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Whilst the previous page deals with helpful links to do with Health this page is devoted mainly to articles which regularly appear in newspapers and magazines describing drugs and procedures, some of which are still under trial. Again, I wish to state quite categorically that I am in no way qualified medically and I am merely quoting things that I have found reported. Nevertheless, behind the headlines, rapid progress is being made in areas such as pharmaceuticals, stem cells, genetics and the understanding of DNA and it would be unwise to ignore these developments, though it may be some time before they can be administered widely. The ideas come so rapidly it is just possible that your doctor is not aware of what is happening with regard to a particular condition.
Links to newspaper Health sections :
Times Mail (Tuesdays) Telegraph Guardian Express
Some of the following describe procedures (operations) or treatments which are not currently available on the National Health. Some are dependent on unproved 'science' such as Homeopathy. I am not against anything that people feel help with their condition. Medicines have existed for hundreds of years which people swear by. The fact is that many aches and pains will go away given time and, if a placebo makes you feel better, why not ? A lot of it is in the mind. But the science of medicine does seem to be going ahead in leaps and bounds. This is helped along by the understanding of the genetic basis for much ill health but also by the vast profits that can be made by companies if they can develop that new 'cure all' drug. Thousands of millions are being spent on medical research. With luck a company can do very well. Without it, and with a bad press, a company can be on its knees overnight.
PAIN RELIEF I read an article on controlling pain. So I searched this page for the word PAIN. It appeared in practically every paragraph !
So, what do the experts think about PAIN. Joint pain. Often due to forms of arthritis. It was suggested that Paracetemol and/or Ibuprofen three times a day can help, especially if taken at the right time i.e. try to leave the first dose until lunch time, one in the evening and one before going to bed. Sinus Pain As well as Paracetamol and Ibuprofen they suggested inhalation of steam with eucalyptus or Olbas oil and a spray such as Sterimar Microspray. There are also decongestants (Otrivine and Vicks Sinex). But you may need antibiotics as it is caused by a bacterial infection. But too many painkillers can create a dependence, then a pain as a result of withdrawal. Migraine For bad sufferers they suggested sumatriptan as Migraleve or Imigran (both expensive) but many people will get by if they immediately take something like Nurofen migraine tablets. Back pain. Recommended : Slow release pills such as Lloyds Long Lasting Ibuprofen or Nurofen Back Pain Slow release capsules. Hangover. NOT Aspirin or Ibuprofen. Rather effervescent or soluble paracetamol. Drink lots of water. In bad cases soluble/effervescent Co-codamol is suggested.
Can you get help from the internet.? Certainly it is a great resource and can be a lot more objective than getting a medical opinion. And many people would prefer the anonymity of 'the net' when it comes to medical conditions.
http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/. The first port of call: The official Health Service website (in various languages) includes
Health encyclopaedia; Common health questions;
Self-help guide;
Find a local health service;
Mind & body magazine;
Send an enquiry;
Useful links include Department of Health. Health and care in Northern Ireland. National Library for Health . HealthSpace A secure place on the Internet where you can store all of your personal health information. Includes Choose and Book. NHS 24 (Confidential health advice and information service for Scotland). NHS Direct Wales. NHS in England (Health information for England only, including how to find a local service in your area).
For additional links please click Here
Medical advances come thick and fast : The following are extracted from newspapers and magazines and are subject to verification by the reader, who should consult their doctor in every instance :
I have decided to group these articles into Categories such as Heart etc, regardless of date order
A new centre of medical research is planned for North London. It will house a team from the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust, Cancer Research UK and the University College of London. It will be headed by Sir Paul Nurse, a Nobel Prize Winner in human cell research. It will be called The UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation (UKCMRI)
AGEING and GENERAL HEALTH
The Cancer Research organisation reported a study on a large number of people in the 50 - 79 age bracket . It showed that 1) not smoking 2) keep physically active (defined as having an active job or doing more than 30 minutes of exercise a day) 3) having a moderate alcohol intake (1-14 units a week) and 4) eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day (as measured by the amount of vitamin C in their blood) resulted in them living around 14 years longer ! This did not take into account the other risks of obesity and sunbathing.
January 2010 I had a call from the medical practice for an annual MOT. I had to take a urine sample to the hospital and they tested a blood sample. Both appeared clear but I felt that the whole procedure was very perfunctory. For instance the blood sample was not tested for PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) despite the fact that I have had to have a Prostate op. (non malignant) and have asked for further checks now and again. Neither did the tests include a simple test for cancer of the colon, which is a major killer of oldies. This test can be requested if you are over 60. The doctor took my blood pressure but didn't weigh me, give me an idea of my fat level or any advice on my bulging waistline. My weight is stable; the only problem is the distribution !
Mail 4th December 09 DVT after ops. Experts from Oxford University found the likelihood of a patient needing hospital treatment for a blood clot was 70 times higher than the norm for six weeks after the operation. Read more HERE: Do they supply you with stockings to wear AFTER your operation. I wasn't told to. But DVT-related problems cause 25,000 deaths in English hospitals every year, more than five times as many as from superbugs such as MRSA. The figure is more than the number of deaths in the UK from breast cancer, Aids and traffic accidents combined.
Mail Sept 09 Muscle repair. Tests were carried out at the University of California with men of various ages. The men had one of their legs immobilised in a cast for two weeks. Then tissue samples were taken. After the cast was removed they exercised with weights then further tissue samples were taken. Not surprisingly the younger men were found to have four times more regenerative stem cells than those of older participants. In older patients muscles became inflamed and scarred (so beware !). It was found that, in older men, a key protein (mitogen-activated protein kinase) which is needed to allow muscle stem cell recovery, was absent. . When this protein was added to the samples the tissue began to repair. It is thought that this protein, which turns the gene on or off may be a key to drug development (to prevent muscles from switching off stem cells). Meanwhile, it is important that people keep active as long as possible to keep the system working.
Mail 1st September 09 Researchers say that taking a brisk walk for 20 minutes a day halves the risk of early death. They studied 3000 men aged 70 to 92 over 20 years. During the period, for every 100 who died in the lowest fitness group only 46 died from the highest fitness group. In fact the risk of early death reduced by 10% for each 2 minute incremental increase in exercise time. (Does this mean that if I managed 22 minutes a day I will live for ever ?)
Elixir of Life (Express 9th July 09) I rather stupidly bought that right-wing rag, the Express because of a report of a pill that would extend life by 20 years (pity the poor pension schemes!) I can only assume they couldn't find anything derogatory to say about the government on that day and had to keep circulation numbers up somehow. It turned out that it worked on mice providing they were kept in a germ free environment. But as it destroyed their immune system they (and you) would die even quicker out here with the rest of us ! Codswallop again !
Harvard Medical School scientists have found the gene that is responsible for the ageing process. They said it may be possible to reverse many aspects of ageing. This discovery came just in time for people to enjoy a long life with no money !
Stem Cell Research seems to hold out the hope of a 'magic bullet' as it has been shown that it is possible to 'reprogram' the DNA of adult skin cells into embryonic stem cells, capable of being transformed into ANY type of human tissue. This is not some science fiction. Already the technique has been shown (experimentally) to restore sight and produce things such as heart valves. Even the regrowth of brain cells does not appear to be beyond the scope of this amazing technology. The post Bush era may see some dramatic developments. Barak Obama has not the same misgivings about such research.
Lycopene, the antioxidant found in the skin of tomatoes is said to REDUCE WRINKLES, protect against OSTEOPOROSIS, LUNG, BREAST and PROSTATE cancer and help fight the scarring of the womb caused by ENDOMETRIOSIS. Apart from the possibility of turning your skin orange if intake is too high there is no known disadvantage of eating more tomatoes, tomato soup, tomato sauce. Lycopene is more easily transported through the blood if the tomatoes are cooked (Mail 13th November 2008)
Foods for a longer life (Mail 19th October 08) Prof. Gary Williams (Leeds Uni) suggests apples, blackberries, black tea, cereal bran, cherries, cherry tomatoes, coffee, cranberries, dark chocolate, green tea, oranges, peaches, plums, raspberries, red grapes, red onions, spinach, strawberries. He is keen on those because they contain polyphenols, known for their antioxidant properties, said to reduce heart disease and cancer
Live to 125 ?! (Mail 30th Aug 08) Scientists claim that gene test on mice have enabled them to live - healthily and without tumours - 45% longer. And the same genes are found in humans. (Unfortunately it doesn't also add an iota to the world's resources so you would starve to death instead ! - Ed.)
The exercise pill (Mail 1st August) Not yet on the market but the couch potato's dream, a couple of drugs which fools muscles into thinking you have worked out long and hard, are being trialled. GW1516 and AICAR are said to confer the benefits of fitness without the need for exercise. Pull the other one ? No, researcher Prof Ronald Evans (Salk Institute), said to be a world-leading biologist said "We have exercise in a pill".
A Health map of the UK (Mail 22nd July) shows significant differences in life expectancy, clearly affected by lifestyle and wealth. Shortest life expectancy (men) was 69 in Glasgow, (Women) 78 years in Liverpool. This compares with Kensington and Chelsea with men at 82 and women at 86, so a massive difference, especially for men. There were significant differences in obesity in very young children from 16% in Hackney, to Teasdale (4.86%) One remarkable statistic was a 15% of fat kids in Ryedale and only 5.29 in South Lakeland, both in Cumbria ! In fact children's obesity was scattered. But why, at 134, were there twice as many prostate cancer cases in Dorset than in North East London ? Perhaps that one is demographic, with a big difference in age levels of the populations in question. North East, as expected, is the home to the big smokers and drinkers (with three times as many binge drinkers than in some other parts of the goody-goody South East). But despite the North East's smoking, drinking and eating habits (they don't care for fruit and veg). it did not show up significantly in the health charts. But, far from being a nation regularly claiming 'sickies' the worst was Glasgow at only 4 days per year off work. Interesting.
Vitamin Pills (Mail May 08 ) Whilst a normal diet will give you all the vitamins you need, so supplements are generally a waste of money. Excess is excreted through urine. The jury is still out as to whether they might do harm but a doctor in Holland reckons that 500 Mg of Vitamin C taken for 50 days after someone has fallen and fractured their wrist reduced the incidence of 'regional pain syndrome' five fold
Vitamin Pills (Mail 16th April) A front page headline no less asks " Can Vitamins do you harm ?" A respected group of international scientists reviewed 67 studies involving a quarter of a million people and decided that beta-carotene, Vitamins A and E seem to increase mortality. Vitamin A was the worst at a 16% increase in mortality, while the others showed lesser increases. Vitamin C and Selenium did not show any effect on mortality but further research was required. The vitamin industry refuted the claims or said they were biased.
A government Pensions Advisor is telling insurance companies to revise their ideas on longevity. He indicated that a man of 65 is likely to live to 86. And the pension funds are in a bad enough state on their current calculations - mainly, I suspect, because their financial wizards are pretty bad at second guessing the trends in the stock market.
Healthy Living Boston Brigham Women's Hospital have deduced that if a 70 year old eats well, exercises and does not smoke they have a good chance of living to 90.
Healthy Habits Mail 8th Jan 08. An 11 year study of 20,000 over-45 men and women by Cambridge University concluded that life expectancy of people who tick all the healthy boxes, compared with those who don't, is as much as 14 year greater. The boxes are the usual ones : No smoking, moderate drinking, five portions of fruit and veg and at least a half hour's exercise per day (whether in work or in leisure time)
ageing (Mail 21st Sept 07) Scientists have demonstrated that, in rats, two genes are crucial to a long and healthy life. It was discovered that when they were on a low caloried diet the two genes (SIRT3 and SIRT4) worked harder, producing stronger mitochondria, and that as a consequence they had the ability to hold back the ageing process. If this could be done in humans, preferably without starving them (!) they would, on average, live longer and healthier.
Healthy Living (Mail 28/08/07) Don't get up before 7.30. Get up at a regular time and don't lie in late. Eat breakfast - porridge suggested for its slow energy release. Apply sun screen (Factor 15) even on 'cloudy bright' days. Take a break from the computer screen now and then. Eat an orange or red fruit daily, preferably with spinach (!) which quadruples the body's absorption of Vitamin C. Eat a light lunch e.g. beans on toast. Take a siesta (probably the main reason continentals have better heart health than us). Snack on diet yogurts, not biscuits. Exercise between 5 and 7 pm (swimming suggested) Have a light dinner, lots of veg., less carbohydrate and protein and eat slowly, so you feel full before you have overeaten. Switch off the TV long before going to bed. Get around seven hours sleep. And routine is the key.
Elixir of Life ? (Mail 18/8/07) The dream of the Pharos ? Researchers at Marie Curie University, Paris, are working on mitochondrial cells, the deterioration of which is largely responsible for the ageing process. This gene therapy could also lead to rectifying inherited traits due to defects in mitochondrial DNA. So, rather than just leading to an overpopulated world, they may be the key to curing some of the distressing illnesses from which people suffer while they are alive.
ageing and speed of walking (New York Times) In a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine nine year study in which people's gait speed was measured, 77 percent of those people described as slow had died, 50 percent of those considered medium and 27 percent of those considered fast.
Testosterone Deficiency Syndrome (TDS). (Express 19th June 2007) This is not just a matter of a low sex drive and energy but related problems can include an increase the chances of Type 2 diabetes, central obesity, insulin resistance, high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol levels. Symptoms include decreased libido, loss of strength/endurance, loss of height (!), feeling grumpy. Although many/most of these symptoms increase with age it might be worth getting things checked out. It can be treated painlessly by implants, injections, patches or tablets but mostly by a gel.
BRAIN/NERVOUS SYSTEM
Mobile Phones The jury is STILL out as to whether the use of mobile phones can cause damage to the brain. But it is true that all mobile phones and even cordless phones five out non ionising radiation when in use. If you are concerned see the site at http://www.ewg.org/cellphoneradiation/Get-a-Safer-Phone?allavailable=1 to decide which phones give out the least radiation. But it is clear that children absorb more radiation than adults due to their cranium/brain structure (and the fact that they spend many hours with phones glued to their ears !) See also www.wiredchild.org. Bear in mind that the phone is emitting waves whenever it is on, as do cordless phones and any wi-fi equipment. So we are all being subjected to this most of the time.
Sleep. A Dutch study found that wearing socks in bed helped people fall asleep 27% faster. Socks help dilate the blood vessels in the feet, warming you up. This prompts a signal to the brain telling it you are ready to fall asleep
Travel Sickness Mail June 30th 09. Generally caused by the brain receiving conflicting signals about the body's movement or balance. What to do. There are various tablets or patches. The latter (e.g. hyocine) which can be on prescription, can last much longer but can cause drowsiness. Another suggestion is ginger, - even biscuits. Try to aim for the centre of a boat or by the wings of a 'plane. Deep breathing may help, or keeping your eyes closed. Do your kids/grandchildren get sick in a car ? My experience is that those in the back do if you take bends in the road to fast. Try to ease round corners and get the most sicky one in the front seat (preferably with a bowl!).
