Thursday 10 November 2011

Ask your Pharmacist Week


This week is “Ask your Pharmacist Week” whereby the National Pharmacy Association aims to promote the health services provided by community pharmacists, which may not be familiar to everybody.

People generally use pharmacies to collect prescriptions and pills,  seldom realising the wider role that pharmacies can play in their local communities.  Pharmacies offer more than just a place to pick up prescriptions, the pharmacist can advise, support and offer guidance on a number of common health problems and minor ailments.  These range from obesity, diabetes, sexual health, skin conditions, coronary heart disease and airway conditions.

Pharmacists are also able to provide help on dieting and exercise, as well as alcohol consumption and stopping smoking.  

Pharmacies are there to help you stay well, not just to treat you when you are sick”

Healthy Living Pharmacies

Some pharmacies are known as Health Living Pharmacies, because they have a healthy living champion who, as well as delivering services themselves and advising people on health issues,  also keeps up to date with health services and are able to signpost people to receive further help.

For further information on the services that Pharmacies provide, please click on the Ask Your Pharmacy website. 

The RSPH supports the work carried out in pharmacies and sees their role as integral to helping to reduce health inequalities and ensuring that everyone can access health services as well as getting the right advice.
RSPH Training Solutions currently offer the Level Two Award in Understanding Health Improvement to health trainers and champions and continue to develop tailored programmes for people working in pharmacies.. 
For more information on this please contact Gina Mohajer gmohajer@rsph.org.uk or 0207 265 7327.

  
Positive Pharmacy

-       There are currently 12,000 pharmacies across the UK, therefore for the majority of us, they are easy to access and tend to be close by.
-       To visit a pharmacy you do not need to make an appointment.
-       There is always a fully qualified healthcare professional and support team who can answer queries and offer knowledgeable advice.
-       Most pharmacies have a consultation room, whereby you can talk with your pharmacist without being overheard.
-       Health checks and vaccinations can also take place in the consultation room

Wednesday 2 November 2011

Learning to De–Stress! Celebrating National Stress Awareness Day


Today, 2nd November, is National Stress Awareness Day, aimed at helping people to deal with and avoid stress.
Stress Management has never been more relevant than it is today.  Recent research has emphasised that stress levels have doubled in four years.  Statistics from MIND show that half a million people in the UK experience work-related stress at a level they believe is making them ill and that twelve million adults see their GP with mental health problems each year, much of which is stress related.

As such, this year’s theme is based on “Wellbeing and Resilience at Work”

Why are we more stressed?

With our current economic climate, the increasing number of redundancies and the growing uncertainty of job security, has inevitably lead to a lot of worries.  People are concerned about their financial situations, paying back mortgages or how they will provide for their families.

In the work place, stress can be caused by relationship conflicts between colleagues, greater workload and pressure, which can also lead to depression.  Depression and issues from work are one of the main causes of stress reported by patients when they visit their GP’s.  

National Stress Awareness Day asks whether you have a technique or routine to help you combat tension?

We all know that stress is harmful for our overall health and wellbeing.  It can have a negative impact on our body, the way we feel and can also affect the way we operate and behave.  However, feeling stressed is reversible and we can all take certain steps to ensure we cope with pressure and also learn how to relax and take time out for ourselves.  It could be something as simple as taking a bath, writing a diary, listening to music, doing physical activity.   

MIND have identified Ten Top Tips to tackle stress, as well as guides on how to relax, manage stress and also how to improve your mental wellbeing.

For further information on National Stress Awareness Day and ways to support it, please visit the International Stress Management Association UK  

Tuesday 1 November 2011

Raising Awareness for Lung Cancer

This November in the UK is Lung Cancer Awareness Month aimed at raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of the disease, to encourage people at risk to visit their GP’s and seek medical help.

The Facts

Worldwide, lung cancer is the most common cancer in the world with an estimated 1.61 million new cases diagnosed in 2008.  With the highest rates of lung cancer for men in Central and Eastern Europe, and for women in Northern America.

