From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground.
Rare Disease Day, on 28 February, highlights the more than 6,100 conditions identified worldwide, including xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), a rare genetic disorder that affects just over 100 people in France. Those affected are often referred to as Children of the Moon, a name that reflects their extreme sensitivity to ultraviolet light.
Federal regulators have issued warnings that unapproved exosomes could leave customers with severe skin infections. As procedures like exosome therapy become more popular, they draw attention to the potential threat to consumer health posed in some Florida med spas. In their rush to obtain the newest, buzziest treatments, customers may be injected with unapproved, mislabeled or even outright toxic substances.
I caught myself doing it again last week-meticulously applying sunscreen to my face while completely ignoring my neck. It wasn't until I saw a photo from my friend's wedding that I noticed the difference. My face looked smooth and even-toned, but my neck? Let's just say it was telling a different story. The fine lines and slight sagging made me realize I'd been treating my neck like it was somehow immune to aging. Turns out, I've had it backward this whole time.
Smoking, being overweight, and exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun and sunbeds are the top preventable causes of cancer, experts have warned. Researchers from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) analysed 30 risk factors that cause cancer, such as smoking, drinking alcohol and air pollution. Using data from across 185 countries, they estimate that about 7.1 million of the 18.7 million new cancer cases diagnosed globally in 2022 were preventable.
The front of the eye, and the cornea in particular, has more nerve endings per millimetre square than anywhere else in the body, says Dr Dilani Siriwardena, a consultant NHS ophthalmologist at Moorfields eye hospital in London and vice-president of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. So it can be very sensitive. The tiniest scratch or piece of grit in your eye can feel like a brick.
But experts from Silent Spring Institute have now discovered several 'chemicals of concern' in these additions - including those made from human hair. In their study, the team screened 43 popular products sold online for a wide range of chemicals. Their analysis uncovered traces of dozens of chemicals, including flame retardants, phthalates, pesticides, styrene, tetrachloroethane, and organotins. Worryingly, previous research has shown that these substances are linked with cancer, hormone disruption, developmental problems, and effects on the immune system.
Blindness is a very scary disability, says Prof Lauren Ayton, deputy director of the Centre for Eye Research Australia at the University of Melbourne. But people don't realise actually about 90% of vision loss can be prevented or treated. And like many other problems, keeping the eyes healthy so often comes down to good diet, keeping active, and regular check-ups.