Warnings over children"s health as recycled e-waste comes back as plastic toys

Flame retardants used in plastics in a wide range of electronic products is putting the health of children exposed to them at risk, according to a new report (pdf).

Brominated flame-retarding chemicals have been associated with lower mental, psychomotor and IQ development, poorer attention spans and decreases in memory and processing speed, according to the peer-reviewed study by the campaign group CHEM Trust.

“The brain development of future generations is at stake,” says Dr Michael Warhurst, CHEM Trust’s director. “We need EU regulators to phase out groups of chemicals of concern, rather than slowly restricting one chemical at a time. We cannot continue to gamble with our children’s health.”

The issue poses questions about recycled products that have been imported from countries with less robust recycling rules, such as China.

In 2014 China generated 3.2bn tonnes of industrial solid waste, of which 2bn tonnes was recycled, recovered, incinerated or reused, according to a study in Nature. But concerns about its waste treatment standards were heightened by the discovery of some of the highest concentrations of PBDE chemicals (a group of brominated flame retardants) ever recorded in the food chain near the country’s e-waste recycling plants in the same year.

A trend towards using plastic parts instead of metals in electrical and electronic goods is also causing a headache for the circular economy because so many plastics use toxic flame retardants.

One 2015 study (pdf) found significant traces of two potentially hormone-altering brominated flame retardants in 43% of 21 children’s toys surveyed, including toy robots, hockey sticks and finger skateboards. The substances are often found in the recycled plastics first used in electronic products.

Last month the European commission moved to restrict the use of one such substance, DecaBDE, but also allowed exemptions for spare car parts and aviation, and longer deferral periods for recycled materials containing the substance.

A subsequent European Environmental Bureau report called on the commission to limit the amount of hazardous materials in circulation and ensure the appropriate decontamination of hazardous waste before recovery.

At high doses persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as DecaBDE may have carcinogenic (pdf) effects and environmentalists have protested to the commission (pdf) about their potential reuse. POPs can accumulate in living bodies and be transported far from their places of origin by atmospheric circulation and ocean currents.

The Arctic, for example, has experienced a huge build up of POPs even though they are not produced there, with Innuit peoples in Nunavut recording extraordinarily high chemical concentrations in their bloodstreams.

That poses concerns for health professionals but also for European businesses. Under EU law companies must remove and send listed POPs to high-temperature incineration plants where they can be turned into salts and waters. However, this removes a plastic waste stream from revenue-generating recycling materials, making it more costly and difficult to meet recycling obligations.

Plastics in electrical goods may be safely incinerated en masse when disposed of by responsible hazardous-waste disposal centres.

But environmentalists argue that EU regulations allow the collection and recycling of material containing dangerously high levels of POPs, while information about chemical toxicity is not properly passed along the whole product lifecycle.

The substances may still be found in imported products that have been recycled in countries like China, according to Professor Olaf Wirth of the Okopol Institute, who has advised the German federal environment agency.

“Many big name toy-makers produce in China and don’t have a problem as they tell the producers what to do and what is forbidden in the EU,” says Wirth. “If you just buy something on the market because you like the design then you may bring products into the EU that contain substances that are not allowed.”

Wirth is sympathetic to environmentalists and firefighters who question the need for flame retardants in most electrical products, although national regulations often require them.

Philip Morton, the outgoing CEO of Repic, the UK’s largest e-waste producer compliance scheme, told the Guardian that handling POPs is “the next big thing” for manufacturers.

“Whereas steel is just steel, plastic is not just plastic,” says Morton. “There are a number of different grades and additives that should be on everyone’s radar. More things will soon start appearing on the ‘POP list’ and that has the potential to become very difficult [for industry].”

The commission is expected to bring forward an amendment of its POP regulation later this year, to update producer obligations. Meanwhile designers are in an ongoing race to turn out product models that are well labelled, easily dissembled and simple to recycle.

“Going forward there will have to be stronger connections between manufacturers and the designers of their products as it’s a closed loop and producers putting these products on the market will ultimately pay for recycling at the end of a product’s life,” says Morton.

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Warnings over children"s health as recycled e-waste comes back as plastic toys

Plain packaging and graphic warnings will ‘crush’ craft drinks, says gin master

It’s enough to make Jared Brown spill his drink. The co-founder and master distiller behind Sipsmith, the micro-distillery in the vanguard of the craft gin movement in the UK, is contemplating the possibility of graphic warning photographs and plain packaging appearing on bottles of alcohol, akin to the restrictions on tobacco that assume full force in May.

“Are they considering similar labels for bacon? Fish and chips? Crisps?” he demands. “It’s an absurdity. It will crush the craft side of the industry. It will shift the business back to the industrial producers, who will be very happy to move people back to mass-produced drinks. If something like this comes through we won’t be able to weather it.”

In December, a report from the government advisory body Public Health England suggested that bottles of alcohol could be sold in plain packaging and carry larger health warnings, including photographic warning labels. This month, public health groups called for a ban on all alcohol advertising in the UK and a study published last week by the University of Liverpool recommended placing warning labels on the front of bottles and using plain packaging to emphasise the risks associated with excessive drinking.

