Behind the Headlines

No evidence of cure to prevent hair going grey

Tuesday May 7 2013

'Cure for grey hair is on its way say scientists' the Daily Mirror reports. It is just one of many headlines that failed to reveal that the research in question had nothing to do with hair colouring – but the skin condition vitiligo…

Hormone drugs can cut breast cancer

Tuesday Apr 30 2013

“Hormone treatments can cut breast cancer rates in at-risk women by 38%,” reports the Daily Mirror. The news, covered by much of the media, is based on...

MMR catch-up campaign targets a million children

Thursday Apr 25 2013

The MMR vaccine should be given to all unvaccinated schoolchildren aged from 10 to16 as part of a national catch-up campaign, the government has announced. This MMR vaccination catch-up campaign aims to prevent further…

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...

Don't take paracetamol for emotional pain

Monday Apr 22 2013

"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...

Can Parkinson's drug help old people decide?

Monday Mar 25 2013

"A drug used to treat Parkinson’s disease could help older people make better decisions," the Mail Online website reports after a recent study found that L-dopa, a medication used to boost dopamine levels, aided decision making in some elderly people…

Women who stop taking breast cancer drugs risk early death

Friday Mar 22 2013

“Breast cancer survivors who cut short preventative treatment ‘risk early death’,” The Guardian reports, saying that women who have only three years of preventative treatment rather than five are more likely to die earlier…

Survey finds 97% of GPs prescribe placebos

Thursday Mar 21 2013

"Most family doctors have given a placebo to at least one of their patients," BBC News reports. The news is based on a large survey of UK GPs...

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Low risk of kidney damage from high-dose statins

Wednesday Mar 20 2013

Much of the media is reporting the findings of a major study looking at whether 'cholesterol-busting' statins are linked to hospital admissions for acute kidney injury. The Mail Online website warns readers that...

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'Bug busting' properties of honey assessed

Monday Mar 18 2013

“You won't bee-lieve it! Could manuka honey beat drug-resistant superbugs?” asks the Mail Online website, prompted by a new study into the bacteria killing potential of honey. The study looked at the effects of different types…