Normal urine is considered to be light yellow in colour and transparent. Anything different from this could signal something’s happening with your health – but not always bad. The most common cause of cloudy urine is the presence of alkaline, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

It explains: “Urine is comprised of water, salts and waste from the kidneys and the balance of these components affects the alkaline or acidity (pH) in urine. Normal urine acidic-to-alkaline levels range from 4.5 to 8 pH.

“Urine that is under 5 pH is considered acidic, with urine measuring at 8 pH or higher is alkaline (basic). High alkaline causes cloudy urine.”

But “frequent and repetitive signs of cloudy urine could indicate an underlying medical condition,” it says.

A number of conditions have cloudy urine as a side effect:

Diabetes can cause cloudy urine when too much sugar builds up in your urine.

Another sign of diabetes that may accompany cloudy urine is sweet or fruity urine.

Preeclampsia is a condition that affects some pregnant women, usually during the second half of pregnancy.

The presence of protein may signal preeclampsia is developing.

As well as having excess protein, your urine may appear cloudy.

Kidney stones develop when excess salt and minerals build up inside your urinary tract.

This blockage can lead to infection, which can result in cloudy urine.

Pee that looks cloudy, dark or has a strong smell can signal a urinary tract infection (UTI), according to the NHS.

It says UTIs “affect your urinary tract, including your bladder (cystitis), urethra (urethritis) or kidneys (kidney infection)”.

Other symptoms of a UTI to look out for include:

If you have symptoms of a urinary tract infection for the first time you should see your GP.

And if you think you, your child or someone you care for may have a urinary tract infection and:

This is because these symptoms could mean you have a kidney infection, which can be serious if it’s not treated as it could cause sepsis.

In this instance you should call 111.

Some foods you eat may cause cloudy urine because they cause your level of alkaline to increase.

The Cleveland Clinic explains: “If you eat a diet comprised mostly of fruits and vegetables, with limited consumption of meats, grains and cheeses (low-PRAL), your alkaline levels are likely to be higher, which can lead to cloudy urine.”

It concludes: “In most cases, cloudy urine is harmless due to natural changes that your body goes through. Normally, it goes away quickly when you stay hydrated and incorporate a healthy diet into your daily routine.

“Reach out to your healthcare provider if you notice the cloudiness of your urine is not clearing up after a few days.”

Not many actors alive today can say they starred in an Alfred Hitchcock movie. That’s just one of many achievements Shirley MacLaine can boast about. The 88-year-old’s acting career has spanned seven decades and she has lost none of her trademark zeal.

What’s the secret to the star’s vitality? In a recent interview, she provided a few clues.

Even while she unravelled the mystery, MacLaine’s humility shone through.

“Even though I tell people the truth, I’m not a diva,” she told Variety from her ranch in Santa Fe, N.M.

The star attributes her rude health in part to her early ballet training.

“I’ve got to go all the way back to that and just hard, honest work, with quite a bit of art, if you can muster it, thrown in.”

She continued: “I’ve also stayed in the business and never thought about quitting because I wanted to pay for plane tickets to travel.

“I didn’t socialise Hollywood style. I’d rather travel to a country I hadn’t been to. So when I think about my life, I’m not sure I wouldn’t put the travels a bit above show business.”

Evidence suggests MacLaine might be onto something.

Older people who frequent art galleries and museums, attend the theatre and concerts may live longer than those who don’t, a 2020 study suggests.

Even after accounting for a wide range of other health and social factors, researchers from University College London found that people over 50 who regularly engaged with arts activities were 31 percent less likely to die during a 14-year follow-up than peers with no art in their lives.

Those who took part in arts-related activities only once or twice a year still had 14 percent lower odds of dying during the study.

“These findings support previous statistical analyses and anthropological work suggesting there may be benefits of the arts to individuals as they age,” said Daisy Fancourt, an associate professor of psychobiology and epidemiology at University College London and co-author of the study.

“It remains possible the association presented here could be the result of unidentified confounding factors, but it is promising that the association is maintained even when controlling for a wide range of socio-economic, demographic, health, social and behavioural factors,” Professor Fancourt told Reuters Health in an email at the time.

The study’s results are in line with previous research that suggested the arts may support longevity by improving mental health, enhancing social capital and reducing loneliness and sedentary behaviours, the authors noted in The BMJ.

