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Healthwise February 2009
Healthwise is a regular column written especially for laterlife.com members and visitors. Welcome to healthwise 107. For previous articles in the healthwise series visit 'more healthwise'
NEWS AND VIEWS
A pill developed by British doctors may be able to prevent 100,000 premature deaths from heart conditions every year. This is the claim of the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine in London which has developed the pill. The pill comprises cholesterol-reducing statin, three types of medicine to lower blood pressure and a folic acid to reduce levels of an amino acid implicated in heart attacks and strokes. Clinical trials have already established that these individual ingredients prevent heart attacks and stokes, and it is hoped that the combination pill will become licensed within two years. The aim is for everyone over 55 to take the pill daily at a cost of around £7 a week and the hope is that it will prevent 80 per cent of heart attacks and strokes among those who use it.
ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE TO EASE BACK PAIN
A scientific trial of an alternative therapy to ease back pain has shown it to be very effective. The Alexander technique teaches people to move and hold their bodies correctly by using often forgotten muscles to rebalance and adopt a better posture. This includes sitting properly and even using the phone correctly by keeping your head upright as you talk. The University of Southampton and the University of Bristol joined together to recruit nearly 600 patients with chronic or recurrent back pain. The trial included a series of 24 lessons in the Alexander technique taught by registered teachers and the results demonstrated that the technique was effective. In addition, the group who used the Alexander technique also reported an improved quality of life.
Canadian studies show that drinking fruit juices can prevent vital medicines from working properly. A team at the University of Western Ontario found that grapefruit, orange and apple juice can block the absorption of certain cancer, heart and blood pressure drugs meaning patients are not getting the full benefit of their treatment. The studies identified nearly 50 drugs that interact with grapefruit and other juices. More research is being undertaken. The main advice at the moment is to ensure you take any drugs with water rather than fruit juice.
American researchers have announced that jogging through your 50s and into old age appears to reduce the chances of disability and death. I think we all knew in our hearts that keeping fit was important, but the researchers studied members of an over-50s running club who went jogging regularly. They found the runners were two and a half times less likely to die in the two year study period than the non-runners of the same age. The runners were less likely to die from coronary heart disease, stroke, cancers and neurological problems.
IN THE PREVIOUS EDITIONA new mouthwash has been formulated that kills the bacteria that causes plaque.
Top Ten Tips for Keeping Healthy Age Concern has issued some tips for people who want to “add years to life and life to years”. Sales of chocolate with up to 70% cocoa content have been rising as more information comes to light on the health benefits of certain ingredients in chocolate. Rapid Treatment Saves Stroke Victims New guidelines from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence could help to save thousands of stroke victims from death or serious disability. The complete family health guide
This work provides detailed instructions, illustrations and sample exercises that show the reader how to build a system of personalized frameworks for storing and recalling information on demand. |
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