UK Health Radio - Medical News Update on the Hour - Gracie on Bullying

UK Health Radio - Medical News Update on the Hour

Bullying 

Bullying often starts when people pick on something about you that's different. It could be how big you are, the colour of your skin, or how you're doing at school.

There are 4 types of bulling including : Physical bullying, verbal abuse, social bullying and cyber bullying.

Walk away or stay in a group. You're less likely to be bullied when there are other people around. Bullies don't like witnesses.

Tell someone you trust, like a parent, teacher or friend. You will feel better and you can think of ways to beat the bully together.

Also, keep a diary of what kind of bullying is happening and when it is happening. This can be used as evidence when you tell someone.

Don't show you're angry or sad. If you don't care, the bully can't get to you. Don't be scared to tell somebody about what you're going through.

The government have made every school have an Anti-Bullying Policy.

Schemes include anti-bullying clubs and sessions where older pupils give tips on how to cope.

PSHE are taught in most schools and can give you ideas on how to help you cope and beat the bully.
 

Gracie Timms

UK Health Radio - Medical News Update on the Hour

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UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour - Four in ten cancer deaths could be prevented with healthier lifestyles.

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour

As we prepare to make those New Year resolutions and interesting report from the BBC has stated that more than four in 10 cancers that’s 600,000 in the UK alone - could be prevented if people led healthier lives, according to experts. 

Latest figures from Cancer Research UK show that smoking is the biggest avoidable risk factor, closely followed by unhealthy diets and the charity is urging people to consider their health when making New Year resolutions. 

Limiting alcohol intake and doing regular exercise although hardly news, is also good advice.

According to the figures spanning five years from 2007 to 2011, more than 300,000 cases of cancer recorded were linked to smoking and a further 145,000 were linked to unhealthy diets containing too much processed food. Obesity contributed to 88,000 cases and alcohol to 62,200.  Sun damage to the skin and physical inactivity were also contributing factors.

The BBC reported Prof Max Parkin, a Cancer Research UK statistician based at Queen Mary University of London, as saying: "There's now little doubt that certain lifestyle choices can have a big impact on cancer risk, with research around the world all pointing to the same key risk factors.

"Of course everyone enjoys some extra treats during the Christmas holidays so we don't want to ban mince pies and wine but it's a good time to think about taking up some healthy habits for 2015.

"Leading a healthy lifestyle can't guarantee someone won't get cancer but we can stack the odds in our favour by taking positive steps now that will help decrease our cancer risk in future."

Public Health England says a healthy lifestyle can play a vital role in reducing cancer risk. It says campaigns such as Smokefree, Dry January and Change4Life Sugar Swaps all aim to raise public awareness.

So what have you decided to have as your New Year resolutions?  We would love to hear. 

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour

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UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour - e-readers disturb sleep.

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour

Many of us will have had an e-reader for Christmas, in fact e-readers are one of the most popular presents.  But if you curl up under the duvet with an e-book for a bedtime read then you are damaging your sleep and maybe your health, US doctors have warned. 

The BBC have reported that a team from Harvard Medical School compared those reading paper books and light-emitting e-readers before sleep. They found it took longer to nod off with a back-lit e-reader, which led to poorer quality sleep and being more tired the next morning. However experts have said that the original Kindle readers do not emit light so should be fine. Experts said people should minimise light-exposure in the evening.

Whatever you are reading, the impact of reading on your sleep is probably the last thing on your mind but there has been growing concern about the dangers of light before bedtime. This is because our bodies are kept in tune with the rhythm of day and night by an internal body clock, which uses light to tell the time. 

But blue light, the wavelength common in smartphones, tablets and LED lighting, is able to disrupt the body clock. Blue light in the evening can slow or prevent the production of the sleep hormone melatonin.

In the e-reader experiment twelve people were locked in a sleep laboratory for two weeks.  They spent five days reading from a paperback and five days from an iPad. Regular blood samples showed the production of the sleep hormone melatonin was reduced by reading an e-book and that people also took longer to fall asleep, had less deep sleep and were more tired the next morning. The researchers said other e-readers such as the Nook and Kindle Fire produced similar wavelengths of light and would have the same impact.

The findings were publicised in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  Lead researcher Prof Charles Czeisler told the BBC News website: "The light emitted by most e-readers is shining directly into the eyes of the reader, whereas from a printed book or the original Kindle, the reader is only exposed to reflected light from the pages of the book."

