Does coffee make you live longer?
Conclusion
This study, conducted on a large number of people across Europe, was backed up by similar findings in the US. It appears to show some association between people who drink higher amounts of coffee and a reduced risk of death.
But the "potentially beneficial clinical implications" need to be considered carefully for a number of reasons:
Although the analyses were adjusted for some confounding variables, there may be a number of other factors that differ between the groups that account for the differences in death, such as socioeconomic status, family history, other medical conditions, and use of medi...
Source: NHS News Feed - July 12, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Food/diet Source Type: news
Old meningitis B vaccine 'may also protect against gonorrhoea'
Conclusion
This large study found an association between having the MeNZB vaccine and a reduced likelihood of being diagnosed with gonorrhoea.
But it's difficult to form any firm conclusions because of the nature of the case and control groups.
For example, given that both groups were sexually active, we don't know why the majority of people with gonorrhoea didn't also have a chlamydia infection, and how this may have affected the results.
It could just be down to pure chance and have nothing to do with the vaccine.
So before we celebrate the alleged "cure of gonorrhoea", there are many things to consider:
...
Source: NHS News Feed - July 11, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medication Source Type: news
Does having a 'sense of purpose' in life help you sleep better?
Conclusion
This study explored the relationship between having a sense of purpose in life and sleep quality and sleep disorders.
Researchers found generally, having a greater sense of purpose in life was associated with better quality of sleep and a decreased likelihood of sleep disorders like sleep apnoea and restless leg syndrome.
The researchers suggest this may be down to people having better overall physical and mental health.
Although these are plausible hypotheses, there are a few points to note. As with the majority of cohort studies, it isn't possible to prove cause and effect and fully rule out the influence...
Source: NHS News Feed - July 10, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Mental health Source Type: news
WHO issues warning about rise of drug-resistant gonorrhoea
Conclusion
The increase in antimicrobial resistance towards drugs used to treat gonorrhoea is reaching a critical stage, especially given how common the infection is worldwide, with an estimated 78 million new cases in 2012.
This study raises concerns around an important topic while also proposing strategies to help address the slow pace of research and development of new drugs.
The prevention of gonorrhoea is equally, if not more, important. The most effective way to prevent gonorrhoea is to always use a condom during sex, including anal and oral sex.
Read more advice about sexually transmitted infections and how to prev...
Source: NHS News Feed - July 7, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medication QA articles Source Type: news
Researchers try to unknot Alzheimer's protein tangles
Conclusion
There's a tendency when scientists announce a breakthrough in our understanding of a disease to immediately start thinking about whether this could lead to a cure.
While the ultimate aim of research into Alzheimer's disease is of course to be able to prevent or treat it, early research like this is more about understanding the disease mechanisms.
This piece of research demonstrates how a new technique can be used to identify the molecular structure of abnormal protein deposits in the brain. That's a big step forward for use of this technology, which may be useful for other diseases, too.
The causes of Alzheimer...
Source: NHS News Feed - July 6, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Neurology Source Type: news
Frequent ejaculation may decrease prostate cancer risk
Conclusion
This research showed an association between ejaculating more frequently and a lower chance of getting prostate cancer in three different age groups.
Before too much is read into these findings, there are some limitations of the research to consider:
Three age groups were looked at; ages 20-29, 40-49 and 50 and over. It is not known what the differences are within these groups and it is not known what the outcomes would be if ejaculation was measured in different age categories.
Although the authors adjusted for some variables, there are still some factors that might have influenced the results, such as soc...
Source: NHS News Feed - July 6, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Source Type: news
Toothpaste ingredient linked to antibiotic resistance
Conclusion
This study mainly explored why bacterial resistance could be common for both quinolone antibiotics like ciprofloxacin and the antibacterial triclosan.
It confirmed previous findings that one cause seems to be bacteria developing mutations in the gyrA gene.
In the case of quinolones, the mutation alters the enzyme that they normally bind to. Triclosan resistance is largely because the already-mutant bacteria have boosted stress response pathways, or molecular defences.
The main finding of this research was that small triclosan concentrations led to resistant E. coli bacteria becoming the more dominant strains m...
Source: NHS News Feed - July 5, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medication 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 abilit...
