A weekly round-up of news affecting your health
DEPRESSION
Nearly 80 genes that could be linked to depression have been discovered by scientists.
The findings could help explain why some people may be at a higher risk of developing the condition, researchers say.
Experts say the study could also help researchers develop drugs to tackle mental ill-health.
"Depression is a common and often severe condition that affects millions of people worldwide. These new findings help us better understand the causes of depression and show how the UK Biobank study and big data research has helped advance mental health research," said Professor Andrew McIntosh of the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences.
It is estimated around one million Australian adults have depression. Life events - such as trauma or stress - can contribute to its onset, but it is not clear why some people are more likely to develop the condition than others.
Scientists led by the University of Edinburgh analysed data from UK Biobank - a research resource containing health and genetic information for half a million people.
They scanned the genetic code of 300,000 people to identify areas of DNA that could be linked to depression.
Some of the pinpointed genes are known to be involved in the function of synapses, tiny connectors that allow brain cells to communicate with each other through electrical and chemical signals.
Dr David Howard, Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, says the study has provided new clues to the cause of depression, which could one day help people living with the disorder.
"This study identifies genes that potentially increase our risk of depression, adding to the evidence that it is partly a genetic disorder," he said.
CANNABIS
Smoking too much dope does make you dopey, according to new research.
Teens and young adults who smoke a lot of cannabis suffer impaired cognitive functioning, a research review found.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania reviewed 69 studies that included more than 8000 cannabis smokers.
The meta-analysis, published in journal JAMA Psychiatry, found frequent cannabis use by adolescents and young adults was associated with small reductions in cognitive function.
But the effects diminished when they stayed off the cannabis for three days.
MELANOMA
People who are married have a better chance of having a melanoma detected early, according to new research.
A study of 52,000 melanoma patients found marital status was associated with earlier detection of the deadly skin cancer.
Published in journal JAMA Dermatology, married patients diagnosed between 2010 and 2014 were more likely to present with early stage tumours than patients who were never married, divorced or widowed.
The authors conclude that the findings support a need for more frequent screening for unmarried patients.
NUTS
Eating nuts regularly helps to keep your heart in rhythm.
Research published in journal Heart this week shows several servings of nuts every week lowers the risk of developing atrial fibrillation, also known as heart flutter.
This level of consumption may also lessen the risk of developing heart failure, although the findings are less consistent, the research indicates.
Previous studies have suggested that eating nuts regularly is associated with a lower risk of heart disease and stroke but it's not clear which particular aspects of cardiovascular disease nut consumption may be linked to.
To explore this in more depth, researchers at the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden drew on the completed Food Frequency Questionnaire responses and lifestyle information from more than 61,000 45-83 year olds.
Their cardiovascular health was then tracked for 17 years (to the end of 2014) or until death, whichever came first.
After taking into account known risk factors including lifestyle, general diet, diabetes, and family history, nut consumption was associated with a lower risk of atrial fibrillation.
The more often nuts were included in the diet, the lower was the associated risk.
According to the findings, eating nuts once or twice a week was linked to a three per cent lower risk of atrial fibrillation, while three or more serves of nuts was associated with an 18 per cent reduced risk.
Nuts are a rich source of healthy fats, minerals, and antioxidants, all of which may aid cardiovascular health, explain the authors.
"Since only a small proportion of this population had moderate (about 5 per cent) or high (less than two per cent) nut consumption, even a small increase in nut consumption may have large potential to lead to a reduction in incidence of atrial fibrillation and heart failure in this population," the authors wrote.
