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Editor's Pick
Neurotoxic risks of too many multivitamins
More and more people are presenting with symptoms linked to high levels of vitamin B6, pathologists say, while the supplement industry goes unpoliced, and...
More than 900m people globally have incurable STI – Qatar analysis
Research led by a team in Doha has confirmed genital herpes is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the world that does...
One smoke shortens life by 20 minutes – UK analysis
Updated research has found that cigarettes shorten life expectancy even more than originally thought – that a single cigarette could slice about 20 minutes...
Genetics put African men most at risk of prostate cancer
Breakthrough research, and the largest study of its kind, has identified the genetic risk factors contributing to increased prostate cancer in African men.
The study,...
Millions of mental diagnoses linked to lead in petrol – US study
A recent study has suggested that a history of lead in petrol – going back to as early as the 1920s – could be...
Chocolate comparison weighs up type 2 diabetes risks – Harvard-led study
Eating at least five tiny servings of dark chocolate each week may lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 21%, according to...
Major leap in asthma treatment
A new way of treating serious asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) attacks could be a “game-changer” and is the first leap in...
Common thyroid medicine linked to bone loss
Levothyroxine, a drug used to treat hypothyroidism, can lead to reduced bone mass and density in older adults with normal thyroid levels, a small...
Swedish study links some HRT medicines to higher cardio risks
Researchers who analysed almost a million women in Sweden have found those taking certain HRT tablets suffered higher rates of heart complications and blood...
Covid linked to cancer regression in US study
In what could be a significant development, American researchers have found what they believe is an extraordinary link between infection with Covid and cancer regression,...
Alarming finds from AMR study of hospital surfaces in six countries
Antimicrobial resistance – when bacteria and other microbes that can cause infections gain the ability to resist treatment by antibiotics or other antimicrobial medicines...
Pumps help human hearts to self-repair at higher rate – Swedish study
After severe heart failure, the ability of the heart to heal by forming new cells is very low. However, according to a recent study,...
Fluctuating cholesterol may be warning sign for dementia – Monash-US study
A large study of nearly 10 000 adults in their 70s reveals that unexplained year-to-year changes in cholesterol levels might serve as an early...
Colonoscopies detect more colorectal cancer than blood tests, study finds
Although people might prefer to get screened for colorectal cancer with a blood test rather than a colonoscopy, the latter stool-based procedure can prevent...
World first stem cell transplant improves vision in patients
A radical stem cell transplant has significantly improved the blurry vision of three people with severe damage to their corneas, the clinical trial in...
Analysis projects global cancer deaths will double by 2050
Experts have predicted that cancer cases around the world was going to skyrocket, resulting in millions more fatalities by 2050. This will be largely...
Babies' reduced sugar intake leads to lower later chronic disease risk – UK study
Children whose sugar consumption was restricted during their first 1 000 days after conception had up to 35% less chance of developing type 2...
Major UK trial to see if red wine chemical stops bowel cancer
British scientists are launching a large trial to determine if a chemical found in wine, red grapes, as well as blueberries, raspberries and peanuts,...
Large study identifies new kidney transplant rejection indicators
Medical scientists involved in a large international study have identified new signs of kidney transplant rejection that could lead to more precise diagnosis and...
SA women could have three-monthly anti-HIV ring by 2026
A flexible silicone ring that slowly releases antiretrovirals is one of just two long-acting HIV prevention products registered for use in South Africa, but...
Autism diagnosis rates triple in past decade – US cross-sectional study
Autism diagnosis rates are skyrocketing in the US, say experts, having nearly tripled between 2011 and 2022 during which time it climbed by a...
‘Almost untreatable’ superbug tied to common antibiotic – Australian study
After an eight-year study, scientists recently made a surprising finding in the first recorded instance of one antibiotic causing resistance to another in a...
‘Deep brain’ genes tied to Parkinson’s, ADHD – large global study
A massive team of international scientists has shed light on how 254 genetic variants can affect the development of particular subcortical structures, potentially influencing...
Radioactive treatment shrinks brain tumour by 50% in UK trial
A new radioactive therapy offers hope to people with hard-to-treat brain cancer, with the first patient signed up to the British clinical trial having...
Global review identifies drug with best outcomes for stroke recovery
A recent study to find which medications work best in improving overall outcomes for ischaemic stroke patients saw European researchers comparing the effectiveness of...
Men and women process pain differently – US study
Recent research suggests that men and women rely on different biological systems for pain relief, which could explain why the most powerful medications are...
US study finds immunotherapy boosts Hodgkin’s survival chances
An immunotherapy approach to treating advanced Hodgkin lymphoma may drastically increase patients’ chances of survival, including in those as young as 12, according to...
Risk of heart attacks, deaths, for three years after Covid – US study
A large study has suggested that Covid-19 could be a powerful risk factor for heart attacks and strokes for as long as three years...
Never too late to quit smoking – and live longer, US study finds
A team of researchers has said that smokers who give up cigarettes, even at 75, could be boosting their life expectancy, and that it’s...
Combination treatment slashes cervical cancer deaths by 40%
British researchers are hailing a new cervical cancer treatment as the biggest improvement in 20 years, cutting the risk of death by 40% and...
Omega-3 cuts aggression by nearly 30% – US meta-analysis
A recent meta-analysis suggests that omega-3, available as dietary supplements via fish oil capsules and thought to help with mental and physical well-being, could...
Longer sleep, early breakfast, affects BMI – Spanish study
A recent study suggests that there are patterns in the relationship between meal times and body weight, with the scientists saying that to keep...
Impact of severe Covid on brain’s ‘control centre’ – UK study
British researchers have suggested that severe Covid infections may drive inflammation in the brain’s “control centre”, causing damage that could explain the long-term breathlessness,...
The cost of lockdown on children’s eyesight – Chinese study
One in every three children is now short-sighted as a result of Covid lockdowns, suggest researchers, who found not only that myopia tripled between...
Muscle relaxants not as effective for chronic pain – Yale review
The long-term use of muscle relaxants may benefit patients with painful spasms or cramps and neck pain, according to a systematic review of clinical...
More risk of lupus, diabetes if periods stop early – Finnish study
Women with premature ovarian insufficiency, whose periods stop before 40, have a much greater risk of severe autoimmune diseases like diabetes and lupus, according...
Alcohol consumption linked to rising cancer cases – US study
Adults under 50 have been developing breast cancer and colorectal cancer at increasingly higher rates over the past few decades, and alcohol use may...
Prescription amphetamine tied to higher psychosis risk – US study
Amphetamine use has risen steadily in the US over the past few years – up 70% between 2011 and 2021 – with a recent...
MIND diet slows cognitive decline for women, black people – US study
Sticking to the MIND diet for 10 years produced a small but significant decrease in the risk of developing thinking, concentration and memory problems,...
Scientists hope metabolic data may ultimately predict SIDS – US study
Metabolic data from babies who died of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDs, could help predict the devastating condition, research has revealed, with scientists hoping...