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News items on 'Risk Assessments'
We're living longer - but poorest still die too early
(The Scotsman 25/09/2009)
Male Scots born between 2006 and 2008 are expected to live to 75, while baby girls' life expectancy is 79.9 years. That is higher than it was ten years ago, when life expectancy rates for males were 72.4 years and 78.1 for females. However, the report, published by the Registrar General for Scotland, shows that Scotland's figures are still lower than the UK average of 77.3 years for men and 81.7 years for women, and that Scots continue to have the lowest life expectancy in western Europe.
Capital life expectancy up by three years over past decade
(The Scotsman 25/09/2009)
PEOPLE in Edinburgh are living three years longer than they did a decade ago, latest figures have shown. The Capital has surpassed the Scottish life expectancy average and is now the sixth best in Scotland, a significant achievement for an urban setting. The increased wealth of residents in the city has been credited with the above average rise, while health initiatives over the years also appear to have played a part. A huge disparity remains between the rich and poor in the area.
Public warned about health MOTs
(BBC 23/07/2009)
Private health checks offer poor value for money and can lead to painful and often possibly dangerous tests, a consumer group says. An investigation by Which? found that the firms behind the "health MOTs" even offered conflicting advice. The group said all too often the tests, which cost an average of £423, were just catering to the 'worried well'. But some of the health firms highlighted said their tests were good quality and provided value for money.
(BBC 22/07/2009)
There was no getting away from it: they wanted people aged 40-69, and lots of them. The aim of the project, set up by the Department of Health, the Medical Research Council, the Scottish Government and the Wellcome Trust medical charity, is to collect medical and genetic data from 500,000 middle-aged people across the UK. All this information will provide an unprecedented resource which should aid scientists in studying the prevention and treatment of serious diseases.
Too much information? How should gene test results be managed?
(BBC 08/07/2009)
Whole genome sequencing is alluring. It could offer useful predictions of our future health and susceptibility to disease, helping us better control our health. It could also predict how we will respond to a particular prescription drug. It is, however, still limited. We don't know what all human genes do and how they interact with our environment. Most genes will only give a probabilistic, not certain, indicator of whether we will develop a particular disease.
Call for tougher gene test rules
(BBC 07/07/2009)
The private gene testing industry must be more tightly regulated, peers say. The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee said a code of conduct was needed to stop bogus claims being made. The report also said the tests, which predict the risk of disease later in life, needed to be more thoroughly reviewed before being marketed. But the unequal provision of services in the NHS was criticised as well. Experts welcomed the report.
(BBC 19/08/2008)
Can your risk of dying really be as high as 114%? Percentages might make news stories stand out, but without a connection to the human experience, can become meaningless. Wouldn't it be good to have the mental agility to separate the wheat from the chaff? In his third lesson of a weekly series, author Michael Blastland gives some hints for percentages.
Research says QoF can reduce inequalities
(eHealthInsider 19/08/2008)
The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QoF) has helped to reduce inequalities between rich and poor areas according to a study published this week.
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