Category: Health

An empty wheelchair represents the "empty chair" and missing representation in climate change negotiations. Bubbers BB/Shutterstock Imagine a global political summit that shapes the future of our planet where one of the most populated countries in the world does not have a voice? This may seem unlikely, but currently 1.3 billion disabled people (nearly the […]

voronaman/Shutterstock For most people, a hot summer’s day is uncomfortable. For someone with scarred lungs, it can become a medical risk. People living with interstitial lung disease (ILD) are especially vulnerable during extreme heat. As climate change drives more frequent and intense heatwaves, people with ILD will need better protection from hot weather and related […]

Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock.com When my colleagues and I asked autistic people and parents of autistic children in Sweden how they feel about genetic research in autism, one response stood out: “I hope genetic research finds new ways to help us, not erase us.” It captures a tension that has shaped debates about autism genetic research for years. […]

Robert Kneschke/Shutterstock Disease-modifying drugs for Alzheimer’s offer a meaningful glimpse of hope for many people who fear dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, but dementia itself is an umbrella term for symptoms such as memory loss, confusion and changes in thinking. Unlike older dementia drugs, which help with symptoms but do […]

Brain changes that can eventually lead to dementia may begin many years before anyone notices symptoms such as memory problems, missed appointments or difficulty finding words. This is where blood biomarkers are becoming important. Biomarkers are measurable signs of biological activity in the body. In dementia research, some blood biomarkers can give clues about biological […]

PeopleImages/Shutterstock We have all heard it: “It’s just in your head.” When work deadlines pile up, financial worries linger or an unexpected public speaking obligation looms, we often treat anxiety as a purely psychological challenge – something to be overcome with a bit of willpower. But our bodies don’t separate the psychological from the physical. […]

Ibuprofen is shown to be more effective at reducing period pain. fizkes/ Shutterstock For something that affects millions every month, period pain remains surprisingly poorly treated. A recent analysis of supermarket transaction data from over three million shoppers found that paracetamol is the most purchased painkiller for menstrual cramps – despite being a less effective […]

Iryna Inshyna/Shutterstock Bad things have happened in maternity units. Babies have died. Women have been harmed. Families have been ignored, dismissed and left to fight for answers they should never have had to beg for. Safe maternity care must be a national priority. But after more than a decade of investigations, one question has become […]

Halfpoint/Shutterstock On a busy hospital ward, a nurse says “wonderful, wonderful” as a patient with dementia completes a task. It sounds simple, but moments like this can play an important role in how care gets done. Building on my doctoral research, a recent study I co-authored with colleagues examines how praise is used in the […]

Mai Groves/Shutterstock.com Rugby is a physical sport, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the tackle. In amateur and school rugby union, tackles are responsible for well over half of all match injuries, making them the single biggest source of injury risk in the game. That reality has prompted growing efforts to make tackling […]