Soldier discovered fiancee’s body when he came home from Afghanistan after she hanged herself while suffering postnatal depression

Lance Sgt Robert Kopicki discovered Linzi Mannion's body when he returned home to Bolton, Manchester, from a tour of duty

You really CAN die of a broken heart: Surviving spouses have a 66% higher risk of dying in the three months after their partner's death

The study found that when a husband or wife dies, the remaining spouse's risk of dying is 66 per cent higher in the three months after their partner's death

The effect may be stronger in younger people, say the Harvard researchers, who suggest the massive change in the remaining spouse's lifestyle may be to blame.

Woman's ear turns black and DISSOLVES after being bitten by a spider - and has to be rebuilt using cartilage from her ribs

A 22-year-old Dutch woman's ear turned black after she was bitten by a Mediterranean recluse spider in Italy

The Dutch woman, 22, was bitten by a Mediterranean recluse spider in Italy, according to the Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery.

Primary school teacher died after she was 'reluctantly persuaded' to change her C-section birth plan to a natural delivery

Tragedy: Popular teacher Frances Cappuccini died after giving birth to her second son Jack

Frances Cappuccini, 30, died a few hours after giving birth to her son Jack by emergency Caesarean on October 9 last year at Pembury Hospital, Kent.

Drinking even one strong coffee in the afternoon can knock an HOUR off your sleep

An after dinner coffee can disrupt your sleep for most of the night, reducing the amount of shut-eye you get by up to an hour

Researchers at Wayne State University, in Michigan, U.S., say the stimulating effects of caffeine last for up to six hours.

Desperately lonely Indian man with huge facial tumour undergoes surgery – and now hopes he’ll find true love

Lalit Ram lived as a virtual recluse in his remote Indian village due to the condition neurofibromatosis which caused a large sagging tumour on his face

Lalit Ram lived as a virtual recluse in his remote Indian village due to the condition neurofibromatosis which caused a large sagging tumour on his face.

Doctors call for end to state-funded 'designer vaginas' after huge rise in procedures 'driven by online porn'

Warped by porn: Thousands of women and girls

In the past decade cases of genital cosmetic surgery have risen five-fold and more than 2,000 women are now having the procedure on the NHS each year.

Tummy tuck op left me looking like a MAN: Woman, 38, was left with flap of skin dangling between her legs and friends asking if she’d had a sex change

Helena Barrett

WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT: Helena Barrett (pictured left while pregnant last year, and right with her husband, Tim), 38, from Buckinghamshire, lost nine stone after weight loss surgery but was left with saggy skin. She decided to have more surgery to remove it but was horrified when she woke up and found she had been left with a 'penis' (inset). She claims her friends could see it through her trousers and asked if she had had a sex change. But thanks to reconstructive surgery, she has now recovered, found love and given birth to a baby girl.

Boys are 14% more likely to be born prematurely than girls: Study finds that even in the womb, females mature faster

Boys are 14 per cent more likely to be born prematurely than girls, according to new figures, which show an extra 5,700 boys are born early each year in the UK

Research by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine revealed boys are more likely to suffer death and disability as a result of being born prematurely.

To cut stroke risk, walk for longer - not faster: Over-65s who walk for an hour a day reduce chance by a third

Scientists now say it's the time you spend walking rather than the speed you go which matters

The health benefits of going for a walk have long been recognised. And now scientists say it's the time you spend rather than the speed you go.

How half of over-65s rely on their TV for company: One in ten people of any age visit their GP because they are lonely rather than unwell

Half of over-65s regard television as their main source of company, a report says today

The Campaign to End Loneliness found family doctors are seeing as many as ten lonely patients a day and that half feel they do not have the skills to help them.

Thousands of GIRLS may have undiagnosed autism because they can hide the signs better than boys

Thousands of girls may have autism that has never been diagnosed because they cover-up the signs so well

The University College London findings have prompted concern that girls are missing out treatment, leaving them prone to eating disorders and depression later on.

The baby born to a brain-dead mother: Foetus survives from 15 to 27 weeks while mother is on life-support before being delivered by C-section

A foetus which was 15 weeks old when its mother was declared brain-dead was delivered by Caesarean section at 27 weeks

The Hungarian doctors who delivered the baby in July believe the birth is one of only three such cases in the world.

Warning over rising pulse rates in children: Average resting heartbeat of children aged 9 to 11 up by two beats over past 30 years

Resting pulse is measured by doctors for an indication of good health

A new study in the Archives of Disease in Childhood found the rise in resting heart rates may put children at a greater risk of heart diseases in later life.

