Bad cholesterol fuels the growth of the commonest type of brain cancer, glioblastoma, just as hormones drive the growth of certain breast and prostate cancers.

Glioblastomas are also the most aggressive and difficult to treat, with an average survival rate of 15 months from diagnosis.

US scientists say the finding will pave the way for developing drugs that will target them specifically. They found that up to 90 per cent of glioblastomas have a 'hyperactive signalling pathway' for cholesterol, reports the journal Cancer Discovery .

This implies their cells are programmed to suck up LDL or bad cholesterol, which feeds tumour growth in turn, the Telegraph reports.

Deliang Guo, assistant professor of radiation oncology at Ohio State University who led the study, said: "Our research shows that the tumour cells depend on large amounts of cholesterol for growth and survival."

"Pharmacologically depriving tumour cells of cholesterol may offer a novel therapeutic strategy to treat glioblastoma," added Guo.

Paul Mischel, professor of pathology at the Jonsson Cancer Center, University of California-Los Angeles, added: "It potentially offers a strategy for blocking that mechanism and causing specific tumour-cell death without significant toxicity."

In Britain, of about 5,000 people diagnosed with brain cancer, 3,600 die annually.

The next time you are tempted to hit the snooze button on your alarm clock, hold fire.

Research suggests that early risers are slimmer, happier and healthier than those who get up later in the day.

Worst off are night owls, with late nights seemingly taking their toll on health and happiness.

Roehampton University researchers quizzed almost 1,100 men and women about their health and sleeping habits.

Some 13 per cent of those questioned were larks, getting up before 7am during the week and seeing no need for a lie-in at the weekend.

Night owls, who fall out of bed just before 9am Monday to Friday and sleep in on Saturdays and Sundays, accounted for another 6 per cent.

The remaining 81 per cent fell somewhere in between.

The analysis revealed the early risers to have fewest signs of depression and anxiety.

They were also more likely to eat breakfast - something that has previously been linked with slimness, a British Psychological Society conference heard.

Researcher Dr Jorge Huber said: 'These effects are small - and in some occupations and situations there are clearly advantages to being an evening person - but they are highly statistically significant.

'If you are an evening type, you are not necessarily a miserable person but there is some difference.'

He isn't sure of the cause, but it may be that late bed times make for a worse night's sleep.

Carrying extra weight doesn't necessarily mean your heart is ailing, according to a Greek study that adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that overweight people aren't always unhealthy.

The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found that fewer than 10 percent of healthy obese people in their 50s and 60s without risk factors for heart disease went on to develop heart failure over six years.

By contrast, 16 percent of their slimmer peers, also without the suite of risk factors known as metabolic syndrome, ended up with the debilitating condition.

"Being normal weight does not necessarily mean we are healthy," said Christina Voulgari, at Athens University Medical School, who led the study.

Voulgari and her colleagues followed 550 men and women, a quarter of whom were obese. Participants averaged about 55 years old.

More than two-thirds of the obese individuals harbored risk factors for heart and blood vessel disease, such as high fat levels in the blood, low "good" cholesterol, high blood pressure, insulin resistance and a large waistline -- commonly referred to as "metabolic syndrome."

By comparison, only a little more than one third of normal-weight individuals did.

Whether or not a person was obese had little impact, though, on his or her risk of heart failure, in which the heart muscle weakens and cannot supply enough oxygen-rich blood to the body. The most common cause of heart failure is clogged vessels supplying inadequate blood to the heart.

But metabolic syndrome made a big difference in who experienced heart failure, even after accounting for smoking, physical activity and other factors tied to heart disease.

For instance, 63 percent of normal-weight people with metabolic syndrome developed heart failure, compared with 16 percent of those without the syndrome.

As it turned out, Voulgari said, heavy people actually had fewer cases of heart failure than their normal-weight and overweight peers.

Among obese participants with metabolic syndrome, 54 percent developed the problem, whereas only nine percent of those without metabolic syndrome did.

Voulgari said her study didn't mean people without metabolic syndrome should eat fast food without worrying about the consequences -- instead, everybody should aim for a healthier lifestyle.

"We should try to focus more on exercise, follow the 10,000-steps-daily rule, follow a healthier lifestyle and not smoke to say in shape," she said.

Eating a Mediterranean diet, which has been tied to heart benefits, is also a good idea. The diet includes olive oil and plenty of fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fish and moderate amounts of red wine.

More than 20 new sections of genetic code have been linked to blood pressure by an international team of scientists.

Almost everyone will carry at least one of the genetic variants, according to studies published in Nature and Nature Genetics.

Researchers believe their findings could be used to develop new treatments.

The British Heart Foundation said lifestyle was still key to a healthy blood pressure.

