Frequent exercise doesn’t just strengthen the heart – it also changes the nerves that control it, according to new research which could guide more targeted and effective care for common heart problems.

Each year, firearms injuries are costing the New Zealand hospital system an average of NZ$1.48 million and costing the country a further NZ$321 million in years of life lost, a new study led by the University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka has found.

There’s been a significant rise in the use of low and alcohol-free drinks to curb alcohol intake among ‘risky drinkers’ over the past 5 years in England, Wales, and Scotland, finds research published in the open access journal BMJ Public Health. The proportion of those using them to make serious attempts to cut down their alcohol intake rose from 35% in 2020 to 44% in 2024, while those using them in any attempt to cut down increased from 26% to 39%. The trends were especially noticeable among the over 65s, while women and the relatively well off were more likely to consume these drinks than men and the most economically disadvantaged, the findings indicate

Drinking any amount of alcohol likely increases the risk of dementia, suggests the largest combined observational and genetic study to date, published online in BMJ Evidence Based Medicine. Even light drinking—generally thought to be protective, based on observational studies—is unlikely to lower the risk, which rises in tandem with the quantity of alcohol consumed, the research indicates.

BMJ Group has retracted research suggesting that small daily quantities of apple cider vinegar might help people who are overweight or obese to lose weight. The small clinical trial was published in the open access journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health in March 2024 and its findings press released. The study findings generated widespread international attention at the time, and continue to be frequently referred to in media coverage.