Our Team

Most of the UK media is covering the announcement made in Parliament by Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health, about proposed changes to social care.

The two confirmed points to have garnered the most media attention in the run-up to the announcement are:

• a ‘cost cap’ of £75,000 worth of care costs – after this...

"Adults who booze regularly but exercise for five hours a week are no more likely to die than teetotallers," the Mail Online reports.

A study suggests exercise may compensate for some, but certainly not all, of the harms associated with excessive alcohol consumption. This latest study looked at deaths from...

"Super-strength vitamin C doses could be a way to fight leukaemia," the Mail Online reports. Research in mice found vitamin C could help combat the effect of a mutated gene that can cause uncontrollable stem cell growth and trigger the onset of acute...

"Women who eat junk food such as burgers or pizza are increasing their risk of cancer even if they're not overweight, new research has warned," reports the Daily Mail.

The story is based on research from the US looking at the diet of postmenopausal women in the 1990s and then tracking the development of a variety of cancers...

"A quarter of Americans are injured and hospitalized by tidying up 'down there'," the Mail Online reports.

The headline is prompted by a survey which asked 7,570 adults about pubic hair removal and "grooming" (such as waxing). The researchers found that removing all pubic hair, and frequent hair removal, were most...

"Cancer patients who use alternative medicine more than twice as likely to die," is the stark message from The Independent. Researchers found that people who chose alternative medicine instead of conventional cancer treatments were much less likely to survive for at least five years.

Conventional treatments included surgery...

"Concept of being 'fit but fat' is a myth, researchers say," ITV News reports after a Europe-wide study looked at associations between body weight, metabolic health and heart disease.

The term "fat but fit" is used to describe people who are overweight or obese but don't have any of the symptoms of...

"Warning to pregnant women, don't use antibacterial soap! Chemicals in the products can make children fat and disrupt their development," is the alarming, yet entirely unsupported, headline from the Mail Online.

US researchers wanted to see if pregnant mice exposed to the chemical triclocarban (TCC), previously used in a...

"Gene editing to remove viruses brings transplant organs from pigs a step closer," The Guardian reports after researchers used the new CRIPSR gene editing technique. CRIPSR acts like a set of molecular scissors that can cut out potentially harmful infectious genes.

Despite the difference in size and shape, many of the pig's...

"Like it or loathe it, but Marmite could help prevent millions of miscarriages and birth defects around the world," is the overly optimistic headline in The Daily Telegraph.

The news is based on research into just four families who have children with birth defects, with three of the families also having had...

"Kissing it better really works: Saliva found to have properties that help speed up the healing process," reports the Mail Online. Researchers in Chile investigated how human saliva may help wounds to heal more efficiently.

They used lab-grown skin cells and fertilised chicken eggs to see how a protein found in saliva,...

"Pill that mimics effects of going to the gym could transform lives of heart failure patients," the Daily Mirror reports. While the news sounds promising, it is important to make clear the research involved rodents, not people.

Heart failure is...

"The images you put up on Instagram could be used to diagnose if you're depressed," the Mail Online reports.

Researchers attempted to see if computer-driven image recognition could diagnose depression based on the form and content of people's posts on Instagram, a social media photo sharing site.

They looked at...

"Drinking just one glass of beer or wine a day could give you skin cancer, scientists have warned," the Mail Online reports.

Researchers pooled the results of previous studies and found a small, but significant, association between alcohol consumption and...

"A drug commonly used to treat diabetes could help those living with Parkinson's disease," The Guardian reports. A small study suggests a drug called exenatide may have a modest beneficial effect on motor (movement) symptoms in people with Parkinson's...

"Deadly gene mutations removed from human embryos in landmark study," reports The Guardian. Researchers have used a gene-editing technique to repair faults in DNA that can cause the often-fatal heart condition, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

...

"Study finds just a sugar-cube sized piece of kitchen sponge can contain 54 BILLION bacterial cells," the Mail Online reports. A German study sampled 14 different kitchen sponges and found they contained far more bacteria than expected.

Genetic analysis revealed the used sponges contained billions of bacteria, from 362...

"Obesity cure possible after discovery of fat 'switch'," is the somewhat premature headline in The Daily Telegraph.

Researchers have identified a "biological switch" that controls when fat cells convert fat into energy for the body. But the headline fails to make it clear that this discovery was in mice, not...

"Nearly all men over 60 and women over 75 eligible for statins, analysis suggests," The Guardian reports.

This is the finding of a study that aimed to see how many people in England would qualify for statin use if the 2014 NICE guidelines for statin therapy in adults were followed.

...

