Behind the Headlines

Your guide to the science that makes the news

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Antipsychotics still overprescribed in dementia

Friday Oct 19 2012

'Chemical cosh' drugs still over-prescribed to dementia patients

"'Chemical cosh' drugs given to 50pc more dementia patients than thought," The Daily Telegraph reports, while the Daily Express runs with a rather more tasteless headline "Shocking rise in dementia patients on 'zombie' drugs"...

New 5-day morning-after pill in 'promiscuity' claims

Friday Oct 19 2012

New 5-day morning-after pill in 'promiscuity pill' claims

The Daily Mail raise concerns about what they dub the promiscuity pill – a new type of emergency contraceptive that is effective up to five days after sex. But is there actually evidence that access to emergency contraceptives 'leads to unsafe sex'…

Multivitamins 'reduce cancer risk' in men

Thursday Oct 18 2012

Multivitamins 'can reduce cancer risk' in men

"Taking a daily multivitamin pill may lower the risk of developing cancer in men, US researchers have claimed," reports the BBC News website. This news is based on a long-term trial that looked at whether men who took a daily multivitamin...

Cranberry juice 'won't prevent' bladder infections

Thursday Oct 18 2012

Cranberry juice 'no good' in preventing bladder infections

“It’s a myth that cranberry juice can cure bladder infections,” the Daily Mail reported today. The story was based on a large review of research that looked at the effectiveness of cranberry juice…

Study looks at creativity link with mental illness

Wednesday Oct 17 2012

The price of genius – creativity linked to mental illness

'Creativity is often part of a mental illness according to a study of more than a million people', BBC News has reported. The image of the tortured artist or the visionary genius beset by personal demons has...

Playing football is 'best way' for men to tackle high blood pressure

Wednesday Oct 17 2012

There was welcome news for footy enthusiasts in the Daily Mail today, as the paper reported that "playing football is the best way for middle-aged men to tackle high blood pressure". This headline stems from...

UK facing breast cancer 'timebomb'

Tuesday Oct 16 2012

The Daily Mail warns of a "breast cancer timebomb due to 'dramatic' tripling in numbers of cases predicted by 2040". The paper says that coping with these numbers will "leave the NHS in crisis". The study that this news is based on...

HPV jab and teen promiscuity: 'no link'

Tuesday Oct 16 2012

No link found between HPV jab and teen sex promiscuity

'HPV vaccine not linked to sexual promiscuity in girls, study finds' The Guardian reports. A new study seems to allay fears that the vaccine against HPV, spread by unprotected sex, could lead to an upsurge in teenage sexual promiscuity…

Having desk job 'doubles risk' of heart attack

Monday Oct 15 2012

Having a desk job 'doubles risk' of heart attack

'Sitting for long periods increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease and death' BBC News warns. The news is based on research assessing what impact sedentary behaviour had on health outcomes, with the results suggesting 'sofa – no so good'…

Media claims 'sex addiction' is real

Monday Oct 15 2012

"Sex addiction IS a real disorder," claims the Daily Mail. Its story is based on a study assessing the accuracy of a proposed new medical diagnosis, called hypersexual disorder. Hypersexual disorder (HD) is a term used to describe...

Miracle cure or scam?

Will an online miracle cure provide the answer to your health problem?

Stem cell research in the news

Stem cells are often portrayed in the media as a miracle cure for many serious conditions and disabilities. We analyse the facts behind theses stories

Miracle Foods: myths and the media

Each day there's a new crop of possibly life-changing headlines about how food affects our health. Read our report on the health properties of food.

Video: the placebo effect

Watch Ben Goldacre explain what the placebo effect is and describes its role in medical research and in the pharmaceutical industry

Alcohol, myths and the media

Can lager help you live longer? Can wine help you lose weight? We take a sober look at the media’s claims about alcohol, and what the science actually says