Millions of smokers urged to quit for No Smoking Day

An event that ‘unofficially’ first began thirty years ago is still going strong today as national No Smoking Day is upon us, with an estimated 750,000 smokers using the day as a springboard to a much healthier, tobacco-free future.  No Smoking Day is being supported by the UK charity WeQuit and the British Heart Foundation.

‘Don’t Smoke Day’, as it was first referred to back in 1983 by media, was the brainchild of a retired hospital administrator named Tom Hurst who penned a letter to the Minister for Health, requesting such a day. Hurst was fully aware of the potentially-fatal effects of smoking and believed it was necessary for parliament to implement a day that raised awareness of the issue.

Unfortunately for Hurst, the reply he received back was less than encouraging; “The Minister feels he is unable to support campaigns which might mislead the public into assuming that a causal relationship between tobacco smoking and cancer had been definitely proved.”

Of course, the Minister’s replied has been shown to be nonsense in the subsequent thirty years and it seems that more studies emerge on a daily basis that clearly demonstrate  how dangerous smoking is, being linked to many terminal cancers in addition to other serious health conditions such as multi-generational asthma, sudden cardiac death, osteoporosis and many more.

Realising that many smokers are still ignorant to the damage they are doing to their bodies and turning a blind eye to it, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) have taken advantage of the yearly format to alternate the theme of the day, instead focusing on where else cigarettes can impact smokers – their pockets.

Therefore, those who want to quit smoking are being encouraged to ‘Swap Fags for Swag’. The BHF have even listed the staggering amount of money that can be saved over the duration of a year by giving up, in addition to other more appealing things that the cash can be spent on.
They say the financial gains of stopping smoking are:

1 day (£7): Two movie rentals or a new lipstick.
1 week (£49): A family cinema trip or a meal for two.
1 month (£210): A shopping spree or premiership football tickets.
3 months (£630): A new laptop or the latest flat screen TV.
6 months (£1,260): A leather suite or a home cinema.
1 year (£2,555): A new kitchen or a holiday of a lifetime.

A main reason why the British Heart Foundation are involved in No Smoking Day is because smoking doubles a person’s risk of heart attack and a report they have recently conducted has found that an incredible 82% of smokers have at some point attempted to kick the habit and not succeeded.
In total, 2010 smokers were surveyed and over one in ten commented they were ‘desperate’ to stop smoking. Moreover, 40% had tried to quit between four and 21 times.

Dr Mike Knapton, Associate Medical Director for the BHF, said: “Every year more than 100,000 smokers die because of their addiction. This addiction can be incredibly hard to break and we hear time and again of smokers who are absolutely desperate to quit, they just don’t know where to start. The report reveals that a quarter of smokers are more motivated to give up for financial reasons rather than to benefit their health. The downward trend in smoking rates has plateaued in recent years, proving we need to renew our efforts to help our ‘final fifth’ quit. Often these are long-term smokers, or people surrounded by family, friends and colleagues who smoke. They’re harder to reach, and they’ll probably find it hard to quit. That’s why we all need to reinvigorate our efforts to help smokers and UK governments are part of the mix. We need investment in local stop smoking services and measures such as standardised packaging to help protect our children from the fatal addiction so many people are currently battling with.”

Medical Specialists Pharmacy is able to help you quit smoking with the aid of the smoking cessation medication Champix, meaning you will both protect your health and save huge amounts of money in the future as the government continually raise tobacco prices.

Champix mimics the effect of nicotine on the body, reducing the urge to smoke and relieving withdrawal symptoms. It can also decrease the enjoyment you experience of smoking if you are still smoking whilst on the treatment. The medication equates to just £75.00 per pack – inexpensive in comparison to the approximate £2,555 you can save by quitting smoking!

Just one cigarette a day doubles the risk of sudden death in women

Previously it was thought that heavy smokers are most at risk from such health problems as heart disease, cancer, etc. However, a new study has emerged showing that women who smoke just a single cigarette each day and believe they are avoiding such dangers, are still at massive risk.

