Consuming fruit and a cup of coffee a day can halve risk of unhealthy cell ageing, study suggests

Eating fruit and drinking a cup of coffee a day could halve the risk of cells ageing unhealthily, research suggests.Foods rich in polyphenols such as berries, apples, coffee, cocoa and tea are known to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, but a new study has found they are also associated with a lower risk of short telomeres, the “ends” or caps of DNA that, when shorter, increase the risk of cell death and unhealthy ageing.Researchers from the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain, measured the length of telomeres in samples from more than 1,700 adults in 2008 and also in 2015 and assessed participants’ total polyphenol consumption.The study, presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul, found that compared with those who consumed the least polyphenols, those with the highest amounts in their diets had a 52% lower risk of short telomeres.Moderate coffee consumption (up to one cup per day) was associated with a 26% lower risk of short telomeres compared with non-consumers, while four to five servings of fruit a day was also linked to a lower risk, with participants consuming the most fruit having a 29% lower risk of having short telomeres compared with those who ate the least

Palantir’s access to identifiable NHS England patient data is ‘dangerous’, MPs say

MPs have warned that an NHS decision to grant Palantir access to identifiable patient information in its plan to use AI to improve the health service is “dangerous” and will fuel public fears that data privacy is not being prioritised.NHS England has allowed staff from the US tech firm and other contractors to access patient data before it has been pseudonymised, despite internal fears of a “risk of loss of public confidence”, the Financial Times reported.The health service made the move to allow Palantir to access the data in recent weeks according to the reports, which revealed an internal NHS briefing that said it would allow “unlimited access to non-NHSE staff” to part of the NHS’s federated data platform (FDP), which holds identifiable patient information.Palantir, which also supports Donald Trump’s ICE immigration crackdown and the Israeli, US and UK militaries, was awarded a £330m contract to help build the FDP, installing AI systems to integrate scattered health datasets and bring efficiencies to medical treatment. But the deal has been dogged by warnings from campaigners and MPs concerned about the security of patient records

‘The mouth is a gateway into your body’: the fascinating, frightening links between our gums and our health

Scientists are discovering more and more associations between poor oral health and everything from heart disease to dementia. But can flossing and brushing properly guarantee a longer life?Isn’t it weird that dentistry and medicine have been kept largely separate? Why should our mouths be treated differently from the rest of our bodies? Going to the dentist often feels like more of a lifestyle and cosmetic add-on, especially for adults in the UK. And, even if you can find an NHS dentist, the service is not free at the point of use like medical doctors are.The origin story for this rift is that dentistry began, in the middle ages, as a trade – with tooth extractions handled by “barber surgeons” and dentures crafted by jewellers and blacksmiths. Today, dentistry and medicine still have their own separate training routes, professional bodies and NHS setup

Steve Lismore obituary

My partner, Steve Lismore, who has died aged 71 in a climbing accident in Italy, was a civil servant and local politician with twin passions for giving children a good start in life and establishing equality of access to employment. Steve’s energy and commitment to action has had a lasting impact across north Derbyshire.Born in Toronto, Canada, to Violet (nee Greaves), a secretary, and Basil Lismore, a toolmaker, Steve loved reading and excelled at Bayview Heights school, Ontario, skipping a grade and winning awards at science fairs.His approach to life was formed in his teens. He combined adventure, practicality and ingenuity as he coaxed cheap motorbikes to ever improved performance

Renters’ Rights Act could worsen court delays without proper funding | Letters

The new Renters’ Rights Act is a step forward in ensuring that both tenants and landlords can access justice, but without proper investment it risks creating new court delays and injustices for both parties (The Guardian view on the Renters’ Rights Act: finally, protections fit for the modern housing market, 5 May).The end of “no fault” evictions in England is expected to lead to an increase in the number of contested repossession cases. If courts do not have the funding to handle the increase, delays will grow and leave many people in limbo, as we have recently seen with the closure of the Hillingdon Law Centre.This investment must include further funding for housing legal aid. While last year the UK government pledged to increase the fees paid to housing legal aid firms, those changes are yet to be fully implemented

Doctors warned Andrea could die without safe housing, then discharged her to sleep on the streets

The First Nations woman has been on the priority public housing list in WA since 2023. Despite nearly dying from sleeping rough, she still has a two-year waitFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe family of a homeless First Nations woman who is sick with septicemia fear she will die without a safe home, but advocates warn it could be years before she reaches the top of the public housing waiting list.Andrea Woodley has been in and out of hospital for weeks with sepsis, triggered by infected blisters on her feet after sleeping rough in inner city Perth. The Noongar, Budimaya and Nyikina woman and her loved ones fear that without a home she is at risk of death.Her mother, Heather Taylor, who lives 2,000km away in Derby in the Western Australian Kimberley region, said she was told her daughter’s sepsis, which has spread to her heart and lungs, could be fatal without proper treatment