Varsity swotting can go to your head
Graduates are more likely to be diagnosed with brain tumours, a study has shown. Men with a university-level education lasting at least three years are 19% more likely to discover a glioma - a type of cancerous tumour arising in the cells around neurons - than those who left school at 16. For women this was higher, a 23% increased risk for the most educated.This is an observational study based on national registers, so it is very hard to speculate on potential mechanisms.A similar association was also found for those in professional jobs. Compared with men in manual roles, having a managerial role was associated with a 20% risk of glioma and a 50% heightened risk of acoustic neuroma - a type of non-cancerous brain tumour.The risk of glioma was also 26% higher among women in professional and managerial roles.The researchers say they are puzzled about the link, but say it could have something to do with educated people being more likely to seek medical help if they think something is wrong. The study was published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health...
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