Other UK News In Brief

Red Meat Link To Bowel Cancer

People who eat a lot of red and processed meat are being advised for the first time to consider cutting down to help reduce the risk of bowel cancer, the Department of Health announced today. The advice follows the publication of a new report, from the independent expert Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), which reviewed the evidence on the links between red and processed meat and bowel cancer. It concludes that red and processed meat probably increases the risk of bowel cancer and people who eat around 90g or more should consider cutting down to reduce their risk. Every year, there are around 36,000 cases of bowel cancer in the UK and 16,500 deaths from the disease. Men are more likely to eat a lot of red and processed meat - 42 per cent of men compared to 12 per cent of women eat on average over 90g a day.

Stress And Tension Does Not Stop Fertility Treatment From Working





Women undergoing IVF or other assisted reproduction therapy can be reassured that emotional distress caused by their infertility or other life events will not prevent the treatment from working.

Infertility affects up to 15% of the childbearing population and over half of these individuals will seek medical advice in the hope of becoming a parent. 

Many infertile women believe that emotional distress is a factor in not getting pregnant naturally or lack of success with fertility treatment. This view is largely based on anecdotal evidence and fertility myths such as ‘don’t think about it and you’ll get pregnant’. 

However, doctors are sceptical that stress affects fertility due to the lack of evidence on this issue. The authors, led by Professor Jacky Boivin from the Cardiff Fertility Studies Research Group, investigated links between the success of fertility treatment and stress by undertaking a large scale review (meta-analysis) of related research.

 Fourteen studies with 3,583 infertile women undergoing a cycle of fertility treatment were included in the review. The women were assessed before fertility treatment for anxiety and stress. The authors then compared data for women who achieved pregnancy and those who did not.

 The results show that emotional distress was not associated with whether or not a woman became pregnant.

 Professor Boivin therefore argues that “these findings should reassure women that emotional distress caused by fertility problems or other life events co-occurring with treatment will not compromise their chance of becoming pregnant”.

Auto Windscreens Cut Over 1,000 Jobs

The UK's second biggest windscreen repair firm are to cut over 1,000 jobs. Auto Windscreens, based in Derbyshire and the West Midlands, suspended all operations on 14 February. On Friday administrators from Deloitte announced the news. The accountancy firm said a number of factors had come into play and they were unable to find a buyer for the Chesterfield-based windscreen repair firm.

(BMcN/GK)