Stammer Mail 28th April 09. A drug (Pagoclone) has been found to reduce excessive nerve-cell activity associated with anxiety. During trials on people with anxiety problems it was noticed that those with stammers found their symptoms reduced. Unfortunately this only lasted while they took the drug.
Insomnia Please see the website of a good friend at www.circlecity.co.uk. The author suffers from severe sleep apnoea but the site deals with insomnia generally but also has pages devoted to many aspects of computing plus a long list of amusing photographs and cartoons.
Insomnia (Mail 16th June 09). Wakefulness is commonplace for older people. The article suggests that the body clock is controlled by daylight and, in particular, sunlight. And older people may not be getting enough. Their eyes also absorb less blue light. This results in an increase in Melatonin, the sleep inducing hormone Their body clock is disturbed (as in jetlag) and they find that they are dozing in the daytime instead of at night. The Rensselaer Institute in New York has developed a pair of glasses with a blue light emitting bulb running across the top of the frame. It does not affect their normal view. But tests showed that wearers produced less melatonin, so keeping them more wakeful during the day. Further tests are being carried out before the glasses become available in the UK.
Depression 17th March 09 Mail. CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is a form of psychiatric help for people suffering from depression, which centres on building up people's's self confidence (rather than the Freudian methods of looking into the past). It is approved by government, who have promised more cash to train more people in this area of psychiatry. See HERE
Symptoms of Stroke. This is being widely publicised : STROKE:
Remember the 1st three letters....S.T.R.
STROKE IDENTIFICATION: A neurologist says that if he can get
to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a
stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed,
and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours.
Remember the '3' steps, STR . Read and Learn!
Doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
If the tongue is 'crooked', or if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.
HRT Hormone Replacement Therapy (Mail 20th Sept 08) Various type and applied by tablet, patches, implants or cream. has fallen from an all time high of over 2 million patients to 1 million as the result of research findings suggesting higher risks of breast cancer, heart disease and strokes (contrary to previous research suggesting fewer heart troubles). That research was overturned by further studies suggesting that risks were only higher for older women taking the drug. The International Menopause Society have recently issued a review suggesting that it is safe and effective for women from 50 - 59. Dr Stephenson, HRT expert at Brompton said that these health scares had been a disaster for women's health and warned the the NHS faces a rise in fractures and heart disease as a result of the reduction in prescriptions for HRT.
MRS (Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy) is being used to study brain tissue without having to open the skull. US researchers even watched the growth of brain cells (and I always thought they just died and weren't replaced)
Mail 26th Aug 08 Multiple Sclerosis The patient's immune system attacks their body resulting in increasing immobility. The normal treatment is with steroids and Interferon. One untried medication is called Low-Dose Naltrexone (LDN), "which briefly obstructs the effects of endorphins. This increases the production of endorphins, stimulating the immune system and reducing the activity of MS". As no company is presently considering it worthwhile to gamble the millions required to test the drug it is not available on a normal prescription. But the drug is also used to help alcoholics, so it may be obtained "off label", where a drug is licensed for one condition but used for another. In the case highlighted in the Mail the patient bought it on private prescription from a doctor he was directed to by the LDN Research Trust 0871 989 96 66. It was not enormously expensive at £15 - £24 a month. In his case it has got him back on his feet out of a wheel chair.
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy
(PSP) (Mail 12/08/08) A terminal illness. A brain disease:
Symptoms: Falling backwards or sideways, difficulty swallowing, speaking;
muscular pains. Unfortunately there is no known cure, only palliative care.
Synaesthesia
(Mail 12/08/08) A surprising number of people have crossed brain connections
so that one sense automatically triggers another. e.g. Someone who finds
that words bring a taste to their mouths. So, hearing a name or a word
automatically results in a taste.
Alzheimers
The many articles on this disease have been brought together
(Mail 12th July 07) British scientists (King's College, London) say they are close to developing a blood test to spot early signs of Alzheimer's disease. They identified a series of proteins that are present (in higher quantities) in those with the problem, which were not present in a control group. The advantage of this is that early diagnosis would enable more effective treatment with drugs which are being developed to stave off the symptoms.
(BBC2 Teletext 25/06/07).Before drugs are made available on NHS prescription, NICE has to approve them. They take into account the cost and what they consider to be 'good value' In the case of Alzheimer's NICE has so far said no to Aricept (also known as Donepezil), Rivastigmine and Galantamine. However they are having to fight an action in the High Court on this decision, the first time this has happened. Although Aricept is known to help sufferers and is approved in the USA, NICE has not approved it for patients showing early signs, even though it costs only around £2.50 a day. The High Court judgment was expected on this on the 10th August 2007
Scientists at University of Minnesota are developing a 60 second test for common brain diseases such as Alzheimer's, schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis. The scan uses magnetoencepholography to analyse magnetic fields in the brain. The research was welcomed by the Alzheimer's Society
Research at Northwestern University in Chicago suggests that loss of smell may be a warning sign of the onset of Parkinsons, which could help determine when drug treatment should begin.
Readers Digest Sept 2008. Available NOW. A skin patch called Neupro delivers the medication in a consistent way until it is time for the next pill to control the symptoms of Parkinsons
Mail 26th Aug 2008. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania believe that a protein found in yeast could stop the death of dopamine-producing cells. Dopamine acts as a 'signal agent' between parts of the brain involved in movement and coordination.
Mail 1st Jan 2008. Research in Singapore and India is showing that drinking black tea slows down or delays the onset of Parkinsons disease
New Parkinsons Drug. (Express 11th June 2007) A drug, which is already used to help patients with stroke or hypertension, Isradipine, has been found in tests at the NorthWest University, Chicago, to slow or stop the progress of Parkinson's disease by blocking calcium, which can have an effect on the production of Dopamine neurons in the brain. The British Parkinsons Disease Society expressed caution, saying that it was too early to state with confidence etc.....
Mail 28/08/07 Harvard Medical School. Injecting human stem cells into the brains of 25 monkeys resulted in all of them making a dramatic recovery from Parkinson's, although the effect wore off after about two months. Nevertheless, the researchers were hopeful that a similar treatment on humans could be effective.
*************
Erectile Dysfunction may be helped by the use of drugs such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra . But some are not. It is thought that a restricted artery may be the cause of the problem. Trials are taking place in the UK and the USA by inserting a stent into the artery that supplies blood to the penis.
Sex is good for you According to research, sex in later life, particularly in older men can help with increased longevity, better heart function and the production of the feel-good hormone. It also suggests "use it or lose it" i.e. those who don't have a regular sex habit are more likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction and, possibly, prostate cancer.
Severe Hand Tremor. A few people have hand tremors, which they have had all their lives. Some of these find that it seriously affects what they do. This is usually caused by abnormal electrical activity in the thalamus in the brain. There is a treatment which can stop this tremor. Electrodes are inserted in the thalamus and they are connected to a battery which is implanted in the chest area. This blocks the electrical activity and the shaking immediately. But 'essential tremor' is much more common that other more serious forms. It is not life shortening. Some people have been helped by beta blockers, which interfere with the transmission of faulty impulses from the brain. Beta blockers are unsuitable for asthmatics.
Restless Leg syndrome (Mail 27th May 08) This may be increased in the users of anti depressant pills. The drug Reboxetine was not one that was implicated
Older people need less sleep (Laterlife.com Aug 08). Researchers at Harvard Medical School compared people between the ages of 60 and 72 with people ages between 18 and 32 years. It showed the older group generally required 7.5 hours sleep a night compared with 9 hours for the younger group. Interestingly, the research also showed that any “sleep debt” in the older group was not made up the following day. The researchers said this dispelled the conventional belief that older people sleep little but often. So it seems older people still benefit from a proper night’s sleep, but don’t need quite as much sleep as their younger counterparts.
Migraine (Mail 15th September 09) A new drug, Levadex, is being trialled. It is inhaled and said to give relief for up to two days and is said to work rapidly.
Migraine (Mail 26th May 08) A new patch, known as NP101 is
expected to give the most benefits to migraine sufferers. This would benefit
the many of those who also have associated nausea, making it difficult to
take the widely prescribed Triptans (by tablet or inhaler) that act
upon the brain's chemical serotonin. The patch is quite large and contains
electrodes to force the drug into the blood stream. It is still undergoing
trials in the States.
There is a helpful book :"50 things You Can Do Today to Manage Migraine"
by Wendy Green (£4.99)
Migraine (Mail 13th May 08) The cause is (amazingly) still a mystery but some patients taking clot busting drug, Clopidogrel, have miraculously recovered from recurrence. A trial with 286 patients is now under way
Menstrual Migraine (Mail 22nd July 08) Some women suffer severe and long lasting migraine around their period time. This is usually due to a drop of oestrogen at that time. Hormonal treatments often help, so they should consult their doctor as the medication (e.g. HRT, the type of pill etc) will depend upon their age and other factors.
Stammer (Mail 15th April 08) It has been noticed that some people who stammer get started (speaking) when others are talking. Some patients, who have not been helped by speech therapy, have been 'cured' by the fitting of a special hearing aid, which echoes their own voice. Unfortunately this is not available on the NHS and they are expensive see www.stammering.org
Migraine (Mail 19th Feb 08) A patient who had suffered daily, debilitating, migraine attack for years had them reduced to twice a month as a result of nerve block injections (behind the ear) at the Royal United Hospital, Bath. They have to be repeated every few months. They cost the NHS £6 per injection .
Restless Leg Syndrome RLS sufferers experience tingling or pricking sensation and an overwhelming urge to move their legs rapidly, usually in the evening or at night. In a trial at the WAlter Reed U.S.Army Medical Center, Columbia , nine patients were given a 'cuff' worn around the lower leg. This has small pockets which sequentially inflate and deflate, improving blood flow. Of the 9 patients 3 saw the problem disappear, while the remaining six all noted improvements, meaning they could sleep better.
Memory Loss Microsoft in Cambridge, UK has developed a small digital camera, which can be worn by people with short term memories. It takes a wide angle low resolution picture every 30 seconds throughout the day. The images are downloaded to a PC and can be played back as a 10 frames per second movie, showing the day's events in a few minutes. This could help people with early stage Alzheimer's
Brain Aneurysm (Mail 8th Jan) An aneurysm is a swelling in a weakened artery wall. It can develop anywhere in the body. Many of us are walking around with these without realising but if they burst they cause a haemorrhage. There is a weak point where the arteries feed the brain as they have to travel across the fluid filled space around the brain. A haemorrhage in this area is very serious and can cause paralysis. severe headaches, unconsciousness, loss of speech etc. Until recently this would have been dealt with by brain surgery. A less invasive and safer method is by placing titanium coils in the aneurysm by feeding these up to the brian from arteries in the groin. These effectively block the artery. The procedure is risky but not as risky as doing nothing. Smoking is said to be a major cause of this problem
Face Blindness (Prpsopagnosia) is said to be a fairly common condition for which there is no treatment. People who suffer from it have difficulty recognising people they should know. They tend to overcome it by various strategies. One woman even used to dress her children in distinctive clothing. Others tend to greet anyone who appears to know them, regardless. Apart from the embarrassment that this can cause, it is socially isolating and people tend to withdraw from groups in order to avoid the situation. Contact : Dr Brad Duchaine at University College of London, who is an expert at http://www.faceblind.org/links/index.html. If you meet him he wont be surprised if you don't recognise him the second time.
Epilepsy Mail 1st Jan 2008. An electrical implant (near the brain) is being trialled with 240 adults in 20 centres in the USA (ref. University of Oregon). The patients have epilepsy which is not being effectively controlled by drugs. The device detects the increased electrical activity present when an epileptic fit is beginning and responds with electrical pulses to the site in the brain where epilepsy is stimulated. This appears to 'reset' the malfunctioning area.
Obsessive-compulsive Disorder. (Express 19th June 2007) Compulsive, repetitive behaviour e.g. repeated hand washing, excessive and repeated use of cleaning fluids, obsessions (thoughts) about germs. If the OCD sufferer is unable to perform the ritual it can cause them great distress. The article suggests a plan of action to counter the obsession and also suggests a visit to www.ocdaction.org.uk (0845 226 3110)
Schizophrenia (Sunday Express 24th June 2007) Schizophrenia and manic depression could be caused by a lack of sugar in the brain. And a new drug that enhances the brain’s use of sugar could provide hope for the victims of these and other serious mental illnesses. Professor Sabine Bahn, director of the Cambridge Centre for Neuropsychiatric Research, said the treatment could help millions, even those suffering from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Professor Bahn’s team analysed the brains of more than 250 people with symptoms of serious mental illness and found they had problems using glucose efficiently. They found further evidence that the brain’s ability to use glucose might be impaired in those with mental health problems, even at the earliest stages of the disease. This led them to suspect lack of sugar may be the root cause of mental illness. Prompt treatment is necessary.
Several studies have linked insufficient glucose levels in the brain to neurological problems and further work shows people with schizophrenia are five times more likely to suffer from diabetes, a disease in which the body cannot process sugar properly. Of the link between mental illness and diabetes, Professor Bahn said: “One affects the body and one effects the brain, maybe sometimes the problem can affect both.” The new drugs, which will go on trial in August, will be a modification of drugs already used to treat diabetics.
CANCER
Mail 2nd Feb 2010 The Tyranny of the Positive Thinkers. Jenni Murray pours scorn over the writers and theorist who suggest that you can think yourself better from serious illness. It has become an industry. The world has always been full of people who make money out of people's hope for a simple cure.... As the song goes "Sell a couple of bottles of Doctor Good "
Mail 24th November 09 Cyberknife A new and expensive radiotherapy treatment may become more common in future. Briefly it is equipment which cn pinpont cancers more accurately, allowing many doses from many angles. This reduces collateral damage and the number of treatments required. www.clinical-oncology.co.uk
Mail 24th November 09 NICE has had the unenviable task of deciding whether to authorise payment for two cancer relieving drugs. Avastin, (Bevacizumab) which can prolong the life of bowel cancer patints and Nexavar for liver patients have been ruled out for now. Avastin could still be obtained privately.
Mail 17th November 09 Not all prostate symptoms can be put down to cancer. It is common for older men to have the urge to pass water frequently and an operation to help this may be all that is needed. However, in the case of this report, the problem was down to interstitial cystitis (PBS/IC). Doctor Almallah, of the Birmingham and Solihull Bladder Clinic, says that many doctors misdiagnose this. It is unusual and the cause is uncertain but may be due to irritation or nerve endings from toxins in the urine, causing pain. The patient had to be fitted with a catheter and bag. However, after treatment at the clinic.involving flushing the bladder with a medication, the patient does not have to use the catheter often and is virtually free of pain. See www.cabfoundation.org and www.thebladderclinic.co.uk.
Mail 17th November 09. Austrian cancer specialists are claiming that treatment oif breast cancer sufferers without having to use chemotherapy is having good results, providing the cancers responds to the oestrogen blocking drugs now being used. They have also been using high dosage bisphosphonates (e.g. Zometa) - drugs usually used to reduce the effects of osteoporosis. This is because cancer cells can spread to the bones.
