Health - Sciencenorway.no

Study on Lightning Process-course for CFS/ME patients raises controversy

“Our intent is simply to check whether the method works,” says NTNU project manager Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair. “A dangerous study,” says head physician Kristian Sommerfelt.

Pain after nerve damage can cause severe memory impairment

Many people with chronic pain from nerve damage have far poorer cognitive function than fibromyalgia patients and healthy individuals, according to a new study. The discovery is deemed important ground-breaking work.

Nurses from EU-countries were poorly prepared to work in Norway

Nurses from countries like Poland, Lithuania and Spain are unprepared for the expectations and the large amounts of responsibility that nurses have in Norway.

Pupils rarely transmitted COVID-19 to others, according to Norwegian study

Children in primary school very rarely pass the virus on to others, according to a new study from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

The first Covid-19 cases took infection prevention advice less seriously

SHARE YOUR SCIENCE: What are the differences between those who were first infected with COVID-19 and the rest of the population? If they had less respect for the virus or were less careful with limiting contagion, this may give us a clue as to how we should fight pandemics.

Can beta-glucans from the health food store become a weapon in the fight against cancer and deadly infections?

Forty years ago, two Norwegian professors saw cancerous tumours shrink and disappear. They saw laboratory animals survive deadly infections. And all because of a special substance found in nature. But the rest of the research community wasn’t that impressed. Why did this substance end up in health food stores, and never as a drug developed in Norway?

Child abuse went under the radar during the pandemic

Several studies show that fewer cases of child abuse were reported during the pandemic. 15 per cent of young people in Norway were hurt or abused when schools were closed during the lockdown.

Higher risk of bone fractures among vegans

People who strive to eat a 100 per cent plant-based diet have to familiarize themselves with the nutrient profile of foods and make nutritious choices, says Norwegian researcher.

Professor receives royal award for work on cancer vaccine

Professor Bjarne Bogen has received this year's King Olav V's Prize for Cancer Research for his contributions in the creation of a personalized cancer vaccine.

Sex, Covid and archaeology. Here’s what you enjoyed reading the most in 2020.

Health and archaeology are the clear winners in our list of top ten most read articles last year.

Your genes, not your blood type, are important in determining how you’ll respond to a COVID-19 infection

Ten minutes. That’s how long it took for a Norwegian billionaire to decide to fund a major international study on COVID-19. Now the research results are rolling in.

Quiet people suffer without being seen

A surprisingly large portion of the population may suffer from a personality disorder that very few have heard of.

Elderly patients in institutional care in Norway pleased with how society has tried to protect them against COVID-19

Protecting vulnerable elderly people is one of the primary purposes of Nowegian corona measures. A new Norwegian study has looked at how a group of elderly patients at a psychiatric nursing institution experienced the pandemic.

Economist: Vaccination most effective in areas with the fewest infections

We’ll get the greatest benefit from each vaccine dose if the vaccine is first given in areas with little infection, says researcher. Norway, for example, is in a far better situation than the United States to get the maximum utility from each vaccine dose.

Much lower use of antidepressants in Norway compared to the rest of Europe

“We have a more realistic view of what antidepressant drugs can actually do today”, says researcher.

Is it possible to train the immune system to help in the fight against COVID-19?

Many experts have stated that we can’t do anything to improve the immune system's ability to cope with COVID-19. But research actually shows that training an ancient part of the immune system is possible. Could this be useful in future pandemics?

Nine out of ten had eight different plasticizers in their urine, study finds

A number of different chemicals from food, cosmetics, shampoo and skin care products pass through our bodies daily, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health finds. Further analysis is needed to determine the potential health risk.

Norwegian Health officials are working around the clock to prepare for the COVID-19 vaccines

"But we can't approve vaccines based on press releases", says one official.

A mother’s postnatal depression can be passed on to the father

Depression before and after birth can be contagious. Particularly in relationships that experience a lot of uncertainties.

New Staphylococcus bacteria discovered in Norway

Researchers at the Arctic University of Norway UiT discovered the new species of bacteria by chance.

Overly enthusiastic 70-year olds messed up study on physical activity

The researchers wanted to find out if exercise prolongs life and protects against disease. But a disobedient control group gave them trouble. They exercised more than they were supposed to.

Nature or nurture? Here’s what researchers found out when they studied children with depression

Genes can affect the next generation through the environment the parents create, according to a large study of Norwegian families.

Risk of running out of ventilators for COVID-19 patients in Norway significantly reduced

The risk that Norway might need more than 500 ventilators for corona patients has been reduced from 99,5 per cent to 5,5 per cent, according to the most recent calculations from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, NIPH.

Violence and abuse in childhood linked to more stress hormones in pregnancy

New findings may help explain how the effects of traumatic events are passed on from one generation to the next. One psychologist says the findings are extremely interesting, but also very disturbing.

Fewer suicides during the first months of COVID-19 in Norway

Financial support packages and good mental health services may have made a difference, according to professor.

