(This is an excerpt from the Health Counds information bulletin, which we present the latest medical studies on Tuesdays and Thursdays.)
Submitted by Nancy Lapid
(Reuters) -A major Australian study, which can help further understand why women are more likely to suffer from this condition, contribute more to the risk of female depression than men.
After analyzing nearly half a million DNA samples, researchers found about twice as many genetic “flags” compared to men compared to men, the Nature Communications said.
“We already know that women suffer from depression twice as often as men in their lives,” the research manager said dr. Brittany Mitchell of Qimr Berghofer Medical Research Institute Brisben’s report.
“So far, there have been many consistent studies explaining why depression affects women and men differently, including a possible role of genetics,” said Mitchell.
The team has identified about 7,000 changes in DNA, which can cause depression of both sexes, and about 6,000 changes in DNA, which can only cause depression in women.
Researchers also found that genetic factors associated with depression are more in line with women in metabolic traits than for men.
Differences can help explain why women with depression are more likely to experience metabolic symptoms such as weight loss or change in energy, they said.
Researchers say most drug research and therapy are studied with men, and they expect their work to also increase the clinical understanding of a woman’s depression.
“These findings emphasize that it is important to consider gender-specific genetic (factors) to prepare the path to more purposeful treatment strategies, including the main depressive disorder,” said the researchers concluded.
Microplastics changes the populations of healthy intestinal bacteria
Tiny pieces of plastic that find themselves in the human intestine can adversely affect healthy bacteria and other germs that naturally live there, known as intestinal microbiome, according to laboratory experiments.
Some changes in microplastic gut microbes observed in test tubes were similar to changes in depression, colorectal cancer and other diseases, researchers reported at a joint European Gastroenterology (UEG) week in Berlin.
Previous studies have shown that microplastics in stool samples and colon biopsies contain a significant number of volunteers.
The new study included samples of five healthy volunteers to grow intestinal microbiome crops in the laboratory. Culture was then exposed to five conventional types of microplastic particles, where the concentration reflects the calculated effect on humans.
In most cases, the total number of bacteria has not changed. However, researchers have found that the pH level has been reduced by microplastic treated cultures, indicating altered microbial metabolic activity.
They also saw microplastic specific changes in bacterial composition as certain bacterial groups have increased or decreased depending on the microplastic type.
Changes in the composition of bacteria were accompanied by changes in chemicals that feed on intestinal cells, bacterial production, help digest food and recycling and affect the function of the brain.
Researchers do not yet know how microplasty causes this effect. Their examination did not take into account the long -term effects of microplastics on intestinal bacteria, nor did they take into account additional factors such as diet and immune response.
“The most important thing is that microplastics affect our microbiome,” said Austrian studies at Christian Pacher-Deutsch, a beautiful medical university.
“Although it is too early to provide the final statements about health, the microbiomas plays a key role in many aspects of well-being, from digestion to mental health. Therefore, if possible, the microplastic effect is a smart and important precaution,” concluded.
Low sugar and artificially sweetened drinks associated with fatty liver disease
Changing a small sugar or artificially sweetened drinks for sweet drinks is not protected from fatty liver diseases, China’s major test shows.
Both sugar sweet drinks and low or non -sugar sweet drinks are significantly associated with the higher risk of metabolic dysfunction -related steatotic liver disease (Masld), researchers said in Berlin UEG 2025. In a week.
Masld liver accumulates fat, which can cause hepatitis and hepatic failure. More than 30% of people around the world suffer from fatty liver and are rapidly increasing the causes of liver -related deaths.
In the new study, 123,788 UK volunteers with no liver disease were observed at the initial level. During the average, 10.3 -year monitoring participants periodically filled in questionnaires about the food and beverages they regularly consume.
During the study, 1,78 participants developed Masld and 108 died of liver causes.
Consumption of low or non -sugar sweet drinks and sugar sweet drinks with more than 330 grams (11 ounces) per day was associated with significantly higher Masld developing risk.
Both types of drinks were also associated with higher liver fat, although such a test cannot prove that drinks have caused liver disease.
Sugar Sweet drinks ”have long been tested, and their” diet “alternatives are often considered a healthier choice,” said Lihe Liu, a study leader from the first Soochow University Hospital Suzhou.
“Our study shows that low or non-sugar drinks were actually associated with a higher risk of MASLD, even with modest consumption,” she added.
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(Nancy Lapid Report; Edit Bill Berkrot)