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Morning heart attacks, spring babies and ‘immoral’ stem cell research

By Michael Klimes

Our round-up of the health headlines on Thursday 28 April.

The Daily Mail has a story that heart attacks for patients are more harmful in the mornings, with a fifth more damage to heart muscle.

The research from scientists at the National Centre of Cardiovascular Research in Madrid, finds heart attacks between 6am and mid-day appear to be more severe, possibly because of natural changes in the body that occur over a 24-hour period.

Meanwhile, the Telegraph's front page warns that potential cures for dozens of diseases could be under threat from a European court ruling that claims making money from stem cell research is 'immoral'. The newspaper claims much of Britain's biotechnology industry could be wiped out if the European Court of Justice makes a directive that would effectively outlaw the use of embryos for commercial purposes.

The Independent looks at a new study that finds a link between anorexia and the season of birth. The study - published in The British Journal of Psychiatry - finds spring babies are more likely to develop an eating disorder, and comes on the back of a growing body of evidence which suggests that schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and suicide are all more common among people who were born at this time of year.

Lahiru Handunnetthi of the Welcome Trust for Human Genetics who led the research explains: 'During the last trimester of pregnancies, neuronal development takes place and, so it maybe that maternal nutrition has an impact on the development of psychiatric and neurological disorders.'

Spotted a story we've missed? Let us know in the comments and we'll update the digest throughout the day...

Daily Digest