'You condemned my sweetheart to death': Furious husband stands up and confronts health bosses during crisis summit over NHS trust which covered up cancer delays

Lisa Brigden (left) was diagnosed with  inoperable stomach cancer. Her husband Gary (top right) claims Colchester Hospital (bottom right) made a catalogue of misdiagnoses and delays in treatment which have condemned her to death

Gary Brigden (pictured above right) whose wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer two days ago made a dramatic public protest against bosses at a scandal-hit hospital yesterday. His voice shook as he told a public meeting his 46-year-old wife Lisa (pictured with her granddaughter) had been diagnosed with inoperable stomach cancer after a catalogue of delays and misdiagnosis. Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust was placed in special measures yesterday by the health sector regulator Monitor following a damning report by the Care Quality Commission.

Millions more Britons could be put on statins to cut risk of heart attacks and strokes after US study says a third of adults should take them

Millions more Britons could be given statins to cut their risk of heart attacks and strokes after US guidelines recommended a third of adults should take them

New advice tells doctors to consider a patient’s lifetime risk and may result in a doubling of prescriptions. It will be closely monitored by British experts who are preparing two updated sets of guidelines on statin use.

'It has changed my life': Britain's first abdominal wall transplant patients now enjoying food, drink and hobbies for first time in years

Craig Shirley, 42, was the first person in the UK to receive an abdominal wall transplant, and has told how the operation transformed his life

Craig Shirley (pictured), 42, was the first person in the UK to receive the transplant while Amy Grime, 28, was the first women to undergo the procedure.

Could too many sugary fizzy drinks damage your brain? Regularly consuming beverages can 'profoundly' change the organ

The research was in rats but the Australian scientists said that it provides evidence that a sugary diet has consequences beyond our physical health

A study found that long-term consumption of a sweet drink led to hyperactivity and altered hundreds of proteins in the brain.

Jab which cures heart failure by shrinking the 'enlarged' organ could save lives of thousands scientists claim

The 'SUMO-1' gene therapy can shrink enlarged hearts, improving their function and increasing blood flow.

Scientists who have reversed the condition in animals by injecting them with the SUMO-1 gene now hope tests on patients will be just as successful.

Women with asthma take longer to start a family: New study of 15,000 twins reveals the risk of delay in conceiving is increased when condition goes untreated

Women with asthma take longer to conceive, a new study of 15,000 twins has revealed

The large-scale study, published in the European Respiratory Journal, suggests the condition's impact on conception is more serious the older the woman is.

Using the bus DOESN'T increase your risk of catching the flu - and nor does being a man (but it's bad news for people who live in the North)

Contrary to popular belief, people who use public transport are no more likely to get flu than those who do not

School children and teenage girls living in the North are most likely to get the flu, according to the results of the annual UK Flusurvey.

EXCLUSIVE: The girl with no vagina: Teenager can't have sex or babies due to rare condition that left her without reproductive organs (and she didn't find out until she was 17)

Jacqui

EXCLUSIVE: Jacqui Beck, 19, from the Isle of Wight, has MRKH, an unusual syndrome which affects the reproductive system - meaning she has no womb, cervix or vagina. She was only diagnosed after she went to her GP about back pain - and mentioned in passing that she hadn't started her periods. Tests revealed her condition and that where her vagina should be, there is simply a dimple - meaning she is unable to have sex or carry her own child. She says when she was first diagnosed, she felt 'like a freak. I left the doctors in tears - I would never know what it was like to give birth, be pregnant, have a period. All the things I had imagined doing suddenly got erased from my future. 'I was really angry and felt like I wasn’t a real woman any more.' She is has now spoken out to raise awareness of the condition.

Can you give YOURSELF the cancer-causing HPV virus? Study finds some sex acts may increase the risk of throat cancer

New research has suggested it may be possible for people carrying the HPV virus to unwittingly transmit it to other parts of their body, increasing the risk of oral cancer

New research presented at the American Public Health Association meeting found it may be possible to transfer human papillomavirus from the genitals to the mouth.

New bulimia treatment could CURE patients for up to a year by 're-tuning' the brain to boost self-control

Patients with long-standing eating disorders remained symptom-free for up to a year after a magnet was used to turn up the part of the brain involved in self-control

Researchers at the University of Toronto say magnets can be used to 'turn up' the part of the brain involved in self-control.

