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Those people who underestimate the severity of flu could be putting their lives at risk, according to an expert.

Professor David Salisbury is in charge of the vaccinations in the UK and is urging at-risk groups to visit their GP for a flu jab.

According to a survey of more than 1,000 people, around a third of respondents thought flu was no worse than a heavy cold.

However, professor Salisbury notes that vulnerable groups – such as the elderly – need to be vaccinated every 12 months due to the changing nature of flu viruses.

"The research shows that common colds are frequently confused with flu, but for some the flu virus can be potentially life-threatening," he said.

"We are urging those at greater risk - including people suffering serious heart problems, asthma and diabetes - to get their flu jab from their GP. The flu jab can literally save lives."

Diabetes UK, Asthma UK and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) all support the vaccination.

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

New research has indicated that having a large waist in middle age could increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.

A study in the US looked at some 6,583 people in northern California for an average of 36 years starting when they were ages 40 to 45, with their abdominal size being recorded at the outset.

The researchers found that almost 16 per cent went on to develop Alzheimer’s or some kind of dementia by the time they hit their 70s.

It was found that those in the top 20 per cent in terms of waist size during middle age were nearly three times more likely to develop dementia than those in the bottom 20 per cent.

Rachel Whitmer, a research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California, who led the study, said: "It’s not just weight, it’s where you carry your weight that is a very important risk factor."

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

Owning a cat can reduce the threat of having a stroke significantly, a surprising new study reveals.

According to research by scientists from the University of Minnesota in the US, cat owners also have a much lower risk of suffering a fatal heart attack.

The researchers discovered that owning a cat reduces the risk of fatal heart attacks in their owners by 40 per cent and significantly lower the chance of having a stroke. Just 3.4% per cent of cat owners died from a heart attack during the study, compared with 5.8 per cent who did not own one.

Unveiled at the International Stroke Conference, the research has been adjusted for other risk factors, such as smoking, high cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes.

The study of 4,435 adults suggests hat feline friends may reduce levels of stress and anxiety in humans, preventing them from developing cardiovascular disease.

However, the scientists add that the results could also be linked to the sort of people who tend to own cats and insisted that they were not advocating impulse purchases of pets.

Rather than a higher dose of radiotherapy delivered over a longer time, scientists have found that a lower total dose delivered in the former of larger and fewer treatments can be as effective in treating breast cancer.

A study of 4,500 women published in medical journal the Lancet supports the belief of many medical professionals that shorter treatment schedules with larger doses are effective.

Based on the START Trials co-ordinated by the Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit at the Institute of Cancer Research, the study found that the rate of cancer recurrence in the treated breast after an average follow-up of five to six years remained very low for all patients.

Just under half of the women in the trial, funded by the Medical Research Cancer and Cancer Research UK received the international standard radiotherapy over a course of 25 treatments allocated five times per week over five weeks, while the remaining subjects received lower total doses delivered in fewer, larger treatments over a period of three or five weeks.

The results reveal that the rate of side effects for all patients was low overall and a lower total dose given fewer larger treatments is "as safe and effective in treating early stage breast cancer as the longer standard schedule".

Professor John Yarnold, from The Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden Hospital, stated: "Shorter therapies giving fewer, larger treatments are obviously convenient for patients. The results support the current use of shorter schedules in the UK and in other countries."

Breast cancer has become the most common form of cancer in the UK, with more than 44,000 women diagnosed with the disease each year and around 300 men. Rates of breast cancer have increased by over 50 per cent in the past 20 years and women aged 50 and over are most at risk.

Smokers have been challenged to quit their habit during a health promotion event at a shopping centre in Solihull, West Midlands.

People attending the drop-in were provided with free carbon monoxide levels and peak flow levels checks, given free nicotine patches to help them quit, and provided with expert support and advice from the Solihull Stop Smoking Service, part of Solihull Care Trust, the Birmingham Mail reports.

Shoppers at the Touchwood centre were asked to take up the Great No Smoking Day Challenge and kick the habit as part of a new initiative that sets smokers the challenge of quitting for a week rather than just one day, encouraging them to stop smoking for good.

Natalie Hinsley, from Solihull Stop Smoking Service, explained: "If smokers can focus on the target to stop for a week it becomes more manageable and will hopefully give them the confidence to continue as a non-smoker for good."

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) stated recently that it was "disappointed" that chancellor Alistair Darling had missed the opportunity to increase the tax on cigarettes above inflation in his 2008 Budget speech.

"While we are pleased with the decision to maintain a reduced level of VAT on Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), we expect the Government to now take a thorough approach to tobacco policy," Ruairi O’Connor, BHF public affairs manager, said.

A gluten-free vegan diet can help those suffering from arthritis avoid cardiovascular disease, according to new research.

