A global study conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has found that passive smoking causes around 600,000 deaths each year with one third of that number being children, reports BBC News. The study, which was conducted in 192 countries found that passive smoking was particularly dangerous for children, causing 165,000 fatal smoking related respiratory read more »

Researchers have found that it is not simply how much you drink that poses a risk to your health, but the speed at which you drink it, reports BBC News. The study in question compared 10,000 male drinkers from both belfast and France over a period of ten years, and concluded that downing large quantities read more »

The Department of Health is considering asking tobacco firms to put only basic health information and warnings on cigarette packets in an effort to make smoking less attractive and eye catching to children. Many health campaigners have praised the move but smokers’ group Forest have said there is no evidence to support the idea that read more »

According to the Daily Mirror, fragile X Factor contestant Katie Waissel is to undergo hypnotherapy in a bid to help her overcome her stage fright. Waissel, found herself in the bottom two of last Saturdays show for the forth time but managed to cling onto her dream as she was saved by the public vote. read more »

In response to a surge in birth trauma cases, the NHS are setting up specialist support services in a bid to reduce the demand for caesarean deliveries among those who are too scared to undergo a ‘natural’ labour. Midwives have reported a huge rise in cases of women who are so dramatically affected by their read more »

Despite one in five of us suffering from bruxism (otherwise known as teeth grinding) at some point during our lives, many of us are unaware of the various long term side effects it can cause if left untreated. If you begin to notice you are grinding your teeth then your first port of call should read more »

According to recent figures fewer people have attempted to give up smoking in England during the recession than have done so in the past. Back in 2007 before the recession hit the UK around 32 per cent of smokers said they had tried to kick their habit in the past three months. In 2008 however, read more »

As the UK’s biggest cancer killer, lung cancer takes the lives of over 33,500 people in the UK each year, more than that of leukaemia, breast and prostate cancer combined. Despite this lung cancer receives only 3 per cent of the all the money spent on cancer research in the UK. The British Lung Foundation read more »

In a study involving 48 volunteers aged between 18 and 39, researchers found that sleep loss was worse for those considered ‘extroverts’. The study itself involved splitting the volunteers into two groups following a personality screening which defined whether they were naturally introverts or extroverts. The volunteers were then kept awake for 36 hours, in read more »

According to a study published in medical journal the Lancet, alcohol is actually more harmful than heroin or crack cocaine. The report is co-authored by Professor David Nutt, the former UK chief drugs advisor and founder of the Independent Scientific Committee, a body which aims to investigate drugs without political interference. The committee carried out read more »