bmj.com -- Press Releases

Press Releases Saturday 12 December 1998
No 7173 Volume 317

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(1) ONE THIRD OF CHILDREN IN ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS DEVELOP
POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

(2) INSURANCE INDUSTRY DISCRIMINATES UNFAIRLY ON BASIS OF
GENETIC INFORMATION

(3) PREVENTING CANCERS WITH WHAT YOU EAT

(1) ONE THIRD OF CHILDREN IN ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS DEVELOP
POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

(Prospective study of post-traumatic stress disorder in children involved
in road traffic accidents)
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/317/7173/1619

BMJ Volume 317 12 December 1998 pp1619-23

In 1997 the number of road traffic accidents involving young people under
the age of 19 years was 72,154. In a study of 119 children involved in
road traffic accidents during 1997 Dr Paul Stallard and colleagues from the
Royal United Hospital in Bath reveal that one third were found to be
suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Published in this week�s BMJ, the study found that young people displayed
symptoms including sleep disturbance and nightmares, separation anxiety,
difficulties in concentration, intrusive thoughts, difficulties in talking
to parents and friends, mood disturbance, deterioration in academic
performance, specific fears and accident related play.

The authors found that neither the type of accident nor the nature or
severity of physical injuries were related to the presence of
post-traumatic stress disorder. However, they did find that girls were far
more at risk of developing the disorder than boys.

Psychological services for children involved in road traffic accidents are
not at present provided in a comprehensive or routine way, say Stallard et
al, and they conclude that the psychological needs of these children remain
largely unrecognised.

Contact:
Dr Paul Stallard,
Department of Child and Family Psychiatry,
Bath Mental Health Care Trust,
Royal United Hospital, Bath
email: stallard_p{at}bath-mhct.swest.nhs.uk

(2) INSURANCE INDUSTRY DISCRIMINATES UNFAIRLY ON BASIS OF
GENETIC INFORMATION

(Genetic discrimination in life insurance: empirical evidence from a cross
sectional survey of genetic support groups in the United Kingdom)
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/317/7173/1632

BMJ Volume 317 12 December 1998 pp1632-35

People from families with known genetic disorders are not being treated
consistently by insurers, says a paper published in this week�s BMJ.
Written by Lawrence Low and colleagues at the Wellcome Trust, the study
found that only one in 20 people with no known genetic disorders
encountered problems when applying for life insurance as opposed to one
third of people from families with genetic disorders. The authors suggest
that insurance companies� decisions are irrational and that they are not
being based on the actual risk of genetic disorder in these applicants.

Low et al surveyed 7,000 members of seven British support groups for
families with genetic disorders. These groups included:- Cystic Fibrosis
Trust; Huntington�s Disease Association; Marfan Association UK;
(Duchenne)Muscular Dystrophy Group; Myotonic Dystrophy Group;
Neurofibromatosis Association and Tuberous Sclerosis Association.

The authors conclude that it does not appear from their findings that the
insurance industry is operating a conscious policy of genetic
discrimination; rather they are showing confusion and ignorance when
interpreting genetic information, which is being misunderstood outside of
its clinical context.

Contact:
Noorece Ahmed,
Press Office,
Wellcome Trust, London
email: n.ahmed{at}wellcome.ac.uk

(3) PREVENTING CANCERS WITH WHAT YOU EAT

(Diet and the prevention of cancer)
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/317/7173/1636

BMJ Volume 317 12 December 1998 pp1636-1643

According to Dr John Cummings and Dr Sheila Bingham from the MRC Dunn
Clinical Nutrition Centre, Cambridge, around half of UK cancer deaths are
due to tumours of the lung, bowel, breast and prostate. In this week�s BMJ
, they say that these cancers are virtually absent in many countries in the
developing world, but increase in incidence within one or two generations
when migrants move from low to high risk areas. Therefore, they say, many
cancers common in Western populations can be attributed to environmental
factors - which means that they should be largely preventable.

Diet is one of the most important lifestyle factors that has been estimated
to account for up to 80 per cent of cancers of the bowel, breast and
prostate. The authors highlight red and processed meats and alcohol as the
highest risk foods and cite a diet rich in vegetables and fruit as the most
protective. They stress that there is no evidence to suggest that high
dose vitamin supplements can help to prevent cancer and these should be
avoided. Other environmental factors known to affect susceptibility to
cancer include: physical activity, reproductive and sexual behaviour,
infection with hepatitis B or C viruses, infection with helicobacter and
exposure to sunlight, ionising radiation and chemicals.

Cummings and Bingham conclude with five tips for reducing cancer risks:
don�t smoke; take regular exercise; don�t be sexually promiscuous; avoid
prolonged exposure to direct sunlight and avoid contracting hepatitis B and
C viruses.

Contact:
Dr John Cummings,
Head, Gut Group,
MRC Dunn Clinical Nutrition Centre,
Cambridge
email: john.cummings{at}mrc-dunn.cam.ac.uk