Parents told to use pram covers to protect babies from air pollution
Conclusion
This study aimed to investigate the pollution that babies and young children are exposed to, whether in the pram or carried by adults, on different school drop-off and pick-up walking routes.
It generally found that the concentrations of fine particulates (PMC and PNC) were higher during morning hours, particularly around traffic intersections and bus stops.
Experimental studies like this one are useful for testing hypotheses but there are a few points worth noting:
The study assessed a single town. They would need to compare their findings with many more assessments on different routes, and in different town...
Source: NHS News Feed - March 10, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Pregnancy/child Heart/lungs Source Type: news
'Tooth loss link to increased risk of dementia'
Conclusion
This study adds to the evidence that good oral health is linked to good overall health, including a reduction in the chances of developing dementia in later life.
But the research doesn't prove that regular tooth brushing will prevent dementia.
We don't know what causes dementia. From research so far, it looks as if there are a number of interlinked causes.
Brain health and ageing are likely to be affected by factors including diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol use, blood pressure and genetics.
While living a healthy lifestyle may certainly reduce the chances of dementia, there are no guarantees.
This study ha...
Source: NHS News Feed - March 9, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Mental health Neurology Older people Source Type: news
Substance found in red wine 'helps fight ageing'
Conclusion
Resveratrol has been of interest to anti-ageing scientists for many years and researchers have previously shown it may be linked to a slowing of the decline in thinking and movement, at least in rodents. This study suggests a possible way this might happen.
But the results don't tell us anything about what happens in humans. They suggest this substance may be useful for further research in humans at some point. They certainly don't provide a reason to drink gallons of red wine, in the hope of seeing an anti-ageing effect.
Drinking too much alcohol is a sure-fire way to speed up deterioration of thinking skills,...
Source: NHS News Feed - March 8, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Food/diet Lifestyle/exercise Neurology Source Type: news
Mediterranean diet linked to lower risk of one type of breast cancer
Conclusion
This study aimed to assess whether sticking to a Mediterranean diet was associated with a reduction in breast cancer risk for postmenopausal women.
The researchers found following a Mediterranean diet was indeed associated with a reduction in breast cancer risk – but only for ER-negative breast cancer.
This study has both strengths and weaknesses. Its large, prospective design and long period of follow-up are strengths.
The typical weakness of this type of study is that many factors are likely to contribute to risk, and it's very difficult to be sure the factor in question – in this case, eating a Mediter...
Source: NHS News Feed - March 7, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Food/diet Source Type: news
Is red hair gene linked to increased risk of Parkinson's?
Conclusion
This study looked at the role the red hair gene MC1R plays in the brains of mice. The findings suggest the gene has a part to play in keeping certain nerve cells in the brain alive.
The cells in question are those that die off in Parkinson's disease and cause the condition's characteristic movement problems.
These findings in mice are likely to need further investigation in human cells and tissue in lab studies.
Exactly what causes brain cells to die, causing Parkinson's disease, is unknown. As with many conditions, it's thought both genetic and environmental factors could play a role.
Research like this helps...
Source: NHS News Feed - March 6, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Genetics/stem cells Source Type: news
Artificial mouse embryos created
Conclusion
This early-stage research offers a good insight into the development of mouse embryos and the sequence of biological steps that take place up to the point of implantation in the womb and immediately afterwards. They could provide an insight into the early stages of human life.
However, this does not mean that the creation of artificial human life is now possible:
The study was carried out on mice stem cells, which have a very different biological make-up to humans so the processes may not be identical with human cells.
While the artificial mouse embryo seemed to behave like a natural one, it is unlikely it...
Source: NHS News Feed - March 3, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Genetics/stem cells 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
Wide range of cancers now linked to being overweight
Conclusion
The results of this study provide further evidence for the link between increasing levels of fat and the risk of developing certain cancers.
There was strong evidence for nine cancers, with another two – ovarian cancer and stomach cancer – included when comparing obesity with healthy weight.
This study is important in showing the significance of fat levels and obesity in cancer risk.
But there are some important things to consider:
The study doesn't tell us how excess body fat might play a role in the development of certain cancers, just that there's a link.
Some studies might have been missed, as th...
