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Children of obese mums may die younger
Conclusion This valuable research has examined a large cohort of 28,540 Scottish women who had their BMI measured during pregnancy and gave birth to a single baby between 1950 and 1976. Its strengths include the use of a reliable maternity database linking more than 80% of the offspring to national registers. This allowed the researchers to identify hospital discharges and mortality records for the children. The study suggests a link between mothers who are overweight or obese during pregnancy and an increased risk of their children's death overall – specifically prior to age 55 – as well as an increased risk of th...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 14, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Obesity Pregnancy/child Source Type: news

Smoking bans linked to fewer heart attacks and strokes
ConclusionThere is no doubt that tobacco smoking harms health and causes a great deal of disease and death. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that tobacco is responsible for one in 10 adult deaths worldwide.The question is whether smoking bans can help reduce the harm caused by tobacco. This summary of research suggests they can, particularly for people who are non-smokers. While it's hard to get good-quality evidence about the effects of smoking bans, comparisons of data from hospitals and national registries before and after a ban is helpful. However, we can't be sure the effects being measured are solely dow...
Source: NHS News Feed - February 4, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Lifestyle/exercise Source Type: news

Behind the Headlines 2016 Quiz of the Year
In 2014, Behind the Headlines has covered more than 500 health stories that made it into the mainstream media. If you've been paying attention you should find this quiz easy and fun. Why not test your knowledge of 2014's health news with our month-by-month quiz? Answers are at the foot of the page (no peeking!).   In January 2016's health news... In a controversial study, monkeys were genetically engineered to develop what disorder? 1) Sex addiction 2) Bi-polar disorder 3) Autism In a similarly controversial study, what psychological condition was dismissed as a "myth" 1) Seasonal affective disorder...
Source: NHS News Feed - December 5, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Special reports Source Type: news

Media hypes molecular blood pressure regulation discovery
ConclusionThis animal research has identified a role for certain proteins in controlling blood pressure. Studies like this give clues as to how human biology works and how it can be fixed when it goes wrong. While the researchers suggest drugs targeting the proteins identified could help develop drugs to treat abnormal blood pressure, these drugs have not yet been developed. Researchers will need to develop such chemicals and thoroughly test their effects in animals first before they can be tested in humans. As such, this is early stage research, and there has not been a "treatment breakthrough" yet, because no t...
Source: NHS News Feed - May 8, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Source Type: news

Flu and freezing weather may be driving up winter death rates
Conclusion There are always more deaths in winter than other seasons, particularly among elderly people. But why these fairly dramatic spikes in the death rate have occurred is still not understood. It should be noted these figures are provisional, as there can be a delay in the ONS receiving the data. Although the media has focused on the likely cause being flu, the numbers provided are for all respiratory conditions. Cold weather can exacerbate many of these conditions, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. For most fit and healthy people, flu is not a serious threat, but the elderly and those with...
Source: NHS News Feed - February 4, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Lifestyle/exercise Medical practice QA articles Source Type: news

Middle age 'starts at 60' claims media
Conclusion This study is an interesting analysis of population data, which shows how looking at figures from a different perspective can change our view. We are used to hearing about "ageing Britain" and how the increasing numbers of older people could be a drain on the country's resources. This study considers whether our definitions of old age are too rigid and need to be revisited. In the paper, the researchers focus on results for Germany, but they have done calculations for 40 European countries, including the UK. This shows that the proportion of people in the UK aged 65 or over, given expected improvement...
Source: NHS News Feed - April 16, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Obesity Source Type: news

UK life expectancy expected to rise to late 80s by 2030
Conclusion This analysis of population data provides some fascinating information about how life expectancy has changed over the past 30 years, and how it may change in the future. It found life expectancy for men and women will continue to rise. However, it also found the existing trends of the difference in life expectancy between different districts will continue to rise, which is of concern. Although the data shows more deprived areas have seen less of an improvement in life expectancy, the study cannot inform us what factors are responsible for the differences in life expectancy. There is one big limitation of any s...
Source: NHS News Feed - April 30, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Medical practice Older people Source Type: news

Bagged salads 'pose salmonella risk,' say researchers
Conclusion This laboratory study principally demonstrates that salad leaf juice – released from salad leaves when they are damaged or broken – supports the growth of salmonella bacteria, even at fridge temperature. If leaves are contaminated with salmonella, this isn't removed by washing in water. The results don't show that all packaged salad leaves are contaminated with gut bacteria like salmonella. What they do show is that if the bags have been contaminated with gut bacteria, these bacteria will replicate, even in the fridge, and there's little you can do to remove them. The best thing to do is to throw the bag o...
Source: NHS News Feed - November 21, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Food/diet Source Type: news