A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Heart disease prevention initiative shows results
A UNIQUE community-based lifestyle programme aimed at decreasing the risk of heart disease succeeded in reducing the number of participants who smoked as well as achieving significantly better blood pressure control among them, a major cardiology meeting has been told.
Ms Irene Gibson, programme manager with Croí West of Ireland Cardiology Foundation presented the results of its MyAction programme to the EuroPrevent congress in Dublin last week. The 12-16 week programme, delivered by nurse specialists, a dietitian, physiotherapy and exercise specialists and physicians, involved people at high risk of cardiac disease and their partners attending for two and a half hours a week.
Between June 2009 and December 2011, some 562 patients and 275 partners were recruited. Their average age was 57 and there was an equal male and female split. The participants were prescribed exercise, dietary and other lifestyle interventions, and their preventive medication was optimised to reduce any identified risk factors.
When followed up at programme completion, male patients had reduced their waist circumference from 117cm to 111cm, while females dropped from 109cm to 104cms. The percentage of those smoking dropped from almost 15 per cent to 8 per cent, while those with normal levels of “bad” cholesterol in their blood went from 41 per cent to 76 per cent by the end of the programme.
While just 13 per cent of patients were taking sufficient exercise at enrolment, by the end of the programme some 62 per cent had reached the target level of physical activity prescribed for them.
DR MUIRIS HOUSTON
Women's Aid records big increase in calls at Easter
THERE WAS a 91 per cent increase in calls to the helpline operated by Women’s Aid over the Easter weekend period, the organisation has confirmed.
The reasons for the dramatic increase could be related to recent media coverage of domestic violence, it believes.
The director of Women’s Aid, Margaret Martin, said it continues to be worried about the role of social media and smart phone technology in the stalking of women who have left abusive relationships.
“We have definitely seen an increase in the amount of abuse perpetrated using technology. This technology is constantly evolving and the ways in which it can be used are also evolving,” said Ms Martin.
The arrival of mobile phones allowed women to contact Women’s Aid when it was safe to do so, “and now around 80 per cent of calls to the helpline are from mobile phones. The problem is the phones also give an abuser direct access to the woman,” she said.
Research shows that women are most at risk of violence just before and just after they leave an abusive relationship.
Social media sites have privacy settings that can allow for more information being available than people realise, including comments and posts made online.
“The sad reality is that for a huge number of women they have changed their mobile numbers umpteen times but people have found ways to get that information,” she said.
Women's Aid helpline, tel: 1800-341900. For information about being safe on the internet, see womensaid.ie
ELAINE KEOGH
Curry ingredient in cancer research
A BRITISH trial is investigating whether a curry ingredient can improve the treatment of patients with advanced bowel cancer. Scientists will supplement standard chemotherapy with pills containing curcumin, a compound found in the yellow curry spice turmeric.
Laboratory tests have suggested that curcumin can boost the ability of chemotherapy drugs to kill bowel cancer cells. The compound is known to have powerful anti-inflammatory properties and also acts as an antioxidant.