This site is intended for health professionals only


Royal pregnancy highlighting hyperemesis gravidarum, and how to sleep off high blood pressure

News of a Royal pregnancy is somewhat dominating the headlines today after the Duchess of Cambridge was admitted to hospital suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum.

But look closely and there is other health-related news around. The Daily Mail reports that going to bed just an hour earlier can ward off high blood pressure. A Journal of Sleep Research study on people showing signs of early hypertension with borderline high blood pressure readings showed six weeks of earlier nights showed a drop in average readings of eight to 14mmHg. The Harvard Medical School team said the study of 22 people should prompt further research into sleep as a treatment strategy.

A gene could be responsible for rising rates of binge drinking in teenagers, the Daily Express says. Researchers at King’s College London say a mutant version of the RASGRF2 gene is closely linked with alcohol seeking behaviour in teenage boys. Professor Gunter Schumann said the research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows the gene plays a crucial role in controlling how alcohol stimulates the brain. ‘So, if people have a genetic variation of it, alcohol gives them a stronger sense of reward, making them more likely to be heavy drinkers.’

And finally, BBC News online is reporting concerns from a teenage cancer charity that primary school children with cancer are being bullied, losing friends and missing out on school. Clic Sargent carried out interviews with more than 200 families and said the results suggested some schools needed to do more to support pupils with cancer. The charity’s chief executive Lorraine Clifton said: ‘No child should have to miss out on their education because they’ve had cancer - and it’s distressing to hear that some are teased and even bullied on their return to school.’


          

Visit Pulse Reference for details on 140 symptoms, including easily searchable symptoms and categories, offering you a free platform to check symptoms and receive potential diagnoses during consultations.