At-home video games and a remote, implantable blood pressure monitor wil revolutionise the NHS, according to the Wellcome Trust.

Working with the department for health, the trust is developing a video game that recovering stroke victims can use to monitor their recovery, a gene therapy approach to blindness and a totally automated blood pressure monitoring system.

The health innovation challenge fund is supporting the development of the technologies. They're much more than fanciful experiments - the fund's guidelines specify that they must have potential clinical application in the NHS within five years.

At Newcastle University, Professor Janet Eyre is developing the game (pictured above), which helps therapists monitor patients' arm rehabilitation and recovery after stroke using video games that can be played at home.

Played at home, without the need to travel to a clinic, the game measures the patient's movements and sends them back to the therapist via the internet. It's expected that the game will be available to patients within two years.

READ MORE INNOVATION STORIES.

Eyre said in a statement: "We hope that enabling therapists to monitor their patients' progress remotely will improve compliance with home based therapy programmes, speed up recoveries and free up valuable clinic time. Ultimately, therapists will be able to supervise more patients and patients should regain greater independence."

Remote monitoring is a key part of the fund's projects. Another remote device, a mobile blood pressure monitor, is being developed by Imperial College London, and will be available for testing in early 2014.

The implantable device that will sit inside one of the patient's lung arteries and will continually monitor blood pressure, transmitting the information back to the NHS via "mobile phone technology".

Professor Chris McLeod, who is leading the blood pressure monitoring project said: "At the moment, the only way to monitor pressure in the blood vessels of the lung is by catheter, which requires hospitalisation, can only be done infrequently and carries some risk of infection. With the support of the Health Innovation Challenge Fund, we hope to provide a practical solution that will improve patient wellbeing and care at home and further, will reduce hospitalisation."

The new devices follow the development of the fully articulated exoskeleton, which enabled Claire Lomas, who is paralysed, to complete the London marathon.

A bionic eye powered by the sun has also been released this week.

MORE HEALTH INNOVATION
Neil Harbisson, The World's First Cyborg Hears Colours

New research from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) in America suggests that certain types of fat are associated with worse memory and overall cognitive function.

While we’ve known for years that eating too many foods containing ‘bad fats’, such as saturated fats or trans fats, isn't healthy for your heart, a study published online today by the Annals of Neurology, a journal of the American Neurological Association and Child Neurology Society, associated one particular bad fat - saturated - with worse overall cognitive function and memory in women over time.

By contrast, mono-unsaturated fat, was associated with better overall cognitive function and memory.

The research team analysed data from the Women's Health Study, focused on a subset of 6,000 women, all over the age of 65.

The women participated in three cognitive function tests, which were spaced out every two years for an average testing span of four years. These women filled out very detailed food frequency surveys at the start of the Women's Health Study, prior to the cognitive testing.

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• Diets Rich in Omega-3 May Lower Alzheimer’s Disease Risk

"When looking at changes in cognitive function, what we found is that the total amount of fat intake did not really matter, but the type of fat did," explained Olivia Okereke of the BWH Department of Psychiatry, in a statement.

Women who consumed the highest amounts of saturated fat, which can come from animal fats such as red meat and butter, compared to those who consumed the lowest amounts, had worse overall cognition and memory over the four years of testing.

Women who ate the most of the monounsaturated fats, which can be found in olive oil, had better patterns of cognitive scores over time.

"Our findings have significant public health implications," said Okerekem in a statement. "Substituting in the good fat in place of the bad fat is a fairly simple dietary modification that could help prevent decline in memory."

Okereke notes that strategies to prevent cognitive decline in older people are particularly important. Even subtle declines in cognitive functioning can lead to higher risk of developing more serious problems, such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

According to recent research, Brits are in the grip of a ‘desk rage’ epidemic, with over half of us (48%) admitting to regular work meltdowns in the office.

The survey by PruHealth and the Vitality Wellness Programme, revealed that as financial pressures and job security fears mount – over a quarter of us take it out by physically throwing work equipment around the office.

Over 26% of people admit to losing it at work and (physically) taking it out on their computers, slamming their telephones, throwing something or banging their fists on their desk.

And it’s not just office equipment that feels the brunt of work-related pressures.

One in thirteen working Brits admit to witnessing a physical assault between colleagues and 3% reveal they’ve been physically aggressive to a workmate.

The findings revealed that, when under pressure, workers are more likely to lose it and become irritable or angry (46%) and nearly half (49%) are not convinced their stress levels will get any better in the future.

Have you ever lost it at work? Take a look at these funny stock images of women getting angry with computers…

Experts from the study believe the reason behind violent 'desk rage' episodes is because Brits are stressed-out and their physical behaviour could signal signs of depression.

Dr Dawn Richards, head of clinical services at PruHealth told HuffPost Lifestyle: “Stress, depression or anxiety are so prevalent in the workplace they now account for the most days lost due to work-related ill health.