Mail 20th October 09 Giessen, Germany. A new surgical tool ensures that cancer cells are removed. A high tech. scalpel can detect the presence of malignant cells in the surgical smoke which is created when surgeons use heated tools to cut or cauterise tissue during an operation. The smoke is drawn into a mass spectrometer which is capable of rapid analysis of the molecules> Human trials November 09
Mail 20th October 09 In a variation on PDT (below), on trial in the University College of London, a photosensitiser drug is injected into cancer cells in the neck or breast . When a laser light is direct to the tumour the cancer cells rupture allowing the anti cancer drug bleomycin to get in and destroy the cells from inside.
Mail 13th October 09 Cancer treatment by PDT (Photodynamic Therapy). It is now possible to treat a wide range of cancers using a combination of a drug and laser light. This treatment has been approved by NICE but is still not widely used, even though it is less damaging and cheaper that chemo and radio therapies. Other countries are training people more rapidly than we are - indeed they are being training in the UK. A study of PDT will not report until the Spring of 2010. Meanwhile each case has to be approved by individual health authorities. See www.killingcancer.co.uk for a video appeal by David Frost and the rest of the site showing the support for the method and an appeal for funds.
Since April 09 prescriptions are FREE for cancer patients, regardless of age. Macmillan Cancer Support is concerned that many people (including some doctors) are not aware of this.
Mail 1st September 09 Scientists in Israel have developed a breathalyser type test that can detect lung cancer molecules
Mail 1st September 09 Scientists are now saying that the number of moles a person has is an even greater factor in whether they will develop melanoma than the amount of time spent in the sun . And the number of moles someone develops is related to their genetic make up. Out of 9,500 people who develop melanoma per annum (in the UK) 1500 die from it. People should study their moles and report abnormalities urgently.
Mail 16th August 09 That 'wonder drug', Aspirin, is being hailed again; this time as a method of reducing the risk of bowel cancer. It has long been recommended as a method of thinning the blood. But there are risks with taking too much as it can lead to bleeding.
Mail 16th June 09 Men are more likely to get and to die of cancer than women. There are numerous reasons for this such as their unwillingness to visit a doctor and lifestyle differences such as smoking , drinking and obesity (the writer has obviously not seen many overweight women!). The percentage differences were quite dramatic. With things like bladder, liver, oesophageal and stomach cancers the greater risk was well over 100 percent in each case. In almost every case men were at greater risk of the cancers and of dying from them. The writer felt that, apart form their reluctance to recognise and seek help for problems, male cancers did not get the same attention politically and socially. So less funding was given to research (by governments and charities)
Alcohol and Cancer Daily Mail. The Wold Cancer Research Fund states that a pint of beer or large glass of wine or double vodka or gin (i.e. 2 units) can increase your chances of liver and bowel cancer by a fifth. In that there has always been claims that red wine staves off heart problems I suppose it comes down to which way you prefer to go.
Prostate Cancer A new drug, Avodart, which appears to cut cases in men at high risk of the disease - those with a high PSA (prostate specific antigen) level, could be on sale within a year. Avodart is already approved for the reduction of enlarged prostate glands. However the research just showed a 23 percent reduction in cancers.
Skin Cancer Australian Professor Frazer (who developed the cervical cancer vaccine) has developed a new vaccine that, in animal testing, has been proven to be effective in preventing skin cancer. Human trials are set to start next year, and the scientist predicts that the vaccine could be released within five to ten years, and would likely be given to children between the ages of 10 and 12 to block them from getting skin cancer in their later years. He says that one in 20 of the cancers that people get is caused by papillomavirus and that same virus that causes cervical cancer is at the root of melanoma
Various Cancers (Mail 3rd March 09) Recent research by an Institute in the USA found that calcium intake was helpful in the reduction in the risk of a number of cancers. They recommended yoghurt
Bowel Cancer Mail 23rd December. Self test kits are to be distributed to older people... in Scotland 50 - 75, in England between 60 and 75 (no plans for Wales). The kits are used to detect the amount of blood in stools. Samples are then sent in for analysis. Bowel cancer is the second most common. Early diagnosis can result in 80% recovery. As a 77 year old I must assume I am not worth the bother.
Melanoma (Readers Digest Sept 08) Scientists shrunk tumours by using white blood cells, growing more and re-implanting them.
Mail 23rd Aug. Cholesterol Pill concern. A commonly prescribed cholesterol reduction pill - Inegy - is used to reduce the production of Cholesterol by the liver, thus decreasing the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine, lowering the risk of blocked arteries and heart attacks. A five year study in the USA has suggested a link between its use and an increase incidence of cancers. The American FDA will review the situation within 3 months. Meanwhile, the British Heart Foundation has indicated that no-one should stop taking such drugs without consulting their doctor.
Mail 26th Aug Prostate A new treatment to alleviate the pressure from an enlarged prostate gland is being used. Instead of the normal Transurethral Resection (TURP) smaller instruments are introduced through the penis. Using a camera and a laser the excess material is vapourised (and the blood vessels sealed). This has the advantages of being done under a light anaesthetic, causes less damage and bleeding and results in less chance of infertility and impotence. The patient may even return home the same day. The cost is around £5,000 (private or NHS)
Mail 26th Aug Prostate Cancer is encouraged by the production of Testosterone. Treatment has been by regular injections to suppress its production. A new treatment is by a tiny implant in the arm. Called Vantas, it has been licensed for use in the UK. It contains a drug called Histrelin. This will reduce the necessity for 3 monthly injections to annual. In trials the PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) of the patents dropped sharply.
Mail 7th Aug 08 NICE have said that the drugs Sutent, Avastin, Nexavar and Torisel are not (at £32,000 per patient p.a.) 'cost effective' in the treatment of kidney cancer. They only approve Interferon, to which 25% of patients do not respond.
Mail 18th August. Sufferers of Laron Dwarfism, who lack a hormone called Insulin-like Growth Factor (I1GF1), are very small but they appear to be immune from cancer. Too much of this hormone can lead to a wide range of cancers. It is thought that they also avoid the damage to their DNA that is the result of aging that normal people suffer. This is being studied in the search for a cure for cancer.
Mail 29th July Prostate Cancer. Prostate cancer can be detected by a test for PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) in the blood. Early detection can result in a good prognosis. But the PSA test is a bit of a postcode lottery and you may have to insist. About 10% of those operated upon will become impotent. The operation is much more serious than the 'normal' prostate op., which I call a rebore. This can be useful in detecting for cancer, as a test is done on the tissue removed, but no radiotherapy is required.
Mail 22nd July Prostate Cancer A new drug, Abiraterone is being trialled at the Royal Marsden Hospital and has had over 75% success against the more aggressive form of prostate cancer, which is much more serious than the less aggressive form. It is now being trialled with 1200 patients internationally and Dr de Bono suggests that patients should ask their consultant if they wish to join the trials
Mail 2nd June 08. A new drug could offer hope to kidney cancer patients. Sutent is said to be the first new treatment for advanced forms of the disease in 30 years. In a trial patients typically had their lives extended to 26 months and, in 11 cases, patients went into remission. The drawback is the £2000 a month cost, which NICE will have to consider before its approval for the NHS. Pfizer is offering the first month of treatment free.
Mail 27th May 08 A study published in the Lancet Oncology has shown that people with gum disease have a 14% greater risk of cancer. With some types of cancer the likelihood was 50% greater.
Mail 27th May 08 Photodynamnic Therapy (PDT) is being used at the Mandi Rix Clinic, University College Hospital, London. It relies on tumour killing drugs being activated by light. It can be used externally (e.g. on a skin cancer) or internally, via endoscopes for non invasive surgery OR diagnosis. Apart from the less traumatic procedures the cost of operations is a quarter of the traditional ones. Currently diagnostic results are still being checked with traditional biopsies but it seems likely that PFT clinics will become more widespread, particularly for the treatment of cancers of the throat, head and legs.
Mail 27th May 08 A tiny implant in the cancer can be used to assess the precise amount of radiation being received by the tumour (Purdue University)
Bowel cancer (May 20 Mail) Patient was discovered to have this when she went for a colonoscope after sending in a suspect stool sample. She had further checks to make sure it had not spread and a biopsy but the good news was that it was caught early enough to have the section removed by laproscopic (keyhole) surgery, resulting in four tiny scars and a return home within days. This is less likely if patients are overweight or have had previous surgery in this area. To move part of the guts out of the way a tilted operation table is used. A 'harmonic'scalpel is used to seal off blood vessels and remove a section of colon, which is then stapled together.
Breast Cancer Numerous articles have been brought together
under this heading
TV news says that Danish women who got breast cancer after working nights extensively (and had no genetic tendency to the disease) have received compensation from their government. Although I am delighted for them it does set quite a precedent. I worked nights for a year in the USA (and two more in the RAF). What possible diseases can I attribute to this (agreeably) unhealthy life style ? And who would be to blame ? There are many night workers these days. A whole new 'can o' worms'.
(Mail June 1st 2008). In a trial with 66 patients with aggressive breast cancer in a number of countries a new anti cancer drug, Pertuzumab, when used in connection with Herceptim, has achieved tumour stabilisation or reduction in 50% of the cases. The drug is not yet licensed for general use in the UK.
(Telegraph 13 Mar 08). Scientists at Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, California, have discovered that the presence of the SATB1 gene is significant in the role of spreading breast cancers. By removing the gene from metastatic cells not only abolishes cell spread and tumour growth but returns the cancer cells to normal appearance. The aim now is to develop a delivery system for SATB1 inhibitors to the breast cancer cells.
(Mail April 17 08) An experimental drug - Lapatinib (Tyverb)- has been used on patients who have the most aggressive breast cancer - HER2 - It targets the stem cells produced by the tumour. Dr Rodriguez of Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, reported that it reduced tumour sized significantly after 6 weeks treatment. The drug is awaiting EEC and NICE approval (Readers Digest Sept 08 Page 52 says available now)
(Mail 14th Dec 07) By the end of next year it is hoped that blood test will be available to detect breast cancer even before symptoms show
(Mail 28/08) Researchers at Duke University, USA have turned fat compounds into microscopic smart bombs, which seek and destroy tumours without damaging healthy tissue. The fat globules contain the sort of drugs used in chemotherapy and are injected into the bloodstream. They are released by the use of a microwave gun concentrated on the tumour, which melts the fat, concentrating the effect of the drugs on the tumour, rather than the conventional treatment. Researchers expect that the same technique will be possible for the treatment of other cancers.
Chemotherapy. (BBC April 2008) In experiments with mice at the University of Southern California, those which were starved for a couple of days before being treated with chemotherapy fared MUCH better than those which were on a normal diet. It is thought that this could point to a way in which humans might be less affected by chemotherapy
Prostate Cancer Mail April 09. A simple urine test could be developed to detect this, the most common cancer in men. Scientists discovered that certain genes are switched on and off by aggressive and dormant cancers. This would help decisions as to which prostate cancers should be treated urgently.
Prostate Cancer (BBC 5th Jan 08) Drinking a daily eight ounce (0.24 litre) glass of pomegranate juice can significantly slow the progress of prostate cancer, a study suggests. Researchers say the effect may be so large that it may help older men outlive the disease. Pomegranates contain a cocktail of chemicals which minimise cell damage, and potentially kill off cancer cells. The study, by the University of California in Los Angeles, appears in the journal Clinical Cancer Research.
Cancer (Mail 6th Nov 07) Doctors at St Bartholomew's are carrying out trials with injections of stem cells taken from donor blood (not bone marrow). This is said to allow lower doses of chemotherapy for patients who are may be too weak to withstand this treatment.
Ovarian cancer (October 2007) A vaccine for this has produced "encouraging" results in preliminary trials, US scientists say. The vaccine is designed to enhance the body's own immune response to the cancer, said the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, based in Buffalo, New York. Details of the study appear in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. They are confident that the vaccine will eventually be widely available. The vaccine contains an ovarian cancer protein fragment coupled with a molecule known to induce immune response. It targets a protein produced in a high proportion of ovarian cancer cells, but not in healthy cells.
Cancer (Guardian 12th Sept 07) A study published by the British Medical Journal shows that women who have taken the contraceptive pill are significantly LESS likely to get ovarian and bowel cancer, though they had a slightly greater chance of getting cervical cancer if they took it for more than 8 years, although this might be the result of other factors. The study did not come to any conclusions as to why the hormonal medication had this effect or why HRT, another hormonal drug, but taken by menopausal women, was implicated in increased ovarian cancers.
Cancer (Telegraph 20th Sept 07) New Scientist - Dr Zheng Cui of Wake Forest University School of Medicine has been given the go ahead to inject cancer patients with immune cells from other people (called granulocytes). These appear to fight cancers in mice. The work has also involved test tube cases involving human cancer cells. However, Dr Cui has found a great deal of variation in the cancer fighting ability of granulocytes from different people. And their 'quality 'appears to vary at different times of the year and depending what stress they were under. Although the research is considered to be a very exciting development more tests have to be carried out before there are positive conclusions. One professor pointed out the danger that foreign immune cells might pose to the recipients system.
Oestrogen only HRT (Daily Mail 20th, Express 21st June 2007) has recently been shown to increase the chances of cancer of the womb. However, it has also been shown to greatly reduce the formation of calcium in blood vessels. It is therefore being recommended only for women who have had a hysterectomy.
Cancer A 'golden bullet' treatment for cancer (Daily Mail 20th June 2007) that tracks down tumours before wiping them out with a blast of heat is to be tested on patients within weeks.The 'seek and destroy' technique uses an injection of microscopic glass spheres, coated in gold, which seek out potentially deadly cancers in the body. Once enough spheres have flocked to the tumour, doctors 'activate' them using a low energy beam of light. In tests, tumours have been totally destroyed.
DEAFNESS See also my own page HERE
A chronic ear condition thought to affect more than a million people in the UK could be treated with Blu-Tack (Mail 25th August 09). The condition is the permanent opening of the eustachian tube, which runs from the middle ear to the throat. Its job is to equalise the pressure on either side of your ear drum. Normally, it opens briefly to do this when you are ascending or descending heights. If it remains open permanently it can result in the sounds of their breathing, talking, swallowing and heartbeat vibrating directly onto their ear drum(s) and are hugely overamplified. It can be quite distressing. The cause can be due to medication, an operation or just weight loss ( e.g as a result of chemotherapy) A treatment by attaching a piece of Blu-Tack to the eardrum is being trialled. This would not block the tube but might stop the ear drum from vibrating so much. However, this is NOT a DIY procedure !
Daily Telegraph 28 Mar 2009 Researchers at the University of Sheffield have created the complex hair cells and the neurons needed for hearing, from human stem cells.
