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Risk of aspirin-related bleeding is higher in the over-75s
Conclusion This valuable cohort study helps to quantify the extent of bleeding risk in people taking aspirin for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Aspirin is well known to carry bleeding risk – particularly in older adults – but this study suggests the risk may be higher than previously thought. The researchers say that for adults under the age of 75, the annual bleeding risk at around 1% is similar to that suggested by previous trials, as is the ratio of bleeds to the number of cardiovascular events. However, this risk increases for older adults, especially for major bleeds of the stomach and upper diges...
Source: NHS News Feed - June 14, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medication Older people Source Type: news

Regular activity may help some people stay 'fat and fit'
Conclusion As people often say, if exercise was a medicine, it would be hailed as a miracle cure. This study suggests that what we already know about the benefits of exercise may extend to reducing risk of cardiovascular disease for middle aged and older people, even if they are overweight or obese. But the study has some limitations. This type of study can't prove that one factor – exercise – is responsible for the lower risk of heart attack and stroke among overweight or obese people who exercise more. It's possible that other factors are important – for example people's income may be linked to their opportuniti...
Source: NHS News Feed - March 2, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Obesity Lifestyle/exercise Heart/lungs Source Type: news

'Not enough over-50s' taking aspirin to prevent heart disease
Conclusion This study doesn't really tell us anything we didn't already know. Aspirin has been used for many years to prevent heart attacks and strokes in people with cardiovascular disease. Aspirin's wider use is controversial, because of the potential side effects. What this study does add is an estimate of what might happen if all people in the US who were advised to take aspirin under US guidelines, actually did so. (The researchers say that 40% of men and 10% of women advised to take aspirin don't take it). The study assumes that people would get the same benefits as those seen in clinical trials of aspirin. This is u...
Source: NHS News Feed - December 1, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Medication Older people Source Type: news

Daily aspirin 'reduces cancer risk', study finds
Conclusion While the findings on aspirin and cancer show promise, it is not clear that the results are reliable from the methods reportedly used to compile this review. This is because it included studies of varying design and quality, with much of the evidence coming from observational studies, which, while useful, cannot be totally relied on to test the effectiveness of healthcare interventions. It's not clear how the studies included in the review were chosen and whether others on the same topic were excluded. It is also not clear whether or not this was a systematic review, where studies are rigorously appraised for ...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 6, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Medication Source Type: news

Salt content in cheese 'too high', say campaigners
Conclusion This study highlights the wide variation in salt content that can be found in cheese. Labelling is now making it easier to make an informed choice regarding where you wish your maximum recommended level of 6g of salt per day to come from. This is particularly important when assessing which cheese is the best option for children, who should consume lower levels of salt. The study showed that there were many types of cheese that have a reasonably low salt content, including cottage cheese, cream cheese, mozzarella and Emmental. However, cheese is generally calorific, and overconsumption can lead to overweight an...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 7, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Food/diet Source Type: news

Diabetes drugs may be linked to pancreatic cancer
Conclusion This article presents important concerns that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists and dipeptidylpeptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors could potentially increase the risk of inflammation and cancerous changes in the pancreas. The agencies that regulate medicines in Europe and the USA are aware of these issues, and told the BMJ that their analyses show increased reporting of pancreatic cancer among people taking these types of drugs. However, the agencies note that it has not been established whether these drugs directly cause the adverse effects seen in the pancreas. Both agencies are reviewing emerging eviden...
Source: NHS News Feed - June 10, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medication Diabetes QA articles Source Type: news

Green tea compound may improve cancer drugs
Conclusion This study developed a new way of packaging and carrying protein drugs by combining them with a green tea extract called Epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG), which itself may have anti-cancer properties. They formed a complex between derivatives of EGCG and the protein cancer drug Herceptin. Tests in the laboratory and in mice indicated it might have better anti-cancer properties than non-complexed free Herceptin. This is encouraging research and may lead to improvements in delivery mechanisms for protein drugs further down the line. But this research remains at a very early stage of development. The results f...
Source: NHS News Feed - October 6, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Medication Source Type: news

Daily low-dose aspirin may help combat cancer
Conclusion The systematic review looked at 47 studies and attempted to combine the results, looking for evidence of a beneficial effect of low-dose aspirin on risk of death in people already diagnosed with cancer. The few RCTs identified – the best-quality evidence – did not provide conclusive evidence that aspirin improves survival rates. The rest of the studies were observational in nature, so cannot prove that aspirin reduces the risk of death from cancer. The only significant results were for a 24% reduction in risk of death from colon cancer, and a possible 11% reduced risk of death from prostate cancer. However,...
Source: NHS News Feed - April 22, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Medication Source Type: news

Are broken bones, loneliness and poor sleep really hidden killers?
Conclusion As the researchers say, the WHO definition of health encompasses physical, mental and social wellbeing – not just the presence or absence of disease. But how often are these extra dimensions taken into account when assessing a person's health status? In this sample of older adults, just looking at their disease status puts the majority of them into an apparently "robust" health group. Yet when you consider the additional dimensions of psychological health and wellbeing, you seem to get a much better indication of those who were at higher or lower risk of dying or being incapacitated in the coming...
Source: NHS News Feed - May 18, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Medical practice Source Type: news

Excess body fat now linked to 13 different types of cancer
"Experts have linked eight more cancers to being overweight or obese, nearly tripling the list from five to 13," the Daily Mail reports. This is the latest finding of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a group of cancer experts from around the world that look at risk factors for cancer.  What is the basis for these reports? The headlines are based on a report published in the peer-reviewed New England Journal of Medicine. The report is not exactly new research, but a review of previously published studies that looked at the link between weight and cancers. It is the result of a working g...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 25, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Obesity Lifestyle/exercise Source Type: news

Heartburn drugs linked to premature death
Conclusion This larger set of observational data finds that PPI drugs are associated with an increase in the risk of early death compared with either H2 blockers or no acid suppression drugs. This was the case for participants both with and without gastrointestinal problems. It also appears as though the longer the PPIs drugs are taken, the greater the risk of death. Considering that these drugs are widely used in the UK, these findings may cause concern. But the research has a number of important limitations: The study was conducted in a population of mostly white, older US male veterans, which might limit the ability...
Source: NHS News Feed - July 4, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medication Source Type: news