Mind the gap

Alzheimer’s and dementia is our main story this week. We did a few calculations using some very authoritative data to get a handle on which countries might be under greatest pressure from this rapidly escalating problem that’s affecting people at an ever younger age. You might think it’s mainly a problem of the Western world, with our processed diets, sedentary behaviours and long lives. Not so. It’s a global problem and China, especially, really has its work cut out. But there’s so much that can be done to reduce your risk – and most of this you won’t hear from your doctor because it doesn’t involve drugs.

In our second piece, we tease apart some of the underlying reasons why people from more deprived backgrounds suffer the worst consequences from preventable diseases. Are these health inequalities a fact of life? Is there anything we can do to narrow the gap? We argue that empowerment – something many governments and corporations are trying to remove from us – is the key. Yesterday, Facebook deleted Prof Tim Noakes’ #Banting7DayMealPlan low carb group with a claimed 1.65 million members. But where there’s a will there’s a way – and censorship – as it has done before in history – will backfire on those who impose it.

In other news, UK GP numbers continue to decline, more statin dramas, why obese women may be more prone to breast cancer and can Monsanto and Bayer survive the latest round of exposures?

In health – naturally, and sustainably