tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45388980242127267112024-03-13T04:05:39.909+00:00ScienceHealthyLongLife by Crabsallovercrabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.comBlogger794125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538898024212726711.post-10578435355099036502018-07-08T12:40:00.001+01:002018-07-08T13:56:50.188+01:00reposted from:<br />
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crabsallover <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">highlights</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>key points</b></span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">comments / links</span>.<br />
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At the <a href="https://pintofscience.co.uk/event/biotech-when-physiology-meets-technology">UK PintofScience.co.uk in Bournemouth on 15th May 2018</a>, Dr. Susan Dewhurst (Senior Lecturer at Bournemouth University) presented the association between Leasure Time Physical Activity (LTPA) and mortality.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RR_x3IU9y6c/W0HVnJtOLiI/AAAAAAAAU6s/bk0Pb4mvCTswZaBZjg5APqQPS8XRK5y9gCLcBGAs/s1600/active.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="1011" height="408" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RR_x3IU9y6c/W0HVnJtOLiI/AAAAAAAAU6s/bk0Pb4mvCTswZaBZjg5APqQPS8XRK5y9gCLcBGAs/s640/active.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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After the talk Susan shared a reference with me:</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kHx89jh57Ls/W0HZTIBDZRI/AAAAAAAAU7E/Em8yOykQhrkYzInN2N5zAzeg4bWLy0Y-ACLcBGAs/s1600/pos-ref.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="713" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kHx89jh57Ls/W0HZTIBDZRI/AAAAAAAAU7E/Em8yOykQhrkYzInN2N5zAzeg4bWLy0Y-ACLcBGAs/s320/pos-ref.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
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Arem H, Moore SC, Patel A, et al. Leisure Time Physical Activity and Mortality: A Detailed Pooled Analysis of the Dose-Response Relationship. JAMA Intern Med. 2015;175(6):959–967. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.0533.</div>
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<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2212267?linkId=13300179">website</a> accessed 8th July 2018.</div>
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It seems any level of exercise is better than none! (see figure above). Metabolic Equivalent (MET) 7.5 equates to 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise or 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise, the mortality rate is 20% (0.8) lower than those who take no exercise. Doubling this exercise (15 MET) reduces mortality rate by 31% (0.69) compared to those who don't exercise.</div>
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<h2>
7500 steps a day</h2>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Walking 10,000 steps a day is not an official recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Instead, the agency recommends adults engage in 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, such as brisk walking. To meet the CDC's recommendation, you need to walk about 7,000 to 8,000 steps a day, Tudor-Locke said." Source: <a href="https://www.livescience.com/43956-walking-10000-steps-healthy.html">LiveScience</a>.</blockquote>
It seems that to achieve 15 MET you need to walk 14,000 to 16,000 steps a day (150 minutes per week of vigorous exercise or 300 minutes per week of moderate exercise).<br />
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crabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538898024212726711.post-77415307641024615012018-06-28T08:46:00.001+01:002018-06-28T08:46:21.004+01:00New study casts further doubt on the idea that you can be 'fat and fit' reposted from: https://www.nhs.uk/news/obesity/new-study-casts-further-doubt-idea-you-can-be-fat-and-fit/<br />
date: Friday March 16 2018<br />
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<br />crabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538898024212726711.post-50141616048314244842017-08-25T13:37:00.000+01:002017-08-25T13:37:39.186+01:0010-minute walk a day app to tackle 'inactivity epidemic'<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
crabsallover <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">highlights</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>key points</b></span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">comments / links</span>.<br />
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"Health bosses say 45 per cent of over-16s are so sedentary they do not manage the health-boosting ten-minute walk," the Daily Mail reports.<br />
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The headline comes after<b> <span style="color: blue;">data compiled by Public Health England</span></b> (the government body tasked with improving the nation's health) found that more than <b><span style="color: blue;">6.3 million adults aged 40 to 60 failed to achieve just 10 minutes of continuous brisk walking per month.</span></b><br />
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This is of concern as <b><span style="color: blue;">physical inactivity directly contributes to one in six deaths in the UK.</span></b><br />
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Due to this, as part of their ongoing One You campaign, Public Health England (PHE) has launched <b><span style="color: blue;">an app called Active 10</span></b>, <span style="color: blue;">designed to encourage at least 10 minutes brisk walking a day.</span><br />
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While this is below the current minimum guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, 10 minutes per day can still bring health benefits and may serve as "baby steps" along a road that leads to more exercise and better health.<br />
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Read more advice about taking up walking as a <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/getting-started-guides/Pages/getting-started-walking.aspx">hobby and exercise</a>.<br />
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<h3>
What is the basis for the news reports?</h3>
PHE has released evidence relating to physical activity, reinforcing the advice to do 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week. This level of activity can improve both physical and mental health as well as reduce the risk of long-term conditions such as type 2 diabetes.<br />
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Health benefits from exercise tend to increase in a dose-response relationship, meaning the more exercise, the more benefits. PHE has provided evidence that a (reduced) health benefit can still be achieved by engaging in a minimum of 10 minutes moderate exercise per day, for example by going for a brisk walk.<br />
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The report is based on the premise that there are still a huge number of adults who are physically inactive and 150 minutes a week might seem unachievable. Encouraging just 10 minutes of brisk walking a day, whereby heart rate is increased, can be a step in the right direction and still result in some health benefits compared to doing nothing at all.<br />
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PHE has launched an app called <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/active10/home#FWIJHLLxAh8HWTFo.97">Active 10</a> to help achieve this goal, by setting targets, automatically seeing achievements and tracking progress over time.<br />
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<h3>
Why is mid-life being targeted and what are the benefits of walking?</h3>
Adults in midlife (aged 40 to 60) are being targeted in particular, as increasing activity in this age group has a range of potential benefits, including:<br />
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<ul>
<li>developing positive habits as physical activity begins to decline due to ageing</li>
<li>preventing and helping to manage a range of health conditions at a period of high risk</li>
<li>for those who are parents – influencing their children's activity levels</li>
</ul>
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Walking is an activity that is both accessible and acceptable and has the potential to increase physical activity in adults. For adults aged 40-60 in the UK, walking is the most common of all physical activities, with 79% of all adults spending some time walking every month.<br />
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There are many benefits of brisk walking, including improved fitness, finding it easier to perform everyday physical activities, improvements in mood, improvements in quality of life, a healthier weight and an overall 15% reduction in risk of early death.<br />
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An individual can tell if they are briskly walking or engaging in other moderate activity as they will feel more breathless, warmer and have an increased heart rate.<br />
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PHE suggests walking could have a particularly important impact in those aged 40-60 who are also of a lower socioeconomic group. It estimates that if one in 10 in this group took up walking 10 minutes a day, 251 deaths per year could be prevented and a saving of £310m per year made in terms of preventable health costs.<br />
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However, over the past few decades, the amount of brisk walking has declined as has the length of time people spend walking. There is a need to encourage people who are walking to walk at a brisk pace, to increase how regularly people walk and to encourage those who do not walk to develop a walking habit.<br />
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<h3>
How does this evidence affect you?</h3>
<a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/physical-activity-guidelines-for-adults.aspx">Current recommendations for physical activity for adults </a>include engaging in both aerobic and strength exercises. You should still aim for the recommended minimum amount of 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week such as brisk walking or cycling and strength exercises on two or more days per week working all major muscles. Alternatively, a minimum of 75 minutes of vigorous exercise such as running or singles tennis, or a mixture of moderate and vigorous exercise, plus strength exercises twice a week is recommended.<br />
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However, if you feel this advice might be unachievable to start with, aiming for 10 minutes moderate exercise a day, such as a brisk walk, is a good start.<br />
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You can <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/active10">download the app </a>to help you increase your physical activity levels and improve your health.<br />
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Links To The Headlines</h3>
<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4817934/Over-40s-risk-Britain-s-laziness-epidemic.html">Britain's laziness epidemic: How half of adults don't even go for a brisk walk once a month... with over-40s most at risk. </a>Daily Mail, August 24, 2017<br />
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<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/aug/24/around-6-million-middle-aged-english-people-take-no-exercise">6 million middle-aged people take no exercise. </a>The Guardian, August 24 2017<br />
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<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/24/four-ten-adults-fail-manage-even-one-brisk-10-minute-walk-month/">Four in ten adults fail to manage even one brisk 10 minute walk a month.</a> The Daily Telegraph, August 24, 2017<br />
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<a href="http://news.sky.com/story/millions-fail-to-walk-for-10-minutes-a-month-11002618">Millions fail to walk briskly for 10 minutes a month. </a>Sky News, August 24, 2017<br />
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<a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/six-million-brits-facing-health-11040725">Six million Brits facing health time bomb as they fail to walk even 10 minutes a MONTH.</a> Daily Mirror, August 24, 2017<br />
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reposted from: <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/2017/08August/Pages/10-minute-walk-a-day-app-launched-to-tackle-inactivity-epidemic.aspx">http://www.nhs.uk/news/2017/08August/Pages/10-minute-walk-a-day-app-launched-to-tackle-inactivity-epidemic.aspx</a></div>
crabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538898024212726711.post-37686184413090787152017-01-23T09:37:00.001+00:002017-01-26T22:23:15.051+00:00Q&A: Acrylamide - a reason to give up browned toast and roast potatoes?Links<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1535864439">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38691915 - news report of FSA report:</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.food.gov.uk/science/acrylamide-0">https://www.food.gov.uk/science/acrylamide-0</a><br />
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<a href="https://medium.com/wintoncentre/how-dangerous-is-burnt-toast-c5e237873097#.iwznbm6cz">https://medium.com/wintoncentre/how-dangerous-is-burnt-toast-c5e237873097#.iwznbm6cz</a> - Prof. David Spiegelhalter comments.<br />
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<a href="http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/diet-and-cancer/food-controversies#food_controversies0">http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/diet-and-cancer/food-controversies#food_controversies0</a> - Cancer Research UK comments.<br />
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<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4104/epdf">http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4104/epdf</a> - European Food Safety Authority report<br />
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maillard_reaction">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maillard_reaction</a> - chemistry of Maillard [browning] reaction<br />
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crabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538898024212726711.post-70926479950768481592016-12-09T19:17:00.001+00:002016-12-09T19:34:59.636+00:00'Not enough over-50s' taking aspirin to prevent heart diseasereposted from: <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/2016/12December/Pages/Not-enough-over-50s-taking-aspirin-to-prevent-heart-disease.aspx">http://www.nhs.uk/news/2016/12December/Pages/Not-enough-over-50s-taking-aspirin-to-prevent-heart-disease.aspx</a><br />
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crabsallover <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">highlights</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>key points</b></span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">comments / links</span>.<br />
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<b>December 1 2016</b><br />
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You shouldn’t take daily aspirin unless a doctor advises you to.<br />
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<b>Aspirin can help prevent blood clots.</b><br />
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"Aspirin a day could dramatically cut cancer and heart disease risk … study claims," the Mail Online reports.<br />
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U.S. researchers ran a simulation of what might happen if all Americans over 50 years old took aspirin on a daily basis. Their results found that people would live about four months longer on average, adding 900,000 people to the US population by 2036.<br />
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<a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/2016/12December/Pages/Not-enough-over-50s-taking-aspirin-to-prevent-heart-disease.aspx"><b>More info from NHS.uk.</b></a><br />
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The study was designed to demonstrate the possible long-term effects of more people taking aspirin to prevent cardiovascular disease.<br />
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It should be pointed out that there is an important difference between UK and US guidelines. In the UK low-dose aspirin is usually recommended for people with a history of heart disease or stroke. In the US this advice is extended to people who are at risk of cardiovascular disease but don't have it yet.<br />
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We already know that aspirin reduces the risk of heart disease and strokes caused by blood clots (ischaemic stroke). There's some evidence it may reduce some types of cancer. However, aspirin also increases the risk of stroke caused by bleeding (haemorrhagic stroke) and increases the chances of bleeding in the stomach or gut.<br />
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So should you be taking low-dose aspirin? Without knowing your individual circumstances it is impossible to provide an accurate response. You need to ask your GP.<br />
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<b>Where did the story come from?</b><br />
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The study was carried out by researchers from the University of Southern California and a company called Analysis Group. The authors received no funding for the study.<br />
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The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS One, on an open-access basis so it's free to read online.<br />
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The Mail Online reports the study as if the findings about aspirin reducing cardiovascular disease and potentially extending lifespan were new, while they have actually been known for some time.<br />
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The report says taking aspirin "would save the US $692 billion in health costs," which seems to be a misunderstanding. Health costs would actually increase, because of people living longer.<br />
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However, the researchers assigned a value of $150,000 to each additional year of life lived, which is how they arrived at the $692 billion figure.<br />
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<b>What kind of research was this?</b><br />
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This was a "microsimulation" study, which used a modelling system to project possible outcomes under different scenarios, using information from health surveys. This type of modelling can throw up some interesting possibilities, but because it relies on so many assumptions, we have to be cautious about taking the results too literally.<br />
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<b>What did the research involve?</b><br />
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Researchers used data from cohort studies to predict average life expectancy, cardiovascular events, cancers, disabilities and healthcare costs for people in the US aged 50 and over. They predicted what would happen with the current numbers of people taking aspirin, then with everyone currently recommended to take aspirin doing so, then with everyone over 50 taking aspirin.<br />
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They compared the results of their modelling, to see what effect it would have on average lifespan, the US population, costs and benefits.<br />
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Cohort studies providing data included the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), Health and Retirement Study of Americans, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey.<br />
The model included an assumption that more people would have gastrointestinal bleeding as a result of taking aspirin. It also modified the results using quality of life measures, so that additional life years were adjusted for quality of life.<br />
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<b>What were the basic results?</b><br />
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The researchers found that, if everyone advised by US guidelines to take aspirin did so, the:<br />
<ul>
<li>numbers of people with cardiovascular disease would fall from 487 per 1,000 to 476 per 1,000 (11 fewer cases, 95% confidence interval (CI) -23.2 to -2)</li>
<li>numbers with gastrointestinal bleeding would rise from 67 per 1,000 to 83 per 1,000 (16 more cases, 95% CI 3.6 to 30)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>years of life expectancy at age 51 would rise from 30.2 years to 30.5 years, an additional four months of life (0.28 year, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.5)</li>
<li>life expectancy without disability would rise from 22.8 years to 22.9 years, an additional one month of life (0.12 year, 0.03 to 0.23)</li>
</ul>
The model found no reduction in the numbers of strokes or cancers.<br />
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The model shows there could be an additional 900,000 people (CI 300,000 to 1,400,000) alive in the US in 2036, who would otherwise have died.<br />
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Using the figure of $150,000 per quality-adjusted life year to represent benefits, the researchers say the value of extra life gained by 2036 would be $692 billion.<br />
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<b>How did the researchers interpret the results?</b><br />
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The researchers said: "Expanded use of aspirin by older Americans with elevated risk of cardiovascular disease could generate substantial population health benefits over the next twenty years, and do so very cost-effectively."<br />
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<b>Conclusion</b><br />
