Latest news with #BillHarris
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Lack of one nutrient 'shortens life worse than smoking', says doctor
A lack of omega-3 oil in the diet can shorten life even more than smoking, warns new research. Scientists found that smoking knocked four years off life expectancy whereas low levels of the fatty acid - found in oily fish such as salmon and mackerel - could reduce it by five years. The oil is known to be good for the heart and reduces blood clots. A good level is eight per cent or higher, intermediate is between four and eight per cent and low is four per cent and below. Study lead researcher Dr Michael McBurney, of the University of Guelph in Canada, said: "It is interesting to note that in Japan, where the mean Omega-3 Index is greater than eight per cent, the expected life span is around five years longer than it is in the United States, where the mean Omega-3 Index is about five per cent. READ MORE: Reduce cholesterol by eating 1 type of food – it'll make a 'big difference' READ MORE: Fat in common cooking oils linked to aggressive breast cancer "Hence, in practice, dietary choices that change the Omega-3 Index may prolong life. In the final combined model, smoking and the Omega-3 Index seem to be the most easily modified risk factors. Being a current smoker, at age 65, is predicted to subtract more than four years of life, compared with not smoking, a life shortening equivalent to having a low vs. a high Omega-3 Index." The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, used statistics from the Framingham Heart Study, one of the longest running studies in the world. The FHS provided unique insights into cardiovascular disease risk factors and led to the development of the Framingham Risk Score based on eight baseline standard risk factors--age, sex, smoking, hypertension treatment, diabetes status, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol (TC), and HDL cholesterol. Researchers in the study found that measuring fatty acids could predict mortality similarly to standard risk factors. Co-author Dr Bill Harris, President of the Fatty Acid Research Institute, said: "The information carried in the concentrations of four red blood cell fatty acids was as useful as that carried in lipid levels, blood pressure, smoking, and diabetic status with regard to predicting total mortality. 'This speaks to the power of the Omega-3 Index as a risk factor and should be considered just as important as the other established risk factors, and maybe even more so." Risk can be reduced by changing factors like diet, tobacco, alcohol and physical inactivity. Researchers in the study discovered lifestyle choices could help identify those at risk. It could also be useful to prevent ill health, delay death and do treatment approach assessments. A previous 2018 report of 2500 participants in the Framingham Offspring Cohort found individuals with a high Omega 3 index were 33 per cent less likely to die. Similar connections have been found in the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study, Heart and Soul Study and the Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health Study.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
30 years of Ireland's Gay Health Network celebrated in powerful new exhibition
Gay Health Network (GHN) is marking its 30th anniversary with a new visual art exhibition. Out of The Strong, Came Forth Sweetness – GHN30 will comprise historical and contemporary works that capture the LGBTQ+ experience and address HIV-related stigma from the past to the present. GHN was established in 1994 as a network of organisations and individuals in Ireland to promote awareness of HIV and sexual health among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM). Since then, with no paid staff and little funding, it has continually provided peer-led and peer-engaged activities and actions to address the needs of gbMSM in Ireland. It has produced much of the promotional material aimed at the community and has initiated and led key research in sexual health while also addressing and challenging HIV-related stigma and discrimination. Curated by artist Brian Teeling, the anniversary exhibition will run from Monday, May 12, to Sunday, May 25, in the Naughton Institute in Trinity College Dublin. Among an extensive list of more than 25 LGBTQ+ contributors, works from some of the most exciting emerging talent like Bill Harris, Day Magee, and Jack Scollard will be shown alongside established practitioners like Caroline Campbell, Austin Hearne and Niall Sweeney, as well as individuals like the late Christopher Robson, a prolific photographer of queer life throughout the '80s, '90s and 2000s. Together, the pieces reflect on the grief, joy, resilience, urgency and expanse of the LGBTQ+ experience in Ireland across time and space. The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of talks in the Paccar Theatre, with further details to be announced soon. Speaking ahead of the exhibition, Teeling said: 'It's such an honour to be chosen to celebrate Gay Health Network's 30th anniversary and work with so many talented artists and an incredibly supportive team. This show is personal as we reflect on our community's strength, resilience, and enduring legacy. I feel privileged to shine a light on the beauty and sweetness that has emerged from our continued struggles, activism, and archives.' Chairperson of GHN, Alan Coyne, added: 'Since its founding, GHN has made incredible strides, especially in its partnership with the HSE in delivering research and the annual Gay Health Forum (GHF), but the work remains as vital as ever. HIV is still with us, and new challenges to sexual health and well-being continue to emerge. This GHN 30 art exhibition, made possible with a grant from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, is a celebration of how far we've come, a tribute to the resilience of our community, and a reminder that our work is far from over.' Founder member of GHN Mick Quinlan, said: 'A year after decriminalisation of homosexuality and the legal availability of condoms, those of us involved in HIV/AIDS and queer activism realised the importance of continuing the work and the visibility of the needs of gay and bisexual men relating to HIV and AIDS and sexual health. To this end, after a meeting with groups and individuals from around Ireland, we formed the Gay Health Network (GHN) to share resources and coordinate responses and representation.' Don't miss Out of The Strong, Came Forth Sweetness – GHN30, running from Monday, May 12, to Sunday, May 25, in the Naughton Institute in Trinity College Dublin. For more information, visit The post 30 years of Ireland's Gay Health Network celebrated in powerful new exhibition appeared first on GCN.
