Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to the WMO State of the Climate report
The World Meteorological Organisation has published their ‘State of the Climate’ report.
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expert reaction to reports of announcement of new Government Chief Scientific Adviser
It is reported that Patrick Vallance, head of R&D at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), is to be appointed as the new Government Chief Scientific Adviser.
expert reaction to new NHS accelerated access scheme
The government has just announced a new, fast-track route into the NHS for “breakthrough” medicines and technologies in a bid to dramatically speed up the time it takes for patients to benefit from ground-breaking products for conditions such as cancer, dementia and diabetes. read more
expert reaction to NHS Digital’s Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People, England: 2016 report
NHS Digital has published a new report: ‘Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among young people in England – 2016’.
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expert reaction to biomarkers for inflammation in middle-age predicting cognitive impairment in later life
In a new study, published in Neurology, scientists suggest the people who have biomarkers tied to inflammation in their blood in their 50s and 60s may have more brain shrinkage decades later than people without the biomarkers.
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expert reaction to conference abstract (unpublished work) on predicting miscarriage, preeclampsia and premature birth from peripheral blood in the first trimester or pregnancy
An abstract presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine investigates whether preterm birth, preeclampsia and miscarriage can be predicted from peripheral blood throughout the first trimester with high reliability. read more
expert reaction to study looking at proton pump inhibitors (acid reflux drugs), gut infection with Helicobacter pylori bacteria
Publishing in Gut, researchers report that long term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) is linked to a more than doubling in the risk of developing stomach cancer. read more
expert reaction to the 2017 UN Emissions Gap Report
The UN has published the 2017 Emissions Gap Report. read more
expert reaction to The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change
The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change is an annual, comprehensive analysis of progress across 40 indicators on climate change and health. read more
expert reaction to study looking at nutrient drink and prodromal Alzheimer’s disease
The Lancet Neurology has published the results of the European LipiDiDiet clinical trial which examines the effect of a once-daily medical drink in people with the pre-dementia stage of Alzheimer’s. read more
2017 Report of The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change
Climate change is already having an impact on health around the world, impacting on labour productivity, the spread of infectious disease and exposure to air pollution and heatwaves, and affecting countries worldwide, according to the first report of The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change. read more
expert reaction to Alzheimer’s protein passing from blood to brain in mice
In a new study, published in Molecular Psychiatry, researchers investigate whether an Alzheimer’s protein can spread between mice that share a blood supply.
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expert reaction to using machine-learning to identify suicidal patients
A new study in Nature Human Behaviour used machine-learning algorithms to identify individuals who engage in suicidal thinking.
expert reaction to study investigating association between exposure to pesticide residues on fruit and veg and pregnancy outcomes in women undergoing IVF
New research, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, examines the association of preconception intake of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables with outcomes of infertility treatment with assisted reproductive technologies. read more
expert reaction to WMO report that greenhouse gas concentrations in the Earth’s atmosphere increased at a record-breaking speed in 2016
The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has reported that concentrations of CO2 – and other greenhouse gases – in the Earth’s atmosphere surged to a record high in 2016. read more
expert reaction to conference abstract (unpublished work) on red wine and ovarian reserve
An abstract presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine investigates whether alcohol intake impacts ovarian reserve.
expert reaction to research on timing of heart surgery
New research, published in The Lancet, combines observational study, randomised trial, tissue analysis and research in mice to investigate the link between time of day of surgery and health outcomes. read more
expert reaction to genome editing study on new class of base editors
A new study, published in Nature, presents a new class of ‘base editors’ – programmable protein machines that rearrange the atoms of one DNA to resemble a different base in the genome of living cells – that make it possible to individually replace all four bases of DNA selectively and efficiently, without causing any double-stranded DNA breaks. read more
expert reaction to study looking at CRISPR for RNA editing
Publishing in Science, researchers report a new version of the genome editing tool CRISPR – using Cas13 – which can target and edit RNA. read more
expert reaction to study looking at statins and type 2 diabetes risk
A new study, published in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care, examines the increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes from long-term statin use. read more