0:00:02 > 0:00:05Every day we're bombarded with conflicting messages about
0:00:05 > 0:00:07how to live a healthy, happy life.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12One minute we're told something is the right thing to do,
0:00:12 > 0:00:14the next it's the complete opposite,
0:00:14 > 0:00:17and we're left without a clue which advice to follow.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22So we've been wading through the confusion
0:00:22 > 0:00:25to separate the scare stories from the truth,
0:00:25 > 0:00:28to help you work out what's best for you.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37Hello, and welcome to Health - Truth Or Scare?
0:00:37 > 0:00:40The series that gets to the bottom of all of those stories
0:00:40 > 0:00:43and headlines that like to make us think they know what's really good
0:00:43 > 0:00:46for our health, but, of course, as you and I have found out,
0:00:46 > 0:00:48Kevin, they so rarely do.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Today we're talking about conditions that really do
0:00:51 > 0:00:53affect millions of us.
0:00:53 > 0:00:54They might be common,
0:00:54 > 0:00:57but they're also the subject of some serious controversy.
0:00:57 > 0:00:58And today we'll be finding out why.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04Coming up - they're the most widely prescribed drugs in the country,
0:01:04 > 0:01:08but should millions of people really be taking statins?
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Telling people to stop them really is placing them in grave danger.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Heart attacks and strokes, these are not messing around.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17These are serious bad things you don't want to happen to you.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20And in the wake of reports claiming that thousands might be taking
0:01:20 > 0:01:22asthma medication they don't need,
0:01:22 > 0:01:25I find out if I'm one of them.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27And we'll see what that shows in a little while.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35Now, the chances are that if you're over 50 and you're not one of
0:01:35 > 0:01:39the reported six million people already taking statins,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42then you more than likely know somebody who is.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46The Government and the NHS both say these drugs have saved the lives
0:01:46 > 0:01:49of tens of thousands of people with heart disease.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52But, you know, Kevin, when we look at some of the headlines,
0:01:52 > 0:01:56it's very difficult to find anybody that can agree on whether or not
0:01:56 > 0:02:00statins are actually going to save your life or shorten it.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02If you're taking statins and you read this headline -
0:02:02 > 0:02:05"Are millions taking statins needlessly?" -
0:02:05 > 0:02:06what are you going to think?
0:02:06 > 0:02:08And this one says statins ARE safe
0:02:08 > 0:02:11and we should be giving them to six million more people.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13You couldn't get more of a conflicting argument than that.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15Absolutely. But, as I found out,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18the argument against statins is gaining momentum,
0:02:18 > 0:02:21fanning the flames of a controversy that, quite frankly,
0:02:21 > 0:02:23just won't go away.
0:02:28 > 0:02:33Heart disease. It's long been one of Britain's biggest killers.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35But over the past decade it seems we've started to win
0:02:35 > 0:02:38the battle against it.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41In part, that's believed to be thanks to drugs like statins.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44They help lower the body's cholesterol levels and reduce
0:02:44 > 0:02:46the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Now, for me, that's a big deal because my family
0:02:51 > 0:02:54has a history of diabetes and high cholesterol,
0:02:54 > 0:02:57which means we have a greater risk of getting heart disease.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00And if anyone has that elevated risk,
0:03:00 > 0:03:02they could be prescribed statins by their GP,
0:03:02 > 0:03:07not to treat heart disease, but to reduce their chance of getting it.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11It's that that makes statins one of the most widely prescribed drugs
0:03:11 > 0:03:12in the country.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14But they're also very controversial.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17At the heart of the argument is a range of side effects that some
0:03:17 > 0:03:20sufferers say can be debilitating,
0:03:20 > 0:03:21but many experts dismiss.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26A major review of statins has found that the anti-cholesterol drug is
0:03:26 > 0:03:28safe and effective,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31and that any harmful side-effects have been exaggerated.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34But this was met with allegations that statins don't work as well
0:03:34 > 0:03:36as it's claimed.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39The arguments got so heated that it even lead to
0:03:39 > 0:03:44a so-called statins war between the country's leading medical journals -
0:03:44 > 0:03:48one saying reports of side effects are massively overexaggerated,
0:03:48 > 0:03:51another saying the side-effects outweighed the benefits.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55Both sides of the argument are extremely vocal, and,
0:03:55 > 0:03:59you know, I can only imagine how confusing it must be if
0:03:59 > 0:04:02you're offered statins by your GP, to then go on and read negative
0:04:02 > 0:04:06newspaper reports about how you shouldn't touch them.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10And with my family history of high cholesterol there's a good chance
0:04:10 > 0:04:14I might be recommended statins by my GP in the next few years.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18So, before that happens I want to find out if the side-effects
0:04:18 > 0:04:21can outweigh the benefits, and I'm starting with someone
0:04:21 > 0:04:24who has experienced both sides of the argument.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26Coleen Gill was, until recently,
0:04:26 > 0:04:30one of the estimated six million statins users in the UK.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33She says the drug helped change her life after
0:04:33 > 0:04:35a heart attack ten years ago.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38The heart attack was a big shock to the system.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40It was a shock to the family as well.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Well, they'd said at the hospital
0:04:42 > 0:04:45that I had a really high cholesterol,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48it was off the mark, so to speak.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50And they put me on statins,
0:04:50 > 0:04:52I had to take them when I left,
0:04:52 > 0:04:56as he said, forever.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Along with some big changes to her diet and lifestyle,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Coleen says the statins helped transform her health,
0:05:03 > 0:05:07and as a result she even retrained as a fitness coach.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10But after taking statins for more than three years
0:05:10 > 0:05:13she started to develop side-effects.
0:05:13 > 0:05:18I was just starting to get tingling in my fingers and I thought,
0:05:18 > 0:05:19"Why can't I feel my fingers?"
0:05:19 > 0:05:22And I wasn't sure, to be fair,
0:05:22 > 0:05:24whether it was the statins or what,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27but there was talk about side-effects.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Worried about losing the feeling in her fingers,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34and with her cholesterol safely under control,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Coleen decided to come off statins altogether,
0:05:37 > 0:05:39against the wishes of her doctor.
0:05:39 > 0:05:45He wasn't really happy for me to come off them completely.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47But you know your own body,
0:05:47 > 0:05:51and I just felt it was right to do that.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53And I haven't looked back.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58Coleen made a controversial decision,
0:05:58 > 0:06:00because the official advice is that once a patient
0:06:00 > 0:06:04has started taking statins, they should take them for life.
