COUCH POTATOES: Children and adolescents who consistently watch television for two hours or more a day are at an increased risk of being overweight, to smoke, and to have high cholesterol in early adulthood according to a new study.
A total of 1,000 children born in 1972-73 were followed up at intervals to age 26 years. The investigators estimate that among all 26-year-olds, 17 per cent of obesity, 15 per cent of raised blood cholesterol, 17 per cent of smoking, and 15 per cent of poor fitness can be attributed to watching television for more than two hours a day during childhood and adolescence.
ARTHRITIS HELP: A UK study suggests intensive monthly outpatient treatment with antirheumatic drugs and steroid injections can substantially improve patients' symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis compared with standard three-month outpatient treatment.
Some 82 per cent of patients given intensive therapy achieved a good response to treatment compared with 44 per cent in the standard treatment group.
Furthermore, 65 per cent of patients in the intensive group were in remission at the end of the study compared with only 16 per cent of patients in the standard group. Intensive treatment was no more costly than standard treatment.
OIL EITHER WAY: Yet more research has shown that eating fish one or more times a week reduces the risk of death from coronary heart disease. However, the researchers warn there is still no evidence that taking pure fish oil supplements will have the same beneficial effect.
ACTIVES DOWNSIDE: An increasing number of people aged 65 and over are being seen in accident and emergency departments for treatment for injuries acquired from recreational activities.
Five activities gave rise to most injuries: cycling, fishing, golf, skiing and "doing exercises". Fishing injuries included sunburn, insect bites and hook injuries.