Which prophylactic therapies best prevent gout attacks?

Q. Which prophylactic therapies best prevent gout attacks? A. Allopurinol and febuxostat reduce the frequency of gout attacks equally after 8 weeks of treatment (strength of recommendation [SOR]: B, multiple randomized control trials [RCTs] with limitations). Intravenous pegloticase decreases serum uric acid and gout attacks and improves quality of life (QOL) (SOR: A, 2 RCTs). Colchicine reduces gout attacks when combined with probenecid or allopurinol at the start of urate-lowering therapy (SOR: B, 1 high-quality and 1 low-quality RCT)

Aneuploidy screening: Newer noninvasive test gains traction

Favorable results from the 2 studies reviewed here have prompted ACOG to recommend that cell-free DNA screening be discussed with all pregnant patients. Practice changer: Discuss cell-free DNA testing when offering fetal aneuploidy screening to pregnant women

Increasing levels of the endocannabinoid 2-AG is neuroprotective in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine mouse model of Parkinson's disease

Date of Acceptance: 28/07/2015 The authors are grateful to the staff of the Medical Research Facility for their help with the animal care. This work was supported by the NHS Endowment fund 09/03 and the Wellcome Trust (WT080782MF). We thank Merck & Co. Inc., Rathway NJ, USA for the supply of DFU.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

S100B is increased in Parkinson’s disease and ablation protects against MPTP-induced toxicity through the RAGE and TNF-α pathway

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Strengthening Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxation for Non-Communicable Disease Prevention: A Comparative Political Economy Analysis Case Study of Fiji and Tonga

Diet-related fiscal policy is an effective NCD prevention strategy. However, current sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes in Fiji and Tonga have not had the desired effect; SSB consumption in Fiji, for example, contributes to mortality more than double the global rates and is highest in the WHO Western Pacific Region. We therefore aimed to better understand the perceived underlying political economy drivers that have and continue to affect change in each country. Our study design utilised a comparative case study that triangulated documentary policy and stakeholder analysis with semi-structured stakeholder interviews in both countries and an in-depth corporate political activity analysis in Fiji. We drew on theoretical frameworks relevant to political economy to collect and analyse policy and stakeholder data, and utilised established corporate political activity frameworks to analyse industry activity. Common findings to both Fiji and Tonga suggested that the SSB tax impact could be increased through multisectoral engagement, embracing a whole-of-society approach, strengthened institutional structures and leveraging off competing priorities across sectors towards more common goals. These findings provide opportunities and lessons for Fiji and Tonga as well as other similar settings seeking to strengthen or upscale the impact of diet-related fiscal policy

Scaling up food pricing policies in the Pacific: A guide to action

There are calls for governments around the world to adopt pricing policies, including taxes, subsidies and price controls that ensure all people have access to, and can afford, healthy diets. Despite the strong potential of pricing policies to promote healthy diets and to support a post-COVID-19 recovery, there are gaps in evidence with regard to € how\u27 to design and apply effective food taxes in practice, and countries report challenges in navigating the different policy options. In this practice piece, we examine the global evidence for food taxes with a view to identifying practical lessons for policy design, adoption and implementation, using the Pacific Islands Region as a case study. We present a systematic resource that draws on locally generated evidence, and a Pacific conceptualisation of healthy diets, to address considerations in setting the tax base, rate and mechanisms, and to ensure tax targets are clearly identifiable within national tax and administrative systems. Health and Finance collaboration at the country level could ensure tax design addresses concerns for the impacts of food taxes on employment, economics and equity, as well as position food taxes as an opportunity to fund revenue shortfalls faced by governments following the COVID-19 pandemic. We demonstrate a need to review other policies for consistency with national health objectives to ensure that countries avoid inadvertently undermining health taxes, for example, by ensuring that foods with known non-communicable disease risk are not being price protected or promoted

