Category: Health

For a health service long defined by waiting lists, staff shortages and steady erosion of public confidence, the latest figures offer something unfamiliar: a sense that the mood is shifting. A new survey by The King’s Fund and Nuffield Trust records a six-point increase in satisfaction, and the sharpest fall in dissatisfaction with the NHS […]

New Africa/Shutterstock.com Leaf through a textbook, watch a wellness influencer or listen in at the gym, and it can feel as though the human body has already been mapped to exhaustion. Every muscle named, every nerve traced. Everything understood and readily available. Most people recognise at least a few anatomical terms – “traps”, “glutes”, “biceps”. […]

Andrey Popov/Shutterstock Women’s HRT patches can treat prostate cancer just as effectively as standard hormone injections – but with fewer of the worst side-effects – according to a large UK trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The finding could change how men with prostate cancer that has spread beyond the gland are […]

Cold pizza, a favourite for many, could be risky if it hasn't been stored properly. Monkey Business Images/ Shutterstock There are few things better than a cold slice of pizza for breakfast. But as delicious as scarfing down cold pizza is, there’s also a risk of food poisoning if you aren’t careful. Food poisoning is […]

Alzheimer's disease is one of the most well-known types of dementia. Yuriy Golub/ Shutterstock What most people think of when they hear the word “dementia” is memory problems and forgetfulness. But what people often don’t know is that dementia can cause many different symptoms – affecting speech, behaviour, sleep, motor function and more. In fact, […]

Reshetnikov_art/Shutterstock Childbirth is often framed as a choice between two extremes: “natural” birth or medical intervention. The real challenge is making sure women can decide how they give birth, without pressure in either direction. Debates about childbirth often focus on pressure to accept medical interventions in hospital, such as caesareans or forceps delivery. But recent […]

A father's health can affect both pregnancy outcomes and the infant's health. muse studio/ Shutterstock When we think about preparing for a healthy pregnancy and baby, most advice focuses on women. Such advice might include good nutrition, taking dietary supplements, avoiding alcohol or smoking and managing their medications and health conditions. But growing evidence shows […]

Ray Geiger/Shutterstock.com When Lady Gaga recently spoke in an interview about taking lithium while suffering from a “psychotic break”, it drew attention to a drug that has long been used in psychiatry but is less widely understood outside it. Lithium has been used in psychiatric care for more than 70 years, most notably to treat […]

A meningitis outbreak in Kent has been caused by a strain of bacteria that appears to be genetically distinct from anything scientists have seen before. Health officials are working urgently to understand what that means. As of March 23, 23 young people have been confirmed as cases or considered probable cases of invasive meningococcal disease […]

Orforglipron, a small-molecule drug, has just passed phase 3 trials. antoniodiaz/ Shutterstock A new type of daily pill has proven more effective for weight loss and blood sugar control than its currently available counterparts, according to a recent trial. The drug, known as orforglipron, could be a game-changer in the rapidly expanding oral weight-loss drug […]