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Specialty: Consumer Health News
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Total 273 results found since Jan 2013.

UK 'among worst' for cancer linked to obesity
Conclusion This international study has shown alarming increases in cases of cancer that can be attributed to high BMI. Overall, they estimated that 3.6% of cancers in adults (aged over 30 years) worldwide are caused by high BMI, with the proportion attributed to obesity slightly higher in women than in men. In the UK, 4.4% of all cases of cancer per year in men and 8.2% of all cases of cancer per year in women, were estimated to be attributable to obesity. The research focused on cancers that the WCRF has already established are linked to high BMI. When looking at these cancers, the UK was joint second highest in the worl...
Source: NHS News Feed - November 27, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Obesity Source Type: news

Have antibiotic changes upped heart infections?
Conclusion This is valuable and timely research, which has looked at trends before and after NICE's 2008 guidance on the prevention of infective endocarditis in people undergoing invasive procedures. This examined: changes in the prescription of antibiotics for the prevention of infective endocarditis changes in the number of cases of infective endocarditis diagnosed NICE's recommendation was based on an examination of the evidence of the effectiveness of antibiotics in preventing infective endocarditis, weighing the benefits and health outcomes (such as reduction in illness and deaths), risks and costs.   The ...
Source: NHS News Feed - November 19, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Medical practice Source Type: news

Fruit chemical may prevent organ damage
Conclusion This exciting set of experiments has identified the metabolic driver of tissue injury seen when blood supply is returned after a period of ischaemia. The researchers have also shown this process can be limited by using an injection of dimethyl malonate in mice and rats. It is likely the same increased metabolic processes occur in humans, so there are wide implications for the future, including the potential use of dimethyl malonate injections to prevent tissue damage during surgery. At present it is unclear how this could be used practically during a heart attack or stroke, and this will be one of many issues...
Source: NHS News Feed - November 6, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Medical practice Medication Source Type: news

Viagra could double up as heart failure drug
ConclusionThis systematic review of 24 RCTs indicated PDE5is were more effective than placebos at improving specific measures of heart health and were broadly safe.PDE5is lower blood pressure, so these drugs are currently contraindicated or used with caution in people with cardiovascular disease, including those with low blood pressure and a history of stroke or heart attack, as the effects are unknown. However, various research studies have continued to investigate the possibility that these drugs could have a beneficial effect on heart function. This review has looked into their effect on cardiovascular outcomes further ...
Source: NHS News Feed - October 20, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Medication Source Type: news

Fruit juice link to high blood pressure not proven
ConclusionThis cross-sectional study found a link between regular fruit juice consumption and slightly increased central blood pressure in a group of 130 largely healthy 50 to 70 year olds. People who drank juice daily had a systolic pressure (the upper figure) 3 to 4mmHg higher than those who drank juice rarely or occasionally.However, when measuring the blood pressure in the standard way, using an inflatable cuff around the arm, there was no link.  The media reports focus on the possibility that the slight raise in blood pressure could increase a person's risk of a variety of blood pressure-related complications. But it...
Source: NHS News Feed - October 13, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Food/diet Source Type: news

Green tea compound may improve cancer drugs
Conclusion This study developed a new way of packaging and carrying protein drugs by combining them with a green tea extract called Epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG), which itself may have anti-cancer properties. They formed a complex between derivatives of EGCG and the protein cancer drug Herceptin. Tests in the laboratory and in mice indicated it might have better anti-cancer properties than non-complexed free Herceptin. This is encouraging research and may lead to improvements in delivery mechanisms for protein drugs further down the line. But this research remains at a very early stage of development. The results f...
Source: NHS News Feed - October 6, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Medication Source Type: news

Deep-fried Mars bars – unhealthy, but no killer
Conclusion This study found no significant differences in cerebrovascular reactivity (the body’s ability to respond to breath holding by increasing blood flow to the brain) after eating either a deep-fried Mars bar or porridge. When the researchers analysed men and women separately, they found no significant differences in cerebrovascular reactivity after eating a deep-fried Mars bar or porridge. However, when the researchers compared men with women, they found a significant difference, although whether there is any clinical significance to this finding is unclear. The researchers point out that there are limitations to ...
Source: NHS News Feed - September 30, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Food/diet Neurology Obesity Source Type: news

