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This week in health – 23/03/2018

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This Week in Health

In this week’s health round-up, we’ve got a range of news stories to cover, including the likes of diet, depression, care homes and back pain. This week also saw #WorldDownSyndromeDay, which came with a very heart-warming video, which you can take a look at below. So, let’s get started on this week in health!

Diet and weight

First up on the agenda, there was more information around diets and weight that hit the headlines this week. Analysis from Action on Sugar and the Obesity Health Alliance found that a blueberry muffin could have a whole day’s worth of sugar in it. A whole day. Let that sink in.

Picking healthy food options is extremely important for your well-being, and this was further raised by news stories that continued to connect weight with the rise of certain types of cancer, as reported by the BBC. The report found that 4 out of ten cancer cases could be prevented by lifestyle choices. While smoking led the way as the main lifestyle cause for cancer, obesity came in second, followed by UV radiation exposure, occupational exposures and infections. What’s more worrying is that it seems as though obesity could overtake smoking as the main lifestyle cause linked to cancer.

If you’re struggling with weight problems and are looking for further support, you can always reach out to your GP, or connect with like-minded individuals in our dedicated forum for weight issues.

Depression and memory problems

This Week in Health

In other news, a recent study has identified that those who are dealing with depression may also encounter memory problems. It is widely documented that depression can come with a host of additional issues, including the likes of sleep deprivation and increased levels of stress, and this latest research has found that memory interference can be another issue that can arise.

The study highlighted that while the memory problems weren’t amnesia, those that suffered with depression may find themselves struggling with details in their memories. Depression and mental health is a hugely important aspect of your well-being, and if you are struggling with any mental health issues, you can connect with others who may be experiencing similar problems in our mental health forum.

#WorldDownSyndromeDay

Wednesday 21st was #WorldDownSyndromeDay and saw a huge amount of support out on social media. Helping to raise awareness of the genetic disorder, there were thousands of tweets, Facebook posts and more putting the condition at the forefront of many conversations.

There was plenty of support for the #LotsofSocks campaign, helping to raise further awareness. And, in case you missed it, there was a truly heart-warming carpool karaoke video, featuring 50 mothers and their children who are affected by Down’s Syndrome. You can take a look at the whole video below:

Pharmacists funded to work in care homes

In other news, NHS England is looking to fund the recruitment of 240 pharmacists and pharmacy technicians into care homes across the UK. This comes after a localised trial in East and North Hertfordshire saw impressive results.

Currently, care home residents are likely to suffer from one or more long-term illnesses, and it’s not uncommon for some of them to be prescribed ten or more medicines. After the successful trial, it was found that there was an annual saving of £249 per patient. The trial also saw a reduction of 27% in reported emergency hospital admissions and a 30% reduction in ambulance callouts.

The recruitment drive will begin early April, with an aim to have these posts filled for this coming summer.

Back pain sufferers receiving wrong care

This Week in Health

Finally, according to a new study, many people dealing with lower back pain are being let down by the treatments they are offered.

The experts behind the study have claimed that lower back pain is one of the leading causes of disability globally and not enough is being done to challenge this. In many cases, back pain can be managed effectively by maintaining and active lifestyle and, in more serve cases, should be managed with medication-based support.

The study suggest that this cause of action is becoming more frequent and there is a rising awareness of the need to treat back pain effectively. As most adults will deal with back pain at some point in their life, if you are at all concerned about any back issues you may have, it is best to contact your GP and see if they can assist you with any further support.

That’s it for this week’s round up on the world of health. If you want to discuss any of these stories further, please head to our forums and keep the conversation going.

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This week in health – 16/03/2018

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This week in health

It’s been a varied week in health. There’s been some shocking and saddening news stories, including a report about the links between depression and cancer and the passing of Stephen Hawking. However, there’s also been a great deal of awareness in the media around skin conditions and IBS, which are helping to raise the daily struggles that these illnesses and diseases can create. So, read on below for your snapshot into this week’s biggest health stories.

