis of self-reported medication use lacked the reliability offered by clinical measurements like the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index or Dermatology Life Quality Index. The study population's restricted age range at enrolment (40-69 years) and tendency towards health consciousness limited the study's generalisability. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded by a grant from the British Skin Foundation. One author declared receiving honoraria and/or research grants from AbbVie, Almirall, Anaptysbio, Artax, Boehringer Ingelheim, Boots UK, Bristol Meyers Squibb, Evelo Bioscience, GSK, Inmagene, Johnson & Johnson, Lilly, Novartis, Sun Pharma, and UCB.
News18
7 days ago
- Health
- News18
Why Are Men Taller Than Women? Science Has The Answer
Last Updated: A recent study examining genetic information from almost one million individuals has helped explain why men tend to be taller than women. On average, men tend to be about five inches taller than women. Although hormones have traditionally been the main reason for this, recent studies highlight the influence of genetics, especially sex chromosomes, as a key factor behind this persistent height difference. A thorough study featured in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) examined genetic information from close to one million adults. Researchers utilised data from three major sources: the UK Biobank and two U.S.-based biobanks—MyCode and All of Us. Out of the 928,605 participants, 1,225 were found to have an unusual number of sex chromosomes, offering a unique perspective on the biological factors that impact height. What the SHOX Gene Does The study focuses on the SHOX gene, which is essential for determining height. This gene is found in a region called PAR1—pseudoautosomal region 1—that exists on both the X and Y chromosomes, allowing it to act similarly regardless of which sex chromosome it's on. In females (XX), one X chromosome is mostly inactive, but genes in the PAR1 region, like SHOX, still work a little, though not fully. In males (XY), both the X and Y chromosomes use the SHOX gene completely, leading to higher activity of the gene. By studying people with different numbers of sex chromosomes, like extra X or Y chromosomes, the researchers discovered that having an extra Y chromosome had a bigger impact on height than an extra X chromosome. This finding was consistent across various ancestry groups, showing a clear genetic effect on how tall someone is. To understand how these chromosome differences affect height, the researchers used a statistical method called multivariate linear regression. This helped them consider factors like hormones, inactive chromosomes, and disorders such as Klinefelter and Turner syndromes. Their results showed that genetics from the Y chromosome accounts for a large part—up to 22.6 per cent—of the average height difference between men and women. Matthew Oetjens, the lead researcher from Geisinger College of Health Sciences, highlighted the important role of the SHOX gene. He explained that because SHOX is located near the end of the sex chromosomes, it avoids being fully silenced in females, but only to some extent. In males, both the X and Y chromosomes work together to increase the genes' activity, which influences greater height. New Insights Although the SHOX gene explains about a quarter of the average height difference between men and women, scientists think other factors like sex hormones and unknown genes also contribute. Eric Schadt, a professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, said that using large biobank data helped solve a long-standing mystery. He added that while the gene's impact is small, it's an important step toward better understanding how humans grow. Previous studies have found that over the last hundred years, men's height has increased faster than women's, making the difference between them even bigger. Social research also shows that women usually prefer taller men as partners. However, scientists warn that being taller might come with a higher risk of some cancers because taller people have more cell growth. These findings improve our knowledge of why men and women differ in height and offer a starting point to study genetic reasons for other differences between the sexes. Researchers aim to keep exploring genes like SHOX and how they work with hormones and other body systems to better understand the complicated processes behind human growth and health. First Published: May 27, 2025, 15:28 IST
Al Etihad
25-05-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
Abu Dhabi poised to lead in stem cell therapy, research with cutting-edge biobank
25 May 2025 23:17 SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)With a state-of-the-art biobank located in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi is positioning itself as a regional leader in stem cell therapy and biomedical research, eventually eliminating the need for UAE citizens and residents to seek personalised, life-saving treatments Abu Dhabi Biobank is the region's largest multi-modal cord blood collection and storage facility. It offers private cord blood banking services at a fraction of prevailing market rates and also functions as a pan-human biobank, a world-class resource supporting biomedical innovation and personalised healthcare.'The ambition is to do something similar (to the UK Biobank) in Abu Dhabi: Following large numbers of people throughout their lives, understanding their lifestyles, their genetics, their occupation and the other things that influence their health and try to really unpick those details as to what is protective of health and what is deleterious to health,' said Paul Downey, General Manager of Abu Dhabi Biobank, M42, in an interview with collecting umbilical cord blood through its private services, the facility also stores donated samples from families who chose to contribute rather than discard the tissue. To date, more than 1,000 units have been banked — potentially life-saving resources for patients in need of stem cell treatment within the UAE or across the region.'At the moment, people are travelling overseas for stem cell therapy to Europe and the US.' But this could be a compromise, Downey stressed, 'because the stem cell unit you will receive in London or New York will not be as closely genetically matched as if it were a stem cell unit donated in Abu Dhabi'.With the support of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, the biobank uses HLA typing to ensure the best biological match between donors and recipients, maximising success rates and minimising rejection.'People from the same ethnicity, same background, have a closer HLA match than somebody living in the UK, the US or Southeast Asia. So, it is important to collect stem cells locally, which is obviously what we're doing,' Downey cell therapy is still considered an emerging field of medicine. 'It falls under the category of regenerative medicine, and I think it is particularly interesting in the fact that it can treat a wide range of diseases.'Currently, umbilical cord blood is used to treat more than 80 serious conditions, but this number is bound to increase, he added. Expanding Stem Cell TreatmentsAbu Dhabi Biobank's dual approach — encompassing both therapeutic and research functions — is what sets it apart. 'We help facilitate stem cell research into how the stem cells can be used to treat other diseases where it is not currently licensed, so through clinical trials,' Downey biobank's research arm supports studies to expand stem cell treatments beyond the current 80 approved vision aligns closely with the work of the Omics Centre of Excellence, another cornerstone of Abu Dhabi's scientific ecosystem.'The Omics Centre of Excellence focuses on human genetics and, in particular, the Emirati Genome Programme and whole genome sequences in general,' Downey genetics is just one layer of the picture. 'Health and disease are a function of your genetics, but also your lifestyle, your occupation, the decisions that you make, things that you are exposed to, pollution, etc. So to understand health and disease, you need access to genetic information and exposure information.' Successful Transplant Eyed This YearFor Downey, Abu Dhabi's biobank is not just about research, it is about health transformation. 'By catalysing biomedical research through the development of this research resource, we will encourage investment in health innovation within the region.'There is, in fact, a growing interest from major pharmaceutical companies, he said.'We are helping facilitate that by developing the resources they need to do their research and biomedical innovation development,' Downey said, pointing to the bank's tumour samples, electronic medical records, and exposure data as major year, Abu Dhabi Biobank is hoping to 'successfully enable a transplant in Abu Dhabi'. 'If we come together, we can make a difference in the world and help develop the Abu Dhabi Biobank. We will surely see innovations, beneficial to people locally, but globally. Those innovations will arise within Abu Dhabi, which is extremely exciting,' Downey said.