<br />
This study doesn't really tell us anything we didn't already know. Aspirin has been used for many years to prevent heart attacks and strokes in people with cardiovascular disease. Aspirin's wider use is controversial, because of the potential side effects.<br />
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What this study does add is an estimate of what might happen if all people in the US who were advised to take aspirin under US guidelines, actually did so. (The researchers say that 40% of men and 10% of women advised to take aspirin don't take it).<br />
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The study assumes that people would get the same benefits as those seen in clinical trials of aspirin. This is unrealistic, because most studies find that people tend to do better in clinical trials than when being treated in the real world.<br />
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<i>The average results – showing an additional one month of disability-free life for every 1,000 people – may sound trivial. However, it's important to remember that averages don't work like that in real life. Many people will get no benefit from aspirin, while a smaller group will avoid a heart attack or stroke, and so live many more months or possibly years, as a result of taking aspirin.</i><br />
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If you've already had a heart attack or stroke, or if you have angina or another heart or circulation problem, your doctor has probably prescribed low dose aspirin. There's good evidence that aspirin (or similar drugs, for those who can't take aspirin) can help prevent a second heart attack or stroke.<br />
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Find out more information about aspirin.<br />
Analysis by Bazian. Edited by NHS Choices. Follow NHS Choices on Twitter. Join the Healthy Evidence forum.<br />
Analysis by Bazian<br />
Edited by NHS Choices<br />
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<b>Links to the headlines</b><br />
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Aspirin a day could dramatically cut cancer and heart disease risk - and even extend lifespan, study claims. Mail Online, November 30 2016<br />
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<b>Links to the science</b><br />
<br />
Agus DB, Gaudette E, Goldman DP, Messali A. The Long-Term Benefits of Increased Aspirin Use by At-Risk Americans Aged 50 and Older. PLOS One. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27902693">Published online November 30 2016</a></div>
crabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538898024212726711.post-38923631836771682522016-11-29T13:03:00.002+00:002016-11-29T13:03:28.427+00:00Review questions recent official vitamin D guidancereposted from: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2016/11November/Pages/Review-questions-recent-official-vitamin-D-guidance.aspx<br />
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crabsallover <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">highlights</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>key points</b></span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">comments / links</span>.</div>
crabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538898024212726711.post-9093398983837368722016-09-14T09:38:00.000+01:002016-09-14T14:11:50.104+01:00Statins are 'safe, effective and should be used more widely'reposted from: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2016/09September/Pages/Statins-safe-effective-and-should-be-used-more-widely.aspx<br />
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"Large-scale evidence from randomised trials shows that statin therapy reduces<br />
the risk of major vascular events (ie, coronary deaths or myocardial infarctions, strokes, and coronary revascularisation procedures) by about one-quarter for each mmol/L reduction in LDL cholesterol during each year (after the first) that<br />
it continues to be taken." Source: http://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(16)31357-5.pdf<br />
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<br />crabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538898024212726711.post-63122908779414418992016-08-03T10:08:00.002+01:002016-08-03T10:08:30.230+01:00Flossing teeth does little good, investigation finds as US removes recommendation from health advicereposted from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/08/02/flossing-teeth-does-little-good-and-us-removes-it-from-health-ad/<br />
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crabsallover <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">highlights</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>key points</b></span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">comments / links</span>.</div>
crabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538898024212726711.post-1863277365101170882016-07-29T16:34:00.002+01:002016-07-29T16:34:53.535+01:00An hour of exercise a day may compensate for an 'office lifestyle'reposted from: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2016/07July/Pages/An-hour-of-exercise-a-day-may-compensate-for-an-office-lifestyle.aspx
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crabsallover <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">highlights</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>key points</b></span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">comments / links</span>.<br />
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Thursday July 28 2016</div>
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If you work 9 to 5, make sure you exercise</div>
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"Office workers must exercise for an hour a day to counter death risk," The Daily Telegraph reports.</div>
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A major new study suggests that at least an hour's exercise a day may compensate for the risks of a sedentary lifestyle.</div>
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The study, which looked at previous research involving more than a million people, delivered a "bad news, good news" analysis. The bad news is that sitting for long periods may increase the chance of dying earlier. The good news is that doing at least an hour of moderately intense activity (such as cycling or brisk walking) each day may eliminate that risk.</div>
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The people in the study who were least active and sat for more than eight hours a day were 59% more likely to have died during the study follow-up than people who exercised most and sat for less than four hours a day. Sitting for longer than four hours a day increased the chance of death for everyone not in the highest activity category. However, people who did the most physical activity did not have an increased risk of death, regardless of how many hours a day they spent sitting.</div>
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This type of research cannot prove cause and effect but it certainly seems that daily physical activity brings long-term benefits.</div>
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The <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/pages/physical-activity-guidelines-for-adults.aspx" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">current activity advice for adults</a> is to do at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day. Increasing that to 60 minutes may be a good idea if you do have a "9-5 office lifestyle".</div>
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Where did the story come from?</h2>
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The study was carried out by researchers from institutions in many different countries, including the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, University of Cambridge, University of Queensland, Oslo University Hospital, Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Sydney University and Harvard Medical School. It received no direct funding.</div>
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The study was published in the <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Newsglossary.aspx#Peerreview" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">peer-reviewed</a> journal The Lancet on an <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Newsglossary.aspx#Openaccess" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">open-access basis</a> so it is <a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2816%2930370-1/fulltext" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="External website">free to read online</a> (although you need to register).</div>
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Some UK media outlets took the study very literally. The Daily Mail tells readers "adults who sit down for at least eight hours every day must do at least an hour's daily exercise to undo all the harm." The study does not prove that exercise will "undo the harm" of sedentary behaviour.</div>
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It also ignores the study findings that people who were moderately active for about half an hour to an hour had only a slightly raised risk of death associated with sitting for longer periods. While the advice to exercise more is sound, people might think there's no point in exercising for less than an hour a day, and so give up altogether. It is very much the case that "every little helps" when it comes to exercise.</div>
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Experts in sports and exercise medicine were mostly welcoming of the study, describing it as "excellent quality" and "very interesting". However, one expert in evidence based medicine warned of the study's limitations and that it had not sufficiently controlled for factors such as socioeconomic status. </div>
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What kind of research was this?</h2>
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This study was a <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Newsglossary.aspx#Systematicreview" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">systematic review</a> and <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Newsglossary.aspx#Metaanalysis" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">meta-analysis</a> of prospective<a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Newsglossary.aspx#Cohortstudy" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">cohort studies</a>. The researchers went back to the authors of the studies and asked them to re-analyse their data according to a standardised protocol, which allowed them to make direct comparisons between groups.</div>
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This is a good way to get a better idea of the relative importance of sitting and physical activity in terms of length of life. However, observational studies cannot tell us whether certain factors (sitting time or physical activity) directly cause another (chances of death). They can only tell us that the factors may be linked. </div>
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What did the research involve?</h2>
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Researchers searched the literature for studies that included information on sitting time, exercise and mortality. They added two studies that had not been published but which had relevant data.</div>
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They asked the original study authors to rework their data according to a standardised protocol which divided people into categories of physical activity and sitting time. They then pooled the data to look at how the two factors were linked to length of life. They also looked separately at time spent watching television, and at deaths from cardiovascular disease and cancer.</div>
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By applying a standardised protocol, the researchers were able to make direct comparisons across groups according to specific categories of sitting time (less than four hours a day, four to six hours, six to eight hours, and more than eight) and of physical activity. Physical activity was measured by metabolic equivalent of task (MET) hours a week. MET is a measurement of how much energy the body is likely to consume during specific physical activities.</div>
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MET levels were divided in four groups:</div>
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<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">less than 2.5 (equivalent to five minutes a day of moderate intensity physical activity)</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">16 (25 to 35 minutes a day, as recommended by many guidelines)</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">30 (50 to 65 minutes a day)</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">more than 35.5 (60 to 75 minutes a day)</li>
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Researchers took the people who did the most physical activity and had the least sitting time as the baseline, and looked to see how more sitting time affected that, for people in the different categories of physical activity.</div>
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The same calculations were repeated using daily hours of TV viewing time, from less than one to five or more.</div>
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What were the basic results?</h2>
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For people who did the least physical activity, sitting for more than four hours a day was linked to an increased chance of dying during the study. For these people, sitting for eight hours a day or more increased the chances of death by 27% (<a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Newsglossary.aspx#Hazardratio" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">hazard ratio (HR)</a> 1.27, 95% <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Newsglossary.aspx#Confidenceinterval" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">confidence interval (CI)</a> 1.22 to 1.32), compared to if they'd been sitting four hours a day or less. Compared to people who did the most exercise and sat for less than four hours a day, they had a 59% increased risk of death (HR 1.59, 95% CI 1.52 to 1.66).</div>
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People who were physically active for between half an hour and an hour also had a raised chance of death linked to sitting for eight hours a day compared to four hours a day, of 10% to 12%. But for people who exercised the most, time spent sitting did not increase the risk of death.</div>
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High levels of physical activity were clearly linked to lower chance of death. People who did the most activity but sat for eight hours or more were less likely to die than those who did the least activity but sat for four hours or less.</div>
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Television viewing time showed similar results, but in this case even the highest amount of physical activity did not cancel the raised risk of watching five hours or more of television. The least active people had a 44% higher risk of death if they watched five or more hours of television, compared to less than one hour (HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.34 to 1.56).</div>
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Results were similar when the researchers looked at the chances of dying from cardiovascular disease or cancer.</div>
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How did the researchers interpret the results?</h2>
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The researchers concluded: "These results provide further evidence on the benefits of physical activity, particularly in societies where increasing numbers of people have to sit for long hours for work" and suggest the study should be taken into account when public health recommendations are made.</div>
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Conclusion</h2>
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This study helps to disentangle the effects of having a sedentary lifestyle and being physically active. Previous studies have had conflicting results, with some saying that sitting for long periods can be counteracted by taking exercise, while others disagreed.</div>
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The advantage of this study is that it looks at time spent sitting as well as time spent being physically active, and calculates how both are linked to mortality and to each other.</div>
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The study has many strengths, not least its size. It includes data from 1,005,791 people from 16 studies. The researchers applied a standardised protocol and asked study authors to provide re-analysed data. This meant they could pool information and make direct comparisons between groups sub-divided by sitting time and activity levels, to a higher degree of accuracy than would otherwise have been possible.</div>
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However, there are limitations. The authors only included English-language papers, so other relevant studies may have been excluded.</div>
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The authors tried to account for what is called reverse causation – in this case that illness may have prevented people from being physically active – by including studies of apparently healthy adults. However they admit that this factor was not completely ruled out.</div>
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In addition, the data came from participants' own estimates of time spent sitting, watching TV and being physically active. Not only is this reliant on accurate (and honest) self-assessment, it was only measured at one time point, so may not be representative over time.</div>
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Although the original studies included controls for most other<a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Newsglossary.aspx#ConfoundingfactorConfounder" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">confounding factors</a>, such as smoking, most did not include socio-economic data, which could have a big impact on the results. For example, watching a lot of television could be linked to being on a low income, or unemployed, which are themselves linked to poor health.</div>
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Conversely, going to the gym is expensive, so this type of physical activity may be more common among people who are better-off. That makes it hard to know whether TV watching or exercise are the factor causing the difference in death rates, rather than being a marker for something else.</div>
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We know that sedentary lifestyles are linked to poorer health. For many people, work (or travelling to work) involves sitting down for long periods. While some people may be able to change this, for example by using a standing desk or cycling to work, for others it's not so easy. So it's heartening to know that taking exercise and being physically active in your free time may help.</div>
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However, it's interesting to note that the levels of activity linked to eliminating the risk of a sedentary lifestyle are higher than those usually recommended. The most active people spent the equivalent of 60 to 75 minutes doing moderately intense physical activity – higher than the usually recommended 30 minutes a day.</div>
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It may be that compensating for a desk job requires us to be more physically active than most of us currently manage.</div>
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You don't need to join a gym to increase your activity levels. Read more about how <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/free-fitness.aspx" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">you can get fitter for free</a>.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Analysis by <a href="http://www.bazian.com/" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Bazian</a>. Edited by <a href="http://winauth.nhs.uk/news/" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">NHS Choices</a>. </strong><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/NHSChoices" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="" title="">NHS Choices on Twitter</a>. </strong><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Join the <a href="https://healthunlocked.com/healthyevidence" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Healthy Evidence forum</a>.</strong></div>
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Analysis by <a href="http://www.bazian.com/" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Bazian" src="https://www.nhs.uk/img/bth/logo-bazian.gif" style="border: none; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.2em;" /></a></div>
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Edited by <strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">NHS Choices</strong></div>
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<div class="further-reading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(226, 226, 226); color: #585858; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.5px; margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 1.5em;">
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Links to the headlines</h2>
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<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/27/office-workers-must-exercise-for-an-hour-a-day-to-counter-death/" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Office workers must exercise for an hour a day to counter death risk</a>. The Daily Telegraph. July 28 2016</div>
