Behind the Headlines

Your guide to the science that makes the news

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Even 'light' smoking may raise women's arthritis risk

Tuesday Apr 23 2013

Even light smoking doubles rheumatoid arthritis risk

"Smoking just a few cigarettes a day more than doubles a woman's risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis," the Mail Online website reveals. The website reports on a Swedish study that found women who smoke…

Statins may help impotence – but only to limited extent

Tuesday Apr 23 2013

"Statins could be a cheap and effective treatment for erectile dysfunction," reports the Daily Mail. Sadly, for those affected by erectile dysfunction (impotence), the Mail’s claim is not supported by the evidence presented by the study...

No proof found that depression is 'contagious'

Monday Apr 22 2013

Depression can be 'contagious' study claims

'Can you catch depression?', the Mail Online website asks on the strength of new US research into the concept of 'cognitive vulnerability'. Cognitive vulnerability is where unhelpful patterns of thinking can increase the risk of a person developing…

Don't take paracetamol for emotional pain

Monday Apr 22 2013

Don't take paracetamol for painful emotions

"Popping paracetamol could also help treat EMOTIONAL pain," is the surprising suggestion on the Mail Online website. In this study, "emotional pain", also referred to as "existential dread", was taken to be distress experienced...

Does tough love work?

Friday Apr 19 2013

Smacking does 'no harm' if done in 'loving context'

"Smacking does children no harm if they feel loved, study claims," The Daily Telegraph reports. The study in question was looking at the experiences of Mexican-American teenagers and how they reacted to physical punishment…

No evidence that kilts improve sperm quality

Friday Apr 19 2013

What Scots have under kilts still up for debate

"Men who wear kilts are more fertile – because their sperm are cooler," is the claim on the Mail Online website. This claim is based on an unusual study that seems to be an exploration of the joys of kilt wearing rather than a serious scientific...

Gene that prevents heart regeneration discovered

Thursday Apr 18 2013

Targeting 'heartbreak gene' could repair heart

Scientists have discovered a gene that "could rejuvenate old hearts" according to The Daily Telegraph. The newspaper goes on to say that "damaged hearts could be regenerated simply by switching off a gene which prevents cells from dividing"…

No evidence that price of fame is early death

Thursday Apr 18 2013

"Having a glittering career … may come at the cost of a shorter life," BBC News explains, reporting on a study that analysed 1,000 obituaries in The New York Times and found that on average, performers and sports stars died younger…

Community treatment orders 'don't reduce psychiatric readmissions'

Thursday Apr 18 2013

Community treatment orders 'don't cut psychiatric re-admissions'

"'Psychiatric Asbos' were an error says key advisor," The Independent reports. The news comes from new research examining the effectiveness of community treatment orders (CTOs), a legal measure that allows mental health teams...

Prostate cancer screening for older men 'unlikely'

Wednesday Apr 17 2013

There is wide coverage of new research that argues that routine screening could reduce deaths from prostate cancer, with BBC News, The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail all reporting the story. This controversial study is likely to reignite…

Health anxiety (hypochondria)

Most of us worry about our health from time to time. But for some people, this worry never goes away and becomes a problem in itself

News: 'Half of all health news is spun'

Read about the September 2012 study that found over-optimism about scientific results from researchers, press offices and journalists alike

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