| First Personal Care Maternity Budget site goes live in Liverpool this week Related items from OnMedica Making personal health budgets work for all Maternity care to become more ‘personalised’ Midwife agency spending rises 40% in past year Maternity services 'positive experience' for most mothers Health secretary vows to make maternity care safer |
Tuesday, 13 December 2016
GPs to offer personal maternity budgets
Health and social care welcomes post Brexit proposals
| Think tank says all EU nationals living in the UK post Brexit should be allowed to stay Related items from OnMedica What implications could Brexit have for NHS patients? Brexit and cancer research Brexit risk to NHS, debated in Scotland Former NHS chief executive says Brexit poses a threat to NHS Don’t let Brexit scupper UK drug discovery and delivery, MPs told |
GPs call for more collaborative working
| With social care in crisis, GPs want to do more to ease pressure across the system Related items from OnMedica Collaboration key to coping with GP challenges Federations not a miracle answer Innovative use of technology key to improving patient outcomes GPs and physicians innovate to improve care Extra GP-targeted investment would benefit whole NHS |
Hospitals failing to learn from patient deaths
| Ombudsman upholds rising number of complaints into avoidable deaths Related items from OnMedica Standardised mortality ratio should not be used as an indicator of avoidable deaths Deaths and avoidable harm not properly investigated in hospitals 25% rise in complaints about home care Latest Ombudsman report includes 93 NHS complaints NHS increases support for whistleblowers |
Celebrity diets
It's pretty common to hear that a new dieting trend is apparently backed by a favourite celebrity - and as people prepare for their post-Christmas healthy-eating plans, they're even more common. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
The Great British vape off
| Cancer Research UK looks at the US Surgeon General's conclusions on e-cigarettes Related items from OnMedica E-cigarettes beneficial to UK health and help quitting Experts reject BMA stance on vaping GP antibiotic prescribing falling faster than ever No safe level of smoking, study finds A lay perspective on collaborative patient engagement |
Lucy Vincent: Prison meals need nutritional overhaul
Lucy Vincent says meals in prisons are often substandard and need a nutritional overhaul. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Viral virus
British researchers are using social media to track the spread of norovirus. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Customer wins £90k after shampoo and rinse causes stroke
A man from Brighton has received £90,000 in compensation from a hair salon after doctors said his shampoo and rinse gave him a stroke. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Monday, 12 December 2016
Hertfordshire mum spends second Christmas waiting for a new liver
A mother who has waited for a year and a half for a liver transplant said she hopes a donor comes forward this Christmas. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Exclusive: Mexico clinic plans 20 ‘three-parent’ babies in 2017
The first baby made using the technique to prevent inherited disease was born this year, and New Scientist has learned that tests suggest he is healthy via New Scientist - Health Read More Here..
Social care funding shortfall 'urgent' says Lib Dem Norman Lamb
Liberal Democrat Health spokesman, Norman Lamb, urges government action on the crisis in social care funding. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Claim high-fat diets can prevent diabetes 'unproven'
"Diets laden with butter, cream and cheese 'can help combat surge in type 2 diabetes'," the Mail Online reports.
But the study it reports on only followed a small group of men for 12 weeks – not long enough to determine whether the diet would prevent diabetes or other chronic diseases.
The study involved 38 overweight to obese men randomised to one of two strictly controlled diets containing the same amount of calories, which the body "burns" to create energy.
In the first group, the energy mainly came from carbohydrates (53% of total calorie intake), while the energy mainly came from fats (73% of total calorie intake) in the second group.
Men in both groups lost weight and body fat after 12 weeks on the diets. There were only minor differences in certain blood sugar and cholesterol markers – nothing you could draw any conclusions from.
The main problem with this trial is it is so small, and it looked only at short-term effects.
You can't conclude anything from these results about the longer-term effects the diet would have on diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
An important fact not mentioned in the reporting of the study is both of the diets involved eating fewer calories than the men had previously consumed.
This reinforces the fact there is no magic bullet to weight loss – simply eat less and move more.
The study certainly doesn't give the green light to eating as much fat as you like. But healthy unsaturated fats should be included as part of a balanced diet.
Where did the story come from?
The study was carried out by researchers from the University of Bergen in Norway, and was published in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
It was funded by the Western Norway Regional Health Authority, Meltzerfondet, Bergen Medical Research Foundation, and the University of Bergen. Several companies provided products used in the study.
