Political pressure has made Norway lag behind on abortion research and foetal medicine, researchers say. "Were not allowed to study early ultrasound because it can detect foetuses with Down’s syndrome", one specialist in foetal medince says.
Can a halted ME study have consequences for other researchers? A Norwegian ME-study lost its ethics approval due to conflict of interest. Will this decision by a national ethics committee have consequences for other research seeking approval?
Controversial CFS/ME study loses ethical approval due to conflict of interest "The project's greatest weakness is the PhD candidate’s active role in all stages of the project," the research ethics committee writes in its decision.
Myth: The adult brain is hardwired and unchangeable On the contrary, your brain changes with every new skill you learn and the brain can form new connections throughout your life.
Myth: The left and the right brain hemisphere are fundamentally different The differences between right vs. left brain have been blown completely out of proportion.
Received medal for work on Norwegian Covid-test Hospitals were about to run out of other test kits, but the crisis was averted thanks to Magnar Bjørås, professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology NTNU, and his team. Now he's being awarded for his role in developing a Covid-test in an unprecedented short period of time.
Causes of death in Norway: Highest number of overdose deaths in Norway in 20 years 324 overdose deaths were registered in 2020. That's the highest amount of lives lost to overdoses in almost 20 years.
Use of sleeping pills has doubled among Norwegian youth Ten years ago 1,6 per cent of Norwegian youth between the ages of 15 and 19 used prescription sleep medicine. Last year that number had more than doubled.
What kind of side effects do people really get from the COVID-19 vaccine? Here’s how the Norwegian Medicines Agency is answering this question “Lots of people are being given vaccines over a very short period, so it’s important to monitor them and follow what’s happening,” says Gunnar Fløan Rimul from the Norwegian Medicines Agency.
Infants who had systemic blood infections had alterations in their metabolism SHARE YOUR SCIENCE: They also showed signs of increased oxidative stress and fatty acid oxidation.
Survivors from the Utøya massacre still struggle with trauma This summer marks ten years since the terror attacks on the political youth camp at the island Utøya. More than a third of the survivors still struggle with post traumatic stress symptoms, according to new research.
Weight gain in the population is not due to less exercise Physical activity at work and in our leisure activities has had little or no impact on the increase in the average Norwegian's BMI in recent decades, according to two new studies. So why the increase in weight?
How protected are you after one dose of an mRNA vaccine? Three weeks after your first dose of an mRNA vaccine, you should be protected from the coronavirus. So why do we have to get two doses? We ask the experts.
Myth: We only use 10 percent of our brain The myth pervades is often repeated by self-improvement gurus and Hollywood movies. But 'wasting' 90 percent of brain tissue would run contrary to all evolutionary principles.
Nanobodies – a smaller and better version of antibodies? Nanobodies, a protein derived from the camel’s immune system, can prove very helpful in combating a variety of diseases and ailments. But what are they exactly and how far has the current nanobody research come?
Norwegian Medicines Agency about Johnson & Johnson:“We usually don’t use vaccines with lethal side effects” Norwegian health authorities are working on establishing a volunteer scheme for those who wish to take the Johnson & Johnson vaccine outside of the national programme – but is it even legal?
Norwegian health experts strongly disagree with the government's decision to offer Johnson & Johnson vaccine voluntarily “We are of the opinion that doctors should not participate in this," says the president of the Norwegian Medical Association.
The abortion debate hasn't always been focused on the fetus' right to life Throughout history, opponents and proponents have used many arguments for and against abortion.
Children who got narcolepsy after the swine flu vaccine struggle with obesity and depression “This is a lifelong and serious disease,” one researcher says.
A few nursing home patients died earlier than expected after getting the Covid-vaccine If patients in nursing homes are not expected to live that much longer anyway, there is little to gain from being vaccinated against Covid-19, a Norwegian group of experts conclude.
Here come the corona babies? 700 more births in Norway compared to the same period last year It’s too early to say whether or not this is due to corona, but the increase starts nine months after the first lockdown in Norway.
Norwegian drug may increase ventilator free survival in hospitalized Covid-19 patients Trial shows that a drug called bemcentinib has the potential to increase the rate of ventilator free survival in more than 50 per cent of hospitalised COVID-19 patients, according to company press release.
A study on Irritable bowel syndrome resulted in improvement for 90 percent of patients, then their funding ran out The Norwegian Patient Association started a fundraising campaign for a Norwegian research project on faecal transplants to treat Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Women who struggle with urinary incontinence are more likely to experience anxiety and depression A study of Norwegian women suggests there may be a common underlying connection.
