An experimental drug for motor neurone disease (MND) has shown signs of slowing the progress of the devastating illness in a landmark trial. The results provide fresh hope after a phase-three trial of the same drug had previously failed to make a meaningful difference to patient outcomes after six months of treatment. The latest results suggest that when patients continued taking the Biogen drug...
More than 400 people are being diagnosed with preventable cases of cancer every day in the UK, analysis suggests, prompting health experts to urge people to adopt a healthier lifestyle. A total of 387,000 people were diagnosed with cancer in 2019-20, and 40% of those cases – about 155,000 – could have been avoided, according to analysis of the latest official data by the World Cancer Research...
Six people are being prosecuted by the Metropolitan police for allegedly breaching Covid-19 restrictions during a vigil for Sarah Everard, who was murdered by a Met officer. According to court documents, those being charged include Dania Al-Obeid, 27, from Stratford, east London; Vivien Hohmann, 20, from Clapham, south London; Ben Wheeler, 21, from Kennington, south London; and Kevin Godin-Prior...
With recent UK data suggesting that the BA.4 and BA.5 Covid variants are kicking off a new wave of infections, experts answer the key questions about reinfection and prevention. How common are Covid reinfections?Though rare at the start of the pandemic, reinfections have become increasingly common as the months and years wear on – particularly since the arrival of Omicron, which prompted a 15...
“Almost every industry will be ‘Pelotonized’ in the post-pandemic world,” wrote trend forecaster and lover of buzzwords Ion Valis in a blogpost at the start of last year. “Just as the hot VC phrase of the past decade was ‘Uber for X’, I predict that post-pandemic it will be ‘the Peloton of Y’.” You can see why Valis wanted to go all-in on the exercise startup. In September 2020, Peloton announced...
As many have noted, this period of national mourning has a peculiarly British tinge, with the rain, the queueing, the marmalade sandwiches. People stood through the night, in a miles-long line that ran through central London, to pay their last respects to the Queen, lying in state. The TV coverage was almost soothing in its bland repetition, and its sombre reverence unavoidable. For those of us...
During a family holiday in 1996, my mum noticed something wasn’t quite right with my back. Sunbathing by the pool, she saw a flap of skin that looked out of place. When we got home, Dad’s osteopath traced an S-shape with her finger along my spine, and suggested I see a faith healer. Mum insisted on a more traditional route, and at the Royal National Orthopaedic hospital in Harrow, west London, I...
Rather than stumbling back to bed in the early hours after finally soothing their crying baby, sleep-deprived parents may want to peruse the latest scientific literature on the transport of altricial mammals. In an attempt to help those rendered numb by sleep loss, researchers have conducted a series of experiments to find out which approach to wailing infants settles them the best. After filming...
We put 11 SPF30 adult sun screens and 4 SPF50+ kids sun creams to the test and were concerned to find two products that failed to live up to their SPF or UVA protection claims. Garnier’s Ambre Solaire Clear Protect Spray SPF30 (£7/200ml) failed our UVA test, while Nivea’s Kids Protect & Care SPF50+ Spray (£6/200ml) was found wanting when it comes to SPF protection – particularly concerning...
James Gilpin is a designer and researcher who works on the implementation of new biomedical technologies. He’s also got type 1 diabetes, where his body doesn’t produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. So he’s started a project which turns the sugar-rich urine of elderly diabetics into a high-end single malt whisky, suitable for export. The source material is acquired from elderly...