Stephen Hawking

Beginning with one of the biggest news stories from the week, Stephen Hawking sadly passed away on March 14th. The leading expert in theoretical physics as well as cosmology. It was not only due to his contributions to science that many mourned his passing this week. Hawking had a huge impact on the perception of those living with disabilities; Hawking was diagnosed with a rare motor neurone disease from an early age. Despite this, he went on to make a huge impact in the world of science and beyond. The outpouring of love and support for Hawking’s contribution to science and those living with disabilities is evident in this write up.

When talking about disability, Hawking said in an interview with the New York Times: “My advice to other disabled people would be, concentrate on things your disability doesn’t prevent you doing well, and don’t regret the things it interferes with. Don’t be disabled in spirit, as well as physically”.

No Smoking Day

March 14th also marked No Smoking Day in the UK. The day is used to encourage those who smoke to give it up for good. While it is never easy to give up an addictive habit such as smoking there is plenty of documentation and reports about the health risks that smoking can bring about, including lung cancer, heart disease and much more.

This week alone, a new report has found that smokers may run a higher risk of losing their hearing. If you are trying to quit smoking, there is plenty a support available to you. Why not check out some of our articles around the subject of smoking?

Depression and cancer

This week in health

In one of the largest UK studies to date around the link between cancer and depression, reports found the worrying statistic that cancer patients are five times more likely to take their own life when compared to the general public.

The findings detailed that those with urological cancers are at the highest risk of, including the likes of prostate cancer and bladder cancer. Finding out you have cancer can obviously be a highly distressing time, and the report suggested that around 25% of cancer patients may be dealing with serious depression. If you have any concerns about urology cancer, then we have our Online Clinic for bladder issues running in June, where we will have experts on hand to answer your questions. You can find more details here.

It’s extremely important to ensure that if you are worried about your own mental well-being, or someone’s around you, that you have information on the relevant support groups available. It is never easy o talk about depression, especially if you are dealing with cancer, but taking that first step is the most important. If you want to talk further about mental health problems or want to discover others that may have gone through similar situations, then head to our forum specifically for mental health.

Managing IBS

IBS can be difficult to manage and control on a day-to-day basis. It can cause serious distressed and discomfort for anyone affected by it. IBS itself can be extremely awkward to treat, as each individual patient will have unique triggers.

However, there are some key things you can do to help try and control IBS. This week, The Guardian put out an article on ways to manage irritable bowel syndrome. If you are suffering with IBS and looking for support, or if you have any tips or tricks that help you manage your IBS, then head to our forums today and join up with our community of those affected by the disorder.

Talking about skin conditions

There’s been a lot of coverage of skin conditions this week from the media. Skin conditions, regardless of type and severity, can have a huge impact on an individual, both physically and mentally.

BBC Radio 5 Live ran a talk shop on it, and the talkhealth team joined in the conversation alongside experts and those living with skin conditions. You can hear the full radio discussion here.

In addition to this, there have been some very powerful videos put out around skin conditions. Rosacea sufferer, Lex, talked at length about the impact rosacea can have on an individual. Alongside this, Tracy opened up about the struggles of living with adult acne, and how she copes and works through the problems the condition can cause.

If you are struggling with rosacea or acne, then why not check out our Patient Support Programmes for both which can provide you with additional support tools to help you with day-to-day management of either condition.

Eye for Pharma Awards

This week in health
Photo credit: Eye for Pharma

Finally, Eye for Pharma ran its annually awards ceremony, celebrating those that are making a difference in the world of pharmaceuticals and patient care. As always, the awards were hotly contested, with some big names battling it out for the awards.

We’d like to extend special congratulations to Trishna Bharadia, who won the Patient Advocate Award. The award celebrates those working on innovative projects designed to deliver patient improvements in both the long and short term. Trishna was awarded for having successfully brought MS, chronic illness and invisible disability into the public spotlight, raising awareness and improving education and services for patients, as well as helping pharma and healthcare-related companies to better engage with patients in all stages of product development. You can have a look at the full list of award winners here.

And that’s the round-up for this week’s health care news. If you want to discuss any of these stories further, head to our forums and keep the discussion going.

