Here's some hair-raising news! New hope for baldness cure after scientists find way to trigger growth using white blood cells

• Method discovered by accident at Spain's main cancer research centre
• Researcher found mice given anti-inflammatory drugs grew extra hair
• Study now claims link was due to complex cells called macrophages
• Infection-fighters activated nearby stem cells responsible for hair growth
• Author: Method could allow regeneration without need for a transplant

A researcher's accidental discovery could pave the way for a baldness cure by harnessing the power of white blood cells.

The cancer expert was testing anti-inflammatory drugs on mice when she was surprised to discover they were growing extra fur, so investigated what was causing the phenomenon. She discovered it was due to macrophages, which are derived from white blood cells called monocytes and are produced by the immune system to fight infections and clear up dead tissue. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2885921/Here-s-hair-raising-news-New-hope-baldness-cure-scientists-way-trigger-growth-using-white-blood-cells.html

Got a sore throat? Take paracetamol but NOT ibuprofen: Drug dampens the body's natural immune defence, leading doctor advises

• Dr Mike Smith is a former GP and co-chair of the Patients Association
• Says paracetamol should be used for a sore throat but not ibuprofen
• Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory so dampens the body's immune defense
• Inflammation such as a red throat is the body's way of fighting a virus
• Paracetamol kills pain without affecting the body's immune system 
• Research has shown that ibuprofen may prolong symptoms of colds 

When you have a sore throat, it’s natural to reach for all the painkillers you can get your hands on.

But taking ibuprofen could actually impede recovery, a leading doctor warns. Ibuprofen will dampen the body’s natural response to a virus causing a sore throat, Dr Mike Smith, a former GP and co-chair of the Patients Association, argues.

He advises taking paracetamol and a local anaesthetic spray instead. Read more: https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4329180868192790291#editor/target=post;postID=3415208019451079099

Major breakthrough for paralysed people after drug that restores movement shows 'extraordinary promise'

• New drug, known as intracellular sigma peptide, or ISP, helps damaged nerve cells regenerate, allowing vital messages to be passed to muscles
• Normally, when they try to grow across a scarred and damaged spinal cord, their path is blocked by glue-like chemicals
• ISP, which is given as a daily injection, sticks to the chemicals instead
• This allows the nerves to grow and grow, say scientists in Ohio, U.S. 
• Rats with badly damaged spinal cords given drug daily for seven weeks
• Their ability walk, balance and control their bladder muscles monitored
• Vast majority of rats got something back in terms of function 
• Some went from barely moving to being able to walk like healthy creatures 

A drug could restore the gift of movement to millions of people paralysed in car crashes, sporting accidents and falls, doctors believe. The chemical has shown ‘extraordinary promise’ when given to rats with severely damaged spinal cords. Some animals went from being barely able to take a step to being able to walk almost as well as healthy creatures. They also became more nimble and regained control of their bladder muscles. Overall, 21 of the 26 animals improved on the drug – an unparalleled success rate. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2859274/Major-breakthrough-paralysed-people-drug-restores-movement-shows-extraordinary-promise.html

It's not just jet lag you need to worry about! A complete guide to how flying affects your health (and what you can do to combat it)

• From sickness at 30,000ft and Breathing difficulties to DVT ...
• Frequent flyers can also suffer from bad breath and constipation

It’s great fun to fly off on holiday every now and then, but as any health professional will tell you, an airplane cabin is not a healthy environment.

Any time in the sky, from a couple of hours to a whole day or more when crossing multiple time zones is, for the human body, a real challenge.

