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Round-Up of Global News In Health and Complementary MedicineNews Beginning Wk 18 Sept 2000
Stress Increases Asthma AttacksThe incidence of new cases of asthma amongst children in the Western world has been well documented but only now has research started to examine the reason for increased attacks reported by existing sufferers. Now new research from Finland has shown the big link between stress and asthma attacks in the child populations. The research carried out by a health team at the University of Helsinki was published in the medical journal, The Lancet, this week. Finnish researchers compiled their results from a group of over 90 asthmatic children aged from six to thirteen. The children were monitored for a period of eighteen months and the findings carefully analysed to show up any links between asthma attacks and lifestyle. Stressful events proved to play a highly important role. It was found that children who experienced long-term psychological and/or emotional stresses - for instance, the loss of a loved one through either divorce or death - had a much higher risk of having an asthma attack within weeks after the event. However, and even more concerning, factors such as poor parenting, bad housing and problems at school were shown to trigger attacks much more suddenly. This latest report highlights the need for carers of children to understand the importance of emotional well being amongst asthma sufferers. The Daily Telegraph 15 September 2000
Allergies On Accelerated RiseThe incidence of allergies continues to rise according to the latest figures. At present, an astonishing one in three people in Britain suffer from an allergy, according to recent research published this week. The new record levels show a rise from 15 - 20 percent of the population thirty years ago, to over 33 per cent today, and furthermore a similar increase in the range of allergens responsible. Leading UK allergy organisation, the British Allergy Foundation lists amongst the most common allergens pollen, house dust mite, insect bites, cats, dogs and foods including peanuts, milk and eggs. However an increasing number of people are reacting badly to less common items such as exotic fruits and pot plants. For instance, 1% of the population are thought to develop allergy to latex, causing problems when workers are required to wear rubber gloves. Causes of this rise in levels of reported allergies? Amongst the most common are both over-crowding and the high concentrations of sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxide released from exhaust fumes. Amongst children highly important factors are pollution, smoking and humidity. According to Dr Amolak Bansal, Consultant Immunologist, the increase is most likely due to a badly regulated immune system caused by a lack of bacterial exposure during a child's early years and at a time when the immune system is developing. The Independent 19 Sept 2000
Pregnancy & DietA healthy diet is important for all of us - but even more so when you are a woman and pregnant. New groundbreaking research suggests clearly that a woman's diet during those first few days of her pregnancy can deeply affect the future health of her baby. A scientific team at the University of Southampton carried out their research using lab rats. They fed their rats a very low protein diet for the first few days after they became pregnant. Their findings showed that all the male offspring had significantly abnormal growth patterns, plus enlarged kidneys, high blood pressure, and a shrunken liver. In contrast, although the female offspring were born small they nevertheless rapidly grew to a normal weight. Leader of the Southampton research team, Dr Arthur Wild, believes that the findings in rats could quite easily be applied to humans. Chief dietician at St George's Hospital in Tooting, London, Catherine Collins is not surprised by the results. She comments: "You need protein from moderate amounts of meat, fish or pulses at two meals a day." So if you want big healthy boys and girls feed up on those protein foods during pregnancy. The Daily Telegraph 21 Sept 2000
Health Means The Mediterranean WayWe have probably all seen the advertisements on TV extolling the virtues of the Mediterranean diet. But how true are these claims? Well this week strong evidence for the Mediterranean way of eating has come from three independent studies. All have shown the health-giving benefits of the Mediterranean diet in comparison to our high-fat, high-sugar foods. And food is not the only difference. The types of alcohol drinks are important as well we are told. Indeed, we learn that wine is far more effective than beer or spirits in countering the onset of heart disease - and we all know that wine is the favourite tipple amongst people on the Med. These links between alcohol and heart disease were revealed in a study conducted at the Institute of Preventative Medicine in Copenhagen. Studying the drinking habits of 24,000 of their fellow country men and women the research team showed that even heavy drinkers are at less risk to heart disease if wine is their preferred indulgence. Going back to food a further study revealed amongst other dietary factors the fact that olive oil could be important in preventing bowel cancer. The team of medical researchers at Oxford University has also shown that in excess of three-quarters of the difference in rates of bowel cancer is linked to overall dietary factors. The Daily Mail 19 Sept 2000
Sleep Loss HarmsLatest research has shown what far too many of us already experience every day, that people who manage to get less than eight hours sleep each night are endangering their health. In fact, sleep loss is impairing their day-to-day functioning to a greater extent than if they were over the drink-driving limit. The study was carried out at the University of New South Wales, Australia, under the leadership of Dr Andrew Williamson, a psychologist. He says, "These results suggest that after this duration of wakefulness, fatigue reaches a level that can compromise safe performance". The Australian researcher team discovered that in people who are regularly sleep deprived their reaction times were as much as fifty times slower than those people who were asked to consume increasing doses of alcohol. Work and household expectations and responsibilities tend to drive people to the limit in the UK. The upshot is that an ever increasing number of us are awake and active for up 17 to 19 hours per day - such consistent sleep loss can have dire and harmful implications for our health and well-being. The Times 19 Sept 2000
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