Smoking may worsen a hangover after drinking heavily US research concludes-  although the reason why is unclear.Researchers asked 113 US students to keep a diary for eight weeks, recording their drinking and smoking habits and any hangover symptoms.

When they drank heavily- around six cans of beer an hour – those who also smoked suffered a worse hangover.

Addiction charities hope this study may motivate smokers to cut down.

The study’s findings are reported in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

One of the paper’s authors, Dr Damaris Rohsenow, from the Centre for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at Brown University said: “At the same number of drinks, people who smoke more that day are more likely to have a hangover and have more intense hangovers.”

“And smoking itself was linked to an increased risk of hangover compared with not smoking at all.  That raises the likelihood that there is some direct effect of tobacco smoking on hangovers.”

The students from a Midwestern university in the US reported on the number of drinks consumed, number of cigarettes smoked and their hangover symptoms – which included if they felt more tired than usual, had a headache, felt nauseated and had difficulty concentrating.

The researchers then estimated blood alcohol concentration (BAC) which helped control for differences between sexes as it took into account weight and the period over which the student drank alcohol.

After analysing the results, the researchers found that smoking more heavily the day before increased the presence and severity of hangover the next day – but only after a heavy drinking episode, estimated at a BAC of 110mg/dl or greater – the equivalent of around six cans of beer an hour.

The reasons why are unclear- but the study suggests it may down to the toxicological and pharmacological effects of nicotine on the nervous system.

From: http://multi-vitamins.eu/smoking-may-worsen-a-hangover-us-research-concludes

Deaths from lung cancer have overtaken deaths from breast cancer as it becomes the most lethal form of the disease among British women, new research has shown.Lung cancer kills 16,000 women a year in the UK, compared with 12,000 for breast cancer.

The rise in lung cancer is attributed to the rise in young women taking up smoking the late 1960s and 1970s.

The Europe wide study shows that despite an overall decline in cancer deaths, mortality rates from lung cancer among women continues to rise across the continent, up seven per cent to around 82,000 since 2009.

This year experts predict breast cancer to kill 88,886 women in Europe and lung cancer to kill 82,640.

Professor Carlo La Vecchia, one of the study authors from the University of Milan in Italy, said if trends continue lung cancer will become the most lethal form of the disease in Europe.

She said: “If these opposite trends in breast and lung cancer rates continue, then in 2015 lung cancer is going to become the first cause of cancer mortality in Europe.”

“This is already true in the UK and Poland, the two countries with the highest rates: 21.2 and 17.5 per 100,000 women respectively.”

“This predicted rise of female lung cancer in the UK may reflect the increased prevalence of young women starting smoking in the late 1960s and 1970s, possibly due to changing socio-cultural attitudes at that time.”

“However, fewer young women nowadays in the UK and elsewhere in Europe are smoking and, therefore, deaths from lung cancer may start to level off after 2020 at around 15 per 100,000 women.”

There has also been a steady reduction in breast cancer deaths across Europe in the last four years.

Prof La Vecchia added: “This reflects the important and accumulating advances in the treatment, as well as screening and early diagnosis, of the disease.”

The study, published in the Annals of Oncology, looked at cancer rates in all 27 European Union member countries, as well as six individual countries – France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the UK.

It looked at all cancers but focused on stomach, intestine, pancreas, lung, prostate, breast, uterus (including cervix) and leukaemias.

The study found that an estimated 1.3 million people will die from cancer -737,747 men and 576,489 women- in the 27 countries of the EU in 2013.

Though that number has increased since 2009, as there have been more cases in that period, the rate at which people have died has actually declined, six per cent in men and four per cent in women.

Lung cancer is still the main cause of cancer death among men, with nearly 187,000 deaths predicted for 2013, giving a death rate of 37.2 per 100,000 men.

