Health news: Behind the headlines

Top Story 'Parenting and pregnancy tips by text'

“Parents will receive text message and email advice on how to bring up their children after David Cameron said it was ‘ludicrous’ that people get more training in driving a car,” the Daily Mail has reported...

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Weight-control in pregnancy reviewed

“Dieting in pregnancy is good for you,” according to The Independent, while the Daily Mail has warned pregnant women not to eat for two since “piling on the pounds during pregnancy” increases the risk of complications. Both...

'Good cholesterol' theory challenged?

“Good cholesterol” doesn’t lower heart attack risk, the Daily Mail has reported. A great deal of research has previously suggested that higher levels of “good” HDL cholesterol reduce your risk coronary heart disease, while higher levels...

Statins may help healthy adults

Everyone over the age of 50 should be given statins because the “cholesterol-busting” drugs reduce the risk of a heart attack even in healthy people, according to the Daily Telegraph and many other newspapers...

'A glance will show if someone is gay'

The Daily Telegraph boldly and erroneously reports that “women really do have a 'gaydar' which allows them to tell someone's sexuality 'in the blink of an eye'”, while the Sun informs us that “most people have a ‘gaydar’”. This story is based on...

Prostate cancer drug abiraterone set for NHS use

“NHS ban on pill to treat prostate cancer is lifted,” the Daily Express has said, while the Daily Mail has warned that a “prostate cancer wonder drug” was set for approval...

'Nerve bypass' helps paralysed man move arm

Revolutionary surgery has given a paralysed man the ability to move his arms and hands again, it has been widely reported. The surgery, which made global news, has shown that rewiring nerves may...

MRSA 'spread by patient transfers'

New research has mapped the way that MRSA “superbug” bacteria spread, BBC News has reported. The results suggest that antibiotic-resistant bacteria may often spread from large, inner-city hospitals to smaller regional ones...

Can mum's weight harm your health?

“Overweight mothers-to-be could be condemning their unborn children to decades of ill health,” the Daily Mail reported. The news is based on the results of large, long-term research that examined mothers’ body mass index (BMI) before...

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