Category: Health

Lucigerma/Shutterstock Liverpool is not one of the “blue zones” – a term used for regions of the world where people tend to live unusually long lives, such as parts of Sardinia, Okinawa and Ikaria. Healthy life expectancy in Liverpool is only about 56 years. However, overall life expectancy is much higher there, with many people […]

wisely/shutterstock For many people living with psoriasis, the red, scaly skin patches are only part of the story. Another challenge is the uncertainty about whether there is anything they can do themselves to help manage their skin. Treatments have improved greatly in recent years. Creams, tablets and injectable medicines can all help control symptoms. Even […]

Hilton recently revealed she suffers from 'rejection sensitivity dysphoria.' Tinseltown/ Shutterstock American media personality Paris Hilton recently shared on a podcast that she suffers from rejection sensitivity dysphoria, or RSD. Hilton, who has been diagnosed with ADHD, says the condition is common in people with the disorder. She also spoke of the impact RSD has […]

Biological sex has a major influence on brain health. VPLAB/ Shutterstock Women are more likely than men to be diagnosed with dementia. While researchers have some idea of the factors that elevate risk, it’s still not entirely clear why this happens. But a recent study suggests that the menopause could play a key role in […]

3D illustration of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock Over 95% of the world’s adult population is infected with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), but most people never realise it. The infection often causes few symptoms and then stays in the body for life. But for a small minority, EBV is linked to serious disease. For more than […]

PeopleImages/Shutterstock.com Cancer treatment follows a familiar pattern: doctors spot symptoms, diagnose the disease and start treatment. But scientists are now exploring a radical shift in how we tackle cancer. Instead of waiting for tumours to appear, they want to catch the disease decades before it develops. This approach is called “cancer interception”. The idea is […]

Yavuz Meyveci/Shutterstock.com Mystics once spent years meditating in caves in search of transcendence. Today, a growing number of people believe something similar can be reached in a single afternoon with the help of a psychedelic drug. Swallow a capsule of psilocybin or take a carefully supervised dose of LSD and you may encounter what many […]

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock Talking is one of the most complex actions the human body performs, yet the process of turning thoughts into speech is coordinated on millisecond timescales. For some children, the brain struggles to plan the movements needed for speech, turning everyday conversation into hard work. Even forming a single word can affect learning, friendships and […]

Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock Many people assume that medicines sold over the counter are inherently safe. After all, if you can buy something in a supermarket or high street pharmacy, how dangerous can it really be? The reality is more complicated. Several commonly used over-the-counter medicines carry a real risk of dependence, misuse or harm when taken in […]

Angel Gruber/Shutterstock Air pollution has long been linked to heart and lung disease. But a large US study suggests it may also raise the risk of Alzheimer’s disease – the most common form of dementia. Researchers tracked nearly 28 million older adults over six years nationwide. They found that those exposed to higher levels of […]