Health - Sciencenorway.no

Why do so many people have chronic fatigue

In numerous diseases, such as celiac disease and psoriasis, chronic fatigue is actually the biggest problem. But what actually causes it? Professor Roald Omdal believes the fatigue response is an ancient biological protection mechanism.

Too much espresso increases cholesterol - especially if you are a man

If you average more than two espressos a day, you might want to start thinking about filtered options, say the researchers behind a new study.

Patients are being forced to take regular breaks from effective migraine medicine. But how do these expensive injections really work?

Forty years ago, researchers discovered a protein that dilated blood vessels in the brain. It led to a whole new type of migraine medicine.

Norwegian health director to parents: “Do not use a screen as a babysitter”

The Norwegian Directorate of Health advices that children under the age of two should be kept away from screens, and that those up to the age of five should have a maximum of one hour of screen time a day.

Many dead people have alcohol in their blood even though they didn't drink before dying

But where does the alcohol come from?

Risk of autism seven times higher in Norwegian children with immigrant mothers

A study was conducted after health professionals started noticing a concerning pattern.

Alcohol doesn’t prevent heart disease

Numerous studies show that people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol have the lowest risk of heart disease. But according to a new study on Norwegian twins, alcohol is not the protective factor.

Hugs are back in Norway

As Norwegians get back to hugging, the numbers of deaths due to Covid are also at peak. Why does one researcher say that this is completely fine?

Do we have bacteria that live in our blood?

Most people have heard of intestinal flora. But now researchers are wondering: Can bacterial communities also exist in blood?

Nordic study confirms rare side effect from Covid vaccination in young men

Young men have a higher risk of myocarditis – inflammation of the heart muscle – after a second dose of an mRNA vaccine, according to a recently published study.

This is how forensic toxicologists revealed yew as the cause of a mysterious death

In order to determine the cause of death, they collected twigs and bark from their own gardens.

Why didn't our ancient ancestors get cavities?

ASK A RESEARCHER: People used to not have cavities. So why do we get them today?

Are repeated attacks from the mono-virus making MS-patients sicker?

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disorder in which most patients experience periodic worsening of their symptoms. A Norwegian professor suggests that recurrent flareups of the virus that causes mononucleosis could be a driver of MS.

People who remained sick long after their COVID-19 infection often had alterations in their intestinal bacteria

Some COVID patients still had poor lung function three months after admission to Norwegian hospitals. These patients also had alterations in their intestinal flora and possible evidence of a leaky gut, a new study shows.

Struggling with debt you are unable to handle leads to poor mental health

Norwegians are one of the world's most indebted people, and now interest rates are rising. Researchers warn that problems with debt leads to poor mental health.

This bleached patch in your underwear is completely normal

And it means your vagina is healthy - vaginal discharge keeps infections away.

What is going on in the bodies of ME/CFS patients?

Chronic fatigue syndrome remains a mystery. Many factors likely contribute to triggering and maintaining the problem. Here we take a closer look at what recent research has found out about biological differences between healthy people and ME/CFS patients.

What are you willing to do to make your brain healthier?

If you think sleep is the key to keeping your brain healthy, a new study may surprise you.

What should you do in the event of a nuclear disaster?

An atomic bomb explodes, or there is a meltdown in a nuclear reactor. What is it that actually harms people? And why should you stay inside for exactly two days?

Here’s why children and young people should take iodine in the event of a nuclear accident

But it will hardly be needed in the event of a nuclear accident in the Ukraine, says Ingrid Dypvik Landmark, from the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority.

Children may be vaccinated against type 1 diabetes in a few years

Type 1 diabetes may be triggered by viruses according to researchers at the University of Oslo. If their findings are supported by further research, this could lead to new ways of preventing diabetes, such as vaccination.

You may have celiac disease without knowing it

Reseachers have found that at least four times as many as those who have been diagnosed with celiac disease have it. Doctors and the public need to be more aware of the vaguer symptoms of this disease, they say.

What gives sick people hope?

When patients were asked where they find hope and strength, their answers surprised researchers.

Hard exercise and sleep deprivation could be bad news for the heart

Young men trained intensively with and without curtailed sleep. A new study shows that with too little sleep, they secreted more of a substance that is a biomarker for potential future heart disease. But the study has major weaknesses, says researcher Stein Ørn.