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Inspirational women in health

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Women in health

It’s international women’s day, and to celebrate we’ve put together a list of some of the most influential women in medicine. Ranging from the 19th century right up to the modern day, we’ve included just some of the woman who have changed the face of medicine for good.

Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (1836 – 1917)

To kick things off, we’ve started at the beginning, the first woman to qualify as a practicing physician and surgeon nurse in the UK. Born in 1836, Anderson gained her license in 1865. This eventually led her into co-founding the first hospital staffed by women.

Anderson has been credited with a number of firsts, including the first Doctor of Medicine in France and the first female mayor and magistrate in Britain. Anderson was also heavily involved in the women’s suffrage movement, however it’s her impact on the world of health that many remember her for.

Marie Curie (1867 – 1934)

One of the most famous women in the world of science. Curie was the first female to win a Nobel prize and the first person and only women to win two. Her biggest achievement, however, remains the development of the theory of radioactivity.

She is also credited with the discovery of two elements – polonium and radium. This lead of course to radiation therapy to help combat cancer, and Curie’s impact on the world of health, as well as many other areas of science and society cannot be understated.

Gertrude Belle Elion (1918 – 1999)

Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1988, Elion worked heavily on developing new drugs to help fight a range of deadly diseases and illnesses. Many consider Purinethol, the first drug used to fight leukaemia, as her greatest contribution to the field of health.

Alongside this, Elion worked tirelessly to develop drugs to combat the likes of organ transplant complications, gout, malaria and herpes. In 1991, Elion became the first woman to be elected into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Rosalyn Sussman Yalow (1921 – 2011)

Yalow was a pioneer in the field of radioimmunoassay (RIA) and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine in 1977 for this work. Originally developed to study insulin levels in diabetes patients, RIA has since been applied to a huge number of medical issues.

Since its inception, the procedure has been applied to other substance tracking in the body, such as hormones, vitamins and enzymes. The technique has made it possible to scan blood donations for various infectious diseases including HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. The current state and procedure for successful blood transfusions owes a huge amount to Yalow.

Kathryn Wood ( – present)

Wood is widely received as one of the leading scientists in the field of stem cell research today. Working as a Professor of Immunology, Transplantation and Stem Cell Research at the Oxford University, Wood is committed to unlocking the power of stem cell research and advancing the medical applications of it.

Her main research today is focused on using stem cells to replace immune system suppressing drugs for transplant patients. As many transplant patients have to take these drugs, commonly for the rest of their life, Wood is interested in finding ways to utilise stem cells as an alternative and increase the quality of life to these sufferers.

Wood is actively supportive of women interested in entering and staying in the field of science and health, and is a fantastic example of what can be achieved with hard work and determination.

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This week in health – 09/03/2018

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This week in health

Bringing together some of the biggest news stories in the world of health, this week’s talkhealth news roundup will focus on some wide-ranging topics. Obesity has been one of the biggest health topics of the week, with many papers and news sources running stories around concerns of the current portion servings and calorie intake in the UK. Alongside obesity, this week’s update also includes news on international women’s day, prostate cancer and acne. Read on below for your full breakdown of the biggest news stories this week.

The UK going on a diet?

Dominating much of the health conversation this week, there were plenty of reports making the rounds about Britain’s need to go on a diet. The report stated that many adults and children routinely consumed too many calories. Off the back of this report, Public Health England have set the target of reducing calorie consumption by 20% by 2024.

In fact, the report showed that 20% of children aged between 10-11 were overweight. Much of the blame was placed on the rise in portion sizes, and this is what the report targeted as an area for improvement. You can check out a visual representation of how portion sizes have risen here.

This comes hot off the trail of Cancer Research UK’s latest ad campaign, which highlighted that being obese or overweight is linked to 13 different types of cancer.

Should you have any diet tips, questions about weight, or any concerns on obesity, you can join in the discussion here at talkhealth.

Prostate Cancer

One of the most publicised health topics this week was prostate cancer. Anyone who watched The Great Celebrity Bake Off will have seen the touching video of Bill Turnbull addressing his own combat with prostate cancer. He signs the video off urging men to ensure they get their prostates checked. Alongside this, Famous TV figure, Stephen Fry announced his battle with cancer a few weeks back.

