Health

Exactly how exercise could be directly helping the body fight cancer has been unclear. Now, a study led by researchers from Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet has discovered the way exercise can bolster the cancer-killing ability of certain immune cells.

Researchers have engineered bovine cells to produce lab-grown beef containing a plant nutrient that is converted into vitamin A in the human body. The researchers suggest lab-grown meats could be engineered to convey a broad assortment of health benefits.

Scientists at Penn State University have developed a flexible sensor they say can be safely printed directly onto the skin, where it can track things like body temperature and blood oxygen levels, before being washed off once the job is done.

Do tattoos impair the skin’s ability to sweat? Despite the ubiquitousness of tattoos this question has received little research attention. A first-of-its-kind study suggests inked skin may damage sweat glands and reduce the body’s ability to cool itself.

A new survey has found owning a pet is associated with better mental health during COVID-19 lockdowns. The survey also linked pet ownership to lower levels of loneliness, and both positive associations were detected regardless of species.

The promising results of a Phase 2 trial testing a new, once-weekly insulin treatment for type 2 diabetes have been published. The weekly injection was found to be as safe and effective as daily insulin shots and a larger Phase 3 trial is currently being planned.

A new study has compared the physical and cognitive performance of a group of older people in 2017 with a similarly aged group three decades earlier. Improvements were seen in almost every test, suggesting progress has been made extending healthspan.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have developed a test, called the Gut Microbiome Health Index, that can predict a person’s general health status by measuring the levels of 50 gut microbial species.

Following a swift independent investigation, large-scale trials for a COVID-19 vaccine developed by scientists at the University of Oxford are recommencing across the UK after a suspected adverse reaction triggered a global halt to trials last week.

A new study has found mice given supplements of an endogenous metabolite display significant healthspan improvements. The research follows on from other animal studies with the same compound and a clinical trial in middle-aged humans is getting underway.

Amazon already makes ereaders, smart speakers and tablets, and now it makes fitness trackers too. The Halo is a new wearable that straps to your wrist and feeds data on your activities and sleep patterns back to an accompanying mobile app.

A meta-analysis suggests naps lasting more than 60 minutes can be linked to higher rates of all-cause mortality and poor cardiovascular health. Although the finding is only correlational, the researchers suggest keep your siestas to less than one hour.