Oleg Krugliak / shutterstock Even today, in a world increasingly powered by renewable energy and clean technologies, air pollution poses a real risk to human health. In the UK alone, it is estimated to be responsible for 28,000 to 36,000 deaths every year, and can vastly increase the risk ofContinue Reading
Ground Picture/Shutterstock Empathic care in medicine is associated with greater patient satisfaction, a new review has found. “Patient satisfaction” is more than a fluffy metric that measures how satisfied “customers” are. Increased patient satisfaction is associated with, among other things, improved survival after heart attacks, a lower risk of beingContinue Reading
_Acanthosis nigricans_ can cause skin to become thickened and velveteen to the touch. TuktaBaby/ Shutterstock Skin accounts for around 15% of our body mass. It is the largest and most visible organ in the human body. Yet many of the skin’s functions are often overlooked. It’s a sunscreen, a shieldContinue Reading
siam pukkato/Shutterstock In 2017, a landmark study was published in The Lancet showing that type 2 diabetes could be reversed by diet alone. The Direct study, as it is known, seemed to change everything. With an intensive weight-loss programme and support throughout the study, 46% of participants were able toContinue Reading
Phthalates are one of these pollutants that our skin can absorb. atk work/ Shutterstock Even though most of us will spend a majority of our lives indoors, that doesn’t mean we aren’t still exposed to air pollution. Indoor air contains a wide array of pollutants including chemicals found in manyContinue Reading
Many blue zone diets are rich in plant foods. Studio Romantic/ Shutterstock Ageing is an inevitable part of life, which may explain our strong fascination with the quest for longevity. The allure of eternal youth drives a multi-billion pound industry ranging from anti-ageing products, supplements and diets for those hopingContinue Reading
Microgen/Shutterstock People with obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD for short, are 82% more likely to die earlier – from natural or unnatural causes – than people without the condition, a new study reveals. Previous studies have found excess deaths in people with OCD, but the specific causes of death had beenContinue Reading
The perfect slow running pace is one where you can still easily have a conversation. Lopolo/ Shutterstock Runners are obsessed with time. Amateur or professional, for most avid runners the aim is to get faster – constantly training in order to shave even just a couple of seconds off theirContinue Reading
esoxx/Shutterstock Placebos have been studied more than any treatment in the history of medicine, yet they remain mysterious. I’ve been studying placebos for 20 years and I’ve done some of the key studies that have advanced the scientific knowledge in this area. Here are six facts about this strange effectContinue Reading
Adolescence is an age when people are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems. Thomas Andre Fure/Shutterstock It wasn’t just the virus that spread during the pandemic – anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns saw a worrying rise as well. But new research from my colleagues and I confirms thereContinue Reading
