burger menu icon
Programs
Newscasts
Live
OneTV Logo
OneFM Logo
Life
Nutrition Beauty Health

British Passengers from Hantavirus-Hit Cruise Ship Isolated in Hospital

Twenty Britons are beginning 45 days of self-isolation in the UK after being evacuated from a cruise ship hit by hantavirus.They are isolating at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside, after their chartered flight from Tenerife landed at Manchester Airport on Sunday. They will stay there for 72 hours, before being asked to self-isolate for a further 42 days at home.Professor Robin May, chief scientific officer at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) told the BBC that all of the evacuees are "healthy and asymptomatic".Three people have died following the outbreak on the MV Hondius, including two the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed have had hantavirus.Two British nationals, who are being treated in the Netherlands and South Africa, also have confirmed cases.Meanwhile, an American and French national who returned to their home countries after leaving the ship have also tested positive for the virus, according to local authorities.Most strains of hantavirus, a group of viruses carried by rodents, do not pass from person to person, but the Andes strain identified in a number of people who had been on the Dutch cruise ship does.Twenty-two British nationals were still aboard the ship when it docked in the Canary Islands on Sunday. Two are dual nationals, with one travelling to the US and one to Australia.Some could be seen clad in blue protective gear as they were bussed from the Granadilla de Abona port to Tenerife South Airport.They were tested for hantavirus before getting on the flight."The UK Government has worked with international partners to ensure the safe return of all remaining British nationals on board the MV Hondius, with passengers now safely transferred to Arrowe Park Hospital," the UKHSA said in a statement.Twenty British nationals are now being monitored at the hospital for a 72-hour period, along with one German national, who is a UK resident, and one Japanese passenger.After their time in hospital they will then be asked to spend a further 42 days self-isolating. May said this would likely be at their homes, but that decision would be made on a "case-by-case basis".Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Monday morning, he said "we may need to update" the period of isolation "depending on what the science tells us".May said throughout that period, they will continue to support the passengers "very closely"."Not just with testing, but also for the very large emotional turmoil this will obviously have – it's going to be a very stressful period for them and their families," he said.The support will include clothes and supplies, he said, as many had to leave behind all but essential belongings when they were evacuated.May also reiterated that the risk to those not directly linked to the cruise is "extremely low indeed", and that the process of testing and contact tracing is still ongoing.Janelle Holmes, CEO of Wirral University Teaching Hospital Trust, which oversees Arrowe Park Hospital, said the former passengers will be screened and continuously assessed when they arrive there.They will be housed in self-contained flats with access to phones so they can call friends and relatives.A specialist team will be on site throughout their quarantine to support them."What we've learnt from past experience is they're going to be absolutely shattered. They've probably felt quite traumatised by the whole experience so the thing for us to do is to make sure that they're here, they're safe, they're welcome," Holmes said.She added that if passengers develop symptoms, they will be taken to Royal Liverpool University Hospital, which houses the regional Tropical and Infectious Diseases Unit.They will not be allowed to take public transport when they leave Arrowe Park for a period of self-isolation at home.Emergency services in the North West said the NHS trust and hospital is "operating as normal" with no risk to patients, visitors or staff and "people should continue to come forward for care as usual"."Thank you to all those who worked around the clock to get passengers from MV Hondius back to the UK by special flight this evening with public health protections in place," Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said.As well as the confirmed cases, there are also two suspected cases, including a British man who is on the remote Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha. He is currently in a stable condition and in isolation.A team of six British Army paratroopers and two medical clinicians have parachuted onto the island to help its two-person medical team provide care to the man and the island's other residents.It is the first time the UK military has parachuted in medical personnel to provide humanitarian support, according to the MoD.Meanwhile two Britons are voluntarily self-isolating at home in the UK, having disembarked the vessel at St Helena on 24 April alongside dozens of other passengers before the first case of hantavirus was confirmed.MV Hondius began its journey on 1 April in Ushuaia, Argentina, with about 150 passengers and crew from 28 countries reported to have initially been aboard.Many of those still aboard the ship disembarked on Sunday for repatriation to their home countries.However, some 30 crew members and a nurse from the Netherlands, as well as the body of a passenger who died on board, have remained on the ship. It will sail to Rotterdam in the Netherlands where it will undergo disinfection, the WHO said.