High blood pressure - or hypertension - can run in families as well as being influenced by obesity, exercise and the amount of salt in the diet.

While the lifestyle risks are well known, the genetic element of hypertension has been poorly understood.

Researchers now say they have made a "major advance" in understanding the role of genes.

In the first study, scientists from 24 countries around the world analysed data from more than 200,000 people.

They identified 16 new points on the genome which were linked to blood pressure.

One of the lead researchers, Prof Mark Caulfield, from Barts and The London Medical School, said each genetic variant was in at least 5% of people, while some were much more common.

"This is having an influence across the population," he said.

Uncovering the genetic basis of blood pressure has revealed processes in the body which could one day be targeted with drugs.

One series of chemical reactions involving nitric oxide, which opens up blood vessels, has been highlighted as a potential target.

Gene puzzle

Prof Caulfield said: "There is substantial potential for moving the findings from the lab to the clinic.

"There are, in development or in existence, drugs which could be considered."

However, researchers say they have still uncovered only 1% of the genetic contribution to blood pressure.

A second study, presented in Nature Genetics, identified a further six new stretches of genetic code.

The British Heart Foundation's medical director, Prof Peter Weissberg, said: "Researchers from across the world have now identified some of the genes linked to blood pressure control, which could pave the way for new treatments in the future.

"But your genes are only one piece of the puzzle. You are less likely to have high blood pressure if you stick to a healthy diet, do plenty of exercise, and maintain a healthy weight."

Mridul Bakshi's family spent hours running from one hospital to the other but were unable to find him. "We have gone through all the lists and have checked each ward and mortuary but there is no information on him," said Kajal, his sister. After about four hours, the family received a call that gave them a breather, albeit a small one.

Bakshi had been seen on TV being carried into an ambulance. " At least he is not dead. Now we have to locate where he is," said Kajal.

However, the spate of bad news was not to end. Bakshi's brain had been embedded with shrapnel and he had fractured both legs and arms. "While we were looking for him, he had been in the operation theatre at RML. They initially operated on his stomach. At night they took him for brain surgery. His condition is highly critical," said Kajal.

Twenty-seven-year-old Deepak Kumar's family doesn't know whether he will be able to walk again without any support. Kumar, a court clerk, was waiting for one of his lawyer's client to get his gate pass made on Wednesday morning. His left leg had multiple factures coupled with serious splinter injuries and the right leg too was fractured. He was shifted from Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital to the AIIMS Trauma Centre for surgery. Doctors say he has to undergo three to four surgeries to fix the multiple fractures in the left leg. "The doctors are not sure whether he will be able to walk or not. He has to undergo three more surgeries and only then can doctors say whether he can walk or not,'' said Virender Sinha, advocate.

"The femur and other bones are completely shattered due to the splinters. It will take a lot of time for him to recover. We have just cleaned the dead tissues and fixed the bones temporarily. We are hopeful that he will be able to walk again. We have got two patients, both with lower limb injuries,'' said Dr MC Misra, chief, AIIMS Trauma Centre.

Like Deepak, most victims have suffered serious lower limb injuries. According to sources at RML, close to 20
surgeries, including one amputation, were performed on Wednesday of which a majority of them were for lower
limb injuries.

Sanjay Kumar had to carry his brother, Harish, to the PCR van as both his legs were fractured in the blast. "They are putting rods in his legs as nothing remains of his bones. We have no idea whether he will be able to walk again," said Kumar.

Since the explosive was kept in a suitcase, probably placed on the ground, most people sustained injuries in the lower part of their bodies. Several victims ended up with fractures limbs and most had several shrapnel injuries. In some cases people, including those who were on the road when the explosion occurred, complained of hearing loss.

Tarsem Singh, who arrived at the court about 10 minutes before his employers to get them passes, ended up withy injuries in his chest. His condition was so bad that he had to be placed in the intensive care unit at RML Hospital and doctors were fighting hard to control his bleeding. "He is still critical. The doctors extracted iron nails from his leg and had to insret a rod in his arm. All his fingers were smashed and we have no idea whether he will recover," said Balvinder Kaur, his sister-in-law. Another blast victim, Nitin, too is said to be critical. Nitin has suffered serious injuries on the back and legs. Post-surgery doctors say that his condition is critical as there is internal bleeding.

Tarun Kumar, who was at the court with six other friends, was the unluckiest of the lot. While the rest managed to escape with minor injuries, mostly shrapnel wounds, Tarun's thigh was smashed with a solid metallic rod that pierced right through. "It is like a gaping hole in his thigh. The doctors are trying to remove the rod and operation is on," said Anuradha Singh, a colleague, at night.