This 'stain' on Magnus's skin was sign he had a deadly but common cancer. Now doctors reveal brown marks and 'bruises' NEVER to ignore and unusual places to look for them
For years Magnus Bowles was convinced that the brown mark the size of a 50p on the sole of his left foot was the result of something staining his skin.
But when a podiatrist happened to see it during a routine appointment in early 2021, seven years after Magnus first noticed it, he was told there was a large verruca(a wart on the foot) within the discoloured area.
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Sky News
18 minutes ago
- Sky News
AI foot scanner recognises warning signs of heart failure to keep people out of hospital, researchers say
A foot scanner that uses AI to recognise the warning signs of heart failure could be used at home to keep people out of hospital, researchers have said. The device takes and analyses almost 2,000 pictures a minute, in a similar manner to facial recognition, to calculate the level of fluid in the feet and ankles. Such water retention, known as oedema, is one of three major warning signs heart failure is becoming more severe and potentially life threatening. The AI scanner is roughly the size of a smart speaker and can alert healthcare professionals so they can take action, such as increasing the patient's medication. The device, developed by Cambridge-based start-up Heartfelt Technologies, is mounted to the wall and typically installed at a patient's bedside. It automatically takes 1,800 pictures a minute of the foot and lower leg and multiple angles, only scanning the legs to a height of 50cm off the floor, and then uses AI to calculate the level of fluid they contain. It also works without wifi. The Foot Study, which is being presented at the British Cardiovascular Society annual conference in Manchester, suggests the alerts come 13 days before a person would end up in hospital. It used the AI device to monitor 26 heart failure patients from five NHS trusts who were enrolled between 2020 and 2022 and asked them to weigh themselves using Bluetooth-enabled scales. Seven instances of worsening heart failure were detected in six patients, while one death from the condition was recorded. Researchers found in patients enrolled in the study for at least two weeks before an alert was triggered, the average lead time before hospital admission was 13 days. The lead time averaged eight days when all five triggers picked up by the device were analysed. The study also found monitoring using scales failed to predict any heart failure-related hospital admissions, with researchers suggesting this was because patients struggled to stick to tracking their weight, whereas the AI device did not require any action. The early warning provided by the device could allow specialist staff to react quickly to changes in a patient's condition, potentially allowing them to stay out of hospital. Dr Philip Keeling, senior author of the study and a consultant cardiologist at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Only about half of people admitted to hospital with heart failure currently get assigned an early review by a heart failure nurse who can check to see if they are suffering a harmful build-up of fluid because their heart is not working properly. "Amid a shortage of heart failure nurses, a device like this can be like a virtual nurse, tracking people's health." Heart failure is a long-term condition where the heart is unable to pump blood around the body properly, typically because it has become too weak or stiff, and is estimated to affect 920,000 people in the UK. The three main symptoms indicating the condition is getting worse are increased breathlessness, weight gain and swelling in the legs or ankles. Discussing the findings, Professor Bryan Williams, chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said: "This small study suggests a simple device could significantly improve outcomes for at-risk patients with heart failure by keeping them out of hospital. "This study is a good example of how technology might aid earlier interventions and treatment, by allowing people to track a key sign of their heart health at home."
Daily Mail
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Footy legend Robert DiPierdomenico reveals the real story behind viral video of him going berserk in a nightclub with famous DJ
Footy icon Robert DiPierdomenico has opened up about what happened on the night he was filmed dancing like a much younger man in a nightclub clip that has gone viral among AFL fans. The footage shows the 67-year-old tearing up the dance floor with his shirt unbuttoned halfway to his navel as he's filmed by other revellers before he hugs the DJ who's performing at the venue. Footy supporters have gone wild for the footage, leaving comments like 'this video is so iconic', 'this is 10/10' and 'the man is a national treasure'. Now the five-time premiership champion and Brownlow Medal winner has revealed what prompted the wild video, which featured famous Aussie DJ Dom Dolla spinning the decks at one of Greece's most famous islands. 'I was in Mykonos, Dom was playing in Mykonos and found out I was there,' DiPierdomenico explained. 'He asked me to come and play.' AFL icon Robert DiPierdomenico has revealed what happened on the night he was filmed dancing with a famous Aussie DJ in a Greek club (pictured) The 67-year-old (pictured left) was called a 'national treasure' as footy fans lapped up the wild footage of his big night out A quick look at Instagram shows he and his girlfriend Rebecca visited the famous European holiday destination in August last year, with the footy great's partner referring to 'vibrant parties that never end' during their vacation. 