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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 r...
Source: NHS News Feed - June 29, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Obesity Pregnancy/child 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

UK heart disease and stroke death rates now lower than cancer
Conclusion This valuable research informs on the burden of cardiovascular disease and associated mortality across European countries. It demonstrates that CVD is still the most common cause of death across Europe, but rates have been falling over the past 10 years. This fall means that in several European countries, including the UK, cancer rates now overtake CVD death rates in men. Generally, CVD disability and burden of disease seems to be greater in Eastern European countries. The WHO mortality data and population data are quite up-to-date and should be reliable, though as the researchers say, there was a lack of high ...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 15, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Cancer Neurology Source Type: news

Is there really a middle-class drinking 'epidemic' in over-50s?
Conclusion This study showed that higher-risk drinking was linked to a number of factors the researchers described as "middle-class", like higher educational attainment, being socially active and good ratings of health. Professor Jose Iparraguirre, author of the research, said in the Guardian: "Because this group is typically healthier than other parts of the older population, they might not realise that what they are doing is putting their health in danger". There are a few reasons to be cautious with these findings. The study produced a lot of results, so there is a risk some were chance findings. Thi...
Source: NHS News Feed - July 24, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Older people Food/diet Source Type: news

Children of the 90s more likely to be overweight or obese
Conclusion The study shows how, while the whole population of England has become heavier over the past 70 years, different generations have been affected in different ways. People born in 1946 were, on average, normal weight until their 40s, but this group has since seen their weight rise and they are now, on average, overweight. By the time they reached 60, 75% of men and 66% of women from this group were overweight or obese. People born in 1946 from the heaviest cohorts, who were already overweight in early adulthood, are now likely to be obese or very obese. For people born since 1946, the chance of being overweight a...
Source: NHS News Feed - May 20, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Obesity Pregnancy/child 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

Watch less TV to prevent obesity, says NICE
“Take TV-free days to combat obesity, health experts urge,” The Guardian reports. This is one of a range of new recommendations from National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) draft guidelines that are designed to help adults and children maintain a healthy weight.Although the headlines have largely focused on TV (as well as other types of screen time, such as smartphones), the recommendations cover a range of health-related behaviours, such as walking to work and avoiding fizzy drinks.This draft guidance is mainly aimed at people in organisations who set up, pay for, or put into practice programmes that ...
Source: NHS News Feed - September 23, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Food/diet Obesity Source Type: news

Global stats show rise in strokes in younger people
Conclusion This study is comprehensive in its global coverage of stroke and is based on the largest stroke dataset available to date. It is also the first to provide systematic regional and country-specific estimates of the burden of the disease.  As the authors point out, the main limitations include a scarcity of high-quality data from low-income and middle-income countries especially, which may affect the reliability of some of the figures. Other limitations include a potential underestimation of the burden of stroke. This may have come about because "silent strokes", which are those not based on diagnosis u...
Source: NHS News Feed - October 24, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medical practice Neurology Lifestyle/exercise Source Type: news

Saturated fat link with heart disease questioned
This article is one doctor's opinion based on his own knowledge, research and experience. However, it is fair to say there is an ongoing debate about how far cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease, especially in people who are otherwise healthy. There is also a similar debate about the use of statins in people who have no evidence of cardiovascular disease. This is alongside ongoing research into the components of LDL and the different types of lipoproteins known to increase risk the most. None of this relevant new evidence is covered by the news reporting.   What should you eat? There is no need to change curren...
Source: NHS News Feed - October 23, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Food/diet QA articles Source Type: news

Walking ‘could save 37,000 lives a year’ report claims
The benefits of walking have been reported across the UK media. The BBC reports that “walking more 'would save thousands' of lives in the UK”. These stories have been prompted by the "Walking Works” report (PDF, 3.4MB). It provides an overview of current evidence on physical inactivity, and makes the case for encouraging more people to take up walking as a form of physical activity. It lays out that a large proportion of the population is not meeting physical activity guidelines and that if more people did so, this could potentially save 37,000 lives a year in England. It also discusses the specific benefits o...
Source: NHS News Feed - October 7, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Lifestyle/exercise QA articles Source Type: news

Hard times in Cuba linked to better national health
Conclusion This is an interesting study that appears to show that modest weight loss within a relatively short period across the whole population is associated with a downward trend in diabetes and reductions in death rates from both diabetes and heart disease. Similarly, weight regain was associated with an increase in diabetes incidence, prevalence and mortality as well as a slowing down in the decline of cardiovascular deaths. This type of study draws on many different data sources and, as such, there is a possibility of error. Also, as the authors point out, data was missing on diabetes incidence during the crisis year...
Source: NHS News Feed - April 10, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Food/diet Heart/lungs Diabetes Source Type: news