Under current arrangements, there are no mandatory requirements for alcohol labelling, although a voluntary “responsibility deal” requires the drinks industry to include warning labels indicating the unit alcohol content, the chief medical officer’s alcohol guidelines and a pregnancy warning. For some campaigners and health professionals, self-regulation and the use of labels with questionable effectiveness is not enough.

‘If you remove branding and packaging, people will trade down in terms of quality,’ says craft spirit branding specialist Michael Vachon. Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo

“There’s been a long and sorry history of the drinks industry drawing up voluntary agreements with government and failing to deliver,” said Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, who chairs the Alcohol Health Alliance. “There needs to be proper balanced information about the calorie content, health risks and guidelines. The public has a right to know that there is a significant link between alcohol and some cancers.”

Sarah Hanratty, interim chief executive of the Portman Group, which administers the industry’s code of practice and set up the Drinkaware website, argues that self-regulation does have teeth. “There are strong commercial sanctions for companies that break the rules and products can be removed from shelves,” she said. “Banning alcohol marketing or calling for plain packaging is not the answer and will only serve to damage Britain’s thriving creative industries.”

One industry that has already voiced alarm at the possibility of plain packaging and warning labels is the design sector. “What would a beautiful bar look like if the back bar was all plain packaging?” asked designer and brand consultant Ron Cregan, who has worked in the industry for over 25 years. “Would the iconic shape of the champagne bottle have to change?”

Cregan is so alarmed that he has got together with like-minded professionals to form a group called Endangered Species to respond to the challenges that may lie ahead: “This has been on my radar for the last 15 years. We’re trying to create a forum so that when it comes to the table we can have a debate. We need to gather our best brains,” he said. “It goes to who we are and how we live and celebrate life. I want to live in a world that’s culturally and socially rich. There’s a kind of semi-religious tone to this. It’s highly sanctimonious.”

Chris Record, a liver specialist at Newcastle University who started the campaign for better labelling on alcohol products in 2004, denies that there is anything self-righteous about his work.

“We’re not temperance people at all,” he said. “We don’t mind people drinking, we just don’t want them to drink excessively and the only way to get this message across is to give them the information. The public has a right to know. We don’t want to interfere with their branding. We just want them to provide the information which they have failed to do voluntarily, so it needs to be mandatory in some form.”

Some observers see the debate around alcohol packaging as the inevitable consequence of the controls placed on tobacco. “It wouldn’t be possible unless cigarettes hadn’t happened first,” said Christopher Snowdon of the Institute of Economic Affairs thinktank. “The debates around the tobacco advertising ban 15 years ago were that this was not a precedent, it will never happen with anything else, and yet last week the there were health campaigners saying the same thing should happen with alcohol.”

Craft spirit branding specialist Michael Vachon, who set up Maverick Drinks, sees an unintended consequence of any attempt to hinder branding. “Certainly it would harm what is a burgeoning entrepreneurial scene,” he said. “Packaging plays a big part in being able to sell the product. I’d love to be able to say that the taste of the product is everything but it’s simply not the case. The packaging is a big part of why people trade up to craft brands. If you remove branding and packaging, people will trade down in terms of quality, and that would have the opposite of the intended effect. I’m sure government bodies would prefer people to drink better and less rather than cheaper and more.”

Plain packaging and graphic warnings will ‘crush’ craft drinks, says gin master

London mayor issues pollution warnings at bus stops and tube stations

Air quality alerts have been issued at bus stops, tube stations and roadsides across London because of high pollution levels, said a spokeswoman for the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.

The alerts will notify Londoners on Thursday evening during their commute home from work.

People in London who suffer from lung or heart problems have been warned to avoid strenuous exercise. The risks from heightened levels of air pollution enveloping the city have been exacerbated by settled and cold conditions, which have prevented pollutants from being dispersed.

Individuals at risk have been warned to particularly avoid outdoor exercise, while those with asthma may need to use their inhaler more often, according to the London Air Quality Network, based at King’s College University.

Anyone from the wider population who experiences sore eyes, a cough or sore throat should also consider reducing their physical activity, particularly outdoors, the pollution monitoring service said.

Air pollution campaigners called on the government and city authorities to restrict traffic during smog episodes.

“When pollution episodes are high, the mayor should introduce emergency traffic restrictions to bring pollution levels down quickly,” said a spokeswoman for Friends of the Earth.

“The solutions proposed for dealing with the latest smog have things backwards: the first step should be restricting traffic not people.

“It’s outrageous that those with vulnerable lungs, including children and the elderly, are told to stay at home when the air is bad. Everyone should be able to go about their business, without being afraid of the air they breathe.”

According to the London Air Quality Network, winter smogs are formed when pollutants from traffic and industry are trapped at ground level because of a temperature inversion.

The pollution is a mix of ultra-fine particulates of unburned carbon, known as PM2.5s, and the toxic gas nitrogen dioxide (NO2) which is largely created by diesel cars, lorries and buses.

Thursday’s pollution episode took place on the same day as Nice, the government’s independent health advisers, proposed that councils in England should be given powers to set up clean-air zones. This would allow them to restrict certain vehicles entering some areas.

