Hello and welcome back to the H2BH weekly roundup, your weekly bulletin of the health stories hitting the headlines this week. We aim to debunk, distil and demystify the ever-misleading headlines that grace our eyeballs every day.
This week has been a relatively quiet one, talks of no-deal Brexit fill the airwaves, the pound has fallen in value and healthcare has taken a backseat once again. But some stories have still wormed their way into the front pages, with pollution in particular being on the forefront of people’s minds. So without further ado, here are our three biggest stories of the week.
Asthma and Air Pollution
Multiple papers this week have commented on the recently
approved study conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, which observed
that up to 33% of cases of childhood asthma across Europe could be
prevented by reduced air pollution.1
The study looked at the incidence of childhood asthma in 18
different countries across Europe and compared that to the levels of air
pollution. They looked at three different markers for air pollution (NO2,
PM2.5 and BC), and estimated what the reduction of lung cancer would
be if these markers were reduced to either the recommended levels by the World
Health Organisation (WHO), or to the lowest levels of air pollution reported in
a preliminary study. The study showed that, quite markedly, reducing PM2.5
(particulate matter, a mixture of solid and liquid particles in the air
including soot) had the biggest impact on reducing childhood asthma. Reducing PM2.5
to the lowest recorded levels would result in an estimated 33% reduction
in childhood asthma cases and reducing just to the WHO guidelines would still
reduce cases by 11%!
Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the lungs that is
particularly prevalent in children, and as of 2011, over 235 million people suffer
with the disease worldwide.2 According to WHO, air pollution is a definite
risk factor, having even published that reducing air pollution exposure is one
of their primary objectives for reducing asthma cases.2 However, this
study is one of the first, and certainly one of the largest to quantify exactly
how well-connected childhood asthma is to air pollution.
The Independent reported fairly well on the article, although
their fearmongering quotes feel somewhat excessive, promoting scare tactics
rather than solutions. Additionally, they refer to a nine year old girl who recently
died from asthma, stating “who lived near the South Circular Road in Lewisham”,
after mere lines before highlighting that the metrics mostly closely associated
with traffic pollution (NO2) were resulting in the smallest risk of
asthma in the study.3 Whilst
we wouldn’t suggest that traffic pollution is exactly good for your health, it
would be nice if the papers didn’t include conflicting statements, without
explanation.
DNA Blood Test Diagnosing Breast Cancer
Researchers at the Translational Genomics Research Institute
(TGEN) in Arizona have published a study that may have a huge impact on the treatment
and prognosis of those with locally advanced cancers.1
At the moment, individuals with locally advanced cancer are
likely to undergo aggressive treatments in order to tackle the diseases. This
typically involves continuing the treatment after detectable levels of tumour
have been removed from the body, in order to minimise the risk of trace amounts
of cancer cells growing and causing a relapse in the patient. However these
doses of treatment can be lethal in themselves, and as such it is a difficult
battle for a doctor to decide to push for more treatment to reduce the risk of
cancer, or opt for reduced treatment to avoid death-by-side-effects (SPOILER
ALERT: Have you ever seen the end of the tv series House, where Dr Wilson
administers his own cancer treatment? It’s the same principle – and a great tv
show!)
The results of the TGEN study, however, could help doctors
to make better decisions. The study, funded by a wide array of cancer research charities
and trusts, demonstrated the success of a new method designed to identify cancer
cells in patients with currently undetectable levels of cancer. This method is
a form of DNA sequencing called ‘Targeted Digital Sequencing’ or ‘TARDIS’ (stay
tuned for a future post discussing whether silly acronyms should be used in
science).
This study holds potential for fewer treatment-associated
deaths in cancer patients, as well as reducing the need for invasive treatments
and biopsies for many patients in remission. The independent reports well on this
story so definitely check that out!2 It’s a good day for cancer research,
and hopefully TARDIS will launch us to new and exciting times.
CAN YOU GET A JAMES BOND BODY?
Okay. Lets keep this one brief. This week the telegraph published the article ‘How
to get a James Bond body (even in midlife’, in light of the new James Bond cast
slowly being announced.
And of course every middle aged man would dream of walking along the beach, lady-friend in hand looking like Daniel Craig straight off the Casino Royal set. But is it actually plausible?
Short answer:
And of course every middle aged man would dream of walking along the beach, lady-friend in hand looking like Daniel Craig straight off the Casino Royal set. But is it actually plausible?
Short answer:
Unlikely.
In theory its possible of course. You just need to tick three(ish)
boxes. Have enough free time and money to eat perfectly and train A LOT, have a
world-class personal trainer, and have a half decent set of genes in the first
place (as well as, avoid injury, not have any emotional or metal issues
preventing you from remoulding your body, having a multi-million dollar
paycheck as motivation).
Many candid actors speak openly about their experiences with
getting fit for TV and film. The likes of Matt Smith and Scarlett Johansson speak
about training for films requiring hours more exercise PER DAY than their normal
routines, and Chris Pratt has spoken openly at length about how going from pretty
average Andy of Parks and Recreation fame, to a literal superhero in Guardians
of the Galaxy. None of these celebrities say it is easy. And for all of them,
it is their job.
Of course you can make changes to get closer to that ideal,
you can get rid of a beer gut by running a few miles a week, cutting back on
the booze and upping your veg intake, and in fact many people do live balanced
lives and remain very fit. However this gets increasingly challenging as you
age, as muscle mass becomes harder to build and bones become more brittle.
What can be achieved however is health. You can avoid
smoking to keep your lungs healthy. Engage in cardio exercise a few times a week
to keep you heart strong. Cut back on processed foods and soft drinks to avoid
clogging your arteries.
When media organisations publish articles offering guidance
on how to ‘get a James Bond body’, or ‘lose weight & look like Beyonce’
(another headline floating about this week) they simply promote an unattainable
image, making people feel worse about themselves, and feel less able to make
positive changes.
Of course people want to look at celebrities, they are a magical
elite whose lives we can only dream about. However, perhaps instead we could
focus a little less on abs and arms and a little more on health and happiness.
(Also, give Matt Smith’s Desert Island discs episode a
listen – it’s a good one! Find wherever you listen to podcasts).
I think that’s about it for this week guys – have a great
weekend and try not to believe everything the headlines feed!
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