"This is not only bad for people’s health and wellbeing, it is bad for business as it costs employers nearly £26 billion each year in sickness absence, reduced productivity and employee turnover.

“The first step to dealing with stress and mental illness is recognising it exists and how common it is. Mental health remains a taboo subject and this is the biggest barrier in addressing it.

“Early intervention and putting the right coping mechanisms in place are very important to nip symptoms in the bud, which is why awareness amongst individuals and employers alike is critical.”

Do you suspect that you're being bullied at work? Take a look at these top tips on beating workplace bullying...

British men are swapping briefs for boxers to better their chances when trying for a baby with their partner, according to new research released today.

It’s just one of a number of lifestyle steps future dads are taking to aid their conception chances, according to the findings from Clearblue.

As well as 15% of men swapping tight for looser-fitting underwear, other male lifestyle changes to improve chances of conceiving with their partner include taking more exercise and cutting back on socialising.

One of the more radical steps men have admitted to when trying to prepare themselves for conception is having sex less regularly (13%) to try and preserve their sperm counts, but a fifth admitted that they felt sex had become a chore whilst trying to conceive.

Scroll down to find out Top 10 changes men are willing to make...

However, men are being over-ruled, as over a third of women (35%) actively want more frequent sex when trying for a baby.

Dr Dawn Harper, Clearblue fertility expert, said: “Trying for a baby can be a stressful time for both men and women, so no partner should put all the pressure on themselves, but it is great to learn that men are taking a more active role in
the preparation.”

Two-thirds of the men questioned admitted it was taking longer to conceive than expected, with 45% citing a lack of time for having sex as the main reason.

Dr Harper says: “It is important to take a step back and relax - making a baby is supposed to be fun after all!"

The survey also found that the age of girlie gossiping has bridged to man talk in the pub, as over a third of men confessed to seeking advice and information about conception from their friends.

British actress Carey Mulligan has spoken out about the traumatic effects of Alzheimer’s disease on her life and is appealing for more awareness about the degenerative condition.

The 26-year-old Oscar-nominated actress, who has been named the Alzheimer’s Society's newest ambassador during Dementia Awareness Week, has revealed that her grandmother Margaret suffers from the condition.

After witnessing her grandmother’s struggle with the disease for the past eight years, Mulligan decided to speak out.

Mulligan says: “I am committed to helping Alzheimer's Society in any way I can. My family and I rely on the help of organisations like Alzheimer's Society to help us understand the disease and guide us in the care of my grandmother. It's been a privilege to meet so many people with dementia.”

Meet more famous people whose lives have been touched by dementia...

A recent study by the Alzheimer’s Society and Saga Homecare revealed that nearly two thirds of Brits know someone with dementia and 63% of people have concerns about the condition.

The survey also revealed that those aged 18 to 24 are more likely to want to know about about the condition rather than people aged 55 and over, who are more at risk.

Mulligan hopes that her involvement will help raise awareness among younger people, who increasingly want to know more.

“Because they have their family members being affected they want to know more, to understand it and find a way to cure it or find ways to prevent it,” Mulligan told the BBC.

Find out which other high-profile characters have joined forces with the charity to raise awareness by watching this video about 'five things you should know about dementia'...

It's estimated there are around 800,000 people with dementia in the UK, with the number set to rise to more than one million by 2021 - soaring to 1.7 million by 2050.

Andrew Chidgey from the Alzheimer's Society says, despite popular belief, contracting condition is not entirely determined by your genes.

"If both parents have had dementia, people are bound to worry about developing the condition too."

"But while there are a number of genes that have been linked to Alzheimer's disease, it is important to remember that they only increase your risk of developing it by a small amount," Chidgey told HuffPost Lifestyle.

"To reduce your risk of developing dementia take regular exercise, don't smoke, maintain a healthy weight and eat a Mediterranean diet, high in antioxidants and oily fish. We urge anyone who is concerned about their memory to visit their GP."

We already know that seaweed toast is more effective than a workout in the gym due to its fat-burning abilities and it looks like scientists have discovered another health benefit of the slimy green stuff – it could help banish acne.

Seaweed joins thyme as being an effective, natural treatment for stubborn spots, having been hailed as the latest skin remedy after a report published in the Clinical and Experimental Dermatology discovered that it reduces spot growth by 64%.

A brown seaweed-infused face wash containing an active compound called Phycosaccharide ACP was tested on 60 young male participants with mild acne for two months.

After the study had completed, over half of participants reported a significant reduction in inflammatory spots and comedones (blackheads and whiteheads) in just eight weeks.

Find out how to feed your skin with these complexion-boosting foods...

Brown seaweed – also known as ‘Laminaria digitata’ – is commonly found in Brittany, France. Scientists believe that brown seaweed has the ability to kill acne bacterium within one to 15 minutes of being rubbed on the skin.

