Latest news with #ALSPAC
Daily Mail
17 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Concern as researchers link 'healthy' snacks to raised risk of a sudden heart attack
Oily fish, nuts and avocados—prized for being sources of 'healthy' fats—may not be as good for us as previously believed, scientists have claimed. The key culprit, according to Australian researchers, is fats in these foods known as omega-3—which studies have previously suggested protect heart health. However new evidence suggests omega-3 is linked to inflammation in the body, increasing the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and even a heart attack. The findings come from a major study involving 2,800 participants in the landmark Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), also known as Children of the 90s—one of the most detailed long-term health studies ever carried out. Researchers have followed the health of over 14,000 families in the Avon area since 1991, when the mothers were first recruited during pregnancy. The latest research looked at data collected when the children turned 24. After accounting for lifestyle factors such as smoking, scientists found that diets rich in omega-6 were associated with higher levels of GlycA—a blood biomarker linked to chronic inflammation, cancer and heart problems. Omega-6, found in vegetable and seed oils, has, in recently years, increasingly been associated with poor heart health. However, surprisingly, the researchers also found increased GlycA in those who consumed foods rich in omega-3 fats, which are usually considered 'heart healthy'. Professor Thomas Holland, from the RUSH institute for Healthy Aging, Chicago, who was not involved in the study, told Medical News Today the results were 'unexpected'. He added: 'Omega-3s are found in dark fatty fish, like salmon and sardines, and in plant-based foods like flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts. 'Most people think of them as calming to the immune system. Yet in this study, higher omega-3 levels were linked to more inflammation, not less.' Lead author of the study, Professor Daisy Crick, an expert in molecular science from Queensland University, said: 'Our findings suggest that it's not as simple as "omega-3 is anti-inflammatory and omega-6 is pro-inflammatory".' She added that simply upping omega-3 intake may not be enough to cut inflammation or protect against heart disease. 'Improving the balance between the two fats could be a better method for people who want to reduce inflammation in their bodies,' she said. The study, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, calls for further research to better understand how different fatty acids affect long-term health. Seed oils—such as sunflower, soybean and rapeseed—are high in polyunsaturated fats and have long been promoted as a 'heart healthy' alternative to saturated fats like butter and lard. But Professor Holland warned that rising consumption of seed oils could be fuelling obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and even autoimmune conditions. Around 6.3 million people in the UK are thought to have raised cholesterol, which if left untreated can cause heart attacks and strokes, and seed oils may be contributing to this, Prof Holland suggested. It comes as alarming figures last year revealed that premature deaths from heart attacks and strokes had reached their highest level in more than a decade. MailOnline has previously highlighted how the number of young people, under 40, in England being treated for heart attacks by the NHS is on the rise. Cases of heart attacks, heart failure and strokes among the under-75s has tumbled since the 1960s. This is believed to be due to plummeting smoking rates, advanced surgical techniques and breakthroughs such as stents and statins. But now, rising obesity rates, and its catalogue of associated health problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes, are thought to be one of the major contributing factors.
Medical News Today
2 days ago
- Health
- Medical News Today
Unsaturated fats may not always be anti-inflammatory, study finds
Unsaturated fats, such as those found in oily fish, nuts, seeds, avocados, and olive oil, are recommended as part of a healthful have linked these fatty acids to reduced levels of inflammation and lowered LDL ('bad') a new study suggests that both omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are linked to increased levels of some inflammatory markers in the fish, nuts, seeds, avocados, and olive oil are all advocated as part of a healthful diet, mostly because of their high concentrations of unsaturated fatty acids. Studies suggest that unsaturated fatty acids, particularly omega-3, may reduce both inflammation, and levels of low-density lipoprotein, LDL or 'bad' cholesterol, which is linked to heart a new study has suggested that polyunsaturated fatty acids may actually increase levels of some inflammatory biomarkers in the blood research, which is published in The International Journal of Epidemiology, found that both omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were associated with raised levels of glycoprotein acetyls (GlycA), biomarkers associated with increased cardiovascular to inflammatory biomarkers in the bloodThe researchers carried out their primary analysis on 2,802 participants from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) birth cohort, which recruited a total of 14, 541 pregnant women residing in southwest England in 1991 and 1992, and has followed them and their offspring since then. They replicated their analysis using data from 12,401 participants in the UK Biobank.'Using two large datasets, ALSPAC and the UK Biobank, along with a genetic technique called Mendelian randomization, the researchers examined whether these fats cause changes in inflammation, rather than just being associated with it, exploring actual causality. This approach is especially powerful because it helps minimize the usual confounding factors found in nutrition studies, such as lifestyle or other dietary habits. In other words, the researchers went beyond asking who has more inflammation and what they eat and instead tried to determine whether the fats themselves were directly responsible.'