Research led by the University of Birmingham has discovered that people who suffer from both Type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnoea are at greater risk of developing a condition that leads to blindness within an average period of less than four years (University of Birmingham, 2017). Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a condition where … Continue reading If you have both Type 2 diabetes and sleep apnoea you could lose your eyesight within four years

Researchers at the University of Birmingham have identified inflammatory biomarkers which indicate whether the brain has suffered injury (University of Birmingham, 2017). The team, led by Professor Antonio Belli, at the University of Birmingham’s College of Medical and Dental Sciences, now hopes to use these new biomarkers to develop a test which can be used … Continue reading Researchers identify inflammatory biomarkers for brain injury

A study led by the University of Birmingham has made a breakthrough in the understanding of how different genetic mutations cause acute myeloid leukaemia (University of Birmingham, 2017). One of the most common acute leukaemia’s in adults with around 2,400 people in the UK diagnosed with the disease each year, the survival rates for those … Continue reading Major breakthrough in understanding acute myeloid leukaemia

A study by scientists at the University of Birmingham suggests that “healthy” obese people are still at higher risk of heart failure or stroke than the general population (University of Birmingham, 2017). The study, which was the largest of its kind to date, involving analysis of the GP records of 3.5 million people from across … Continue reading Study suggests there’s no such thing as healthy obesity

Scientists at the University of Birmingham have developed a type of eye drop which could potentially revolutionise the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (University of Birmingham, 2017). The results of the collaborative research, published in Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, could spell the end of painful injections directly into the eye to treat AMD. … Continue reading New eye drops developed to treat age-related macular degeneration

Research led by scientists at the University of Birmingham, in collaboration with colleagues in Germany, has revealed a new cause of hypertension which could lead to major changes in managing the condition (University of Birmingham, 2017). Hypertension often goes unnoticed, but if left untreated can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Studies estimate … Continue reading Connshing syndrome named as new cause of hypertension

Ambulance response times in London worsen when air temperatures rise or fall beyond certain limits in summer and winter, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Birmingham (University of Birmingham, 2017). Services are vulnerable to disruptions from both hot and cold weather, with the speed of ambulance response beginning to suffer … Continue reading Ambulance response times are effected by air temperature

A new study has identified novel mechanisms whereby T cells may be able to distinguish an emerging class of targets specifically increased on cancer cells (University of Birmingham, 2017). The study, carried out by researchers from the University of Birmingham and the University of Virginia, published in Oncotarget, focuses on how the immune system recognises … Continue reading The immune system can spot a change in the identity of cancer antigens

A new treatment pathway for antibiotic resistant bacteria and infectious diseases, with benefits for patients and healthcare providers, has been developed (University of Birmingham, 2017). Researchers from the University of Birmingham and Newcastle University found that the unusual approach of removing antibodies from the blood stream reduced the effects of chronic infections, the requirement for … Continue reading New treatment for antibiotic resistant bacteria and infectious disease

Research led by University of Birmingham scientists in collaboration with Northwestern University in Chicago has provided fresh insight into the role of male hormones in supporting and disrupting the production of eggs by ovarian follicles (University of Birmingham, 2017). The study, published online in Endocrinology, measured for the first time the production of hormones by … Continue reading New insight into into the role of male hormones in fertility and polycystic ovary syndrome