In the UK, lung cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed after breast cancer.  Around 41, 000 people were diagnosed with lung cancer in 2008, that is, 112 people every day.

The Survival Rates

As with most cancers, the earlier the diagnosis, the higher the chance of survival.  Currently however, more than two-thirds of lung cancers are diagnosed at a late stage and so survival rates for these patients remain lower.

Overall, the statistics show that less than 10 percent of lung cancer patients survive the disease for at least five years after diagnosis.

Death From Lung Cancer

Worldwide around 1.38 million people died from lung cancer in 2008 and in the European Union more than a quarter of a million people died in the same year.

In the UK, lung cancer has been identified as the most common cause of cancer death, resulting in more than 1 in 5 deaths.

The latest figures from 2008, highlight that around 35,260 people died from lung cancer, that is 95 people every day. 

Causes of Lung Cancer

It has long been established that tobacco and cancer are strongly linked.  Evidence has revealed that smoking causes 90 percent of lung cancer deaths.  The recent figures show that in Britain 1 in 5 adults smoke cigarettes, that is 9.5 million people.
Living with someone who smokes, also increases the risk of lung cancer in non smokers by a quarter and it is estimated that exposure to passive smoke in the home causes around 11,000 deaths every year in the UK.

It has also been recognised that lung cancer can also be caused by heavy exposure to industrial carcinogens and numerous air pollutants, but this accounts for a small proportion of cases.

Despite the known facts and the strong correlation between lung cancer and tobacco, why is it that so many people continue to smoke?  Why do people ignore the health signs and fail to seek medical support? 
We can all help to reduce the risk of lung cancer and potentially save ourselves, a loved one or someone we know.  This month is dedicated to raising awareness about lung cancer and ensuring that people are educated about the disease and know where to find and access help.

For further information on supporting the campaign and raising awareness on lung cancer please click here 
For information on symptoms and lung cancer please visit the NHS Choices website by clicking here  
For information on quitting smoking click here

Thursday 27 October 2011


Make A Difference Day – Sat 29th October


Have you ever considered volunteering and making a difference to perhaps someone’s life or community, but just never got round to making it happen? Well this Saturday the 29th October is Make a Difference Day, a campaign organised by CVS aimed at encouraging people to get involved in volunteering to help make a difference.

This year’s theme will be highlighting how volunteers can help to tackle loneliness and isolation.  The charity is calling for volunteers to register their activity, which can include anything from creating a bus stop garden to teaching IT skills, renovating a homeless shelter or knitting blankets for cats and dogs in shelters.

For further information or to register your interest click here

To support the work of volunteering and the great work that volunteers do, the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) is offering free* training in health improvement to people who are volunteering / or thinking of volunteering.  Under the East London Health Makers Scheme, participants will gain a Level 2 Award in Understanding Health Improvement, which will enable them to not only understand the importance of healthy living and physical activity, but also how to positively encourage others to make healthier lifestyle choices.  By being educated, proactive and reaching out to people of need, we can all help to diminish health inequalities and improve the quality of peoples lives.

For further information on training please contact Nelly Araujo by email: naraujo@rsph.org.uk or by phone: 020 7265 7322. 

*The funding has been made available through the Mayor's Legacy Fund and the Big Lottery.  To be eligible to receive free training, all applicants must be willing to commit to volunteering work in London and be able to provide information on the organisation they will be volunteering at. 


Thursday 13 October 2011

Tanning Salons and the Risk of Cancer

As summer becomes a distant memory and winter begins to creep in, people in attempt to keep their “summer/healthy glow” conventionally resort to using sunbeds to top up their tans.  But are they taking into account the harm they are doing to their skin and health?

Currently, it is estimated that around three million Britons use sunbeds on a regular basis.  The statistics reveal that 12,000 Britons develop malignant melanoma a year and the disease claims more than 2,000 lives.  This figure has more than doubled over the past twenty years.  
  
