Zdrowie

An injection to prevent HIV is to be offered to patients on the NHS in England and Wales for the first time, bringing the policy in line with Scotland. The long-acting shot, given six times a year or every other month, is an alternative to taking daily pills to protect against the virus.more

One in four people in the UK fear that a partner, relative or friend drinks too much, while one in six worry that a loved one is taking too many drugs. The findings, from a representative survey of 2,000 adults, appear to underline what some experts say is a growing “epidemic” of addiction to alcohol or drugs such as cocaine and cannabis.more

A major legal claim has been filed in the UK against pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, accusing the firm of knowingly selling baby powder contaminated with asbestos. The claim involves 3,000 people and focuses on internal memos and scientific reports, which have been seen by the BBC.more

One in three UK workers have called in sick after drinking at a work event or after hours with colleagues, research has found. Many staff feel under pressure to drink in work-related settings against their wishes, despite a big shift among younger adults away from consuming as much alcohol as their predecessors.more

Global life expectancy has returned to pre-pandemic levels, according to a recent report covering 204 countries published by the Lancet. However, its authors warn that mortality rates among adolescents and young people are rising.more

An estimated 1.4 million adults in Britain have a gambling problem, according to landmark figures released days after the chancellor hinted at plans to increase taxes on the £11.5bn betting and gaming industry. more

One-third of doctors and nurses in Europe report experiencing depression, with Lithuania and Poland leading the way, with rates close to 50%, according to a recent study by the European Section of the World Health Organization (WHO).more

Scientists say they have developed the world’s first blood test to diagnose myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). There is currently no test for the condition and patients tend to be diagnosed based on symptoms, which means many can go undiagnosed for years.more

Up to half of patients who booked to get the COVID vaccine via the National Booking System (NBS) are not eligible under new tightened criteria. Here's all you need to know.more

This year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Mary E. Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell from the USA and Shimon Sakaguchi from Japan. Thanks to their discovery of the mechanisms regulating the peripheral immune response, it will be possible to treat immune diseases and cancer more effectively.more

Abolishing the practice of changing clocks twice a year and introducing permanent winter time could bring significant health benefits, including reducing the number of strokes and limiting the problem of obesity, according to an analysis by researchers at Stanford Medicine (USA).more

The doctors union, the British Medical Association (BMA), has warned that potentially serious health problems could be missed by GPs, and lead to patients being harmed, when a new online booking system is launched across England on Wednesday.more

Violence and abuse by patients against staff in GP clinics is widespread globally and usually triggered by long waiting times and the refusal to prescribe requested drugs, research shows. The findings are based on a 24-country study of the threats and aggression that family doctors, receptionists and other practice staff experience at work.more

World Health Organization (WHO) spokesman Tarik Jaszarević said vaccines do not cause autism and their value should not be questioned, Reuters reported. He also stressed that reports linking the use of paracetamol during pregnancy to autism in children are scientifically unfounded.more

One in three GPs in England do not work in the NHS, with increasing numbers seeking to move abroad or becoming a private contractor, deepening patients’ difficulties in getting appointments. The proportion of family doctors who, although qualified, do not provide care through the NHS has risen from 27% in 2015 to 34% last year, according to a study published in the BMJ.more

The cost of seeing private psychologists is soaring and many are so busy they are turning away new clients, research has found. The prices psychologists charge have risen by 34% since 2022 and 12 sessions now cost an average of £1,550, compared with £1,152 just three years ago, according to a survey by myTribe Insurance, which tracks the cost of private medical care.more

One in eight residents of the United States has used GLP-1 analogue drugs such as Ozempic, according to the latest report by the American research organisation RAND Corporation. They are most commonly used by women aged 50-64, although men predominate in older age groups.more

A Covid variant is slipping under the radar, presenting symptoms that could easily be dismissed as the new strain rapidly spreads through the population. Health experts recorded 1,541 new infections in England in the first week of September, with the Stratus variant (also known as XFG), believed to be behind a large number of new cases.more

Tens of thousands of prescriptions have been issued in England for a promising and non-addictive new sleeping pill, but doctors say NHS uptake is being held back by cost and patchy awareness.more

Doctors have launched a clinical trial of a £100 blood test for Alzheimer’s disease in the hope of transforming diagnosis of the devastating condition in the NHS.more

More than half of women having a baby in Britain now do so with the help of medical intervention, an audit of NHS maternity care has revealed. Of the 592,594 births that took place in 2023, 50.6% involved either a caesarean section or the use of instruments such as forceps or a ventouse suction cup.more

The Spanish government approved a draft anti-smoking law at its Tuesday meeting, which equates the smoking of traditional tobacco and e-cigarettes, and also prohibits smoking on terraces of bars and restaurants, beaches and stadiums, among other places.more

Millions of Britons face a higher risk of stroke or heart failure because of dirty air where they live. People living in areas of the UK with the worst levels of air pollution are 27% more likely to develop heart failure, compared with people in areas with the cleanest air, a study suggests.more

Drug deaths in Scotland have fallen to their lowest levels in eight years, figures have shown. Deaths from drug misuse in 2024 dropped by 13% – or 155 deaths – to 1,017, according to the National Records of Scotland (NRS).more

The government is planning a new law in England to stop anyone under the age of 16 buying energy drinks such as Red Bull, Monster and Prime from shops, restaurants, cafes, vending machines and online. Up to a third of UK children are thought to consume these types of drinks every week, despite most supermarkets having already introduced a voluntary ban.more