0:06:04 > 0:06:09She was one of the reported 20% of users who experience side-effects.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12But with around six million people on statins,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15perhaps it's no surprise that some do.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Professor Liam Smeeth was part of a wide-ranging review of statins,
0:06:18 > 0:06:23with access to almost five million patients' records.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25I guess one of the questions that the patient will ask is,
0:06:25 > 0:06:26"Hang on a minute, side-effects,
0:06:26 > 0:06:29"what kind of side-effects could I get?"
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Well, there's one side-effect in particular that has received a great
0:06:32 > 0:06:36deal of media attention, and that is where the statins cause muscle pain.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40And the problem we've got is aches and pains are really common,
0:06:40 > 0:06:42virtually everyone gets them at some point or another, and it's
0:06:42 > 0:06:45very difficult to know whether they're caused by the statins or not.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49But there's one much more serious potential side-effect
0:06:49 > 0:06:51that Liam says experts are sure of.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54And it's one that I find quite worrying.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58Statins might increase your risk of developing type II diabetes.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02My family has got a history of diabetes.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06My mum passed away with diabetes, both my sisters have diabetes,
0:07:06 > 0:07:10so would that have a massive effect on you advising me to take statins?
0:07:10 > 0:07:11Possibly, yes.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14I do feel for people here because this is a complicated story to tell.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18Statins do increase your risk of developing diabetes a little bit.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20It's worth taking that small increased risk of diabetes
0:07:20 > 0:07:23because there's huge benefits on heart attacks and strokes.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Statins reduce your risk of having a heart attack or a stroke
0:07:26 > 0:07:28by something like a quarter or a third.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30But that's certainly not the impression you might get from
0:07:30 > 0:07:33some reports about studies into statins,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36which, Liam says, could have led people to make dangerous
0:07:36 > 0:07:38decisions about their health.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Do you get frustrated by the headlines telling people
0:07:40 > 0:07:42to stop taking statins?
0:07:42 > 0:07:43I do get frustrated, yeah.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46I get frustrated by headlines saying statins are terrible,
0:07:46 > 0:07:48they don't work, they cause all these terrible symptoms,
0:07:48 > 0:07:49you should stop them.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51The science is clear - these are beneficial drugs
0:07:51 > 0:07:54with low levels of side-effects, as far as we're aware.
0:07:54 > 0:07:55And telling people to stop them
0:07:55 > 0:07:58really is placing them in grave danger.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Heart attacks and strokes, these are not messing around,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04these are serious bad things you don't want to happen to you.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06It's a compelling argument.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08But within the medical profession
0:08:08 > 0:08:10there are still those critical of statins.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Dr Malcolm Kendrick is a busy GP
0:08:14 > 0:08:16who has agreed to meet me after work.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19He disagrees with Liam Smeeth,
0:08:19 > 0:08:23and says statins' side-effects are hugely underestimated.
0:08:23 > 0:08:28I think the side-effect issue is much greater than is accepted,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31if you like. There have been studies in the States.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34One showed that over 60% of people stopped taking their statin
0:08:34 > 0:08:38after a year - in 70% of those, it was because of a side-effect,
0:08:38 > 0:08:39an adverse effect.
0:08:39 > 0:08:40I sometimes say to patients,
0:08:40 > 0:08:42"Statins add 15 years to your life -
0:08:42 > 0:08:44"they don't make you live 15 years longer,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47"they just make you feel 15 years older."
0:08:47 > 0:08:50One of the other problems that I don't like is...
0:08:50 > 0:08:51if you're prescribed statins,
0:08:51 > 0:08:54people tend to stop doing other things, healthy things.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57Because they think the statins are going to just do the job.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59They think they're being protected, so they think,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02"I'll take my tablet and I'll do whatever I like."
0:09:02 > 0:09:07So, Malcolm, do you think we should stop prescribing statins altogether?
0:09:07 > 0:09:08No, not entirely.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11The only group of people I would say yeah, it might be worthwhile,
0:09:11 > 0:09:15is men who have already had a heart attack or a stroke or angina
0:09:15 > 0:09:17or some sort of heart disease problem,
0:09:17 > 0:09:18and therefore it's worth trying it.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20And if you get no side-effects, well, fine, carry on,
0:09:20 > 0:09:22it's not a problem.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24Malcolm says the evidence isn't as strong for women,
0:09:24 > 0:09:26whether they have a heart condition or not.
0:09:26 > 0:09:27I say, "You know what?
0:09:27 > 0:09:30"The benefits here are just really non-existent,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32"or so small as to be non-existent."
0:09:35 > 0:09:38There's only one thing everyone seems to agree on, that statins
0:09:38 > 0:09:42are effective for some people who already have heart disease.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44But there are millions taking statins
0:09:44 > 0:09:45who don't have the condition,
0:09:45 > 0:09:49and if your GP says you have more than a 10% chance of developing it
0:09:49 > 0:09:52in the next decade, you could be prescribed statins
0:09:52 > 0:09:54to prevent it happening.
0:09:54 > 0:09:59So what should people faced with that decision do?
0:09:59 > 0:10:02On hand to help is David Spiegelhalter,
0:10:02 > 0:10:04President of the Royal Statistical Society,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07and, crucially, someone who has also been faced
0:10:07 > 0:10:09with the choice of whether to take statins.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14So, David, the dilemma seems to be that, with taking statins,
0:10:14 > 0:10:16it's all about risks.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19Risk with heart disease, risk with side-effects.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21Can statistics help us weigh up that decision?
0:10:21 > 0:10:23I think statistics can really help,
0:10:23 > 0:10:25and I'm relying on it to help me
0:10:25 > 0:10:28because I'm dithering about taking statins myself.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31I'm 63, I've got slightly raised cholesterol
0:10:31 > 0:10:33and I'm taking blood pressure tablets already,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36so I'm at reasonable risk of a heart attack or stroke
0:10:36 > 0:10:37- in the next ten years.- OK.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39I put myself through a risk calculator,
0:10:39 > 0:10:43you can see online, and it works out I've got about an 18% chance
0:10:43 > 0:10:45of a heart attack or stroke in the next ten years.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48So one way to think about this is through this rather
0:10:48 > 0:10:50frightening-looking display,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53which is 100 possible versions of "me" in ten years' time.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56And 18 of them have got little orange colouring on them,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59which indicates a heart attack or stroke.
