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Editor's Pick
Scientists find 16 genes that increase women’s heart attack risk
Researchers who conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of eight studies into Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD), which can lead to heart attacks – particularly...
Premature babies’ death rates slashed by skin-to-skin contact – US analysis
A large analysis of multiple global studies involving more than 15 000 infants has found early implementation of skin-to-skin contact (kangaroo mother care) significantly...
Long Covid's impact on life quality worse than some cancers – UK study
A recent study found people with long Covid often have a lower health-related quality of life and worse fatigue than those with some advanced...
Exercise may reduce women's Parkinson’s risk, 30-year study finds
Regular exercise might reduce a woman’s chances of developing Parkinson’s disease by as much as 25%, the results of a nearly 30-year study of...
Peanut allergy breakthrough in US skin patch trial
Signalling good news for children with peanut allergies, a global phase three clinical trial found that a year-long immunotherapy through a skin patch safely...
Daily eye drops slow children’s myopia, prevent future damage – Ohio study
The results of a recent three-year clinical trial suggest that the first drug therapy to slow the progression of near-sightedness in children could be...
Israeli treatment has 90% success rate for multiple myeloma
In an oncological milestone, an Israeli cancer treatment is en-route to becoming the world’s first and only out-patient CAR-T for multiple myeloma, AL amyloidosis...
Daily multivitamin turns back cognitive ageing clock – US study
Researchers have said that for older people, a year of taking daily multivitamins had a similar effect to turning back the cognitive ageing clock...
Tokophobia levels rise, linked to early births – US study
Preterm births have, for the first time, been linked to tokophobia – a pathological fear of childbirth – with an online survey finding that...
Half of obese teens on Wegovy return to normal weight – STEP TEENS trial
In what researchers describe as unprecedented, the drug Wegovy (semaglutide) reduced the weight of nearly 50% of teenagers “to a level below what is...
Heftier youth linked to fatal prostate cancer – Swedish study
Men who gain around 12kg before turning 30 have a 27% greater risk of dying from prostate cancer in old age than those who...
Cheap BP drug could treat acne – Southampton study
A cheap drug used to treat high blood pressure could help thousands of women suffering from persistent acne, according to a study led by...
Monitoring, not treatment, better for low-risk prostate cancer – US study
While the diagnosis of low-risk prostate cancer used to lead directly to aggressive treatment, increasing numbers of men are opting for active surveillance, with...
More seaweed and soya may slow NAFLD – Japanese study
Following a Japanese diet of seaweed, soy foods and seafood, can help slow the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in people with...
Foetal growth stunted by cannabis in pregnancy – US study
As more people use cannabis for recreational purposes, with research showing some dispensaries even recommend it to pregnant women to ease pregnancy symptoms, especially...
Two studies find beta blockers not always ideal for heart patients
Beta blockers have long been widely prescribed for patients with heart issues, but two recent studies question the benefit of the therapies in certain...
One HPV jab effective for three years, gold-standard Kenya trial finds
A single dose of the human papillomavirus vaccine is effective at preventing infections over three years, most likely lowering rates of cervical cancer and...
Meat, eggs, milk healthier than plant-based foods – UN agency review
A major review undertaken by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), looking at 500 papers to analyse the benefits and risks of animal...
Poor diet puts SA children at risk of lifestyle diseases – Gqeberha study
A startling 43% of primary schoolchildren in Gqeberha run the risk of diseases like malnutrition, high blood pressure, diabetes and unhealthy cholesterol levels, according...
New breast cancer risks flagged by Washington researchers
Scientists have long known that dense breast tissue is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer in women, but a recent study adds...
The role of diet in menopausal hot flushes
There’s been only preliminary research on the link between diet and hot flushes, but some nutrients show promise for this uncomfortable and surprisingly mysterious...
Type 2 diabetes risk rises after Covid – Canadian study
Canadian researchers have found that people infected with Covid-19 were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes within a year after...
SA study flags growth stunt from paediatric TB
A child health investigation tracking risk factors for respiratory disease and other infections in children in the Western Cape has revealed new facts about...
Reduce dementia risk with hearing aids, suggests Chinese study
A recent study by Chinese scientists has provided the best evidence yet to suggest hearing aids could mitigate the potential impact of hearing loss...
Parkinson’s ‘game changer’ research findings open up new possibilities
Research funded by former film star and Parkinson’s sufferer Michael J Fox has resulted in the clearest evidence yet that the presence of a...
Old age weight loss linked to early death – Australian cohort study
A recent study, which assessed healthcare records of more than 16 000 pensioners and followed them for four-and-a-half-years, found that elderly men who lose...
Prostate cancer risk higher for black men – US study
Not only do black men have more chance of contracting and dying of prostate cancer but they also face longer delays between diagnosis and...
Poor sleep linked to increased asthma risk – Chinese study
Sleeping badly has been linked to an inflammatory response in the body which increases the risk of asthma, say scientists from Shandong University in...
Mediterranean diet benefits high risk people – global review
Following a Mediterranean diet, with or without added exercise and physical activity, can lower the risk of a heart attack, stroke or early death...
Hiccups and their curious connection to cancer
Because hiccups can seem innocuous, they remain mysterious and surprisingly understudied, and yet, they’re one of the most common bodily experiences humans (and rats,...
Probiotics not always beneficial – US study
Taking powders and capsules of live microorganisms can disrupt the balance of bacteria in the intestinal tract of healthy people and lead to less...
Scientists identify Caesarean scar disorder
An international study led by Dutch researchers has identified, for the first time, a condition caused by an abnormal uterine scar, the findings revealing...
Men could live to 140 as human lifespan increases, say scientists
Human lifespan has been increasing over recent decades and is expected to swell again after a setback caused by the pandemic, with one scientist...
E. coli from raw meat causes one in 14 UTIs – US study
Undercooked meat may be responsible for hundreds of thousands of urinary tract infections (UTIs) every year, scientists have warned, with recent research showing that...
BMI a weak indicator of fatty tissue content, large analysis finds
After years of trying to discover how obesity could be an independent risk factor for the development of heart failure but somehow linked to...
Beethoven’s DNA hair tests show genetic ailments, alcohol habits
Beethoven, who had a fondness for alcohol, probably had a genetic predisposition to liver disease, and a hepatitis B infection months before his death,...
Not enough night-time sleep linked to clogged arteries – Swedish study
Sleeping less than five hours a night has been linked to a 74% jump in risk of developing peripheral artery disease (PAD), compared with...
Provincial and public/private sector disparities in kidney treatment – SA study
With end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) continuing to increase worldwide, and the prevalence in South Africa estimated to range from 6% to 17% and predicted...
Vasectomies safer than reported – UK review
Vasectomies are much safer than reported and patient information leaflets need updating to reflect this, says a team of UK doctors after their comprehensive...
Prostate cancer patients can delay treatment without increased death risk – long-term study
A decades-long British study has found that more men with prostate cancer could afford to delay their treatment, and that active monitoring by healthcare...