talkhealth Blog

Welcome to another week of talkhealth’s round up on the biggest news in the world of health. This week, we will be looking at subjects including new cancer research, new reports about obesity as well as the rising popularity of vaping. So, let’s get started on the top health news stories this week.

New cancer research

We’re starting off this week’s run down with some promising news around a new vaccine that could significantly extend the lives of people diagnosed with one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer, glioblastoma.

The research found that those who took part in the study lived almost twice as long as standard treatments for the condition. The immunotherapy vaccine DCVax was given to participants alongside traditional forms of treatment and saw very positive results. As it stands the longest survivors have lived for over seven years after surgery.

Whilst the study has not yet concluded, and full results are not yet available, researchers are cautiously optimistic about the study and feel they may be close to making a major breakthrough in treatment for those affected by glioblastoma.

Obesity news

In other news, recent research has thrown doubt over the term “healthy obesity”.

The study examined a large sample of women who were classed as overweight or obese but otherwise healthy. The research found that many of the 90,257 women taking part still had a heightened risk of cardiovascular disease.

Those behind the study were quick to highlight that the study showed an association between obesity and cardiovascular disease, rather than a cause and effect. Prof Schulze, one of the researchers behind the study added that the study suggests “that even individuals in good metabolic health may benefit from early behavioural management to improve their diet and increased physical activity in order to guard against progression to poor metabolic health.”

If you are concerned about your weight or are looking for any tips to help you keep on top of it, take a look at some further information we have.

The rising number of readmissions in hospitals

According to new data, there is an increasing number of readmissions in to hospitals with preventable conditions, such as pneumonia and pressure sores.

This comes from Nuffield Trust research who found that a small and growing proportion of emergency readmissions – around 1% – were preventable, affecting 185,000 people last year. These were conditions that were either or diagnosed or treated during the first admission to the hospital, leading to repeat visits. These unnecessary trips put many patients at risk and add additional pressure to the already stretched NHS and identifying these conditions on the first visit has been made a high priority to help alleviate issues for both individuals and hospitals.

Smoking and vaping

Finally, the rise in popularity of vaping continues to grow.

New figures and stats on the BBC have found that the number of vapers globally has risen exponentially over the last 7 years, from 7 million in 2011 to around 41 million in 2018. It is estimated that this number will reach 55 million by 2021. You can explore all the results and stats here.

Alongside this, if you are looking to kick the habit completely, why not take a look at how physical exercise can help you stop smoking for good. Yesterday was World No Tobacco Day, but if you’re still smoking don’t forget there’s never a better time to quit than right now.

And that’s our round up for the week. If you want to continue the conversation, head over to our forums and get involved.

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talkhealth

This is the talkhealth blog spot, where we post on a wide range of health conditions, topics, issues and concerns. We post when we see something that we believe is of interest to our visitors. Our posts do not reflect any particular view or standpoint of talkhealth, but are merely to raise attention and awareness.