10 2GM Tuesday May 24 2022 | the times
News
Cutting television viewing to less than
an hour a day could prevent one in ten
cases of heart disease, according to
researchers.
A team from Cambridge University
found that sitting in front of the TV was
a risky behaviour, regardless of whe-
ther people had genes that raised their
chance of heart problems.
Health experts said that people
should forgo “one more episode” and
take an evening stroll instead.
Previous research has shown a link
between sedentary behaviour — such
as sitting in front of the TV or computer
— and heart disease.
For the latest study, published in
BMC Medicine, researchers hoped to
see if people’s genetic makeup interact-
ed with that risk. They used data on
370,000 people, covering 12 years,
stored in the UK Biobank. About 9,
developed coronary heart disease.
The scientists used individuals’
genetic data to give them a score indi-
cating how likely they were to develop
coronary heart disease, based on 300
genetic variants known to be involved.
They found, as expected, that those
with higher risk scores were more likely
to develop heart disease.
However, they also found that people
watching more than four hours of TV
every day were at greatest risk of the
disease, regardless of their risk score.
Compared with that group, people
spending two to three hours a day
watching TV had a 6 per cent lower risk,
and those watching less than an hour a
16 per cent lower risk.
Assuming a causal relationship, the
researchers calculated that 11 per cent
of cases of coronary heart disease could
be prevented if people watched less
than an hour of TV a day.
Dr Youngwon Kim, assistant profes-
sor at the University of Hong Kong, and
A simple Italian salad and extra ketch-
up on your chips could soon be enough
to provide an adult’s vitamin D needs
after scientists genetically engineered
tomatoes to make more of the nutrient.
Scientists said the advance could
help tackle the global deficiency of the
vitamin, which affects hundreds of mil-
lions of people and is a factor in diseases
including rickets and osteoporosis.
The scientists tweaked a gene in the
tomatoes so an enzyme that normally
converts a precursor to the vitamin into
carbohydrates no longer works.
The body makes vitamin D through
exposure to sunlight, with low quanti-
ties in some foods. Despite NHS advice
to take supplements in winter, about
one in six Britons have low levels of it.
The global problem is even worse.
Professor Susan Langham-New,
from the University of Surrey, said the
Watch less than
an hour’s TV a
day to help keep
heart healthy
Kat Lay Health Editor visiting researcher at the Medical Re-
search Council Epidemiology Unit in
Cambridge, the study’s corresponding
author, said: “Individuals who watch
TV for less than one hour a day were
less likely to develop the condition, in-
dependent of genetic risk.
“Limiting the amount of time sat
watching TV could be a useful, and rela-
tively light touch, lifestyle change that
could help individuals with a high
genetic predisposition to coronary
heart disease in particular to manage
their risk.”
Leisure time spent using a computer
did not appear to have any link with
someone’s chance of developing coro-
nary heart disease.
The researchers said possible rea-
sons for that included the fact that
people snack more when watching TV.
TV viewing tends to consist of long pe-
riods sitting in front of the screen, while
computer activity is more likely to be
broken up, they added. TV viewing also
tends to take place later in the day, typi-
cally after dinner, when there are
higher levels of glucose and lipids such
as cholesterol in the blood.
Chloe MacArthur, senior cardiac
nurse at the British Heart Foundation,
said: “Most of us watch TV sitting down,
and we know from decades of research
that leading a sedentary lifestyle can
lead to health problems later in life,
including an increased risk of coronary
heart disease. While it can be difficult to
weave physical activity into our daily
routines, it only takes 150 minutes of
moderate intensity exercise each week
to help reduce your risk of developing
heart and circulatory diseases.
“When the temptation hits you to
watch one more episode, try standing
up and stretching, or go for a stroll in-
stead. Stopping evening snacks and en-
suring you eat a healthy balanced diet
can also give your heart health a boost.”
A healthy circadian rhythm, Times
A simple saliva test can accurately pre-
dict a woman’s risk of developing breast
cancer, potentially saving thousands of
lives a year, a study has revealed.
