A couple of weeks ago we listened live to Harvard Medical School’s Mini Med seminar on ageing. This was a very informative  event featuring experts in the field Amy Wagers Professor of Stem Cell Regenerative Biology; Sharon Inouye, the Director of the Hospital Elder Life Program and Professor of Medicine; and  Bruce Yanker, the Co-Director of the Paul F. Glenn Centre for the Biology of Ageing. Together they explained how the body ages and how we can keep it young and healthy.

The event started with an introduction by Amy Wagers who explained that ageing is a collection of physical and behavioural changes that take place as an individual gets older. She stated that ageing is the biggest risk factor for many diseases and the challenge that the medical field faces is how to promote healthy ageing.

When thinking about aging it was stressed that we have to think of a person’s health span as opposed to their life span. A person’s health span is the number of healthy years of life they experience and currently the general population’s life span has increased but their health span is relatively short and we need to do more research to determine how we can effectively increase a person’s health span; we don’t want people to have a long life span but have a poor quality of life because their health span is short.

Amy stated that we need to understand the cellular, biochemical and molecular basis of ageing and therefore understand how age-related diseases develop so that we can target these diseases. Amy stressed the importance of identifying predisposition to age-related diseases as there has been an explosion in these diseases over the past 15 years, mostly because we have more elderly than ever before.

Amy explained that ageing is a complex process where many biological mechanisms interact, these include loss of protein function, reduction in the communication between organs, the loss of the ability to regenerate cells after injury, metabolic dysfunction and DNA defects, just to name a few.  She said that there is hope that we can target the biological causes of ageing to prevent and reverse age-related disease.  Amy stressed that there are two very important factors in preventing age related diseases and these are: diet and exercise.

We then heard from Sharon Inouye who explored the clinical aspects of ageing. She stated that some of the main issues with ageing are: illness, disease and medications affect older adults differently; older adults are more likely to have multiple health conditions; we’re in a stressful society and stress results in a reduction in our physiological reserve so our body is less able to deal with ageing; falls are the leading cause of death in the elderly; many eldery experience a significant decline in brain function and finally we don’t have enough geriatricians to treat older people. Due to all of these issues we need to find ways to ensure that people age well. She stated that an important part of addressing these issues is ensuring that older people maintain their cognitive health by: encouraging people to be physically active (this is the most important), reducing cardiovascular risk factors, looking at medication management,  keeping the elderly socially and intellectually active and ensuring they get enough sleep.

Finally we heard from Bruce Yankers who spoke about brain function in the elderly. He wanted to answer the question: how do people who are healthy lose neurons? He stated that many older people retain memory and cognitive function but others lose this, why? He explained that biological processes in the brain decline with age and there are a number of genes involved in this process. REST is a gene regulator that appears in the ageing brain and disappears in people with Alzheimer’s Disease. REST controls many genes involved in memory. It keeps cells alive and regulates genes involved in neuron function. REST proteins are protective against Alzheimer’s Disease and thus prevent loss of neurons. He explained that some people can withstand Alzheimer’s lesions and do not go on to develop dementia, why? It seems to be REST proteins that are protective in these situations.

Finally Bruce explained that research has suggested that the strength and quality of relationships dictate how well people age. It was found that how happy people are is important in ageing healthily. Specifically how happy people are in marriage by 50 seemed to be a good indicator of how well they will age. Therefore it’s important that people control their stress levels and strive to be happy.

This was a very interesting seminar and gave us a lot to think about with regards to how to promote healthy ageing. A key theme of each talk was the power of exericse and we’ll continue to encourage the public to keep active.

We’d like to thank Harvard Medical School for organising this seminar series and making it as accessible as possible by broadcasting it live on the internet. You can find out more about this seminar series, read the lecture notes and watch

This week it was reported that Johnson and Johnson, the company that produces talcum powder, has lost a second court case where another woman has claimed that she developed ovarian cancer after using talcum powder for feminine hygiene reasons.

The company has been instructed by a jury to pay a settlement of $55M to the claimant. This case follows a case in February of this year where the family of a women who died from ovarian cancer was awarded $72M after it was claimed that she developed ovarian cancer after using talcum powder for many years.

