What the scientists are saying…

Statins may boost heart health Stains not only reduce cholesterol levels, they also seem to improve heart health, a new study has found. Researchers at Queen Mary University of London used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to scan the hearts of 4,622 people without cardiovascular disease. The 785 who were taking statins had been judged to be at greater risk of heart disease; they had higher BMIS and blood pressure, and were more likely to be older – yet their hearts seemed to be in better shape. “People using statins were less likely to have thickened heart muscle and less likely to have a large heart chamber,” said study leader Dr Nay Aung. “Having a thick, large heart is a strong predictor of future heart attack, heart failure or stroke, and taking statins appears to reverse the negative change in the heart.”

Fathers do dote on daughters Parents may try to treat their sons and daughters the same – but it seems that gender bias still creeps in. For a study in the US, 52 fathers of toddlers were fitted with wearable computers that randomly recorded them for 50 seconds every nine minutes over 48 hours. The data showed that the fathers of daughters were more likely to sing to their children – but less likely to engage in rough-and-tumble play. They also used more words related to the body, such as “belly” and “cheek”, and to sad emotions, such as “cry” and “lonely”, while the fathers of sons used more words related to achievement, such as “best” and “win”. The fathers were then shown pictures of their own children, and of other children and adults, with different facial expressions, while undergoing brain scans. Compared with the fathers of sons, the fathers of daughters had stronger responses – in areas of the brain related to emotions and reward – to pictures of their child looking happy. The fathers of sons responded more positively to pictures of their child with a neutral expression. The reactions of both sets of fathers to sad faces were the same. “Most parents really are trying to do the best they can for their children,” said Dr Jennifer Mascaro, who led the study, published in Behavioral Neuroscience. “[But] the fact that fathers may be less attentive to the emotional needs of boys… is important to recognise.”

Psychosis and ethnicity People from ethnic minorities have a far greater risk of experiencing psychotic disorders than the white British population, new research has found. Researchers analysed data on 687 people, aged 16 to 35, who’d been diagnosed with a psychotic disorder at hospitals in the east of England. After accounting for socioeconomic status, age and sex, they found that people of black Caribbean origin had a 4.6 times greater risk of developing a psychotic illness than white British people; the risk for black people of African origin was 4.1 times higher, while for those of Pakistani origin it was 2.3 times higher, reports The Guardian. White non-british people had no increased risk. The risk increase was mainly seen in second- or third-generation immigrants, though there was also a higher risk among immigrants who had moved to Britain in childhood. While the researchers did not look for reasons for the disparity, they theorise that it’s down to people from immigrant backgrounds facing extra pressures, stemming from discrimination, and the difficulties of integrating. “It is not to do with higher rates in other countries,” said study co-author Dr James Kirkbride, of University College London.

Sports drinks no better than water In terms of boosting performance, sugarfilled sports drinks are no better than water, a new study suggests. Academics at the universities of Cambridge and East Anglia studied 19 competitive swimmers over 1,118 races, and found that they swam 10% faster after drinking water than after drinking a sports drink (a difference that was deemed statistically insignificant). Sports drinks contain electrolytes, minerals lost through sweating, and may be better at boosting hydration than water – but lead author Dr Graham Briars points out that we can function just as effectively while mildly dehydrated. The researchers didn’t identify which drinks were involved, but said their finding applied to all popular brands; and though the study only involved swimming, they said they could see no reason why it wouldn’t apply to other sports.