11-05-2026 13:07

British Passengers from Hantavirus-Hit Cruise Ship Isolated in Hospital

Twenty Britons are beginning 45 days of self-isolation in the UK after being evacuated from a cruise ship hit by hantavirus.They are isolating at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside, after their chartered flight from Tenerife landed at Manchester Airport on Sunday. They will stay there for 72 hours, before being asked to self-isolate for a further 42 days at home.Professor Robin May, chief scientific officer at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) told the BBC that all of the evacuees are "healthy and asymptomatic".Three people have died following the outbreak on the MV Hondius, including two the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed have had hantavirus.Two British nationals, who are being treated in the Netherlands and South Africa, also have confirmed cases.Meanwhile, an American and French national who returned to their home countries after leaving the ship have also tested positive for the virus, according to local authorities.Most strains of hantavirus, a group of viruses carried by rodents, do not pass from person to person, but the Andes strain identified in a number of people who had been on the Dutch cruise ship does.Twenty-two British nationals were still aboard the ship when it docked in the Canary Islands on Sunday. Two are dual nationals, with one travelling to the US and one to Australia.Some could be seen clad in blue protective gear as they were bussed from the Granadilla de Abona port to Tenerife South Airport.They were tested for hantavirus before getting on the flight."The UK Government has worked with international partners to ensure the safe return of all remaining British nationals on board the MV Hondius, with passengers now safely transferred to Arrowe Park Hospital," the UKHSA said in a statement.Twenty British nationals are now being monitored at the hospital for a 72-hour period, along with one German national, who is a UK resident, and one Japanese passenger.After their time in hospital they will then be asked to spend a further 42 days self-isolating. May said this would likely be at their homes, but that decision would be made on a "case-by-case basis".Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Monday morning, he said "we may need to update" the period of isolation "depending on what the science tells us".May said throughout that period, they will continue to support the passengers "very closely"."Not just with testing, but also for the very large emotional turmoil this will obviously have – it's going to be a very stressful period for them and their families," he said.The support will include clothes and supplies, he said, as many had to leave behind all but essential belongings when they were evacuated.May also reiterated that the risk to those not directly linked to the cruise is "extremely low indeed", and that the process of testing and contact tracing is still ongoing.Janelle Holmes, CEO of Wirral University Teaching Hospital Trust, which oversees Arrowe Park Hospital, said the former passengers will be screened and continuously assessed when they arrive there.They will be housed in self-contained flats with access to phones so they can call friends and relatives.A specialist team will be on site throughout their quarantine to support them."What we've learnt from past experience is they're going to be absolutely shattered. They've probably felt quite traumatised by the whole experience so the thing for us to do is to make sure that they're here, they're safe, they're welcome," Holmes said.She added that if passengers develop symptoms, they will be taken to Royal Liverpool University Hospital, which houses the regional Tropical and Infectious Diseases Unit.They will not be allowed to take public transport when they leave Arrowe Park for a period of self-isolation at home.Emergency services in the North West said the NHS trust and hospital is "operating as normal" with no risk to patients, visitors or staff and "people should continue to come forward for care as usual"."Thank you to all those who worked around the clock to get passengers from MV Hondius back to the UK by special flight this evening with public health protections in place," Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said.As well as the confirmed cases, there are also two suspected cases, including a British man who is on the remote Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha. He is currently in a stable condition and in isolation.A team of six British Army paratroopers and two medical clinicians have parachuted onto the island to help its two-person medical team provide care to the man and the island's other residents.It is the first time the UK military has parachuted in medical personnel to provide humanitarian support, according to the MoD.Meanwhile two Britons are voluntarily self-isolating at home in the UK, having disembarked the vessel at St Helena on 24 April alongside dozens of other passengers before the first case of hantavirus was confirmed.MV Hondius began its journey on 1 April in Ushuaia, Argentina, with about 150 passengers and crew from 28 countries reported to have initially been aboard.Many of those still aboard the ship disembarked on Sunday for repatriation to their home countries.However, some 30 crew members and a nurse from the Netherlands, as well as the body of a passenger who died on board, have remained on the ship. It will sail to Rotterdam in the Netherlands where it will undergo disinfection, the WHO said.