Johnson and Johnson will be back in court and may face a long stretch of court appearance as it faces 1,200 lawsuits accusing the company of not adequately warning women of the risks associated with using talc-based products.

The question is: is there a risk of developing ovarian cancer from the use of talcum powder? The short answer is, we don’t know.

Cancer Research UK says the following:

“Scientists are trying to see if this is the case, but for now the evidence is still uncertain. However, even if there is a risk it is likely to be fairly small.

“Cosmetic body and talcum powders often contain a mineral compound called talc. Several studies have looked at talcum powder use and ovarian cancer. While on the whole the studies have seen a modest increase in the risk of ovarian cancer in women who use talc on their genitals, the evidence isn’t completely clear. So we can’t be sure whether or not talc itself could cause ovarian cancer”

The Chief Executive of the UK’s leading ovarian cancer charity, Ovarian Cancer Action,  has said the following on this issue:

“If you’re currently using talc, don’t panic. Given evidence is inconsistent we do advocate a ‘better safe than sorry’ attitude and advise that women using talc on their genitals stop doing so. But it’s important to remember that the suggested increased risk from using talcum powder is very small.

“While the relative increase of a third suggested by some studies sounds significant, the absolute risk of getting ovarian cancer still remains very low. We’re talking about the difference between a 2% risk and a risk of 2.5%.”

This sentiment about using talcum powder for personal hygiene reasons is echoed by the NHS who say:

“Most gynaecologists recommend using plain, unperfumed soaps to wash the area around the vagina (the vulva) gently every day, as opposed to talc or perfumed soaps, gels and antiseptics.” 

The take home message is that there isn’t yet clarity on whether talcum powder increases risk of ovarian cancer and while this uncertainty remains it’s probably better to avoid using talcum powder on the genital area.

A couple of weeks ago we listened live to Harvard Medical School’s Mini Med seminar,’ Taking it all In: Environmental Toxins’. This was a really interesting event featuring experts in the field David Christiani, Professor of Medicine; Monica Colaiacovo, Professor of Genetics;  and  Maitreyi Mazumdar, Assistant Professor of Neurology. Together they discussed how environmental toxins affect our risk of cancer, women’s reproductive health and child development.

From Professor Christianai we learnt about the history of establishing the link between cancer and environmental toxins. This work started in 1775 when a link between scrotum cancer and children who worked as chimney sweeps was identified and going forward this led to links between tobacco, lifestyle and various chemicals being determined.

He explained that 6% of cancers are linked to environmental factors and  these factors include:  industrial exposures, like asbestos and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH); lifestyle factors,  like tobacco and diet; naturally occurring factors such as exposure to UV light and radon and finally medical treatments like chemotherapy.

It was shocking to hear that of the 80,000 chemicals on the market only 200 have been tested to determine whether they are carcinogenic and he called for more work to be done in this area. He suggested that the contribution that the environment plays in increasing our risk of cancer has been underestimated and much more work is needed to gain clarity in this area.

Next we heard from Professor Colaiacovo who spoke about the effect of environmental toxins on reproductive health. She stated that scientists are only now starting to understand the health effects of the various chemicals in the environments. Like Professor Christianai she stated that of the 80,000 chemicals present in the environment only a small numbers have been tested on reproductive health and the work that she is doing aims to address this. Currently her team is working on understanding how BPA, a product we’re exposed to everyday, affects reproductive health. She summarised previous work in this area stating that a Japanese study has shown that BPA is associated with miscarriages. Professor Colaiacovo has been exploring the effects of BPA in worms and her research suggests that BPA has a significant effect on a meiosis which is very important biological process in reproduction. They now want to look at other chemicals such as crude oil, pesticides and phthalates. They are hoping to explore reproductive health and also trans-generational effects.

Finally we heard from Professor Mazumdar who delivered a presentation on children and environmental toxins. She started by explaining that we may not realise it but children are affected differently  when it comes to  environmental toxins because they have different and unique exposures; they are growing, they live longer so are exposed for longer and they rely on adults to protect them, they don’t make choices about what they are exposed to.

