Daily digest June 3 2015

Statins could halve risk of dying from cancer

Taking statins could cut the risk of dying from cancer by up to 55%, according to research reported in the Guardian.

A 15-year study of almost 150,000 people, conducted at Stanford University in the United States, found that those taking the cholesterol-lowering drugs were more likely to survive cancer. The cheap medication, which costs just 10p a day per patient, is being taken by up to 8 million Britons.

For common cancers such as breast, prostate, bowel and ovarian, researchers found the death rates among those taking statins were at least 40% lower, while in those with bone cancer the rate was 55% lower. Overall, patients with cancer who were taking the medicine were 20% less likely to die.

Read more on the Guardian website

A&E swamped because thousands can't see their GP

Thousands of people are flooding A&E because they cannot get a same-day appointment with their GP, the Daily Mail reports.

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine and Patients Association today published a report that says many Britons are refusing to use alternative services such as the NHS 111 helpline, walk-in clinics or out-of-hours GP services, and instead are placing huge pressure on emergency departments.

Many have non-urgent health problems that could easily be dealt with at a local surgery but they are unable to be seen promptly by family doctors.

Experts have called for more GPs, nurses and other primary care staff to be placed in A&E departments to deal with patients who do not really need emergency care.

Read more on the Daily Mail website

Exercise in pregnancy cuts diabetes risk, study shows

Women who exercise during pregnancy are less likely to develop gestational diabetes, according to a study that could lead to expectant mothers being advised to be more active.

Those who take moderate exercise can reduce by as much as 30% their chances of developing gestational diabetes, and are likely to gain less weight than those who do nothing, the Guardian reports.

The findings, published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, are the first to link exercise in pregnancy to those two outcomes, and prompted calls from midwives for pregnant women to ensure they undertake activities such as swimming or brisk walking.

Researchers in Spain analysed 13 previous studies involving 2,873 women who, despite previously taking little or no exercise, began to do so after becoming pregnant. They concluded that the earlier in pregnancy women start exercising, the more benefit they gain. They will also boost their baby’s health by doing so.

Read more on the Guardian website