Os 5 tipos de alcoólicos...

... No Reino Unido:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-6433537/Does-alcohol-hangover-injury-Scientists-uncover-five-types-problem-drinkers.html

Carne de frango e antibióticos (nos EUA)

https://sol.sapo.pt/artigo/620034/carne-de-frango-esta-a-ser-afetada-por-uma-epidemia-ha-varias-decadas-

Citando:
"Quem lançou o alerta foi a jornalista norte-americana Maryn McKenna no seu livro intitulado “Plucked! The Truth About Chicken”, que foi publicado há cerca de um ano, sendo que o livro resulta de uma investigação sobre a utilização de antibióticos na indústria agro-alimentar. O estudo diz respeito ao frango que é produzido nos Estados Unidos e no Reino Unido, mas ainda assim o alerta serve para todo o mundo."(...)"O estudo revela que a utilização de antibióticos em demasia na produção de carnes que se destinam ao consumo humano retira as propriedades para combater, de forma eficaz, as bactérias que se tornam “resistentes”."

Saúde mental no RU

Problemas de saúde mental a aumentar no RU. Pode ser maior consciência dos problemas... Ou não (álcool, desemprego jovem, crise?):
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-41125009

Reacções alérgicas a carne...

... por mordedura de carrapatos?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4630654/Lone-Star-ticks-cause-people-allergic-meat.html

Citando:
"The bite causes an allergy to a sugar molecule that's found in red meat, called alpha-galactose, or 'alpha-gal', according to Business Insider.

Dr. Ronald Saff, of Florida State University, said to the news outlet: 'The weird thing about [this reaction] is it can occur within three to 10 or 12 hours, so patients have no idea what prompted their allergic reactions.' 

Victims may have to dramatically alter their diets after the bite because there is no known cure for the alpha-gal allergy."

Bastante cerveja melhor que Paracetamol (supressão dor)?

Super "engraçado" o título (num contexto que é o do Reino Unido):

"Two pints of beer could provide better pain relief than paracetamol, study shows - This is NOT an excuse to drink more":

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/wellbeing/news/a28102/beer-better-than-paracetamol-pain-relief/

Citando: 

"(...) elevating blood alcohol content to roughly 0.08% gives the body a "small elevation of pain threshold," which works to reduce pain intensity. The report reads: "Findings suggest that alcohol is an effective analgesic that delivers clinically-relevant reductions in ratings of pain intensity, which could explain alcohol misuse in those with persistent pain, despite its potential consequences for long-term health."

It was concluded that as little as two pints of beer could cut perceived discomfort by a quarter."

Claro que isto não é um incentivo a beber mais, mas será usado como pista para desenvolvimento de medicamentos que, sem os efeitos secundários do álcool, tragam iguais benefícios (no campo da supressão da dor).

Paracetamol vs. Ibuprofeno

E sobre o uso de Paracetamol vs. Ibuprofeno - citação:
""Paracetamol can be used safely for most types of pain, however if there is inflammation than using a non-steroid anti-flammatory painkiller such as ibuprofen is a better option. The standard adult dose of paracetamol is two 500mg tablets to be taken up to four times a day. If you are taking paracetamol regularly at this dose and not getting enough pain relief you should see your GP, who may recommend a strong painkiller for you.""

Poluição atmosférica 3 meses depois?

Não, ouro 3 meses depois (porque os críticos do estudo defendem que o ouro não é representativo a poluição atmosférica):
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/air-pollution-enter-bloodstream-deadly-smoking-gun-study-edinburgh-university-gold-nanoparticles-a7702991.html

Citação:
"Tiny particles – like those produced in vast amounts by burning fossil fuels – can pass through the lungs into the bloodstream and then damage various different organs, according to a controversial new experiment.

While air pollution has been linked to heart disease and millions of premature deaths, it was previously not known whether it was possible for the smallest particles to pass from the lungs into the bloodstream.

The new research saw 14 healthy volunteers and 12 surgical patients inhale nanoparticles of gold.

Gold was detected in the blood and urine within 15 minutes to 24 hours after exposure, and was still present three months after exposure. Levels were greater following inhalation of five-nanometre particles compared to 30nm particles."

Viagra venda livre no país mais livre do mundo (depois do Brexit)?