Aside from the cabin pressure, dry air, and sitting squashed in one place while a small child uses the back of your seat as a punch bag, there are a host of unpleasant things that happen to your body while you’re travelling. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2852166/A-complete-guide-flying-affects-health-combat-it.html

Could Wifi be harming YOUR health? That’s what a growing number of people believe is triggering their headaches, nausea and crippling pain

• The list of places off-limits to Mary Coales is extensive 
• The 63-year-old can’t go to theatres, restaurants, airports, or parks
• Mary has electromagnetic hypersensitivity intolerance syndrome (EHS)
• More than 3 million people think they have electro-sensitivity

The list of places off-limits to Mary Coales is extensive. The 63-year-old can’t go to theatres, restaurants, cinemas, airports, or parks. If she has a hospital appointment, she has to wait outside the building until the very last moment, while trips to the supermarket are conducted at lightning speed.

Even walking down the road outside her house can cause a terrible shooting pain in her mouth — which is why, whenever she goes out, she wears a top made from a special gauzy silver and polyamide material.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2846494/Could-Wifi-harming-health-Thats-growing-number-people-believe-triggering-headaches-nausea-crippling-pain.html

Should you stop using antiperspirant?

Giving up may help cleanse toxins from your body, perk up your love life AND make you smell nicer! 

• 
  
• Canadian investigators review potential dangers of trying to reduce sweating
• Sweating is vital for regulating body temperature and ridding you of toxins
• Recent finding suggests using antiperspirant might make body odour worse
• 
  

Everyone has some level of toxic metals accumulating in their bodies, thanks to the fact that arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury are common in our environment and also in food.

We consume them in shellfish, grains, and brassicas such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower, which absorb them from their surroundings, and particularly from tobacco, which 'avidly accumulates cadmium and lead from soil', according to the review published in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health.

All four metals are considered carcinogenic, as well as being harmful to our nervous systems, our hearts, brains and kidneys.Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2819557/Should-stop-using-antiperspirant-Giving-help-cleanse-toxins-body-perk-love-life-make-smell-nicer.html

Can Sex Cure a Headache?

• New research shows that getting it on is a great pain reliever

The next time your head’s pounding, you might want to grab your man—not just your meds. Turns out, getting it on may help relieve pain from migraines and cluster headaches, according to a new study published in the journal Cephalalgia. 

Researchers from the University of Munster in Germany surveyed 800 migraine patients and 200 patients who suffer from cluster headaches, a rare condition that affects about 1 percent of the population and consists of sudden, intensely painful headaches. Each participant was surveyed about whether or not sexual activity had an impact on the intensity of their symptoms. Sixty percent of migraine patients said that having sex helped reduce their migraine pain—especially good news for women since about 70 percent of migraine sufferers across the world are female. As for those with cluster headaches, 37 percent of those who responded noted an improvement in their symptoms after having sex. Read more: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/sex-and-relationships/can-sex-cure-a-headache

Chemicals in plastic 'are making women less interested in sex': Low libido linked to additives used to soften materials found in every home

• PVC flooring and plastic shower curtains could lower women's libido 
• Women with high levels of phthalates more likely to say no to sex 
• Additives are man-made chemicals thought to interfere with hormones 
• Tiny particles enter our systems through eating and breathing

Chemicals found in PVC flooring, plastic shower curtains, processed food and other trappings of modern life may be sapping women’s interest in sex.

A study has linked low libido with the additives used to soften plastics which are found in every home. Women with the highest levels of phthalates in their bodies were more than twice as likely to say ‘not tonight dear’ as those with the lowest amounts.Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2800941/chemicals-plastic-making-women-interested-sex-low-libido-linked-additives-used-soften-materials-home.html

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A study has found women with more of the additives in their system are more likely to say no to sex 

 

The FIVE simple steps to help YOU beat bowel cancer

• Healthy lifestyle could prevent a fifth of cases in men and a tenth in women 
• People should avoid smoking, drink alcohol moderately and eat healthily
• Should also keep slim - banishing belly fat - and take regular exercise
• Risk lowered for each 'good behaviour' adopted, with more impact on men
• Around 16,000 people will die from bowel cancer in the UK each year 

Five healthy lifestyle traits can protect against bowel cancer, according to new research.

A fifth of cases in men and over a tenth in women could be prevented if they kept slim, banished the stomach bulge and exercised more, a study found.

