It's known as one of the most intelligent and fearless breeds of dog, but if you have a Doberman, a new study may prompt you to keep a close eye on it. Researchers from the Royal Veterinary College have revealed that the Doberman is the breed with the highest risk of hypothyroidism – a hormonal disorder that can cause lethargy, hair loss and a'tragic' facial expression. In contrast, French Bulldogs, Pugs and Yorkshire Terriers are among the breeds least likely to experience the condition. Bill Lambert, Health and Welfare Executive at The Kennel Club said: 'These findings are important to help us to identify which dogs may be at most risk of developing hypothyroidism. 'Ultimately, this should help owners to spot the initial signs, and vets to diagnose earlier to enable treatment, which is known to be effective in managing the disease.'

Changes to our face as we age can be completely normal – but they can also be a sign of a serious medical condition. The dark circles around your eyes or the acne breakout with excess facial hair may be a cause for concern. Thinning eyebrows and red blotches on your cheeks could also be an indication of a health problem. Dr Susan Taylor, an associate professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, appeared on the Megyn Kelly TODAY show in the US on Friday to explain the potential issues. The only accurate way of finding out whether you have a thyroid problem is to have a thyroid function test, where a sample of blood is tested to measure your hormone levels.

Self-tracking technologies used by healthy self-experimenters and chronic illness patients are relatively new but offer potential to accelerate the discovery of evidence-based protocols in the fields of human biology and medicine. Among both academic researchers and real-world practitioners in these fields there is an ever-present body of misinformation, leading to the proliferation of myth-based protocols in health-promoting lifestyles and treatment. This collection of four case studies spanning seven years’ worth of observations in a self-experimenting endurance athlete and, later, chronically ill individual, aims to bring to attention themost common incorrect assumptions regarding: nutrition, athletic performance, sleep, and treatment of hypothyroidism. We hope that, with these insights about misleading scientific conclusions, artificial intelligence researchers and anyone interested in developing technological solutions for public health purposes, will explore ways to bridge the gap between academic research and real-world practice of optimizing human biology, and rid the misinformation on bothsides.