“Genetic variants linked to high BMI can lead to mental health issues,” reports The Guardian. Depression is more common among people who are obese. But previous studies have not been able to determine whether there is a direct cause and effect relationship. So it could be the case that depression causes weight gain rather than
“Women at greater risk of heart attack from unhealthy lifestyle than men,” reports The Daily Telegraph. Overall, men have a higher chance of heart attack than women, but certain risk factors such as smoking may close the gap between women and men. Researchers looked at records of almost 472,000 people in the UK aged 40
“‘Meat tax’ which would almost double price of sausages should be brought in to save lives, say health experts,” reports The Daily Telegraph. Researchers have worked out the likely health and economic cost of eating red meat and processed meat. Both types of meat have been linked to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, as
“Too many children have tonsils removed unnecessarily,” BBC News reports. The claim was prompted by a new study that suggests 7 out of 8 children who have their tonsils removed (tonsillectomy) will experience no benefit. A tonsillectomy is recommended if a child has 7 or more sore throats from infected tonsils (tonsillitis) in the past
“Health risk to babies of men over 45, major study warns,” The Daily Telegraph reports. A study of more than 40 million births in the US found babies born to men aged 45 or older were more likely to be born prematurely, have a low birth weight and need intensive care after birth than babies
Going vegan “can ‘significantly improve’ mental health, reduce diabetes and lower weight,” reports the Daily Mirror. Researchers summarised the results of 11 studies which looked at the effects of a plant-based diet on adults with type 2 diabetes. The researchers said they found evidence of improved mental wellbeing, quality of life, diabetes control and weight
“Conceiving again too soon increases the risk of premature labour, stillbirth and even maternal death,” reports the Mail Online. A new study advises women to leave 12 to 18 months between giving birth and getting pregnant again to reduce health risks to mother and baby. Current guidance from the World Health Organization recommends a gap
“Blood pressure pills taken by millions may raise risk of lung cancer,” reports The Daily Telegraph. Researchers used medical records to compare cancer outcomes for almost 1 million patients treated with different high blood pressure drugs. They found people who took one type of drug, called an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE inhibitor), were 14%
“A sniff of lavender ‘calms nerves like Valium’,” claims The Times. The headline should perhaps continue “if you’re a mouse”, as the research that prompted the headline was carried out on rodents, not humans. For centuries, people have used lavender in the belief that its distinctive smell is relaxing. Many people swear by lavender spray
“Organic food lowers blood and breast cancer risk, study finds,” the Mail Online reports. The news website reports on a large study in France that questioned 69,000 people on their consumption of organic food, and then monitored them for 5 years to see how many developed cancer. Organic food is grown without the use of
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