February 2009. Deafness. Trials are being held in the USA with a combined cochlear implant and hearing aid. Normally, a cochlear implant disables any residual hearing in the ear but the new technique attempts to retain the ear drum hearing. This has the advantage of enabling more low frequency hearing, the implant improving the medium and high frequency sounds which are lost during the ageing process. See HERE
Visual clues for the deaf and hard of Hearing In a recent study to decide whether people can identify sentence boundaries all groups were able to able to do so at levels significantly above chance. This was true in their own language and even in a sign language they did not know, even though the context and grammar of the narrative in the unfamiliar language could not be understood. Similarly, they were able to make such judgements in silent English. In addition, signers and non-signers could tell the difference between the full-stops and the boundaries that occurred within sentences. The results show that visual cues alone are an important aid to understanding face-to-face communication. The next steps will be to investigate how visual prosodic cues are used to improve comprehension in speech-reading and in understanding sign language. Professor Woll said, “We often don't realise that non-verbal visual cues play an important part in communication in both spoken language and sign language. By understanding the role of vision in language we can begin to develop better approaches to improving the communication of deaf and hard of hearing people”
November 08. Otoscelerosis can be a cause of deafness. It has been discovered that this abnormal bone growth can be traced to an underactive gene (TBGF 1) which affects some people. In the future this may help prevent this abnormal growth.
Sept 08 I am 77 and severely deaf but, after several years of waiting, my application for a cochlear implant was approved. It has been very successful. I recommend anyone whose life is being disrupted by deafness to look into this. See Emmeline Centre, Cambridge
19th August (Telegraph) : Dr John Brigande, Oregon Hearing Research Centre, Portland is using gene transfer to demonstrate the regrowth of hair cells essential for normal hearing. The next stage is to do this in mice before experiments on humans. Excellent video HERE
Otitis Externa An article extracted from
www.deafnessresearch.org.uk
: Otitis externa is a common complaint that affects people of all ages. It
is an inflammation and sometimes infection of the skin of the ear canal that
can cause symptoms such as itchiness, dulled hearing and pain. Swimming is
a common cause of otitis externa, especially in regular swimmers. Sometimes
it can causes hearing loss and pain.
In one case the treatment followed this course. The patient saw an ENT nurse.
His ear was so inflamed that she could not see into it. She washed out the
infected debris, dried the ear canal and placed a dressing covered in antibiotics
into the ear and was then able to use a camera to show what it looked like.
The skin was still very sore and red and there was a build up of dry wax.
After two weeks, she was able to further clean his ear, removing remaining
debris and renewing the dressing. After several weeks the ear was totally
free from infection.
Deafness Research UK has produced a leaflet, Trouble with your ears?, that
includes advice and information on ear infection, ear discomfort and problems
with earwax. For a free copy of the leaflet, or to speak to a member of our
Information Service, please call the Deafness Research UK Information Service
on 0808 808 2222 or e-mail info@deafnessresearch.org.uk
Deafness ‘Female sex hormone’ protects hearing in males and females. The development of new treatments for hearing loss may soon be possible after new research on receptors (proteins which receive chemical signals) for the female sex hormone estradiol. One of three types of oestrogen, estradiol normally regulates the menstrual cycle and helps the development of a female body. It is known that changes in levels of the hormone can affect hearing in women throughout their menstrual cycle and after the menopause. Estradiol is also present in men, synthesised from testosterone by the enzyme aromatase. In elderly men, the hormone regulates bone formation and cardiovascular tone. In addition to its gender-specific effects, the hormone also promotes cell survival in both men and women. Now Professor Barbara Canlon and her colleagues at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute have found that estradiol has a protective effect on hearing. “This is the first study to show that the male auditory system has oestrogen receptors and they seem to function in the same manner as in females” says Professor Canlon, who adds that because products which activate ER-beta are already available on the market, “clinical trials should not be far off”. The results were published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Deafness New hair cell culturing method for hearing loss .In a breakthrough that is likely to accelerate research designed to find cures for hearing loss, tinnitus, and balance problems, scientists have perfected a technique that provides a reliable new source of cells critical to understanding certain inner ear disorders. The cells, known as hair cells, are the essential sound and balance detectors in the inner ear. Damage to these cells is a key factor in loss of hearing and balance and, while birds, fishes, and amphibians can quickly regrow damaged hair cells, humans cannot. Until now, scientists seeking clues to this problem have been hampered by the difficult procedures required to gather these cells for their research. In the September edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), US researchers Zhengqing Hu and Jeffrey Corwin, both of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, describe a new technique for isolating and growing cells from the inner ears of chicken embryos. The scientists achieved these results by inducing avian cells to differentiate into hair cells. They were able to freeze and thaw the cultured cells, then grow new cells from the thawed cultures - a discovery that will make hair cells accessible to more researchers. The study of hair cells is crucial to understanding hearing loss because we are born with a limited number of these sound detectors in each ear, which can be easily damaged by age, certain illnesses, loud noises, and adverse reactions to medications. "Until now, scientists working to understand many inner ear disorders had to resort to difficult micro-dissections to gather even small numbers of these cells, which limited the types of research that could be pursued and slowed the pace of discoveries," says Corwin. The availability of vials of frozen cells that can be induced to form hair cells should remove a significant barrier to progress toward the development of treatments for the many patients who suffer from hearing loss and balance problems.
Tinnitus (Mail 28/08/07) Research in Arkansas and Tuebingen (Germany) Universities, using magnetism applied to the brain has helped a number of people suffering from Tinnitus (ringing or other noises in the ears) The RNID estimates that as many as 7 million people in the UK suffer from this and, up until now, there has been no known cure.
New Hearing Aids May 08 ‘Open fit’ hearing aids, which are now available on the NHS, do not require a bespoke earmould to hold the aid in place, but instead rely on thin plastic tubing and open fittings to connect the hearing aid into the ear canal. See HERE
DIABETES
A sign of type 2 diabetes is feeling sleepy after a normal sized meal because the pancreas may produce too much insulin. The instant energy you should get from the food is not available. US researchers say this could be a lack of the mineral Chromium, which many Type 2 diabetics lack.
Two main Types. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed under the age of 30. It usually requires regular injections of insulin to stabilise the condition. Type 2 usually occurs in middle aged or older (and fatter) patients and is treated by reducing carbohydrate intake (starch and sugar) and taking drugs which help their system to handle sugar more efficiently. However, it is no less serious than Type 1 and not managing the condition properly can result in kidney damage, blindness and a higher risk of heart disease.and stroke. It is essential that they follow the prescribed regime.
A growing problem : An estimated 2.35 million people in England suffer from diabetes. By 2010 it is predicted there will be 2.5 million, 9 per cent of which will be due to an increase in obesity. The life expectancy of someone with Type1 diabetes is reduced by at least 15 years. In Type 2 diabetes, which is preventable in two thirds of people who have it, life expectancy is reduced by up to ten years. It is estimated that about 90 per cent of people with diabetes have Type1. People from minority ethnic communities have up to a six times higher than average risk of developing the condition .Source: Department of Health
Diabetes Testing (Readers Digest 09/08) Gerard Cotes - Texas A&M University - is developing a wrist watch that tests for sugar level without having to get a blood sample. A sheath of fluorescent particles, smaller than a human hair, is injected into the wrist. It changes colour in response to deviations in the blood-sugar level and the wrist watch is designed to gove a digital readout. Development is expected to take three years
A pill for diabetes ? (Times online 24th June 2007)
People with diabetes may soon be able to take a pill to control the disease
instead of needing several daily insulin injections. A British company will
report at a conference in the US today that it has developed a form of insulin
that can be taken by mouth, which it believes will provide better control
of symptoms. Oral insulin has been a dream for many years, and several companies
have tried to develop it. The problem is that insulin is a protein and the
stomach is perfectly adapted to digest proteins, breaking them up into smaller
fragments. Diabetology, a small research and development company, has spent
many years trying to get around the problem. It has apparently achieved success
by enclosing the insulin in a capsule that resists stomach acids and passes
intact into the small intestine. There it dissolves, releasing a mixture
of insulin and other materials that enhance the absorption of the insulin
through the intestinal wall. The insulin is then transported to the liver,
where it creates a store that can be drawn on by the body. This more closely
approximates the behaviour of the pancreas, the source of insulin in healthy
people, releasing insulin as it is needed. The capsule form is also much
more easily administered to young children, who can struggle with needles
and the more recent innovation of inhaled insulin. The results to be presented
today at the American Diabetes Association meeting in Chicago come from a
small trial of 16 patients with type 2 diabetes – the commoner type
that usually develops in middle age – carried out at Cardiff University
by a team led by Professor David Owens. They are expected to show that the
oral dose taken twice daily before breakfast and before dinner, controlled
glucose levels successfully in the patients treated. The results will be
presented by Dr Steve Luzio, also from Cardiff.
Drugs already exist that can lower glucose levels, but they have side-effects. As type 2 diabetes develops, patients eventually have to move on to injected insulin, a transition many are very reluctant to make. As a result, control of the disease suffers and the long-term risks are increased. Glen Travers, the executive chairman of Diabetology, said that he hoped the product would remove this inhibition and enable better control of the disease to be achieved, without the increased risk of heart attack that has been linked to the widely used diabetes drug rosiglitazone. The details of Dr Luzio’s presentation cannot be released until he has made it, but are expected to show that oral doses achieved the desired changes in glucose metabolism, showed a rise in insulin levels in the body that lasted a long time, and revealed no safety concerns. Additionally, it does not lead to short-term “spikes” of high insulin in the circulation – unlike insulin injections – potentially reducing the risk of side-effects.
Several studies have linked insufficient glucose levels in the brain to neurological problems and further work shows people with schizophrenia are five times more likely to suffer from diabetes, a disease in which the body cannot process sugar properly. Of the link between mental illness and diabetes, Professor Bahn said: “One affects the body and one effects the brain, maybe sometimes the problem can affect both.” The new drugs, which will go on trial in August, will be a modification of drugs already used to treat diabetics.
DIET & OBESITY
Dieting Mail 24th Nov 09. There is a suggestion that eating fewer calories than normal on alternate days is easier and more effective than trying to reduce the number of calories each day. The theory is that this behaviour induces the SIRT1 'skinny gene' to burn more fat. See www.johnsonupdaydowndaydiet.com. It is supposed to be the way we survived in the early days of development. Sounds pretty logical.
Bloating. May be due to too much wind or constipation. We produce about 4 pints of it a day and pass it out by burping or passing wind (around 14 times a day is quite normal). You may swallow air by chewing gum, eating, smoking, drinking or even because of loose dentures. Some foods produce more gas (e.g. bran, beans, cabbage, sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, rice, pasta, potatoes, beer, fizzy drinks - onions?) Some people also have an intolerance to milk or wheat products.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Peter Whorwell, a specialist, says people suffering from this (stomach cramps, diaorhea, constipation) should study their individual diet as the general advice, to eat more fibre and fuit, may make their symptoms worse. They may have to revert to white flour products and avoid bran, wholemeal bread and digestive biscuits. But some may be able to tolerated the fibre in fruit and vegetables, which are still recommended as healthy for most people.
Diet Myths Mail 25th October 09. The Principal Dietitian at St Georges Hospital, Tooting says : Myth1. Eating late at night puts on weight. Myth2. Don't exercise after eating Myth3. Guinness is a good source of iron during pregnancy ( it contains a quarter of that in a single egg yolk !) Myth4. Vitamin C stops you getting colds and flu. Myth 5. Coffee is a diuretic. Myth6 Milk creates more mucus (when you have a cold etc) Myth 6. You should drink two litres of water a day. The article gives scientific explanations why they are not true.
Mail 3rd September 09. Artificial Sweeteners. Scientists at Liverpool University studied the process in the small intestine and found that specific cells detect sugar and that these release hormones necessary for its passage through the lining of the gut and into the blood, where it is either burned off or converted into fat. But the artificial sweeteners did the same, priming the gut to absorb real sugars from your normal diet.
Mail 1st September 09 The Mediterranean diet is supposed to be behind the fact they they do not suffer the high rate of heart disease and strokes that we do. So, scientists in Cambridge are developing the tomato pill (called Ateronon). Lypocene, found in the skins of ripe tomatoes is supposed to help reduce fatty deposits in the arteries. Each pill contains the equivalent of 3 kilos of tomatoes ! Further tests are being held. (to ensure people don't finish up tomato colour?)
Eat Fruit (Mail 28th 2009). Better to eat a variety of fruits. Surprising : Cooking tomatoes (or canned) increases their cancer fighting lypocene anti-oxidant. Bananas contain potassium which reduces salt, said to be bad for you. Grapefruit fight obesity but also fight Hepatitis C. Grapes contain resveratrol, which is an anti cancer compound. Strawberries reduce blood pressure: Frozen fruit is better than tired old fresh fruit.
Crohn's disease Mail 28th July, 09, is an autoimmune disease, in which the body's immune system attacks the gastrointestinal tract, causing inflammation. Difficult to treat. Some people have surgery, others try diet, using probiotics, fish oil and aloe vera juice. Tends to cause diarrhoea and sometimes, bleeding. The diarrhoea can be sudden, so there is a need to have easy access to toilets.. See also the National Association for Colitis and Crohn's Disease 0845 130 2233
Haemorrhoids ( Piles ) 20th October 2009 (Mail) Really painful piles used to be operated on by cutting them away. This can be very painful and not always a permanent cure. Surgeons now prefer a non-invasive treatment under local anaesthetic, called THD. An ultrasound device is used to locate the arteries which supply the piles. The device also has a needle which is used to close off the arteries, starving the piles of blood, so they shrink. See also HERE
Haemorrhoids ( Piles ) 30th June 2009 (Mail) There are several surgical treatments but the writer managed to reduce hers by healthier living. NEVER getting constipated or sitting on the loo straining, doing pelvic floor exercises, drinking more water and eating more fruit and veg. One correspondent in the Mail said that Sudocrem, a nappy cream, had helped.
Mail 17th March 09 Omega-3 is the "In" vitamin, which is good for your heart and supposed to help you concentrate. It is a fatty acid found in oily fish (salmon, mackerel) and it is recommended that you have one portion of these each week. But getting the same benefit from Omega-3 added to beans, eggs or bread, seems doubtful. Eating sufficient quantities of such foods would probably make you obese, thus negating any benefit ! "Which" found that you would have to eat 6 tins of Heinz Omega-3 beans.... a day ! Phew !
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) One in five Britons apparently suffer from this. A Canadian study over a long period showed that more people were helped by taking Peppermint Oil than drugs
Mail 23rd Aug. Cholesterol Pill concern. A commonly prescribed cholesterol reduction pill - Inegy - is used to reduce the production of Cholesterol by the liver, thus decreasing the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine, lowering the risk of blocked arteries and heart attacks. A five year study in the USA has suggested a link between its use and an increase incidence of cancers. The American FDA will review the situation within 3 months. Meanwhile, the British Heart Foundation has indicated that no-one should stop taking such drugs without consulting their doctor.
Mail 26th Aug. Although eggs contain cholesterol it is now thought that eating two a day reduces bad cholesterol in the body, just as long as you don't fry them in fat.
Mail 26th Aug. A new study in Florida found that having an ear infection in childhood meant you are twice as likely to become obese as an adult. It is thought that the infection can damage a taste nerve that usually puts us off eating very fatty foods, making them taste creamy and desirable.
