Future Trends

AUDIO: Charity defends pancreatic cancer ad

A charity have defended an advert showing pancreatic cancer patients "wishing" they had other forms of the disease.

Pancreatic Cancer Action say the disease is the UK's 5th biggest cancer killer, yet receives less than 1% of overall cancer funding.

Ali Stunt, the charity's founder, claims that the advert describes "exactly" how she felt when she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2007, aged 41.

She told BBC Radio 5 live's Victoria Derbyshire: "I really really wished that if I was going to have any cancer at all, it would be something that would give me a better survival rate."

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New strain of 'deadly' bird flu

5 February 2014 Last updated at 00:52 By Michelle Roberts Health editor, BBC News online Avian influenza

Experts are concerned that the virus could mutate to spread far and wide Experts are concerned about the spread of a new strain of bird flu that has already killed one woman in China.

The 73-year-old from Nanchang City caught the H10N8 virus after visiting a live poultry market, although it is not known for sure if this was the source of infection.

A second person has since become infected in China's Jiangxi province.

Scientists told The Lancet the potential for it to become a pandemic "should not be underestimated".

Continue reading the main story

Previously we did not think that H7N9 infections might be so lethal. Now we also must consider H10N8 infections as well”

End Quote Dr John McCauley Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Influenza This particular strain of influenza A virus has not been seen before.

In recent months, China has already been coping with an outbreak of a similar influenza virus called H7N9, which has killed around a quarter of those infected.

Pandemic risk

Scientists who have studied the new H10N8 virus say it has evolved some genetic characteristics that may allow it to replicate efficiently in humans.

The concern is that it could ultimately be able to spread from person to person, although experts stress that there is no evidence of this yet.

Dr Mingbin Liu from Nanchang City Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said: "A second case of H10N8 was identified in Jiangxi province, China, on 26 January 2014. This is of great concern because it reveals that the H10N8 virus has continued to circulate and may cause more human infections in future."

Experts believe the source of infection may have been contaminated poultry at a market

Dr Linda Klavinskis, senior lecturer in immunobiology at King's College London, said there was no immediate threat.

Continue reading the main story Bird flu or avian influenza is an infectious disease of birds caused by type A strains of the influenza virusThese viruses do not normally infect humans, but some particularly virulent strains, such as H10N8, can and willIn most cases, the people infected had been in close contact with infected poultry or with objects contaminated by their faecesThere is concern that the virus could mutate to become more easily transmissible between humans, raising the possibility of an influenza pandemicDr John McCauley, director of the WHO[World Health Organization] Collaborating Centre for Influenza, MRC [Medical Research Council] National Institute for Medical Research, said: "The potential epidemiological significance of this zoonotic infection is not clear. Avian influenza viruses of the sub-type H10N8 are probably not particularly unusual. Whether there were complications in this case is unclear.

"This case reminds us to be aware of human infections from animal influenza viruses, like the H7N9 cases in China which increase daily. Previously we did not think that H7N9 infections might be so lethal. Now we also must consider H10N8 infections as well."

Dr Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, said: "We should always be worried when viruses cross the species barrier from birds or animals to humans as it is very unlikely that we will have prior immunity to protect us.

"We should be especially worried when those viruses show characteristics that suggest they have the capacity to replicate easily or to be virulent or resistant to drugs. This virus ticks several of these boxes and therefore is a cause for concern."

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VIDEO: One family's experience of FGM

Doctors and nurses in the UK will be required to log details of the injuries suffered by victims of female genital mutilation (FGM).

The practice has been illegal in Britain since 1985, but no-one has ever been prosecuted for FGM, which is widely carried out by communities originally from the Middle East, Africa or Asia.

At least 66,000 girls and women in the UK are believed to be victims.

Three generations of one Somali family, scarred by the practice, have spoken out.

Reeta Chakrabarti reports.

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NHS 'getting better', says Hunt

5 February 2014 Last updated at 07:51 By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News Hospital ward

The health secretary says the culture of the NHS will not be transformed straight away The NHS in England has "changed for the better" in the year since the Francis Inquiry, the health secretary says.

The report, published on 6 February last year, accused the NHS system of betraying the public over the Stafford Hospital scandal.

The criticisms led to a series of changes, including a new inspection regime and tougher measures for failing hospitals.

Jeremy Hunt will say later these moves are making a difference.

'Shift in priorities'

Addressing a health conference in London, he will also point to data from the Health and Social Care Information Centre from October 2013 - the latest available information - which shows the number of hospital nurses has been risen by more than 3,500 in the past 12 months to top 172,000.

Continue reading the main story

The Francis Inquiry report made 290 recommendations. The government has claimed it has accepted all but nine of them.

Those not taken forward include the call for the regulators Monitor and the Care Quality Commission to be merged.

This was never likely to happen as both organisations had recently been given extra responsibilities and undergone changes under the reforms to the NHS made earlier this year.

But of the 281 recommendations the government says have been met, one in four have not been accepted in full.

For example, the report called for a system of registration for healthcare assistants, but the care certificate being introduced falls short of that.

Meanwhile, the inquiry wanted the duty of candour to apply to individuals not just organisations.

Nonetheless, inquiry chairman Robert Francis QC said he was happy, describing the government's response as a "comprehensive collection of measures".

Although data from the centre also shows that overall nurse numbers - once those employed outside of hospitals is taken into account - have fallen since the last election.

Mr Hunt will say: "Twelve months on, we cannot expect to have solved everything or have completely transformed the culture of the country's largest and finest institution.

"But we have seen a real shift in priorities - new inspections, more nurses and a stronger voice for patients with compassionate care starting to replace tick-box targets as the major focus on boards and wards."

Since the report was published, 14 hospitals have been placed in special measures - with management either replaced or supported to make improvements.

A new post of chief inspector of hospitals has been created and the Care Quality Commission has overhauled the way it inspects hospitals.

This is leading to a new Ofsted-style rating system that will be rolled out later this year.

What is more, from April hospitals will have to publish staffing levels on wards and state whether they fall short of recommended numbers.

'Wrong direction'

But Labour focused on the overall nurse figures, which had shown a drop.

Shadow health minister Jamie Reed said: "This winter he's left the NHS facing an A&E crisis with thousands fewer nurses. It is yet more proof that you can't trust the Tories with the NHS."

Royal College of Nursing general secretary Peter Carter said there had been some "good news".

But he added: "We are also not seeing nursing staff spread evenly across the health system - we have severe shortages in mental health and in the community, and district nurse numbers are down which is very worrying and has many knock-on effects.

"We need to see the government put forward a long-term vision for workforce planning and make sure NHS patients get the care they deserve wherever they receive it."