About 9,500 people die early each year in London due to long-term exposure to air pollution, more than twice as many as previously thought, according to new research. Air pollution is now Britain’s most lethal environmental risk, killing about 40,000 people prematurely each year.

Air pollution monitors showed high or very high pollution along all major London roads, with extremely high pollution recorded in the city centre. On Thursday, a Defra pollution monitor on Marylebone Road also registered very high levels.

Khan made tackling London’s air pollution a priority issue in his election campaign. This summer he announced his intention to issue alerts for high pollution. However, there have been no incidents of particularly high pollution until now.

Khan said: “Londoners need to know when the city is suffering from high pollution levels so they can take any necessary appropriate measures to protect themselves from poor air quality. This is particularly crucial for Londoners who are vulnerable, such as asthma sufferers.”

London mayor issues pollution warnings at bus stops and tube stations

By failing to update their warnings, drug regulators are letting patients down

US drug regulator the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued warnings about possible side effects of taking varenicline. Varenicline (marketed as Chantix in the US, and Champix in the UK) is a drug which can help people stop smoking. The FDA’s warnings are out of date, do not reflect the scientific evidence, and urgently need to be updated. They may have led the public and clinicians to incorrectly believe that there was strong scientific evidence that varenicline causes or exacerbates mental health problems. Given varenicline is the most effective way to successfully stop smoking, these safety concerns may have resulted in fewer people successfully stopping smoking.

A brief history FDA’s warnings over varenicline

In May 2006 the FDA approved varenicline for use as a medication to help people stop smoking. This was the first treatment licensed for smoking cessation since 1997, and initial evidence suggested that people who took it were more likely to successfully stop smoking. However, it was not long before concerns were raised that people prescribed varenicline were experiencing mental health side effects. Newspapers reported a series of anecdotes that people taking varenicline had suicidal behaviour. The FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) suggested patients prescribed varenicline were more likely to report suicidal behaviour than patients prescribed other medications. The key question was, are these differences a result of taking varenicline, or is it just that patients prescribed it had a higher risk of these events even before they were prescribed treatment? Were they due to correlation or causation?

The FDA attempted to answer this question in a safety review that was published in February 2008. They concluded that “[varenicline] may cause worsening of a current psychiatric illness even if it is currently under control and may cause an old psychiatric illness to reoccur.” In July 2009, after pressure from the media and consumer groups, the FDA went further, mandating that varenicline carry a “Black Box warning”. Black Box warnings are the FDA’s strongest warning about possible side effects of drugs. The Black Box warning for varenicline highlights “the risk of serious neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients using these products”. Symptoms included changes in behaviour, hostility, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal thoughts and behaviour, and attempted suicide.

The FDA then commissioned two large observational cohort studies to examine the risks associated with varenicline. They also instructed Pfizer to conduct a large randomised trial to investigate the side effects of varenicline in people with mental health problems.

Results from the observational studies were reported in October 2011. In both studies people prescribed varenicline had similar risks of being hospitalised for psychiatric problems as patients prescribed nicotine replacement therapy – in other words, there was no evidence of increased risk. However, these were observational studies, rather than experimental (randomised trials), so could not prove that varenicline did not cause adverse outcomes. However, most epidemiologists would regard these studies as more reliable evidence than the anecdotal case reports and newspaper reports which originally raised concerns about these risks. Nevertheless, in response to this new evidence, the FDA “determined that the current warnings in the varenicline drug label, based on post marketing surveillance reports, remain appropriate” and did not remove the Black Box warning.

Meanwhile, further observational studies were amassing evidence about whether varenicline use is associated with adverse events. In 2009, our colleagues found no evidence that patients in UK prescribed varenicline had higher risks of suicidal behaviour. In 2013, we updated this evidence to include over 100,000 patients, and again found that patients prescribed varenicline had similar risks of suicidal behaviour and similar rates of self-harm. In 2015, we systematically reviewed the literature of randomised controlled trials, and again found that participants given varenicline had similar risks of suicide and self-harm as those given placebo.

In March 2015 the FDA issued a further update. Despite mounting evidence about the safety of varenicline, they did not change their warnings. In 2016, the randomised controlled trial the FDA commissioned reported its findings. This trial randomised 8,144 people to receive varenicline, nicotine patch, bupropion or placebo, and found that people allocated to varenicline rather than nicotine replacement products experienced fewer moderate and severe mental health adverse events. The European Medicine Agency, which regulates pharmaceuticals in Europe, recently updated the information it provides about varenicline. In contrast, to date the FDA has refused to update its warnings.

Correlation does not equal causation

Patients who take medications are different from the general population. This means that even if patients prescribed a drug are more likely to have a particular adverse event this does not necessarily prove that these events are caused by the drug. In the case of varenicline, people who smoke are different from the general population on average; they are usually poorer, sicker, and more likely to have mental health problems. So the fact that patients taking varenicline reported higher rates of suicidal behaviour than patients prescribed other drugs in the FDA Adverse Events Reporting System, may have been because these patients were at higher risk of these events, before taking varenicline. This means these adverse events are unreliable evidence of the difference when taking varenicline or other nicotine replacement products.

Spurious safety warnings can be extremely harmful

In 1998 a paper was published which suggested that there might be an association between taking the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine and developing autism. These claims were false, and multiple, large, well-conducted studies have proven that these claims were false, and the MMR vaccine is not associated with, and does not cause autism. Nevertheless, these warnings led to a substantial fall in vaccination rates, and an increase in cases of measles. So it is vital for regulators to distinguish between side effects which are caused by drugs, and potential events which the drugs do not cause. These could be events that are correlated with a medication, or risks for which the regulator does not have any reliable evidence.

In 2007 3.9 million patients took varenicline in the US. In 2012, after the safety warnings were issued, only 1.2 million patients took varenicline. Thus a potential cost of issuing safety warnings is that fewer patients take otherwise effective medications.

What should we do now?

From the first warnings about potential adverse effects of varenicline on mental health in November 2007 to today, 4.1 million people are likely to have died from smoking related disease in the US alone. The FDA’s Black Box warning of mental health problems associated with varenicline is inconsistent with the latest scientific evidence. Ultimately, it could discourage people from using the most effective smoking cessation treatment. In 14^th of September 2016, the FDA’s expert advisory group for drug safety met and again reviewed the evidence about the side effects associated with varenicline. The vote was close: they voted 10 to 9 in favour of advising the FDA to remove its warning. However, given the committee’s lack of consensus, it is not clear if the FDA will follow their guidance. In our opinion, given the evidence, the FDA needs to urgently revise this safety warning.

Dr Kyla Thomas is a National Institute for Health Research funded Clinical Lecturer in Public Health Medicine based at the University of Bristol and an Honorary Consultant in Public Health. She tweets sporadically @drkyla_thomas. Dr Neil Davies is an epidemiologist based in the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol. He occasionally tweets from @nm_davies. These views are their own.

A longer more detailed version of this blog post was published in the Addiction journal available here.

By failing to update their warnings, drug regulators are letting patients down

Sugar warnings have not reduced consumption in England, figures show

Warnings about about the health risks posed by sugar have failed to curb consumption, with children aged four to 10 eating and drinking more than double the recommended amount, according to Public Health England (PHE) figures.

Britons are advised that sugar should account for no more than 5% of daily calories, but from 2012-14, the average was 13.4% for those aged between four and 10, 15.2% among 11- to 18-year-olds, 12.3% for adults under 65 and 11.1% for those aged 65 and over, the national diet and nutrition survey (NDNS) found.

Many believe sugar is the biggest contributor to the obesity epidemic crippling the NHS, and the results, published on Friday, reignited criticism of the failure by the government to take a stronger line in its childhood obesity strategy.

The Action on Sugar chairman, Graham MacGregor, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at Queen Mary University of London, said: “Today’s NDNS data shows that children are still consuming almost three times more sugar than the daily maximum recommendation. Theresa May must urgently rethink her pathetic childhood obesity plan that lacks restrictions on the marketing of, and promotions on, products high in saturated fat, sugar and salt.

“The strategy must include the implementation of the soft drinks industry levy and a mandatory reformulation programme, as the failed responsibility deal has already proven that a voluntary system does not work.”

The figures showed a drop in the consumption of soft drinks by children aged four to 10, from 130ml a day from 2008-10 to 100ml a day from 2012-14, which helped make the age group the only one in which sugar consumption declined, having stood at 14.4% from 2010-12.

But levels remain unacceptably high, despite attempts to raise awareness of the harmful effects of sugar and the proliferation of healthy eating content on blogs and social media. Last year, the UK’s official nutrition advisers slashed the recommended daily amount of sugar, which had been 11% of calorific intake, in response to rising concerns.

The Obesity Health Alliance and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPH) said the figures underlined the need to protect children from junk food marketing on television and online, one of the most heavily criticised omissions of the obesity strategy published last month.

The RCPH president, Prof Neena Modi, said: “At a time when one in three 10-year-old children are overweight or obese, and one in three five-year-olds has tooth decay, the health risks posed by failure to tackle sugar intake are serious.

“An overweight or obese child is highly likely to be an overweight or obese adult, increasing the risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.”

An Obesity Health Alliance spokeswoman called for “an environment that makes it easier to make healthier choices”.

The survey painted a grim picture of the UK’s dietary habits. It found that people consume too much saturated fat and not enough fruit, vegetables, fibre and oily fish, with very few improvements since 2008-10. Additionally, men are eating too much red meat and processed meat, which was ranked alongside cigarettes as a major cause of cancer by the World Health Organisation last year.

Dr Alison Tedstone, the chief nutritionist at PHE, said: “This data provides compelling evidence that we all need to eat more fruit, veg, fibre and oily fish, and cut back on sugar, salt and saturated fat to improve our health.”

The survey was based on responses from 1,288 adults and 1,258 children, drawn from households selected at random.

Sugar warnings have not reduced consumption in England, figures show

FDA issues warnings about Cipro side effects and other antibiotics

The FDA warns about Cipro side effects.  The FDA has issued a warning about the use of the common antibiotics Cipro and other in the class of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones. Drugs on the current FDA-approved list that are not newly labeled include: levofloxacin (Levaquin), ciprofloxacin (Cipro), ciprofloxacin extended-release tablets, moxifloxacin (Avelox), ofloxacin and gemifloxacin (Factive). The FDA safety review revealed that both oral and the injected fluoroquinolones could cause, “disabling and potentially permanent, serious side effects that can occur together,” involving nerves, the nervous system, muscles, joints, and tendons. They recommend that the use of fluoroquinolones be reserved for those who have no other treatment options.

