During the past month, many important developments have taken place in the medical world. The resulting studies and the articles published by scientists shed light on many different issues, from the effects of living in space on humans to the feeling of ‘irritability’ that hunger creates on us, from studies on exercise regimens to new treatment hopes in heart diseases.
We can say that every development in the field of medicine is a big step for human health and life, both for today and for the future. We’ve compiled some of the highlights over the past month of these important steps!
Important developments in the field of medicine in the past 1 month
Living in space in the future will not be as easy as we thought: A new study has been shared on the devastating effects of living in space on the bones of astronauts.
Investigating how the bodies of astronauts who spend weeks and months in space are affected by this situation is critical for both the future of humanity in space and the health of the species. Because in the end, we need to understand what exactly living in space will do to us when the compass points to space and when we talk about bases on the Moon or Mars.
Studies conducted on this subject have long said that bones are badly affected by being in space. Accordingly, time spent in space causes loss of bone mass in astronauts, a kind of osteoporosis. In fact, osteoporosis, a condition that can be seen in the world as we age, causes bones to become more fragile and unstable.
The new research reveals that this loss of bone mass increases as time spent in space increases, and that it does not fully recover even within a year of returning to Earth. So spending time in space causes bone loss that can be permanent.
While it is stated that the loss of bone mass will have more devastating effects in long periods such as 3 years in space, it is stated that this situation can seriously threaten the health of astronauts in long-term space missions such as Mars missions. In addition, scientists state that they do not yet know how long this melting can continue, and at what point it will stop in long-term missions.
After the astronauts return to Earth, they try to protect their health by strengthening their existing bone mass with exercise programs and treatments. However, it is stated that the lost bone mass cannot be restored. At the same time, the research gives some information about which types of exercise are more effective.
Accordingly, it is stated that weight-lifting exercises such as deadlifts are more effective in the problem of bone mass loss than exercises such as running or cycling.
A heart-warming study has concluded on the effect of exercise patterns and mortality rates: There is no significant difference between spreading the exercise regularly throughout the week and doing it only on the weekend.
The necessity of exercise for a healthy life has been supported by many studies over the years. However, studies looking for answers to different questions on issues such as exercise pattern and intensity continue.
One of these questions is ‘exercise pattern’. It is recommended to do the exercise in a balanced way by spreading it over 3-4 days during the week, but this may not always be possible, especially for reasons such as work-school. This is ‘isn’t it enough if we just exercise on the weekend?’ raises a question.
A study conducted and concluded on data collected from more than 350 thousand people over 16 years offers results that will give a sigh of relief to those who can’t find time to exercise on weekdays.
Accordingly, as long as the amount of exercise that is said to be done at medium intensity and high intensity is reached, there is no big difference in benefit between doing the exercises in two days or seven days.
Regardless of how many days and in what order, after the amount of exercise reaches the recommended level, the effect on one’s health and mortality rates is similar in both conditions. People in both groups are healthier than inactive people. According to the physical activity guidelines of the World Health Organization, every adult should do 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity and 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise a week.
An important step has been taken in cloning studies: For the first time in history, a new mouse has been cloned from the skin cells of a dead mouse.
Cloning studies are very important for the continuation of the species of animals that are in danger of extinction. In studies conducted in this area, scientists perform various experiments to find the least costly and safe method that gives the best results.
Since the preservation process in liquid nitrogen, which is one of the methods used, is both very costly and risky, researchers looking for a new method tried to freeze-dry the cells and then clone them.
Cells from a dead mouse were freeze-dried and then stored at -30°C for 9 months. After the freeze-drying process and the waiting period, the cells were checked by removing them from the -30°C environment where they were stored. The cells had died and the DNA had deteriorated to a great extent.
However, scientists were able to transfer the information they obtained from the intact parts of the DNA to a different cell, and then clone it by inserting it into the egg cells of a female mouse. Thus, although it is a few-step method, it has been tested that cloning can be done without the need for liquid nitrogen.
Although the method is not perfect yet, scientists state that such developments are important steps in the field of cloning. In this way, an important step will be achieved in the efforts to bring the creatures that are at risk of extinction to life and to protect biodiversity.