The inquiry was chaired by Robert Francis QC, following events at Stafford Hospital.

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Scots could 'sleepwalk into obesity'

7 February 2014 Last updated at 01:16 Obese man

Professor Blair said exercise could be prescribed by doctors Scots risk "sleepwalking into obesity" if they do not take more exercise, an expert has warned.

Professor Steven Blair, from the University of South Carolina, said a "greater emphasis" had to be placed on physical activity to prevent the problem reaching US proportions.

He suggested exercise could be "prescribed" to patients by their doctors or other health professionals.

He was speaking ahead of a major conference in Edinburgh.

The event has been organised by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

It will focus on sports and exercise medicine ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July.

Prescribing exercise

Prof Blair, from the university's Arnold School of Public Health, claimed physical inactivity had become "the biggest public health challenge of the 21st Century" and said people must consider their levels of activity as well as their diet.

Continue reading the main story

We are talking about changing the mind-set from thinking 'I must go on a diet' to 'I must become more active'”

End Quote Professor Steven Blair University of South Carolina He said much of the internationally-published scientific literature on the causes of obesity was "flawed", arguing that it placed "an over-emphasis on dietary intake, at the expense of measuring the positive effect of physical activity".

Prof Blair said: "Obesity rates continue to rise and in international obesity terms, Scotland is not far behind the US. If we wish to prevent levels in Scotland reaching that of the US, greater emphasis has to be placed on exercise.

"This could involve creative solutions such as considering the provision of exercise advice, or indeed the prescribing of exercise to patients by doctors and other health professionals.

"We have to become more active if we are to stop collectively sleepwalking into obesity."

Prof Blair added: "In simple terms, we are talking about changing the mind-set from thinking 'I must go on a diet' to 'I must become more active'.

"By bringing together leading experts in the field of sports medicine in the year of the Commonwealth Games, we hope to shine a light on developments in sports medicine, stimulate wider awareness about the many benefits of physical activity and creative thinking about this can be applied to improve health."

The conference will hear from a number of other speakers including Scotland's Chief Medical Officer Sir Harry Burns, former Scotland manager Craig Brown and ex-footballer Pat Nevin.

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Birth order link to being overweight

6 February 2014 Last updated at 14:00 By Helen Briggs BBC News

Siblings: Could birth order affect your weight? First-born children may be more likely than second-borns to be overweight in later life.

A small study of middle-aged men living in New Zealand found children born first into their family were about one stone (7kg) heavier and had a bigger BMI than second-borns.

They also had more insulin resistance, which can lead to health problems.

Birth order may affect the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, say researchers.

Larger studies are needed to fully evaluate this link, they add.

There is some evidence to suggest birth order may influence the body's fat make-up and metabolism, from infancy to the teenage years.

However, the potential impact in mid-life is unknown.

Prof Wayne Cutfield and colleagues at the University of Auckland studied 50 overweight but otherwise healthy men between the ages of 40 and 50.

"First-born men were heavier and had lower insulin sensitivity than second-borns," they report in the journal, Scientific Reports.

"Thus, first-born adults may be at a greater risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases."

Prof Cutfield said the risk of developing obesity or diabetes occurs when enough risk factors come together.

"Being first born is one such risk factor, it does not mean first-borns will become overweight or diabetic, being first-born simply increases the risk."

The researchers say the study needs to be repeated in pairs of siblings and with more subjects.

Continue reading the main story First-born men were 6.9kg heavier and had a greater BMI (29.1 versus 27.5) than second-borns and insulin sensitivity was 33% lower in the older groupInsulin is a hormone which controls the level of glucose in the bloodIf the body becomes less sensitive to insulin, it can mean higher levels of glucose in the blood and lead to type 2 diabetesChristopher Allen, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said carrying extra weight can not only increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, but also affect how sensitive the body is to insulin.

"By having lower insulin sensitivity, this increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

"It's also important to note where you carry your weight.

"People who carry more fat around their middle are more likely to be resistant to the insulin their body is producing."

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Bionic hand allows patient to 'feel'

5 February 2014 Last updated at 19:46 Dennis Aabo was able to feel what was in his hand via sensors connected to nerves in his upper arm

Scientists have created a bionic hand which allows the amputee to feel lifelike sensations from their fingers.

A Danish man received the hand, which was connected to nerves in his upper arm, following surgery in Italy.

Dennis Aabo, who lost his left hand in a firework accident nearly a decade ago, said the hand was "amazing".

In laboratory tests he was able to tell the shape and stiffness of objects he picked up, even when blindfolded.

The details were published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Implant

An international team carried out the research project, which included robotics experts from Italy, Switzerland and Germany.

It was a very exciting moment when after endless hours of testing....Dennis turned to us and said with disbelief, 'This is magic! I can feel the closing of my missing hand!'”

End Quote Dr Stanisa Raspopovic Bioengineer, EPFL Lausanne

"It is the first time that an amputee has had real-time touch sensation from a prosthetic device" said Prof Silvestro Micera from the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne and Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa.

The scientific advance here was not the hand itself, but the electronics and software that enabled it to give sensory feedback to the brain.

Micera and his team added sensors to the artificial hand which could detect and measure information about touch. Using computer algorithms, the scientists transformed the electrical signals they emitted into an impulse that sensory nerves could interpret.

During an operation in Rome, four electrodes were implanted onto nerves in the patient's upper arm. These were connected to the artificial sensors in the fingers of the prosthetic hand, so allowing touch and pressure feedback to be sent direct to the brain.

Mr Aabo, 36, a property developer, spent a month doing laboratory tests, firstly to check the electrodes were functioning, and then with these fully connected to the bionic hand.

Dennis Aabo spent a month doing laboratory tests of the bionic hand

He said: "The biggest difference was when I grabbed something I could feel what I was doing without having to look. I could use the hand in the dark.

"It was intuitive to use, and incredible to be able to feel whether objects were soft or hard, square or round."

Hero

The bionic hand is still a prototype, and due to safety restrictions imposed on clinical trials, Mr Aabo required a second operation to remove the sensors.

"He is a hero," said Professor Paolo Rossini, neurologist, University Hospital Agostino Gemelli, Rome.

"He gave a month of his life and had two operations to test this device.

"We are all very grateful to him."

Prof Rossini said a lot of pre-training was done involving surgery on pigs, and with human cadavers, to ensure they knew exactly how to attach electrodes to the tiny peripheral nerves in the upper arm.

Another member of the team, Dr Stanisa Raspopovic said: "It was a very exciting moment when after endless hours of testing....Dennis turned to us and said with disbelief, 'This is magic! I can feel the closing of my missing hand!'"