People should also avoid smoking, drink alcohol moderately and switch to a diet packed with fibres, fruits, vegetables, fish, yoghurt, nuts and seeds with little red and processed meats.

The risk is lowered for each 'good' behaviour trait adopted, and the impact is stronger in men than women. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2787751/The-FIVE-simple-steps-help-YOU-beat-bowel-cancer-Lifestyle-makeover-ward-disease-kills-thousands-year.html

Three in four of us have a bad back: Sitting at a desk and lounging in front of TV found to be among main causes of complaints

• Three in four of us now suffer from bad pain, according to experts
• British Chiropractic Association says sedentary lifestyles are main problem
• Hunching over a computer screen or lounging in bed may cause issues
• Survey found 82 per cent spend six hours a day in front of a screen

Being hunched over a computer screen for hours at a time means three-quarters of us now suffer from back pain, experts say. Rather than wrenching the back with strenuous exercise or hard lifting, sedentary lifestyles are the main cause of problems. Lounging in front of a television or spending too long in bed are also major causes of back complaints, according to the British Chiropractic Association.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2781761/Hunching-screen-means-three-four-bad-back.html

Get ready for your close-up: The 'jelly bean' camera pill joins hunt for ulcers

• The new endoscopy 'jelly bean camera' weighs just three grams
• The camera is swallowed and then controlled by a magnetic wand
• It allows real-time monitoring and the process is over in just 20 minutes

A revolutionary remote-controlled camera  ‘pill’ is now helping doctors accurately diagnose stomach problems including ulcers.

The device, which is the size of a jelly bean and weighs  just three grams, is swallowed and can then be controlled by a magnetic wand held over the body as it passes through the digestive tract.

Although such pills are not new, older versions cannot be guided. In contrast, the new MiroCam-Navi allows doctors to stop and take a closer look  if they spot anything suspicious. It also allows real-time monitoring, meaning the process is over in 20 minutes. Read more http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2763394/Get-ready-close-The-jelly-bean-camera-pill-joins-hunt-ulcers.html

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Bananas 'cut stroke risk for women after menopause': Foods high in potassium found to reduce chance by up to a quarter

• Researchers studied 90,137 postmenopausal women, aged 50 to 79
• Women who ate most potassium 27per cent less likely to suffer stroke
• Experts have warned too much potassium can harm the heart

Eating bananas could cut the risk of strokes in post-menopausal women, a study suggests. Foods high in potassium could help lower the chance by as much as a quarter, it found.

Researchers studied 90,137 postmenopausal women, aged 50 to 79, for an average of 11 years. They looked at how much potassium they consumed, and whether they had strokes or died during the study.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2744318/Bananas-cut-stroke-risk-women-menopause-Foods-high-potassium-reduce-chance-quarter.html

Say goodbye to surgical stitches and staples

• If a new Israeli product from IonMed gets market approval, surgeons will have a revolutionary tool in their hands for scar-free incision closure.

Women giving birth by Caesarean section could be the first to benefit from a revolutionary Israeli invention for closing surgical incisions without stitches or staples. The technique also promises to leave patients less prone to infection and scarring.

BioWeld1, a unique trademarked product from Israeli startup IonMed, welds surgical incisions using cold plasma.

Plasma is a gas in which a certain proportion of the particles are ionized. It has been shown to offer manifold benefits including tissue welding, control of bleeding, enhancement of tissue repair, disinfection and destruction of cancer cells. Read more at: http://www.israel21c.org/health/say-goodbye-to-surgical-stitches-and-staples/

How your favourite tipple could help keep you supple: Enjoying the occasional alcoholic drink may improve fitness levels in middle and old age

• Study shows teetotallers have difficulty carrying out everyday movements
• Those who have a drink up to four times a week had least trouble moving
• Experts hail the research for celebrating diet of moderation not fasting

Enjoying the occasional glass of wine could help keep you physically fit in middle and old age, according to a study.

