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Category: sex

Physical activity in infancy is associated with body composition at age three

The prevalence of obesity in the pediatric population is increasing, driven by a multifactorial etiology that includes genetic predisposition as well as both prenatal and postnatal influences. We aimed to explore associations between child physical activity (PA) at ages one and three years and body composition at age three. Furthermore, we investigated associations between maternal PA during pregnancy and child body composition at age three.

Mother-child pairs (n = 68) from a pregnancy PA intervention study were included. Children’s PA was assessed at one-and three-year follow-ups using 7-day accelerometry and categorized into 24-hour PA and daytime PA (6 a.m. – 8 p.m.). Child body composition was measured by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and expressed as fat-free mass (FFM) and body fat percentage (BF%). Maternal moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (MVPA) was measured using a commercial activity tracker. Associations between maternal and child PA and child body composition were examined using linear regression. Variables used for model adjustment included maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index, gestational weight gain, maternal educational level at baseline, parity, maternal age at baseline, child walking status at age one, child sex, and child age at the three-year follow-up.

We found a positive association between daytime PA at age one and child FFM at age three. Daytime PA at age three was positively associated with FFM, and 24-hour PA at age three was negatively associated with BF% and positively associated with FFM. A 10% increase in 24-hour PA was associated with approximately 400 g higher FFM. Maternal MVPA during pregnancy showed no association with child body composition at age three.

Does multitasking ability really differ by sex? Not in the way you’d think

Research simulates real-life multitasking performance to assess potential differences between men and women. When coordinating five different tasks, men ignored the conversational task more than twice as often as women, while showing similar performance to women in all other tasks.

Multitasking, defined as the ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously or switch between them, has become a central feature of modern life, occurring in contexts such as driving, work, household activities and even leisure. Despite the widespread stereotype that women are better at multitasking, research has shown only small and inconsistent sex differences, calling into question the existence of meaningful differences in this domain.

In light of this, with the support of the Bial Foundation, André and Diana Szameitat (from Brunel University of London and City St George’s, University of London, UK, respectively) conducted a study to clarify whether sex differences in multitasking exist and to explore possible explanations for the origin of this stereotype.

Study finds early-onset Parkinson’s burden has more than doubled worldwide

When standardizing for age, the study found that incidence increased from 1.46 to 2.35 (EAPC = 1.42%), prevalence from 10.03 to 14.00 (EAPC = 1.09%), and YLD from 1.65 to 2.27 (EAPC = 1.05%) per 100,000 individuals globally.

The study further revealed a marked sex difference in PD’s demographic burden, finding that men were approximately 1.5 times more likely to develop EOPD than their female counterparts. Specifically, the study analyses estimated male prevalence at 16.74 per 100,000 versus 11.23 for females.

Geographically, middle and high-middle SDI zones were observed to experience the fastest EOPD growth rate, led by East Asia and Andean Latin America. At the national level, Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador logged the highest age-standardized rates, while China and Norway showed some of the fastest national upward trends; China’s incidence EAPC was 2.55%.

Mpox (Monkeypox) Virus and Its Co-Infection with HIV, Sexually Transmitted Infections, or Bacterial Superinfections: Double Whammy or a New Prime Culprit?

Epidemiologic studies have established that mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) outbreaks worldwide in 2022–2023, due to Clade IIb mpox virus (MPXV), disproportionately affected gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. More than 35% and 40% of the mpox cases suffer from co-infection with HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (e.g., Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Treponema pallidum, and herpes simplex virus), respectively. Bacterial superinfection can also occur. Co-infection of MPXV and other infectious agents may enhance disease severity, deteriorate outcomes, elongate the recovery process, and potentially contribute to the morbidity and mortality of the ensuing diseases. However, the interplays between MPXV and HIV, bacteria, other STI pathogens and host cells are poorly studied.

