Dr David Cox

Can we really turn back our body’s clock? Dr Raghav Sehgal, a researcher in ageing at Yale University, says that some studies have shown it’s possible to reduce certain aspects of biological age by one to three years through better sleep, diet and exercise. However, he’s sceptical about the more outlandish claims of age reversal, as the testing methods may not take in the full complexity of the damage caused by decades of unhealthy living.
Dr Sehgal, 30, does believe that one day, some experi...

Our knees are arguably one of our most important joints, but also one of the most poorly looked after. Science tells us putting in some work now pays dividends later.

You might start to notice it as early as your thirties: the dull knee aches when the weather changes, the morning stiffness when you get out of bed. You might think twice about crouching down. They're all unwelcome signs that your knees are not quite the well-oiled joints they once were.
This will be especially true if you hav...

For decades, the discussion around autism has been a hotbed of misinformation, misinterpretation, and bad science, ranging from the long-discredited link between the neurodevelopmental condition and vaccines, to newer claims that going gluten-free and avoiding ultra-processed foods can reverse autistic traits.

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SUDDEN confusion, racing heart rate, drowsiness, shortness of breath, mottled skin, and fever could be symptoms of sepsis, a life-threatening form of blood poisoning.
Sepsis can arise from acute bacterial infections (such as meningitis), viruses (like covid and seasonal flu), and sometimes infections subtly contracted through a minor cut, graze, or picked spot.
Sepsis kills 3,000 people in Ireland every yea...

Scientists want to use the bacteria living in your gut and mouth to help you sleep better at night.

As you lie in bed tonight, your body will be a teeming mass of activity. Across almost every inch of you – and inside you too – billions of tiny organisms are writhing and jostling for space. But if that horrifying thought is likely to keep you up at night, consider this: they might also help you get a better night's sleep.
Emerging research suggests that the communities of bacteria, viruses ...

The condition of our lungs can reveal a great deal about our wider health. Luckily you can also get them into better shape.

How old do you think your lungs are? With every breath, they are exposed to a myriad of pollutants, microbes, dust and allergens. Unsurprisingly this can take a toll on these delicate organs, accelerating how they age. But they also can affect how the rest of your body ages too.
In early May 2025, an international team of respiratory experts published one of the first ...

An over-the-counter nasal spray which has been used for years as a safe and effective treatment for seasonal allergies could potentially prevent Covid infections, according to clinical trial results released Tuesday.
The antihistamine azelastine works as an antiviral against a range of respiratory infections, including influenza, RSV and the virus that causes Covid, a growing number of studies have shown.
German scientists at Saarland University Hospital recruited 450 adults, mostly in their ...

Based on new European Commission data, Ireland has the second-highest rate of new cancer diagnoses out of all European Union nations, with more than 24,000 new cases every single year.
As Professor Patrick Redmond, a GP, associate professor at RCSI, and leading cancer care researcher notes, cancer is now the leading cause of mortality in Ireland, causing 28% of deaths each year: “It’s a big public health issue. It’s taken over from heart disease as the major contributor in terms of mortality ...