FromL: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/Lung-cancer-overtakes-breast-cancer-as-most-deadly-form-of-disease-among-UK-women

Fizzy drinks should be heavily taxed and junk food adverts banished until after the watershed, doctors have said, in a call for action over obesity.The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, which represents nearly every doctor in the UK, said ballooning waistlines already constituted a “huge crisis”.

Its report said current measures were failing and called for unhealthy foods to be treated more like cigarettes.

The UK is one of the most obese nations in the world with about a quarter of adults classed as obese. That figure is predicted to double by 2050 – a third of primary school leavers are already overweight.

Doctors fear that a rising tide of obesity will pose dire health consequences for the nation.

The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges is a “united front” of the medical profession from surgeons to GPs and psychiatrists to paediatricians. It says its doctors are seeing the consequences of unhealthy diets every day and that it has never come together on such an issue before.

Its recommendations include:

• A ban on advertising foods high in saturated fat, sugar and salt before 9pm
• Further taxes on sugary drinks to increase prices by at least 20%
• A reduction in fast food outlets near schools and leisure centres
• A £100 million budget for interventions such as weight-loss surgery
• No junk food or vending machines in hospitals, where all food must meet the same nutritional standards as in schools
• Food labels to include calorie information for children

Prof Terence Stephenson, the chair of the Academy, evoked parallels with the campaign against smoking.

“That required things like a ban on advertising and a reduction in marketing and the association of smoking with sporting activities – that helped people move away from smoking.”

He said there was no “silver-bullet” for tackling obesity, instead the entire culture around eating needed to change to make it easier to make healthy decisions.

“I choose what I eat or whether I smoke, what people have told us is they want help to swim with the tide rather than against the current to make the healthy choice the easy one,” he said.

While the report makes a raft of recommendations, Prof Stephenson attacked sugary drinks for being “just water and sugar” and lambasted a culture where it was deemed acceptable to drink a litre of fizzy drink at the cinema.

A tax was needed to help “encourage people to drink more healthy drinks,” he said.

“Doctors are often accused of playing the nanny state, we didn’t hear from a single person who said they liked being overweight, everybody we met wanted help from the state and society.

“If we didn’t have things like this we wouldn’t have speed limits that save lives, we wouldn’t have drink-driving limits that save lives, there’s a host of things that society and state does to help us live long, healthy fulfilling lives and we’re just suggesting something similar.”

Children as young as 12 are being given nicotine patches by NHS nurses at school- without the knowledge or permission from their parents.The patches are being distributed by nurses employed by NHS South West Essex who visit schools every fortnight and speak to the children confidentially.

NHS guidelines say children as young as 12 can access nicotine patches from chemists and GPs throughout the country, but it’s up to each primary care trust what services they offer.

Parents at one school in Basildon, Essex voiced concerns that parents weren’t being told about the service.

Danielle Northcott, 39, whose 13-year-old daughter Amaris is a pupil at Basildon with Woodlands School in Takely End, Essex, where patches are distributed, said: “Woodlands is a good school and even though I didn’t know the nicotine patches were available I would rather her have that than a cigarette in her mouth.

“As parents I do think we should have been consulted on it and the school should have been clear about it.

“Some parents will not agree with the meetings between the child and the nurse being confidential and it will divide opinion. The only thing that worries me is that the patches will become a status symbol and children could want them just to look cool in front of their friends.”

NHS South West Essex employs health group Vitality to run the service.

Vitality also offers children advice on weight loss and well-being and also issues the patches to children at drop in sessions across Basildon at the Laindon Health Centre, Pitsea Health Clinic, and the Basildon Centre.

New research shows that over 30 per cent of UK smokers keep their habit under wraps and more than 50 per cent say the person they most want to hide their habit from is their mother.

A spokesman for North East London NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Vitality service, said: “Encouraging young people to quit smoking may prevent them from taking up the habit longer term, and so it is important they have somewhere to find confidential support for this.

“NHS stop smoking support is provided locally by GPs, community pharmacies and specialist stop smoking services, who are able to offer a range of advice and support on stopping smoking to people aged 12 and over, in line with NHS and NICE (National Institute of Curbing Expenditure) guidelines.

