Rio 2016: Athletes warned to keep mouth close while in faeces-infested water

All efforts by the government to clean the Rio waters seem to have failed

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2ak3WrN
via Health and Families

Zika in the UK: Three cases of virus reported in Yorkshire

'There is no specific treatment and it wears off naturally after two to seven days'

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2aAiILP
via Health and Families

Woman died from contraceptive pill side effect after GP said she just had back pain

Coroner is considering referring the case to the General Medical Council after it raised 'areas of concern' about the conduct of Dr Sunil Simon

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2aPBrky
via Health and Families

Zika virus: Florida cases transmitted by US mosquitoes, governor says

Health officials believe the infections occurred in an area near Miami

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2aPytwo
via Health and Families

Woman with chronic illness from Greek cheese speaks out after three years of suffering

The brucellosis bacteria has left Ms Philpott too weak to move easily without a wheelchair

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2af5FgM
via Health and Families

Breastfeeding premature babies boosts their IQ in later life, research finds

Premature babies who predominantly receive their nutrition from breastfeeding have higher IQs in later life, than those who do not

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2aig3T9
via Health and Families

Creeping privatisation of healthcare is damaging the NHS, study finds

Massive expansion of private healthcare provision in NHS is 'far too radical an experiment' that could go 'catastrophically wrong', expert warns

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2a3g55N
via Health and Families

Women's prison suicide rate soars as charity warns of 'horrifying' self-harm

Figures released by the Ministry of Justice show women accounted for a disproportionately high number of deaths by suicide over the past 12 months

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2a2ef5c
via Health and Families

Astronauts who reach deep space 'far more likely to die from heart disease'

Radiation in deep space appears to damage the body's cardiovascular system

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2aMIJpd
via Health and Families

Alzheimer's drug that may slow condition hailed as 'glimmer of hope'

'The headway being made through research is starting to give a real sense of the possibility that we could one day stop dementia in its tracks'

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2aiWDkz
via Health and Families

NHS England tried to sabotage hepatitis C drugs release because it couldn't afford them, doctors claim

Doctors from the clinical advisory group have claimed NHS England tried to sabotage attempts to introduce the expensive drugs, to delay them until the following financial year because they didn't have enough funding

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2anI7cg
via Health and Families

An hour's walk can cancel out eight hours behind a desk, claim scientists

Heart and artery disease and cancer are the two most likely causes of death linked to an inactive lifestyle

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2ahXoug
via Health and Families

Zika virus: Florida officials investigating 4 non-travel-related cases

Investigators are still working to determine if the virus was transmitted by mosquitoes

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2awGytQ
via Health and Families

NHS consultant paid £375,000 overtime as fees soar 'amid staffing shortages'

One consultant was paid £375,000 in overtime fees on top of their salary

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2a9Bw2k
via Health and Families

How sexist stereotypes mean doctors ignore women's pain

Research shows hospital staff take women's pain less seriously, spent less time treating them and are more likely to wrongly diagnose physical pain as 'just emotional'

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2awxLHJ
via Health and Families

Ice Bucket Challenge funds major breakthrough in ALS research

'It is a prime example of the success that can come from the combined efforts of so many people'

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2atD3m0
via Health and Families

First American to have double hand transplant wants them both removed

Jeff Kepner says pioneering surgery has ruined his life

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2aojz0P
via Health and Families

Family connections 'as important as money' to help children succeed

A new report published by The Prince's Trust warns 'lack of inherited opportunities' allows the most disadvantaged young to fall even further behind in terms of work and education.

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2a90TFO
via Health and Families

Teenage brains can reveal emerging mental health problems, research finds

'Adolescence can be a difficult transitional period and it's when we typically see the first signs of mental health disorders such as schizophrenia and depression. This study gives us a clue why this is the case'

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2a6JJo0
via Health and Families

No one will talk about anal cancer

Many anal tumours are caused by the HPV virus. On top of that stigma, the disease is 'down there'. But a new American treatment is bringing hope

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2atdnEE
via Health and Families

Spain reports first case of baby born with microcephaly after mother contracts Zika virus

Mother gives birth to a baby boy after contracting virus while traveling in South America

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2asxuWo
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Binge watching TV can actually kill you, study finds

The danger could be even worse than is known – and is likely to increase as streaming services become popular, scientists suggest

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2abDTAv
via Health and Families

Menopause makes women age faster, claim scientists

Postmenopausal women suffering from insomnia were an average of two years older 'biologically' than those who did not, the study found

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2a6EFnC
via Health and Families

From Egypt to 3D printers: The fascinating history of prosthetics - and what the future holds

As a new exhibition shows, prosthetics have come a long way in the past seven centuries – and they can now even be styled for personal taste. Kashmira Gander reports

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2ar3ZnP
via Health and Families

Scientists make 'ground-breaking' breast cancer genes discovery

The two studies have been heralded as 'ground-breaking' by charity Breast Cancer Now

