Health Research: Quality Control for portable, rapid, low-cost DNA sequencing ♦ Obesity more dangerous than lack of fitness ♦ Large proportion of IBS sufferers are vitamin D deficient

NanoOK: Quality Control for portable, rapid, low-cost DNA sequencing Scientists have been putting Oxford Nanopore's MinION sequencer through its paces with an open-source, sequence alignment-based genome analysis tool called 'NanoOK.'

Email between patients, physicians improves health A third of patients with chronic conditions who exchanged secure emails with their doctors said that these communications improved their overall health.

Large proportion of IBS sufferers are vitamin D deficient A large proportion of people living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) are vitamin D deficient, a new study has found. The British study, which is the first of its kind, found that out of 51 IBS patients tested 82 per cent exhibited insufficient vitamin D levels.

Obesity more dangerous than lack of fitness A new study has dismissed the concept of 'fat but fit.' In contrast, the results from the new study suggest that the protective effects of high fitness against early death are reduced in obese people.

Cancer Research: Diabetes linked to advanced stage breast cancer ♦ Promising drug for treating leukemia ♦ Fitness level lower risk of some cancers

Women with diabetes more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stage breast cancer  Diabetes is associated with more advanced stage breast cancer.A new study that confirms a strong link between diabetes and later stage breast cancer. Continue Reading

Promising drug a 'new paradigm' for treating leukemia  A compound that delays leukemia in mice and effectively kills leukemia cells in human tissue samples has been developed by researchers, raising hopes that the drug could lead to improved treatments in people. Continue Reading

Blood test can help some bowel cancer patients avoid unnecessary drug side-effects Researchers have provided early evidence to suggest that a blood test could be used to identify bowel cancer patients that may benefit from more intensive chemotherapy Continue Reading

Fitness level associated with lower risk of some cancers, death in men  Men with a high fitness level in midlife appear to be at lower risk for lung and colorectal cancer, but not prostate cancer, and that higher fitness level also may put them at lower risk of death if they are diagnosed with cancer when they're older. Continue Reading