Recent news articles from the Daily Mail  and the Daily Telegraph have highlighted that sunbeds are even more dangerous than originally thought.  It was reported that UVA rays, the main type of ultraviolet light emitted from tanning devices and previously regarded as relatively "safer" than UVB, has actually been found to cause the type of DNA damage that can lead to cancer.

The Research

Light from the sun contains two types of ultraviolet (UV) rays, UVA and UVB.  UVB has generally been considered as the major carcinogen in sunlight.  However, scientists now argue that the effects of UVA needs further consideration as there are more UVA than UVB rays in sunlight.

In a recent study carried out by researchers from King’s College London and published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, compared the DNA damage caused by UVA rays to that from UVB rays.

Previously, UVA has been perceived as safer, compared to UVB which has been linked to burning and cancer.  However, the research, which builds on further studies, suggests that UVA is not harmless, and like UVB, can lead to changes in the cell that increase the risk of developing skin cancer. 

A total of 12 volunteers with healthy and similar skin tone were recruited for the research.  A small area of the volunteers’ skin was exposed to UVA and UVB, which was then later examined to assess the degree of skin redness.  The researchers also took pinch biopsies, which extracted skin from the exposed area, to evaluate the chemical changes to the DNA.   

They found that both UVA and UVB could cause similar types of DNA damage, but that UVA was recognised as affecting cells deeper in the skin, while UVB affected cells at the surface of the skin more.

Prof Antony Young, one of the researchers from King's College London, said:

"In the past UVA has been written off as not very serious to the skin...What we are saying is that UVA does cause significant damage to DNA in the skin especially in the base layer, and that is where the damage is important”

The World Health Organisation says “sunbeds – which emit a small amount of UVB as well as the UVA – are as great a cancer risk as cigarettes”. 

The Outcome

UVB has been identified as causing changes to our DNA and where our body’s natural mechanisms cannot repair the damaged DNA, such as in skin cancers, these chemical changes can lead to harmful mutations in the DNA sequence.  The recent evidence suggests that UVA may cause mutations in a similar way to UVB and is therefore not “safer” as previously believed and can thus lead to skin cancer. 

Sunbeds have a particularly high UVA output and evidence claims that these rays can be ten to fifteen times higher than the midday sun.  As such, people using sunbeds should take into account that there is currently no regulation to govern the type or strength of UV rays that is emitted from them.  Consequently, it is essential that whenever we expose our skin to UVA or UVB light, we use the correct factor sunscreen to protect us from ultraviolet rays.

Cancer Research UK have highlighted some recommendations to ensure you keep your skin safe and protected.  Click here for further information and for more information on sunbeds and their safety please click here. 


Monday 10 October 2011

Celebrating World Mental Health Day 2011

Today October 10th 2011 is World Mental Health Day.

The yearly event which is celebrated worldwide was created by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to raise public awareness of mental health issues.

It is believed that around 154 million people around the world suffer from depression, therefore, it is likely that you or someone you know will be affected by mental illness during your lifetime.

The purpose of World Mental Health Day is to encourage all of us to talk openly about mental illnesses and to eradicate any stigmas attached to it.  The day also aims to highlight treatment and preventative measures that are available to all of us.
    
The day is organised with the help of the World Federation for Mental Health which was founded in 1948 to prevent emotional and mental health disorders and to offer help to those who need it.  This year people can show their support by making a donation at the World Federation for Mental Health website, or by joining in with one of the events organised for the day.

For further information on World Mental Health Day, please visit the official website by clicking here. 

Wednesday 28 September 2011

Saving Lives Through Changing Behaviour


Fresh food, more exercise and no smoking.  These are some of the choices we need to make in order to lead a healthy lifestyle, which is sustainable in the long term.

The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) http://www.rsph.org.uk/ has responded to the Government’s White Paper, by developing a suite of training programmes on Behaviour Change designed specifically to support health and well being professionals to deliver these messages effectively as part of their behaviour change strategy. 

Professor Richard Parish, Chief Executive of RSPH comments:

“It is our belief that spreading skills and knowledge in this area will have a direct effect on driving behaviour change and reducing health inequalities, resulting in healthier communities across the country.”

