Health – Views & Research – The Conversation

Woman in mental session talking with psychologist

Woman in mental session talking with psychologist

Autism and ADHD: people need support before diagnosis, but getting one can change their lives

Hannah Bowers, University of Southampton

A medic holding a box containing an organ.

A medic holding a box containing an organ.

England made organ donation the default, so why are fewer families saying yes?

Eamonn Ferguson, University of Nottingham

The gut-muscle link: why fermented foods could boost muscle health

Dominic Farsi, Teagasc; King's College London; Queen's University Belfast

An assortment of protein-rich fermented foods, such as yoghurt, kefir and cottage cheese.

An assortment of protein-rich fermented foods, such as yoghurt, kefir and cottage cheese.

Florence Buchanan: the pioneering physiologist whose face was lost to history

Damian Bailey, University of South Wales; Brian Clark, Ohio University, and Frances Ashcroft, University of Oxford

An undated photographic portrait captioned ‘Florence Buchanan’.

An undated photographic portrait captioned ‘Florence Buchanan’.

How to meal prep safely: a microbiologist’s step-by-step guide

Primrose Freestone, University of Leicester

A man grabs three meal prep containers from the kitchen counter.

A man grabs three meal prep containers from the kitchen counter.

‘Airport malaria’ is rare, but can be deadly when doctors don’t expect it

Khalid Beshir, University of East London; London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Mosquito biting a person's hand.

Mosquito biting a person's hand.

Hospital appointments can make greener travel harder

Keyvan Hosseini, University of Southampton and Dawn-Marie Walker, University of Southampton

Back view of older man sitting on bus watching rain through the window

Back view of older man sitting on bus watching rain through the window

Can picking up a book really improve your brain?

Valerie van Mulukom, Oxford Brookes University

Child reading a book makes pages into a heart shape

Child reading a book makes pages into a heart shape

Measles is spreading across the US – and officials can’t agree on the death toll

Philip Broadbent, University of Glasgow

Two phials of MMR vaccine.

Two phials of MMR vaccine.

Why endometriosis pain can continue after treatment

Dharani Hapangama, University of Liverpool; Alison Maclean, University of Liverpool, and Katie Jones, University of Liverpool

Woman in pain, holding her abdomen, sitting on edge of bed

Woman in pain, holding her abdomen, sitting on edge of bed

A laboratory worker in full PPE performs lab work.

A laboratory worker in full PPE performs lab work.

Russian plague scare: an expert explains what we know so far – and why there’s no need to panic

Josephine Bourner, Queen Mary University of London

Health Gap – Sundhedskløften

The UK and Denmark: a dentist assesses the state of the nations’ teeth

Vikram Niranjan, University of Limerick

What Denmark and Britain have in common: football, beer and betting

Calum Smith, University of Oxford and Carolin Kilian, University of Southern Denmark

How do Denmark and the UK compare when it comes to alcohol and drinking habits?

Peter Jepsen, Aarhus University

Cartoon Danish and British flag with a pint.

Cartoon Danish and British flag with a pint.

What the differences between Danish and British humour can teach us about laughter

Marc Hye-Knudsen, Aarhus University

Fitness + Exercise

Two men push themselves to their limits while exercising on a cardio machine in the gym.

Two men push themselves to their limits while exercising on a cardio machine in the gym.

Feeling the burn? It’s not lactic acid

Shaun Phillips, University of Edinburgh

Why the start of your run feels so difficult

Richard Taylor, Coventry University

A tired man wipes sweat off his forehead while running on a treadmill indoors.

A tired man wipes sweat off his forehead while running on a treadmill indoors.

Why ‘accidents’ can happen during intense exercise

Adam Taylor, Lancaster University

A woman on a run looks at a sign for the toilet. The female stick figure is pointing towards the direction of the toilet.

A woman on a run looks at a sign for the toilet. The female stick figure is pointing towards the direction of the toilet.

