There are two forms of inflammatory bowel disease: ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Researchers have now concluded that 95% of people diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a delicate spot in their DNA that causes inflammation in bowels.&nbsp;

<h2>The root cause of the disease&nbsp;</h2>

Scientists at the Francis Crick Institute and University College London&nbsp; performed a study to understand the reason behind inflammatory bowel disease.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mexican-man-dies-in-first-known-human-case-of-h5n2-bird-flu-729211">Mexican man dies in first known human case of H5N2 bird flu</a>

It is common knowledge that the body's natural defence against diseases results in inflammation. Researchers concluded that IBD impacts the white blood cells, and when they release chemicals such as cytokines in the intestine to defend against the disease, it results in inflammation in the intestine. &nbsp;

After studying the genetic composition of people who are suffering from IBD, it was concluded that a particular DNA was present across all of them that was causing the inflammation. It was also observed that certain people were at risk of developing the disease because they were born with the DNA that regulated the release of macrophages.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Boeing's Starliner launches its first crew to space

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/boeings-starliner-launches-its-first-crew-to-space-729236/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<h2>Treatment&nbsp;</h2>

After successfully diagnosing the root cause of the disease scientists are now looking for treatment methods.

It is said that there are existing drugs that can help combat the problem but they need to figure out a way that doesn't cause side effects to other parts of the body and only attacks the macrophages.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/researchers-say-internet-addiction-can-lead-to-altered-neural-activity-in-adolescents-728978">Researchers say internet addiction can lead to altered neural activity in adolescents</a>.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Ruth Wakeman, from the charity Crohn's &amp; Colitis UK, told the BBC, "Crohn's and colitis are complex, lifelong conditions for which there is no cure, but research like this is helping us to answer some of the big questions about what causes them,"

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

There are two forms of inflammatory bowel disease: ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Researchers have now concluded that 95% of people diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a delicate spot in their DNA that causes inflammation in bowels.

There are two forms of inflammatory bowel disease: ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Researchers have now concluded that 95% of people diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a delicate spot in their DNA that causes inflammation in bowels. The root cause of the disease Scientists at the Francis Crick Institute and University College London performed a study to understand the reason behind inflammatory bowel disease. Also read | Mexican man dies in first known human case of H5N2 bird flu It is common knowledge that the body's natural defence against diseases results in inflammation. Researchers concluded that IBD impacts the white blood cells, and when they release chemicals such as cytokines in the intestine to defend against the disease, it results in inflammation in the intestine. After studying the genetic composition of people who are suffering from IBD, it was concluded that a particular DNA was present across all of them that was causing the inflammation. It was also observed that certain people were at risk of developing the disease because they were born with the DNA that regulated the release of macrophages. Watch | Boeing's Starliner launches its first crew to space Treatment After successfully diagnosing the root cause of the disease scientists are now looking for treatment methods. It is said that there are existing drugs that can help combat the problem but they need to figure out a way that doesn't cause side effects to other parts of the body and only attacks the macrophages. Also read | Researchers say internet addiction can lead to altered neural activity in adolescents. Ruth Wakeman, from the charity Crohn's & Colitis UK, told the BBC, "Crohn's and colitis are complex, lifelong conditions for which there is no cure, but research like this is helping us to answer some of the big questions about what causes them," (With inputs from agencies)

Inflammatory bowel disease: Researchers now know the cause and it's in your DNA

Havana Syndrome has emerged as a new topic of concern in the US.&nbsp;

Officially called "anomalous health incidents", the Federal Bureau of Investigation has termed the syndrome as a top priority and said that they will continue to look for the cause behind it.&nbsp;

“The issue of anomalous health incidents is a top priority for the FBI, as the protection, health and well-being of our employees and colleagues across the federal government is paramount,” the FBI said in a statement.

It further stated that it would keep working with the intelligence community to “identify the cause of these incidents and determine how we can best protect our personnel.”

The FBI for the first time acknowledged that some of its agents may have suffered from symptoms of this mysterious syndrome.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/havana-syndrome-strikes-again-what-is-it-exactly-408221">Also read |&nbsp;Havana Syndrome strikes again? What is it exactly?</a>

Not just the FBI but US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has pledged to get to the bottom of this syndrome. There are suspicions that the mysterious illness plaguing US diplomats the world over could be caused by Russian microwave attacks.

"All of us in the US government, and especially we at the State Department, are intently focused on getting to the bottom of what and who is causing these incidents, caring for those who've been affected, and protecting our people," Blinken said.

