Daily digest March 10 2015

HRT halves the risk of heart disease and lowers death rates, study suggests

Taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) any time up to a decade after the onset of menopause reduces the risk of heart disease by 48 per cent, a study by Oxford University has concluded.

The research found that a typical woman who starts taking HRT around the time of their menopause, or up to 10 years later, had a far lower chance of developing heart disease and a 30 per cent lower mortality rate over seven years, compared with those not on HRT.

Read more on the Telegraph website: click here

Britain spends as much on cancer as Europe but saves fewer lives

Britain is getting poor value for its cancer treatment, spending as much as other countries but having far higher death rates, an international report suggests.

More than half of cancer drugs have been rejected by the National Centre for Health and Care Excellence in recent years, according to research that finds a slowdown in NHS approvals.

(£) Read more on the Times website: click here

'Indomitable pluck' of the only woman to win a Victoria Cross

On the Indian front line in 1896, Elizabeth Webber Harris risked her life to nurse soldiers hit by a deadly cholera outbreak back to health.

Her bravery and selfless devotion earned her an honorary Victoria Cross, making her the only woman to be 'awarded' the highest military honour in Britain.

The story of her life has emerged in detail for the first time, as her gold medal is set to go on display at the Imperial War Museum in London next month.

Read more on the Daily Mail website: click here