Category: 8. Health

A woman with terminal cancer has completed an Ironman challenge a month after she was forced to stop the race due to intense pain.

Hannah Corne, from Leeds, was taking part in Ironman Leeds on 27 July when she was forced to pull out halfway through the cycling section of the race.

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This weekend, she completed the cycle ride and marathon at Roundhay Park, watched by friends and family.

She said: “It feels amazing. Ironman was one of the best days of my life. It was such an incredible thing to be a part of and to be able to finish it today is the icing on the cake.”

Ms Corne completed the remainder of the 56-mile (90km) cycle race on Saturday and then ran a marathon (26 miles or 42km) on Sunday.

Fifteen months ago she was diagnosed with stage four ocular melanoma, a rare cancer that spread to her liver and was told she had 12 months to live.

She said as long as her body continued to allow her she would carry on setting herself physical challenges.

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“It’s to show that even when you’ve got a devastating diagnosis like stage four cancer you can still live well and enjoy life.”

She thanked her friends and family for joining her on the route.

She added: “It’s overwhelming. I didn’t think so many people would be out, but they have all come out in force with snacks and great times and chat. It’s brilliant.”

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.

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While most people monitor their weight or waistline, emerging research suggests that neck circumference may provide crucial insight into overall health. Studies indicate that a thicker neck could signal a higher risk of conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and sleep disorders—even for individuals with a normal Body Mass Index (BMI).

Why BMI Alone Isn’t Enough

BMI has long been used to estimate body fat based on height and weight. However, it has notable limitations. Experts, including Dr. Ahmed Elbediwy and Dr. Nadine Wehida from Kingston University, point out in a piece written for The Conversation that BMI cannot distinguish between muscle and fat, nor can it indicate where fat is stored in the body. For example, a competitive bodybuilder may have a high BMI but is not obese. In such cases, neck circumference offers an additional perspective, revealing the presence of visceral fat stored in the upper body.
This upper-body fat is particularly concerning because it is metabolically active. It releases fatty acids, hormones, and inflammatory substances into the bloodstream, which can disrupt normal bodily functions, increase chronic inflammation, and drive insulin resistance. Over time, this places strain on organs and raises the likelihood of serious complications.

Links to Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health

Research has consistently linked larger neck measurements to a higher risk of type 2 and gestational diabetes. Multiple studies, including reports cited by the New York Post, have also associated neck size with key cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure, low HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and elevated triglycerides.Additionally, larger neck circumference has been connected to atrial fibrillation, a condition that causes irregular heartbeat and increases the risk of stroke, blood clots, and heart failure. These findings persist even when adjusting for BMI, waist circumference, height, and weight, although the risk appears particularly pronounced in individuals with obesity.
Beyond metabolic and cardiovascular concerns, a thicker neck has been linked to obstructive sleep apnea, a condition characterized by repeated breathing interruptions during sleep. This disorder can cause severe daytime fatigue and further strain the heart. Some studies have also found correlations with erectile dysfunction in men.

Measuring Your Neck

Experts advise that neck circumference should not replace routine health check-ups but can serve as a useful additional tool. Generally, a neck measurement above 17 inches (43 cm) in men or 15.5 inches (35.5 cm) in women is considered large. Measuring is straightforward: wrap a tape measure around the narrowest part of the neck, keeping it snug but not tight.

Monitoring neck size can help individuals better understand their health risks and take preventive action through lifestyle changes such as cardiovascular exercise, weight training, improved sleep, and a balanced diet.

A new study has identified a link between mental health and the stomach, a region of the gut rarely covered in research on the complex interplay between the central nervous system and the digestive tract.

Both the stomach and the brain have a constant pattern of electrical waves pulsing through them, on a low level, and it was found that the more in sync these two patterns are, the higher the chance of someone being in mental distress.

The study was conducted by a team from Aarhus University in Denmark and the German Institute of Human Nutrition. The researchers hope that we might eventually be able to diagnose certain mental health issues more precisely, or earlier, via stomach signals.

Related: An Extra Sense May Connect Gut Bacteria With Our Brain

“Intuitively, we assume stronger body-brain communication is a sign of health,” says neuroscientist Micah Allen from Aarhus University.

“But here, unusually strong stomach-brain coupling seems linked to greater psychological burden – perhaps a system under strain.”

The researchers were able to obtain full brain scan data (across 209 brain regions), full stomach scan data, and mental health questionnaires for 199 participants, and this information was then statistically analyzed to look for links.

Stronger syncing or coupling between brain waves and stomach waves was associated with a higher chance of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and stress. Weaker coupling meant a higher chance of better mental health and well-being.

The data isn’t enough to show that stomach activity is directly triggering mental illness or vice versa, and we don’t know yet why these connections exist. However, it’s a relationship that we may be able to make use of, with further research.

It builds on what we already know about the enteric nervous system in the gut, connected to the brain via the vagus nerve. Past research has linked this ‘second brain’ to conditions such as autism and neurodegenerative diseases.

“This part of the gut has been largely ignored,” says neuroscientist Leah Banellis from Aarhus University. “Most research focuses on the microbiome and lower digestive system. Our results suggest stomach rhythms are also deeply tied to emotional well-being.”

It can be tricky to accurately diagnose mental health problems, with different conditions often overlapping, problems being overlooked or misdiagnosed, and people being reluctant or unable to identify what the issues are. Having other markers for a more precise diagnosis would be very useful.

Further down the line it might even be possible to adjust feedback from the stomach – the gastric rhythm – to alleviate the symptoms of mental health issues, but that’s a long way off. For now, the researchers want to gather more data on bigger and more diverse groups to see if these patterns can be replicated.

“We know certain medications and even the foods we eat can influence gastric rhythms,” says Allen. “One day, this research might help us tailor treatments based on how a patient’s body and brain interact – not just what they report feeling.”

The research has been published in Nature Mental Health.