"Children who are allowed more than three hours of screentime a day are at greater risk of developing diabetes," The Guardian reports. In a new study, UK researchers found a link between three hours or more of screen time and risk factors for type 2 diabetes, such as higher body fat. The study used data
"Men who take this drug [finasteride] to combat baldness are ‘five times more likely to suffer erectile dysfunction’," The Sun reports. While this may sound hair-raising, the actual evidence the paper is reporting on is not a major cause for concern. This US study looked at a medical records database to see how common erectile dysfunction
"Parents warned to use pram covers to protect babies from air pollution," reports The Daily Telegraph. The advice is prompted by a UK study where researchers simulated a normal walk to school in Guildford, involving parents pushing a pram or carrying a younger child in their arms while accompanying an older child to school. The
"Dementia breakthrough: Brushing your teeth ‘can help ward off devastating condition’," reads the Daily Express. The news is based on a study that found tooth loss was associated with an increased risk of dementia. The study involved more than 1,500 elderly people in Japan who had their health monitored between 2007 and 2012. The study
"Red wine can ‘help fight the ageing process’ – but how much would you have to drink?," is the question posed by The Sun, after a US study suggested resveratrol, a substance found in the skin of red grapes, may help keep our muscles and nerves healthy as we get older. But the story might
"Eating a Mediterranean diet ‘cuts deadly breast cancer risk by 40%’ in postmenopausal women," says the Mail Online of a widely reported study carried out by researchers in the Netherlands. The researchers looked at data from a study involving more than 60,000 women aged 55-69 over a 20-year period. At the start of the study,
"Redheads are more likely to develop Parkinson’s," claims the Mail Online after a study found the gene that makes people with red hair susceptible to skin cancer also increases the risk of brain disease. But the study didn’t actually look directly at redheads (human ones, anyway). Instead, it used mice to look at whether a red hair
"Artificial human life could soon be grown from scratch in the lab, after scientists successfully created a mammal embryo using only stem cells," reports The Daily Telegraph. This is an extremely premature claim as it is based on a laboratory study using mouse stem cells. Stem cells are cells that have the potential to be
"You can be fat and healthy," is the misleading headline from the Daily Mail. While a Dutch study did find that activity could help avoid the increased risk of cardiovascular disease associated with obesity, it didn’t look at the risks of other obesity-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer. The study of 5,344 people
"Increased risk of 11 types of cancer linked to being overweight," The Guardian reports. A new review in the BMJ found strong evidence of a link between body weight and 11 types of cancer, most of them either digestive (such as bowel cancer) or hormonal (such as breast cancer). The review was based on more
Most Commented