Controversial ME/CFS study was ethically approved. Then stopped. And now approved once more.

The study aims to test how an intensive psychological course works for ME patients. Approval is contingent on the PhD candidate’s conflict of interest being clearly mentioned. The Norwegian ME Association may appeal the approval.

One in five new mothers was treated disrespectfully while giving birth during the pandemic

“I think it’s sad if one in five women is left with the feeling of not being treated with respect and dignity,” said one of the researchers behind the study.

One third of new mothers had symptoms of depression during the pandemic

Every third mother who gave birth during the pandemic experienced symptoms of depression, according to a large Norwegian study. Ten years ago, the same was true for every tenth mother of an infant.

Even successful studies show how poorly dieting works

OPINION: Many people manage to lose weight, commentators and experts agree. But research still shows that lifestyle interventions don’t work well against obesity.

New treatment: Vaccines against hay fever could be injected directly into your tonsils

The new method is still in its early stages, but the results are promising. “We’re obviously onto something here,” says Norwegian researcher.

Do glasses and sunglasses protect against Covid? Norwegian researchers are going to find out.

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health are currently looking for people to join their study of glasses as protection against being infected with Covid.

New vaccine to tackle both the flu and Covid in one shot

Norwegian researchers are developing a classic seasonal vaccine against the flu and Covid, which they claim will give much better protection than what current vaccines have to offer.

Twin study: Genes explain only a third of our psychological resilience

A new, Norwegian twin study reveals that people who think life is meaningful, are physically active and have good relationships with their loved ones, are far better equipped to cope with stress.

How likely is it that food can give you an autoimmune disease like diabetes, celiac disease or arthritis?

One popular explanation as to why there’s been a sharp increase in autoimmune diseases is changes in our diet. But diet is only one of many factors that can be important, according to a Norwegian researcher.

Sex toys, multiple partners, anal sex or BDSM? New study reveals Norwegian sex habits

61 per cent of Norwegians have had the same experimental sexual experience.

Pregnant women hesitated to get vaccinated, that may have led to them falling seriously ill with Covid

A lack of demands to include pregnant women in the early stages of drug development may have contributed to unclear advice and vaccine hesitancy.

Norwegian study confirms that Omicron gives a lower risk of hospitalization

People infected with Omicron have a 73 per cent lower risk of ending up in hospital compared to those who are infected with the Delta variant, according to a new study from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

One in five people who die of cancer are obese. Now researchers can tell us more about why.

Abundant fat substances make cancer cells more aggressive and more capable of forming tumours, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Bergen.

Fat shaming makes people gain more weight

People are not motivated to lose weight if they are told they are fat. They just get fatter. This is the most important message that the television personality Ronny Brede Aase hopes people are left with after having seen the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation’s (NRK) series "A fat life".

Mild long-term effects of Covid last longer among the youngest children

A new Norwegian study finds that children aged 1-5 visited their doctor more often due to long term effects of covid compared to to older children.

New study on Long Covid: Brain fog, poor memory and shortness of breath one year after infection

Norwegian study of unvaccinated Covid patients finds two clusters of symptoms that persist after one year. Long Covid is perhaps not one syndrome, the researchers suggest.

Vaccinated people seldom end up in intensive care due to Covid

Nearly 350 000 people were infected with Covid in Norway in 2021. But only 30 vaccinated and otherwise healthy people have ended up in intensive care with Covid since December 2020. “The vaccines give an incredible protection”, says chief physician.

Tinnitus affects women more severely than men

More men than women are affected by ear buzz, but the consequences are greater for women. Women also have a higher risk of severe hereditary tinnitus, according to a research project.

First patient injected with Norwegian T-cell vaccine against Covid

A jab of a Norwegian T-cell vaccine created by Nykode Therapeutics has been given to the first human to participate in a clinical trial of the vaccine.

Our lung capacity has gotten a lot better

Norwegian researchers and thousands of residents in the county of Trøndelag have taken part in a study that shows how year after year —ever since the end of the 19th century — our lungs work better and better.

Patients who lost their sense of smell after Covid-19 are queuing up for help

Desperate patients who cannot smell their baby or think shampoo smells like sewage are queuing up for help from smell and taste specialist Preet Bano Singh at the University of Oslo. She is the only doctor in the country who offers qualified treatment.

