Category: Health

The Guardian has produced a simple guide of five exercises to keep your knees strong and supple, including one leg squats, hamstring curls and calf raises. The exercises are said to be particularly useful for excelling in sport and for those struggling with knee pain as they get older. Read the full article Image

An independent social health think tank has recently published a research paper on obesity. The report, entitled ‘Fat chance? exploring the evidence on who becomes obese’, gives an overview on the latest data and research on obesity, examining the demographics of people with the condition. It also looks at potential causes, such as socioeconomic status,…

Public Health England has produced guidance on sugar reduction. The report, entitled ‘Sugar Reduction: The evidence for action’ brings together the latest research, information and strategies to address the public health risk of consuming too much sugar. Excess sugar increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, some forms of cancer, stroke and heart disease. Read…

Researchers from the University of Sydney have identified  around 1000 molecular reactions to exercise, opening the door for drug treatments to mirror the health benefits of exercise. Read the full article here Image

The King’s Fund has produced a video, ‘an alternative guide to mental health care in England,’ to demonstrate the range of conventional health care services available and also to highlight ways in which current services could be improved. To read more and watch the video click here. Image

Around one in seven people in the UK live with arthritis – a condition that can cause pain, stiffness and swelling in the joints. This figure is expected to rise to one in four by 2030. It is the leading cause of pain and disability, costing the NHS £5 billion a year. One in five people consult…

A UK population based cohort study raises concerns as ‘the proportion of people with intellectual disability who have been treated with psychotropic drugs far exceeds the proportion with recorded mental illness. Anti-psychotics are often prescribed to people without recorded severe mental illness but who have a record of challenging behaviour.’ Researchers from the University College London call for more…

A team of researchers from New Zealand have recently published a systematic review on calcium intake and risk of fracture. The team led by Mark J Bolland concluded that there is not sufficient evidence to suggest that taking calcium supplements will prevent fractures. To read the full report click here Image

Public Health England has published guidance on quitting smoking in a bid to see a tobacco free generation by 2025. The guidance includes lots of useful information and analysis, touching on health inequalities, smoking statistics, ways of reducing tobacco use, the influence of networks and places, smoke-free environments, reducing the cost to society and what we can do to help. To…

Caregiving for an Alzheimer’s patient is especially burdensome for spousal and family caregivers who at the time of their near and dear one’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis suffer from depressive symptoms, according to a recent University of Eastern Finland study. The study analysed the psychological stress of family caregivers during a three-year period following the Alzheimer’s diagnosis.…