Health Briefing

A round-up of today's other stories in brief

Tougher parenting more effective in terms of alcohol

PARENTS ARE on their own in trying to curb teenage drinking because this Government seems no more interested than the last in tackling the problem, according to a leading child and adolescent psychiatrist. And “misguided” parents who permit under-age teenagers to drink alcohol at home “are making the jobs of the rest of us harder”, warned consultant Dr Bobby Smyth of the Youth Drug and Alcohol Service.

“The more laissez faire parents are about teenage drinking, the more kids will drink,” he told The Irish Times ahead of a lecture he will give in Dublin next week entitled Adolescent Drinking – What Can Parents Do?. He advocates no parental permission for drinking until a teenager is 18.

It was the “harder end of parenting”, he explained, that had been shown to be most effective – monitoring children, having rules and consequences if lines are crossed.

“Communication is not unimportant but it is actually the tougher parenting bits that are more protective in terms of alcohol.”

An accumulation of research that shows alcohol damages the developing, adolescent brain, was another reason, he said, to be concerned about underage drinking in Ireland, where teenagers spend €144 million a year on alcohol.

Dr Bobby Smyth’s lecture next Monday (April 23rd) at 8pm in the St John of God Hospital campus on the Stillorgan Road, Dublin, is part of the 2012 Minding the Mind series. Attendance is free and pre-registration is not required.

UCC identifies DNA link to osteoporosis 

AN INTERNATIONAL research consortium including University College Cork has identified 56 regions in DNA linked to bone mineral density, which declines in osteoporosis. And 14 of these relate to the risk of bone fracture. Many of these regions will now become potential drug targets related to the treatment of osteoporosis, said UCC team leader Prof Brendan Buckley. The research was published on Sunday in the journal Nature Genetics.

Women urged to be aware of Fast signs of stroke

STROKE KILLS twice as many women in Ireland as breast cancer. And 60 per cent more women die of stroke than men, according to the Irish Heart Foundation at the launch yesterday of National Stroke Week.

Most people assume that stroke is much more common in men but this was not the case. “The higher death rate from stroke among women is not widely known,” said Dr Angie Brown, the foundation’s medical director.

“The fact is that stroke kills twice as many women as breast cancer in Ireland and we are particularly asking women to be aware of the Fast warning signs during this year’s National Stroke Week.”

Fast helps describe four key symptoms that point towards stroke and the need for immediate medical action:

Face: Has the person’s face fallen on one side?

Arms: Can they raise both arms and keep them up?

Speech: Is their speech slurred?

Time: Time to call 999 if you see any one of these signs.

A quick response is vital because it allows the use of drugs that break up blood clots that can cause stroke. Improved HSE services for stroke mean that a quick response could reduce the stroke death rate by up to 25 per cent, Dr Brown said. Lifestyle factors were also important, with the advice being to drink in moderation, don’t smoke, take exercise and eat a healthy diet.

National Stroke Week runs through to April 22nd. For more information about the risks of stroke and events see stroke.ieor dial the National Heart and Stroke Helpline on 1890 432 787.