Ana Pena, PhD,  —

Children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) may be particularly prone to metabolic alterations, including greater insulin resistance, which may be linked to increased risk for mental problems such as psychosis, a study suggests. The study, “Metabolic Parameters in…

Adults with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) have difficulty recognizing facial expressions, which may contribute to their poor social skills, a study reveals. The researchers found that people with PWS also show atypical, autistic-like features, depending on the specific genetic cause of the disease. These findings expose…

Overweight or obese Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) patients are more likely to have gut problems and take medicines for gastrointestinal illnesses, a study has found. The study also showed that surgery to treat gastrointestinal problems is less frequent in overweight patients, but there was no link between how much patients weighted…

Peritoneal dialysis (PD), a blood filtration procedure that can be done at home, has been used successfully over a long period to manage kidney failure caused by diabetes in a patient with Prader-Willi syndrome, a case report shows. This approach may…

A new blood test called EpiSign may help identify complex and hard-to-diagnose genomic imprinting disorders such as Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). EpiSign, available in two versions, can diagnose 19 complex disorders. This newly available diagnostic tool, which identifies common DNA modifications, may also help researchers understand the clinical significance of genetic…

A new study shows that alterations in body composition, appetite-regulating factors, cardiovascular disease markers, and bone density are common in adults with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). The study, titled “Body composition, adipokines, bone mineral density and bone remodeling markers in relation to IGF-1 levels…

Motor disability is a common problem in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) and may negatively impact their caregivers’ quality of life, particularly physical and emotional problems, researchers from Taiwan reported. Their study, “Motor performance in Prader-Willi syndrome patients and its potential influence on caregiver’s…

Patients with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), diabetes, and fat accumulation in the pancreas may benefit from a combined treatment of two therapies that treat diabetes: tofogliflozin (which has not yet been approved in the U.S.) and dulaglutide, according to a Japanese case report. The study, “…

A team of researchers was able to restore the normal level of genes that are usually silenced in Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) in patient neurons grown in the lab. The study, led by researchers at the University of Connecticut, is titled “Zinc finger protein 274 regulates imprinted expression…