The Mail Online's reporting of the study was poor. In the final paragraph of the study, the researchers warn about trying to extrapolate their short-term results to longer-term effects on metabolic and cardiovascular disease risk. Yet this is precisely what the Mail has done.
It's very difficult to see how the Mail concluded a high-fat diet "can combat [the] surge in type 2 diabetes". The reduction in fasting blood sugar was in fact seen in the low-fat group, not the high-fat one.
And even then there was little difference seen between the groups for other markers – the study categorically did not find one of these diets was better than the other.
What kind of research was this?
This randomised controlled trial (RCT) aimed to investigate the theory that consuming fats or carbohydrates would have different effects on the amount of fat around body organs and on markers of metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome is a collection of signs and symptoms – high blood pressure, high cholesterol, poor blood sugar control and obesity – that put a person at increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
It's thought different dietary components could make some people more likely to develop the syndrome.
A randomised controlled trial is the best way of investigating the effects of an intervention.
But the difficulty with a randomised controlled trial assessing diet is that because of the practicalities of running the trials, they often include small numbers of people assessed on a short-term basis.
This means the results of such studies can't lead to sweeping conclusions on a population level.
What did the researchers do?
The trial recruited 46 overweight to obese men aged 30 to 50 with a body mass index (BMI) over 29 via a newspaper advertisement.
Researchers excluded men with serious illness and those taking regular medication or who had recently been trying to lose weight.
The men were randomised to follow 12 weeks of one of two diets:
- very high-fat, low-carbohydrate (VHFLC) diet with 73% of energy from fat and 10% from carbohydrate
- low-fat, high-carbohydrate (LFHC) diet with 30% of energy from fat and 53% from carbohydrate
The two diets provided identical daily energy intake (8,750 kJ/day), with 17% from protein. Both diets followed a low glycaemic index (GI) pattern, meaning they wouldn't cause a rapid rise in blood glucose levels after eating.
Both groups were told to consume more than 500g of fruit and vegetables a day and eat fish twice a week, and were given standardised supplies of butter, coconut oil and sugar substitutes.
Each group was also given recipe booklets for their specific diet and attended a course prior to the trial to ensure they understood the diet.
Each month the men were asked to keep five-day food records and weigh out their food on a daily basis.
The men were asked to keep their physical activity the same, were questioned about their ability to follow a diet strictly, and told about the importance of accuracy and honesty during the trial.
The researchers analysed blood samples to look at fat levels and blood sugar, examined the men's respiratory function, and used CT scanners to assess body composition.
What did they find?
After various drop-outs, only 38 of the original 46 men were available for analysis – just 18 in the LFHC group and 20 in the VHFLC group.
Body weight dropped by about 11-12kg, or 3.6 BMI points in both groups over the 12-week period.
Total abdominal fat and fat around the organs decreased by roughly 20-30% in both groups. Waist circumference decreased by 11-13cm. There were no significant differences between the groups.
Fasting blood sugar only reduced in the LFHC group, but there were no other between-group differences for other measures of blood sugar control, such as insulin.
Levels of one type of fat (triglycerides) decreased in both groups. Low-density ("bad") cholesterol decreased only in the LFHC group, but high-density ("good") cholesterol increased only in the VHFLC group.
Improvements were noted to occur within the first eight weeks in the VHFLC group, but were more gradual in the LFHC group.
What did the researchers conclude?
The researchers concluded that, "Consuming energy primarily as carbohydrate or fat for three months did not differentially influence [organ] fat and metabolic syndrome in a low-processed, lower-glycaemic dietary context.
"Our data do not support the idea that dietary fat per se promotes [body fat] and cardiometabolic syndrome in humans."
Conclusions
This small trial aimed to see whether there is a difference between strictly controlled low-GI diets that contain the same amount of energy, but are either predominantly fat or carbohydrate based.
Overall, researchers found the diets caused both weight and fat reduction, with little difference between the two – with the exception of minor differences in certain blood sugar and cholesterol markers, the significance of which is difficult to interpret. These could just be down to chance.
The researchers were careful to control the diets and other lifestyle aspects to try to ensure any observed effects were only coming from the diets.
However, the trial had a couple of important limitations. For one, it was very small to start with, even before losing an extra eight to follow-up.
As the researchers acknowledged, the study may not have had sufficient numbers to reliably detect differences in outcomes between the groups.