“This support is provided by healthcare professionals such as school nurses or health improvement practitioners, and may include nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) provided the young person is assessed as competent to consent to using this product.

“The use of NRT is fully explained to the young person.  We always encourage young people to inform their parents or carers if they are having support with quitting smoking or having NRT, but they are not obliged to do so.”

From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/Children-as-young-as-12-given-nicotine-patches-on-the-NHS

The number of children with symptoms of asthma who have been admitted to hospital  has fallen since the ban on smoking in public places came into effect.Research shows there was a 12.3% fall in admissions in the first year after the law came into place in July 2007, and these have continued to drop in subsequent years, suggesting that the benefits of the legislation were sustained over time.

NHS statistics analysed by researchers at Imperial College London showed the fall was equivalent to 6,802 fewer hospital admissions in the first three years of the law coming into effect.

The findings Hospital Admissions for Childhood Asthma After Smoke-Free Legislation in England have been published in the journal Pediatrics.

Asthma affects one in every 11 children in the UK.

Before the ban was implemented, hospital admissions for children suffering a severe asthma attack were increasing by 2.2% per year, peaking at 26,969 admissions in 2006/07.

The findings show the trend reversed immediately after the law came into effect, with lower admission rates among boys and girls of all ages, in both wealthy and poor neighbourhoods and in cities and rural areas.

Previous studies have shown that hospital admissions for childhood asthma fell after smoke-free legislation was introduced in Scotland and North America.

The smoking ban in England has also been found to have reduced the rate of heart attacks.

Dr Christopher Millett, from Imperial College London’s School of Public Health, led the study.

He said: “There is already evidence that eliminating smoking from public places has resulted in substantial population health benefits in England, and this study shows that those benefits extend to reducing hospital admissions for childhood asthma.

“Previous studies have also suggested that the smoke-free law changed people’s attitudes about exposing others to second-hand smoke and led more people to abstain from smoking voluntarily at home and in cars.

“We think that exposing children to less second-hand smoke in these settings probably played an important role in reducing asthma attacks.

“The findings are good news for England, and they should encourage countries where public smoking is permitted to consider introducing similar legislation.”

Superfoods is yet another ambiguous food phrase to go along with “all-natural,” “no sugar added,” and “no artificial flavours or colours”.But scientifically speaking- what are they?

There really are foods that many nutritionists consider superfoods.

But these foods won’t come from your nearest take away or the processed, pre-packaged food from the grocery store or supermarket.

Why? Because they are all going to be a real (unprocessed) food.

What makes them so super? There isn’t a universally or nutritionally tested way of defining what foods are actually “super.”

But many health experts consider any whole food that is low in calories and has a high nutrient density or above average nutritional benefits is a superfood.

These nutritional benefits vary greatly depending upon the particular superfood, but according to the American Cancer Society (ACS), many of these antioxidant-rich foods may help reduce your risk for fatal diseases like cancer.

In fact, according to the 2011 ACS Guidelines for Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention report- Reducing the Risk of Cancer With Healthy Food
a third of the annual cancer deaths in the United States are caused by poor diet and lack of adequate physical activity.

Here are three nutritious, real, and tasty foods that could easily be considered superfoods because of their numerous health benefits:

Blueberries — These sweet and naturally blue berries are crammed with disease-fighting antioxidants, known to help alleviate the damage done by inflammation. Other benefits come in the form of ellagitannin and anthocyanin, both of which are believed to be effective against certain types of cancers, including breast and esophageal cancers. They are great in smoothies or as a sweet pairing with some grilled pork chops fresh off the barbecue (when we get the weather).

Red bell peppers — While all peppers are low in calories and are a healthy option for any meal, red peppers — which taste sweeter and aren’t as spicy as other varieties — pack a special nutritional punch. They contain 11 times more beta-carotene than green bell peppers and also give you 240 percent of your recommended daily value of vitamin C. Fajitas, anyone?

