Prevention

Allergy and food intolerance: Can soya baby formulas prevent them?

Soy formula has not been shown to protect high-risk babies from developing allergies or food intolerance. more...

Common colds: Does echinacea work?

It is not clear whether echinacea extracts can prevent colds. Some echinacea products might help to reduce the length and severity of a cold if taken at the very beginning. Because the available products are very different to one another, more research is needed. Adverse effects are rare. more...

Fact sheet: Managing chronic disease

Chronic diseases are usually lifelong conditions. This does not, however, necessarily mean that the disease dominate the entire life of the person who has it. Disease management programs (DMPs) aim to help people get on top of their chronic disease and have a good quality of life. "Disease management" is the concept of systematically treating and managing a condition. It should improve the therapy of chronically ill people in the long term and help them to understand their disease better. This may mean dealing with the treatment and demands of their disease in a well-informed way and finding out how to live as good a life as possible with the disease. more...

Prevention: How can older people who live at home reduce their chances of falling?

Not every fall can be avoided. But there are several things that can reduce the risk, like getting rid of hazards around the home, stopping use of unnecessary psychotropic medication, or practicing sports such as Tai Chi. Which of these measures benefit older people – and which can be more harmful – mostly depends on your individual state of health. more...

Quitting smoking: What works in pregnancy?

Quitting smoking programs can help pregnant women stop smoking. Nicotine replacement therapy is probably not more effective for pregnant women than these kinds of programs. There is not enough good research on the effects that products containing nicotine have on the unborn baby. more...

Quitting smoking: Can an anti-depressant improve the success rate?

People who want to quift smoking can increase their chances of short-term success by taking the antidepressant bupropion. But side effects are common, so any use of this drug needs to be carefully considered. more...

Quitting smoking: How much do nicotine patches and gum help?

Nicotine replacement products increase the chances that a heavy smoker will be able to quit smoking, but more than one attempt will usually be needed. more...

Smoking prevention: Can parents influence whether or not their children become smokers?

Whether or not a young person will take up smoking depends on their own attitude and the influence of others. If parents inform their children and help them not to start smoking, it may reduce the likelihood that the children will smoke when they are older. more...

Prevention: Do some vitamins and dietary supplements do more harm than good?

Antioxidant supplements generally do not help prevent cancer and other life-threatening conditions. Too high doses of the antioxidants vitamin A, beta-carotene and vitamin E may even increase the risk of dying sooner. more...

After a stroke: Does treatment with dipyridamole and ASA have a benefit?

A combination therapy of dipyridamole and ASA has more adverse effects than clopidogrel or ASA alone. It is not proven that the combination drug has benefits over clopidogrel or ASA alone. more...

Cardiovascular diseases: How do ASA and clopidogrel compare?

In people who have blood circulation problems in their legs, clopidogrel can lower the risk of complications somewhat more effectively than ASA can. more...

Cervical cancer: Can the HPV vaccine prevent it?

The HPV vaccine can protect women against certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. This means that the vaccine could possibly lower the risk of cervical cancer. more...

Hypertension: Which drugs are best at preventing complications?

People with hypertension have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Drugs designed to work against high blood pressure can lower this risk. Compared with the different drug classes, diuretics can usually be seen as the first line treatment. Which drug is then used in an individual case will also depend on other aspects, for example whether someone has other diseases. more...

Mental fitness: Does brain training when you are older help?

Brain training with special games – especially computer games – is becoming very popular. This can help improve performance in particular thinking functions like brain reaction time. However, these games have not been proven to prevent overall brain function decline in older people. more...

Arthritis: What can prevent stomach ulcers caused by painkillers and who needs such protection?

Regular use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as diclofenac or ibuprofen can cause ulcers in the stomach and intestine. But the risk can be significantly reduced by taking particular medications. more...