Researchers from the University of Alberta, Canada, tracked 101,018 women over a period of thirty years, examining the effects of both cigarette smoking and smoking cessation. In particularly, researchers were curious how many instances of sudden cardiac death (SCD) there would be. All study participants were between 30 to 55 years old and on average it was found that those who smoked, began in their later teenager years.

SCD is a where a sudden expected non-violent/non-traumatic death happens as a result of the loss of heart function. This is usually due to fatty deposits blocking arteries in the heart within older people, and in younger people under 35 years old, it is more than likely because of an inherited condition running in their family. The incidence of sudden cardiac death is approximately 1 in 1,000 per year, more common in males than females which make the findings of the Canadian study all the more intriguing.

The risk of heart problems was found to be double for women smoking just one cigarette each day compared to those who do not smoke, and the risk is a lot higher for long term smokers. The dangers are even greater than first thought and provide even more evidence that smokers should try and quit cigarettes altogether instead of limiting them to one or two a day, believing this to be healthier. Clearly even one cigarette is one too many, although the researchers do point out that the risk can be reversed and maybe eliminated within half a decade if women manage to stop smoking.

Roopinder K. Sandhu, M.D., M.P.H., the study’s lead author and a cardiac electrophysiologist at the University of Alberta’s Mazankowski Heart Institute in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, says: “Cigarette smoking is a known risk factor for sudden cardiac death, but until now, we didn’t know how the quantity and duration of smoking effected the risk among apparently healthy women, nor did we have long-term follow-up.”

During their three-decade long study, there were 351 occurrences of SCD according to the report in Circulation: Arrhythmia & Electrophysiology, an American Heart Association journal. Proving just how damaging cigarettes are to the human body, it was discovered that Women with no previous history of cancer, heart disease, or stroke and who smoked were at two and a half times the risk of sudden cardiac death in comparison to healthy non-smoking women. For each additional five years of smoking, the risk shot-up by 8%. There was some positive findings however. Researchers ascertained that if women with heart disease decide to quit smoking, they will see their risk of sudden cardiac death falling to levels of a non-smoker after a period of 15 to 20 years of kicking the habit.

Upon viewing the alarming findings from the study, Ellen Mason, Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), commented: “This study shows that smoking just a couple of cigarettes a day could still seriously affect your future health. As we approach the New Year, many of us will be making resolutions and giving up smoking will be top of the list for lots of people. If you’re thinking of quitting and need a nudge, this research adds to the wealth of evidence that stopping smoking is the single best thing you can do for your heart health.”

Quitting smoking should be something considered all year-round though and not just as a New Year’s resolution, that often people will give-up on.  If this study alone will not persuade you to quit, perhaps many of the other countless serious health risks could tempt you to finally stop.

If you require a little extra help, why not try effective smoking cessation medication from Medical Specialists Pharmacy. Champix is a prescription medication that works out from as little as just £75.00 per pack, an incredibly small price when it comes to your long-term health. Champix mimics the effect of nicotine on the body, reducing the urge to smoke and relieving withdrawal symptoms. It can also decrease the enjoyment you experience of smoking if you are still smoking whilst on the treatment. In fact, many people argue than Champix is much better than nicotine patches at helping you to stop smoking.

Anti-smoking ‘Stoptober’ campaign to kick-off next month

A National stop smoking campaign funded by the Department of Health, and backed by both Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation, will get underway next month. The primary aim will be a huge attempt to encourage the nation’s 8 million smokers to stub out cigarettes and embrace the beneficial impacts that doing this can have on their lives.

The new initiative is the first of its kind and has been named ‘Stoptober’. It will begin on 1^st October and last for a total of 28 days. The reasoning for this specific time period is because experts have claimed that if smokers stop for 28 days, they are actually five times more likely to completely quit forever.

The idea has seemingly come about after a realisation that people tend to quit smoking as part of their New Year’s Resolutions, quickly give-up, and then there is no motivation during the rest of the year to do anything similar. Martin Dockrell of ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) spoke about the scheme and said, “You get a surge of people quitting on New Year’s Day and in March on No Smoking day. But there’s nothing for the rest of the year.”

Maureen Talbot, Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation released a media statement and spoke about why all smokers should get involved with Stoptober, saying, “Stopping smoking is the single best thing you can do for your own health as well as those you love and live with. Quitting also makes you look better by improving your skin and teeth and, of course, it helps your finances too.”

