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Healthwise is a regular column written
especially for laterlife.com members and
visitors by Helen Franks, journalist and author.
Welcome to healthwise 86.
For previous articles in the
healthwise series visit
'more
healthwise'
Helen Franks
Helen has specialised in writing about health and
ageing and is a member of the Guild of Health Writers. She has
written for a variety of newspapers and magazines including the
Guardian, Times, Observer, Woman, Family Circle, Vogue and
Choice.
Helen has also written several books including
Getting Older Slowly Your Guide to Successful Ageing and
Bone Boosters
co-authored with Diana Moran of TV Green Goddess fame.
Don't forget to take a look at Helen's separate
talkback
page too.
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HRT in the headlines
You may have read this already, but in case you missed it, it’s worth
repeating: if you take HRT for more than 5 years, you may be at risk from
ovarian cancer.
An authoritative study from Oxford University says women who take HRT to
alleviate menopausal symptoms are more at risk. About a million women were
followed up between 1996 and 2001.
Results showed one in 2,500 women will get ovarian cancer and one in every
3,300 will die from it.
Keep on taking the gingko biloba
No, it doesn’t aid memory, the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
has found, but it may offer longer life.
People who took ginkgo were 24% less likely to die during a 13-year
study, say researchers.
Dairy-free alternative
An oat-based alternative to cream has been launched – and it tastes really
good! Low in saturated fats, totally cholesterol free, it is suitable for
cooking and baking and pouring on fruit.
Oatly Dairy-Free Alternative to Cream contains 13g of fat per 100g and is
free from lactose, milk protein and soya. If you want recipes, visit
www.oatly.com .
Antipsychotics and sedatives make Alzheimer’s worse
Drugs such as the antipsychotics and sedatives speed up the progress of
Alzheimer’s disease, a new study has found. The worst combination is an
antipsychotic with an antidepressant. When they are taken together, they are
four times more likely to cause the disease to accelerate than doing
nothing.
In the study, 224 Alzheimer’s patients were given various drug
combinations for a year. While drugs designed to treat dementia marginally
slowed the disease’s progress, statins – cholesterol-lowering drugs – had
the most positive impact, to the surprise of the researchers.
The value of folic acid
A folic acid supplement of 800 micrograms can help protect your hearing as
you age, a study Annals of Internal Medicine has found.
Men and women aged between 50 and 70 years who were given a folic acid
supplement of 800 micrograms every day for three years witnessed a far
slower decline in their hearing than those who were given a placebo.
Folic acid can be found in green leafy vegetables, chick peas and lentils,
as well as supplements. Grain products sold in America and Canada have been
fortified with folic acid since 1998.
NHS Stop Smoking Service
The NHS offers an interactive cessation support programme,
Together, which helps smokers to quit by providing advice at key stages of the giving up process.
- 90% of UK population believes secondhand
smoke can cause harm.
However 56% smokers will still smoke in a room with adult
non-smokers
and 24% smokers will still smoke in a room with children.
Research
conducted amongst 1,600 adults aged 16-74 in England by
BMRB's Access
Omnibus survey, Feb 2007.
- Secondhand smoke increases the risk of lung
cancer by 24% and
heart disease by 25%. SCOTH Report 2004
- 23% of adults with asthma in England are
smokers (National
Asthma Panel 2006) based on England adult population of 3.49
million
with asthma
Useful websites
www.panicportal.com : download a
book about panic
www.fightorflighttherapy.com
: all about stress
www.emofree.com : introduction to
Emotional Freedom Techniques
www.thyroiduk.org : lots to know
about thyroid
www.tinnitus.org.uk : lots to know
about tinnitus
www.voicegym.co.uk : using your
voice with confidence
www.outsideclinic.com : free eye
test at home
If in any
doubt about any of the information covered in
healthwise articles and it's relevance for you, consult
your GP.
IN THE PREVIOUS EDITION
Arthritis explained
There are two main
types of arthritis
Recognising a stroke
Doctors say a bystander can recognise a stroke by asking
three simple questions:
Truth about heart disease
Recent studies have uncovered what seems to be the real
culprit behind 50% of cardiovascular, heart and stroke
problems.
Combat colds & Flu campaign
Nearly half of people do not always carry a tissue
outside the home, a new survey has found.
Hope for hay fever sufferers
A vaccine offers hope for hay fever sufferers, in the form of a
pill.
Why it's a bonus to brush your teeth
Good oral hygiene could help prevent strokes and heart
attacks say researchers.
DIY massage
A new book tells how to use massage and combines ancient
healing practices of the east with western massage
techniques.
Useful websites
More useful health
related websites
The
complete family health guide
 Essential medical reference that's a must for every home. Published
in association with the BMA, it includes comprehensive coverage of
every important aspect of health and medicine, as well as
user-friendly charts for at-a-glance information and easy reference.
Also lists the best medical websites...
 Maximise your memory
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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