Boxed Warnings issued on fluoroquinolones

On Tuesday, July 26, 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued strong warnings about use of these fluoroquinolones antibiotics, including what is called a “Boxed Warning.” These warnings are revisions on the label including in the drug’s packaging, and lists Warnings and Precautions. This Medication Guide is required to be given to any patients who have been prescribed the medications.

Cipro Side Effects – and other fluoroquinolones

The side effects from cipro, and others in this class of antibiotics, can occur within hours, or take weeks to show up and could become permanent. Edward Cox, M.D., director of the Office of Antimicrobial Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, commented, “Fluoroquinolones have risks and benefits that should be considered very carefully.”

The FDA states, “serious side effects associated with fluoroquinolones generally outweigh the benefits for patients with acute bacterial sinusitis (ABS), acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (ABECB) and uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) who have other treatment options.”

Past warnings for fluoroquinolones

The first time a Boxed Warning was added to the fluoroquinolones antibiotics label was in July 2008, when the FDA noted an increase in risk for both tendinitis and tendon rupture. In 2011, the FDA added myasthenia gravis as a risk factor, and in 2013, irreversible peripheral neuropathy was added, leading to the 2016 warning of permanent damage to nerves and the nervous system.

Natural antibiotic alternatives

Research has shown that many natural substances act as antibiotics. Natural antibiotics include garlic, turmeric, colloidal silver, and even chicken soup. Ask your health care provider to recommend a safer natural antibiotic.

Sources include:

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/InformationbyDrugClass/ucm500325.htm

http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm513183.htm

http://www.newsnet5.com/news/local-news/investigations/fda-issues-updated-label-warnings-for-levaquin-cipro-antibiotics

http://www.naturalnews.com/029600_neti_pot_sinus_infections.html

FDA issues warnings about Cipro side effects and other antibiotics

Heatwave: Britons urged to consider heed of Uk climate overall health warnings

“This outstanding weather can genuinely take folks by shock,” stated Helen Stokes-Lampard, from the Royal College of GPs.

“The individuals who are most at risk in sizzling climate tend to be the elderly, notably the very elderly, folks who have lots of other wellness circumstances.

“Avoid conditions where you are going to get overheated. Don’t go for a jog if you are feeling sizzling currently. Feel about it, prepare ahead.”

Ms Stokes-Lampard additional that doctors expertise a surge in contact-outs for the duration of heatwaves, especially from quite elderly and frail.

“Hospitals then usually get the brunt of it since individuals are frequently so dehydrated that the only way to support them is a journey to hospital, which clearly nobody would like,” she stated.

Hospitals and care homes have been place on alert for an enhance in admissions with health and social providers staff on standby to speak to the sick and vulnerable.

Public wellness officials explained they have been especially concerned about Muslims fasting for Ramadan.

Heatwave: Britons urged to consider heed of Uk climate overall health warnings

Heatwave: Britons urged to consider heed of Uk weather overall health warnings

“This outstanding climate can really consider men and women by shock,” said Helen Stokes-Lampard, from the Royal University of GPs.

“The individuals who are most at threat in scorching climate have a tendency to be the elderly, particularly the quite elderly, people who have plenty of other well being problems.

“Avoid conditions in which you are going to get overheated. Do not go for a jog if you are feeling hot presently. Think about it, plan ahead.”

Ms Stokes-Lampard extra that medical professionals expertise a surge in phone-outs in the course of heatwaves, notably from quite elderly and frail.

“Hospitals then often get the brunt of it due to the fact folks are often so dehydrated that the only way to assist them is a journey to hospital, which clearly no person would like,” she said.

Hospitals and care homes have been put on alert for an increase in admissions with well being and social providers employees on standby to get in touch with the sick and vulnerable.

Public health officials stated they have been notably concerned about Muslims fasting for Ramadan.

Heatwave: Britons urged to consider heed of Uk weather overall health warnings

Heatwave: Britons urged to get heed of United kingdom climate wellness warnings

“This exceptional weather can actually consider folks by surprise,” said Helen Stokes-Lampard, from the Royal College of GPs.

“The people who are most at threat in sizzling climate tend to be the elderly, specifically the quite elderly, folks who have tons of other wellness situations.

“Avoid circumstances the place you are going to get overheated. Don’t go for a jog if you are feeling scorching previously. Believe about it, strategy ahead.”

Ms Stokes-Lampard added that medical professionals knowledge a surge in get in touch with-outs for the duration of heatwaves, particularly from extremely elderly and frail.

“Hospitals then usually get the brunt of it since individuals are typically so dehydrated that the only way to aid them is a journey to hospital, which obviously no person would like,” she said.

Hospitals and care homes have been place on alert for an improve in admissions with well being and social services employees on standby to speak to the sick and vulnerable.

Public wellness officials mentioned they have been notably concerned about Muslims fasting for Ramadan.