0:10:59 > 0:11:00Now, one of these is going to happen,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03and chances are this won't happen and I'll be OK,
0:11:03 > 0:11:04but 18 of these 100,
0:11:04 > 0:11:07I'm going to have had a heart attack or stroke.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09Now, I'd like to reduce that number, and it turns out that,
0:11:09 > 0:11:12if I took statins every day,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15roughly about six of these can be taken off.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19So, David's personal risk of developing heart disease
0:11:19 > 0:11:24in the next decade drops from 18% to 12% if he takes statins.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Critics say the risk of developing side-effects
0:11:29 > 0:11:31is much greater than the 6% drop
0:11:31 > 0:11:33in the risk of developing heart disease.
0:11:34 > 0:11:39But David disagrees, estimating the risk of side-effects at 2%.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43And so, actually, to put it rather pessimistically,
0:11:43 > 0:11:48maybe 2/100 of these will get some side effects
0:11:48 > 0:11:49from taking the statins.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51I've taken away six of the heart attacks or strokes,
0:11:51 > 0:11:53but I've put in some side effects.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55Now, I think, for me, six versus two, yeah,
0:11:55 > 0:11:58I think it's worth taking the statins for me,
0:11:58 > 0:12:01but for someone else that might not be the case.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04And to show me how that trade-off differs for someone
0:12:04 > 0:12:06with a smaller risk of developing heart disease,
0:12:06 > 0:12:09David is using a hypothetical,
0:12:09 > 0:12:11and I must say rather handsome, example.
0:12:11 > 0:12:16This individual is standing in for someone who's just at the level
0:12:16 > 0:12:18where the official Nice guidelines would recommend
0:12:18 > 0:12:21that their GP offers them statins.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24And that happens when there's about a 10% risk of
0:12:24 > 0:12:26a heart attack or stroke over the next ten years.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29So out of these 100 possible futures for this individual,
0:12:29 > 0:12:33- for 10 of them there's going to be a heart attack or stroke.- OK.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36If this person takes statins every day for the next ten years,
0:12:36 > 0:12:39about three of these will disappear.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42The side-effects, though, stay at roughly the same level.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46Around two of these people will have reasonably
0:12:46 > 0:12:48severe side effects over the next ten years.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51You've got gain in three of these possible futures,
0:12:51 > 0:12:53but a loss in two of them.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56So the trade-off is much more finely balanced.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58I don't know what to think now, whether or not...
0:12:58 > 0:13:01It's just seeing those two purple ones still there,
0:13:01 > 0:13:03just makes me think that if you are at low risk
0:13:03 > 0:13:05you're going to be probably more inclined to think,
0:13:05 > 0:13:07"Well, I don't need to take them just yet."
0:13:07 > 0:13:10And you might be able to then change your lifestyle a bit,
0:13:10 > 0:13:12take more exercise, improve your diet and so on,
0:13:12 > 0:13:14reduce your drinking.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17When I first started making this film
0:13:17 > 0:13:19I was hoping for a clear answer.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22And while there's no doubt statins are powerful drugs
0:13:22 > 0:13:24if you've already had a heart attack,
0:13:24 > 0:13:28if you haven't then the decision could be much harder.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30The risk of developing side-effects
0:13:30 > 0:13:33is very low, but it's still there.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37So it's up to you to decide if the risk is worth it.
0:13:37 > 0:13:38And, either way,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41statins are just one weapon in the whole armoury of things
0:13:41 > 0:13:45we can use to combat heart disease.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48And that's something Coleen knows well.
0:13:48 > 0:13:53I think you should listen to hear what your body is telling you.
0:13:53 > 0:13:58I think you should think about doing more exercise and eating properly.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08I have to say, Angela, I'm now pretty confident about
0:14:08 > 0:14:10what I think of statins after making that film.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15But clearly it's a controversy that shows little sign of dying down.
0:14:15 > 0:14:16And here's another.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18Because next we're tackling something else that's had its
0:14:18 > 0:14:19fair share of headlines.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22And this one is particularly close to your heart, Angela.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24You're right, Kevin, it is. But I think, anatomically speaking,
0:14:24 > 0:14:26it's probably a bit closer to my lungs
0:14:26 > 0:14:28because what we're talking about now is asthma.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32Now, I have to admit that there aren't quite as many people
0:14:32 > 0:14:34using inhalers as there are taking statins,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37but millions do, and I'm one of them.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39And I never go anywhere without this.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41But, again, there's no shortage of headlines
0:14:41 > 0:14:43that seem to be saying that some of us
0:14:43 > 0:14:45really don't need the medicines
0:14:45 > 0:14:47that are being prescribed by our doctors.
0:14:47 > 0:14:48Take a look at this one.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51"A third of asthmatics may not have the condition."
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Well, you could be forgiven for thinking that really nobody
0:14:54 > 0:14:56has got asthma at all, but I can tell you, as I found out,
0:14:56 > 0:14:59that really is far from the case.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Keeping fit has always been really important to me,
0:15:08 > 0:15:10but many years ago I was diagnosed with a condition
0:15:10 > 0:15:14which some sufferers say impacts on their ability
0:15:14 > 0:15:16to lead an active lifestyle.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20Now, when I was in my 20s I had what my doctor prescribed
0:15:20 > 0:15:22as an asthma attack.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25And as a result he gave me one of these - an inhaler.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Now, over the years I've had bouts of asthma
0:15:28 > 0:15:30that have come and then gone.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33But, I'm glad to say that I've never been in a position where it's
0:15:33 > 0:15:36actually got in the way of me enjoying a very active life.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42Now, I can go months, even years, without having an asthma attack
0:15:42 > 0:15:45and I never really know what it is that triggers it.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48But I have to say, having read some of the headlines recently,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51I'm beginning to wonder whether I've actually got asthma at all.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57And that's because in January 2017
0:15:57 > 0:16:00a lot of papers ran the same headline,
0:16:00 > 0:16:05saying a third of people with asthma had been misdiagnosed,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08and that could mean more than one million people in the UK
0:16:08 > 0:16:11are taking medication they don't need.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15GP Andy Whittamore is clinical lead for Asthma UK,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18and he says asthma is a much more complicated condition
0:16:18 > 0:16:20than you might first realise.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22What are the things that might trigger asthma?
0:16:22 > 0:16:23Well, everybody's diffident.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26So if somebody is predisposed to asthma it could be pollution,
0:16:26 > 0:16:27it could be hay fever, allergies.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Whether it's in the family or not, whether they've got other allergic
0:16:30 > 0:16:33conditions, it could even be hormones and stress, in some cases.
0:16:33 > 0:16:38Does that make it so very difficult to actually diagnose?
0:16:38 > 0:16:41There is not one easy test to say if somebody has got asthma or not.