Stomach Upsets (Mail 22nd April) The best thing for diarrhoea or any vomiting bug such as norovirus is to take just fluids for a couple of days until it subsides. Eating can exacerbate the problem. But it is essential to get enough fluid to replace what is lost. Apple juice (possibly diluted) is recommended as it contains pectin, which may help settle the stomach
Vitamin Supplements (Mail 24th April 08) A recent study suggests that high dosage of Vitamins A, C and E could actually shorten life. Some supplements, such as E offered no protection against cancer and heart disease, yet a diet rich in the vitamin did. Although it is thought that people too old or too ill to have a normal diet intake may benefit from supplements most of us do not benefit and may actually do ourselves harm.
Smoothies. Those fashionable fruit juice drinks came under the spotlight recently. Instead of the ones you make at home in a blender the ones on sale seem to be largely made from fruit concentrates and contain up to 140g of sugar per litre (that is about 35 teaspoons, MUCH more than a standard Coke). Best value seemed to be Sainsbury's Exotic Orange and Mango at only £1.99 a litre carton. Still made from concentrate and with 120g of sugar. But if you want the real fruit, go for Innocent Pure Fruit smoothie with Strawberries and Banana but it will cost you £7.16 per litre. Quite a lot more than diesel but it tastes nicer.
Eggs (Mail 15th April 08) Last week scientists in the USA declared that people eating 7 or more eggs a week were associated with a 23% greater risk of premature death (!) This week this study has been questioned as the results may have been tainted by the section of the population studied. Keep eating the eggs, unless you live in the USA and are obese anyway :)) They are good for you. Which goes to show that you cannot read too much into some of the articles quoted on this page.
Diet Drug (Mail 15th April 08) Alli is an over the counter version of the prescription drug Xenical. Its active ingredient, Olistat, is said to be a lipase inhibitor, interfering with the enzymes called Lipases, which break down fat. Fat which is not broken down is not absorbed by the body but is passed through. Xenical is said to block a third of the fat intake. It is available in Britain on prescription and is said to reduce body weight by 10 %. Alli is a half strength version. Alli is popular in th USA where it has been available since June 07. GSK has applied for a license to sell Alli in britain, so it should be available in 2009. HOWEVER, the consequence of eating too much fat is almost instantaneous diarrhoea ! Whilst most people claim good results (weight loss) the unpleasant side effects ensure that you check everything for fat content !
Diet Drug (Telegraph 13 Mar 08) in this case the diet drug is ready for human trials. Prof Steve Bloom (Imperial College, London), has produced a synthetic version of the hormone oxyntomodulin, which is know to help obese people reduce their food intake (by making them feel full)
Sugar v Sweeteners (Mail 11th Feb 08) researchers in the USA (Purdue, Indiana) have said that artificial sweeteners may prompt the body for a large intake of calories, leading people to eat more. Well it did so for rats. But the insinuation that this also applies to humans is denied by the Calorie Control Council. But then again, the CCC represents companies who make diet foods and drinks. You can't win at this game
Obesity. The danger to health and longevity from obesity has been called into question in recent research, which showed that even men who were 4 stone over the average were not at risk from heart and diabetic problems. In fact the study showed that under average weight was more dangerous that moderate overweight.
Omega-3 Staves off mental health decline as well as preventing
heart attacks and strokes. Although 'fortified foods' may help. the
consensus is that a High Strength Cod Liver Oil capsule a day is all that
is needed.
(Mail Nov 07) A new egg - the Goldenlay Omega 3 has been developed by feeding
chickens a rich diet of linseed oil and salmon oil. I hope they don't taste
like fish and smell like old cricket bats !
Omega3 (Times 16th Nov) Professor Johnathan Napier, who leads Rothamsted Research, Herts, into GM crops advocates the development of GM crops which contain Omega3 acids, which are generally accepted as a benefit to health. The majority of the population does not get Omega 3 via their diet (from oily fish) so he feels that the only way it will happen is by modifying crops so that they contain these acids
Cholesterol (Mail Dec 07) Researchers at Oulo University, Finland found that volunteers who added a few dollops of tomato sauce (or drank tomato juice) lowered their " bad " cholesterol level. Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) was lowered by as much as 13%. They urged patients with high cholesterol to drink tomato juice or eat more tomato ketchup. An ounce of tomato ketchup is equivalent to 3/4 pint of tomato juice. It is also thought that lycopene, the pigment that gives tomatoes their colour can protect against prostate cancer. A study of thousands of men found that eating ten or more servings of tomatoes a week slashed their risk of prostate cancer by 45%. That sounds like an awful lot of tomatoes.
Salt, bacon, processed foods, alcohol, red meat.(Mail 4th Nov) despite massive publicity around the world about all the dangers of these items Martin Delgada casts doubt on their efficacy, calling the statements " Trite, doctrinaire and downright misleading". So am I to put up with bland, salt free, bacon sandwich free food for ever, or not? There is no doubt about the smoking problem but really, the messages that are coming out must be sending some food industries into disarray, like the egg salmonella scare. What are we to believe, except that a combination of factors, which include your genes and excesses of all kinds can be the causes of cancers. How long before the human race is told that sex is bad for it? But ultimately it depends upon it.
Vegetable Oil (Mail) A survey was done on various cooking oils. The only one which got 10 out of 10 was Tesco Pure Vegetable oil,. It is made from rapeseed. It was said to be low in saturated fat (compared with olive oil) and high in the better mono-unsaturates (almost as high as olive oil). It contained Omega 3, which everyone is saying is good and was a good source of vitamin E. There were no 'cons' except that, like all oils, the good elements may be destroyed by heating, especially repeatedly at high temperatures.
Good fat, bad fat (Mail 18/8/07) Parents who cut out all fat from their children's diets are placing their health at risk. This may be happening because of the publicity about obesity in children (now 1 in 4). But Dr John Kostyak, University of Pennsylvania ran tests which showed that children burned off fat more quickly than adults. Jacqi Lowdon (British Dietetic Association) stated that 35% of calories in a healthy diet should come from fat, ideally from the unsaturated type, such as olive and sunflower oils.
Obesity : (Mail 5th Sept 07) Do you fit your genes? Following the discovery of an 'Obesity gene' scientists now report hey have found a 'Skinny gene'. In fact the 'adipose gene' was found in fat fruit flies 50 years ago. If the gene is active it results in leaner animals, regardless of how much they eat. And it has taken them 50 years to work this out ! ? And we are still waiting for the lean gene pill. Hurry !
Obesity :(Times 4th July 2007) There are a billion overweight
people in the world. They are all – common wisdom tells us – hastening
the onset of disease by their oversize. So indeed they are; being overweight
increases the risks of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke
and some types of cancer..But a study published this week showed that if
overweight or obese people suffer unstable angina or survive a heart attack,
and are treated appropriately, they survive longer than do people of normal
weight. A big study in the US looked at death statistics for the year 2000
and concluded that being mildly underweight was worse than being overweight.
Compared with the population at large, those who died in 2000 tended to be
thinner than average, and even being obese, with a body mass index (BMI)
between 25 and 30, was less dangerous than being very thin. According to
this study, the best weight if you want to avoid dying is slightly overweight,
tending towards obese. Yet another series of studies, has suggested that
fitness, rather than fatness, is the key to survival. It was found that an
obese but apparently healthy man is 1.7 times more likely to die than one
of normal weight. But a man who is fit and fat hardly increases his risks
of dying at all. A man of normal BMI, but unfit, is twice as likely to die
as an obese man who is fit.
Conclusion : Obese people with good heart and lung function, maintained
by regular exercise, have a lower risk of dying of heart disease, stroke,
or any other cause, than do unfit individuals of any weight. This applies
to men, women and to those who are fat around the middle or around the
hips.
Milk (Mail 12th July 07) A 25 year study of 2,400 men aged between 45 and 59 (The Caerphilly Prospective Study, Prof Elwood, Cardiff University) suggests that dairy products protect against heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. It was said to halve the chances of developing metabolic syndrome thought to affect a quarter of the population. Metabolic syndrome (sometimes called insulin resistance) affects the body's metabolism by increasing cholesterol, blood sugar levels, body fat and blood pressure. Prof. Elwood said that "The evidence shows a very powerful effect that is totally against public perception that milk and dairy products are bad for your heart." Thanks, Maggie, for stopping school milk.
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
Diverticulitis (mail 24th Nov 09) Patient complained of pain in the left side. Dr Scurr suggested it might be Diverticulae. These are small pockets which can occur in the intestinal wall, usually as a result of a low fibre, Western,diet. Debris collecting in these can inflame theme, causing pain, like a left-sided appendicitis. This is normally treated with antibiotics. In worse cases the intestine becomes stuck to the bladder or uterus, with the formation of a large abscess. Consultation with a colo-rectal surgeon may be called for.
Acid Reflux I don't usually publicise sites like this but this is such a common problem, especially when we get older that I thought it useful to include this link. He is selling a booklet on the subject and it has a whole list of recommendations from people who have followed the instructions See http://www.refluxremedy.com/ I haven't tried it and have no idea if it really works.
Kidney Dialysis Patients ( Mail 22nd July 08) may, eventually benefit from an implant that turbocharges the kidneys, enabling them to survive longer while waiting for a suitable organ transplant. It is a pump which is connected to a chamber which surrounds the kidney. A partial vacuum is created round the kidney, which dilates the blood vessels feeding the kidney, boosting its capacity to filter toxins. It is being developed by Nephera, an Israeli company
Heartburn or Reflux (May 08) A rather drastic cure for what many of us may suffer to a small degree. Reflux is where the valve in the esophagus does not close properly, allowing the backflow of acidic stomach acids. A small ring of magnetic beads is surgically inserted around the outside of the esophagus. This expands when food is swallowed , then the magnetism pulls the beads together to close the valve.
Food intolerance (Mail 15th Jan 08) Dr Clare Gerada (a GP) writes that " Although there are serious intolerances such as Coeliac disease, peanuts and Milk or Lactose (which can even be fatal if not treated correctly) Food Intolerance has become part of our national obsession with finding things wrong with our health rather than celebrating our good health". Whilst taking patients seriously regarding their worry "Their problem often derives from a disliked job, or marriage problems or the beginnings of a breakdown". She is particularly scathing about expensive and unscientific tests which are being marketed.
Mail Jan 8/ 08 Capsule Endoscopy has arrived. A camera, the size of a one pound coin, is being used to detect internal bleeding in the small bowel. This can be caused by ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, stomach ulcers and tumours. The camera, which has its own light source, is swallowed and pictures are received by sensors on the body
Constipation Guardian (3rd July 2007) Constipation affects about a quarter of the population at some point, and is most common in children, older people and women (because of hormonal changes, it can happen before a period, during pregnancy and after childbirth). Sometimes it can be a sign of more serious health problems, so talk to your GP if your bowel habits change or persist. Otherwise, try these simple measures to get things moving:
1 Increase your fluid and fibre: most cases of constipation are down to a low-fibre diet or dehydration, or both. Drink eight to 10 glasses of water a day, sprinkle wheat bran on your breakfast cereal and include at least one fibre-rich food at every meal (fruit such as dried apricots; vegetables; and wholegrains such as wholewheat bread, rice or bran-rich cereals).
2 Get some exercise: a daily walk, run or other physical activity can do wonders.
3 Chill out: some people buy laxatives because they're not going to the loo every day, but they may not be constipated at all: "normal" ranges from going once a day to once every three days. Changed routines, a disrupted biological clock, unfamiliar loos and new foods can all mess up bowel habits.
4 Be toilet-trained: don't ignore the urge, make a regular time - the hour after breakfast is good - and if nothing happens after 10 minutes or so, don't worry.
5 Watch your meds: some painkillers, antidepressants, antacids and Parkinson's drugs can bung things up, often because they contain calcium or aluminium. Iron supplements can also constipate, so talk to your GP. Laxatives should be a last resort, ideally with your GP's recommendation
Cirrhosis of the liver is normally due to heavy drinking but liver damage can also occur due to overweight. A combination of these two is more likely to cause permanent damage but it is not known why some people suffer damage more quickly than others. Until relatively recently it was rare for doctors to see anyone under 40 with alcoholic liver disease (cirrhosis). "Previously, the typical cirrhosis patient would be the archetypal male middle-aged heavy drinker," says Dr Mark Wright, consultant in hepatology at Southampton University hospital trust. "Now we are seeing more people with alcoholic or fatty liver disease in their 20s and 30s." According to the British Liver Trust, the number of young people dying from alcoholic liver disease has increased eight-fold in the past 10 years. By the time symptoms show up, the damage tends to be advanced, sometimes irreversibly. Depending on the extent of the damage, and whether the drinking continues, the liver may fail altogether. A transplant is then the only hope of survival. Liver problems are usually picked up during blood tests ordered by a GP for something else, for example as part of a routine medical. But a routine blood test cannot tell doctors the extent of the problem. Until recently, the only accurate way to do this was to perform a liver biopsy - in which doctors remove a tissue sample from the liver using a biopsy needle under local anesthetic. However, a newer method of blood testing offers doctors another way to diagnose the extent of liver damage. "When the liver is becoming damaged and laying down scar tissue, chemical 'markers' can be detected in the blood," explains Wright. However, marker tests are not yet available from all GPs and clinics and results can sometimes be ambiguous, so many people will still have to rely on biopsies. The government has announced that by the end of next year, alcohol labels should warn drinkers of the amount of units per glass or bottle and the recommended safe drinking levels. This will be accompanied by a new campaign to raise awareness of the amount of units people consume. Once there, scars on the liver will not go away, but it is possible to reverse the inflammation that causes the scarring. "If you are drinking above the government's recommended limits, you should definitely cut down," says Wright. For more information contact the British Liver Trust britishlivertrust.org.uk.
EYESIGHT
Mail 24th Nov 09 Ocular Migraines. These may cause flashing lights, zig-zags - in BOTH eyes - even though the normal headache doesn't occur in all cases. I have these from time to time. I find that they go away if I lie down with my eyes closed for half an hour. Well that is my excuse, anyway.
Temporary blindness This can be cause by 'Migraine with aura'. As well as the headache associated with migraine people can get visual distortion and flashing lights and temporary blindness. However, this can also be caused by TIA (Transient Ischaemic Attack) which is like a temporary stroke. Sufferers should seek medical advice, anyway.
Mail 24th Nov 09 Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) can be Wet or Dry type. The more common, dry, type is caused by the deterioration of the macular, the light sensitive area at the back of the eyeball. The sight becomes blurred as a result of its inability to get rid of waste products or take in nutrients. The wet form is more serious and there are treatments to help stop its progression . (Mail 20th Dec 09) A new treatment for Wet AMD is now available under the NHS - but is under trial. It is called Epimacular brachytherapy. This relies on targeted radiation to kill the abnormal blood vessels which, left untreated, can result in blindness. Researchers are currently appealing for participants in the trial. Up until now the alternative has been monthly injections in the eye. The radiation treatment needs only to be undertaken once.
For the common 'dry' form it generally comes down to putting up with it. However, recent research is showing that the cause is partly down to cholesterol blocking blood vessels that nourish the retina. Treatment is centred round filtering the blood in a similar way to dyalisis. However, it requires as many as eight or ten treatments. The researchers, in Germany, found that some of those being treated were able to read further down the sight chart, while untreated group tended to be able to read fewer lines
If you suffer from dry eyes when using a computer for lengthy periods it is suggested that you try to get in the habit of blinking every time you hit the enter key to lubricate your eyes.
