The flu jab blunder contributed to the largest spike in deaths in a generation, new figures from the Office for National Statistics have shown. An extra 28,189 people died last year compared with 2014, the largest percentage increase since 1968. The majority of the excess deaths, 24,000, were people aged over 75, many of whom died from flu or dementia. There […]
Too many children are being incorrectly diagnosed with asthma, with inhalers being dispensed for no good reason and becoming almost “fashion accessories”, say two specialists in the illness. Prof Andrew Bush and Dr Louise Fleming warn that although steroid inhalers are life-saving when used properly, their side-effects should not be ignored. And they call for […]
Alzheimer’s disease affects women worse than men, new researcher has suggested. Women with the form of dementia see their cognitive abilities decline more dramatically than men at the same stage of the disease. Language skills and memory are also impacted sooner in women than in men, according to a review of previous studies. In the […]
AS an experienced nurse, respected internationally with an impressive list of academic accolades under her belt, Professor Debbie Tolson thought she knew a bit about dementia. “It was only when my mother was diagnosed that I truly understood what it means to have dementia in your life,” she explains. “As a professional, I knew what […]
A DEMENTIA campaigner will be in the county as part of a national tour to raise awareness of the devastating disease. Tommy Whitelaw, who is from a project set up to raise awareness of the issues of caring for someone with the disease called Dementia Carer Voices, will be speaking about his experiences in Truro […]
Ianka Barbosa was 7 months pregnant when she found out her child had microcephaly. Before the baby was even born, the father had gone. Barbosa, 18, blames the break-up on her baby’s abnormally small head and brain damage that doctors link to the Zika virus she contracted during pregnancy. “I think, for him, it was […]
The UK should be the most dementia-friendly country in the world by 2020, the health secretary has said. Jeremy Hunt said the government wanted to increase the numbers of diagnoses for people with dementia, raise awareness of the condition and encourage more research. Under new plans, if a pilot scheme proves successful, everyone aged 40 […]
A 15-year-old schoolboy has released a heartbreaking song in honour of his grandma, Maureen McGuinness, who is living with dementia. Harry Gardner, from Essex, wrote the song after visiting his 76-year-old grandma who had deteriorated rapidly with Alzheimer’s disease. Harry is hoping to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK Maureen is currently being cared for […]
A chemical found in babies’ dummies, rubber gloves and condoms ‘probably causes cancer’ according to The World Health Organisation. MBT, a chemical used in the manufacturing of rubber is found in numerous household items, including, soft playground surfaces made of ‘rubber crumb’, medical catheters, car tyres, rubber insoles, air beds, elastic bands, babies’ dummies and […]
A worldwide search is on to find a stem cell donor for a Cardiff University student diagnosed with leukaemia, who needs to find a match urgently. Vithiya Alphons, 24, has acute myeloid leukaemia and has been told she needs a donation in the next two months. But because of her Sri Lankan background, the search […]