Source: NHS News Feed - March 1, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Obesity Source Type: news
Early warning signs of some cases of heart attacks 'being missed'
Conclusion
Are doctors missing signs of heart attack in people admitted to hospital? The study results show that may be true in some cases, but there could be other explanations for these findings.
One limitation of the study is that it doesn't show what tests were done, so we don't know whether people who'd complained of chest pain, for example, had tests for heart attacks. We don't know whether doctors actually missed the signs, or whether they investigated them but the tests were negative.
It's also possible that – where people were admitted for one reason but eventually died of a heart attack – the initial diagno...
Source: NHS News Feed - March 1, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Medical practice Source Type: news
'Avoid fads and stick to diet guidelines,' say US heart experts
Conclusion
This review looked into food groups often linked to cardiovascular risk, some of which may be overstated or based on poor evidence.
Overall, the researchers reported there being evidence solid fats are harmful. Examples include coconut and palm oil, eggs, fruit and veg juicing with pulp removal, and "[US] Southern diets" that include added fats, fried and processed foods and sugar-sweetened drinks.
There's also evidence extra virgin olive oil, blueberries and strawberries, leafy green vegetables and controlled portions of nuts are beneficial for cardiovascular health.
Investigating whether the he...
Source: NHS News Feed - February 28, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Food/diet Heart/lungs QA articles Source Type: news
Does putting the clocks forward make IVF more likely to fail?
Conclusion
This study has identified a link between the clocks going forward in spring and pregnancy loss for women who have had IVF embryos implanted in the past 21 days. This link seemed to be particularly pronounced in women who had experienced pregnancy loss before.
However, there are some important limitations to bear in mind:
The women were all taken from one clinic in America, and were mostly white, so it is hard to generalise results to other populations, including women in a UK setting. Further studies in women from multiple clinics and in different countries are needed to check whether the link is seen in thes...
Source: NHS News Feed - February 27, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Pregnancy/child Source Type: news
Fasting diet may help regenerate a diabetic pancreas
Conclusion
This animal study examined whether a diet mimicking fasting cycles would be able to promote the generation of new insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells in a mouse model of diabetes.
Overall, researchers found in mice models of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, insulin secretion was restored and insulin resistance and beta cells could be regenerated or have their function restored. Very early laboratory study on human cell samples suggested similar potential.
These results show promise, but further research is needed to validate these findings in humans.
Professor Anne Cooke, professor of immunology at the Univ...
Source: NHS News Feed - February 24, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Diabetes Food/diet Source Type: news
Link between herpes in pregnancy and autism is unconfirmed
Conclusion
This was a Norwegian case-control study that looked at whether maternal infections during pregnancy are associated with the risk of neurological developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in their children.
The study initially found no association between any of the pathogens during pregnancy or after delivery, and the development of ASD in boys or girls.
Further investigations suggested that high levels of HSV-2 virus antibodies during mid-pregnancy were associated with increased risk of the development of ASD in boys.
The researchers suggest that the suspected risk of ASD associated wit...
Source: NHS News Feed - February 24, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Pregnancy/child Neurology Mental health Source Type: news
Five-a-day of fruit and veg is good, but '10 is better'
Conclusion
This research supports the idea that the more fruit and veg you eat the better – at least, up to 10 portions (800g) a day.
It also suggests the number of people who die early might be reduced if they were to eat more than the current recommended guideline daily amount.
However, before we take this at face value, there are some important considerations:
There are likely to be many confounding factors that may have affected the results. It might be that people who eat a lot of fruit and veg are also more likely to be physically active, consume less alcohol, not smoke and be a healthy weight, or other fact...
Source: NHS News Feed - February 23, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Food/diet Heart/lungs Cancer Medical practice Source Type: news
Exercise 'most proven method' to prevent return of breast cancer
Conclusion
This was a helpful summary of recent research into how lifestyle changes impact on the risk of breast cancer returning, but it does have some limitations.
Researching lifestyle factors separately is always difficult as they tend to clump together, making it difficult to pick apart individual factors. For example, people who are more physically active tend to have a healthier diet and are less likely to drink excessive amounts of alcohol or smoke.
While the researchers say many studies attempt to make adjustments for these confounding factors, it is difficult to know which studies did this and how successful they...
Source: NHS News Feed - February 22, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer QA articles Lifestyle/exercise Source Type: news
