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Former daily smokers report higher levels of pain than people who have never smoked daily, and their pain levels are similar to people who currently smoke daily, according to a new UCL study The paper, published today in Addictive Behaviors, analysed data from just over 220,000 people in the UK aged 16+ who had never smoked daily, used to smoke daily, or currently smoked daily.

The new year means it's time to set resolutions for 2020, and new research led by UCL and Barts Health NHS Trust suggests running a marathon for the first time could have several health benefits. The study, published by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found that for first-time marathon runners, training and completion of the marathon resulted in reductions in blood pressure and aortic stiffening in healthy participants that were equivalent to a four-year reduction in vascular age.

Ancient fossil coral skeletons in the Drake Passage reveal that wind conditions influence ocean circulation and carbon dioxide release into the atmosphere, according to an international team involving UCL researchers. The discovery suggests that future climate change could lead to increases in the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) from deep waters of the Southern Ocean into the atmosphere.

Two rare degenerative neurological disorders, namely Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and CorticoBasal Degeneration (CBD), may be twice as common as previously thought, a UCL-led study finds. Initial results from the PROSPECT study, published in JAMA Neurology , estimates that up to 10,000 people may be living with PSP & CBD in the UK.

The risk of dying as a result of emergency surgery is significantly higher for patients living in the most deprived areas, a new UCL-led study finds. The research, published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia , examined the outcomes of nearly 59,000 patients who underwent an emergency laparotomy - one of the most commonly performed major emergency surgical procedures.

Nearly one in six deaths from prostate cancer could be prevented if targeted screening was introduced for men at a higher genetic risk of the disease, according to a new UCL-led computer modelling study. Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in men with around 130 new cases diagnosed in the UK every day and more than 10,000 men a year dying as a result of the disease.

Older people who engage with the arts live longer than those who take part infrequently or not at all, according to UCL research. The study, published today in the BMJ , measured engagement in the 'receptive arts' such as going to the theatre, concerts, opera, museums, art galleries and exhibitions, and linked this to mortality.

People exposed to higher levels of air pollution are more likely to experience depression or die by suicide, finds a new analysis led by UCL. The first systematic review and meta-analysis of evidence connecting air pollution and a range of mental health problems, published in Environmental Health Perspectives , reviewed study data from 16 countries.

Professor Mark Emberton, Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, writes about the new UCL-led trial, which is testing to see if MRI scans could be effective at screening men for prostate cancer, in a similar way to how mammograms are used to check women for breast cancer. Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in men with around 130 new cases diagnosed in the UK every day and more than 10,000 men a year dying as a result of the disease.

Teenage girls who experience clinical levels of anxiety could be at greater risk of eating disorders, according to researchers at UCL and University of Bristol. The study, published today in European Eating Disorders Review , looked at anxiety disorder pathology and engagement with severe levels of fasting (not eating for an entire day) in 2,406 teenage girls of Bristol's Children of the 90s study.

Meerkat clans perform a 'war dance' to frighten opponents and protect their territory, according to a new UCL and University of Cambridge study. The study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B , is the first empirical study to reveal intergroup aggression. The researchers, who monitored hundreds of these intergroup encounters over 11 years, show that meetings between meerkat clans often turn aggressive and sometimes escalate to fighting and lethal violence.

Female MPs are roughly 20% more vocal in parliamentary debates where the cabinet minister is female than when the responsible minister is male, finds a new study by UCL. The research, published in the British Journal of Political Science , is the first to consider whether female leadership affects the processes or outcomes of political debate.

If you disagree with someone, it might not make any difference how certain they say they are, as during disagreement your brain's sensitivity to the strength of people's beliefs is reduced, finds a study led by UCL and City, University of London. The brain scanning study, published , reveals a new type of confirmation bias that can make it very difficult to alter people's opinions.

More than one in three lowand middle-income countries are facing high levels of obesity and under-nourishment, according to a report involving UCL researchers. The report, published today in The Lancet,  says a new approach is needed to help reduce the 'double burden' of undernutrition and obesity at the same time, as the issues become increasingly connected due to rapid changes in countries' food systems.

One in three people commit "financial infidelity", with potentially toxic consequences for their relationships, according to a study co-led by UCL which is thought to be the first to investigate the concept. Romantic relationships are built on trust, but partners are not always honest about their financial behaviour - they often hide spending, debt, and savings from one another.

Using geographic profiling to map half a century of ring-necked parakeet sightings, a research team involving UCL has found no evidence to support any of the colourful legends surrounding the birds' origins in the UK. Stories have circulated in recent years that seek to explain how the non-native bright green birds ( Psittacula krameri ) started breeding and spread to become one of Britain's most successful alien species.

Simian immunodeficiency virus, the monkeyand ape-infecting virus that HIV originated from, may have influenced the genetics of chimpanzees, finds a new UCL-led study. The virus is a leading contributor to differences between chimpanzee subspecies, according to the findings published in  PLOS Genetics .

NASA's Parker Solar Probe is going closer to the sun than any spacecraft has been before - Dr Daniel Verscharen (UCL Space & Climate Physics) writes about the findings so far. If you ask a child to paint a picture of the sun, you will most likely get a bright yellow circle on a piece of paper. This is actually quite accurate, given that the sun is a ball of hot gas and that its surface (called the photosphere) mostly shines in bright yellow light.

Nearly 900,000 deaths in England could have been avoided in a more equal society, according to a UCL study of 2.5 million premature deaths over the last 16 years. The study, published today in The Lancet Public Health , found that one in three deaths before the age of 75 are attributable to socio-economic and regional health inequalities.

A simple health questionnaire could be a highly effective tool to pre-screen people for early signs of oesophageal cancer, enabling much earlier diagnosis and treatment, finds a UCL-led study. The research, published in Lancet Digital Health , used artificial intelligence to analyse a large oesophageal cancer dataset, known as BEST2 (1,299 patients), to establish which health factors were common in those individuals who had Barrett's oesophagus.