Surgeons say they have had success with a controversial transplant technique that uses risky donor kidneys containing cancerous masses. So far five patients have been treated by the team at Baltimore’s University of Maryland School of Medicine. The US surgeons say the technique offers a vital lifeline to patients with end-stage renal failure who could [...]
Smokers who light up on waking display higher levels of nicotine than those who wait, regardless of the number of cigarettes smoked, US research shows. Scientists measured smokers’ levels of cotinine, a by-product of nicotine which has been shown to reflect the risk of developing lung cancer. Waiting until you had eaten breakfast reduced the [...]
Men carry the seeds of their own destruction in the genes present in their sperm, research suggests. Scientists working on mice have highlighted a specific gene that, although carried by both sexes, appears to be active only in males. They believe it allows males to grow bigger bodies – but at the expense of their [...]
All South African babies under the age of one will be treated if they test HIV-positive, President Jacob Zuma has announced in a major policy overhaul. In a widely welcomed speech to mark World Aids Day, he promised more anti-retrovirals – drugs which the previous government said were too costly. And he announced he was [...]
Middle-aged men and women may be risking arthritis if they overdo their exercise regime, research suggests. A US study of more than 200 people aged 45 to 55 and of “normal” weight found those doing the most exercise were the most likely to suffer knee damage. Running and jumping may also do more damage to [...]
New discoveries into how the body clock works could provide clues to help combat jet lag, research suggests. A University of Manchester team studied special cells which they say play an important role in regulating a person’s body clock. The cells had been thought to be inactive during the day – but their research found [...]
Exercising may get rid of a hangover, but working out cannot undo the damage that heavy drinking may cause, the government says. A survey for the Department of Health found almost one in five people in England admitted to exercising to "make up" for a heavy bout of drinking. The poll also found that one [...]
A cup of Brazilian mint tea has pain relieving qualities to match those of commercially available analgesics, a study suggests. Hyptis crenata has been prescribed by Brazilian healers for millennia to treat ailments from headaches and stomach pain to fever and flu. Working on mice, a Newcastle University team has proved scientifically that the ancient [...]
Greater access to anti-retroviral drugs has helped cut the death toll from HIV by more than 10% over the past five years, latest figures show. The World Health Organization and the Joint UN Programme on HIV/Aids (UNAids) say an estimated 33.4 million people worldwide are infected with HIV. That figure is up from 33 million [...]
Scientists have pinpointed a mutated gene as key to the development of some types of glioma brain tumour. The mutation leads to hugely increased levels of a chemical in the brain, which seems to feed the cancer. The Nature study suggests that detecting higher levels of the chemical could provide doctors with a useful diagnostic [...]
Drinking alcohol every day cuts the risk of heart disease in men by more than a third, a major study suggests. The Spanish research involving more than 15,500 men and 26,000 women found large quantities of alcohol could be even more beneficial for men. Female drinkers did not benefit to the same extent, the study [...]
Pregnant women with the potentially dangerous condition pre-eclampsia may be more likely to suffer from thyroid problems, research suggests. Teams from the US and Norway found those with the condition had a raised risk of an under-active thyroid, which can lead to fatigue and depression. They say women showing signs of pre-eclampsia need thyroid checks [...]