Health & Wellbeing

Did you know that you can still get your flu jab? Uptake of the vaccine has been lower than the national average in Birmingham and Solihull, so residents are being urged to get theirs before they become unwell.

Flu vaccines are still available, so anyone who hasn’t had one is urged to visit their GP or local pharmacy. This is especially important for at-risk groups, including children aged 2-3, over-65s, pregnant women and those with a long-term health condition. Flu is dangerous for people in these groups, and they are entitled to receive their jab for free.

This year’s vaccine has also been described as a ‘good’ match for the common strains of flu that are circulating this year.

Dr Richard Mendelsohn, a local GP and Chief Medical Officer of NHS Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “It’s great news that this season’s flu jab is a strong match for the strains of flu that we are seeing.

It is not too late for local people to have a flu jab, and make sure that they avoid the flu this winter. It’s a nasty illness, and dangerous for those who are in at-risk groups, so we want to do all we can to help local people avoid becoming unwell.”

Solihull Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, Councillor Karen Grinsell, commented: “Even though flu season is upon us, it’s not too late to have your vaccine. It’s free for those most at risk and can prevent you from getting seriously ill. Don’t delay, ask your GP or local pharmacy and get protected as soon as possible.”

Birmingham Council’s Public Health Service Lead, Chris Baggott, added: “Flu is still circulating, and people are still getting ill, so it’s important that everyone who can get the free NHS flu jab knows it’s not too late to speak to their GP or local pharmacist and book an appointment. It’s important that people protect themselves and those they look after, if they are a carer or work in social care.”

Researchers from the University of Birmingham have received a grant worth over £275,000 from leading men’s health charity, Prostate Cancer UK to help develop a new test to accurately show how aggressive someone’s prostate cancer is, in order to help identify the best treatment for each individual man.

The grants was awarded as part of the charity’s £3 million Research Innovation Awards scheme following a competitive process and detailed assessment from international experts. The scheme encourages researchers across the UK to develop forward thinking, ambitious research proposals which challenge the status quo to help fight prostate cancer.

Current tests for prostate cancer can’t tell the difference between an aggressive prostate cancer which will spread quickly and needs immediate treatment, and one which may never grow enough to cause any harm. The study, led by Professor Paula Mendes, will use nanoparticles to test for specific proteins which indicate that the cancer is aggressive.

Professor Mendes said: “Prostate specific antigen, or PSA, is produced naturally by the prostate. A raised level in the blood can indicate a problem, but this doesn’t always mean cancer. This research uses coloured nanoparticles which bind to sugars attached to PSA proteins to see if they can help us tell whether there is actually cancer, and if so, how aggressive it’s likely to be.

We’re so grateful to Prostate Cancer UK for funding this research to help us show how this would work in practice. If we’re successful, we could start clinical trials in the near future, and hope to eventually see this test rolled out for men across the country.”

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and the disease kills one man every 45 minutes in the UK, amounting to more than 11,500 men every year.

Dr Matthew Hobbs, Director of Research at Prostate Cancer UK said: “Prostate cancer is on target to become the UK’s most common cancer by 2030, and every year over 9,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer too late and told that it can’t be cured.

That’s why Prostate Cancer UK is committed to funding innovative research like this to help find a reliable test which could be used as part of a national screening programme to help diagnose men before it’s too late. We’re using our expertise to identify and fund the most innovative research that will help us tame this disease.

To help us fund even more vital research, we’re encouraging everyone to sign up to March for Men, our series of mass participation walking events taking place across the UK this summer. Now in its third year, the event has raised an incredible £825,000 so far. But the march isn't over - we're still on the road to better tests, better treatment and better care. So, we'd like to ask you to pull your boots on again for an even bigger, even better March for Men in 2019.”

Professor Mendes continued: “Without a more accurate test to show how aggressive the cancer will be, it can be hard for doctors to know what will be the best treatment for a particular man. If successful, our long-term aim is for this technology to replace the PSA test, giving doctors more information to help them decide the best treatments to offer.

This is an incredibly exciting time for prostate cancer research and we’re proud to be part of a movement which could bring about real change for men within our lifetimes.”