'Dipper' is famed for his exuberant personality and has previously talked about how he and his Hawthorn teammates would party in nightclubs until 2am during his playing days. However, life hasn't been too kind to the Hawthorn great in recent times. In January this year his son Dylan was jailed after admitting to 71 instances of fraud as he stole more than $140,000 from a former employer to fund his gambling addiction. During Dylan's case the court heard that his father played down the crime by saying 'it was just money'. DiPierdomenico - who split from his wife Cheryl in 2021 - has also suffered from serious health problems in recent years. A urinary problem that required surgery saw him visiting the bathroom up to 40 times a day and even forced him to wear adult nappies. DiPierdomenico revealed top DJ Dom Dolla (pictured) found out he was holidaying on the Greek island of Mykonos and asked him to come to his show 'Dipper' won five premierships and the Brownlow Medal during his time with Hawthorn 'I was going to the bathroom maybe four or five times and then it went to 10 or 12 times and then 30 or 40 and I did nothing about it,' he admitted in 2023. 'And then, of course, the pain started to come and then I had my operation and now I am 95 per cent back to where I was. 'Incontinence is a big thing in Australia, so I thought I'd put my hand up and let you know that I'm one of those 1.5 million men who suffer from it, but through a few exercises, I'm back - I'm back big-time.' In February this year DiPierdomenico opened up about another health problem that caused him severe pain, even compared to the long list of serious injuries he suffered during his 240-game career. 'Compared to the pain of many of my sporting injuries, shingles was relentless. It put me out of action for nine days,' he said. 'It was horrible to experience personally, and I know some of my loved ones, like my partner and my mum, have also experienced the pain and discomfort of shingles.' Dipper remains heavily involved with Hawthorn and appeared at a club fundraiser alongside fellow team legends Peter Knights and Peter Hudson last week.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Doctor warns of 'highly toxic' effect of popular natural remedy - after it puts toddler in a coma
Ingesting tea tree oil could result in life-threatening organ damage, seizures and even a coma, a GP has warned. According to Dr Sermed Mezher, a UK based doctor, swallowing tiny amounts of the essential oil can result in serious poisoning 'within a minute'. In an Instagram video that has so far been viewed over 2.1million times, Dr Mezher explained the risks in response to a video of a young boy who ended up in a coma after swallowing it. Dr Mezher said: 'Swallowing tea tree oil can be highly toxic due to its potent chemical composition, which includes terpinen-4-ol, cineole, and other volatile compounds.' Terpinen-4-ol is the most abundant compound in tea tree oil—extracted from the Melaleuca alternifolia tree—which posses antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties. However when ingested, the oil can rapidly affect the nervous system, leading to drowsiness, loss of coordination and seizures. In 2022 alone, the US poison control centre treated more than 2,200 cases of toxicity linked to tea tree oil. 'One of them was a 23-month-old boy who drank just 10mls which put him in a coma for five hours until he thankfully recovered,' Dr Mezher explained. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sermed Mezher (@drsermedmezher) He added that its supposed benefits for skin health may also be bogus. 'Tree oil has been sold as a miracle cure to multiple skin conditions, and yet there's very little evidence that it works,' he said. A 2023 study found that tea tree oil has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that helped treat teenage and adult acne—though researchers cautioned it was not possible to draw conclusions on its safety. The poison control centre treated twice as many cases of toxicity caused by tea tree oil compared to any other essential oil, including cinnamon, clove and eucalyptus oil. 'I don't know about you, but I am not keeping this at home,' Dr Mezher cautioned. As well as attacking the nervous system, ingesting the 'horrifically toxic' product can also irritate the gastrointestinal tract, causing nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. 'Tea tree oil is also harsh on the liver,' Dr Mezher added. 'The body struggles to metabolise its toxic components, potentially leading to organ damage with repeated or high-dose exposure.' 'Because tea tree oil absorbs quickly into the bloodstream, poisoning symptoms can appear within minutes to a few hours. 'If ingestion occurs, immediate medical attention is essential to prevent serious complications.' The NHS warns against trying to make someone who has swallowed something poisonous and is unconscious sick, and recommends instead putting them in the recovery position until an ambulance arrives. Tea tree oil, a common ingredient in many skincare products, has previously been linked to a number of superbug infections including MRSA—a type of bacteria that is resistant to treatment and causes life-threatening infection. US scientists discovered that repeated low-dose use of the essential oil made the MRSA bacteria, as well as and salmonella, more resistant to antibiotics. Professor David McDowell, from the University of Ulster, warned that people who use tea tree oil on their skin repeatedly to treat acne, could be 'stressing' the bacteria on the skin rather than killing it—increasing their resistance to antibiotics. 'Although tea tree oil may be an effective antimicrobial agent when appropriately used at high concentrations, its application at low concentrations may contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance in human pathogens,' he warned.