This wasn’t the only prostate cancer news to hit the headlines this week though. A new study found that routine blood tests for prostate cancer may not be saving lives as it was previously thought. The results of this recent study found that this test may miss some fast-growing cancers. However, there is new research underway to discover new ways to identify prostate cancer, including MRI scans.

You can head to the men’s health section of the talkhealth forums to find out more about prostate cancer.

Acne

Acne and other skin conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis can have huge physical and emotional impacts of individuals. So, the latest news that sulphur may be the key to clearing acne up for good should be cause for celebration.

The study states the sulphur was once a popular ingredient in skin care regimes but fell out of popularity due to it’s stench. However, the latest research seems to indicate that sulphur may be the key to unlocking breakthroughs in acne care. It also seems that many skincare brands are picking up on this, with sulphur becoming a key component in a lot of product formulas.

If you have any other regimes or solutions to acne or want to learn about some of our community’s suggestions, you can head to our dedicated acne forum here.

International Women’s Day

It was international women’s day yesterday, and to celebrate, we put together a list of some of the most influential women in health, which you can check out here.

Social media was awash with fantastic news pieces, information and shout outs to some of the most inspiring women working in health today and you only had to open Twitter to see this huge outpouring of praise and gratitude for women across the globe. Be sure to check out #InternationalWomensDay to see some of the best tweets out there.

In conjunction with this, our online clinic for gynaecology is still open, when you can ask any questions or concerns you have around the subject and have them answered by leading experts in the field.

Award winners

Finally, four dementia scientists have won the brain prize award for their ground-breaking work on Alzheimer’s disease.

The scientists, including UK-based John Hardy, Bart De Strooper and Michel Goedert, were awarded the prize due to their research and work into unpicking key protein changes that can lead to the disease.

Much of the drug discovery work being done today into the disease owes a debt of gratitude to their pioneering research. It is hoped that with all the cutting-edge research underway that new treatments can be found for dementia which currently has no cure and affects over 50 million people around the world.

That’s it for this week’s roundup of the news in the world of health. Be sure to keep an eye on our blog for weekly health updates, as well as posts from experts and our wide range of bloggers.

The post This week in health – 09/03/2018 appeared first on talkhealth Blog.

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How to take control of your own health

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Now that it’s January everybody wants to get back to the gym and start a new diet or exercise health kick of some description whether that’s a detox protocol or simply couch to 5k. For the average person in the UK, anything is better than noting and ideally choosing something you can stick too and get consistent reliable results is optimal.

What I want to discuss with you are the many ways we can track our overall health and progress due to easy access to technology and low priced private tests so that we can take responsibility for our own health not waiting to be reminded by an ongoing symptom.

I have listed below 6 methods of tracking factors relating to our health starting with getting a blood test.

  • Annual blood test

I believe this is something everybody should do at least once a year if you consider your health a priority. What most people do is wait for symptoms to start cropping up before they go to their doctor to investigate further but you can potentially avoid unwanted changes such as nutrient deficiencies like vitamin D is a common one or an increased in cholesterol being another especially as heart disease is still the biggest killer in the UK. You can make positive steps once you’ve identified anything underlying hopefully before it becomes a serious issue needing medication or further invasive treatment by modifying your diet, exercise, and lifestyle.

What I do personally with my clients is use a company called Medichecks who provide a test called sports-hormone check ultravit that gives a comprehensive overview of that client’s health at the time.

The test includes

  • Red blood cell markers
  • White blood cell markers
  • Blood clotting status
  • Kidney markers
  • Liver markers
  • Proteins
  • Markers used to determine diabetes
  • Iron status
  • Cholesterol status
  • Inflammatory markers in the form of CRP-hs
  • Hormonal markers such as thyroid, testosterone, estrogen, and cortisol
  • Vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, Folate, B12 and vitamin D

Link to private blood test

https://www.medichecks.com/hormone-tests/sports-hormone-check-ultravit

As you can see there is a lot of information that can be gathered from doing such a test and catching markers out of range early can give a great deal of benefit and potentially prevent imbalances and future illness.

