Study of 250,000 people sought to remove confounding factors such as socioeconomic statusTaller people have an increased risk of peripheral neuropathy, as well as skin and bone infections, but a lower risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, according to the world’s largest study of height and disease.A person’s height raises and reduces their risk of a variety of...

Vegetated areas above treeline have increased by 77% since 1984, satellite data showsThe impact of global heating on the Alps is visible from space, with the snow-white mountains increasingly colonised by green plants, according to a study of high-resolution satellite data.Vegetated areas above the treeline in the Alps have increased by 77% since 1984, the study says. While retreating glaciers...

Procedure carried out in US on woman with microtia born with small and misshapen right earA woman has had her external ear reconstructed using a 3D-printed living tissue implant in what appears to be the first trial of its kind, according to reports.The technology has been developed for people with microtia, a rare congenital condition in which one or both outer ears are absent or incompletely...

Few of the 23 million Americans with lingering symptoms are getting answers – in this dangerous void, alternative providers and wellness companies have created a cottage industryRobert McCann, a 44-year-old political strategist from Lansing, Michigan, sleeps for 15 hours – and when he wakes up, he still finds it impossible to get out of bed. Sometimes he wakes up so confused that he’s unsure...

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible in order of their distance from the sun from Friday Amateur astronomers are preparing for a heavenly treat from Friday as the five planets visible to the naked eye line up in order of their distance from the sun across the pre-dawn sky.For those who can face the early start, and have an unobstructed view of the horizon to the east and...

Bisexuality is the largest sexual minority in the world – but according to psychologist Dr Julia Shaw, it’s the least well understood. She talks to Madeleine Finlay about her new book, Bi, which challenges us to think more deeply about who we are and how we love. She discusses the history of trying to define and measure bisexuality, sexual behaviour in the animal kingdom, and how we can...