Why ‘slow jogging’ is the perfect fitness trend for people who want to get into exercise

Stephen Garland, Malmö University

A mother and father jog in a park with their two teenage sons.

A mother and father jog in a park with their two teenage sons.

Body size cannot tell you how fit someone is, but it shapes how people are judged

Jordan Beaumont, Sheffield Hallam University

Woman wearing sportswear, standing confidently outdoors, looking directly at the camera, with hands on hips

Woman wearing sportswear, standing confidently outdoors, looking directly at the camera, with hands on hips

Diet + Nutrition

A woman pours a pill from a bottle into her hand. Her laptop is sitting on a table in the background.

A woman pours a pill from a bottle into her hand. Her laptop is sitting on a table in the background.

Magnesium supplements: what you need to know about each different type

Dipa Kamdar, Kingston University

Iron overload: how tea, coffee, red meat and alcohol can affect absorption

Alexandra Cremona, University of Limerick

Top view of bottles of red wine and aged beef steaks surrounded by cloves of garlic and sprigs of rosemary on a grey stone background.

Top view of bottles of red wine and aged beef steaks surrounded by cloves of garlic and sprigs of rosemary on a grey stone background.

How to build a nutritious emergency food stockpile

Graeme Close, Liverpool John Moores University and Richard Kirwan, Liverpool John Moores University

An assortment of canned goods that have been opened.

An assortment of canned goods that have been opened.

Eating a handful of nuts each day is linked with lower risk of high blood pressure, our research shows

Shireen Kassam, University of Winchester and Dagfinn Aune, Imperial College London

A person pours a jarful of nuts into the palm of their hand.

A person pours a jarful of nuts into the palm of their hand.

Brazilian meat, antibiotics and superbugs: what you need to know

Manal Mohammed, University of Westminster

Raw beef meat with embedded syringes on white background

Raw beef meat with embedded syringes on white background

Strange health

A hand holding a burning cigarette.

A hand holding a burning cigarette.

Smokers have a lower risk of Parkinson’s – we may have found out why

Clara Bueno Lopez, University of Oxford

Ancient virus hunters: how we discovered sheeppox DNA hidden in medieval gospels

Kevin Daly, University College Dublin and Louis L'Hôte, University College Dublin

Parchment from The Epistles of St Paul, Ireland/Northumbria (AD700-800).

Parchment from The Epistles of St Paul, Ireland/Northumbria (AD700-800).

Can an ancient virus be brought back to life? What 500-year-old smallpox DNA reveals

Aris Katzourakis, University of Oxford

Blue gloved hand holding a vial of smallpox vaccine in front of the monkeypox virus graphic on a monitor

Blue gloved hand holding a vial of smallpox vaccine in front of the monkeypox virus graphic on a monitor

‘Ferritin face’ is trending – but can your skin really reveal low iron?

Chloe Casey, Bournemouth University

Woman with dark rings under her eyes.

Woman with dark rings under her eyes.

Men and women are turning to genital fillers for pleasure and size – here’s what can go wrong

Adam Taylor, Lancaster University

Doctor pointing a model of male genitals.

Doctor pointing a model of male genitals.

Drugs

Pink and white coloured antiretroviral therapy pills placed to create a heart shape

Pink and white coloured antiretroviral therapy pills placed to create a heart shape

HIV treatment has transformed lives in the UK, but stigma lingers

Hannah Revill, Nottingham Trent University

Why antidepressants can stop working after initially helping

Colin Davidson, University of Lancashire

Wooden outline of a human head filled with tablets, capsules and red discs displaying sad faces, on a grey background.

Wooden outline of a human head filled with tablets, capsules and red discs displaying sad faces, on a grey background.

Medetomidine: the dangerous animal sedative turning up in Scotland’s street drugs

Colin Davidson, University of Lancashire

A hooded person holding a bag of drugs.

A hooded person holding a bag of drugs.

Substance-use disorders linked to sixfold higher risk of suicidal behaviour – new study

Lotfi Khemiri, Karolinska Institutet

Two people sit closely together holding hands during a counselling session, while a therapist takes notes in the foreground.