Could an eye test be used to diagnosed Alzheimer's? Study shows disease kills eye cells as well as brain cells

Alzheimer's could one day be diagnosed by a simple eye test

Researchers at Georgetown University, in Washington DC, found the layers of the retina are up to 49 per cent thinner in mice with Alzheimer's.

Fed up with your eye colour? Surgeon pioneers new technique to CHANGE the colour of the iris

Eye

WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT: Dr Kenneth Rosenthal, from the Island Eye Surgicentre in Long Island, designed the procedure which involves inserting a silicone implant into the eye.

'I lost nearly 2 stone in 24 HOURS': Sport scientist proves rapid weight loss IS possible (if you're prepared to exercise wearing bin bags, eat no carbs and drink nothing)

Ross Edgley lost 1st 11lbs in 24 hours by drinking very little water and using saunas and sweat suits. He also lose 5ins from his chest and 4ins from his waist

EXCLUSIVE: Ross Edgley, from Knutsford, Cheshire, used diuretics, sweat suits, saunas and Epsom salt baths in a bid to reduce the water content of his body and prove people should not be slaves to the weighing scales. His crazy antics were part of an experiment to prove that weight loss isn't all about fat - but often about water - and therefore people shouldn't be a slave to the weighing scales day in, day out. He said: 'I hope this experiment will create a healthier relationship between people and the weighing scales and people will realise weight can fluctuate based on many factors, not just fat.'

Eating al desko DOES make you fat: Workers gorge on crisps, chocolate and Coke rather than having a proper lunch

Weight gain was largely caused by office workers binging on crisps, chocolate and Coke at their desks

Around 40 per cent of people eat lunch at their desk every day, with many stressed workers 'rewarding' themselves for working long hours with junk food, a poll for a diet pill company found.

Why one-night stands aren't worth it for women: They're half as likely to orgasm during casual sex than when they're in a committed relationship

A study shows women are twice as likely to orgasm when having sex as part of a committed relationship as when having casual sex

Researchers at New York University found only 40 per cent of women orgasm during casual sex, compared to 80 per cent of men.

How suffering depression can speed up the ageing process: Cells in people who suffer from the condition are biologically older

Dutch researchers compared cell structures called telomeres in more than 2,400 people with and without depression (posed)

Tests revealed that cells appeared biologically older in people who were severely depressed or who had suffered from the condition in the past.

Video games, tablets and smartphones are 'a back injury time bomb' for children who are increasingly sedentary, study warns

Sit up straight! Youngsters face a 'healthcare time bomb'

Nearly three quarters of primary school children and nearly two thirds of secondary school age children have reported back or neck pain in the past year, a study found.

Terminally ill - yet she's devoting the rest of her life to spreading joy. Naomi is our Inspirational Woman of the Year. She and her fellow finalists will leave you awestruck

Inspirational

Naomi Thomas was diagnosed with breast cancer just two days after her boyfriend proposed to her. After learning her condition was incurable, the only thing that kept her going was the thought of her wedding. After a good samaritan stepped in to organise her nuptials, Naomi had a lightbulb moment. She selflessly decided to devote the rest of her life to making the wedding dreams come true for others who, like her, are terminally ill. As a result, this week, after meeting Samantha Cameron and Sir Bruce Forsyth, Naomi was crowned our Inspirational Woman of the Year.

How being sociable can boost your brain: Parts of the organ are bigger and better connected in people with lots of friends

Beneficial: A study has shown that parts of the brain are bigger and better connected in people who have lots of friends

Researchers at Oxford University have found that bits of the brain are bigger and better connected in people who have lots of friends.

Do YOU have the 'heart attack gene'? More than half the population has stickier blood which increases their risk by 15%

People with the genetic mutation have stickier platelets which make heart attacks more likely as they make blockages more likely to form in blood vessels. Image shows a platelet in the blood stream

Researchers at the German Heart Centre, in Munich, and the University of Leicester found 64 per cent of people carry the gene variation which causes platelets to be stickier.

Researcher finds a flea living in her FOOT - and LEAVES it there for two months so she can study it

Marlene Thielecke, a student at Berlin¿s Charité University Medicine, found a flea living in her foot and decided to study the creature so she left it there for two months

Marlene Thielecke, a student at Berlin’s Charité University Medicine, left the flea in her foot until it became painful and itchy.

Can damp, mouldy rooms increase risk of Parkinson's? Study shows fungi can affect how brain chemicals function

A compound emitted by mould can be linked to the development of Parkinson's disease, researchers believe

Researchers at Rutgers and Emory universities, in the U.S., found mould can cause genes that control the sending of messages around the brain to malfunction.

