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New IVF hope for older women, chemical cosh drugs to be cut, and five ways to avoid bowel cancer

By Gareth Iacobucci

Our roundup of health news headlines on Wednesday 27 October.

Older women could be given increased hope of conceiving through IVF after scientists developed a screening test to find the healthiest embryos, according to the Telegraph.

Also in the Telegraph, we read of Ministers' pledge to cut the number of chemical cosh drugs prescribed to people with dementia by two-thirds within a year.

The revamped and even-more-earnest-than-it was-before Independent reports how a new vaccine against polio is so effective that it could become the final 'game changer' which eliminates the disease from the world.

In the Mail, we read that the NHS could make available a twice-yearly jab that ‘could help beat osteoporosis'.

A noticeable lack of 'funnies' in the papers today, it must be this new era of austerity we keep hearing about. Having said that, Five Ways You Can Avoid Bowel Cancer does sound like a movie starring the cult Simpsons' character Troy McClure, but is in fact the Daily Mail's take on new research suggesting that simple lifestyle changes could cut the risk of bowel cancer by 23%. The study in the BMJ found that less alcohol, less red meat, more exercise, watching waist size and stopping smoking were the key drivers.

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

Daily digest