Surprisingly the findings appeared to show being teetotal had the reverse effect, with abstainers more likely to have difficulty carrying out everyday movements such as walking and getting dressed. Researchers from University College London looked at the drinking habits and physical ability of nearly 30,000 men and women aged between 45 and 69.

Those who enjoyed a tipple up to four times a week were found to be the most supple and had the least trouble walking, eating, dressing and reaching. The worst physical condition of all was seen among those who didn’t drink. 

Even when former alcoholics – who were more likely to be in poorer physical condition – were removed from the figures, teetotallers were 27 per cent more likely to experience problems than those who drank regularly. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2726401/How-favourite-tipple-help-supple-Enjoying-occasional-alcoholic-drink-improve-fitness-levels-middle-old-age.html

Chemotherapy will be 'obsolete in 20 years time' thanks to genetic revolution which will allow personalised treatment for cancer patients

• Landmark project to study about 75,000 cancer patients over next four years
• DNA of healthy and tumour cells will be mapped to help transform treatment
• Prime Minister said it will make Britain the world leader in genetic research
• Chemotherapy could be obsolete for treating a range of cancers in 20 years

Drugs that target cancer without harming healthy cells and triggering distressing side effects could be a reality in 20 years, claim British scientists.

A landmark project to map 100,000 complete DNA code sequences is set to transform treatment of cancer and rare diseases, meaning chemotherapy could be obsolete within a generation.

David Cameron said it will make Britain the world leader in genetic research as he announced a package of deals worth £300million to carry out the work, expected to be completed by 2017.

Over the next four years, about 75,000 patients with cancer and rare diseases, plus their close relatives, will have their whole genetic codes, or genomes, sequenced. Cancer patients will have the DNA of both healthy and tumour cells mapped, making up the 100,000 total. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2712781/David-Cameron-hails-gene-revolution-make-chemotherapy-obsolete-20-years.html

SEVEN hours of sleep is the best - and more than eight is 'hazardous' to health'

• 'Lowest mortality and morbidity is with seven hours', says sleep expert
• Those who sleep more than eight have memory and decision problems
• People who slept in Stone Age-like conditions only got 7.2 hours on average

In an age where we're busier than ever and bombarded with information 24/7, many of us complain we don't get enough sleep. But getting too much shut-eye could actually be bad for your health, an expert has warned.

'The lowest mortality and morbidity is with seven hours,' says Shawn Youngstedt, a professor at Arizona State University Phoenix who studies sleep duration. 

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Rest: Seven hours of sleep is the best amount for your health - and more could be harmful, a sleep expert has declared

'But eight hours or more has consistently been shown to be hazardous,' he told the Wall Street Journal. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2702598/SEVEN-hours-sleep-best-eight-hazardous-health.html

New DNA hope on schizophrenia: Discovery of 100 genes could help to transform treatment for the condition

• About one in 100 people will develop schizophrenia but there have been no new types of drug treatments for 60 years 
• ‘Astonishing’ study has the potential to ‘speed up the development of badly needed new treatments’

More than 100 schizophrenia genes have been pinpointed in a ‘remarkable’ British-led study that could transform the treatment of the debilitating mental illness

About one in 100 people will develop schizophrenia but there have been no new types of drug treatments for 60 years. By shedding new light on the causes of the condition, the Cardiff University-led study involving more than 300 scientists from 35 countries should speed the search for new medicines.

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About one in 100 people will develop schizophrenia but there have been no new types of drug treatments for 60 years 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2700793/New-DNA-hope-schizophrenia.html

Don't give up exercise, breast cancer patients urged: Guidelines urge women to carry on with moderate activity as there is no evidence it worsens symptoms

• In the past women with the disease were told to give up exercise
• Breast cancer is linked to obesity and increasing evidence has found that staying active reduces the chances of the cancer returning
• NICE guidelines say moderate exercise is not curative but can be beneficial

Women with breast cancer are being urged to exercise as there is no evidence it worsens painful symptoms, according to the health watchdog.