11-05-2026 13:07

WHO: US to participate in meeting on influenza vaccine composition

The United States will take part in a World Health Organization meeting at the end of the month to determine the composition of upcoming influenza vaccines, the agency's official said at a press conference on Wednesday.Washington officially left the WHO in January after a year of warnings that doing so would hurt public health in the U.S. and globally, saying its decision reflected failures in the U.N. health agency's management of the COVID-19 pandemic.It has been unclear how much the country would work with the WHO following the departure, and the collaboration on flu vaccines is a sign of an ongoing link.Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's director for epidemic and pandemic preparedness, said the global influenza surveillance and response network — a system of more than 150 laboratories across 130 countries — plays a central role in tracking seasonal and zoonotic influenza viruses and updates vaccine recommendations every six months.There are seven collaborating centers, including facilities in the U.S., the UK and Australia.Van Kerkhove said there had also been "a slight dip" in the global circulation of influenza virus samples after funding challenges, but shipments had now resumed.GUINEA-BISSAU VACCINE STUDY 'UNETHICAL' - TEDROSAt the same press conference, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said a planned U.S.-funded research in Guinea-Bissau to study the effects of hepatitis B vaccines on newborns, which has drawn significant criticism, is unethical."As far as WHO's position is concerned, it's unethical to proceed with this study," Tedros said, but added that it was ultimately a domestic decision.African health officials in January said the study has not been canceled, but will undergo further ethical review.Scientists have opposed the study because some of the newborns involved would not get the vaccine, which is known to be safe and save lives, in a country with high rates of hepatitis B. The disease transmits commonly from mother to child during birth and can cause liver failure and cancer.The study's researchers say the project is ethical because the vaccine is not yet administered at birth in Guinea-Bissau, where the first dose is given at six weeks.The research was due to investigate potential "non-specific effects" of the vaccine, including skin disorders and neuro-developmental disorders, such as autism.

11-02-2026 20:37

To Hug or Not to Hug? Can Comfort Be Measured in Seconds?

