Author Archives: Science Media Centre
e-cigarettes – do they help cut down or quit smoking?
Evidence of the effectiveness of e-cigarettes as smoking cessation or reduction aids is still limited. Two new studies investigate whether frequency of use and type of e-cigarette affect whether users either cut down or stop smoking cigarettes. How do the results of these two surveys (one to be published in the journal Addiction, and the other in Nicotine & Tobacco Research) fit in with other evidence? read more
expert reaction to two new papers – investigating frequency of e-cigarette use and smoking reduction or cessation, and investigating frequency and type of e-cigarette use and quitting smoking
The relationship between e-cigarette use and smoking cessation or reduction has been explored in two papers published in the journals Addiction and Nicotine & Tobacco Research. The authors of the first paper report that daily use of e-cigarettes appears to be associated with reducing but not quitting smoking at follow-up after one year, while the authors of the other paper report that different types of e-cigarette have different effects on likelihood of quitting smoking, with the tank models (but not cigalike models) appearing to be associated with quitting cigarette smoking. read more
expert reaction to study reporting on two new drugs to treat multiple sclerosis in mice
A paper published in the journal Nature has described the use of two drugs in mouse models of multiple sclerosis, reporting the ability of the drugs to repair specific parts of damaged nerve cells and to reduce disease severity. read more
expert reaction to survey on e-cigarettes and tobacco cessation
Attempting to explore the use of e-cigarettes in smokers and their effect on quitting smoking, researchers publishing in the American Journal of Public Health have reported that smokers who had ever used e-cigarettes were less likely to quit smoking than those who had never used e-cigarettes. read more
expert reaction to surveys of e-cigarette use in teenagers
Researchers publishing in the BMJ Open have surveyed a group of school-age children in Wales to examine habits around use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes. The study reports that regular smokers were more likely than non-smokers to use e-cigarettes, and that around 1.5% of those sampled regularly used of e-cigarettes. read more
expert reaction to paper on flavour chemicals in e-cigarettes
In a study published in the journal Tobacco Control, researchers in the USA have analysed the fluid flavourings used in e-cigarettes reporting the presence of some chemicals which are known to be irritants. read more
expert reaction to depression, diabetes and dementia
As depression and diabetes are individually thought to be risk factors for dementia, a team of researchers has investigated the effects of having both depression and diabetes. Publishing in JAMA Psychiatry, the researchers report that the risk of developing dementia is greater for people with both depression and diabetes than would be expected by simple addition of the individual risks for each disease. read more
expert reaction to arginine and Alzheimer’s
A paper published in The Journal of Neuroscience has analysed the profiles of chemicals involved in immune signalling in mice which are used as a model of Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers report that the disease is associated with an immunosuppressive pattern, in contrast to previous views which see the disease driven by immunity and inflammation. The study also reports low levels of a particular component of proteins in the brains of affected mice, and drugs which countered this also reduced measures of the disease and and presence of immunosuppressive cells. read more
expert reaction to dementia and body mass index
A study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal has investigated a link between BMI and risk of dementia in a group of people in the UK aged over 40. The authors report an inverse correlation between BMI and dementia risk, contrary to previous suggestions. read more
expert reaction to paper on heritability of sexual offending in men
A paper published in the International Journal of Epidemiology has examined the relative contribution of environmental and genetic factors on sexual crime, reporting that genes may account for familial clustering of sexual offending, rather than shared environment. read more
sexual offending and heritability
In the wake of many high profile stories of sex offences in the news, there has been much speculation and debate around what factors contribute to the likelihood of individuals committing sexual crimes. Previously, much of the research in this area has focused on environmental factors such as deprived childhoods and alcohol use, rather than possible genetic influences. In a large population study using data from Sweden, researchers from the University of Oxford and the Karolinska Institutet have investigated the genetic impact on the risk of sexual offending by looking at the close male relatives of convicted sexual offenders. read more
expert reaction to study reporting results of first-in-man trial of an antibody therapy for HIV
Researchers publishing in the journal Nature have reported the findings of a first-in-man trial of an antibody treatment for use against HIV, stating that it is safe and effective in reducing HIV-1 pathology and suggesting that be explored for treatment of the disease. read more
expert reaction to report on pollinators and neonicotinoids published by the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC)
The European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC) has published a report into ecosystems, agriculture and neonicotinoids, reporting that neonicotinoids have detrimental effects on pollinators and biodiversity. read more
expert reaction to study linking household bleach and infection rates in children
A new study has investigated a potential link between the use of household bleach and rates of infection and respiratory problems in children. read more
expert reaction to study investigating sedentary time and risk of developing diabetes
A paper published in the journal Diabetologia has examined the effect of sedentary time on diabetes risk. The authors, from the University of Pittsburgh, used observational data from over 3,000 participants and report a link between increased television watching and an increased risk of developing diabetes. read more
expert reaction to study investigating fruit and vegetables, pesticides and semen quality
A study published in the journal Human Reproduction has examined a potential link between consumption of fruit and vegetables containing pesticide residues and semen quality. The authors suggest that the consumption of high levels of pesticide residues in fruit and vegetables is associated with a lower overall sperm count and lower percentage of morphologically normal sperm among men visiting a fertility clinic. read more
expert reaction to study on e-cigarette use by teenagers
A new study in the journal BMC Public Health surveyed over 16,000 14-17 year-olds in North West England and asked participants about their alcohol and tobacco-related behaviors. The authors report that one in five had used e-cigarettes, and that they observed a link between alcohol consumption and the likelihood of e-cigarette access. read more
expert reaction to MenB vaccine deal and its addition to the national childhood immunisation programme
The UK will soon become the first in the world to vaccinate children against mengingococcal B (MenB) after the Government and GSK announced a deal last week. read more
expert reaction to UK Ebola patient leaving hospital, and the experimental drug MIL 77
A UK military healthcare worker has today been discharged from the Royal Free hospital and declared free of Ebola after being the first person in the world to be treated using the experimental drug MIL 77. read more
expert reaction to mental state of A320 crash co-pilot
Reports in the media have been speculating as to the mental state of the co-pilot who was flying the A320 plane which crashed in the French Alps. read more