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<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-36895789" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Hour's activity 'offsets sedentary day'</a>. BBC News, July 27 2016</div>
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<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/jul/27/health-risk-one-hour-activity-offset-eight-hours-sitting-desk" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">One hour of activity needed to offset harmful effects of sitting at a desk</a>. The Guardian, July 27 2016</div>
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<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3711066/A-desk-job-make-60-likely-die-earlier-Hour-s-exercise-day-needed-help-beat-deadly-effects-working-9-5.html" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">A desk job could make you 60% more likely to die earlier: Hour's exercise every day is needed to help beat deadly effects of working 9 to 5</a>. Daily Mail, July 28 2016</div>
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Links to the science</h2>
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Ekelund U, Steene-Johannessen J, Brown WJ, et al. <a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2816%2930370-1/fulltext" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Does physical activity attenuate, or even eliminate, the detrimental association of sitting time with mortality? A harmonised meta-analysis of data from more than 1 million men and women</a>. The Lancet. Published online July 27 2016</div>
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crabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538898024212726711.post-86024827746265017522016-07-21T14:56:00.000+01:002016-07-22T11:20:23.767+01:00PHE publishes new advice on vitamin D. Should we all take 10 micrograms per day Vit D all year?<span style="color: blue;">crabsallover says "180 x 25 micrograms Vitamin D tablets cost less than £10 - this is sufficient to supplement </span><span style="color: blue;">Vitamin D </span><span style="color: blue;">levels for a year at 10</span><span style="color: blue;"> micrograms Vitamin D per day</span><span style="color: blue;">".</span><br />
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Public Health England (PHE) is advising today (21st July 2016) that 10 micrograms of vitamin D are needed daily to help keep healthy bones, teeth and muscles.<br />
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This advice is based on the recommendations of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) following its review of the evidence on vitamin D and health. <br />
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Vitamin D is made in the skin by the action of sunlight and this is the main source of vitamin D for most people. SACN could not say how much vitamin D is made in the skin through exposure to sunlight, so it is therefore recommending a daily dietary intake of 10 micrograms. PHE advises that in spring and summer, the majority of the population get enough vitamin D through sunlight on the skin and a healthy, balanced diet. During autumn and winter, everyone will need to rely on dietary sources of vitamin D. Since it is difficult for people to meet the 10 microgram recommendation from consuming foods naturally containing or fortified with vitamin D, people should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D in autumn and winter. <br />
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People whose skin has little or no exposure to the sun, like those in institutions such as care homes, or who always cover their skin when outside, risk vitamin D deficiency and need to take a supplement throughout the year. <br />
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Vitamin D regulates the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body, both needed for healthy bones, teeth and muscles. It is found naturally in a small number of foods including oily fish, red meat, liver and egg yolks and in fortified food like breakfast cereals and fat spreads.<br />
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Background </h3>
The latest data from the PHE National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2008 to 2012) shows that 23% of adults aged 19 to 64 years, 21% of adults aged 65 years and above and 22% of children aged 11 to 18 years have low levels of vitamin D in their blood. This is not the same as having a deficiency, where you would be unwell, but rather means that you are at greater risk of developing a deficiency. If a person is deficient of vitamin D they will be clinically unwell and will need to be treated by a doctor.<br />
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PHE recommends against people using sunbeds because extreme short-term use could cause severe burning and long-term damage to the skin, with a possible increased risk of developing skin cancer.<br />
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SACN reviewed the evidence on vitamin D and health outcomes. In addition to musculoskeletal health, SACN reviewed the relationship between vitamin D and non-musculoskeletal health outcomes including cancer, Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and heart disease but found insufficient evidence to draw any firm conclusions.<br />
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The recommendations refer to average intake over a period of time, such as one<br />
week, and take account of day-to-day variations in vitamin D intake. Vitamin D plays an important role in the regulation of calcium and phosphate in the body. It is therefore essential for bone health. Without adequate vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle and mis-shapen. In extreme cases this can lead to rickets in children, a condition involving a softening of the bones that can lead to fractures and deformity. In adults softening of the bones is called osteomalacia, and may cause pain and muscle weakness.<br />
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From the full report:<br />
S.25 Mean dietary intakes of vitamin D from all sources (including supplements) were: 2-4 µg/d (80-160 IU/d) for ages 1.5-64y; 5 µg/d (200 IU/d) for adults aged = 65y.<br />
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S.28 For all age groups in the UK, mean plasma 25(OH)D concentration was lowest in winter and highest in summer. Around 30-40% of the population had a plasma 25(OH)D concentration < 25 nmol/L in winter compared to 2-13% in the summer. A large proportion of some population groups did not achieve a plasma/serum 25(OH)D concentration = 25 nmol/L in summer (17% of adults in Scotland; 16% of adults in London; 53% of women of South Asian ethnic origin in Southern England; and 29% of pregnant women in NW London).<br />
<br />
Metabolism S.5 Vitamin D is converted to its active metabolite, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D), in two hydroxylation steps. The first hydroxylation is in the liver, where vitamin D is converted to 25- hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), which is the major circulating metabolite of vitamin D and is widely used as a biomarker of vitamin D status; the second hydroxylation is in the kidney where 25(OH)D is converted to 1,25(OH)2D.<br />
<br />
The proportion of the population (by age) with a plasma 25(OH)D concentration < 25 nmol/L was: 2-8%, 5m-3y; 12-16%, 4-10y; 20-24%, 11-18y; <b>22-24%, 19-64y; </b>17-24%, = 65y and above.<br />
<br />
S.7 At latitudes below 37 degrees North, UVB radiation is sufficient for year round vitamin D synthesis. At higher latitude, vitamin D is not synthesised during the winter months. In the UK, sunlight-induced vitamin D synthesis is only effective between late March/early April and September and not from October onwards throughout the winter months.<br />
<h3>
Sources</h3>
<div style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #0b0c0c; font-family: nta, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/2016/07July/Pages/The-new-guidelines-on-vitamin-D-what-you-need-to-know.aspx">NHS Choices </a>- report on what the papers say<br />
<br />
<abbr style="border: none; cursor: help; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition"><a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vitamins-minerals/Pages/Vitamin-D.aspx" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">PHE advice is detailed on NHS choices. </a> (but was this page really updated on </abbr><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.5px; line-height: 24.5px;">18/02/2015?)</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #0b0c0c; font-family: nta, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<abbr style="border: none; cursor: help; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition">SACN</abbr>’s <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-vitamin-d-and-health-report" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.298039); border: none; color: #4c2c92; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Vitamin D and Health report</a> (300 pages) published 21 July 2016 (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/537616/SACN_Vitamin_D_and_Health_report.pdf">pdf</a>)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #0b0c0c; font-family: nta, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<span class="attachment-inline" id="attachment_1643207" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/539596/SACN_Vitamin_D_Press_Release_July_2016.pdf" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.298039); border: none; color: #4c2c92; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><abbr style="border: none; cursor: help; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition">SACN</abbr> press release on the vitamin D report </a>(<span class="type" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><abbr style="border: none; cursor: help; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="Portable Document Format">PDF</abbr></span>, <span class="file-size" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">195KB</span>, <span class="page-length" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">2 pages</span>) </span>which highlights the report’s main findings and recommendations.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #0b0c0c; font-family: nta, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-draft-sacn-vitamin-d-and-health-report" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.298039); border: none; color: #4c2c92; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">View documents related to the consultation on the draft report.</a>These documents include a substantial number of consultation comments received by <abbr style="border: none; cursor: help; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition">SACN</abbr>, as well as <abbr style="border: none; cursor: help; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition">SACN</abbr>’s response to these comments.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #0b0c0c; font-family: nta, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 1.31579; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px;">
<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/scientific-advisory-committee-on-nutrition#vitamin-d-working-group" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.298039); border: none; color: #4c2c92; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">View documents related to the proceedings of <abbr style="border: none; cursor: help; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition">SACN</abbr>’s Vitamin D Working Group.</a> </div>
<br />
Above report edited by crabsallover from: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/phe-publishes-new-advice-on-vitamin-d">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/phe-publishes-new-advice-on-vitamin-d</a></div>
crabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538898024212726711.post-61787512438242243192016-06-19T09:46:00.002+01:002016-06-19T09:46:54.031+01:00Coffee's cancer risk downgraded (as long as you don't drink it hot)reposted from: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2016/06June/Pages/Coffees-cancer-risk-downgraded-as-long-as-you-dont-drink-it-hot.aspx<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
crabsallover <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">highlights</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>key points</b></span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">comments / links</span>.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>A review by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded that only beverages consumed at higher than 65C posed a possible cancer risk.</b></span><br />
<br />
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Thursday June 16 2016</div>
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<img alt="Letting drinks cool is a good idea" src="https://www.nhs.uk/news/2016/06June/PublishingImages/T_0616_hot-drinks_478718615_A.jpg" style="border: none; display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 166px;" /><br />
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Coffee's cancer risk has now been degraded</div>
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"Very hot drinks may cause cancer, but coffee does not, says WHO," The Guardian reports.</div>
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A review by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded that only beverages consumed at higher than 65C posed a possible cancer risk.</div>
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The working group's report re-evaluated the cancer-causing properties of drinking coffee, maté (a South American drink), and very hot beverages.</div>
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Coffee was classified as a possible cause of cancer in 1991, but the group has cleared the previous classification and suggested any suspected link was because of the hot temperature of the drink.</div>
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The researchers concluded there was limited evidence that drinking coffee and maté causes cancer, but say the risk of <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Cancer-of-the-oesophagus/Pages/Introduction.aspx" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">cancer of the oesophagus</a> – the gullet – may increase with the temperature of the drink above 65C (149F).</div>
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Both the Daily Mirror and Daily Mail covered the story. The Mirror reports that leaving your cup of tea for around five minutes should cool it to a safe level.</div>
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The Mail reports that, not entirely surprisingly, store-bought black coffee is hot, at between 66 and 81C. So again, it is best left to cool for a while.</div>
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As it stands, smoking or alcohol consumption pose a bigger – and better documented – risk for oesophageal cancer.</div>
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Read more about <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/preventing-cancer/Pages/preventing-cancer-home.aspx" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">ways to reduce your cancer risk</a>.</div>
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So what's the matter with maté?</h3>
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Maté is probably best described as the South American version of "builder's tea".</div>
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It is a caffeine-rich concoction served in very hot water and drunk through a metal straw. </div>
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Who produced the report?</h2>
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The report was published by an international collaboration of researchers (working group) of the IARC, a specialised cancer agency of the World Health Organization (WHO).</div>
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The group came together in France as part of the IARC Monographs Programme, which seeks to evaluate and identify environmental factors that can increase the risk of human cancer.</div>
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The researchers reviewed epidemiological studies of exposure to carcinogens in human populations, and used the evidence to classify potential hazards as:</div>
<ul style="list-style: outside; margin: 0px 0px 2em 3em; padding: 0px;">
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">group 1 – carcinogenic to humans</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">group 2A – probably carcinogenic</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">group 2B – possibly carcinogenic</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">group 3 – not classifiable (no evidence to make a reliable judgement)</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">group 4 – probably not carcinogenic</li>
</ul>
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However, the classification does not indicate what level of risk is associated with the exposure to a classified hazard.</div>
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For example, smoking cigarettes and using a sunbed are both group 1 hazards. But the risk of cancer associated with smoking cigarettes is far higher than using a sunbed.</div>
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Overall, the exact method of how the authors identified and selected the research is unclear. As such, it's not possible to say that this was a systematic review.</div>
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The monographs are published so they can be used by national health agencies to support their actions in preventing exposure to potential carcinogens.</div>
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What did the report find?</h2>
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As part of their re-evaluation, the group assessed more than 1,000 observational and experimental studies.</div>
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They concluded:</div>
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<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">coffee drinking was "not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans" (group 3)</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">maté was "not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans" (group 3)</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">hot drinks above 65C were "probably carcinogenic to humans" (group 2A)</li>
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Coffee</h3>
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Coffee drinking was evaluated by the IARC in 1991, and at the time was classified as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" (group 2B).</div>
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However, this was based on "limited evidence" – defined on the basis that a positive association between hazard and outcome was observed, but bias could not be ruled out.</div>
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The current evaluation has been conducted on a much stronger and larger body of evidence, with nearly 500 relevant epidemiological studies identifying more than 20 different cancers.</div>
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The group assessed a collection of epidemiological evidence, and gave the greatest weight to prospective cohort and population-based case control studies that had controlled for other exposures, such as tobacco and alcohol consumption.</div>
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The studies followed cohorts of people who self-reported their coffee drinking habits to see how many individuals developed cancer and how it was related to their consumption of coffee.</div>
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During this re-evaluation, the majority of epidemiological studies showed no association between coffee drinking and cancers of the pancreas, female breast, and prostate. Reduced risks were observed for liver and endometrial cancers.</div>
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On judging the various studies, the group concluded the evidence for "coffee drinking causing cancer" was inadequate. Reasons included insufficient data, inconsistency of findings, inadequate control of potential confounders, and bias.</div>
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Maté</h3>
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Maté is a hot drink consumed in South America, and is also the national drink of Argentina.</div>
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It's a caffeine-rich infusion made from dried leaves of the yerba maté plant. In 1991 the IARC classified it as "probably carcinogenic to humans" (group 2A).</div>
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Since then, several epidemiological studies have been conducted evaluating the risk of oesophageal cancer and the consumption of hot maté.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
With this new data, the IARC wanted to better understand whether the associations from previous studies were the result of maté itself or the hot temperatures at which it is usually consumed.</div>
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The studies found cancer of the oesophagus was associated with drinking hot maté, rather than maté at warm or cold temperatures.</div>
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Hot drinks</h3>
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The findings from the evaluations of maté led the researchers to assess the association between oesophageal cancer and other hot drinks.</div>
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Previous research from China, Iran, Japan and Turkey also found the risk of cancer may increase with the temperature of the drink.</div>
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The IARC conducted a combined analysis on several epidemiological studies that had assessed the effect of both temperature and the amount of maté consumed on 1,400 patients with oesophageal cancer.</div>