The groups also included a specific group of overweight to obese men, so the effects in these people may not be comparable with other populations.
Most importantly, short-term measures of weight, blood sugar and body fat at three months tell you nothing about the possible longer-term effects.
This means you can't conclude anything about a person's risk of diabetes or cardiovascular disease in the longer term.
Little can be concluded from this relatively brief, small study. It certainly doesn't change our current understanding about diet and health.
The best way to lose weight or maintain a normal weight and reduce your risk of disease is to follow current healthy eating and exercise guidelines. You should aim to eat balanced amounts of carbohydrate, protein and fat.
Links To The Headlines
Fat is GOOD for you! Diets laden with butter, cream and CHEESE 'can help combat surge in Type 2 diabetes'. Mail Online, December 11 2016
Links To Science
Veum VL, Laupsa-Borge J, Eng Ø, et al. Visceral adiposity and metabolic syndrome after very high–fat and low-fat isocaloric diets: a randomized controlled trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Published online November 30 2016
Can we really predict who will cost society the most money?
A study suggests that family income and mental and physical abilities at the age of 3 can predict who will go on to commit crime and have bad health via New Scientist - Health Read More Here..
The road to hell is paved with corporate wellness
Our "knowledge economy" jobs are disappearing, and now they're coming for our bodies. André Spicer explains how the brave new world of work is giving us a collective nervous breakdown via New Scientist - Health Read More Here..
Strength Training May Prevent Side Effect of Breast Cancer Surgery
Women who worked out twice a week saw less swelling in arms and chest, small study finds
Source: HealthDay via Exercise and Physical Fitness New Links: MedlinePlus RSS Feed Read More Here..
New WHO data portal to help track progress towards universal health coverage
To mark Universal Health Coverage Day, the World Health Organization today launched a new data portal to track progress towards universal health coverage (UHC) around the world. via WHO news Read More Here..
The families living in unsafe rented flats
The BBC's Richard Bilton sees the work of one housing team in Liverpool examining the safety of rented properties. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
New deal for paramedics agreed
| Higher pay band recognises increasing responsibilities Related items from OnMedica Ambulance trust criticised for 111 ‘failings’ GMB to ballot ambulance staff on possible industrial action Ambulance staff waste hundreds of hours per year contesting speeding fines Alcohol plays central role in ambulance assaults Paramedics will not replace GPs, says NHS |
Violence akin to an infectious disease, say public health experts
| Profession has key role in curbing its spread across generations and between communities Related items from OnMedica Violence seriously affecting healthcare around the world, warns Red Cross DH calls on GPs to help end violence against women ‘Grave concern’ over growing violence against doctors Association between mental illness and violence is ‘small’ New powers to tackle violence and aggression in the NHS |
One man's story of becoming a father at 60
Older dad Paul, who had his daughter Isabella when he was 60, tells the BBC's World Have Your Say what it is like to have a child in later life. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Few GPs offer full range of contraceptive services
| Nearly half say they don’t have enough time to talk through the options, survey reveals Related items from OnMedica Obese women on the pill more likely to have rare stroke Tell women IUD more effective for emergency contraception Women using hormonal contraception at higher depression risk Sexual health ‘savings’ are a false economy |
Give frail patients tailored cardiac rehabilitation, urge experts
| This could boost quality of life and cut the need for hospital readmissions Related items from OnMedica Fragmented system is failing older people, say experts Brain activity may predict falls risk in older adults Frail elderly at greatest risk after trauma surgery GPs urged to collaborate more with geriatricians Never too old to benefit from CVD prevention |
Is historic Soviet radiation health data too hot to handle?
A series of secret nuclear disasters has spawned a unique database about the effects of radiation. But health researchers must think hard before using it via New Scientist - Health Read More Here..
Large health and life expectancy gap for people with learning disabilities
| Wide variability in annual health check for this group, largest dataset of its kind shows Related items from OnMedica 'Homes not hospitals’ for people with learning disability Better support for people with learning disability Personalising support for people living with autism Learning disability health checks Tough disability assessments linked to rise in suicides |
AA Gill: Final article describes cancer treatment
Critic AA Gill, who died on Saturday, said he could not get potentially life-extending cancer therapy. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Doctors call for ban on diesel engines in London
A campaign led by medical professionals is calling for all diesel cars to be banned from London. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Lucy Pasha-Robinson was given an induced menopause at 25
Journalist Lucy Pasha-Robinson suffered with endometriosis, a disease where cells like those in the womb appear elsewhere in a woman's body. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Vomiting bug 'at high level this winter'
The number of people falling ill with the vomiting bug norovirus in England this winter is at higher than average levels. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Self-harm hospital admissions of children show 'frightening rise'
Self-harming was a massive release for Sophie but she ended up in hospital, like thousands of other children in England and Wales. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Down cycle?
