A goat milk company is examining customers’ gut health through its poo postbox scheme. The BBC reports Ceredigion based Chuckling Goat has gone from selling its goat milk based Kefir to launching a microbiome test kit with the University of Cambridge. Co-founder Shann Jones said “We basically examine everything that’s going on inside the microbiome.” … Continue reading Goat milk firm’s poo postbox tests microbiome

A mental health charity has teamed up with universities across the UK to monitor the country’s psychological wellbeing. For accurate and up to date information on coronavirus please go to gov.uk/coronavirus. If you’re outside the UK please see the information on coronavirus from your national and local authorities. The Guardian reports they will conduct monthly … Continue reading Monthly survey to gauge the mental health of the UK under coronavirus

The “impulsive and risk-taking” lifestyles of repeat offenders means they are likely to be at higher risk of catching and spreading coronavirus, according to a leading criminologist. For accurate and up to date information on coronavirus please go to gov.uk/coronavirus. If you’re outside the UK please see the information on coronavirus from your national and … Continue reading Repeat offenders’ lifestyles may put them at a higher risk of coronavirus

Promising innovations that are transforming the way that health services are provided will benefit from rapid evaluation to ensure their impact is fully and more quickly understood. The University of Birmingham reports a new national Rapid Service Evaluation Centre, known as BRACE, has been launched following the award of £2m in funding over five years … Continue reading Rapid evaluation for healthcare solutions

New research has revealed clues that might help explain why young people with the most severe forms of antisocial behaviour struggle to control and regulate their emotions, and might be more susceptible to developing anxiety or depression as a result. The study, published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, used neuroimaging methods to investigate young … Continue reading Brains of people with conduct disorder wired differently

Researchers from the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Translational Medicine and Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust will join a UK-wide effort, including colleagues from five other universities, to drive the development of new, targeted treatments for children and young people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and its associated eye inflammation condition, uveitis. The University … Continue reading Transforming treatment for arthritis and uveitis

A team of experts has recommended GPs encourage people with hypertension to monitor their blood pressure at home and use those readings in their day to day care. The University of Birmingham reports its researchers, along with colleagues at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, carried out a trial which showed that when GPs base … Continue reading GPs should encourage blood pressure monitoring at home

The widely adopted practice of issuing twenty eight day rather than longer duration prescriptions for people with long-term conditions lacks a robust evidence base and should be reconsidered, according to a study published in the British Journal of General Practice. Related research shows that considerable savings could be made by the NHS switching to longer … Continue reading Rethink on 28 day prescriptions urged

University of Liverpool scientists have been awarded £1.5m by Cancer Research UK to help boost understanding about pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest cancers. The University of Liverpool reports its Institute of Translational Medicine is leading the study and will analyse tissue and blood samples from people with pancreatic cancer treated at Royal Liverpool Hospital … Continue reading £1.5m award to improve pancreatic cancer treatments

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