HEALTH NOTES: Brits over 40 ignore free blood pressure checks at local NHS pharmacies

According to one survey, only two percent of Brits use free blood pressure checks at their local pharmacy.

The vital tests have been available to anyone over the age of 40 in pharmacies since October last year.

NHS England launched the initiative to ease the pressure on primary care doctors and reduce the hidden cost of hypertension.

An estimated 4.8 million people in the UK have the condition but do not know it, which puts them at risk of heart attack and stroke.

But treatments such as beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors can significantly reduce the likelihood.

The survey of 2,120 adults, commissioned by the British Heart Foundation in partnership with Tesco, revealed that only one in ten people visit their pharmacist for health advice.

creepy turn

A genetic test could be coming soon for a bizarre condition that’s keeping kids on their toes.

Disturbed hair syndrome occurs when hair grows crooked and tends to disappear in adulthood.

Now scientists from the University of Bonn in Germany have identified the root of the problem after taking DNA from 107 affected children.

Disturbed hair syndrome occurs when hair grows crooked and tends to disappear in adulthood. Now scientists from the University of Bonn in Germany have identified the root of the problem after taking DNA from 107 affected children.

The cause is a mutation in a gene called PAD13 that produces an enzyme that helps make a protein.

Buket Masmanav, lead author of the study, said the findings could be used to develop a genetic test to “reassure parents” that the problem does not indicate a serious condition.

Brain scans can reveal who our best friends are, according to a study.

The University of Israel asked 26 people to categorize their friends into five categories based on their affinity.

Participants sat in an MRI scanner to monitor their brain activity while naming names.

Thoughts about good friends activated three brain regions responsible for feelings of empathy. But when they focused less on the names of their friends, their memory areas showed much more activation.

The researchers say this may be because the thoughts of close friends evoke emotions, while friends in the environment evoke thoughts about our last interaction with them.

After only 60 patients participated in treatment trials last year, families are being asked to persuade more dementia survivors to participate in drug trials.

Alzheimer’s Research UK says the “surprisingly low” figure is 100 times lower than cancer research volunteers. This is despite the fact that dementia kills more Britons than any other condition. It affects nearly a million people, and there is no treatment to slow it down.

Dementia Research links people to dementia research in the UK. To join, visit joindementiaresearch.nihr.ac.uk.