"Offering routine HIV tests to people when they register with new GP surgeries in high-risk areas is cost-effective and could save lives," The Guardian reports.

The news comes from the findings of a large trial in the London Borough of Hackney.

Researchers wanted to see if offering ...

"Drinking a moderate amount of certain drinks such as wine three to four times a week reduced diabetes risk by about 30%," The Guardian reports. That was the main reported finding of a Danish study looking at the impact of alcohol on diabetes risk.

Researchers looked at a group of more than 70,000 people who had completed a...

"Should you finish a course of antibiotics?" asks BBC Online. The question is prompted by a new review suggesting concerns around antibiotic treatment are driven by fears of under-treatment, when we should instead be concerned about over-use.

Patients have always been advised to finish their course of ...

"The proportion of diabetics who go blind or suffer sight loss has almost halved since a new national retinopathy screening programme started in 2007," BBC News reports. The screening programme was in fact launched in 2003 but rolled out to all diabetic people over the age of 12 by 2007.

The main risk to vision for people...

"Sperm counts among Western men have halved in last 40 years," The Guardian reports. A major review of research carried out since 1973 found an estimated 50-60% drop in sperm count in developed nations.

Researchers looked for studies that reported measures of either total sperm count or sperm concentration in men not known...

"Using money to free-up time is linked to increased happiness," BBC News reports. Researchers surveyed people from a number of developed countries and found those who reported using money to free up time, such as hiring a cleaner, tended to report higher life satisfaction.

Researchers surveyed more than 6,000 participants...

"Snoring linked to Alzheimer's," the Mail Online reports. A US study reported an association between sleep-disorder breathing and Alzheimer's disease in later life. But no definitive link between the two has been proven.

Sleep-disordered breathing is a general term to describe pauses in breathing during sleep that restrict...

"Cows have shown an 'insane' and 'mind-blowing' ability to tackle HIV which will help develop a vaccine, say US researchers," BBC News reports.

The report is based on new research in cows that were immunised against HIV before having their immune response to HIV assessed. There's currently no vaccine for HIV because the...

"Nine lifestyle changes can reduce dementia risk," BBC News reports. A major review by The Lancet has identified nine potentially modifiable risk factors linked to dementia.

The risk factors were:

• low levels of education
• midlife hearing loss
• physical inactivity
...

"Vitamin D will not protect your child from a cold: myth-busting study says 'more isn't always better' to help toddlers stay healthy," says the Mail Online.

The story is based on a study that looked at whether giving healthy young children high doses of ...

"Artificial sweeteners linked to risk of weight gain," the Daily Mirror reports. Researchers looking at data gathered in previous studies reported a link between artificial sweeteners – ironically often associated with diet drinks – and weight gain. They also found a link with type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke.

"Being vegetarian isn't always healthy: Plant-based diet may raise the risk of heart disease," the Daily Mail reports. A US study found a vegetarian diet based on less healthy food options, such as refined grains, could increase the risk of heart disease.

The researchers behind the latest study made the point that many...

"Scientists have found you can hold back the hands of time with a regular romp," is The Sun's typically colourful headline.

While a healthy sex life may be a good thing, the research in question isn't exactly mind blowing.

The study included 129...

"Long working days can cause heart problems, study says," The Guardian reports.

Researchers found people who work 55 or more hours a week had an increased risk of developing a type of irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation,...

"Bad news for those who hate cleaning: dusty homes could make you obese," reports the Mail Online.

Scientists in the US tested extracts of household dust on mouse "pre-fat" cells grown in a laboratory. These are cells known to develop into fat cells when exposed to fat-causing chemicals. 

The researchers...

"Children suffer significantly more face-to-face bullying than online abuse," reports the Mail Online.

UK researchers questioned nearly 300,000 15-year-olds about their experiences of bullying in the biggest study of the subject to date.

They found 30% of the teenagers who replied experienced regular "...

"Drinking three cups of coffee a day could add years to your life, suggest studies," reports the Metro.

It follows the results of European and US studies that looked at the relationship between how much coffee people drink and death.

The European study included more than 450,000 people. Researchers found men who...

"Meningitis vaccine may also cut risk of 'untreatable' gonorrhoea, study says," is the headline in The Guardian.

The news comes from the results of a study in New Zealand that found people who'd been given an old version of the meningitis B vaccine were less likely to be diagnosed with ...

"Sense of purpose aids sleep, US scientists find," The Guardian reports on a new study that explored the relationship between having a sense of purpose in life and quality of sleep in older adults.

The study analysed data from 800 older adults with an average age of 80 in the US.

Researchers found that generally,...

"Gonorrhoea fast becoming 'untreatable', WHO experts warn," reports Sky News.