Rises in obesity, diabetes, heart disease and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), alongside problems associated with unhealthy eating, drinking and smoking habits, have placed our health service under huge pressure.  As many health conditions are both preventable and avoidable, we have a responsibility to ensure that we intervene and steer people towards healthier lifestyle choices.  This not only positively impacts the wellbeing of the individual but also their communities.

Preventing avoidable conditions is better for both the patient and the health service, but the approach differs depending on the time available, the skill of the individual and the nature of the contact.

The programmes are tailored to help everyone and range from a short introduction for frontline staff right through to strategic planning for leaders and managers.

Influencing Behaviour Change
An introduction to communication and sign-posting

This one day workshop for front-line staff explores the potential improvements they could make to community health by influencing changes to behaviour. Drawing on motivational interviewing techniques and a variety of communication styles, participants will gain a clear understanding of how they can increase the impact of everyday contact with their community.

Making Every Contact Count
An introduction to the Behaviour Change competence framework

This half day programme introduces participants to the competence framework which has been developed by NHS Yorkshire and The Humber. It is designed for use at all levels of experience and provides a common approach against which skills can be assessed, either within a single programme or for an entire workforce. This will enable individuals to identify gaps in their knowledge, Commissioners to address weaknesses in their provision, and Service Providers to offer exactly what is needed.

To find out more about RSPH’s programmes on Behaviour Change please contact Gina Mohajer on gmohajer@rsph.org.uk 020 7265 7327or visit http://www.rsph.org.uk/en/training-solutions/index.cfm

Thursday 18 August 2011

Cutting out the Fat....
The relationship between fatty foods and developing type 2 diabetes

As levels of obesity continue to rise, posing as a serious threat to public health, conditions of type 2 diabetes has also increased.  Evidence has suggested a strong link between obesity and developing type 2 diabetes, however, scientists have now discovered how a high fat diet can cause type 2 diabetes.  Researchers believe this discovery will not only help explain the relationship between fatty foods and obesity, but it may lead to finding a cure for the disease.   

This week the Daily Mail and BBC Health News reported the findings.

The study published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Medicine, was carried out by researchers from the University of California and the RIKEN Advanced Science Institute in Japan.  The study sought to investigate whether a high-fat diet might contribute to causing type 2 diabetes, by looking at its effect on the insulin producing cells of the pancreas on mice, and on the response of cells to insulin.  The scientists investigated their findings further on human pancreatic cells in the laboratory.

The Science bit
In type 2 diabetes, the cells in the pancreas that normally produce insulin – called beta cells – gradually stop working over time.  These cells respond to increased levels of sugar in the blood by producing insulin, but this ability is lost in type 2 diabetes.  The cells of the body become less responsive to insulin (insulin resistance) and fail to take up the sugar in the blood stream.  This then causes high levels of sugar circulating around the body, which is detrimental to cells and tissues.   

The Research
Scientists looked at what effect a high-fat diet had on the activity of certain genes and proteins in the cells that are thought to help the beta cells function. Particular focus was placed on a protein called GnT-4a glycosyltransferase.  In healthy pancreatic cells this protein helps in the detection and response to glucose in the blood stream.

The researchers found that when they fed mice a high-fat diet, the genes encoding the GnT-4a protein and one of the glucose sensing proteins (called Slc2a2) became less active in the mice’s pancreatic cells.

The scientists also genetically engineered mice to have a form of GnT-4a that was always active in the beta cells. They then looked at how these mice responded to the high-fat diet.  The theory was that if dietary fat had its effects by stopping these proteins working, then these genetically engineered mice should be less susceptible to the effects of a high-fat diet.

The Findings
It was found that high-fat diets in mice affected the insulin-producing cells, reducing their ability to correctly respond to the presence of glucose.  As such, there were high levels of glucose circulating in the bloodstream and a reduced ability of certain tissues to respond to insulin and take up sugar.   Tests on pancreatic tissue from people with type 2 diabetes suggested that similar changes may be occurring in humans.

