Avoiding memory decline could be as simple as a positive attitude
Researchers observed that participants reporting higher levels of well-being consistently achieved superior scores on memory tests throughout the study period.
The study indicated that a positive disposition was also associated with an increased sense of personal agency, including feelings of control and independence.
While the connection between positivity and cognitive health was modest in scale, its statistical significance suggests a tangible relationship between psychological state and memory preservation as people age.
Experts from Alzheimer's Research UK noted that this observational study highlights the importance of mental wellbeing for overall brain health, though further research is needed to understand the full connection.
The hidden health benefit of staying positive in your middle age
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Daily Mail
5 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Is YOUR hometown at risk? Terrifying interactive map reveals the towns and cities that could be plunged UNDERWATER if the West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapses
The idea of your hometown being plunged underwater might sound like a nightmare. But scientists have warned that it could soon become a reality. In a new study, published yesterday, researchers from the Australian National University warned that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is on the verge of a 'catastrophic' collapse. If it did collapse, experts predict the huge ice mass would raise global sea levels by more than 9.8ft (three metres) – submerging entire coastal cities and communities. Climate Central's Coastal Risk Screening Tool shows the areas around the globe that would be worst hit. Here in the UK, people living on the east coast of England would be impacted the most. Coastal hubs including Hull, Skegness and Grimsby would be plunged underwater, while places as far inland as Peterborough and Lincoln would also become waterlogged. So, is your hometown at risk? To use the tool, simply set the water level at 9.8ft (three metres) and the areas that would be plunged underwater will appear in red on the map. The UK The east coast of England would be worst impacted if sea levels rose by 9.8ft, with Hull, Skegness and Grimsby all plunged underwater. Further south, swathes of London would be affected. Several areas on the River Thames gleam red on the map, including Bermondsey, Greenwich, Battersea, and Chelsea. While the east coast of England would be most affected, several towns and cities on the west coast are also in the firing line, according to Climate Central. Neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Weston–super–Mare, Newport and Cardiff would all be plunged underwater, alongside parts of Southport and Blackpool. Residents in Northern Ireland and Scotland can mostly rest easy though, with few areas set to be affected. Europe In Europe, Climate Central predicts that the entire coast stretching from Calais to south Denmark would be underwater. In France, Montpellier would be submerged, along with Venice, Pisa, and Ravenna in Italy. Elsewhere, much of the Romanian coastline would be impacted, as well as Gdansk in Poland. The US Most of the US would be unaffected by the sea level rise, according to Climate Central's map. However, several coastal cities and communities have an uncertain future. New Orleans is no stranger to flooding, and the map shows that the coastline stretching from this city all the way to Galveston, Texas, would be underwater. In a new study, published yesterday, researchers from the Australian National University warned that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is on the verge of a 'catastrophic' collapse In Florida, several densely populated areas are also in the firing line – including Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Key West. Further up the east coast, large parts of Philadelphia, New York, and Boston would also be wiped out. South America Climate Central's map shows that several large cities along the east and northern coast would be submerged. The entire area stretching from Buenos Aires to Rosario in Argentina glares bright red on the map. Meanwhile, much of the north coast of Brazil would be underwater – including Belem, Macapa, and Santarem. Asia Asia would be one of the worst affected continents, according to Climate Central. Most of Sri Lanka's coastline would dip underwater, alongside several major cities in India - including Mumbai, Kochi, Chennai, and Kolkata. In Thailand, Bangkok and much of the surrounding area would be submerged, while in Vietnam, the entire southern tip, as well as Hanoi would be underwater. Large parts of major Japanese cities glow red on the map - including Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, and Niigata. Meanwhile, much of the east coast of China would be underwater - including the major cities of Shanghai and Beijing. Antarctica's ice sheets contain 70% of world's fresh water - and sea levels would rise by 180ft if it melts Antarctica holds a huge amount of water. The three ice sheets that cover the continent contain around 70 per cent of our planet's fresh water - and these are all to warming air and oceans. If all the ice sheets were to melt due to global warming, Antarctica would raise global sea levels by at least 183ft (56m). Given their size, even small losses in the ice sheets could have global consequences. In addition to rising sea levels, meltwater would slow down the world's ocean circulation, while changing wind belts may affect the climate in the southern hemisphere. In February 2018, Nasa revealed El Niño events cause the Antarctic ice shelf to melt by up to ten inches (25 centimetres) every year. El Niño and La Niña are separate events that alter the water temperature of the Pacific ocean. The ocean periodically oscillates between warmer than average during El Niños and cooler than average during La Niñas. Using Nasa satellite imaging, researchers found that the oceanic phenomena cause Antarctic ice shelves to melt while also increasing snowfall. In March 2018, it was revealed that more of a giant France-sized glacier in Antarctica is floating on the ocean than previously thought.
