Latest news with #UKBiobank
BBC News
13 minutes ago
- Health
- BBC News
Chronic fatigue is not in your head, it's in your blood
People with ME and chronic fatigue syndrome have major differences in their blood compared with healthy individuals, experts have of Edinburgh researchers said their findings could pave the way for a "game-changer" diagnostic Chris Ponting said: "For so long people with ME/CFS have been told it's all in their head. It's not. We see it in their blood."The study used data from the UK Biobank – a health database of over half a million people – to compare 1,455 ME/CFS patients with 131,000 healthy individuals. The research showed the results were mostly unaffected by activity university team said the volume and consistency of the blood differences support their long-term goal of developing a diagnostic blood Dr Sjoerd Beentjes told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland: "One thing that our evidence points at is that ME is very much a condition in the blood."Perhaps previously held perspectives are not quite the case."It is really not due to inactivity and we hope that this helps with problems where individuals are disbelieved of their symptoms." What are the symptoms of ME? The largest ever biological study of ME/CFS - which is estimated to affect 50,000 people in Scotland - identified consistent blood differences associated with chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, and liver main feature of the condition is post-exertional malaise (PEM) - a delayed and dramatic worsening of fatigue that comes after minor physical symptoms include pain, brain fog and tiredness that does not improve with rest. Causes are unknown and there is currently no diagnostic test or Beentjes also said ME was a "female bias" condition with the ratio of patients estimated to be 3:1. The Edinburgh researchers examined more than 3,000 blood-based biomarkers and accounted for differences in age, sex, and activity results were replicated afterwards using data from the US Prof Chris Ponting, of the university's MRC human genetics unit, said: "For so long people with ME/CFS have been told it's all in their head. "It's not. We see people's ME/CFS in their said the evidence should "dispel any lingering perception that ME/CFS is caused by deconditioning and exercise intolerance".
The Independent
2 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
A simple blood test could offer first reliable diagnosis for ME
A simple blood test could provide the first reliable diagnosis for myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and end the lengthy process of trying to identify the debilitating condition, scientists have found. It's thought more than 400,000 people in the UK suffer with the condition, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Pain, brain fog and extreme low energy that does not improve with sleep are just some of the symptoms of ME. There is no cure and the cause is unknown. Currently the only way to diagnose it is by ruling out other illnesses – a long process that can mean patients wait years for a diagnosis. However, researchers at the University of Edinburgh believe they have made a breakthrough. The study published in the Journal EMBO Molecular Medicine used data from the UK Biobank – a large-scale resource based on the health data and biological samples of 500,000 UK participants. Researchers compared blood samples from 1,455 ME patients with more than 131,000 healthy people. They identified differences in cell counts and molecules that differed in concentrations between the two. The differences in samples for the ME patients were related to chronic inflammation, insulin resistance and liver dysfunction. These findings were compared and replicated in data from a group of American patients and healthy controls. Researchers found 116 'biomarkers' for ME in the blood of men and women with the condition. This is a key finding because the condition affects men and women differently. Professor Chris Ponting, of the university's Institute of Genetics and Cancer, said: 'For so long people with ME/CFS have been told it's all in their head. It's not. We see [it] in their blood. 'Evidence of a large number of replicated and diverse blood biomarkers that differentiate between ME/CFS cases and controls should dispel any lingering perception it is caused by deconditioning and exercise intolerance.' These biomarkers did not change when the participants were any more active – consistent with the view graded exercise therapy, which aims to gradually increase activity levels, is unlikely to be helpful. In fact, the largest differences were seen in people who reported post-exertional malaise. This is when the symptoms of the condition become worse even after minor physical effort. Dr Sjoerd Beentjes, of the university's School of Mathematics, said: 'Blood differences are sometimes attributed to reduced activity levels rather than ME/CFS directly. Our study provides strong evidence ME/CFS affects blood traits through paths other than activity.' However, this research is still at an early stage and there is no guarantee a test will be possible, study authors stressed. Professor Kevin McConway, Emeritus Professor of Applied Statistics, Open University, who was not part of the study, said: 'There is a lot more to do.' 'These findings could help in finding a set of blood biomarkers that can reasonably reliably distinguish people with ME/CFS from those who do not have that condition, but that, without a lot of further work, the findings do not in themselves provide such a set of biomarkers,' he added.
Times
12 hours ago
- Health
- Times
Simple blood test could provide first reliable diagnosis for ME
Scientists have found biological signatures in the blood of people with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), a breakthrough that could lead to the first reliable test for the debilitating condition. ME, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), affects an estimated 400,000 people in the UK. Symptoms can include pain, brain fog and extremely low energy levels that do not improve with rest. These often become dramatically worse after even minor physical effort, a phenomenon known as post-exertional malaise. There is no cure and the cause is unknown. A diagnosis is typically made by ruling out other illnesses, a process that can take years. The new study, led by researchers from Edinburgh University, may mark a turning point. Using data from the UK Biobank, they compared blood samples from 1,455 ME patients with those of more than 131,000 healthy people and identified dozens of molecules that differed in concentrations between the two, as well as different cell counts. The changes in the ME patients, who all had mild to moderate forms of the disease, were largely related to chronic inflammation, insulin resistance and liver dysfunction. The findings were replicated in a group of American patients and healthy controls. Professor Chris Ponting, of the university's Institute of Genetics and Cancer, said: 'For so long people with ME/CFS have been told it's all in their head. It's not. We see [it] in their blood. 'Evidence of a large number of replicated and diverse blood biomarkers that differentiate between ME/CFS cases and controls should dispel any lingering perception it is caused by deconditioning and exercise intolerance.' The study found 116 'biomarkers' for ME in the blood of men and women with the condition — a key finding, because ME can affect the sexes differently. These markers did not change according to how active the patients were, consistent with the view that graded exercise therapy, which aims to gradually increase activity levels, is unlikely to be helpful. The strongest differences were found in people who reported post-exertional malaise, which may underscore its central role in the illness. Dr Sjoerd Beentjes, of the university's School of Mathematics, said: 'Blood differences are sometimes attributed to reduced activity levels rather than ME/CFS directly. Our study provides strong evidence ME/CFS affects blood traits through paths other than activity.' The authors stressed that the research was at an early stage with no guarantees a test would be possible. The government pledged last year to improve ME research and the NHS agreed to assess services for patients across England after an inquest into the death at 27 of Maeve Boothby O'Neill in 2021. She had suffered from ME since she was a teenager. The daughter of Sarah Boothby and Sean O'Neill, a senior journalist at The Times, she was left bedbound, unable to speak and malnourished. The coroner issued a prevention of future deaths report in October, the first of its kind for ME, and urged Wes Streeting, the health secretary, NHS officials and health bodies to take action to address the 'non-existent' care and lack of funding for research.
