Tuesday 28 July 2020

ADHD services map reveals major gaps in care, failing the vulnerable

New research has called for urgent action after creating a map that identifies gaps in services for adults with ADHD across the UK, leaving vulnerable people struggling to access vital support and treatment.

Friday 24 July 2020

Plant-based diets shown to lower blood pressure even with limited meat and dairy

Consuming a plant-based diet can lower blood pressure even if small amounts of meat and dairy are consumed too, according to new research from the University of Warwick.

Tuesday 21 July 2020

Mental health of women, young adults and parents worst hit by pandemic

The COVID-19 lockdown is hitting the mental health of women, young people and parents of children under five the hardest according to a study led by researchers at The University of Manchester, King's College London and the National Centre for Social Research and the National Centre for Social Research.

Tuesday 14 July 2020

Blast sends star hurtling across the Milky Way

An exploding white dwarf star blasted itself out of its orbit with another star in a "partial supernova" and is now hurtling across our galaxy, according to a new study from the University of Warwick.

About 5,000 heart attack sufferers in England missed out on lifesaving hospital treatment due to pandemic

Researchers at the University of Oxford, working with NHS Digital, in collaboration with experts from the University of Keele, the University of Leeds, Imperial College London, University College London, Barts Health NHS Trust and the Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, have published new research that shows that only two-thirds of the expected admissions with heart attacks took place at the end of March 2020.

Thursday 9 July 2020

Study sheds light on bushfires' microclimate impact

A study examining the urban microclimatic impact of the 2019-20 Australian bushfires has uncovered how they affect local meteorological and air quality.

Sea surface temperature has a big impact on coral outplant survival

Global average sea surface temperatures have risen at unprecedented rates for the past three decades, with far-reaching consequences for coral reefs. Today, the majority of coral reefs are surviving at their upper thermal limit and an increase in just one degree Celsius lasting longer than a few weeks can lead to coral bleaching and death. With projections of ocean warming expected to continue to rise by as much as 1.5 degrees Celsius in this century, scientists are in a race against time to find new solutions to sustain reefs.

Wednesday 8 July 2020

Higher fruit, vegetable and whole grain intake linked to lower risk of diabetes

Higher consumption of fruit, vegetables and whole grain foods are associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to two studies published by The BMJ today.

Tuesday 7 July 2020

Animals who try to sound 'bigger' are good at learning sounds

Some animals fake their body size by sounding bigger than they actually are. Maxime Garcia from the University of Zurich and Andrea Ravignani from the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics studied 164 different mammals and found that animals that lower their voices to sound bigger are often skilled vocalists. Both strategies—sounding bigger and learning sounds—are likely driven by sexual selection, and may play a role in explaining the origins of human speech evolution.

Increase in delirium, rare brain inflammation and stroke linked to COVID-19

Neurological complications of Covid-19 can include delirium, brain inflammation, stroke and nerve damage, finds a new UCL and UCLH-led study.

How long to play dead in order to stay alive?

Many animals remain motionless or play dead after being attacked by a predator in the hope that it will give up and move onto some other unfortunate prey.

Clean energy grids and electric vehicles key to beating climate change and air pollution

Any uptake in electric vehicle use must be mirrored by the development of clean energy grids to mitigate both climate change and air pollution.

Thursday 2 July 2020

Surge in domestic child abuse during pandemic, reports specialist UK children's hospital

There has been a surge in domestic child abuse during the coronavirus pandemic, suggests the experience of one specialist UK children's hospital, reported in Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Wednesday 1 July 2020

Meeting recommended weekly physical activity levels linked to lower risk of death

Adults who meet recommended weekly physical activity levels have a lower risk of death, finds a US study published by The BMJ today.

Why are patient and public voices absent in COVID-19 policy-making?

Patient and public voices were "regrettably" absent in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, but must now move centre stage, argue experts in The BMJ today.