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Source: NHS News Feed
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Total 273 results found since Jan 2013.
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
Strenuous jogging 'as bad as doing no exercise' claim
Conclusion
This study has suggested that light to moderate jogging could be associated with living longer compared with being sedentary, but strenuous jogging might not be.
Due to the fact that this data was collected prospectively, there are considerable limitations. The main limitation is that although the total number of joggers was quite high (around 1,000), once these joggers were split up by duration, frequency and pace of jogging, some of the individual groups were much smaller. This was particularly the case in the most active jogging categories (those who jogged more often, for longer, and at a higher pace). This ...
Source: NHS News Feed - February 3, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Lifestyle/exercise Source Type: news
Media dementia scare over hay fever and sleep drugs
Conclusion
This large US prospective cohort study suggests a link between those taking high levels of anticholinergic medicines for more than three years and developing dementia in adults over 65.
The main statistically significant finding was in a group taking the equivalent of any of the following medications daily for more than three years:
xybutynin chloride, 5mg
chlorpheniramine maleate, 4mg
olanzapine, 2.5mg
meclizine hydrochloride, 25mg
doxepin hydrochloride, 10mg
These are not unrealistic doses of medicine, so the results may be applicable to a significant proportion of older adults.
The main lim...
Source: NHS News Feed - January 27, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medication Neurology Source Type: news
Does moderate boozing reduce heart failure risk?
Conclusion
This study suggests drinking up to about 12 UK units a week is associated with a lower risk of heart failure in men compared with never drinking alcohol.
There was a similar result for women, but the results were not as robust and did not rule out the possibility of there being no difference.
The study benefits from its large size (more than 14,000 people) and the fact it collected its data prospectively over a long period of time.
However, studying the impact of alcohol on outcomes is fraught with difficulty. These difficulties include people not being entirely sure what a "drink" or a "unit&q...
Source: NHS News Feed - January 21, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Food/diet Source Type: news
Becoming healthier may motivate your partner to join in
Conclusion
This cohort study has found that individuals with unhealthy behaviours such as smoking, being inactive or being overweight are most likely to change these behaviours if their unhealthy partner also changes these behaviours.
Having a partner who has consistently healthy behaviours was also associated with a greater likelihood of change in smoking and activity compared to a consistently unhealthy partner, but less so than having a partner who changed behaviour.
There were some limitations to the study, including that:
The study took into account some confounders, such as age and some health conditions, but oth...
Source: NHS News Feed - January 20, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Food/diet Source Type: news
Does moderate drinking reduce heart failure risk?
Conclusion
This study suggests drinking up to about 12 UK units a week is associated with a lower risk of heart failure in men compared with never drinking alcohol.
There was a similar result for women, but the results were not as robust and did not rule out the possibility of there being no difference.
The study benefits from its large size (more than 14,000 people) and the fact it collected its data prospectively over a long period of time.
However, studying the impact of alcohol on outcomes is fraught with difficulty. These difficulties include people not being entirely sure what a "drink" or a "unit&q...
Source: NHS News Feed - January 20, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Food/diet Source Type: news
Inactivity 'twice as deadly' as obesity
Conclusion
This study’s strengths included its large size and long follow-up period. Researchers also took into account a large number of factors (called confounders) that might have influenced the risk of death, such as diet, smoking history and alcohol intake, although it is still possible that both measured and unmeasured confounders influenced mortality rates.
The study had one important limitation. It only measured people’s BMI (calculated by combining their weight and height) and their physical activity once, at the start of the study. It is quite possible that people’s BMI changed over time, and that this wou...
Source: NHS News Feed - January 15, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Wholegrains, not just porridge, may increase life
Conclusion
This analysis of two large prospective cohort studies from the US has found an association between higher wholegrain intake and a reduced risk of death during follow-up, particularly from heart disease.
The study benefits from its large size (more than 100,000 participants) and long duration, as well as the thorough collection of information on the participants as the study progressed (prospective data collection).
Our diets and lifestyles are very complex, and it is very difficult to entirely isolate the effect of one dietary component and remove the effect of all other factors.
However, the researchers have ...
