This week’s blog title is a quote
from that veteran rock star Keith Richards. In my mind it’s hard to disagree
with his thinking. I love music and in our house, we have a music room that
contains 5 guitars, a violin, a selection of drums, a piano, a French horn and
a wide range of assorted exotic instruments. It is a room that grandchildren
love to play in! Whilst we have 100s of CDs, many kept for the memories they
bring, it’s Alexa (there are other virtual assistants available) that has
transformed my music listening – you just have to ask her to play a song or style
of music and she responds almost immediately, playing whatever it is you asked
for. We play a lot of music in this house, and there is nothing we like better
than going out and seeing live music.
The Summer of 2019 was a
brilliant one for live music. We got a free open air concert in Stanley Park
every Sunday, with mainly good weather and fabulous local bands. We were able to
see two energetic young musicians playing the entire Mike Oldfield Tubular
Bells from start to finish, with no backing track. Other concerts that year
included Liam Gallagher, U2, James Taylor, Joan Baez, Mark Knopfler, Roger
Waters and, of course, that other veteran rock star, Rod Stewart at the
wonderful Lytham Music Festival. Next year we have tickets to see The Who.
We are fortunate that Blackpool
and the surrounding towns has such a great live music scene and most weekends
we can go and find a pub with a band on. What I didn’t know until last week was
that British people aged 50 and above who enjoyed going to see live music had a
31% lower risk of dying. Research undertaken by University College London (so
you know it’s going to be rigorous) found that those people who attend live
music gigs and concerts, visit galleries, museums and exhibitions, or go to the
theatre were much less likely to die over the next 14 years than those folk who
didn’t go out at all.
It appears that such activities
have a protective association with longevity in older adults, which could
partly be explained by difference in cognitions, mental health and physical
activity. With more bands continuing to play live music into their 70s, there’s
no shortage of concerts to choose from. Mind you, it’s probably only the 50+
generation that can afford the tickets. That said, last year we, (along with
49,998 other people) saw the Rolling Stones live at a rather packed Manchester
United stadium.
Maybe we need to change that old
adage ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ to something like ‘a rock concert
every once in a while, keeps you healthy and able to smile’ – But, I hear you
cry, surely eating apples is still a good thing. Actually, you would be right.
Researchers at the University of Reading last week published their research
results that showed eating two apples a day reduced the risk of having a heart
attack and/or a stroke.
The research found that a certain
type of fibre found in apples stimulates bacteria in the gut which produces
‘short chain fatty acids’ which reduce the production of LDL cholesterol (also
known as ‘bad’ cholesterol). While the reduction in ‘bad’ cholesterol through
eating apples falls short of what is achieved by taking statins, the change is
significant in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. And currently,
apples are a lot cheaper to buy and much more enjoyable to eat than statins.
Apples and rock music concerts
appear to be good bed fellows, which is actually great news for most of us
thinking about seeking help from our GP. Yesterday’s ‘The Times’ amidst its
advice over how to get crispy roast potatoes and what made Caitlin happy in
2019 told of the current crisis in GP land. It appears that if you live in
Milton Keynes, you will have to queue in the cold to see a GP. However, if you
live in Ross-on-Wye, you will have no problem seeing a doctor.
Yes, there is a crisis in terms
of the number of doctors who want to practise as GPs. Today, the average (wrong
word I think) GP is caring for 200 more patients than they might have been less
than five years ago. Overall, we know that patient numbers have risen from 57
million to 60 million since 2015. The number of doctors in England have fallen
by 1,700 over the last four years, despite governmental pledges to increase their numbers. It’s perhaps not surprising that it’s difficult to get an
appointment to see your doctor and perhaps why so many feel their only option is to
turn up at A&E to get help.
I believe that many people who
visit their GP could be well served by other healthcare professionals other than
doctors. Whilst the focus in papers, such as the ‘The Times’, is on numbers, I
think we should also consider skills and knowledge, and there are many advanced
practitioners (not all of whom are nurses) who can make a diagnosis and
prescribe a treatment option. Perhaps politicians and policymakers need to
think more creatively when it comes to dealing with the ever-increasing demand
for immediate health care services. When A&E is swamped with patients
seeking help, and acute beds are at a premium, it’s hard to see why investing in a
multi-professional and skilled workforce is not a good use of taxpayers’ money.
BUT it’s Christmas, and perhaps I
should show more generosity of spirit to others. I’m passionate about creating a
better healthcare system that is not just about dealing with illness and
trauma, but is about promoting better health and well-being for all. So please
forgive me my passion.
It is Christmas, and that rascal
Keith Richards, who some might see as the epitome of unhealthy lifestyles,
perhaps can have almost the last word – he once said: ‘I’ve been through more
cold turkeys than there are freezers’. If turkey is your thing this Christmas,
enjoy - however, mine will be a nut roast Christmas dinner.
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.
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