“We show the same pattern in a larger sample followed-up for a longer period,” said Professor Fancourt.

The authors analysed data on a nationally-representative sample of 6,710 people who were 50 or older in 2002 when they joined a long-term ageing study. In 2004-5, participants were asked how often they engaged with the arts, as well as a host of questions about their habits, background, education, financial situation and social lives.

Using National Health Service records, researchers followed participants through 2018. By that time, nearly 30 percent had died.

Overall, men were more likely to die, as were unmarried people, those with less wealth and those not currently working.

Mortality was also higher among people with health conditions, including depressive symptoms, cancer and heart disease, the authors note.

Among those who died, 47.5 percent had said at the outset they never engaged in cultural activities, compared with 26.6 percent who had taken part in an art-related activity once or twice a year and 18.6 percent people who had engaged with the arts more frequently.

The liver has more than 500 functions, from processing digested food to controlling levels of fat and sugar in the blood. It also combats infections and destroys any toxins in the body. Therefore, any early signs that there is an issue with the liver should be investigated immediately.

One such sign is if your urine is orange in colour.

This could mean your liver is malfunctioning.

Dark urine and pale stools could also mean the same thing.

According to the Mayo Clinic urine colour varies based on how much you drink, but more unusual colours should be cause for alarm.

It says: “Normal urine colour varies, depending on how much water you drink.

“Fluids dilute the yellow pigments in urine, so the more you drink, the clearer your urine looks.

“When you drink less, the colour becomes more concentrated.

“Severe dehydration can produce urine the colour of amber.

“But urine can turn colours far beyond what’s normal, including red, blue, green, dark brown and cloudy white.”

It explains: “Pigments and other compounds in certain foods and medications can change your urine colour.

“Beets, berries and fava beans are among the foods most likely to affect the colour.

“Many over-the-counter and prescription medications give urine vivid tones, such as red, yellow or greenish blue.

“An unusual urine colour can be a sign of disease. For instance, deep red to brown urine is an identifying characteristic of porphyria, a rare, inherited disorder of red blood cells.”

Other signs of liver problems include:

The Mayo Clinic recommends seeing a doctor if you have concerns about any of these symptoms.

It adds: “Seek immediate medical attention if you have abdominal pain that is so severe that you can’t stay still.”

Liver problems can be caused by:

Other “common” causes of liver problems are chronic alcohol abuse, fat accumulation in the liver, and some prescriptions or over-the-counter medications.

Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the UK. Melanoma skin cancers account for around 17,000 new cancer diagnoses a year, while there are 156,000 new non-melanoma cases every year. The common signs of skin cancer most people think of are moles that changes colour or size, or painful lesions.

However, there is also a rash that could signal the first stages of skin cancer.

Bowen’s disease is a “very” early form of skin cancer that’s “easily treatable”.

The NHS says: “The main sign is a red, scaly patch on the skin.”

This rash could also be:

“The patch can appear anywhere on the skin, but is especially common on exposed areas like the lower legs, neck and head,” the NHS explains.

“Sometimes they can affect the groin area and, in men, the penis.

“If the patch bleeds, starts to turn into an open sore (ulcer) or develops a lump, it could be a sign it’s turned into squamous cell skin cancer.”

The disease itself is “not usually” serious.

This is because it tends to grow very slowly over months or years, and there are several very effective treatments for it.

But the NHS warns: “The concern is that Bowen’s disease can eventually develop into a different type of skin cancer called squamous cell skin cancer if it’s left undiagnosed or neglected.

“It’s estimated this happens in up to one in 20 to one in 30 people with untreated Bowen’s disease.

“Squamous cell skin cancer is often treatable, but it can spread deeper into the body and is sometimes very serious.”

You are advised to see a GP if you have a “persistent red, scaly” patch of skin and do not know the cause.

If necessary they might take a small sample of skin for a biopsy or refer you to a specialist.

Bowen’s disease is most common in older people in their 60s and 70s.

While the specific cause is not known there are a number of factors it has been linked to.

These include:

It is not infectious and does not run in families.

High cholesterol is a fatty substance that can accumulate in your blood. Too much of this culprit can hike your risk of heart problems and strokes. Unlike other health conditions, high cholesterol doesn’t often show many warning signs. However, a health portal warns that it might lead to a condition that can cause a smelly pus.

