A round up of today's health news
Gene linked to reaction to horror movies
Variations in a single gene may help explain why horror movies shock some people and entertain others.
The gene affects a chemical in the brain and is linked to anxiety, scientists have discovered. People with one version of the gene are more easily startled when viewing unpleasant pictures.They find it harder to keep their emotions in check and may be more prone to anxiety disorders.
Known as COMT, the gene weakens the effect of a signalling chemical in the brain linked to emotion. The finding is reported in the current issue of Behavioural Neuroscience. (-PA)
Running slows effects of ageing
Running can slow the effects of ageing and give older people a new lease of life, new research at Stanford's School of Medicine in the US suggests.
Elderly joggers remained fit and active for longer than non-runners and were half as likely to die prematurely, scientists found.
They were also less likely to succumb to a range of age-related illnesses, including heart disease, cancer and neurological disorders. The study, which spanned more than 20 years, began in 1984.
Cancer patients 'better off dead'
Cancer patients are three times more likely to think they would be "better off dead" or to contemplate suicide than the rest of the population, a study by Cancer Research UK has found.
Patients were most likely to have these thoughts if they had substantial pain and particularly if they had serious emotional distress.
Almost 3,000 outpatients with a range of cancers answered a computerised questionnaire about their symptoms at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre.