The Open University

Still a stigma: Abortion 50 years on

27 October 2017

Fifty years on from from the 1967 Abortion Act, OU academic and researcher in abortion policy, politics and teenage pregnancy, Dr Lesley Hoggart, examines why there is still a stigma attached to women who have more than one abortion. Challenging the stigma associated with abortions “It’s been 50 years since the Abortion Act 1967 was passed, […]

Why asking what causes autism is the wrong question

11 October 2017

The animal rights charity PETA recently made a link between autism and drinking cow’s milk. The article on its website discussed research that linked a diary-free diet with a reduction in symptoms of autism in children. The charity cited two particular research projects which suggest a link between drinking cow’s milk and autism. It was […]

Top tips on getting to sleep the night before the big day

15 August 2017

Getting to sleep before a big day is never going to be simple. But it can be much easier if you manage your sleep (and your children’s sleep) beforehand. Honorary Associate, Dr Paul Kelley, is an expert in circadian and memory neuroscience, and given his top tips on how to wind-down before the big day: […]

How to settle social care funding once and for all

5 June 2017

Branding it a “dementia tax” was inspired – opponents of the Conservative Party’s election manifesto railed against its fundamentally unfair proposals for dealing with the social care costs of increasing numbers of old people with dementia. Theresa May’s U-turn took less than a long weekend. But there is still massive unfairness in the provision of […]

“Could painkillers increase our risk of a heart attack?” OU academic explains

10 May 2017

Research by the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, published in The British Medical Journal (BMJ), suggests that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) painkillers could increase the risk of heart attacks. The study of five NSAID painkillers, including ibuprofen, concluded that the risk of suffering from a heart attack was as much as 50% greater in those […]

Four myths about diabetes debunked

8 May 2017

The World Health Organisation estimates that the number of people with diabetes is 422m, globally. And between 1980 and 2014 the number of people with the condition almost doubled. Despite the high prevalence of the disease, it is often misunderstood. Here are some common misconceptions about diabetes. 1. Diabetes is purely a disorder of the […]

OU responds to workforce development challenges with new Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work

21 March 2017

The OU is celebrating World Social Work Day (#WSWD2017) with the launch of a new Post-graduate Diploma and MA in Social Work. The OU has been training social workers for more than 18 years with 300 people graduating in the field each year. Speaking after a recent Parliamentary Reception Mick McCormick, Programme Director, Head of Department […]

High blood pressure may protect over-80s from dementia

18 January 2017

It is well known that high blood pressure is a risk factor for dementia, so the results of a new study from the University of California, Irvine, are quite surprising. The researchers found that people who developed high blood pressure between the ages of 80-89 are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease (the most common […]

‘Understanding vision impairment is more imperative than ever’

22 November 2016

Older people with Vision Impairment (VI) from Black and Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups in England are less likely to access vital support services than those from White British backgrounds, a recent study by The Open University (OU) has concluded. The research, commissioned by the national sight loss charity, Thomas Pocklington Trust, interviewed 50 older […]

Fitbits for older people: OU researches wearable technology

10 August 2016

Could wearable fitness trackers like Fitbits – currently seen as trendy accessories for the young – play a key role in improving the health of older people? This is what Open University researchers aim to discover, in a year-long study following people over 55 using a range of digital wearable health-monitoring technologies. The research will […]

OU News

Category: Health