Fed: Check Up column for Friday, April 6

AAP General News (Australia)
04-06-2007
Fed: Check Up column for Friday, April 6

A ROUND-UP OF ISSUES AFFECTING YOUR HEALTH

ONLINE EXERCISE TO HELP GPS PREPARE FOR FLU OUTBREAK

An online simulation to help GPs prepare their practice for a pandemic flu outbreak
was launched this week by researchers from the Australian National University.

The Pandemic Influenza Simulation Exercise for General Practice takes GP staff through
a simulated flu outbreak and shows how a pandemic could affect the operation of their
practice.

The Melbourne GP heading up the project, Dr Christopher Pearce, said the internet exercise
was a simple and effective tool to plan for such an outbreak.

He said in the event of an outbreak GPs would have to see patients in their cars and
do more home visit and telephone consultations so as to protect them from virus-ridden
waiting rooms.

The program also deals with what to do in other difficult situations, such as in the
event that most of the surgery's staff are off work caring for sick family members.

Dr Pearce said GPs were often ill-informed about pandemic influenza planning because
it was done at a state level, but this program allowed them to take a practice-based approach.

BAR STAFF SUPPORT ANTI-SMOKING LAWS

Over 90 per cent of bar managers support the smoke-free workplace laws that will come
into effect later this year, a study says.

The Cancer Council South Australia's Tobacco Control Research and Evaluation Program
compared community support for smoke-free bar laws, due to be introduced on November 1,
with that of bar and nightclub managers.

Initial reports had suggested industry workers were concerned that the new laws would
spell a huge downturn in bar and nightclub patronage.

However, the Cancer Council South Australia's new research found that there was overwhelming
community support for the new laws.

Now 91 per cent of bar managers are in favour of the laws.

The initial concerns of bar managers were similar to restaurateurs' initial reaction
to the smoke-free dining laws, a spokeswoman for the Cancer Council said, although their
introduction had no net effect on patronage either.

She said their increasing support for the laws showed bar managers were concerned about
the health of their staff and patrons.

MEDITERRANEAN DIET MAY CURE CHILDHOOD ASTHMA

A Mediterranean diet rich in fruits, vegetables and nuts might protect children against
respiratory allergies like asthma, new research says.

While skin allergies are relatively common in the Greek island of Crete, respiratory
allergies like asthma and allergic rhinitis are not, prompting researchers to ask whether
this was as a result of the Mediterranean diet.

More than 700 children between seven and 18 living in rural areas of Crete were assessed
for their dietary habits, respiratory symptoms and allergic reactions for the study, published
in the journal Thorax.

Parents were asked to complete a questionnaire detailing their children's allergic
and respiratory symptoms and dietary habits.

Researchers discovered eight out of ten children ate fresh fruit and over two thirds
ate fresh vegetables at least twice a day, and these children had few respiratory symptoms
and skin allergies.

Children who ate nuts and grapes were less likely to wheeze.

But high consumption of margarine doubled the chances of asthma, researchers said.

PREGNANT WOMEN NEED TO CHANGE EATING HABITS

Australian women don't sufficiently improve their diet after they fall pregnant, new
Australian research shows.

More than 75 per cent of more than 9,000 women surveyed by the University of Newcastle
scored less than half of the dietary quality points advised by the Australian Recommended
Food Score (ARFS).

The women who were pregnant or had just given birth did had higher ARFS than women
who were not pregnant, but the difference was not significant enough, researchers said.

The recommended ARFS is 72, however the average score for the women, all aged 25-30,
was only 28.4, and among pregnant women 29.5.

Scientists said it was important to keep those scores up because research linked maternal
nutrition before and during pregnancy with postnatal health.

They said the results were consistent regardless of location, socio-economic group
or educational level.

IBUPROFEN MAY CAUSE HEART ATTACKS FOR ARTHRITIS SUFFERERS

Arthritis sufferers who take the anti-inflammatory painkiller ibuprofen may be increasing
their risk of heart attack and strokes, new US research shows.

The cardiovascular health of more than 18,000 osteoarthritis sufferers over 50 has
been compared by scientists at Mount Sinai Cardiovascular Institute, New York.

Researchers found patients considered to be low risk of heart problems had no problems
with the drug, many 'high risk' patients who were taking a high does of the traditional
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen were being put at greater risk of heart
attack and stroke by taking the drug.

Ibuprofen appeared to interfere with the patients' blood-thinning dose of aspirin.

High risk patients were deemed to be nine times more like to have heart attacks and
strokes over one year as those on another drug.

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