Life skills

The defibrillators give audible instructions to users on how to treat cardiac arrest patients

Continue reading the main storyRelated stories'Heart shock' machine on SnowdonAction plan to cut sudden death Passengers travelling through Heathrow have the opportunity to take a five-minute lifesaving skills lesson.

London Ambulance Service are offering to show people how to respond if they see someone suffering a cardiac arrest.

The demonstration includes instruction on how to use a defibrillator, a machine that can deliver a shock to restart a patient's heart.

Around 10,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest in Greater London each year.

The training is part of an initiative to provide defibrillators in public spaces which can be used by members of the public until emergency services arrive.

Across London 115 cardiac arrests have been treated with defibrillators installed by London Ambulance Service since they became involved in the scheme in 2006.

Continue reading the main story“Start QuoteYou don't have to be a professional to use a defibrillator machine. You can help get someone back and save a life.”

End QuoteGraham ClarkBritish Airways customer service agent The survival rate for patients in Greater London who receive defibrillation is around 29%, compared to just over 21% for those that are not treated with the machine.

'Save a life'

British Airways customer service agent Graham Clark suffered a cardiac arrest whilst at work in 2005 and had to have three shocks from a defibrillator to restart his heart.

Mr Clark said that the quick actions of colleagues and a Heathrow-based ambulance man saved his life.

"Without the paramedics of the London Ambulance service I wouldn't be here."

But he also encourages members of the public to take a few minutes to learn life saving skills.

"You don't have to be a professional to use a defibrillator machine. You can help get someone back and save a life".

Demetrios Geniris, a BAA service team leader, has twice used his training to successfully shock a patient's heart.

"You've just got to have the courage inside you to get the box out, put the pads on the patient and shock them if it tells you to.

"It's pretty simple, you don't have to be a medical professional. I've proven that," he added.

London Ambulance Service community defibrillation officer Martin Bullock, who is part of the team that carries out the training, said: "Five minutes is ample time to do the demonstration and show someone how to save a life."

The training instructs people to call 999 for an ambulance immediately, and then begin giving basic life support until medical professionals arrive.

Since January 2009, defibrillators have been used 16 times at Heathrow, with nine patients surviving to discharge.

Nobel Dad

Jenny (far left) with her mum and sisters in the early 1970s

Professor Robert Edwards is the physiologist who developed the IVF technique - along with his late colleague, Dr Patrick Steptoe. They established the world's first IVF clinic, Bourn Hall in Cambridgeshire.

Professor Edwards' second daughter Dr Jenny Joy and her four sisters are full of pride today. They have travelled to Sweden to celebrate their father being awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine on Friday.

Jenny, now 50, was 18 when Louise Brown was born.

'Waiting to pounce'

She remembers: "That moment was the pinnacle - but there'd been so many years of research leading to it.

Continue reading the main story“Start QuoteDad was totally dedicated - nothing was going to put him off. ”

End QuoteDr Jenny JoyDaughter of Professor Edwards "I just remember Dad going to the hospital in Oldham quite regularly - and then coming back elated.

"The press were camped out there waiting for the birth. There were huge celebrations.

"Having a healthy baby was the key thing - the critics were waiting to pounce.

"There had been pregnancies before and they hadn't gone full term. When the baby was born safely, everyone was ecstatic. There had been so many hurdles on the way.

"In the early days the press reports were often sensational. But Dad was totally dedicated to his cause and nothing was going to put him off.

"It was wonderful for Dad to have a big family of five girls. It made him appreciate what others were missing.

"He was well aware of the anguish of infertility, and he thought that having life and children was one of the most important things in the world."

Professor Edwards, 85, is too frail to travel to Sweden to collect the award - so his wife, Ruth Fowler, is collecting it on his behalf.

They met when she was studying for her PhD in Edinburgh, and she worked alongside him, helping produce scientific papers as well as looking after the family.

IVF is now a well-established technique, but in those days it was controversial.

Alien

The infertile women who were seeking treatment often had to keep their efforts secret from family and friends.

Continue reading the main story“Start QuoteDad considered standing as MP for Cambridge. We're glad he chose physiology!”