He said disrupting sleep in turn affected health."Sleep deficiency has been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic diseases like obesity and diabetes, and cancer. 

"Thus, the melatonin suppression that we saw in this study among participants when they were reading from the light-emitting e-reader concerns us."

Dr Victoria Revell, who researches the impact of light on the body at the University of Surrey, told the BBC: "This is a very good study and I think it's really interesting. "We should be advising people to minimise their [light-emitting e-reader] use in the evening, particularly teenagers who are a group that are using their phones and tablets late in to the evening."

Teenagers naturally have a late body clock, which makes them slow to rise in the morning and up late at night.

"People who already have a delayed body clock are delaying themselves much further and that is a very important message," Dr Revell added.

Prof Czeisler agreed, saying there was "special concern" for teenagers who were already sleep deficient by being forced to get up early for school.

I think this is research that I could take note of myself.  I will try not to use my iPhone late in the evening and see if that makes a difference to my poor sleep patterns. I will let you know how I get on.

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour

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UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour - Keep an eye on the elderly to prevent A&E visits.

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour 

The BBC have reported that NHS leaders are urging people to look in on elderly friends and neighbours over the Christmas period to ease pressures on hospital A&E departments. They warn loneliness and isolation can increase the risk of emergency hospital admissions. They say people are more likely to report health problems in good time if they have someone to talk to. The Patients Association says the service could be heading for a "crunch weekend".

Hospitals and ambulance services are already coming under enormous pressure this winter.  Figures released on Friday showed in England there were more than 440,000 visits to A&E the previous week - a rise of 6% on the same period last year.

Emergency admissions reached record levels, rising to more than 111,000.

Prof Keith Willett NHS England said “we often see a sharp spike in emergency admissions at this time of year and we know that the majority of these are elderly people who have stored up a health problem at home and haven't sought treatment early hoping it will 'go away'” NHS leaders say they want to keep people out of busy A&E departments "as far as possible". They are worried that over the festive period the impact of loneliness and social isolation could cause a major "spike" in admissions.

Prof Keith Willett, NHS England's national clinical director for acute care, cited a recent study in south west England in which 45% of elderly patients admitted as an emergency said they were socially isolated.

"We are calling on the public to think about those people living nearby who might benefit from a visit. "If they see other people they are more likely to mention a health problem and then are more likely to seek help early." And - with GP surgeries closed for some of the festive period - Prof Willett reminded people to order medicines in good time so they do not run out.

It is a similar message across the UK for the festive period.

In Scotland, Shona Robison, cabinet secretary for health, wellbeing and sport, said people should think through their options.

"We are encouraging people to make themselves aware of the services available to them over the festive period and think about where best to turn if their condition is not life-threatening.

"NHS 24, the local pharmacy, the GP surgery or minor injuries unit may be the better place to go rather than a busy A&E unit, keeping emergency lifesaving services free for those who really need them."

The chairman of the Patients Association, Dr Mike Smith, said there was a risk people could "completely swamp" A&E departments because of a lack of faith in out of hours services.

"We need a new way of providing 24/7 community services, it's going to have to evolve, the current situation is very difficult for people to cope with."

Speaking for the British Medical Association, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, said services were in place to help people without them having to turn straightaway to their nearest hospital emergency department.

"There is a service available through the bank holiday period. People can get to see a GP if they need to through NHS 111.

"Knowing that, there is no need to feel they have to rush to A&E."

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour

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UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour -Super bug infections to rise.

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour

BBC health reporter Fergus Walsh has reported that drug resistant infections are predicted to kill an extra 10 million people a year worldwide - more than currently die from cancer - by 2050 unless action is taken, according to a recent study. They are currently implicated in 700,000 deaths each year.

Jim O’Neill an economist appointed by Prime Minister David Cameron in July to head a review of antimicrobial resistance, said the costs would spiral to $100tn (£63tn).

Mr O'Neill told the BBC: "To put that in context, the annual GDP [gross domestic product] of the UK is about $3tn, so this would be the equivalent of around 35 years without the UK contribution to the global economy."

The reduction in population and the impact on ill-health would reduce world economic output by between 2% and 3.5%.

The analysis was based on scenarios modelled by researchers Rand Europe and auditors KPMG.

They found that drug resistant E. coli, malaria and tuberculosis (TB) would have the biggest impact.

