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'A distinctly American phenomenon': Our workforce is dying faster than any other wealthy country, study shows
The engine that powers the world’s most potent economy is dying at a worrisome pace, a “distinctly American phenomenon’’ with no easily discernible cause or simple solution.
Those are some of the conclusions from a comprehensive new study by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University showing that mortality rates for U.S. adults ages 25-64 continue to increase, driving down the general popu... |
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Ebola: Attackers kill DR Congo journalist shining light on virus
A Congolese journalist who had been raising awareness about the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been killed at his home.
The army said unidentified attackers raided Papy Mumbere Mahamba's home in Lwebma, in the north-eastern province of Ituri, killing him, wounding his wife and burning their house down.
DR Congo is experiencing the world's second-worst Ebola epidemic on r... |
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Secondary Sisters: Friends with incurable breast cancer set up support group
Two women with incurable breast cancer whose lives were "flipped upside down" by the diagnosis have set up a group to offer hope to others.
Nicky Newman and Laura Middleton-Hughes, both 31, have stage four cancer that has spread around their bodies.
When Nicky, from Guildford, was told her secondary cancer was incurable, she said it sent her into a "blind panic".
The pair said they hoped ... |
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Medical cannabis product approved for epilepsy
The EU has approved for the first time the use of a medicinal cannabis product aimed at patients with two rare, but severe, forms of childhood epilepsy.
Doctors can prescribe Epidyolex - an oral solution of cannabidiol, which comes from the cannabis plant - if they think it will help sufferers.
It has been approved for use in the UK and other European countries, but the NHS does not currentl... |
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Evidence suggests microplastics in water pose ‘minimal health risk’
Microplastics in drinking water do not appear to pose a health risk at current levels, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In its first report on the issue, the WHO found that larger particles, and most smaller ones, pass through the body without being absorbed.
But it said the findings were based on "limited information" as it called for greater research on the issue.
"We u... |
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Drug-resistant superbug spreading in Europe's hospitals
Superbugs resistant to emergency antibiotics are spreading in hospitals, a Europe-wide study shows.
Drugs called carbapenems are used when an infection cannot be treated with anything else.
The spread of resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae was "extremely concerning", researchers from the Sanger Institute said.
And they warned other bugs could become resistant too - because of the unique way b... |
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Ebola in DR Congo: Case confirmed in Goma
The Democratic Republic of Congo has confirmed the first case of Ebola in the eastern city of Goma, a major transport hub.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said the case could be a "game-changer" given the city's population of more than two million.
But the WHO expressed confidence in plans to deal with the diagnosis.
DR Congo's health ministry said a pastor tested positive after arriv... |
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Are sugary drinks causing cancer?
Sugary drinks - including fruit juice and fizzy pop - may increase the risk of cancer, French scientists say.
The link was suggested by a study, published in the British Medical Journal, that followed more than 100,000 people for five years.
The team at Université Sorbonne Paris Cité speculate that the impact of blood sugar levels may be to blame.
However, the research is far from definit... |
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Tattoo parlours pose infection risk, warn health experts
Shops offering tattoos and piercings pose an infection risk, and laws on who works in them should be tightened, say public health experts.
At present, anyone in the UK can set up a parlour and offer procedures without proper training, a report from the Royal Society for Public Health says.
But with one in five adults now having a tattoo, more should be done, it says, to protect the public.
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GM fungus rapidly kills 99% of malaria mosquitoes, study suggests
A fungus - genetically enhanced to produce spider toxin - can rapidly kill huge numbers of the mosquitoes that spread malaria, a study suggests.
Trials, which took place in Burkina Faso, showed mosquito populations collapsed by 99% within 45 days.
The researchers say their aim is not to make the insects extinct but to help stop the spread of malaria.
The disease, which is spread when fema... |
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