Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

A three-week program based on Mediterranean diet and exercise, and performed three times in six years, led to significant weight loss and reduced cholesterol levels in adults with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), an Italian study reports. The study, “Changes of Body Weight and Body Composition in Obese…

The frequency of skin picking and anxiety in people with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) depends on their specific type of genetic defects, an eight-year study found. Treatment with growth hormone (GH) therapy increased the prevalence of anxiety to a different extent in specific genetic groups, the data showed. The study,…

Stress levels of parents of children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) increase as the children age, and are especially high during their teenage years, according to a study. The study, “Parenting stress in families of children with Prader–Willi syndrome,” was published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics.

Sleep apnea — a potentially serious disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep — affects more than 80% of children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), according to the results of a Chinese study. Central sleep apnea or CSA, a type of the sleep disorder that’s…

Text messages may help to track changes in the weight and body mass index (BMI) of people with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), an observational study reported. Most study patients were “highly compliant” with using this mobile technology, and it might help in clinical trials of potential treatments or with…

Japanese infants with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) have lower levels of the thyroid hormone thyroxine compared with healthy infants, according to a new study. However, the levels of thyroxine, also known as free T4 (FT4), increased with age, with no differences detected between toddlers with or without PWS,…

The Prader-Willi Syndrome Association and the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research (FPWR) have partnered to launch a survey assessing the use of telemedicine as a way of improving access to care from Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) specialists. The online survey also seeks to evaluate the stress of caregivers within…

Children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) struggle to express adequate facial and bodily emotions, which is linked to difficulties adapting socially, a study suggests. The study, “Equivocal expression of emotions in children with Prader-Willi syndrome: what are the consequences for emotional abilities and social adjustment?,” was published in the…

Small mutations in SNORD1116, a gene previously linked with typical manifestations of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), is associated with paranoia in women, a study shows. This finding reflects the greater incidence of mental health problems in those with PWS compared to the general population, scientists said. The study, “…

The number of treatments for children with rare diseases has grown over the past decade, according to a new study. However, despite the increase, nearly 7,000 rare diseases are still lacking treatment. And federal incentives to boost treatment development for these rare diseases have primarily focused not on creating new…