The Insurance Helpline

Breastfeeding ‘cuts cancer risk’

Andrew — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:00:12 +0000

A high proportion of mothers are unaware that breastfeeding their children can cut their own risk of developing cancer, it has been claimed.

Statistics from the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) also revealed that two-thirds of women were not aware that a breastfed child is less likely to be obese in later life.

Lucie Galice, general manager of the WCRF, noted that it "is a real concern" that so many women do not realise the preventative qualities of breastfeeding.

"This means that many new mothers are making choices about whether to breastfeed without knowing it can help reduce cancer risk for both them and their child," she said.

She added that there is substantial evidence to support this, with the WCRF recommending that mothers aim to breastfeed exclusively for the first six months, before switching to complementary feeding.

The WCRF was founded in 1990 and provides research and education programmes on the role of diet and physical activity in the prevention of cancer.

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

Blood pressure pills ‘could treat obesity’

Andrew — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:00:34 +0000

Pills that are traditionally prescribed to control blood pressure could be adapted to treat obesity, it has been claimed.

Researchers at the Howard Florey Institute in Melbourne re-engineered mice to eradicate the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) that constricts blood vessels and so raises blood pressure.

While the treated mice ate as much as those still with the ACE enzyme, they had half the fat and weighed about 20 per cent less.

Commenting on the findings, lead researcher Michael Mathai said: "It’s possible the drugs could be adapted to become specific weight-loss drugs - it may be a question of the correct dosage."

The researchers concluded that the weight loss was due to a higher metabolic rate, given that treated mice were no more active than those in the control group.

Additionally, the treated mice also cleared sugars faster than the untreated mice, suggesting that they were less likely to develop diabetes.

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

Hair dye linked to cancer

Andrew — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:00:25 +0000

Those people considering cancer/” target=”_self”>cancer life insurance may wish to note that regular use of hair dye could increase the risk of developing cancer, scientists have warned.

Research, which spanned several countries, looked at four separate studies undertaken between 1988 and 2003 and found that women who use hair dye more than nine times a year increase their chance of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia by up to 60 per cent.

Furthermore, women who used hair dye before 1980, when it included more toxic ingredients, have a 70 per cent chance of developing the disease.

Dr Zhang of Yale School of Public Health, who led the survey, claimed this latest study proved a link between cancer and hair dye.

Meanwhile, Jamie Page, chief executive of the Cancer Prevention & Education Society, told the Daily Mail: "It is absolutely vital that regulatory authorities require that all product ingredients have been properly tested for safety before allowing them to be used by the general public as well as workers such as hairdressers."

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

Limiting junk food adverts ‘important in obesity fight’

Andrew — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:00:26 +0000

Limiting advertisements aimed at children for food which is high in fat, salt and sugar is crucial in tackling obesity, it has been claimed.

According to consumer body Which?, it is an important part of "a package of measures" such as increased physical activity and better school meals that need to be implemented to fight the problem, which may interest those considering raised cholesterol life insurance.

Commenting on the results of a government report which came back last October, Colin Walker, food campaigner at Which?, said: "If trends continue as they are now, and if we do not do anything to tackle childhood obesity, by 2050 around 70 per cent of girls and 55 per cent of boys will be overweight or obese."

According to a report published in February, by the National Child Measurement Programme, nearly one in three children in year six of primary school is overweight or obese.

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

Working flexitime ‘can help depression’

Andrew — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:00:25 +0000

Flexitime working is one of the key things that a person suffering from depression can use to help tackle the condition, an expert has said.

With Depression Awareness Week underway, the Depression Alliance has pointed out that the condition can have a disruptive effect on sleep patterns, something that flexitime working could help to balance.

Emer O’Neill, chief executive of Depression Alliance, commented: "Depression means that even being able to stick to the regular routine of getting up and going to work everyday can be really difficult.

"For some people it means that they oversleep and for others it means that they can’t sleep at night or in the early morning."

She added that talking therapies, diet, exercise and a good social support network are all good "non-medical interventions" that are crucial in managing depression.

According to an Inside Story report, 79 per cent of people diagnosed with depression in the UK feel disclosing their condition to colleagues would have a detrimental impact on them.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with depression.