When we look at the unique and different exposures to chemicals Professor Mazumdar explained that children are exposed through the placenta; breastfeeding; because they are closer to the ground and therefore breathe slightly different air and are closer to some toxins; and have more “off-the-ground-into-the mouth” experiences. Additionally children, because of their size, breathe in more air and they tend to eat more food. Finally children’s brains are growing rapidly and this is a very complex process so there are many opportunities for things to go wrong. Due to all these reasons children are more susceptible to environmental toxins and have heightened vulnerability therefore we should be more cautious about introducing new chemicals into the environment.

This was a very informative event and we have to admit we were very surprised that there is still so much that is unknown about the effects of these chemicals on our health. The mainstream seems to be falsely reassuring us that there is clarity on these substances and to hear experts say that actually we do need to proceed with caution,  for example, when microwaving food in plastic containers really made us sit up and take notice.

The next Harvard Mini Med Lecture will be ‘The New Old Age: How the body ages and how to keep it young’ on Tuesday 19^th April from 6pm -7:30pm (US Eastern Time)

On Saturday, we were delighted to have been a part of Kinetic Root Services first trauma campaign awareness day with our founder Abi Begho giving a presentation on how trauma affects physical and mental health.

Kinetic Root Services is a service for black women who have been through a traumatic experience and empowers them to heal and move forward by facing their experience, understanding themselves, dealing with the past and letting go of the negativity surrounding their traumatic experience. They achieve this through a programme of workshops, led by a trained counsellor. These workshops provide practical advice and support on how to deal with the effects of trauma.

Saturday’s trauma awareness campaign day was organised to introduce the black community to the services that Kinetic Root Services offer but to also raise awareness and educate the community on trauma, its causes, effects and the solutions.

The event was hosted by Michelle Yaa Asantewa who started the event with a brief introduction setting the scene for the day. We then heard from Abi Begho who gave a brief introduction on trauma, what it is and then discussed how trauma affects our physical and mental health and  then touched on how we can deal with the health issues associated with trauma.

Next we heard from Nyasha, the founder of Kinetic Roots services. Nyahsa focused specifically on the causes of trauma discussing some of the events and situations that can lead to trauma. Nyasha also spoke about the work that her organisation is doing to support women and mentioned their upcoming taster workshop which will be held on Wednesday 27^th April from  6:45pm – 9pm at the ANKH Wellbeing Centre in Shepherds Bush. For more information call 07746260258

The event ended with a very moving talk from Mojana who shared her personal experience with trauma, how she overcome the effects of trauma and what she believes the solutions are.

This was a really informative and interesting day and we are very grateful to Nyasha from Kinetic Roots Services for inviting us to take part in the event. We look forward to future events and applaud KRS for all the work they’re doing in our community.

On a sunny but chilly Saturday morning in March, the Lake Foundation Cycling Club ventured out onto the streets of Croydon. This time we headed towards Crystal Palace with trusty instructors Brian and Selina.

We asked a couple of our regular attendees what motivated them to rise fairly early on a Saturday morning to cycle.

D: “It’s good exercise. I’m a diabetic and the first time I [came to the cycling club], I checked my blood sugar afterwards and it had gone down. I’m not sure if the cycling helped but I will be monitoring it in future to see”.

M: “We like to come every week because we meet people and it’s inspiring. I feel like I’ve accomplished and achieved something. I’m not a regular cyclist but it gives me confidence, particularly, on the roads”.

M added that she felt it’s important to do other activities, to keep fit, in between cycling sessions. We agree!

The Lake Foundation Cycling Club meets every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month between 10am-12pm. See the attached flyer for more information.

Last week, George Osborne, the UK’s Chancellor, announced his latest budget.  The budget has some impact on the public’s health and in this budget the major public health announcement was the levy on soft drinks (the sugar tax).

George Osborne stated that soft drinks companies will pay a levy on drinks with added sugar. This will apply to drinks with a total sugar content above 5 grams per 100 ml. A higher rate will be applied to drinks with more than 8 grams per 100 ml.  The levy won’t be applied to milk-based drinks or fruit juices.  The levy will come into effect from April 2018.