More than four in five teenagers get some form of acne. It's much less common in later life. However, about one in 20 women and one in 100 men aged 25 to 40 continue to be affected by acne, or develop it at this age (late-onset acne).

Acne starts to develop when hair follicles in your skin become blocked with the natural oil produced by your skin (known as sebum) and dead skin cells. It can also be caused by an influx of testosterone hormones, which increases the production of sebum in the skin.

Find out what your spots reveal about your inner health...

Parents have been warned to "regain control" of their own households in the face of a growing tendency of children to sit for hours every day in front of computers and the TV.

Psychologist Dr Aric Sigman said a generation of children is developing a lifelong habit and in some cases dependency on small screens because of over-exposure in childhood.

Average screen time for young British adolescents is now at 6.1 hours a day and rising with 10 to 11-year-olds having access to an average of five screens at home, he will tell a scientific session of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) annual conference.

By the age of seven years old a child born today will have spent one full year of 24 hour days watching screen media, he will tell the conference in Glasgow.

Dr Sigman said even average levels of daily screen viewing were now strongly associated with a significantly increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

He added that there were concerns that extensive computer game playing in children may lead to long-term changes in the brain's circuitry that resemble the effects of substance dependence.

"Technology should be a tool, not a burden or a health risk," he said.

"Whether children or adults are formally 'addicted' to screen technology or not, many of them overuse technology and have developed an unhealthy dependency on it.

"While there are obviously a variety of different factors which may contribute to the development of a dependency - whether it involves substances or activities - the age, frequency, amount of exposure along with the ease of access and the effects of role modelling and social learning, all strongly increase the risk.

"All of these contribute to a total daily exposure to, or 'consumption of', an activity.

"And all are prerequisite factors that contribute to the risk of dependent overuse of technology."

Dr Sigman said parents should not fall into the trap of "passive parenting" in the face of the problem.

He said rules and limits should be enforced on screen time for children. He added that the age of first exposure to the small screen should be raised to at least three years old.

Parents who constantly check and use smartphones and iPads in the presence of their children may be adding to their children's overuse of the small screen, he said.

Fun-sounding research into the ability of theChinese herb kudzu to reduce excessive drinking was performed in 'apartment laboratory', according to a study recently published in the current issue of Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

Researchers from Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital's Behavioral Psychopharmacology Research Laboratory looked at one of the major components of the kudzu root—the isoflavone puerarin—to determine whether it would reduce alcohol consumption in a laboratory simulation of an afternoon drinking session.

A laboratory at McLean Hospital was set up as an apartment, with TV, DVD player, reclining chair and other amenities. The unit was also stocked with a refrigerator full of each subject's favorite beer and other non-alcoholic beverages.

Lead author David Penetar and his colleagues looked at 10 men and women, all in their 20s who drank alcohol weekly.

During a 90-minute session, each volunteer was allowed to consume as many beers as he or she wanted—up to a maximum of six.

After the session, each was given either puerarin or a placebo and told to take it daily for a week. Then, each returned to do the experiment again.

After four sessions, during which subjects swapped between the two pills, the study showed those taking puerarin drank significantly fewer beers—dropping from 3.5 beers on average to 2.4.

"This was a simulation of a binge drinking opportunity and not only did we see the subjects drinking less, we noted that their rate of consumption decreased, meaning they drank slower and took more sips to finish a beer," explained Penetar, in a statement.

"While we do not suggest that puerarin will stop drinking all together, it is promising that it appears to slow the pace and the overall amount consumed."

For the past 10 years, the McLean Hospital has been looking for link between the Chinese herb kudzu and excessive drinking, hoping research may prove useful in the treatment of alcoholism and curbing binge drinking.

People who have a diet high in saturated fats and eat large amounts of the biggest offenders (such as red meat and full-fat butter) could be increasing their risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston discovered people – in particular older women – who enjoy a diet rich in animal fats, suffer from worse cognitive function and memory compared to those who eat ‘healthy’ monounsaturated fats.

The four-year study of over 6,000 women aged 65 and over, questioned the participants about their diet and lifestyle and followed this up with a series of mental tests.

The study suggests the type of fats you consume (and how much) can play a part in mental deterioration.

SEE ALSO:

• Carey Mulligan Speaks Out About Dementi"
• Can Fish Prevent Alzheimer's Disease?
• A Bowl Of Berries A Day 'Keeps Dementia Away'

"When looking at changes in cognitive function, what we found is that the total amount of fat intake did not really matter, but the type of fat did,” said Dr Olivia Okereke, from the study, according to a blog for CommonHealth

“If people substitute out portions of saturated fat and replace it with the same amounts of monounsaturated fat, like substituting olive oil in place of butter, it’s a simple dietary modification that could prevent decline in memory,” she said.

“It’s long been known that overall cardiovascular health is good for cognitive function,” adds Dr Okereke. “So it makes sense the same factors that are good for cardiovascular health would also be good for cognitive function.”

