HEALTH NOTES: Cuddles can mend damage to hearts from heart attacks, research finds

Cuddles could help to mend the damage caused by heart attacks.

Researchers from Michigan State University found the ‘love hormone’ oxytocin, released during times of physical intimacy such as cuddling, kissing or sex, can stimulate the growth of new, healthy heart cells.

Initial studies in zebrafish, which have the remarkable ability to regrow damaged heart tissue, found they experience a 20-fold increase in oxytocin following a heart injury which stimulates the growth of specialised cells that migrate to the heart.

Exposing human heart tissue to high levels of oxytocin showed a similar effect.

Calls to rein in plastic surgery

The Government is being urged to ban all non-specialist doctors – and beauticians – from performing cosmetic surgery.

A petition has been launched by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) calling on Ministers to ensure that anyone carrying out procedures such as face lifts and breast augmentation are fully trained to consultant level and are listed as plastic surgeons on the GMC Specialist Register.

Mary O’Brien, a former president of BAAPS, said: ‘Legislation would mean surgeons from abroad could not fly in, perform a cosmetic surgery operation on a patient, and then fly out. This will also stop beauticians and untrained doctors from performing surgical procedures.’

A survey of BAAPS members found that 80 per cent had seen a rise in requests for fixing botched jobs since 2020.

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) are calling on Ministers to ensure anyone carrying out cosmetic surgery are fully trained to consultant level and are listed as plastic surgeons on the GMC Specialist Register

Despite the success of England’s Lionesses, teenage girls are still only half as likely as boys to engage in sport, a survey found.

Experts had predicted greater parity between girls and boys in sport after the England women’s football team beat Germany to win Euro 2022 in July.

Yet in a poll of 2,500 13-to-24-year-olds, only a fifth of female participants said they did a lot of sport, compared with more than one in three males.

Stephanie Hilborne, of the charity Women in Sport which conducted the research, said: ‘Far too many girls who would like to play are missing out on the joy of sport due to deep-rooted negative attitudes, fear of judgment and lack of opportunity.’

The Lionesses lift the Euros trophy during the final match between England and Germany at Wembley Stadium on July 31

A new jab for type 2 diabetes could spare sufferers the hassle of daily insulin injections.

Currently, diabetics rely on injections every day to keep their blood sugar levels stable.

The new weekly jab – called insulin icodec – from Danish firm Novo Nordisk has been shown in trials, involving 588 type 2 diabetics over a six-month period, to be just as safe and effective as normal insulin.

Novo Nordisk said fewer injections might encourage type 2 diabetics to start insulin treatment earlier, preventing later complications of the disease.