Short summaries of the latest health research presented in plain English to promote use of research by all members of society.
The less healthy your lifestyle, the more you are at risk of developing dementia in later life, a new systematic review has shown. Researchers analysed the results of 18 studies with over 44,000 participants. Having two or more ‘modifiable risk factors’, including smoking, high blood pressure, poor diet, inactivity, obesity and excessive alcohol consumption, puts ...
People who are more physically active in middle age are less likely to die early, whether they do light or moderate to vigorous activity. The largest reductions in death are seen for those who do around 375 minutes a day of light intensity physical activity, such as walking, cooking or gardening, or 24 minutes a ...
Robotic rectal cancer surgery does not appear technically easier than standard keyhole surgery. The researchers, in this trial, judged this by measuring the need to ‘convert’ a keyhole procedure to open surgery when operating. This NIHR-funded trial also found that robotic surgery produced similar clinical results to standard laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery in treating rectal cancer. ...
For adults in critical care, a complex psychological intervention delivered by nurses did not reduce the severity of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms at six months, compared with usual care. The intervention included creating a therapeutic environment, three stress support sessions, and a relaxation/recovery programme. A cost-effectiveness evaluation showed great uncertainty over whether the programme ...
Patients with psychotic depression who achieve remission benefit from continuing the antipsychotic drug olanzapine, alongside the antidepressant sertraline for at least a further four months, a North American trial has found. Patients who reduced and stopped olanzapine when their condition stabilised were more than twice as likely to relapse when compared with those who continued ...
People with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) who receive cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) continue to have lower levels of symptoms over the following two years. Telephone-delivered CBT is particularly effective, with 71% of study participants experiencing a clinically significant improvement in their IBS symptoms. This NIHR-funded study is the 24-month follow-up to an earlier publication of ...
People who lose at least 10% of their body weight in the first year after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes increase their chances of being in remission after five years, compared with those whose weight remains stable. Losing this achievable amount of weight over the next four years also makes remission more likely. In ...
Patients offered the pros and cons of different monitoring options appear reluctant to self-manage high blood pressure, and prefer frequent monitoring by a GP, pharmacist or via telehealth (where readings are sent to health professionals and medicines managed remotely). The small online survey, completed by 167 patients, was used to explore how patients might feel ...
Staff enrolled on a workplace reward scheme to encourage them to become more physically active took fewer steps per day than their colleagues in the control group after six months. Employees at two public sector organisations in Northern Ireland took part in the Physical Activity Loyalty scheme, which worked in a similar way to a ...
If pregnant women develop late pre-eclampsia, after 34 but before 37 weeks of gestation, then planning to deliver their babies within 48 hours of the diagnosis reduces the risk of problems to the mother. This is compared with waiting until 37 weeks or delivering earlier if other problems arise (“expectant management”). However, this benefit needs ...