Health

Ben Cohen says his daughter Isabelle will need surgery to have a pacemaker fitted, a revelation shown in scenes due to air on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. He also described the past 18 months as very difficult for the family.

Independent readers say the UK’s food and activity environment—cheap ultra-processed food, large portions and reduced everyday movement—makes losing weight harder, and many report that keeping weight off long term is the main challenge.

Nestlé has voluntarily recalled specific SMA infant and follow-on formula batches over the possible presence of the heat-resistant toxin cereulide, and the company says there are no confirmed reports of illness.

A 52-year-old man who was pepper-sprayed during an arrest in Homebush, Sydney, was taken to Westmead Hospital and later died; police say the conduct is the subject of a critical investigation with independent oversight.

Anthropologist Thomas Yarrow’s four-year study of volunteers at a heritage steam railway found men often build close ties through shared activities and companionable silence, and the article argues those reticent friendships can still show care.

Health experts say many people in the UK consume more salt than they realise, largely from processed and packaged foods, and that high salt intake raises blood pressure and associated risks such as heart attack and stroke.

The NHS reminds the public that sunlight between October and early March is insufficient for vitamin D production and reiterates recommended daily amounts of around 10 micrograms for most adults and children over one, with lower limits for infants; it also warns not to exceed set upper limits to avoid harm.

Measles cases in Australia rose to 168 in 2025 while early childhood vaccination coverage for two-year-olds fell to 89.7%, and health alerts were issued in multiple states amid holiday travel-linked clusters.

The review reports that brain insulin action and autonomic nervous system signalling influence insulin secretion, postprandial hepatic glucose production and lipid handling. It also describes opposing roles of the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches across the pancreas, liver and adipose tissue.

At-home dermarollers have become widespread as scalpcare trends grow on TikTok, and trichologist Kevin Moore says microneedling can stimulate scalp collagen, may encourage follicle stem cell activity, and can improve topical product absorption.

Researchers at Queen's University in Belfast, funded by Cancer Research UK, will study how bowel cancer cells develop resistance to genotoxic chemotherapy by examining RNA; early-onset cases are rising in UK adults aged 25–49.

From January 2026, Northern Ireland will offer a combined MMRV vaccine to eligible children as part of the routine immunisation programme; an 18-year-old who had severe complications from chickenpox as a toddler has welcomed the change.

Research released by food brand Biona found 73% of Britons could not identify the 10 most common additives and preservatives in supermarket loaves, and 93% were unaware a slice of bread can contain up to 19 additives and preservatives.

A Nottingham parent discovered her 12-year-old had been vaping and reports and surveys show youth vaping is rising; Nottingham City Council is launching a two-year anti-vaping pilot early in the year.

A 42-year-old man experienced a transient ischemic attack that medical staff reported was linked to long-term smoking and an inherited blood disorder; he later quit smoking with support from an NHS-funded stop-smoking programme and reported improvements in his symptoms and circulation.

A study led by researchers at Sheffield and Nottingham, using Health Survey for England data from 2005–2021, reports that waist-to-height ratio can better indicate visceral fat and related health risk than BMI; experts say a waist circumference less than half a person's height is a useful sign, especially in older adults.

The parents of 30-year-old Kyler Efinger filed a lawsuit saying he died after entering a plane engine at Salt Lake City International Airport during an apparent mental health episode; the suit alleges city and airport failures. Undetermined at this time.

Doctors and public health experts highlighted influenza, mpox, rubella and broader risks tied to food insecurity as key concerns for 2026; the UK is facing an unusually large early flu season and a new recombinant mpox strain has been detected.

Police said a Tennessee nurse shot three family members and then died by suicide; officers found four bodies at a Waverly home and say the investigation is ongoing.

Researchers and clinicians report that climate-related conditions — such as higher temperatures, larger temperature swings, poorer air quality and changes in barometric pressure — are being linked to more frequent and severe migraine attacks; about 10 million people in the UK have migraines and hospital admissions for migraine in England rose roughly 20% over five years.

Police say a shooting on Broadway, Bexleyheath on 4 January left a 30-year-old man with a gunshot wound who was taken to hospital, and a 35-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and also taken to hospital. The area has been cordoned off and an investigation is ongoing.

The UK health minister warned that weight-loss injections bought from unregulated online sellers can be contaminated and have caused serious harm; regulators including the MHRA are reported as advising against buying such products online.

A multi-agency search began after reports of people in difficulty off Withernsea; two bodies have been recovered and searches continue for one missing person.

FSA data examined by the Daily Mail found 5,022 food outlets failed hygiene ratings out of 139,593 nationwide. Businesses that fail can request a retest once they have addressed the issues identified in an inspection.

China has applied a 13% value-added tax to condoms and contraceptive pills and simultaneously exempted childcare subsidies from personal income tax while introducing an annual childcare allowance, with the changes reported as taking effect on January 1.

Research traces T cell exhaustion from prolonged antigen exposure and suppressive microenvironments to epigenetic and metabolic changes, and clinical work has progressed from identifying inhibitory receptors to using immune checkpoint inhibitors. The review highlights metabolic, cytokine and hypoxic drivers of exhaustion and calls for integrated molecular, metabolic and epigenetic approaches to inform future therapies.

Sunlight is limited in UK winters, which reduces vitamin D synthesis; this recipe pairs mushrooms and eggs (with an optional smoked salmon addition) on sourdough to bring together natural dietary sources of vitamin D.

A personal trainer explains that sustained fat loss requires a consistent calorie deficit combined with more daily movement and regular strength training, and that spot reduction of belly fat is unlikely.

A study published in the Journal of Women and Ageing found older parents who raised daughters scored higher on measures of cognitive function; researchers say daughters may provide more emotional support, which can reduce social isolation, a known dementia risk factor.

ONS figures show more adults in Great Britain now vape than smoke, and many report difficulty quitting; experts say vaping is less harmful than smoking but remains addictive and research on effective support is still developing.