Category Archive

I did know about our main body clock in the brain that keeps our body systems working in unison but I was unfamiliar with the independent body clocks in our joints and spine. Manchester University researchers claim consistent patterns of daily ­exercise and rest … Read More

Remember all those lateral flow tests we used to do during the Covid pandemic and ­occasionally still do? Well, that useful technology has a life beyond Covid – it can detect brain tumours. A team at Nottingham Trent ­University is developing a simple test … Read More

Most patients would have something to say about how doctors speak to them – and not all of it ­flattering. Intuitively, we’d say good communication gets better results than bad. And fascinating ­research illustrates how doctors talk to patients with … Read More

We know lack of sleep is not good for us – and the latest harm to come to light from consistently getting less than five hours a night is the risk of developing depression. Poor sleep has always been seen as a … Read More

Undoubtedly, we’re seeing an increase in the number of ­people who identify as transgender and a new study led by UCL researchers confirms this. The numbers may not look big but they’re significant all the same. Carrying out the first large-scale study … Read More

There are three simple tests you can do to assess your fitness and see how long you might live. Test your grip strength, by unscrewing a tight jar lid, test your quad strength by getting out of a chair without … Read More

Two of my close friends have had multiple sclerosis – one who died in her fifties and the other who, happily, is alive, but confined to a wheelchair. I had many chats with both of them about possible treatments. Who would have … Read More

As we get older, our small blood vessels tend to leak. If these leaky blood vessels are in the brain, they can lead to stroke and vascular dementia. But could we devise a drug to plug the leaks and even prevent small vessel … Read More

There’s already some evidence that music therapy can help patients with stroke and ­aphasia – where they struggle to communicate. It can even improve memory and mood. However, a trial at University College London Hospital (UCLH) will be the first … Read More

Sometimes we don’t need a new drug. We’re better off with a new use for an old one. Such is the case for anastrozole, which has been used for many years as a breast cancer treatment, but recently it was licensed by … Read More