Está a ser proposto que o Viagra seja de venda livre (vendido sem receita médica) no RU:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/viagra-could-soon-available-over-10113518

Citando:
"Packs of eight tablets of Viagra - also called sildenafil - would be made available, with men told to take no more than one tablet per day.

Viagra, which works by relaxing blood vessels, thereby allowing blood to flow to the penis, works for about eight hours and is designed to be used "on demand".

Erectile dysfunction can be caused by a range of conditions, including psychological problems, but can also be a sign of underlying heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure."

Ibuprofen e outros anti-inflamatórios (sem esteróides) associados a problemas cardíacos

Estes medicamentos são de venda livre no RU sendo usados para a dor (apesar de existirem alternativas com menos riscos):
http://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/ibuprofen-linked-to-increased-risk-of-cardiac-arrest-35533110.html

Citando:
"He said: "Allowing these drugs to be purchased without a prescription, and without any advice or restrictions, sends a message to the public that they must be safe.

"The findings are a stark reminder that NSAIDs are not harmless.

"Diclofenac and ibuprofen, both commonly used drugs, were associated with significantly increased risk of cardiac arrest.

"NSAIDs should be used with caution and for a valid indication. They should probably be avoided in patients with cardiovascular disease or many cardiovascular risk factors."
(...)
"The most common cause of a cardiac arrest is a life-threatening abnormal heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation (VF).

It causes electrical activity in the heart to become so chaotic that the organ ceases to pump rhythmically and quivers or "fibrillates" instead. Without immediate treatment to keep the circulation going, death occurs in minutes.

Sales of over-the-counter painkillers amounted to almost £600 million in the UK in 2015, according to The Pharmaceutical Journal."

Higiene do sono (ou falta dela) e crianças

Crianças no RU cada vez mais com problemas a dormir:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/mar/04/go-school-two-half-hours-sleep-british-children-arent-sleeping

Perguntas frequentes - infecção por bactéria Shigella

Uma FAQ para a bactéria altamente contagiosa que está a afectar o RU (vómitos, diarreia - por vezes com sangue - e outros sintomas):
http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/15100957.The_horrific_vomiting_bug_sweeping_the_UK___what_you_need_to_know/

Como evitar  o contágio?
Citando:
"How can I prevent it spreading?

Good personal hygiene is essential.

Always wash and dry your hands:

• after using the toilet

• after changing a baby’s nappy

• before preparing food

• after handling raw food 

• after contact with pets and other animals 

• after contact with contaminated bedding or clothing.

Keep contact with an infected person to a minimum especially while they have symptoms.

At home, an infected person should keep a hand towel that only they use.

Wash all clothes, bedding and towels from an infected person in the washing machine at the hottest cycle possible for the type of clothing to be washed.

Clean toilet seats, toilet bowls, flush handles, taps and wash hand basins regularly with hot soapy water."

Linhas orientadoras para o exercício fisico (adultos)

O sítio do NHS tem as linhas orientadoras para o RU:

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/pages/physical-activity-guidelines-for-adults.aspx

Resumo (PDF) aqui.

Citando:
"Guidelines for adults aged 19-64

To stay healthy, adults aged 19-64 should try to be active daily and should do:

at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity such as cycling or fast walking every week, and  strength exercises on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms).  

OR

75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, such as running or a game of singles tennis every week, andstrength exercises on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms). 

OR

A mix of moderate and vigorous aerobic activity every week. For example, two 30-minute runs plus 30 minutes of fast walking equates to 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, andstrength exercises on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms).  

A good rule is that one minute of vigorous activity provides the same health benefits as two minutes of moderate activity.

One way to do your recommended 150 minutes of weekly physical activity is to do 30 minutes on 5 days a week."

Muito mais detalhes na ligação de cima (assim como linhas orientadoras para as outras faixas etárias).

Médico insinua que Vitaminas são uma boa maneira de fazermos xixi caro

Sem papas na língua (mas também não sei se completamente com razão) médico com responsabilidades na Austrália insinua que, num país com acesso a uma alimentação equilibrada (frutas e legumes) as vitaminas e os minerais (em suplementos) são dispensáveis e só nos fazem "mijar caro":
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/multivitamins-expensive-urine-waste-of-money-vitamins-australian-medical-association-chief-michael-a7578961.html

Números da indústria (citando):

"Nearly half of adults in the UK take multivitamins, with 46 per cent saying they use them daily or occasionally, according to Mintel.

