Editor's Pick
Neck-strengthening exercises to mitigate concussion risk
January 23rd, 2019 Researchers have proposed a way to mitigate risk for football and soccer players and others at risk of concussion: Protect your head with neck-strengthening exercises in the pre-season. A paper by researchers at the Rutgers School of Health...
Psychological distress a factor for future dementia risk
January 23rd, 2019 A new study suggests that vital exhaustion – which can be perceived as an indicator of psychological distress – is a risk factor for future risk of dementia. Researchers from the department of public health, University of Copenhagen have, in...
Missed GP appointments 'substantially' increase all-cause mortality
January 16th, 2019 Missing GP appointments is associated with early death, and those with long-term mental health conditions are at particular risk, according to a large Scotland study over three-years. Dr Ross McQueenie led the study from the University of Glasgow...
Sight-saving treatment for eye infection or trauma
January 16th, 2019 Scientists at the University of Birmingham have developed a novel eye drop that rapidly reduces sight-threatening scarring to the surface of the eye. The surface of the eye (the cornea) is usually transparent, but scars resulting from eye...
Experts recommend haemorrhage control kits for public venues
January 16th, 2019 As mass-casualty events and violent attacks in the US continue to increase, military and emergency medicine experts are recommending that public venues install bleeding-control kits for at least 20 victims. Reuters Health reports that the study...
Botox jabs reduce frequency of chronic migraines — French meta-analysis
January 9th, 2019 A growing body of evidence supports the effectiveness of botulinum toxin injections in reducing the frequency of chronic migraine headaches, concludes a French meta-analysis. Based on meta-analysis of pooled clinical trial data, botulinum toxin...
Gently stroking babies 'provides pain relief'
January 9th, 2019 Gently stroking a baby reduces activity in their brain associated with painful experiences, a small UK study has found. Researchers from University of Oxford and Liverpool John Moores University, monitored the brain activity of 32 babies while they...
Safety measures 'stifling' children's physical development
December 12th, 2018 Children's physical development is being "stifled" by health and safety as teachers are too scared to let them play outside, The Daily Telegraph reports the UK’s Office for Standards in Education Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) has warned....
Fewer registered nurses linked to increased mortality risk in wards
December 12th, 2018 Admission to a hospital ward with below average numbers of fully trained (registered) nurses to care for patients is linked to a 3% rise in the risk of death for each day the shortfall persists, suggests UK research. But plugging the gap with...
Resistance to second-line ARTs increasing in SA
December 12th, 2018 An increasing number of HIV patients in the Western Cape and other parts of South Africa are experiencing resistance to second-line antiretroviral therapy (ART). The Star reports that this was revealed by the fifth South African National HIV...
Promising results from treating childhood epilepsy with cannabinoids
December 12th, 2018 Interest has been growing in the use of cannabinoids – the active chemicals in cannabis or marijuana – for the treatment of epilepsy in children. A recent analysis of relevant published studies indicates that this strategy looks...
Why patients lie to their doctors
December 5th, 2018 A study has found that 60% to 80% of people surveyed have not been forthcoming with their doctors about information that could be relevant to their health. Besides fibbing about diet and exercise, more than a third of respondents didn't speak up...
Uninfected babies born to HIV-infected mums face higher risks
December 5th, 2018 HIV-uninfected children born to mothers with HIV are prone to more severe infections, almost double the risk of dying before their first birthday, and are more likely to be born prematurely than children born to mothers without HIV, found a Botswana...
Extreme heat exacerbating global health risks — UN scientific report
December 5th, 2018 Crop yields are declining. Tropical diseases like dengue fever are showing up in unfamiliar places, including in the US. Tens of millions of people are exposed to extreme heat. The New York Times reports that these are the stark findings of a...
Approval for first medical Tx for children with peanut allergies in 2019
November 28th, 2018 The first medical treatment for children with peanut allergies is likely to be approved next year but there are concerns about its affordability, even though it consists essentially of peanut flour. The Guardian reports a study in the US and at the...