In order to observe the changes of DKK3 during AAA developmen t and to elucidate its functional role and underlying mechanisms, the teams of Associate Prof. Baoqi Yu, Prof. Aijuan Qu from the Basic Medical College of Capital Medical University and Prof. Qingbo Xu from The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine started an in-depth cooperation. The researchers identified a shift in VSMC subpopulations in AAA, characterized by a decline in contractile VSMCs and an expansion of modulated VSMCs exhibiting high DKK3 expression. 

Immediate skin-to-skin contact between newborns and their mothers offers a better start in life, improving a number of key health metrics, according to a newly-updated Cochrane review.

Antidepressants can differ widely in how they physically affect the body, including around a 4 kg difference in weight change between certain drugs (approximately 2.5 kg weight loss from agomelatine and 2kg weight gain from maprotiline), confirms a systematic review and meta-analysis published in The Lancet. The authors emphasise that these findings should not deter people from taking antidepressants, which remain vital and effective treatments for mental health conditions. Instead, they say the results highlight the importance of tailoring the treatment to each individual, taking into account their personal health and preferences.

Clocking up at least 4000 daily steps on just 1 or 2 days per week is linked to a lower risk of death and cardiovascular disease among older women, finds research published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

A new study by investigators from Mass General Brigham examined 13,547 older women, comparing their step counts over a one week period against their mortality and cardiovascular disease rates over the next decade. They found that achieving just 4,000 steps one or two days per week was associated with lower risk of mortality and cardiovascular disease—and with more steps came even greater benefits, up to a point when risk reductions leveled.