Two people sit closely together holding hands during a counselling session, while a therapist takes notes in the foreground.

Women are turning to testosterone, but what does the science actually say?

Daniel Kelly, Sheffield Hallam University

A woman's hands opening a testosterone gel product.

A woman's hands opening a testosterone gel product.

Dementia

Woman applies HRT patch to upper arm

Woman applies HRT patch to upper arm

Can HRT prevent dementia? What the latest research tells us

Eef Hogervorst, Loughborough University

The physical activity paradox: not all forms of exercise lower your dementia risk – this type raises it

Eef Hogervorst, Loughborough University

A couple walk their dog in the park

A couple walk their dog in the park

One in four adults has metabolic syndrome – and it may be ageing their brains

Abigail Dove, Karolinska Institutet

A side silhouette of a human head, with puzzle pieces coming out of the top of the head.

A side silhouette of a human head, with puzzle pieces coming out of the top of the head.

New Alzheimer’s drugs offer hope for some, but good dementia care protects the humanity of those they cannot help

Kate Irving, Dublin City University

A group of older adults hold notebooks during group writing therapy session

A group of older adults hold notebooks during group writing therapy session

A healthy diet may still make a difference for people at higher risk of dementia

Anja Mrhar, Karolinska Institutet and Adrián Carballo Casla, Karolinska Institutet

Fruit, vegetables and other healthy foods.

Fruit, vegetables and other healthy foods.

Live forever

Two small children are playing in a sparsely furnished playground

Two small children are playing in a sparsely furnished playground

The circumstances you grow up in are linked to how long you live

Philip Broadbent, University of Glasgow

What your eyes could reveal about your heart health

Barbara Pierscionek, Anglia Ruskin University

Doctor analysing optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans on a computer

Doctor analysing optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans on a computer

Eat well to age better at a biological level – new research

Rachel Ann Da Costa, Karolinska Institutet and Adrián Carballo Casla, Karolinska Institutet

An older woman and an older man consume dinner outdoors. They're eating healthy foods from the Mediterranean-style diet, such as salad.

An older woman and an older man consume dinner outdoors. They're eating healthy foods from the Mediterranean-style diet, such as salad.

High levels of ‘forever chemicals’ found in Lancashire residents’ blood – what I’ve learned from studying exposed communities for over a decade

Mattias Öberg, Karolinska Institutet

Phials containing blood.

Phials containing blood.

Reading, socialising and doing puzzles can help preserve cognitive health – large study shows

Paul Little, University of Southampton

An elderly woman reads a book while sitting in a library.

An elderly woman reads a book while sitting in a library.

Cancer

A digital depiction of _Helicobacter pylori_ bacteria in the body.

A digital depiction of _Helicobacter pylori_ bacteria in the body.

A common stomach infection may be linked to bowel cancer – here’s what we know

Justin Stebbing, Anglia Ruskin University

Cabin crew at greater risk of radiation-based cancer than nuclear technologists, new study suggests

Justin Stebbing, Anglia Ruskin University

A flight attendant closing an overhead locker.

A flight attendant closing an overhead locker.

Babies born under sugar rationing grew into adults with lower cancer risk

Weilong Zhang, University of Cambridge

Display of one week of foodstuffs for one person during the rationing period, strictly controlled by ration stamp book purchases in the UK during and after the second world war.

Display of one week of foodstuffs for one person during the rationing period, strictly controlled by ration stamp book purchases in the UK during and after the second world war.

Jeremy Clarkson says men have lost the right to prostate cancer testing – the truth is a bit more nuanced than that

Justin Stebbing, Anglia Ruskin University

TV personality Jeremy Clarkson.

TV personality Jeremy Clarkson.

Smouldering myeloma: Lauren Laverne’s diagnosis explained

Justin Stebbing, Anglia Ruskin University

BBC presenter Lauren Laverne.

BBC presenter Lauren Laverne.

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