Red Meat Linked to Heart Disease

A nutrient found in red meat which has been promoted for fat burning, muscle building and even heart protection, has now been linked to damaging the heart.

Image courtesy of Takoyaki King / flickr

L-carnitine is thought to cause damage when it is broken down in the gut to produce a potentially dangerous compound, trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO).  High levels of TMAO can lead to artery damage, which can cause heart disease, attacks and strokes.  The new study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, is the first to link L-carnitine to heart problems and was researched by scientists at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.

Nutrition expert Professor Brian Ratcliffe, from Robert Gordon University in Scotland, believes the study provides one of the missing links between red meat and heart disease.  He said: “This study provides another piece in the jigsaw puzzle showing the links between atherosclerosis and diet and lifestyle.”  Victoria Taylor, senior dietician at the British Heart Foundation, said: “While the findings won’t necessarily mean a change to existing recommendations, these scientists have served up a good reminder for us to think about alternative sources of protein if we regularly eat a lot of red or processed meats.”

Measles Outbreak in Wales

A measles outbreak in Wales is causing concern as health experts warn the epidemic could leave unprotected children at risk of brain damage or death.

Image courtesy of Dave Haygarth / flickr

Children who have not had their MMR vaccination could be at risk. The outbreak is centred on Swansea and the surrounding area, has seen numbers of those affected nearly double in a month, rising from 200 on March 4th to 432 now. Dr Marion Lyons, director of health protection at Public Health Wales, said: “Measles is now spreading like bush fires across areas of Wales. Worryingly, there are still tens of thousands of susceptible children across Wales, yet our weekly monitoring of vaccination rates shows only a slight increase in numbers receiving the MMR jabs … A simple and safe jab from your GP will protect your child’s health, could save their life, and will help protect other children too.”

The last outbreak of measles was in Dublin more than a decade ago with over 1,200 children affected and three died.

Cancer Spit Test

A £5 spit test which predicts the risk of cancer could be available on the NHS within five years.

The test would use saliva or blood and could be trialled within 18 months. The test is designed to detect those who are genetically at high risk of breast cancer and prostate tumours. Samples will be sent to a laboratory for analysis but it is hoped in time it will be possible to get instant results at your GP’s surgery. This exciting breakthrough has come about after four years of genetic analysis by more than 1000 scientist. By comparing the DNA of cancer patients and healthy men and women, they more than doubled the number of genes linked to breast, ovarian and prostate cancers. Around 150 breast and prostate cancer genes have now been identified.

Lifelong Exercise Improves Mental Ability

A study has shown that lifelong exercise can lead to improved brain function in later life.

Image courtesy of MilitaryHealth / flickr

According to the study, people perform better in mental tests at the age of 50 if they have taken regular intense activity; such as playing sport, running, working out in the gym or swimming, since childhood. The findings have been published in the Psychological Medicine journal and studied over 9,000 individuals from the age of 11. Participants also undertook memory tests including attention and learning at regular age intervals to monitor levels of exercise. Government guidelines suggest that adults should exercise for at least 150 minutes per week.

Study leader, Dr Alex Dregan, from King’s College London, said: “As exercise represents a key component of lifestyle interventions to prevent cognitive decline, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer, public health interventions to promote lifelong exercise have the potential to reduce the personal and social burden associated with these conditions in late adult years.”

Liver Donor Breakthrough

Scientists at Oxford University have developed a new machine which can hold a donated liver and mimic the conditions in which it existed inside the human body.

For the first time, a human liver has been kept ‘alive’, warm and functioning outside the body. After fifteen years of development the machine is seen as a breakthrough with huge implications for all organ transplants. By keeping the organ at room temperature it reduces the amount of damage caused by cooling the fatty tissue stored in the liver. The machine sits on a trolley and requires three units of blood to maintain the liver in a constant environment.

This development could see international change as the device will allow organs to be kept alive for up to 20 hours and transplanted into patients outside the UK who might be a better match. Two patients have successfully been implanted with livers using this machine and around 650 liver transplants take place every year in the UK.