In a bid to ramp up its fundraising Prostate Cancer UK launched three March for Men walks, in 2017, to help raise the vital funds needed for research.

Two years on, Prostate Cancer UK’s March for Men series includes walks in Glasgow, Manchester, Nottingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool and London – with more to be announced soon. So far, 6,300 walkers have raised over £825,000 in funds to stop prostate cancer being a killer.

A mental health nurse who leads an award-winning University of Wolverhampton project to support a new way of approaching suicide prevention has been shortlisted for a top award.

Clare Dickens is a finalist in the Thrive Mental Health Star Awards, run by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to celebrate the innovative work people are doing to improve mental health across the West Midlands.

Clare pioneered an award-winning approach to suicide and self-harm prevention, Three Minutes to Save a Life, developed in collaboration with Connecting with People. The approach has been delivered to now more than 1200 University of Wolverhampton staff members, students, police officers, healthcare workers and is also included in allied health care professional curriculum at the university; to include student nurses, post graduate nurse studies, paramedic, physio therapy and pharmacy students.

She has been shortlisted for a 2019 Mental Health Star Award in recognition of her work.

Clare, who is a Senior Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing, said: “I am humbled to have been shortlisted and more so that someone has taken time out of their day to write and submit a nomination for these fantastic awards that celebrate local commitment to mental health. Whoever you are, THANK YOU.

“I am incredibly proud of Three Minutes and our collaboration with Connecting with People, and to work for an organisation whose leadership and colleagues have supported and embraced a commitment to set out a paradigm shift in suicide prevention and mental health.”

The ceremony will take place on Thursday, 31 January 2019 at the Hawthorns Football Ground, West Bromwich.

Clare Dickens and University of Wolverhampton students provided insights for a new online safety planning resource designed by 4 Mental Health for those who may be struggling and are finding it difficult to reach out for support. StayingSafe.net www.stayingsafe.net/

Public Health England (PHE) is helping parents in the West Midlands to “Make a swap when you next shop” to halve their children’s sugar intake from some everyday food and drinks.

Children have already exceeded the maximum recommended sugar intake for an 18 year old by the time they reach their tenth birthday, according to Public Health England (PHE). This is based on their total sugar consumption from the age of two.

This figure comes as a new Change4Life campaign launches today, supporting families in the West Midlands to cut back on sugar and to help tackle growing rates of childhood obesity.

While children’s sugar intakes have declined slightly in recent years, they are still consuming around 8 excess sugar cubes each day, equivalent to around 2,800 excess sugar cubes per year.

Recent data show childhood obesity has reached alarming rates. 23.4% of 4- to 5-year-olds are overweight or obese in the West Midlands increasing to 37.1% in 10- to 11-year-olds.²

Overweight or obese children are more likely to be overweight or obese as adults, increasing their risk of heart disease and some cancers, while more young people than ever are developing Type 2 diabetes. Excess sugar can also lead to painful tooth decay, with 25.7% of 5 year olds in the West Midlands having tooth decay.

To help parents manage this, Change4Life is encouraging them to “Make a swap when you next shop”. Making simple everyday swaps can reduce children’s sugar intake from some products (yoghurts, drinks and breakfast cereals) by half – while giving them healthier versions of the foods and drinks they enjoy.

Parents can try swapping:

• a higher-sugar yoghurt (e.g. split-pot) for a lower sugar one, to halve their sugar intake from 6 cubes of sugar to 3;
• a sugary juice drink for a no-added sugar juice drink, to cut back from 2 cubes to half a cube;

While some foods and drinks remain high in sugar, many companies have reformulated products such as yoghurts, breakfast cereals and juice drinks, meaning these swaps are a good place for families to start.

Making these swaps every day could remove around 2,500 sugar cubes per year from a child’s diet, but swapping chocolate, puddings, sweets, cakes and pastries for healthier options such as malt loaf, sugar-free jellies, lower-sugar custards and rice puddings would reduce their intake even more.

Dr Lola Abudu, Deputy Director for Health and Wellbeing at Public Health England, West Midlands said:

“Reducing the amount of sugar children consume can often be a challenge for parents.

“By asking them to ‘Make a swap when you next shop’, we’re making it easier for families to find healthier options of the foods they love.”

Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at PHE, said:

“Children are consuming too much sugar, but parents can take action now to prevent this building up over the years.

“To make this easier for busy families, Change4Life is offering a straightforward solution – by making simple swaps each day, children can have healthier versions of everyday foods and drinks, while significantly reducing their sugar intake.”

Families are encouraged to look for the Change4Life ‘Good Choice’ badge in shops, download the free Food Scanner app or search Change4Life to help them find lower sugar options.

Popular brands – including Nestlé Shredded Wheat, Nestlé Low Sugar Oat Cheerios, Petits Filous and Soreen (malt loaf) – will display the ‘Good Choice’ badge online, in-store and throughout their advertising, to help parents find healthier options.

Customers can also find healthier options in supporting supermarkets including Asda and Aldi, as well as in Londis and Budgens convenience stores.

With a third of children leaving primary school overweight or obese, tackling obesity requires wider action and is not just limited to individual efforts from parents. PHE is working with the food industry to remove 20% of sugar from the products contributing the most to children’s sugar intakes by 2020.

In May 2018, PHE published progress against the first-year sugar reduction ambition of 5%, which showed an average 2% reduction in sugar across categories for retailers and manufacturers.

While breakfast cereals and yoghurts and fromage frais were among the categories meeting or exceeding the 5% ambition, some products in these categories are still high in sugar – this is why Change4Life is making it easier for parents to find lower-sugar options.

Health chiefs in Wolverhampton are backing a hard-hitting campaign encouraging smokers to make a quit attempt in the new year.

Public Health England’s Smokefree Health Harms campaign, hopes to trigger quit attempts among smokers by making them aware of the immediate, personal and irrefutable harm to health from every single cigarette.

The campaign sees the release of a new film at https://www.14dd5266c70789bdc806364df4586335-gdprlock/watch?v=5EOLvHzE1x8 showing the devastating effects of smoking and how these can be avoided by switching to an e-cigarette or using another type of quit aid.

Over three million adults use e-cigarettes, and they have helped thousands of people successfully quit – but research says that nearly half of smokers still either wrongly believe vaping is as harmful as smoking or don’t know that vaping poses much lower risks to health.

The film features smoking expert Dr Lion Shahab and Dr Rosemary Leonard using an experiment to show the high levels of cancer-causing chemicals and tar inhaled by an average smoker over a month, demonstrating how this compares to not smoking or using an e-cigarette.

Latest figures show that the number of smokers in Wolverhampton is continuing to fall. The percentage of adults who smoke in the city dropped from 16.5% in 2015 to 14.4% in 2017, amounting to almost 5,000 fewer smokers. Smoking rates in Wolverhampton are now also lower than the national average – which now stands at 14.9%.

Councillor Hazel Malcolm, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: “Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable illness and premature death in the country, and quitting is the best thing you can do for your health and the health of those around you.

“Quitting can significantly improve people's health and well-being, on both a short-term and long-term basis. For instance, 48 hours after stopping smoking, carbon monoxide will be eliminated from your body; after 72 hours, breathing becomes easier; and from two weeks onwards, your circulation improves.

“Five years after quitting, your risk of heart attack falls by half compared with someone who is still smoking, while after 10 years it is the same as if you had never smoked. Also 10 years after quitting, your risk of lung cancer is about half that of a person who still smokes.

“While quitting is never easy, the new year is the perfect time to give it a try and I would encourage people to take advantage of the help and support which is available."

Public Health England says that around 60% of England's 6.1m smokers want to quit - but that many try using willpower alone, despite this being the least effective method.

Employers are being encouraged to follow the City of Wolverhampton Council's lead and make a pledge to promote good mental health.

The council has this week joined a growing movement of over 900 employers across England which have signed the Time to Change Employer Pledge – a statement that organisations are committed to changing the way they think and act around mental health in the workplace.

The signing of the pledge by the council was a key recommendation of the Wolverhampton Poverty Truth Commission, a grassroots movement working with civic and business leaders to improve the lives of others.

Mental health is an issue which employers cannot afford to ignore. Time to Change estimates that a quarter of British workers are affected by conditions like anxiety, depression and stress every year, while mental ill-health is the leading cause of sickness absence, costing on average £1,035 per employee per year.