Those working in the field in the UK were also enthusiastic.

"This is very interesting work, taking research in upper limb prosthetics into the next stage by adding sensory feedback, said Dr Alastair Ritchie, Lecturer in Biomaterials and Bioengineering, University of Nottingham.

"This technology would enable the user to know how firmly they are gripping an object, which is vital for handling fragile objects - imagine picking up an egg without any feeling in your fingers."

Although a milestone in prosthetics, the bionic hand of movies remains the stuff of science fiction

The international team is now working on how to miniaturise the technology so that it could be used in the home.

"We must get rid of the external cables and make them fully implantable" said Prof Thomas Stieglitz, University of Frieburg, Germany, whose laboratory created the ultra-thin implantable electrodes.

Recently, scientists in Cleveland, Ohio released a video of a patient using the fingers of a prosthetic hand to pull the stalks from cherries while blindfolded. But the research has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

There is no precise timetable, but scientists think it could be a decade before a sensory feedback bionic hand is commercially available.

And they believe it may pave the way for more realistic prosthetic devices in the future which can detect texture and temperature.

'Bring it on'

But it will undoubtedly be very expensive, well beyond the means of most patients. And artificial hands still lack the precision and dexterity of the real thing.

The super-functioning bionic hand of science fiction films remains the stuff of fiction.

Nonetheless, Dennis Aabo, who now has his old prosthesis back, is ready to swap it for the bionic hand in any future trial.

"If they offer it to me, I will say bring it on, I'm ready."

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Health experts back car smoking ban

7 February 2014 Last updated at 07:31

By Nick Triggle Health correspondent Person smoking in car with a small child in the back seat

Smoking was banned in most enclosed public spaces in England in 2007 More than 700 doctors and other health experts have put their names to a letter urging MPs to back a ban in England on smoking in cars with children present.

The issue is due to be voted on in Parliament on Monday.

The signatories to the letter in the British Medical Journal say the move is needed "to protect the well-being of children now and in the future".

They include nurses, doctors and surgeons working across the NHS.

The ban being debated would apply to under-18s - as 18 is the legal age at which people can buy cigarettes.

The letter argues that second-hand smoke exposure is a "major cause of ill-health in children", particularly among the most disadvantaged groups.

It says smoking in cars exposes children to particularly "high amounts of tobacco smoke" and there is now a consensus that children should be protected from such unnecessary hazards.

Continue reading the main story Just over a fifth of adults smoke and just over a fifth of those admit to smoking in front of their childrenSmoke can stay in the air for up to two and a half hours even with a window openSecond-hand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, some of which are known to cause cancer Exposure has been strongly linked to chest infections, asthma, ear problems and cot death in childrenResearch shows that 300,000 children in the UK visit the GP each year due to second-hand smoke, with 9,500 visiting hospital Smoking in a car creates a higher concentration of toxins than in a bar - some research has put it at 11 times higherBans on smoking in cars when children are present already exist in some US states, including California, as well as in parts of Canada and Australia It also says there are precedents to a ban, including laws to require people to wear seatbelts and, more recently, the ban on mobile phones while driving.

The signatories have been co-ordinated by Dr Nicholas Hopkinson, from Imperial College London, who is chairman of the British Thoracic Society's chronic obstructive pulmonary disease specialist advisory group.

He said: "This letter issues a powerful statement from the medical professionals of this country - the people who, every day, are treating illnesses brought on by second-hand smoke in children - about the rights of children to breathe clean air that won't make them sick.

"Next week, MPs have a chance to help protect children from the proven dangers of second-hand smoke.

"If they vote in favour, it could help protect the health of literally hundreds of thousands of children nationwide. If they vote against, it will go down in history as a huge missed opportunity."

Nurse Rebecca Sherrington, chairwoman of the Association of Respiratory Nurse Specialists, said: "Many people don't realise quite how serious second-hand smoke can be for children, especially in the concentrations that can build up in the car.

"Parents are often surprised that it can lead to illnesses such as ear infections, meningitis and cot death."

Dr Penny Woods, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation, added: "Bans on smoking in cars carrying children already exist and are being enforced in countries such as Australia, Canada, South Africa and the USA. It's about time that we started protecting children in this country too."

Tobacco specialist Peter Mackereth, from Manchester's Christie Hospital, said children's smaller undeveloped lungs and narrower airways struggled to cope with the sidestream of heavily concentrated cigarette smoke, which can contain carbon monoxide, arsenic and formaldehyde.

Tobacco specialist Peter Mackereth: "Rolling down the window... just funnels the smoke right back"

Rolling down car windows only served to funnel the smoke right back into the car towards the children in the backseats, he told BBC's Breakfast.

'Unnecessary intrusion'

Simon Clark, director of smokers' lobby group Forest, said: "Smoking in cars with children is inconsiderate but there is a line the state shouldn't cross when it comes to dictating how people behave in private places.

"Very few adults smoke in a car with children these days. We urge MPs to reject this unnecessary intrusion into people's private lives and trust parents to make the right decision for their children without the need for heavy-handed state intervention."

The vote by MPs comes after the House of Lords last week backed a Labour amendment to the Children and Families Bill.

The amendment empowers, but does not compel, the government to make it a criminal offence for drivers to fail to prevent smoking in their vehicles when children are present.

The government has now told its MPs they can have a free vote on the issue.

Labour has said that if the measure does not become law before the next election, it will be included in its manifesto.

Calls to prohibit smoking in private vehicles when children are present have been raised in Parliament on several occasions since the 2007 ban on smoking in public places came into effect.

The Welsh government has said it would consider a ban should an awareness campaign not lead to a drop in children's exposure to second-hand smoke.

Meanwhile, in Scotland, Lib Dem MSP Jim Hume has indicated he will be presenting a bill this year to bring in a ban, while Northern Ireland's health minister has announced plans for a consultation on the issue.

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VIDEO: Teen told he would die beating odds

A teenager who was told two months ago that he had just three days to live has astounded medical professionals.

Deryn Blackwell, 14, from Watton in Norfolk, is the only person in the world to have been diagnosed with both leukaemia and another rare form of cancer.

Two months ago after contracting another disease which attacked his immune system, he was told by doctors he would die before the new year.

Deryn was sent to an end of life hospice where doctors and his family prepared him for the worst. But now his body is fighting back and has started to produce red blood cells.

Nikki Fox reports.

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CBT 'effective' in schizophrenia

6 February 2014 Last updated at 01:06 By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News

Changing the way people think about and deal with schizophrenia could be as effective as drugs, say researchers.

