Daily Pill Can Help People Maintain Weight Loss After They Come Off Jabs, Trial Shows
Scientists reported that the oral GLP‑1 receptor agonist orforglipron helps patients retain most of the weight lost with injectable tirzepatide or semaglutide. In a 12‑month randomized trial of 376 U.S. participants, those who switched to the daily pill kept about 75%–80% of their prior loss, versus 38%–49% on placebo. The pill also preserved improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol and blood‑sugar. Researchers suggest the cheaper oral option could reduce reliance on multiple cardio‑metabolic medications.
Arts and Cultural Engagement ‘Linked to Slower Pace of Biological Ageing’
University College London researchers have found that regular engagement with the arts—whether creating music or visual art, or simply visiting galleries and museums—slows the biological aging process. The study, which examined epigenetic markers in a large UK cohort, showed that...
Dame Bridget Ogilvie Obituary
Dame Bridget Ogilvie, the Australian‑born parasitologist who led the Wellcome Trust from 1991‑1998, died at 88. She transformed the charity’s modest £12 m grant budget into a £200 m portfolio and built an endowment of roughly £13‑15 bn (about $17.5 bn). Her decisive investment...
I Made My Husband Ill with a Few Words – Nobody Is Immune to the Power of the Nocebo Effect...
The article explains the nocebo effect—negative expectations causing real symptoms—using a personal anecdote and multiple scientific studies. It notes that 76% of reported COVID‑19 vaccine side effects are attributed to nocebo, and cites experiments where harmless interventions produced pain, asthma...
Slow Alzheimer’s Diagnoses ‘Mean UK Patients Missing Out on Experimental Treatments’
Alzheimer's Research UK warns that delayed or imprecise diagnoses are keeping UK patients out of a surge of experimental drug trials. While global trials hit a record 192 this year, fewer than 1,000 UK participants are enrolled in phase‑3 studies....
Man Produces Sperm From Testicular Tissue Frozen as a Child in Breakthrough Trial
A 27‑year‑old man has produced mature sperm after his prepubertal testicular tissue, frozen at age 10 before chemotherapy for sickle‑cell disease, was re‑transplanted 16 years later. This is the first documented restoration of sperm production from cryopreserved prepubertal tissue in...
UK Researchers Develop Tool to Identify People Most at Risk of Obesity-Related Diseases
UK researchers have created Obscore, an AI‑driven risk score that predicts a 10‑year likelihood of 18 obesity‑related diseases using 20 health, lifestyle and demographic factors. Tested on nearly 200,000 UK Biobank participants and two external cohorts, the tool shows that...
Trial of Non-Invasive Endometriosis Scan Boosts Hopes for Quicker Diagnosis
A small trial of 19 women showed that the experimental radiotracer maraciclatide can illuminate endometriotic lesions on a Spect‑CT scan, matching surgical findings in 16 cases with no false positives. Current diagnosis in the UK often requires invasive laparoscopy, leading...
Scrolling and Worrying: The Hidden Dangers of DIY Diagnosis
The article warns that the surge of do‑it‑yourself health diagnosis—spurred by easy online access—can both empower patients and lead them astray. It illustrates how Ben’s vitamin‑D deficiency mimicked depression, while Thuy’s self‑research correctly identified ADHD, highlighting the mixed outcomes of...
Toxins Plus Climate Harms Likely Cause of Reduced Fertility, Study Finds
A new peer‑reviewed review of 177 studies finds that simultaneous exposure to endocrine‑disrupting chemicals and climate‑change stressors creates additive or synergistic harms to fertility across invertebrates, wildlife and humans. The authors highlight chemicals such as PFAS, phthalates and microplastics, and...
Muons, Massive Waves and Restored Sight: The Winners at the ‘Oscars of Science’ – Podcast
The Breakthrough Prize, dubbed the "Oscars of science," handed out $3 million awards in physics, mathematics and life sciences at a high‑profile ceremony in Los Angeles. Jean Bennett was among the laureates, receiving the life‑sciences prize for co‑creating the first FDA‑approved gene‑augmented...
We Can Prove Which Twin Fathered the Child in This Paternity Dispute | Letter
A recent Court of Appeal ruling claimed it could not determine which monozygotic twin fathered a child, but Professor Michael Krawczak argues that molecular genetic techniques can reliably make that distinction. He cites research first proposed in 2012 and demonstrated...
Almost 2bn to Be Affected by Metabolic Liver Disease by 2050, Study Suggests
A new Global Burden of Disease study published in Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology projects that metabolic dysfunction‑associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) will affect 1.8 billion people worldwide by 2050, up from 1.3 billion in 2023. The disease, formerly called NAFLD, has risen...
NHS Improves Genetic Testing for Minority Ethnic Cancer Patients
The NHS has expanded its pre‑chemotherapy genetic screening to include a fifth DPYD gene variant that is more common among Black and minority‑ethnic patients. Previously, tests only covered four variants prevalent in white European populations, leaving many patients at risk...
Robin Weiss Obituary
Robin Weiss, a pioneering virologist who died at 86, led the 1984 discovery that CD4 is the cellular receptor for HIV and created the first UK HIV antibody test with Richard Tedder. The test enabled large‑scale, accurate detection of HIV,...
‘Should Never Have Been Prescribed’: Private UK Cannabis Clinics Face Call for Tighter Regulation
Oliver Robinson’s November 2023 suicide prompted a Manchester coroner to conclude that his privately prescribed medicinal cannabis probably contributed to his death. The inquest highlighted failures at Curaleaf Clinic, including reliance on outdated records and lack of coordination with NHS providers....
More Frequent Ejaculations May Boost Men’s Fertility, Research Suggests
A meta‑analysis of 115 studies involving nearly 55,000 men found that sperm quality deteriorates the longer men abstain, showing increased DNA damage and oxidative stress. The World Health Organization’s 2‑to‑7‑day abstinence rule was designed for higher sperm counts, not optimal...
Influencers Are Promoting These Three Health Tests – but They Risk Doing More Harm than Good
Social media influencers are promoting full‑body MRI scans, AMH fertility tests, and testosterone panels, prompting a surge in consumer demand for these pricey examinations. Medical authorities warn that these tests often detect incidental findings or provide misleading information, leading to...
Molecule in Python Blood Could Pave Way for New Obesity Drugs, Scientists Say
Scientists have isolated a gut‑bacterial metabolite, pTOS, that spikes in Burmese python blood after feeding and dramatically reduces appetite in obese mice. When administered to mice, pTOS caused a 9% body‑weight loss over 28 days without affecting energy expenditure. The...
What’s Behind the Injectable Peptide Craze? – Podcast
Injectable peptides such as BPC‑157, GHK‑Cu and TB‑500 have surged in popularity among biohackers despite lacking regulatory approval. The Guardian podcast explores why these grey‑market compounds have become mainstream, featuring insights from journalist Adrienne Matei and Imperial College peptide researcher...
Recreational Drugs Can More than Double Risk of Stroke, Study Suggests
A large meta‑analysis of 32 studies involving over 100 million people found that recreational drug use significantly raises stroke risk. Amphetamine users face a 122 % higher risk, cocaine users 96 % higher, and cannabis users 37 % higher compared with non‑users. The risk...