Research

Women with high blood pressure in pregnancy may protect their brain health through better blood pressure management after giving birth, research has found. Women who monitored and managed their blood pressure at home, with remote doctor support, had larger white matter volumes nine months after birth than those receiving standard postnatal care. White matter links [...]

Repeated exposure to bodily waste appears to lower disgust in parents, with effects that persist beyond infancy, a study of 99 parents and 50 non-parents suggests. The study used parent-specific questions and child-related stimuli, including images of soiled nappies, and tracked reactions such as looking away. Non-parents strongly avoided images of bodily waste. [...]

Pregnant women exposed to 'forever chemicals' could be at greater risk of developing gestational diabetes, a recent study suggests. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are toxic chemicals that do not break down in the body, leaching from non-stick cookware, waterproof textiles and takeaway containers into food or via skin contact and building up in vital [...]

The war in Gaza has undermined maternal health and caused a surge in preventable deaths among pregnant women and newborns, a report finds. The research documents widespread malnutrition, destroyed services and restrictions on food and medical supplies that clinicians say have devastated women’s ability to conceive, carry and give birth safely. The report was produced [...]

Higher maternal blood pressure is linked to more pregnancy complications, a large genetic study of over 700,000 pregnant women has found. Helping women to keep their blood pressure at normal levels could reduce their risk of experiencing pregnancy complications, the researchers concluded. Fernanda Morales-Berstein is research associate and lead author. Morales-Berstein said: "Our [...]

Researchers have identified a potential treatment target for triple-negative breast cancer, the most aggressive form of breast cancer. The study found that PUF60 helps cancer cells grow and survive by controlling how key genes are spliced (the editing of genetic instructions before proteins are made). In models of triple-negative breast cancer, disrupting PUF60 caused widespread [...]

Police-related stress is linked to markers of cardiovascular risk in Black women in the US, a study suggests. The research found the association was most pronounced for Black women concerned about potential interactions between their children and police. The study recruited 422 Black women aged 30 to 46 in the US and measured [...]

A new database on chronic urinary tract infections aims to help explain why millions of women and girls worldwide develop persistent infections that can defy treatment. A growing body of research suggests persistent, antibiotic-resistant UTIs may be caused by bacteria that embed deep within the bladder wall, potentially evading both the immune system and conventional [...]

Women experience slightly worse recovery than men in the first year after stroke, with more difficulty with daily tasks such as eating, dressing and driving. The differences persisted after adjusting for age, race and ethnicity, education and insurance status, according to the study. The research, led by Chen Chen at the University of Michigan, examined [...]

A large real-world study has found that an AI-powered digital tool developed by Megi Health can significantly reduce blood pressure over time while maintaining high long-term patient engagement -  a combination that has remained a major challenge in hypertension care. The peer-reviewed research, published in JMIR mHealth and uHealth, analysed real-world data from more than [...]