Research in the news

False miscarriages
UK GUIDELINES that help clinicians decide whether a woman has had a miscarriage are inadequate and unreliable, and may lead to the inadvertent termination of wanted pregnancies. This is the conclusion of a series of papers published in the international journal Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. The research was reported in the The Telegraph in the UK.

Cholesterol kids
ABOUT 64% of overweight children and 74% of obese children have dyslipidaemia, according to a study of 283 primary school children published in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. The research also found that a high proportion of children with normal weight had elevated lipid levels. The study was reported in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Supplement risks
RESEARCHERS say dietary vitamin and mineral supplements should only be recommended if there is a strong medically based indication after a study showed older woman taking supplements may have an increased total mortality risk. The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, showed an increased risk of death in women who had taken multivitamins, folic acid, iron, magnesium, zinc and copper compared with non-use. Calcium use showed an absolute risk reduction. The study was reported in The Australian.

Not so identical twins
AN 8-year study by researchers from Sydney’s Garvan Institute has found that although identical twins share the same genes, the environment controls the biochemical reactions that determine if these genes are turned on or off. The research was published in PLoS One and reported by the ABC’s PM program.

Black Death unravelled
RESEARCHERS have reconstructed the ancient genome responsible for the Black Death virus. The research, published in Nature, analysed material from the teeth and bones of Black Death victims who died almost 700 years ago. The study was reported in the Daily Telegraph.

Posted 17 October 2011