However, in mice genetically engineered to have GnT-4a work constantly in the beta cells, the high-fat diet had less of an effect on blood sugar levels and the ability of the cells to respond to insulin, even though the mice became fat.  This enhanced understanding of the effects of fat on pancreatic cells, provides a possible biological explanation as to why high fat diets can lead to type 2 diabetes. Researchers believe this will also aid the development of possible new treatments for type 2 diabetes.

However, human research is a lengthy process and finding a cure for type 2 diabetes may take years.  Thus, the best current advice to prevent type 2 diabetes, is to maintain a healthy weight, do exercise and eat a healthy diet.  For further information on this research please visit NHS Choices

What You Can Do?
At RSPH Training Solutions we take health seriously and we believe that through education and training, people can learn to make better lifestyle choices and positively influence people around them.  The level 2 Award in Understanding Health Improvement provides knowledge and understanding of the benefits of good health and well being, and of the barriers to making a change of lifestyle.  This qualification is specifically designed for people who work with the public in a healthcare environment and those who have an interest in developing public health skills.  For further information on the course please click here or contact Nicolette Boustaoui   or by phone 020 7265 7325



Thursday 4 August 2011

Breast Health
World Breastfeeding Week

This week from 1st to 7th August the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) has been celebrating World Breastfeeding Week (WBW).  WBW is carried out in 170 different countries and this is the 19th year it is running.  This year's theme is “Talk to Me! Breastfeeding – a 3D experience”.

Spreading the Message
World Breastfeeding Week provides the opportunity to highlight the many health benefits of breastfeeding and to encourage everyone to support mothers who want to breastfeed.  This year however, WABA are determined to raise awareness outside of the health care sphere and encourage young people to get involved to help spread the message.

In association with the United Nation’s International Year of Youth, WABA commissioned a group of dedicated young people to partake in the United Nation’s call for action and help create awareness, mobilise and engage, connect and build bridges across generations, different cultures and religions.
In a press release, a spokesperson for WABA stated: “Youth account for about 18 percent of the world’s population and are therefore an invaluable sector to ally with in any public health movement” 

The “3D” theme is about looking at the dimensions of our lives and ensuring that communication is filtered throughout all channels so that it speaks to everyone. A young advocate from WABA YOUth stated that “as a young person I want to contribute to the global breastfeeding movement! Not only do I learn more about breastfeeding, but I need to make sure I talk to my friends and family when needed”.

Breastfeeding - The Statistics

Data published in the NHS The Information centre for health and social care, revealed that in 2005, 76 percent of mothers breastfed their babies compared with 69 percent in 1995.  Evidence shows that globally breastfeeding is on the rise, but more needs to be done to ensure that the correct health message reaches everyone and that support and information is offered to mothers to help them make choices. 

The Benefits

We are told that breastfeeding is the best way to feed your baby, but let us now look at why this is the case?
Breast milk is considered to be rich in nutrients and antibodies which protects your baby from diseases and infections and also stimulates the baby's immune system. 
Studies have compared the health of children who were breastfed as babies and children who were given formula milk.  The results highlighted that breastfeeding substantially decreased the risk of illness and that the longer babies were breastfed, the greater the health benefits.  

The World Health Organisation and the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety recommend breastfeeding with no other food or drink until around six months of age.    

The NHS Choices website advocates the many positive reasons why breastfeeding is good for baby, mother and society.  Aside from being the only natural food designed for babies, breast milk is available whenever, wherever and at the right temperature.  Let us not forget it is free! 

Benefits for baby
Less chance of:

1. Diarrhoea, upset tummy and gastroenteritis
2. Coughs and colds
3. Ear and chest infections
4. Urine infections
5. Allergies, asthma and eczema
6. Childhood diabetes and obesity in later life

It is also recognised that breastfeeding helps to strengthen the emotional and physical bond between mother and baby.


