What's Up Docs? Doctors' Notes: Hair Loss
If you'd like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk or Whatsapp on 08000 665 123.
Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken
Guest: Dr Christos Tziotzios
Producer: Jo Rowntree
Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar
Editor: Kirsten Lass
Assistant Producer: Maia Miller-Lewis
Assistant Producer and Researcher: William Hornbrook
Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable
Social Media: Leon Gower
Digital Lead: Richard Berry
Composer: Phoebe McFarlane
Sound Design: Melvin Rickarby
At the BBC:
Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.
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Daily Mail
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Scientists discover cancer-fighting bacteria that 'soak up' forever chemicals in the body
A family of healthy bacteria may help 'soak up' toxic forever chemicals in the body, warding off their cancerous effects. Forever chemicals, also known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), are toxic chemicals that have been linked cancer, infertility and birth defects. They're named because they don't naturally break down in the environment or the body. Instead, they leech from plastic containers and nonstick cookware into food and build up in vital organs, increasing the risk of organ failure, infertility and some forms of cancer. Researchers at the University of Cambridge took samples of 38 strains of healthy bacteria living in the human gut and put them into lab mice. They found mice carrying human gut bacteria had up to 74 percent more 'forever' chemicals in their stool compared to mice without the bacteria within minutes of exposure. This suggests the toxins latched on to the bacteria as they moved through the digestive tract, leaving the body through the stool. While mountains of research have demonstrated deadly effects of forever chemicals, the new study is one of the first to show they can be taken out of the body instead of accumulating in there forever. And it builds on recent research showing a link between PFAS and the digestive tract. A study published last month, for example, found PFAS latches on to bile acids in the gut and eating fiber can help filter that excess bile out. Dr Kiran Patil, senior study author and toxicologist at the University of Cambridge, said: 'Given the scale of the problem of PFAS "forever chemicals," particularly their effects on human health, it's concerning that so little is being done about removing these from our bodies. 'We found that certain species of human gut bacteria have a remarkably high capacity to soak up PFAS from their environment at a range of concentrations, and store these in clumps inside their cells. 'Due to aggregation of PFAS in these clumps, the bacteria themselves seem protected from the toxic effects.' PFAS are thought to be endocrine-disrupting chemicals, meaning they imitate the body's hormones and interfere with the production of - and response to - natural hormones like estrogen and testosterone. This increases the risk of developing hormone-sensitive cancers like breast and ovarian cancer. The study, published Tuesday in the journal Nature Microbiology, looked at samples of 38 healthy bacteria in the gut. The researchers measured the effect of bacteria on levels of the forever chemicals perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorooctanoate acid (PFOA). PFOA is considered a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), meaning it causes cancer in animals. PFNA, meanwhile, is a Group 2 carcinogen, suggesting it may cause cancer in animals. Over the course of 24 hours, nine of the tested bacteria reduced exposure to PFNA by 25 to 74 percent and PFOA levels by 23 to 58 percent. For both types of PFAS, Odoribacter splanchnicus lead to the greatest reductions. It's thought to produce the short-chain fatty acid butyrate, which boosts metabolism and immune function. The team believes PFAS latch onto the bacteria and are excreted out of the body through the stool. The researchers are now working on developing probiotic supplements to increase levels of these healthy bacteria in the gut. Dr Indra Roux, study co-author and researcher at the University of Cambridge's MRC Toxicology Unit, said: 'The reality is that PFAS are already in the environment and in our bodies, and we need to try and mitigate their impact on our health now. 'We haven't found a way to destroy PFAS, but our findings open the possibility of developing ways to get them out of our bodies where they do the most harm.'
BBC News
33 minutes ago
- BBC News
New services planned to reduce hospital pressures
More people needing medical attention in Oxfordshire will be treated at home or in a community setting, under new plans announced by health joint plan between Oxfordshire's health and social care services, called the Better Care Fund, will prioritise spending on treatment options closer to year's fund amounts to £80.6m, which is part of a wider annual shared health and social care fund of more than £500m. The fund, pooled between the local NHS and Oxfordshire County Council, previously focused on improving discharge rates from hospitals. Dan Leveson, director for places and communities for Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (ICB), said: "What we really want to do is get all the support in and around people, at home and in their communities, so that we can avoid people going in to the hospital in the first place."With health and social care partners reporting a 20% reduction in the average length of a hospital stay in Oxfordshire, money is now being prioritised to reduce the number of avoidable admissions into Leveson said: "There is a percentage of people at the moment who are admitted into hospital for non-urgent admissions, that if we had different care, if we had access to hospital at home, district nursing, social care and reablement, then they can stay home."Yearly NHS spending for Oxfordshire is estimated to be between £1.5bn to £2 include to further develop Oxfordshire's single point of access for community services, making it easier to access services like home nursing visits and intermediate care rather than going directly to region's urgent community response system will also be expanded to offer an alternative to paramedics taking people to hospital when they can be better cared for at neighbourhood teams will be broadened, with teams specialising in areas including physiotherapy and community nursing being able to provide hospital-level treatment at a more local level, alongside the already established Hospital at Home service. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
The Guardian
41 minutes ago
- The Guardian
NHS earwax removal must be available to all
Your article about ear health (Get plugs and never remove wax at home, 24 June) didn't reflect the huge impact on some people's lives of the withdrawal of NHS earwax removal services in many areas. Cornwall is one of the areas of the country where you now have to pay privately to have earwax safely removed. The cost of this can be considerable for those on limited incomes, which causes some to undertake dangerous procedures themselves to clear their wax, or go to an unregulated and possibly dangerous practitioner, or simply live with reduced hearing. The double whammy is that you can't get an NHS hearing check – and thus NHS-funded hearing aids if you need them – or access to other treatment unless you have had your earwax removed at your own expense. RNID, the national hearing-loss charity, has published a report, Stop the Block, highlighting the issue. As your article rightly says, people need good hearing to stay socially connected. Without good-quality social interactions, people can become withdrawn, isolated, depressed and ill. The withdrawal in many areas of this apparently minor service to remove earwax is having a serious impact on some people's lives. The free NHS service must be reinstated for BlundyWest Cornwall HealthWatch Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