With my clients, I like to test and make any adjustments to their protocol that we deem needed such as exercise intensity/ frequency, sleep, nutritional intake quantities and quality ensuring they have a nutrient dense diet providing them with enough calories to match their energy needs. I always run the protocol by the client’s doctor before implementing the plan, as the client doctor should always remain their primary care provider. Then we run the protocol for 3-6 months and re-test to see how our plan has changed the relevant markers on the test and make adjustments as necessary depending on what we’re working on.

If you get a blood test result come back and it’s all clear then great, feel free to move on and follow your protocol of choice. It’s worth using this test as a baseline and testing in a year’s time to see what effects the chosen protocol has had on you and if anything has changed.

Some areas of a protocol that may impact blood work markers are diet, exercise, sleep, supplementation, and stress. By improving some of these foundational factors which impact health you may see a change in your health with relative ease.

  • Blood pressure

You can buy a blood pressure monitor for as little as £20 or get it checked at your local gym or when you see your doctor next. Having elevated blood pressure can be an early warning sign that you’re not treating your body well and it’s under stress and checking it regularly especially if hypertension runs within the family is a great idea in taking active steps around your healthcare.

Common causes for elevated blood pressure

  • Overweight
  • Family history
  • Lack of exercise
  • Regular drinker/smoker
  • Long-term sleep deprivation

Try adjusting your nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle before you find yourself needing medication to bring your blood pressure down with your doctor’s knowledge. Hypertension is a serious problem and will increase your risk of coronary heart disease.

  • Step count

Devices for tracking our steps have increased in popularity recently and I see this as a great tool to track our non-exercise activity with relative accuracy and consistency. I implement this method with many clients outside of their normal activity i.e. gym sessions to ensure they are keeping active and not letting activity drop subconsciously which can happen when implementing a calorie deficit for weight loss. The body wants to lower it’s output to reserve energy as being in a calorie deficit is taxing on the body so it’s natural reaction is to move less and slow things down. You may not even notice you become more inclined to take the lift instead of the stairs or stay home watching TV instead of going out but these small changes that occur add up.

Having a daily step target ensures that even when in a calorie deficit we have a way in which we can monitor your non-exercise activity and keep on top of our expenditure. Increasing the chances of reaching the desired outcome.

  • Calorie tracking

There are many apps available which you can track your caloric intake all of which essentially do the same job. It is clear in research that if we’re left to eat intuitively then we chronically over consume food, which is the reason that in 2014 62% of the population in the UK was classed as overweight. The is multiple reasons why people overeat from emotional eating, lack of education around food to simply never tracking intake of food and understanding how much they’re actually eating and what foods are highly calorific and low in calories.

It’s clear that to lower body weight we need to eat fewer calories than we need creating a calorie deficit and having a good amount of protein in our diet from either animal or plant-based sources support the process. With such a large percentage of the population classed as overweight, it’s clear that a simple way of improving overall health would be to lose a few extra kilos which can simply be done by monitoring nutritional intake.

  • Weighing Scales

Now that you’ve had a blood test, checked blood pressure, began exercising and tracking your activity outside the gym, and also started to monitor your nutritional intake you can now begin to see what effect it’s having on your overall weight.

Simply using a set of scales will give you an idea whether or not your energy balance goals are being met, as you will begin losing weight if your expenditure exceeds your intake.

The more weight you have to lose there the quicker you will see weight loss occur. If your body fat percentage is in the region of 30% plus then you can often see 2.5 lbs / 1.1kg a week loss in body weight, but if you have less body fat to lose then generally it will happen at a slower rate. Most people should aim for around 1-1.5 lbs / 0.4-0.7kg a week weight loss as an average. Aiming for quicker rates of weight loss isn’t recommended as it can lead to excessive muscle mass loss and needs an excessive calorie deficit to achieve. Having such a calorie deficit simply leads to increased hunger, lack of flexibility with food and poor compliance in the long term.

  • Body fat testing (Skinfold)

Measuring body fat via skin fold is a way of telling us where our body composition is, similar to the BMI scale but skin fold is more accurate as it gives you a percentage of body fat taking into consideration muscle mass which the body mass index does not. For trained individuals, this may be a much better way of testing the level of body fat you’re currently carrying around, but for the untrained population, the BMI scale can still work relatively well as a guide.

