Category: Health

Antonio Guillem/Shutterstock.com Our relationships shape our health in many ways. Friends and family can provide support during difficult times and encourage healthy habits. But not all relationships are positive – some can be a persistent source of stress. A new study published in the journal PNAS asked what happens when the stress in our lives […]

Roman Chekhovskoi/Shutterstock.com Good news: cancer death rates in the UK have fallen to their lowest level on record. According to the latest statistics from Cancer Research UK, between 2022 and 2024 around 247 people per 100,000 died from cancer each year in the UK. This is down from a peak of 355 deaths per 100,000 […]

Dmytro Zinkevych/Shutterstock Hormone therapy is widely used to treat menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats. But scientists have long debated whether it affects dementia risk. A new study adds another piece to this puzzle. It suggests that an Alzheimer’s biomarker may help identify which women are more vulnerable to dementia with certain […]

Benjavisa Ruangvaree Art/Shutterstock “Ultimately, the bond of all companionship, whether in marriage or friendship, is conversation,” wrote Oscar Wilde. We often think of conversation as effortless. But beneath its apparent ease lies an extraordinary feat of coordination – a finely tuned dance of listening and speaking. Summoning a single word in your mind and then […]

Gera Photo/Shutterstock.com If you spend any time on social media, you may have noticed a curious trend: wellness influencers singing the praises of nicotine. Not smoking or vaping but nicotine patches and pouches, repackaged as cognitive enhancers, productivity boosters and even weight-loss aids. But does the science support this rebrand, or are we watching a […]

_Demodex follicolorum_ collected on human nose. Pasotteo/Shutterstock Almost everyone carries microscopic mites on their skin. They live inside pores and hair follicles, feeding on skin oils and dead cells. When people first hear this, the reaction is often disgust or alarm. It is easy to imagine infestation, poor hygiene or something going wrong. In reality, […]

Halfpoint/Shutterstock Imagine trying to ask a question and no one answers you. Or hearing people talk around you as if you are not really part of the conversation. For many people living with dementia in hospital, this is a common experience. Dementia affects many aspects of communication. In the early stages, someone may struggle to […]

YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV/Shutterstock If TikTok fitness advice is to be believed, you should be interval walking like the Japanese, hanging from a pull-up bar every day and committing to a 75-day challenge with no rest days. Some of these trends are grounded in scientific research. Others are built on shaky claims or misunderstandings of how the […]

Bricolage/Shutterstock Experiencing abuse at any age can have devastating consequences for physical and mental health. But our new report suggests that what may happen to people in later life – including abuse, poverty and social isolation – plays a far bigger role in shaping health and wellbeing than is often recognised. Understanding what can affect […]

Dragana Gordic/Shutterstock Joint pain is often dismissed as ageing, overuse or a minor injury. But for some people it is the first sign of inflammatory arthritis, a group of immune-driven conditions that can damage joints and other organs if not treated promptly. Inflammatory arthritis can take years to diagnose and receive treatment, with some forms […]