Source: NHS News Feed - July 4, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medication Source Type: news
Brain training app used to treat memory condition
Conclusion
This small trial suggests that an iPad game aimed at training episodic memory – memory of locations and events – can lead to improvements in this aspect of memory in older adults with aMCI.
The fact the study used a control group and an RCT design increases confidence in these findings.
But there are some important things to bear in mind at this very early stage:
The study was very small – the authors acknowledge that it needs to be repeated in a larger sample of people to confirm the findings.
The game hasn't been tried in people with dementia, so we don't know if it would help them.
The study ...
Source: NHS News Feed - July 3, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Neurology Source Type: news
Some women in the UK still unaware of cervical screening
Conclusion
This study presents interesting findings on the proportion of women who don't go for cervical screening tests, and the possible reasons for their non-attendance.
Researchers found most non-participants were either unaware of screening or intended to go to screening but still failed to go. This was most common in single women aged 25-34.
One point to note is that the data was collected through self-reported questionnaires, which carry the risk of inaccurate reporting because of the perceived social stigma around screening and the desire to give the "right" response.
In the case of cervical cancer scre...
Source: NHS News Feed - June 30, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Source Type: news
Overweight teen boys have increased risk of stroke in later life
Conclusion
The findings of this large longitudinal cohort study seem to demonstrate a link between being overweight aged 20 and an increased risk of stroke.
This risk was regardless of whether the boy had been overweight aged 8 or not. There seemed to be no increased risk for boys who were overweight aged 8 but were a normal weight by the age of 20.
The study was conducted before the obesity epidemic, and might be even more relevant today.
But there are a number of considerations to take into account before we draw any conclusions:
Participants were followed up until they were 52-68, so all the strokes occurred at a ...
Source: NHS News Feed - June 29, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Obesity Pregnancy/child Source Type: news
Can magnesium help depression – or is it just a placebo?
Conclusion
Depression is a serious illness that can cause a great deal of distress to those who have it, as well as to their friends and family. Current treatments – both medication and talking therapies – work well for some people but less well for others.
Antidepressants can have unwanted side effects. So, a new treatment for depression with few side effects would be very welcome.
Despite the researchers' interpretations of their results, however, it's hard to recommend a treatment when we don't know whether a sugar pill would work just as well.
The lack of a placebo group in the study means we cannot be sure whethe...
Source: NHS News Feed - June 29, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Mental health Source Type: news
'Painless' flu vaccine skin patch shows promise
Conclusion
Further testing in larger trials needs to be done to be sure these initial results hold true and that the vaccine patch is safe and effective. This is the first time these flu microneedle patches have been tested on humans, and the study was relatively small, with only 100 participants.
But if the results are confirmed, this new method of delivering the flu vaccination could make a big difference. The patches could have several main advantages over traditional injections:
they may be preferred by people who dislike needles and avoid vaccination because of the fear of pain
it may be quicker and easier to ad...
Source: NHS News Feed - June 28, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medical practice Medication Swine flu Source Type: news
Middle-aged office workers 'sit down more' than OAPs
Conclusion
The results of this large Scottish survey indicate that for adults in work, time spent being inactive during weekdays is greater in all age groups compared with people aged 75 and above. This is reversed at the weekend.
This indicates that work has a huge impact on activity levels. The authors argue that long periods spent sitting at work have public health implications, including increased risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers.
However, there are a number of limitations to the study:
The responses were self-reported, so might be subject to bias if people inaccurately estimate the amount ...
Source: NHS News Feed - June 27, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Older people Source Type: news
Can coffee machines and kettles spread toxic spores?
Conclusion
This laboratory study suggests that under humid conditions, indoor surfaces like wallpaper may be colonised by fungi that produce toxic particles – some of which may be small enough to be inhaled.
But it's important that these findings aren't taken too far out of context at this stage.
The study was carried out in highly experimental circumstances where both temperature and humidity were optimised for maximal fungal growth.
We can't know for sure that these circumstances would be typical of indoor environments, even bathrooms or kitchens, if they're well ventilated.
The UK media has applied these findings s...
Source: NHS News Feed - June 26, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Lifestyle/exercise Source Type: news
