Author Archives: Science Media Centre
predicting death – who is at risk of dying in the next five years?
Is it possible to predict who will die within the next five years? Scientists have used UK Biobank data to carry out a systematic comparison of predictors of death in middle-aged to elderly people, and have published their results in the Lancet. They investigated whether measures that can be obtained by simple questionnaires without any need for physical examination could reliably predict risk of death within five years in people aged 40 to 70 years. read more
expert reaction to study investigating predictors of risk of death within five years, and accompanying comment piece
Predicting the risk of death is the topic of a study and a comment piece published in the Lancet journal, in which the authors of the study used UK Biobank data and questionnaires to predict the risk of death in middle-aged and elderly people. read more
expert reaction to cause of schizophrenia
Attempting to uncover the cause of schizophrenia, scientists publishing in the journal Neuron have reported that disrupted chemical signalling is a cause rather than an effect of the disease, and suggest that this may be in part due to specific genetic mutations. read more
expert reaction to the European Commission’s response to the Stop Vivisection Initiative
The European Commission has rejected the Stop Vivisection Initiative that sought to repeal a directive on the protection of animals, which would have a led to a European-wide ban on animal research. read more
expert reaction to antidepressant use and respiratory disorder in newborns
Publishing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers have analysed a link between use of a particular type of antidepressant in pregnant women, and pulmonary hypertension in their children. The team report an increased risk of the disease in newborns whose mothers used the antidepressants, though the absolute risk was small. read more
expert reaction to study investigating breastfeeding and risk of childhood leukaemia
Potential health benefits related to breastfeeding have been studied for many years, and a paper published in JAMA Paediatrics has reported a lower incidence of childhood leukemia in those who were breastfed based on meta-analyses of eighteen previously published papers. read more
expert reaction to new research on climate change and African rainfall
The effect of climate change on rainfall in the Sahel area of Africa has been examined in a paper published in the journal Nature Climate Change, with the authors using modelling to estimate the causes of recovery from drought. read more
expert reaction to the latest results from the Food Standards Agency’s survey of levels of Campylobacter levels in chickens
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has released the latest figures from its survey of the levels of Campylobacter present on fresh chickens. read more
expert reaction to new report on greenhouse gas emissions
The Oxford Martin School at the University of Oxford has published a report into the effects of short-lived climate pollutants such as methane, reporting that reducing their levels would have a mitigating effect on climate change but that this effect would be lower than if carbon dioxide emissions were reduced. read more
expert reaction to paper and editorial examining contraceptive pill use and blood clot risk
A possible link between the use of oral contraceptive pills and risk of blood clots is the subject of a paper and an editorial published in the BMJ, with the authors reporting a greater risk for those using newer forms of the contraceptive. read more
expert reaction to study investigating dietary fibre and type 2 diabetes risk
An association between dietary fibre and reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes has previously been suggested, and this is the subject of a paper published in the journal Diabetologia. The authors report the results of a study in which increased total dietary fibre intake, especially cereal fibre, was associated with a lower risk of diabetes, and suggest that this might be mediated by a reduction in BMI. read more
expert reaction to phase 3 trial of viral immunotherapy for skin cancer
The use of the body’s immune system to treat cancer has been suggested for some time, and a clinical trial of an immunotherapy against skin cancer is the subject of a paper published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The authors report the use of a virus which targets the cancer directly, but which also brings about an immune response in the patient’s body that fights against the tumour. read more
expert reaction to a study investigating a drug to promote weight loss in mice via formation of brown and beige fat
Different types of fat have different functions in the body and roles in metabolism, and drug which stimulates a specific enzyme involved in metabolism has been reported to protect against weight gain in mice. Publishing in the journal Nature Communications, the authors also report that the drug was able to promote weight loss in obese mice, and to improve aspects of diabetes. read more
expert reaction to study investigating traffic noise and midriff bulge
The relationship between noise generated by traffic and body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and waist–hip ratio was explored in a study published in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine. The authors reported that traffic noise was associated with an increase in waist circumference and waist-hip ratio but not BMI, and that combined exposure to more than one type of transport noise increased the risk further. read more
treating dyslexia – have we been getting it wrong?
Dyslexia affects around 375,000 children in the UK and can have a lifelong impact on learning. Patients and parents naturally want the best treatments possible and many turn to coloured cards and lenses which are thought to reduce visual stress. Many practitioners offer specialist eye treatments and therapies. However, there is growing evidence that this entire industry is founded on unsupported research. Experts have now used comprehensive eye tests with thousands of children to test the role of vision in dyslexia. Based on these results and those of previous work, the researchers want charities, practitioners and support groups to reflect the latest evidence. read more
expert reaction to thinning of Southern Antarctic peninsular glaciers
Publishing in the journal Science, researchers have reported the loss of ice from Antarctic ice sheets and suggest that warmer waters surrounding the glaciers may be responsible for the loss. read more
expert reaction to study and linked comment piece investigating deaths from cold weather and hot weather
Both hot and cold weather can contribute to premature deaths in different contexts, and scientists publishing in the Lancet journal have attempted to determine the relative contribution of each temperature type. The researchers report that more deaths were caused by cold rather than hot weather, and that extremes had less of an impact than “milder but non-optimal” weather. read more
paracetamol use in pregnancy and testosterone levels in unborn boys
Paracetamol is the most common pain and fever relief medicine used by pregnant women, but previous observational studies have suggested a possible link between prolonged use during pregnancy and reproductive issues in young boys. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh have investigated the effects of paracetamol use on levels of testosterone in foetuses in a series of experiments using mice with human tissue grafts. read more
expert reaction to paper on effects of paracetamol use in pregnancy on foetal testosterone
In a study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, scientists have used a mouse model to look at possible effects of paracetamol on levels of testosterone in foetuses. Testosterone is important for male foetus development, and the researchers report that in the mouse model, exposure to paracetamol for seven days could lower testosterone production by 45%. read more
the El Niño Southern Oscillation
El Niño takes place in the Pacific Ocean and has the power to affect weather patterns around the world; an especially intense El Niño event is thought to be partly responsible for the famously high surface temperatures of 1998. Scientists are in broad agreement that an El Niño this year is underway, but its effects are notoriously hard to predict. read more