Britain has gone against international trends, with deaths from liver disease doubling in the past 20 years

Up to 250,000 lives could be lost over the next 20 years if the Government fails to introduce tougher policies to curb excessive drinking, experts say today.

Deaths from liver disease, mostly caused by alcohol, have more than doubled in the UK in the past 20 years while those in Sweden, Norway, Australia and New Zealand – countries with similar cultures, genetic backgrounds and drinking styles – have remained low. Read the rest of this entry »

The number of people admitted to hospital in the UK because of problem drinking could rise to 1.5 million a year by 2015, a charity says.

Alcohol Concern estimates that it will cost the NHS £3.7bn annually if nothing is done to stop the increase.

It wants alcohol specialists to be employed in all hospitals and GP practices. Read the rest of this entry »

Neglect levels in Britain’s care homes were described as “scandalous” today after it emerged that more than 650 elderly residents have died of dehydration in the past five years.

Figures also revealed that 157 vulnerable pensioners died of malnutrition in the same period, while nearly 2,000 passed away from superbugs Clostridium difficile and MRSA.

It is feared the totals may be higher because care home residents who die in hospital are not included in the statistics. Read the rest of this entry »

Drugs used to treat breast cancer may also be useful in tackling lung cancer, according to research in Switzerland.

The study, published The Cancer Journal, showed that anti-oestrogens reduced the number of deaths from lung cancer.

The authors said the research, if backed up, could have substantial implications for clinical practice. Read the rest of this entry »

Britain’s beleaguered organic sector receives a boost today with a study that suggests organic milk is healthier than the ordinary variety.

The European Union-funded study analysed 22 brands sold in supermarkets and found that organic milk had lower levels of harmful saturated fats and more beneficial fatty acids than conventional milk. Read the rest of this entry »

Scientists have identified a way of prompting nerve system repair in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Studies on rats by Cambridge and Edinburgh University researchers identified how to help stem cells in the brain regenerate myelin sheath, needed to protect nerve fibres.

MS charities said the “exciting” Nature Neuroscience work offered hope of restoring physical functions. Read the rest of this entry »

Some parents felt their children did not want healthier food at school

Four years on, the images are still shocking. Faced with healthier school dinner options because of Jamie Oliver’s TV series, some mothers began pushing junk food through the school gates.

Others simply swapped the healthier hot dinners for packed lunches. Schools reacted by tightening the rules about what could be put in lunchboxes.

But when children, in turn, responded by spending more on junk food from local shops, stories started appearing about the prospect of bans on take-aways. Read the rest of this entry »