Benefits for Mother
Less Chance of:

1. Breast cancer
2. Ovarian cancer
3. Osteoporosis (Bone thinning)

Breastfeeding also helps mothers to get back to their pre-pregnancy weight more easily, as it naturally uses 500 calories per day.

Society also benefits from breastfeeding, not only are babies healthier, but it means less demand on the health service.  Mothers are healthier, which means less time off work, saving employers money and making family life less stressful.  Lastly, breastfeeding is environmentally friendly because there is no pollution, manufacturing, packaging or waste involved!

For further information on breastfeeding, please click on the NHS Choices website

What are you views?

We are interested to hear your views on breastfeeding and open up a discussion. 
Do you feel you have gained any benefits from breastfeeding?
Have you encountered any difficulties breastfeeding? Have you felt pressure to breastfeed and been unsuccessful?  Has working life prevented you from breastfeeding?
Were you given the right information and support?

Thursday 28 July 2011

Getting Sporty – The Benefits for Body and Brain!

It is widely accepted that exercise has many beneficial effects on the body.  However, a new review article entitled “Exercise, Brain and Cognition Across the Lifespan” published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, highlights that the positive effects of exercise also extends to the brain, influencing cognition.  The article draws upon recent evidence which identifies physical activity as positively affecting the body and also the mind.     

Michelle W. Voss, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her colleagues affirmed that both aerobic exercise and strength training play an essential role in maintaining brain and cognitive health throughout life.  However, they also highlighted that this area of research still needed to be explored into understanding how certain aspects of exercise influence brain physiology and function.   

The Results

The article used the findings from 111 studies to demonstrate the effects of aerobic exercise and strength training on humans from children through to the elderly. 
It was found that aerobic exercise was crucial for getting a head start during childhood on cognitive abilities.  It suggested that physical inactivity was associated with poor academic performance, whereas, exercise programs could help to improve memory, attention and decision making.  These effects, it was argued, extend to both young and elderly adults. 
There was strong evidence that showed aerobic training benefitted executive functions, including multi-tasking, planning and inhibition, as well as improving memory.  This is particularly evident for high-intensity and high load training for older adults.  More research needs to be carried out on the effects of strength training on brain health for children. 

Animal studies, which examine the influence of aerobic exercise has found that physical activity appears to change the brain structure, promoting the growth of new nerve cells and blood vessels.  It is also recognised as increasing the production of neurochemicals, such as BDNF and IGF-1 which help to promote growth, survival and repair of brain cells. 

Clearly, the studies identify the positive effects of exercise on the brain, but the article also made clear that there were gaps in the scientific literature and more needed to be done to examine how exercise type might promote different effects on brain health and cognition at different ages. 

"It is increasingly prevalent in the print media, television, and the Internet to be bombarded with advertisements for products and programs to enhance mental and physical health in a relatively painless fashion through miracle elixirs, computer-based training, or gaming programs, or brief exercise programs," the authors say. "Although there is little convincing scientific evidence for such claims, there have been some promising developments in the scientific literature with regard to physical activity and exercise effects on cognitive and brain health."

For more information on how to get active and the recommended physical activity guidelines please visit the NHS Choices website by click here. 

RSPH – Sport for Health

Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer stated that:
“The potential benefits of physical activity to health are huge.  If a medication existed which had a similar effect, it would be regarded as a ‘wonder drug’ or ‘miracle cure’.

RSPH Training Solutions, recognises the importance of how sport can play a vital role in improving ones overall health and wellbeing.  However, the problem stems in that so many people avoid sport and thus ignore one of the cheapest and most effective ways to improve health.  Sport for Health is a programme which has been designed for people who work in sport, either in a professional or voluntary role.  It aims to help them increase the level of physical activity amongst people by understanding how an active lifestyle promotes good health and also understanding the barriers people face and ways to overcome them.

Through the Mayor’s Legacy Fund, applicants can apply for funding which entitles them to 75% off the cost of the course.  For more information on Sport for Health please click here or email sportforhealth@rsph.org.uk