"Don’t believe online reviews of health products, they’re ‘skewed’," the Mail Online reports. A psychologist compared online reviews of three medical products with results from clinical trials, and found the reviews are skewed towards the positive. The author of the study, Dr Micheál de Barra, wanted to look into whether people who have had good
"Four-in-one ‘miracle’ pill to cure high blood pressure," is the headline on Mail Online. This is based on early research from Australia looking at the effect of a four-in-one "quadpill" on high blood pressure. The idea behind the quadpill is that by combining four hypertension drugs at a much lower dose than they are normally
"Operating on children with acute appendicitis may be unnecessary in many of cases," the Mail Online reports. The headline is a little misleading as the researchers were specifically looking at a type of appendicitis known as "appendix mass". This is where a lump develops inside the appendix. The most common treatment approach for an appendix mass
"Eating more wholegrain foods can help to speed up weight loss, scientists claim," the Daily Mail reports. Researchers found that people who ate a diet high in wholegrains absorbed less energy from food than people who ate a similar diet, but with refined grains (such as white flour). The study included 81 men and women
“Shift work and physically demanding jobs linked to lower fertility in women” Sky News reports. A small US study found a link between both activities and a reduction in both the number and quality of a woman’s eggs. An important fact to highlight from the start, which has somewhat been overlooked in media reports, is
"Vaping has been endorsed by health experts after the first long-term study of its effects in ex-smokers," ITV News reports. E-cigarettes contain nicotine but not many of the harmful substances produced by smoking tobacco, such as tar or carbon monoxide. However, there has been debate about exactly how safe their long-term use is. The study, involving
"Antibiotics ‘seen using brute force to kill bugs”,"BBC News reports. The hope is that researchers could replicate the effect to create new antibiotics that could help combat the continuing threat of antibiotic resistance. The BBC reports on an early stage laboratory study investigating how our strongest antibacterial drugs target and destroy "hard to kill" bacteria such as
"Avoid liquorice while pregnant: Scientists find one of its ingredients can affect a child’s IQ, memory and even cause ADHD," the Mail Online reports. Researchers found eating liquorice in pregnancy is linked to a range of developmental issues. The news is based on Finnish research on almost 400 young adolescents with an average age of
"Widely used anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen have little more benefit than a placebo when it comes to treating back pain," reports the Guardian. This is based on a study looking at more than 6,000 people with back pain, comparing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with a placebo ("dummy" medicine). While NSAIDs were found to reduce pain
"Good night’s sleep boosts sex life for women over 50," reports the Mail Online. US researchers asked more than 93,000 women aged 50 to 79 about their sleep patterns, difficulty sleeping, sexual activity and sexual satisfaction. They found women who sleep five or less hours a night, or who have insomnia, were less likely to
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