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The results showed that regardless of the amount consumed, the risk of cancer increased with an increase in temperature.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
There were significant differences in the results from drinking very hot maté, but not with warm maté.</div>
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The studies suggested the carcinogenic effects occur when drinking at temperatures above 65C.</div>
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What are the implications?</h2>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
The IARC monographs seek to identify potential cancer hazards to raise awareness that a certain exposure can cause cancer in exposed people. However, they don't issue recommendations.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
Their assessment of scientific evidence is produced so the World Health Organization, health agencies and governments can take it into consideration when developing health policies and guidelines. Whatever actions are taken as a result remain in the hands of the authorities concerned.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
Professor Tim Underwood, associate professor in surgery at the University of Southampton, said: "The bottom line here is that drinking very hot liquids is a cause of squamous cell cancer of the oesophagus, but the IARC classification can't tell us anything about the size of the risk – so we shouldn't take from this that there's a high risk of developing oesophageal cancer after drinking very hot drinks."</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, Winton professor of the public understanding of risk at the University of Cambridge, said: "Last year the IARC said that bacon is carcinogenic, but it became clear that when eaten in moderation it is not very risky.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
"In the case of very hot drinks, the IARC conclude they are probably hazardous, but can't say how big the risk might be. This may be interesting science, but makes it difficult to construct a sensible response."</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
Arguably, a commonsense approach would be to not drink anything hot enough to give you a serious burn if you spilt it on yourself, whether it's maté, coffee or tea.</div>
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<div class="further-reading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(226, 226, 226); color: #585858; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.5px; margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 1.5em;">
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Links to the headlines</h2>
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<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/jun/15/hot-drinks-may-cause-cancer-but-coffee-does-not-says-who" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Very hot drinks may cause cancer, but coffee does not, says WHO</a>. The Guardian, June 15 2016</div>
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<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-36540417" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Cancer risk from coffee downgraded</a>. BBC News, June 15 2016</div>
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<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3642686/Very-hot-drinks-probably-cause-cancer-oesophagus-world-health-chiefs-warn.html" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Very hot drinks 'probably' cause cancer of the oesophagus, world health chiefs warn</a>. Daily Mail, June 16 2016</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
<a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tea-experts-say-cuppas-not-8202102" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Tea experts say cuppas do not cause cancer despite claims from health researchers</a>. Daily Mirror, June 15 2016</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/06/15/hot-drinks-probably-cause-cancer-warns-world-health-organisation/" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Hot drinks probably cause cancer, warns World Health Organisation</a>. The Daily Telegraph, June 15 2016</div>
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Links to the science</h2>
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The International Agency for Research on Cancer Monograph Working Group. <a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045%2816%2930239-X/fulltext" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Carcinogenicity of drinking coffee, maté, and very hot beverages</a>. The Lancet Oncology. Published online June 15 2016</div>
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Further reading</h2>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
International Agency for Research on Cancer. <a href="http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/iarcnews/pdf/Monographs-Q&A_Vol116.pdf" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Opens in a new window">Q&A on Monographs Volume 116: Coffee, maté, and very hot beverages (PDF, 65kb)</a>. June 2016</div>
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crabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538898024212726711.post-80724954028283622252016-06-19T08:35:00.001+01:002016-06-19T08:42:42.015+01:00News analysis: Does the 5:2 fast diet work? (May 2013 update)reposted without editing from: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2013/01January/Pages/Does-the-5-2-intermittent-fasting-diet-work.aspx<br />
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crabsallover <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">highlights</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>key points</b></span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">comments / links</span>.<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">This is an update of a January 2013 NHS Choices article - see <a href="http://crabsalloverhealth.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/does-52-intermittent-fasting-diet-work.html">here</a>.</span><br />
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Monday January 14 2013</div>
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Is intermittent fasting right for you?</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Note – this article, originally written in January 2013, was updated in May 2013.</strong></div>
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The 5:2 diet is an increasingly popular diet plan with a flurry of newspaper articles and books being published on it in the run up to Christmas 2012 and in January 2013.</div>
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The diet first reached the mainstream via a BBC Horizon documentary called Eat, Fast and Live Longer, broadcast in August 2012.</div>
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The 5:2 diet is based on a principle known as intermittent fasting (IF) – where you eat normally at certain times and then fast during other times.</div>
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The 5:2 diet is relatively straightforward – you eat normally five days a week, and fast on the other two days.</div>
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What does a daily 600-calorie diet look like?</h3>
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A 600-calorie diet could consist of a slice of ham and two scrambled eggs for breakfast and then some grilled fish and vegetables for your evening meal. And of course nothing but water, black coffee and/or green tea to drink.</div>
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Champions of the 5:2 diet claim that other than helping people lose weight, 5:2 diet can bring other significant health benefits, including:</div>
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<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">increased lifespan</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">improved cognitive function and protection against conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">protection from disease</li>
</ul>
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However the body of evidence about 5:2 diet and intermittent fasting is limited when compared to other types of weight loss techniques. </div>
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What we don’t know about intermittent fasting</h2>
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Despite its increasing popularity, there is a great deal of uncertainty about IF with significant gaps in the evidence.</div>
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For example, it is unclear:</div>
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<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">what pattern of IF is the most effective in improving health outcomes – 5:2, alternative day fasting, or something else entirely different</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">what is the optimal calorie consumption during the fasting days – the 5:2 diet recommends 500 calories for women and 600 for men, but these recommendations seem arbitrary without clear evidence to support them</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">how sustainable is IF in the long-term – would most people be willing to stick with the plan for the rest of their lives?</li>
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Are there any side effects from intermittent fasting?</h2>
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Little is known about possible side effects as no systematic attempt has been made to study this issue. Anecdotal reports of effects include:</div>
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<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">difficulties sleeping</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">bad breath (a known problem with low carbohydrate diets)</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">irritability</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">anxiety</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">dehydration</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">daytime sleepiness</li>
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However, more research would be needed to confirm these side effects and their severity.</div>
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If you are fasting, you may want to think about how fasting will impact on your life during your fasting days. You are likely to be very hungry and have less energy and this could affect your ability to function (such as at work), in particular it may affect your ability to exercise which is an important part of maintaining a healthy weight.</div>
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Also, IF may not be suitable for pregnant women and people with specific health conditions, such as diabetes, or a history of eating disorders.</div>
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Because it is a fairly radical approach to weight loss, if you are considering trying IF for yourself, it is wise to speak to your GP first to see if it is safe to do so.</div>
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Evidence about the 5:2 diet</h2>
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Despite its popularity evidence directly assessing the 5:2 model of intermittent fasting is limited.</div>
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But since this article was originally written in January 2013 we have been alerted to research, led by Dr Michelle Harvie, which did look at the 5:2 model.</div>
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In <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3017674/" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">one study carried out in 2010</a> the researchers did find that women placed on a 5:2 diet achieved similar levels of weight loss as women placed on a calorie-controlled diet.</div>
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They also experienced reductions in a number of biological indicators (biomarkers) that suggest a reduction in the risk of developing chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes.</div>
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A <a href="http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8544422" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">further study in 2012</a> suggested that the 5:2 model may help lower the risk of certain obesity-related cancers, such as breast cancer.</div>
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The increasing popularity of the 5:2 diet should lead to further research of this kind.</div>
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Evidence about other forms of IF</h2>
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There is some degree of evidence about the potential benefits of other forms of IF – albeit with some limitations.</div>
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It should be stressed that our assessment of the evidence was confined to entering a number of keywords into Google Scholar and then looking at a small number of studies which we felt would be useful to explore further.</div>
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We did not carry out a <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Newsglossary.aspx#Systematicreview" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">systematic review</a> (though arguably, it would be useful for researchers to do so). So the information provided below should be taken in the spirit of us trying to provide an introduction to some of the evidence and science of IF – not an exhaustive "last word" on the topic.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Is there any evidence that intermittent fasting aids weight loss?</strong></div>
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One of the most recent pieces of research on intermittent fasting is a<a href="http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1743-7075-9-98.pdf" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank" title="PDF: Opens in new window">2012 study (PDF, 291kb)</a> that recruited 30 obese women known to have pre-existing risk factors for heart disease.</div>
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After an initial two-week period they were then given a combination diet of low-calorie liquid meals for six days of a week (similar to Slim Fast diet products) and then asked to fast for one day a week (comsuming no more than 120 calories).</div>
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After eight weeks, on average, the women lost around 4kg (8.8lb) in weight and around 6cm (2.3 inches) off their waist circumference.</div>
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However, there are a number of limitations to consider when looking at this as evidence that it might be a generally beneficial thing to do for most ordinary people, including that:</div>
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<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">These women may have had increased motivation to stick with the diet because they knew their weight would be monitored (this is a psychological effect that slimming clubs make use of).</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">The women had been told that they were at risk of heart disease. It is uncertain how well most of us would cope with such an extreme diet.</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">The follow-up period was short – just two months. It is not clear whether this diet would be sustainable in the long term or whether it could cause any side effects.</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">30 people is quite a small sample size. A much larger sample – including men – is required to see if intermittent fasting would be effective in most overweight or obese people.</li>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Is there any </span>evidence </span>intermittent fasting increases lifespan?</strong></div>
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There is quite a wide range of work on the effects of IF on combating the effects of ageing, but almost all of these studies involved either rats, mice or monkeys. One big problem with studies in animals – particularly rodents – is that they are only expected to live for a few years. While this makes them ideal subjects for longevity studies, carrying out similar, more useful experiments in humans, requires decades-long research to gain credible results.</div>
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In an unsystematic look at the evidence, we find only one study involving humans: a <a href="http://eresveratrol.com/content/00/01/43/84/95/userimages/ADCR_JBJ_MH.pdf" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank" title="PDF: Opens in new window">2006 review (PDF, 65kb)</a> of an experiment actually carried out in 1957 in Spain.</div>
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In this 1957 study, 120 residents of an old people’s home were split into two groups (it is unclear from the study whether this was done at random). The first group (the <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Newsglossary.aspx#Controlgroup" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">control group</a>) ate a normal diet. The second group (the IF group) ate a normal diet one day and then a restricted diet (estimated to be around 900 calories) the next.</div>
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After three years there were 13 deaths in the control group and only six deaths in the IF group.</div>
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This study is again limited by the small sample size meaning that the differences in death are more likely to be the results of a statistical fluke. Also, many experts would feel uneasy about issuing dietary guidelines based on a study over half a century old with unclear methods. It is unlikely that this experiment could be repeated today – denying food to elderly people in residential care is unlikely to be looked at kindly by an ethics committee.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Is there any </span>evidence</span> intermittent fasting prevents cognitive decline?</strong></div>
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It seems that all of the studies on the supposed protective effects of IF against conditions that can cause a decline in cognitive function (such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease) involve animals.</div>
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For example, a <a href="http://matsuokalab.georgetown.edu/pubs/2007%20Neurobiol%20Dis%20Caloric%20restriction.pdf" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank" title="PDF: Opens in new window">2006 study (PDF, 843kb)</a> involved mice that had been genetically engineered to develop changes in brain tissue similar to those seen in people with Alzheimer’s disease.</div>
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Mice on an IF diet appeared to experience a slower rate of cognitive decline than mice on a normal diet (cognitive function was assessed using a <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Newsglossary.aspx#watermaze" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">water maze test</a>).</div>
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While the results of these animals tests are certainly intriguing, <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Newsglossary.aspx#animalstudies" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">animal studies</a> have inherent limitations. We can never be sure that the results will be applicable in humans.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Is there any </span>evidence that </span>intermittent fasting prevent diseases?</strong></div>
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Much of the published research into the potential preventative effects of IF involve measuring biological markers associated with chronic disease, such as insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) – known to be associated with cancer.</div>
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Using these kinds of biological surrogates is a legitimate way to carry out research, but they do not guarantee successful real-world outcomes.</div>
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For example, some medications that were found to lower blood pressure readings taken in laboratory conditions failed to prevent strokes once they had been introduced for use in the healthcare of patients in the world.</div>
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A <a href="http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/86/1/7.full.pdf+html" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank" title="PDF: Opens in new window">2007 clinical review (PDF, 119kb)</a> looking at the effects of IF in humans in terms of real-world health outcomes concluded that IF (specifically, alternative day fasting) may have a protective effect against heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer. However, it concluded "more research is required to establish definitively the consequences of ADF (alternative day fasting)".</div>
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Conclusion</h2>
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Compared to other types of weight loss programmes the evidence base of the safety and effectiveness of the 5:2 diet is limited.</div>
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If you are considering it then you should first talk to your GP to see if it is suitable for you. Not everyone can safely fast.</div>
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Other methods of weight loss include:</div>
<ul style="list-style: outside; margin: 0px 0px 2em 3em; padding: 0px;">