Does the sun make you sneeze? You have the ACHOO syndrome! And the "problem" isn’t in the nose. The brain goes into overdrive to handle the anticipated activity in the strong light, according to doctor Kaveh Rashidi.
More than 75 per cent reported mild side effects after the AstraZeneca vaccine in Norway Just under 29 per cent of respondents in a study said they experienced the same type of mild side effects after the first dose of a Pfizer vaccine, compared to 75,7 per cent of those who had a shot of AstraZeneca.
Norwegian expert commission: Country should not use AstraZeneca or the Johnson & Johnson vaccines A Norwegian expert committee has recommended the government do not include adenoviral vector based vaccines in the national vaccination programme.
Patients suffered severe nerve injury after removal of their contraceptive implants Doctors warn that a hand surgeon should be called in if the procedure appears to be difficult.
Fewer and fewer men want to become doctors More than twice as many women as men want to become doctors in Norway. The development is worrying, says the leader of the Younger doctors' union.
Children and youth born prematurely are prescribed drugs to treat mental illness more often SHARE YOUR SCIENCE: Preterm children need more follow-up of mental health
Are some people more prone to getting cavities than others? ASK A RESEARCHER: Both genes and the environment play a role in how likely you are to get cavities. But the most important thing is how you take care of your gums.
The AstraZeneca debate has not created anti-vaxxers in Norway Eight out of ten Norwegians say they believe vaccines in general are safe.
Never before have Norwegian women given birth to so few children In Northern Norway the number of births per 1000 women declined by nearly 5 per cent.
Closing schools did not give a better effect than strict infection measures Comparing Norwegian municipalities that chose different strategies allowed researchers to compare.
Here’s why women are more likely to report vaccine side effects Biological differences related to gender may be part of the reason.
Rare side effects from the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines may have been seen in 15 year old animal studies That a high dosage of adenovirus in the bloodstream could lead to clotting, low levels of platelets and antibodies to platelets was known 20 years ago from animal studies in gene therapy.
Children who spent a lot of time in daylight were calmer Kindergarten children were equipped with bracelets that measure light exposure. A study found a link between lots of daylight and low hyperactivity in the children.
Rare intellectual disability: Norwegian doctor discovers supplements that help Intellectual disabilities can be due to genetic defects that interfere with the absorption of nutrients. Two Norwegian brothers with this condition were saved by a dietary supplement with betaine, a substance found in beets.
Twenty years of sequencing genes… for better or for worse SHARE YOUR SCIENCE: It’s been 20 years since the first draft sequence of the human genome was published in the journals Nature and Science. Sequencing 30 000 genes has changed the world, but in a different way than expected.
Norway continues the pause in vaccinations with AstraZeneca The Norwegian Institute of Public Health recommended that the AstraZeneca vaccine be removed from the Norwegian vaccination programme - but the government wants to wait until we know more.
Yes, we can prevent future pandemics OPINION: With new health threats perhaps just an airflight away, we need to ask how countries like Norway can contribute in the global effort to prevent future pandemics.
People vaccinated with AstraZeneca reported mild bleeding episodes significantly more often than those who got an mRNA vaccine “These findings could potentially indicate that the adenovirus-vectored vaccine leads to bleeding disorders not only in rare cases”, Norwegian researchers write in an unpublished study.
3% of the Norwegian population may have been infected by the coronavirus in 2020 Nearly 2000 blood samples from all over the country were analyzed for antibodies against the coronavirus.
The AstraZeneca vaccine may cause rare blood clots. Norwegian researchers are trying to find out why Norwegian researchers are analyzing blood samples and sending out questionnaires to participants of previous health studies to find answers to the AstraZeneca side effect riddle.
EMA: Blood clots should be listed as a very rare side effect from the AstraZeneca-vaccine 222 cases of blood clots could be connected to the AstraZeneca vaccine, according to the European Medicines Agency (EMA). They are still convinced the benefits from the vaccine outweigh the risks.
Research on school lockdowns: These are the mistakes to avoid Resarchers from the Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies list three things to be learned from the Norwegian school lockdown last year.
Norwegian health authorities will keep investigating possible side effects from the AstraZeneca vaccine Norwegian authorities have concluded that the pause in vaccinations using AstraZeneca will be kept in place.
World tuberculosis day: Many people with TB are going untreated during the Covid-19 pandemic OPINION: There is a great risk for a surge in the TB cases and mortality in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Vaccine researcher doubts the AstraZeneca vaccine will be used in Norway again Norwegian health authorities are considering whether they'll resume use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. A vaccine researcher at the University of Oslo doubts that will happen.
This is why Norway is still saying no to the AstraZeneca-vaccine Norwegian experts are confident that the rare blood clot condition is a side effect of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Pausing the vaccine has been necessary for maintaining trust, according to Minister of Health Bent Høie.
