Contraceptive ‘mini pill' linked to asthma attacks in younger women
Researchers from Imperial College London have found that women taking the so-called 'mini pill' had a 39 per cent increased risk of asthma attacks compared with women who had never taken the contraceptive.
The mini-pill is a once-daily contraceptive pill taken by approximately 3.1 million women in Britain each year.
• Why are so many women turning away from the pill?
The research could provide an answer as to why women have a higher rate of severe asthma compared with men, the researchers said.
Chloe Bloom, a clinical senior lecturer in respiratory epidemiology at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London,
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
8 hours ago
- The Guardian
Patients in England given more access to crucial health checks out of hours
Patients in England now have greater access to important tests such as MRI scans and endoscopies in the evenings and weekends, the government has said, after increasing the number of community diagnostic centres (CDCs) offering out of hours services. There are 170 CDCs operating in England, which are often in shopping centres, football stadiums and on university campuses. Patients can access them through a referral from their GP or clinical teams at hospitals. The government has revealed that 100 CDCs are open 12 hours a day, seven days a week – an increase of 37 CDCs with such opening hours compared with July 2024 – with the hope that the service will allow patients greater and speedier access to diagnosis. The move to provide more convenient care is part of the government's plan for change which, it says, aims to transform healthcare and make the NHS fit for the future, with an expansion of community-based services a key part of the approach. Wes Streeting, the health secretary, said: 'This government is determined to offer healthcare that fits around working people's lives and not the other way around. 'From early morning MRI scans to late evening blood tests, we're meeting patients where they need it most by extending the operating hours for community diagnostic centres and putting patients first.' The government has also committed to building up to five more CDCs in 2025-26 and is planning to extend opening hours for all CDCs at evenings and on weekends. It said latest data showed the NHS delivered more than 1.6 million more tests and scans from July 2024 to June 2025 compared with the same time the previous year. Sarah Sleet, the chief executive at Asthma + Lung UK, welcomed the expansion of opening hours for CDCs. 'Making it easier for people to access tests close to home is crucial to improve diagnosis rates for lung conditions,' she said. 'Receiving an early and accurate diagnosis is essential for treating and managing someone's lung condition, it can lead to a reduction in hospital admissions and even lengthen their life. We hope this focus on neighbourhood diagnostics will lead to quicker diagnosis of lung conditions, the UK's third biggest killer, at a time when a historic lack of access to tests is leaving tens of thousands of people breathless and anxious.' Laura Challinor, the senior policy manager at Blood Cancer UK, also welcomed the expansion of out-of-hours appointments but said further action was needed given blood cancer was the UK's third biggest cancer killer and survival rates were lagging behind those of similar countries. 'For CDCs to be of most benefit to people with blood cancer, we also want to see a commitment to end regional variation in diagnostic testing practice, including full blood count (FBC) tests available for those presenting with non-specific symptoms, and timed diagnostic pathways developed for blood cancers,' she said. Charlotte Beardmore, the executive director of professional policy at the Society of Radiographers, said CDCs offered patients improved access to routine imaging investigations, while timely diagnostics through CDCs were essential to ensure patients could access treatments sooner. But while Beardmore said the location, and extended opening hours of CDCs, could make it easier for patients to attend, she stressed a growing demand for imaging meant the government must invest in the radiography workforce. 'This means investment in new NHS posts for radiographers to ensure all CDCs offer the capability, flexibility and the range of services for patients in their local community,' she said. 'Without radiographers CDCs cannot function.'
Times
10 hours ago
- Times
‘Functional beverages' are booming — but is it all hype?
Before you take that magnesium supplement or sit down to meditate, what if a drink could help you relax? Enter 'functional beverages', drinks that claim to possess additional health benefits beyond those of a standard fizzy drink or fruit juice. Functional drinks are surging in popularity, with supermarkets in Britain seeing sales increase by 24.5 per cent in the past year, according to Worldpanel by Numerator. The market research firm also said that almost 30 per cent of UK households now purchase functional drinks. However, Nichola Ludlam-Raine, a dietician with more than 15 years of clinical experience in the NHS, has warned that she 'wouldn't rely on them [functional drinks] for measurable health benefits'. Ludlam-Raine, who now works privately and is the author of How Not to Eat Ultra-Processed , said: 'Functional drinks containing ingredients like CBD [cannabidiol], lion's mane [a type of mushroom], and ashwagandha [a herb typically used in ayurvedic medicine] are part of a growing wellness trend, but the science isn't as strong as the marketing.'
The Guardian
11 hours ago
- The Guardian
The Guardian view on regulating cosmetic procedures: rogue operators must be tackled, but aren't the only problem
The enormous popularity of beauty treatments, including dermatological fillers and Botox injections, is not solely an issue for health regulators. Changing norms and aspirations about appearances, and the way that these are marketed mainly to women and girls, are a cultural and economic phenomenon that requires wider consideration. While attitudes to these procedures and aesthetics vary, many people – including some cosmetic surgeons – are concerned that younger women account for a growing share of a highly lucrative and growing market. The death last year of 33-year-old Alice Webb in Gloucestershire, after a non-surgical Brazilian butt lift, as well as multiple reports of injuries, and the deaths of at least 28 women who have travelled to Turkey for cosmetic treatments, have increased the pressure on ministers to tighten the law. Wes Streeting's announcement of new licence requirements for UK businesses, and tighter regulation of higher-risk treatments, is probably overdue. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute recently warned that untrained people have given cosmetic injections in public toilets and hotels. Altering the law in order to exclude such 'rogue operators' ought to make high streets and the internet – where many clinics advertise – safer. Talking about the risks, as the health secretary has been doing, and holding a consultation on proposed changes, may have the beneficial effect of raising awareness even before changes are introduced. But councils will need resources if they are to be expected to enforce new rules by issuing licences, checking premises and so on. As in many other areas of economic activity, the law on its own is unlikely to be enough. Mechanisms are needed to ensure that businesses comply. It is already illegal to administer Botox or dermal fillers to children in England – although, worryingly, it is still allowed in Wales and Scotland. Mr Streeting's announcement that rules regarding children will be tightened further is particularly welcome. Strenuous efforts should be made to place them off limits for the industry as a whole. The reported preoccupation of some children with anti-ageing products is not healthy and should be discouraged. Mr Streeting did not refer to the cost to the NHS if cosmetic procedures go wrong, when announcing plans to tighten the law. But Karin Smyth, one of his ministers, has raised this. And Prof Sir Stephen Powis, who was NHS England's national medical director until last month, made the same point specifically in relation to butt lifts – the cosmetic procedure with the highest death rate of all. Ministers should expect pushback even though many experts, including plastic surgeons, favour tighter rules. The pro-growth mood of the Treasury means proposals for new regulations are unlikely to be smiled upon there. The more restrictive approach being proposed for England will also do nothing to prevent surgical tourism and could even increase it, if tighter regulation of the domestic industry results in higher prices. The gap in safeguards that allows foreign cosmetic surgery providers to market directly to the public needs to be addressed separately, which the government has begun to recognise. There is no single or instant fix. But by cracking down on cowboy operators, ministers will send a message that appearance-altering injections and other invasive treatments must be treated seriously. They are a different order of activity from applying makeup or painting nails. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