On National Hugging Day, hugs are everywhere. They appear in captions, campaigns, and cheerful reminders to squeeze a little longer, as if comfort could be measured in seconds. The hug is often presented as a universal language, simple and harmless, an emotional shortcut we all supposedly understand the same way.Psychology, however, tells a more nuanced story.For clinical psychologist Tatiana Maalouf, hugging is neither a trend nor a sentimental extra. Speaking to MTV’s English website, she explains that hugs can be a powerful biological and emotional resource, but only for some people, and only in certain contexts.From the moment we are born, regulation does not begin within us but between us, Maalouf explains. Long before language, the nervous system learns safety through proximity, rhythm, and presence. For many, physical touch, including hugging, becomes one of the earliest ways the body recognizes safety. When a hug is wanted and experienced as secure, it bypasses language and speaks directly to the nervous system.Neurobiologically, hugging can trigger the release of oxytocin, the hormone linked to bonding and emotional regulation, while reducing cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone, according to Maalouf. This shift allows the body to step out of survival mode. Breathing slows, muscles relax, and the nervous system receives a quiet reassurance that it is not alone. “Hugs don’t fix the problem,” she notes, “but they can help the body feel safe enough to cope with it.”But this experience is not universal.Not all nervous systems experience touch as calming. For some people, Maalouf explains, because of trauma, personal history, sensory sensitivity, cultural norms, or neurodivergence, physical contact can feel intrusive or even threatening. In those cases, a hug does not regulate the body. It activates it. What is intended as comfort may instead trigger distress.This is why consent and emotional attunement are essential. A helpful hug, Maalouf says, is mutual, responsive, and respectful of boundaries. Without that, touch loses its regulating power.Emotionally, hugs work through co regulation, but co regulation is not limited to physical contact. Safety can also be created through eye contact, tone of voice, shared silence, or simply being emotionally present. The key ingredient, she stresses, is not the hug itself, but the felt sense of being with someone.In today’s fast paced and highly digital world, physical affection has decreased for many, while emotional overload has increased. Screens allow connection, but they cannot replace embodied presence. At the same time, Maalouf cautions against pushing physical closeness in the name of connection. True closeness respects differences in how people experience comfort and safety.Hugs can be especially meaningful during periods of grief, stress, or uncertainty, but only for those who experience touch as safe, she says. For others, support may take quieter forms such as sitting nearby, holding space, or listening without trying to fix.As for how long a hug should last or how often people should hug, the answer lies not in numbers. Research suggests longer hugs may enhance oxytocin release, but no duration makes an unwanted hug beneficial. Regulation comes from choice, not exposure.From a mental health perspective, National Hugging Day is not about hugging more. It is an invitation to reflect on how we seek comfort, how we respect boundaries, and how we offer care in ways that truly feel safe.Hugs do not heal everyone.But being seen, respected, and emotionally held, in whatever form that takes, remains essential for all of us.

21-01-2026 14:23

Astronomers Spot Mysterious ‘Iron Bar’ in Well-Known Ring Nebula

The Ring Nebula, a stunning celestial structure residing in our neighborhood of the Milky Way galaxy, was discovered by French astronomer Charles Messier in 1779 and has been studied extensively ever since. But that does not mean we have it all figured out.Researchers have spotted a large cloud of iron atoms in the shape of a bar stretching about 3.7 trillion miles (6 trillion km) long across the face of the nebula, which is a glowing shell of gas and dust expelled by a dying star, and are searching for an explanation.They said it is possible the iron atoms, collectively comparable to the mass of Earth's molten iron core, are the remnants of a rocky planet that was vaporized when the star threw off its outer layers, though they cautioned that such an explanation is mere conjecture at the moment. The inner rocky planets of our solar system, potentially even Earth, could face the same fate when the sun goes through these same death throes billions of years from now.The researchers made the observation using a new instrument called WEAVE, short for WHT Enhanced Area Velocity Explorer, on the William Herschel Telescope, located on the Atlantic Ocean island of La Palma in Spain's Canary Islands."It is exciting to see that even a very familiar object - much studied over many decades - can throw up a new surprise when observed in a new way," said astronomer Roger Wesson of Cardiff University in Wales and University College London, lead author of the research published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society."It's a classic object for professional and amateur astronomers alike to observe," Wesson said. "Although it's too faint to see with the naked eye, it's quite easy to spot with binoculars. In a small telescope, you can see the ring-like appearance."The Ring Nebula, also called Messier 57, is located about 2,600 light years from Earth in the constellation Lyra. A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km). It is believed to have formed roughly 4,000 years ago, very recently in cosmic time.It is familiar even to beginning students of astronomy."You'll find it in many astronomy textbooks," University College London astronomer and study co-author Janet Drew said.That is why the iron bar is so intriguing."No other chemical element that we have detected seems to sit in this same bar. This is weird, frankly. Its importance lies in the simple fact that we have no ready explanation for it, yet," Drew said. "The origin of the iron might trace back to the vaporization of a planet. But there could be another way to make the feature that doesn't involve a planet.""A planet like the Earth would contain enough iron to form the bar, but how it would end up in a bar shape has no good explanation," Wesson said.The nebula formed when a star about twice the sun's mass ran out of nuclear fuel in its core, swelled up into what is called a red giant and expelled its outer layers before becoming a compact stellar remnant known as a white dwarf, approximately the size of our planet."From the perspective of Earth, it has the appearance of a ring, although it's believed that it's actually more like a cylinder of material that we are seeing end-on. It's made up mostly of hydrogen and helium, with small quantities of heavier elements," Wesson said.About 3,000 such nebulas are known in our galaxy. Studying them lets astronomers examine the life stage of stars when chemical elements forged by nuclear processes inside them are released into interstellar space to be recycled and contribute to the next generation of stars and planets."We look forward to getting more data to follow up on this discovery, to try to unravel this new problem and work out where the iron bar has come from," Wesson said.