Councillor Hazel Malcolm, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: "By signing the Time to Change Employer Pledge we are making a commitment to raise awareness of – and challenge the stigma and discrimination around – mental health problems, and to ensure that people with mental health difficulties are supported at all stages of their career with us.

"There are lots of things that employers can do to help their employees enjoy good mental health, from promoting healthy working practices and policies to reduce work-related stress to creating an environment where people feel safe and supported if they need to talk about their mental health.

“It is also important that employers equip managers with the skills and confidence they need in order to speak openly and with understanding about mental health issues with their staff."

Time to Change says that 95% of employers which have signed the pledge have reported that it has had a positive impact on their organisation, and Councillor Malcolm added: "Looking after the mental health of employees makes business sense because tackling stigma can make a real difference to sickness absence rates and staff retention, wellbeing and productivity.

“It's a win-win for everyone, and I would encourage other employers in Wolverhampton, large and small, to join us in taking the pledge."

The council’s Managing Director Tim Johnson said: “The health and wellbeing of our employees is a key priority for myself and the rest of the council’s senior leadership team, and we are very pleased to sign this pledge and to promote good mental health in our workplace.”

As well as signing the pledge, the council has developed an action plan which will see it establish a dedicated wellbeing working group, provide mental health first aid training to staff, appoint mental health "champions", incorporate employee wellbeing into workforce development strategies, train line managers so they feel comfortable speaking about mental health with their staff, and promote and enable physical activity within the workplace.

To find out more about the Time to Change Employer Pledge, please visit www.time-to-change.org.uk/get-involved/get-your-workplace-involved/employer-pledge.

Time to Change is a growing social movement working to change the way people think and act about mental health problems. It is led by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness and funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, Comic Relief and the National Lottery's Big Lottery Fund.

A community centre has celebrated its 80th anniversary by becoming Wolverhampton's first Healthy Living Hub.

Low Hill Community Centre marked its milestone with a tea party recently, during which the Mayor of Wolverhampton Councillor Phil Page unveiled a plaque officially declaring it a Healthy Living Hub.

It means visitors to the community centre can now receive a wealth of health and wellbeing advice and services, with health champions on hand to show people how to access online support, for instance to help stop smoking or reduce their alcohol consumption, and refer them to appropriate health services such as their GP for an NHS Health Check or community pharmacy for advice on medication or minor ailments.

The Healthy Living Hub also has a dedicated health promotion zone, while the community centre itself offers a wide range of services which support health and wellbeing in some way, including a gym, health and fitness sessions, martial arts and activities for families and young people such as cooking sessions, art and crafts and dance and drama.

Councillor Hazel Malcolm, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: "The Healthy Living Hub model enables communities to get involved and help bring about better health outcomes for local residents.

"The initiative at Low Hill is building on the fantastic work already undertaken by the community centre which, for the last 80 years, has provided a focal point for the people of Low Hill, The Scotlands and Bushbury."

Lina Martino, Consultant in Public Health with the City of Wolverhampton Council, said: “The volunteers at Low Hill Community Centre should be extremely proud of their achievements in becoming the city’s first Healthy Living Hub.

"They have demonstrated fantastic leadership in bringing together a range of local organisations to look at ways to support people to improve their health and wellbeing. Their health champions are able to engage with people that may not have frequent contact with health professionals and let them know about what support is available to them in the community.

"It was very fitting to be able to mark their accomplishment at their 80th anniversary celebrations and we congratulate them for their outstanding efforts.”

Tony Blakeway, manager of Low Hill Community Association, said: "It is great that the community centre has come so far over the years and that is down to the dedication of our volunteers who strive to make our community stronger and better.

"We were delighted to host this event to celebrate our history and to recognise our contribution to improving health and wellbeing of local people in line with what people want and need."

The drive to become a Healthy Living Hub came about thanks to a collaboration between a range of partners, including the community association, pharmacies, local volunteers and the Public Health Team at the City of Wolverhampton Council.

It saw members of the community association teamed up with volunteers from Low Hill Nursery to undertake accredited training through Adult Education Wolverhampton to become qualified health champions.