0:16:41 > 0:16:42And even with the tests we have got,
0:16:42 > 0:16:45none of them fit every pattern of asthma that we see.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47It's not clear cut at all.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50When you put it like that it's easy to think that those headlines
0:16:50 > 0:16:52are accurate.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56But Andy isn't so sure they really apply to us here in the UK.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58I think the important thing to say is this was a snap shot
0:16:58 > 0:17:00in a small group of people in Canada.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02I don't think people should be too concerned that they've got
0:17:02 > 0:17:05the wrong diagnosis, but certainly if they're concerned
0:17:05 > 0:17:08they should speak to their GP or nurse or specialist.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11While the headlines might not be completely accurate, there is
0:17:11 > 0:17:15no doubt there are people in the UK who've been diagnosed with asthma
0:17:15 > 0:17:17when they might in fact have other conditions,
0:17:17 > 0:17:22like vocal cord problems or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,
0:17:22 > 0:17:24known as COPD.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26They could have spent years being treated for asthma
0:17:26 > 0:17:30that they don't have, so getting the diagnosis right is vital.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Now, when I was first told I had asthma, back in the '60s,
0:17:39 > 0:17:43it was thought of very differently to today.
0:17:43 > 0:17:44Who's next, please?
0:17:44 > 0:17:47I've not been tested for asthma since,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50so Andy has invited me to his surgery in Portsmouth to find out
0:17:50 > 0:17:54if my 50-year-old diagnosis still stands.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56So, tell me when you were diagnosed.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Well, I was in my 20s,
0:17:58 > 0:18:00and it just literally came out of the blue.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04I'd covered a story that was a particularly distressing story
0:18:04 > 0:18:08for me, and I came home and the lawn at the front of the house
0:18:08 > 0:18:11had just been cut, and I think I probably took in
0:18:11 > 0:18:15a lot of grass pollen and suddenly I couldn't breathe.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18The attacks subsided and I took myself off to my GP,
0:18:18 > 0:18:20who promptly diagnosed asthma.
0:18:20 > 0:18:21Like a lot of asthmatics,
0:18:21 > 0:18:24my symptoms have come and gone over the years.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28At one point I even thought I may no longer need an inhaler.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Andy says my experience is common,
0:18:30 > 0:18:33and he's going to run some tests to see if he can find out more about
0:18:33 > 0:18:37whether what I think is asthma really is.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40If you came to me today thinking you might have asthma,
0:18:40 > 0:18:41what I'd be saying to you is,
0:18:41 > 0:18:43"Who else in your family has got asthma?
0:18:43 > 0:18:44"Have you got any other allergies?
0:18:44 > 0:18:47"Hay fever, eczema, things like that,"
0:18:47 > 0:18:48to see what that sort of pattern is.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50After quizzing me about my symptoms,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53Andy is giving me a range of tests to see if my lungs
0:18:53 > 0:18:55are inflamed and my airways constricted -
0:18:55 > 0:18:59two strong signs of having asthma.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03If you could blow into that as hard and as fast as you can.
0:19:03 > 0:19:04OK.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Something we're doing a lot more of now is spirometry.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08It looks like a mobile phone, doesn't it?
0:19:08 > 0:19:12Keep going, keep going, keep going, keep going, keep going. Good.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Well done. Not a lot of difference.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17So one new test with this machine is called a feno.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19Breathe in for me.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21Bit harder. Perfect.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23Keep it going. Keep it going.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27And we'll see what that shows in a little while.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30So, having done those tests, what is that going to tell you?
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Well, what those tests will do is tell me how your lungs are now.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35The pattern of symptoms, but also what these results show as well.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37It can tell us whether you're more likely to respond
0:19:37 > 0:19:39to medication or not.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41I'll get the results later on.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45If I do have asthma, it's certainly not severe.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47For others, however, like Louise,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50the symptoms can be much more serious.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53I was diagnosed with asthma when I was 28.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57It's been under control up until two and a half years ago.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59At its worst I can't even leave the house.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01I think it's changed from asthma.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05We have chest conditions in my family,
0:20:05 > 0:20:09and I think it could be maybe one of those chest conditions.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11To find out if she's right, Louise has come to
0:20:11 > 0:20:14a pilot programme called the Mission Clinic,
0:20:14 > 0:20:17which runs specialist tests in GPs' surgeries
0:20:17 > 0:20:19to give patients an accurate diagnosis.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23Asthma consultant Dr Tom Brown regularly sees patients who've lived
0:20:23 > 0:20:25with what they thought was asthma for years,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28only for his team to discover it's not.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31Keep it going as long as you can.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33So in the Mission Clinic last week
0:20:33 > 0:20:38we saw ten patients who had a diagnosis from their GP records
0:20:38 > 0:20:41of asthma, but actually, after the Mission Clinic,
0:20:41 > 0:20:44only five left with a diagnosis of asthma.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46So only 50%.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49The other five patients were diagnosed
0:20:49 > 0:20:50with different breathing problems
0:20:50 > 0:20:54that all require their own unique form of treatment.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58And that's exactly what Dr Tom reveals after Louise's tests.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01But her diagnosis is far from clear cut.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03They suspect she has COPD,
0:21:03 > 0:21:07a long-term lung condition which causes breathing difficulties.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10In terms of the overall diagnosis,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12it may well be that you fall part-way
0:21:12 > 0:21:15between the two diagnoses of asthma and COPD.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17You can have a sort of middle ground condition,
0:21:17 > 0:21:19which we call an overlap syndrome,
0:21:19 > 0:21:22whereby you've got some features of asthma and some features of COPD.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25It's really important that we try and unpick what actually
0:21:25 > 0:21:28the main drivers are, so that we can treat those individually
0:21:28 > 0:21:32to make absolutely sure we get control of your symptoms.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35This could mean that Louise has been on the wrong medication
0:21:35 > 0:21:38for years, leaving her COPD untreated.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42She needs to come back for more tests to confirm the diagnosis,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45but in the meantime she's leaving with new medication
0:21:45 > 0:21:48and she's been referred for help to stop smoking,
0:21:48 > 0:21:51which will definitely help to ease her symptoms.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53I need to take steps in my life
0:21:53 > 0:21:55to have an active life
0:21:55 > 0:21:58and to live for as long as I possibly can.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00I have to say, that when I saw those headlines
0:22:00 > 0:22:03claiming a third of people diagnosed with asthma
0:22:03 > 0:22:04might not actually have it,
0:22:04 > 0:22:06I just assumed they meant people
0:22:06 > 0:22:08didn't really have any sort of problem,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11not that the asthma diagnosis could be hiding another condition
0:22:11 > 0:22:15altogether, one needing very different treatment.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18But while my breathing problems have never been as bad as Louise's,
0:22:18 > 0:22:23I'm still intrigued to find out if my GP got it right back in the '60s.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27Well, Andy, earlier you did some very hi-tech tests,
0:22:27 > 0:22:29- and the conventional tests.- Yes.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32- What does it prove? Do I have asthma?- Yes.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35Based on these tests, I think you do have asthma.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38I don't think it's a problem for you at the moment.
