Older babies 'sleep better' in their own room
Conclusion This study seems to show that parents of infants aged 6 to 12 months who sleep in a separate room report better infant sleep outcomes, such as sleep times and sleep duration, than parents who keep their infant in the same room or bed. These findings are similar to a study covered in June 2017, which found "independent sleepers" slept for longer aged nine months than room-sharers. But there are some considerations that need to be taken into account: This questionnaire-based study didn't follow infants over a long period of time, so we only know about their sleep behaviours and patterns at one particu...
Source: NHS News Feed - September 5, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Pregnancy/child Source Type: news

One in 10 men aged 50 'have the heart of a 60-year-old'
"One-tenth of 50-year-old men have a heart age 10 years older than they are," BBC News reports. This is the finding of an analysis of 1.2 million people who used the NHS Heart Age Test. The principle behind the test is that you can "age" your heart through unhealthy behaviour such as smoking and being obese. Underlying conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which often have no noticeable symptoms, can also age the heart. An obese smoker in their 50s who has high blood pressure and high cholesterol could have the heart of a 60- or 70-year-old. The quick and simple test tells you the...
Source: NHS News Feed - September 4, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Source Type: news

New insight into how excess belly fat may increase cancer risk
Conclusion This animal and laboratory study investigated the possible cellular relationship between excess body fat – specifically fat around the body organs – and cancer risk. It seems one key mechanism by which excess visceral fat could stimulate healthy cells to develop into cancerous ones could be through FGF2 levels. The researchers hope their study could pave the way for possible cancer prevention strategies by stopping FGF2 production in obese people with excess belly fat. They even go as far as suggesting that blocking FGF2 receptors could be one part of a treatment approach after a diagnosis of breast or ski...
Source: NHS News Feed - September 1, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Source Type: news

Going to university may cut your risk of heart disease
Conclusion This study indicates there may be some genetic support for the idea that spending longer in education contributes to lowering the risk of CHD. The researchers also demonstrate that this may be because people who spend longer in education have a lower BMI and are less likely to smoke. However, there are some limitations to this research that need to be considered: The genetic variations identified as being associated with education may not be markers for education at all, but more basic biological pathways. The authors do not account for the fact that differences in education might be due to brain function,...
Source: NHS News Feed - September 1, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Source Type: news

Sitting for 20 minutes less a day won't make you 'more muscly'
Conclusion Despite the encouraging headlines, the study showed it isn't easy to get people to reduce their overall sedentary time. It's interesting that people were better able to make changes at home – especially when both parents had been through the programme – than in the office. Future programmes could look at whether workplace interventions, which might include group activities or changes to the office environment, are more successful at reducing time spent sitting. We don't know the clinical significance of the small changes in some of the physical and biochemical results found in the programme group. It's sur...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 31, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Source Type: news

Results of global fats and carbs study not very relevant for UK
Conclusion The results of the study have been presented in the media as if they overturn all current dietary guidelines. In the UK at least, that is completely misleading. The study results support the UK guidelines, having found that people who get around 50% of their calories from carbohydrates and 35% from fat, as recommended by Public Health England, were likely to live the longest. There are some limitations to the study, not least that observational studies cannot prove cause and effect. For example, the very low fat and high carbohydrate levels of diets found among some participants in the study might simply repres...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 30, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Food/diet Source Type: news

Anti-inflammatory drug may help prevent heart attacks
Conclusion This well-conducted study shows promising signs that canakinumab may reduce the risk of future heart attacks and other cardiovascular events in people who've had them in the past. But before any changes are made to the current licensing of this drug, further research is needed to confirm the beneficial effects and the optimal dose. Most importantly, researchers will need to focus on the observation that the drug lowered white blood cell counts and increased the risk of fatal infection. They estimated around 1 in every 300 people taking canakinumab would die of a fatal infection. This number, while low, is sti...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 30, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Source Type: news

Reports that 'women have more stamina' look a little weak
Conclusion This study in a small number of students in the US indicates that when repeating the same calf-raising movement, women showed less fatigue in terms of force applied and time taken to complete the exercise. Some UK media outlets directly link this to women being better than men at lengthy aerobic exercise activities such as ultra-marathons and long distance cycling. However a number of factors might mean this is not necessarily the case: This was undertaken in a laboratory using seated exercise and participants might perform differently when undertaking physical activity normally. Only one muscle was invest...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 29, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Source Type: news