— Thomas M. Holland, MD, MS, physician-scientist and assistant professor at the RUSH Institute for Healthy Aging, RUSH University, College of Health Sciences, Chicago, who was not involved in the researchers assessed the ALSPAC offspring after 24 years. In their analysis, they controlled for household social class at birth, maternal highest education qualification at birth, maternal and paternal smoking status during pregnancy, offspring sex at birth, type of drinker at age 24 , type of smoker at 24 , and at age in months at 24-year Crick, corresponding author, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Queensland University, Australia, and MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, The University of Queesland, Australia, explained their research:'Dietary fatty acids were measured using levels of DHA, total omega-3 LA, total omega-6, and the omega-6:omega-3 ratio found in the blood. Inflammation was measured using substances in the blood called biomarkers and specifically we used the biomarkers C-reactive protein (CRP), Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Glycoprotein Acetyls (GlycA).'Can omega-3s be inflammatory?The researchers found that in both cohorts, both omega-3 and omega-6 levels were associated with higher levels of told Medical News Today:'Surprisingly, the results showed that both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids were associated with higher levels of a marker called GlycA (a novel inflammatory marker), which reflects low-grade chronic inflammation. This was unexpected, especially for omega-3s, which are widely promoted as anti-inflammatory.''Omega-3s are found in dark fatty fish, like salmon and sardines, and in plant-based foods like flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts. Most people think of them as calming to the immune system. Yet in this study, higher omega-3 levels were linked to more inflammation, not less, at least when GlycA was used as the measurement,' he to omega-3 fatty acid ratio could be keyIn the ALSPAC cohort, there was a consistent association between a higher omega-6:omega-3 ratio and all three inflammatory told us that this ratio is influenced by our changed diet:'This [finding] supports earlier findings that it's not just about how much omega-3 you consume; it's about how balanced your overall intake is. In fact, research highlights how this ratio has shifted dramatically in recent history. A century ago, people typically consumed a 4:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3. Today, due to modern diets rich in industrial seed oils, that ratio has ballooned to around 15:1 to 20:1. This shift creates a pro-inflammatory environment that could be contributing to chronic diseases, allergies, and autoimmune disorders.''Our findings suggest that it's not as simple as 'omega-3 is anti-inflammatory, and omega-6 is pro-inflammatory'. Just increasing the consumption of omega-3 through diet or supplements might not be enough to lower inflammation. Instead, our results suggest that it might be more useful to look at the balance or ratio between omega-6 and omega-3 in the diet. Improving the balance between the two fats could be a better method for people who want to reduce inflammation in their bodies.'— Daisy CrickThe link between fatty acids and health is complexAlthough the study found an association between PUFAs and some of the 3 biomarkers, the authors emphasize that different biomarkers measure different aspects of inflammation, so by assessing only 3 biomarkers, they may have missed some important effects of PUFAs on inflammation. Further research using additional biomarkers is needed to better understand the relationship between PUFAs and told MNT that these findings should lead to further research: 'It is important to remember that the study measured just three inflammatory markers. The immune system is incredibly complex, and omega fatty acids might influence other pathways that weren't captured here. For example, omega-3s might still help resolve short-term inflammation or protect against specific diseases, even if they raise GlycA slightly. More research using a broader range of immune biomarkers will help clarify this relationship.'Despite this limitation, the findings highlight that there may be more to the relationship between fatty acids and health than previously thought.'The relationship between fatty acids and inflammation is complex and our findings only tell part of the story. Although we show that omega-3 fats are associated with increases in some biomarkers of inflammation, it does not rule out other potential beneficial effects of these fatty acids in the diet.'— Daisy Crick
Medscape
09-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Parental Violence Predicts Young Adult Relationship Patterns
Young men exposed to maternal physical intimate partner violence and abuse (IPVA) while growing up had a 45% higher risk of perpetrating IPVA in their own relationships than those unexposed in the United Kingdom. METHODOLOGY: Researchers analysed data of mother-child pairs from the ALSPAC birth cohort in the United Kingdom to examine the risk for IPVA perpetration among young adults aged 18-21 years (men, n = 1139; women, n = 2104) exposed to maternal IPVA. Maternal IPVA exposure and subtypes were assessed from the mothers' reports across eight timepoints between 2 and 18 years of their children's age. At the age of 21 years, children reported their own IPVA victimisation and perpetration, including psychological, physical, and sexual subtypes. Covariates included parental education and social class; maternal marital status, smoking, depression, age at delivery, and parity; birth weight; and prenatal maternal IPVA. TAKEAWAY: Exposure to maternal psychological IPVA was positively associated with victimisation among young adult women (relative risk [RR], 1.23; 95% CI, 1.07-1.41), which attenuated after adjusting for covariates. After adjustment, exposure to maternal physical IPVA was found to be strongly associated with IPVA perpetration among young men (RR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.05-2.00). Women exposed to maternal partner abuse had a slightly increased risk of perpetrating partner violence themselves (unadjusted RR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.93-1.34). Exposure to maternal IPVA combined with child maltreatment had a higher risk for intergenerational continuity of IPVA, accounting for up to 10% of perpetration cases among young men. IN PRACTICE: "While up to 10% of IPVA perpetration cases could be accounted for by combinations of parental IPVA and other ACEs [adverse childhood experiences], up to 90% of young adult IPVA cases could not. This suggests that IPVA prevention efforts should not focus solely on subgroups defined by one or two exposures," the authors wrote. SOURCE: This study was led by Annie Herbert, UK Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, England. It was published online on May 01 in The Lancet Regional Health - Europe . LIMITATIONS: This study was limited by its inability to assess intergenerational effects of maternal sexual IPVA or coercive control, small sample size, and imperfect measurement of maternal IPVA. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded by the UK Medical Research Council. Some authors reported receiving funds from various sources and having affiliations with advisory and non-profit boards. Details are provided in the original article.