In Europe and the United States, antimicrobial resistance causes at least 50,000 deaths each year, they said. And left unchecked, deaths would rise more than 10-fold by 2050.

The review team believes its analysis represents a significant underestimate of the potential impact of failing to tackle drug resistance, as it did not include the effects on healthcare of a world in which antibiotics no longer worked.

Joint replacements, Caesarean sections, chemotherapy and transplant surgery are among many treatments that depend on antibiotics being available to prevent infections.

The review team estimates that Caesarean sections currently contribute 2% to world GDP, joint replacements 0.65%, cancer drugs 0.75% and organ transplants 0.1%.

This is based on the number of lives saved, and ill-health prevented in people of working age.

Without effective antibiotics, these procedures would become much riskier and in many cases impossible.

The review team concludes that this would cost a further $100tn by 2050.

Mr O'Neill said his team would now be exploring what action could be taken to avert this looming crisis.

He said scientists seemed more certain that drug resistance would be a major problem in the short term, than they were over climate change.

Dr Jeremy Farrar, the director the Wellcome Trust, said: "By highlighting the vast financial and human costs that unchecked drug resistance will have, this important research underlines that this is not just a medical problem, but an economic and social one too."

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour

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UK Health Radio - Medical News Update on the Hour - Gracie on Festive Injuries

UK Health Radio - Medical News Update on the Hour

Festive Injuries

During Christmas, your home is likely to be full of people and accidents can easily happen.

Christmas Day accidents include parents accidentally stabbing themselves with scissors, which they've used to make up toys, instead of using a screwdriver.

The tree, normally while fixing stars, lights or other decorations to the higher branches, injures about 1,000 people.

Use a stepladder to put up the decorations. Buy the right size tree so you don't have to cut the top off and risk cutting yourself.

Make sure toddlers and babies don't pull the lights off the tree and electrocute themselves.

Around 350 people a year are hurt by Christmas tree lights. Injuries include people falling while putting them up, children swallowing the bulbs, and people getting electric shocks and burns from faulty lights.

Test your lights and the wiring before you put them up, as they can deteriorate over the years. If you have old lights, buy new ones that meet higher safety standards and don’t overload sockets, as that’s a fire risk.

About 1,000 people a year are hurt when decorating their homes. Children bite into glass baubles and adults fall while using unstable chairs instead of ladders to put up streamers, or fall out of lofts while looking for the decorations.

Gracie Timms

UK Health Radio - Medical News Update on the Hour

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UK Health Radio –Medical News Update on the Hour - A&E Waiting Times

UK Health Radio –Medical News Update on the Hour

A&E Waiting Times

The BBC’s health correspondent Nick Triggle has been looking at the problems that A&E departments are facing in the UK and asking why? In his report he says that we need look no further than Salford Royal Hospital to realise the point the NHS has got to.

That trust is generally regarded as one of the best - if not the best - in the UK. It outperforms its counterparts on a whole host of measures from patient satisfaction to waiting times.

But last week it missed the four-hour A&E waiting time target - dipping below the 95% standard by the narrowest of margins. This is not a quirk. It's been dragged down along with the rest of the hospital sector, Triggle said.

Once you strip out the small units and walk-in centres, where the pressure is less intense, seven out of eight of England's 141 major units are now missing the target.

If this sort of performance continues for the rest of the month, the quarterly results for October to December will be the worst since the target was introduced in 2004.

Performance levels in Wales and Northern Ireland are even lower (Scotland seems to be performing at a similar level to England, although as the data there lags behind the other parts of the UK, it is hard to say for sure).

This is despite ministers in all four corners of the UK handing the health service extra So why are things deteriorating? The quick answer - and the one that was pointed out repeatedly when the BBC launched its NHS winter tracker project on Friday - is that attendances are going up across the UK.

During the first week of December there were just over 436,000 visits - up by nearly 30,000.

But what is interesting as you delve down into the data is that it's not just A&E units that are finding it difficult - there are pressure points across the whole system.

Nearly a fifth of patients who go to A&E need to be admitted into the hospital for more complex care than can be given in an emergency department. Sometimes they face long waits (classed as over four hours) before a bed can be found for them. These are known as "trolley waits".

The latest weekly figures show they topped 7,000. That is the highest since weekly collections began in 2010.

But hospitals are also finding it difficult to discharge patients. A significant factor in this is the squeeze on councils' social care budgets. Many of the patients who end up in hospital are frail and elderly, and when they are ready to be released need support in the community to get back on their feet. If it's not there, they have to stay in hospital, which occupies a bed often needed for other patients.

