Well, what a miserable month for weather February's been! With snow blizzards causing chaos for drivers across the country and the apparent monsoon season we've seen over the past week or so, we at Aurora are certainly looking forward to the arrival of Spring. At least we had an excuse to indulge in a pancake or two to cheer us all up.

The chart for February has been an interesting one. For the second month in a row swine flu has been kept off the top spot, this month having been relegated all the way down to twelfth place, its lowest position since the initial outbreak. Have the pigs have finally flown? We've seen five re-entries this month, and one new entry from bowel disease - the first new contender in the top 20 since October last year.

For the second time in a row, multiple sclerosis has made the top 20, and has even climbed a place following last month's re-entry.  

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Nutrition has maintained its spot at number two this month with a number of interesting news bites. Welcome news for the beer drinkers among you is that according to a study carried out by the National Institute of Health in the United States, a regular pint helps to strengthen bones and prevent fractures in old age. Now those are the sort of outcomes we like (although we will of course be following the advice of the National Osteoporosis Society, and won't be increasing our alcohol consumption on the basis of these results)! Conversely, the same day delivered more news from US researchers, reporting that fizzy drinks may be associated with an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer. According to the study, drinking two or more sugary carbonated drinks a week can almost double your chances of acquiring the disease.

Further nutrition news was delivered the following day by the Food Standards Agency, reporting that despite the investment of hundreds of millions of pounds into healthy eating campaigns, people are still eating as badly as they were ten years ago. According to the survey, we are all eating too many processed foods and sweets, and not enough fresh fruit and vegetables, with only seven percent of girls between the ages of 11 and 18 eating the recommended five-a-day.   

February's chart saw the reintroduction of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and autism to the top 20, following the trial of the doctor who sparked the worldwide panic over the MMR vaccine, which found him guilty of a series of misconduct charges related to his “unethical research”. In 1998, Dr Andrew Wakefield claimed an unfounded link between the vaccination, autism and bowel cancer, leading to thousands of parents opting not to immunise their children over the past decade. Since the ruling, medical royal colleges, health unions and charities have been working to dispel the “unfounded” fears with parents, and encourage the re-uptake of the vaccine.

Moving on to the world of contraception, a “morning-after” pill launched in October has received fresh coverage this month. The new drug ‘ellaOne' can stop women becoming pregnant for almost a week after unprotected sex, as it can be taken up to five days after sex, compared with the three-day window offered by the conventional emergency pill, Levonelle. The Mirror's Miriam Stoppard has made herself known as a keen advocate of this new contraceptive option, stating that “women should be given as many options as possible to help prevent unintended pregnancies”. However, the drug has sparked a row over fair access to medication. It is not currently available over the counter and is three times as expensive as Levonelle. Research published in the Lancet has shown that it more than halved the rate of pregnancy compared with Levonelle.

And finally, potentially reassuring news for those of you that may still be struggling to shift the post-Christmas bulge despite exercise: researchers have found that about 20 percent of the population gain no significant benefit from regular exercise. Apparently the health benefits of aerobic exercise are determined by our genes, and can vary substantially between individuals according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. Those affected should focus on other ways of staying healthy, such as improving their diet or taking medication.

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Aurora strives to apply quantitative, qualitative and emotional understanding of health issues to client communication programmes. Dove-tailing informed PR activity with the media's appetite enables us to assist clients with communicating their vision.

To find out more, contact Neil Crump or Claire Eldridge on +44 (0)20 7424 7940. 

The top 20 chart provides our interpretative snap-shot of health stories in the national press and is based upon a quantitative process. Analysis based on news from the 26 January 2010 to 25 February 2010.

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