Around 10,000 of those diagnosed with the illness each year on to develop lymphoedema, which leads to pain and loss of mobility in arms and legs.

In the past they were urged by doctors to avoid exercise as it was thought to make the condition worse but NICE states this isn't the case. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2675809/Dont-exercise-breast-cancer-patients-urged-Guidelines-urge-women-carry-moderate-activity-no-evidence-worsens-symptoms.html

New sugar limits can be breached by a bar of chocolate

New proposed recommendations to tackle Britain's love of sugar will mean one bar of chocolate will take many people over their daily limit

A single bar of chocolate, three yogurts or a fizzy drink would take the average person over proposed daily sugar limits announced by scientific advisers to the Government. The recommendations halve current limits, meaning that the average woman should have no more than five to six teaspoons (25g) of sugar a day, and seven to eight teaspoons (35g) for men.

Scientific advisers to Government signalled a war on sugar with draft recommendations that would require radical changes to the British diet. Read more:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10929296/New-sugar-limits-can-be-breached-by-a-bar-of-chocolate.html

Gorging on fruit and vegetables is the key to preventing chronic diseases like diabetes and asthma

• People who eat lots of fruit are less likely to develop any chronic disease 
• High intake of vegetables helps prevent multiple chronic diseases
• Healthier people eat lots of different grains, not just wheat and rice
• The world-first research was conducted by the University of Adelaide

Eating plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains helps prevent people from developing more than one chronic disease, new medical research shows.

The world-first research conducted by the University of Adelaide examined the link between diet and 11 chronic diseases, including anemia, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, arthritis, hepatitis, coronary heart disease, asthma, stroke, fracture and cancer. 

It found that people who eat a higher amount of fruit are less likely to develop any chronic disease, while a high intake of vegetables helps prevent people with one chronic disease from developing a second. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2668720/Study-proves-gorging-fruit-vegetables-key-preventing-chronic-diseases-like-diabetes-asthma.html

Sugary beverages 'a trigger for gout': Soft drinks, fructose and beer to blame for rise in patients with 'kings' disease'

• Number of gout patients has nearly doubled since 1970s
• Modern causes are sweet drinks, fructose, beer and medication

Gout, once the disease of kings, is on the increase, and sugary soft drinks as much as whisky and wine may be to blame, research claims.

The number of patients  has nearly doubled since the 1970s and the painful  disease is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis in men.

One person in 35 is now affected, according to the research into the prevalence and causes of gout.

Historic sufferers such as King Henry VIII may have developed the condition from fine dining on meat and port, but today’s victims may be more likely to get it from sugar-sweetened soft drinks, fructose and beer, or as a side effect of medications. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2664504/Sugary-beverages-trigger-gout-Soft-drinks-fructose-beer-blame-rise-patients-kings-disease.html

The hell of giving up sugar (and why it's worth all the agony in the end): We're endlessly told sugar is the new nicotine.

• Despite a seemingly healthy lifestyle Nicole Mowbray couldn't shift her extra weight; then she realised her diet was saturated with sugar
• Too much sugar can lead to heart problems and increased cancer risk
• Nicole found after one day of going cold turkey on sugar she had severe head pain, nausea, aching limbs and flu-like symptoms
• However, two years later she has come out the other side slimmer, healthier and happier than before

No one can have escaped this year’s shocking sugar headlines: more addictive than tobacco, more dangerous than alcohol, more fattening than fat.

Countless column inches have been devoted to telling us exactly why — and how — we should be cutting back on sugar, hidden in almost everything we eat.Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2658488/The-hell-giving-sugar-worth-agony-end-Were-endlessly-told-sugar-new-nicotine-Now-witty-revealing-new-memoir-describes-hard-quit.html

Gene test that transforms your chances of beating cancer

Fred Barker was diagnosed with a rare but aggressive form of cancer in his adrenal glands just over three years ago. It came as a dreadful shock to the 44-year-old. 

