Behind the headlines

Young people who vape may be more likely to start smoking

"Teenagers who use e-cigarettes are nearly five times more likely to smoke tobacco later in life," reports the Mail Online.

E-cigarettes deliver nicotine to the lungs in vaporised liquid. Previous evidence has shown that vaping is less harmful than smoking tobacco cigarettes. E-cigarettes may help people who already smoke to stop smoking. But, e-cigarettes are not risk free and they should not be used by people who do not smoke.

Babies' sleep problems may raise chances of anxiety later in childhood

"Babies who persistently struggle with sleep in their first year are THREE TIMES more likely to have anxiety by age four," reports the Mail Online.

A new Australian study has looked at nearly 1,500 mother-child pairs to see whether babies with persistent and severe sleep problems (waking 3 or more times a night on most nights) were more likely to show signs of mental health problems in later childhood.

Eating an egg a day does not raise risk of heart attack or stroke

"Eggs are NOT bad for your heart: Thirty-year study finds eating one a day does not raise the risk of stroke or heart disease," reports the Mail Online.

"No evidence" that full-fat milk and dairy products lead to overweight children

NHS guidelines on diet say that young children benefit from the calories and essential vitamins in milk. But they add: "For older children and adults, it's a good idea to go for lower-fat milks because having too much fat in your diet can result in you becoming overweight."

Frequent teeth brushing may be linked with lower risk of diabetes

The Mail Online reports that brushing your teeth 3 times a day could ward off diabetes.

The report is prompted by a South Korean study that collected data from a health insurance system on the dental health and frequency of check-ups for over 180,000 people. It then linked this with records of raised blood sugar or prescriptions for diabetes drugs over an average 10-year follow-up.

Sugary fizzy drinks could affect your cholesterol level

"One fizzy drink per day can cause a heart attack," warns Metro, while the Mail Online claims that "Just one full-fat fizzy drink a day in your 40s may 'increase your risk of a heart attack or stroke'"

'Electronic nose' sniffs out condition that can lead to cancer

"'Electronic nose' could smell breath to warn about higher risk of oesophageal cancer," reports the Guardian.

 

Oesophageal cancer is cancer of the food pipe. People with a condition called Barrett's oesophagus have a higher risk of oesophageal cancer and are offered regular monitoring to check for cancer signs.

 

A diet high in fruit, veg, fibre and dairy is linked to lower stroke risk, study finds

Various media sources have reported that eating fruit, vegetables, fibre and dairy is linked with a lower risk of stroke.

This follows a large European cohort study that looked at the link between different food groups and the risk of stroke in more than 400,000 people (average age 50 years) from 9 European countries. During around 12 years of follow-up, 1 to 2 in every 100 of the study group had a stroke.

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NHS Content Behind the Headlines is a news service provided by NHS Choices that provides an unbiased and evidence-based analysis of health stories that make the news.