19-01-2026 14:10

{{ article.title }}

{{safeHTML(article.Text)}}

{{ formatCategoryDate(article.publishDate) }}

Article Image

More

What Causes Diabetes, What Are the Different Types and How Can It Be Treated

Sabrina Barr wrote this article in The Independent:More than 105,000 diabetes patients in England could be eligible for a new technology, likened to an artificial pancreas, that promises to make type 1 diabetes a “thing of the past”.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has recommended the use of the “hybrid closed-loop system”, which helps patients manage blood sugar levels without the need to constantly monitor themselves, in order to control their condition.At the moment the standard care for people with type 1 diabetes involves regularly measuring blood sugar levels either through a finger-prick blood test or by using a continuous glucose monitor.The development is hugely positive news given that the number of people with diabetes in the UK is reported to have doubled over the past two decades.There are currently around 4.9 million diagnosed cases of diabetes across the UK, with many at risk of developing some form of the disease due to factors such as childhood obesity.So what are the symptoms of diabetes, what's the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, how is it caused and how can it be treated?Here’s everything you need to know.What is diabetes and how is it caused?Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates your blood sugar levels.It does this by breaking down the glucose that is in your blood so that it can be used for energy, explains the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.When a person has diabetes, this means that their pancreas is unable to produce enough or any insulin to break down the glucose in their blood.This can lead to a drastic increase in their blood sugar levels.The amount of blood glucose that you have in your body typically depends on the foods that you eat, so if you eat sugary foods, your blood sugar levels will rise.People who consume inordinate quantities of sugar are more likely to develop less severe forms of diabetes.However, whether or not a person is diagnosed as diabetic may also depend on their genetic makeup, explains Diabetes.co.uk.What are the different types of diabetes?There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2.If someone is suffering from type 1 diabetes, then this means that their body is not producing any insulin at all and therefore has very serious implications for their health.People who have type 1 diabetes have an increased risk of developing other health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness and circulation problems.Scientists have been unable to pinpoint the exact cause of type 1 diabetes, the Mayo Clinic explains, with genetics being the most likely factor.While type 1 diabetes is commonly found in children, it can be diagnosed at any age.When someone has type 2 diabetes, this means that their body is either unable to produce enough insulin, or the insulin that the pancreas is able to produce is not working sufficiently, explains Diabetes UK.While genetics may also play a role in a person developing type 2 diabetes, it can also be caused by other factors such as whether or not they follow a healthy and active lifestyle.Approximately 13.6 million people in the UK reportedly have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes in future, due to factors such as obesity.Symptoms of type 1 or type 2 diabetes can include fatigue, unexplained weight loss, excessive thirst and frequent urination.How can diabetes be treated?People who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes may need to take medication in order to reduce the amount of glucose in their blood.They should also aim to include more healthy foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts and high-fibre cereals in their diets and reduce the amount of sugar that they consume.Those who have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, the more severe form of the disease, must treat the condition with insulin injections or pumps every day.They may also need to check their blood sugar levels every day by using a finger-prick blood test.The type and quantity of insulin that you need is a matter that you can discuss with a medical professional.The NHS also recommends maintaining an active lifestyle and carrying out regular blood tests to keep an eye on blood sugar levels if you have diabetes.Can diabetes be reversed?In September 2018, the former deputy leader of the Labour Party, Tom Watson, revealed that he had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes but had "reversed" the condition by making changes to his diet and exercising more.After being diagnosed with the condition in summer 2017, Mr Watson said he eliminated junk food, refined sugar and processed food from his diet and took up cycling, boxing and weightlifting.The politician told his audience at the annual conference of health industry association ukactive that his diabetes was in "remission" following the changes he had made to his lifestyle.Diabetes.co.uk explains that people with type 2 diabetes can effectively "reverse" their condition by following similar steps.If you have type 2 diabetes and you think that you may be able to reverse your condition by following a healthier diet and doing more exercise, then it may be wise to speak to a nutritionist or a medical professional for further advice.Furthermore, if you are on type 2 diabetes medication that you think you no longer need, make sure that you speak to a doctor before making any changes to your routine.