Researchers at Manchester University
analysed the DNA in thousands of saliva
samples to predict the chance of getting
breast cancer.
They looked for more than 300
genetic variations, such as a mutated
BRCA1 gene carried by Angelina Jolie,
which increase the risk of getting the
disease. Of the 2,423 participants, 644Gene-edited tomato could
beat vitamin D shortages
Tom Whipple Science Editor
Saliva test predicts risk of breast cancer
developed breast cancer over ten years.
The test accurately predicted a higher
risk of breast cancer in half of these
cases.
The one-off test, which costs £250,
could be introduced by the NHS as a
form of breast cancer screening.
At present women are offered mam-
mograms, a type of x-ray, every three
years between the ages of 50 and 71.
No screening is offered to women
younger than 50, though they repre-
sent about a fifth of breast cancer cases.
The study, published in the journal
Genetics in Medicine, said the test couldbe given to women “at or before age 30”.
Those in danger could take drugs that
prevent breast cancer developing.
Women with high-risk genes could be
offered a preventative mastectomy.
Women could also be offered annual
mammograms, helping to catch cancer
at an earlier stage.
Professor Gareth Evans, the lead
author, said the test could save the lives
of more than 2,000 women a year.
Breast cancer is the most common
cancer in the UK, with 55,000 new
cases each year and about one in ten
cases caused by genetic mutations.Eleanor Hayward Health Correspondenttransformed tomatoes would be helpful
because they were so ubiquitous in our
diet already.
“What is extraordinary about the to-
mato plant is that it can be used in sau-
ces and a whole different range of prod-
ucts,” she said. This included tomato
ketchup, not traditionally regarded as
healthy. This would require careful
messaging, she said. “Of course we
don’t want children to think tomato
ketchup is a food portion,” she added.
The research, published in the jour-
nal Nature Plants, showed that disrupt-
ing a metabolic pathway was enough to
boost the tomato’s value as a source of
vitamin D, especially when sun-dried.
The equivalent of two medium-sized
tomatoes would be enough to get
people up to their daily recommended
allowance, the scientists said. Recent
legislation in the UK has encouraged
farmers to test crops using this form of
genetic engineering.A
blind girl has
regained her
sight and
learnt to
walk and talk
despite a brain condition
that usually has a lifelong
impact (Debbie White
writes).
Evie-Mae Geurts was
registered blind shortly
after she was born and
was diagnosed with a
neurological condition
when her head started to
swell a few months later.
Doctors discovered she
had hydrocephalus — the
build-up of fluid in theventricles deep
within the brain
— at eight
months old.
The pressure
inside her head
was 32 times the
normal level, and
doctors warned
that while they
could help relieve
the pain and
build-up, the
damage to her
brain was done.
Evie-Mae’s mother, Amy
Geurts, 28, said she was
told the condition meant
her sight would be gone
for ever and it was likely
that she would never walk
or talk.
She had a series of
brain operations —
including shunts fitted
and needles prodded
through her skull.
Against all the odds,not only did her sight
return when she was a
toddler — she has also
learnt to walk and talk.
And her hydrocephalus
disappeared last year.
Usually it is an
incurable, lifelong
condition which requires
shunts to drain fluid from
the brain. Evie-Mae, now
seven, is top of the class
and can see perfectlywithout any
glasses.
“We’re so
proud of her,”
Amy said.
“The doctors
admitted
because of a
delay in
diagnosis,
they weren’t
sure what
would
happen.
They didn’t know if she’d
ever be able to see or
walk or talk. Now, she’s
living shunt-free, talking,
walking and she’s ahead
of her age in learning.
They can’t understand.
She’s an amazing little
girl, and so brave.” Evie-
Mae lives in Bristol with
her mother, her father,
Martyn, 49, and her two
brothers Archie, eight,
and George, five.Brain illness
girl regains
sight to stun
her doctors
Amyw
gl
“W
pr
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“T
ad
be
de
di
th
su
w
ha
Theydidn’tkEvie-Mae was
diagnosed with
hydrocephalus,
which was said to
be incurableAMY GEURTS/SWNS