Main content

07/09/2011

Cheap drugs could help to cut the number of heart attacks and strokes. How different cultures read the emotions on faces. Liberian summer schools giving psychological help to children from Ivory Coast

CHEAP DRUGS AND HEART ATTACKS

Millions of people have heart attacks and strokes every year.

The United Nations is about to meet to discuss how best to tackle this.

But a paper in the Lancet has pointed out that many people are missing out on cheap drugs which could cut the risk of future problems.

So who's to blame? Is it a case of doctors not prescribing properly - or the patients just not taking the pills?

After someone's had a heart attack these basic drugs like aspirin and statins can reduce their risk of a second heart attack by 25%.

Claudia Hammond asks heart disease expert Professor Tony Heagerty from the University of Manchester in the north of England what he thinks is behind the low take up of these effective and safe medicines

CHARITY TO HELP LIBERIAN CHILDREN IN IVORY COAST

Half a million people who were displaced by the violence following elections in Ivory Coast in West Africa are still afraid to return to their homes, according to a new report by the International Crisis Group.

Many children are trying to come to terms with the trauma of seeing their families murdered or injured.

United Nations investigators found evidence that crimes against humanity have been committed in Ivory Coast by forces loyal to the country's ex-president Laurent Gbagbo and by forces loyal to his opponent and successor, Alassane Outtara.

One hundred and fifty thousand refugees have sought safety close to the border in neighbouring Liberia where our reporter Angela Robson has been to visit a project to help traumatised primary school children

FACIAL EXPRESSIONS & EMOTIONS

And what's in a smile? Different cultures appear to interpret facial expressions differently according to new research from Scotland. An experiment found that Western Caucasians read emotions by looking at the eyebrows and mouth area while East Asians focussed more on the direction the eyes move.

Claudia Hammond talks to Rachael Jack

Available now

18 minutes

Last on

Sun 11 Sep 2011 23:32GMT

Chapters

  • Cheap drugs to prevent heart attacks and stroke underused even in the wealthiest countries

    Millions of people are losing out in the fight against heart disease – by not taking cheap, effective drugs. Even in rich countries 1/3 of people don’t get these medicines

    Duration: 06:15

  • The Liberian summer schools giving psychological help to children from Ivory Coast

    Children caught up in violence in Ivory Coast are now getting help in neighbouring Liberia. Art therapy and counselling are both used to help them deal with their trauma

    Duration: 04:56

  • Is a smile or a sneer the same everywhere? Or does culture affect how we read emotions?

    Facial expressions are thought of as the universal language of emotions. But new research from Glasgow shows that Westerners read emotions differently to East Asians

    Duration: 06:00

Broadcasts

  • Wed 7 Sep 2011 18:32GMT
  • Thu 8 Sep 2011 03:32GMT
  • Thu 8 Sep 2011 10:32GMT
  • Thu 8 Sep 2011 15:32GMT
  • Sun 11 Sep 2011 06:32GMT
  • Sun 11 Sep 2011 23:32GMT

Podcast