Emergency departments (EDs) are currently unsafe places for both professionals and patients, according to the results of an international survey carried out for the European Society of Emergency Medicine (EUSEM) and published in the European Journal of Emergency Medicine1. The main reasons for this are staff shortages and overcrowding due to the non-availability of beds […]
Plant-based diets are better for your health – as well as for the climate
Vegetarian and vegan diets are linked to lower levels of cholesterol and fats in your blood, according to an analysis of all the evidence from randomised trials published since 1982. The authors of the study, which is published in the European Heart Journal [1], say this means that plant-based diets can play a significant role […]
Dangerous snoring may affect one in five people, but most sufferers do not know they have a problem
Around one in five people may be suffering with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), according to a study published today in ERJ Open Research [1]. People with OSA often snore loudly, their breathing starts and stops during the night, and they may wake up several times. Not only does this cause tiredness, but it can also […]
World first: Researchers identify specific regions of the brain that are damaged by high blood pressure and are involved in a decline in mental processes and dementia
For the first time, researchers have identified specific regions of the brain that are damaged by high blood pressure and may contribute to a decline in mental processes and the development of dementia. High blood pressure is known to be involved in causing dementia and damage to brain function. The study, which is published in […]
Embryos’ development is delayed in pregnancies that end in miscarriage
Embryos in pregnancies that end in miscarriage take longer to develop in the womb than those in pregnancies that result in live births, according to new research published in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals. For the first time, researchers in The Netherlands have been able to look at the […]
Study shows ‘obesity paradox’ does not exist: waist-to-height ratio is a better indicator of outcomes in patients with heart failure than BMI
New research has debunked the idea that there is an “obesity paradox”, whereby patients with heart failure who are overweight or obese are thought to be less likely to end up in hospital or die than people of normal weight. The study, which is published in the European Heart Journal [1], shows that if doctors […]
Death rates from lung cancer will fall overall in the EU and UK in 2023, but rise among women in France, Italy and Spain
A total of 1,261,990 people will die from cancer in 2023 in the EU (EU-27). A further 172,314 people will die from the disease in the UK, according to new research published in the leading cancer journal Annals of Oncology [1]. Researchers led by Carlo La Vecchia (MD), a professor at the University of Milan […]
Mothers’ alcohol consumption before and during pregnancy is linked to changes in children’s face shapes
Researchers have used artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning technology to find a link between alterations in the shape of children’s faces and the amount of alcohol their mothers drank, both before becoming pregnant and during pregnancy. The study, which is published in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals, is […]
Cochrane review of COVID-19 vaccines shows they are effective
A comprehensive review of all the evidence available from randomised controlled trials of COVID 19 vaccines up to November 2021 has concluded that most protect against infection and severe or critical illness caused by the virus. The review, a collaboration of independent, international experts [1], also found there was little or no difference between the […]
Researchers identify how certain immune cells contribute to worse survival in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer
Barcelona, Spain: Patients with a type of breast cancer called HER2-positive are less likely to survive if their initial treatment fails to eradicate the tumour completely and they have high levels of immune cells called tumour infiltrating lymphocytes in the residual disease. Dr Federica Miglietta told the 13th European Breast Cancer Conference that normally tumour […]