Surely modern medicine can do a better job for the 5.4 million people who have asthma – including 1.1 million children? Each year there are around 77,000 admissions to hospital for asthma, each admission representing someone whose asthma isn’t under … Read More
Liking your school teachers could set you up for a happy, non rule-breaking life
My favourite school teachers all had a huge impact. I remember them clearly, they made me feel worthwhile, competent, even brave. Could these uplifting relationships mean even more to children who have little else to inspire them in their lives? … Read More
HRT lowers risk of an early death, with study finding health benefits outweigh risks
During my career I was involved in the early research on HRT and was impressed with its effectiveness in treating menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats and depression. So impressed in fact, that I started taking it at … Read More
At last we understand how life-saving penicillin works – and it’s vital for medicine
Ever since penicillin was first used as a therapy in Sheffield in 1930 by Dr Cecil George Paine, a member of the University’s Pathology Department, many scientists, doctors and chemists have wondered how it worked. Well, now we have a good idea. … Read More
Unplanned pregnancies unexpectedly surged during the first Covid lockdown
Now here’s a surprising one. I’d have thought unplanned pregnancies would’ve fallen during lockdown with all that worry, anxiety and frustration. But I’d have been wrong. There were nearly twice as many unplanned pregnancies during the first lockdown compared to … Read More
The injection of stem cells helps dangerously ill coronavirus patients
We have come a long way in discovering new weapons against Covid. But people who require ventilation have been especially difficult to treat since the pandemic took hold. Well, an international team of researchers has got together and come up with … Read More
How clock-watching your daily reactions could be the key to controlling your asthma
All our bodily functions are at the mercy of our body clock – a 24-hour programme of waxing and waning hormones that wakes us in the morning and makes us feel sleepy at night. It gives a rhythm to our … Read More
Kids reading to lonely older people over the phone boosts confidence and mental health
Social care is set to become an ever deepening problem. Lack of carers, funds and accommodation for older people will exacerbate loneliness, social isolation and mental issues. It seems an unlikely solution but there’s a plan afoot for children from primary … Read More
Vitamin A could hold key to restoring sense of smell after Covid
One of the hallmarks of a Covid infection is loss of the sense of smell, which often affects the sense of taste too. Not that Covid is the first virus to do this – many upper respiratory viruses do the same thing, including the … Read More
Keep the weight off and ‘irreversible’ type-2 diabetes may never return
We know that severe restriction of calories can “cure” type 2 diabetes in the short term. In most studies, however, this restrictive phase rarely extends to more than a few months, so can managing what you eat in the long-term … Read More