Understanding the causes of musculoskeletal diseases
How the size, shape and structure of bones and joints contribute towards the development of common age-related diseases such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis will be investigated by an international research team thanks to a £1.6m Wellcome award. Musculoskeletal disorders are a leading cause of disability for older people in the UK, primarily due to low … Continue reading Understanding the causes of musculoskeletal diseases
It’s unrealistic to use data to identify winter death risks
Expecting GPs to use medical records to identify individual patients who are most vulnerable to cold weather is unrealistic, according to a study by researchers at the University of Bristol, UCL and the University of Birmingham. Guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that GPs use existing data to identify … Continue reading It’s unrealistic to use data to identify winter death risks
Alternatives to seeing a GP unlikely to deliver benefits
The realities of implementing alternatives to face to face GP consultations, such as telephone, email, online and video consultations, mean that hoped for reductions in GP workload and increases in available appointments might not be realised. NHS policy encourages general practices to introduce alternatives to face to face consultations as a way of increasing access … Continue reading Alternatives to seeing a GP unlikely to deliver benefits
Risks to children of persistent postnatal depression
Postnatal depression which persists beyond six months after birth and is severe, increases the risk of children exhibiting behavioural problems, achieving lower GCSE mathematics grades at sixteen years old and having depression at eighteen years old. Postnatal depression which is persistent (whether moderate or severe) increases mothers’ risk of continuing to experience depressive symptoms beyond … Continue reading Risks to children of persistent postnatal depression
Antibiotic resistance in children’s E.coli can be high
Antibiotic resistance in children’s E. coli, a bacteria that is the most common cause of urinary tract infection, is high against many antibiotics commonly prescribed in primary care and could make them ineffective as first line treatments, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Bristol and Imperial College London. Antibiotic resistance … Continue reading Antibiotic resistance in children’s E.coli can be high
Immediate breast reconstruction doesn’t delay chemo
Having immediate reconstruction following a mastectomy does not delay the start of adjuvant breast cancer therapy but may increase the likelihood of complications requiring hospital readmission in the first six weeks after surgery, according to new research led by researchers at the University of Bristol and the Royal Liverpool University Hospital presented at the UK … Continue reading Immediate breast reconstruction doesn’t delay chemo
Dealing with worms to improve co-existence with wildlife
Farming at the border of National Parks in Africa can lead to conflict with wildlife, due to the belief that wild animals bring disease, prey upon livestock, and damage crops. In an unexpected twist, research conducted by the University of Bristol, Queen’s University Belfast, the charity Elephants for Africa and the University of Pretoria has … Continue reading Dealing with worms to improve co-existence with wildlife
Singing for breathing
As part of a research project exploring breathing and breathlessness, a new singing group has been set up in Bristol for anyone who is living with a lung condition and their families and carers. The University of Bristol reports Life of Breath, a five year project funded by the Wellcome Trust and led by the … Continue reading Singing for breathing
Redesigning supermarkets to encourage healthy eating
Behavioural and cognitive scientists at the Universities of Cambridge and Bristol have launched a new four year programme of research funded by a Wellcome Collaborative Award in Science to investigate ways to nudge people towards healthier behaviour. This includes improving diets, reducing alcohol consumption, and stopping smoking, in order to improve health across the population. … Continue reading Redesigning supermarkets to encourage healthy eating
Paving the way to the levitation of humans
For the first time University of Bristol engineers have shown that it is possible to stably trap objects larger than the wavelength of sound in an acoustic tractor beam. This discovery opens the door to the manipulation of drug capsules or micro-surgical implements within the human body. Container-less transportation of delicate larger samples is now … Continue reading Paving the way to the levitation of humans
