16/08/2016 - Press release
An international project, The Exome Aggregation Consortium (ExAC), involving researchers from the IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute) as the only Spanish participant, has analysed the DNA that encodes proteins in 60,706 individuals from different ethnic groups and has presented the international scientific community with a catalogue that contains the mutations identified, their frequency and their arrangement on the DNA.The study has been published in the journal Nature and involved the analysis of ten times more individuals than in any previous study. DNA is the molecule within our cells that contains the information for making proteins, in the form of a sequence of four letters or bases [adenine (A), guanine (G ), thymine (T) and cytosine (C)]. In recent years we have developed technologies to sequence, i.e., read the order of these bases in a person's DNA. Changing one of these bases can sometimes alter the protein that the cell makes and lead to illness. For this reason, it is important to know what the normal sequence of bases in DNA is, the frequency of mutations (changes in the sequence of these bases), and where these changes take place, by making a catalogue and map of DNA mutations in humans.
26/06/2016 - Institutional news
Among the findings, published in the journal eLife, the research has revealed that in South Korea and Iran, where people have shown significant height increases over the last 100 years, Iranian men are now an average of 16.5 cm taller, and South Korean women have increased their height by about 20.2 cm. The study involved the IMIM's Cardiovascular epidemiology and genetics research group that has contributed with 11,000 people from the database of the REGICOR Project and the Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology of Cancer research group
Més informació "IMIM involved in a study of the evolution of global heights over the last 100 years"
06/07/2016 - Press release
ICS Girona primary healthcare is carrying out a cardiovascular risk self-screening study (ACRISC), in which a thousand people are participating, for the self-management of cardiovascular disease risk. Through software developed specifically for this project, the users take part in the collection and processing of their health data (e.g., blood pressure, lipid profile, weight, and eating habits) and the system, based on the principles of empowerment and interactivity, offers each person tailor-made recommendations, particularly with regard to their diet and physical activity. The study is a collaboration between the Mar Institute of Medical Research (IMIM), the Primary Healthcare Research Support Unit in Girona (IDIAP Jordi Gol) and the Institute of Biomedical Research in Girona (IdIBGi). The first patients, who have been taking part since March and who are aged between 35 and 74, are from the EAP Montilivi and it is expected that they will soon be joined by further participants from the EAP Celrà, to provide profiles of both urban and rural populations.
Més informació "System developed for self-management of cardiovascular risk"
11/02/2016 - Press release
People with anxiety disorders have an increased risk of suffering chronic diseases such as heart disease, chronic pain, and peptic ulcers. This is one of the conclusions of a new study published in JAMA Psychiatry, led by the University of Otago (New Zealand) and involving Dr Jordi Alonso, director of the Epidemiology and Public Health programme at the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM) and a CIBERESP researcher. The study found that all kinds of mental health disorders, related to mood, anxiety, and impulse control, as well as substance use disorders, are associated with an increased risk of a wide range of chronic physical diseases. The researchers studied the relationship between mental disorders and ten diseases: arthritis, chronic pain, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, asthma, chronic lung disease, peptic ulcers, and cancer.
27/01/2016 - Press release
According to an epidemiological study carried out by researchers at the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), increasing the money you spend on food is linked to a better quality diet, particularly increased consumption of fruit and vegetables, leading to a healthier weight and decreased risk of cardiometabolic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular problems. The researchers monitored a group of 2181 Spanish men and women aged 25 to 74, all part of the REGICOR (Registre Gironí del Cor) programme, for a period of ten years. They measured their height and weight, and recorded dietary data obtained from a scientifically validated food frequency questionnaire. The average food cost was calculated using official government data.
Més informació "Spending more on food is associated with a healthier diet and weight"
07/09/2015 - Press release
The CARDIoGRAMplusC4D Consortium, an international project in which researchers from theIMIM (Hospital del Mar Medial Research Institute) participated as the only Spanish participants, has identified 58 DNA loci or regions, 10 of which are new, linked to the risk of experiencing an ischemic heart disease. These 58 loci, besides confirming the relevance of controlling cholesterol levels and inflammation, identify in a novel way the relevance of the functioning of the arterial wall in the origin of this disease. The study is published in the prestigious journal Nature Genetics and is the first to have systematically analysed 2.7 million rare genetic characteristics. Ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of death in industrialised countries and can appear as an angina pectoris, a myocardial infarction and, sometimes, as sudden death. It is known that genetic factors account for 40 to 50% of the risk of suffering the disease, and this explains why great efforts are being invested to identify the genetic characteristics associated to this pathology, after 48 genetic characteristics have been identified in previous studies, some of which by this same research group.
Més informació "New clues on the genetic basis of myocardial infarction"
20/11/2012 - Press release
Exposure to dioxins during pregnancy is associated with endocrine-disrupting effects in male infants. Genitalia distances that normally are longer in males than females, were reduced among male newborns whose mothers had higher exposure to dioxins. This is revealed in a study of 700 pregnant women and newborns from Greece and Spain.
23/10/2012 - Press release
Intake of foods high in acrylamide during pregnancy is associated with lower birth weight and smaller head circumference. This was revealed in an international study of the diet of 1,100 pregnant women and newborns from Denmark, England, Greece, Norway and Spain in which IMIM has participated.
15/03/2012 - General information
The European project EU contributions to the World Mental Health Survey Initiative (EU-WMH, 2009-2011) coordinated by Jordi Alonso, started with the goal of estimating the frequency, distribution and consequences of mental disorders in Europe, while increasing awareness and strengthening existing public initiatives on mental health in the fields of research and politics.
Més informació "Mental health in Europe: results of the European EU-WMH project"
14/03/2012 - Press release
A study lead by the IMIM (Hospital del Mar Research Institute) and the Barcelona Public Health Agency (ASPB) has shown that the level of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in blood has dropped significantly in the inhabitants of Barcelona between the years 2002 and 2006. It is the first time that the temporary evolution of the concentration of persistent organic pollutants in humans is studied with a representative sample and using the same method.
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