Health

Spain alerted the World Health Organization to a suspected human-to-human A(H1N1)v case in Catalonia; the patient recovered with no symptoms and direct contacts tested negative.

Researchers report that certain monocytes producing the anti-inflammatory protein interleukin-10 were more common in males and linked to faster pain resolution in mice and people, and that testosterone appears to drive this effect. The newsletter also notes early trial results for an experimental drug targeting a p53 mutation and an analysis linking abortion restrictions to fewer obstetricians and gynecologists.

Reports say plainclothes security agents entered hospitals during early January protests and interfered with treatment of wounded people; Iran's Health Ministry denies those claims and says injured were treated without discrimination.

Barcelona has deployed 600 companion robots to private homes and care centres under a €3.8 million EU-funded pilot to support older people, including those in early cognitive decline; devices provide reminders, entertainment and a link to social workers.

A study of donated brains found that people aged 80 or older with exceptional memory produced more new hippocampal neurons than other older adults, while early cognitive decline showed minimal neurogenesis and Alzheimer's patients showed almost no new neuron growth.

A World Health Organization analysis reports that girls aged 13–15 in Europe have the highest tobacco use rate worldwide, and that about 14.3% of 13–15-year-olds in the region regularly use e-cigarettes.

Parents in Derbyshire say proposed SEND funding reforms would reduce the number of Education, Health and Care Plans and could affect legal support and funding for some children; the government says it will spend £4bn over three years and introduce Individual Support Plans drawn up by schools.

An Oxford-led analysis reported that vegetarians had lower risks of several cancers (reductions up to about 30%) compared with meat eaters, while also reporting a nearly doubled risk of oesophageal cancer; the researchers said more study is needed.

Magda Szubanski, 64, said she has completed chemotherapy and is now in remission from mantle cell lymphoma; she thanked supporters and praised her medical team.

The Duke of Sussex urged the immediate opening of aid corridors into Gaza, echoing WHO director-general Dr Tedros's call for full humanitarian access; the couple also visited a hospital and a rehabilitation centre in Jordan.

Panacea Biotec has begun Phase III testing of its dengue vaccine candidate DengiAll in India with more than 10,000 volunteers, and results are expected later this year.

A pediatric urologist was fired by Nationwide Children's Hospital after being charged with possessing child sexually abusive material; he posted bond and is due at a probable cause conference on March 5.

A large international analysis reported that vegetarians had lower risks for five cancers — including pancreatic and breast — while also finding a higher risk of the common type of oesophageal cancer in vegetarians.

A pooled analysis in the British Journal of Cancer reports that vegetarians had up to a 30% lower risk of five cancers, while the study also found higher reported risks of the commonest oesophagus cancer in vegetarians and of bowel cancer in vegans, though vegan cases were few.

A pooled analysis of more than 1.8 million people followed for about 16 years found vegetarians had lower risks of pancreatic, prostate, breast, kidney cancers and multiple myeloma, while the study also reported higher risks of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma in vegetarians and higher bowel cancer risk in vegans.

The draft Rare Cancers Bill would create a national database to link rare cancer patients to clinical trials, and it is due for a third reading in the House of Lords on Friday.

A small US phase one trial applied placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells to the exposed spinal cord during fetal surgery in six fetuses with myelomeningocele and reported safety and reversal of hindbrain herniation on postnatal MRI.

Professor Sir Nick White has died of cancer at 74; he was an authority on tropical diseases who played a leading role in changing malaria treatment after engaging with research on Qinghaosu.

The European Commission said member states can use existing European Social Fund allocations to help citizens travel for legal abortion services, following the My Voice, My Choice campaign. Campaigners welcomed the decision while some groups said it conflicts with national health policy.

An inquest heard that an 87-year-old couple in Greysouthen were found at their home weeks after they died, and the coroner recorded on the balance of probability that their deaths were due to natural causes.

Surrey FA and Surrey County Council have launched 'Smokefree Sidelines' to discourage parents and supporters from smoking or vaping at more than 540 grassroots clubs, with a goal to have all clubs on board by 2029.

A 30-year-old London writer stopped adding salt for a month and reported less bloating, reduced evening thirst, and restored taste after about three weeks. Nutrition experts in the piece warned that long-term excess sodium can raise blood pressure and place strain on the heart and kidneys.

Experts report that falling oestrogen and progesterone during midlife can shift hair follicles toward miniaturisation and increased shedding, and that multiple factors — hormones, nutrition, stress and micronutrients — influence thinning. A small 2025 evaluation of the Calecim Professional Advanced Haircare System showed participant‑reported improvements between six and 12 weeks, but the study was limited and used subjective measures.

The European Commission said member states may use an existing EU social fund to cover access to safe abortions for women travelling from countries with restrictive laws, in response to a citizens' initiative that gathered over one million signatures.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited the King Hussein Cancer Centre in Jordan and spent time comforting young cancer patients and their families, including a mother from Gaza and a 13-year-old Syrian patient who played piano before chemotherapy.

A Nature Medicine safety evaluation found ChatGPT Health under‑triaged more than half of cases needing immediate care and sometimes failed to show crisis help for suicidal intent, prompting expert concern.

Chilling cooked rice, pasta or potatoes can increase the amount of resistant starch and has been shown in some studies to lower post-meal blood sugar; evidence that this reliably reduces calorie intake or produces meaningful weight loss is limited.

A phase 3 trial reported that daily orforglipron tablets produced average weight loss of about 6–8% over one year and greater reductions in blood sugar than oral semaglutide, while discontinuations for side effects were higher with orforglipron.

Researchers developed MAPI, a score using five routine blood measures to distinguish alcohol-related liver disease from metabolic causes; it performed with AUROC ≈0.75 in both US and Swedish datasets.

A study analysed all 150 episodes of Bluey (seasons one to three) and found 73 episodes included clear resilience messages; nearly two-thirds of those moments involved a parent, most often Bluey's mother.