0:22:38 > 0:22:39As well as the tests,
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Andy also quizzed me in detail about my health,
0:22:42 > 0:22:45and that helped him learn much more about my asthma.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48He said my attacks don't appear to be triggered by an allergy
0:22:48 > 0:22:50to something like pollen or pollution.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54And knowing that means my medication can be tweaked to make it
0:22:54 > 0:22:56work more effectively for me.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58What I would like to do is try you on some medication
0:22:58 > 0:23:01to see whether we can improve on the breathing tests at all,
0:23:01 > 0:23:03to see whether that improves
0:23:03 > 0:23:05maybe the cough and breathing problems
0:23:05 > 0:23:06that you're getting at the moment.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Asthma can, of course, change over time,
0:23:09 > 0:23:12so even if you're certain that it is because of your breathing problems,
0:23:12 > 0:23:14there's no harm in asking your GP
0:23:14 > 0:23:17if there are more effective ways to manage it.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19And even though I've had my asthma confirmed,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22I'm still not going to let it get in the way of the sports
0:23:22 > 0:23:23that I enjoy.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30- Good game.- Well played.
0:23:35 > 0:23:40Still to come, Angela is challenging more claims around asthma,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43this time whether pollution can cause the condition.
0:23:43 > 0:23:44If there's higher pollution days
0:23:44 > 0:23:46you're going to get more asthma attacks,
0:23:46 > 0:23:49you're more likely to get admitted to hospital with pneumonia
0:23:49 > 0:23:53and you're also more likely to have ongoing problems with your asthma
0:23:53 > 0:23:56or with your breathing problems as you get older.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Last year, dementia overtook heart disease
0:24:03 > 0:24:06as the biggest killer in the UK.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09And for anyone worried about developing it as we get older,
0:24:09 > 0:24:12the advice has not been only to stay healthy and give our bodies
0:24:12 > 0:24:16a workout, but to give our brains a daily workout too.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18So millions of us now do just that,
0:24:18 > 0:24:20whether that's by tackling a crossword,
0:24:20 > 0:24:22doing the puzzle pages in the paper
0:24:22 > 0:24:23or learning a language.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25Or perhaps, as many people have done,
0:24:25 > 0:24:28taking up one of the so-called brain training games.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31The only trouble with that is that when it was revealed that
0:24:31 > 0:24:34some of the companies were making very bold claims about their
0:24:34 > 0:24:39brain training software, actually it had no proof it really worked.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41So the whole idea that we could actually
0:24:41 > 0:24:43train our brains to be better
0:24:43 > 0:24:45started to seem just a little bit far-fetched.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Were we really protecting ourselves against Alzheimer's
0:24:48 > 0:24:50or just getting a lot better at doing the games?
0:24:50 > 0:24:54Well, the argument that those headlines started is still raging.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57So we've asked Steve Brown to investigate, and see if
0:24:57 > 0:24:59he can stretch his own brain while he's at it.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03As an athlete, I was used to pushing myself hard,
0:25:03 > 0:25:07because I knew the more I exercised the fitter my body became.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09But memory grandmaster David Thomas
0:25:09 > 0:25:13says that the same approach can work for our brains too.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16He says we can all learn techniques to make us smarter,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19because he did exactly that.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21It must be something to do with your brain.
0:25:21 > 0:25:26Surely some people were built better at remembering than others?
0:25:26 > 0:25:29So, for me, I was a fireman, failing my exams.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31I went out and bought this book on memory,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33and just by practising in my bedroom,
0:25:33 > 0:25:37eight months later I go the World Memory Championships
0:25:37 > 0:25:38and come fourth.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41And I also became a Guinness record-breaker for reciting
0:25:41 > 0:25:44pi to 22,500 digits.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47That's a lot of numbers!
0:25:47 > 0:25:50And David says anyone can do what he's done.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53With a bit of applied thinking, we can all make our brains better.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56To prove it, he's showing me how to memorise 50,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59yes, just 50 numbers.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02The greatest thing about improving your memory is it's not based
0:26:02 > 0:26:05on intellect or intelligence. It's based on techniques.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07So it's not about the size of your brain
0:26:07 > 0:26:09or how good your brain is -
0:26:09 > 0:26:13it's about learning and using your brain to the best of its ability?
0:26:13 > 0:26:15It's just simple association, that's all it is.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18David tells me to associate pairs of numbers with famous people
0:26:18 > 0:26:20in places around my house.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24And by remembering the sequence or story of where they appear
0:26:24 > 0:26:27I'll also remember the numbers. That's the theory, anyway.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30So what you do is you turn each number into a letter,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32So one is A, two is B, three is C.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34- So 23 would be BC.- Yeah.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36That becomes Bill Clinton.
0:26:36 > 0:26:37Right, OK.
0:26:37 > 0:26:38So, at the end of your drive,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41imagine Bill Clinton giving a speech.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45Yeah, OK. So I'm pulling up and there's Bill Clinton.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47'Not all the numbers have to follow alphabetical order.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50'In fact, mixing it up can make them more memorable.
0:26:50 > 0:26:51'Take the number 10, for example.'
0:26:51 > 0:26:55Who would you say is the most memorable Prime Minister?
0:26:55 > 0:26:58- Let's go with Thatcher because it's going to be a memorable...- Yeah.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01So I've got to put faces and names to numbers,
0:27:01 > 0:27:04put them around my house, remember it, and reel them off?