Conducted by the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, the study revealed that the diet reduced levels of oxidised LDL-cholesterol, which in turn cut the chances of heart disease.

Those suffering from the rheumatoid condition are generally at a higher rise of suffering from heart attacks and strokes, the institute states.

In addition, the study also revealed that arthritis itself can be combated by eating a gluten free vegan diet as it creates higher levels of natural antibodies that act against compounds that contribute to the problem.

Johan Frostegard - the leader of the study - comments: "Our findings suggest a new mechanism by which the level of natural protective antibodies can be increased. They also show that diet can have effects on the immune system with implications for the incidence of disease."

The institute also announced at the end of last week that people can avoid stokes by limiting ‘bad cholesterol‘ in their blood.

A study showed that limiting bad cholesterol will reduce atherosclerosis, which is plaque that builds up in blood vessels and the institute states has been identified as a cause of strokes.

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

Educating the public about health issues and providing more awareness on how to eat healthily are essential tools in the fight against obesity, it has been suggested.

In news which may be pertinent to the life insurance industry, a dietician and member of independent organisation The Fat Panel, Sian Porter, said campaigns about issues such as salt reduction and the smoking ban were vital for informing consumers.

Describing the current environment as "obesegenic", Ms Porter said the abundance of high-fat, high-salt and high-sugar foods at cheaper prices was a contributing factor to obesity.

"The issue needs to be approached with joined-up thinking," she added. "The involvement of the food industry to improve recipes is also important."

Being overweight can also lead to later health problems such as diabetes and high cholesterol, so combating this health issue is high on many agendas right now.

The Food Standards Agency claims that reducing saturated fat intakes from 13.3 per cent to below 11 per cent could prevent up to 3,500 deaths annually.

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

Critical illness insurance holders could benefit from the compilation of a new future health database, it has emerged.

Around 500 people a week are donating samples of their blood and urine to Biobank Cymru in a bid to provide useful information for developing new treatments for common diseases such as breast cancer and diabetes in decades to come.

New methods of preventing early death and disability could emerge from the samples of people aged between 40 and 69 across donation centres set-up across the UK as part of the project.

Principal investigator of the Biobank scheme, Professor Rory Collins, told the Western Mail: "In setting up UK Biobank for researchers in the future - those who may only be in primary or junior school now or not even born - we are establishing the blood-based resource to do just that, and making a significant contribution to improving the health of future generations."

It is reported that a target of about 500,000 people has been set by the Biobank initiative, which will aim to investigate why some people develop particular diseases whereas others do not.

The government has also launched a £500 million medical research body in December called the UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation that will hope to find new solutions against serious diseases and improve healthcare, Cancer Research UK revealed.

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

Insurance for high-risk individuals such as professional football players presents a "grey area" for bosses, according to experts.

Representatives of financial firm Aon noted that although national associations are not obliged to buy cover, some choose to do so.

James Hands, the company’s executive director, spoke in the wake of numerous high-profile incidents involving players being injured while playing for their countries.

"Every club has a different way of looking at these things - some national associations take out insurance and some don’t," he observed.

"They can insure against whatever they want to insure against – whether that be just a player’s salary or whether that be a player having an injury that will end his career," he added.

During a match against Sweden in the 2006 World Cup, England player Michael Owen ruptured a knee ligament.

The Guardian reported that the maximum amount his club, Newcastle, could receive in compensation was £55,000 a week from the FA’s insurance policy, although this did not cover his full weekly wage.

When he was injured again, playing for England last year, the maximum potential figure had gone up to £100,000 per week.

Sports players have the option of taking out their own insurance against being injured and to secure themselves against loss of future earnings.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people with high risk jobs or hobbies.

Individuals exploring the possibility of Parkinson’s disease insurance may be interested in the latest research into the condition.

Scientists from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University believe that a problem with the way the body’s cells recycle damaged components may trigger the disease.

The results of their study have the potential to lead to new strategies for treating Parkinson’s and other neuro-degenerative diseases.

While previous studies suggested that mutant forms of a protein called alpha-synuclein are poorly digested in the body’s recycling scheme – known as autophagy – in some people with Parkinson’s, the latest work looked into how several different modified forms of alpha-synuclein affected autophagy in laboratory tests.

Dr Ana Maria Cuervo and her colleagues concluded that the compound created by the interaction of alpha-synuclein with dopamine - the main neurotransmitter produced by the nerve cells damaged in Parkinson’s disease - interfered with autophagy.

"By devising strategies for boosting autophagy in nerve cells or suppressing the chemical reactions that interfere with the autophagy, we may be able to treat patients afflicted with these conditions," remarked Dr Cuervo in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

According to the Parkinson’s Disease Society, approximately 120,000 individuals in the UK currently have the condition, with a further 10,000 new cases diagnosed every year.

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