So what next? "Predictions are very hard to make," says Chris Hopson, of NHS Providers, which represents hospitals. "What we don't know is what will happen with Norovirus or flu. Services are so stretched at the moment, that all it will take is a spike in those to make it very difficult for us."

It seems to be the case that despite all the planning, all the money, and all the hard work of NHS staff, this winter will hinge on factors outside everyone's control.

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio –Medical News Update on the Hour

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UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour - Aspirin and ibuprofen might protect against skin cancer.

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour

Aspirin and ibuprofen might protect against skin cancer.

The BBC has reported that regularly taking aspirin and ibuprofen may help protect against some forms of skin cancer, research suggests.

An Australian analysis of all studies to date found that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduced the risk of skin cancer squamous cell carcinoma by 18%.

The drugs have previously been linked to a reduced risk of other cancers, including colon cancer.

Experts said staying out of the sun and wearing sun cream were the most effective ways to avoid skin cancer.

The theory that drugs like Aspirin may protect against skin cancer has been raised before, but the overall evidence had been unclear.

Researchers did an analysis of nine studies looking at use of the drugs and the risk of squamous cell carcinoma - the most common form of skin cancer.

Reporting in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, they found that taking any NSAID was associated with an 18% lower risk of developing the cancer.

And taking NSAIDs other than aspirin was linked with a 15% reduced risk.

It is the most convincing evidence so far that the drugs help prevent the development of squamous cell carcinoma.

But experts still cannot be sure of the effects because some factors - such as how much sun someone is exposed to or even what doses of the drugs they take - have been difficult to pin down with any accuracy.

The researchers did find a greater degree of reduced risk associated with use of the drugs in people with pre-cancerous growths or a history of skin cancer.

It raises the possibility that the drugs could be used as a preventive treatment in some groups.

Some people are prescribed NSAIDs long term for conditions such as arthritis, but they are not recommended for regular use in healthy people because of side effects, which can include, in rare cases, bleeding in the stomach.

Prof Dorothy Bennett, an expert in cell biology, at St George's, University of London, said the results were worth knowing about.

But the drugs' side effects would likely prevent their routine use in everyone.

"Noting that most [squamous cell carcinomas] are curable by surgery if caught early, this reduction in risk is interesting, but it is hard to say whether it is worth taking action over it."

Prof Brian Diffey, emeritus professor of photobiology, dermatological sciences at Newcastle University, said that reducing the risk of skin cancer by the same magnitude seen in the study could be done with a small reduction in sun exposure.

"Given that long-term therapy with NSAIDs is not without risk, a safer option for those who wish to reduce their likelihood of skin cancer may be to spend a few minutes a day less outside," he said.

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour

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UK Health Radio –Medical News Update on the Hour - Asthma inhaler danger

UK Health Radio –Medical News Update on the Hour

Asthma inhaler danger

The BBC has reported that many patients with asthma and severe allergies are often not taught how to use their medical devices properly.  This warning comes from charities that deal with asthmas and allergy.

Asthma UK said in some cases poor technique led to people being put on stronger inhalers than they actually needed.

And studies by Allergy UK suggest people struggle with instructions on auto-injectors in allergy emergencies. The charities concerned are calling for better training for patients and NHS staff.

The warning comes after a separate US study revealed only 16% of those prescribed adrenalin auto-injectors in case of a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction used them properly.

Common errors included not holding the device in place for at least 10 seconds and not pushing down forcefully enough with the needle to allow the adrenalin in.

In the same study, only 7% of asthma sufferers were found to use asthma inhalers in the right way, researchers reported in Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

Study leader Dr Rana Bonds from the University of Texas Medical Branch said the results suggested people weren't properly trained in using the devices in the first place or "forgot the instructions over time".

Maureen Jenkins, clinical director of Allergy UK, said she was not at all surprised by the findings.

She said because there were different designs of inhalers and auto-injectors, people needed to get specific advice for the exact ones they had, which often did not happen.

"We have just finished a leaflet on allergic asthma which talks about proper use of these devices."

She added that pharmacists were ideally placed to talk patients through using the devices when they picked them up from the chemist.

Dr Samantha Walker, director of research and policy at Asthma UK, said even though in theory everyone with an inhaler should have their technique checked annually, figures showed a third of people with asthma make mistakes with their inhalers.

