The population of people who are living with HIV and AIDS is ageing fast. This reflects the ‘good news’ story of the effectiveness of anti-retroviral drugs that have meant that many people with HIV now have a near-normal life expectancy. However, part of this growth is also new infections in the older age group, accounting […]
Populations around the world are ageing due to increased life expectancy and falling fertility. These shifts have been driven by improved healthcare, better infrastructure and medical innovations. But why do so many people struggle to see this as a good thing? The WHO’s recent World report on ageing and health recasts the “problem”. Rather than pointing the finger at older people and […]
Around one in every 2,000 people has Age-related Macular Degeneration at 60. However, by the age of 90 it affects one person in five. We are all living longer so the number of people affected is increasing. There are however, quite simple steps to take to lessen the impact of macular conditions. These include changes […]
There has been a strong link between human exposure to aluminium and the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease for half a century or more. However, without definite proof, there is still no consensus in the scientific community about the role of this known neurotoxin in this devastating brain disease. The latest research from my group, published […]
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‘Our senses of smell and taste play a vital role in helping us interact with the world around us, but they are often taken for granted. Unless you work in a profession that requires these senses, ie, you are a perfumier or a chef, you can usually carry on working and coping with the deficit. […]
Why do we grow old? Pick your theory for the causes of senescence, including damage to DNA over multiple replications of human cells; oxidative stress, where we literally rust away; ‘inflamaging’ when silent inflammation gradually damages the body at a cellular level and the idea that mitochondria – the power houses of the cells – […]
My job is to help reduce the pain that comes when the body starts to wear out, both as a clinician and a scientist. In November last year, we started the first human trials in the world of a new sort of hip replacement designed for active women. In the past, hip replacements have tended […]
“For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death us do part”. These are the promises made between a loving couple as they look ahead to a long and happy marriage. But will you really be together until one of you takes your final breath? According to the Office […]
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What does growing old mean? Too many of us seem to believe that becoming thin and frail is an unavoidable part of ageing. This is the conclusion of a large-scale study commissioned by Abbott and supported by the Patient Association which found that 94 per cent of us fear injury in later life, nearly half […]
Traffic pollution is not just noxious on the lungs, it is also seriously bad for the skin, according to new research published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. I have seen this for myself in clinical practice. Over the last five years, as pollution levels have soared in London, there has been a significant increase […]