Source: NHS News Feed - January 6, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Food/diet Source Type: news
Behind the Headlines 2014 Quiz of the Year
In 2014, Behind the Headlines covered more than 500 health stories that made it into the mainstream media.
Test your knowledge of 2014's health news with our month-by-month quiz.
If you've been paying attention, you should find this quiz both easy and fun.
Answers are at the foot of the page (no peeking!).
In January 2014's health news...
What was said to help make bones stronger?
1) Swimming
2) Marriage
3) Listening to classical music
Warnings were issued about the possible return of what?
1) Swine flu
2) The Black Death
3) Smallpox
In February 2014's health news...
What activity was said to lower your ...
Source: NHS News Feed - December 29, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Special reports Medical practice Source Type: news
Yoga may help protect against heart disease
ConclusionOverall, this review suggests that yoga may be beneficial in reducing risk factors for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome.While these are encouraging findings, the authors also caution that these are based on trials with some limitations, including: There was a wide variation in the type of yoga practised, the frequency and the length of each session across the studies. This means it is difficult to say what the actual effects of each approach are, as the overall effects are just an average across all of these approaches. Some may have more of an effect and some may have less. The review does not rep...
Source: NHS News Feed - December 16, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Heart/lungs Obesity Source Type: news
Memory gaps in graduates a 'stroke warning sign'
Conclusion
This study showed that highly educated people who notice memory complaints in themselves may be more likely to develop stroke than those who don’t, over an average of 12 years.
The study had a number of strengths, such as its population-based prospective design and availability of data on more than 9,000 participants at baseline with a long follow-up. However, there were also a number of limitations that weaken the strength of the conclusions.
It was not clear whether the memory complaints were assessed just once at the start of the study or an ongoing basis. Some people may report memory complaints that are o...
Source: NHS News Feed - December 12, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Neurology Mental health Older people Source Type: news
Text alerts 'help prompt people to take their pills'
Conclusion
This randomised study found a text messaging reminder service led to more people taking medication as prescribed.
It appears this was because not taking the medication or not responding to the text led to a discussion with a healthcare professional, which influenced people to continue taking their medicines.
The study was clearly reported and was of adequate size to find a difference between the two groups, if there was one. But, as with all studies, there are some limitations to consider.
The results of the study may not be applicable to everyone. The recruitment process meant the participants were already ...
Source: NHS News Feed - December 8, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medical practice Medication Heart/lungs Source Type: news
Drug found to help repair spinal cord injuries
ConclusionThis exciting piece of research has found that the immediate treatment of spinal cord injuries using a newly-developed molecule can improve nerve regeneration, leading to some functional recovery in rats. The drug appears to work by disrupting the unhealthy pattern of scar tissue that develops and usually stops nerves from growing and lengthening, instead forming tight knots.The tests performed on rats appear to show that injections of the drug following a spinal cord injury led to improved bladder function, walking ability and balance.The researchers report that the rats did not develop neuropathic pain, which o...
Source: NHS News Feed - December 4, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medication Neurology Source Type: news
Nitrate-rich leafy greens 'good for the heart'
ConclusionIt’s always a good idea to eat up your greens. This research suggests that one possible benefit is through the mechanism of nitrate “thinning” the blood and protecting against heart disease. While the research is interesting, it’s a pity that no one thought to mention that this was a laboratory study on rats. It is important to remember that high levels of nitrates can be toxic, which is why there are safety limits for the level of nitrates in drinking water. High nitrate levels are especially harmful for infants.A healthy diet – including plenty of vegetables – and regular exercise are important fo...
Source: NHS News Feed - December 4, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Food/diet Heart/lungs Diabetes Obesity Source Type: news
Ten-point plan to tackle liver disease published
"Doctors call for tougher laws on alcohol abuse to tackle liver disease crisis," The Guardian reports. But this is just one of 10 recommendations for tackling the burden of liver disease published in a special report in The Lancet.The report paints a grim picture of an emerging crisis in liver disease in the UK, saying it is one of the few countries in Europe where liver disease and deaths have actually increased rapidly over the last 30 years. It concludes with 10 recommendations to tackle the burden of liver disease.The media has approached the recommendations from many different angles, with many sources only ...
Source: NHS News Feed - November 27, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Food/diet Lifestyle/exercise QA articles Source Type: news
