“Diabetes drug significantly reverses memory loss in Alzheimer’s patients,” The Sun reports. What the headline failed to make clear is that the “patients” were in fact mice, which had been genetically engineered to develop Alzheimer’s-like symptoms. This new mouse study investigated whether a new drug developed for the treatment of diabetes, known as a triple
It’s that time of year we bring down our crystal ball from the attic and use it to help conjure up some predictions for health news in 2018. 1 – Possible cure for sickle cell disease CRISPR is the revolutionary gene-editing technique that was hailed as the medical breakthrough of 2015. It makes use of
10: ‘Magic mushrooms’ may help ‘reset’ depressive brains, study claims “Magic mushrooms can ‘reboot’ brain to treat depression,” reports the Daily Telegraph. The news is based on a small UK study that looked at the effects of psilocybin, a chemical found in magic mushrooms, on patients with severe depression. All 19 patients said their depression
2017 was another busy year for health news. In the last 12 months, Behind the Headlines has covered more than 300 health stories that made it into the mainstream media. If you’ve been paying attention you should find this quiz easy and fun. Answers are at the foot of the page (no peeking!). In January’s
“A salad a day keeps brains 11 years younger,” the Mail Online reports. This oddly specific headline was prompted by new research into whether eating a diet high in leafy green vegetables protects against age-related memory loss and decline in thinking skills (cognitive abilities). This study found eating approximately 1 serving a day of leafy
“Breakthrough for genetic hearing loss as gene editing prevents deafness in mice,” reports The Guardian after researchers used a technique to “snip” away a gene mutation that leads to progressive deafness. While many people assume hearing loss is something mainly associated with ageing, many cases are in fact hereditary. It’s estimated there are more than
“Children who drink fruit juice have a higher risk of developing asthma,” reports the Mail Online. Researchers in the US say children whose mothers drank more sugary drinks while pregnant, and children who drink a lot of fruit juice in early childhood, are more likely to be diagnosed with asthma by mid-childhood (around age 7
“Herbal supplement found on the High Street for £4.99 can boost memory, strength and speech in stroke survivors, study reveals,” reports the Mail Online. This follows a new trial from China investigating whether Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) could help recovery after stroke. Ginkgo biloba is an ancient Chinese tree species whose extract is used in
"Gut bacteria ‘boost’ cancer therapy," BBC News reports. The news comes from research into whether people with cancer might respond differently to cancer treatment depending on the bacteria in their gut. Researchers specifically looked at a type of cancer treatment called immunotherapy. This involves stimulating the immune system to attack cancerous cells – in this
"Tissue inflammation blood test points to dementia risk," is the headline in The Times. Researchers in the US say people who have higher measures of inflammation in middle age are likely to have less brain tissue in some parts of their brain in older age. The differences in brain volume, seen on MRI scans, were
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