Cognitive behavioural therapy is an officially recommended treatment, but is available to less than 10% of patients in the UK with schizophrenia.

A study published in the Lancet indicates CBT could help the many who refuse antipsychotic medication. Experts say larger trials are needed.

About four-in-10 patients benefit from taking antipsychotic medication.

But the drugs do not work for the majority and they cause side-effects such as type 2 diabetes and weight gain.

Up to half of patients with schizophrenia end up not taking the drugs.

The study looked at cognitive behaviour therapy in 74 people.

The therapy works by identifying an individual patient's problem - such as hearing voices, paranoid thinking or no longer going out of the house - and developing techniques to deal with them.

Continue reading the main story

This study suggests that there may be a better option and that offering CBT is better than just leaving such patients to languish”

End Quote Prof Robin Murray Prof Tony Morrison, director of the psychosis research unit at Greater Manchester West Mental Health Foundation Trust, said: "We found cognitive behavioural therapy did reduce symptoms and it also improved personal and social function and we demonstrated very comprehensively it is a safe and effective therapy."

It worked in 46% of patients, approximately the same as for antipsychotics - although a head-to-head study directly comparing the two therapies has not been made.

Douglas Turkington, professor of psychiatry at Newcastle University, said: "One of our most interesting findings was that when given the option, most patients were agreeable to trying cognitive therapy."

He added that drugs and cognitive therapy combined were the best treatment.

But while nearly everyone will be offered drugs, only a small proportion have access to cognitive behaviour therapy.

Prof Robin Murray, from the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London, said: "Many patients don't like to take antipsychotics in the long term, this is not surprising as they have significant side-effects.

"So what to do for patients with continued psychotic symptoms who don't want to take antipsychotics?

"Until now little was done except lecture them on how silly this was, with the usual result that the patients would simply stop attending.

"This study suggests that there may be a better option and that offering CBT is better than just leaving such patients to languish."

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Liverpool Care Pathway 'wrongly blamed'

27 January 2014 Last updated at 07:43 By Dr Claud Regnard Newcastle upon Tyne Carer holding elderly person's hands

There is now debate over what should replace the Liverpool Care Pathway For 10 years the Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) was used to monitor care at the end of life, but negative media reports raised concerns it had led to poor care and even deaths - and last summer a panel led by the Baroness Neuberger decided that the LCP should no longer be used.

But writing in Scrubbing Up, Dr Claud Regnard, a consultant in palliative care medicine in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, suggests the media, government and Neuberger panel were wrong to blame the LCP and questions whether the ban was justified and will benefit patients.

The distressing stories of poor care presented to the panel looking into the LCP could not be ignored.

The panel rightly laid the blame at many different doors including poor communication skills, inadequate attention to the need for food and drink, questionable decision making and insufficient training.

These have been noted before in many reports or research papers and they always deserve repeating.

And yet, the report rejected the accusation that the LCP was a means of deliberately hastening someone's death and even praised it as an effective tool.

A University of Nottingham review that accompanied the report found no evidence that such pathways cause harm.

The panel did criticise checklists like the LCP, but was apparently unaware that used intelligently and compassionately they are crucial to ensure safety - on your next flight try telling the pilots they cannot use a checklist.

Many improvements in the care of dying patients in the last 45 years are thanks to hospice and specialist palliative care teams and, had they been included in the panel, the outcome for patients might have been different since there was nothing in the report to justify banning the LCP.

The LCP wasn't perfect - nothing ever is. But it had improved over 10 years and could have been improved further.

The LCP never required patients to be denied food or drink and never demanded that patients be sedated.

When these happened inappropriately they occurred because of poor decision making, not because of the LCP.

Care 'vacuum' risk

The LCP did require patients to be regularly monitored for any sign that they might improve and benefit from treatment to reverse the cause.

It also required carers to communicate clearly and work in partnership with the patient and relatives.

Ignoring these requirements happened because of poor skills and training, not because of the LCP.

Continue reading the main story

Many health professionals are frustrated at the loss of the LCP, and some fear that that care of the dying may be set back years. ”

End Quote The Neuberger report wanted the LCP phased out by July this year, but it is now clear that no-one wants to create a replacement that may be banned by a future similar panel.

The consequence will be a vacuum in monitoring care with the risk that poor care continues without hindrance.

It was easy to make the LCP a scapegoat, but this has been a disservice to dying patients. Banning the LCP was like banning the Highway Code because of a few bad drivers.

What now?

Relatives who received excellent care under the LCP have already expressed their surprise at the ban.

Many health professionals are frustrated at the loss of the LCP, and some fear that that care of the dying may be set back years.

But one recommendation in the Neuberger report may provide a way forward: to set up a national leadership alliance to improve end of life care.

There are cases of poor care, but there is also a remarkable amount of compassionate care that still exists in all health care settings with a determination amongst health professionals to work in partnership with patients, partners and families.

Some good may come from this, despite the decision to ban the LCP.

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VIDEO: Smoking in cars: What are the risks?

Hundreds of doctors and health experts have signed a letter urging MPs in England to support a ban on smoking in cars carrying children.

Critics say the move would be an unnecessary intrusion into people's lives, but those supporting it say second hand smoke is a major cause of ill health in youngsters.

MPs are due to vote on the issue next week.

Peter Mackereth is a tobacco specialist at the Christie Hospital, which is one of the largest cancer centres in Europe.

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Three-fold increase in insulin use

6 February 2014 Last updated at 13:29 Man injecting himself with insulin

More people with type 2 diabetes are being treated with insulin The number of people using insulin to treat diabetes trebled between 1991 and 2010, researchers from Cardiff and Bristol universities have found.

They say the increase is due to a large rise in the number of people with type 2 diabetes using the drug.

But the figures are a "wake-up call" on how the condition is treated, their study says.

Continue reading the main story

Insulin is very expensive and some of us believe that it involves too many serious side effects in people with type 2 diabetes”

End Quote Prof Craig Currie Cardiff University Diabetes UK said many people with type 2 diabetes needed to use medication to manage their condition.

The study, published in the Journal of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, looked at the number of patients receiving prescriptions for insulin using data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD).

It found that UK insulin users increased from 136,800 to 421,300, while people with all kinds of diabetes rose from 1.4m to 2.8m.

During the same period, there was an increase in the prevalence of insulin users with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes from 0.67 to 4.34 per 1,000 population.

The researchers also found that the number of people receiving prescriptions for insulin for type 2 diabetes during the nearly 20-year period, overtook the number of people with type 1 diabetes.

