NEW STUDY. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an independent risk factor for serious infection, even at very low levels of gastrointestinal inflammation. This has been shown by a study at the University of Gothenburg. IBD is an umbrella term for chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, with a population prevalence of around 0.5%. The main types of IBD are ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Unlike irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), IBD results in…
Low-grade intestinal inflammation a long time after radiotherapy
NEW STUDY. Patients who have undergone pelvic radiotherapy may live with low-grade chronic inflammation of the lower intestine at least 20 years after their cancer treatment. This has been shown in a new study by researchers at the University of Gothenburg. Radiotherapy is often necessary to cure or slow down a cancer. Even though today’s radiotherapies feature a high level of precision, healthy tissue in and around the radiation field…
Obesity particularly hard on people with bipolar disorders
NEW STUDY. The obesity pandemic is particularly hard on people with bipolar disorders. This has been shown in a study conducted at the University of Gothenburg. The results suggest that the group of adults with bipolar disorders will fall behind in life expectancy compared with the general population. It is already known that adults with bipolar disorders are also more prone to obesity. The current study, published in the American…
Older people may have glaucoma without realizing it
NEW STUDY. It can be hard to know that you have glaucoma. In a study carried out at the University of Gothenburg, almost five percent of 70-year-olds were found to have glaucoma, and half of those diagnosed were unaware that they had the disease. Glaucoma is a common eye disease that damages the optic nerve and thereby the field of vision. In the most serious cases, glaucoma can lead to…
Severe COVID-19 twice as common among bus drivers
NEW STUDY. Bus drivers were at double the risk of being hospitalised for severe COVID-19 in the later stages of the pandemic, and several occupations in education and healthcare were also at risk of serious illness. This has been shown by a study at the University of Gothenburg. The study is based on large amounts of data from several different registers, totalling 552,562 cases of confirmed COVID-19 infection and 5,985…