Most patients with this sort of tumour have less than six months left. But Fred lived for nearly three years thanks to a highly sophisticated gene test that's set to revolutionise the way cancers are treated. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2659501/Gene-test-transforms-chances-beating-cancer.html

Could this be the end of chemotherapy? New leukaemia drug boosts survival rate to 90% and could eventually replace invasive chemical treatment

• Ibrutinib drug trial showed better rates of survival than chemotherapy
• Patients in Australia could have access to Ibrutinib within a year
• Trial showed higher rate of people entered remission than chemotherapy
• Breakthrough alternative for people with resistance to chemotherapy

A breakthrough international trial of a new cancer drug has given researchers renewed hope in the fight against leukaemia, with one Australian doctor suggesting it could end traditional chemotherapy treatments for good.

The results of a trial on 391 patients showed the drug Ibrutinib gave patients fighting a type of slow growing blood cancer called Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) a 90 per cent chance of survival, eight higher than the 81 per cent who survive on chemotherapy treatment.

What's more, the drug is less invasive than traditional forms of radiation, and is an alternative for patients whose cancer cells have built up a resistance to chemotherapy. Results from the trial also showed that four out of every 10 patients entered remission within a year, compared to four in 100 on a traditional course of radiation.

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ibrutinib works by killing cells in Chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients and could be the perfect alternative to traditional chemotherapy treatments

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2647973/Could-end-chemotherapy-New-leukemia-drug-boosts-survival-rate-90-eventually-replace-invasive-chemical-treatment.html

Is air pollution poisoning your body? Tiny particles of pollution in the air we breathe are blamed for thousands of deaths a year. This test reveals who's most at risk

• Air pollution is responsible for 29,000 premature deaths a year in Britain
• London has by far the worst air pollution problem in the country 
• Good Health and King's College London gave 6 people air pollution monitors
• They recorded levels of black carbon in subjects' surrounding environment

We all know about the perils of smoking, drinking, overeating and sitting for too long. But we're less cautious about another, less visible killer: air pollution.

Yet increasingly studies are showing that microscopic pollutant particles in the air, generated by petrol and particularly diesel engines and other man-made sources, can have serious health effects. 

Air pollution is responsible for 29,000 premature deaths a year in Britain - ten times the number of people killed in road accidents - according to a review by the Government's scientific advisory group, the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2639878/Is-air-pollution-poisoning-body-Tiny-particles-pollution-air-breathe-blamed-thousands-deaths-year-This-test-reveals-whos-risk.html

Eating fewer calories boosts cancer survival: Study finds it reduces the risk of disease spreading to other organs

• Reducing calorie intake by a third improved breast cancer survival rate
• Dieting may strengthen tissue around tumour so cancer cells can't spread 
• Maintaining a healthy weight also makes treatment more effective

A low calorie diet could help prevent an aggressive form of cancer from spreading around the body. Scientists have found that cutting calories reduces the likelihood of one type of breast cancer migrating to other organs.Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2639495/How-diet-affects-cancer-survival-Eating-fewer-calories-reduces-chance-disease-spreading-organs.html

Sex staves off prostate cancer

Regular sex can help protect men against prostate cancer, a medical study has found.

It showed that the most sexually-active males had less chance of contracting the potentially-fatal disease.

Frequent sex was also linked to less aggressive prostate cancer, which is more likely to respond to treatment and has a lower likelihood of spreading.