Continue reading the main story Type 1 diabetes develops when the insulin-producing cells in the body have been destroyed and the body is unable to produce any insulin. It usually appears before the age of 40, and especially in childhood. It is treated with daily insulin injections.Type 2 diabetes normally appears in people over the age of 40 and develops when the insulin-producing cells in the body are unable to produce enough insulin, or when the insulin that is produced does not work properly. It is treated with a healthy diet and increased physical activity, but medication and insulin are often required.What is insulin? Insulin is a hormone. It works as a chemical messenger that helps your body use the glucose in your blood to give you energy.In 1991, more people using insulin had type 1 than type 2 diabetes.

However, by 2010 this situation had reversed with the total number of people with type 2 diabetes injecting insulin increasing from 37,000 in 1991 to 277,400 in 2010.

Prof Craig Currie, lead author of the study and professor of applied pharmaco-epidemiology at Cardiff University, said the findings were worrying and questioned the clinical need for so many people with type 2 diabetes being treated with insulin.

"Insulin is very expensive and some of us believe that it involves too many serious side effects in people with type 2 diabetes.

"The rising prevalence of insulin-use probably reflects both an increase in incidence and longer survival of those who already have type 2 diabetes.

"The increase in the number of people with type 2 diabetes using insulin is a wake-up call for all - not only in terms of lifestyle choices and how we treat people with type 2 diabetes."

Prof Currie added that the financial cost of insulin to the NHS in the UK was estimated to have increased from £159m in 2000 to £359m in 2009.

"In my view, every effort should be made to keep them off insulin. It should only be used a last resort," he said.

Simon O'Neill, director of health intelligence at Diabetes UK, said it was important to remember that insulin was an essential treatment for many people with diabetes.

"Some people with type 2 diabetes are able to manage the condition with physical activity and healthy eating alone when they are first diagnosed but as the condition is progressive most people will eventually also need to use medications, which can include insulin, to help them effectively manage the condition.

"By making sure that people with diabetes are getting the recommended checks and support they need to manage their diabetes, we can help them avoid complications, which are not only a personal tragedy for all of those involved but are also hugely costly to the NHS."

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World facing cancer 'tidal wave'

4 February 2014 Last updated at 06:33 By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News Mammograms

Large numbers of people do not know there is a lot they can do to reduce their exposure to risk The globe is facing a "tidal wave" of cancer, and restrictions on alcohol and sugar need to be considered, say World Health Organization scientists.

It predicts the number of cancer cases will reach 24 million a year by 2035, but half could be prevented.

The WHO said there was now a "real need" to focus on cancer prevention by tackling smoking, obesity and drinking.

The World Cancer Research Fund said there was an "alarming" level of naivety about diet's role in cancer.

Fourteen million people a year are diagnosed with cancer, but that is predicted to increase to 19 million by 2025, 22 million by 2030 and 24 million by 2035.

The developing world will bear the brunt of the extra cases.

Chris Wild, the director of the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer, told the BBC: "The global cancer burden is increasing and quite markedly, due predominately to the ageing of the populations and population growth.

"If we look at the cost of treatment of cancers, it is spiralling out of control, even for the high-income countries. Prevention is absolutely critical and it's been somewhat neglected."

The WHO's World Cancer Report 2014 said the major sources of preventable cancer included:

SmokingInfectionsAlcoholObesity and inactivityRadiation, both from the sun and medical scansAir pollution and other environmental factorsDelayed parenthood, having fewer children and not breastfeeding

For most countries, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. However, cervical cancer dominates in large parts of Africa.

Dr Chris Wild, WHO: "We're not going to be able to address this problem by simply improving treatment"

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a major cause. It is thought wider use of the HPV and other vaccines could prevent hundreds of thousands of cancers.

One of the report's editors, Dr Bernard Stewart from the University of New South Wales in Australia, said prevention had a "crucial role in combating the tidal wave of cancer which we see coming across the world".

Dr Stewart said human behaviour was behind many cancers such as the sunbathe "until you're cooked evenly on both sides" approach in his native Australia.

He said it was not the role of the International Agency for Research on Cancer to dictate what should be done.

But he added: "In relation to alcohol, for example, we're all aware of the acute effects, whether it's car accidents or assaults, but there's a burden of disease that's not talked about because it's simply not recognised, specifically involving cancer.

"The extent to which we modify the availability of alcohol, the labelling of alcohol, the promotion of alcohol and the price of alcohol - those things should be on the agenda."

He said there was a similar argument to be had with sugar fuelling obesity, which in turn affected cancer risk.

Continue reading the main story Meanwhile, a survey of 2,046 people in the UK by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) suggested 49% do not know that diet increases the risk of developing cancer.

A third of people said cancer was mainly due to family history, but the charity said no more than 10% of cancers were down to inherited genes.

Amanda McLean, general manager for the WCRF, said: "It's very alarming to see that such a large number of people don't know that there's a lot they can do to significantly reduce their risk of getting cancer.

For most countries, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women

"In the UK, about a third of the most common cancers could be prevented through being a healthy weight, eating a healthy diet and being regularly physically active.

"These results show that many people still seem to mistakenly accept their chances of getting cancer as a throw of the dice, but by making lifestyle changes today, we can help prevent cancer tomorrow."

It advises a diet packed with vegetables, fruit, and wholegrains; cutting down on alcohol and red meat; and junking processed meat completely.

Dr Jean King, Cancer Research UK's director of tobacco control, said: "The most shocking thing about this report's prediction that 14 million cancer cases a year will rise to 22 million globally in the next 20 years is that up to half of all cases could be prevented.

"People can cut their risk of cancer by making healthy lifestyle choices, but it's important to remember that the government and society are also responsible for creating an environment that supports healthy lifestyles.

"It's clear that if we don't act now to curb the number of people getting cancer, we will be at the heart of a global crisis in cancer care within the next two decades."

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Hospitals to log victims of FGM

6 February 2014 Last updated at 11:22 Three generations of one Somali family speak out about the practice of FGM

Doctors and nurses in the UK are to be told to log details of the injuries suffered by victims of female genital mutilation (FGM).

The move is designed to gather more information on the practice, which was outlawed in the UK in 1985.

The children's charity, NSPCC, which set up a FGM helpline seven months ago, says it has already received 153 calls.

At least 66,000 girls and women in the UK are believed to be victims of FGM.

On Thursday, the United Nations is marking a Day of Zero Tolerance to FGM.

The Department of Health says from April, all NHS hospitals will be able to record if a patient has undergone FGM or if there is a family history of this.

By September, all acute hospitals will have to report this data to the Department of Health, on a monthly basis.