Lawyer Mark Zaid, who represents Havana Syndrome victims, said that the FBI has “been less than helpful, particularly by claiming victims are suffering psychosomatic symptoms even though they never interviewed the individuals…I suspect that is about to change.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/havana-syndrome-blinken-vows-to-solve-mystery-of-illness-affecting-us-diplomats-427052">Also read |&nbsp;Havana Syndrome: Blinken vows to solve mystery of illness affecting US diplomats</a>

The first case of the mysterious syndrome emerged in 2016 when a US intelligence agent in the US embassy in Havana complained of vertigo, ear pain, tinnitus. As per a report in Politico, the doctor said that the agent had inner-ear damage likely caused due to projected energy device.

Since then the number of US officials in the diplomatic and intelligence corps reporting similar experiences in countries including China, Austria, Colombia and Russia, has risen to the low hundreds.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Havana Syndrome has emerged as a new topic of concern in the US. Officially called "anomalous health incidents", the Federal Bureau of Investigation has termed the syndrome as a top priority and said that they will continue to look for the cause behind it.

Havana Syndrome has emerged as a new topic of concern in the US. Officially called "anomalous health incidents", the Federal Bureau of Investigation has termed the syndrome as a top priority and said that they will continue to look for the cause behind it. “The issue of anomalous health incidents is a top priority for the FBI, as the protection, health and well-being of our employees and colleagues across the federal government is paramount,” the FBI said in a statement. It further stated that it would keep working with the intelligence community to “identify the cause of these incidents and determine how we can best protect our personnel.” The FBI for the first time acknowledged that some of its agents may have suffered from symptoms of this mysterious syndrome. Also read | Havana Syndrome strikes again? What is it exactly? Not just the FBI but US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has pledged to get to the bottom of this syndrome. There are suspicions that the mysterious illness plaguing US diplomats the world over could be caused by Russian microwave attacks. "All of us in the US government, and especially we at the State Department, are intently focused on getting to the bottom of what and who is causing these incidents, caring for those who've been affected, and protecting our people," Blinken said. Lawyer Mark Zaid, who represents Havana Syndrome victims, said that the FBI has “been less than helpful, particularly by claiming victims are suffering psychosomatic symptoms even though they never interviewed the individuals…I suspect that is about to change.” Also read | Havana Syndrome: Blinken vows to solve mystery of illness affecting US diplomats The first case of the mysterious syndrome emerged in 2016 when a US intelligence agent in the US embassy in Havana complained of vertigo, ear pain, tinnitus. As per a report in Politico, the doctor said that the agent had inner-ear damage likely caused due to projected energy device. Since then the number of US officials in the diplomatic and intelligence corps reporting similar experiences in countries including China, Austria, Colombia and Russia, has risen to the low hundreds. (With inputs from agencies)

Havana Syndrome: FBI makes it a top priority, will continue to 'identify the cause'

As per a new study, the ongoing pandemic has caused the biggest decrease in life expectancy in western Europe since the second world war.

Data from most of the 29 countries, mostly from Europe, the US and Chile, was analysed by scientists. It recorded reductions in life expectancy last year and at a scale that wiped out years of progress.

The data reveals that the biggest declines in life expectancy were among males in the US, with a decline of 2.2 years relative to 2019 levels, followed by Lithuanian males.

Dr José Manuel Aburto, a co-lead author of the study, was quoted by The Guardian as saying, "For western European countries such as Spain, England and Wales, Italy, Belgium, among others, the last time such large magnitudes of declines in life expectancy at birth were observed in a single year was during the second world war.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kremlin-releases-photos-of-vladimir-putin-hiking-and-fishing-in-siberia-416191">Also read |&nbsp;Kremlin releases photos of Vladimir Putin hiking and fishing in Siberia</a>

The findings were concluded after an analysis of the 29 countries for which official death registrations for last year had been published.&nbsp;

A total of 27 experienced reductions in life expectancy.

Meanwhile, the Office for National Statistics estimated that life expectancy for men in the UK had fallen for the first time in 40 years.&nbsp;

A boy born between 2018 and 2020 is expected to live until he is 79, down from 79.2 for the period of 2015-17.

As per the report, males experienced larger life expectancy declines than females across most of the 29 countries. These reductions across different countries were attributable to deaths caused by COVID-19.

As per a new study, the ongoing pandemic has caused the biggest decrease in life expectancy in western Europe since the second world war. Data from most of the 29 countries, mostly from Europe, the US and Chile, was analysed by scientists.