Müller Corner, one of Britain's best loved yogurt ranges, is set to reduce sugar by up to 9% and gain a creamier texture, thanks to the discovery of a new yogurt culture.

Following a rigorous research and development process which involved access to more than 13,000 strains, Müller discovered that the combination of two specific yogurt strains[1], created a less sour tasting yogurt which means less sugar is required to be added to create a better taste.

Having already reduced total sugar by 13.5%, equalling 1759 tonnes, the new mild recipe could allow Müller to reduce sugar in its Müller Corner range by 9%. At the same time, the dairy company is also removing all added sugar from its core Müllerlight range, reducing the total sugar content by up to 28%

Müller, the Official Yogurt Of British Athletics, has worked for the last 18 months to develop the new culture and the new recipes, which will be available from May 2019. It's backed by consumer testing, with respondents preferring the thicker texture and creamier taste.

The discovery is part of Müller's £100m investment to innovate, develop, manufacture and market a new generation of yogurt and desserts products.

Having recently reformulated Müllerlight Greek Style and Müllerlight Fruitopolis so that they include 0% added sugar, Müller had also previously reformulated the iconic Müller Corner Strawberry flavour so that it has 19% less sugar and launched Müller Corner Plain, the dairy company's first ever Müller Corner made with unsweetened natural Greek style yogurt.

Michael Inpong, Chief Marketing Officer at Müller said:

“From industry leading sugar reformulation to helping children to become more active, we're extremely passionate about empowering people to live more healthy lifestyles.

“So as the UK's favourite yogurt brand, the challenge we faced was how to reduce sugar, without ever compromising on taste.

“By changing the culture we use to make our yogurt we've created something completely unique. Not only does the new Corner yogurt recipe have a thicker and creamier texture, but it has less sugar. It's backed by our consumer sampling, and we're very excited to bring this new recipe to market.”

PHE and NHS England have launched a national exercise to identify and treat patients who have been previously diagnosed with hepatitis C. In recent years new, potentially curative treatments have been developed for hepatitis C, but tens of thousands of people who were diagnosed in the past may not have accessed them.

A new report, the first of its kind, by PHE shows more than 24,500 people in England have accessed new hepatitis C treatments in the last three years. The new report also established that 95% of people who received and completed hepatitis C treatment have been cured of the serious and potentially life-threatening infection in the last three years. This is primarily due to effective new direct acting antiviral medication which became available on the NHS in 2015.

A large majority of those treated (70%) report injecting drugs as their likely risk for acquiring hepatitis C. It is reassuring that treatment is reaching other groups at increased risk of infection, as 11% of those receiving treatment were of Asian ethnicity and almost a third were born outside the UK.

PHE is urging those who may have been at risk of contracting hepatitis C, especially if they have injected drugs, even if only once or in the past, to get tested, as often people with the infection do not have any specific symptoms until their liver has been significantly damaged. Many people do not know they have the infection, and when symptoms do occur they are often mistaken for other conditions, resulting in many people remaining undiagnosed.

Dr Mamoona Tahir, PHE West Midlands Health Protection Consultant leading on blood borne viruses, said: “In the West Midlands region we have almost 4,900 people who were previously diagnosed with hepatitis C but who we believe are not receiving treatment. A significant number of these people are in vulnerable groups such as those who have been in the prison system, people experiencing homelessness, injecting drug users, and people from the migrant population. These people are our primary focus, as they may not be aware that there are now effective treatments available on the NHS which act quickly and do not have severe side effects, also they are less likely to engage with treatment on their own. NHS England and PHE are working towards the goal of hepatitis C elimination by 2025. The West Midlands NHS Operational Delivery Network (ODN) is one of 22 such networks across England, with public health partners working together to coordinate patient treatment pathways between providers to ensure access to specialist resources and expertise. Through this coordinated approach we hope to contact people with hepatitis C and get them the treatment that they need.”

Dr Helen Harris, Clinical Scientist at PHE, said: “Hepatitis C is a serious infection and therefore we are delighted to see that at least 9 in 10 people who have completed treatment in England have now been cured. This is fantastic news, and a step towards eliminating hepatitis as a major public health threat by 2030, as knowing the numbers accessing treatment is vital to tackling this infection. We will however continue in our endeavours to find and treat everyone who is living with hepatitis C. If you have been at risk of contracting hepatitis C, particularly through injecting drugs, even if you injected only once or in the past, then I urge you to get tested to see if you would benefit from these new, effective treatments.”

