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Women considering breast cancer insurance should make sure their
concerns about any lumps are addressed promptly.

A new survey has revealed that just a third of GPs would deem a woman
under the age of 30 with a lump in her breast as cause for concern.

Carried out by nfpSynergy on behalf of the Breakthrough Breast Cancer
charity, the poll’s results go against guidelines from the National
Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) indicating that
women in this scenario should be referred to a specialist urgently.

Furthermore, the survey revealed that many GPs do not proactively
discuss breast awareness and screening with women over the age of 50.

Breakthrough Breast Cancer chief executive Jeremy Hughes pointed out the "real need" for breast cancer education, particularly as UK breast
cancer survival rates are among the lowest in Europe.

"We know some women referred routinely to a specialist go on to be
diagnosed with breast cancer and for any woman, waiting to hear whether
or not they have breast cancer is an extremely stressful and worrying
time," he remarked.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with more than 44,000 women and 300 men diagnosed each year.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people with
breast cancer

Those who are looking at details of stroke insurance could help themselves by eating five portions of fruit and veg a day, say the Stroke Association.

It is estimated that eating this amount could reduce the risk of having a stroke by 26 per cent.

A spokesperson for the Stroke Association, said that being overweight can increase the risk of having a stroke.

"Carrying extra weight around your waist is particularly important, because that might increase the risk of stroke, heart disease and some cancers by up to three times," she said.

She added that even eating just one serving a day can reduce risk by six per cent.

"Three servings of wholegrain food – things like whole wheat bread, cereal, and pasta – can almost halve your risk of stroke," she concluded.

According to the Stroke Association, an estimated 150,000 people have a stroke in the UK each year.

A stroke is the third most common cause of death in England and Wales, after heart disease and cancer and accounts for over 67,000 deaths each year in the UK.

Researchers in the US believe they have made significant discoveries in identifying why people become addicted to alcohol.

Scientists from the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Centre undertook a study comparing brain activity of non-addicts and sober alcoholics when making financial decisions.

The results showed that the latter group displayed significantly more "impulsive" neural behaviour.

Findings from the trials revealed that a specific gene mutation boosted brain activity in these regions when impulsive choices were made by people.

As a result, scientists claim that raising dopamine levels may be an effective treatment for addiction.

Lead researcher Dr Charlotte Boettiger said: "Our data suggest there may be a cognitive difference in people with addictions."

"Their brains may not fully process the long-term consequences of their choices. They may compute information less efficiently," she added.

The latest government figures show that an estimated 30 per cent of men and 15 per cent of women drink more than the recommended safe levels.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people with medical conditions.

Gold particles embedded with dyes can be used to detect cancerous tumours under the skin, according to new research.

Cancer could be detected earlier and less evasively claim the scientists from the Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology where the research was carried out.

The scientists found that when they injected mice with gold particles, which are studded with antibody fragments called ScFv peptides which bind cancer cells together, they latch onto tumours.

When illuminated with a torch the tumour bound particles send a signal back which is specific to the dye.

Dong Moon Shin, MD, associate director of Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute and professor of hematology, oncology and otolaryngology, said: "I expect that with these probes, it will be possible to detect cancer much earlier, at the microscopic level."

The lab plans to modify the coatings of the nanoparticles to improve tumor targeting. The researchers say that the gold particles could also be used to selectively deliver drugs to cancer cells.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people with medical conditions.

US scientists believe they have discovered a link between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.

According to researchers based at Northwestern University, when the human brain prevents insulin from acting properly, the consequent chemical imbalance could help trigger the brain disorder.

Convinced of the link’s strength, they have even dubbed Alzheimer’s "type-three diabetes".

"There have been studies which suggest there is a link between Alzheimer’s and diabetes," admitted Libby Dowling, a Diabetes UK care advisor.

She added that more research is necessary before any definitive conclusions can be drawn.

Hinting that type-two diabetes treatments may be used to treat Alzheimer’s, the US research team explained that a protein present in the brain of people with dementia binds to the tips of nerve endings.

This makes them resistant to insulin, which is crucial to the brain’s ability to learn and store and recall memories.

A separate study of dementia this week concluded that walking regularly and taking other forms of moderate exercise could reduce the risk of vascular dementia by more than a quarter.

Vascular dementia is the second most common form of the condition after Alzheimer’s disease.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people with medical conditions

High-risk insurance customers such as soldiers are unlikely to get cover from many life insurance companies, it has been claimed.

According to one UK financial services company, soldiers may only be able to get a standard-rate policy if they are not under order to go to an area of conflict.

