Expanding waistlines of the Jim Royle generation

~ New research reveals men piled on more than a stone between 1986 and 2000 ~

Research funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), published today, shows that the average man was a belt busting 7.7kg heavier in the year 2000 than he was in 1986 – that’s more than a stone in weight.

The research shows that this Jim Royle generation of men ate more calories and did less exercise than the average man in 1986.

Scientists from Oxford University’s BHF Health Promotion Research Group ran a  detailed project to analyse changes in food consumption data and body weight over the 15-year time period. They found that the average man in 2000 ate more food than the average 1986 man – enough to make him 4.7kg heavier than his forebear, in theory.

The actual observed increase in average male weight of 7.7kg was much more than expected from the extra food available to men in 2000. The researchers concluded that a reduction in physical activity was behind the increased weight, as well as the extra food.

Bigger men are at higher risk of heart disease. 25 per cent of men in England were classed as obese in 2008 (1), the most recent data available, compared with only around 7 per cent in 1986/7 (2).

Oxford’s Dr. Peter Scarborough, who led the research, said:

“There could be a number of reasons for the reduction in exercise. One partial explanation could be that men spend more of their working lives sitting at desks now – manual careers are less common than they used to be.

“We looked at how much food was available over time, accounting for food that’s wasted or thrown away. It’s clear people are eating more, and today we’re seeing a continued increase in the amount of food available.”

Dr. Mike Knapton, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, said:

“This research suggests a ticking time bomb for male health, and underlines the importance of both regular exercise and a balanced diet in keeping your weight down and your heart healthy. The number of obese men is not going down.” (3)

“Obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes, heart disease and stroke and contributes to premature death and poor quality of life.”

The research was published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Severe weather creates stock level crisis for BHF Shops

- Charity urges public to keep donating –

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is appealing to households across the UK to keep donating to their local BHF Shop despite the bad weather.

The recent extreme weather conditions have meant that people have struggled to get out to take their unwanted goods to BHF Shops, with Shop Managers reporting a drop in donations of up to 80% in areas worst hit by the snow.  The charity is urging people to hold onto their goods and donate them when it’s safe to do so.

Stock donations are the lifeblood of BHF Shops, which raise £22 million annually to fight heart disease, the nations biggest killer.  Last year, the bad weather had a severe impact on donations, creating a loss of £1 million in sales for the nation’s heart charity.

Mike Lucas, Retail Director at the British Heart Foundation said: “The bad weather is already affecting our stock levels, and we urge the public to donate to their local Shop once the weather has improved and it’s safe to do so. For those that are struggling, we can arrange a free collection to ensure donations are still making it into Shops and making a difference to heart patients.”

BHF Shops would be greatful for donations of good quality clothing, handbags, shoes, books, DVDs, CDs and bric-a-brac.

To find the location of your nearest BHF Shop please call 0844 412 5000 or visit bhf.org.uk/shops .

It’s never too late to make healthy lifestyle changes, says heart charity

Children with a high body mass index (BMI) in childhood and who remain overweight have been linked to a greater risk of heart disease in adolescence, following the publication of a new study.

The research is the first of its kind to investigate the link between BMI, waist size and fat mass at ages 9 to 12 and then heart disease risk factors at ages 15 to 16.

The findings show children who have a high BMI and who remain overweight when they reach adolescence are more likely to have high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood insulin levels, all risk factors for heart disease, by the time they reach adolescence. But, importantly, researchers say children who reach a healthy weight are able to lower their risk.

Cathy Ross, Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said:

“It’s reassuring to see evidence that shows making changes to your lifestyle reduces your risk of heart disease, whatever your age.

“Overweight children who successfully tackle their weight problem by the time they reach adolescence appear to be able to reduce their risk of heart disease which is really positive news.

“However, we must work to prevent them becoming overweight in the first place as many obese children don’t achieve a healthy weight.

“Helping youngsters to understand lifestyle messages can be very challenging but making sure they balance healthy eating with regular physical activity is vital. It means they can achieve and maintain a healthy weight whilst still enjoying the food they love throughout their lives.”

The study was published in the British Medical Journal and involved more than 5,000 children.

Study highlights deadly consequences of passive smoking, says heart charity

Around one in every 100 deaths worldwide every year is a result of passive smoking, according to a new study.

The research found that around 603,000 deaths worldwide were due to second hand smoke. By far the largest cause was heart disease which accounted for 379,000 of those deaths. The study is the first to assess the global impact of second hand smoke.