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">eating a healthy balanced diet with at least <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/LiveWell/5ADAY/Pages/5ADAYhome.aspx" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">five portions of fruit and vegetables a day</a></li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">taking <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/LiveWell/Fitness/Pages/Fitnesshome.aspx" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">regular exercise</a></li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">drinking <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/LiveWell/Alcohol/Pages/Alcoholhome.aspx" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">alcohol in moderation</a></li>
</ul>
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Find recommended, simple, low cost ways to lose weight in the <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/LiveWell/Loseweight/Pages/Loseweighthome.aspx" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Live Well: lose weight pages</a><a href="http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/loseweight" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></a>.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Edited by</strong> <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">NHS Choices</strong></a><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">. Follow </strong><a href="http://www.twitter.com/nhsnewsuk" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Behind the Headlines on Twitter</strong></a><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">.</strong></div>
</div>
<div class="cite" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-color: rgb(226, 226, 226); border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(226, 226, 226); border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(226, 226, 226); border-right-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px 1px; color: #585858; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.5px; margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 1.5em 1.5em;">
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Edited by <strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">NHS Choices</strong></div>
</div>
<div class="further-reading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(226, 226, 226); color: #585858; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.5px; margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 1.5em;">
<h2 style="color: #578300; font-size: 2.8em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; padding: 0px;">
Links to the headlines</h2>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19112549" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">The power of intermittent fasting</a>. BBC News, August 5 2012</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/9480451/The-52-diet-can-it-help-you-lose-weight-and-live-longer.html" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">The 5:2 diet: can it help you lose weight and live longer?</a> The Daily Telegraph, August 16 2012</div>
<h2 style="color: #578300; font-size: 2.8em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0.4em 0px 0.6em; padding: 0px;">
Links to the science</h2>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
Harvie M, Howell A. <a href="http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8544422" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Energy restriction and the prevention of breast cancer</a>. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. Published online March 12 2012</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
Harvie M, Pegington M, Mattson MP, et al. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3017674/" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">The effects of intermittent or continuous energy restriction on weight loss and metabolic disease risk markers: a randomised trial in young overweight women</a>. International Journal of Obesity. Published online October 5 2010</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
Kroeger CM, Klempel MC, Bhutani S, et al. <a href="http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1743-7075-9-98.pdf" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="PDF: Opens in new window">Improvement in coronary heart disease risk factors during an intermittent fasting/calorie restriction regimen: Relationship to adipokine modulations (PDF, 291.4Kb)</a>. Nutrition & Metabolism. Published online October 31 2012</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
Johnson JB, Laub DR, John S. <a href="http://eresveratrol.com/content/00/01/43/84/95/userimages/ADCR_JBJ_MH.pdf" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="PDF: Opens in new window">The effect on health of alternate day calorie restriction: Eating less and more than needed on alternate days prolongs life (PDF, 64.66Kb)</a>. Medical Hypothesis. Published online 2006</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
Halagappa VKM, Guo Z, Pearson M, et al. <a href="http://matsuokalab.georgetown.edu/pubs/2007%20Neurobiol%20Dis%20Caloric%20restriction.pdf" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="PDF: Opens in new window">Intermittent fasting and caloric restriction ameliorate age-related behavioral deficits in the triple-transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (PDF, 843.1Kb)</a>. Neurobiology of Disease. Published online January 13 2007</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
Varady KA, Hellerstein MK, et al. <a href="http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/86/1/7.full.pdf" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="PDF: Opens in new window">Alternate-day fasting and chronic disease prevention: a review of human and animal trials (PDF, 118.6KB)</a>. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Published online 2007 </div>
</div>
</div>
crabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538898024212726711.post-42900929712124549942016-05-27T05:54:00.000+01:002016-05-27T05:54:23.004+01:00Physical activity guidelines for adults<br />
<div class="article clear" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-color: rgb(226, 226, 226); border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(226, 226, 226); border-right-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px; color: #585858; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 1.5em;">
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">How much physical activity do adults aged 19-64 years old need to do to stay healthy?</strong></div>
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To stay healthy or to improve health, adults need to do two types of physical activity each week: aerobic and strength exercises.</div>
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How much physical activity you need to do each week depends on your age. Click on the links below for the recommendations for other age groups:</div>
<ul style="list-style: outside; margin: 0px 0px 2em 3em; padding: 0px;">
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/physical-activity-guidelines-for-children.aspx" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">early childhood (under 5 years old)</a></li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/physical-activity-guidelines-for-young-people.aspx" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">young people (5 to 18 years old)</a></li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/physical-activity-guidelines-for-older-adults.aspx" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">older adults (65 and over)</a> </li>
</ul>
<span id="backtotop" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><h2 style="color: #578300; font-size: 2.8em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0.6em 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Guidelines for adults aged 19-64</span></h2>
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To stay healthy, adults aged 19-64 should try to be active daily and should do:</div>
<ul style="list-style: outside; margin: 0px 0px 2em 3em; padding: 0px;">
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">at least 150 minutes of <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/physical-activity-guidelines-for-older-adults.aspx#moderate" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">moderate aerobic activity</a> such as cycling or fast walking every week, <strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">and</strong> </li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/physical-activity-guidelines-for-older-adults.aspx#muscle" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">strength exercises</a> on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms). </li>
</ul>
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<img alt="" src="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/PublishingImages/or_bar.jpg" style="border: none; display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 672.607px;" /></div>
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<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">75 minutes of <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/physical-activity-guidelines-for-older-adults.aspx#vigorous" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">vigorous aerobic activity</a>, such as running or a game of singles tennis every week, <strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">and</strong></li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">strength exercises on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms). </li>
</ul>
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<img alt="" src="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/PublishingImages/or_bar.jpg" style="border: none; display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 672.607px;" /></div>
<ul style="list-style: outside; margin: 0px 0px 2em 3em; padding: 0px;">
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">A mix of moderate and vigorous aerobic activity every week. For example, two 30-minute runs plus 30 minutes of fast walking equates to 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, <strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">and</strong></li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">strength exercises on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms). </li>
</ul>
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A rule of thumb is that one minute of vigorous activity provides the same health benefits as two minutes of moderate activity. </div>
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One way to do your recommended 150 minutes of weekly physical activity is to do 30 minutes on 5 days a week. </div>
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All adults should also break up long periods of sitting with light activity. Find out <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/sitting-and-sedentary-behaviour-are-bad-for-your-health.aspx" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">why sitting is bad for your health</a>.</div>
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<span id="moderate" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">What counts as moderate aerobic activity?</span></h2>
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Examples of activities that require moderate effort for most people include:</div>
<ul style="list-style: outside; margin: 0px 0px 2em 3em; padding: 0px;">
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/getting-started-guides/Pages/getting-started-walking.aspx" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">walking</a> fast</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">water aerobics</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/getting-started-guides/Pages/getting-started-cycling.aspx" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">riding a bike</a> on level ground or with few hills</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">doubles tennis</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">pushing a lawn mower</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">hiking</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">skateboarding</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">rollerblading</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">volleyball</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">basketball </li>
</ul>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
Moderate activity will raise your heart rate and make you breathe faster and feel warmer. One way to tell if you're working at a moderate level is if you can still talk, but you can't sing the words to a song.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em; text-align: right;">
<a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/pages/physical-activity-guidelines-for-adults.aspx#backtotop" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Back to top</a></div>
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<span id="vigorous" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">What</span> counts as vigorous activity?</h2>
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There is good evidence that vigorous activity can bring health benefits over and above that of moderate activity.</div>
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Examples of activities that require vigorous effort for most people include:</div>
<ul style="list-style: outside; margin: 0px 0px 2em 3em; padding: 0px;">
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/getting-started-guides/Pages/getting-started-running.aspx" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">jogging or running</a></li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/getting-started-guides/Pages/getting-started-swimming.aspx" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">swimming fast</a></li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/getting-started-guides/Pages/getting-started-cycling.aspx" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">riding a bike</a> fast or on hills</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">singles tennis</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">football</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">rugby</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">skipping rope</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">hockey</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">aerobics</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">gymnastics</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">martial arts</li>
</ul>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
Vigorous activity makes you breathe hard and fast. If you're working at this level, you won't be able to say more than a few words without pausing for breath.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
In general, 75 minutes of vigorous activity can give similar health benefits to 150 minutes of moderate activity.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
For a moderate to vigorous workout, try <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/get-running-with-couch-to-5k.aspx" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Couch to 5K</a>, a nine-week running plan for beginners.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em; text-align: right;">
<a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/pages/physical-activity-guidelines-for-adults.aspx#backtotop" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Back to top</a></div>
<h2 style="color: #578300; font-size: 2.8em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0.6em 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">
<span id="sets" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">What activities strengthen muscles?</span></h2>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
Muscle strength is necessary for:</div>
<ul style="list-style: outside; margin: 0px 0px 2em 3em; padding: 0px;">
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">all daily movement</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">to build and maintain strong bones</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">to regulate blood sugar and blood pressure</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">to help maintain a healthy weight</li>
</ul>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
Muscle-strengthening exercises are counted in repetitions and sets. A repetition is one complete movement of an activity, like a bicep curl or a sit-up. A set is a group of repetitions.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
For each strength exercise, try to do:</div>
<ul style="list-style: outside; margin: 0px 0px 2em 3em; padding: 0px;">
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">at least one set</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">eight to 12 repetitions in each set </li>
</ul>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
To get health benefits from strength exercises, you should do them to the point where you struggle to complete another repetition.</div>
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There are many ways you can strengthen your muscles, whether it's at home or in the gym. Examples of muscle-strengthening activities for most people include:</div>
<ul style="list-style: outside; margin: 0px 0px 2em 3em; padding: 0px;">
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">lifting weights</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">working with resistance bands</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">doing exercises that use your own body weight, such as push-ups and sit-ups</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">heavy gardening, such as digging and shovelling</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/yoga.aspx" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">yoga</a></li>
</ul>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
Try <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/strength-and-flexibility/Pages/strength-flexibility-podcasts.aspx" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Strength and Flex</a>, a 5-week exercise plan for beginners to improve your strength and flexibility.</div>
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You can do activities that strengthen your muscles on the same day or on different days as your aerobic activity - whatever's best for you.</div>
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Muscle-strengthening exercises are not an aerobic activity, so you'll need to do them in addition to your 150 minutes of aerobic activity.</div>
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Some vigorous activities count as both an aerobic activity and a muscle-strengthening activity.</div>
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Examples include:</div>
<ul style="list-style: outside; margin: 0px 0px 2em 3em; padding: 0px;">
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">circuit training</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">aerobics</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">running</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">football</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">rugby</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">netball</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">hockey</li>
</ul>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em; text-align: right;">
<a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/pages/physical-activity-guidelines-for-adults.aspx#backtotop" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Back to top</a></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
Download a <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Documents/adults-19-64-years.pdf" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank" title="Opens in new window">factsheet on physical activity guidelines for adults (19-64 years) (PDF, 568kb)</a></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
For a summary on the health benefits of being more active, check out this <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/469457/Physical_activity_infographic.PDF" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank" title="Opens in new window">Department of Health infographic (PDF, 500kb)</a>.</div>
</div>
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Page last reviewed: <span class="review-pad" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">11/07/2015</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px;">
Next review due: <span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">11/07/2017</span></div>
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reposted from:http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/pages/physical-activity-guidelines-for-adults.aspx
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crabsallover <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">highlights</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>key points</b></span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">comments / links</span>.</div>
crabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538898024212726711.post-65543643037164895312016-05-27T05:40:00.000+01:002016-05-27T05:56:03.169+01:00BMI categories may need adjusting, argue researchers<div class="article clear" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-color: rgb(226, 226, 226); border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(226, 226, 226); border-right-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(226, 226, 226); border-top-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 0px; color: #585858; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 1.5em;">
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Wednesday May 11 2016</div>
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<img alt="Improvements in treatments for weight-related conditions may have contributed towards the trend " src="http://www.nhs.uk/news/2016/05May/PublishingImages/N_0516_overweight_OBES113-5704_A.jpg" style="border: none; display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 166px;" /><br />
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There was a three-point upward shift in the 'optimal BMI' score</div>