"Once a soldier had been given notification that he was to go to Afghanistan or Iraq, nobody will insure them - they won’t be able to get cover from any life insurance companies," remarked William McCartney from Armed Forces specialists Apple Insurance Brokers.

He recommended that any soldier exploring his or her cover options purchase cover "sooner rather than later".

Figures from the Defence Analytical Services Agency indicate that in July this year there were 183,530 members of the UK Armed Forces at all ranks.

In 2006, a total of 190 deaths occurred among the Forces, half of which were the result of accidents.

Mr McCartney pointed out that although many life insurance policies state that an individual would not be covered under acts of war, the majority of providers would pay out regardless to avoid negative publicity.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people with medical conditions and high-risk jobs

Women may be at a disadvantage when it comes to life insurance and other cover if they suffer with premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

Scientists in Japan have found that many females who experience the condition have permanently depressed nervous systems.

They noted that although PMS affects most women to some extent, science has not yet offered a biological explanation for it.

In the latest issue of the BioPsychoSocial Medicine journal, the team of researchers link the condition to decreased nerve activity each month – with those who suffer extreme symptoms facing the affliction permanently.

"Our findings indicate that the occurrence of premenstrual symptomatology could be attributable to an altered functioning of the autonomic nervous system in the symptomatic late luteal phase [the phase that precedes menstruation]," confirmed lead researcher Tamaki Matsumoto.

He explained that PMS consists of non-specific physical, emotional, behavioural and cognitive symptoms in the days prior to menstruation, including irritability, anxiety, abdominal bloating and breast swelling.

Females investigated by his team who experienced the most marked symptoms – known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) - had lower rates of nerve activity than the other groups during the entire menstrual cycle.

Increased instances of depression have also been recorded during scientific studies of premenstrual women.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people with medical conditions

Walking regularly and taking other forms of moderate exercise could improve older people’s chances of affordable life insurance, it has emerged.

A new study of Italian individuals aged 65 and older - without memory problems - revealed that those who exerted the most energy while walking reduced their risk of vascular dementia by more than a quarter.

While vascular dementia is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease, the researchers did not conclude that exercise reduces the risk of the latter.

"Our findings show moderate physical activity lowered the risk of vascular dementia in the elderly, independent of several socio-demographic, genetic and medical factors," confirmed study author Dr Giovanni Ravaglia.

He pointed out that by the end of his team’s investigation into 749 people, 54 participants had developed Alzheimer’s disease and 27 developed vascular dementia.

Scientists speculated that physical activity improves cerebral blood flow and lowers the risk of cerebro-vascular disease, a risk factor for vascular dementia.

Representatives of the Alzheimer’s Society have emphasised that "a healthy heart leads to a healthy brain", with the latest study adding to evidence that keeping fit can help reduce the risk of dementia.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people with medical conditions

US cancer sufferers who do not have adequate health insurance are less likely to get the recommended screening tests, it has been claimed.

A new report from the American Cancer Society found "substantial evidence" that a lack of adequate insurance coverage is associated with less access to care and poorer outcomes for patients.

Uninsured individuals were also revealed to be more likely to be diagnosed with later-stage disease and have lower survival rates than those with insurance.

Consulting data from the National Cancer Database (NCDB), the organisation concluded that insurance and cost-related barriers to care are "critical" issues to address if the population is to gain equal access to high-quality cancer prevention, early detection and treatment services.

"As our nations investments in cancer research provide greater understanding of how to prevent cancer, detect it early and treat it effectively, access to healthcare becomes even more important to the American Cancer Society’s goal of eliminating cancer as a major public health problem," remarked Dr Otis Brawley, chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society.

Recent research by the Fair Investment Company revealed that enquiries for private medical insurance more than doubled in September compared with the previous month.


The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with cancer

Overweight individuals’ chances of finding affordable obesity insurance could be boosted by the recommendations provided in new research.

Scientists at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre found the current criteria for surgery eligibility to be "flawed".

At present, obesity surgery is only offered to patients with a body mass index (BMI) higher than 40, or to patients with a BMI over 35 who have a life-threatening condition such as heart disease.

However, lead researcher Dr Edward Livingston pointed out that "cardiovascular risk factors do not necessarily worsen with increasing obesity".

The university’s chairman of gastrointestinal and endocrine surgery added that his team’s results supported the idea that obesity does not trigger an increased risk of cardiovascular disease or death in isolation.

Concluding their study - published in the current issue of the Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases journal – the researchers called for BMI criteria for obesity surgery to be reduced, as the current level excludes a number of obese patients who are at risk of contracting heart disease.

German scientists recently revealed that people experiencing severe obesity problems could reduce their risk of death with weight loss surgery.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity