Behind the Headlines

Bone drugs and cancer rates

Monday Sep 6 2010

Using osteoporosis drugs for long periods may double the risk of oesophagus cancer, The Guardian reported. The news story is based on a study examining the rates of various cancers in...

Egg development in older women

Monday Sep 6 2010

‘Clue found to why egg flaws seen in older women’, a BBC News headline announced. The website said that scientists may be closer to understanding why older women are more likely to produce abnormal eggs.

Puzzling claims over brain games

Thursday Sep 2 2010

"People who do puzzles and crosswords may stave off dementia longer,” according to BBC News. The website said that mentally stimulating activities may protect the brain from memory loss but also speed up mental decline...

Sugar not a painkiller for babies

Thursday Sep 2 2010

“Newborn babies should not be given sugar as pain relief,” read the headline in The Guardian. The newspaper said the routine use of tiny amounts of sugar...

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Migraines linked to genetics

Thursday Sep 2 2010

Scientists have discovered genes that may be behind migraines, “opening the door to a cure”, reported the Daily Mirror. The newspaper said that these genes normally control the levels of a brain chemical...

Balanced diet cuts heart risk

Wednesday Sep 1 2010

A diet combining fruit and vegetables with foods such as fish, poultry and nuts “can protect you against heart attack”, reported The Independent. The news is based on a well-conducted trial...

Death risk from insomnia unclear

Wednesday Sep 1 2010

“Men who find themselves unable to sleep during the small hours of the night may end up dying younger,” reported the Daily Mail. This study looked at people’s insomnia and their risk of dying over a 14-year period. At the start of the...

Exercise, genetics and obesity

Wednesday Sep 1 2010

A “genetic excuse for obesity ‘is a myth’”, reported The Daily Telegraph. It said, “people could work off around 40 per cent of the extra weight that “fat genes” laid on them by exercising.”

Cannabis for nerve pain studied

Tuesday Aug 31 2010

“Smoking cannabis from a pipe can significantly reduce chronic pain in patients with damaged nerves,” reported the BBC. It added that improvements in sleep and anxiety were also seen.

Heart failure pill performs in trial

Tuesday Aug 31 2010

The lives of 10,000 patients could be saved each year by a “breakthrough pill”, according to the Daily Express. The news story comes from a study that looked at whether a drug called ivabradine could help prevent deaths...

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