0:27:04 > 0:27:06Yeah.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Sounds like a wager to me.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10Let's see how we get on.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13David has given me a week to memorise all 50 digits,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16but it's the biggest thing I've probably had to learn since school,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19so it's definitely going to stretch my little grey cells.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22David's techniques are really impressive, and they've been used
0:27:22 > 0:27:25by professional memory experts for generations the world over.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28But it turns out they can also be beneficial to those of us
0:27:28 > 0:27:32that aren't studying to be memory grandmasters.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34Because, according to the headlines,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37challenging our minds and keeping them active could have
0:27:37 > 0:27:40a big impact on the biggest killer in the country - dementia.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44But when it comes to the best way to do it, they really can't agree,
0:27:44 > 0:27:47and the most controversial methods of all
0:27:47 > 0:27:49are the so-called brain training games
0:27:49 > 0:27:52that millions of us around the world play every day.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56While some stories say they make you smarter and help fight dementia,
0:27:56 > 0:27:59others say brain training is a waste of time,
0:27:59 > 0:28:03and last year one American company was fined for making claims
0:28:03 > 0:28:08their games had health benefits, without having any proof.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10I've never really tried those apps,
0:28:10 > 0:28:12but I know my mum was a big fan for a while,
0:28:12 > 0:28:15after my Auntie Margaret beat her at one game that said it could
0:28:15 > 0:28:17judge the age of a player's brain.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21My age was something like 87, and then I said,
0:28:21 > 0:28:22"So what's this all about?"
0:28:22 > 0:28:27And she done the game and she came out at 25 or something.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30- She's six years older than me... - Yeah.- ..so I was none too pleased.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33So I thought, "Right, there's no way Auntie Margaret
0:28:33 > 0:28:35"is going to be younger than me."
0:28:35 > 0:28:39So my mum practised and practised to get the better of Auntie Margaret,
0:28:39 > 0:28:42but she quickly realised how to get the better of the game.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46So if on one of the segments I didn't achieve five, the maximum,
0:28:46 > 0:28:48I'd switch it off and start again,
0:28:48 > 0:28:52because it was all about beating the previous score.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54It's practice, and the more you practise
0:28:54 > 0:28:57the quicker and better you get.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59Now my mum has traded in the brain training games
0:28:59 > 0:29:01for crosswords and sudoku.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04Not because she thinks they're going to make her brain any younger,
0:29:04 > 0:29:06but simply cos she enjoys them.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09And some stories have also poured scorn on the suggestion
0:29:09 > 0:29:13there might be anything beneficial about brain training of any kind.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16But, if the results of some of the latest research into dementia
0:29:16 > 0:29:20is anything to go by, those critics may have jumped the gun.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22The Alzheimer's Society, which is behind the research,
0:29:22 > 0:29:24says there's a mounting body of evidence
0:29:24 > 0:29:27that brain training does work.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29They are funding a huge study with thousands of volunteers
0:29:29 > 0:29:31all over the age of 50.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35Now, part of this study is using brain training games to influence
0:29:35 > 0:29:39the ageing process and even help combat the onset of dementia.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42I'm meeting Anne Corbett from the Alzheimer's Society...
0:29:42 > 0:29:45- Hi.- How are you?- Very well. How are you?- Very well, thanks.
0:29:45 > 0:29:49..who is the research lead of this ground-breaking project.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52Anne, tell me a little bit about the Protect study.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54We're interested in following people over 50
0:29:54 > 0:29:58over quite a long time to see how their brain function changes
0:29:58 > 0:30:00and what influences how it changes.
0:30:00 > 0:30:05And the brain training games is a nested study within Protect.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08And these brain training games aren't like the ones my mum did.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10They are designed to measure whether brainpower changes
0:30:10 > 0:30:12over the length of the study.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16So things like memory, problem-solving, language.
0:30:16 > 0:30:17Things like that.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19And we can look at how someone's performing on that and say,
0:30:19 > 0:30:21"Are you normal for your age?"
0:30:21 > 0:30:24And, indeed, if we're looking at them over a long period of time,
0:30:24 > 0:30:27we can say, "Is your performance changing,
0:30:27 > 0:30:29"and is there something we should be worried about?"
0:30:29 > 0:30:31And that's why we've got these two separate packages.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35And what's most encouraging is that for some older people,
0:30:35 > 0:30:37getting better at the game translates into improvement
0:30:37 > 0:30:42in everyday tasks like cooking, shopping and using public transport.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45There was a correlation - people's day-to-day lives and
0:30:45 > 0:30:47their functions got better through playing these games?
0:30:47 > 0:30:50- Yes, when they were playing these games.- Wow.
0:30:50 > 0:30:51But despite these positive signs,
0:30:51 > 0:30:53Anne's not quite as dismissive
0:30:53 > 0:30:57of some of those critical stories as I was expecting.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59"Brain training games may be a waste of time.
0:30:59 > 0:31:03"Scientists say that there's little evidence of real-world benefits."
0:31:03 > 0:31:05But that's contradictory to what you're seeing
0:31:05 > 0:31:06in some of your studies.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09In a way I sort of agree with them, in that they're saying
0:31:09 > 0:31:12there is little evidence, and we do need a lot more research.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15There are a lot of brain training games and programmes out there
0:31:15 > 0:31:18that people pay an awful lot of money for,
0:31:18 > 0:31:21and some games are supported by clinical trials,
0:31:21 > 0:31:24and those games we might say are beneficial.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27- Like this, for example? - Potentially like this.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30We've seen statistically significant benefit
0:31:30 > 0:31:32in people playing these games.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34A lot of the games out there don't have that kind of support.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36But for the games that do work,
0:31:36 > 0:31:39have their successes been exaggerated?
0:31:39 > 0:31:40What do you make of this?
0:31:40 > 0:31:44"Online brain training cuts risk of dementia by a third."
0:31:44 > 0:31:46That's a bit stronger than anything we'd like to say.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49We can be pretty sure that brain training helps
0:31:49 > 0:31:51the way that your brain works,
0:31:51 > 0:31:54but to directly jump and say that it cuts your risk of dementia,
0:31:54 > 0:31:57especially by a third, I'm not quite sure where that's come from.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01It might still be a few decades until we get concrete proof
0:32:01 > 0:32:04that brain training really does help fend off dementia,
0:32:04 > 0:32:06but the early results are encouraging.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11Meanwhile, I'm a few days into the memory challenge David set me,
0:32:11 > 0:32:13and it's definitely stretching my brain.
0:32:14 > 0:32:18It was tricky just trying to remember 50 digits,
0:32:18 > 0:32:19but then when he started saying,
0:32:19 > 0:32:23"Right, you need to make the number into a story,"
0:32:23 > 0:32:26it just seemed like it meant more and more and more thinking,
0:32:26 > 0:32:29but it's starting to make more sense now.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31Improving your memory is just one way
0:32:31 > 0:32:32you can challenge your brain.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35There are other methods that it's claimed can help fend off
0:32:35 > 0:32:36dementia too.
0:32:38 > 0:32:39Bonjour, everybody.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42'This is a local class of Alliance Francaise,
0:32:42 > 0:32:43'a group of nine people,
0:32:43 > 0:32:45'four of them over 50,
0:32:45 > 0:32:47'who meet every week to learn French.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49'And, I have to say,
0:32:49 > 0:32:53'it takes a bit more brainpower than some of those brain training games.'
