Bristol Medical School

UK public shows strong preference for vaccines that prevent severe illness, particularly for children

13 June 2018

The UK public has a clear preference for funding vaccination programmes which protect young children against severe diseases, finds a new study that considered the public’s preferences on vaccines available on the NHS. The study suggests that the public’s preferences about which vaccines are made available on the NHS, particularly children, are not reflected by the current approach. The Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF)-funded study, led by University of Bristol researchers, is published today [13 June] in PLOS ONE.

Bath geriatrician leads £2.1m trial into Parkinson’s disease at the University of Bristol

24 May 2018

A UK-wide trial into Parkinson’s disease led by Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Bristol is set to go ahead, thanks to a £2.1 million grant from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).

Experts raise safety concerns about cardboard baby boxes

18 October 2018

Cardboard baby boxes are being promoted for infant sleep as a safe alternative to more traditional cots, bassinets, or Moses baskets, without any evidence in place, warn experts from the Universities of Bristol and Durham and published in The BMJ.

Patients to set agenda for heart failure research

13 June 2018

People with advanced heart failure, their carers, families and friends are being asked to help set the priorities for future research into the condition. Researchers from the Universities of Bristol, Oxford and Cambridge are working with the James Lind Alliance - a non-profit organisation which looks for unanswered health research questions by reaching out to those most affected - to identify research questions that will focus on improving advanced heart failure care.

Bristol academics named among the most highly cited in global list

27 November 2018

Eighteen researchers at the University of Bristol have been named in the annual Highly Cited Researchers 2018 List, which recognises influential researchers around the world.

Which factors are linked with wellbeing and medication adherence in young adults with kidney failure

16 October 2018

A new study led by the University of Bristol has evaluated important aspects of psychological health in young adults with kidney failure. The findings, which appear in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN), point to the need for additional efforts to address the wellbeing of these patients.

Adverse health outcomes associated with long-term antidepressant use

29 September 2022

Long-term antidepressant use may double the risk of heart disease, finds the most comprehensive epidemiological study to date to investigate the health consequences from using the medication over ten years. The University of Bristol-led study, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry Open, analysed data on over 200,000 people.

No difference between spinal versus general anaesthesia in patients having hip fracture surgery, finds study

28 September 2022

There are no differences in the safety or effectiveness of the two most common types of anaesthetic (spinal versus general anaesthesia) in patients undergoing hip fracture surgery, according to the findings of a new study led by the University of Bristol in collaboration with University of Warwick researchers. The findings, published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia, analysed previously published data on nearly 4,000 hip fracture patients.

Famine and disease drove the evolution of lactose tolerance in Europe

27 July 2022

Prehistoric people in Europe were consuming milk thousands of years before humans evolved the genetic trait allowing us to digest the milk sugar lactose as adults, finds a new study. The research, published in Nature, mapped pre-historic patterns of milk use over the last 9,000 years, offering new insights into milk consumption and the evolution of lactose tolerance.

Bans on gluten-free prescribing save the NHS money in the short-term but the impact on patients is unclear

2 August 2018

Full or partial bans on GPs prescribing gluten-free (GF) foods to people with coeliac disease save the NHS money in the short-term. But the impact on patients, especially those from deprived areas, is unknown, NIHR-funded researchers at the University of Bristol have warned.