Category: Health
Speedo Fastskin LZR Racer X Swimsuit: Can it really help you swim faster?
Can buying the latest hi-tech sportswear really make you go faster? If you believe the manufacturers then yes it can - but then they would say that wouldn’t they? Remember, before the London 2012 Olympics Adidas unveiled custom-fitted 'AdiPower' trousers for the big name cyclists. Dubbed ‘hotpants’, these were battery-powered to warm the legs before a…
New gold nanotubes can detect and treat cancer
Researchers from the University of Leeds have found that gold nanotubes can help to fight cancer. When people have surgery to remove tumours, the cancer often comes back, which is why chemotherapy and radiation are also used. But those treatments have serious side effects, from severe nausea and hair loss to blistered skin. These tiny…
Doctors should use Twitter to understand their patients, study says
Twitter could help doctors relate to their patients better, according to a new study. Researchers from the University of British Columbia spent six months keeping track of tweets about stem cell research, especially as it relates to spinal cord injury and Parkinson's disease. They were surprised to find that, for most people, the use of…
Medical marijuana could be used to treat depression
American researchers have suggested that marijuana could help to treat depression. Scientists from the University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions say that in many cases, depression is triggered by long-term stress. Marijuana has been proven to reduce stress and is sometimes prescribed for anxiety in U.S states where medical marijuana is legal. (It’s also…
New microstructures could help treat heart disease
Scientists are doing so many impressive things with nanomedicine. It makes sense that they’d find a way to treat the most common cause of death with something tiny, too. Researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin have created microstructures to help treat heart disease. Specifically, they wanted to find a way to help mend the…
Cold plasma could (finally!) kill off norovirus
Anyone who’s had norovirus (also called the 'winter vomiting bug', lovely) knows how unpleasant it is. Anyone who doesn’t, I won’t describe the gory details. (Although I will say it gives your stomach muscles a good workout.) It’s the most common cause of gastroenteritis in the world, affecting tens of millions of people a year.…
Three-person IVF could be approved in the UK soon
Tomorrow, MPs will decide whether to allow three-person IVF in the UK. If the procedure’s made legal, it would prevent mitochondrial diseases. Mitochondria are the organisms inside cells that produce energy so cells can function. But when a mother has a flaw in her mitochondria, she can pass on severe mitochondrial disease to her baby.…
2.9% Neanderthal and proud – exploring my genes with 23andMe #HealthAndFitnessWeek
When 23andMe launched in the UK late last year, the response was split between interest and concern. The opportunity to have your genes analysed, your ancestry traced and your health mapped through your DNA seemed irresistibly futuristic to some, and worryingly Orwellian to others. We took the former view, finding the idea of exploring our personal genome both fascinating…
10 miniature medical miracles: tiny tech that could change our lives #HealthandFitnessWeek
Smartphones might be getting bigger, but smart medicine is only getting smaller and more sophisticated. From microchips that can diagnose diseases or control our fertility to scientific breakthroughs too tiny to see without a microscope, there's an increasing number of impressive miniature medical miracles in development that have the potential to revolutionise healthcare in the…
The Ice Women cometh – why are so many ladies choosing to swim outdoors without wetsuits?
It may not be how most of us choose to exercise but ice swimming is becoming increasingly popular as this weekend’s sell out Big Chill Event in Windermere shows. Chris Price speaks to the women who venture out into our lakes, rivers and seas all year round without a wetsuit and asks why? While most…
