(Press-News.org) Contact information: Emma Dickinson
edickinson@bmj.com
44-020-738-36529
BMJ-British Medical Journal
An apple a day keeps the doctor away
150 year old proverb stands the test of time, say researchers
Prescribing an apple a day to all adults aged 50 and over would prevent or delay around 8,500 vascular deaths such as heart attacks and strokes every year in the UK – similar to giving statins to everyone over 50 years who is not already taking them - according to a study in the Christmas edition of The BMJ.
The researchers conclude that the 150 year old public health message: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" is able to match more widespread use of modern medicine, and is likely to have fewer side effects. The research takes into account people who are already appropriately taking statins to reduce their risk of vascular disease and therefore the authors stress that no-one currently taking statins should stop, although by all means eat more apples.
In the United Kingdom, lifestyle changes are the recommended first step to prevent heart disease. However, trial data suggest that statins can reduce the risk of vascular events, irrespective of a person's underlying risk of cardiovascular disease. As such, calls are being made for greater use of statins at a population level, particularly for people aged 50 years and over.
Using mathematical models a team of researchers at the University of Oxford set out to test how a 150 year old proverb might compare with the more widespread use of statins in the UK population. They analysed the effect on the most common causes of vascular mortality of prescribing either a statin a day to those not already taking one or an apple a day to everyone aged over 50 years in the UK.
The researchers assumed a 70% compliance rate and that overall calorie intake remained constant.
They estimate that 5.2 million people are currently eligible for statin treatment in the UK and that 17.6 million people who are not currently taking statins would be offered them if they became recommended as a primary prevention measure for everyone over 50.
They calculate that offering a daily statin to 17.6 million more adults would reduce the annual number of vascular deaths by 9,400, while offering a daily apple to 70% of the total UK population aged over 50 years (22 million people) would avert 8,500 vascular deaths.
However, side-effects from statins mean that prescribing statins to everyone over the age of 50 is predicted to lead to over a thousand extra cases of muscle disease (myopathy) and over ten thousand extra diagnoses of diabetes.
Additional modelling showed a further 3% reduction in the annual number of vascular deaths when either apples or statins were prescribed to everybody aged over 30. However the number of adverse events is predicted to double.
"This study shows that small dietary changes as well as increased use of statins at a population level may significantly reduce vascular mortality in the UK," say the authors.
"This research adds weight to calls for the increased use of drugs for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, as well as for persevering with policies aimed at improving the nutritional quality of UK diets," they conclude.
Dr Adam Briggs of the BHF Health Promotion Research Group at Oxford University said: "The Victorians had it about right when they came up with their brilliantly clear and simple public health advice: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away". It just shows how effective small changes in diet can be, and that both drugs and healthier living can make a real difference in preventing heart disease and stroke.
While no-one currently prescribed statins should replace them for apples, we could all benefit from simply eating more fruit."
### END
An apple a day keeps the doctor away
150 year old proverb stands the test of time, say researchers
2013-12-18
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Cells from the eye are inkjet printed for the first time
2013-12-18
Cells from the eye are inkjet printed for the first time
A group of researchers from the UK have used inkjet printing technology to successfully print cells taken from the eye for the very first time.
The breakthrough, which has been detailed in a paper published ...
Freezing semen doubles the chances of fatherhood for men after treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma
2013-12-18
Freezing semen doubles the chances of fatherhood for men after treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma
Men with Hodgkin lymphoma who want to become fathers after their cancer treatment have greatly increased chances of doing so if they have frozen and stored ...
Sunlight adaptation region of Neanderthal genome found in up to 65 percent of modern East Asian population
2013-12-18
Sunlight adaptation region of Neanderthal genome found in up to 65 percent of modern East Asian population
Recent highlights in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution
With the Neanderthal genome now published, for the first ...
A roly-poly pika gathers much moss
2013-12-18
A roly-poly pika gathers much moss
High-fiber salad bar may help lagomorphs survive climate change
SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 18, 2013 – In some mountain ranges, Earth's warming climate is driving rabbit relatives known as pikas to higher elevations or wiping them out. But ...