Daily Mirror
18 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Warning to instant coffee drinkers amid 'significant' link to eye disease
Chinese reserachers have said they discovered a statistically significant correlation between consumption of instant coffee and common degenerative disorder AMD Instant coffee drinkers have been handed a new warning by researchers who have discovered the beverage could be linked to a condition that robs people of their sight. Scientists from the Chinese Hubei University of Medicine have warned that people at high risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) should avoid slugging down the popular beverage, which accounts for roughly 13 percent of worldwide coffee consumption. An increasing number of people are living with the eye condition, which affects around 200 million people around the world at present, with 88 million more expected to be diagnosed with the disease in the next 15 years. While it mostly impacts the sharpness of people's eyesight when they reach their 50s, Hubei researchers have found that instant coffee is a potential exacerbating influence. Scientists found a significant statistical link between dry AMD disorder and the drink after studying the genetic data of more than 500,000 people. Corresponding author Siwei Liu, from the the university's Department of Ophthalmology at the Shiyan Taihe Hospital, said the results showed a "genetic correlation" not seen in decaffeinated or non-instant coffee. She said: "Our results revealed a genetic correlation between instant coffee consumption and dry AMD. Instant coffee may increase the risk of AMD, and reducing its intake could help prevent dry AMD." The scientist added that people deemed "at high risk for AMD" should "avoid instant coffee". Researchers believe that AMD is caused by a combination of factors, including diet, smoking habits and genes, with people likely to be more at risk of the disease if they have family members who suffer from it. People are also more at risk later in life, if they are white, obese, or if they suffer from cardiovascular disease, which affects the heart and blood vessels. Symptoms of AMD usually include noticeable loss of sight but not total blindness, with signs of the disease typically including: Visual disturbances like distorted lines and other features Shrinking central vision in one or both eyes Requiring brighter light when reading or working up close Difficulty adapting to dimming lights - such as in a cinemas or dimly lit restaurants Printed words seem increasingly blurry Impaired ability to recognise faces A blurry or blind spot within the field of vision that appears well-defined The Chinese researchers used data from diagnoses of AMD in the UK and additional statistics from the UK Biobank, which details how people consume coffee. Details included in the bank include whether the coffee was instant, ground or decaffeinated, and how much coffee people drank in total. While scientists found a correlation between AMD and instant coffee, they have stressed the results do not immediately indicate that coffee consumption can directly cause the disorder.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
Having a busy social life in your 50s could actually be an early sign of Alzheimer's, scientists warn
FOR years, scientists and doctors alike have been telling us staying social keeps Alzheimer's at bay. But a surprising new US study suggests the opposite might be true, at least in the early stages. 1 'Their social lives may even expand,' said co-senior author, Dr Ashwin Kotwal from the University of California, said. "We don't know for sure if they are engaging more with others, or if those around them are noticing subtle changes and giving them more support.' The study, published this month in the American Journal of Epidemiology, analysed data from almost 500,000 Brits aged 40 and over, collected by the UK Biobank. It was an observational study, meaning researchers didn't track outcomes over time, but looked for associations in the data. Researchers calculated each person's genetic risk for Alzheimer's and compared it with their levels of social connectedness. These scores, known as Alzheimer's Disease Genetic Risk Scores (AD-GRS), reflect a person's inherited likelihood of developing the condition, based on known genes. But they don't guarantee someone will get the disease. They then looked at how often people felt lonely or isolated, how satisfied they were with their relationships, and how many different social activities they took part in. Previous studies have linked lower levels of social interaction with reduced brain volume and a higher risk of dementia. But in this new analysis, those with a higher genetic risk for Alzheimer's were three per cent less likely to feel socially isolated. They also reported one per cent higher satisfaction with their family relationships and took part in around two per cent more types of social activity compared to people with a lower genetic risk. Wife of man with early-onset dementia has to 'hide knives' However, there was no difference between the two groups when it came to how lonely they felt, the quality of their friendships, or how much emotional support they received. In the UK, around 982,000 people are currently living with dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. That figure is expected to hit 1.4 million by 2040. There is no cure, so spotting the condition early is crucial. An early diagnosis can help slow progression, ease symptoms, and open up access to clinical trials. According to the Alzheimer's Association, one of the first warning signs is social withdrawal. Other symptoms include asking the same questions repeatedly, losing track of important dates, and increasingly relying on memory aids or loved ones for tasks once managed alone.