And many of these mistakes are significant enough to reduce the effectiveness of their treatments.

"This is also hugely wasteful - asthma-prescribing is one of the most expensive areas of cost for the NHS, costing almost £1bn annually.

"You wouldn't give someone a new car without them having driving lessons first, so if you are going to invest in prescribing a lifetime of asthma medicines, it's crucial that healthcare professionals ensure that their patients know how to use them."

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio –Medical News Update on the Hour

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UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour - Autism link to exposure to air pollution during pregnancy

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour

Autism link to exposure to air pollution during pregnancy

The BBC has highlighted research that has produced further evidence that there is a link between autism and air pollution exposure during pregnancy as suggested by scientists.

The Harvard School of Public Health team said high levels of pollution had been linked to a doubling of autism in their study of 1,767 children.

They said tiny particulate matter, which can pass from the lungs to the bloodstream, may be to blame.

Experts said pregnant women should minimise their exposure, although the link had still to be proven.

Air pollution is definitely damaging. The World Health Organization estimates it causes 3.7 million deaths each year.

The study that was published in Environmental Health Perspectives investigated any possible link with autism and analysed 245 children with autism and 1,522 without.

By looking at estimated pollution exposure during pregnancy, based on the mother's home address, the scientists concluded high levels of pollution were more common in children with autism.

The strongest link was with fine particulate matter - invisible specks of mineral dust, carbon and other chemicals - that enter the bloodstream and cause damage throughout the body. Yet, the research is unable to conclusively say that pollution causes autism as there could be other factors that were not accounted for in the study.

There is a large inherited component to autism, but lead researcher Dr Marc Weisskopf said there was mounting evidence that air pollution may play a role too.

He said: "The specificity of our findings for the pregnancy period, and third trimester in particular, rules out many other possible explanations for these findings.

"The evidence base for a role for maternal exposure to air pollution increasing the risk of autism spectrum disorders is becoming quite strong.

"This not only gives us important insight as we continue to pursue the origins of autism spectrum disorders, but as a modifiable exposure, opens the door to thinking about possible preventative measures."

Prof Frank Kelly, the director of the environmental research group at King's College London, told the BBC: "I think if it was this study by itself I wouldn't take much notice, but it's now the fifth that has come to the same conclusion.

"It is biologically plausible, the placenta is there to ensure the foetus has optimal supply of nutrients, but if chemicals are entering the mother's body then the foetus will have access to those too.

"Women should be made aware of the potential links so they don't get excessive exposure."

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour

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UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour - Better Educated at Greater Risk of Stroke

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour

Better Educated at Greater Risk of Stroke

The BBC has reported on research carried out in the Netherlands that suggests that people with memory problems who have a university education could be at greater risk of a stroke.

In a study published in the Journal Stroke, they were found to have a 39% greater risk of stroke compared with those with a lower level of education.

This could be because their early defences against cognitive decline have been eroded. Around 9,000 people in Rotterdam were tracked over 20 years. They were all healthy and aged 55 and over. In a questionnaire, participants were asked if they had any issues with their memory.

By 2012, 1,134 strokes had occurred among the study group.

After analysing the results, researchers from Erasmus University Rotterdam found an increased risk of stroke in people who had earlier complained of memory lapses.

But the risk of stroke was even higher if participants had a high level of education, defined as higher vocational education or university training.

Arfan Ikram, associate professor of neuroepidemiology at Erasmus University, said that education was a good indicator of the brain's ability to fight against cognitive damage, such as dementia.

This ability, known as cognitive reserve, is usually built up during childhood and early adulthood, and is thought to protect against damage to the brain.

He said: "In people with a high level of education, it takes longer for the brain to be damaged and for dementia to occur.

"But if these people start complaining about their memory, then the mechanism is gone.

"This can be an indicator they have reached an advanced stage, when the cognitive reserve is not compensating any more."

As a result, Prof Ikram said, memory problems can be an important warning sign in this sub-group, "telling you to keep a watch on this person".

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain either becomes blocked by a clot or bursts.

When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs and so brain cells die.

The Stroke Association says medical problems like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol can increase the risk of having a stroke.

Leading a healthy lifestyle, keeping physically active and stopping smoking can all help to reduce the major risks.

In addition, Prof Ikram says people should start early to maintain brain health in later life - something that is as important as physical health, in the fight against stroke and dementia.

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour

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