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Editor's Pick
Being too fat or too thin 'can cost four years of life'
Being overweight or underweight, as measured by the Body Mass Index, could knock four years off life expectancy, a five-year UK population cohort study...
C. difficile on bed sheets may survive hospital laundering
Washing contaminated hospital bedsheets in a commercial washing machine with industrial detergent at high disinfecting temperatures failed to remove all traces of Clostridium difficile...
Simple test predicts stroke recovery over three years
A simple test, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, taken within a week of a stroke may help predict how well people will have recovered up...
Many more mesh sling insertions should be reversed
Many more women than initially estimated who received vaginal mesh implants to treat incontinence will need the procedure reversed, a large study from the London...
Endurance training may benefit gut microbiota composition
Endurance exercise training beneficially modifies gut microbiota composition, decreasing potentially inflammation causing microbes and increasing those linked to enhanced metabolism.
Even though there was no...
Concern over psycho executives overblown – unless it's a man
Corporate leaders do not tend to have substantially higher levels of psychopathic tendencies, according to a meta-analysis from the American Psychological Association. However, there is...
Sit-stand office desks appear to boost performance, psychological health
Sit-stand workstations that allow employees to stand, as well as sit, while working on a computer reduce daily sitting time and appear to have...
Many OTC diet supplements contain potentially harmful drugs
Potentially harmful pharmaceuticals not listed on product labels were found in more than 700 over-the-counter OTC) dietary supplements, researchers report. Reuters Health reports that...
Following elective hip surgery, patients report new health problems
Up to two years following elective, arthroscopic hip surgery, a substantial proportion of US military patients reported troubling new health issues ranging from sleep...
One-off DNA test could predict heart attack risk in childhood
People at high risk of a heart attack in adulthood could be spotted much earlier in life with a reasonably inexpensive, one-off DNA test,...
Vitamin D supplements 'do nothing' to improve bone health
Vitamin D supplements do nothing for bone health and the UK government should ditch its advice that everyone should take them throughout the winter...
Mediterranean diet linked to 41% reduced risk of late-stage AMD
Data from two large studies shows that higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a 41% reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration...
Newer oral contraceptives linked to reduced ovarian cancer risk
New types of combined oral contraceptives (containing both lower doses of oestrogens and newer progestogens) are associated with a reduced risk of ovarian cancer,...
High gluten intake in pregnancy may link to child's diabetes risk
A high gluten intake by mothers during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of their child developing type 1 diabetes, suggests a study....
Artificial sweeteners found to be toxic to gut microbes
FDA-approved artificial sweeteners and sport supplements were found to be toxic to digestive gut microbes, according to a study by researchers at Ben-Gurion University...
Even low levels of air pollution linked to heart damage
People exposed to even low levels of air pollution are more likely to develop structural changes in the heart that can be a precursor...
Caffeine consumption may extend life expectancy for people with CKD
A large observational study found that caffeine may reduce the risk of death by nearly 25% for people with chronic kidney disease, even after...
Hole in one for consensus statement on golf and health
A systematic review of 342 eligible studies as well as an international working group of experts in public health and health police, had led...
Almost 40% of South Africans dangerously inactive — WHO study
A quarter of the world’s adults are doing too little exercise, putting them at risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia, and some...
Home BP monitoring signifcantly improves hypertension control, cuts costs
Home blood pressure monitoring improved hypertension control and saved substantially on medical costs, according to results of a pilot initiative presented at the American...
Day-time sleepiness linked to Alzheimer's risk
Data from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Ageing, started in 1958, shows that adults who report being very sleepy during the day were nearly...
Off-the-shelf probiotics 'are almost useless'
Probiotic 'cocktails' that are not tailored to individual needs have little or no effect on the gut, except that the trial on 46 people...
Routine prostate cancer testing not recommended — international panel
Routine testing for prostate cancer with the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test is not recommended for most men because the benefit is small and...
Lifetime abuse experience link to injury risk in top athletes
Active top-flight athletes who have experienced sexual or physical abuse at some time in their life run a greater risk of sports-related injury. A...
Diplomats' mystery illness linked to radio-frequency microwave radiation
Dr Beatrice Golomb, professor of medicine at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, says publicly reported symptoms and experiences of a "mystery...
Airport security plastic trays a hotbed of viruses
The plastic trays used at airport security checkpoints have been found to harbour the highest levels of viruses at airports, in a scientific investigation...
Trial shows cannabis extract helps reset brain function in psychosis
Research from King’s College London has found that a single dose of the cannabis extract cannabidiol can help reduce brain function abnormalities seen in...
Plastic surgery on YouTube is mostly 'misleading marketing'
In the first study to evaluate YouTube videos on facial plastic surgery procedures, which draw millions of viewers, Rutgers University researchers found that most...
Cardio versus strength training — Copenhagen study
When it comes to the world of exercise, no debate is as contentious as cardio vs strength training. The Independent reports that while some...
Milk at breakfast lowers blood glucose through the day
Milk consumed with a high-carbohydrate breakfast reduced blood glucose even after lunch and the effect was increased by high-protein milk, found randomised, controlled, double-blinded study...
'Holy grail' of weight-loss meds does not increase major cardiovascular events
Lorcaserin effectively aids weight loss in obese patients at a high risk for cardiovascular events (MACE) without increasing the rate of MACE.
With a median...
Hanging loose may boost sperm concentrations by 25%
Men who most frequently wore boxers had significantly higher sperm concentrations and total counts when compared with men who did not, according to research...
Taking ayahuasca is like having a near-death experience – study
A psychedelic drug taken as part of the South American plant brew ayahuasca produces effects that are strikingly similar to near-death experiences, a study...
Almost a fifth of medicines in Africa sub-standard or falsified
A study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that sub-standard and falsified medicines, including medicines to treat malaria, are a...
Blood test predicts how lymphoma respond to treatment
A blood test can predict which patients with a type of cancer called diffuse large B cell lymphoma are likely to respond positively to...
Over-sleeping linked with up to 30% higher mortality risk
A UK research review has found that people who sleep for more than eight hours a night have a greater mortality and cardiovascular risk...
No clear association between high-frequency electromagnetic fields and brain tumours
No clear associations were found between occupational exposure to high frequency electromagnetic fields (EMF) and risk of glioma or meningioma, in one of the...
Belly fat associated with reduced cognitive function
A large Irish study found that higher belly fat was associated with reduced cognitive function in older adults.
The study by researchers at Trinity College...
PCOS increases risk of having an autistic child
Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are more likely than other women to have an autistic child, according to an analysis of NHS data...
Wake up and smell the placebo, for a cognitive boost
Research at Stevens Institute of Technology reveals that the scent of coffee alone may help people perform better on the analytical portion of the...