Cancer vaccine proves popular

Andrew — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:00:31 +0000

Around 70 per cent of parents are willing for their teenage daughters to take a new vaccine that prevents cervical cancer, a pilot study has suggested.

Researchers from the University of Manchester found that the overwhelming majority of adults backed the drive to stop the spread of the human papilloma virus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection.

Lack of information and fears over long-term safety were cited as major factors by parents who rejected the vaccine.

The HPV jab will be offered to 12 and 13-year-old girls from September as part of an annual £100 million programme designed to reduce deaths from the disease.

HPV is the main cause of cervical cancer, which leads to over 1,000 deaths in Britain every year.
Health Secretary Alan Johnson claimed the new programme could save up to 400 lives annually when it was launched last October.

Young girls are expected to receive the vaccination in three doses over six-months.

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

Chemotherapy drug ‘has benefits’

Andrew — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:00:23 +0000

A chemotherapy drug used to treat cancer patients has been linked to brain damage, but still offers benefits, it has been claimed.

Research published in the Journal of Biology revealed that 5-fluorouracil can have a negative impact upon the central nervous system.

However, those with life insurance premiums may be interested to know that Martin Ledwick, lead cancer information nurse at Cancer Research UK, noted that the study had been conducted on mice, which could mean the effects are not replicated in humans.

"These studies look at the science behind the observed side-effects of chemotherapy treatments which will help doctors continue to improve treatments for the future," he explained.

It ought to be noted that the drug still can offer "significant benefits" for patients who require the treatment, he added, stating that they "far outweigh" the negative effects reported by some.

According to the charity, the most common form of cancer in the UK is breast cancer, with 44,000 women diagnosed with the disease every year.

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

HPA: MRSA infections slow

Andrew — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:00:22 +0000

New figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) have revealed that the increase in the number of new MRSA bloodstream infections has slowed.

According to the HPA, there were 1,087 cases of the infection reported in England during the final quarter of last year, compared with 1,080 during the previous quarter.

Commenting on the figures, Dr Georgia Duckworth, head of the HPA’s healthcare-associated infection and antimicrobial resistance department, said that the last year has seen infections "steadily falling".

"We would obviously like to have seen the trend continued in this quarter and hope that ongoing surveillance will show that this plateau is not indicative of a levelling trend, but we need to see next quarter’s figures," she stated.

Conservative shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley claimed that the government’s efforts to address such infections in hospital are "misguided", the BBC reports.

The politician claimed that the "deep clean" undertaken by the NHS "wasn’t backed up by evidence".

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

Boots chief ‘to lead £75m anti-obesity campaign’

Andrew — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:00:31 +0000

Former Boots marketer Andrew Bent has been appointed by the Department of Health (DoH) to run its £75 million anti-obesity campaign, which may be of note to those interested in raised cholesterol insurance.

The decision marks the first time the DoH has enlisted help from a high-profile marketer in order to boost awareness of the condition.

A spokesman for the DoH said: "The department is seeking to work with the industry on the anti-obesity strategy and Brent brings with him valuable input and expertise on the commercial sector."

He took over group role last July after Elizabeth Fagan, then Boots Opticians managing director, was appointed as marketing director for UK retail.

Previously, Mr Brent was responsible for the Boots ‘Change One Thing’ initiative in 2006, which was developed to get customers into shops in the post-Christmas lull by promising assistance with health-related New Year resolutions.

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

Blood pressure in diabetic kids ’should be watched’

Andrew — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:00:27 +0000

In a study of people with type I diabetes, those with higher blood pressure or hypertension in childhood had higher levels in young adulthood, according to German researchers.

Dr Ina Knerr, from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, and colleagues wrote that "we need to focus on the diagnosis of hypertension in children with type I diabetes and to study the efficacy of early intervention".

The research involved following some 868 subjects, seen at 95 Diabetes Centres and Paediatric Care Clinics in Germany and Austria, from aged six until they were almost 20.

Published in medical journal Diabetes Care, the study revealed that that blood pressures above 97 per cent of European reference levels were present in four per cent of the participants during pre-puberty and puberty, and in almost 14 percent of them during post-puberty.

The researchers advised that lowering high blood pressure early in life in these individuals is imperative, as people with diabetes are at a ten-fold higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with diabetes.