For more information follow me on Facebook

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Weight Loss for Health

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Since the start of January, the media has been full of weight loss plans and exercise regimes. My gym, which was quiet over Christmas, was full to the brim on Monday and I struggled to park the car at 6.30am so knew I’d struggle to find a treadmill!

So are you contemplating a weight loss or new exercise plan for 2018, and if so what is your motivation?

My motivation is simple. I’m in my 50s and well aware that things can start to go wrong from now on – heart disease, stroke, diabetes are all there lurking in the background. In the Spring of last year, my brother-in-law was diagnosed with bladder cancer. It was a shock and whilst he doesn’t fit the standard profile of a bladder cancer patient as he’s healthy and fit in every way, cancer touched him. It made me question my health and well-being and I decided I wasn’t doing myself any favours by being both overweight and not doing any regular exercise. In fact, when I look back I’d become not only unhealthy but quite miserable too. Clothes didn’t fit me properly, I felt lethargic, I was drinking too much and felt generally low.

Two photos taken in Gran Canaria – the one on the left in November 2016 & the one on the right November 2017

So I decided to do something about it. I didn’t make a big deal about it as I was concerned that if I shouted from the rooftops about what I was doing I might just fail and that would be embarrassing. I met with a personal trainer at my gym and told him I wanted to lose at least 2 stone, and I wanted to get back to my running, something I’d put on hold due to constant injury and excruciating pain in my knees. He told me that this was all possible, but that I needed to make a minimum commitment of 3 months, follow his advice and guidance, which meant recording EVERYTHING I ate and drank, and do some exercise at least 3 times a week. Oh yes, and the important weigh-in every Monday morning at 7am on his scales! Knowing it wasn’t going to be easy but wanting to make changes, I committed to the plan and my journey started on 18 July 2017.

I have completed my food and drink intake every day from the beginning in my app (even on days when I’ve eaten way too much and eaten the wrong things as there’s no point in kidding yourself you’ve not had a bad day). To be honest it’s now part of what I do everyday and isn’t onerous at all. I’m used to it. In fact I quite enjoy doing it. It also allows me to plan my day, particularly if I know, for example, I’m going out for a meal.

I’ve also exercised regularly – perhaps a little too much at times. But I’ve discovered a Core class at my gym which I love, and a Glute class which has helped my running no end! I go to gym classes 3 mornings a week and run 3 days a week. I’m running faster than ever before and I have loads of energy, despite having been on a calorie deficit for 171 days! And I truly believe it’s because I’m eating the right foods. A high protein diet rich in fresh vet, low carbs and some fat. I’ve pretty much cut out refined sugar and whilst I had been drinking a little, I’m now not drinking at all. Oh and I drink lots of water too (with the occasional latte which is always noted in my app).

The one thing I’ve struggled with is sleep! So, ‘New Year New Me’ is attempting to get into bed at 9pm, read and then lights out no later than 9.45pm so I’m able to get up at 5.30am more easily. Better sleep is also know to help stress levels – see below!

I also recently did a blood test to assess the effect of what’s going on inside my body since I’ve taken control of my food and exercise. The results came back yesterday and I am delighted that my body is in pretty good shape on the inside – controlled cholesterol, low risk of heart disease and no sign of diabetes. I have a bit of work to do on my cortisol (stress) but overall healthy for my age.

I’ve lost 2 stone and 2lbs in total and would like to lose another 6-7lbs. I can honestly say I’ve never felt better and only wish I’d taken control sooner.

We all owe it to ourselves to stay as fit and healthy as we can not only for ourselves, but for our nearest and dearest. There are so many health issues associated with being overweight that are mostly preventable from heart disease, to diabetes and high cholesterol to some cancers.

So if you’re thinking you’d like to lose weight and improve your health, remember it’s only you that’s stopping that from happening. Good luck in whatever way you decide to improve your health.

If you’ve lost weight, for whatever reason, tell us about it below. The more positive stories we share the better.

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