Health

‘Without him I wouldn’t be here’: Woman meets heart surgeon who gave her the gift of life She was diagnosed at age 11, in 1983, with Eisenmenger syndrome. The condition causes irregular blood flow in the heart and lungs, which leads to heart failure and irreversible lung damage. When Katie, of Sidcup, Kent, was diagnosed with the disease there was ...

Girl, 5, saves mum’s life after she collapses when eating lunch A five-year-old girl saved her mother’s life after she collapsed while they were eating lunch together. Breyer Warke jumped into action when Linda became unresponsive at their home in Birkenhead, Merseyside. At first, Breyer thought her mum was pretending, but she soon realised it was not a joke and ...

Live longer: Eating ‘optimal’ amount of copper could aid longevity – study on best amount Since the study was based in China, it’s not immediately clear that the optimal amount of copper is the same for people in Britain. In fact, the UK health copper intake recommendation is slightly lower than the “optimal” range highlighted in this study. “Our study ...

High-intake of dairy ‘associated’ with prostate cancer – how much should you have? However, It’s important to remember that not consuming enough dairy – which contains lots of calcium – can risk other conditions such as heart disease. Restricting your dairy may lead to osteoporosis – a bone disease that is caused when your bones don’t create enough bone or ...

‘Long-lasting’ itchy skin could signal fatty liver disease – can lead to liver scarring Cirrhosis – The most severe stage, where the liver shrinks and becomes scarred and lumpy. This is permanent and can result in liver failure and liver cancer. Although it is not known exactly what causes fatty liver disease there are a number of factors that can ...

Blood clots: Drinking wine could make blood ‘less sticky’ – how much you should have This is important advice, as drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can increase platelets in the blood, making them more likely to clot randomly. For this reason, long-term excessive drinking is discouraged as it causes long-term and consistent platelet activation. The anti-thrombotic benefits of drinking wine ...

High cholesterol: Red yeast rice can lower levels – contains ‘naturally occurring’ statins More specifically, a healthy level of high-density lipoprotein is one or more mmol/l and you should have four or less mmol/l of low-density lipoprotein. Mr Batt’s advice was backed by a meta-analysis of existing studies published in the Atherosclerosis journal. It found that red yeast rice could ...

Arthritis warning: Refined carbohydrates directly ’cause’ inflammation – ‘avoid or limit’ Arthritis is a common condition that causes pain and inflammation in a joint. Although inflammation has its benefits – it’s the immune system’s way of fighting off foreign agents, chronic inflammation can produce unwanted effects, such as arthritis. The key to countering inflammation is therefore to strip your diet ...

Lifting weights as you get older cuts risk of dying young Researchers found that adults who did only weightlifting but no aerobic exercise had a 9 to 22 percent lower mortality risk from all causes, with a similar result for heart-disease deaths. Those who took part in regular weight sessions were found to have a 14 percent lower risk of ...

Study shows feeling unhappy or lonely ages you more than smoking – ‘should not be ignored’ When thinking about what it takes to live a long and healthy life most of us will immediately consider ways to keep our bodies in good working order. This will involve eating healthily, getting plenty of exercise, not drinking too much alcohol and not ...