Category: Features
Babies in prams exposed to high levels of air pollution
Babies and young children in prams can be exposed to up to 60% more pollution than adults, a study suggests. Experts said infants were exposed to dirtier air in prams because they were lower to the ground and closer to exhaust pipes. They are also more at risk from the health dangers of dirty air [...]
Vaping damages vital immune system and leads to lung disease
Vaping can damage vital immune system cells and may be more harmful than previously thought, a study suggests. Researchers found e-cigarette vapour disabled important immune cells in the lung and boosted inflammation. The researchers “caution against the widely held opinion that e-cigarettes are safe”. However, Public Health England advises they are much less harmful than [...]
Stealthy viruses cause of illnesses
A trick used by viruses to make us sick – “stealth spheres” – has been discovered by scientists. It had been thought viruses were all lone wolves, each on a solo campaign of infection. Instead they can form “packs” of up to 40 viruses and surround themselves with a fatty sphere that makes them invisible [...]
Doctors warning on gel and acrylic nails
Skin experts are warning a chemical found in gel, gel polish and acrylic nails can cause an allergic reaction. Methacrylate chemicals can cause a severe, itchy rash anywhere on the body, not just the fingertips, says the British Association of Dermatologists. It often occurs when gels and polishes are applied at home or by untrained [...]
Australian women file lawsuit over sterilization devices
Women in Australia will pursue a class action lawsuit over a sterilisation device that has allegedly caused medical problems for women worldwide. The lawsuit against German pharmaceutical giant Bayer, maker of the Essure implant, will follow similar actions in the UK, US and Canada. Women with the implant have reported problems such as chronic pain [...]
Glyphosate is safe for use and doesn’t cause cancer
Pharmaceutical group Bayer has dismissed claims that an ingredient used in weed killers is carcinogenic. The German company, which owns agriculture giant Monsanto, says herbicides containing glyphosate are safe. On Friday, Monsanto was ordered to pay $289m (£226m) damages to a man who claimed the products caused his cancer. A Californian jury said Monsanto should [...]
Over sleeping may be harmful for health, says study
A sleep duration of ten hours a night was linked with a 56% increased risk of dying from a stroke compared to sleeping for seven hours. New UK research has found that sleeping longer than the recommended amount could be bad for your health. More than eight hours of shut-eye is associated with an increased [...]
Checking emails after work could increase anxiety
Being expected to check work email during non-work hours is making employees, as well as their significant others, experience higher levels of anxiety, a study shows. Researchers from Virginia Tech surveyed 108 employees working at least 30 hours per week, 138 significant others and 105 managers and found that the sheer expectation of monitoring work [...]
Treating teen depression has benefits for parents
;An estimated 12.8 percent of adolescents in the U.S. experience at least one episode of major depression, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. According to previous studies, many of those teens’ mental health is linked to depression in their parents. But new research suggests there’s a flipside to that parental effect: When teens [...]
Egg freezing, you need to know
Women who freeze their eggs need to be aware of the “relatively low success rates” of becoming pregnant, a leading gynaecologist has said. With more women freezing eggs past the age of 35, when chances of conceiving fall, Prof Adam Balen said: “Egg freezing does not guarantee a baby.” However, Dr Jara Ben Nagi says [...]
