News and Research – Medical Station

Very hot drinks may cause cancer, but coffee does not

“Very hot drinks may cause cancer, but coffee does not, says WHO,” The Guardian reports. A review by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded that only beverages consumed at higher than 65C posed a possible cancer risk. The working group’s report re-evaluated the cancer-causing properties of drinking coffee, maté (a South American drink), and very hot beverages. Coffee

NHS nurse shortages ‘to last another four years’

A senior health official has admitted there will be a shortage of nurses in the NHS for another four years after figures revealed that thousands of posts for doctors and nurses have not been filled. The escalating NHS recruitment crisis is forcing more than two-thirds of trusts to look to migrants to fill vacancies, according to figures released after a freedom of

Housing costs ‘to drive 40% of nurses out of London’

Four in 10 London nurses expect to leave the capital by 2021 because housing costs are so high, according to a survey by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). Nearly four-fifths of the RCN members surveyed were worried about the cost of their accommodation. The RCN’s London regional director said essential services were at “breaking point”. Last year 17% of all

Broccoli compounds may help combat chronic diseases

“Eating broccoli could lower your risk of having coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and several types of cancer, a new study suggests,” the Daily Mail reports. But there is little hard evidence to back up this claim – the study it reports on involved plants, not humans. Phenols, which are compounds found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, have been linked

Pasta-rich diet may ‘prevent pounds from piling on’, says study

“Pasta DOESN’T make you fat – it actually helps weight loss,” the Daily Mail reports. In the latest round of the nutrition wars, carbs are fighting back, with a study showing that a diet rich in pasta was linked to lower body mass index (BMI). The researchers used survey data and body measurements taken from over 23,000 Italian adults and found

Reduced antibiotic prescribing did not raise serious infection rates

“Surgeries that handed out the fewest pills do not have higher rates of serious illnesses,” the Daily Mail reports. A new study looked at the impact of prescribing patterns of antibiotics by GPs. The researchers were particularly interested in seeing what happened in practices where GP’s did not usually prescribe antibiotics for what are known as self-limiting respiratory tract infections (RTIs). RTIs include coughs,

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