'Smartphone pinky' is just the latest injury caused by excessive smartphone use. Farknot Architect/ Shutterstock We use our phones three hours and 15 minutes a day on average. So perhaps it’s hardly surprising people are reporting a “new” injury on social media and in the news – “smartphone pinky”. PeopleContinue Reading
Over-activity in the brain's subgenual anterior cingulate cortex is likely to be one cause of depression and anxiety. ESB Professional/ Shutterstock Although depression and anxiety affect millions of people worldwide, there’s still much we don’t know about them. In fact, we still don’t fully understand which brain regions are involvedContinue Reading
At midnight on October 21, Ireland introduced its highest level of national restrictions as part of a lockdown that will last six weeks. In the days that followed, many other European countries did the same, from France to Germany, Wales and Belgium. England will shortly follow suit. As is theContinue Reading
Eccentric exercises (such as walking downhill) cause our muscles to lengthen under the load in order to slow the body down. FS Stock/Shutterstock Falls are a common cause of injury in older adults and can lead to disability. Luckily, the risk of falls can be reduced with regular exercise– butContinue Reading
Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock Vitamin D, often known as the “sunshine vitamin”, is normally obtained through exposure of our skin to the sun. The Department of Health recommends that everyone in the UK should take a supplement of vitamin D during the winter months (October to March), as there is insufficient UV lightContinue Reading
Dmytro Tyshchenko/Shutterstock On September 9 2020, a woman died during a cyber-attack on a hospital in Düsseldorf, Germany. The woman was in a critical condition and about to be treated when hackers disabled the computer systems of the hospital. Unable to avert the attack, medical staff had to transfer theContinue Reading
Around one in 20 adults will hear a voice at some point in their life. For some, the voices are friendly, helpful or inspiring – they can be enriching experiences. But others hear voices that threaten or criticise them. These can be frightening, and incredibly disruptive to daily life. WhileContinue Reading
Done properly, cardiac rehab can increase quality of life, and lower the risk of future harm. Liderina/Shutterstock Being diagnosed with a heart condition or suffering a heart attack can be terrifying. In the UK, one person is admitted to hospital because of a heart attack roughly every five minutes. LowContinue Reading
Camilo Jimenez/Unsplash, FAL The UK has been promised a cycling revolution for decades. In 1996, then-transport minister Steve Norris enthused about quadrupling cycling trips by 2012. Similarly, former prime minister David Cameron promised a “cycling revolution” in 2013 which fizzled out as funding failed to follow. Little has changed forContinue Reading
DisobeyArt/Shutterstock Health leaders have found themselves projected onto the public stage as never before. Professor Chris Whitty, the UK government’s chief medical adviser, and Sir Patrick Vallance, its chief scientific adviser, have occupied the front pages and dominated the airwaves for months. They have become household names, better known thanContinue Reading