NORWAY: Two new patients dead from blood clots after having received the AstraZeneca-vaccine The Norwegian Medicines Agency report two further deaths among patients with blood clots at Oslo University Hospital after having received the AstraZeneca vaccine.
EU's drug regulator backs the AstraZeneca vaccine, calling it "safe and effective" But the report from the Norwegian doctors claiming a link between blood clots and the vaccine, has not been part of their evaluation.
Norwegian experts say deadly blood clots were caused by the AstraZeneca covid vaccine “Our theory that this is a powerful immune response most likely triggered by the vaccine, has been confirmed”, says professor and chief physician Pål Andre Holme. Three Norwegian health workers under the age of 50 have been hospitalized. One is dead.
How healthy and climate friendly is Norwegian farmed salmon? Swedish researchers have assessed one of Norways most important export products, farmed salmon, in a new report.
Norwegian researchers may have discovered promising Covid-19 treatments Testing in patients is expected to start within the next two to four months.
Norwegian doctors are investigating if blood clots could be linked to the AstraZeneca-vaccine. Here's what they're looking for Norwegian clinical experts are investigating whether the vaccine caused an unexpected immune reaction in three health workers who fell ill. No causal connection has been established.
Living micro-tumours grown outside the body could cure brain cancer The scientists print out cancer cells and test hundreds of medications to see what works for every single tumour. “Only personalized treatment can increase survival for brain cancer-patients,” says Norwegian cancer researcher.
Brain researcher: Here’s why the pandemic came as a surprise to us The brain’s two systems make it difficult for us to understand dangers we haven’t actually experienced.
Why did things go so wrong in Sweden? Sweden wanted to show the world a more humane way through a global pandemic. For some, this has become a tragic example of how wrong things can go in a society. But opinions are divided.
Life during the pandemic has been hard for most, but some of us have experienced a new and better world A year has now passed since the coronavirus swept through the world. People have reacted very differently to a closed society, researchers have found.
Older men don’t talk enough about sex Women do so much of the talking that men become mute, according to Elsa Mari Almås, a professor and couple therapist.
Could your brain run out of space? ASK A RESEARCHER: Everything we know is stored in the brain, but can we eventually run out of space?
Babies conceived with assisted reproduction weigh less when they are born, but they rapidly catch up When 17-year-olds who were conceived with assisted reproduction were screened before military service, they provided information about their height and weight. Researchers have used these data to find out how they have fared over time.
Is cold water swimming in the winter healthy? ASK A RESEARCHER: Winter swimming has become popular in Norway. But what does the research have to say about this?
Do you stay up late because you need time for yourself? Sleep researchers have long known that many people go to bed late. In Chinese, the term “revenge bedtime procrastination” has become popular. It’s used to describe people with little personal time who choose to sleep less so they can unwind at night.
Does being outside when it's really cold make you more exhausted — even if you don’t do anything tiring? ASK A RESEARCHER: The answer depends on whether you start to freeze or not.
Vaccine resistance is nothing new. What can we learn from sceptics of the past? In order to get married in the 19th century, Norwegians had to present a certificate showing that they had received the smallpox vaccine. In the UK, the vaccine requirements were enforced even more strictly.
High prices should not be a barrier to combat the COVID-19 pandemic OPINION: Here are four principles which could ensure equitable access to COVID-19 tools and health products, particularly for low and middle-income countries.
Does lying on your stomach after giving birth help your uterus contract? ASK A RESEARCHER: Does the uterus need help contracting postpartum? Is there any point to speeding this up? And does it really help to lie on your stomach, as some women are advised to do after giving birth? We've asked the experts.
A blood test can detect Alzheimer's five years before symptoms appear The new Swedish blood test is described as a breakthrough in Alzheimer's research.
New model could explain old cholesterol mystery Saturated fats increase cholesterol. And high cholesterol is linked to heart disease. But why are researchers unable to show that saturated fat actually leads to heart disease?
Emotions shape how we perceive health information Many people have trouble understanding health information. It’s not just differences in people’s knowledge of health issues that are the cause of the problem, says Professor Pål Gulbrandsen, who studies communication between doctors and patients.
Our hearing's gotten better in the last 20 years, here's why Quieter workplaces and fewer ear infections might be why we have better hearing today than the people who came before us, according to a new study.
All Norwegians above 18 may be vaccinated against Covid-19 by September Three new vaccines will need to be approved to make it happen.
Financial worries gave Norwegians symptoms of PTSD when the pandemic hit the country Worrying about losing your income is extremely stressful, says researcher.