The research by experts in Boston involved nearly 30,000 men - all health professionals - aged between 46 and 81. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-300544/Sex-staves-prostate-cancer.htm

Mothers-to-be who eat junk food before they fall pregnant 'are 50% more likely to have a premature baby'

• Australian researchers find link between junk-food and pre-term babies
• Women hoping to get pregnant warned against eating take-aways and sugary drinks
• Eating healthily before pregnancy improves any baby's long-term health as well

Mothers-to-be who eat junk food and sugary snacks are more likely to have premature babies, according to a new report. University research has for the first time confirmed that women who eat a poor diet before they become pregnant are around 50 per cent more likely to have a preterm birth than those on a healthy diet. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2638635/Mothers-eat-junk-food-fall-pregnant-50-likely-premature-baby.html

It's never too late to slim down and help your heart: Weight loss at any age can give long-term benefits even if it is only temporary

• The longer any person is overweight, the more likely they will have problems
• Experts show for the first time that temporary weight loss is worthwhile
• Study stresses that obese people should start by preventing weight gain

It's never too late to lose weight because doing so improves the health of your heart – no matter how old you are. Researchers found weight loss at any age in adulthood is worthwhile because it gives long-term heart and vascular benefits. In contrast, the longer an individual is overweight, the more likely they are to have cardiovascular problems in later life, including high blood pressure and greater risk of diabetes. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2634431/Its-never-late-slim-help-heart-Weight-loss-age-long-term-benefits-temporary.html

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The killer pimple: Doctors warn of aggressive form of skin cancer which is six times more likely to kill if it is not removed within two months

• Nodular melanomas look like a red lump rather than an ugly dark mole
• The aggressive form of skin cancer makes up just 15 per cent of melanoma cases but causes 43 per cent of melanoma deaths
• The deadly melanomas grow at four times the rate of other melanomas
• The skin cancers can be harmless-looking so often go undiagnosed

Dermatologists have raised the alarm on an aggressive form of melanoma that looks like a harmless pimple but kills hundreds of Australians a year. Diagnosis delays mean people with the cancer are six times more likely to die than from other melanomas.

Nodular melanomas usually appear on the skin as a red nodule rather than an ugly dark mole, leading doctors to mistake them for relatively harmless forms of skin cancer or even pimples.Read more:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2632452/The-killer-pimple-Doctors-warn-aggressive-form-skin-cancer-six-times-likely-kill-not-removed-three-months.html

The mother's story anyone who still says cannabis is harmless MUST read: Henry came from a wealthy family and had a golden future but his life is now in tatters thanks to the drug

• Henry was a bright young boy with a promising future
• Starting smoking cannabis in his teens
• Today, age 28, he lives in a state of terror and tried to take his own life
• Regularly admitted to psychiatric hospitals
• A doctor said cannabis use contributed to his psychosis

The phone call from British Transport Police came one night in the summer of 2005. It was about my son, the officer said. He told me that Henry had jumped on to the Tube line at Baker Street in the thick of the rush hour and my legs buckled under me.

The officer explained they had rescued him just before the train had come in and was now with the police at Goodge Street station in central London. Why had he jumped? It was weeks before Henry told me about the voices in his head that had urged him to. He had leapt from the platform on to the track, and as he lay there waiting for the train, he imagined he was in heaven. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2622755/The-mothers-story-says-cannabis-harmless-MUST-read-Henry-came-wealthy-family-golden-future-life-tatters-thanks-drug.html

How coffee can save your sight: Chemical in the drink prevents degeneration of the retina due to glaucoma, ageing or diabetes

• Researchers made discovery when looking at coffee's antioxidant effects
• Coffee contains 7-9 per cent chlorogenic acid which is strong antioxidant

A daily cup of coffee can save your eyesight, scientists claim.

A chemical found in the drink prevents deteriorating eyesight and possible blindness from retinal degeneration due to glaucoma, ageing and diabetes. Researchers at Cornell University in New York were looking at coffee's antioxidant effects when they made the discovery. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2622866/How-coffee-save-sight-Chemical-drink-prevents-degeneration-retina-glaucoma-ageing-diabetes.html

• Having seafood at least twice a week reduces the risk of depression
• Omega-3 fatty acids may combine with female sex hormones to help brain
• Around five million Britons are living with depression at any one time

The secret to happiness could lie in something as simple as a tuna sandwich or cod and chips.