A recent study linked the contraceptive pill with depression. But poorly interpreted statistics might pose a bigger risk for women. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Sunday, 11 December 2016
Using Magnets on the Brain to Bring Back Memories
New research is challenging the idea that working memory helps us remembers things through sustained brain activity.
Instead, researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have found that our brains tuck less-important information away beyond the reach of the tools that typically monitor brain activity. The researchers then were able to bring that information back into active attention with magnets.
The research could eventually help people suffering from schizophrenia or depression, according to Dr. Brad Postle, a psychology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison:
“A lot of mental illness is associated with the inability to choose what to think about. What we’re taking are first steps toward looking at the mechanisms that give us control over what we think about.”
According to Postle, most people feel they are able to concentrate on a lot more than their working memory can actually hold. It’s a bit like vision, in which it feels like we’re seeing everything in our field of view, but details slip away unless you re-focus on them regularly:
“The notion that you’re aware of everything all the time is a sort of illusion your consciousness creates. That is true for thinking, too. You have the impression that you’re thinking of a lot of things at once, holding them all in your mind. But lots of research shows us you’re probably only actually attending to — are conscious of in any given moment — just a very small number of things.”
For the study, the researchers conducted a series of experiments in which people were asked to remember two items representing different types of information — words, faces, and directions of motion — because they’d be tested on their memories.
When the researchers gave their subjects a cue as to the type of question coming — a face, for example, instead of a word — the electrical activity and blood flow in the brain associated with the word memory disappeared. But if a second cue came letting the person know they would now be asked about that word, the brain activity would jump back up to a level indicating it was the focus of attention.
“People have always thought neurons would have to keep firing to hold something in memory. Most models of the brain assume that. But we’re watching people remember things almost perfectly without showing any of the activity that would come with a neuron firing. The fact that you’re able to bring it back at all in this example proves it’s not gone. It’s just that we can’t see evidence for its active retention in the brain.”
The researchers were also able to bring the seemingly abandoned items back to mind without cueing their subjects. Using a technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to apply a focused electromagnetic field to a precise part of the brain involved in storing the word, they could trigger the sort of brain activity representing focused attention.
Additionally, if they cued their subjects to focus on a face (causing brain activity associated with the word to drop off), a well-timed pulse of transcranial magnetic stimulation would snap the stowed memory back into attention, and prompt the subjects to incorrectly think that they had been cued to focus on the word, the researchers report:
“We think that memory is there, but not active. More than just showing us it’s there, the TMS can actually make that memory temporarily active again.”
The study suggests a state of memory apart from the spotlight attention of active working memory and the deep storage of more significant things in long-term memory, according to Postle:
“What’s still unknown here is how the brain determines what falls away, and what enables you to retrieve things in the short-term if you need them.”
Studying how the brain apportions attention could eventually influence the way we understand and treat some mental health disorders such as schizophrenia, in which patients focus on hallucinations instead of reality, and depression, which seems related to spending an unhealthy amount of time dwelling on negative things, he noted:
“We are making some interesting progress with very basic research. But you can picture a point at which this work could help people control their attention, choose what they think about, and manage or overcome some very serious problems associated with a lack of control.”
This guest article originally appeared on PsychCentral.com: Magnetic Brain Stimulation Can Activate Dormant Memories by Janice Wood.
REFERENCE
Rose, N.S., LaRocque, J.J., Riggall, A.C., Gosseries, O., Starrett, M.J., Meyering, E.E. and Postle, B.R. (2016) ‘Reactivation of latent working memories with transcranial magnetic stimulation’, Science, 354(6316), pp. 1136–1139. doi: 10.1126/science.aah7011.
Image via PeteLinforth / Pixabay.
via Brain Blogger Read More Here..Legally dead?
