Genetic Link: Disrupted Sleep and Bipolar Disorder

Researchers in Glasgow have used data from the large UK Biobank to identify a genetic link between people with disrupted body clocks and mood disorders like bipolar disorder. They believe that identifying genes associated with disrupted circadian rhythms could help to pinpoint which patients might benefit from bright light therapy, which is commonly used in countries like Italy.

Every year in Bangladesh 15,000 children die by drowning. It is the commonest cause of death in children under 4 which gets worse during the current monsoon season when there is a lot of flooding. We hear about new initiatives such as creches have proved successful in Barisal, southern Bangladesh, which has the highest drowning rates in the country.

If you’ve had a bad day at work, do you get the support you need from your partner? Researchers in Canada gave diaries to men and women in the Netherlands – and found that women gave emotional support regardless of how much stress they were under, unlike their male counterparts. Asking your partner whether they’d like to talk about their stressful day might be a good idea – to see if they need emotional support or just want to be left alone.

(Photo: Getty Images)