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"Being overweight may not be as unhealthy as it was 40 years ago," BBC News reports.</div>
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New research has found a body mass index (BMI) of 27 is linked to the lowest rate of death – but someone with a BMI of 27 is currently classed as being overweight.</div>
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<a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Healthyweightcalculator.aspx" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">BMI</a> is a score calculated by dividing your weight (usually in kilograms) by the square of your height (usually in metres and centimetres). Currently, a BMI of 25 to 29.9 is classified as being overweight.</div>
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Researchers looked at 120,528 people from Copenhagen, recruited from 1976 to 2013, and separately compared those recruited during the 1970s, 1990s and 2000s. They were followed up until they died, emigrated, or the study finished.</div>
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The BMI linked to the lowest risk of having died from any cause was 23.7 in the 1970s group, 24.6 in the 1990s group, and had further risen to 27 in the 2003-13 group.</div>
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It may be the case that the suggested upward shift in optimal BMI is the result of improvements in preventative treatments for <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Obesity/Pages/Complications.aspx" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">weight-related conditions</a> such as <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Diabetes-type2/Pages/Introduction.aspx" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">type 2 diabetes</a>.</div>
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But this is just an estimate based on averages – it doesn't mean that having a "healthy" BMI is bad for you. Similarly, it shouldn't be assumed that it's now best to be in the overweight category. People often gain weight as they age, so there is the risk you could move from being overweight to obese.</div>
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Where did the story come from?</h2>
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The study was carried out by researchers from Copenhagen University Hospital.</div>
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It was funded by the Danish Heart Foundation, the Danish Medical Research Council, Copenhagen County Foundation, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, and Copenhagen University Hospital. </div>
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The study was published in the <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Newsglossary.aspx#Peerreview" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">peer-reviewed</a> Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).</div>
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The study was covered by the UK media with a certain amount of glee, with the Daily Mail suggesting that the BMI system was a "blunt instrument".</div>
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It also said this study showed that, "Millions of Britons who are currently classed as overweight, actually have the optimal BMI and the lowest chance of death."</div>
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However, the study was reported on accurately, and the reports included expert views saying that people still need to keep an eye on their weight.</div>
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What kind of research was this?</h2>
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This <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Newsglossary.aspx#Cohortstudy" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">cohort study</a> compared results from three large previous cohort studies in the same part of Denmark, starting at different times.</div>
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Researchers wanted to see if there had been a change over time in the optimal BMI score – that is, the BMI shared by people with the lowest rate of death from any cause.</div>
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While this type of study can show trends of this nature, it cannot explain why the changes happen.</div>
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What did the research involve?</h2>
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Groups of adults in Copenhagen had their height and weight measured as part of three studies carried out in the city in 1976-78, then 1991-94, and the final study in 2003-13.</div>
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Researchers followed them up, then looked to see at which BMI people had the lowest chance of dying. They compared the numbers for the three studies to see if that number changed over time.</div>
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The first two studies were linked. Participants for the first study were invited back for a second round of measurements over the period from 1991-94, although younger people were recruited to add to the numbers. People in the third study had not taken part in either of the first two.</div>
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As well as weight and height, researchers checked whether people smoked, how much exercise they did, whether they'd been diagnosed with any medical conditions, including cancer or heart disease, and how much alcohol they drank.</div>
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They carried out <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Newsglossary.aspx#Sensitivity" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">sensitivity</a> checks by including or excluding people with different risk factors to see whether any of them explained the overall results.</div>
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The researchers also looked at whether length of follow-up made a difference. They did this by carrying out their calculations with a much shorter follow-up period to see if the longer follow-up from the older studies distorted the results.</div>
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What were the basic results?</h2>
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The average BMI at which fewest people in the studies died from any cause increased by three points over the three decades:</div>
<ul style="list-style: outside; margin: 0px 0px 2em 3em; padding: 0px;">
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">23.7 (95% <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Newsglossary.aspx#Confidenceinterval" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">confidence interval [CI]</a> 23.4 to 24.3) in 1976-78</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">24.6 (95% CI 24 to 26.3) in 1991-94</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">27 (95% CI 26.5 to 27.6) in 2003-13</li>
</ul>
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The results showed a similar shift when researchers looked at just deaths from cardiovascular disease for non-smokers who had not been diagnosed with diabetes, cardiovascular disease or cancer, as well as for shorter periods of follow-up. None of the sensitivity analyses explained the trend.</div>
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In addition, researchers found the increased risk of death linked to being obese – a BMI of 30 or above – compared with a "healthy" BMI has gradually decreased to zero.</div>
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In the 1970s obese people had a 31% increased risk of death. By the 1990s it had reduced to a 13% increased risk, and by 2003-13 there was no longer a <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Newsglossary.aspx#Statisticalsignificance" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">statistically significant</a> link (adjusted <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Newsglossary.aspx#Hazardratio" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">hazard ratio</a> 0.99, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.07).</div>
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How did the researchers interpret the results?</h2>
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The researchers say their findings were "robust" and cannot be explained by <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Newsglossary.aspx#ConfoundingfactorConfounder" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">confounding factors</a> such as age, sex, smoking status and disease at the start of the study.</div>
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They said that, "If this finding is confirmed in other studies, it would indicate a need to revise the World Health Organization (WHO) categories presently used to define overweight."</div>
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They also said cohort studies cannot address the causes of the results, but speculated that their finding may reflect improvements in treatments for diseases affecting people with higher BMIs, such as heart disease and diabetes.</div>
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This would make it less risky to be overweight than in the 1970s, when more people died of these diseases. The reduction in smoking and increase in exercise they found could also have helped mitigate the effects of being overweight, they said.</div>
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Conclusion</h2>
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The link between weight and health is not straightforward. We've known for years that if you plot death rates against BMI categories on a graph, you get a U-shaped curve, where people who are very underweight or very overweight are at higher risk of dying, while people in the middle have a lower risk.</div>
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This makes sense: extremes of weight are linked to illness, both as a cause or result. Many people with cancer or lung disease, for example, are underweight, which is one reason why lower BMIs are linked to higher death rates. That's why doctors talk about people having a "healthy" BMI.</div>
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What this study seems to show is that the lowest point of that U-shaped curve has shifted to the right, towards higher BMIs. But it doesn't mean that slimmer people are at a higher risk of death.</div>
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The study shows that in the period 2003-13, there was no difference between the death rates of people with a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 (healthy) and those with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 (overweight), which were 4 per 1,000 per year for both groups.</div>
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The rate for obese people was 5 per 1,000 per year, despite this being a non-significant increased risk of death. There's certainly no need to try to put on weight if you are already at a healthy weight for your height.</div>
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The potential reasons for the shift are interesting. It may be, as the researchers suggest, that the diseases which killed more overweight people in the 1970s are now better treated and controlled, meaning that the risks of being overweight are smaller than they once were.</div>
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It's possible that the risks associated with being underweight have not decreased in the same way, which would automatically shift the "optimal" point towards overweight.</div>
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Also, despite a general increase in the population's BMI over the decades, health awareness has improved. Though the results have taken smoking status into account in the analyses, other factors, such as improvements in physical activity and alcohol moderation, could be having an influence.</div>
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However, this study has some limitations. Importantly, it was only carried out among white Danish people, which means it may not apply to other ethnic groups.</div>
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We know that some groups, such as people of south Asian origin, are more likely to have problems such as diabetes at lower BMIs than white people, so this study might not apply to everyone. And the follow-up for the most recent group studied was, on average, four years, so we don't yet know if this is a long-term trend.</div>
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The criticisms of the BMI system are not unfounded, though. BMI doesn't take into account the increased weight of muscle compared with fat – some athletes have high BMIs, despite being very fit, for example.</div>
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<a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/loseweight/Pages/BodyMassIndex.aspx#waist" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Waist circumference</a> and waist-to-hip ratio can give a good indication of body "fatness". Regardless of your height or BMI, you should try to lose weight if your waist is:</div>
<ul style="list-style: outside; margin: 0px 0px 2em 3em; padding: 0px;">
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">94cm (37in) or more for men</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">80cm (31.5in) or more for women</li>
</ul>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
You are at very high risk and should contact your GP if your waist is:</div>
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<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">102cm (40in) or more for men</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">88cm (34in) or more for women</li>
</ul>
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Read more about <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/849.aspx" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">why waist size is important</a>.</div>
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Analysis by <a href="http://www.bazian.com/" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Bazian" src="http://www.nhs.uk/img/bth/logo-bazian.gif" style="border: none; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.2em;" /></a></div>
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<div class="further-reading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(226, 226, 226); color: #585858; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.5px; margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 1.5em;">
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Links to the headlines</h2>
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<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-36258515" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Being overweight 'may be less unhealthy'</a>. BBC News, May 10 2016</div>
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<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3583955/Got-high-BMI-doesn-t-mean-unhealthy-People-categorised-overweight-given-rating-27-lowest-risk-dying.html" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Got a high BMI? It doesn't mean you are unhealthy: People categorised as overweight after being given a rating of 27 found to have the lowest risk of dying</a>. Daily Mail, May 11 2016</div>
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<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/05/10/overweight-people-less-likely-to-die-early-than-the-slim-study-s/" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Overweight people less likely to die early than the slim, study shows</a>. The Daily Telegraph, May 10 2016</div>
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Links to the science</h2>
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Afzal S, Tybjærg-Hansen A, Jensen GB, et al. <a href="http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2520627" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Change in Body Mass Index Associated With Lowest Mortality in Denmark, 1976-2013</a>. JAMA. Published online May 10 2016</div>
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reposted from: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2016/05May/Pages/BMI-categories-may-need-adjusting-argue-researchers.aspx<br />
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crabsallover <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">highlights</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>key points</b></span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">comments / links</span>.</div>
crabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538898024212726711.post-38983651066778100522016-05-27T05:31:00.001+01:002016-05-27T05:55:30.955+01:00Government reduces weekly target for mens alcohol consumption from 21 units to 14 units a weekNew guidance puts male limit in line with women as chief medical officers warn that any amout of alcohol consumption increases cancer risk.<br />
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Men have been advised to drink no more than seven pints of beer a week – the same as the maximum limit for women – in the first new drinking guidelines to be released by the UK’s chief medical officers for 20 years.<br />
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They also advise there is no safe level of drinking for either sex, and issued a stark warning that any amount of alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing a range of cancers, particularly breast cancer.<br />
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Dame Sally Davies, the chief medical officer for England, said: “Drinking any level of alcohol regularly carries a health risk for anyone, but if men and women limit their intake to no more than 14 units a week it keeps the risk of illness like cancer and liver disease low.”<br />
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The new 14-unit recommended maximum is equivalent to a little more than nine small 125ml / 4.5 large 250ml glasses or a bottle and a half of wine; 14 single measures of spirits; seven pints of lager or beer. For women the limit is unchanged, but for men it drops from 21 units.<br />
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The UK’s recommended limit for men is now one of the lowest among countries that issue guidance for an appropriate intake of beer, wine and spirits and makes it one of only a handful of countries to issue identical advice for both sexes.<br />
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The 14-unit figure is based at a level expected to cause an overall lifetime risk of death due to alcohol of approximately 1%, according to the independent advisory group which formulated it. However, it cautioned that “there is little evidence regarding the impact of any guidelines in changing health behaviours”.<br />
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Prof Sir David Spiegelhalter, Winton Professor of the Public Understanding of Risk, University of Cambridge, said: “These guidelines define ‘low-risk’ drinking as giving you less than a 1% chance of dying from an alcohol-related condition. So should we feel OK about risks of this level? “An hour of TV watching a day, or a bacon sandwich a couple of times a week, is more dangerous to your long-term health. In contrast, an average driver faces much less than this lifetime risk from a car accident. It all seems to come down to what pleasure you get from moderate drinking.”<br />
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The latest Health Survey for England says that 85% of women and 68% of men drank 14 units or fewer a week in 2014, including those who did not drink at all. By comparison, 78% of men drank 21 units a week or fewer.<br />
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The guidance also recommends avoiding binge-drinking by spreading the 14 units over three or more days (to avoid drunken injuries as well as long-term illness) and says everyone should have “several” alcohol free days a week.<br />
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The guidance was published on the same day as the latest findings by the Committee on Carcinogenicity, which state that the risk of cancer increases with the more alcohol a person drinks. Even an intake of fewer than 10.5 units a week (or 1.5 a day) gives an increased risk of cancer of the mouth, throat and gullet and – in women – breast cancer.<br />
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The changes are based on evidence, unavailable in 1995 when the previous guidance was published, which also suggests the protective effect of alcohol against conditions such as ischaemic heart disease is weaker than previously believed.<br />
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Separately, an independent review of evidence, which formed the basis for the new advice, found that the benefits of alcohol for heart health only apply for women aged 55 and over and the greatest benefits is seen when they limit their intake to around five units a week, equivalent to around two standard glasses of wine.<br />
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reposted from: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jan/08/mens-recommended-maximum-weekly-alcohol-units-cut-14<br />
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NHS: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2016/01January/Pages/New-alcohol-advice-issued.aspx<br />
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Government Guidelines: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/489795/summary.pdf which says:<br />
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"This advice on regular drinking is based on the evidence that if people did drink at or above the low risk level advised, overall any protective effect from alcohol on deaths is overridden, and the risk of dying from an alcohol-related condition would be expected to be around, or a little under, 1% over a lifetime. This level of risk is comparable to risks from some other regular or routine activities, such as driving."</blockquote>