Deep-fried Mars bars: unhealthy, but no killer
Conclusion This study found no significant differences in cerebrovascular reactivity (the body’s ability to respond to breath holding by increasing blood flow to the brain) after eating either a deep-fried Mars bar or porridge. When the researchers analysed men and women separately, they found no significant differences in cerebrovascular reactivity after eating a deep-fried Mars bar or porridge. However, when the researchers compared men with women, they found a significant difference, although whether there is any clinical significance to this finding is unclear. The researchers point out that there are limitations to ...
Source: NHS News Feed - September 30, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Food/diet Neurology Obesity Source Type: news

Cherry juice touted as treatment for gout
ConclusionThis small study found that drinking tart cherry juice twice a day temporarily lowered the blood uric acid levels of 12 young healthy volunteers without gout, up to eight hours after they consumed the drink. The levels began to increase back to the starting levels after 24-48 hours. The researchers and media extrapolated this finding to mean that the drink may be useful for gout, which is caused by an excess accumulation of uric acid crystals.Based on this study alone, we cannot say that drinking cherry juice helps prevent the onset of gout, or the recurrence of gout in those who have had it before. The study did...
Source: NHS News Feed - September 29, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Food/diet Medication Source Type: news

Could curry spice boost brain cell repair?
ConclusionThis laboratory and animal research has found that an extract from turmeric (aromatic turmerone) seems to increase the growth and differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs). However, this research is in the very early stages. So far, the extract has only been added to brain stem cells in the laboratory, or directly injected into the brains of only three rats. Though NSCs have some ability to regenerate brain cells after damage, this is usually not enough to have an effect in degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s. The hope is that by boosting the number of NSCs, they could be more effective at repairi...
Source: NHS News Feed - September 26, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Food/diet Neurology Source Type: news

Benefits of statins 'outweigh diabetes risk'
ConclusionThe results of these updated meta-analyses indicate that statin use is associated with a 12% increase in risk of type 2 diabetes and also weight gain of half a pound over the course of four years. This confirms the findings of the previous meta-analysis of the effect on diabetes, and adds new findings for weight.The main meta-analyses in this study attempted to address how statins might have this effect. They found that people who have genetic variations in the gene encoding the protein HMGCR that is targeted by statins, have lower LDL (bad) cholesterol but also increased levels of insulin, blood sugar, body weig...
Source: NHS News Feed - September 24, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Diabetes Heart/lungs Medication 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

Prescription sleeping pills linked to Alzheimer's risk
Conclusion This case control study has suggested that long-term use of benzodiazepines (over six months) may be linked with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease in older people. These findings are reported to be similar to other previous studies, but add weight to these by showing that risk increases with increasing length of exposure to the drugs, and with those benzodiazepines that remain in the body for longer. The strengths of this study include that it could establish when people started taking benzodiazepines and when they had their diagnosis using medical insurance records, rather than having to ask people to ...
Source: NHS News Feed - September 10, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Neurology Mental health Source Type: news

Claims magnetic brain stimulation helps memory
ConclusionIn this study, TMS was found to improve performance on the associative memory test by more than 20%, whereas sham stimulation had no significant effect.TMS also increased connectivity between specific cortical (grey-matter) regions of the brain and the hippocampus.This interesting research increases our knowledge of how memory works. However, it was a very small trial with only 16 participants. It is also unclear whether electromagnetic stimulation would be effective for people with memory disorders such as dementia. The media has reported that the researchers are now planning to study the effect of TMS on people...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 29, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Neurology Source Type: news

Targeted brain stimulation 'could aid stroke recovery'
Conclusion This mouse model of stroke has found that stimulating nerve cells in the part of the brain responsible for movement (the primary motor cortex) can lead to better blood flow and the expression of proteins that could promote recovery, as well as leading to functional recovery after stroke. But it remains to be determined whether a similar technique could be used in people who have had a stroke. The mice were genetically modified so nerve cells in the primary motor cortex produced an ion channel that could be activated by light. The nerve cells were then activated using a laser. To use this technique in humans, ...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 19, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Neurology Source Type: news