Although saturated fats could raise your risk of dementia, a separate study has discovered that the scent of fatty foods – such as fish 'n' chips - could help treat Alzheimer’s disease.

Dementia sufferers often forget to eat regularly, which doesn't help their battle against cognitive decline.

To help alleviate this problem, a design company called Rodd has created a plug-in device called Ode that sends out bursts of foodie aromas, which helps stimulate Alzheimer’s patients’ appetites and spark their memories.

The clever creation was designed as part of a competition run by the Design Council and the Department of Health who appealed to designers to create something that could make dementia sufferers lives easier.

“It releases authentic, high-quality food aromas at particular times in the day to help stimulate appetite and as an aid to rekindle an interest in eating – discreetly and unobtrusively,” states the Ode website.

Find out which other health benefits certain smell can have on the body, as discovered by the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation...

Women struggling to conceive should be offered IVF treatment into their early 40s, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has said.

In a new consultation document, Nice raises the age of women they believe should be entitled to the treatment and also says IVF should be offered to gay and lesbian couples as well as those carrying an infectious disease, such as Hepatitis B or HIV.

Nice, which looks at the cost effectiveness of treatments, believes women up to 42 should be entitled to the treatment.
The body's current guidance, drawn up in 2004, sets the limit at 39.

Dr Gill Leng, Nice's deputy chief executive, said: "Infertility is a medical condition that can cause significant distress for those trying to have a baby.

"This distress can have a real impact on people's lives, potentially leading to depression and the breakdown of relationships.

"However, in many cases infertility can be treated effectively - there are thousands of babies and happy parents thanks to NHS fertility treatment - which is why the NHS provides services and why Nice produces guidance on the topic.

"Since the original recommendations on fertility were published in 2004 there have been many advances in both treatments and in the understanding of different techniques.

"For this update we are using the latest statistical and clinical evidence to make sure that treatment for infertility is offered at a time and in a way which is most likely to result in pregnancy.

"These include new specific recommendations on the number of embryos to be implanted and a broadening of the criteria for the provision of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) to include some women aged 40 to 42.

"New groups of the population have also been included in this update.

"These groups include people who are preparing for cancer treatment who may wish to preserve their fertility, those who carry an infectious disease, such as Hepatitis B or HIV, same-sex couples and those who are unable to have intercourse, for example, if they have a physical disability.

"The aim of these new and updated recommendations is to ensure that everyone who has problems with fertility has access to the best levels of help.

"We are now consulting on this draft guideline and we welcome comments from interested parties."

Figures from the Office of National Statistics in the UK show that women in top positions, such as managers in large companies, drink a bottle of wine a week on average, around 11.2 units, compared with 6.2 units for female hairdressers, cleaners and factory workers.

According to The Telegraph, Shadow Health Minister Diane Abbott said the figures, given in a parliamentary answer, reflect a 'Sex and the City' culture among professional women.

Abbott said: "It is good that more women are out in the workforce and are enjoying social life in pubs and bars. But these disturbingly high figures reveal women’s drinking patterns have changed in a generation, reflecting a silent, middle class epidemic. The problem is not just young 'ladettes'."

She also highlighted the new alcohol figures revealed a problematic ‘cocktail and business card culture’ and that cheap supermarket alcohol had “led more housewives to drink to excess at home,”according to the Evening Standard.

Scroll down to see how stress can be good for you

Official guidance is for women to stick to a medium-size glass of wine a day.

Liver expert Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, a former president of the Royal College of Physicians, said that some women in senior posts were using alcohol as a 'stress-buster' to combat the difficulties of balancing their work and family commitments, reports The Daily Mail.

Sir Ian said: "While alcohol may help people to reduce stress when used occasionally, if it’s used regularly as a stress-buster, there is a real risk of it leading to dependence."

"In the poorer parts of society there are likely to be more non-drinkers but also more people drinking in a harmful way which explains why the biggest burden on health damage is seen in poorer communities."

Heavy snoring not only keeps you (and no doubt, your partner) awake at night – it could increase your risk of developing cancer, too.

A team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health have given us something to have nightmares over after they discovered that people who snore heavily at night could have untreated ‘sleep disordered breathing’ (SDB) - meaning they could be five times more likely to develop cancer than people who sleep soundly.

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is a term that describes a group of disorders characterised by abnormalities of respiratory pattern (pauses in breathing).

The most common SDB is obstructive sleep apnea (abnormal low breathing) caused by a physical block to the airflow during the breathing cycle, forcing the sufferer to suddenly wake up. Symptoms of sleep apnea include extremely loud snoring, excessive daytime sleepiness and morning headaches.

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The 22-year study of more than 1,500 people discovered that those with severe SDB were 4.8 times more likely to develop cancer. Moderate SDB sufferers were at double the risk of developing cancer.

