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The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has praised critical illness cover advisors, saying they are "central" to the customer’s purchase decision.

Research by the FSA found that nine out of ten customers recalled the advisor verbally explaining the insurance product and 95 per cent said they found the advice useful.

However, it was also revealed that 70 per cent of customers believed they were being given advice during an execution-only sale.

The FSA’s post implementation review of Icobs (oral disclosure rule in sales of critical illness cover) identified this as a grey area in consumer understanding of what constitutes an advised and non-advised sale.

Further misunderstandings involved knowing what illnesses were covered by the policy, with 46 per cent of people believing they were covered for all types and severity of cancer.

The report was the first piece of analysis of CI sales since the Icob rules were introduced in January last year.

Most financial services markets, exchanges and firms are regulated by the FSA, which is an independent non-governmental body with a board appointed by the Treasury.

Higher rates of chronic disease and an ageing workforce will pose a serious threat to the productivity of UK businesses by 2030, according to new research.

The report published by Bupa found that over the next 20 years, the number of workers with heart disease will rise by 11 per cent to over one million.

It also found that the rate of respiratory diseases such as asthma will increase by seven per cent to over four million, while the rate of mental illness in the workforce will increase by five per cent to affect 4.2 million people.

Bupa warns that if these issues are not addressed, worsening health will hit the long-term productivity of British companies.

Helen Vaughan-Jones, acting senior manager for policy research at Bupa, said the predicted rise in chronic conditions is partly linked to lifestyle and urged people to make changes.

She added that "if individuals make changes to the way in which they consume alcohol, if they quit smoking and have more healthy eating habits, that can have a seriously positive impact on their health over the longer term."

Smoking could be linked to an increased risk of acute and chronic pancreatitis, scientists have claimed.

According to a report published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the risk of developing the disease may be higher in those who smoke more.

Experts have claimed it is difficult to note whether smoking is an independent risk factor, as it is associated with alcohol use and risk of gallstone disease – which are common causes of pancreatitis.

"Apart from the epidemiologic evidence of an association between smoking and development of acute and chronic pancreatitis, a biological effect of smoking seems plausible because both animal studies and human studies have demonstrated changes of the pancreas and in pancreatic functioning after exposure to tobacco smoke," the authors conclude.

Recent research at the Yale School of Medicine discovered that varenicline - a drug which was developed to reduce cravings for cigarettes - may also help people with alcohol addiction.

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

Black girls are significantly more likely to suffer from the eating disorder bulimia than their white counterparts, according to US scientists.

It is commonly believed that the condition is mainly prevalent among privileged white teenagers, but a new study appears to refute this.

Research conducted at the Universities of Southern California (USC) and Maryland and Universitat de Autonoma Barcelona in Spain indicated that African Americans are actually 50 per cent more likely than white girls to be bulimic.

Furthermore, girls from low-income families are 153 per cent more at risk than those from high-incomebackgrounds.

USC researcher Michelle Goeree revealed: "As it turns out, we learned something surprising from our data about who bulimia actually affects, not just who is diagnosed.

"The difference between public perception and our results is striking."

It was recently reported that more than 80 per cent of Derbyshire’s 12 and 13-year old girls have received a vaccination that protects against cervical cancer.

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

A hormone could provide the foundation for a new form of infertility treatment, medical experts have claimed.

Currently, around one in seven couples experience difficulty conceiving.

However, researchers at Imperial College London have discovered that the hormone kisspeptin can stimulate the release of sex hormones in infertile women

It is thought that the breakthrough could pave the way for a new way of treating the problem, with lead researcher Dr Waljit Dhillo claiming the hormone offers "huge promise".

"From our previous results, we know that kisspeptin can stimulate release of reproductive hormones in healthy women," he said.

"We have now extended this research to show that kisspeptin treatment has the same effect in women with infertility."

He added that future research would establish the "best protocol" for administering kisspeptin with the hope of developing a new treatment.

It recently emerged that a new screening method could reduce the number of women who die from ovarian cancer.

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

A new report by MPs has heavily criticised the government’s efforts to tackle health inequalities.

The Commons’ health committee said policymakers had rushed in before clear objectives had been determined and had not learned lessons from previous failed drives.

Furthermore, it accused the government of wasting public money as basic calculations about the cost of tacking equalities were not conducted.

Chairman Kevin Barron said: "The taxpayer must be reassured that money invested in policy initiatives is making a difference. At the moment, in relation to health inequalities, we cannot say with certainty that this is the case," he said.

The British Medical Association’s head of science and ethics, Vivienne Nathanson, said: "There is no bottomless pit of resources to tackle health inequalities so it is essential that the government spends taxpayers’ money wisely and on projects that will work."

Dr Tony Rudd recently claimed that services for stroke victims in Wales are now the worst in the UK.

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

Many people in the UK are in denial about lifestyle changes they need to make to lower the risk of heart attack, new research has suggested.

According to a major new European study, three-quarters of those at risk of vascular trouble are obese or overweight.

Furthermore three-quarters have dangerous blood pressure levels, while 40 per cent have high cholesterol levels.

Currently, around one in three middle-aged people in the UK is at high risk of heart disease due to factors such as obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

Professor David Wood, an expert in cardiovascular medicine at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, said: "This is high risk population, diagnosed by their GPs and started on treatment. They should be managed much more rigorously and their lifestyle should be changing."

A recent US study claimed that anger and depression can have detrimental effects of the hearts of men and women.

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

Person-centred dementia care should be made the standard treatment for sufferers, it has been claimed.

A recent report from Australian scientists published in Lancet Neurology notes that such measures reduce agitation, as well as costing less money than standard practices.

Leading charity Alzheimer’s Research in the UK has lent its support to the latest suggestions.

Professor Clive Ballard, the charity’s director of research, said the trial was "extremely important" and could have a significant impact on clinical practice.

"One third of people with dementia live in a care home. We would like to see all care homes using person-centred care and dementia care mapping; both can be taught quickly, improve quality of life and are cost effective," he remarked.

Recent research published in the journal Radiology revealed an order of regional brain atrophy in patients who were suffering from mild cognitive impairment – a condition which can lead to dementia.

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

Many people are risking their health in order to achieve a better tan, new research has suggested.

According to a report published on bmj.com, an increasing number of people are turning to ‘tan jabs’ - using the drugs melanotan I and melanotan II - which are growing in popularity on the internet.

However, Michael Evans-Brown from the Liverpool John Moores University, said the public should be cautious as there are serious concerns about the quality of the drugs available online.

"Some users, especially those who are injecting drugs for the first time, are reusing or sharing injecting equipment, which places them and others at risk of infections, including blood borne viruses," he said.

The authors urged health professionals to respond to the trend by warning patients about the health risks associated with such products.

A recent study conducted at the University of Liverpool revealed that one in seven hospital patients experience adverse drug reactions.

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

A brain pattern which can predict the onset of Alzheimer’s disease has been discovered in a new study.

Recent research published in the journal Radiology revealed an order of regional brain atrophy in patients who were suffering from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) – a condition which can lead to dementia.

Using magnetic response imaging methods, scientists examined images from 84 patients who had Alzheimer’s disease, people with MCI and 139 healthy subjects.

Linda McEvoy, lead author of the study and assistant project scientist in the department of radiology at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, said those with MCI who carried the brain pattern were at an increased risk of developing the condition.

"These people are [also] at higher risk of experiencing a faster rate of brain degeneration … than individuals … who do not show that atrophy pattern," she added.

Meanwhile, the Alzheimer’s Research Trust recently criticised the government’s National Dementia Strategy for the UK.

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