End QuoteDr Jenny JoyDaughter of Professor Robert Edwards Jenny said: "This idea of a test-tube baby was alien to most people's thoughts. People imagined them actually growing in test tubes.

"We grew up with the press on the phone, trying to talk to Dad.

"Now everyone knows someone who's had IVF. And for us, the programme has been part of our lives."

Jenny now works in butterfly conservation - but she was an auxiliary nurse at Bourn Hall when it opened.

She's keen to pay tribute to her father's determination, and his other qualities and interests.

She said: "Whatever the setbacks in his work on IVF, it never put him off.

Faster ride

More people than ever are cycling to work It's a no-brainer. Cycling is good for you. It keeps you fit, gets you out in the fresh air and is kind to the environment.

Cycling to work is more popular than ever, because it's an easy way of fitting exercise into the daily routine and it doubles as transport.

According to the government, "regular exercise like cycling halves your chances of suffering from heart disease, and helps to prevent strokes, diabetes, and some kinds of cancer.

"Your blood pressure and resting heart rate will be lower, and you'll feel more awake and less stressed."

Continue reading the main story“Start QuoteIt's not always about getting there first.”

End QuotePhilip InghamBritish Cycling And it can save a fortune. Or can it?

Dr Jeremy Groves, a consultant anaesthetist at Chesterfield Royal Hospital and self-confessed cycling fan, discovered that, "spending a lot of money on a bicycle for commuting is not necessarily going to get you to work more quickly".

Dr Groves' set up a trial to test whether his new, lightweight carbon-framed bicycle.

Blood donations halted due to snow

Across the UK, thousands of blood donations have had to be cancelled because of the freezing weather and heavy snow.

There is now growing concern about blood supplies running even lower than they usually do at this time of year.

King Henri IV's head is the genuine article

Researchers have reconstructed the face of Henry IV, using the presumed skull Scientists say they have identified an embalmed head as belonging to King Henri IV of France, who was assassinated in 1610 at the age of 57.

The head was lost after revolutionaries ransacked the royal chapel at Saint Denis, near Paris, in 1793.

A head, presumed to be that of Henri IV, has passed between private collectors since then.

A team of scientists used the latest forensic techniques to identify features seen in portraits of the king.

A lesion near his nose, a pierced ear and a healed facial wound - from a previous assassination attempt - were among the marks that identified the head.

The methods used to embalm the head also matched techniques in use at the time of his death, said the scientists in a report published by the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

'Worth a Mass'

It was not possible to use DNA evidence to identify the head because it was impossible to find a sample from it that could be guaranteed to be uncontaminated.

"The human head had a light brown colour, open mouth and partially closed eyes," said the scientists, led by forensic pathologist Philippe Charlier.

UK given 'heart epidemic' warning

Case studies The UK needs to prepare for an epidemic of valvular heart disease, caused by a rapidly ageing population, say experts.

With four million people set to be aged 75 to 84 within a few years, surgeons see a rise in the number of transplants to replace worn out valves.

Latest audit data shows a sharp increase in all types of valve surgery in the UK, with some surgeons say it is now taking up 40% of their workload.

Experts say the UK is poorly prepared for more cases.

European and US data indicate that more than 13% of people aged 75 and above have valvular heart disease (VHD).

To some extent, it is part of ageing: as people get older, their valves become less flexible, and more stretched or torn.

And experts are concerned that the UK is poorly prepared for what is certain to be a big increase in cases.

Continue reading the main story“Start QuoteVHD has been relatively neglected by politicians, health economists and even by cardiologists”

End QuoteThe journal paper authors Data from the latest National Adult Cardiac Surgery Database for Great Britain and Northern Ireland shows wide variation in treatment provision.

More than a third of those undergoing surgery to repair their defective heart valves had advanced disease, significantly increasing their likelihood of complications, death, and ineffective symptom relief, researchers told Heart journal.

"These observations suggest that both initial diagnoses and subsequent follow up are currently inadequate and that patients are routinely referred late in the natural history of the condition, beyond the window where surgery is of maximum benefit," they said.

The surgeons were based at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital, London's St Thomas' Hospital and the University Hospital of South Manchester.

Ageism and sexism also seem to be factors, with twice as many men undergoing aortic valve replacement as women, and patients over the age of 75 with moderate to severe disease half as likely to be treated surgically as their younger counterparts.

