Category: Health

Khosro/Shutterstock As Christmas fades into memory, many of us turn our attention to the new year and the promise of a fresh start. For millions of people, that means joining a gym in the hope of exercising more and improving their health. In the UK alone, more than ten million adults hold gym memberships, and […]

Health authorities are urging the public to stay vigilant as norovirus continues to circulate at unusually high levels across Ireland, with cases expected to rise further over the festive period. The Health Service Executive (HSE) has reported a sharp increase in confirmed infections, a trend that is “likely to continue over the festive season,” as […]

F01 PHOTO/Shutterstock For many people, the run-up to Christmas is filled with excitement and anticipation. For others, it can quietly tip into something more difficult. A drop in mood is particularly common after Christmas, especially in the final week of the year and the first days of the new one. Understanding why this happens can […]

Marat Jolon/Shutterstock.com You stub your toe on the bedpost. Before your brain even registers the pain, a word explodes from your mouth – sharp, loud and oddly satisfying. Far from being a simple slip in manners, swearing is a reflex rooted deep in the structure of the human body, drawing on networks in the brain […]

Six particular depressive symptoms, when experienced in midlife, can predict dementia risk more than two decades later, a new study led by University College London (UCL) researchers has found. Midlife depression has long been considered a risk factor for dementia in later life. Driven by specific symptoms However, new findings published in ‘The Lancet Psychiatry’ […]

Medical Research Council (MRC) funded PhD student Vanessa Drevenakova won the award’s writing category for her article: ‘The Sound of Youth: Can Ultrasound Delay Brain Ageing?’. She is looking at the potential of using ultrasound to care for the brain before decline caused by ageing and dementia sets in. Brain ageing burden With life expectancy […]

Five new studies funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) will investigate neurodegenerative diseases that give rise to dementia. The studies will help identify new ways to treat or slow down the diseases before symptoms worsen. Working together to drive medical research Science Minister Lord Vallance said: These studies are a great example of what […]

Ireland has been highlighted as a leading example of disability‑inclusive health practice in a new World Health Organization (WHO) Europe report, drawing praise from Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley and Minister of State for Disability Emer Higgins. The publication, GOOD Practices in Disability‑Inclusive Health, features 28 case studies from across Europe, including […]

ViDI Studio/Shutterstock From minimalist wrist designs to full sleeves, body art has become so common that it barely raises an eyebrow. But while the personal meaning of a tattoo may be obvious, the biological consequences are far less visible. Once tattoo ink enters the body, it does not stay put. Beneath the skin, tattoo pigments […]

mikecphoto/Shutterstock.com A marathon pushes the human body close to its limits. Legs tire, lungs burn and the heart works hard for hours on end. For years, that strain has raised an uncomfortable question: does running 26 miles actually damage the heart? The strongest reassurance comes from a new ten-year study of 152 recreational marathon runners, […]