“Ours is the first study to show an association between SDB and an elevated risk of cancer mortality in a population-based sample,” lead researcher Dr Javier Nieto said in a statement.

Scientists from the study are pointing the blame at low blood oxygen levels (known as intermittent hypoxia) after discovering a significant result in lab mice.

Blood oxygen levels dip during periods of severe sleep apnea as the body struggles to get enough oxygen. When scientists investigated the effect of low blood oxygen and cancer tumour growth in mice, they discovered that lack of oxygen to the blood stimulates the generation of blood vessels that feed malignant tumours.

Researchers believe low blood oxygen levels could have the same effect on humans.

"The consistency of the evidence from the animal experiments and this new epidemiologic evidence in humans is highly compelling,” adds Dr Nieto.

"Clearly, there is a correlation, and we are a long way from proving that sleep apnea causes cancer or contributes to its growth.

"But animal studies have shown that the intermittent hypoxia (an inadequate supply of oxygen) that characterises sleep apnea promotes angiogenesis - increased vascular growth - and tumour growth. Our results suggest that SDB is also associated with an increased risk of cancer mortality in humans."

Sleep apnea has previously been linked to other health problems, such as increased risk of stroke, cardiovascular and heart disease and fatigue.

It’s estimated that around 42% of the UK snore at night, which amounts to 15 million snorers.

Snoring is a coarse sound made by vibrations of the soft palate and other tissues of the mouth, nose and throat (upper airway). It is caused by a partial blockage of the upper airway.

If you suffer from snoring or sleep apnea, take this test to find out how to stop snoring at night.

Canadian research has revealed that mothers who have flu shots during pregnancy reap unexpected health rewards for their babies.

Researchers at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI), the CHEO Research Institute and the University of Ottawa (uOttawa) used data from Ontario's birth record database - BORN - to examine 55,570 single-child births that took place in the city during the swine flu epidemic in 2009.

The results- recently published by the American Journal of Public Health- suggest women who had the H1N1 vaccination were associated with a significantly reduced risk of stillbirth, preterm birth and extremely small babies at birth.

Compared to pregnant women who were not immunised, mothers who received the vaccination were:

• 34% less likely to have a stillbirth
• 28% less likely to deliver before 32 weeks
• 19% less likely to give birth to a child with a low birth weight

Lead author Deshayne Fell, an epidemiologist for BORN, said in a statement: "These are all significant results, but especially interesting is the finding that the vaccinated mothers were one-third less likely to have a stillborn child.

"This is one of the only studies large enough to evaluate the association between maternal flu vaccination and stillbirth - very rare event."

"What surprised me and the research team was the strength of the protective benefits we found," added co-author Dr. Ann Sprague, the scientific manager of BORN Ontario, in a statement.

Researchers were pleased to see there was also no increase in ‘adverse outcomes’ for H1N1-vaccinated mothers and their babies (during the weeks before and just after birth).

"The findings of this study are very helpful," says study co-author Dr Mark Walker of the University of Ottawa.

"Pregnant women are generally very, very careful about what they put into their bodies. For health-care providers like me, such a large-scale study that shows no adverse perinatal outcomes resulting from the H1N1 flu vaccine will be extremely helpful when discussing maternal vaccination."

See Also

• Should Older Women And Gay Couples Be Offered IVF?
• Why Dieting During Pregnancy Is Good For You

Scientists claim a naturally occurring substance produced in the brain (dubbed the ‘love hormone’) improves the brain function in autistic children.

This discovery brings fresh hope to those who suffer from autism-related social-communicative dysfunctions, which include stranger anxiety in social environments, separation distress and lack of non-verbal communication (lack of eye contact, pointing, smiling).

Oxytocin is a hormone that is released in the brain when people hug, kiss, touch and have sex. It's also released during the postnatal bonding period between a mother and her newborn and during breastfeeding.

Researchers from the Yale Child Study Center discovered an increase in brain function in regions that process social information (such as hearing, eyesight, speech and observation) after autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients inhaled an oxytocin-induced nasal spray.

The study involved giving a group of children aged seven to 18 with ASD a single dose of oxytocin spray.

This was followed by a functional magnetic resonance brain imaging scan (fMRI), which detected the areas of the brain that were directly affected by the oxytocin.

The results revealed an almost immediate activation of brain regions that are known to control and manage communication and social dysfunctions involved in autism.

"Our findings provide the first, critical steps toward devising more effective treatments for the core social deficits in autism, which may involve a combination of clinical interventions with an administration of oxytocin," lead researcher Ilanit Gordon said in a statement.

Gut Bacteria In Autistic Children 'Is Different From Non-Autistic Children'

The researchers’ discovery is part of preliminary results from an ongoing, large-scale study and is the first to demonstrate a functional and safe method of relieving behavioural problems people with ASD face.

Researchers stressed however, that their research is not a cure for autism.