The money raised from the sugar levy will be used to double the funding available to primary schools for PE and sports programmes. The government has estimated the sugar levy will raise £320 million a year for primary schools to support healthier more active lifestyles in children. The funding will not only go towards expanding PE and sports programmes but to also expand breakfast clubs in primary schools ensuring that children have access to a healthy breakfast every week day.

The idea behind the sugar levy is a good one. It’s hoped that the levy will incentivise the soft drinks industry to reduce the amount of sugar in their products, helping the public consume less sugar. The money raised will go towards helping children get more active and healthy and thus tackle our high rates of childhood obesity.  So, from a public health point of view the sugar levy is a win-win.

In addition to the sugar levy, the budget tackled the following health-related issues:

1.  Improving access to child prosthetics –  £1.5 million will be invested in child prosthetics so children with limb deficiency have access to sports prosthetics. The government will also create a fund to support research into the creation of new innovative prosthetic products for the NHS
2. Smoking – the government will continue to increase tobacco duties by more than inflation each year to discourage smokers and would-be smokers from purchasing tobacco products
3. Support for those with mental health conditions and young disabled people – the government will  offer new peer and specialist support to help address the disability employment gap and will publish a White Paper on the role that the health, care and welfare sectors can play in supporting disabled people and those with health conditions to get into and stay in work.

There was much controversy with regards to financial support for disabled people.  The Personal  Independence Payment (PIP) is supposed to replace the Disability Living Allowance. In his initial budget George Osborne planned to introduce much stricter criteria for who is eligible for the PIP, this would save £1.3bn by 2020, but would affect 640,000 disabled people who would lose their benefits or get less money. In the past week disability rights campaigners spoke out about these cuts and Iain Duncan Smith, the Works and Pensions Secretary, resigned stating that the cuts were  “deeply unfair”. This led to George Osborne admitting that the disability cuts had been a mistake and would be withdrawn. This is good news for those with a disability who need these benefits to improve their wellbeing and we’re happy to see that these have been withdrawn.

The Lake Foundation is happy to see the various measures that have been put into place to improve the public’e health and wellbeing and are very happy to see the sugar levy included in this latest budget and look forward to seeing how this will be implemented.

You can read the full budget here

We recently read the children’s book My Magic Scarf and were really moved by it so thought we’d tell you about it.

The Magic Scarf is a very touching book that follows the journey of Tanya who is suddenly diagnosed with cancer.  Through Tanya’s story the book teaches children to have a sense of compassion and it creates an understanding of the importance of family, friends and school in helping children cope with a sudden illness.

The book also, very usefully, creates the opportunity to teach children the importance of speaking up if they don’t feel quite right when Tanya states in the story “Always this silly pain”. This is something that she never mentioned to her parents.

We think this is an important book that helps teachers, parents and carers have a useful discussion with children about a very difficult topic.

You can find out more about this book on Amazon.

Nigerian-born doctor and scientist Dr Funmi Olopade is one of the world’s leading authorities on hereditary breast cancer and cancer risk assessment. She has a special interest in women of African descent, and her research into the genetic basis of breast cancer in young women of African ancestry has broadened our understanding of the interactions between genes, lifestyle and the environment in the development of breast cancer.

In October 2008, in recognition of her work, Dr Olopade was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and in February 2011, Dr Olopade was nominated by President Barack Obama for membership on the National Cancer Advisory Board.

Dr Olopade directs a multidisciplinary clinical and laboratory research program at the University of Chicago Medical Centre, is a haematology oncologist and the Walter L Palmer Distinguished Service Professor in Medicine and Human Genetics at the University of Chicago.

Dr Olopade has received numerous honours and awards, including honorary degrees from North Central, Dominican, Bowdoin, and Princeton universities. She is also a recipient of the Doris Duke Distinguished Clinical Scientist and Exceptional Mentor Award, an American Cancer Society Clinical Research Professorship, a MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Fellowship and Officer of the Order of the Niger Award.

On Saturday 20^th February, we attended Black Action for Health’s African-Caribbean Health Day. This event aimed to provide experts in the field with a platform to raise awareness of the health issues that are of particular concern to the African and Caribbean community. A key part of this event was highlighting the fact that ur community are more likely to die too early from or suffer from preventable diseases.

