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Editor's Pick
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...
mRNA cancer vaccine shows promise in trial
Scientists say they are pleased with the interim data from the phase I dose escalation part of the mRNA cancer jab (mRNA-4359) trial, which,...
One dose of smallpox jab cuts mpox risk – Canadian study
Recent research suggests that receiving a single dose of one type of smallpox vaccine could reduce the risk of catching mpox by around 60%,...
Pregnancy rates after ‘tubes tied’ higher than thought – US study
American researchers have found that rates of pregnancy after tubal sterilisation may be higher than previously expected, according to their analysis of national survey...
Novel Duchenne therapy shows promise – US trial
Recently released data from a phase 1/2 clinical trial show that combination therapy led to significant dystrophin expression and functional improvement in patients with...
Simple saline remedy reduces colds duration – UK study
British scientists have revealed an easy DIY treatment that they say reduces the duration of a child’s cold, and its spread among a household.
The...
Drug may stop migraine before headache starts – US study
In encouraging news for sufferers, recent research suggests that when taken at the first signs of a migraine, before headache pain begins, a drug...
Weekend sleep ‘catch-up’ may lower heart disease risk – Chinese study
Modern lifestyles mean many people are sleep-deprived on work or school days, and try to “catch-up” with compensatory sleep on weekends – which, shows...
What time is best to take daily BP pills?
Based on data from five trials and nearly 50 000 patients, researchers have found “conclusive evidence” that taking medicine for blood pressure (BP) in...
Questions remain on weight loss drugs' suicide risk – US study
A recent study of an international drug safety database – suggesting people taking semaglutide are likelier to think about suicide than those taking other...
Pacemaker for Parkinson’s gives new hope – US study
A recent small study in the US represents the strides being made in using brain implants and artificial intelligence to personalise treatment for neurological...
Processed meat a high risk factor for type 2 diabetes – UK analysis
Meat consumption, particularly of processed meat and unprocessed red meat, is associated with a higher type 2 diabetes risk, suggests an analysis of data...
Common lab tests unable to diagnose long Covid – US study
Almost four and a half years after the pandemic began, one of the biggest challenges still facing physicians is understanding, diagnosing and treating long...
Coma patients might have some awareness – US study
When people suffer severe brain damage – from vehicle accidents, for example, or falls or aneurysms – they may slip into a coma for...
Higher cancer risk with heavy cannabis use – US study
People who are regular and heavy cannabis users have a three to five times greater risk of developing some head and neck cancers, according...
Cervical cancer treatment success with heat therapy – Wits study
Researchers at Wits University have successfully enhanced the effectiveness of heat therapy to help treat cervical cancer – the second most common cancer among...
Severe tooth loss linked to higher risk of fatal heart disease – US analysis
Severe teeth loss – which can happen in older age – is not just a dental issue but could also be linked to a...
Surge in children's sugary drink intake – global study
Worldwide, children and adolescents drank, on average, 23% more sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in 2018 than they did in 1990, according to a recent study,...
Agricultural antibiotics linked to Nigerian babies born with AMR
Colistin, one of the last remaining antibiotics that is still effective in killing bacteria and fighting infections like pneumonia, is rarely used in hospitals...
Cranberries reduce UTI risk, meta analysis confirms
Unsweetened cranberry juice is often recommended by doctors as a treatment for urinary tract infections (UTIs), and yet given a lack of solid scientific evidence, some...
Millennials and Gen Xers have higher risk of 17 cancers – US study
US and Canadian researchers have identified 17 cancer types that appear to be more common in Generation X and millennials than in older age...
European experts identify genes which increase severe Covid risk
Whether or not a person becomes seriously ill with Covid-19 depends, among other things, on genetic factors, and European researchers recently not only confirmed...
Alzheimer’s blood test scores 90% accuracy in Swedish study
Scientists have taken another major stride toward the long-sought goal of diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease with a simple blood test after researchers reported that a...
Double mastectomy no guarantee against cancer – Canadian cohort study
Women who had a lumpectomy or a mastectomy and kept their other breast did just as well as women who had a double mastectomy,...
Aspirin may lower colorectal cancer death risk – Italian study
A growing body of evidence has shown that people who regularly take aspirin have a lower risk for colorectal cancer (CRC) and are less...
First trimester Covid exposure, jab, not tied to birth defects risk
Neither Covid-19 infection nor vaccination during the first trimester of pregnancy is associated with increased risk of major birth defects, found a study of...
Common blood thinner could treat cobra venom – global study
A commonly used blood thinner can be used as an antidote to cobra venom, an international study has suggested, research that experts have described...
Over-the-counter nasal sprays may prevent full-blown flu – UK study
In the largest trial of its kind, British scientists found that using nasal sprays at the first sign of a sore throat, cough, cold...
Ultrasound cancer screening less accurate in black women – US study
Experts suggest that a common screening technique used to assess the risk of endometrial cancer may be less effective in black women, and that...
Lockdowns slashed wheezing in generation of babies – Italian study
The Covid-19 pandemic had an upside for lockdown babies: substantially less wheezing and bronchiolitis, according to an Italian retrospective cohort study, with the researchers...
Neonatal antibiotic use slashed in multi-disciplinary SA project
After a 20-week intervention involving nearly 600 neonates, researchers found that the implementation of a prospective, multi-disciplinary antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programme had significantly reduced...
Some antidepressants may be tied to weight gain – Harvard study
Recent studies have suggested that weight gain may be an unwanted side effect of certain antidepressants, with the researchers highlighting the importance of full...