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2a2Ad6I
via Health and Families

Britain's first double-hand transplant patient says he feels 'whole again'

'They're my hands. They really are my hands. My blood's going through them. My tendons are attached. They're mine. They really are'

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2a0TyT8
via Health and Families

Alcohol causes seven types of cancer - and probably others, study finds

Alcohol is estimated to have caused around half a million deaths from cancer in 2012 alone, which is nearly 6% of all cancer deaths worldwide

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2a0dsOh
via Health and Families

France considers banning Gitanes and Gauloises cigarettes for being 'too cool'

Tobacco groups are demanding assurances from government over the proposed law

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29QaPyP
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Asthma cure on the horizon, according to University of Southampton study

Asthma could be stopped by switching off the gene which causes it, British scientists found

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29PGHDT
via Health and Families

Menopause reversed as scientists successfully 'rejuvenate women's ovaries'

The researchers successfully reversed menopause in a 40 year old woman whose periods had stopped five years previously

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2a1G5OE
via Health and Families

How to avoid getting malaria – sleep with a chicken

Chicken, which eat mosquitoes, have several compounds in their feathers that mosquitoes find off-putting

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29WGaBZ
via Health and Families

Eating oily fish 'cuts risk of death from bowel cancer', research suggests

Bowel cancer patients who consumed more than 0.3g of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are abundant in food such as oily fish, were found to have a 41 per cent less chance of dying from bowel cancer

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29VA7NS
via Health and Families

How to sleep in hot weather

As temperatures soar across the country, here's how you can stop the heatwave disturbing your sleep

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29Tvfb7
via Health and Families

Kellogg's Special K adverts banned for describing cereal as 'full of goodness'

The cereal company has been ordered to stop running the advert in its current format after health claims were found to lack specific evidence to back them up

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2atH73m
via Health and Families

Thousands of nursing students caught cheating their way through their studies in the last 3 years

Despite findings having 'worrying implications for public health', one affected university says employers and patients 'can have confidence our graduates obtained their qualifications honestly'

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29T9MPi
via Health and Families

Couples who get drunk together have better relationships, study finds

A ten year research project analysing interviews with more than 2,700 couples found women were particularly unhappy in their relationship when they were the only drinker

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29Uw2qV
via Health and Families

Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food cooking courses work, scientists say

'Teaching people to cook really works and really does make a huge difference,' says celebrity chef

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2a972RZ
via Health and Families

Gene discovery could lead to new treatments for cancer and heart disease

Doctors could use the gene's effects to increase the blood supply to a 'failing heart' or starve a tumour of oxygen

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2a7dDcD
via Health and Families

Parents placing a blanket over baby's pram in hot weather 'put their children at risk'

'It gets extremely hot down in the pram, something like a thermos,' says Dr Svante Norgren

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29Tjccp
via Health and Families

Heavy metal music helps listeners deal with mortality, study suggests

'Heavy metal music is often associated with death, but listening to it is helpful against death-related thoughts,' say researchers

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29JHJoz
via Health and Families

Jeremy Hunt's plans for seven-day NHS 'impossible' under current funding, expert warns

'I'm convinced seven-day services cannot be achieved within current funding. There are huge gaps'

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29KOz9D
via Health and Families

Jeremy Hunt has broken NHS funding pledges and is 'misleading' the public over reforms, report finds

Report concludes real funding increase less than half of what Hunt claimed

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29X7lNA
via Health and Families

Why the latest Alzheimer's 'cure' might be too good to be true

A team in the US says it has made the first steps towards developing a vaccine for Alzheimer's

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29QDXGR
via Health and Families

Conservative boost to health budget 'half what was pledged in manifesto'

'In our view, the funding announced in the Spending Review does not meet the Government's commitment'

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29LiE87
via Health and Families

Artificial light could be making us prematurely frail

'We used to think of light and darkness as harmless'

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29RoMzq
via Health and Families

There could be a super-simple way to lose weight that doesn't involve diet or exercise

Scientists are beginning to get a better picture about the role that drinking water plays in weight loss

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29LOSn6
via Health and Families

Tourists in Europe face unexpected medical bills post-Brexit with millions of EHICs due to expire

66% more cardholders are expected to miss out on cheaper medical bills than last year

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29Fz7h1
via Health and Families

Diet success depends on your genes, study finds

'We've largely viewed diet the same way for the last 100 years – assuming that there is one optimal diet ... this is likely not the case'

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/2a9rUnL
via Health and Families

Woman shares photo of dimple to raise awareness of breast cancer symptoms

Claire Warner said she was inspired to share her photo after another woman's Facebook post alerted her to her own symptom

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29P30hi
via Health and Families

Sepsis should be treated with same urgency as heart attacks, says Nice

GPs should send any patient who might have sepsis to hospital in an ambulance, the watchdog says

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29O5r0H
via Health and Families