Blocking a female-only GABA signal that helps glioblastoma evade immunity may boost survival

Researchers have identified a critical biological difference in how glioblastoma develops in male and female laboratory models, pinpointing an immune pathway that fuels tumor growth only in females. The study shows that the neurotransmitter GABA boosts the cancer-protecting activity of immune cells in female models—but not male models—and that blocking that signal improved outcomes. The findings could one day lead to new drug targets and therapeutics specifically for women. The paper is published in the journal Nature Cancer.

Men and women experience many diseases very differently. Certain diseases present more commonly in one sex than in the other, some conditions may cause different symptoms in men and women, and some treatments work better—or not at all—for one sex over the other.

Cancer is no exception. There are major differences in male and female immune systems, and this system is critical both for cancer growth and for successfully becoming cancer-free. For example, some immunotherapies work better in men than in women, and vice versa.

Prevalence and Modes of Transmission of Hepatitis C Virus Infection: A Historical Worldwide Review

Hepatitis C virus infection affects over 58 million individuals and is responsible for 290,000 annual deaths. The infection spread in the past via blood transfusion and iatrogenic transmission due to the use of non-sterilized glass syringes mostly in developing countries (Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Egypt) but even in Italy. High-income countries have achieved successful results in preventing certain modes of transmission, particularly in ensuring the safety of blood and blood products, and to a lesser extent, reducing iatrogenic exposure. Conversely, in low-income countries, unscreened blood transfusions and non-sterile injection practices continue to play major roles, highlighting the stark inequalities between these regions. Currently, injection drug use is a major worldwide risk factor, with a growing trend even in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Emerging high-risk groups include men who have sex with men (MSM), individuals exposed to tattoo practices, and newborns of HCV-infected pregnant women. The World Health Organization (WHO) has proposed direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy as a tool to eliminate infection by interrupting viral transmission from infected to susceptible individuals. However, the feasibility of this ambitious and overly optimistic program generates concern about the need for universal screening, diagnosis, linkage to care, and access to affordable DAA regimens. These goals are very hard to reach, especially in LMICs, due to the cost and availability of drugs, as well as the logistical complexities involved. Globally, only a small proportion of individuals infected with HCV have been tested, and an even smaller fraction of those have initiated DAA therapy. The absence of an effective vaccine is a major barrier to controlling HCV infection. Without a vaccine, the WHO project may remain merely an illusion.

Faster biological aging consistently linked to poverty and discrimination

The study, published in Nature Human Behaviour, demonstrates that social inequality, such as poverty and racism, is related to biological aging measured in the epigenome, also known as “epigenetic clocks.” Epigenetic clocks analyze patterns of chemical marks on DNA to estimate a person’s biological age or the rate at which their body is aging. These tools are increasingly used by scientists to study how environmental exposures, lifestyle and social conditions affect health across the life course.

Previous individual studies have shown that epigenetic clocks are sensitive to socioeconomic and racial or ethnic disparities. However, because multiple types of epigenetic clocks exist, it has remained unclear which measures best capture the effects of social determinants of health, at which stages of life socioeconomic exposures most affect epigenetic aging, and whether associations differ by sex or by technical factors such as the tissue in which epigenetic data are collected. This study integrates findings across many independent studies, offering a comprehensive test of whether these associations are consistent and robust.

Gut microbes unlock hormone signaling that regulates gut movement, study suggests

Millions of people worldwide are periodically or chronically affected by gut-related conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and gastroenteritis. Uncovering the physiological and biological processes that contribute to gut health could thus be highly valuable, as it might help devise more effective interventions to prevent and treat these ailments.

The transit of food, fluids and waste through the intestine is known to be coordinated by various interacting systems in the body, including gut wall muscles, neurons in the gastrointestinal tract and hormones. A growing body of research has also been exploring the crucial contribution of bacteria and other microorganisms residing in the digestive tract, which are collectively referred to as the gut microbiome.

Researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Laval University recently carried out a study aimed at better understanding how these gut microbes interact with specific sex hormones and nerve cells that control the movement of muscles in the intestines.

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