All Posts

A cell that stops dividing is not always inactive. In cellular senescence, a cell enters a long-term growth arrest, changes its gene activity, and can influence neighbouring cells through secreted signals. That mix of stillness and activity is why senescence matters in ageing, cancer biology, tissue repair, and chronic inflammation. A transcriptomic study connecting PLK3 expression with senescence adds another piece to this puzzle. The study does not prove that PLK3 causes se

A routine blood test can reveal more than one number at a time. In postmenopausal women, inflammation, blood sugar regulation, and triglyceride metabolism often shift together, shaping long-term risk in ways that are easy to miss when each marker is viewed alone. That is why the recent study on the C-reactive protein and triglyceride glucose index is so relevant. It examines whether a combined marker, often described as the CRP-TyG index, is linked with all-cause mortality in

Fertility care works best when diagnosis, medical treatment, laboratory science and surgery do not sit in separate rooms. A patient may start with irregular ovulation, a blocked tube, endometriosis, fibroids, low sperm count, recurrent implantation failure, or a combination of factors. Treating only one part of that picture can delay care. Treating the whole picture can change the plan. That is where the integration of reproductive medicine and surgery matters. Reproductive p

A few millimetres can change the way an IUI cycle is timed, interpreted, and counselled. In intrauterine insemination, the decision to give an ovulation trigger is often made when the leading follicle reaches a size that suggests the oocyte is mature enough, but not so late that ovulation may already be underway. That makes follicle size more than an ultrasound measurement. It is a practical marker of oocyte readiness, hormonal environment, endometrial timing, and the best wi

Gestational diabetes prevention remains a clinical priority, especially in populations with rising rates of insulin resistance, obesity, polycystic ovary syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. Diet, physical activity, early risk identification, and appropriate screening still form the backbone of care. Yet many clinicians are also being asked about supplements, particularly myo-inositol, for preventing gestational diabetes mellitus. The interest is understandable. Myo-inositol is inv

Preeclampsia is often recognised by high blood pressure and protein in the urine, but its effects can reach much further. When the placenta does not function well, the fetus may need to adjust its circulation to protect vital organs. These changes can be subtle before they become visible as poor growth, reduced fluid, or abnormal Doppler findings. That is why interest is growing in venous and cardiovascular markers that look beyond the usual arteries. Two measurements attract

A pathology report can hold a small but clinically valuable number that is easy to miss at scale: the weight of the uterus after surgery. For one patient, that value helps complete the clinical record. Across thousands of patients, it can support research on fibroids, adenomyosis, abnormal bleeding, surgical outcomes, and cancer care. The challenge is that pathology reports are written for human reading, not always for structured analysis. One report may list the value as “ut

A diagnosis of cancer linked to a BRCA or Lynch syndrome mutation can change family planning overnight. Treatment may need to start soon. Surgery may affect the ovaries, uterus, testes, or hormones. Risk-reducing procedures may be recommended years earlier than expected. In the middle of all this, many people are asked to make fertility decisions while still trying to absorb the diagnosis itself. Good fertility counselling does not promise an easy path. It gives people time-s

A fertility journey rarely begins at a specialist clinic. It often starts quietly, with months of uncertainty, private worry, family pressure, and repeated questions: Is this normal? When should we seek help? Who should we see first? Can we afford it? The article on fertility care pathways brings attention to a difficult truth. For many people, getting fertility care is not a clear medical route from concern to diagnosis to treatment. It is often delayed, fragmented, and ineq

Ovarian ageing is often described as a story of dwindling eggs. That is true, but incomplete. The ovary is not a quiet storage site. It is a living tissue where eggs, hormone-producing cells, blood vessels, nerves, and immune cells talk to one another every day. That conversation changes with age. Immune cells become more inflammatory. Tissue repair slows down. Scar-like fibrosis builds up. Mitochondria become less efficient. Together, these shifts can affect ovulation, egg q

