Behind the Headlines

MRSA 'spread by patient transfers'

Wednesday May 16 2012

New research has mapped the way that MRSA “superbug” bacteria spread, BBC News has reported. The results suggest that antibiotic-resistant bacteria may often spread from large, inner-city hospitals to smaller regional ones...

Can mum's weight harm your health?

Tuesday May 15 2012

“Overweight mothers-to-be could be condemning their unborn children to decades of ill health,” the Daily Mail reported. The news is based on the results of large, long-term research that examined mothers’ body mass index (BMI) before...

Latest news on PIP breast implants

Tuesday May 15 2012

Women concerned about French-made PIP breast implants can find all the latest NHS information about the issue on this page. Worries about the implants have emerged since news of a major...

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How common are repeat abortions?

Monday May 14 2012

The NHS “spends £1m a week on repeat abortions”, the Daily Mail reported. The newspaper claimed that single women are using terminations “as another form of contraceptive”, and that some will have “seven, eight or even...

Statins 'may cut bowel cancer risk'

Monday May 14 2012

Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs “could more than halve the risk of bowel cancer”, according to the Daily Mail. Millions of people take statins in a bid to prevent problems such as heart attacks and...

Clot risk of contraceptive patch examined

Friday May 11 2012

“Women using a vaginal ring or skin patch for contraception are at around double the risk of a blood clot compared to those taking the Pill,” the Daily Mail has reported. The news is based on a large Danish study that...

NHS may use Botox for migraine

Friday May 11 2012

The NHS is set to use Botox injections to treat chronic migraines, it has been widely reported today. The muscle-paralysing injections are popular as a cosmetic treatment but, due to its nerve-blocking effects, Botox...

People 'avoid sex after heart attacks'

Thursday May 10 2012

Thousands of heart attack survivors are too worried to have sex because they fear it will trigger another attack, the Daily Mail has reported today. The story is based on a US study that looked at patients’...

Drawing test 'predicts stroke death'

Thursday May 10 2012

“A simple drawing test may help predict the risk of older men dying after a first stroke,” says BBC News. The test asks participants to draw lines between a series of ascending numbers in as short a time as possible...

The coil 'effective in emergencies'

Wednesday May 9 2012

“The coil is a much more effective form of emergency contraception than the morning-after pill,” says the Metro. The coil, medically known as an intrauterine device or IUD, is often used as long-term contraception, but can also be implanted...