"Advancing age is often used to justify the decision to withhold surgery, but suitably selected patients may derive considerable improvement in symptomatic burden and overall quality of life, following successful intervention," they say.

Mr Ben Bridgewater, a heart surgeon from South Manchester University Hospital, and colleagues are calling for specialist centres to be set up, staffed by specialists with access to the right screening tests and equipment to treat patients with VHD.

Continue reading the main storyValvular heart disease symptoms

Some people may not experience any symptoms but common symptoms are:

being out of breath swelling of the ankles and feet being unusually tired "VHD has been relatively neglected by politicians, health economists and even by cardiologists," they say.

"National programmes already exist for heart failure and coronary disease. A similar coordinated approach to research, education, and clinical management is now needed to ensure improved outcomes for all patients with VHD."

Professor Peter Weissberg of the British Heart Foundation said: "The authors of this paper are right to point out that the NHS will need appropriately skilled health care professionals to identify and deal with patients of all ages - particularly the elderly - with valve disease.

"It is well established that patients with all types of heart disease have a better chance of survival and quality of life when managed by an expert cardiological team.

"It is essential that all hospitals maintain and indeed expand their expert cardiac services over the coming years to avoid the financial and health costs of not dealing with the changing pattern of heart disease in an expert and timely manner."

UK 'lags behind Europe on health'

The UK is one of the unhealthiest nations in Europe for some health indicators, data suggests.

Figures from the Association of Public Health Observatories reveal the UK is the fattest EU member and has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancies.

The UK also performs badly on female cancer survival and infant deaths.

But life expectancy figures in the UK are slightly better than for EU counterparts and the nation also excels at treating heart disease.

And our early action on smoking has had a very positive impact on health outcomes, the report authors say.

They compared all regions across 27 countries in Europe using 37 health indicators in 2006.

Hot spot

The UK as a whole scored particularly badly on obesity, being the fattest nation of all.

And within the UK it was the West Midlands that had the highest percentage of obese adults at 29% - nearly double the EU average of 14% and much higher than the 19% rate seen in Greater London.

The UK's female death rates from cancer were also among the worst in Europe.

Deaths in south-east England were the highest at 185 per 100,000, followed by Scotland at 179 per 100,000 and north-east England at 174. This compares with the European average of 139.5 per 100,000.

All parts of the UK had more teenage mothers than in most other European countries - but the North East of England came out the worst.

The researchers acknowledge the picture may have changed slightly since the data was collected, but they say their snapshot should be a warning to public health experts.

Continue reading the main story“Start QuoteI'm appalled by the figures and feel ashamed as a GP working in the West Midlands that this area has the highest percentage of obese adults in Europe”

End QuoteProfessor Steve FieldChairman of the RCGP Dr Claire Bradford and Professor John Wilkinson, who compiled the report, said the information could help the UK improve its track record.

Dr Bradford said: "This type of data allows us to compare not just between countries but within countries and to look at what is going well and what is not.

"People that are able to influence which way we are going as a nation should look at this to decide on priorities and actions.

"Our problem with obesity might be a good place to start."

Commenting on the data, public health expert, Professor Sir Michael Marmot said the report highlighted "stark differences" in health across the EU.

"The causes of health inequalities are socially determined," he said.

"The behaviours that lead to obesity and teenage pregnancy, for example, arise from social conditions.

"This knowledge informs what we as a society can do at a local, regional, national and international level to create the conditions for greater health equity."

'Appalled'

Professor Steve Field of the Royal College of General Practitioners said: "I'm appalled by the figures and feel ashamed as a GP working in the West Midlands that this area has the highest percentage of obese adults in Europe.

"Obesity is a major problem and predictor of ill health throughout a patient's life, causing serious illnesses.

"I hope we will be able to do more in the future to get people to take responsibility for their own health and take more exercise and eat sensibly."

A Department of Health spokesman said: "The government has made it clear that tackling health inequalities is a priority as part of its commitment to fairness and social justice.

"Action to tackle health inequalities is at the centre of our approach to public health.

"We will aim to use the least intrusive approach necessary to achieve the desired effect.

"We will seek to use approaches that focus on enabling and guiding people's choices wherever possible."