“Having too few ‘friendly’ vaginal bacteria may increase a woman’s chance of ovarian cancer, and swabs can be used to spot this, say researchers,” BBC News reports. The news is based on a study that compared the make-up of vaginal bacteria in women with and without ovarian cancer. They also looked at women who did
“Multivitamins do not reduce risk of cardiovascular disease or prolong life, study finds,” the Sun reports, while The Daily Telegraph warns that, “Some vitamin supplements can increase risk of a stroke”. Both headlines were prompted by a major new review looking at evidence from 277 trials on the effect of 24 different nutritional or dietary
Various media sources report on the worrying extent of the alcohol problem in the UK, with the BBC and the Sun reporting that 1 in 5 people in hospital beds are heavy drinkers. This follows a review that pooled the results from 124 studies that looked at the rate of alcohol-related conditions among 1.7 million
“Child asthma cases can triple at the start of the school year as returning to the classroom exposes pupils to coughs and colds,” reports the Mail Online. Doctors have suspected for years that children are more likely to need medical help for asthma in the weeks after returning to school from the summer holidays. In
“Leg fat ‘better than belly fat’ for older women,” reports BBC News. Researchers looked at the body composition of 2,683 women in the US who were a healthy weight and had been through the menopause. They found women who had a higher percentage of fat around their trunk were more likely to have a heart
“HPV vaccine programme in schools ‘could wipe out cervical cancer for good’,” reports the Mail Online. Researchers in Canada summarised 65 studies from 14 countries that have introduced HPV vaccination since it became available a decade ago. The vaccine targets several strains of human papilloma virus (HPV), including strains 16 and 18 which cause most
“Chemical found in soap and toothpaste linked to osteoporosis in women,” reports The Daily Telegraph. Chinese researchers used data from US surveys to look for a link between levels of the chemical triclosan in the body and bone strength (bone mass density). Triclosan is an antibacterial chemical used in some hand washes and gels, and
“Common drugs taken by millions ‘increase risk of dementia by 50%’, experts warn,” The Sun reports. The drugs in question are known as anticholinergics. Anticholinergics are drugs that block the nerve chemical acetylcholine, which transmits signals to muscles and glands in the body such as ones releasing saliva or digestive juices. They are used to
“Scientists say they have identified the earliest signs of Parkinson’s disease in the brain, 15 to 20 years before symptoms appear,” BBC News reports. Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative brain condition caused by loss of nerve cells that produce the chemical dopamine, which transmits signals between nerve cells. This leads to symptoms such as involuntary
“Millions at risk of breast cancer as 1 in 5 don’t realise booze can be to blame,” reports The Sun. This headline comes from a recent study in which 205 women attending breast clinics and mammography screening appointments were asked about their awareness of alcohol as a risk factor for developing breast cancer. The study
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