HEALTH NOTES: £90m of unused medicine lying around in homes  

HEALTH NOTES: £90m of unused medicine lying around in homes

Millions of British patients don’t take their prescribed pills, new research suggests. 

Nearly half of adults admit to regularly forgetting to take medication, while one in five say they don’t adhere to the instructions of their GP. 

The survey, carried out by online chemist Pharmacy2U, also found that one in six 16-to-24-year-olds had stopped a course of treatment because it was interfering with their social life. 

Nearly half of adults admit to regularly forgetting to take medication, while one in five say they don’t adhere to the instructions of their GP

One in five said they quit in order to drink alcohol.

Missed medication costs the NHS about £300 million a year – with about £90 million worth of unused drugs thought to be lying around people’s homes. 

Mark Livingstone, chief executive of Pharmacy2U, said: ‘It’s a huge cost to the NHS, and can have potential health implications for patients.’   

Scientists have thrown cold water on the benefits of using ice baths to get bigger muscles. While the cold temperature may reduce inflammation and pain after exercise, a new study suggests the treatment may not help repair or build muscle.

Protein increases in muscles after exercise, helping them get stronger. But researchers at Maastricht University in the US found that immersing participants’ legs in water chilled to 8C after exercise reduced the amount of protein generated. ‘It suggests that if the athlete aims to repair and or build their muscle, perhaps they should reconsider using ice baths,’ said study author Cas Fuchs.

Researchers at Maastricht University in the US found that immersing participants¿ legs in water chilled to 8C after exercise reduced the amount of protein generated. ¿It suggests that if the athlete aims to repair and or build their muscle, perhaps they should reconsider using ice baths,¿ said study author Cas Fuchs

Researchers at Maastricht University in the US found that immersing participants’ legs in water chilled to 8C after exercise reduced the amount of protein generated. ‘It suggests that if the athlete aims to repair and or build their muscle, perhaps they should reconsider using ice baths,’ said study author Cas Fuchs

Pain makes you reach for sugary snacks, according to a new study. Researchers at Washington State University measured the amount and type of food eaten by more than 200 adults with chronic pain conditions over a number of hours, while participants rated their level of pain.

Those in pain were 12 per cent more likely to reach for larger amounts of salty, sweet food such as ice cream and crisps than those not in pain.

And overweight chronic pain patients were three times more likely to comfort-eat than those of normal weight, according to research reported in the journal Appetite. The researchers theorised that chronic pain may disturb the appetite-control centres of the brain and that chronic pain conditions may ‘make weight management difficult’.

Cyclists can say goodbye to numb fingers with a new hand-warming bike. 

The Carrera Subway Winter is believed to be the first in the world to feature heated handlebars. 

You press a button to switch them on and their four-hour battery is rechargeable. 

The £400 bike is available exclusively at Halfords. Justin Stevenson, Halfords chief bike designer, says: ‘We know that cycling in the colder months can be a challenge.’

 

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