• 06 OCT 17
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    Many new cancer drugs show ‘no clear benefit’, argues review

    "Over half of new cancer drugs ‘show no benefits’ for survival or wellbeing," The Guardian reports. That was the finding of a study looking at the evidence supporting new cancer drugs approved between 2009 and 2013 by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The study found only half of drug approvals had clear evidence showing they

    • 05 OCT 17
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    Study links vegetarian diet in pregnancy to substance abuse in offspring

    "Pregnant vegetarians are three times more likely to have kids who abuse drugs and alcohol," reports the Mail Online. Researchers claim to have found a link between substance abuse at age 15, and diet of the child’s mother during pregnancy. But it is far from clear that avoiding meat in pregnancy "causes" substance abuse in

    • 04 OCT 17
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    Regularly skipping breakfast linked to hardening of the arteries

    "Skipping breakfast may be linked to poor heart health," The Guardian reports. Researchers from Spain found that people who regularly skipped breakfast were more likely to have atherosclerosis – hardening and thickening of the arteries due to a build-up of fatty deposits known as plaques. Atherosclerosis doesn’t usually cause any noticeable symptoms at first but

    • 03 OCT 17
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    People with type 2 diabetes should ‘save carbs for last’

    "Diabetics should save bread for last at mealtime to keep their blood sugar under control," the Mail Online reports. A small study found that people with type 2 diabetes who saved their carbohydrates until the end of their meal were less likely to experience a sudden rise in their blood sugar (glucose) levels. The medical

    • 30 SEP 17
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    Bedbugs thought to ‘hitchhike’ on dirty holiday laundry

    "Dirty laundry a powerful magnet for bedbugs, study finds," is The Guardian’s headline, with The Times and The Daily Telegraph also covering this creepy-crawly story. Bedbugs are small blood-sucking insects that live in cracks and crevices in and around beds. They crawl out at night and bite exposed skin to feed on blood. The number

    • 29 SEP 17
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    Has measles really been ‘eliminated’ in the UK?

    "Measles eliminated in the UK for the first time," reports The Telegraph. This and other stories in the media are based on a new World Health Organization (WHO) report confirming the UK is now one of 33 countries in Europe to have "eliminated" measles. "Elimination" is the official term used once a country has reduced

    • 27 SEP 17
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    Rates of newly diagnosed HIV increasing in over-50s

    "HIV rises among over-50s as they neglect safe sex" is the headline from The Times. The news is based on a European study that found more over-50s are being diagnosed with HIV compared with 12 years ago. The study collected data on more than 360,000 people who had been newly diagnosed with HIV between 2004

    • 27 SEP 17
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    High-precision radiotherapy for prostate cancer ‘shows promise’

    "Targeted radiotherapy ‘cures’ prostate cancer that kills thousands," reports The Times. The news is based on a UK study of the use of high-precision radiotherapy to treat men with advanced localised prostate cancer. Researchers wanted to see if they could safely target cancer cells that had spread outside the prostate to nearby lymph nodes without

    • 25 SEP 17
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    Sexual harassment in the workplace linked to depression

    News that sexual harassment in the workplace can cause depression and work absence has hit the headlines after the results of a Danish study were published. Researchers surveyed 7,603 employees from 1,041 organisations in Denmark, and asked them about symptoms of depression and whether they’d been subjected to sexual harassment from colleagues or customers or

    • 22 SEP 17
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    Any type of physical exercise is good for the heart

    "Vacuuming and scrubbing the floor are enough exercise to protect the heart and extend life," reports The Telegraph, with other media sources reporting a similar finding – that physical activity in our everyday lives is just as good as going to the gym. This follows a large international study published in The Lancet that included