Heatwave: Britons urged to get heed of United kingdom climate wellness warnings

Heatwave: Britons urged to consider heed of Uk weather wellness warnings

“This outstanding climate can genuinely take people by surprise,” mentioned Helen Stokes-Lampard, from the Royal College of GPs.

“The people who are most at threat in sizzling weather tend to be the elderly, specifically the really elderly, people who have lots of other wellness circumstances.

“Avoid scenarios in which you are going to get overheated. Really do not go for a jog if you are feeling scorching currently. Feel about it, prepare ahead.”

Ms Stokes-Lampard extra that medical professionals knowledge a surge in phone-outs during heatwaves, notably from extremely elderly and frail.

“Hospitals then frequently get the brunt of it simply because people are frequently so dehydrated that the only way to aid them is a journey to hospital, which obviously no one needs,” she said.

Hospitals and care homes have been place on alert for an boost in admissions with well being and social services workers on standby to get in touch with the sick and vulnerable.

Public wellness officials mentioned they have been specifically concerned about Muslims fasting for Ramadan.

Heatwave: Britons urged to consider heed of Uk weather wellness warnings

Heatwave: Britons urged to take heed of United kingdom climate well being warnings

“This exceptional climate can really take folks by shock,” explained Helen Stokes-Lampard, from the Royal School of GPs.

“The folks who are most at risk in scorching climate tend to be the elderly, particularly the very elderly, individuals who have tons of other overall health conditions.

“Avoid scenarios in which you are going to get overheated. Really do not go for a jog if you are feeling scorching already. Believe about it, plan ahead.”

Ms Stokes-Lampard added that medical doctors encounter a surge in contact-outs throughout heatwaves, notably from very elderly and frail.

“Hospitals then often get the brunt of it because individuals are frequently so dehydrated that the only way to support them is a trip to hospital, which naturally no person needs,” she stated.

Hospitals and care properties have been place on alert for an boost in admissions with well being and social services staff on standby to get in touch with the sick and vulnerable.

Public overall health officials said they were especially concerned about Muslims fasting for Ramadan.

Heatwave: Britons urged to take heed of United kingdom climate well being warnings

Heatwave: Britons urged to take heed of UK weather health warnings

“This exceptional weather can truly consider people by shock,” explained Helen Stokes-Lampard, from the Royal University of GPs.

“The individuals who are most at risk in scorching climate have a tendency to be the elderly, especially the extremely elderly, people who have tons of other well being situations.

“Avoid circumstances the place you are going to get overheated. Really don’t go for a jog if you are feeling scorching presently. Think about it, strategy ahead.”

Ms Stokes-Lampard extra that medical doctors knowledge a surge in call-outs throughout heatwaves, notably from quite elderly and frail.

“Hospitals then typically get the brunt of it due to the fact men and women are usually so dehydrated that the only way to support them is a trip to hospital, which obviously no person desires,” she stated.

Hospitals and care houses have been put on alert for an enhance in admissions with overall health and social providers workers on standby to speak to the ill and vulnerable.

Public wellness officials explained they had been specifically concerned about Muslims fasting for Ramadan.

Heatwave: Britons urged to take heed of UK weather health warnings

Heatwave: Britons urged to consider heed of United kingdom weather health warnings

“This outstanding climate can really take people by shock,” mentioned Helen Stokes-Lampard, from the Royal School of GPs.

“The folks who are most at danger in hot weather tend to be the elderly, especially the really elderly, individuals who have tons of other health conditions.

“Avoid situations in which you are going to get overheated. Don’t go for a jog if you are feeling sizzling presently. Feel about it, strategy ahead.”

Ms Stokes-Lampard extra that physicians experience a surge in get in touch with-outs in the course of heatwaves, particularly from quite elderly and frail.

“Hospitals then typically get the brunt of it since men and women are usually so dehydrated that the only way to support them is a journey to hospital, which certainly no one desires,” she said.

Hospitals and care residences have been put on alert for an increase in admissions with wellness and social solutions employees on standby to make contact with the sick and vulnerable.

Public wellness officials mentioned they were specifically concerned about Muslims fasting for Ramadan.

Heatwave: Britons urged to consider heed of United kingdom weather health warnings

Heatwave: Britons urged to consider heed of Uk weather overall health warnings

“This outstanding weather can truly get people by shock,” mentioned Helen Stokes-Lampard, from the Royal College of GPs.

“The individuals who are most at risk in scorching weather have a tendency to be the elderly, notably the very elderly, men and women who have plenty of other health conditions.

“Avoid circumstances the place you are going to get overheated. Do not go for a jog if you are feeling sizzling currently. Feel about it, plan ahead.”

Ms Stokes-Lampard extra that physicians experience a surge in call-outs throughout heatwaves, specifically from extremely elderly and frail.

“Hospitals then usually get the brunt of it due to the fact men and women are often so dehydrated that the only way to support them is a trip to hospital, which naturally no person desires,” she stated.

Hospitals and care houses have been put on alert for an improve in admissions with wellness and social providers staff on standby to make contact with the unwell and vulnerable.

Public wellness officials mentioned they had been notably concerned about Muslims fasting for Ramadan.