Lower Rio Grande Basin study shows shortfall in future water supply
2013-12-18
Lower Rio Grande Basin study shows shortfall in future water supply
Reclamation study finds shortfall of 678,522 acre-feet of water per year will be needed in basin in 2060 due to increased demand and climate change
WASHINGTON - Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Michael ...
Performance-enhancing drug use more prevalent than Type 1 diabetes or HIV infection
2013-12-18
Performance-enhancing drug use more prevalent than Type 1 diabetes or HIV infection
Endocrine Society unveils scientific statement on the health consequences of performance-enhancing drugs
Chevy Chase, MD— A new Scientific Statement issued today by The Endocrine Society ...
MU researchers develop advanced 3-dimensional 'force microscope'
2013-12-18
MU researchers develop advanced 3-dimensional 'force microscope'
Innovation could lead to faster drug therapies and increased understanding of proteins on the microscopic level
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Membrane proteins are the "gatekeepers" that allow information ...
Bonobos stay young longer
2013-12-18
Bonobos stay young longer
Contrary to humans and chimpanzees bonobos retain elevated thyroid hormones well into adulthood
This news release is available in German. Despite the fact that chimpanzees and bonobos share similar starting conditions ...
Exposing the roots of the lithium battery problem
2013-12-18
Exposing the roots of the lithium battery problem
Berkeley Lab researchers find dendrite problem starts below the surface
The lithium-ion batteries that power our laptops, smartphones and electric vehicles could have significantly higher energy density ...
NASA satellites get double coverage on newborn Tropical Cyclone Amara
2013-12-18
NASA satellites get double coverage on newborn Tropical Cyclone Amara
System 93S strengthened into the third tropical depression of the Southern Indian Ocean cyclone season, which quickly became a tropical storm named Amara. NASA's TRMM and Aqua satellites flew overhead ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Exercise as an anti-ageing intervention to avoid detrimental impact of mental fatigue
UMass Amherst Nursing Professor Emerita honored as ‘Living Legend’
New guidelines aim to improve cystic fibrosis screening
Picky eaters by day, buffet by night: Butterfly, moth diets sync to plant aromas
Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Leanne Redman honored with the E. V. McCollum Award from the American Society for Nutrition
CCNY physicists uncover electronic interactions mediated via spin waves
Researchers’ 3D-printing formula may transform future of foam
Nurture more important than nature for robotic hand
Drug-delivering aptamers target leukemia stem cells for one-two knockout punch
New study finds that over 95% of sponsored influencer posts on Twitter were not disclosed
New sea grant report helps great lakes fish farmers navigate aquaculture regulations
Strain “trick” improves perovskite solar cells’ efficiency
How GPS helps older drivers stay on the roads
Estrogen and progesterone stimulate the body to make opioids
Dancing with the cells – how acoustically levitating a diamond led to a breakthrough in biotech automation
Machine learning helps construct an evolutionary timeline of bacteria
Cellular regulator of mRNA vaccine revealed... offering new therapeutic options
Animal behavioral diversity at risk in the face of declining biodiversity
Finding their way: GPS ignites independence in older adult drivers
Antibiotic resistance among key bacterial species plateaus over time
‘Some insects are declining but what’s happening to the other 99%?’
Powerful new software platform could reshape biomedical research by making data analysis more accessible
Revealing capillaries and cells in living organs with ultrasound
American College of Physicians awards $260,000 in grants to address equity challenges in obesity care
Researchers from MARE ULisboa discover that the European catfish, an invasive species in Portugal, has a prolonged breeding season, enhancing its invasive potential
Rakesh K. Jain, PhD, FAACR, honored with the 2025 AACR Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research
Solar cells made of moon dust could power future space exploration
Deporting immigrants may further shrink the health care workforce
Border region emergency medical services in migrant emergency care
Resident physician intentions regarding unionization
[Press-News.org] An apple a day keeps the doctor away150 year old proverb stands the test of time, say researchers