<br />crabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538898024212726711.post-46987809191067330432016-04-22T18:10:00.000+01:002016-04-22T22:44:16.740+01:00Aspirin can protect against cancer - and treat it.Crabsallover has covering the aspirin-anti-cancer link since 2011 when <a href="http://crabsalloverhealth.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Peter%20Rothwell">Peter Rothwell peer-reviewed research</a> strongly indicated that taking a daily aspirin could prevent cancers.<br />
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"Aspirin is already used by millions to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. But the latest research suggests that the drug could also have a major role in treating and preventing cancer. Cheap and safe, it is the nearest we have to a wonder drug, says Jeremy Laurance. So, should we all be taking it?"</blockquote>
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"Dutch researchers reported that a daily aspirin could double the life expectancy of patients with gastro-intestinal cancers"</blockquote>
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"In a study presented in Vienna this week [September 2015], Dutch researchers reported that a daily aspirin could double the life expectancy of patients with gastro-intestinal cancers – of the oesophagus, stomach and colon. Among the 14,000 cancer patients studied, regular users of the drug were twice as likely to be alive after four years as those who were not taking it."</blockquote>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"Aspirin can halt the march of any cancer through the body"</span></i></b></blockquote>
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<b>"Overall, the research suggests that a daily low dose (75mg) aspirin taken for at least five years in middle age can reduce the risk of developing gastro-intestinal cancers (of the oesophagus, stomach and colon) by around 20 per cent. It also protects against other cancers such as breast, lung and prostate, but the reduction in risk is less pronounced. As a treatment, it may be even more powerful. A review of eight large randomised controlled trials – the gold standard of medical research and stronger evidence than Dr Frouws' “observational” study – involving 25,000 patients taking a low daily dose of aspirin to ward off heart disease – found the drug reduced deaths due to all cancers by more than a fifth (21 per cent)."</b></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i> "Aspirin makes the blood less able to carry cancer cells."</i></b></span></blockquote>
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"Published in The Lancet in 2011, that review was followed by a second one, published in 2012, of five randomised trials, which found that patients with cancer taking a daily aspirin reduced “distant metastasis” – spread to organs such as the brain, liver and lungs, which is usually terminal – by 30-40 per cent... Peter Rothwell, Professor of neurology at Oxford University and doyen of aspirin researchers, who conducted both reviews, said this was powerful evidence. Aspirin can halt cancer's remorseless march through the body (though it does not prevent local spread). And not just specific cancers but any cancer."</blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>"The drug appears to work by making the platelets, one of the constituents of the blood, less “sticky”. As a cancer grows, cells break off and are carried round the body in the blood by the platelets until deposited in a distant organ, where they form a new tumour. By reducing the platelets' stickiness, aspirin makes it harder for them to carry and distribute the cancer cells."</b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Critics, however, urge caution before aspirin is recommended for mass medication. They point out that most of the randomised controlled trials cited as evidence of its benefits were not designed to test its anti-cancer effects. Potential dangers may not be apparent from trials involving different patient populations."</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
reposted from: <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/aspirin-can-protect-against-cancer-and-treat-it-according-to-new-research-a6676056.html">http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/aspirin-can-protect-against-cancer-and-treat-it-according-to-new-research-a6676056.html</a> </blockquote>
<br />crabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538898024212726711.post-7884124511256439322016-03-06T06:11:00.001+00:002016-03-06T06:11:53.343+00:00Too soon for 'aspirin doubles cancer survival' claimIn September 2015, several UK newspapers covered research on use of aspirin to enhance cancer survival.<br />
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According to the Mail: "Three quarters of people with bowel, stomach or throat cancer were still alive five years later, and aspirin is the 'magic bullet' that should be prescribed as soon as someone is diagnosed."<br />
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reposted from:http://www.nhs.uk/news/2015/09September/Pages/too-soon-for-aspirin-doubles-cancer-survival-claim.aspxcrabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538898024212726711.post-74265112774560750632016-03-06T06:02:00.002+00:002016-03-07T07:42:08.830+00:00US study confirms Peter Rothwell findings that cancers are reduced with daily aspirinCan aspirin reduce bowel cancer risk? "Taking two aspirin a week could protect against cancer," reports the Daily Telegraph. The Express suggests we should take it daily.<br />
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In a large study, researchers found that aspirin use twice or more per week was associated with a 3% reduction in cancer risk. However, when analysed by cancer type, there was only one significant link – for bowel cancer – with a 19% risk reduction for aspirin use.<br />
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The research seems to confirm some of Oxfords <a href="http://crabsalloverhealth.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=rothwell">Peter Rothwells' findings</a>.<br />
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reposted from: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2016/03March/Pages/can-aspirin-reduce-risk-of-bowel-cancer.aspxcrabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538898024212726711.post-7876223959065556852015-04-25T09:26:00.001+01:002015-04-25T09:26:10.485+01:00There are six different types of obesity, study argues - Health News - NHS Choices<a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/2015/04April/Pages/There-are-six-different-types-of-obesity-study-argues.aspx">There are six different types of obesity, study argues - Health News - NHS Choices</a>crabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538898024212726711.post-49031972379698850582015-02-14T08:21:00.000+00:002015-02-14T08:49:38.009+00:00Flu jab is not a 'waste of time'<div class="article clear" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-color: rgb(226, 226, 226); border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(226, 226, 226); border-right-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(226, 226, 226); border-top-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 1.5em;">
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<span style="color: blue;">Crabsallover comment: </span><span style="color: red;">As the Public Health England Press Release <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/flu-vaccine-shows-low-effectiveness-against-the-main-circulating-strain-seen-so-far-this-season">says</a></span><span style="color: blue;"> 'The research, based on the results from 1,314 patients presenting in primary care across the UK, found that vaccine effectiveness in preventing laboratory confirmed influenza was estimated to be 3% overall. This compares to approximately <b>50% vaccine effectiveness that has typically been seen in the UK over recent years</b>.'</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.4em;">PHE also says</span><span style="color: blue; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.4em;">" In the UK, influenza A(H3N2) is the predominant subtype circulating this season to date, and H3N2 viruses similar to A/Texas/50/2012 are the strains that the vaccine currently protects against. Analysis conducted by PHE has shown a large proportion of flu viruses circulating have shown evidence of either antigenic or genetic drift from A/Texas/50/2012, and were similar to another H3N2 strain; A/Switzerland/9715293/2013. The A/Switzerland/9715293/2013 strain has been recommended for inclusion in the southern hemisphere influenza vaccine to be used in 2015.'</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5DqXNlzGsLE/VN8I8N0f9NI/AAAAAAAAODA/dikv1YDF0hY/s1600/800px-InfluenzaNomenclatureDiagram.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5DqXNlzGsLE/VN8I8N0f9NI/AAAAAAAAODA/dikv1YDF0hY/s1600/800px-InfluenzaNomenclatureDiagram.svg.png" height="419" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:InfluenzaNomenclatureDiagram.svg</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.4em;">and</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 1.4em;">'</span><span style="color: blue; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px; line-height: 33.6000022888184px;">The World Health Organization monitors influenza globally and each year recommends the strains of flu virus that should be included in the flu vaccine for the forthcoming flu season. It takes from February through to August / September to produce sufficient quantities of the flu vaccine. If a change in the virus is detected once production has started it is not possible to change it. </span><span style="font-size: 24px; line-height: 33.6000022888184px;">Throughout the last decade, there has generally been a good match between the strains of flu in the vaccine and those that subsequently circulate, so it’s crucial that these results do not discourage people in at-risk groups from having flu vaccination now, or in the future.</span></span><span style="color: blue; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 33.6000022888184px;">'</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px; line-height: 33.6000022888184px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: red; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px; line-height: 33.6000022888184px;">Interesting <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H3N2#Flu_spread.2C_by_season">comparison</a> of what is in seasonal H3N2 flu vaccines.</span></span></div>
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Friday February 6 2015</div>
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<img alt="Vaccine makers are locked in an 'arms race' with mutating strains" src="http://www.nhs.uk/news/2015/02February/PublishingImages/flu-vaccine_166x138_56570322.jpg" style="border: none; display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 166px;" /><br />
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This year’s flu jab may still protect against other strains</div>
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“Flu jab given to millions is 'useless',” and "Flu jab is a waste of time," are the irresponsible headlines in The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail.</div>
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While <a href="http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=21025" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="External website">recent research</a> shows that the current<a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vaccinations/Pages/flu-influenza-vaccine.aspx" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">seasonal flu vaccine</a> only has 3% protection against the main circulating strain – A(H3N2) – in adults, it can still protect against other strains.</div>
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Both papers also ignore the fact that another version of the flu vaccine, in the form of a nasal spray designed for<a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vaccinations/Pages/child-flu-vaccine.aspx" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">vulnerable children</a>, is also available.</div>
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Discouraging parents of vulnerable children from getting vaccinated could increase the risk of serious childhood illnesses and possible hospitalisation.</div>
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Why is the flu vaccine not working?</h2>
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There are many strains of the influenza virus and each one can mutate. It takes time to develop and produce vaccines against them. Global surveillance is used to predict which strains are likely to be circulating the following winter, and in February the <a href="http://www.who.int/en/" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">World Health Organization (WHO)</a> announces which strains the flu vaccine should cover. Last year, it decided to cover three flu varieties:</div>
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<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">Influenza A (H1N1), also known as “<a href="http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pandemic-flu/Pages/Introduction.aspx" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">swine flu</a>"</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">Influenza A (H3N2)</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">Influenza B</li>
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In March, the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System detected a new strain of influenza A (H3N2), but this was too late to change the production of the vaccine.</div>
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It was also not known whether this particular strain would be the predominant strain this winter, which it has been, and so the vaccine is not effective against it.</div>
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‘A Jack Bauer car chase’</h3>
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“Trying to predict which seasonal flu vaccine to produce each year must be a bit like a Jack Bauer [hero of the TV thriller series '24'] car chase in Los Angeles.</div>
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“At any intersection, the fugitive has three choices of direction. Bauer can’t catch up, and he doesn’t know the ultimate destination, so he has to try to guess the likeliest turns, and place his limited team in side streets where they’re most likely to block the fugitive, to slow him down or capture him. Even with Jack Bauer’s experience, this is bound to prove somewhat hit and miss.”</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px;">
<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Dr Michael Skinner, Reader in Virology, Imperial College London (and fan of ‘24’).</em></div>
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How effective is it?</h2>
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The vaccine is effective against the other strains of influenza, but not the new strain of influenza A (H3N2). The mid-season vaccine effectiveness rate is just 3.4%. Vaccination against this new strain and other possible mutations will be considered at the WHO meeting this February for next winter.</div>
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Reactions to the news</h2>
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Dr Michael Skinner, Reader in Virology, Imperial College London said: “The current type of seasonal influenza vaccine is, at the moment, the best we have. Annually it saves tens of thousands of lives. Unusually, but not uniquely, this year one (H3N2) of the four targeted viruses ‘drifted’ (mutated) in an unanticipated direction after the vaccine was formulated for production, so that the vaccine offers little protection against the drifted H3N2.</div>
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"Even so, the vaccine still protects against the other three components (pre- and post-2009 H1N1 and B). And it does at least stop the virus drifting back along the path that had been predicted. To describe it as ‘useless’ would be misguided.”</div>
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Should you still get the jab?</h2>
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The other strains can still cause infection so the vaccine is still recommended for pregnant women, people aged over 65 and those with any of the following conditions:</div>
<ul style="color: #585858; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; list-style: outside; margin: 0px 0px 2em 3em; padding: 0px;">
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">chronic (long-term) respiratory disease, such as <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/asthma/Pages/Introduction.aspx" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">asthma</a> (that requires inhaled or tablet steroid treatment or has led to hospital admission in the past), <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease/Pages/Introduction.aspx" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)</a> or <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Bronchitis/Pages/Introduction.aspx" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">bronchitis</a> </li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
chronic heart disease, such as <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Heart-failure/Pages/Introduction.aspx" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">heart failure</a> </div>
</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Kidney-disease-chronic/Pages/Introduction.aspx" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">chronic kidney disease</a> </div>
</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
chronic liver disease, such as <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Hepatitis/Pages/Introduction.aspx" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">hepatitis</a> </div>
</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
chronic neurological conditions, such as <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Parkinsons-disease/Pages/Introduction.aspx" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Parkinson's disease</a>or <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Motor-neurone-disease/Pages/Introduction.aspx" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">motor neurone disease</a> </div>
</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Diabetes/Pages/Diabetes.aspx" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">diabetes</a></div>
</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
problems with your spleen – for example, <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sickle-cell-anaemia/pages/introduction.aspx" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">sickle cell</a> disease, or if you have had your spleen removed </div>
</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
a weakened immune system due to conditions such as <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/HIV/Pages/Introduction.aspx" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">HIV and AIDS</a>, or as a result of medication such as <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Corticosteroid-(drugs)/Pages/Introduction.aspx" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">steroid tablets</a> or<a href="http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Chemotherapy/Pages/Definition.aspx" shape="rect" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">chemotherapy</a></div>
</li>
</ul>
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When to visit your GP</h2>
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If you are otherwise fit and healthy, there is usually no need to visit your GP if you have flu-like symptoms.</div>
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The best remedy is to rest at home, keep warm and drink plenty of water to avoid <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Dehydration/Pages/Introduction.aspx" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">dehydration</a>.</div>
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You can take <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Painkillers-paracetamol/Pages/Introduction.aspx" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">paracetamol</a> or <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Painkillers-ibuprofen/Pages/Introduction.aspx" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">ibuprofen</a> to lower a high temperature and relieve aches.</div>
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If you are in any of the high risk groups listed above then you should visit your GP.</div>
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Depending on your circumstances, your GP may recommend a short course of antiviral medication, such as <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/medicine-guides/pages/MedicineOverview.aspx?condition=Flu&medicine=Tamiflu&preparation=Tamiflu%2075mg%20capsules" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Tamiflu</a> (oseltamivir). </div>
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Antivirals are not used for everyone with flu because this would lead to further mutations in the viruses and drug resistance, making them ineffective.</div>
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If you suspect you have the flu it is important to take steps to prevent it spreading; especially to one or more of the vulnerable groups listed above.</div>
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Always:</div>
<ul style="color: #585858; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; list-style: outside; margin: 0px 0px 2em 3em; padding: 0px;">
