HEALTH BRIEFS

COVID PREDICAMENT

Catching Covid-19 when you are pregnant is linked with a higher risk of pregnancy-related problems, including giving birth early, according to a University of British Columbia study of more than 6000 pregnancies between March 2020 and October 2021. The odds of winding up in hospital for Covid-19 were much higher for pregnant women than for similar-aged women in general – including 5.46 times higher relative risk for ICU admission. The risk of preterm birth was significantly higher among Covid-19-infected pregnancies – 11.05% compared with 6.76% among non-affected pregnancies – even in women with milder disease.

WEIGHT-LOSS WOES

Four in five people classed as obese are actively trying to lose weight, but just under one in three are succeeding, according to research by University Hospital Cardiff. A survey completed by 1850 people included their weight-loss strategies and whether they had lost a clinically relevant percentage of their body weight (5%). Calorie-controlled or restricted diets were the most popular strategy, the researchers say, but just one in five people doing this succeeded. A third of respondents gained weight despite their efforts.

GREAT SHOT

Getting the seasonal influenza vaccine could reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and stroke, according to a study from the University of Toronto. Researchers combined a previous meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials with another trial completed last year to update research on the topic. Across the studies, s participants who had h the flu shot had a 34% lower risk of major cardiovascular events e than placebo recipients.

Tansy Boggon