Retinal Implants are being attempted at Moorfields hospital. The patient wears a pair of glasses with a tiny video camera in the centre. This is connected to a visual processing unit they wear. The signals are then sent back up a cable to a coil in the side of the glasses, which transmits signals to the implant, where electrodes are connected to the optic nerve and so, on to the brain. This process is similar to my cochlear implant but using light instead of sounds.
January 09 Blindness Daily Mail.Trials are being held on humans, replacing corneas from limbal cells from deceased donors or cells grown in a lab.with the hope that they will grow and replaced the original cells
Retinal Tears (Pron. Tares) Floaters are strands in the vitreous gel in the back chamber of the eye and are very common. Flashing lights, transient bright white or coloured flickers (seeing stars) are perceptible when suddenly moving the head. They are the result of mechanical stimulation of the retina by the vitreous gel. It is called PVD or Posterior Vitreous Detachment and can be quite common as one gets older. But it can tug off part of the retina causing a retinal tear. If you get sudden additional floaters and flashing lights and reduced vision you should get a checkup. A repair of a retinal detachment can be achieved by laser treatment, which seals off the torn edge, thus preventing retinal detachment, which would be serious. See HERE for more info
Sept 08 (Readers Digest) Blindness Optical implants are being developed to help blind people. They have a tiny camera in a pair of glasses which sends messages to an implant behind the retina. See Moorfileds Hospital, London and Second Sight, USA
September 08 Wet Age Related Macular Degeneration (Wet AMD) (Express) This is a common cause of blindness in older people. If undetected it can reduce visual ability rapidly. There are effective drug s but until recently NICE was not approving it for people who only had one eye affected. The good news is that (after public pressure) the drugs have now been approved and anyone who suspects they have the problems should see their doctor immediately.
Dry Eye Syndrome This affects more than 2 million people in the UK. Symptoms include eye discomfort caused by the inability to produce tears. Early diagnosis would help with treatment. This may be assisted by the use of drops of lissamine green, a dye which shows up relevant patterns
HEART, CIRCULATION See also DIET/OBESITY above
Canadian researchers attempting to help patients reduce their cholesterol levels put one group on a diet high in soy products, fibre and plant sterols but also ate a handful of almonds every day. They managed to reduce their levels by more than 30 % in as little as two weeks. A control group just ate a low fat diet but showed no equivalent reduction.
Healing after Surgery It is known that smoking can cause problems with healing. A German study has shown that smokers who wear nicotine patches before surgery (and didn't smoke for four weeks) reduced the healing time of their surgery wounds
Bypass Jab ? (Mail 20th Oct 09) Experiments are being conducted to test whether a protein, known to trigger blood vessel growth, could be injected into the area of the heart to provide alternative paths to those that are furred up, thus avoiding the need for by-pass surgery.
Heart Surgery (Mail 13th Oct 09) If it is not possible to help heart patients by opening up arteries with stents, bypass surgery, using open heart surgery has been the main alternative. Recovery times from this surgery can be long and many patients may be too frail for this. A brilliant new technique is now being used to bypass blocked arteries, working from a small incision in the chest and using a camera. Patients may go home after a couple of days and recovery can be reduced to weeks rather than months. This really does seem to be a major step forward 0800 330 3311. Private cost is around £20,000
White Finger Raynaud's disease (Mail 8th September 09) Some people find that some fingers go white and bloodless. There are several possible causes. Some get it in the primary form - usually inherited - and is harmless, though uncomfortable. The secondary form is as a result of other health conditions, such as arthritis or scleroderma (where the immune system attacks and damages connective tissue or as a result of an industrial injury.. people who have worked with vibrating equipment without protection.
Mail 1st September 09 Pradaxa is a new drug which is said to one third more effective in blood thinning than Warfarin. Warfarin has some side effects, especially when used with some other drugs and also green vegetables and grapefruit.. Warfarin users also have to have frequent checks to ensure bleeding does not occur. The makers of Pradaxa are applying for permission for it to be used to prevent strokes.
Aspirin is in for criticism (Mail 1st September 09) . Although well know for its blood thinning properties recent test have shown that, in scientific studies of Aspirin takers those using the drug suffered a slightly higher percentage of stomach (and brain) bleeding problems. However, it reduced cardiovascular problems in people who have existing heart conditions. The Aspirin Foundations agreed and says "Aspirin used to prevent cardiovascular events in appropriate ONLY where individual parents are considered to be at risk from particular factors such as obesity, stress and family history"
Cholesterol (Express 21st August 09)Scientists have discovered that oxycholesterol is more likely to cause fatty deposits in the arteries. It is thought that the frying of fatty foods (chicken and burgers) oxidises the cholesterol, making them a greater danger.
Blood Pressure (July 28th 2009) Having your blood pressure
taken at the surgery can give a false reading as some people get "white coat
hypertension". In my case it was more a question of rushing across a road
from the car park and a thorough test (three times over a period of 15 minutes)
showed that my BP was normal. Or, if you are concerned you can get a monitor
that will tell you your BP while at home. You shouldn't ignore consistently
high readings as they can be damaging and can usually be controlled.
You can buy blood pressure testing devices. They range from
£14.99 to £79.35. The £14.99 one from Lloyds got a thumbs
down because on the single test it gave a very high reading, which would
be worrying. The most expensive one gave a low reading, which would be equally
useless. The most accurate reading was the A & D Digital Blood Pressure
Monitor at £41.41 from
www.pmsinstruments.co.uk. PMS
? !
Statins Reader's Digest Reader comments: Sept 08. After an
article about statins, which described side effects, readers wrote in with
their experiences.
Pravastatin
had caused nightmares while
Simvastatin merely
produced vivid dreams. But others reported severe leg cramps and having
to pass water every two hours through the night. These are just individual,
anecdotal comments and not from any scientific standpoint. However, a TV
program (October 09) showed a number of people who had severe and lasting
side effects after taking Statins
A friend has also told me they gave him stiff knees and elbows. Could not
walk; headaches; fuzzy vision; loss of sensitivity in hands; constant
tinnitus. Two days after he stopped taking them the symptoms stopped
Angina A new drug (F15845) has been developed by Pierre Fabre Research (France), which works by blocking sodium - high levels of sodium are linked to Angina. It targets the sodium channels - routes that allow the damaging chemical into the heart cells
Polypill for Hearts 30th March 2009 BBC see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7973588.stm A pill containing a mixture of medication for heart patients
Arrhythmia. Irregular heartbeat. (Mail 3rd March 09) A report
by a lady who was taking an antihistamine drug reported
Arrhythmia when she drank grapefruit juice (having forgotten
the doctor's advice on this. It seems that grapefruit juice (and some
others) can also have serious side effects when drunk after taking cholesterol
drugs, statins and some antibiotics.
In another case a person who had regularly suffered from arrhythmia was treated
at the Royal Brompton by the insertion of a catheter in the heart. This
was controlled by the use of strong magnets. The object was to destroy (by
heat) a small area which was setting up incorrect electrical pulses in the
heart. Once destroyed the heart immediately returned to a normal pace.
Diabetes sufferers. (Type 1 or 2) I have it on good authority
that if you have diabetes and want to minimise your risk of cardiovascular
disease, you should aim for the following.
Blood pressure: new, lower target of 130/80mmHg.
Cholesterol: new, lower target of less than 4mmol/l, with LDL cholesterol
no higher than 2mmol/l..
Crestor, a new statin drug is being tested in the USA.
Tests showed heart problems were reduced by 44% in the trial. The group tested
did NOT have abnormally high cholesterol levels. It is thus suggested that
this would increase the number prescribed a form of statin in the UK
from 4 million (at present) to 5.5 million. (Mail 10th November2008)
Angioplasty (Mail 19th October 08) The government is keen to provide hospital facilities that can perform angioplasty within two hours of a person having a heart attack. This is said to be much more effective than just treating people with medication. A stent is inserted in a the blocked artery via the groin. Currently only about 25% of patients get this surgery..
Heart attack patients (Mail 6th Sept 08) could benefit from dancing the walz. Prof. Romualdo Belardinelli, Ancona, Italy, reported that dancing appeared to be more beneficial than using exercising machines, and people were more likely to continue to do it, exercise machines becoming boring in a short time (agreed)
Strokes amongst male Smokers (Mail 23rd Aug 08) A study of 26,000 male smokers in Finland (over a period of 13 years) indicated that those who drank 2 or more cups of tea (or coffee) a day were 20% less likely to have the type of stroke known as cerebral infarction - caused by a blockage in a vessel supplying blood to the brain.
Brain Study (Computer Active July 08) A project at Manchester University is designing a new computer which will mimic the brain in the hope of helping victims of stroke. It seems that, like a flock of birds, the billions of neurons in the brain make a simple decision as to whether to 'fire' or not based on how many other connection neurons fired recently.
Drinks which help (Mail 27th May 08) Scientists at the University of Aachen have found that patients drinking cocoa improved the blood flow through their arteries by 30%. It is thought that flavinols, found in cocoa, tea and red wine, raise the body's production of nitric oxide, which is a signal to tell the arteries to relax
Wearable Health (Mail 27th May 08) Philips are developing materials which can detect health problems. Expect underpants and bras and even bedlinen which detect problems.
Blood Pressure (Hypertension) (Mail 20/5/08) One in five suffer from hypertension to some degree and this can spark off heart attacks and strokes. Equipment sold by Lloyds Pharmacies called Resperate, £199, trains people to breath more slowly. In trials people using it for 15 minute a day cut down their blood pressure substantially e.g. one person reduced their from a dangerous 226/122 to 123/78 within weeks but one doctor noticed a considerable drop after using the equipment for five minutes. Basically the equipment is designed to tell you what your breathing rate is and train you to reduce this, hopefully from a norm of 18 breaths per minute to something more like 10.
Deep Vein Thrombosis (Mail 22/4/08) 25,000 deaths in hospital are due to this each year ! That is more than all deaths from Breast Cancer, AIDS and Traffic accidents ! Britain has one of the worst records for taking precautions against DVT. But treatment is being revolutionised by the licensing of Pradaxa for use by the NHS this month. It reverses and inhibits the effects of Thrombin, the substance responsible for clotting.
Cholesterol/Blood Pressure (Mail April 08) Tests in Israel showed that people taking a capsule of tomato extract every day showed a significant reduction in blood pressure.
Thrombolysis Describes the treatments used to dissolve clots in the blood. See Wikipedia
Atrial Fibrilation In a French study of 3,600 patients who had suffered from Atrial Fibrilation (abnormal rhythm in the upper chamber of the heart) those taking statins were considerably less likely to develop it than those who were not on statins The use of these and rapid use of Thrombolysis agents (see item above) are also claimed by the French government to be partly responsible for the reduction of 40% in deaths from heart disease among under 75s, a target reached five years early.
Diabetes (Mai 20th May 08) In a trial at University of Arizona patients with Type 2 diabetes were given two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar at bed time. This was said to have reduced glucose levels by 4 to 6% by the following morning.
Diabetes (Telegraph 13 Mar 08) Type 1 diabetes is the result of the body destroying cells in the pancreas. Dr Christos Zipitis, leading a study at St Marys Hospital, Manchester, has concluded that supplements of Vitamin D given to children, especially when young, helped reduce the likelihood by 30%. Vitamin D is naturally received by the exposure to sunlight. This is in short supply in certain parts of the country (and is not absorbed by children who spend a lot of time indoors.)
Stroke (Mail 15th Jan 08) A British development called the STIMuGRIP is being tried at Salisbury Hospital to help stroke victims use their hands. The three patients had suffered stroke during childhood and have been unable to use their affected hands for decades. A small sensor is implanted in the arm and wired to the muscles that control the wrist and fingers. The person wears a device on their wrist which contains an accelerometer. When the arm is moved forward this actuates an electrical pulse which opens the grip of the hand. When the fingers are around the object and the arm stops moving the fingers close. Then the grip loosens when the arm moves back.
Heart disease (Mail 15th Jan 08) The Institute of Food Research, Norwich, is conducting experiments to see if apple puree has a similar effect as aspirin in reducing the risk of blood clots
Varicose veins (Mail Jan 8th 08) Varicose veins are usually more unsightly than dangerous. In fact, one treatment is to have the veins stripped out, allowing other veins to do the work. Other treatments are by shrinking the veins using lasers. A new treatment by a company called Closurefast is being pioneered in the USA. Similar to the laser treatment, whereby a catheter is inserted in the vein, this treatment uses radio waves. it is said to be less painful, requires only a local anaesthetc and cause minimal, if any scarring.
Heart Jan 08 (Mail) The Polypill for heart patients goes on trial this month until the end of 2008. The polypill contains a mixture of aspirin, statins, and two blood pressure lowering drugs. The originators suggest that, if this was taken by people over the age of 55, it would give an average gain of eleven years of life free from heart disease and stroke. These problems eventually kill or seriously affect 50% of the UK population
Hope for heart patients Mail 1st Jan 2008. A new treatment is being used to increase the blood flow to coronary arteries of patients where these are becoming blocked, causing angina and increased danger of heart attack. The patient lies on a couch for one hour while inflatable rings are put round the thighs and calves. As theses are successively inflated and deflated it pushes blood towards the heart. This forces blood through smaller blood vessels, bypassing the blocked arteries, and encouraging new blood vessels to form, resulting in lasting benefit in 80 % of cases. (Charite University, Berlin and University of Pittsburgh)
Heart disease detection (Mail 6th Nov 07) A new, fairly inexpensive, device is being tested in Melbourne. Called the ViScope it detects and records the sounds of hearts. Abnormalities ...e.g. murmurs, valve defects, narrowed blood vessels and holes give differing sounds. Not long ago these were detected with a stethoscope but skills in the use of this instrument have declined due to a reliance on electrocardiography (ECG) and Echocardiograms, using ultrasound equipment. This equipment, which can be used through clothing would make mass screening feasible.
Research in Edinburgh and Sweden and the BHF suggests that prolonged exposure to diesel fumes can make blood stickier and therefore more likely to clot.
(18th Oct Telegraph) Aspirin, taken regularly in small quantities, has long been thought to stave of the likelihood of a heart attack. However, recent research has shown that this effect only appears to benefit men
Surgery (Mail 10/th Sept 07) Two patients at Kings College Hospital, London underwent keyhole surgery to replace new aortic valves. This followed a successful replacement of the same type of valve via an artery in the leg. In the latter case the 89 year old was able to go home after just two days.