In Australia, the vitamin pill market has doubled over the last decade and seven out of every ten people take some form of supplement, reported ABC.

Industry bodies have said the tablets are useful because many people have poor diets (...)"

Citando:

"“Many of these products have 50 or more ingredients,” he said. “It really is crazy stuff."

"If that’s what you want to do, and you want to give some profits to the companies that produce those products, well good on you. That’s not what I want to do.”"

Vozes contra a indústria farmacêutica e custos excessivos de medicamentos contra o cancro

Cientistas do RU contra custos de tratamentos contra o cancro.

Citando:
"Pharmaceutical companies used to justify their prices by pointing to the high cost of clinical trials involving many thousands of patients. But that is no longer always necessary, the scientists say in their paper. The new targeted drugs require a test for a genetic biomarker to see whether patients will respond or not. That means the drug can be trialled on far fewer people. The drug crizotinib, used for advanced lung cancer, was approved following a trial involving only 347 patients, they point out. Trastuzumab (Herceptin) was first approved for advanced breast cancer and later for early breast cancer, increasing the market for the company but with no reduction in price."
(...)
"Workman, together with colleagues from the US and the Netherlands, proposes that academic discovery centres like his should forge relationships with new commercial partners – probably not the major drug companies but smaller biotech or generic drug firms. Academics should take greater control of the drugs they discover, they argue, and join with small companies that will agree to cap the price when the drug reaches the market. They would not have the expectation of big profit margins, as the major pharmaceutical companies do. But in an era where drugs are tested on smaller populations and genetic testing means they are more likely to be effective, they would not need to “cost in” all the failed attempts at producing blockbusters, as the big companies do."

Ai o arsénico no arroz...

E como minimizá-lo:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4203410/Expert-reveals-safest-way-cook-rice.html
O arsénico é um veneno.


Citando:
"A leading rice contamination expert tested 3 popular methods of cooking it
•Arsenic manages to get into rice as a result of toxins that were used in the past
•But an experiment found boiling it in excess water helps flush the chemical out
•Soaking rice in water overnight slashes levels of arsenic by 80%, the study found"
(...)
"He first used a ratio of two parts water to one part rice, whereby the water was absorbed or evaporated during cooking.
Increasing the ratio to five parts water halved arsenic levels and soaking it overnight cut the toxin levels the most.
It comes after the Food Standards Agency warned against overcooking potatoes and toast because of increased levels of the cancer-causing chemical acrylamide."

O teste ao cancro por análise ao hálito (revisitado pelo NHS)

A análise do NHS (que é o SNS do Reino Unido) às notícias que circularam recentemente (o estudo é muito preliminar, não estava disponível para análise e ainda é muito cedo para se saber se poderá ser utilizado para construir o tal "breathaliser"):
http://www.nhs.uk/news/2017/01January/Pages/breath-test-shows-potential-for-detecting-cancer.aspx




Citando:
"The study is currently only available as a published protocol and poster presentation with accompanying press release. A full study publication is not available so we can't fully critique the methods and analysis.
Worldwide, OGC cancers account for around 1.4 million diagnoses a year but diagnosis tends to be late and therefore survival rates are low.
At the moment these cancers can only be diagnosed using endoscopy, which involves a camera attached to a flexible tube being passed down the throat. The procedure can be uncomfortable and is costly to the NHS.
A breath test that is able to identify the "chemical signature" of a cancer could be an ideal way to indicate a cancer diagnosis and help decide whether further invasive investigations are needed. It would hopefully enable more patients to be diagnosed at an earlier stage of the disease."

Sobre o Sodium Benzoate (E211, Benzoato de Sódio)

Sobre o E211 que me apareceu como conservante nuns insuspeitos pickles de manga picantes indianos (bem salgados por sinal):
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_benzoate
Referências finais interessantes: (como funciona como conservante - alterando a alcalinidade) e interacções com outros ingredientes (Vitamina C ou E300 e outros), formação de benzeno (potencialmente cancerígeno) e a remoção generalizada de bebidas.