Dr Graham Foster, NHS England’s Hepatitis C clinical chair, said: “This dramatic NHS progress in treating hepatitis C over the past few years is one of the biggest but least acknowledged NHS success stories. By investing several hundred million pounds, NHS England has helped transform the lives of thousands of people, and with fair pricing from the drug companies the NHS has a real prospect of eliminating hepatitis C altogether.”

Rachel Halford, Chief Executive of The Hepatitis C Trust, said: “We have an extraordinary opportunity to eliminate hepatitis C in the near future if we can ensure all those living with the virus are treated with simple, curative treatments. We know that many people who were previously diagnosed were never treated, and might be unaware that new treatments are now available. This re-engagement exercise will help ensure everything possible is being done to find, treat, and cure those infected and move towards elimination by 2030."

Two years ago, the UK government committed to a joint ambition with 193 other countries to eliminate the disease as a major public health threat by 2030. As well as testing and treatment, prevention through needle and syringe exchange services and opiate substitution therapies need to be sustained to achieve and maintain elimination.

If untreated, infection with hepatitis C can lead to liver damage, cancer and even death. Hepatitis C is spread through blood-to-blood contact, most commonly in England by sharing needles contaminated with the virus, but even sharing razors or toothbrushes with an infected person could pass on the virus.

If someone thinks they have been at-risk of catching hepatitis C, PHE recommend they get tested at their local GP practice, sexual health or community drug services. If people aren’t sure about whether they are at risk, they can take a short quiz on the Hepatitis C Trust website to find out if they should get tested.

A Third of Millennial workers in the West Midlands believe that not drinking alcohol can dent their career prospects as they are no longer able to socialise with their bosses after work.

Thirty-three per cent of workers aged 25-34 surveyed in the region said that abstaining from booze would be detrimental to their career, compared to 27% of those aged 35-44 and 20% of those aged 18-25.

The booze culture at work is more prevalent among men, with 18% feeling that being a non-drinker would hold them back compared to 14% of women, according to a survey carried out to mark Alcohol Awareness Week for non-alcoholic drinks firm Mocktails.

Two-fifths (40%) of adults in the West Midlands say they feel pressurised to drink by their friends and a fifth (21%) say they have had to change their friends because they do not drink as much.

A third (33%) say they are not invited to social gatherings because they are a non-drinker, according to the survey.

And 40% of young people aged 18-24 in the West Midlands said they do not drink any alcohol, reflecting a recent survey that showed younger people in Britain are shunning booze.

Bill Gamelli, CEO of Mocktails, said: “It is a shame that, in this day and age, people feel that not drinking alcohol will damage their career prospects.

“Even though the survey shows that not drinking alcohol is gaining in popularity among younger people, it shows that attitudes towards abstaining from booze are outdated.

“We still have a long way to go before people who choose not to drink no longer feel they are outcasts.”

Those surveyed said they drank an average of 8.08 units of alcohol per week; the UK’s chief medical officer recommends people drink no more than 14 units a week.

One unit is approximately the same as half a medium glass of wine or half a pint of beer, depending on its strength.

Men said they drank twice as much in a week (11.19 units) as women (5.62 units).

The country’s biggest drinkers are in London (14.79 units / week) and the most abstemious in the east (6.94 units).

Seventeen per cent of Brits in the West Midlands say they are concerned about their alcohol consumption.

Mr Gamelli said: “Anyone who is concerned about their drinking should be confident that they can walk into a social situation and spend as pleasant an evening not drinking as they would with a drink in their hand.

“It has now become socially acceptable to state that you are a non-meat eater or a vegan, so I would like to see a world where it is equally acceptable to state that you are a non-drinker.”

A recent survey revealed some of the unusual and potentially dangerous remedies dog owners’ resort to when trying to combat their dog’s bad breath. But did you know brushing your dogs’ teeth with human toothpaste or human dental products can be potentially dangerous? Luckily there are several alternatives to combat smelly doggy breath whilst keeping their teeth and gums healthy.

