Health briefing

Overweight elderly can live longer:OLDER PEOPLE who are moderately overweight can live longer, according to an Australian study of the health of those aged 70-75. The study investigated survival rates and BMI in 9,200 Australian adults aged 70-75 years. The researchers at the University of Western Australia also found a sedentary lifestyle is more risky for women of all ages than it is for men. Lead researcher Prof Leon Flicker said this study has shown that, "for people who have survived to the age of 70, the risk of death is lowest among those with a BMI classified as overweight"

Protests over herbal remedies planned here

AT 10.23AM on March 23rd, Irish science graduate Jennifer Keane is hoping to stage protests against homeopathic products at every Boots outlet in Dublin. Ms Keane took her lead from a similar event in Britain recently, when hundreds of protesters staged mock ‘overdoses’ of homeopathic remedies to prove the substances in them were ineffectual.

Their argument is that a trusted source of medicine such as Boots Pharmacy has no business stocking the alternative remedies. Homeopathy and alternative medicines have faced something of a backlash in recent years, but in Ireland, the products appear to continue to enjoy popular appeal and growing market share.

Ms Keane says she wants Boots to remove all products from its stores in Ireland and hopes to spark more widespread debate on the supposed healing properties of the products.

She will consume a cocktail of products outside the Boots outlet on Grafton Street to prove her point. “For a long time now, I have been interested in the way people will believe the lies about homoeopathy, despite the empirical evidence which says that it does not work,” she said. “I am interested to see if any believers will be convinced by a physical demonstration of its non-efficacy.” A website has been launched and Ms Keane has written to Boots asking it to withdraw the products in advance of her protest. She is hoping for more than 100 protestors at her first event. “These products get an easy ride in Ireland. We’re hoping to change that.”

For details, www.zenbuffy.com/ten23

New DNA test to identify risk of disease faster

A FAST, low-cost DNA test which can determine a person’s chances of developing certain inherited diseases could soon be a reality, scientists have said.

A drop of saliva will be enough to allow scientists to pinpoint variations in patients’ genetic code in a test being formulated by experts at Edinburgh University.

Tiny differences or omissions at critical points in the DNA chain can determine whether or not a person is healthy, prone to disease, or has a life-threatening condition such as cystic fibrosis.

The method, based on chemical analysis, is cheaper and promises prompter results than conventional DNA testing because it does away with the need for expensive enzymes, researchers said.

According to Dr Juan Diaz-Mochon, of Edinburgh University’s School of Chemistry, “This technology offers a speedy, cost-efficient alternative to existing methods of DNA analysis.

“The market for DNA testing is quickly expanding as it becomes more affordable.

“Our method could help reach the goal of complete genome analysis in a few hours for less than $1,000 [€637],” he said.

Prof Mark Bradley, who also took part in the study, added: “We plan to test the technology further, extend our collaborations with leading researchers and companies in the DNA sequencing field and establish our first commercial operations within the next six months.”

The study, published in the journal Angewandte Chemie, was funded by Scottish Enterprise.