Bristol Medical School

Analysis finds four repurposed antiviral drugs have little or no effect on patients hospitalised for COVID-19

4 December 2020

Repurposed antiviral drugs - remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir and interferon - to treat COVID-19 appear to have little or no effect on patients hospitalised for the disease, in terms of overall mortality, initiation of ventilation and duration of hospital stay. The interim findings from the WHO Solidarity trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), followed 11,266 adults at 405 hospitals in 30 countries.

Relaxation techniques may help lower high blood pressure—at least in the short term

8 April 2025

Relaxation techniques may help lower high blood pressure—at least in the short term—but the longer term effects are unclear, finds a pooled data analysis of the existing research. The study, led by the Universities of Bristol and Exeter and published in BMJ Medicine, is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

Early detection key to improving treatment of uveitis, a leading cause globally of vision loss

28 May 2025

New treatment guidance has been developed to help doctors tackle uveitis — one of the leading causes of vision loss. The new clinical guidance, by a team at the University of Bristol, aims to help thousands of sufferers keep this painful eye condition at bay. The study is published in JAMA today [28 May].

Accuracy of rapid covid test may be lower than previously suggested

12 November 2020

The accuracy of a rapid finger-prick antibody test for SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19 infection, may be considerably lower than previously suggested, finds a study led by scientists from Public Health England and the Universities of Bristol, Cambridge and Warwick published in The BMJ.

Novel pathology could improve diagnosis and treatment of Huntington’s and other diseases

30 June 2020

Bristol scientists have discovered a novel pathology that occurs in several human neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington’s disease.

Bristol cardiac surgeon who pioneered life-saving surgery receives Lifetime Achievement Award

24 March 2025

Professor Gianni Angelini, Director of the Bristol Heart Institute at the University of Bristol, and cardiac surgeon at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW), has been honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for Coronary Artery Surgery for his pioneering work.

Bristol professor joins Academy of Medical Sciences Fellowship

22 May 2025

A University of Bristol academic who is the Principal Investigator for the Children of the 90s health study has been elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. Professor Nic Timpson joins 53 exceptional biomedical and health scientists from UK institutions selected to the Academy for their exceptional contributions to the advancement of medical science.

Handgrip strength shown to identify people at high risk of type 2 diabetes

2 September 2020

A simple test such as the strength of your handgrip could be used as a quick, low-cost screening tool to help healthcare professionals identify patients at risk of type 2 diabetes. In new research, scientists at the universities of Bristol and Eastern Finland measured the muscular handgrip strength of 776 men and women without a history of diabetes over a 20-year period and demonstrated that the risk of type 2 diabetes was reduced by around 50 per cent for every unit increase in handgrip strength value. The findings are published today in Annals of Medicine.

Bristol study awarded £5.2 million to continue groundbreaking health research across three generations

7 March 2025

The Children of the 90s health study at the University of Bristol, which researches the lives of thousands of families in the south west, has been awarded £5.2 million to continue its pioneering work to improve people’s health.

Report reveals young people felt less anxious and more connected to school in lockdown

24 August 2020

Younger teenagers in the South West of England felt less anxious and more connected to school when they were away from it during the COVID-19 global pandemic public lockdown, a first-of-its-kind study has found.