As animal lovers first and foremost, Lintbells, manufacturers of natural pet supplements have always stressed the importance of maintaining the health and wellbeing of our four-legged best friends. The brand has pulled together some useful tips to help keep your pup’s teeth sparkly clean and healthy all year round!

Start young where possible

Just like with kids, teaching your dog good dental hygiene at a young age is always preferable, however good habits can always be taught to older dogs too. Preventing gum disease should be part of your canine care; ideally brushed daily to maintain a healthy mouth. The earlier you introduce it to your pet pooch the more normal it becomes – if your dog sees it as receiving attention or praise it is easier to make teeth cleaning a habit. If you are unsure of how to clean your pets’ teeth, ask your local vet to demonstrate.

Dental treats

Giving your dogs specially designed dental treats is a great way to help remove plaque, as they are designed and manufactured to mould the tooth as they are eaten. Just be mindful that they are a treat, so always follow the suggested feeding instructions to ensure it is part of a balanced diet and safe for your dog to consume. If you are concerned, it’s always best to consult your vet practice before you give your dog a new food.

Use the right tool

Doggy dental care is a lot easier and more effective if you use the right tools. Most pet owners today prefer the use of finger toothbrushes, but it’s important you get the right one that gives good reach and helps ensure you get to your dog’s teeth. YuCARE Tooth Cleaner is an easy-to-use cleaning tool woven with anti-bacterial silver ions, and contains 12,000 times more fibres than a toothbrush. It gives you complete control and can be easily be cleaned for next use by simply rinsing it under warm water and leaving it to dry.

Support their dental health naturally

It is important never to use human dental products on your dog to combat their “doggy breath” as many of our dental products contain substances not suited for pet consumption – like fluoride and xylitol. When treating stinky breath, it is important to ensure it is not caused by an existing illness or gum disease. Once this has been ruled out by visiting your vet, you can start taking preventative steps using especially designed pet toothpastes to help minimise the build up of tartar which in turn will help keep your canine companions’ breath fresh.

Schoolchildren prefer low sugar chocolate-flavoured milk to the full sugar equivalent – and it is better for them, according to a new study from nutrition experts.

Researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University set out to find a suitable low sugar drink for children to drink in schools after physical activity instead of the alternative high sugar sports drinks.

Milk proved to be an effective post-exercise hydration drink, with chocolate-flavoured milk being even more popular with the 56 schoolchildren, aged four to 10, questioned as part of the study.

Dr Bartosz Buczkowski, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition at Manchester Metropolitan and the lead researcher, said: “Milk and milk products are important for calcium intake, which in turn is important for healthy bones in growing children. Due to sugar and fat content, full sugar flavoured milks are seen as unfavourable.

“We wanted to establish whether chocolate-flavoured milk with reduced sugar content was as acceptable to schoolchildren as chocolate-flavoured milk with standard sugar content. We reduced sugar content by 30%, 40% and even 100% and replaced sweetness lost with another natural sweetener, getting the children to test each one and rate what they thought of the taste and sweetness.”

The findings, published in the Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, revealed unexpected results.

Researchers found that chocolate-flavoured milk with 30% less sugar was even more acceptable to children than the chocolate milk with standard sugar content, with them stating it was the sweetest.

The team believe that the combination of the sugar and sweetener working together resulted in a better tasting product, making it more favourable to the schoolchildren.

Past studies have focused on the benefits of milk and looking specifically at what it can do for athletes post-workout, exploring its rehydrating and restorative factors, as well as the low cost in comparison to sports drinks.

Dr Buczkowski added: “The results of this study are important because children might prefer chocolate milk to plain milk but sugar content in chocolate milk and other drinks can be problematic as consumption of high quantities of sugar is not great for dental health.

“Excessive sugar content is also something to be considered when it comes to children's consumption too, as it can lead to increased body weight but it's not always considered. We don't really see calories in drinks but they all add up.

“Reduction of sugar content in chocolate milk could help to reduce sugar intake whilst allowing children to get the calcium that their bones need.”

People are being encouraged to help women and girls in Wolverhampton who cannot afford sanitary products by supporting a City of Wolverhampton Council collection.

