Health & Wellbeing
On these pages you'll find everything from devices designed to give you a better night's sleep to the latest work being done to tackle the obesity epidemic. Live long and prosper!
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Vaccine booster for all London children as polio found in more wastewater
August 11, 2022A polio vaccine booster program has been announced in the UK targeting all London children under the age of 10. The program comes after more detections of poliovirus in London’s wastewater indicate the virus is spreading undetected through the city. -
High levels of Parkinson’s drug levodopa found in natural supplements
August 10, 2022New research reports some natural supplements contain high levels of levodopa, used in drug treatments for Parkinson’s disease. The research found levels of levodopa in some supplements can be higher than what's found in common pharmaceutical formulations. -
New Lyme disease vaccine targets decades of anti-vax misinformation
August 10, 2022A new Lyme disease vaccine is about to enter its final phase of human trialling. If all goes well it could be available by 2025, making it the first vaccine for Lyme disease to reach the market in nearly a quarter of a century. -
PFAS “forever chemicals” linked to liver cancer in first-of-its-kind study
August 09, 2022New research has reported a link between elevated blood levels of perfluooctane sulfate (PFOS) and increased risk of liver cancer. The study is the first to directly associate exposure from this “forever chemical” to liver cancer in humans. -
MIT develops rapid at-home test to measure COVID immunity
August 09, 2022An innovative new rapid test promises to give people the ability to easily measure their COVID-19 immunity. The test tracks levels of neutralizing antibodies in a drop of blood, helping a person evaluate their susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. -
Biological differences make men more susceptible to cancer than women
August 08, 2022For decades, doctors have noticed men seem more likely to develop cancers compared to women, and while it was often waved away as due to lifestyle, a new study suggests biological factors may be the biggest player in the different cancer risk. -
Intermittent fasting trial sees weight loss benefits, but questions remain
August 08, 2022A study testing time-restricted eating has delivered positive results, indicating greater weight loss compared to calorie counting but researchers are still unsure whether the benefits are due to anything more than participants simply eating less. -
Unsafe levels of toxic “forever chemicals” in rainwater across the globe
August 07, 2022A striking new article argues the global spread of certain hazardous chemicals is so pervasive that unsafe levels of PFAS chemicals can be found in rainwater all over the world, including remote areas such as Antarctica and the Tibetan Plateau. -
Diabetes and cancer death risk predicted by blood protein biomarker
August 07, 2022A new study has found people with elevated blood levels of a protein called prostasin face a significantly higher risk of developing diabetes or dying from cancer. It’s unclear at this point whether the protein plays a causal role in either disease. -
Double-action mechanism found that makes ketamine less addictive
August 05, 2022Like many highly addictive drugs, ketamine causes a rush of dopamine in the brain. But new research in mice from the University of Geneva shows ketamine also blocks the brain process that leads to neuroplasticity, habit formation and compulsion. -
Meat-testing film changes color to warn of high nitrite levels
August 04, 2022Sodium nitrite is often added to cured meats, in order to prevent spoilage and provide flavor. It can also cause health problems in large amounts, however, which is why a color-changing film has been created to indicate nitrite levels. -
Polio detected in wastewater from New York county with only 60% vax rate
August 02, 2022Following recent reports of the first polio case in the US in almost a decade, the CDC reported the virus has been detected in wastewater samples as far back as June in Rockland County, a region north of New York City known for low vaccination rates. -
Heart disease from red meat linked to certain gut bacteria metabolites
August 02, 2022A new study has homed in on how animal proteins can raise heart disease risk, by illustrating the way metabolites produced by certain gut bacteria while digesting red meat play a significant role in cardiovascular disease. -
One-two punch from pair of common viruses may trigger Alzheimer’s disease
July 31, 2022A fascinating new study has found two common viruses may be working in tandem to trigger the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease. The findings build on a growing body of evidence implicating the herpes virus in neurodegenerative disease. -
Massive study links long COVID to hair loss and reduced libido
July 31, 2022A huge new study looking at the symptoms of long COVID in non-hospitalized patients has identified a diverse set of symptoms, including reduced libido and hair loss, and suggested reclassifying the condition into three distinct groups.
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