Source: International Development Committee, June 2013

The government says this is the first stage of a wider scheme to improve the way the NHS will "respond to, follow up and support the prevention of FGM".

It is hoped this will, in the autumn, provide the first snapshot of how many women have been treated by the NHS for FGM, and in the longer term, help identify families where girls might be at risk.

So far, no-one in the UK has been prosecuted for carrying out FGM.

The NSPCC said of the 153 calls it had received to its helpline, 40% had been referred to local authorities and in the remaining 60% of cases it had offered specialist FGM advice.

The charity said it had set up its service after discovering that more than 1,700 victims of FGM had been referred to specialist clinics in the past two years.

It said 41% of calls received had come from worried professionals, particularly midwives, doctors and teachers, while some 22% were from worried parents, carers and other relatives.

'Big problem'

FGM is most common among some African, Asian and Middle Eastern communities.

But campaigners say there is a lack of knowledge about how prevalent the practice is and where it is happening and that this is hampering social services and the police in the collection of evidence.

Comfort Momoh, who runs the African Women's Health Centre at Guy's Hospital in London, says FGM is "a big problem in the UK" and that health workers need to be better informed about it.

"We have people migrating from different parts of the world coming to the UK, to the West, bringing their cultures, bringing their own traditions, so it is a big problem - and it is growing - so as a front-line provider we need to educate ourselves.

"We need to be aware of what to do and how to safeguard children and girls."

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'No leukaemia risk' from power lines

7 February 2014 Last updated at 01:03 By Caroline Parkinson Health editor, BBC News website

Children who live near overhead power lines do not have an increased risk of developing leukaemia, a study has said.

Data on 16,500 children who developed leukaemia in Britain between 1962 and 2008 was analysed.

The paper found no increased leukaemia risk for those living near power lines from the 1980s onwards - but a higher risk did exist in the 1960s and 70s.

The researchers said the findings were "reassuring" but work was being done to understand the historical patterns.

Leukaemia accounts for around a third of all cancers diagnosed in children.

Around 460 new cases of leukaemia are diagnosed in children under the age of 15 each year in Britain.

Historic risk

This research, by the Childhood Cancer Research Group at the University of Oxford, used cancer information drawn from the National Registry of Childhood Tumours.

The study, funded by Children with Cancer UK, included nearly 16,500 children born in Britain who were diagnosed with leukaemia between 1962 and 2008.

They were compared with around 20,000 children who were born in the same area who did not develop cancer.

Continue reading the main story

Until we can explain what caused the increased risk in the earlier decades, we can't rule out the possibility that in some circumstances there could be a risk”

End Quote Kathryn Bunch Researcher When the data for the whole period was analysed it showed no increased risk from living near power lines. However, when the analysis was broken down into decades, an historic increased risk was seen for those born in the 1960s and 70s, who lived within about one-third of a mile (600m) of a power line.

Those born from the 1980s onwards did not have an increased risk.

The researchers say this "strongly suggests" there is no direct biological effect of power lines on leukaemia risk.

Kathryn Bunch, who led the study, said: "It's very encouraging to see that in recent decades there has been no increased risk of leukaemia among children born near overhead power lines.

"More research is needed to determine precisely why previous evidence suggested a risk prior to 1980, but parents can be reassured from the findings of this study that overhead power lines don't increase their child's risk of leukaemia."

'Could be risk'

She told the BBC: " I would like to stress it's very encouraging that this study gives such reassuring information to parents.

"But I have to be honest, until we can explain what caused the increased risk in the earlier decades, we can't rule out the possibility that in some circumstances there could be a risk."

Dr Julie Sharp, Cancer Research UK's head of health information, said: "There has been a lot of concern that overhead power lines could increase the risk of cancer, particularly leukaemia, in children.

"This study is reassuring for anxious parents, as it indicates that overhead power lines don't cause leukaemia or other cancers in children."

The researchers say they do not know for certain why the historic increased risk existed.

They are carrying out further research looking at whether there has been a change in the pollutants emitted: if the spike was in some way connected to the construction of the power lines and has since diminished - or if there has been a shift in the characteristics of the people who live near power lines, as increased leukaemia risk has been linked to higher economic status.

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Women 'fare worse after strokes'

8 February 2014 Last updated at 00:00 Older woman

Women over 75 were particularly affected Women have a poorer quality of life after a stroke than men, a study has found.

The US research, published in Neurology, assessed the mental and physical health of 1,370 patients three months and a year after a stroke.

Women had more depression and anxiety, pain and discomfort, and more restricted mobility.

UK experts said women tended to have strokes later, and might therefore need more support.

But the study did say more people survive a stroke now than 10 years ago because of improved treatment and prevention.

Continue reading the main story

Women tend to have strokes at a later age than men, which lowers their chances of natural recovery”

End Quote Prof Cheryl Bushnell Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, North Carolina The researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, North Carolina, looked at patients who had had a stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA), also known as a mini-stroke.

Quality of life is calculated using a formula that assesses mobility, self-care, everyday activities, depression/anxiety and pain.

At three months, women were more likely than men to report problems with mobility, pain and discomfort, anxiety and depression, but the difference was greatest in those aged over 75.

After a year, women still had lower quality-of-life scores overall than men but the difference between them was smaller.

Support needs

Prof Cheryl Bushnell, who led the study, said: "We found that women had a worse quality of life than men up to 12 months following a stroke."

She said mood, ability to move about, and having pain or discomfort may contribute to the poorer quality of life for women.

And she suggested that women may have less muscle mass than men before their strokes, making it harder to recover.

She added: "As more people survive strokes, physicians and other healthcare providers should pay attention to quality-of-life issues and work to develop better interventions, even gender-specific screening tools, to improve these patients' lives."

Dr Madina Kara, a neuroscientist at the UK Stroke Association, said: "This study shows that women fare worse after stroke compared to men. However, the reasons for this are not entirely clear.

"It also shows that women over 65 are more likely to be living alone, which could be a contributing factor to their reduced quality of life, as they have inadequate support."

She added: "We already know that women tend to have strokes at a later age than men, which lowers their chances of natural recovery post-stroke.

"What this study highlights is that women may not be getting the support they need to improve their quality of life after stroke.

"It is essential that all stroke survivors receive the best care and support from health and social services to make their best possible recovery."

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Speedy cyclists are better looking

5 February 2014 Last updated at 01:48

By Matt McGrath Environment correspondent, BBC News Wiggins

Bradley Wiggins won the Tour in 2012 but wasn't included in the survey on attractiveness Successful professional cyclists are seen as more handsome than their struggling colleagues, according to new research.