Any smoker who decides to accept the Stoptober challenge will be provided with a motivational kit that will give them daily encouragement as well as support in the way of television and radio advertising. There will also be roadshows taking place up and down the country which will give smokers the chance to get together and share their experiences during the four weeks.

In Britain it is estimated that 21% of adults smoke cigarettes and smoking is still the biggest cause of premature death in England, claiming roughly 100,000 lives each year. If more people finally decided to stop smoking for good then this would cause less heartache for families and less money wasted by the NHS at a time when their budgets are restrained by a government looking to reduce the countries deficit.

If you are a smoker and are considering giving the Stoptober challenge a go, here are some facts and statistics about smoking that may persuade you to commit to it:

. Tobacco contains approximately 50 chemicals that can be attributed to cancer.
. Smoking has been proven to be directly responsible for many types of cancer including mouth, lip, throat, lung, kidney, bladder, stomach, liver and cervix.
. Smoking accounts for 71% of all lung cancer deaths.
. Six million deaths around the globe are caused by smoking every year.
. Smokers are twice as likely to suffer from a heart attack in comparison to their non-smoking counterparts.
. In 2009 within the UK there were 102,000 fatalities due to smoking-related health conditions.
. Those with the willpower to finally quit can look forward to a physical boost such as a better sense of taste and smell, as well as a lot more energy.

Of course, not everybody will be able to successfully go ‘cold turkey’ for a stretch of 28 days. For the heavier smokers, this could be asking an awful lot of them to do. Other therapies that are worth considering include smoking cessation medication such as Champix which mimics the effects of nicotine on the body. Therefore, this medication simultaneously will decrease the urge you have to smoke and also relieve the withdrawal symptoms. It even manages to make the experience of smoking a less enjoyable one should you give-in to the cravings and decide to light up a cigarette.

Many older people could have undetected heart conditions

New evidence has emerged in the last few weeks that show the older generation could be missing out on very basic healthcare that could help to prolong their lifespan.

A study that has been published in the journal ‘Heart’ was conducted by researchers at Newcastle University. The researchers underwent various medical tests on 300 elderly people aged between 87 and 89 years of age. After examinations were complete it was discovered that staggeringly, roughly a quarter of these people had a previously undiagnosed heart condition.

The authors behind the study say that if there was medication more accessible to older people, then money would be saved that is currently being spent by the NHS for costly hospital trips. They have further advised routine heart scans for anybody over the age of 85 who is complaining of breathlessness, which could be a sign of heart trouble.

The problem could escalate with the number of elderly people expected to increase. The Department of Health say that although a 40% decrease in cardiovascular disease has been seen in the last 10 years, more could be done. A spokesperson said, “We are currently developing a cardiovascular disease strategy which will consider how we better identify and treat heart diseases for people of all ages, including older people.”

However lead researcher Prof Bernard Keavney says, “We were surprised to discover just how many older people have heart problems. Many of these people could be treated with drugs that we know work, if their condition were recognised. This would improve their quality of life and it’s likely to slow their progression to heart failure.”

This study comes less than two weeks after scientists claim that older people could benefit from statins, with statistics showing that prescribing rates begin to drop for those over the age of 75.
Indeed, like their counterparts at Newcastle, researchers from both Oxford and Birmingham Universities claim that older people are being somewhat overlooked in regards to healthcare, and should be given cholesterol-lowering statins such as Crestor and Lipitor to help cut their risk of cardiovascular disease. The study authors from the two Universities published their findings in the British Medical Journal.

They analysed almost 37,000 subjects who were aged 40 and above, with no cardiovascular disease at the beginning of their study. They found for every extra 5 years of age, the chance of them being prescribed blood pressure medication increased up until age 85, when it then started to decrease. In comparison, statin prescription rates fell from just age 75.

When commenting on these findings, the authors said there is no evidence that statins are harmful for older patients and that the guidelines for the prescribing of the drugs need to be reviewed. They have also stated there should now be a ‘simple trial of use of statins in people over the age of 80’. Backing up those comments was the British Heart Foundation’s senior cardiac nurse June Davison, who says, “Available evidence would suggest that older people can benefit from heart protective drugs, but more research is needed.”