Taxi drivers and health workers are among the most exposed to the coronavirus

Bartenders, waiters, drivers, nurses and dentists. People with occupations that require contact with customers and patients are more exposed to the coronavirus.

What determines whether you have a good sex life as an older adult?

If you had an active sex life when you were young, the same will probably be true as you age.

Preliminary data suggest that cod liver oil users have lower risk of getting COVID-19

But is it because cod liver oil protects against COVID-19, or do those who take a daily dose have other lifestyle factors that lower their risk of infection?

The spread of the coronavirus can almost be stopped in eight weeks, one research group says

The researchers have calculated that strict measures coordinated by the WHO in a number of global hot spots, could reduce the spread of the virus by 90 per cent in eight weeks. Other experts question whether the strategy can actually be implemented in real life.

Why are fewer men becoming fathers than before?

One in five men haven’t had children of their own by the age of 50. Fewer and fewer men are becoming fathers. What’s happening to Norwegian men?

The French man who forgot about fruit shows us how the language we speak is pre-coded in our brains

SHARE YOUR SCIENCE: A dog is not an apple. And this is perhaps why one man after a stroke no longer knew what an apple was.

Brain researcher: It’s difficult to separate the physical and mental when it comes to our brains

Emotions, mental ailments, brain diseases: Everything happens in the brain. Technological advances have given us new perspectives on how the brain works, according to Norwegian brain researchers.

Norwegians almost three times as likely to suffer from symptoms of depression after the lockdown in March

As several countries in Europe prepare for new lockdowns, studies are emerging on the effects of the first wave.

The coronavirus spreads more in low temperatures

Reseachers at Nord University in Northern Norway have confirmed what other researchers have also found: The virus may spread more when the weather gets colder.

Surviving cancer in the Nordics: Norwegians with lung cancer live longer than in neighbouring countries, but are more likely to die from melanoma

While mortality due to melanoma has been stable in the rest of the Nordic countries, it has increased somewhat in Norway . “It’s important to go to the doctor early,” says Tom Børge Johannesen from the Cancer Registry of Norway.

Does smoking protect against the coronavirus? Nordic researchers aim to answer this question.

Early studies from China pointed toward a mysterious tobacco paradox. Smoking or nicotine seemed to protect against infection, and at the same time make those infected more ill. Nordic researchers are now going to solve this mystery.

Fibromyalgia: More men diagnosed with new critiera

Director of the Norwegian Fibromyalgia Association hopes the new criteria will make the disease a little more recognized among doctors.

90 per cent of Syrian refugees in Norway have had life-threatening experiences

Had been in life-threatening danger before they fled the country or during their attempts to reach safety, according to a new report.

New Norwegian biotechnology could pave the way for development of more efficient drugs

The now patented technology goes under the name “Super Albumin” and is based on the human protein albumin. 15 years of studying this substance may now yield concrete results.

Mercury, bloodletting and animals were weapons in the fight against the shameful epidemic of the 18th century

Sexually transmitted diseases spread through Norway in the 1700s. But was sex their only means of transmission?

This tiny sensor placed under the skin will measure the blood sugar levels of people with diabetes

The Norwegian sensor is to be coupled with Italian technology that administers insulin automatically. “If this is successful it will make life a lot easier for patients with diabetes”, says Norwegian doctor.

Smokers and people who are overweight should be among the first to get the COVID-19 vaccine, researchers believe

There is a strong and clear link between obesity and getting seriously ill from COVID-19. The same goes for smoking. A new Norwegian-British study confirms these links.

Epidurals do not in themselves improve birth experiences

OPINION: Epidurals may slow down a birth and are associated with lower levels of satisfaction with the birth experience. While sometimes necessary, we are skeptical of the extent to which they are offered and used.

Why do we condemn, blame and stigmatize people who have experienced something traumatic?

OPINION: Some trauma victims are met with negative social reactions when they tell others about what they have experienced. Why does this happen?

Norwegian COVID-19 patients: Physicians surprised by length of stay on ventilators

At the onset of the pandemic, Norway created a new coronavirus registry for patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Here’s what we know about them so far.

Menstrual capitalism: A lot of people profit from your monthly menstruation

SHARE YOUR SCIENCE: Menstruation presents an endlessly renewed commercial opportunity for period-product manufacturers, who are finding new ways to infiltrate wider markets in an era when taboos are being chipped away. But issues remain that products can’t solve.

A Norwegian's discovery paved the way for the coronavirus tests we use today

But the Nobel Prize went to an American who figured out how the discovery could be used.

Women are protected against cervical cancer 12 years after getting the HPV-vaccine, according to large Nordic study

The once controversial vaccine appears to have a much longer effect than what has been documented so far.

Here’s how more precise radiation can reduce side effects for cancer patients

Statisticians in Bergen have developed a more personalized approach to radiation therapy that over the long run will reduce side effects in cervical cancer, rectal cancer and prostate cancer.