Women rated facial attractiveness among riders in the 2012 Tour de France, won by Britain's Sir Bradley Wiggins.

The top 10% of performers were rated on average as 25% better looking than the laggards.

The scientists conclude that humans have evolved to recognise athletic performance in faces.

The research has been published in the Royal Society journal, Biology Letters.

Continue reading the main story

We don't know what people are picking up in the faces that is signalling the riders' performance”

End Quote Dr Erik Postma University of Zurich Some biologists argue that evolution has shaped women to select mates on the basis that they would either make good fathers or would pass on good genes.

Healthy, physically fit men would on average be seen as more attractive by women.

A number of other studies in recent years have suggested that women have a sophisticated radar for athletic performance, rating those with greater sporting skill as more attractive.

This new work, though, set out to test if the same applied to more inherent physical qualities such as stamina and endurance.

Cycle of life

Dr Erik Postma, from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Zurich, asked people to rate the attractiveness of 80 professional cyclists from the 2012 Tour de France. The cyclists were all of a similar physical stature, were tanned and around the same age.

Around 800 participants were then asked to score the cyclist's attractiveness based just on their facial appearances. Their scores were excluded if they recognised the athlete.

Dr Postma then compared the attractiveness scores with the cyclists' performance in time trials and in the race itself which, at well over 3,000km (1,860 miles), is a renowned test of endurance and speed.

"To my initial surprise, I found a positive relationship between the two and it was actually quite strong," he told BBC News.

Continue reading the main story Professional cyclist

This is the list of the most handsome cyclists in the 2012 Tour according to the research. Although he was the top pick, French rider Amael Moinard (pictured), finished in a modest 45th place.

2. Yann Huguet

3. Maxime Monfort

4. Andriy Grivko

5. Michael Schar

6. Martin Velits

7. Christophe Riblon

8. Adam Hansen

9. Rui Alberto Costa

10. Manuel Quinziato

"If we took the 10% best riders and compared their performance to the 10% worst, we found the best were on average 25% more attractive than the worst ones."

"We don't know what people are picking up in the faces that is signalling the riders' performance."

One element that significantly interfered with the overall results was contraception.

Dr Postma and his team found that women who were on the contraceptive pill were less likely to link attractiveness to performance.

"Typically, studies find that women using the pill have a reduced preference for masculine faces, and we found the same phenomenon: women on the pill had a reduced preference for faster cyclists," said Dr Postma.

Many men argue that they find it difficult to rate the attractiveness of other males, but in the study the researchers found that men who took part had a fairly similar view on who was handsome as the women.

It suggests that men do have this inherent ability to judge who is handsome, according to scientists, and they believe it has evolved to help men rate their competitors.

The scientists say that smiling didn't make a big difference in the survey. Men who were beaming were rated as more likeable but not as more attractive.

What about Wiggo?

Other scientists who looked at the study found the performance measures "convincing".

"It summarises performance over a long time and should therefore be especially meaningful," said Dr Johannes Honekopp from the University of Northumbria.

"We should bear in mind that the sample is highly selected and should therefore show little performance variance in comparison to a more representative male sample of that age.

"This limitation should lead to a reduction in effect sizes. Any such effects might be stronger in a more representative sample."

And what about British favourites, such as 2012 winner Sir Bradley Wiggins and leading sprinter Mark Cavendish?

"Unfortunately, Team Sky decided to wear sunglasses for their photos and to improve standardisation I decided to not include them. That is really a pity," said Dr Postma.

Follow Matt on Twitter.

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Cancer 'envy' campaign criticised

6 February 2014 Last updated at 12:44 Pancreatic Cancer Action ad

A campaign to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer has been criticised for suggesting patients wish they had other forms of the disease.

The "envy" campaign by Pancreatic Cancer Action shows patients saying they would rather have breast, cervical or testicular cancer.

The charity said it was making the point other cancers have much better survival rates.

But breast cancer charities condemned pitting "one cancer against another".

All cancers 'horrific'

About 8,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year, though many are diagnosed too late for surgery - the only treatment option.

Symptoms can be vague. Early signs can include:

weight lossstomach painjaundicelack of appetiteback pain

It has a five-year survival rate of 3%, compared with 85% for breast cancer, 97% for testicular cancer and 67% for cervical cancer.

The average life expectancy for pancreatic cancer patients is four to six months.

Ali Stunt, the founder of Pancreatic Cancer Action who has survived pancreatic cancer herself, said: "We are sorry if this campaign upsets anyone and our heart goes out to anyone affected by cancer.

"All types of cancer are horrific and the last thing I would wish on anyone."

But she added: "Our advert is not stating that someone wished they had cancer but rather they wish they could swap pancreatic cancer with a cancer that gives them a better chance of survival.

"We purposely selected cancers for our campaign that have a significantly better survival rate than pancreatic cancer.

Challenge

Macmillan Cancer Support backed the campaign.

Prof Jane Maher, its joint chief medical officer, said: "Survival rates are particularly poor for pancreatic cancer, in part because its signs and symptoms are very hard to spot.

"We must ensure more people are diagnosed at an early stage to give them the best possible chance of recovery."

But Chris Askew, chief executive of Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: "We strongly dispute any message which suggests that one type of cancer is preferable to another.

"We believe Pancreatic Cancer Action's recent campaign does just this.

"I've yet to meet a man or woman with breast cancer who would consider themselves in any way fortunate to have received a diagnosis."

"We all need to do more to raise awareness of signs and symptoms of many cancers and the importance of early diagnosis."

And Samia al Qadhi, chief executive at Breast Cancer Care, said: "It is unhelpful to pit one cancer against another.

"Most of us know someone who has been affected by this dreadful, life-threatening disease and know the impact it can have on those affected and their loved ones.

"Unless you have experienced it yourself, it's impossible to fully understand the huge challenge faced by women who every day wake up to the brutal reality of breast cancer.

View the original article here

Cash worries 'could harm NHS care'

6 February 2014 Last updated at 00:43 By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News Nurse

The Nuffield Trust is concerned money worries could undermine efforts to improve care Financial pressures could get in the way of the drive to improve care following the Stafford Hospital scandal, experts say.

Figures released last week showed nearly one in three NHS trusts is forecasting a deficit this year.

Now a review by the Nuffield Trust - published a year on from the Stafford public inquiry - said money worries could hamper efforts.

The warning was echoed by inquiry chair Robert Francis QC.

He criticised what he saw as the "oppressive reactions" of the system to hospitals that ran into trouble with budgets and hitting targets.

He said hospital leaders needed to be "frank" about whether they could provide high-quality care with current levels of funding.

"It is unacceptable to pretend that all can be provided to an acceptable standard when that is not true," he added.

