Health & Social Affairs

By SAM BLANCHARD A schoolboy from India suffers from a rare condition known as ‘werewolf syndrome’ which has left his entire face blanketed in hair. Lalit Patidar, 13, from Ratlam in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, was born with … Continued

By VANESSA CHALMERS Smokers in their twenties are biologically two decades older than they should be, according to the first study of its kind. Researchers now warn the ‘fascinating evidence’ proves the notoriously bad habit accelerates the ageing process. The human … Continued

By VANESSA CHALMERS Sugar-laden drinks, fruit juices, beer and even tea can increase your risk of kidney disease, a study has found. Fizzy and sweetened fruit drinks are the main culprit. Researchers say people who regularly drink them face a 61 … Continued

By VICTORIA ALLEN Patients in intensive care are more likely to die in hospital if they are short. Tall people have much better survival rates when they are very ill, a study of more than 400,000 British patients found. Around one in … Continued

They are the shiny devices which provide everything from dates to cat videos with one swipe of the screen. But those who can’t bear to put down their smartphones may drop them in horror when they find out how many … Continued

By Pat Hagan One of the most important lessons in good parenting is teaching your child to say thank you. And recent research suggests we should all be making an effort to do it, as it could work wonders for … Continued

People with genetic sensitivity to bitterness seemed to associate coffee with happiness more than others who were less sensitive People who are more sensitive to coffee’s acrid, bitter taste ironically like it more. Bitterness is supposed to set off alarm … Continued

Researchers at Vanderbilt found it takes well over a decade for smokers to get their risk of heart disease back to that of a never-smoker By MIA DE GRAAF Smokers will have to wait 15 years after quitting for their heart … Continued

By SAM BLANCHARD Children as young as two are suffering anxiety and depression because of how much time they spend on smartphones, researchers from the US have warned, and parents and teachers should do more to curb how long they’re online … Continued