Fox News
30-03-2025
- Fox News
The Children We Left Behind: A reckoning with America's growing fatherlessness
Are our societal issues just a culmination of random adverse incidents, or are they the predictable results of disgruntled adults who were formerly mistreated, abandoned children? The children we've left behind will be seen one way or another: society will always suffer for those it neglects. I was one of those children who suffered. I was abandoned by my father who, even up to his death, never bothered to establish a relationship with me. Unfortunately, I'm far from the only child who has experienced the pain and trauma of fatherlessness. The problem of child abandonment persists across American culture and is at the root of all our social ills today. The same attitude of parental neglect that my father showed toward his children is more common than we would like to admit. Simultaneously, there are obvious social issues, like homelessness and drug abuse, that are difficult to remedy because they originate from childhoods filled with rejection, abuse and emotional torment. You can't fix something if you're unwilling to be honest about the source of the issue. That's why as a society and a country, we need to first recognize our culture's culpability in perpetuating the cycle of fatherless children. According to the Pew Research Center, 23% of American children under 18 live with one parent and no other adult, more than three times the share of children worldwide who do. The majority of these single-parent homes are led by mothers, which presents a wide variety of vulnerabilities and disadvantages for the mothers and their children. Furthermore, there is a strong connection between single-parent homes and homelessness. The National Center on Family Homelessness reports that single mothers head more than 85% of homeless families. These statistics might just look like meaningless numbers, but they reflect the reality of childhood experiences. My family, led by my mother, experienced homelessness twice after my father left us. There is also a clear link between criminal behavior and broken, dysfunctional homes. Criminals aren't magically manifested overnight; they are created through years of neglect and abuse as children. Even the Office of Justice Programs, an agency under the U.S. Department of Justice, has declared that father absence is a consistent and potent predictor of levels of violence and a significant risk factor of illegal behavior and substance use in adolescence. An estimated 71% of all children who abuse substances come from fatherless homes, according to the National Center for Fathering. Children today have far more access to prescription and illicit drugs than they had generations ago, and they're using these substances to cope with their crumbling households and deteriorating mental health. According to a study conducted by the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), father absence during early childhood is associated with greater levels of depression in adolescence and early adulthood. Again, in my case, these seemingly lifeless statistics are painfully revealing of my own lived experience. I have been struggling with my mental health and self-image going back as far as I can remember. The event that most severely altered my future was being locked away in a mental hospital for months when I was 8 years old after expressing my desire to no longer live. I didn't know how to handle my unpredictable life, and I did not have a father there to help me, which was why suicidal ideation became a prevalent part of my life. Thankfully, I survived, but far too many children who were like me never found an alternative way to live without experiencing consistent mental torture. Studies have shown that children who come from single-parent homes are twice as likely to commit suicide and that 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes. I wrote my forthcoming book "The Children We Left Behind" to put a face to the statistics. Often, children like me believe that we're alone in our suffering. But as I entered adulthood, I saw that my story is one of too many. My experience isn't unique; it's just that I've decided to share it and made it here to tell it today. Further, my story of overcoming abandonment by my father should not be weaponized. It should allow an opportunity to examine our culture and demand better of our parents and families. If we genuinely want to improve our society, we must be unafraid to examine it critically and call out bad behavior. As parents and as a culture, we need to question whether we are putting children first or if this is just something we say to make ourselves feel good. Why didn't my father love me? Why did my father abandon me? While these questions will remain unanswered for me, I am proud to say that my son will never need to ask these questions about me.