"Such a treatment approach will fundamentally improve our understanding of autism and its treatment,” adds Gordon.

The researchers from this study presented their findings at the International Meeting for Autism Research.

This isn’t the first time oxytocin has been linked to improving the social skills of those with autism.

In 2010, a team of scientists from the Centre de Neuroscience Cognitive (CNRS) discovered that oxytocin significantly increases autistic people’s ability to interact with others.

Researchers administering the ‘bonding hormone’ to 13 high-functioning autistic (HFA) and Asperger syndrome patients and observed their social behaviour during a sociable ball game by analysing their facial expressions and ability to recognise faces.

For those previously found it extremely difficult to engage spontaneously in social situations and avoided eye contact with people (all classic symptoms of autism and ASD), oxytocin greatly improved their social, cooperative and engagment skills during the ball games.

Students from schools and universities alike are knee-deep in exams and have no doubt been inundated with revision tips from parents, friends, teachers and next door's dog.

In a blog for The Huffington Post UK, Sarah Slater, a senior consultant for Oxbridge applications, shares her secrets on revision essentials:

Have a complete set of notes

Do this before you leave school - if you've missed any lessons, ask a conscientious friend in your class if you can photocopy their notes (some kind of deliciously chocolaty treat as a sign of unending gratitude may be in order here). Don't just slot the pages into your folder - rewrite them in your own style. Everyone organises their thoughts differently on paper so it's good to have all the information in a format that suits you.

Work out how your learn best

Everyone learns in a different way and so it's useful to figure out what makes stuff stick in your brain before you embark on a major revision drive. Fleming's VARK model divides people into visual learners, auditory learners and kinaesthetic (or tactile) learners - and following this can help you plan your revision effectively.

If you're a visual learner you like seeing information - so try to organise the information you need to remember into diagrams, mind-maps and tables. If you're an auditory learner, you learn best through listening - so look for videos or lectures on the subjects you are studying, or try to arrange a time to meet with a friend and discuss or debate some of the ideas that you'll be tested on in the exam.

Kinesthetic learners like doing things - this is maybe the hardest for revision, but think about what you could explore: maybe go to the science museum and have a go at doing some of the experiments you will be tested on or go for a walk and try to identify some of the features you have studied in Geography.

SEE ALSO: From banning Facebook to brain boosting food

The aim here is for functionality, not aesthetic perfection. A good idea is to give yourself a time limit for creating your timetable so it doesn't eat into your proper revision time! Check through your syllabus and make sure that you are giving adequate attention to everything that could come up in the exam - it's really important that you are strict with yourself so that you don't end up spending two weeks on the first 5% of the content you've covered and then end up trying to cram everything else into the final couple of weeks. Try to come back to subjects a couple of days later - this will ensure that what you learn is transferred from your short-term memory to your long term memory - and will still be there when you come to sit the exam!

When creating your timetable you should be realistic. Studies show that people can only concentrate for about 45 minutes - so work in blocks like this, schedule in regular breaks for lunch and tea breaks and try to take 30 minutes every afternoon to go for a walk in the fresh air.

You should aim to complete all your learning a couple of weeks before the exam so that you have time to...

Put what you've learnt into practice

It's no good just staring at your notes or copying them out again - you need to test yourself by doing what you'll have to do in the exam. If you've got a maths exam, set yourself some randomly chosen exercises from the text book. If you've got French comprehension coming up, find an article from a French online paper and summarise it in 300 - 500 words in English. Preparing for History? Look for a past question and try to write a really comprehensive essay plan (including detailed examples!) in 20 minutes. Be adventurous in the ways in which you put yourself to the test - if you think it's useful, no doubt it is!

These are short tasks, but they will really highlight what you need to go over again: perhaps you've forgotten that magic formula, you need to go over your verbs again to get the tenses right - or there's that perfect example that would really clinch your argument that you can't quite remember. If you discover the gaps in your knowledge yourself and then take the time to fill them, chances are that knowledge won't escape you again - and you'll be confident to use it again in future.

Keep calm and carry on

Don't panic and don't cram! Keep healthy, get lots of sleep and don't go without TV or a relaxing cup of coffee with a friend in the name of puritanical, revision-focused existence.

There's only so much you can do - maximum eight hours per day if you're taking breaks when you should be - and you should reward yourself (if only to keep yourself sane) when you've worked hard.

Get the support of your parents and siblings - no interrupting you when you're working (even well-intentioned cups of tea can be a distraction and will interfere with your precision-engineered revision timetable) and healthy food for breakfast lunch and dinner.

Study-leave, revision and exams are tough, there's no doubt about it. Keep your chin up, your nose to the grindstone and your eyes on the prize - it will all be worth it when those university offers start rolling in!

If your ‘diet starts on Monday’ mantra has failed you on many occasions and those good intentions of detoxing go down the toilet when your mid-afternoon chocolate craving trumps your homemade carrot stick and celery combo - you’re not alone.