As per a new study, the ongoing pandemic has caused the biggest decrease in life expectancy in western Europe since the second world war. Data from most of the 29 countries, mostly from Europe, the US and Chile, was analysed by scientists. It recorded reductions in life expectancy last year and at a scale that wiped out years of progress. The data reveals that the biggest declines in life expectancy were among males in the US, with a decline of 2.2 years relative to 2019 levels, followed by Lithuanian males. Dr José Manuel Aburto, a co-lead author of the study, was quoted by The Guardian as saying, "For western European countries such as Spain, England and Wales, Italy, Belgium, among others, the last time such large magnitudes of declines in life expectancy at birth were observed in a single year was during the second world war.” Also read | Kremlin releases photos of Vladimir Putin hiking and fishing in Siberia The findings were concluded after an analysis of the 29 countries for which official death registrations for last year had been published. A total of 27 experienced reductions in life expectancy. Meanwhile, the Office for National Statistics estimated that life expectancy for men in the UK had fallen for the first time in 40 years. A boy born between 2018 and 2020 is expected to live until he is 79, down from 79.2 for the period of 2015-17. As per the report, males experienced larger life expectancy declines than females across most of the 29 countries. These reductions across different countries were attributable to deaths caused by COVID-19.

COVID-19  has caused the biggest decrease in life expectancy, says study

Clashes, jeers and stone-pelting during coronavirus evacuation in Ukraine

As they struggle to deal with more extreme weather, a range of food crops are generating more of chemical compounds that can cause&nbsp;healthproblems for people and livestock who eat them, scientists have warned.

A new report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) says that crops such as wheat and maize are generating more potential toxins as a reaction to protect themselves from extreme weather.

But these chemical compounds are harmful to people and animals if consumed for a prolonged period of time, according to a report released during a United Nations Environment Assembly meeting in Nairobi.

&quot;Crops are responding to drought conditions and increases in temperature just like humans do when faced with a stressful situation,&rdquo; explained Jacqueline McGlade, chief scientist and director of the Division of Early Warning and Assessment at UNEP.

Under normal conditions, for instance, plants convert nitrates they absorb into nutritious amino acids and proteins. But prolonged drought slows or prevents this conversion, leading to more potentially problematic nitrate accumulating in the plant, the report said.

If people eat too much nitrate in their diets, it can interfere with the ability of red blood cells to transport oxygen in the body, the report said.

Crops susceptible to accumulating too much nitrate in times of stress include maize, wheat, barley, soybeans, millet and sorghum, it said.

&nbsp;

DROUGHT, THEN RAIN

Some drought-stressed crops, when then exposed to sudden large amounts of rain that lead to rapid growth, in turn accumulate hydrogen cyanide, more commonly known as prussic acid, the report said.

Prussic acid &ndash; one of the ingredients used in some types of chemical warfare - interferes with oxygen flow in humans. Even short-term exposure can be debilitating for people, McGlade said.

Plants such as cassava, flax, maize and sorghum are most vulnerable to dangerous prussic acid accumulation, the report said.

Cases of nitrate or hydrogen cyanide poisoning in humans were reported in Kenya in 2013 and in the Philippines in 2005, McGlade said. In Kenya, two children died in coastal Kilifi after eating cassava that had raised levels of prussic acid in it following extreme rainfall, according to local media reports.

Aflatoxins, molds that can affect plant crops and raise the risk of liver damage, cancer and blindness, as well as stunting foetuses and infants, also are spreading to more areas as a result of shifting weather patterns as a result of climate change, scientists said.

McGlade said about 4.5 billion people in developing countries are exposed to aflatoxins each year, though the amounts are largely unmonitored, and the numbers are rising.

&quot;We are just beginning to recognise the magnitude of toxin- related issues confronting farmers in developing countries of the tropics and sub-tropics,&quot; the report noted.

&quot;As warmer climate zones expand towards the poles, countries in more temperate regions are facing new threats,&quot; it added.

In 2004, Kenya suffered severe outbreaks of aflatoxin poisoning, which affected more than 300 people and killed more than 100 following a prolonged drought, according to the International Livestock Research Institute.

&nbsp;

EUROPE AT RISK

The UNEP report said Europe will be at growing risk from aflatoxins in locally grown crops if global temperatures rise by at least 2 degrees Celsius. The world is currently on a path to a more than 3 degree Celsius temperature rise, scientists believe.

An increase in toxic compounds in crops is likely to impact heavily on the world&rsquo;s&nbsp;health&nbsp;system, which are already struggling with the effects of food insecurity, Dorota Jarosinska of the WorldHealth&nbsp;Organization&rsquo;s European Center for Environment and&nbsp;Health&nbsp;said in an interview with the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Alex Ezeh, executive director of the African Population&nbsp;Health&nbsp;and Research Center, said the increase in toxins in crops was a big concern.