Analysis of data from 77 countries by the World Health Organization (WHO) found antibiotic resistance exists against almost all antibiotics currently used to treat the sexually transmitted infection (STI) gonorrhoea.

In the past,...

"Ejaculating at least 21 times a month significantly reduces a man's risk of prostate cancer," is the headline on the Mail Online. This is based on research from the US that asked men how often they ejaculated per month and subsequent reporting of prostate cancer.

They found that men who ejaculated 21 times or more a month...

"Abnormal deposits that build up in the brain during Alzheimer's have been pictured in unprecedented detail by UK scientists," reports BBC News.

Alzheimer's disease is characterised by two proteins that take abnormal forms and build up in...

"A common ingredient of soap and toothpaste could be causing antibiotic resistance and fuelling the spread of superbugs," the Mail Online reports.

This news follows the results of a study that looked at whether there could be a common reason why some gut bacteria have resistance to both the quinolone class of antibiotics...

"Millions of people taking common heartburn and indigestion medications could be at an increased risk of death," The Guardian reports after a US study found people taking proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) had a slightly higher risk of death than the control group.

PPIs reduce the amount of acid in the stomach. As well as being...

"Brain training games boost the memory and may reduce the risk of dementia, new research suggests," The Daily Telegraph reports.

Researchers used an app called Game Show to treat people with amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

Amnestic mild cognitive impairment, which is characterised by problems with short-term...

"Nearly a quarter of women who don't make cervical screening appointments are unaware that the process even exists, according to a UK survey," BBC News reports.

Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the cervix, the entrance...

"Over-the-counter magnesium tablets significantly improve depression in just two weeks, new research reveals," the Mail Online reports. A small study found that people taking the supplements – on top of their existing treatment – reported an improvement in depression symptoms.

However, because the study wasn't blinded (...

"Boys who get fat in their teenage years are much more likely to suffer a life-threatening stroke as an adult, experts today warned," The Sun reports.

Swedish researchers suspect the association could be down to the effects of high blood...

"A 'painless' sticking plaster flu jab that delivers vaccine into the skin has passed important safety tests in the first trial in people," BBC News reports. Results of a small phase 1 trial were encouraging, with no serious side effects reported.

The patch, around the size of a standard plaster, contains 100 "...

"Middle-aged male office workers 'more sedentary than over-75-year-olds'," The Daily Telegraph reports.

A survey in Scotland suggests previous studies may have underestimated sedentary behaviour in middle-age by not asking about time at work, which for many people increasingly involves sitting at a desk.

...

"Your coffee machine could be making you ill," the Mail Online reports, saying that steam released by the machine could be creating the perfect conditions for fungi to grow. The Sun reports a similar risk for kettles and showers.

But before you throw out your expensive coffee pod machine or trusty kettle, the research...

"Taking paracetamol when pregnant 'makes boys less manly, less aggressive and lowers their sex drive'," reports The Sun.

But the alarming headline doesn't explain that the research was in mice, not humans.

Researchers gave daily doses of paracetamol to pregnant mice, and looked into the effect on their male...

"Sex is the key to staying sharp in old age," reports the Mail Online after researchers found older people who have regular sex scored better on two of five brain tests.

Participants who had sex at least once a week scored higher on tests that measured their verbal fluency and spatial awareness compared with those who had...

"Toxic fumes in aircraft cabins could cause serious health problems, scientists warn," reports The Sun. This is based on a UK study investigating air contamination on aircraft and its possible effects on the health of pilots and cabin crew.

The researchers say the air supply on planes can become contaminated by leaks of oil...

"Cholesterol-lowering jab to help prevent heart disease," reports BBC Online.

The headline refers to a recent mouse study that aimed to see whether a new vaccine could reduce cholesterol and lower the risk of heart disease.

Mice bred to develop heart and vascular disease were given the AT04A vaccine or a control...

"Prostate cancer blood test helps target treatment," BBC News reports.

A study found a blood test could detect which men with advanced prostate cancer would benefit from new drug treatment.

Researchers analysed blood samples from nearly 50 men taking part in a trial of a new drug (olaparib) for prostate cancer that...

"Just three mutations are needed to make bird flu a potential pandemic strain that could kill millions," is the alarming headline from the Mail Online. However, the chance of all three mutations occurring has been described as "relatively low".

...

"Women who are obese when they conceive are more likely to have a baby with serious birth defects," The Guardian reports.

Swedish researchers looked at more than a million health records and found a link between excess body mass index (BMI) and...

"Dieters who follow a vegetarian eating plan lose nearly twice as much weight," the Daily Mail reports following the results of a new study.

