WEIRD STUFF Brits may enter ‘emergency mode’

Brits may enter ‘emergency mode’

Britons could be urged to stock up on bottled water and tinned food as ministers prepare a new campaign encouraging households to be ready for major emergencies.

The advice is expected to form part of a wider ‘home defence’ push designed to help families cope with severe disruption caused by cyberattacks, extreme weather or hostile state action.

Government officials told the Financial Times that the planned social media campaign would focus on simple measures households can take to strengthen their resilience.

Referring to Cold War-era advice in the US, one government official said: “It won’t be anything like ‘duck and cover’.”

They added: “But there will be practical advice on things you can do to improve domestic resilience, like having some bottled water and tinned food. It will be common sense, not scaremongering.”

The move comes as ministers accelerate work on the government’s ‘war book’, a manual outlining how Britain would respond to external threats.

The document was last updated in 2004, but work on a new version has been stepped up following warnings about the potential for conflict involving Russia and NATO.

Concerns about cyberwarfare have also intensified after hackers linked to Iran were suspected of targeting a small UK energy facility.

Energy experts have warned that parts of Britain’s power infrastructure could be vulnerable to cyberattacks, raising the prospect of disruption for homes and businesses.

Dieter Helm, professor of economic policy at Oxford University, said the UK’s energy system was “very vulnerable” to cyberattacks and urged ministers to take the threat more seriously.

Potential targets could include electricity links with Europe, gas infrastructure and offshore wind farms.

New cream could cut excessive sweating

Thousands of persons in the UK could soon have access to a new cream that can reduce excessive sweating by as much as 90 per cent.

Axhidrox, which contains glycopyrronium bromide, is rubbed into the armpits and works by blocking nerve signals that tell sweat glands to produce perspiration.

The treatment is expected to become available to NHS patients who have exhausted other options in the coming months, making it the first UK treatment specifically designed for excessive underarm sweating.

Around 2.8 million Britons are thought to suffer from hyperhidrosis, a condition in which people sweat excessively regardless of heat, exercise or stress.

The condition is believed to be caused by faulty signals between the brain and sweat glands, with genetics thought to play a role in up to half of cases.

Trials involving 518 patients found that Axhidrox reduced sweating by an average of 65 per cent after 12 weeks of regular use.

Around a third of participants saw perspiration drop by 75 per cent, while one in five experienced a dramatic 90 per cent reduction.

The benefits were found to continue for roughly a year.

Unlike medical-grade antiperspirants, which work by forming a plug inside sweat glands but can cause stinging and irritation, Axhidrox targets the nerve signals responsible for sweating.

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Experts sound sugar-free gum warning

Chewing sugar-free gum could carry an unexpected health risk, with scientists warning that high levels of the sweetener xylitol may be linked to a greater risk of heart attack or stroke.

German researchers found that people with the highest levels of xylitol circulating in their blood had a significantly greater risk of major cardiovascular problems than those with the lowest levels.

Over a six-year follow-up, their risk of heart attack, stroke or premature death was 57 per cent higher, even after factors including age, sex, smoking and high blood pressure were taken into account.

After 30 years, the risk remained 18 per cent higher.

The study, led by scientists at Charite University Hospital in Berlin, analysed data from 17,710 people over three decades.

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol naturally produced by the body, but it is also widely added to sugar-free chewing gum, mints, drinks and other products because it contains fewer calories than sugar.

It is also popular in oral care products because it can reduce bacteria associated with cavities and tooth decay.