Heatwave: Britons urged to consider heed of Uk weather overall health warnings

Heatwave: Britons urged to get heed of United kingdom weather health warnings

“This outstanding climate can actually consider folks by surprise,” said Helen Stokes-Lampard, from the Royal University of GPs.

“The people who are most at danger in hot weather tend to be the elderly, particularly the extremely elderly, people who have tons of other wellness circumstances.

“Avoid scenarios the place you are going to get overheated. Really do not go for a jog if you are feeling sizzling presently. Consider about it, prepare ahead.”

Ms Stokes-Lampard added that medical doctors knowledge a surge in contact-outs in the course of heatwaves, notably from really elderly and frail.

“Hospitals then often get the brunt of it since individuals are often so dehydrated that the only way to assist them is a trip to hospital, which certainly nobody would like,” she explained.

Hospitals and care residences have been place on alert for an enhance in admissions with wellness and social companies personnel on standby to make contact with the sick and vulnerable.

Public wellness officials stated they had been specifically concerned about Muslims fasting for Ramadan.

Heatwave: Britons urged to get heed of United kingdom weather health warnings

Heatwave: Britons urged to take heed of United kingdom climate well being warnings

“This excellent climate can truly consider men and women by shock,” mentioned Helen Stokes-Lampard, from the Royal University of GPs.

“The men and women who are most at danger in scorching weather tend to be the elderly, especially the extremely elderly, folks who have lots of other well being problems.

“Avoid circumstances the place you are going to get overheated. Really do not go for a jog if you are feeling scorching currently. Think about it, prepare ahead.”

Ms Stokes-Lampard extra that medical doctors encounter a surge in contact-outs in the course of heatwaves, particularly from quite elderly and frail.

“Hospitals then typically get the brunt of it simply because folks are frequently so dehydrated that the only way to help them is a trip to hospital, which clearly nobody desires,” she explained.

Hospitals and care houses have been put on alert for an increase in admissions with health and social providers employees on standby to get in touch with the ill and vulnerable.

Public wellness officials said they were especially concerned about Muslims fasting for Ramadan.

Heatwave: Britons urged to take heed of United kingdom climate well being warnings

Did Teen Suicide Warnings About Antidepressants In fact Lead to Suicides To Enhance?

In what would be a tragic case of the law of unintended consequences, a new research claims that the really warnings about the suicide dangers to teens taking antidepressants could have contributed to a surge in attempted teen suicides.

The study, published this week in the journal BMJ, investigated outcomes soon after the US Foods and Drug Administration (FDA) started publicizing warnings of increased risk of suicidality with antidepressant use in youthful folks. The FDA warnings, which started in 2003, have been particularly related with modifications in antidepressant use, suicide attempts, and completed suicides among adolescents.

The examine tracked information derived from the virtual data warehouse of 11 overall health plans in the US Psychological Well being Research Network covering around two.5 million adolescents and young grownups. Its findings recommend that the FDA warnings about enhanced risk of suicide linked to antidepressants induced antidepressant use amid teens and young grownups to substantially drop after 2003. Concurrently, the number of attempted suicides between the identical age groups elevated.

“This was a massive worldwide event in terms of the mass media,” says Stephen Soumerai of the Harvard Health-related School, a co-writer of the study. “Many of the media reviews in fact emphasized an exaggeration of the warnings.” [reported by NPR, June 18, 2014]

Antidepressant use fell 31 % among adolescents and 24 percent amid youthful adults following the FDA warnings, according to the study. Suicide attempts increased by almost 22 percent amid adolescents and 33 percent between younger grownups in the very same time time period. Suicide attempts tracked in the study have been largely the result of drug overdoses.

“The warnings have been well-intentioned but individuals were concerned that the ferocity of the messages may well impact clinicians, dad and mom and younger folks in a way that would minimize required drugs,” Soumerai stated in a press briefing.

Not all professionals agree with the research team’s interpretations of the information.  An official from the National Institute of Mental Health advised NPR that there are other possible factors why antidepressant use fell, and it is also not achievable to recognize what percentage of the drug overdoses were intentional or accidental.

As with all cohort scientific studies, which track outcomes across large groups over time, it is impossible to ferret out each conceivable element that may possibly have influenced the outcomes. But the study’s outcomes, at minimum, suggest the chance that the warnings had been not communicated effectively and could have triggered an overreaction in the common media that influenced a lot of parents to pull their youngsters off antidepressants.

In an emailed statement to NPR, the FDA defended its decision to warn the public. “The FDA noticed an important danger signal with antidepressants and we put that details in the drug labels,” the agency said.

The examine was published June 18, 2014 in the journal BMJ.

You can locate David DiSalvo on Twitter @neuronarrative, and at his website The Everyday Brain. His most recent guide is Brain Changer: How Harnessing Your Brain’s Energy To Adapt Can Change Your Lifestyle.

Did Teen Suicide Warnings About Antidepressants In fact Lead to Suicides To Enhance?

More than 50 elderly individuals killed by hip substitute operations after NHS ignored warnings cement was unsafe, former chief healthcare officer finds

Sir Liam, who was chief medical officer from 1990 to 2010, explained advice that advised monitoring the cardiac wellness of sufferers before hip operations was getting ignored.