Researchers randomly assigned two groups of people with type 2 diabetes to either a vegetarian diet or a standard weight loss diet. They found those on the vegetarian diet lost more...

"People over 75 taking daily aspirin after a stroke or heart attack are at higher risk of major – and sometimes fatal – stomach bleeds than previously thought," BBC News reports.

Aspirin can help thin the blood, so it is...

"Four million people died in 2015 as a result of being too tubby, struck by cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other killer conditions," reports The Sun.

This is based on a global study that looked at how the proportion of people who are overweight and obese has changed over time. This was determined by recording ...

"Vitamin C and antibiotics could be up to 100 times more effective than drugs at killing cancer cells – without the side effects," reports the Mail Online.

The news comes from the results of a study that found a new two-pronged approach using the antibiotic doxycycline followed by...

"NHS should prescribe dogs to keep over-65s fit," the Daily Mail reports.

The headline was prompted by the results of a new study with the rather unsurprising finding that older adults who own dogs walk more than those who don't.

The study included around 80 adults with an average age of 70 from three regions in...

"An egg a day appears to help young children grow taller," BBC News reports.

Research involving young children in Ecuador found babies given one egg a day for six months had improved growth compared with controls, as well as a reduced risk of stunted growth.

Stunted growth is when a child fails to meet the...

"Sliced white bread is 'just as healthy as brown', shock findings reveal," The Sun reports.

A small study looking at the effects of eating different types of bread – white versus brown sourdough – found no significant differences.

But the researchers also reported responses varied from person to person, depending...

"Even moderate drinking can damage the brain," The Guardian reports. A new study, involving brain scans and cognitive testing, suggests that moderate drinking, over many years, could damage areas of the brain linked to memory and cognitive function.

The results showed that the higher the amount of alcohol consumed a week,...

"Babies moved into their own room at six months sleep better and are lower risk of obesity, poor sleep patterns and tantrums," reports The Sun.

This is based on a US study looking at room-sharing of 230 mother-infant pairs and infant sleep patterns.

However, despite the headlines, the study did not look at babies'...

"Children who have TVs in their bedrooms are more likely to be overweight than those who do not," BBC News reports. A UK study found a link between children having a TV in their room and an increased risk of obesity.

Researchers followed children...

"Chemicals in everyday items like cosmetics linked to cancer," The Independent reports. Research involving genetically engineered human cells found that a class of chemical called aldehydes damaged a gene that prevents cancer from developing.

Aldehydes are organic chemical compounds naturally present in the environment and...

"Antibacterial handwash is NO better than soap – and cold water kills as many germs as hot, experts claim," The Sun reports.

These were the main findings of a study looking at various methods of handwashing.

But the researchers only tested for...

"Stressed mothers-to-be face an increased risk of giving birth to a child who will develop ADHD or heart disease later in life," the Mail Online reports.

However, the new study it is reporting on did not look at long-term outcomes in children, such as ...

"Is our smartphone addiction damaging our children?," The Guardian asks, after publication of a recent study into "technoference" – when people switch their attention away from others to check their phone or tablet.

The study, carried out in the US, involved more than 300 parents who reported on their use of...

"Many patients given beta blockers after a heart attack may not benefit from being on the drugs, suggesting they may be being overprescribed," The Guardian reports.

Beta-blockers are drugs used to regulate the heart by making it beat more...

"Fitness trackers out of step when measuring calories, research shows," The Guardian reports. An independent analysis of a number of leading brands found they were all prone to inaccurate recording of energy expenditure.

Researchers recruited 60 participants to take part in a range of exercises while having their heart rate...

"Meditation can leave you feeling even more stressed," the Daily Mail reports.

The claim is prompted by a study of 60 practitioners of Buddhist meditation in the US which found they'd had a range of "challenging or difficult" experiences associated with the practice.

However, it's not clear how relevant...

"A pot belly is a red flag for cancer," reports the Mail Online after a new study found an increase in waist circumference carries similar risks for developing cancer as raised body mass index (BMI).

The study used data from several European studies of more than 43,000 adults aged around 63, who were then followed up for 12...

"Regularly tucking into a bar of chocolate may actually be good for us," reports the Mail Online.

Researchers in Denmark say people who eat chocolate one to six times a week are less likely to get a heart condition called atrial fibrillation than those who eat it hardly at all (less than once a month).

...

"Just half a glass of wine a day ups the risk of breast cancer by nine per cent, experts warn," The Sun reports. A major report looking at global evidence found that drinking just 10g of alcohol a day – 1.25 units – was linked to an increased risk of...

"Simple saliva test for dementia 'shows promise' in bid to diagnose the disease early," the Daily Mirror reports.

