Author: Healthcare Propulsion Staff

The Oxford Covid vaccine was estimated to have saved six million lives in the first year it was used around the world and hundreds of millions of doses have been taken.However, the vaccine was also restricted for use in some countries because of rare blood clots which affected up to one in 100,000 people.It is possible this vaccine carries the same risk, although this is much lower than the threat from the Bundibugyo species of Ebola which kills around a third of those infected.Pollock said severe side effects are “very rare” and they thought “very deeply” about the implications for…

More than 5,000 data breaches have been recorded across NHS Scotland health boards since January 2023, with at least 182 members of staff disciplined and six incidents referred to Police Scotland, according to a Freedom of Information (FOI) investigation by The Ferret. The findings highlight the scale of information governance incidents across Scotland’s NHS, ranging from emails sent to the wrong recipients to unauthorised access to confidential patient records and cyber-related data breaches. Responses from Scotland’s 14 territorial health boards revealed at least 5,000 reported breaches during the period covered by the FOI requests. The true figure is likely to…

Getting a little less sleep each night may have a bigger impact on your health than you realize. Researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons found that adults who cut their nightly sleep by about 80 minutes for six weeks gained an average of one pound and spent more time being inactive. The findings add to growing evidence that consistently getting enough sleep may play an important role in preventing weight gain and lowering the risk of obesity related diseases. “Our study shows that getting adequate sleep may help reduce the risk of weight gain and obesity-related…

The study estimates that around 550 people died as a result of the heat between 21 and 29 May, and nearly 2,200 died between 18 and 28 June in England and Wales.May temperatures hit a new UK high of 35.1C at Kew Gardens on May 26 – a significant increase on the previous high mark of 32.8C, which had been set back in 1922 and equalled in 1944.Both heatwaves were caused by a “heat dome” – a stalled area of high pressure that trapped hot air over the region, say experts.The heat dome was made worse by human-induced climate change,…

Researchers at Georgetown University have uncovered new evidence that the brain physically reorganizes itself as people master a skill, allowing well-practiced tasks to become automatic. The findings challenge the long-standing idea that humans cannot truly multitask, suggesting that with enough experience, the brain can perform certain activities simultaneously instead of simply switching rapidly between them. The discovery could have implications beyond everyday life. It may help scientists better understand how habits form, why some behaviors are difficult to change, and how future artificial intelligence systems could become better at building new skills from previous learning. “We have another stepping stone…

New research has revealed that tau, a protein best known for its connection to Alzheimer’s disease, is also essential for creating long lasting memories. The discovery provides new insight into how healthy memory works and could help guide future efforts to develop treatments for dementia. The study, led by Flinders University in partnership with researchers from the University of New South Wales and Macquarie University, was published in Nature Communications. It found that tau helps organize and stabilize memories so they can be retained over time. The researchers studied “remote memory” in mice, which refers to memories recalled days or…

Rates of excess weight are climbing among young people in the United States. An analysis published in The Lancet predicts that by 2050, about one in three Americans between 15 and 24 years old will meet the criteria for obesity, putting them at higher risk for serious health problems. Many influences contribute to this trend, including genetics and low levels of physical activity, but diet plays a central role. Ultra-processed foods — which make up 55 to 65 percent of what young adults eat in the U.S. — have been associated with metabolic syndrome, poor cardiovascular health, and other conditions…

Chronic diabetic wounds, including diabetic foot ulcers, are a significant burden for patients, as impaired blood vessel growth hinders the healing process. A recent breakthrough offers hope by combining small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) loaded with miR-221-3p and a GelMA hydrogel to target thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), a protein that suppresses angiogenesis. This new bioactive wound dressing not only accelerates healing but also promotes blood vessel formation, offering a promising new approach to treating one of the most challenging complications of diabetes. Diabetic wounds, particularly foot ulcers, are notorious for their slow and often incomplete healing due to reduced blood flow and endothelial…

Smelly outside toilets, muddy fields, day drinking and not sleeping might sound like a familiar festival experience to many. But, as people spend more money on activities that improve their wellbeing – it is a multi-trillion pound industry – music events are dedicating spaces to things like yoga classes and wood-fired saunas, to appeal to festival-goers.Worth more than £160bn, the UK’s wellness industry is continuing to grow in 2026 and the average consumer spent about a third more in 2024 than five years before that, according to the Global Wellness Institute.Organisers of the Boardmasters festival, in Newquay, Cornwall, said they…

A Covid infection, particularly in women, may lead to blood vessels aging around five years, according to research published today (August 18) in the European Heart Journal. Blood vessels gradually become stiffer with age, but the new study suggests that Covid could accelerate this process. Researchers say this is important since people with stiffer blood vessels face a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, including stroke and heart attack. The study was led by Professor Rosa Maria Bruno from Université Paris Cité, France. She said: “Since the pandemic, we have learned that many people who have had Covid are left with…