Aspirin should not routinely be used to prevent heart attacks in people with diabetes, Scottish research suggests.

The British Medical Journal reported that in 1,300 adults with no symptoms of heart disease the drug, which can cause stomach bleeds, had no benefit.

The findings contradict many guidelines which advocate people with diabetes use aspirin to counter the underlying high risk of heart attack and stroke.

But there are key high-risk groups who still need the drug, experts said.

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Adverts for junk food are still being screened during some of the most popular children’s TV programmes despite new rules aimed at protecting youngsters.

Ads for foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar are frequently shown during the programmes most watched by children, according to Which?

None of the programmes with the five highest child audiences are covered by restrictions imposed by regulator Ofcom in January, the magazine said.

Adverts for foods deemed “less healthy” by the Food Standards Agency have not been allowed to screen in or around programmes deemed “of particular appeal” to under-16s.

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A Mediterranean-style diet may be the answer in protecting against diabetes, even for those who are in the higher-risk category.

The diet – rich in olive oil, fruit, vegetables and fish and low in meat and dairy products – provides “substantial protection” against the illness, a study has revealed.

Eating such meals helps keep people healthy and wards off type 2 diabetes, which is linked to lifestyle factors like diet and obesity.

People who stuck strictly to a Mediterranean diet had an 83% lower chance of developing diabetes than those who did not, the study found.

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Use of paracetamol in babies increases the risk of developing asthma five years later, a study of more than 200,000 children suggests.

Those given the painkiller for fever in the first year of life had a 46% increased risk of asthma by the age of six or seven, The Lancet reported.

Researchers do not know if the drug directly increases asthma risk or another underlying factor is to blame.

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A previously unknown piece of music by Mozart has been discovered at a library in western France.

Ulrich Leisinger, head of research at the International Mozarteum Foundation in Austria, said the single sheet of music was “really important”.

“His handwriting is absolutely clearly identifiable,” he added. “There’s no doubt that this is an original piece handwritten by Mozart.”
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An American chef has chewed his way through a burger weighing 15lbs in a four-and-a-half hour marathon eating session.

Brad Sciullo, who works at an Italian restaurant in Pennsylvania, has become the first person to conquer the Beer Barrel Belly Bruiser.

The mammoth meal weighs 15lbs (6.8kg) and has 5.2lbs (2.3kg) of toppings.

The gastronomic adventurer completed his mission in four hours and 39 minutes.

Dennis Leigey, owner of Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub, said Mr Sciullo, of Uniontown, was the first person to finish the meal.

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