“The orthopaedic surgery community seems to have concluded that the benefits of cement outweigh the hazards,” he stated.

“The NHS needs to look at when it is genuinely needed to use cement and when an operation may possibly be successful without having making use of it. In somecountries they don’t use it at all, it varies a whole lot across the world but in Britain it has usually been regular process.

“We want to see this entire question about the use of cement opened up once more and further research and evaluation of the dangers.”

In 2009, the now defunct Nationwide Patient Safety Company raised considerations about the use of cement during partial hip replacements for fractured femurs, and issued advice to the NHS on how to minimise the risks.

It discovered that 26 individuals had died and 6 suffered extreme harm as a consequence of “Bone Cement Implantation Syndrome”.

The Medicines and Healthcare Goods Regulatory Agency also obtained reviews of deaths and advised surgeons they ought to reduce hazards through “patient evaluation and revised anaesthetic and surgical techniques”.

But most of the deaths occurred right after 2009, suggesting that the implementation of recommendations was “suboptimal” the staff concluded in an post in the on the internet journal BMJ Open.

A spokesman for NHS England stated the NHS was functioning with patient safety groups and the Royal colleges to tackle the dilemma.

More than 50 elderly individuals killed by hip substitute operations after NHS ignored warnings cement was unsafe, former chief healthcare officer finds

Sugary drinks should carry health warnings

He highlighted a recent European study showing adults who drank more than one can of sugary fizzy drinks a day had a 22% higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes than those who drank less than a can a month.

He said there was public support for warnings about added sugar as the food stuff was being “progressively demonised”.

He said: “Many other potentially harmful products already carry effective health warnings.

“For example, insecticides and other toxic products have long carried labels warning users to take extreme care.

“Similarly, cigarettes have gone from being socially acceptable to quite unacceptable after warning labels were implemented.

“The effectiveness of tobacco warnings and plain packaging is now accepted by almost everyone not linked to the industry.”

Prof Capewell said warning labels represented an “interesting natural experiment” that “may offer an effective new strategy to complement existing, potentially powerful interventions like marketing bans and sugary drinks duties”.

The call for labelling comes after research from the University of Glasgow was published earlier this year showing people are underestimating sugar levels in drinks which are perceived to be “healthy” options.

More than 2,000 people across the UK were asked to estimate how many teaspoons of sugar were in a variety of beverages.

While many overestimated the amount in fizzy drinks, they “significantly misjudged” the levels in milkshakes, smoothies and some fruit juices.

Gavin Partington, British Soft Drinks Association director general, said trying to blame one set of products for the “complex” problem of obesity was “misguided.”

He added that softdrinks have full nutrition labelling including calorie content printed on the pack.

“Obesity is a far more complex problem than Professor Capewell’s simplistic approach implies and trying to blame one set of products is misguided, particularly when they comprise a mere 3% of calories in the average diet,” he said.

“Soft drinks can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet and all products have full nutrition labelling, including calorie content, printed on pack so consumers and parents can make informed choices about what they and their children are drinking.

“Manufacturers have been taking steps to reduce the calorie content of their drinks over many years – more than 60% of drinks now contain no added sugar.

“In addition, the leading producers and retailers with market share of around 75% are now signed up to the responsibility deal to reduce calories even more, backed by a significant increase in advertising and marketing expenditure on low and no calorie drinks.”

Sugary drinks should carry health warnings

Statins individuals at improved chance after warnings more than flaws ignored

Sir Rory explained he initial highlighted the error to the editor of the BMJ in December, but it had taken months to be corrected.

He stated massive scale placebo trials of much more than one hundred,000 individuals have proven that statins are normally secure, with a low threat of side effects.

John Abramson, of Harvard medical college, has admitted claims contained in his paper that 20 per cent of sufferers on statins suffered side effects were flawed. He has now withdrawn the statements.

Aseem Malhotra, a cardiologist in Croydon, repeated the findings and has now also redacted claims submitted in a paper to BMJ.

Sir Rory additional: “They overestimated the side results of statins by a lot more than 20 instances.”

He explained: “By misrepresenting this it might have meant men and women stopped taking them or large danger sufferers really don’t start off taking them in the initial spot.

“It’s a shame that this correction hasn’t been more warm hearted and appropriate.”

Fiona Godlee, editor in chief of the BMJ, said the journal had manufactured a public retraction so individuals who could advantage from taking statins were not deterred from doing so simply because of the flawed claims.

“I’ve invited a panel to make a selection about regardless of whether we want to do a lot more than we have accomplished,” she said. “

She stated that the error was contained in one particular statement which was published in two separate articles or blog posts, which had been edited and peer reviewed.

However despite admitting the flaw in the research, she mentioned she felt much more required to be accomplished just before statins could be declared protected.

“This is a quite serious public health concern speaking about massively extending the use of these medicines to healthier individuals,” additional Dr Godlee.

Dr Abramson’s main declare, that healthier sufferers did not reduce their risk of death by taking statins, has not been withdrawn but will also be regarded by the independent panel.

Statins individuals at improved chance after warnings more than flaws ignored