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Editor's Pick
More exercise advised for cancer patients – Chinese meta-analysis
Doctors should prescribe exercise to more patients who are being treated for cancer, suggest researchers who recently looked at the links between physical activity and treatments –...
Eat, drink and be merry to avoid heart attacks – Chinese study
In advice that may turn on its head previous conclusions about the benefits of a daily tipple, recent research – the largest of its...
Gut E coli may have role in under-50s bowel cancer – global study
Researchers have suggested that childhood exposure to a toxin produced by bacteria in the bowel could be contributing to the worrying rise of colorectal...
Peanut allergy controlled in UK trial – with daily peanuts
A British man who has a severe peanut allergy now eats four nuts each morning, which has transformed his life, he said.
This “life-changing” switch...
‘Heart patch’ could help with transplant shortage – German study
Worldwide, about 20 people die every day while waiting for an organ transplant, but a promising advance from German scientists offers a potential solution...
CT scan cancer risk warning – US study
A group of American physicians has warned that CT scans commonly taken to help detect injury and disease may be accompanied by an alarming...
Blood test on the cards to predict postpartum blues – US study
A simple blood test may soon be able to predict postpartum depression before symptoms appear, hinting at a future where treatments could shift from...
At-home prostate cancer spit test effective – UK study
British researchers have found that a new at-home spit test for prostate cancer is more accurate than current screening methods, and so effective it...
Traditional African diet boosts immune system – Dutch study
Traditional African diets have long been known as beneficial for gut and metabolic health, because they usually include a range of vegetables, grains, fruit,...
Swiss study adds to concern about GLP-1 agonists link to vision issues
Using real-world data from more than 300 000 cases, scientists have uncovered a significant link between semaglutide and reported vision problems, raising new concerns...
Early antibiotics affect newborns’ later response to jabs – Australian study
Babies who are given antibiotics early may have lower levels of antibodies and reduced immune responses to vaccines in later infancy, possibly due to...
ADHD drug benefits outweigh health risks – global study
People taking ADHD drugs – children, adults and adolescents – showed minimal increases in blood pressure and pulse rates, with the “risk-benefit ratio” being “reassuring”,...
Vitamin D may reduce autoimmune disease symptoms – French study
Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who took high doses of vitamin D had fewer relapses and lesions, said scientists after their recent study suggested that...
Gluten sensitivity symptoms not always tied to gluten – small Australian study
Numerous people may be following a gluten-free diet, possibly unnecessarily, say experts after a study suggested that many with self-declared gluten sensitivity experienced symptoms...
Call for anaemia screening in hospitalised children – Durban study
Researchers who found a high prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) among hospitalised children in Durban have called for an urgent review of the...
Israeli study maps pregnancy’s lasting effects on the body
An "unprecedented view" of how the body changes during and after pregnancy has revealed many long-lasting impacts on the liver, kidneys and more, said...
Excessive napping may be tied to dementia – US study
Twenty-four-hour sleepiness, particularly excessive napping, has been associated with a doubled risk of developing dementia, the latest study on disturbed sleep patterns and the...
Only 10% of non-surgical treatments kill backache – Australian review
Most treatments for back pain do not work – and even the few that do, bring little relief, a global review of the evidence...
Ovarian cancer screening test less effective for black women, review finds
A common test for ovarian cancer may be less effective on black and Native American patients, a review of more than 200 000 patients...
Parkinson’s disease could affect 25m people by 2050, study warns
Scientists are calling for immediate action to tackle the growing neurological health crisis of Parkinson’s disease, with cases likely to affect 25m within the...
Cannabis use poses cardiovascular risk – US study
Clinicians should warn patients about the potential of cannabis to harm cardiovascular health – depending on how much they use, and how much stock...
How donating blood can boost your health – global study
The life-saving act of giving blood may not only be beneficial to the patient but also to the donor, researchers have suggested, because frequent donations encourage...
High wastage of anaesthetic drugs in SA theatre – Bara study
Reducing anaesthetic drug wastage in hospitals is crucial for improving operating room efficiency and controlling costs, particularly in developing countries where resources are limited,...
WHO study sheds light on maternal deaths
Haemorrhage and hypertensive disorders like pre-eclampsia are the leading causes of maternal deaths globally, according to a study released this week by the World...
Higher sperm quality could be linked to longevity – Danish study
Men with higher levels of strong, agile sperm may live nearly three years longer than those with poor swimmers incapable of making it to...
Weight loss of 20%-30% can reverse type 2 diabetes – Qatar analysis
The more weight lost by people with type 2 diabetes, the greater the odds that the disease will go partially or even completely into...
Breast cancer deaths to rise 68% by 2050 – WHO study
Global cancer researchers have warned that breast cancer diagnoses and deaths are expected to surge worldwide in the coming decades, rising to more than...
Long-term strategy vital to combat cholera threat in Africa
Southern and eastern African countries are facing a resurgence of cholera, threatening worldwide progress toward eliminating the disease, a recent analysis has said.
The study,...
Study flags risks of taking seniors off blood thinners
Clinicians often worry about prescribing blood thinning medications to older patients because of concerns about falls and major bleeding, but research in England suggests...
Gene therapy improves sight in paediatric blindness
A pioneering genetic medicine has delivered life-changing improvements in sight to four children born with severe vision impairment from a rare genetic deficiency that...
Prenatal treatment for spinal muscular atrophy shows promise
Doctors have reported that the first prenatal therapy for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) has showed promising results – that more than two years after...
Common painkiller in pregnancy tied to ADHD risk – US study
Children may have a higher risk of developing ADHD if their mothers used paracetamol – also known as acetaminophen – during pregnancy, adding weight...
Some hormonal contraceptives linked to clots – Danish study
A team of researchers has suggested that some progesterone-only hormonal contraceptives may carry similar clot risk to certain combined pills, according to their study.
The Danish...
Rise in children’s cannabis poisonings in Australia
As access to medicinal cannabis in Australia increases, so too does the risk of poisoning, especially in adolescents and children, experts have warned, noting...
Omega-3 plus exercise may slow ageing – Swiss study
Scientists in Switzerland have suggested that, in combination with regular exercise, omega-3 and vitamin D supplements might help slow biological ageing by several months over...
Legalised cannabis tied to more schizophrenia cases – Canadian study
Scientists have suggested that Canada’s legalisation of cannabis may be linked to an escalation in schizophrenia cases, according to their research findings.
Over a 16-year...
Global study gives snapshot of nurses’ mental health burden
A first-of-its-kind study provides an insight into the substantial mental health burden on nurses around the world, the research documenting the impact of three...
Swedish study identifies gaps in preterm infant pain treatment
Repeated pain in newborn babies can be under-diagnosed and thus under-treated, risking long-term cognitive and other complications, say Swedish experts after a recent nation-wide...
Frequent cannabis use could affect crucial memory skill – US study
Scientists say more frequent use of marijuana could damage the brain’s working memory, which may lead to issues with safety, communications and work success,...
Brazilian couples study finds gene that boosts Covid-19 protection
A group of South American couples has helped to discover a biomarker of resistance to the Covid-19 virus, say scientists, after a study conducted...