Jewish people have been traditionally wary of signing up to organ donation - but that might be changing. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Smoke and mirrors
One of the most repressive states in the world is trying to become one of the healthiest. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
'It's life-changing'
Twenty-two-year old photographer James is terminally ill and struggles to use a camera alone, so a designer has come up with a way to help. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
Friday, 9 December 2016
Light therapy could break down Alzheimer’s brain deposits
An hour a day of light therapy has been found to boost gamma brainwaves and break down brain deposits in mice with Alzheimer's-like symptoms via New Scientist - Health Read More Here..
Exclusive: Mexico clinic plans 20 ‘three-parent’ babies in 2017
The first baby made using the technique to prevent inherited disease was born this year, and New Scientist has learned that tests suggest he is healthy via New Scientist - Health Read More Here..
Vaping by US high schoolers has increased by 900 per cent
The US surgeon general has warned that nicotine can contribute to mood disorders and attention deficits in teens, following a sharp increase in those who vape via New Scientist - Health Read More Here..
Super-you: The mutant powers you get from outsider genes
Genes from other species, and cells from your relatives, live inside your body – and they hint at how we can improve ourselves via New Scientist - Health Read More Here..
The alarming drop in US life expectancy shouldn’t be a surprise
Life expectancy is down in the US for the first time since the worst years of the AIDS epidemic. It is a critical moment for health policy, says Laudan Aron via New Scientist - Health Read More Here..
Almost half of baby boomers’ health problems stem from lifestyle choices
| More needs to be done to help them enjoy a healthy old age, says CMO Related items from OnMedica Women over 50 shun smear tests Full screening uptake would prevent 83% of cervical cancer deaths Benefits of taking aspirin highest in women aged 65 plus A fifth of over-65s are drinking too much Drinking by baby boomers costs NHS the most |
Self-harm among children and young people on the rise
| Teenagers aged 13 to 17 most likely to need hospital treatment Related items from OnMedica Self-harm and injury less likely with lithium than other drugs Nearly one in four children denied access to mental health services in England Fifth of all children referred to specialist mental health services rejected for treatment Child mental health funding not reaching CCGs |
Include pharmacists in general practice team, say patients and carers
| Role pays dividends for patients and GPs, survey shows Related items from OnMedica Role of pharmacists is set to grow and grow 400 more pharmacists to work in GP surgeries Pharmacists call for more integrated future with GPs Pharmacists reject government funding package Give pharmacists more prescribing rights to ease GP burden |
Ongoing pressures putting NHS at risk of ‘serious lapses in care’, think-tanks warn
| This is despite improvements in care quality in key areas Related items from OnMedica Care quality set to worsen this year, warn finance directors Fallout from no-new-NHS-money budget builds Make emergency care part of ‘A&E hubs’ to ease pressures, urge experts Emergency care already facing greater ‘winter pressures’ than last year NHS unprepared for winter pressure, say doctors |
UK public health experts move to quash e-cigarette fears in wake of US report
| US and UK not comparable: don’t be put off helping smokers to switch, they advise Related items from OnMedica Smoking hits record low of 17% of adults in England One in nine people across the EU has tried e-cigarettes Young people’s regular use of e-cigarettes still low Experts reject BMA stance on vaping E-cigarettes linked with successful quitting |
Thursday, 8 December 2016
Antibacterial products may help bacteria beat antibiotics
The antibacterial agent triclosan is often present in anything from cleaning products to toys, but tests suggest it can help MRSA survive antibiotics via New Scientist - Health Read More Here..
These Kids Rapping About Vegetables Is the Best Thing You'll See Today
Not everyone gets excited about vegetables, but this video will definitely help and at the very least it has to put a smile on your face. These kids have talent. And they're rapping about growing food and vegetables. Not only that, they're really good—at rapping, dancing, knowing their nutrition facts (around 2:43 they start talking about minerals and vitamins, and nail it) and, from the looks of it, cooking yummy, healthy food.
UN, international health and development agencies to promote environmentally and socially responsible procurement of health commodities
UN, international health and development agencies to promote environmentally and socially responsible procurement of health commodities via WHO news Read More Here..
Two women's different stories of fat shaming
One woman tells the BBC's World Have Your Say how fat shaming helped her to change her lifestyle, while another said abuse made her suicidal. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..
US life expectancy drops for first time in 20 years
| ‘Only good news’ is fall in cancer death rates Related items from OnMedica Men’s life expectancy getting closer to that of women Life expectancy rising alongside illness and disability Life expectancy of over 65s is highest ever Eastern Mediterranean conflict jeopardising decades of health gains More progress needed to prevent stillbirths globally |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)