&quot;Toxic crops can lead to neurological diseases among humans but the greatest challenge is the incidence of cancer,&rdquo; he said in an interview.

The report proposes a list of eight ideas farmers and agricultural experts can adopt to try to limit damage from more crop toxins, such as mapping contamination hotspots and building better evidence about what is happening now with the toxins in their area.

Scientists also suggest that developing crop varieties designed to cope with extreme weather could help reduce the levels of toxic chemicals in food.

&quot;Research centers with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research are developing seeds that are suitable in various regions that have been hit by climate change,&rdquo; McGlade said.

As they struggle to deal with more extreme weather, a range of food crops are generating more of chemical compounds that can cause?healthproblems for people and livestock who eat them, scientists have warned

As they struggle to deal with more extreme weather, a range of food crops are generating more of chemical compounds that can cause healthproblems for people and livestock who eat them, scientists have warned. A new report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) says that crops such as wheat and maize are generating more potential toxins as a reaction to protect themselves from extreme weather. But these chemical compounds are harmful to people and animals if consumed for a prolonged period of time, according to a report released during a United Nations Environment Assembly meeting in Nairobi. "Crops are responding to drought conditions and increases in temperature just like humans do when faced with a stressful situation,” explained Jacqueline McGlade, chief scientist and director of the Division of Early Warning and Assessment at UNEP. Under normal conditions, for instance, plants convert nitrates they absorb into nutritious amino acids and proteins. But prolonged drought slows or prevents this conversion, leading to more potentially problematic nitrate accumulating in the plant, the report said. If people eat too much nitrate in their diets, it can interfere with the ability of red blood cells to transport oxygen in the body, the report said. Crops susceptible to accumulating too much nitrate in times of stress include maize, wheat, barley, soybeans, millet and sorghum, it said. DROUGHT, THEN RAIN Some drought-stressed crops, when then exposed to sudden large amounts of rain that lead to rapid growth, in turn accumulate hydrogen cyanide, more commonly known as prussic acid, the report said. Prussic acid – one of the ingredients used in some types of chemical warfare - interferes with oxygen flow in humans. Even short-term exposure can be debilitating for people, McGlade said. Plants such as cassava, flax, maize and sorghum are most vulnerable to dangerous prussic acid accumulation, the report said. Cases of nitrate or hydrogen cyanide poisoning in humans were reported in Kenya in 2013 and in the Philippines in 2005, McGlade said. In Kenya, two children died in coastal Kilifi after eating cassava that had raised levels of prussic acid in it following extreme rainfall, according to local media reports. Aflatoxins, molds that can affect plant crops and raise the risk of liver damage, cancer and blindness, as well as stunting foetuses and infants, also are spreading to more areas as a result of shifting weather patterns as a result of climate change, scientists said. McGlade said about 4.5 billion people in developing countries are exposed to aflatoxins each year, though the amounts are largely unmonitored, and the numbers are rising. "We are just beginning to recognise the magnitude of toxin- related issues confronting farmers in developing countries of the tropics and sub-tropics," the report noted. "As warmer climate zones expand towards the poles, countries in more temperate regions are facing new threats," it added. In 2004, Kenya suffered severe outbreaks of aflatoxin poisoning, which affected more than 300 people and killed more than 100 following a prolonged drought, according to the International Livestock Research Institute. EUROPE AT RISK The UNEP report said Europe will be at growing risk from aflatoxins in locally grown crops if global temperatures rise by at least 2 degrees Celsius. The world is currently on a path to a more than 3 degree Celsius temperature rise, scientists believe. An increase in toxic compounds in crops is likely to impact heavily on the world’s health system, which are already struggling with the effects of food insecurity, Dorota Jarosinska of the WorldHealth Organization’s European Center for Environment and Health said in an interview with the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Alex Ezeh, executive director of the African Population Health and Research Center, said the increase in toxins in crops was a big concern. "Toxic crops can lead to neurological diseases among humans but the greatest challenge is the incidence of cancer,” he said in an interview. The report proposes a list of eight ideas farmers and agricultural experts can adopt to try to limit damage from more crop toxins, such as mapping contamination hotspots and building better evidence about what is happening now with the toxins in their area. Scientists also suggest that developing crop varieties designed to cope with extreme weather could help reduce the levels of toxic chemicals in food. "Research centers with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research are developing seeds that are suitable in various regions that have been hit by climate change,” McGlade said.

Extreme weather increasing level of toxins in food, scientists warn

cause

Cause, News on Cause, stories on Cause, articles on Cause, Cause stories at Wion, Cause news, Cause latest news