Behind the Headlines

Skin cancer and obesity share genetic link

Monday Mar 4 2013

"A gene previously shown to be linked to obesity may also increase the risk of a deadly form of skin cancer," BBC News reports. The news comes from a study investigating the genetic factors associated with malignant melanoma...

Five 'mental disorders' may have genetic links

Thursday Feb 28 2013

Sky News reports that, "five of the most common psychiatric disorders are genetically linked." This news is based on a landmark study that examined the genetic sequences of more than 50,000 people. Some of these people...

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Lack of sleep not the killer it's made out to be

Tuesday Feb 26 2013

“Lack of sleep for just a few nights can kill”, reports the Daily Express. However, tired and anxious Express readers can safely ignore this headline…

Could HRT stop dementia?

Thursday Feb 14 2013

Taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) could delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease for millions of women, a number of newspapers have reported today. The reports overextrapolate …

Genes that cause short-sightedness discovered

Tuesday Feb 12 2013

'Eye gene discovery may end the need for glasses,' is the somewhat optimistic headline in the Daily Express. The story looks at a wide-ranging and well conducted study that has also been reported on by the Daily Mail and The Independent...

One million Brits can 'dump deodorant'

Friday Jan 18 2013

"One million people who have non-body odour gene still use deodorant," is the bizarre headline from The Daily Telegraph, with a similar Daily Mail report saying many people use deodorant needlessly because their sweat doesn’t smell…

Do epilepsy and migraine share a genetic link?

Monday Jan 7 2013

'Epilepsy and migraine could have shared genetic link' BBC News tells us after researchers publish the findings of a study which suggests there is a link between family history of epilepsy and an increased risk of severe migraines…

Do 'fat genes' really make you happier?

Wednesday Nov 21 2012

'Fat people really are more jolly,' is the Daily Mail's childishly over-simplistic take on a complex piece of research that looks at the association between BMI, depression and a specific genetic variant called FTO...

'Autism gene discovered' by researchers

Thursday Nov 8 2012

"Genetic mutation discovered in people with autism," The Daily Telegraph reports. The newspaper goes on to say that this mutation "cuts communication between brain cells to about one-tenth of normal levels"...

Three-parent IVF trialled

Thursday Oct 25 2012

“Three person IVF trial ‘success’,” reports BBC News. This headline is based on the results of a trial of a controversial fertility treatment called mitochondrial replacement. Mitochondrial replacement, which uses genetic material...