Hidden 'red hair' gene could increase risk of skin cancer

People who carry a silent red hair gene could be just at risk from the sun as those with ginger colouring

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29tWfRc
via Health and Families

Obesity may be a brain disease made worse by a Western diet high in sugar and fat

Unhealthy eating habits appear to hamper the brain's ability to forget about the need for food when you are full

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29B2H7g
via Health and Families

Japanese may soon need to work until 80 as population ages

The situation could provide a cautionary tale for workers in Europe, including the UK, who face similar pressures

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29JSpCt
via Health and Families

The Purple Pound: How discrimination against disabled people costs businesses billions of pounds

At the age of 32, Angela Griggs's accounting career was ticking along quite nicely. Having spent her twenties gradually rising up the ranks at a leading firm, she had become an assistant manager. But her bright future was overshadowed by uncertainty when she suffered a stroke. She lost the use of her right leg and arm. Her speech had become slurred, and her stamina shot. At a time when many people feel they finally have a foothold in life, Griggs faced countless unwelcome learning curves. But she knew that, for her, getting back to work was the only way she would regain a sense of normality.

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29E44mM
via Health and Families

Taking pregnancy multivitamins is 'waste of money' researchers find

Pregnancy multivitamins are a waste of money, researchers have concluded.

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29sfR80
via Health and Families

What our faces can tell other people about the state of our health

There are many historical examples of people altering their facial appearance to appear healthier

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29soY5c
via Health and Families

Children who suck their thumb and bite their nails are less likely to get allergies, study finds

'While we don't recommend that these habits should be encouraged, there does appear to be a positive side'

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29sAVae
via Health and Families

Number of British people seeking to change their gender soars

LGBT activists warn that increasingly long waiting times for people seeking gender reassignment can be dangerous, with trans people already reporting much higher rates of suicide and depression

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29GZNNz
via Health and Families

Statins linked to dramatic reduction in cancer death rates, research suggests

Statins are lipid-lowering tablets taken by many to reduce high cholesterol

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29mLtfg
via Health and Families

Marijuana use reduces sense of reward over time, scientists find

'What we saw was that over time, marijuana use was associated with a lower response to a monetary reward,' says Neuroscientist Dr Mary Heitzeg

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29qQd3b
via Health and Families

Gene which increases risk of prostate cancer discovered by scientists

It is hoped the discovery could potentially lead to earlier detection and intervention for men with the disease

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29t8mwD
via Health and Families

Sleeping boosts women's brain power but men benefit more from naps, research suggests

Previous research has suggested women need more sleep as their brains are 'more complex' than men's

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29ALdaT
via Health and Families

E.coli outbreak could be linked to salad leaves, health officials warn

More than 100 people in the UK are known to have caught the E. coli O157 infection since the end of June

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29z32qB
via Health and Families

How much exercise do you need to do to lose weight?

The study contradict NHS guidelines for adults

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29OTnuX
via Health and Families

North Middlesex Hospital patient lay dead for more than four hours in 'inadequate' A&E department

Report finds there are not enough competent doctors to treat patients at night

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29ngYo1
via Health and Families

Controversial mega-database of medical records scrapped over privacy concerns

Critics said the care.data scheme violated patients' privacy and contained unreliable and inaccurate records

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29OoPth
via Health and Families

Junior doctors: Jeremy Hunt announces new contract will be imposed from October

A phased introduction will be rolled out between October and the end of 2017

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29xyM1A
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Gonorrhoea and syphilis on the rise in the UK amid 'sexual health crisis', experts warn

A spike in cases is thought to be particularly affecting gay and bisexual men

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29tnUlD
via Health and Families

El Salvador: Meet the former Marxist guerrilla fighting for reproductive rights in a country where there are none

Exlusive interview: Morena Herrera has suffered death threats and slander, but she will not stop

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29mjWIv
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Meal portion guide reveals 80% of parents overfeed their children

Nutritionists warn of more pre-school children at risk of obesity than ever before

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29lTSgu
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Pasta does not make you gain weight, according to (Italian) scientists

Two studies found pasta consumption was associated with a lower prevalence of obesity and a healthy body mass index

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29KfrqJ
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Frozen food safety confusion leading to tonnes of waste, watchdog warns

Food Standard Agency busts common freezer myths to help reduce food waste

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29hkD9t
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Britain must be more deaf aware, says star of ground-breaking BBC documentary

A new immersive film gives viewers a look at what life is like in deaf Britain today. The Independent meets one of its stars Marios Costi – football lover, family man and passionate advocate of deaf rights

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29dfKcB
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Brexit price surge could deny patients life-saving drugs on NHS

A 13-year-old suffering from a rare kidney disease says her treatment is now in question following post-Brexit price increases for medicine

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29f389S
via Health and Families

Link between paracetamol and autism dismissed by scientists

There is 'not sufficient evidence' to back the claim

from The Independent - Health & Families http://ind.pn/29da9YY
via Health and Families