Diabetes: When circadian lipid rhythms go wrong

Like all living beings, human physiological processes are influenced by circadian rhythms. The disruption of our internal clocks due to an increasingly unbalanced lifestyle is directly linked to the explosion in cases of type 2 diabetes. Now, a team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG), in Switzerland, has found that his disturbance disrupts the metabolism of lipids in the cells that secrete glucose-regulating hormones. Sphingolipids and phospholipids, lipids located on the cell membrane, seem to be particularly affected. This change in lipid profiles then leads to a rigidity of the membrane of these cells. These results, appearing in the journal PLOS Biology, provide further evidence of the importance of circadian rhythms in metabolic disorders.

A healthy lifestyle almost halves the risk of dementia in people with type 2 diabetes

A healthy lifestyle reduces the risk of dementia in those with type 2 diabetes (T2D), according to a study of hundreds of thousands of people in the U.K. being presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Stockholm, Sweden (19–23 Sept).

China health chief tells public not to touch foreigners after first monkeypox case

A top Chinese health official has warned the public to avoid "skin-to-skin contact with foreigners" to prevent the spread of monkeypox after the country confirmed its first case.

A smartphone's camera and flash could help people measure blood oxygen levels at home

First, pause and take a deep breath.

China lifts weeks-long lockdown on southwest megacity Chengdu

Millions of people in the Chinese megacity of Chengdu emerged Monday from a COVID-19 lockdown that had closed schools, disrupted businesses and forced residents to stay home for over two weeks.

Canada needs a better detection system for respiratory pathogens

Canada needs a better infectious disease surveillance system to detect emerging respiratory pathogens that includes waste-water testing, population-based testing and genomics, according to an analysis published in Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMJA).

National poll: 2 in 3 parents say their child is self-conscious about their appearance

The majority of adolescents and teens are self-conscious about their appearance, a new national poll suggests.

Simple, inexpensive surgical procedure for diabetic foot ulcers greatly reduces healing time, amputation rates

Performing proactive surgery to adjust the mechanics of the foot, appears to be effective to treat diabetic foot ulcers, a common and debilitating complication of diabetes, without the potential complications and at significantly lower cost compared to conservative management.

Safer opioid supply program shows improved outcomes for people at high risk of overdose

For people at high risk of overdose enrolled in a safer opioid supply (SOS) program, there was a rapid decrease in emergency department visits and hospitalizations soon after initiation, according to new research published in Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMJA). These programs may help to address the devastating drug poisoning overdose crisis in Canada.