HomeEditor's Pick
Editor's Pick
Severe diabetics ‘cured’ after new treatment – small US trial
A single infusion of a stem cell-based treatment may have cured 10 out of 12 people with the most severe form of type 1...
Chemo-free combo leukaemia treatment hailed – phase 3 UK trial
A combination of targeted drugs, offering a chemotherapy-free approach to leukaemia, has been hailed as a milestone in cancer care by scientists after a...
Study flags role of dairy in reducing fracture risk in older women
Consuming more dairy in liquid form appears to reduce the risk of osteoporotic and other fractures, while cheese is specifically linked to a reduced...
Hydration levels key to prevent heart conditions – Israeli study
Scientists have made surprising findings from a major study of more than 400 000 healthy adults indicating that even sodium levels within the high...
One in 36 men has hidden dementia risk gene – Perth study
Scientists have warned that men carrying two copies of a common genetic variant face double the risk of dementia, according to their findings from...
Common drug may reduce preterm births – Zimbabwe randomised trial
A study of almost 1 000 pregnant women in Zimbabwe found that a daily dose of a commonly used, safe and inexpensive antibiotic may...
Scientists hail ‘breakthrough’ in quest for HIV cure – Australian study
Researchers in Melbourne found a new way to force the HIV out of hiding inside human cells, saying the virus’ ability to conceal itself...
New prostate cancer risk gene identified – US study
Scientists have recently identified MMS22L as a potential major gene associated with prostate cancer (PCa) susceptibility, with implications for both risk prediction and personalised treatment, they say.
Building on...
Risks of stopping beta-blockers after heart attack – French trial
Researchers have found that interruption of beta-blocker treatment after an uncomplicated myocardial infarction (MI) leads to sustained increases in blood pressure and heart rate,...
Overweight boys risk genes of future offspring – Norwegian study
Boys whose fathers were overweight as teenagers had epigenetic markers associated with asthma, obesity and low lung function, according to a recent study, with...
Link between Alzheimer’s and cold sores emerges in new data
Recent research suggesting an unexpected link between a common form of herpes and Alzheimer’s disease could mean that anti-viral treatments might offer a potential preventative measure, said...
Common weed shows potential to fight cancer – SA study
South African researchers have discovered that a common weed – usually dismissed as an invasive plant – might have the potential to fight cancer,...
US clinical trial gives hope for spinal cord injury patients
Texas researchers have said that unprecedented rates of recovery were exhibited in patients with spinal cord injuries who had received a combination of stimulation...
Mini-strokes need to be taken more seriously – US study
Transient ischaemic attacks (TIA) can eventually lead to cognitive declines as steep as those after a full-on stroke, suggests recent research, which found that...
Alzheimer’s risk factors may be detected before 30 – US study
Alarming findings from a study led by researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and the Columbia Butler Ageing Centre suggest that risk...
Key differences in health risks for males and females – Berlin-UK study
An international study led by researchers from Queen Mary University of London’s Precision Healthcare University Research Institute (PHURI) has cast new light on the...
CRISPR therapy slashes ‘bad cholesterol’ by up to 80%
Promising early data has been revealed from the first clinical study of a gene editing therapy to lower the risk of heart disease, setting...
Tennis ball test may indicate longevity – Finnish study
A quick test of strength with a tennis ball may be able to tell you if you’re going to live to 100-years-old, according to...
Weight-loss jabs could halve obesity-linked cancer risks – Israeli study
Weight-loss jabs could almost halve the risk of obesity-related cancers, a landmark study has suggested, with experts calling the findings “transformational”, and saying they...
Daily plastic exposure linked to heart disease deaths – US study
A recent analysis of population surveys shows that daily exposure to certain chemicals used to make common plastic household items could be linked to...
Eating chicken may raise cancer risks – Italian study
Regularly eating chicken could double the risk of dying from gastrointestinal cancers, suggest scientists who followed the diets of nearly 5 000 people over...
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...