Olive oil 'helps prevent stroke'

16 June 2011 Last updated at 07:12 GMT Olive oil has benefits for the heart Olive oil can help prevent strokes in people over 65, a study suggests.

Researchers followed around 7,000 people aged 65 and over living in three French cities, for at least five years.

They found those who used a lot of olive oil in cooking or as a dressing or dip had a lower risk of stroke than those who never used it.

The researchers say older people should be given new dietary advice regarding olive oil, based on the findings, which are published in the journal Neurology.

Lead author, Dr Cecilia Samieri, of the University of Bordeaux, said: "Our research suggests that a new set of dietary recommendations should be issued to prevent stroke in people 65 and older.

"Stroke is so common in older people, and olive oil would be an inexpensive and easy way to help prevent it."

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A lot more research needs to be carried out to scientifically test the effectiveness of olive oil as an ingredient that can protect against stroke”

End Quote Sharlin Ahmed The Stroke Association The researchers studied the medical records of 7,625 people aged 65 and older living in Bordeaux, Dijon and Montpelier.

They were asked whether they used olive oil in cooking, on salads or with bread intensively, moderately or never.

Most used extra virgin olive oil, which is common in France.

After around five years, 148 of the men and women had had a stroke.

The study found the stroke risk was 41% lower in those who regularly used olive oil compared with those who abstained, once other factors such as diet, exercise and weight were taken into account.

This works out as a 1.5% risk over six years, compared with 2.6%.

Protective function

Commenting on the study, published in Neurology, Sharlin Ahmed of the Stroke Association, said: "Olive oil has long been known to have potential health benefits.

"It is believed that it could protect against conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease and so it's promising to see that it could have a similar protective function against stroke.

"However, it's important to note that a person's risk of stroke would only be reduced through consuming olive oil as an alternative to other cooking fats and as part of a healthy balanced diet that is low in saturated fat and salt.

"This is also a study based on responses from the public and not a clinical trial. A lot more research therefore needs to be carried out to scientifically test the effectiveness of olive oil as an ingredient that can protect against stroke."

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Supplement 'helps pre-eclampsia'

20 May 2011 Last updated at 00:22 GMT Pre-eclampsia is a serious condition which can affect up to 10% of pregnant women. A dietary supplement given to pregnant women at high risk of pre-eclampsia can reduce the likelihood of the disease occurring, a study says.

Writing in the British Medical Journal, researchers says the presence of an amino acid and antioxidant vitamins in the supplement helps to combat abnormally high blood pressure.

More than 600 women took part in the study in Mexico City.

But experts say more research is needed on the effects of the supplement.

Pre-eclampsia is a serious condition where abnormally high blood pressure and other problems develop during pregnancy.

It affects up to 10% of all first-time pregnancies and is dangerous for both mother and child.

Pre-eclampsia is thought to be linked to a deficiency in L-arginine, an amino acid that helps maintain a healthy blood flow.

So, as part of their study in the British Medical Journal, researchers in Mexico and the United States gave 228 pregnant women at high risk of pre-eclampsia daily food bars containing L-arginine and antioxidant vitamins.

Another 222 pregnant women received bars containing only vitamins, and another group of 222 got bars containing no L-arginine or vitamins, the placebo group.

The supplements began when women were 20 weeks pregnant and continued until they gave birth.

Major health risk

The research team found that 30.2% of women developed pre-eclampsia in the placebo group, 22.5% in the group given a vitamin bar and 12.7% in the L-arginine and vitamin group.

The study authors said the L-arginine and vitamin group women were significantly less likely to develop pre-eclampsia.

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There are lots of questions still to be asked about the effects of the supplement.”

End Quote Gail Johnson Royal College of Midwives "This relatively simple and low cost intervention may have value in reducing the risk of pre-eclampsia and associated preterm birth," they said.

But they added that further studies are needed to see whether the results can be repeated.

Gail Johnson, midwife teacher at the Royal College of Midwives, cautioned that it was a relatively small study which excluded some high-risk groups.

"It's a starting point for looking at pre-eclampsia, which poses a significant health risk and is an important thing to solve, but there are lots of questions still to be asked about the effects of the supplement."

Andrew Shennan, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at St Thomas' Hospital, said there were established scientific reasons why L-arginine and antioxidants reduce the occurrence of pre-eclampsia.

"Previous studies, testing each supplement individually, have shown little effect, so it is exciting that in combination they seem to have such a profound effect on preventing pre-eclampsia."

"However, it is unusual that so many people in the control group developed pre-eclampsia - 30% is an unusually high rate of incidence of the disease so I would be interested to see if the effects of the study could be replicated elsewhere."

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Sickle cell drug 'helps children'

13 May 2011 Last updated at 04:27 GMT Drugs cans be used to alleviate the symptoms of sickle cell even in young children, researchers say. A drug to treat sickle cell anaemia is safe for use in children and should be made available, US doctors say.

Sickle shaped red blood cells are more likely to block blood vessels and die sooner, resulting in pain, organ damage and early death.

The study in the Lancet, involving some 200 US babies, found hydroxycarbamide reduced pain and other complications in the half given the drug.

A UK expert said the findings were "extremely encouraging".

Hydroxycarbamide is already available for use in adults, but its effectiveness had not been tested in young children.

Major effect

In the study, the babies taking the drug had half the number of painful events - pain lasting more than two hours and needing drug treatment.

There was an 80% reduction in cases of pain and tenderness in the hands and feet (dactylitis).

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The success of this trial in early infancy is particularly encouraging”

End Quote Professor David Weatherall University of Oxford The study says the only negative effect was mild or moderate neutropenia, in which the number of infection fighting white blood cells falls.

The researchers said the study "should have a major effect on guidelines for the management of children with sickle cell anaemia.

"Hydroxycarbamide therapy can now be considered for all very young children with sickle cell anaemia."

Organ damage

David Rees, a consultant paediatric haematologist and medical adviser to the Sickle Cell Society, said that while it was "encouraging" that the drug was safe in very young children" the study was "in a way disappointing".

He said the primary goals of the study had been to show an impact on spleen or kidney function as "it had been hoped that if you can intervene early you could prevent organ damage", yet this was not the case.

Professor David Weatherall, from the University of Oxford, said: "These findings are extremely encouraging.

"Hydroxycarbamide is inexpensive and could certainly be made available in low-income countries in which sickle-cell anaemia is so common."

"In view of the early deaths that result from this disease in sub-Saharan Africa, the success of this trial in early infancy is particularly encouraging."

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