0:32:53 > 0:32:55HE SPEAKS FRENCH
0:32:57 > 0:33:00'Some of the members are very clear about why they started the course.'
0:33:00 > 0:33:02So why are you learning French?
0:33:02 > 0:33:06A few years ago I read a few articles in newspapers
0:33:06 > 0:33:09and they were saying that proficiency with
0:33:09 > 0:33:11a second language can ward off dementia.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14It's quite a challenge, really, to learn French.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16It's a good activity to do,
0:33:16 > 0:33:19it's good for my memory, I think.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21I thought I needed something, you know, to keep my brain going.
0:33:21 > 0:33:25We have a good group and it's a nice social occasion as well.
0:33:25 > 0:33:26Two examples -
0:33:26 > 0:33:29one is in terms of place
0:33:29 > 0:33:32and the other is in terms of time.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34'There's a big difference between the brainpower it takes to
0:33:34 > 0:33:37'learn a language and the amount required to get a top score
0:33:37 > 0:33:39'in a brain training game.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42'But Dr Clare Walton from the Alzheimer's Society says
0:33:42 > 0:33:43'that doesn't matter -
0:33:43 > 0:33:46'challenging your brain at all is what counts.'
0:33:46 > 0:33:49- So we're just going to go to this room.- Let's go.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51So older people that keep their brains challenged
0:33:51 > 0:33:55in their later years by playing games, crosswords, reading,
0:33:55 > 0:33:58tend to have lower rates of dementia as they get older.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01So it's really important that you keep challenging your brain.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03You can think of it like a muscle.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06If you keep exercising it it will stay fit and healthy.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09There's evidence to show that people that have complex jobs
0:34:09 > 0:34:12and also people that know two languages across their whole lives,
0:34:12 > 0:34:15so bilinguals, have lower rates of dementia as well.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18But what makes activities like this so good for your brain
0:34:18 > 0:34:21is that they combine learning with socialising.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24We do know that being more physically active,
0:34:24 > 0:34:25staying socially connected
0:34:25 > 0:34:28and eating healthily can reduce your risk.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30So, really, for me, I think the best activities you can do
0:34:30 > 0:34:32are the things that bring all of those together,
0:34:32 > 0:34:34and it should be things you enjoy as well.
0:34:34 > 0:34:36So it could be joining a dance class,
0:34:36 > 0:34:38a table tennis group,
0:34:38 > 0:34:39playing bridge.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42Something that keeps your brain sharp and challenges you.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45And despite claims that brain training is a waste of time,
0:34:45 > 0:34:47Clare says that there's evidence some apps might work
0:34:47 > 0:34:49in the battle against dementia too.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52So do you find it exciting thinking there is positive development
0:34:52 > 0:34:54in this area now?
0:34:54 > 0:34:55I do find it exciting.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59You know, a person gets dementia every three minutes in the UK,
0:34:59 > 0:35:03so we have to find ways on a large scale that people can start
0:35:03 > 0:35:05keeping their brains healthy.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07And we don't know that brain training is the answer yet
0:35:07 > 0:35:09for dementia, but we are seeing
0:35:09 > 0:35:14that people can improve their daily activities by playing these games.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17But not all brain training games are equal.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20So Clare says look at the evidence a company provides to check
0:35:20 > 0:35:22their games really do what they say.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24And of course be cautious of any game
0:35:24 > 0:35:28that says it can definitely prevent or delay dementia,
0:35:28 > 0:35:31because, while signs are positive, the evidence isn't yet solid.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35Whether you choose a brain training app or something else entirely,
0:35:35 > 0:35:38there's no doubt we can make ourselves smarter by giving
0:35:38 > 0:35:40our little grey cells a workout.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43The key is to make sure it's a hard one.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46Which brings me back to my own personal challenge.
0:35:48 > 0:35:49Morning, son.
0:35:49 > 0:35:50Back home with my mum,
0:35:50 > 0:35:53it's time to see if David's memory tips have worked.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55It's D-Day, really,
0:35:55 > 0:35:56because I've got to see if I can do it,
0:35:56 > 0:36:00and so will you please be my adjudicator
0:36:00 > 0:36:02and let me know if I've got it right?
0:36:02 > 0:36:05- Time to put you to the test. Come on, then.- Right. OK, so...
0:36:05 > 0:36:07Two,
0:36:07 > 0:36:08three,
0:36:08 > 0:36:10one,
0:36:10 > 0:36:12six,
0:36:12 > 0:36:13four,
0:36:13 > 0:36:15eight, seven...
0:36:19 > 0:36:21Come on, come on.
0:36:24 > 0:36:25Seven,
0:36:25 > 0:36:27eight,
0:36:27 > 0:36:29one, one,
0:36:29 > 0:36:31four, three.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34What do you reckon?
0:36:34 > 0:36:35I reckon I got it.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38- Yeah!- Yes!
0:36:38 > 0:36:40- Come on!- Well done, you.- Come on.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43Did I get it? Like, at 100%?
0:36:43 > 0:36:46Look at that. Look at that.
0:36:46 > 0:36:47100%.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55Earlier in the programme I was looking into the suggestion
0:36:55 > 0:36:58that asthma might be being over-diagnosed,
0:36:58 > 0:37:01and I wanted to find out whether or not it was true.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04And of course what I discovered is that it's all rather
0:37:04 > 0:37:08a lot more complicated than the headlines would have us believe.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11Here in Britain, the number of people who suffer from asthma
0:37:11 > 0:37:13has really hardly changed for a number of years,
0:37:13 > 0:37:16but there is another story that's been getting an awful lot
0:37:16 > 0:37:20of column inches that might lead you to believe we are about to see
0:37:20 > 0:37:24an incredible rise in the number of cases,
0:37:24 > 0:37:26and that involves air pollution.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32I know that if I'm walking through a congested city centre
0:37:32 > 0:37:34I can find it harder to breathe due, I think,
0:37:34 > 0:37:36to the pollution in the air.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39Some two thirds of asthma sufferers say air pollution
0:37:39 > 0:37:41makes their asthma worse,
0:37:41 > 0:37:44and it's more likely to trigger an attack.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47So when the poor quality of London's air made headlines
0:37:47 > 0:37:50at the start of 2017, some reports even called
0:37:50 > 0:37:53for the capital's children to be given protective masks
0:37:53 > 0:37:55on their way to school.
