Latest News

  • UK bans junk food ads before 9pm to protect child health

    The UK has banned junk food adverts on TV before 9pm and online at all times to tackle childhood obesity. The rules are expected to remove up to 7.2bn calories from children's diets each year, reduce the number of children living with obesity by 20,000 and deliver around £2bn in health benefits over time. Evidence [...]

  • Sitting by window improves blood sugar control in diabetes patients – study

    Exposure to natural light through a window appears to improve blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes, a small study suggests. Our cells and tissues follow circadian rhythms, 24-hour cycles of metabolic activity that regulate functions such as blood sugar levels. Previous studies have shown that exposure to artificial light at night disrupts [...]

  • Concurrent frailty and depression likely boost dementia risk in older people, study finds

    Concurrent physical frailty and depression likely boost the risk of dementia in older people, with the interaction of these two factors alone contributing around 17 per cent of the overall risk, suggest the findings of a large international study. Globally, some 57 million people are living with dementia - a figure that is expected to [...]

  • Loss of confidence in midlife linked to dementia

    A decline in personal confidence or concentration during midlife could signal an elevated risk of developing dementia later in life, new research suggests. Researchers identified six specific symptoms in middle age that may serve as early markers of underlying neurodegenerative processes, meaning gradual damage to brain cells. The findings stem from an analysis of data [...]

  • Study reveals habits that could lower brain age by eight years

    Adopting a few healthy habits could reduce brain age by up to eight years, new research suggests. Scientists at the University of Florida found that optimism, good deep sleep, stress control and strong social support were linked to a younger-looking brain on scans. The study tracked 128 adults in midlife and older age from four [...]

  • Sanofi and ADEL sign US$1.04bn Alzheimer’s deal

    South Korea’s ADEL has signed a US$1.04bn Alzheimer’s partnership with Sanofi to develop and sell an experimental antibody now in early US trials. Under the agreement, ADEL receives an upfront US$80m, plus milestones tied to development and commercial progress, and royalties on future sales. Sanofi also signed a separate deal with private biotech Dren Bio [...]

  • Mindoo raises €5m for hospital AI automation

    Antwerp's Mindoo has raised €5m seed funding to expand its hospital AI agents that handle routine tasks and ease workload. Mindoo builds "agentic" workflows, meaning software agents that follow set rules to complete tasks such as intake, documentation and follow-up, with controls for safety and oversight. The platform offers four configurable agents for reception, pre-visit [...]

  • Yellow wristbands launched to help locate people with dementia

    Durham Constabulary has launched bright yellow wristbands to help locate people with dementia who go missing. The force is one of many police forces across the country rolling out the initiative, which aims to reduce harm and find people quickly with minimal adverse outcomes. The wristbands, rolled out this month, contain the person’s name and [...]

  • Vaccine raises hope for million living with knee osteoarthritis

    A knee osteoarthritis vaccine shows promising results in patients, offering hope to millions in the UK with the condition. The degenerative condition occurs when protective joint cartilage wears down, causing pain, stiffness and swelling. It affects about 10 million people in the UK, has no cure, and is managed with physiotherapy, exercise and weight loss. [...]

  • Commonly-prescribed drugs liked to 50% increased risk of dementia

    Commonly used anticholinergic drugs may raise dementia risk by about 50 per cent, research into medicines for bladder problems and depression suggests. Regular daily use of strong anticholinergic medicines for three years or more was linked to a markedly higher dementia risk in older adults. Anticholinergic drugs block acetylcholine, a chemical messenger in the nervous [...]