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The biological hierarchy of genes, cells, organisms and societies is a fundamental reality in the living world. This hierarchy of entities did not arise ex nihilo at the origin of life, but rather has been serially generated by a succession of critical events known as evolutionary transitions in individuality' (ETIs). Given the sequential nature of ETIs, it is natural to look for candidates to for
The age at natural menopause (ANM) in the Western world ranges from 40 to 60 years, with an average onset of 51 years. The exact mechanisms underlying the timing of ANM are not completely understood. Both genetic and environmental factors are involved. The best-established environmental factor affecting ANM is smoking; menopause occurs 1 to 2 years earlier in smokers. In addition to genetic and en
The DIRECT (Diabetes Research on Patient Stratification) Study is part of a European Union Framework 7 Innovative Medicines Initiative project, a joint undertaking between four industry and 21 academic partners throughout Europe. The Consortium aims to discover and validate biomarkers that: (1) predict the rate of glycaemic deterioration before and after type 2 diabetes onset; (2) predict the resp
Mitochondrial dysfunction has been observed in skeletal muscle of people with diabetes and insulin-resistant individuals. Furthermore, inherited mutations in mitochondrial DNA can cause a rare form of diabetes. However, it is unclear whether mitochondrial dysfunction is a primary cause of the common form of diabetes. To date, common genetic variants robustly associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) a
Plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) has been associated with aortic stenosis in observational studies; however, randomized trials with cholesterol-lowering therapies in individuals with established valve disease have failed to demonstrate reduced disease progression.
Autosomal recessive hypercholesterolemia is a rare inherited disorder, characterized by extremely high total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, that has been previously linked to mutations in LDLRAP1. We identified a family with autosomal recessive hypercholesterolemia not explained by mutations in LDLRAP1 or other genes known to cause monogenic hypercholesterolemia. The aim of this s
Understanding of the genetic basis of type 2 diabetes (T2D) has progressed rapidly, but the interactions between common genetic variants and lifestyle risk factors have not been systematically investigated in studies with adequate statistical power. Therefore, we aimed to quantify the combined effects of genetic and lifestyle factors on risk of T2D in order to inform strategies for prevention.
Precision medicine utilizes genomic and other data to optimize and personalize treatment. Although more than 2,500 genetic tests are currently available, largely for extreme and/or rare phenotypes, the question remains whether this approach can be used for the treatment of common, complex conditions like obesity, inflammation, and insulin resistance, which underlie a host of metabolic diseases.
Introduction: One aim of modern pharmacologic treatment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is to prevent joint destruction and reduce the need for surgery. Our purpose was to investigate secular trends in the incidence of primary total hip and knee arthroplasties in a well defined sample of patients with RA. Methods: Prevalent cases with RA in 1997 and incident cases from 1997 to 2007 in a community bas
In a middle-aged population, it was recently shown that the stable vasopressin marker plasma copeptin (copeptin) predicts development of diabetes mellitus, diabetic heart disease and death. Here, it was hypothesised whether copeptin predicts a risk of coronary artery disease (CAD), and cardiovascular mortality in an older population.
Previous studies on healthy subjects have shown that the intake of 6 g Cinnamomum cassia reduces postprandial glucose and that the intake of 3 g C. cassia reduces insulin response, without affecting postprandial glucose concentrations. Coumarin, which may damage the liver, is present in C. cassia, but not in Cinnamomum zeylanicum. The aim of the present study was to study the effect of C. zeylanic
To examine whether undetectable high sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT) can be used to safely rule out non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) (using the limit of detection (LOD) as the cut-off) and to compare this strategy to serial hsTnT and the use of combined hsTnT and copeptin.
The association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) proximal to CRY2 and MTNR1B with fasting glucose is well established. CRY1/2 and MTNR1B encode proteins that regulate circadian rhythmicity and influence energy metabolism. Here we tested whether season modified the relationship of these loci with blood glucose concentration.