0:37:55 > 0:37:57But Martha Massaquoi has been taking precautions
0:37:57 > 0:38:02for a few years already, to help her asthmatic son Gawanda.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05Thank you. Be careful.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09Martha and Gawanda live in a busy area of south-east London,
0:38:09 > 0:38:13where the air pollution can really exacerbate Gawanda's asthma.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16This morning they're being joined by child respiratory health expert
0:38:16 > 0:38:18Dr Abigail Whitehouse, who is going
0:38:18 > 0:38:21to investigate how the air pollution nearby
0:38:21 > 0:38:23might affect Gawanda's breathing.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26So tell me a bit about Gawanda's asthma.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29- When did it start? - It started when he was a baby.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31How often does he need to use his inhaler?
0:38:31 > 0:38:35If we go out and we are walking on the main road,
0:38:35 > 0:38:40then halfway through the journey he will say, "I need my inhaler."
0:38:40 > 0:38:45Whereas if we're walking in areas where it's more cleaner,
0:38:45 > 0:38:48then he doesn't need it so much.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51Abigail is swapping Gawanda's schoolbag for a pollution monitor,
0:38:51 > 0:38:54to find out how much nasty air he breathes in
0:38:54 > 0:38:57on his over two mile round-trip to school.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02The journey usually takes about 25 minutes
0:39:02 > 0:39:04through side streets and back roads,
0:39:04 > 0:39:08all carefully chosen to avoid walking along the busy main road.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11It takes longer, but Martha knows that her low pollution route
0:39:11 > 0:39:14means that Gawanda is less likely to need his inhaler.
0:39:17 > 0:39:18Which way are we going?
0:39:18 > 0:39:20That way or are we going...?
0:39:20 > 0:39:23It is a pain, but it's a decision I have to make -
0:39:23 > 0:39:26whether to go through polluted areas
0:39:26 > 0:39:28and give him medicine,
0:39:28 > 0:39:31or go through a cleaner area
0:39:31 > 0:39:35and avoid giving him the inhaler as much as we can.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37Martha thinks she's doing her best
0:39:37 > 0:39:40to reduce the chances of Gawanda having an asthma attack
0:39:40 > 0:39:42because of the air pollution.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45But Abigail says even just the small amount of time they spend
0:39:45 > 0:39:49near the main road can expose him to high levels of pollution.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54If you're on a longer route to school past a main road
0:39:54 > 0:39:57you'll see that the levels will go up as you leave the house,
0:39:57 > 0:40:00they'll peak every time traffic stops nearby
0:40:00 > 0:40:02or you're at a crossing,
0:40:02 > 0:40:05but it's these peaks that are the things we worry about the most.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09While those peaks make an asthma attack more likely,
0:40:09 > 0:40:13there are now claims that they could also cause new cases of asthma.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15But Abigail says it's not that clear cut.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18The air pollution might just have kick-started the condition
0:40:18 > 0:40:21in people who were always destined to develop it anyway.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25So if you've got a family history of asthma then you're likely
0:40:25 > 0:40:27to get asthma yourself as you get a little bit older.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30But you then still need something to trigger it.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32The evidence is coming that air pollution also
0:40:32 > 0:40:33has this trigger effect,
0:40:33 > 0:40:37bringing on asthma in people that are disposed to it already.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40It's impossible to know whether Gawanda's asthma
0:40:40 > 0:40:41was triggered by air pollution,
0:40:41 > 0:40:45but it does undoubtedly make an attack more likely.
0:40:45 > 0:40:46At the end of the school day,
0:40:46 > 0:40:49Abigail's returning with the results of those tests.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52- So shall we have a look at the results?- Yes.- OK.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56So, this is a graph of your walk to school.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59The equipment measures particles of black carbon in the air,
0:40:59 > 0:41:00a little like soot.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03It's the main component of all air pollution.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05And you see about three minutes after we walked out the door
0:41:05 > 0:41:07there's a big peak.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10And that's when we made it down onto the main road.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12And then we walk on to that side road.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14The peaks correspond with when they're on the main road
0:41:14 > 0:41:17and the dips are when they're on the side roads.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20So where is this roughly?
0:41:20 > 0:41:24Martha says the peaks match the places were Gawanda
0:41:24 > 0:41:27is most likely to struggle to breathe and ask for his inhaler.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30They're all at the points where their route takes them
0:41:30 > 0:41:32along or across the main road,
0:41:32 > 0:41:33where traffic is worse.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35Wherever you've got traffic jams and slow cars,
0:41:35 > 0:41:38that's where you're going to get your highest air pollution,
0:41:38 > 0:41:40cos the cars are just pumping it at him.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43Martha's relieved to hear she's made the right decision to change
0:41:43 > 0:41:46their route to minimise their exposure to pollution.
0:41:46 > 0:41:50Basically what you're saying then is it's best for us to continue
0:41:50 > 0:41:51taking that route.
0:41:51 > 0:41:53You're definitely avoiding the bulk of the pollution
0:41:53 > 0:41:55by walking that way, which is good.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58Unfortunately, there isn't another route
0:41:58 > 0:42:00to avoid even more of the pollution.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02But there are tips on how to limit the pollution
0:42:02 > 0:42:05they are exposed to even more.
0:42:05 > 0:42:06You've got a nice wide pavement,
0:42:06 > 0:42:09walk right next to the buildings, rather than next to the road.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12It's probably a bit safer, and also there's less pollution
0:42:12 > 0:42:15cos it kind of drops off as you move away.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18So the good news is that, for those of us who already have asthma,
0:42:18 > 0:42:21there are ways to avoid too much exposure.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24And although there is some truth in headlines linking rising pollution
0:42:24 > 0:42:27to asthma, it's not quite as simple as claims
0:42:27 > 0:42:28that a surge in air pollution
0:42:28 > 0:42:31will lead to a surge in new cases of asthma.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41Some of the headlines in today's programme really took me by surprise
0:42:41 > 0:42:45because they made really complicated arguments appear so simple.
0:42:45 > 0:42:46I know. And, you know,
0:42:46 > 0:42:48it would've been so easy for someone to see those headlines
0:42:48 > 0:42:51about statins and asthma,
0:42:51 > 0:42:54and, as a result, make really life-changing decisions
0:42:54 > 0:42:58about their medication without having all the facts.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01Well, it goes without saying that none of those decisions
0:43:01 > 0:43:03should be made without the help of your doctor.
0:43:03 > 0:43:07And, on that note, I'm afraid that's all we've got time for today.
0:43:07 > 0:43:09Thank you very much for joining us,
0:43:09 > 0:43:11- and, until next time, bye-bye.- Bye-bye.