HEALTH NOTES: Stay sharp… with housework

Regular housework could be key to sharper memory in old age. 

Researchers at the Singapore Institute of Technology examined the day-to-day activities of 240 over-65s. 

They analysed how often light and heavy housework was completed and asked participants to do memory tests. 

Those who did high volumes of light housework had a cognitive score eight per cent higher than those who did not. 

Lots of heavy housework led to a 14 per cent higher score.

Researchers at the Singapore Institute of Technology examined the day-to-day activities of 240 over-65s and found regular housework could be the key to sharper memory in old age. [File picture]

Brits suffering a pain epidemic 

Britons are facing an epidemic of aching joints, with four in ten suffering from chronic pain which affects their ability to sleep, exercise and walk.

A new report by pain medication firm Deep Relief found that 39 per cent of people in the UK suffer from daily bodily aches. 

The survey of 500 people also revealed that lower back pain was responsible for a third of all complaints, while nearly a fifth were knee issues.

Almost a third of respondents said their pain impacted their sleep, exercise and walking.

A new report by pain medication firm Deep Relief found that 39 per cent of people in the UK suffer from daily bodily aches. [File picture]

Alcohol can trigger a dangerous, irregular heartbeat – but caffeine, poor diet and a lack of sleep don’t, a new study suggests.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) occurs when nerves in the heart misfire, and affects more than 1.4 million Britons. 

Over time it can lead to blood pooling and clotting inside the heart, which can trigger a life-threatening stroke. 

Many AF patients will live with the condition for years, during which time they will suffer episodes where the heart beats irregularly, leading to breathlessness and discomfort.

Alcohol can trigger a dangerous, irregular heartbeat – known as atrial fibrillation – which over time can lead to blood pooling and clotting inside the heart. [File picture]

Researchers at the University of California monitored the heart rhythms of 450 patients with AF. 

While many believed drinking caffeine triggered an episode, the scientists found no link.

Likewise, neither eating a large meal nor having a poor night’s sleep were found to trigger an irregular pulse.

The new study demonstrated that consumption of alcohol was the only trigger that consistently resulted in more AF episodes.

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