Could adding lithium to tap water reduce dementia levels?
Conclusion The study is intriguing because we already know that lithium affects how the brain and nervous system work through many different pathways. However, the results are difficult to interpret. The study seemed to suggest that lithium levels of more than 15 micrograms per litre could be protective against dementia in comparison with the lowest levels. However, that doesn't explain why levels of 5 to 10 micrograms per litre seemed to increase the risk of dementia in comparison with the lowest levels. It's possible that some other factors – linked to where people live but not necessarily to the drinking water â...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 25, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Neurology Source Type: news

10-minute walk a day app to tackle 'inactivity epidemic'
"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. The headline comes after data compiled by Public Health England (the government body tasked with improving the nation's health) found that more than 6.3 million adults aged 40 to 60 failed to achieve just 10 minutes of continuous brisk walking per month. This is of concern as physical inactivity directly contributes to one in six deaths in the UK. Due to this, as part of their ongoing One You campaign, Public Health England (PHE) has launched an app called Active 10, designe...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 24, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Source Type: news

C-section mums warned about dangers of 'vaginal seeding'
What is the issue? A technique called vaginal seeding, sometimes used for babies born by caesarean section, "can give newborns deadly infections and sepsis," warns the Mail Online. Vaginal seeding involves rubbing vaginal fluid onto the skin of a newborn baby born by caesarean section. It's intended to mimic the natural transfer of microbes from their mother that babies have during a vaginal birth. This has been reported by some to help boost a baby's response against allergies and asthma. As many as 90% of Danish obstetricians and gynaecologists said they have been asked about it by prospective parents. Despite...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 23, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Pregnancy/child Source Type: news

Gum disease linked to increased risk of Alzheimer's disease
Conclusion This was an interesting study that identified a possible link between two conditions, but it may not be a strong enough piece of research to provide definitive estimates of the size of the risk. The study has a number of weaknesses: If the researchers had used more of the data available rather than taking a random sample to select a cohort, there may have been more cases of CP and AD to use in their analysis. This may have given a better insight into any association. The study did not give any details of how CP was treated or managed, so we don't know if there were any differences between people with CP w...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 22, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Neurology Source Type: news

Vitamin C injections could play a role in treating blood cancers
Conclusion This mouse study explored whether treatment with vitamin C could restore function of TET2 and therefore block the progression of blood cancers like leukaemia. It found that using high doses of vitamin C intravenously did in fact suppress the growth of leukaemia cancer stem cells in the mice implanted with cell lines from human patients with leukaemia. It also reported that using vitamin C alongside existing treatment with PARP inhibitors helped reduce the progressions of the disease. The researchers suggest that in the future, vitamin C could be used alongside chemotherapy and other conventional treatment forms....
Source: NHS News Feed - August 21, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Source Type: news

'Junk food' may increase cancer risk in 'healthy weight' women
Conclusion Energy dense diets appear to be associated with a 10% increased risk of obesity-related cancer in those eating the top 205 high density food types. A sub analysis of postmenopausal women of normal, overweight or obese weight at the start of the study showed a link specifically in those of a normal weight and a weaker link in those who were overweight or obese. The authors suggest these findings mean weight management alone might not protect against obesity-related cancer if women have a high energy dense diet. Although this was a longitudinal study involving a large sample of women, it has some limitations: F...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 18, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Source Type: news

People who regularly groom their pubic hair at risk of injuries
Conclusion Pubic hair removal is now common practice, and this study suggests it is not without risk. It seems sensible to find out more about how it can be done safely, with minimal risk of injury. However, while the study provides useful information about peoples' experiences of pubic hair removal and injury (at least in the US), it doesn't tell us which is the safest method. Although waxing was linked to fewer repeated injuries among women, previous studies suggest it can be harmful if done incorrectly, leading to severe injury or infection. Similarly, although frequent removal of all pubic hair is linked to higher ris...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 17, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Source Type: news