Death of a partner can endanger your heart health

Apr 10, 2016 00:56 am UTC| Health

For decades, medicine has recognised the powerful way grief can influence the heart. Its been called Broken Heart syndrome or Takotsubo cardiomyopathy and evidence that severely stressful life events increase the risk of...

The backlash against fish oil has been overcooked – here's why

Apr 10, 2016 00:40 am UTC| Health

As a young child I recall my grandmother giving me the largest spoonfuls of cod liver oil, coaxing me with the promise of an equally large spoonful of golden syrup. It was probably a throwback to her own childhood when the...

There are no 'schizophrenia genes': here's why

Apr 08, 2016 16:40 pm UTC| Health

Genetic theories of schizophrenia were popular in the early part of the 20th century. They were built on 19th century concepts of eugenics that assumed a tainted gene pool that underpinned insanity, idiocy, prostitution,...

It's good to eat walnuts, but is it true that they prevent heart disease?

Apr 08, 2016 09:53 am UTC| Health

On a morning when much of the worlds media focused on the revelations from the Panama Papers, one British title chose to focus on a rather different story. Walnuts prevent heart disease, declared the Daily Express in a...

Understanding plague in the 21st century

Apr 08, 2016 09:39 am UTC| Insights & Views Health

In medieval times, plague was known as the black death and resulted in millions of Europeans dying. Plague still persists in many areas, with the highest annual burden of disease in Africa. The advent of antibiotics means...

Medical tourism: having an op overseas adds to the everyday risk of surgery

Apr 08, 2016 09:35 am UTC| Health

Medical tourism is the practice of travelling outside ones home country for medical or surgical treatment. It includes dental tourism, but not wellness tourism, which usually refers to visiting spas, homeopathy treatments...

Booze and driving don't mix but a zero blood alcohol limit isn't the answer

Apr 08, 2016 09:32 am UTC| Health

The Royal Australasian College of Physicians wants to see blood alcohol limits for Australian drivers drop from .05% to .02% and then zero. Dont get me wrong, there is a good argument for lowering the blood alcohol...