Watermelon — Yes, it’s hard to believe, but this tasty treat provides some awesome nutritional support for your body. Aside from refreshing you, this fruit also delivers significant amounts of lycopene, a carotenoid present in many superfoods. A recent study led by food scientists at Florida State University even suggests that watermelon can be an effective weapon against prehypertension, a precursor to cardiovascular disease.

So now you have a little background into what makes a food “super.”

Hopefully this has got you thinking about the foods you’re putting in your body and how they might be affecting your long term health.

From: http://multi-vitamins.eu/superfoods-scientifically-speaking-what-are-they

A national campaign urging smokers in a groups to quit for a month is launched by the Government. The Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies urges smokers to “give it a go”.

Britain’s eight million smokers will be encouraged to kick the habit for 28 days from October 1 as part of Stoptober, the Department of Health announced.

England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies said it was the first time that the Government had launched a “mass quit attempt”.

The initiative, backed by Cancer Research UK and British Heart Foundation, will involve television and radio adverts, a daily messaging service and roadshows around the country.

Professor Dame Sally Davies said: “Smoking is still the biggest cause of premature death in England, taking more than 100,000 lives in the UK every year.

“This is the first time that we have launched a mass quit attempt like Stoptober and would encourage people who want to quit to get involved.”

Those who stop smoking for 28 days are five times more likely to stay smoke-free, according to research.

The iCoach gives you information and tips for the particular phase that you are in and it gives you access to various tests and a diary. The aim of the iCoach is to enable you to move to a next phase to come closer to a final smoke stop.

The iCoach is a unique online method that helps you stop smoking for good. The iCoach consists of 5 phases in the process to stop smoking:
Phase 1: I do not plan on stopping
Phase 2: I should stop, but I am still in doubt
Phase 3: I will stop smoking shortly
Phase 4: I have just stopped
Phase 5: I have stopped for some time now

The Benefits to you

• Free – you can’t argue with that!
• It works – more than 30% who start the programme quit smoking
• For everyone – even for smokers that are not quite ready to quit
• For you – adapts to your needs, your time, and your goals
• Friends – speak to people like you and get support from a dedicated community

What is iCoach?
The iCoach gives you information and tips for the particular phase that you are in and it gives you access to various tests and a diary. The aim of the iCoach is to enable you to move to a next phase to come closer to a final smoke stop.

Duration of one phase ?
A process to stop smoking can normally last years but with the advice and tips of the iCoach you can move on to the next stage more quickly. You will receive about 50 tips via e-mail during every phase, which means a new tip every day for 50 days. They have been drawn up to gradually prepare you for the next phase. Some stay in one phase a few days or weeks, others a little longer. Take your time to finish one phase, but avoid getting stuck in one phase.

How do I know if I am ready for the next phase ?
You get a certain amount of advice in every phase. The last piece of advice is a quick test to check if you are ready for the next phase. Depending on your answers, you will be encouraged to move on to the next phase or you will receive specific tips to make the step to the next phase easier.

How can I go to the next phase ?
You can move to the next phase by doing the Quit Smoking Phase Test. This quick test only takes a couple of seconds. You can do the phase test whenever you want.

The NHS has been accused of trying to save money by blocking access to surgery for smokers and obese patients as new figures show how they are routinely being denied treatments.Data shows that more than a quarter of Primary Care Trusts in England have brought in new restrictions based on patients’ lifestyle criteria in the last year.

It reveals that people are being denied IVF treatment, breast reductions and fat loss operations based on their weight and whether they smoke.

In the case of one trust, NHS Hertfordshire- a controversial ban imposed last year on knee and hip operations for anyone with a body mass index (BMI) over 30 as well as smokers, has been extended to cover all routine surgery.

The new Hertfordshire policy, introduced in January, makes exceptions only for neurology, cardiac and cancer operations.

