News
Study looks at impact of COVID-19 pandemic on rates of congenital heart disease procedures among children
14 April 2025
Major reallocation of healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic meant that elective surgery in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) was significantly reduced, so that those needing urgent, lifesaving and emergency surgery could be treated. However, this prioritisation of the most severely ill children did not increase overall post-operative complications rates or death, a study led by the University of Bristol has shown.
- Study looks at impact of COVID-19 pandemic on rates of congenital heart disease procedures among children 14 April 2025 Major reallocation of healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic meant that elective surgery in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) was significantly reduced, so that those needing urgent, lifesaving and emergency surgery could be treated. However, this prioritisation of the most severely ill children did not increase overall post-operative complications rates or death, a study led by the University of Bristol has shown.
- Smartwatch technology could help with future alcohol interventions, new study finds 3 April 2025 Alcohol harm costs NHS England £3.5 billion annually, with 70 people dying every day from alcohol-related causes in the UK (1). According to new University of Bristol-led research smartwatches could provide a more accurate picture of people’s daily drinking habits than current methods. The technology could be a key element for future alcohol interventions.
- Smartwatch technology helps people quit smoking, new study finds 1 January 2025 Whether people decide to make New Year resolutions or not, they might want to lead a healthier lifestyle in 2025. According to a new University of Bristol-led study smartwatches could help people give up smoking. The researchers tested a smartwatch fitted with a custom app which used the smartwatch's in-built motion sensors to detect typical smoking movements. The results, published in JMIR Formative Research, showed the technology has the potential to help over two thirds of trial participants quit the habit.
- Wishing MoBa happy 25th birthday from ALSPAC 11 November 2024 To mark the 25th anniversary of the MoBa cohort in October, Professors George Davey Smith and Nic Timpson reflect on the relationship between ALSPAC and MoBa and the important role different types of cohorts play in addressing important health questions.
- Daylight saving time clock changes have substantial, but short-lived effect on how much sleep we get 25 October 2024 With the clocks going back this weekend, a new study has found that moving the clocks one hour forward in Spring and one hour back in Autumn has a substantial, but short-lived effect on sleep duration.
- The transformative potential of family-based biobanks 23 October 2024 A team of researchers from the UK, USA, Norway, Australia, and the Netherlands is calling for a shift towards family-based sampling to advance genetic research.
- Study of 18 million people finds increased mental illnesses incidence following severe COVID-19, especially in unvaccinated people 21 August 2024 A new study that examined health data on 18 million people reveals higher incidence of mental illnesses for up to a year following severe COVID-19 in unvaccinated people. Vaccination appeared to mitigate the adverse effects of COVID-19 on mental illnesses. The University of Bristol-led study, published in JAMA Psychiatry today [21 August], investigated associations of COVID-19 with mental illnesses according to time since diagnosis and vaccination status.
- Incidence of heart attacks and strokes was lower after COVID-19 vaccination, finds study of 46 million adults 31 July 2024 A new study involving nearly the whole adult population of England has found that the incidence of heart attacks and strokes was lower after COVID-19 vaccination than before or without vaccination. The research, involving University of Bristol researchers, is published in Nature Communications today [31 July].
- New study identifies two proteins that may contribute to stroke recurrence 22 July 2024 People who experience an arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) or transient ischemic stroke (TIA) are at an increased risk of suffering a second stroke or other major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), making it critically important to identify risk factors and treatments to prevent these subsequent occurrences. The new study, led by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) and University of Bristol researchers, has identified new genetic and molecular risk factors that may reveal new pathways for treating patients after they experience their first stroke.
- Pioneering clinical epidemiologist among outstanding scientists elected to EMBO 9 July 2024 George Davey-Smith, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology, has been elected to the prestigious EMBO Membership, an honour which recognises research excellence and outstanding achievements in the life sciences.
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