Science Weekly - 09092018

Can we blame early menopause in women on lack of exercise? How can sleep deprivation trigger and consuming whole grains potentially prevent Type 2 diabetes? How can marriage prevent malnutrition in the elderly? Can exercise trigger production of new neurons and improve cognition in Alzheimer's? Find answers to these questions and more in this week's edition of Science Weekly.

Exercise is unrelated to risk of early menopause - ​ Study of more than 107,000 women

The amount of physical activity that women undertake is not linked to their risk of early menopause, according to the largest study ever to investigate this question.

Source: European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

​Key differences between the exercise-trained heart and failing heart

​Scientists have examined what is happening to the lipids in the heart and circulating blood plasma during exercise compared to a failing heart as a novel way to advance prediction and treatment of heart failure.

Source: Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute

How weight loss is linked to future health for older adults

A study evaluated information from the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures and looked specifically at health and weight for women who were over age 65. Reviewing more than 20 years' worth of data for study participants, the team of researchers had the chance to examine links between long-term weight gain/loss and health.

Source: American Geriatrics Society

​Whole grains one of the most important food groups for preventing type 2 diabetes

It doesn't matter if it's rye, oats, or wheat. As long as it is whole grain, it can prevent type 2 diabetes, according to the results of a new study.

Source: Chalmers University of Technology

​Marriage protects against malnutrition in old age

More and more elderly people are suffering from malnutrition. People who are unmarried, separated or divorced are most often affected, whilst men and women who are either married or widowed tend to take better care of themselves.

Source: University of Erlangen-Nuremberg

Losing just six hours of sleep could increase diabetes risk, study finds

Losing a single night's sleep may affect the liver's ability to produce glucose and process insulin, increasing the risk of metabolic diseases such as hepatic steatosis (fatty liver) and type 2 diabetes.

Source: American Physiological Society

How exercise generates new neurons, improves cognition in Alzheimer's mouse

A study finds that neurogenesis -- inducing the production of new neurons -- in the brain structure in which memories are encoded can improve cognitive function in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Source: Massachusetts General Hospital

Obesity: We inherit the dangerous fat from Dad -- and the good fat from Mom

Brown fat cells burn off a lot of calories, whereas an excess of white fat cells make us overweight and ill. Now researchers have identified a new gene in brown fat cells; a gene that may be crucial for the future's treatment of obesity.

Source: University of Southern Denmark