"More than 30,000 scientific studies could be wrong due to widespread cell contamination dating back 60 years," reports the Mail Online. The news is based on research that suggests incorrect identification of cells grown in the lab could have distorted information in tens of thousands of published research studies. These studies have in turn been
"A drug to dramatically cut the risk of HIV infection during sex would save the UK around £1bn over the next 80 years," reports BBC News. A modelling study looking at the cost-effectiveness of providing pre-exposure prophylaxis, or Prep, for men at risk of HIV, found it would reduce infections – and hence treatment costs
"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 improved immediately after taking psilocybin and almost half said they
"New warning to pregnant women: Do not sleep on your back in the last trimester as it could cause stillbirth, claim experts," the Mail Online reports. This rather overdramatic headline stems from a new study that investigated the effects of mothers’ sleep positions on baby behaviour in 29 women in the final weeks of pregnancy.
"’Fertility MOTs’ are a waste of money," reports The Daily Telegraph after researchers in the US found hormones tested in "ovarian reserve" fertility test kits bear no relation to how likely women were to get pregnant – at least, in the early months of trying to conceive. These tests usually measure the levels of three
"Shocking figures show there are now 124 million obese children worldwide," reports The Guardian. A pooling of records of height and weight in children from 200 countries found the numbers of children who are obese rose from less than 1% in 1975, to 5.6% of girls and 7.8% of boys in 2016. The numbers of
"Youngest children in class more likely to be labelled hyperactive," The Times reports. A Finnish study raises the possibility that some children may have been misdiagnosed with ADHD, when in fact their behaviour was age-appropriate. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a group of behavioural symptoms that include inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. The researchers found
"Genetics account for almost 80 per cent of a person’s risk of developing schizophrenia, according to new research," the Mail Online reports. That is the main finding of a study looking at how often schizophrenia affected both twins of a pair, looking at identical and non-identical twins. Schizophrenia is a serious mental health condition that
"Honey from across the world is contaminated with potent pesticides known to harm bees," The Guardian reports. This is based on a study that analysed nearly 200 samples of honey, collected from diverse regions worldwide, and found that 75% contained traces of a group of pesticides called neonicotinoids. Neonicotinoids became commercially available in the 1980s,
"Vitamin D supplements protect against severe asthma attacks," The Daily Telegraph reports. The headline was prompted by a review that pooled data from seven trials comparing taking vitamin D supplements with a placebo in people with asthma. The researchers wanted to see whether vitamin D reduced the risk of severe asthma episodes that needed hospitalisation
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