The event was hosted by Dr Charlie Easmon, Medical Director at Your Excellent Health Service and the actor Hugh Quarshie with remarks from the president of the Royal College of Nursing Cecilia Amin and the Mayor of Lambeth Donatus Anyanwu.

Obesity

The event began with a presentation by Dr George Grimble on ‘The Importance of  a Healthy Weight and Low Waist Size’. From Dr Grimble we learnt that the prevalence of obesity has increased significantly over the past 20 years and those who are overweight or obese are at increased risked of premature death with many diseases being linked to obesity. Additionally, there is a huge cost associated with obesity with a recent report by McKinsey and Co stating that the cost of obesity is $2 Trillion.

Dr Grimble stated that the rise in obesity is due to our lifestyles becoming remarkably sedentary which means we are in a positive energy balance (we aren’t burning off what we eat) and this makes us all more likely to gain weight.  He explained that for many people weight gain is gradual and occurs from 30 years of eating what equates to 200-240 large meals. What this means  is that when it comes to weight loss  we have to “uneat” these 200-240 meals and this will take a long time, there is no quick fix to weight loss.  He stressed that mainstream diets don’t work over the long-term and that to achieve long-term weight loss requires a change in lifestyle and the right motivation – the desire to achieve good health.  He told the audience there is no secret to weight loss it’s all about good nutrition, it’s tough but we can all do it.

Dr Grimble spoke about research that showed that what is important for weight loss is reducing our energy intake (i.e. what we eat). This is more important than exercise. Whilst exercise is good for overall general health and some weight loss we can achieve more significant weight loss through managing our energy intake.  Additionally, what we have to do is pay attention to belly fat, this is what increases our risk of a number of diseases such as diabetes. It was interesting to note that Asians and the African-Caribbean community are more sensitive to the effects of belly fat and people from these communities with belly fat are more likely to develop diabetes, stroke, hypertension and metabolic syndrome  than their white counterparts with the same amount of belly fat.  Because of this it is more important for black people to be as lean as possible and to be as physically active as possible.

Blood Pressure
Next, we heard from Prof Graham McGregor who delivered a presentation on ‘Raised Blood Pressure and the Black Community’. In his presentation Prof McGregor stated that raised blood pressure is by far the biggest cause of death in the UK with the risk of ill health starting at 115mmHg.   He explained that a raised blood pressure kills through direct effects but also indirect effects. He demonstrated that people with low blood pressure are at a lower risk of stroke, heart disease and many other health conditions and the most important strategy that we can use to improve people’s health is that of reducing everyone’s blood pressure, which is a more effective strategy than treatment.

Prof McGregor spoke about treatment and stated that there are a number of drugs available to treat high blood pressure with very clear guidelines on how they should be used, the use of these drugs can be confusing. He stated that black patients shouldn’t use ACE inhibitors as these aren’t effective in this population.  He reminded the audience that if you have high blood pressure you have to do something about it. You have to take control of your treatment and be assertive with your GP and make sure you’re getting the best care.  He stated that he sees many patients being poorly managed so it’s important that guidelines are followed.

Prof MacGregor then discussed black people and salt. We learnt that up to 5000 years ago we weren’t eating very much salt and we’re now eating significantly more salt than our body needs. We were surprised to learn that 80% of our salt intake is hidden in processed food, takeaways, fast food and restaurant food. He stated that there has been a huge drive to get the food industry to reduce the amount of salt in their products. Over the past few years there has been some success in this and a 30% reduction of salt in many products such as bread has been achieved which has resulted in an overall reduction in the public’s blood pressure.   We learnt that black people are more sensitive to salt’s effect on blood pressure  making salt toxic to black people. Unfortunately we are addicted to salt with the majority of black people using large amounts of salt when preparing food. He recommended that all black people throw away their salt, stock cubes and salted seasonings stating that it takes four weeks to get accustomed to food cooked without salt.

Finally, Prof McGregor discussed genetics and said that there is a genetic element to high blood pressure, but it’s not clear what specific genes are involved; there are about 30 possible genes which researchers are looking it. He stressed that what they do know is that these genes are of no importance if you don’t eat salt.