The Sun
5 minutes ago
- The Sun
I discovered my back pain was terminal cancer just 2 weeks after giving birth – I'm 38 and won't see my daughter grow up
WHEN Muireann McColgan found a lump in her breast while pregnant she thought it was a blocked milk duct. But two weeks after giving birth, having also experienced back pain, it was discovered she had stage four terminal breast cancer. 5 5 Now 39, Muireann is focusing all her energy on planning her family's future - and what life might look like without her. The mum-of-one first found the lump in her left breast when she was 31 weeks pregnant in August 2023. She went to her GP, who told her it was likely mastitis - a blocked milk duct - but four weeks later, a midwife at a prenatal appointment noticed it and referred her to St Vincent's Hospital, Dublin for further investigation. Muireann was booked in for a mammogram but went into labour the day before and gave birth to her daughter, Aobh, now two, on October, 7 2023. She was rebooked for two weeks later where a scan revealed one tumour in her left breast and she was diagnosed with breast cancer - although she was told she'd have to undergo a biopsy to find out what stage cancer it was. Muireann, a chef, who lives with her husband, Tomasz - from Dublin, Ireland, said: "I was in shock. I didn't know what to make of it - I was completely terrified. "I was devastated. I got two weeks of being a mother without cancer." Muireann instantly set about googling cancer and educating herself about the treatment. Her biopsy results in October 2023 showed her cancer was stage two - and she was "relieved". She said: "I'd spent every waking moment since my diagnosis reading about cancer, so I knew everything about stages. I thought my sore knee was a drunken injury but it was cancer at 27 "So when they told me stage two I was relieved, because I knew that stage 2 was curable. "After that they gave me the talk of 'we're going to cure you, it has a 95 per cent survival rate'. "I thought 'OK, I'll get through this. I'll have to have chemo, I'll lose my hair, but I'll get over this'. I was all hyped up to fight." Terminal diagnosis However, Muireann had also been experiencing back pain, so she was sent for a CT scan in October 2023. The scan revealed although the back pain was from a broken rib, the cancer had spread to her bones. Her diagnosis was changed to stage four cancer - which is terminal. Muireann said: "It was on a phone call that they told me. "I didn't really know what to do - my legs turned to jelly, I was hyperventilating a little bit. "I shouted for my husband, Tomasz, who was upstairs, and he signed out of work. Everything was destroyed. I had a tiny baby, and they'd just told me I had a terminal illness. It was beyond surreal Muireann McColgan "Everything was destroyed. I had a tiny baby, and they'd just told me I had a terminal illness. It was beyond surreal. "I don't know how I got through it, to be honest." Soon after she received the diagnosis, Muireann began planning for her family's future. "There's a huge housing crisis here in Ireland," she said. "A few days after the stage four diagnosis, I realised, no one's going to give us a mortgage. "That was really terrifying, to understand the actual implications of that diagnosis. You can never get a loan or insurance. "I'm young. A lot of people get this diagnosis when they're in their 60s or 70s - it's obviously still devastating, but you have things settled a bit more than you do when you're 38. "I didn't have those things to fall back on - there was no insurance, no house, no mortgage. "I was thinking 'how am I going to protect my family when I could be gone in a couple of years? How is my husband going to cope alone with our daughter?'. "You don't sleep as a new mum anyway, but it was 10 times worse." Muireann was prescribed ribociclib - a new drug which slows the growth of the cancer. Her condition is now stable, but she knows that the cancer will become resistant to the drug and she will have to move on to something else. Continuing life as normal In the meantime, Muireann is trying to continue as normal. In August 2024, she cycled 230km from Dublin to Galway to raise money for Breast Cancer Ireland. "I've always loved cycling. I used to do a lot of bike touring. But it wasn't until I got my diagnosis that I thought 'I want to do something to raise money for research'. "It gave me something to work towards, it got me out on the bike and doing stuff and something to focus my brain on that isn't cancer. "Cycling has always been like that for me - I find it very relaxing and quite therapeutic." Earlier this month, Muireann saw a post on Instagram about Chris Hoy 's Tour de 4 - a cycling event in Glasgow to raise awareness of stage four cancer. 5 5 She said: "The minute I saw it I signed up, to say 'this is what stage four can be, and this is thanks to research'. "That's why research and raising money is so important to us, because the more research there is, the more time we get with our families." As well as raising money by cycling, Muireann is a passionate online campaigner. She posts about her story on Instagram, @ and has set up the campaign 'Too Young To Be Heard' - which raises awareness about breast cancer in younger women. To donate to Muireann's GoFundMe, click here.