It is estimated that a fifth of UK parents are struggling to afford to buy sanitary protection for their daughters, with over 135,000 girls missing out on school each year because of 'period poverty'.

To help, people are being invited to donate sanitary products – along with other much needed items such as toiletries, nappies, soap and toothpaste – via a collection point at the rear entrance of the Civic Centre in St Peter's Square, Wolverhampton. Non-perishable foodstuffs can also be donated at the collection point.

All donations will be distributed to Wolverhampton families living in poverty via local food banks and voluntary sector organisations.

Councillor Lynne Moran, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said: “One in three children in Wolverhampton are living in poverty; this affects their readiness to learn and subsequent educational attainment, with disadvantage accumulating further into adulthood.

“By donating food, toiletries and sanitary products we can try and make sure no child in the city misses school because their families can’t afford to pay for essential items such as sanitary products.”

Councillor Hazel Malcolm, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing added: “Our Public Health team is leading on work to understand the impact of poverty on Wolverhampton families, including the impact and extent of period poverty in our city.

“I would encourage as many residents as possible to help this very worthwhile cause.”

The collection point is available at the Civic Centre during normal opening hours – 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Thursday and 8.30am to 4.30pm on Fridays.

The diabetes team at a West Midlands NHS Trust are celebrating double success at a prestigious national awards ceremony.

Clinicians from Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust were recognised for their initiative in improving the management of patients with both diabetes and dementia (DIADEM) ­­­- winning the Patient Care Pathway, Generic or Specialist Adult category at the Quality in Care Diabetes Awards.

Meanwhile a second initiative from the organisation, which developed the patient-centred collaborative diabetes model (DICE), was commended in the same category.

The winning initiative involved a review of patients with diabetes and dementia and improving the way their medication was managed.

Dr Parijat De, Consultant in Diabetes and Clinical Lead in Diabetes and Endocrinology, said: “We are very proud to have received this award and been highly commended for the DiCE initiative. It reflects the hard work that we have been carrying out within the Trust.”

Judges said of the DIADEM initiative: "It is a great, innovative idea, with good identification of the stakeholders involved. It is sustainable and has strong dissemination. It is fantastic to have a specific team for this group of patients and this lovely project is ahead of its time."

As the world observes Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Health City Cayman Islands is offering breast cancer and other solid tumor cancer patients an opportunity to reduce chemotherapy-induced hair loss through the use of a machine called DigniCap.

According to Health City oncologist Dr. Vineetha Binoy, DigniCap is the first automated scalp-cooling system approved by the FDA to treat chemotherapy-induced hair loss. And while it's being used in all major cancer treatment centers in the United States, this is the first time the machine is being used in the Caribbean region for patients who would otherwise have to cope with the devastating effects of hair loss.

She explained that scalp cooling works by constricting the blood vessels which supply hair follicles and because of this "chemotherapy doesn't reach hair follicles, thereby preventing damage to them."

DigniCap replaces a manual cold cap system that Health City used for about two years courtesy of a donation from the Cayman Islands Breast Cancer Foundation. The new DigniCap, which circulates cool air around the scalp while the patient is seated during chemotherapy, does not have to be changed manually every 25 minutes, thereby improving patient comfort significantly.

In the United States, the cost of Dignicap treatment is estimated to be $300 to $600 a month which amounts to a total cost of $1,500 to $3,000 over the course of treatment. Since health insurance companies do not approve it universally as yet, for most patients this is an out-of-pocket expenditure. However, Health City provides this service to all of its patients free of any cost.

The Health City oncologist noted that a cancer diagnosis is "often the lowest point in anybody's life when they have no control over any aspect of what's happening (regarding) their treatment ... cold capping is a personal choice and the option of preserving their hair and not to have a wig or to go bald essentially gives them a sense of control over what's happening." In addition to boosting the patient's self-esteem, Dr. Binoy said "it has been found to help patients cope with chemotherapy better."

The oncologist cautioned that the benefit of cold capping doesn't extend to all patients or all chemo regimens "but is beneficial only to a select number of patients for certain chemotherapy regimens and cancers. It is not for everybody - it is not a universal solution but is a solution or option for a lot of patients."