This news is based on a laboratory study that took saliva samples from 12 healthy adults, nine adults with Alzheimer’s disease...

"Instagram is rated as the worst social media platform when it comes to its impact on young people's mental health, a UK survey suggests," BBC News reports.

The survey asked 1,479 young people aged 14-24 to score popular social media apps on issues such as anxiety, depression, loneliness, bullying, body image and "...

"Swallowable gastric balloon could help the obese lose weight without surgery," The Guardian reports. The news, which was widely reported, is based on a study presented at the European Congress of Obesity in Portugal.

Researchers in Italy found obese patients who used a swallowable gastric balloon lost on average about 15kg...

"The idea that people can be fat but medically fit is a myth," reports BBC News.

The story is based on research from scientists at the University of Birmingham, reported at a medical conference but not yet published.

The researchers used information from a UK database of GP records covering 3.5 million people, to...

"A couple of bad nights is enough to make a person look 'significantly' more ugly," reports BBC News.

Researchers in Sweden found people rated photographs of strangers as less attractive and healthy when the people in the photographs had less sleep.

The study used photographs of healthy, mainly young, students...

"Forget Plan B – try aloe vera, controversial study claims: Scientists insist pills made from dandelions and mangoes can prevent pregnancy without a hit of hormones," reports the Mail Online.

The news is based on a study investigating whether chemicals found in certain plants can reduce sperm's ability to fertilise a woman'...

“Fizzy water could cause obesity by encouraging you to eat more,” The Daily Telegraph reports.

Researchers aimed to see whether it could be the carbonation in soft drinks – rather than the sugar – that explains the link between soft drinks and obesity.

Overall, they found rats that drank diet or regular fizzy drinks ate...

“Fizzy water could cause obesity by encouraging you to eat more,” The Daily Telegraph reports.

Researchers aimed to see whether it could be the carbonation in soft drinks – rather than the sugar – that explains the link between soft drinks and obesity.

Overall, they found rats that drank diet or regular fizzy drinks ate...

"Keyhole knee surgery for arthritis pain 'is pointless'," the Daily Mail reports.

The headline is prompted by a review of the available evidence around knee arthroscopy (keyhole) procedures for people with degenerative knee conditions such as...

"Yoga can ease depression symptoms, according to the largest study to ever investigate the link," the Mail Online reports.

The study didn't find any benefits from doing yoga at the end of the 10-week study period, but there were improvements in symptoms at a six-month follow-up review. Because of the mixed results, these...

"Young people on the latest HIV drugs now have near-normal life expectancy because of improvements in treatments," BBC News reports.

The report says advances in antiretroviral drug treatments reduce the risks of serious complications.

Researchers used data from 88,504 people with HIV from Europe and North America...

"Taking painkillers for just one week 'raises the risk of a heart attack'," the Daily Mail reports. The report is based on a new analysis that found a link between anti-inflammatory painkillers like ibuprofen and...

"Eating cheese does not raise risk of heart attack or stroke," reports The Guardian. This follows a large review pooling the results of 29 observational studies into the link between dairy consumption and cardiovascular disease; coronary heart disease, as well as all-cause deaths.

The studies included almost 1 million...

"Scientists studying cancer stumble on 'breakthrough' in search for baldness cure," announces The Daily Telegraph, adding that not only does this mean "a cream or ointment may soon cure baldness or stop hair turning grey" but also it could one day ... explain why we age".

Sadly for those of us with grey, or...

"Almost half of baby rice food products contain illegal levels of inorganic arsenic despite new regulations set by the EU, according to researchers," ITV News reports.

While this may sound shocking, arsenic is a common chemical compound naturally present in the environment.

It's found at very low levels in tap...

"A blood test has been developed that could help target treatment for men with advanced prostate cancer," BBC News reports. The test could help identify men unlikely to respond to drugs such as enzalutamide.

Enzalutamide and abiraterone are additional treatments for men for whom standard hormonal treatment has not worked,...

"Gluten-free diet can do more harm than good for people without coeliac disease," The Independent reports, as a new study found that the "trendy gluten-free diets loved by Gwyneth Paltrow and Russell Crowe may increase the risk of heart disease".

Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, barley and rye....

"Side effects from statins 'really are all in the mind'," The Times reports. A new study found people taking statins were more likely to report side effects, such as muscle aches, but only if they knew they were taking the drug...

"Fasting diets do not make much difference to weight loss compared to a traditional calorie-controlled diet," The Daily Telegraph reports.

A study found people on an "every other day" diet (where they restricted their calorie intake to around 500 calories every other day) lost no more weight than those on a normal...