June - 2019

Long working hours 'linked to stroke risk'

Working long hours is linked to an increased risk of stroke, researchers say. Long hours were defined in the French study as more than 10 hours on at least 50 days per year. People who did long hours for more than a decade were at the greatest risk of stroke, they suggest. But the UK's Stroke Association said there were lots of things people could do to counteract the effects of long hours, like exercising and eating well. The researchers, from Angers University and the Frenc

Women not aware enough of breast cancer link to alcohol

Women know too little about alcohol's role in increasing breast cancer risk, a study suggests. Only one in five women attending a breast cancer clinic knew it was a risk factor. But alcohol consumption is estimated to be responsible for 5-11% of cases. Cancer Research UK said cutting down on alcohol was one of the best things women could do to reduce their breast cancer risk. Two hundred women took part in the study, published in the online journal BMJ Open. They were either

Listeria outbreak: More affected hospitals named

Eight hospitals in seven NHS Trusts have reported cases of listeria linked to pre-packed sandwiches and salads eaten by patients, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed. The list includes Leicester Royal Infirmary and two hospitals in Western Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, along with hospitals in Derby, Liverpool, Manchester and Wexham. Nine patients have been affected, of whom five have died. The food involved has been withdrawn. The Good Food Chain had supplied salads an

Tattoo parlours pose infection risk, warn health experts

Shops offering tattoos and piercings pose an infection risk, and laws on who works in them should be tightened, say public health experts. At present, anyone in the UK can set up a parlour and offer procedures without proper training, a report from the Royal Society for Public Health says. But with one in five adults now having a tattoo, more should be done, it says, to protect the public. NHS England said higher standards were "long overdue". "It shouldn't be left to pick up

Music festival lighting 'can trigger epileptic fits'

Strobe lighting at music festivals can increase the risk of epileptic seizures, researchers have warned. The Dutch team said even people who have not been diagnosed with epilepsy might be affected. Their study was prompted by the case of a 20-year-old, with no history of epilepsy, who suddenly collapsed and had a fit at a festival. The Epilepsy Society said festivals should limit lighting to the recommended levels. Epilepsy is a condition that affects the brain. There are man

Night owls: Simple sleep tweaks boost wellbeing

Tweaking sleeping habits can shift people's body clocks and improve their wellbeing, say scientists in the UK and Australia. They focused on "night owls", whose bodies drive them to stay up late into the night. Techniques used included consistent bedtimes, avoiding caffeine and getting plenty of morning sunshine. The researchers say their approach may seem obvious, but could make an important difference to people's lives. Everyone has a body clock whose rhythms follow the ris

One million new STIs every day, says WHO

One million new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) occur every single day, the World Health Organization has estimated. That means more than 376 million new cases annually of four infections - chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis, and syphilis. The WHO highlights a lack of progress in stopping the spread of STIs, and says its figures are a "wake-up call". Experts are particularly concerned about the rise in drug-resistant STIs. The WHO regularly evaluates the global impa

'Alarming rise in self-harm - but only half get care'

There has been an "alarming" rise in the rates of self-harm in England, research suggests. A Lancet Psychiatry study found that in 2014, 6% of people had self-harmed, up from 2% in 2000 - with the highest rate in those aged 16-24. But the number getting no help remained at about 50% - and experts said more support was needed. And there are concerns self-harm could become more serious as people age, leading to suicidal behaviour. The term self-harm describes when people hurt t

NHS turns to Mumsnet to fill nurse vacancies

The NHS in England will turn to Mumsnet to help recruit nurses as part of a package of measures to fill vacancies in the health service. NHS bosses see the online parenting chatroom and website as a crucial partner to entice nurses who have left the profession, to rejoin it. It is one of a number of steps unveiled in the interim People Plan. The report sets the ambition of recruiting an extra 40,000 nurses over the next five years. It aims to do this through a combination of: