Aurora magazine

Thanks to the growing popularity of smartphones, many applications have been created to monitor the menstrual cycle. In theory, they should help identify any irregularities in the cycle, delays and fertile periods. But a question arises: are these apps really reliable? This is what Dr. Laura Symul has asked herself. Fertility recognition methods are used to identify fertile days within the menstrual cycle. Some couples use them to facilitate conception, while others use it as a contraceptive method.

The most famous is the Ogino-Knaus, but there are many types, including the apps in question. Dr. Symul worked with Stanford University to analyze the effectiveness of two fertility applications. The doctor analyzed data from 200,000 app users. The two applications analyze fluids and body temperature upon awakening, combining them with other biological data. Based on this, they say whether it is a fertile day or not.

The team observed over 2.7 million menstrual cycles, over 30 million days. The average user was found to be European or American, over 30, normal weight. According to the collected data, the follicular period could be shorter than previously reported. Only 24% of the ovulations recorded by the app takes place between the 14th and the 15th day. The luteal phase, on the other hand, would be roughly the one measured previously.

Dr. Symul believes the data is useful for users and doctors, but not 100% reliable.

Source: epfl.ch/index.en

For about a quarter of a century, scientists have been wondering if genetic testing can have negative consequences. Can the information obtained and any risks lead to anxiety and depression? A report from the Hastings Center analyzes the issue. The results are generally positive, even if rather complex. The impact of the tests depends on the reasons for the test, on the social context and on the psychological state of the individual.

The report is divided into three parts:

1. the importance of the social and historical context on the way in which the test is received;
2. analysis of studies that exclude the psychosocial impact of genetic tests;
3. analysis of studies that analyze the negative consequences of genetic testing.

The second part focuses mainly on the consequences of Alzheimer's risk tests. According to the data, there is no significant increase in anxiety and depression problems in people who have received negative results. The third, on the other hand, associates high levels of anxiety in women waiting for prenatal test results. The tests in fact highlight the inherent uncertainty in human health.

The conclusions are in any case positive. Receiving information regarding any anomalies does not seem to have any particular negative consequences. In general, the negative impact on the psyche is extremely limited and in any case balanced by the many positive consequences.

Source: thehastingscenter.org

Women who use cannabis during pregnancy are twice as likely to give birth before the deadline. Moreover, they incur a greater number of serious complications. This is demonstrated by a Canadian study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The researchers analyzed the data collected on 661,000 pregnancies. In 10,000 of these, women admitted to having used cannabis during gestation. About 20% of the group in question gave birth before the 37th week, compared to 6% of other women.

The difference is significant and the link to cannabis use is quite obvious. What are the reasons for the phenomenon? Cannabinols can cross the placenta and enter the fetus's bloodstream. According to some animal studies, the THC contained in them could affect the developing endocannabinoid system. This would cause a series of adverse reactions, one of which is precisely the preterm birth. Women who used cannabis during pregnancy also experienced a greater number of complications.

The most frequent emerged are detachment of the placenta and severe bleeding, with even the loss of the child. In the group in question, there was in fact 66% more spontaneous abortions than the other: around 1.6% against 0.9%. Furthermore, 19.3% of children ended up in intensive care, compared to 13.8% in the other group.

The study shows that it would be better to avoid cannabis in pregnancy, but has limitations. Researchers have not focused on other factors that could affect gestation. As a result, it is unclear how much of the above is really related to the substance.

Source: independent.co.uk

A study by Dr. Elzbieta Kuzma gives hope to those with a family history of dementia. The team followed almost 200,000 people over 60, some of them with genetic variants of dementia. In those with a healthy lifestyle, the incidence of the disease has been reduced by 32%.

This means that eating well and exercising can counteract the influence of genes. Exter University researchers followed 197,000 people for 8 years. Each person was classified according to the risk of dementia, starting from a genetic test: high, medium or low.

The researchers then assessed the lifestyle over the years, analyzing nutrition, alcohol consumption and physical activity. At this point they combined the data collected with the number of people suffering from dementia, 1,769 only during follow-up. People with the absolute healthiest lifestyle were those who did not smoke, trained regularly and ate well. Very few of these have developed dementia, regardless of genetic risk. For the same genes, for them the risk of getting sick has been reduced by 32% compared to those who followed an unregulated lifestyle.

The study shows that genes play an important role but much more limited than we tend to believe. People with a genetic predisposition and an unhealthy lifestyle had three times the chance of getting sick, compared to those not predisposed and with a healthy lifestyle. This means that it is possible to balance genes with nutrition and physical activity.

Source: quotidianosanita.it