Citando:
"[Mecanismo de preservação] The mechanism starts with the absorption of benzoic acid into the cell. If the intracellular pH falls to 5 or lower, the anaerobic fermentation of glucose through phosphofructokinase decreases sharply, which inhibits the growth and survival of microorganisms that cause food spoilage."
(...)
"A paper published in the March 2015 Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture found that sodium benzoate has been replaced by potassium sorbate in the majority of soft drinks in the United Kingdom to avoid the use of anything the consumer might consider an additive, particularly in connection with colours and preservatives.


Association with benzene in soft drinks:
In combination with ascorbic acid (vitamin C, E300), sodium benzoate and potassium benzoate may form benzene, a known carcinogen. When tested by the FDA, most beverages that contained both ascorbic acid and benzoate had benzene levels that were below those considered dangerous for consumption by the World Health Organization (5 ppb).
Most of the beverages that tested higher have been reformulated and subsequently tested below the safety limit.
Heat, light and shelf life can increase the rate at which benzene is formed."


Fonte: Wikipedia (e cada uma das frases tem citação disponível no artigo original, editado por brevidade).
Actualizado: 2017-01-31 com detalhes do mec.pres. e benzeno.

Alternativa de biópsia à próstata com maior taxa de detecção

Evolução interessante uma vez que a biópsia tinha efeitos secundarios possíveis como disfunção eréctil e uma taxa de detecção correcta (de tumores agressivos que requerem atenção imediata) muito baixa:
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-38665618
Citando:
"The biggest leap in diagnosing prostate cancer "in decades" has been made using new scanning equipment, say doctors and campaigners.
Using advanced MRI nearly doubles the number of aggressive tumours that are caught.
And the trial on 576 men, published in the Lancet, showed more than a quarter could be spared invasive biopsies, which can lead to severe side-effects.
The NHS is already reviewing whether the scans can be introduced widely.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in British men (...)"
"If men have high prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels in the blood, they go for a biopsy.
Twelve needles then take random samples from the whole of the prostate.
It can miss a cancer that is there, fail to spot whether it is aggressive, and cause side-effects including bleeding, serious infections and erectile dysfunction.
"Taking a random biopsy from the breast would not be accepted, but we accept that in prostate," said Dr Hashim Ahmed, a consultant and one of the researchers.
Around 100,000 to 120,000 men go through this every year in the UK."
(...)
"93% of aggressive cancers were detected by using the MRI scan to guide the biopsy compared with just 48% when the biopsy was done at random."

Linhas orientadoras de consumo de álcool no RU explicadas

A percepção dos efeitos do álcool mudou muito em 20 anos e o RU alterou radicalmente as suas linha orientadoras de consumo (em Janeiro de 2016) para 14 volumes de álcool por semana, uma das mais restritivas na Europa. Detalhes da decisão e das quantidades recomendadas:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35252650
Citando:
"The review found that the benefits of alcohol for heart health only apply for women aged 55 and over - and even then it's in very small amounts, around five units a week.
The guidelines say: "There is no justification for recommending drinking on health grounds - nor for starting drinking for health reasons."
It also says that evidence in support for drinking alcohol in small amounts to maintain good health was "weaker than it was at the time of 1995"."
(...)

Is there a safe drinking level?


No. The new recommendations are at pains to point out that these guidelines are not for "safe" drinking, but rather just at minimising risk of illness.
All alcohol consumption carries some risk, the guidance says.
"The vast majority of the population can reduce health risks further if they reduce drinking below the guideline levels, or do not drink at all," the guidance says.
Drinking above the new recommended 14 units a week is the point at which a person's risk of an early death increases by 1% - the equivalent amount of risk as driving a car."




PS. Muito interessante a tabela com os limites de diversos países (Espanha, 38; RU, 14). Se a ciência e investigação é a mesma, porque é que não há consenso nos limites, nem sequer na Europa?

Os muffins são bons mas são... Doces!

Dado o carácter adictivo do açúcar, eis algo a ter em conta:
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/567961/Pret-Manger-menu-muffin-sugar-ingredients-recommended-intake
Citando:
"A report on High Street goodies found Pret A Manger’s Double Berry Muffins contain 40g of sugar – 10 teaspoons of the white stuff.
And Pret’s Lemon Drizzle slice contains 72g of sugar, or 18 teaspoons."

Alerta vermelho? Demência (e Alzheimer) destronam problemas cardíacos como principal causa de morte (RU)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3934070/Dementia-leading-cause-death-people-living-longer-before.html