Diagnosis

Hormone therapy is safe for treating menopause symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats in women aged 50–59, but should not be started after 70 due to cardiovascular risks, research shows. The study analysed 20 years of data from over 27,000 women aged 50–79 with moderate to severe menopausal symptoms who received either treatment [...]

Giving postpartum mothers with hepatitis C the opportunity to start antiviral treatment while they are still in the hospital after giving birth, significantly increases their odds of completing the therapy and being cured. The authors of a recent study found that new mothers who saw an infectious disease specialist and received medication for hepatitis C [...]

The financial impact of breast cancer on the UK economy is projected to rise by nearly a third to £4.2bn within 25 years, new analysis warns. The disease is expected to cost between £3.2bn and £3.5bn in 2025, covering NHS diagnosis and treatment as well as lost productivity when patients or carers cannot work. A [...]

Gestational diabetes is tied to cognitive decline in mothers and higher risks of autism and ADHD in children, according to new research. The ongoing systematic review and meta-analysis covered 48 observational studies involving more than 9m pregnancies across 20 countries, with data included up to April 2024. It found clear cognitive impacts for both mothers [...]

Women who have survived cervical cancer face nearly double the risk of developing anal cancer later in life compared with the general population, new research shows. The study analysed data from more than 85,000 women diagnosed with cervical cancer and followed them over two decades to track secondary diagnoses. Researchers at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center [...]

Common fitness trackers may help track pregnancy complications by detecting heart rate changes that mirror hormonal shifts, new research suggests. The study found devices such as Apple Watch, Garmin and Fitbit recorded heart rate patterns that aligned with key pregnancy hormones including oestrogen, progesterone and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). These hormones play vital roles in [...]

Fraiya Ltd has secured £1.75m to test how artificial intelligence could improve fetal ultrasound screening across several NHS sites. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) grant will support a 27-month trial of AI-assisted anomaly detection in pregnancy scans. If successful, the tool could be integrated into NHS services and shape national standards [...]

A woman’s blood group may influence her risk of premature birth, according to research examining over 74,000 maternity records. The study found women with blood groups B and O faced higher risk of spontaneous preterm birth, while those with group A had lower risk. Preterm birth means labour starts naturally before 37 weeks of pregnancy. [...]

NHS and private fertility clinics must stop offering unproven add-ons that do not improve chances of conception, new draft guidelines warn. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) advises against several popular fertility extras, including endometrial scratches – where the womb lining is “scratched” before IVF treatment. These procedures can “give false hope [...]

Cannabis use may affect women’s fertility by causing defects in egg cells, according to new research in IVF patients. The study examined samples from women undergoing IVF in Canada. Samples that tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the psychoactive compound in cannabis – showed poorer outcomes. Researchers in Canada and Israel analysed 1,059 [...]