In fact, you’re in good company as Brits spend 14 years of their life trying to (and failing) to stick to a diet.

According to a survey of 2,000 people by Philips, yo-yo dieters of Britain spend between four to five months a year counting calories and obsessing over each mouthful.

The study also predicts that in the future, one in 10 women will spend even more years of their lives dieting (up to 18 years in total) as they become more determined to shed the weight.

See Also:

• Weight Gain: Why It’s Not What You Eat But When You Eat
• Does Sugar Make You Stupid?
• Would You Eat Doggy Style?

So what drives us to become serial dieters?

While one in four people admit that images of super svelte celebrities make them want to diet, 66% revealed that it’s the thought of wearing skimpier clothes in the summer that motivate them to get into shape.

And it’s not just women who dread revealing all in a bikini or strapless tops when the weather heats up – the study also discovered a growing trend of male dieters who spend around two to three months a year trying to lose weight in time for summer.

Men are also much more likely to stick to their diet plan, as only one in four ditch their diet earlier than planned compared to one in three women, who fall off the wagon before they’ve reached their target weight.

The biggest reasons why dieters gave up on their healthy eating plan was boredom (32%) and lack of discipline (21%).

Diet & nutrition expert Rachael Anne Hill told HuffPost Lifestyle: “It’s clear that the arrival of spring also brings pressure for people to shape up for summer. People would be much better adopting a healthy lifestyle all year round, without concentrating their efforts on a few select months.”

A third of anti-malaria drugs on the market are fake or of poor quality, threatening to increase resistance to life-saving medicine, new research has found.

The worrying findings, published in the The Lancet Infectious Diseases on Tuesday indicate that around 42% of antimalarial drugs in South East Asia are fake, while a third of the samples from sub-Saharan Africa contain extremely low levels of the active ingredient, which could potentially increase resistance to the drug.

The research relates to drugs containing Artemisinin, a front line treatment on the war against the disease and described by the Lancet as "the most effective treatment against malaria."

Although significant strides have been made in the fight against malaria using Artemisinin, the current findings pose a risk to the elimination of the disease, according to experts.

The latest research confirm what appears to be a distressing trend, with findings published in April indicating that resistance to Artemisinin was increasing.

The current levels of resistance could just be the tip of the iceberg, warned Dr Gaurvika Nayyar, lead researcher from Fogarty International Centre at the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

"The issue is much greater than it seems because most cases are probably unreported, reported to the wrong agencies, or kept confidential by pharmaceutical companies” said Nayyar.

However though the findings should be viewed as "a wake up call", Nayyar said that "much of this morbidity and mortality could be avoided if drugs available to patients were efficacious, high quality, and used correctly”.

Researchers analysed 1,500 samples of drugs from south east Asia and 2,500 from seven sub-Saharan Africa countries. These are the areas where most people contract malaria and die from the disease.

Although malaria mortality rates have markedly decreased since 2000, the report suggests that a medical regulatory bodies in Africa are needed to encourage countries to 'own' the problem.

“Currently, only three of the 47 malarious countries in Africa have laboratories that are equipped to chemically analyse antimalarial drugs” said Nayyar.

Treatment for diabetic patients is a postcode lottery with a massive variation in quality of care from one region to another, a report has revealed.

In some regions, only 6% of sufferers received the recommended levels of care compared to 69% in the highest-achieving primary care trusts (PCTs), a National Audit Office (NAO) report found.

Across England only half of people with diabetes received the recommended standards of care in 2009 to 2010. And not a single PCT delivered the nine basic care processes that reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications such as blindness, amputation or kidney disease.

The report also claims the NHS does not "clearly understand" the costs of diabetes at a local level and is therefore finding it difficult to deliver diabetes services in the most effective way.

The review into the management of adult diabetes services in the NHS in England states that up to 24,000 people die each year from avoidable causes relating to diabetes.

It said that there is poor performance in expected levels of care, low achievement of treatment standards and high numbers of avoidable deaths.

It concludes that the NHS diabetes services in England are not delivering value for money.

Darren Gough Talks About "Preventable Problem" Of Diabetes

While the DH estimates it spent £1.3 billion on diabetes services in 2009 to 2010, the NAO claimed the figure was a "substantial underestimate" and was more likely to be in the region of £3.9 billion.

The authors of the report recommend that services for the growing number of people suffering from the disease are "adequate" to help minimise additional costs that are generated by diabetes-related complications.

Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said the results are a "national disgrace".

She said: "The fact that the Government's own value-for-money watchdog has found that poor diabetes healthcare is resulting in avoidable complications and a high number of preventable deaths is a damning indictment of the current approach to the condition.

"By using the money we already spend on diabetes more wisely, we could stop 24,000 people dying unnecessarily every year.