Eating fish can keep the blues at bay, according to a new study – but only in women. Researchers discovered that having seafood on the menu at least twice a week reduces the risk of depression among females by 25 per cent. However, for men, fish had no protective effect. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2620307/Feeling-Try-tuna-sandwich-Eating-fish-reduce-risk-depression-25-woman.html

Could laughter be the best way of improving memory? Older people had better short-term recall after watching comedy

• The stress hormone has a negative impact on memory, researchers found
• When a person laughs, they have lower levels of cortisol in their bodies

From tying knots in handkerchiefs to writing on our hands, we'll try anything to avoid forgetting something important. But a study has found that laughter could be the best way of improving memory.

U.S. researchers say older people are more likely to remember something if they have been laughing. This is because laughter reduces stress levels - and stress can have a negative effect on memory, ABC News reports.

Scientists at Loma Linda University, in California, asked 20 healthy adults to watch an amusing video for 20 minutes.

At the same time, another group were asked to sit calmly without watching a film. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2609427/Could-laughter-best-way-improving-memory-Older-people-better-short-term-recall-watching-comedy.html

Breast Cancer Checker

Breast cancer is now the most common cancer in Britain. Survival rates are better than ever, but the earlier the cancer is diagnosed, the better the chances of successful treatment.

Here is our at-a-glance animated guide to checking your breasts thoroughly.

Current advice is that women should 'get to know their breasts' and find out what's 'normal' for them, rather than checking breasts in a regimented and prescriptive fashion. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/breastchecker.html

Hi-tech plaster could change the lives of Parkinson's patients: Patch can read tremors and administer drugs to treat them

• The patch can be worn discretely on the patient's wrist
• It releases small, regular doses of drugs to control tremors
• This means there are no peaks and troughs in drug levels in the body
• It could also help people with multiple sclerosis and essential tremor

A hi-tech plaster that could revolutionise the lives of Parkinson's disease patients has been developed. The latest nanotechnology has been used to create a small patch that can read tremors associated with the disease and administer the appropriate amount of drugs to treat them.

Thinner than a small coin, it could be worn on the wrist and has potential uses for other motor diseases such as multiple sclerosis and essential tremor.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2605192/Hi-tech-plaster-change-lives-Parkinsons-patients-Patch-read-tremors-administer-drugs-treat-them.html

Want to stay sharp in old age? Look after the grandchildren - but only once a week

• Grandparents benefit from looking after children once a week
• Researchers found it increases mental sharpness, combating Alzheimers
• However if tasked with childcare five days a week it is detrimental

For most parents, having grandma take care of the children once in a while is a godsend.

But it seems she may not be sharing the benefits – at least not if she does it too often. Looking after the children for five days a week or more can make grandmas less mentally sharp, a study claimed yesterday.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2600552/Want-stay-sharp-old-age-Look-grandchildren-week.html

Chin straps to keep your mouth shut. A wristband that gives electric shocks: They BOTH snore, so could this sleep starved couple find a cure?

• Louise Atkinson, 49 and husband John, 50, both snore heavily
• They both try different anti-snoring devices each night for a week

For nearly 20 years, my husband Jonathan and I have happily shared a marital bed — and with the late-night partying and early parenting years behind us, we should be getting the best sleep of our lives.

But we’re not. There’s a new interloper between our crisp cotton sheets — the sonorous rumble and snort of heavy snoring. From both of us.

I’m 49 and Jon, a design consultant, is 50. We’re not overweight, we’re healthy and fit, but the snorts and gasps have become ridiculous. It’s a race to hit the pillow every night, as whoever drops off to sleep first wins — leaving the other with no choice but to lie there and endure the cacophony.

+8

Keeping quiet: Louise and husband John are kept awake at night by the other's snoring

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2600997/Chin-straps-mouth-shut-A-wristband-gives-electric-shocks-They-BOTH-snore-sleep-starved-couple-cure.html