Although high cholesterol can be difficult to spot, leaving this condition untreated can lead to atherosclerosis.

During this process, your arteries become clogged with fatty substances called plaques.

However, this process doesn’t end here as this cholesterol build-up can also block your arteries and restrict the blood flow to your legs.

The NHS explains that this is also referred to as peripheral arterial disease (PAD). And this condition is able to trigger the smelly warning sign.

If the blood flow to your legs gets “severely restricted”, you can risk developing critical limb ischaemia (CLI).

CLI describes an “extremely serious” complication that can be “challenging to treat”, according to the NHS.

This condition can also cause the smelly sign in the form of a pus.

The health service explains that the skin on your toes or lower limbs can become cold and numb, turning red and then black, and/or beginning to swell and produce this pus.

This complication can cause severe pain and needs to be addressed “immediately”.

The NHS recommends seeing your GP or phoning 111 or your local out-of-hours service.

As this condition is triggered by the build-up of cholesterol in your arteries, CLI symptoms could point to this underlying cause.

However, it’s important to note that high cholesterol rarely causes warning signs.

That’s why the most reliable way of determining your levels is through a blood test.

Your doctor might take a blood from your arm or do a finger-prick test.

Based on your age, weight or another condition, your doctor might suggest getting tested.

The good news is that once you get the diagnosis, there’s plenty you can do to get your cholesterol levels to drop.

From a healthy diet to medicine, there are various interventions available for getting rid of the fatty substance.

The key to a cholesterol-lowering diet is cutting back on saturated fat but upping your fibre intake can also help.

Other helpful interventions include quitting cigarettes, drinking less alcohol and taking up exercise.

However, your doctor might instruct you to take a medicine called statins to prevent further problems.

Classed as an essential mineral, calcium has various tasks in your body, ranging from helping to build bones to ensuring normal blood clotting. While you should be able to get enough of this mineral from your diet, many people, especially the elderly, are reaching for its supplement form instead. However, taking calcium supplements could be taxing for your health, warns a study, published in the journal Heart.

The research found that taking the popular supplements was linked to a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality.

The researchers wanted to examine the link between supplemental calcium, mortality and progression of aortic stenosis.

In case you’re not aware, aortic stenosis happens when your heart’s aortic valve narrows.

This leaves the valve unable to open fully, reducing or blocking blood flow from your heart into the main artery and to the rest of your body, the Mayo Clinic explains.

Looking at 2,657 patients for about 69 months, the research team separated the participants into groups based on their supplement habits.

Around 1033 of the participants took calcium and vitamin D while 332 took vitamin D on its own. The rest didn’t take any supplements at all.

The calcium group was found to have a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality.

However, any supplementation wasn’t linked with longitudinal change in aortic stenosis parameters.

The study concluded that taking calcium supplements posed a greater risk of dying.

However, Dr Carrie Ruxton from the Health and Food Supplements Information Service (HSIS) stressed to take the study with a pinch of salt.

Dr Ruxton said: “This latest study reported in Heart was not designed to examine the impact of calcium supplements on heart health which means it can’t be used to draw any conclusions for the general population.

“Firstly, the research used historical medical data collected for reasons other than studying calcium supplements.

“Secondly, the supplements and diets were not standardised so we don’t know how much calcium was consumed or what other foods were eaten over the six years.

“Thirdly, observational studies cannot tell us anything about cause and effect, so it’s impossible to blame differences in mortality on one single factor.”

The expert also noted that other studies looking at calcium supplements produced different results.

A review, published in the American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs, reported that their data don’t strongly support a significant effect of greater dietary calcium intake on the risk of coronary artery disease or stroke.

However, the NHS also warns that it’s important to be cautious and don’t take too many calcium supplements as this could be “harmful”.

It recommends taking 1,500mg or less daily as this is unlikely to “cause any harm”.

The health service adds that you should be able to get all of the mineral you need from your diet.

Dr Ruxton said: “In an ideal world, we would get all the nutrients we need from food but that isn’t the case for many people, which is why there remains a role for dietary supplements.

“As confirmed by the European Food Safety Authority, calcium supplements are safe as long as overall calcium intakes are below 2500 mg per day.”