Daily Mail
5 minutes ago
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I tested the UK's only clinically proven collagen powder for radiant, more hydrated and firmer looking skin - here are my thoughts
Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more Collagen supplements are everywhere at the moment, but if you're interested, then the UK's most tested collagen seems like a good place to start your journey. The UK's number one collagen experts, Absolute Collagen, have conducted the largest and most robust clinical study of collagen supplements on their new Crystal Clarity Marine Collagen Powder Supplement. Absolute Collagen Crystal Clarity Marine Collagen Powder Supplement The new Crystal Clarity Collagen Powder is a versatile powder that can be stirred into hot and cold drinks as well as any food to deliver 8000mg of collagen in each 10ml, pre-measured, mess-free sachet. Expertly-backed studies have shown it gets to work in six weeks to support glowing skin, youthful-looking skin, thicker hair and stronger nails. Daily Mail readers can get 20 per cent off their first supplement order with the code AC-AUGDM-20. The 20 per cent is available on one-time purchase on subscriptions; however, a Free Gift (worth £134) will only be available on first-time subscriptions. £27.20 (save £6.79) Shop Promising 6-in-1 benefits in just six weeks, including the smoothing of wrinkles, improved evenness and boosted elasticity, I put it to the test to see the results for myself. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. A structural protein, it's the primary building block of skin, strong joints and muscles, but from our mid-twenties onwards, our natural collagen levels start to decline. But by adding a collagen supplement to your daily routine, it could be a helpful way to support skin structure, elasticity, and overall well-being. Clinically proven with 8000mg of sustainably sourced collagen (your optimal daily dose for maximum effects), the new Absolute Collagen Crystal Clarity Marine Collagen Powder comes cleverly pre-measured and in easy-to-transport sachets. So it is a convenient and practical way to take. As with a lot of supplements, when it comes to choosing a collagen supplement it's important to take them regularly according to the brand guidelines in order to see results. Pre-measured and in a convenient, mess-free sachet, I made it part of my morning routine to see what the hype was about. And with the brand boasting impressive stats, including how 65 per cent agreed skin feels replenished and restored after six weeks, I was excited to go through the process. The unflavoured powder is ready to be mixed with any food or drink of your choice without it compromising the flavour. The brand says you can put it in your coffee, stir it into your yoghurt or even hot water and honey - the options are endless, giving you the flexibility to slot it into your routine. My first thoughts were that opting for a high-quality hydrolysed powder that's unflavoured was a very clever way to incorporate collagen into your day with minimal thought and effort. The easy-to-tear, portable sachets were easy to store at my desk and in my bag to be consumed on the go. But how does it taste? Absolute Collagen prides itself on the no-taste formula; however, I did find it added some vanilla-like taste to a drink, whic,h while I didn't love it in my normal cup of tea (I love a strong builders tea), it was perfect for adding to my morning cup of coffee and in a quick post-gym smoothie. It's brilliant for slotting into your routine, plus I also liked the powder formula and how quickly it dissolved into liquids; if you struggle with liquid collagen or with taking pills, then this powdered version could be a real win. I was on the fence about whether the collagen powder would actually do anything, especially when big claims usually end up disappointing, but I did find that after six weeks of testing, my skin looks more plumped and hydrated - certainly enough to want to carry on with it. As for hair, I do think my locks look healthier with a noticeable shine too, so with a busy summer full of social events and weddings, this is a low effort, easy extra step to help me look and feel my best. Daily Mail readers can get 20 per cent off their first supplement order with the code AC-AUGDM-20. The 20 per cent is available on one-time purchase on subscriptions; however, a Free Gift (worth £134) will only be available on first-time subscriptions.
