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Sweet tooth: countering one of our most lethal addictions
Sugar is one of the next targets of health policy makers in Europe. It features as one of the ingredients in the latest food reformulation roadmap, just published by the European Commission. This ingredient has crept up in European diets unprecedented levels. As a result it could have serious consequences for the heath of European citizens, reflected in the increase of diseases such as type 2 diabetes. Today, sugar has become very political. And the debate rages on between those concerned for public health and those in favour of preserving consumer choice, avoiding nanny states interventions and protecting the food industry’s market share. Read more […]
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Diabetes prevention requires multiple concerted strategies
Diabetes is one of the largest global health emergencies of the 21st century. On a global scale, there are an estimated 415 million people aged 20-79 with diabetes. These include 193 million who are undiagnosed. A further 318 million adults with impaired glucose tolerance are also at high risk of developing the disease. In 2015 alone, diabetes and its related complications will have caused 5 million deathsand cost 12% of the global healthcare spend. How can we slow, stop, or reverse the diabetes epidemic? Read more […]
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Launch of the RRI toolkit
Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) is too often no more than a cryptic acronym to many in European research circles. It is at times not quite clear how to implement it. Now, thanks to the results of the RRI Tools project, an RRI Toolkit is about to be launched this week. Don’t hold back and feel free to explore all the available options. Read more […]
June Andrews: policy support for dementia needs to be adequate
A better management of chronic illnesses such as dementia can be done by harnessing technological solutions. But this kind of innovative support cannot be used unless it respects the rights of people affected by the disease. In contrast, those close to dementia patients have a responsibility to adopt preventive steps to manage the disease. But this can only happen once governments implement adequate level of support. In this exclusive EuroScientist interview, June Andrews, director of the Dementia Services Development Centre at the University of Stirling, in Scotland, UK, analyses the potential and the drawbacks of innovation for the 50 million people worldwide affected by this condition. Read more […]
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Chronic diseases: citizens’ rights and responsibilities
Despite advances in our understanding of management and prevention, chronic diseases are still on the rise. By 2030, estimates point that an additional 52 million people will die from chronic diseases. Public healthcare systems are under strain, and their budgets are getting smaller. How can we reverse the chronic disease epidemic? First and foremost, citizens can help themselves. Some governments in Europe have already tried to encourage healthier lifestyle choices. Is promoting healthy lifestyles authoritarian? Or is a government that fails to do so guilty of neglect? Read more […]
Chronic disease prevention using wearable technology: not that simple
Since the last decade, wearable technology moved from developers’ drawing boards to stores, with barely a whisper of disquiet about data privacy. Yet, the implications for data privacy should not be underestimated. There is growing interest in the potential of wearables to mitigate, treat or prevent chronic conditions which put a strain on health economies–ranging from chronic back pain or physical stress injuries to mental health issues like work-related stress. EuroScientist investigates how the latest regulatory framework could secure people’s privacy as they strive to prevent chronic conditions through wearable technology. Read more […]
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Innovation has a role to play in chronic diseases prevention
Thanks to advances in technology, the ubiquitous smartphone is not just a way to connect with friends. It also becomes a kind of “doctor in our pocket”. Health apps, wearable sensors and fitness trackers are all contributing towards ‘more and better data’ for monitoring everything from caloric intake to steps taken on a daily basis. If we want to better understand, manage, and prevent chronic diseases, then new technologies and innovations like these are vital. Read more […]
Alberto Alemanno: chronic diseases are preventable
Alberto Alemanno, professor of law at French business school HEC Paris, shares his views on the more practical solutions available for the prevention of chronic diseases. He reveals that the solutions to such a complex problem are multiple and need to be combined to be effective. Read more […]
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REIsearch: citizen engagement in policy decisions
Over the next five weeks, EuroScientist is exploring new ways of interacting with the wider community of readers via a partnership with the REIsearch project. The idea is to focus the pan-European debate on themes of key importance in the European policy agenda. This week, we will start exploring the theme of chronic diseases. Click on banners on our site to complete a survey to share your perspective on this issue. We will also offer our readers independent coverage related to the topic and invite you to comment below each article. Read more […]
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Sound policies needed to frame scientific and technological progress
Science policy is one of the key topics on the agenda of the European Science Open Forum event, ESOF2016, in Manchester in July 2016. This article looks at various examples of fields where science policy has a key role to play; be it to convey acceptance of new technology, accompany key funding decisions for large international research projects like the largest radio telescope ever developed–the Square Kilometre Array–or simply help fundamental research turn into innovative solutions. Read more […]
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ESOF 2016 champion: Nancy Rothwell
ESOF is a biannual event. And this year, it will be held in July in Manchester. Known for its manufacturing past, its footballing present and its graphene future, this vibrant city in the Northwest of England offers more than meets the eye. It is also the perfect location for an international forum such as ESOF2016. Find out more about what you can expect at this year’s event from its champion: Nancy Rothwell. Read more […]
A goldmine to partly replace animal testing
Public databases of the toxic effects of chemicals that have been registered under the REACH directive have been sitting idle for too long. In an opinion piece, Thomas Hartung explains how the development of software by his team at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, at Johns Hopkins University, USA, helps make sense of the large volume of chemical database content. Now that they made such data machine readable, expectations are that it will soon be possible to provide open access to such public database. Ultimately, this could substantially decrease the number of animal tests. Indeed, the database makes it possible to do so-called read-across, allowing to infer toxicity of heaps of untested chemicals from existing data on chemicals of similar structure, which have already been tested. Read more […]