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Editor's Pick
Sugary flavours in infant food harming health – Stellenbosch study
Researchers from Stellenbosch University have called for infant food flavourings to be evaluated and for labelling regulations to be strengthened and enforced after their...
Tramadol offers limited relief, risks serious side effects – Danish review
The strong opioid painkiller tramadol is not that effective at easing chronic pain for which it's widely prescribed, finds a pooled data analysis of...
Quitting smoking stubs out dementia risk – London study
British researchers have found that giving up smoking in middle age not only halves the rate of decline in verbal fluency and slows memory...
Male circumcision simplified with South African device – US study
Voluntary medical male circumcision is one of the most important ways to reduce new HIV infections. The foreskin contains receptors that the HIV virus...
‘Planetary diet’ could avoid 40 000 daily deaths – global report
According to a landmark report by 70 experts from 35 countries, adoption of a plant-rich “planetary health diet” could prevent 40 000 early deaths...
Scientists detect protein clusters tied to Parkinson’s – Canadian-UK study
Marking a significant first, scientists have, for the first time, directly visualised and quantified the protein clusters believed to trigger Parkinson’s disease, signalling a...
Repeat Covid-19 infections double long Covid risk – long-term NIH study
Most people now view Covid-19 as more of a nuisance than a danger, thanks to vaccines and past exposure to the virus – all...
Non-hormonal pill eases menopause symptoms, study finds
Menopausal hot flushes and night sweats were significantly reduced for women taking a non-hormonal pill from Bayer in a late-stage trial, researchers have reported,...
Genes behind dyslexia revealed – major Scottish study
A massive research project involving genetic data from more than 1.2m people has identified more than a dozen new gene regions associated with dyslexia,...
Cambridge clinical trial offers hope of new MS therapies
Early results from a Cambridge clinical trial have suggested that a common diabetes drug taken with an antihistamine can partially repair damage in the...
Hysterectomy ups stroke risk – meta-analysis of 2m women
The surgical removal of the uterus and both ovaries may come at a serious and overlooked cost to individual health, scientists from China suggest,...
Poor oral hygiene linked to higher cancer risk – NYU cohort study
Scientists say that failing to brush your teeth regularly could triple your risk of developing pancreatic cancer, after their study discovered discovered that harmful...
Oral HRT linked to heart disease risk in diabetic women – UK study
New research suggests that while women with type 2 diabetes using HRT skin patches are not at a higher risk for blood clots or...
Cannabis use may quadruple diabetes risk – large global study
A massive real-world study from Europe and the USA has suggested that cannabis users face an almost four times greater risk of developing type...
Daily eye drops could do away with spectacles
Special eye drops combining pilocarpine and diclofenac helped patients read extra lines on vision charts, with effects lasting up to two years. The treatment...
New foods suggested for allergens list – French study
Several new foods should be added to the common allergens list, with researchers saying a shift in eating patterns over the past decade has exposed...
Cannabis doubles death, major heart event risk – meta-analysis
Cannabis use was associated with a significant twofold increased risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), including a doubling in the likelihood of death...
New link flagged between women who have heart attacks – US study
After a 30-year study, American researchers have suggested that inflammation could be a key factor in explaining why some women experience heart attacks and strokes – despite...
Pre-schoolers given ADHD meds too soon – US analysis
Nearly half of all American pre-scholars with ADHD are prescribed medication too soon – within 30 days of diagnosis – according to a retrospective analysis...
Surgery better than meds for chronic sinus condition – UK study
British experts have suggested, after a recent study, that surgery – not antibiotics – might be the best way to treat chronic rhinosinusitis, which...
Shingles jab may cut heart attack, stroke risk – global review
Getting the shingles vaccine could lower your risk of a heart attack or stroke by as much as 20%, according to the first study...
Free State doctors identify first SA case of novel fungal infection
A Free State medical team has identified a rare fungal infection in an HIV+ patient that has never been seen before in South Africa,...
Diabetes drugs tied to optic nerve disorder risk – US study
Experts are urging screening and monitoring for eye disease for all patients on GLP-1 receptor agonists, after a large retrospective study suggested the risk...
Fatty acids could protect women from Alzheimer’s – London study
Scientists have suggested that lipids could play a role in Alzheimer’s, their study indicating a possible causal link between the disease and fatty acids,...
Doctors' performance dips when not using AI to ID colon cancer – European study
Recent research found an alarming 6% drop in tumour detection rates when doctors performed procedures without artificial intelligence (AI) assistance, reports Fox News.
The study...
Skin lightener cancer risk flagged in African study
Thousands of women risk developing cancer from skin-lightening products – freely available on the informal market, despite being regulated – according to a study...
Cancer risk could drop by 45% with vegetarian diet – US study
Recent evidence from a study by American researchers has reinforced the conclusions that diets packed with veggies and fruit are are strongly associated with...
ADHD drugs have wider life benefits – Swedish-UK study
Medication can help people newly diagnosed with ADHD to reduce their risk of substance misuse, suicidal behaviour, transport accidents and criminality, scientists have suggested.
The...
Long delays in dementia diagnosis – global study
Recent analysis of data from 13 previously published studies of more than 30 000 people has highlighted a major gap that often keeps people...
Which milk is safer? Norwegian data provide the answer
Research from Norway reveals that choosing low-fat milk over whole milk could lower your risk of dying from heart disease or any cause, reshaping...
Scientists find link between genes and ME – Scottish study
A team of scientists has found the first robust evidence that people’s genes affect their chances of developing myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome...
Global shortcomings in life-saving surgery highlighted in Lancet study
Alarmingly, say experts, the world is still a long way from meeting targets for safe and affordable surgical care for all, according to their...
‘Zombie’ cells the link between ME/CFS and long Covid – Stellenbosch study
Researchers from Stellenbosch University believe they may have found a common underlying factor linking myalgic encephalomyelitis – or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) – and long Covid:...
Most liver cancer preventable, Lancet Commission finds
As many as three in five liver cancer cases could be prevented, according to a report from The Lancet Commission on liver cancer, which...
UK study explores effectiveness of OTC anti-depressants
Over-the-counter (OTC) products like St John’s wort and omega-3s have long been touted for helping with depression, but after 64 different products were tested...
New drug could halt Alzheimer’s
Research presented at the recent Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Toronto offers hope that a new drug could halt the progression of the disease,...
New type 1 diabetes tied to African patients – cross-sectional study
Researchers have suggested their recent discovery could change how type 1 diabetes is diagnosed and managed in people of African descent, with the study...
US transplant experts find new options for preserving more hearts
Two American university hospitals are pioneering new ways to expand lifesaving heart transplants for adults and babies – advances that their surgeons suggest could...
SA study highlights need to monitor IV antibiotic use in hospitals
The findings of a study analysing intravenous (IV) antibiotic usage in a private mining hospital in North West Province have emphasised the need for...
Dogs sniff out Parkinson’s years before symptoms – UK trial
People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) have an odour that can be reliably detected from skin swabs by trained dogs, a recent study has shown,...