Breastfeeding cuts diabetes risk

New research suggests that mothers who breastfeed their children for at least one month are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life than those who have never nursed.

The findings, published in the September issue of the American Journal of Medicine, confirm results of earlier studies suggesting a link between breast-feeding and diabetes. But unlike the other studies, which looked at longer durations of breast-feeding, the new study indicates that nursing for as little as one month can make a difference.

The study included more than 2,200 women between the ages of 40 and 78. Of those, 56 percent had ever breastfed. Researchers found that women who breastfed all of their children for at least one month developed diabetes at about the same rate as women who had never given birth. But mothers who had never breastfed were almost twice as likely to develop diabetes. The link was there even after controlling for factors such as family history of diabetes, body mass index and level of physical activity.

Lead author Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwarz of the University of Pittsburgh told Medical ID wearers that the association appears to be related to belly fat. "Our study found that moms who hadn't breastfed had significantly larger waist circumferences," she said. "Prior work has shown that the bigger your waist, the higher your risk of diabetes."

More back to school Medical ID

I wrote earlier this week about how important it is to make sure children with medical conditions take the appropriate Medical ID to school with them and these fantastic bracelets will help them do just that.

The Dragon Boys Medical Alert bracelet features a small ceramic dragon with silvery grey wings on a black rubber bracelet.

Or if you're after something prettier, how about these mood beads that alter in colour - from warm amber to deep blue - to reflect the wearer's feelings?

The Medical ID tag is included along with up to five lines of engraving free of charge.

Back to school? Don't forget Medical ID

If your child has a medical condition and is starting school for the first time in the next couple of weeks, don't forget to add Medical ID to your essential school shopping list.

These funky bracelets both look great and are extremely durable. They're made from a hypoallergenic polyester fabric strap and come with a removable stainless steel medical ID tag. The medical ID tags are engraved free of charge and include up to six lines (25 characters per line) of medical and contact information on the rear. All confidential information is engraved on the rear of the tag for privacy.

The straps are fully adjustable from 4inch through to 8inches and come in eight different patterns. Why not buy more than one strap to match the bracelet to the child's clothes (or mood!).

Asthma rises as children go back to school

Going back to school or nursery triggers a sharp rise in hospital admissions for asthma, official figures show.

Hospital admissions for under-16s were 58% higher in September 2009 than the monthly average for the year, according to data for England from the NHS Information Centre.

The same thing happened in the previous year, in September 2008, when admission rates were more than double the monthly average.

Experts are unsure what lies behind the increase and have called for further investigation.

Erica Evans, head nurse at Asthma UK, said: "There are a number of possible factors involved, including the spreading of colds and viruses, the potential stresses that a new school term can bring and children not taking their regular preventer medicine over the summer holidays."

Hospital admissions among older age groups do not follow the same pattern. Asthmatics are less likely to be admitted when they are older, with admission rates among older Medical ID wearers peaking in October or December.

Heart disease and cholesterol breakthrough

Scientists have achieved an important breakthrough in the link between heart disease and cholesterol.

Ninety-five different genes which affect cholesterol levels in the blood have been identified by an international group of experts.

The genetic variants pinpointed by the studies - produced by experts from the US, Europe and Asia - include some linked to cholesterol metabolism and known targets of cholesterol-lowering drugs.

It is known that high levels of harmful cholesterol in the blood can lead to heart disease. Experts said the finding could help develop new treatments.

The research, published in the journal Nature, examined genetic information from over 100,000 people who took part in 46 previous studies. One of the studies used to do the research was the joint British Heart Foundation and Medical Research Council family heart study, which involved 2,000 UK families affected by premature heart disease.

Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director at the British Heart Foundation, told Medical ID wearers: "Although this is just a first step down a long road, the good news is that the more we understand about cholesterol regulation, the more likely it is that new drugs will be developed to prevent heart disease," he said.

Children's allergy diagnosis questioned

Concerns have been raised about the sharp rise in food allergies among children.

Hospital admissions for food allergies among children have risen by 500% in the last 20 years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, says the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Up to 8% of children under three now have food allergies.

The health watchdog has issued draft guidelines, calling on GPs to improve their practices. The guidance tells GPs when to consider the possibility of a food allergy and when to carry out further testing.

Dr Judith Richardson, of NICE, told Medical ID wearers: "Food allergies in children are becoming more common, therefore it is important that there are appropriate, evidence-based approaches in treating those with this condition. Many of the symptoms are common to other conditions, so it's not always easy to identify and diagnose food allergy correctly."

NICE also raised concern about the reliance on self-diagnosis, such as the use of testing kits bought online, citing research showing that a fifth of self-diagnosed cases were inaccurate.

The most common foods which children and young people are allergic to include cow's milk, fish and shellfish, hen's eggs, peanuts, tree nuts and sesame, soy, wheat and kiwi fruit.

Diabetes and depression linked to dementia

Preventing diabetes and depression could have a dramatic impact on cutting cases of dementia, a study suggests.

It is estimated that one million people in the UK will have dementia by 2025. Several risk factors for the disease have been identified, including obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, but British and French researchers have found that early screening for diabetes and treatment of depression would be the most useful approach for trying to reduce the future burden of dementia.

The researchers took a group of 1,400 elderly people and tested them for signs of dementia after two, four and seven years. Eliminating depression and diabetes and increasing fruit and vegetable consumption were estimated to lead to an overall 21% reduction in new cases of dementia

Dr Victoria King, head of research at Diabetes UK, told Medical ID wearers that there is a growing body of evidence suggesting links between diabetes and Alzheimer's disease:

"Finding ways to stop the type 2 diabetes epidemic in its tracks can only be seen as a good thing - especially as this could prevent millions of people developing the serious complications of the condition, which include heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and amputation."