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">make sure you wash your hands regularly with soap and water</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">clean surfaces such as your keyboard, telephone and door handles regularly to get rid of germs</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">use tissues to cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze</li>
<li style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding: 0px;">put used tissues in a bin as soon as possible</li>
</ul>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Analysis by <a href="http://www.bazian.com/" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Bazian</a>. Edited by <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">NHS Choices</a>. Follow <a href="http://www.twitter.com/nhsnewsuk" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Behind the Headlines on Twitter</a>.</strong><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> Join the <a href="https://healthunlocked.com/healthyevidence" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Healthy Evidence forum</a>.</strong></div>
<div class="cite" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-color: rgb(226, 226, 226); border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(226, 226, 226); border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(226, 226, 226); border-right-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px 1px; color: #585858; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px 1.5em 1.5em;">
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Analysis by <a href="http://www.bazian.com/" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Bazian" src="http://www.nhs.uk/img/bth/logo-bazian.gif" style="border: none; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.2em;" /></a></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px; text-align: right;">
Edited by <strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">NHS Choices</strong></div>
</div>
<div class="further-reading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(226, 226, 226); color: #585858; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 1.5em;">
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Links to the headlines</h2>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/11393560/Flu-jab-given-to-millions-is-useless.html" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Flu jab given to millions is 'useless'</a>. The Daily Telegraph, February 6 2015</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2941896/Flu-jab-waste-time-97-patients-Vaccine-developed-year-ago-no-longer-matches-virus-mutated-much.html" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Flu jab is a waste of time for 97% of patients: Vaccine developed only a year ago no longer 'matches' because the virus has mutated so much</a>. Daily Mail, February 6 2015</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-31145604" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Flu vaccine 'barely effective' against main viral strain</a>. BBC News, February 5 2015</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
<a href="http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/556462/Flu-jab-blamed-for-rise-in-death-toll" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Useless flu jab blamed for surge in death toll</a>. Daily Express, February 6 2015</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
<a href="http://www.itv.com/news/2015-02-06/current-winter-flu-jab-only-has-3-success-rate/" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Current winter flu jab works in only 3% of cases</a>. ITV News, February 6 2015</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/feb/05/flu-vaccine-low-protection-uk-this-winter" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Flu vaccine gives only ‘low protection’ in UK this winter, experts warn</a>. The Guardian, February 5 2015</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
<a href="http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/health/news/article4345798.ece" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Flu jab given to millions offers almost no protection</a>. The Times, February 6 2015</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
<a href="http://news.sky.com/story/1422308/flu-jab-found-to-work-in-just-3-percent-of-cases" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Flu Jab Found To Work In Just 3% Of Cases</a>. Sky News, February 6 2015</div>
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Links to the science</h2>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
Pebody RG, Warburton F, Ellis J, et al. <a href="http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=21025" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Low effectiveness of seasonal influenza vaccine in preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza in primary care in the United Kingdom: 2014/15 mid-season results</a>. Eurosurveillance. Published online February 5 2014</div>
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Further reading</h2>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.7em; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px 0px 0.8em;">
Public Health England. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/flu-vaccine-shows-low-effectiveness-against-the-main-circulating-strain-seen-so-far-this-season" style="color: #0064b7; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Flu vaccine shows low effectiveness against the main circulating strain seen so far this season</a> – Press Release. February 5 2015</div>
</div>
reposted (unedited) from: <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/2015/02February/Pages/Flu-jab-is-not-a-waste-of-time.aspx">http://www.nhs.uk/news/2015/02February/Pages/Flu-jab-is-not-a-waste-of-time.aspx</a><br />
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crabsallover <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">highlights</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>key points</b></span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">comments / links</span>.</div>
crabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538898024212726711.post-29018970007392533002015-01-18T06:16:00.001+00:002015-02-14T08:31:17.397+00:00Lack of Exercise is twice as deadly as obesity<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
crabsallover <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">highlights</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>key points</b></span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">comments / links</span>.<br />
<br />
How many deaths can theoretically be avoided if inactive people became more active, compared to how many could be avoided if obese people lost weight?<br />
<br />
If activity levels were increased so that no-one was classed as inactive, then this could reduce early deaths by more than 7%. This compares to avoiding obesity, which could reduce deaths by nearly 4%.<br />
<br />
In 2008, 676,000 deaths were attributable to physical inactivity, compared with 337,000 deaths attributable to obesity. This large study also found that among inactive individuals, even small increases in activity may be of benefit, whatever their weight or waist size.<br />
<br />
So should we concentrate purely on physical activity and stop worrying about losing weight?<br />
<br />
More.... <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/2015/01January/Pages/Inactivity-twice-as-deadly-as-obesity.aspx">http://www.nhs.uk/news/2015/01January/Pages/Inactivity-twice-as-deadly-as-obesity.aspx</a><br />
<br />
Link to science (Open Access): <a href="http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2015/01/14/ajcn.114.100065.abstract?sid=6be3c78d-3af7-4b26-83b1-45e5da06d5c1">http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2015/01/14/ajcn.114.100065.abstract?sid=6be3c78d-3af7-4b26-83b1-45e5da06d5c1</a><br />
<br />
Free pdf: <a href="http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2015/01/14/ajcn.114.100065.full.pdf+html">http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2015/01/14/ajcn.114.100065.full.pdf+html</a></div>
crabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538898024212726711.post-60201536217543343592015-01-07T21:05:00.000+00:002015-01-07T21:45:25.909+00:0023andMe - Personal Genome Service arrives in UKreposted from:<br />
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crabsallover <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">highlights</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>key points</b></span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">comments / links</span>.<br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/23andMe_logo.svg/220px-23andMe_logo.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/23andMe_logo.svg/220px-23andMe_logo.svg.png" /></a></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.23andme.com/en-gb/health/">23andMe</a> is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/23andMe">Personal Genome Service</a> (PGS) that started <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30285581">marketing in the UK</a> December 2nd <a href="http://mediacenter.23andme.com/en-gb/blog/2014/12/01/23andme-brings-ce-marked-personal-genome-service-to-the-uk/">2014</a>. The <a href="https://store.23andme.com/en-gb/cart/">test costs £125</a>.</b></div>
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Customers provide a saliva sample which is analysed by partial <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SNP_genotyping">SNP Genotyped</a>. </div>
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SNP genotyping is the measurement of genetic variations of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-nucleotide_polymorphism">single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)</a> between members of a species. It is a form of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genotyping">genotyping</a>, which is the measurement of more general genetic variation.</div>
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The FDA <a href="http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2013/ucm376296.htm">banned</a> 23andMe PGS for sale in USA in December 2013 and <a href="http://www.nature.com/news/regulation-the-fda-is-overcautious-on-consumer-genomics-1.14527">Nature</a> commented on the ban.</div>
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The UK's <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30285581">Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) says the 23andMe</a> spit test, which is <a href="http://www.pharmafile.com/news/195960/mhra-approves-google-gene-test-uk">designed to give details</a> about a person's health risks based on their DNA, can be used with caution.</div>
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The UK Department of Health set up Genomics England <a href="http://www.genomicsengland.co.uk/">100,000 Genomes Project</a>.</div>
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Several competitors to 23andMe <a href="http://www.quora.com/Who-are-23andMes-competitors">here</a>.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Published on 25 Jun 2014</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">With new technologies we can now examine the whole of a person's DNA -- their genome -- quicker and cheaper than ever before. In this video, Vivienne Parry OBE introduces the fundamentals of genomics and its growing importance for healthcare. Health Education England is developing a substantial education programme to inform healthcare professionals about the impact of genomics on clinical practice. This video is the first educational resource from the programme.</span></div>
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crabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538898024212726711.post-13748849211537426772015-01-02T23:25:00.000+00:002015-01-02T23:25:14.030+00:00How to read health news by Dr Alicia White (Bazian)crabsallover <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">highlights</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>key points</b></span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">comments / links</span>.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Bazian is the company who trawl the newspapers for NHS Direct then write their perseptive commentaries on the health news articles. This is an unedited copy of the article. </span><br />
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If you’ve just read a health-related headline that has caused you to spit out your morning coffee (“Coffee causes cancer” usually does the trick), it’s always best to follow the Blitz slogan: “Keep Calm and Carry On”. On reading further, you’ll often find the headline has left out something important, such as: “Injecting five rats with really highly concentrated coffee solution caused some changes in cells that might lead to tumours eventually (study funded by The Association of Tea Marketing).”</div>
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The most important rule to remember is: don’t automatically believe the headline. It is there to draw you into buying the paper and reading the story. Would you read an article called: “Coffee pretty unlikely to cause cancer, but you never know”? Probably not.</div>
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To avoid spraying your newspaper with coffee in the future, you need to analyse the article to see what it says about the research it is reporting on. Bazian (the company I work for) has appraised hundreds of articles for Behind the Headlines on NHS Choices, and we’ve developed the following questions to help you figure out which articles you’re going to believe and which you’re not.</div>
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Does the article support its claims with scientific research?</h2>
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Your first concern should be the research behind the news article. If an article touts a treatment or some aspect of your lifestyle that is supposed to prevent or cause a disease, but doesn’t give any information about the scientific research behind it, then treat it with a lot of caution. The same applies to research that has yet to be published.</div>
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Is the article based on a conference abstract?</h2>
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Another area for caution is if the news article is based on a conference abstract. Research presented at conferences is often at a preliminary stage and usually hasn’t been <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Newsglossary.aspx#Peerreview" shape="rect" style="color: #83c21f; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">scrutinised by experts in the field</a>. Also, conference abstracts rarely provide full details about methods, making it difficult to judge how well the research was conducted. For these reasons, articles based on conference abstracts should be no cause for alarm. Don’t panic or rush off to your GP.</div>
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Was the research in humans?</h2>
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Quite often, the "miracle cure" in the headline turns out to have only been <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Newsglossary.aspx#Preclinicalevaluations" shape="rect" style="color: #83c21f; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">tested on cells in the laboratory or on animals</a>. These stories are regularly accompanied by pictures of humans, which creates the illusion that the miracle cure came from human studies. Studies in cells and animals are crucial first steps and should not be undervalued. However, many drugs that show promising results in cells in laboratories don’t work in animals, and many drugs that show promising results in animals don’t work in humans. If you read a headline about a drug or food "curing" rats, there is a chance it might cure humans in the future, but unfortunately a larger chance that it won’t. So there is no need to start eating large amounts of the "wonder food" featured in the article.</div>
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How many people did the research study include?</h2>
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In general, the larger a study the more you can trust its results. Small studies may miss important differences because they lack statistical “power”, and are also more susceptible to finding things (including things that are wrong) purely by chance.</div>
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You can visualise this by thinking about tossing a coin. We know that if we toss a coin the chance of getting a head is the same as that of getting a tail – 50/50. However, if we didn’t know this and we tossed a coin four times and got three heads and one tail, we might conclude that getting heads was more likely than tails. But this chance finding would be wrong. If we tossed the coin 500 times - i.e. gave the experiment more "power" - we'd be more likely to get a heads/tails ratio close to 50/50, giving us a better idea of the true odds. When it comes to sample sizes, bigger is usually better. So when you see a study conducted in a handful of people, treat it with caution.</div>
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Did the study have a control group?</h2>
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There are many different types of studies appropriate for answering different types of questions. If the question being asked is about whether a treatment or exposure has an effect or not, then the study needs to have a <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Newsglossary.aspx#controlgroup" shape="rect" style="color: #83c21f; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">control group</a>. A control group allows the researchers to compare what happens to people who have the treatment/exposure with what happens to people who don’t. If the study doesn’t have a control group, then it’s difficult to attribute results to the treatment or exposure with any level of certainty.</div>
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Also, it’s important that the control group is as similar to the treated/exposed group as possible. The best way to achieve this is to randomly assign some people to be in the treated/exposed group and some people to be in the control group. This is what happens in a <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Newsglossary.aspx#Randomisedcontrolledtrial(RCT)" shape="rect" style="color: #83c21f; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">randomised controlled trial (RCT)</a> and is why RCTs are considered the "gold standard" for testing the effects of treatments and exposures. So when reading about a drug, food or treatment that is supposed to have an effect, you want to look for evidence of a control group and, ideally, evidence that the study was an RCT. Without either, retain some healthy scepticism.</div>
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Did the study actually assess what’s in the headline?</h2>
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This one is a bit tricky to explain without going into a lot of detail about things called proxy outcomes. Instead, bear in mind this key point: the research needs to have examined what is being talked about in the headline and article (somewhat alarmingly, this isn’t always the case).</div>
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For example, you might read a headline that claims: “Tomatoes reduce the risk of heart attacks.” What you need to look for is evidence that the study actually looked at heart attacks. You might instead see that the study found that tomatoes reduce blood pressure. This means that someone has extrapolated that tomatoes must also have some impact on heart attacks, as high blood pressure is a risk factor for heart attacks. Sometimes these extrapolations will prove to be true, but other times they won’t. Therefore if a news story is focusing on a health outcome that was not examined by the research, treat it with a pinch of salt.</div>
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Who paid for and conducted the study?</h2>
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This is a somewhat cynical point, but one that’s worth making. The majority of trials today are funded by manufacturers of the product being tested – be it a drug, vitamin cream or foodstuff. This means they have a vested interest in the results of the trial, which can potentially affect what the researchers find and report in all sorts of conscious and unconscious ways. This is not to say that all manufacturer-sponsored trials are unreliable. Many are very good. However, it’s worth seeing who funded the study to sniff out a potential conflict of interest.</div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Howtoreadarticlesabouthealthandhealthcare.aspx">http://www.nhs.uk/news/Pages/Howtoreadarticlesabouthealthandhealthcare.aspx</a></div>
crabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538898024212726711.post-754521163373612942014-12-11T10:28:00.003+00:002014-12-11T10:28:29.782+00:00How to turn fat-storing cells into energy burning cells?Inhibitors of Janus Kinase convert fat-storing cells (white fat cells) into energy-burning cells (brown fat cells).<br />
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reposted from: <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/2014/12December/Pages/Hopes-for-chemicals-that-turn-bad-fat-good.aspx">http://www.nhs.uk/news/2014/12December/Pages/Hopes-for-chemicals-that-turn-bad-fat-good.aspx</a>crabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538898024212726711.post-35950979409592942262014-12-07T12:39:00.001+00:002014-12-07T12:39:44.429+00:00Obesity could 'rob you' of 20 years of healthreposted from: <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/2014/12December/Pages/Obesity-could-rob-you-of-20-years-of-health.aspx">http://www.nhs.uk/news/2014/12December/Pages/Obesity-could-rob-you-of-20-years-of-health.aspx</a><br />
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crabsalloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310281888611427075noreply@blogger.com0