Being sat down for too long each day could shorten your lifespan

In what could be a massive blow to office workers, bankers, and many more – Scientists have claimed that sitting down for too long each day can actually shorten your life. A U.S.-based report published online in the journal BMJ Open, has suggested that by limiting your seated time to a maximum of three hours daily, you can add an extra two years onto your life.

The report also highlights issues such as sitting down each day to watch television as being problematic. In fact, the researchers claim that those of us who sit down to watch no more than two hours daily, can prolong our lives for almost a year and a half.

An inactive and lazy approach to life amongst Brits has been pinpointed for increasing obesity levels and a basic lack of fitness, leading to serious health issues such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and numerous more. The findings of this latest study may force people to reconsider their lifestyle and to become more active.

The latest analysis scrutinised past studies that had included a total of 167,000 adult subjects who were aged between 18 to 90 years. The experts took time to contrast how much time each individual had spent each day sitting down and watching television, and what age people had lived to.

The report was conducted by experts from the Louisiana University and they say that overall, 27% of the fatalities can be linked to some degree to excessive time spent sat down and 19% due to watching too much television.

Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation Natasha Stewart offered her opinions and advice to people, “It does highlight what we already know about sedentary behaviour being a risk factor for developing heart disease. And recent UK guidelines suggested we should all minimize the time we spend sitting down. We all need to be regularly active to keep our hearts healthy. So whether it’s by walking to the local shop rather than driving, or playing sport rather than watching it on TV, there are lots of ways to be more active and improve your health.”

Intriguingly though, some members of the Metropolitan police service actually collapsed at a recent passing out ceremony after being stood up for a long period of time. Jane White from the Occupational Safety and Health says that it is being static for too long what seems to be the main problem as it slows down the circulatory system, blood, oxygen and vital nutrients.

With so many office-based jobs, people clearly need to think about their day-to-day activities and how to avoid remaining static for the usual 8-hour day. Here are some tips to consider:

. Use a printer further away from your desk.
. Use stairs instead of lifts.
. Go out of the building and for a walk during your lunch break.
. Offer to make the tea and coffees for colleagues.
. Park your car further away than usual from the main entrance to your workplace.
. Speak to people in person when possible instead of using the telephone or emails.

Even healthy adults could benefit from cholesterol-busting statins

Current guidelines recommend the prescribing of the cholesterol-lowering medication statins such as Crestor and Lipitor to those people who have a 20% or more chance of developing cardiovascular disease within a decade.  This risk is determined by studying factors including age, blood pressure, if they smoke and also if they suffer from diabetes.

As the benefits of statins become more apparent, we have seen in recent months some doctors have considered the possibility of a ‘statins for all’ approach. The argument for the taking of statins on a more widespread basis has been backed up by a recent study that was carried out by researchers at Oxford University, working with counterparts at the University of Sydney. Funded by organisations such as Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation, it entailed a meta-analysis of patient data spanning across 27 separate studies. All trials had analysed the process of lowering ‘bad’ cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein or LDL) within 175,000 people in total and through the use of statin therapy.

The primary basis for this thorough analysis appeared to be the consideration if everybody over the age of 50-years old should be given statins, irrespective of if they have any known vascular disease. An editorial that accompanied the review argued that the present guidelines need to be re-evaluated as it may be more cost-effective to prescribe those over 50 with statins, instead of the current method of using costly screening examinations.

In their conclusions the researchers said, “The present report shows that statins are indeed both effective and safe for people with a five-year risk of major vascular events lower than 10% who would typically not be judged suitable for statin treatment … and, therefore, suggests that treatment guidelines might need to be reconsidered.”

This huge review that further evaluated past research would seem to suggest that statins could indeed benefit those without existing cardiovascular disease and those who are not considered at high risk of developing it.  However, the individual benefit for those at low risk may be limited. In addition, the risk of any possible side effects when giving statins to those over of 50 would have to be taken into account when deducing the overall advantage. However, statins are widely acknowledged to be safe medications by most health professionals and it seems a future where many ‘healthy’ individuals are prescribed statins may be a real possibility.