A microbe found in the lower part of the gut that is associated with good health has been comprehensively analysed and found to have a focused diet breaking down sugars locked away in mucus, according to a new study, published in Nature Microbiology.

While many studies have reported a link between a mother’s health condition during pregnancy and her child’s risk of autism, a new study shows that nearly all of these “associations” can otherwise be explained by factors such as genetics, exposure to pollution, and access to healthcare.

A 240-year-old drug called digoxin could save the National Health Service (NHS) at least £100 million each year when treating older patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure. This was compared to usual treatment with a beta-blocker according to a new study published in the journal Heart from the University of Birmingham, the city where digoxin was first used in 1785.

A study assessed the impact of electric fans on the body core temperature and heart rate of 18 participants aged 65-85 years, who were exposed to a simulated extreme indoor environment of 36°C with 45 per cent relative humidity for eight hours. The results showed participants were unaffected by fan use, with all three of the experimental conditions resulting in an average body core temperature of 38.3°C and heart rate of 100 beats per minute.