Freedom of Information responses from 91 PCTs, obtained by doctors’ magazine Pulse, show 25 have brought in new restrictions on treating obese patients or smokers since April 2011.

Dr Clare Gerada, head of the Royal College of GPs, said some of the restrictions, particularly for IVF, were “dreadful”.

She added: “It’s becoming the deserving and the undeserving. I think it’s discriminatory and I find it astonishing. The Government should determine what should be applied universally.”

The figures showed that the Peninsula health technology commissioning group, covering Cornwall, Devon, Torbay and Plymouth, is now banning both men and women from undergoing IVF treatment unless they have been non smokers for at least six months.

Men and women must also have a BMI of between 19 and 29.9 before they will be given certain fertility drugs.

The two PCTs covering County Durham and Darlington will not treat people for varicose veins unless they have a BMI of 30 or under, the figures also show.

The figures also showed that the three PCTs covering North Essex must not accept referrals for joint replacement surgery from people with a BMI of 40 or over.

Furthermore, all patients who smoke in the region must be referred to stop-smoking services before they will be considered for stomach surgery, breast reconstruction, breast reduction, scar revision surgery or nipple inversion treatment.

In Lincolnshire, as of June last year, patients must have had a stable BMI of 18 to 25 for at least a year before they will be considered for breast reductions.

Meanwhile, hip and knee replacements will not be given to patients who have a BMI greater than 35, or current smokers.

In Bedfordshire, access to hip and knee replacements is denied to patients with a BMI of 35 or over until after they have lost 10% of their initial body weight or moved below a BMI of 35.  Before July last year, there was no BMI cut off in the region.

Steve Nowottny, deputy editor of Pulse, said: “Rationing in the NHS is nothing new – but PCTs and clinical commissioning groups are increasingly taking the decision to ration care based on patients’ lifestyle choices.

“In some cases there may be genuine clinical justification for rationing treatment on these grounds. But there is a growing suspicion that some PCTs are now blocking access to surgery for smokers and the obese simply to help achieve ever greater efficiency savings.

“Such a policy has disturbing implications – and GPs are increasingly uneasy about the NHS providing a second-class service to patients with less healthy lifestyles.”

From:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/Obese-and-smokers-denied-treatment-to-save-money

The gap between male and female life expectancy is closing and men could catch up by 2030 according to research at the Office for National Statistics.Prof Les Mayhew said the difference between the sexes peaked at nearly six years in the 1970s.

Life expectancy is going up all round, but the rates for men are increasing faster. Plummeting smoking rates in men are thought to explain a lot of the change.

Prof Mayhew, a professor of statistics at Cass Business School, analysed life expectancy data in England and Wales. He was working out how long 30-year-olds could expect to live.

His findings show men laguishing far behind for decades, but now starting to get closer to women. If current trends continue, Prof Mayhew predicts, both sexes could, on average, be living to the age of 87 in 2030.

He said: “What’s interesting at the moment is that in the last 20 years or so, male life expectancy at 30 has jumped by about six years and if it jumps by the same amount in the next 20 years it will converge with female life expectancy.”

The reason could be down to men living a healthier lifestyle. “One of the main reasons, I think, is the trend in the prevalence of smoking. Smoking took off after 1920 in the male population and at its high about 80% of males smoked.

“This was reflected in more divergence in the life expectancy, so by the time you get to about 1970 it was at its peak – the difference in life expectancy was about 5.7 years.”

Other factors are thought to be safer, more office-based, jobs. Millions of men used to work in hazardous occupations such as coal mining. Healthcare has meant more men live longer as well. People with heart disease, which is more common in men, can expect to live much longer than they did a few decades ago.

By contrast, women started smoking later than men. Rates of lung cancer are still increasing in women, but are falling fast in men.

A boy and a girl born on the same day will still not have the same life expectancies, as the study looked only at people who had already reached 30. Boys are more likely to die in their first year of life and are more likely to take up dangerous sports or be involved in fatal accidents.