PCOS is often discussed through the lens of periods, acne, hair growth, or fertility. Those symptoms matter. Yet the condition also has a quieter side that deserves equal attention: cardiometabolic health. Many women with PCOS have a higher chance of insulin resistance, unhealthy cholesterol patterns, raised blood pressure, fatty liver, excess abdominal fat, and a higher lifetime risk of type 2 diabetes. That does not mean poor health is inevitable. It means the daily basics,

Shoulder dystocia is rare, sudden, and unforgiving. A birth that appears to be progressing normally can become an obstetric emergency within seconds, with the anterior shoulder impacted behind the pubic symphysis or, less often, the posterior shoulder obstructed at the sacral promontory. The McRoberts manoeuvre is usually the first response. It is simple, quick, non-invasive, and widely taught. Yet recent reappraisal has raised an important question: how much of its reputatio

A baby’s first protection from infection can begin before the first breath. During pregnancy, antibodies made by the mother can cross the placenta and help shield the newborn in the fragile early weeks of life. Maternal vaccines use this natural pathway, turning routine antenatal care into one of the earliest and most powerful tools for child survival. This matters because newborns do not enter the world with fully developed immune systems. Many routine childhood vaccines sta

Pregnancy changes the immune system, heart, and lungs in ways that can make some infections more severe. A mild fever or cough may pass quickly for one person, yet the same infection during pregnancy can raise the risk of complications such as pneumonia, preterm birth, low birth weight, or serious illness in a newborn. That is why vaccination is part of routine antenatal care, not an optional extra. The aim is simple: protect the pregnant person during a vulnerable period and

A vaccine appointment can look like a simple health decision. For many women, it is rarely that simple. It may depend on who controls the household money, whether a clinic is seen as “appropriate” for young unmarried girls, whether a mother can leave work, whether an older woman believes her own health still matters, and whether family members support or question the choice. Vaccines protect people at every stage of life, but uptake does not happen in a vacuum. Gendered socia

A person who starts a GLP-1 medicine for diabetes or weight management may notice a change they did not expect: more regular cycles, improved ovulation, and a higher chance of pregnancy. At the same time, nausea, vomiting, or slower stomach emptying may raise practical questions about oral contraceptive pills. That intersection is becoming more common. GLP-1 medicines such as semaglutide, liraglutide, dulaglutide, and related drugs such as tirzepatide are now used for type 2

Prelabour caesarean delivery removes the fetus from the hormonal and mechanical signals of labour. For late-preterm newborns, that missing transition can matter. The lungs must shift within minutes from fluid-filled fetal organs to air-breathing organs capable of gas exchange. When this switch is delayed, respiratory support may be needed. A late-preterm lamb model offers a useful way to study this problem. Lambs have long been used in perinatal physiology because their cardi

A perineal tear can happen in any vaginal birth, but certain vulval skin conditions may change how the tissue stretches, heals, and responds under pressure. For expectant mothers with lichen sclerosus, the question is practical and deeply personal: does this condition make birth tears more likely, and what can be done before labour begins? Vulvar lichen sclerosus is a long-term inflammatory skin condition that affects the vulva and, sometimes, the skin around the anus. It is

A heterotopic cornual pregnancy in the setting of a monochorionic diamniotic twin gestation is one of the most demanding scenarios in early pregnancy care. It combines an ectopic implantation at a highly vascular uterine site with the need to protect an ongoing intrauterine twin pregnancy. The clinical window is narrow, the haemorrhage risk is real, and management requires coordinated decision-making between reproductive medicine, maternal foetal medicine, anaesthesia, radiol

Cervical cerclage can be pregnancy preserving, but its benefit is not uniform. Two patients may receive the same procedure at a similar gestational age and have very different outcomes. That is the clinical tension behind nomogram-based prediction: can routinely available patient data help estimate who is most likely to benefit from cerclage, and under which indication? A 10-year retrospective observational study on nomogram models addresses this question by examining cerclag