When you’re hungry, you’re not really you: The effect of hunger on emotions like anger and happiness has been proven
It is no secret that we are more irritable when we are hungry. I think everyone has heard or experienced this many times in their life. However, the number of scientific studies on this subject was surprisingly small. A recent study has proven that being hungry or full has a direct impact on our mood. Accordingly, hunger really makes us more aggressive, while being full is closely related to positive mood.
Studies conducted on this subject emphasized that the connection between hunger and aggression may be low blood sugar, but it is not yet fully explained why we get angry when we are hungry.
Future research aims to gather more information on the causes of the connection between hunger and nervousness. The team conducting the research states that although they cannot answer these questions yet, confirming the connection between hunger and aggression will allow people to evaluate their aggressive behavior more healthily.
The deadly effects of Y chromosome loss as men age are investigated: link to heart disease found
It is a known and fairly common condition that men begin to lose their Y chromosomes as they age. So much so that 40% of men over the age of 70 lose the Y chromosomes in their white blood cells.
The loss of the Y chromosome in question was known to be associated with conditions such as cancer and Alzheimer’s, as well as a shorter life expectancy. A recent study added heart diseases to this group.
In the study conducted on mice, the researchers used CRISPR to rearrange the bone marrow of some mice so that they do not have a Y chromosome. Then, these mice were compared with the mice with the Y chromosome. Mice with a missing Y chromosome lived shorter than other mice and experienced a condition called fibrosis, which thickens their heart tissues and is linked to heart failure.
Comparing these data with data collected from nearly half a million men over many years, the team found that men with Y chromosome deficiencies had an increased risk of dying from heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases over an average of 11 years of follow-up.
Despite the results, the team pointed out that more research is needed on the effects of Y chromosome loss and that it would not be correct to attribute these diseases to this condition alone.
Controversial research on depression and its treatment has resulted: Depression may not be related to serotonin deficiency.
The knowledge that depression is caused by low serotonin is an information that has been accepted for years and brings with it antidepressant treatments. But a new study offers important and surprising information that will completely change the definition of depression.
The article published by Joanna Moncrieff, a psychiatrist from University College London and her team, references many studies on this subject. The result is surprising.
Based on the data reviewed and the results of the studies conducted, the research team states that there is no strong evidence for a direct link between depression and low serotonin.
The team concluded that depression is a complex condition that cannot be attributed to a single cause; stating that it should be investigated better; He warns people who use antidepressants for treatment not to stop taking their medications without consulting their doctor, leaving the door open that antidepressants developed to eliminate serotonin deficiency ‘may have another possible curative effect’.
New research has been conducted that could help repair the damage done by heart diseases such as heart attacks: Zebrafish will help!
Zebrafish are among the creatures known for their ability to regenerate and heal their organs. It has been known for some time that they can repair certain areas such as the retina, and scientists have been studying these cute creatures for a long time to find solutions to human diseases through how they can do this.
A new study on this subject has also concluded in the past weeks. He focused on how zebrafish were able to heal heart tissue after injury. These fish were able to regenerate 20% of their hearts within a month after damage.
After the examinations, he showed that the connective tissues called fibroblasts took part in this renewal process. Fibroblasts led the process by producing proteins that act as repair signals.
It is thought that the data obtained can be used in the development of treatments and drugs to improve the damage to the heart after diseases such as heart attack.
Effects of insufficient sleep on children’s brain development identified: Long-term negative effects on memory and intelligence
Insufficient sleep has negative effects on children as well as adults. A study of 8300 children on this topic revealed that there are many long-term harmful effects in children who sleep less than 9 hours a day.
Accordingly, the amount of gray matter in the brain is less in children who sleep less than 9 hours and do not sleep. In addition, critical problems may occur in the areas responsible for memory and attention in these children. It is stated that children who sleep less have regression in problem solving, memory and decision-making skills.
Research also shows that lack of sleep can lead to problems such as depression and anxiety. Stating that all these problems show their effects after more than two years, the research team draws attention to the fact that the issue is extremely critical in terms of child development and health due to long-term effects.
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