Cheaper diet soda weakened sales of sugary soda

People choose diet soda over soda with sugar more often if the price is lower and diet soda is the most accessible, according to a new study. Marketing professor says stores will keep putting products with the highest profit margins in the best locations.

No, a woman’s hymen does not reveal whether she has had sexual intercourse or not

“When girls reach puberty, the hymen becomes very elastic and may not tear at all during first sexual intercourse,” says gynaecology researcher.

The COVID-19 pandemic may have caused more violence against women in Norway

A new report uncovers insufficient communication from the Norwegian authorities concerning support for women who are victims of domestic violence during the corona crisis.

90 per cent of those who died with COVID-19 in Norway also had a chronic disease

More than half of them had cardiovascular diseases, according to preliminary numbers from the first three months of the pandemic.

Norwegian girls are reaching puberty earlier

A study from Norway shows that the average age for girls to start puberty has decreased by almost 3 months over the last ten years. Researchers are concerned about the trend.

Not even a Nordic welfare system protects children from the effects of a tough childhood

Children who experience a high degree of adverse events had up to 4.5 times the risk of dying before they were 35 years old as compared to children with few or no challenges, according to a new study from Denmark.

Do men and women have different circadian rhythms?

New research may provide answers as to why some people tolerate being awake at night better than others.

Problems with vision after a stroke often overlooked

Changes in vision may be a symptom of stroke, but this isn’t common knowledge. Stroke sufferers say that their vision problems aren’t given much focus during treatment, a new Norwegian study shows.

Norwegian brain researcher: You don’t need to worry about getting Alzheimer's if you’re a little short on sleep

Sleep researchers regularly warn that poor or too little sleep can lead to Alzheimer's disease. But a group of Norwegian brain researchers who are behind a large research project haven’t found this connection.

Norwegian researchers are developing a new method for detecting breast cancer

Artificial intelligence can help speed the detection of breast cancer. Urgent examinations will be undertaken sooner.

Online therapy can help people with sleep problems

People who participated in digital sleep therapy used less sleep medication afterwards, according to a new Norwegian study.

Promising treatments for COVID-19 were reported early on. So why haven’t there been bigger breakthroughs?

The whole world is looking for solutions. But while vaccine researchers seem to be storming ahead, it’s been much more chaotic for researchers studying COVID-19 treatments.

Patients demand testing of three food additives

Several studies suggest that some additives can cause intestinal inflammation and worsen intestinal diseases. Now the Norwegian National Association against Digestive Diseases wants the Norwegian Food Safety Authority to encourage caution until there is documentation that the substances are safe.

Should you get the flu vaccine this year?

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health fears that vulnerable people may be affected by both influenza and COVID-19. They have ordered more than usual of this year's flu vaccine.

Norway has secured access to a COVID-19 vaccine. So what is it actually made of?

And what will it take for the vaccine from Oxford University and AstraZeneca to succeed?

Cardiologists sound the alarm about e-cigarettes

Young people who never smoked regular cigarettes are damaging their heart health when vaping, a group of cardiologists has warned. But tobacco researcher Karl Erik Lund believes the advantages of e-cigarettes outweigh their disadvantages.

Women who use anabolic steroids encounter masculinizing side effects

The steroids impact their self-esteem, sexuality and social lives, but some women also experience positive side effects.

Flawed experiment sends misleading message about corona-safe gyms

OPINION: Without the presence of coronavirus, the researchers’ hypothesis, that the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in training facilities with good hygiene and social distancing measures would be low, cannot be tested.

Is it possible to lose weight while building muscle?

ASK A RESEARCHER: Weight loss requires a dieter to run a calorie deficit. Muscle growth requires a calorie surplus. Still, it is possible to achieve both goals simultaneously, research suggests.

You can build strength without weights

Occlusion training is great for athletes who recover from injury, but it is not a very comfortable workout.

«Pandemics affect women and men differently»

The history of and experiences from previous pandemics give us important information about how to handle today’s corona pandemic.

The story of when Norway ran out of coronavirus tests, and a university started a factory to make them

The Nanoparticles had been under development for several years. The bureaucracy was on speed. The researchers were given everything they needed. And then they started a factory.

This method identified the sickest coronavirus patients best

Emergency rooms use different ways to determine which coronavirus patients will need intensive care the most. One method more accurately predicted which patients would be hardest hit, according to a new study.

When bathing was medicine:What can we learn from doctors who promoted sea bathing back in the day?

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, Norwegian doctors believed that salt stimulated the nerves and that cold water could boost a person’s metabolism.

A range of different COVID-19 vaccines are already being tested in humans. But how will the vaccines actually work?

SHARE YOUR SCIENCE: At least 200 different vaccines against COVID-19 are under development and more than 20 candidates are being tested on healthy individuals. This gives hope that one or more will give protective immunity. But how are the vaccines designed and are there any obstacles?

We need to talk more about how we want to die, says researcher