The Open University

“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 […]

Big Ben and Houses of Parliament in London, England

Carers pay the heavy price of failing legislation

5 July 2016

A year on from the introduction of the Care Act 2014, a review by the UK’s largest charity for unpaid carers has found that the new act has made little or no difference to the 5.4 million carers in England. The review commissioned by the Carers Trust, led by former care minister Paul Burstow, involved […]

The Big C booklet produced by Open University academics to support BBC TV series The Big C and Me.

5 ways to make a difference to someone living with cancer

2 June 2016

Two and a half million people are living with cancer in Britain. But what is the impact on a patient once they receive the diagnosis and how do they, and their families and friends, cope with everything the disease then throws at them? The Big C and Me is a BBC/Open University co-production delving into […]

Why alcohol makes you feel warm – and other strange effects it has on the brain

26 May 2016

Alcohol: why do we drink it? People have been consuming alcohol for at least 10,000 years. And when drinking water was rather risky, alcohol seemed a much safer bet. Amaldus of Villanova, a 14th-century monk, even wrote that alcohol “prolongs life, clears away ill humors, revives the heart and maintains youth”. Today people will give […]

Does air pollution increase the risk of stillbirth?

26 May 2016

New research suggests pregnant women exposed to air pollution – like car emissions or industrial waste fumes – could face an increased risk of stillbirth. But an Open University statistics expert says that’s not necessarily the case. “I don’t think these new findings should be a serious cause for concern for individual pregnant women – if […]

OU News

Category: Health