Dementia and fish: Elderly people who eat fish or seafood at least once a week are at lower risk of developing dementia, a new study has found. Researchers studied whether there was a relation between consumption of fish (rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids) or meat (rich in saturated fatty acids) and the risk of dementia.
As well as providing vascular protection, the fatty acids contained in fish oils could reduce inflammation in the brain and may have a specific role in brain development and regeneration of nerve cells, the authors suggest.
Pain management
People suffering from chronic pain have a lower quality of life than people suffering from a terminal illness, according to research from Tallaght Hospital in Dublin. The Ulysses Pain Management Programme, which was launched last Friday, aims to teach patients to manage their pain through education, exercise and by increasing their psychological wellbeing. The four-week programme also helps patients to return to work by operating in partnership with government agencies that re-train individuals with chronic incapacity.
Caesarean risks
Increasing rates of Caesarean section may result in more cases of endometriosis, according to Dr Maeve Eogan from the Rotunda Hospital, writing in a recent issue of the Irish Medical Journal. Currently, one in 1,000 Caesarean sections results in endometriosis. Endometriosis is characterised by severe pain during menstruation and can remain undiagnosed for many years. The Endometriosis Association of Ireland can be contacted on 01-8735702
Honey warnings
The European Commission is considering plans for a public education campaign warning parents and child-minders not to add honey to food for babies. Honey can be contaminated by Clostridium botulinum because bees often carry the organism, and babies under one year do not have intestinal bacteria strong enough to resist it.
Clostridium botulinum has been implicated in almost 40 cases of infant botulism in Britain over the past 25 years.
- Lifelines is compiled by Dr Muiris Houston and Sylvia Thompson
lifelines@irish-times.ie