Hearts : Cholesterol again (Mail) Attempts to develop an HDL (good cholesterol) boosting drug have, so far, foundered. Dr Heinecke, University of Washington said, after trials of a drug by Pfizer, that "simply boosting levels of HDL may not be enough". The trials were halted after it was found that it led to higher risk of heart attack. So, for now, the fish oil supplements such as Omacor, given to heart attack patients, are the favourite, clinical trials showing that they cut the risk of sudden death by up to 45%
Noise (Mail 23rd Aug 07) The World Health Organisation has warned that modern urban life is killing thousands of people in the UK (and elsewhere) , saying that excessive noise can be the cause of heart attacks and strokes and is the cause of tinnitus for some people. Sources of noise are (figures in brackets are decibels) Traffic (50), Traffic + Music (80), Loud music (105) Plains and trains (150). The problem is that noise can have an effect on blood pressure even though our brains screen out noise such as traffic and passing trains. As a hearing aid user I can confirm that traffic noise from heavy vehicles in confined streets is so bad that I have to turn off my aids quickly as they pass. I would suggest that the 50 dB in that case is a very superficial estimate. But when I did a Technology Foundation course (OU) we were issued with sound meters and some of the loudest noises turned out to be blackbirds !
Stents : (Mail 12th August 07). NICE has recommended that surgeons use the less effective basic stent ( a wire mesh tube inserted in an artery which has narrowed) rather than one which is coated with drugs, because the latter costs £600 more. Whilst this seems a tough decision, £600 for a coating does sound like a rip off for the NHS. But we are used to that from the Biotech industry
HRT (Mail 12th July 07) 6000 women took part in a study funded by the UK Medical Research Council. It showed that during 12 months women in their 60s and 70s showed a significant increase in heart attacks, sudden coronary deaths, angina and blood clots. There was no difference in strokes, cancers fractures or overall deaths. The study was stopped due to the conclusions, although the studies a reduction in heart attacks amongst women in their 50s, for whom there are a number of benefits. The study concluded that the problems arose when HRT was given to women for whom the treatment was not intended (older women). But,as a result of HRT scares ,the number taking HRT in the UK had fallen from 2 million to 1 million in six years.
A £15 blood test (Express 10th Jan 2007) can determine the possibility of more serious problems for the 2.7 million people in the UK who already have some form of coronary heart disease. It does this by ascertaining the amount of protein NT-proBNP in the blood. This protein is produced by the heart when it is under stress. However, doctors still have to determine the best treatments (medicines or procedures) which will improve the prognosis of the patient.
Scan tests (Daily Mail 19th June 2007) A new scan could save thousands of lives by predicting heart attacks or strokes before they happen. The technique involves combining two existing scanning methods to look for what doctors call 'hot plaques'. These are deposits that have built up on the inside of arteries but are so unstable they are on the verge of breaking loose and causing a life-threatening DRY deposits. Plaques that break free can become wedged in an artery, cutting off the blood supply to the heart or the brain. The subsequent heart attack or stroke can be fatal. Although doctors routinely screen for deposits, it is almost impossible to tell the difference between stable and unstable plaques. Stable plaques are lumps of fatty deposits that may be stuck fast to the artery wall and unlikely to cause a problem for many years. But unstable ones are already working their way loose as a result of inflammation in the lining of the blood vessel. The new scanning method is able to pinpoint so-called 'hot plaques' in time for doctors to prescribe high doses of anticholesterol pills, called statins. These can dampen down the inflammation and stop the fat breaking loose. 'For the first time, we have shown that we can detect dangerous, high-risk plaque that causes heart attacks and strokes,' said Dr James Rudd, a lecturer in cardiology at Cambridge University, who has pioneered the new technique.
Heart attack victims (Daily Mail 21st June 2007) are to be injected with their own stem cells in the hope of repairing the damage. British doctors believe the technique, a world first, could prevent patients suffering a second attack or developing potentially deadly heart failure. It involves stem cells being taken from a patient's bone marrow and injected directly into damaged heart muscle. A three-year trial of the procedure will start in Bristol in August.
Vitamin K for Hearts Professor Cees Vermeer of the University of Maastricht says "Our trial showed that Vitamin K2 supplementation was capable of reversing the effects of arterial calcification"
Statins for Hearts (Sunday Times June 24, 2007) NHS will offer
heart ‘wonder drug’ to all. MILLIONS of people are to be
prescribed cholesterol-busting drugs on the NHS in Britain’s biggest
mass medication programme for adults. The government’s drugs watchdog
is expected this week to recommend the systematic screening of all adults
at 40, 50 and 60 for heart disease. Those found to have a 20% chance of
developing it over the next 10 years will be prescribed statins, the
cholesterol-lowering “wonder drugs” that have had dramatic results
in preventing heart disease. New research suggests that as many as 14m (
half of all adults aged 40 or over) could be eligible for the drugs even
though they have no symptoms. Some doctors say a national screening programme
could prevent up to 14,000 deaths a year. Heart disease is Britain’s
biggest killer, claiming 105,000 lives a year.
Other experts fear, however, that a programme of mass medication would make
millions of adults dependent on drugs for the rest of their lives. Dr Peter
Brindle, a researcher in cardiovascular disease at Bristol University, said:
“ This is turning people into patients. They are going to be offered
this preventative drug for the rest of their life with all the risks and
side effects. There has to be a public debate about whether society feels
this should be done.”
Statins are considered to be safe but patients can experience muscle pain
or liver problems. Some doctors argue that it is not worth risking these
side effects for people who are not suffering symptoms of heart disease.
But, although medical opinion is that they are no help to women and
not much to over 50s men the possible side effects are claimed to be minimal
or unlikely.
At present patients who have suffered a heart attack or angina are eligible for statins on the NHS and some of those at risk, but not ill, are already being prescribed statins at their GP’s discretion. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is expected to argue that a systematic screening programme would pick up millions of other people who could benefit from the drugs. GPs would be expected to do the screening, checking patients’ cholesterol levels, blood pressure and weight and whether they smoke. Men are at higher risk than women. If 14m people were subsequently prescribed statins, it would cost the NHS at least £560m a year. But, say cardiologists, it could save billions in treatment costs. Research by Dr Ift-ikhar Haq, a consultant cardiologist in Newcastle upon Tyne, shows that if everyone aged 40 and above was screened for heart disease, 47% of those who show no symptoms would qualify for preventative treatment with statin drugs. Statins work by lowering cholesterol, which can cause fatty deposits in the arteries leading to heart disease.
INFECTIONS
Shingles
(BBC Jan 2010) is caused by the virus which causes Chicken Pox in children.
The virus remains dormant and may emerge as shingles in later life
(when the immune system may be less active) It usually appears as a rash
then scabs form on any part of the body but often on the face, can be disfiguring
and painful (post-herpetic neuralgia) at the time or for years.
NEWS : Millions of people in their seventies could be vaccinated
against shingles after government backing for a recommendation from expert
advisers. They are negotiating a price and the vaccination program
for the over 70s will start later this year (2010)
Swine 'flu rates are increasing during the winter. See HERE and go through the checklist. If you have the 'flu you will be able to get Tamiflu from the surgery via a nominated helper. There is also a full page description including all the MYTHS about Swine Flu HERE
Mosquito bites (Mail Sept 09. Mosquitos seem to be attracted more to some people and some have much worse reactions to bites. Mosquitos find us from the carbon dioxide we breathe out and the heat of our skin. They can even be attracted by perfumes. Look for repellents containing Deet. For adults the percentage should 50%. Or there are products containing picaridin, found in Autan products. They must be applied regularly over all exposed skin (although I find they can get through clothes). Also recommended is white or pale clothing. In malarial areas always use a net.
Shingles Mail 28th April 09. Shingles is caused by the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus, the same one that causes chicken pox. It remains dormant until the immune system is weak. Antiviral drugs reduce the duration and the rash and pain. A new one, known as FV-100, has been found to be many times more powerful that earlier ones
Blood Poisoning (Mail 28 April 09) Blood Poisoning (Sepsis) causes 30,000 deaths per year in the UK. What if it could be 'filtered', extracting harmfiul organisms? In experimental treatment in the U.S. (Children's Hospital, Boston), scientists remove patients blood, and add hundreds of magnetic beads. Each bead is coated with an antibody designed to attract dangerous bacteria. This is pumped through and a magnet collects the beads, complete with bacteria. The blood can then be reintroduced to the body.
Malaria. Despite there being treatment for those infected with malaria, it is vital that you take anti malarial tablets before your journey to many parts of the world, especially India, Africa and South America. Malaria kills 800,000 children a year (making Swine 'Flu seem minor)
COPD and the weather Last year, the Met Office worked with health experts to launch a personal weather warning system for people with the lung condition chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). People with COPD have more breathing problems during sudden drops in temperature. More than 8,000 patients in 189 GP practices have signed up to use the Met Office's "Healthy Outlook COPD Forecast Alert".
'Flu jabs (Mail 6th Sept 08) The once-every-five-years 'flu jab has been much hyped but is still in the trial stage. If, as reported, it heralds an immunisation which will cope with the ever changing 'flu virus, including (possibly) avian 'flu, it will be a great step forward. Towards the end of WW1 an epidemic killed 400,000 Germans, 250,000 Britons, 450,000 Americans and 16 million people in India
Cold Cure ? (Mail Aug 08) Biota Holdings, Victoria, Australia, are conducting trials in the UK with a drug known as BTA798 which they hope will inhibit the human rhinovirus (HRV) which causes most common colds. I suppose we are more susceptible to colds than Ozzies. Biota shares are bobbing along at A75c (half what they were earlier in the year).
MRSA in the USA is now occurring OUTSIDE of hospitals.
Fungal Toes (Mail 27th May 08) Tinea fungus is quite common among older people. it shows as white or yellow discolouration, the nail thickens and separates from the nail bed. It is just unsightly and can be passed on to others. Your GP can confirm the condition. Creams do little to help but anti fungal drugs by mouth can get good results e.g. Fluconazole, Itraconazole and Terbinafine. But as they may not be effective and are expensive your doctor may not prescribe them for a cosmetic issue. Having the nail removed at the surgery may be the best bet followed by a shorter course of anti fungal drugs.
Two recent studies have show the effect of keeping your child too clinical ! A German study of children found that those who had furry animals when small built up an immunity and were less liable to get allergies including asthma and eczema. The second study in the USA showed (clearly) that children who had been subjected to childhood infections by attending playgroups were subsequently less likely to suffer from Leukaemia
Sexually Transmitted diseases (Mail May 08) There has been a dramatic increase in Gonorrhea and Chlamydia in men in the 45 to 64 year age range. This is mainly put down to the extensive use of Viagra.
Acinetobacter Doctors fear a pandemic of a lethal hospital superbug that is even more drug resistant than MRSA. Staff battling outbreaks of acinetobacter are having to resort to antibiotics sidelined 20 years ago because of fears about their safety. Even these do not always work, raising fears that the bacterium commonly found in soil and water could become uncontrollable. Acinetobacter expert Professor Matthew Falagas said: "In some cases we have simply run out of treatments and we could be facing a pandemic with important public health implications." More than 1,000 Britons catch acinetobacter every year. It is normally harmless, but can cause blood poisoning and life-threatening pneumonia in the vulnerable. There are no official figures on fatalities but the superbug was linked to 39 deaths at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, West London, three years ago
Clostridium Difficile C.Diff. (Mail 1st Oct 08) A vaccine
is being tested by Acambis, which is hoped will have as equally effective
results as the Tetanus jab.
C.Diff killed a relative of mine, who only went into hospital with gout.
It is a dreadful way to go as the poisons it creates in the gut result in
uncontrollable diarrhoea. There have been increasing recurrences of this
problem in hospitals and more patents have died of it than MRSA.
Explanation: Your body has lots of "good" and necessary bacteria. It also
has some "bad" or dangerous bacteria. Clostridium difficile is "bad" bacteria.
Fortunately, when you are healthy and not taking antibiotics, the
millions of good bacteria in your system keep the c-diff. under control and
in smaller numbers. However, when you take an antibiotic, the levels of good
bacteria are reduced down to a smaller number. (And who gets antibiotics?)
If your c-diff. is strong and doesn't get killed by the antibiotic along
with the good bacteria, then it is possible that the c-diff will overpopulate
inside your intestine or colon. When this happens, you may get c-diff colitis.
When c-diff takes over, it creates two main types of toxins that affect your
body and give you the symptoms of the actual disease. The toxins attack your
intestinal wall and left untreated may cause problems. Your symptoms may
include diarrhoea and cramping at first. The later stages are commonly flu-like
symptoms of weakness, dehydration, fever, nausea, vomiting and in advanced
stages - blood in your stool. C-diff is mostly contagious from other people
through the fecal-oral route. Some hospitals are giving patients pro-biotic
drinks to see if this will help. But a report in the Guardian in 2006 urged
caution regarding some makes, saying : "One in two probiotic health drinks
do not have the healthy bacteria claimed on the label, microbiologists warned.
Brands made by Yakult, Danone, Müller, or Nestlé do not dupe
consumers. But up to 25 products - many of them sold over the web - do not
contain the right bacteria, or contain them in too small quantities".
Norovirus and Rotavirus cause vomiting and diarrhoea. They are commonest in winter and are caught through close contact with people who have them. They have been responsible for the closure of hundreds of hospital wards this year. Children are especially susceptible to the more severe Rotavirus and most will get it at some stage. Paracetemol can relieve some of the symptoms. Isolation and strict hygiene are essential to prevent the spread for at least 48 hours after the symptoms have ceased.
Malaria (18th Oct Telelgraph) Glaxo Smith Kleine have developed a vaccine which has proved effective, especially in children in Africa. Again, the final product is quite some way off.
Malaria (Guardian 13th Sept 07) Reports from around the UK indicate large number of mosquitos this year. This is due to the weather. Are they or could they bring malaria (as has happened in Georgia, Turkey and Azerbaijan)? The considered opinion is 'No'. Although malaria was common in this country in days gone by and there was a number of cases brought back by troops to an area of Kent in WW1. Mosquitos are not born carriers and must bite an infected human to become malarial. But, because of rapid treatment people rarely are carriers for long, so it has been eradicated. What is clear is that climate change could allow species that are not native to this country to become established here. Nor is malaria the only disease we need worry about. The so-called Asian tiger mosquito, which despite a number of false alarms has not yet reached Britain, is now well established in Italy and has been sighted as far north as Belgium. It can carry Dengue fever, encephalitis and yellow fever. The aedes species of mosquito carries chikungunya, a highly debilitating disease causing fever, headaches and severe joint pain. And the culex mosquito transmits West Nile fever, which has caused 600 deaths in parts of the United States over the past four years and was recorded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1997. It is said that all of these species could come to Britain.
'Flu Jabs Research in the USA has shown that an extensive program of 'flu immunisation with older people has not reduced deaths in the group. This is because older people do not seem to develop the same protection against 'flu. However, a spokesman for the NHS said that the program would continue in the UK.
Superbugs (Express 14th August 07) One in three people carry the MRSA bacteria on their skin or in their nose, without suffering ill effects. When they go into hospital it can escape from their nose and infect open wounds. Scientists at Novolytics believe that lab tests showed that 'friendly' viruses could kill 15 strains of MRSA. They plan to put these into a nasal cream which would be used to prevent the infection escaping from the nose. Human trials begin next year.