Betty McBride, Policy & Communications Director at the British Heart Foundation, said:

“Breathing in other people’s tobacco smoke has deadly consequences. This study is ample proof that we were right to introduce the ban on smoking in public places in this country.

“These figures should make smokers stop and think about the impact they’re having on other people’s health, particularly children’s. They should also serve as encouragement to government to go further and promote smoke free homes and cars.”

The research was published in The Lancet and looked at data from 192 countries.

Tuesday 23 November, 2010

Government immigration cap lacks detail, says heart charity

The Government has today announced details of an immigration cap on non-EU citizens.

Home Secretary Theresa May has restricted the number of migrant workers arriving in the UK from outside the EU to 21,700 people.

It is unclear at this stage what the full effects on medical research will be and the UK’s ability to attract the world’s best scientists to work in the UK. As part of the changes announced today, the limit on highly skilled individuals within the Tier 1 category of the points based system is set to be reduced a cap of 1,000.

Professor Peter Weissberg, Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, said:

“Limiting the number of Tier 1 visas to a 1,000 exceptionally talented individuals appears to be too restrictive when you consider it will not only apply to scientists, but also investors and entrepreneurs.

“Placing the Research Councils as the sole arbiters of exceptional talent in research, as implied by the Home Secretary, may also present problems for other funders.

“The Government needs to provide clearer details on how this is going to work in practice.”

Blood pressure breakthrough holds real hope for

treatment of pre-eclampsia

Scientists have discovered a mechanism which raises blood pressure in pre-eclampsia, a potentially deadly condition of high blood pressure during pregnancy.

After 20 years of research, and with funding from the British Heart Foundation (BHF), scientists from the University of Cambridge have now cracked the first step in the main process that controls blood pressure.  Their findings, published today in the journal Nature, are likely to have significant implications for the treatment of pre-eclampsia as well as high blood pressure (also known as hypertension).

Blood pressure is controlled by hormones called angiotensins, which cause the blood vessels to constrict.  These hormones are released by the protein angiotensinogen.  Until now, it was not understood how this occurred.

Dr Aiwu Zhou, a BHF Fellow at the University of Cambridge, who made the breakthrough, said: “Although we primarily focused on pre-eclampsia, the research also opens new leads for future research into the causes of hypertension in general.”

To make the discovery, the researchers solved the structure of angiotensinogen with the help of an extremely intense X-ray beam produced by Diamond Light Source, the UK synchrotron. Their results revealed that the protein is oxidised and changes shape to permit ready access to angiotensinogen by an enzyme, renin.  Renin cuts off the tail of the protein to release the hormone angiotensin, which then raises blood pressure.

Taking their lab results into the clinic at the University of Nottingham, the research team showed that the amount of oxidised, and hence more active, angiotensinogen was increased in women with pre-eclampsia.

Drugs currently used to treat high blood pressure – such as ACE inhibitors - focus on the later stages of the mechanism that controls blood pressure. 

Today’s findings, which give insight into the previously mysterious early stages of the regulation process, provide scientists with new opportunities to research novel treatments for hypertension.

Professor Peter Weissberg, Medical Director of the BHF said:  “Every year in the UK pre-eclampsia is responsible for the deaths of around six women and several hundred babies. This research is of the highest quality and offers real hope for developing strategies to prevent or treat this dangerous condition by targeting the process that these scientists have identified. And of course, although the researchers only looked at pre-eclampsia in this study, similar strategies may be useful for those people with high blood pressure that is not effectively controlled by current medicines.”

High blood pressure frequently affects pregnancy.  However, in 2-7 per cent of pregnancies this develops into pre-eclampsia, which threatens the health and survival of both the mother and child.   In Britain, it affects about one in 20 women during pregnancy, and every year 50,000 women and 500,000 infants die globally as a result of pre-eclampsia.  There is no treatment for pre-eclampsia and often the mother is either induced early or undergoes a Caesarean. 

Karen Partridge, 45 from Bristol, has a son and three daughters. She suffered severe pre-eclampsia in her first two pregnancies. “It was a very scary time. I spent 21 days in hospital during my first pregnancy. I had the classic symptoms, protein in my urine and high blood pressure and I swelled up like the Michelin man putting on four stone.

“There was no choice but to deliver my first child as quickly as possibly which resulted in a low birth weight of only 5lb 2oz and my daughter was tube fed for 10 days. I was very anxious about my second pregnancy where I also suffered pre-eclampsia with very similar symptoms. It was a frightening time for me and my family.”

The research was largely funded by the British Heart Foundation, with additional funding provided by the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust and the Isaac Newton Trust.