'Safety and quality'

Mr Francis was responding to a report by the Nuffield Trust based on in-depth interviews with 50 staff at five hospitals and online feedback from chairs and chief executives of 53.

Many reported they were taking action to improve care, but their overwhelming concern was that the state of finances was going to harm their ability to succeed.

One hospital chairman said: "The one good thing Francis has done, the really good thing, is that it has ensured that safety and quality have become more prominent - that's really important.

Continue reading the main story

Things are moving in the right direction. I believe people working in the NHS have a real appetite for change”

End Quote Julie Bailey Cure the NHS "But I am left with a real concern about the doability of it all and the need for us to find a way forward."

But despite these concerns, Mr Francis said he was pleased with the reaction to his report, published exactly a year ago, as many of his recommendations had been accepted.

"The strong message sent out to the health service by government was that important and fundamental change was required," Mr Francis said.

But he added that this represented "only a start" and that the emphasis on quality of care needed to continue.

Julie Bailey, founder of Cure the NHS, the campaign group that led the calls for the public inquiry, said she was disappointed the government had not agreed to full regulation of healthcare assistants, as the Francis Inquiry had recommended.

But she added that overall she was pleased with the progress being made.

"Things are moving in the right direction. I believe people working in the NHS have a real appetite for change."

The publication of the report came after Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt praised the "Francis effect" in a speech to NHS staff in London on Wednesday.

"Twelve months on, we cannot expect to have solved everything or have completely transformed the culture of the country's largest and finest institution.

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Measles global deaths decline by 78%

6 February 2014 Last updated at 18:34 Child being given a measles vaccine in India

Vaccinating children has helped to reduce deaths from measles worldwide Global deaths from measles dropped 78% between 2000 and 2012, the World Health Organization estimates.

New figures from the WHO suggest that around 13.8 million deaths were prevented during this time and reported cases declined by 77%.

Good routine immunisation levels and campaigns to vaccinate children are thought to be behind the figures.

But the WHO says measles is still a global threat and some populations remain unprotected.

The mortality estimates from the WHO show that annual measles deaths decreased from more than 562,000 in 2000 to 122,000 in 2012.

Reported cases of measles worldwide declined from 853,480 to 226,722 over the same time.

Continue reading the main story

There is much more work to be done as more than 330 deaths (mainly among children) still occur daily from measles ”

End Quote Karen Mah The Measles and Rubella Initiative Currently, 84% of the world's infants receive the first dose of measles vaccine before their first birthday, according to the WHO.

It says that 145 countries have also introduced a routine second dose of measles vaccine to ensure immunity and prevent outbreaks.

Mass campaigns against measles in 2012 resulted in a further 145 million children being vaccinated against the disease, taking the total number of vaccinated children to more than one billion since 2000.

Threat continues

However, there are still concerns that despite this good news, measles remains a worldwide threat.

The regions of Africa, south-east Asia and Europe all experienced large outbreaks in 2012, and the Americas region had to deal with many imported measles cases.

The Democratic Republic of Congo saw the largest measles outbreak of 2012, with 72,029 reported cases. There were around 18,000 cases in India and 12,000 in Ukraine, while the UK experienced just over 2,000 measles cases.

The WHO says the Africa, Eastern Mediterranean and European regions are not likely to meet their measles elimination targets on time.

Without improved immunisation coverage, outbreaks will continue to occur, it says.

Karen Mah, a spokeswoman for The Measles and Rubella Initiative, a global partnership led by the WHO and UNICEF among others, said there were still too many children dying.

"While estimated measles deaths have dropped significantly since 2000, there is much more work to be done as more than 330 deaths (mainly among children) still occur daily from measles.

"We need to move beyond an 84% global routine immunisation coverage. It's also vital that parents are fully aware of the benefits of immunisation and the risks associated with not vaccinating children," she added.

The Measles and Rubella Initiative wants to reduce measles deaths by 95% by 2015 and get rid of measles and rubella in at least five regions of the world by 2020.

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Temporary blindness 'boosts hearing'

6 February 2014 Last updated at 07:24 By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News

Fictional superhero Daredevil gained heightened senses after going blind Temporary blindness heightens hearing and has potential as a therapy for some deaf people, animal research suggests.

A study, published in the journal Neuron, showed keeping mice in the dark for a week changed their brains and enhanced hearing.

The effect lasted for several weeks after they were returned to the light.

Experts said it was a "fascinating" finding, but making more permanent brain alterations would be key to any new treatments for hearing loss.

The US team at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland compared the hearing of mice that had been kept in complete darkness for a week with that of others getting natural light.

Those kept in the dark could hear softer sounds and there were changes in the structure of the auditory cortex in the brain.

"It was quite a surprise to us," said Dr Patrick Kanold, from Maryland.

One thought was that part of the brain being used for vision was being repurposed, but it seemed the sections dedicated to hearing were being beefed-up.

Continue reading the main story

There is a burgeoning science in auditory training and developing ways to learn to listen better, it's a real hot topic.”

End Quote Dr Michael Akeroyd MRC Institute of Hearing Research Dr Kanold told the BBC's Inside Science Programme: "We are not growing any new neurons we are simply strengthening existing connections in the auditory cortex."

"This really give us hope that there might be some potential to apply this in humans, the nice thing is we don't need drugs, so it's relatively straightforward to test.

"This might have implications in deaf people, there's a variety of people that receive cochlear implants as an adult and it might be the case that this enhances the success of these cochlear implants."

It is not certain if the same brain changes would take place in people or if they could reverse the declines associated with old age.

Dr Michael Akeroyd, from the Medical Research Council's Institute of Hearing Research, in Glasgow, told the BBC: "I thought, 'Ooh this is interesting.' I don't know if it's practical, but it's got potential."

He said putting old people with hearing loss into dark rooms for a week or more was unlikely to happen, but that the study added to a growing awareness that there was more to hearing than just the ear.

"Some of most exciting research is that hearing is not just hearing it's listening, there is a burgeoning science in auditory training and developing ways to learn to listen better, it's a real hot topic," he said.

"I would suggest looking for permanent changes next, if you can make it permanent then you're onto a winner."

Dr Ralph Holme, the head of biomedical research at the charity Action on Hearing Loss, said: "This is a fascinating study that tells us more about how our sensory systems interact, in this case how blindness can enhance hearing.

"It is important research because once the mechanisms involved are understood it may be possible to develop training or even pharmacological approaches to boosting these processes to help people with hearing loss.

"More research is now needed to establish if similar findings can be observed in humans and whether or not these changes actually lead to better hearing in the real world."