HEALTH NOTES: Hidden risk to heart from kidney disease –

Three quarters of Britons are unaware that kidney disease can affect the heart, according to one survey.

Around 1.8 million people in the UK suffer from chronic kidney disease, in which organs do not work as they should.

But it can also strain the heart: Studies show that kidney patients are 20 times more likely to die from heart problems than others.

This is because the heart has to pump much harder than normal to deliver blood to the deficient kidneys.

Fiona Loud, policy director for the Kidney Care UK charity, said: “Most people don’t realize the vital role their kidneys play until they stop working properly. If detected early enough, further damage or deterioration can be delayed or even prevented.’

Steps to reduce your risk include quitting smoking, reducing salt intake, and losing weight.

Experts warn that “healthy” supermarket foods contain harmful levels of salt.

The Fight Against Salt campaign group analyzed 100 popular products and found that 23 out of 62 (37%) people who made health or nutritional claims contain salt levels above the government-recommended level.

Experts cautioned shoppers to watch out for the “halo of health” effect when manufacturers highlight a positive aspect of a product and hope consumers don’t look at the big picture.

“It is a national scandal that big food companies openly contribute to unnecessary strokes and heart disease,” said cardiovascular expert Graham MacGregor.

The magic way to sweeten pills

Doctors at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital have invented a new technique to persuade sick children to take medication.

Patients turn old pill bottles into “magic potions” by writing their own labels like “This makes me a superhero” and describing how they want the medicine to taste.

Pharmacists secretly fill bottles with sugar and distribute them separately from their real medicines.

Richard Goodwin from the hospital said: “Taking regular medication can be quite daunting. This helps them gain a sense of control over what’s going on and increase their confidence in asking questions.

What is the diffrence between measles and German measles?

MMR vaccine (archive image) protects against both measles and German measles

Both are infectious diseases caused by viruses. But viruses are different, and the characteristics of the two diseases are slightly different.

German measles, also known as rubella, is caused by a togavirus. It causes a red-pink rash consisting of small dots. Patients also develop swollen glands and flu-like symptoms in the neck.

It may take up to three weeks for the rash to appear after the patient has been infected.

Measles is caused by the measles virus. Patients suffer from cough and rash, which is often seen as a collection of red spots.

Cold-like symptoms appear about a week after infection, while a rash appears three to five days later.

The MMR vaccine provides protection against both diseases.