"It has been clear for the last 10 years what needs to happen to fix the problem, but the plan the Government published on this has never been implemented.

"Action is needed now and escalating diabetes costs threaten to wreck the NHS budget so this is an issue that affects all of us, not just people with diabetes."

The worst offenders were Mid Essex and Swindon PCTs where less than 9% of patients were given the nine basic tests recommended by the Department of Health (DH).

The report said that the DH is not holding poorly performing PCTs to account.

The authors say: "The Department holds information to assess performance but there is a lack of accountability for PCTs who fail to ensure that the recommended standards of care are met."

Amyas Morse, head of the NAO, said: "The DH has failed to deliver diabetes care to the standard it set out as long ago as 2001.

"This has resulted in people with diabetes developing avoidable complications, in a high number of preventable deaths and in increased costs for the NHS.

"The expected 23% increase by 2020 in the number of people in England with diabetes will have a major impact on NHS recourses unless the efficiency and effectiveness of existing services are substantially improved."

Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said: "There is no excuse for delivering anything but the best diabetes care.
"Nice (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) guidance and Quality Standards set out what good care looks like. By exposing poor practice and shining a light on best practice, we are determined to drive up standards for everyone.

"We are already working on a new outcomes strategy covering long-term health conditions and are committed to publishing a companion document on diabetes later this year."

Women who are unable to quit smoking during pregnancy can significantly improve the lung function of their newborns by taking Vitamin C daily, according to a new study at Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children's Hospital.

"Smoking during pregnancy is known to adversely affect the lung development of the developing baby, causing lifelong decreased lung function and an increased risk of asthma," said Cindy McEvoy neonatologist and associate professor from the study.

"We found that babies born to pregnant smoking women who took 500 milligrams of Vitamin C daily during their pregnancy had significantly improved pulmonary function tests measured at about 48 hours after delivery."

SEE ALSO:

• One In Five Pregnant Women In North East England Smokes
• Smoking Ban Leads To Drop In Premature Births
• Lung Cancer 'Biggest Killer Among British Women'

The results will be presented at the American Thoracic Society 2012 International Conference in San Francisco May 22.

In this pilot study, McEvoy and colleagues randomly assigned 159 pregnant women who were unable to quit smoking to either daily Vitamin C or a placebo starting before 22 weeks gestation through delivery. A group of nonsmoking pregnant women also was studied as a reference group.

The researchers measured the pulmonary function in all newborns at approximately 48 hours of age and found the newborns of smoking women who received Vitamin C supplementation had significantly improved lung function compared with the newborns of smoking women who received a placebo, as measured by standard newborn pulmonary function testing.

In addition, the scientists found that one particular genetic variant that has been shown to increase the risk of smokers developing cancer and is associated with both a reduced ability to quit smoking and a high likelihood of relapse also seemed to intensify the harmful effects of maternal smoking on babies' lungs.

"Getting women to quit smoking during pregnancy has to be priority one, but this study provides a way to potentially help the infants born to the 50% of women who cannot quit smoking when pregnant," said McEvoy. "Vitamin C supplementation may block some of the in-utero effects of smoking on fetal lung development."

"Our findings are important because improved lung function tests at birth are associated with less wheezing and asthma in childhood," McEvoy said. "Vitamin C is a simple, safe, and inexpensive treatment that may decrease the impact of smoking during pregnancy on the respiratory health of children."

The big day has come and all eyes are on the bride. As she walks nervously down the aisle, she wears a dreamy, white bridal gown, a one-of-kind flowing veil, flowers in her hair and… UGG boots.

Yes, UGG Australia has unveiled its new ‘I Do’ collection (just in time for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee) of snug boots designed for brides who prefer to be on the comfy side on their wedding day.

Hot on the heels of TOMS, who recently unveiled its casual bridal range, UGG moves away from the chic elegance of a dainty pair of traditional bridal heels, and instead offers white sequined-emblazoned booties lined with its signature sheepskin.

If that isn’t enough bling for a blushing bride, the range also includes a bejeweled pair complete with a Swarovski crystal button.

And they haven’t forgotten spring and summer brides, as the collection is completed with a pair of shearling-lined ‘fluff flip flops’…

The ‘I Do’ collection (or 'Classic Sparkles' in the UK) is available to buy on the website, but British UGG enthusiasts/brides-to-be will have to pre-order their pairs (they are being released in celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee).

“On a day that feels like no other, slip on a pair that feels like nothing else,” states the UGG Australia website.

The old saying goes: ‘A bride should look like a polished version of themselves’. But if this means wearing a gorgeous frock with a pair of fluffy booties, then who are we to judge?

And on the plus side – you could definitely get down on the dance floor without the dreaded shoe pinch and you’ll be free of post-wedding day blisters…

Would you walk down the aisle in these?

If you prefer something a bit more glamorous for your wedding day, take a look at these gorgeous bridal shoes that don't resemble slippers...