16-01-2023 12:36

Six Minutes of Daily Exercise Can Boost Brain Health and Delay Alzheimer’s

Vishwam Sankaran wrote this article in The Independent:Just six minutes of intense exercise every day can boost the brain’s lifespan and delay the onset of neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, according to a new study.The research, published last week in The Journal of Physiology, found that a short but intense bout of cycling can increase the production of a special brain protein linked to brain formation, learning, and memory.Scientists, including those from the University of Otago in New Zealand, say the special protein named brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) can protect the brain from age-related cognitive decline.Previous studies have shown that increasing the availability of BDNF in the brain encourages the formation and storage of memories, enhances learning, and also boosts cognitive performance overall.“BDNF has shown great promise in animal models, but pharmaceutical interventions have thus far failed to safely harness the protective power of BDNF in humans,” study lead author Travis Gibbons from the University of Otago said in a statement.“We saw the need to explore non-pharmacological approaches that can preserve the brain’s capacity which humans can use to naturally increase BDNF to help with healthy aging,” Dr Gibbons said.In the new study, researchers analysed the influence of fasting and exercise on BDNF production in 12 physically active participants - six males and six females aged between 18 and 56 years.They assessed the contributing role played on this protein’s production by factors such as fasting for 20 hours, light exercise, a six-minute bout of high-intensity vigorous cycling, and the combined effects of fasting and exercise.Scientists found that brief, but vigorous, exercise was the best way to increase BDNF compared to one day of fasting with or without a lengthy session of light exercise.Researchers say BDNF increased by a factor of four to five times compared to fasting, or prolonged activity.“Six minutes of high-intensity cycling intervals increased every metric of circulating BDNF by 4 to 5 times more than prolonged low-intensity cycling,” researchers wrote in the study.However the cause for these differences remains unknown, they say, adding that more research is needed to understand the biological mechanisms involved.Scientists suspect the brain may be switching its favoured fuel source during exercise for another to ensure the body’s energy demands are met.“We are now studying how fasting for longer durations, for example up to three days, influences BDNF. We are curious whether exercising hard at the start of a fast accelerates the beneficial effects of fasting,” Dr Gibbons said.“Fasting and exercise are rarely studied together. We think fasting and exercise can be used in conjunction to optimize BDNF production in the human brain,” he added.

