How ‘zebra striping’ on a night out can help you drink less – and potentially avoid a hangover

'Zebra striping' involves alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Halfpoint/ Shutterstock On a typical night out, the rhythm of drinking can be hard to control. Rounds arrive quickly, glasses are topped up before they’re empty, and intentions to “take it slow” often dissolve by the second or third drink. If you’re not careful, you’ll find […]

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NHS shakeup: if it sounds like we’ve been here before, it’s because we have

People in a hospital waiting room. toodtuphoto/Shutterstock.com Amid political upheaval and the subsequent resignation of the health secretary, the king’s speech unveiled the NHS modernisation bill – the most significant overhaul of the health service in more than a decade. By legally abolishing NHS England and bringing operational management directly into Whitehall, ministers say they […]

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A single dose of psilocybin eased depression symptoms for months, our study found

A row of psilocybin mushrooms. Cannabis Pic/Shutterstock.com A single dose of psilocybin eased symptoms of depression within days, with benefits lasting for more than three months compared to placebo, our new study has found. The study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open involved 35 people with recurring depression. We randomly assigned participants to either […]

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Can engaging in the arts slow ageing, as a recent study suggested?

becauz gao/Shutterstock.com Can spending more time engaging with the arts, such as visiting galleries, museums, singing or painting, really lead to a longer and healthier life? It’s certainly an appealing idea. And it’s not implausible. Stress is bad for your health, and spending your free time doing something engaging, like visiting an art gallery, seems […]

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Prescriptions for ivermectin soar after Mel Gibson claims it cured friends of cancer

Manuela Durson/Shutterstock.com Prescriptions for two antiparasitic drugs, ivermectin and fenbendazole, have recently surged in the US, according to a new study. Originally developed to treat parasitic worms, the drugs are now being discussed online as possible cancer treatments. In January 2025, Mel Gibson appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast claiming that ivermectin and fenbendazole […]

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Why managing expectations matters in chronic pain treatment

anut21ng Stock/Shutterstock In a 2026 study I conducted with colleagues on people with peripheral arterial disease, one participant described how leg pain had disrupted his golf for years. It forced him to stop mid-round, shake his leg and apologise to his playing partners while he waited for the pain to pass. He found it mortifying. […]

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Vitiligo affects around 1 in 100 people worldwide – yet the skin condition remains misunderstood

Model Winnie Harlow has non-segmental vitiligo. Andrea Raffin/ Shutterstock Around one in every 100 people worldwide has vitiligo – a chronic, autoimmune skin condition that causes the skin to appear lighter in patches. The number of people affected by vitiligo makes it one of the most common skin disorders. Several studies also suggest that many […]

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Can supplements containing NMN, NAD+ and resveratrol really slow ageing? Here’s what the evidence says

luchschenF/Shutterstock As more people look for ways to stay younger for longer, the supplement industry has moved beyond creams and cosmetic fixes to something more ambitious: products that claim to slow ageing by acting on cellular processes. Among the most heavily marketed compounds are NAD+, NMN and resveratrol, often described as supporting cellular repair, energy […]

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Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is associated with higher risk of suicide – here’s how we hope our new tool will help

PMDD is often misdiagnosed or under-diagnosed. Prostock-studio/ Shutterstock Every month, between 3% and 8% of women and people assigned female at birth will experience debilitating emotional, cognitive and sometimes physical symptoms in the week or two before menstruation. This condition, known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), is a severe mood disorder that has a significant […]

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Lipoedema: the painful condition too often dismissed as obesity

Manual lymphatic drainage is sometimes used for lipoedema, but evidence for its usefulness remains limited. DuxX/Shutterstock For many women with lipodoema, the diagnosis comes after years of being told the same thing: eat less, more more. The problem is that the fat accumulating around their hips and legs isn’t responding to diet or exercise, because […]

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