Migraine sufferers should concentrate on a healthy lifestyle, says charity

New research, due to be published in the British Medical Journal, has shown that people who suffer from migraine with aura could be more at risk of dying from heart and circulatory disease.

“This study identifies a small increased risk of death from heart and circulatory disease for anyone who suffers from migraine with aura.

“Like everyone else, those affected should be vigilant when it comes to spotting signs of a heart attack, and should call 999 for an ambulance immediately if they’re worried.

“They should also reduce their risk of heart disease in the future by avoiding smoking, regularly exercising and eating a balanced diet.”

Brushing your teeth helps keeps heart disease at bay, says heart charity

Poor oral hygiene has been linked with a higher risk of developing heart disease, according to a new study. But the BHF thinks this is just one element of an unhealthy lifestyle which increases the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease.   

Researchers asked a group of people how often they brushed their teeth and then tracked the number of them who developed heart disease over the next eight years. They found that people who brushed their teeth least often were more likely to develop heart disease than those who had good oral hygiene.

Judy O’Sullivan, senior cardiac nurse at British Heart Foundation, said:

“If you don’t brush your teeth, your mouth can become infected with bacteria which can cause inflammation. It is already known that there is a link between inflammation and a higher risk of developing heart disease.

“However, it is complicated by the fact that poor oral hygiene is often associated with other well known risk factors for heart disease, such as smoking and poor diet.

“Good personal hygiene is a basic element of a healthy lifestyle.  But if you want to help your heart, you should eat a balanced diet, avoid smoking and take part in regular physical activity.”

Help parents understand the harm of passive smoking, says BHF

In response to the report Passive smoking and children by the Tobacco Advisory Group of the Royal College of Physicians (1) which looks at the effects of passive smoking upon children, Betty McBride, Director of Policy and Communications at the British Heart Foundation (BHF) said:

“All parents want the best for their children yet many are making their kids breathe a toxic fog of tobacco fumes which only damages their health.

“The UK Government should now look at all options available to best protect children including awareness campaigns, supporting parents to quit smoking and possible legislation. When the current smoke free legislation in England is reviewed later this year it should find the best way to achieve a smoke free environment.

“The tragedy of passive smoking is the lives cut short or ruined through ill-health as a result of someone else’s deadly habit.”

Reduce portion sizes to help improve the nation’s diet, says BHF

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has recommended that food manufacturers make single, smaller size portions of their products available to help reduce the amount of fat, salt and sugar people eat.

The FSA’s calls apply to products such as cakes, biscuits and sugary drinks. Betty McBride, Policy & Communications Director at the British Heart Foundation, said:

“It’s easy to tuck into treats such as biscuits, cakes and sugary drinks without realising just how packed full of calories, fats, salts and sugars they are.

“Reducing portion sizes and the amount of saturated fat in foods will help to improve the nation’s diet and help tackle obesity and heart disease.

“If this is to be successful, it needs to be accompanied by a single front of pack food labelling scheme that combines traffic light colours, GDAs and the words high, medium and low to help busy shoppers understand at a glance what’s in the food they’re buying.”

Heart patients should get free prescriptions, according to a Government review

A review of prescription charges in England concludes people with long-term health conditions such as heart disease should be exempt from payments.

Heart patients in Wales and Northern Ireland already get free prescriptions while heart patients in Scotland will have charges lifted from April 2011.  People with other conditions, such as diabetes and epilepsy also benefit from an exemption across the UK

Review author Professor Ian Gilmore, President of the Royal College of Physicians, concluded:

>Everyone who fits within a broad definition of “long-term condition”, such as six months’ continuous management that could include medication, should be exempt from charges following approval from their doctor

>The Government should consider bringing in the changes as soon as possible so they can start to benefit patients

>Free prescriptions should be phased in by reducing the costs of pre-payment certificates

>New exemptions should be for the person rather for the condition

The Government has said any decisions will need to be taken in the context of the autumn spending review.

Betty McBride, Director of Policy and Communications, at the British Heart Foundation, said:

“Ian Gilmore’s review is great news for heart patients. His report sets out a viable roadmap for Government on how to phase out charges for people with long-term conditions without burdening the NHS with unaffordable extra costs.

“It’s vital that heart patients continue to take prescribed medication to keep them healthy. This is even more important in the current financial climate as preventative action avoids more costly medical treatment and hospital stays.

“We look forward to seeing ministerial action on this point in the autumn spending review so heart patients in England can stop facing financial worries and simply focus on getting well.”