Health
Distraction isn’t only way virtual reality might ease pain
Virtual reality games might help ease pain not just by distracting players from what ails them, but also by triggering changes in the brain, a recent research review suggests. Distraction may indeed play a role in pain relief, the review of six small studies suggests. But it’s also possible that… Read
Mental disorders, poor diets and tobacco make the world sick
Heart disease and tobacco ranked with conflict and violence among the world's biggest killers in 2016, while poor diets and mental disorders caused people the greatest ill health, a large international study has found. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, published in The Lancet medical journal, found that while… Read
Tattoo ink can seep deep into the body: study
Microscopic particles from tattoo ink can migrate into the body and wind up in lymph nodes, crucial hubs of the human immune system, a study reveals. The tiny particles -- measuring a few millionths to a few billionths of a centimetre -- include molecules from preservatives and contaminants such as… Read
Age matters when it comes to screening for cervical cancer
Getting checked for cervical cancer isn't one-size-fits-all: Millions of women may soon have to decide between a routine Pap or a newer test that detects if they have a cancer-causing virus. Draft national guidelines released this week for the first time say either option is reasonable for certain women —… Read
Scant evidence to back pregnancy 'no drinking' rule: study
How much alcohol is safe for a pregnant woman to drink? For a question that affects so many people, surprisingly little research has been done, health experts who reviewed the scant evidence say. While there is widespread awareness of foetal alcohol syndrome, which can cause brain damage in unborn babies… Read
Cancer immunotherapy proves itself in earlier-stage disease
Cancer doctors are widening the net for immunotherapy, a hot new class of drugs that enlist the body's defenses in the fight against tumors. The latest research shared with 23,000 experts at Europe's top oncology meeting shows how medicines that have already delivered durable benefits in metastatic disease can also… Read
Australian researchers say they can stop melanoma spreading
Researchers say a combination of new treatments can stop the world's deadliest form of skin cancer -- melanoma -- in its tracks and halt its spread to other organs. Results from two international drug trials conducted by the Sydney-based Melanoma Institute Australia have proved successful in preventing the disease spreading… Read
Drinks industry distorts alcohol cancer risk: study
The alcohol industry uses denial, distortion and distraction to mislead people about the risks of developing cancer from drinking, often employing similar tactics to those of the tobacco industry, a study says. Drinks industry organisations often present the relationship between alcohol and cancer as highly complex, implying there is no… Read
Cholesterol drug reduces death in men without heart disease
A cholesterol drug reduced by 28% the mortality rate among men who had high cholesterol but no heart disease, according to new research. In the longest such trial to date, spanning 20 years, researchers at Imperial College London found that 40 miligrams daily of pravastatin reduced deaths from heart disease… Read
Treating insomnia can ease depression and paranoia, study finds
Treating young people who suffer from insomnia by using online cognitive behavioural therapy(CBT) could reduce debilitating mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, scientists say. In a large trial published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal, researchers at Oxford University's Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute also found that successfully treating… Read
