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Image of factory pollution against a sun set.

Clearing the air: pollution and cardiovascular health

Holly Shiels headshot By Filed Under: All posts, Environment, Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

Air pollution is increasingly recognised as a major contributor to ill health, including cardiovascular disease. One of the most harmful chemicals released by burning fossil fuels – phenanthrene – is linked to heart disease, as well as other illnesses. Here, Professor Holly Shiels outlines work to investigate the sources of air pollution, the effect on cardiovascular health, […]

A clinician measuring a patient's blood pressure using a device on their finger.

Change for the better: how can the NHS Health Check better help patients manage cardiovascular disease risk?

Sophie GriffithsBrian McMillanKiera BartlettDavid French By , , and Filed Under: All posts, Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

The NHS Health Check reaches more than a million patients each year. It involves cardiovascular risk assessments, which can be used to develop management strategies to help patients lower their risk of cardiovascular disease. But how often do these checks lead to sustained behaviour change? In this piece, published as part of the Healthy Hearts […]

Industrial chimney pluming out smoke surrounded by an urban landscape of buildings.

Advanced materials addressing health risks from exposure to benzene

Headshot of Martin Schröder.Headshot of Sihai Yang. By and Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Research and development, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology, Urban, Work Posted:

Benzene, a volatile organic compound (VOC) with widespread industrial applications, poses severe health risks to humans even at trace levels. Its genotoxic effects, which involve direct damage to cellular DNA and genetic material leading to mutations, are strongly linked to cancer and blood disorders, making its control a critical priority for workplace safety and environmental […]

A child's hand holding a toothbrush under a running tap.

Brushing up on oral health: how can health policy prevent tooth decay in children?

Dr Georgios KitsarasProfessor Tanya Walsh By , and Filed Under: All posts, Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

Children’s oral health in England is in crisis, with thousands of children across the country suffering from dental caries, the most prevalent and prominent form of dental disease. In response, the government has promised measures to tackle dental health inequalities. But how can policymakers best implement this plan to ensure it has the desired impact? […]

A directory sign at an NHS facility; one arrow points to the sexual health clinic

Did the UK fail in its management of mpox? Lessons for future pandemics

A picture of Maurice NagingtonA photo of Jeremy WilliamsA photo of Jaime By , and Filed Under: Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

In 2022, Europe, the US, and Canada experienced widespread community transmission of mpox, constituting a health emergency. Previously, mpox had been endemic to Central and Western Africa. In the UK, a wide response involving multiple stakeholders was developed. In this article, Dr Maurice Nagington, Dr Jeremy Williams, and Dr Jaime Garcia-Iglesias discuss the findings of […]

The toll of ‘Deaths of Despair’ in England

By and Filed Under: British Politics, Cities and Environment, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Levelling up, Urban Posted:

In 2015, a phenomenon coined as ‘Deaths of Despair’ (DoD) emerged in the US, highlighting an alarming increase in mortality due to drugs, alcohol, and suicides, particularly among white men without a college education. Here, Christine Camacho and Dr Luke Munford explore the spatial patterning of these deaths in England, where an estimated 46,200 lives […]

Suicide prevention for veterans of the UK Armed Forces

Suicide prevention for veterans of the UK Armed Forces: adding to the national evidence base

By and Filed Under: All posts, Health and Social Care Posted:

There are no recent UK-wide studies, and comparatively few international ones, examining suicide in military veterans. This is despite increasing public concern about suicide and the mental health impact of serving in the UK Armed Forces, particularly following a period of intensive operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The recently published National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England sets […]

Tablets in therapeutic plastic packaging.

Culture shift: Tackling antimicrobial resistance from agriculture to operating table

By , , , and Filed Under: All posts, Health and Social Care, Science and Technology Posted:

In 2019, drug resistant microbial infections claimed more than 1.3 million lives, and over the next 25 years, it is expected that more people will die from drug resistant infections than from cancer. New antimicrobials and alternatives to traditional chemotherapeutic agents are urgently needed to treat infections that are resistant to all current therapies, alongside […]

Image of a path through a green park with a few people walking and cycling through it.

Charting a path to clean air: A community-centred approach to active travel policy

Sheena Cruickshank By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Urban Posted:

Greater Manchester has amongst the worst air quality in the UK. Air pollution causes many health problems, as well as worsening pre-existing health conditions. Increasingly, Greater Manchester residents are concerned about poor air quality and want actions to be taken. Yet, budgets that could support change are under more and more constraints. In this article, […]

Article image fertility law reform

Reforming UK fertility legislation: the effects of online DNA testing

Caroline Redhead headshotLucy Frith headshot By and Filed Under: All posts, Health and Care, Science and Technology Posted:

Direct-to-consumer genetic testing (DTCGT) from companies such as Ancestry and 23andMe has significantly impacted the dialogue around gamete (sperm and egg) donor conception. In the UK where the anonymity of donors is theoretically protected until a donor-conceived person turns 18, the growing use of DTCGT has prompted the regulator of reproductive technologies, the Human Fertilisation […]

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