These presentations really stood out for us

These two above presentations on obesity and high blood pressure really stood out for us as these are conditions that are very common in the African-Caribbean community and can easily be prevented through a healthy lifestyle and this was clearly articulated in both presentations.

Other presentations

Other presentations on the day were very interesting and these included a talk by Dr Adeola Olaitan on ‘Cancer of the Cervix –Inevitable or Avoidable’ where we learnt that through cervical screening and the HPV vaccination cervical cancer can be prevented . We also heard from Mr Leye Ajayi on ‘Prostate Cancer’ where he discussed black men’s high risk of developing this disease and the challenges that exist in diagnosis without a screening test. Finally, we heard from Dr Michael Rudenko who spoke about allergies.

As well as the main presentations we heard from Levi Roots who discussed eating ethically,  Brenda Thompson-Murray who explored the role of carers and Iyamide Thomas who gave an overview of sickle cell and the work of the Sickle Cell Society.

An excellent event

This was an excellent, informative event and we’d like to thank Dr Charlie Easmon for organising this event and look forward to the next one.

Every year has something unique and different about it compared to the previous. In my opinion 2016 will probably be the year forever linked to the Zika virus. Although the virus was discovered decades ago,its immense media coverage means it has become a global talking point.   But what do we really know about Zika? Below is our top 10 Zika Q&As.

What is the Zika virus?

The Zika virus is an infection transmitted by mosquitoes and was first discovered in the Zika forest in Uganda in 1947.

If it was discovered decades ago, why are only talking about it now?

It’s a fairly common virus in parts of Africa and Asia but it became more widespread from May 2015 after an outbreak in Brazil.

So how many people have it now?

Literally millions of people have been infected by the virus particularly in South and Central America and the Caribbean.

That’s a lot of people! How does the virus affect them?

If you are infected by the virus the symptoms you can expect include: a mild fever, joint pain, itching, rash, conjunctivitis, headache and eye pain. The symptoms are usually mild lasting no longer than 7 days. However, many people infected by the virus don’t experience any symptoms at all.

That doesn’t sound too bad so remind me of why Zika seems so scary?

It’s a concern for pregnant women, as it’s been linked to a birth defect known as microcephaly(pronounced micro-sef-alee). A person with this defect has an abnormally small head and potential bran damage. There is some evidence that babies born to women who have been infected with the Zika virus are more likely to have microcephaly.

So what exactly can we do about this? People travel to those parts of the world all the time.

If you would like to travel to areas affected by the Zika outbreak it’s best to seek advice before your trip from a healthcare professional. If you are pregnant or actively trying to become pregnant and have recently returned from those regions – a trip to your GP is recommended. Although you can reduce your risk of catching the virus in the high risk regions by using insect repellent and covering your limbs with long loose clothing, you may prefer to avoid the risk by not visiting these areas if you are already pregnant or trying to become so.

You have mentioned the mothers but what about potential fathers? Can they transmit Zika to their partners and subsequently to an unborn baby?

There is a very low risk that the Zika virus may be transmitted through sexual intercourse. The recommendations are: if a partner has travelled to a country with a Zika virus outbreak, the couple should use barrier contraception (a condom) for 28 days following his return, whether he has Zika or not.If he begins to experience Zika symptoms or is diagnosed with a Zika virus infection by a doctor, the couple should use condoms for 6 months.

What if I have been to one of those countries and now want to try for a baby?

In the first instance, see your GP or midwife and tell them the name of the country/region you have just returned from. You should do this whether you have symptoms or not. The guidance also states that you should wait for at least 28 days following your returnhome before you try to become pregnant( evenif you have no symptoms). If you have developed any symptoms which remotely resemble the Zika symptoms(within two weeks of returning home) then it is recommended that you wait at least six months after a complete recovery before trying for a baby.

 I know someone who is pregnant and she has just returned from there!  What should she do?

She should make an appointment with her midwife or doctor as soon as possible. But tell your friend that although there is an increased risk of the birth defect, not everyone who has been pregnant in a Zika outbreak region has had a baby with microcephaly.

Where can I found out more?

Below are a few links that you might find useful:

WHO
NHS
Travel Health Pro
Zika countries

But please speak to a healthcare professional (doctor, pharmacist, nurse or midwife) for more information.