Health & Beauty

A total of 4,248 people in the South West phoned Macmillan Cancer Support during 2014 seeking help.

New figures from the charity show how many people contacted the Macmillan Support Line during the past 12 months. In Devon, there were 551 callers - of these, 73% of requests were for clinical information and emotional support while the remaining 27% was for welfare or financial guidance queries.

The Macmillan Support Line is for anyone with questions about cancer. It is free to call and staffed by experts who can help with a range of queries - from advice and support with...

A unique research project to identify the effects of exercise on young hearts has been announced today (Wednesday 28th January 2015).

Manchester United’s Academy players are being put through their paces and having their hearts monitored by the newest imaging technology to give invaluable insights into how young people’s hearts work during exercise.

The project, led by the Bristol Heart Institute at the University of Bristol together with partners Toshiba Medical Systems, Bristol’s Clinical Research and Imaging Centre (CRICBristol), the University of Exeter‘s Children’s...

Stress hormones in the mother can affect foetal development, according to a study published today in The Journal of Physiology.

To test whether high stress levels in pregnant mice had an impact on their offspring, pregnant mice received the natural glucocorticoid corticosterone at different times during pregnancy, either from day 11 to 16 (20 females), from day 14-19 (31 females), or not at all (74 control females).

Researchers found that increased levels of glucocorticoid stress hormones in pregnant mice caused the mother to eat more but reduced the ability of the placenta...

Nuffield Health are today calling for the population in the South West to take note of health guidelines and make small changes to their lifestyle in order to reduce their risks of heart attacks and stroke. New figures out today show little understanding and a lack of concern, among people in the region, about the serious health implications of a poor diet – including excess salt and sugar – combined with a lack of exercise. Research from more than 230 people in the South West revealed a massive 85 per cent were unaware of the guideline for daily salt intake – 6 grams. One in three (33 per...