Soon,
blood test to predict suicide risk
Researchers
have discovered a series of RNA biomarkers in blood that may help identify
people who are at risk for committing suicide. The researchers said the
biomarkers were found at significantly higher levels in the blood of both
bipolar disorder patients with thoughts of suicide as well in a group of people
who had committed suicide.
Niculescu,
director of the Laboratory of Neurophenomics at the Institute of Psychiatric
Research at the IU School of Medicine, said that suicide is a big problem in
psychiatry. It`s a big problem in the civilian realm, it`s a big problem in the
military realm and there are no objective markers.
He said that there are people who will not reveal they are having suicidal thoughts when you ask them, who then commit it and there`s nothing you can do about it and better ways are needed to identify, intervene and prevent these tragic cases. Over a three-year period, Niculescu and his colleagues followed a large group of patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder, completing interviews and taking blood samples every three to six months.
He said that there are people who will not reveal they are having suicidal thoughts when you ask them, who then commit it and there`s nothing you can do about it and better ways are needed to identify, intervene and prevent these tragic cases. Over a three-year period, Niculescu and his colleagues followed a large group of patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder, completing interviews and taking blood samples every three to six months.
The
researchers conducted a variety of analyses of the blood of a subset of
participants who reported a dramatic shift from no suicidal thoughts to strong
suicidal ideation.
They identified differences in gene expression between the "low" and "high" states of suicidal thoughts and subjected those findings to a system of genetic and genomic analysis called Convergent Functional Genomics that identified and prioritized the best markers by cross-validation with other lines of evidence.
They identified differences in gene expression between the "low" and "high" states of suicidal thoughts and subjected those findings to a system of genetic and genomic analysis called Convergent Functional Genomics that identified and prioritized the best markers by cross-validation with other lines of evidence.
The
researchers found that the marker SAT1 and a series of other markers provided
the strongest biological "signal" associated with suicidal thoughts.
Next,
to validate their findings, working with the local coroner`s office, they
analyzed blood samples from suicide victims and found that some of same top
markers were significantly elevated.
Finally, the researchers analyzed blood test results from two additional groups of patients and found that high blood levels of the biomarkers were correlated with future suicide-related hospitalizations, as well as hospitalizations that had occurred before the blood tests. Niculescu said that this suggests that these markers reflect more than just a current state of high risk, but could be trait markers that correlate with long term risk.
Finally, the researchers analyzed blood test results from two additional groups of patients and found that high blood levels of the biomarkers were correlated with future suicide-related hospitalizations, as well as hospitalizations that had occurred before the blood tests. Niculescu said that this suggests that these markers reflect more than just a current state of high risk, but could be trait markers that correlate with long term risk.
The
study has been published in the advance online edition of the Nature Publishing
Group journal Molecular Psychiatry.
21.08.2013
About
83 pc diseases in Mumbai are water-borne: Survey
Mumbai:
With monsoon at its peak, water contamination is the biggest issue for
households as nearly 83 per cent diseases are in the city being water borne,
according to a survey.
"Due to increasing levels of water contamination, five out of every 10 respondents surveyed had someone in their family and friends falling sick in the last one year. Water borne diseases, a critical cause of concern across cities, have accounted for nearly 83 per cent of all diseases severely affecting people`s health in Mumbai," the Eureka Forbes-GFK survey said.
To understand the impact of water contamination and key issues with drinking water in India and Mumbai, Eureka Forbes and GFK conducted the survey in Mumbai interviewing 596 households.
"Due to increasing levels of water contamination, five out of every 10 respondents surveyed had someone in their family and friends falling sick in the last one year. Water borne diseases, a critical cause of concern across cities, have accounted for nearly 83 per cent of all diseases severely affecting people`s health in Mumbai," the Eureka Forbes-GFK survey said.
To understand the impact of water contamination and key issues with drinking water in India and Mumbai, Eureka Forbes and GFK conducted the survey in Mumbai interviewing 596 households.
The survey found that water contamination is the biggest issue for more than 77 per cent households in Mumbai.
Incidences of deadly waterborne diseases like cholera, jaundice, typhoid, diarrhoea as well as common cold, cough and fever were higher among people accounting about 83 per cent in Mumbai compared to malaria, dengue and other diseases, it said.
A significant 49 per cent respondents have attributed unhealthy drinking water as the main cause for the diseases in their families.
21.08.2013
Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.
Nothing can be done without hope and confidence
Nothing can be done without hope and confidence
Helen Keller
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