17-01-2023 09:42

Successful Surgery to Separate Conjoined Twins Performed, the First of Its Kind in Lebanon

L'Orient Today published this article:Caretaker Health Minister Firass Abiad has presented the details of a successful surgery performed to separate conjoined twins at the American University of Beirut Medical Center in the “first surgical operation of its kind” to be conducted in Lebanon, the state-run National News Agency reported on Tuesday.Abiad explained that the twins' parents contacted him six months ago to ask for help after an X-ray that then-expectant mother underwent showed the twins were conjoined.In Lebanon, in light of the economic crisis, hospitals and medical institutions are suffering from shortages of supplies and medicines, as well as medical and nursing staff.Abiad explained that he contacted AUBMC, which agreed to perform the separation operation despite the current crisis, and “succeeded in proving the ability of the American University and the medical system in Lebanon to carry out the operation.”"In fact, our hospital institutions are still able to be in the first line in providing advanced health care to citizens and residents in Lebanon and to preserve what they provided before the crisis. With the improvement of conditions, these institutions will be able to provide more," Abiad said.He added that "the health system in Lebanon, even if it faces great difficulties, is a flexible system and has the ability to present achievements.”The preparation for the surgical operation took four months, as a team of doctors and nurses prepared to accompany the twin girls, Riham and Reem, until they were discharged from the hospital.“The full coordination between the team members and planning for all the details played a key role in the success of the operation, which required 10 hours and was characterized by great accuracy and extreme sensitivity, in order not to have any negative complications on the separated organ,” the NNA reported.

25-01-2023 16:05

Women Unaware of Important Sign that Indicates Increased Breast Cancer Risk

Meredith Clark wrote this article in The Independent:Dense breast tissue poses up to four times higher risk of developing breast cancer. However, a new study has shown that many women are unaware of the risks of breast density.Dense breasts refers to breasts that are composed of more fibrous and glandular tissue compared to fatty tissue, and can be detected while undergoing a mammogram.The study, which was published in Jama Network Open on 23 January, surveyed 1,858 women ages 40 to 76 years from 2019 to 2020 who had recently undergone mammography, had no history of breast cancer, and had heard of breast density.It assessed women’s understanding of breast density as a significant breast cancer risk compared to other well known risk factors, such as having a relative with breast cancer, being overweight or obese, drinking more than one alcoholic beverage per day, never having children, and having a prior breast biopsy.Despite breast density being associated with a 1.2 to four times higher risk of developing breast cancer, according to the study, few women perceived breast density to be a strong personal risk factor. Instead, 93 per cent of women saw family history as posing the greatest risk, followed by 65 per cent of women who said that being overweight or obese was a greater risk than breast density.Of the 61 women who were interviewed, only six of them described breast density as contributing to breast cancer risk. Although, most women did correctly note that breast density could make mammograms harder to read.When asked about what they could take to reduce their breast cancer risk, roughly one-third of women said that they weren’t sure if it was possible to reduce their breast cancer risk, or they were unaware of what actions they could take.However, there are many actions people can take to reduce their risk of developing breast cancer. A breast screening, also known as a mammogram, is an x-ray picture of the breast used to check for breast cancer in women. A mammogram can detect otherwise invisible signs or symptoms of breast cancer that cannot be felt, or can check for breast cancer after a lump or other signs of breast cancer has been detected.The American Cancer Society recommends women between the ages 45 to 54 should get a mammogram every year. Women between 40 and 44 also have the option to start early screening, and those who are 55 and older can switch to a mammogram every other year if they choose to do so.Nearly half of all women who are 40 and older who get mammograms are found to have dense breasts, per the National Cancer Institute. Breast density is often inherited, but it can also be found in women who are younger, are taking hormone replacement therapy, or have a lower body weight.While breast density can make it more difficult to interpret a mammogram, a newer type of mammogram called digital breast tomosynthesis - or 3D mammography - has recently appeared to be more helpful in women with dense breasts.Other studies have shown that imaging tests like an ultrasound or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can help find some breast cancers that can’t be seen on mammograms. Experts have not yet firmly suggested women with dense breasts should receive additional screening, according to the Recommendation Statement on Breast Cancer Screening by the US Preventive Services Task Force.

30-01-2023 11:53

{{ article.title }}

{{safeHTML(article.Text)}}

{{ formatCategoryDate(article.publishDate) }}

Article Image

More