Woman nearly paralysed in horse riding accident makes amazing recovery to become a WEIGHT LIFTER

EXCLUSIVE: Jack Kelly, from Coventry, developed Miller Fisher syndrome - a rare nerve disease which left him paralysed and with double vision.

Georgina Hodson, 27, from Shropshire, is only 5ft 2ins tall and weighs just 7st 7lbs but has just broken a British record by lifting 11st. In 2007 she had a head on collision with a tree while riding her horse and doctors initially feared she might be paralysed because she damaged several of the vertebrae in her neck. As part of her slow recovery from the accident in 2007, Mrs Hodson - who is just 5ft 2ins - began doing gentle exercises in the gym and then slowly progressed onto weights to build up her strength. She said: ‘I'm not only physically strong, I have an emotional strength which has driven me forward and has helped me through my recovery. At school I had always been picked on for being little- I used to get called "squirt" because I am so small, but when I started power lifting and training I felt empowered and I realised I can be strong.'

When back pain is a sign of serious illness. Infections, bladder problems, even cancer - those aches and twinges in your back could be trying to tell you something

Andy Whitfield

Andy Whitfield (pictured), who starred in the TV series Spartacus, saw no reason to worry about the back pain he noticed when he began training for the series.

Drink that's like alcohol... but without hangovers or addiction: 'Healthy' beverage could be on the market within two years

The 'healthy alcohol' is reported to give the same 'happy fuzzy' feeling of alcohol without the hangovers

Revellers will first take the drink which produces the same happy, fuzzy feeling of alcohol. Before then consuming an antidote pill that instantly sobers them up.

'I was paralysed by tonsillitis': 21-year-old's illness triggered rare nerve disease which left him unable to walk or see

Jack Kelly

EXCLUSIVE: Jack Kelly, from Coventry, developed Miller Fisher syndrome - a rare nerve disease which left him paralysed and with double vision (inset). He spent a week in the stroke unit of his local hospital where he had physiotherapy to help him walk again. He said: 'You never think about getting out of bed in the morning – you just take for granted that your feet will take your weight – so it was a shock not to be able to do that. I was in a total panic – I had no idea what was happening. He is now fully recovered and is taking part in Tough Guy challenges.

Eating too much meat 'raises risk of diabetes' even if they eat lots of fruit and vegetables too

A study has linked meat, cheese and other ingredients of an 'acidic diet' with type 2, or adult-onset, diabetes.

A long-term study of more than 60,000 women has linked meat, cheese and other ingredients of an ‘acidic diet’ with type 2, or adult-onset, diabetes.

How love can warm you up: Feeling affection and even holding a heated object boost brain activity

Warming: Researchers found that receiving affectionate messages triggered the physical responses involved in keeping warm

Declarations of support and affection actually leave us feeling physically warmer, claim scientists. They also discovered that holding a heated object can boost our closeness to others.

Woman's weight plunged to just 5st 7lb after rare form of OCD made her believe everything she ate was POISON (apart from Coco Pops, crisps and pizza)

Recovered: Samantha Brown's weight plummeted to to 5st 7lb because she thought basic foods were poisoning her. She was later diagnosed with a rare form of obsessive compulsive disorder and now weighs a healthy 9st 7lb

Samantha Brown, 27, from Leicester, says her compulsive eating habits were triggered by a desire for control, when it was lacking in other parts of her life.

Tragedy of blind great-grandmother ignored for 12 hours on ward: Hospital records destroyed inquest told

Barbara White, 77, died of a bowel infection after staff at Tameside Hospital failed to check on her for 12 hours meaning they did not realised she had become critically ill

Barbara White, 77, from Ashton-under-Lyne, died of a bowel infection caused by gallstones on the surgical ward of Tameside Hospital in January this year.

Anorexia cost me my health, my happiness and my chance of having a family: Woman tells of pain of half a CENTURY battling eating disorder that nearly killed her

Kemp

Jacqueline Kemp, from Dumferline, Fife, has battled anorexia for more than 50 years. The 64-year-old started losing weight in her teens, top centre, after feeling 'ugly' compared to her best friend at school. Within months, she was in the grip of the eating disorder - with her weight soon plummeting to a tiny five stone. By her late thirties, bottom centre, her life was a cycle of compulsive eating, laxatives and starvation. Now, aged 64, left and far right, Ms Kemp has spoken out about her lifetime of anorexia in a bid to help others.

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