Scaling up food pricing policies in the Pacific: a guide to action

There are calls for governments around the world to adopt pricing policies, including taxes, subsidies and price controls that ensure all people have access to, and can afford, healthy diets. Despite the strong potential of pricing policies to promote healthy diets and to support a post-COVID-19 recovery, there are gaps in evidence with regard to € how\u27 to design and apply effective food taxes in practice, and countries report challenges in navigating the different policy options. In this practice piece, we examine the global evidence for food taxes with a view to identifying practical lessons for policy design, adoption and implementation, using the Pacific Islands Region as a case study. We present a systematic resource that draws on locally generated evidence, and a Pacific conceptualisation of healthy diets, to address considerations in setting the tax base, rate and mechanisms, and to ensure tax targets are clearly identifiable within national tax and administrative systems. Health and Finance collaboration at the country level could ensure tax design addresses concerns for the impacts of food taxes on employment, economics and equity, as well as position food taxes as an opportunity to fund revenue shortfalls faced by governments following the COVID-19 pandemic. We demonstrate a need to review other policies for consistency with national health objectives to ensure that countries avoid inadvertently undermining health taxes, for example, by ensuring that foods with known non-communicable disease risk are not being price protected or promoted

Greater Manchester (GM) Social Housing Stop Smoking Pilot Initiative and Evaluation

This project is a collaboration between the University of Oxford, the University of Manchester as part of the Applied Research Collaboration in Greater Manchester (GM ARC) and Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership’s Making Smoking History programme. Through stakeholder consultation we aim to identify potential smoking cessation programmes to implement within social housing communities in Greater Manchester. The programmes identified through this process will go on to be piloted in Greater Manchester

Scaling-Up Food Policies in the Pacific Islands: Protocol for Policy Engagement and Mixed Methods Evaluation of Intervention Implementation

Abstract Background Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have been declared a crisis in the Pacific Islands, and poor diets are a major contributor to this. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis will likely increase the burden on food systems, exacerbating this situation. Pacific Island leaders have been proactive in adopting a range of food policies and regulations to improve diets. This includes taxes and regulations on compositional standards for salt and sugar in foods or school food policies. Whilst there is increasing evidence for the effectiveness of such policies globally, there is a lack of local context-specific evidence about how to implement them effectively in the Pacific. Methods Our 5-year collaborative research project will advance knowledge of how to scale up food policy interventions in the Pacific Islands. The overall aim of this implementation science research project is to test the feasibility and effectiveness of policy interventions to reduce salt and sugar consumption in Fiji and Samoa, and to examine factors that will support sustained implementation. We will engage, as partners, government agencies and civil society in Fiji and Samoa, and support the design, implementation and monitoring of a range of evidence-informed interventions aiming to reduce salt and sugar consumption, in the context of on-going health and environmental challenges, such as COVID-19 and climate change. Specific objectives are to: (1) conduct a policy landscape analysis to understand the potential opportunities and challenges to strengthen policies for prevention of diet-related NCDs in Fiji and Samoa; (2) conduct repeat cross sectional surveys to measure dietary intake, food sources and diet-related biomarkers; (3) use Systems Thinking in Community Knowledge Exchange (STICKE) to strengthen implementation of policies to reduce salt and sugar consumption; (4) evaluate the impact, process and cost effectiveness of implementing these policies. Discussion The project will provide new evidence to support policy making, as well as developing a low-cost, high-tech, sustainable, scalable system for monitoring food consumption, the food supply and health-related outcomes. Contributions to the literature · Poor diets are one of the main contributors to non-communicable diseases. There is increasing evidence to show that food policy interventions (fiscal or regulatory) are an effective way of improving diets, globally. · This project will produce local context-specific evidence for the impact and cost-effectiveness of food policy interventions to improve diets in the Pacific Islands (Fiji and Samoa). It will also produce new insights into what is feasible and which factors contribute most to effective implementation in different contexts.· The findings will provide important insights into gaps in the implementation science literature on food policy implementation, particularly in Small Island Developing States. The project will also make an important contribution globally since the innovative methods of engaging policy makers and monitoring food and health developed through the project may be replicated elsewhere