He knows where the voices in your head are from — and maybe he can stop them

Kenneth Hugdahl has found out where the voices in your head come from. Now he hopes that it will be possible to turn off the switch.

Norwegian study finds that Covid vaccines may affect menstruation

There has been an increase in menstrual irregularities for young women after receiving their Covid vaccine, according to a large population study done by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

Mild Covid disease gave almost year-long protection, according to Norwegian study

94 per cent of participants in a not yet published study had good amounts of antibodies in their blood up until a year after infection.

Can you catch Covid from Christmas presents?

ASK A RESEARCHER: Can you get infected by the coronavirus by opening a present wrapped by somebody who has Covid-19?

Oslo Christmas party outbreak: Most of the non-infected were vaccinated with Moderna

New study finds that a larger share of the non-infected at that infamous Christmas party were vaccinated with Moderna, compared to Pfizer. The data are not sufficient to conclude that one vaccine protects better against Omicron than others.

Nine reasons why immigrants in Norway were hit harder by Covid-19

Among the reasons listed in a new report are language barriers as well as delayed isolation, tracing and quarantining.

Norwegian researchers hope to be the first to figure out Omicron – collecting biological samples from infected people in their spare time

Established Norwegian covid-studies have allowed for a rapid in-depth Omicron study which is already well on the way.

Not a single person has been hospitalized after massive Oslo Christmas party Omicron outbreak

Most of the 145 infected people are now well again, says infection controller.

At least 140 people were infected with Covid-19 after Christmas party in Oslo

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) have released preliminary findings of their investigations into an Oslo Christmas party which caused widespread Covid infections. It is assumed that most of the 140 confirmed cases are infected with Omicron.

What does it actually mean to be asexual?

ASK A RESEARCHER: The answer is not as simple as researchers previously thought.

Patient activism is not behind the British guidelines for CFS/ME

OPINION: The patients, like NICE, want scientific, rigorous research.

People often have mysterious dreams before they die

Many people experience characteristic dreams and visions in the weeks and days before life ends. It is high time we recognize the importance of such experiences, says one researcher. Several Norwegian researchers agree.

The British guideline for CFS/ME is the result of activism, not research

OPINION: Unfortunately, the recommendations made in the new NICE guidelines for chronic fatigue were not based on the published research. This means that the Norwegian Directorate of Health can be confident in ignoring their suggestions.

Vaccine researcher: “Menstrual changes are probably related to the vaccine”

The number of women reporting irregularities in their periods as a side effect make it difficult to find any other explanation than the covid vaccine, according to Norwegian researcher Gunnveig Grødeland.

Adolescents living with pain experience more stress in everyday life

Norwegian researchers have looked more closely at young people's own experiences with pain.

Subgroup of psychotic patients at high risk of becoming violent, researchers believe

In the aftermath of murder and violence, a perpetrator’s mental state – whether they are psychotic or have psychopathic traits – is commonly discussed. New Norwegian brain research may indicate that both are sometimes at play.

Less happy with life during the pandemic

One year after the pandemic broke out in Norway, a Statistics Norway survey reveals that almost one in three respondents reported that they were unhappy with life. This is an increase from the previous year.

In times of crisis people usually postpone having children – but in Norway, the pandemic resulted in a baby boom

The Norwegian trend completely breaks with the researchers' theory and diverges from most other countries in Europe.

More caution about tongue-tie division urged by researchers

Can tongue-tie lead to breastfeeding problems? Researchers don’t agree on the answer. Some of them urge healthcare professionals to be careful with the surgical approach.

Can psychopaths be helped after all?

After having worked with them for several years, a Norwegian psychologist specialist believes they can. This goes against the prevailing attitude of many of her colleagues.

People with fibromyalgia often feel that people don’t believe them

Every second fibromyalgia patient is afraid to seek help, a new Swedish study shows.

Soon these will be more popular with young people than birth control pills

The contraceptive implant and IUD are safer because they don’t pose a risk of blood clots like the birth control pill.

Tumours in breasts with dense tissue are more difficult to detect. Artificial intelligence can simplify the job, a new study shows.

The new study is based on screening using an MRI. But women with dense breast tissue who are covered by the Norwegian mammography programme are not offered this type of screening.

Girls exposed to second-hand smoke have increased risk of breast cancer as adults