The Times - UK (2022-05-26)

16 Thursday May 26 2022 | the times

News

Adopting seven healthy habits can
lower the risk of dementia by up to 43
per cent, even in people genetically
predisposed to developing it, research
has found.
Those who are active, eat well, lose
weight, do not smoke, and keep their
blood pressure, cholesterol and blood
sugar under control are up to 43 per
cent less likely to develop the condition.
However, it was not previously clear
whether those habits were still helpful
in people whose genes put them at
higher risk. “The good news is that even
for people who are at the highest
genetic risk, living this same healthier

Seven simple

steps could

nearly halve

dementia risk

Kat Lay Health Editor lifestyle [is likely to] lower risk of
dementia,” said the study’s author, Dr
Adrienne Tin from the University of
Mississippi Medical Center.
For the study, published online in
Neurology, the medical journal of the
American Academy of Neurology,
researchers followed almost 12,
people living in the US for 30 years.
Around 9,000 had European ancestry
and 3,000 African ancestry, and they
were aged 54 on average when the
study began. Participants were given a
score ranging from 0 to 14, depending
on how well they adhered to all seven
health factors. Researchers also calcu-
lated their genetic risk scores, depend-
ing on whether they had variants linked
to higher or lower risk of Alzheimer’s
disease.
By the end of the study, 1,603 people
with European ancestry and 631 people
with African ancestry had developed
dementia. Across all five genetic risk
groups, those with the highest scores on
lifestyle factors were more than 40 per
cent less likely to develop dementia.
While trends appeared similar in
African Americans, the smaller sample
meant that the findings were less cer-
tain. “Larger sample sizes from diverse
populations are needed to get more
reliable estimates,” Tin said.
Overall, in the European ancestry
group, those with the highest lifestyle
scores were 43 per cent less likely to
develop dementia than those with the
lowest. Among the African group,
people with the highest lifestyle scores
had a 17 per cent lower risk than those
with the lowest.
Dr Rosa Sancho, head of research for
Alzheimer’s Research UK, said:
“Dementia risk depends on many
factors. Some, like our age and genetic
make-up, we cannot change, while
others, like diet and exercise, we can.
This study supports the idea that what
is good for the heart is also good for the
brain. The lower number of African
American participants means that the
findings for this group are less clear. We
will need further studies to assess how
good heart health affects dementia risk
in the wider population, with sufficient
people from ethnically diverse back-
grounds.

Vaccination against the coronavirus
reduces the risk of developing long
Covid, a study has found.
The research, published in the
journal Nature Medicine, involved an
analysis of 34,000 “breakthrough”
infections, compared with several
million people who were uninfected
and more than 100,000 who were
infected before vaccination.
Although there was a benefit to
vaccination in relation to long Covid, it
was small, with those who had been
infected following a jab about 15 per
cent less likely to experience continu-
ing symptoms.
The Office for National Statistics

Vaccines reduce long Covid danger

estimates that 1.7 million people are

suffering from long Covid, defined as

experiencing symptoms more than

four weeks after infection. Estimates

vary depending on the definition. The

extent to which people can recover

from long Covid is unknown.

One of the key public health ques-

tions as the pandemic has persisted has

been whether vaccines are able to offer

long Covid protection, either by speed-

ing recovery or lessening severity.

Some small studies had suggested they

might have a dramatic effect.

But the latest research, using data

from the US department of veterans

affairs, implies that they might not be as

powerful as hoped. The scientists

involved said that the results suggested

that vaccines are needed to protect

against infection and severe disease.

“The effect of the vaccine is really

rather modest,” said Ziyad Al-Aly, from

Washington University School of Med-

icine. “It’s not really very strong in

reducing the risk of long Covid — it’s an

imperfect shield.”

He said this was not surprising. “The

vaccines we have today were designed

to reduce the risk of hospitalisation,

and they’re doing an exceptionally

good job at that. In the US and Europe

there’s no appetite any more for public

health measures, and we are relying on

the vaccine.”

Al-Aly said that programmes to

develop infection-blocking vaccines

might need to be prioritised.

Tom Whipple Science Editor

Poll finds 75% think NHS

is too stretched on cancer

Most people believe the NHS has too

few staff and not enough equipment to

treat cancer patients, a poll has found.

A YouGov survey of almost 2,

adults for Cancer Research UK found

that 75 per cent of people agreed with

the statement: “I don’t think the health

service has enough staff or equipment

to see, test and treat all the people with

cancer who need to be seen, tested and

treated.”

Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research

UK’s chief executive, said: “The health

secretary’s upcoming ten-year plan is

the perfect opportunity to bring the

UK’s cancer outcomes in line with simi-

lar countries around the world. We

need a plan that works for all.”

In March only 67 per cent of people in

England received a diagnosis of cancer

and started treatment within 62 days of

an urgent referral — below the 85 per

cent target, which has not been met

since 2015.

According to Cancer Research UK,

pressure on diagnostic services is a key

reason for the delays.

Professor Charles Swanton, the char-

ity’s chief clinician, said: “We have

world-leading research and we should

be aiming for cancer services which

match that.”

JANE BARLOW/PA

A

builder who

could not use

his hands due

to a skin

disease has

been given a new lease of

life after a double

transplant (Laurence

Sleator writes).

Steven Gallagher, 48,

was diagnosed with

scleroderma, an

autoimmune disease that

causes scarring of the

skin and internal organs,

after he developed an

unusual rash on his

cheeks and nose about 13

years ago, and pains in

his right arm.

The condition affected

areas including his nose,

mouth and hands and,

about seven years ago, his

fingers started curling in

until they were in a fist

position and he was

suffering “horrendous”

pain. When experts

suggested the idea of a

double hand transplant

the father-of-three

dismissed the idea but

then decided to go ahead

despite the risks. “My

wife and I spoke about it

and came to the

agreement to go for it. I

could end up losing my

hands anyway,”

Gallagher, from

Dreghorn in North

Ayrshire, said.

He underwent the

12-hour operation last

December after a suitable

donor was found.

The hand transplant

team at Leeds Teaching

Hospital NHS Trust,

which carried out the

surgery, said it is the first

time anywhere in the

world that hand

transplantation has been

used to replace hands

terminally affected by

scleroderma.

Gallagher said: “I woke

up and it was quite

surreal because before it

I had my hands and then

when I woke up from the

operation I still had

hands so in my head I

never really lost any

hands. These hands are

amazing, everything has

happened so quickly.

From the moment I woke

up from the operation I

could move them.”

He added: “It has given

me a new lease of life. I’m

still finding things hard

just now but things are

getting better every week

with the physio and the

occupational therapists,

everything is just slowly

getting better.

“The pain is the big

thing. The pain before the

operation was

horrendous, I was on so

much pain relief it was

unbelievable, but now

I’ve no pain at all.”

Gallagher, who has

three daughters aged 12,

24 and 27, spent about

four weeks in Leeds

General Infirmary

following the operation

and has regular visits to

hospitals in Glasgow for

physiotherapy and

monitoring.

More than five months

on his condition is

improving and although

he cannot do tasks

requiring great dexterity,

such as doing up buttons,

he can do things such as

stroke his dog, turn on

the tap and fill a glass of

water.

The 48-year-old worked

as a roof tiler and was

made assistant contracts

manager but had to stop

work due to his condition.

He is hoping to return to

some kind of job once his

hands have improved.

Gallagher added that he

was very grateful to the

donor and their family.

New hands

let builder

pat dog and

turn on tap

Steven Gallagher, 48, can

finally stroke his dog Skye

again. Scleroderma had left

him in horrendous pain and

unable to use his hands

3 Muscles (b)

and tendons (c) are

individually rejoined and

nerves (d) are reattached

How it works

1 Bones are attached using

titanium plates and screws

2 Arteries and veins (a)

are reconnected

and blood flow

restored

Donor’s

hand

Recipient’s

arm

4 Skin

is closed

a

d b

c

The healthy habits

Manage blood pressure High blood

pressure strains the heart, arteries

and kidneys and can be cut by a

healthy diet, exercise and medicine.

Control cholesterol A high level of

LDL cholesterol clogs arteries.

Again, a healthy diet, exercise and

medicine can help.

Reduce blood sugar

High blood sugar damages the

heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves. A

healthy weight and insulin can help.

Get active

150 minutes of moderate activity or

75 minutes of vigorous activity a

week is recommended.

Better diet

Eat more vegetables, fruit, grains,

beans, legumes, nuts, poultry and

fish, and reduce salt, refined

carbohydrates and processed food.

Lose weight

The NHS has courses to help.

Stop smoking

Try nicotine replacement products

or switch to vaping.

Source: The American Heart

Association “Life’s Simple 7”