RESPIRATORY
Asthma (Mail 13th Oct 09) A new technique involves an electrode that stimulates a nerve in the neck sending small electrical pulses into the vagus nerve, relaxing muscles in the lungs and making it easier to breathe. This is likely to be used in hospitals to reduce the patint's anxiety and enable the more rapid inhalation of medication to shorten the asthma attack
Bad Breath (Mail 15th sept 09) Although this can be caused by rotten or unclean teeth, smoking and what you eat it can be due to Tonsil Stones (Tonsilloliths) which are small white spots on the tonsils. If the tonsils are rough and have holes, food and calcium can accumulate there . The bad breath is then the result of bacteria developing around these. Tonsilectomy is not performed readily these days as the tonsils have an important function in preventing infections But, if things get bad there is a laser treatment to smooth the tonsils. Apart from this what is recommended is good oral hygiene, flossing, using a non alcoholic mouthwash twice a day. It may even be possible to dislodge tonsil stones by using a nasal spray filled with warm salty water. White spots on the tonsils should be investigated by your doctor in case of other, more serious problems.
Settees and armchairs, made in China, are treated with a fungicide that can cause severe allergic reactions and eczema. Thousands of complaints have been made about the furniture, made by south China factory LinkWise and previously sold by chains including Argos, Walmsley's and Land of Leather.
Asthma (Mail 30.06.09) A person with severe asthma was treated by Dr Niven (University of Manchester). Heat was applied to the walls of the airways (called thermoplasty). This damages the muscles, preventing them from contracting during an attack. About 400 people have been treated worldwide and it is expected this will be available on the NHS in the next 12 months
Asthma (Mail 18.09.08) Asthma. A study has reported that taking Paracetemol/Calpol regularly can increase the incidence of asthma, especially in babies and children. But others have said that there is no proven link. See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7623230.
Hay Fever (Mail 20/5/08) Remedies suggested 1) Freshnight : a nightlight that emits an electrical charge to weigh down pollen particles. 2) Nasaleze : a non drowsy powder you sniff forming a gelatinous coating to the nasal passage, trapping allergens. 3) Wrap around anti pollen protection for the eye 4) Vogel Luffa spray for relief. 5) Benadryl 6) Windowfilta to enable sufferers to keep a night time window open. 7) Optrex Allergy drops
Asthma, Eczema Two recent studies have show the effect of keeping your child too clinical ! A German study of children found that those who had furry animals when small built up an immunity and were less liable to get allergies including asthma and eczema.
Hayfever (Mail 15th April) Frequent sneezing, itchy eyes and nose, runny nose and eyes but no temperature. If you are affected from May to August and early and late in the day it is likely to be grass pollen. From mid March to mid June and get an itchy mouth when eating raw apples or stone fruits it is more likely to be a birch tree allergy. Symptoms in late summer and bad all day ? Probably allergic to weed pollen, nettle, dock and mugwort. Affected in Autumn ? This may be due to fungal spores (mushrooms etc). Another cause is Plane Tree pollen, especially in urban areas. Central, Southern and Easter areas of the UK have higher pollen counts, with less near the coast and in the Celtic fringes, though industrialised areas fare worse.
Smoking (Mail 2nd April 08) The desire to smoke could be down to your genes rather than willpower, scientists say. They have discovered a genetic mutation that makes some smokers more likely to become hooked on cigarettes. It also makes some more likely to die from lung cancer. Those who inherit the mutation from both parents are said to have an 80 per cent greater chance of developing lung cancer than those without it. The discovery could explain why some chainsmokers never get cancer and why others can have the occasional cigarette without becoming addicted. The finding comes from three teams of scientists investigating the links between lung cancer and DNA. "This is kind of a double whammy gene," said Christopher Amos, a professor of epidemiology at the MD Anderson Cancer Centre in Houston and author of one of the studies."It also makes you more likely to be dependent on smoking and less likely to quit smoking." The researchers, who report their findings today (April 08) in the journals Nature and Nature Genetics, looked for genes that increase lung cancer risk in a study of more than 35,000 people in Europe, the U.S. and Canada.
Asthma Telegraph 13 Mar 08. In a study reported in the magazine Thorax, nealy 40,000 women were studied over a 10 year period. Half were given 100mg of Aspirin a day. This resulted in 10% fewer in the group developing asthma. Earlier research with a larger dose of aspirin appeared to cut the risk by as much as 22%.
Telegraph 13 Mar 08 Lung problems in children whose mothers used large amounts of air freshener or bleach while pregnant or shortly after birth were up to 41 % more prevalent.(European Respiratory Journal)
James Lefanu writing in the Telegraph says : For those with chronic bronchial and other respiratory troubles, a reader urges me to mention again a "wonderfully effective" and inexpensive form of physiotherapy. Every morning before breakfast he spends five minutes inflating a balloon over and over again, ensuring he fills and empties his lungs to the fullest extent. This, combined with some energetic cycling, ensures that even though he is now 82, he is "pretty fit".
Asthma, Hay fever, MS, Diabetes (Mail, 22nd Sep) Nottingham University have been trialling the use of Hook Worms in relation to diseases caused, in many cases, by an overactive immune system. The Hook worm is a parasite which latch onto the stomach wall and switch off parts of the immune system designed to get rid of them. The worms, which are found in Asia, normally enter the body via bare feet. People who are infected with hook worms rarely have allergies. In the experiments volunteers allow them to be introduced under a sticking plaster on the arm. Once in the body they do not multiply and can be removed by worming tablets. The findings offer hope to the millions who develop allergies such as asthma, hay fever, as well as diabetics and multiple sclerosis sufferers. Once again, like most of the researches going
SKELETON/RHEUMATISM
Mail 24th Nov 09 Falls are a major cause of death in the over 75s. A new device is being tested at Charing Cross Hospital. It is a tiny device worn in the ear, like a hearig aid. Results can be fed to a computer which determines the amount a person sways when walking. It could even be made to set off an alarm when a person falls.
Hip Joints. Replacements have hitherto lasted around 10 years and younger patients have had the prospect of several operations as they wear out. Mr Evert Smith of Bristol's Soutmead Hospital reports that when the plastic liner is soked in Vitamin E they tend to last much longer. See www.biomet.com
Back and Neck Pain Mail 17th November 09. Star Wars actor, Richard le Parmentier, describes how he had an operation performed on his spine to relieve long term pain and numbness. The surgeon, Prof.Gill at Bristol's Frenchay Hospital, has developed a prosthetic neck joint which he inerted in Richard's spine (operating from the front, under his chin) The operation is available on the NHS, or privately for around £9,500
Rheumatoid Arthritis Mail 25th October 09. Fenella Barton is a violinist but at 40 she discovered she had Rheumatoid Arthritis. The cause is unknown and it can flare up and die down. Women are more likely to get it. She got immediate relief from strong steroids and was also prescribed methotrexate. Others are prescribed immunosuppressive drug Sulfa Salazine. She has also been advised (by homeopathists) to take fish oil capsules, have little sugar and eat lots of vegetables. Currently she is in remission and is still playing the violin professionally. .
Frozen Shoulder (Mail 13th Oct 09) Media star Sinitta suffered from this. She got some relief from a Cortisone injection but it returned. Now she had had amazing rellief from a Botox injection. Cost: £300 - £800. see www.drbk.co.uk
Trapped Funny Bone Nerve. The Ulna nerve runs down from the shoulder to the tips of the fingers (affecting the little finger and two others) Sometimes the ligameents around the nerve swell, causing pain and pins and needles. Sometimes this is mistaken for arthritis. Keyhole surgery can be performed to cut away the ligaments pressing on the nerve to cure the problem.
Back Ache Mail June 16th. More on NICE's new policy on this. Gentle exercise is recommended such as Yoga (British Wheel of Yoga) Pilates (Pilates Foundation) Alexander technique, Acupuncture, massage, osteopathy and chiropractic are all possible for 9 sessions over a three month period under the new rules. See your GP. Spinal fusion may be an answer for people who have not responded to the above treatments
Back Ache Spinal Chord Stimulation. See article at http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article1512.html
Back Ache Times on line. Various discussions about this most common of complaints. Click HERE
Back Ache: Good video with subtitles at
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Back-pain/Pages/Introduction.aspx
NICE has now approved the use of acupunctures and spinal manipulation - as
performed by chiropractors under the NHS
http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/uk/back+pain+nhs+to+offer+acupuncture+/3173257
It is the first time acupuncture has been approved by NICE and it is being
seen as something of a breakthrough for acceptance here of the ancient Chinese
technique.Sash Newman, chief executive of the charity BackCare, said: "We
welcome these new guidelines. For the first time the patient's choice is
central to their treatment."Professor Peter Littlejohns, Nice's clinical
and public health director, backed the inclusion of acupuncture in the guidance.
He said: "I think as with many interventions, the underlying process of how
acupuncture works is still not completely clear but I think the evidence
still shows that on balance patients do better." The thinking is that,
although this will cost the NHS a great deal the huger percentage of
people who suffer from back pain may make it a long term saving (with things
like sick benefit taken into account)
Arthritis Gene therapy could eradicate the pain of rheumatoid arthritis. This is being developed at Harvard Medical School
Spinal injury (Readers Digest Sept 08) The long dreamt of restoration of spinal connections after a break may yet become a reality. Prof James Fawcett (Cambs) have isolated a bacterial enzyme, chondroitinase, that digests the scar tissue that prevents the regrowth of nerves. Trials are about to begin (why not have begun ?)
Osteoporosis (Readers Digest Sept 08) Alcasta is a once a year treatment which reduces the chances of hip and spinal breaks. Available NOW under the NHS
Osteoporosis (Mail 2nd Feb 2010) Scientists are studying patients with Scelerosteosis, which is a disease causing abnormally DENSE bones. They hope to isolate a compound which will mimic the bone thickening process to help people with osteoporosis.
Mail 20th Aug 08 and British Medical Journal Back Pain Who doesn't get it ? The Alexander Technique has been found to help. A recent £750,000 study (partly NHS funded) showed that lessons in the technique on a one-to-one basis taught people how to sit, stand and move correctly and this significantly reduced pain and increased function. From a large group who all suffered chronic back pain, averaging 21 days per month this was reduced to and average of 4 days for people who had the full 24 lessons. For people who had just six lessons it was reduced to 11 days and some who just had massage reduced the number of days to 14. Prof. Paul Little, Southampton University said the reduction was "probably due to limiting muscle spasm, strengthening postural muscles, improving coordination and flexibility and decompressing the spine". See HERE for more information
Copper Heelers Mail 7th Aug 08. Admittedly an advertisement, but who am I to say ? Copper Heelers are inserted in shoes to ease arthritis in various parts of the body. Lots of apparently genuine testimonials. Tel 020 7486 4664 and HERE
Repairing teeth a natural way (Aug 08 Laterlife.com). A natural way to repair holes in teeth has been developed by the Leeds Dental Institute. They have created a solution that mimics the way the body forms new teeth. This solution includes a protein which creates a “scaffold” which attracts minerals that form enamel. This is the same way teeth are formed naturally. The solution can be painted on teeth to fill tiny holes before they become large holes full of decay.
RSI (Computer Active July 08) Microsoft says that more than 2/3 of workers now suffer from some form of Repetitive Strain Injury, including aches in back, neck, hands and wrists. RoSPA suggests that you connect a larger keyboard to smaller computers and to do regular stretches to strengthen neck and shoulder muscles. Workrave Monitor from http://www.workrave.org/ is a program that assists in the recovery and prevention of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). The program frequently alerts you to take micro-pauses, rest breaks and restricts you to your daily limit.
Leg Lengthening (Mail 29th July 08) A clinic in Siberia is accepting patients from all over the world to lengthen their legs ! In some cases it is just because people feel that being taller will give them more confidence or better prospects. In other cases it is because they were born with one leg shorter. The treatment is by breaking the bone and having a metal frame which is extended at a rate of 1 millimetre a day while the bone fills the gap. It is expensive, especially as it can take months to achieve any appreciable increase. See HERE (Ilizarov Scientific Centre)
Osteoarthritis and deep vein thrombosis (Mail 27th May 08) may be helped by a capsule made from the bark of a french tree. It is put down to pycnogenol which contains a high level of procyanidins.
Glass Implants (Mail 22nd April) Glass implants (Bioglass), are being developed by British scientists at Imperial College, which could revolutionise the treatment of damaged bones. It is hoped they can be used instead of bone grafts currently used to replace a patient's bone and even instead of artificial joints. The material is made of a cloudy looking glass containing small holes which contain calcium and silicon. Once in place the implant reacts with body fluids and gradually dissolves at the same rate as new bone grows.
Repetitive Strain Injury (Ability Magazine Spring 08) More than just a pain in the wrist, an article on P 25 by journalist and author Roger Radford describes
Gout (Mail April 27) Gout is an acute form of arthritis (also called metabolicarthritis) and occurs when urate, a salt of uric acid, enters the blood. If it isn't filtered by the kidneys into urine, urate crystals form in the blood. When they collect in a joint they trigger gout. An article by a man of 40 who has suffered from this, when his big toe became extremely painful. It is caused by excess urate and can be the result of diet containing Purine. He was advised to avoid foods such as kidney and liver, fatty foods such as cream and butter and to reduce his intake of alcohol (beer, port, whiskey, vodka), and drink more water. - and to exercise and cut down his weight. As well as liver and kidney, veal, turkey. anchovies, mackerel, sardines, mussels, asparagus and spinach are purine rich. His medication includes Colchicines and pain killers and the xanthine oxidase inhibitor allopurinol, daily. He reckons when he went on a low carb (Atkins type) diet he had a couple of attacks. But his more restrictive diet and loss of weight have reduced the attacks,
Osteoarthritis in the shoulder (Mail 15th April 08) In severe cases this has been dealt with by joint replacement, which is a major operation with recovery taking up to three months. Resurfacing of the shoulder is less invasive but can only be done if there is not too much damage to the bone. A cup of hard chromium cobalt is fitted over the ball joint. A cap is then fitted over the ball. The patient may still have some pain after the operation but should have much greater use of the arm and shoulder.
Back Problems Scientists at the University of Aberdeen
recently found that leaning back (widening the angle between the thighs and
the back) places less strain on the back that sitting up straight.
Personally, I have found that sleeping at angle on pillows have given me
the first back pain free mornings in months. Try it
Tennis Elbow (Mail 8th April) is not confined to tennis players. It is caused by the fraying of a the tendon that joins the forearm muscle to the upper arm. It can be triggered by overuse or lifting. Doctors recommend rest, anti inflammatory pills and physiotherapy and, sometimes, steroids. In a new treatment a 4 mm piece of skin is taken from the hip and used to isolate special 'stem' cells. Surprisingly these stem cells can be grown into muscle tendon and ligaments. The stem cells are cultured until they have grown into several millions (taking4 to 6 weeks. The cells are then injected into the tendon defect area. Trials are under way and it is hoped that this will prove to be a radical new way to treat patients with this problem.
Pain Management (Mail 15th Jan 08) IONSYS is a credit card sized device which can be attached to the arm or chest. It delivers the painkiller fentanyl through the skin at the touch of a button by the patient (Barts)
Nerve connections (18th Oct Telelgraph) The dream of reconnecting severed nerves may come true in a few years time. A team at the UK Centre for Tissue Regeneration, Manchester, has transformed stem cells from animal fat tissue into nerve cells and now plans to develop a 'bionic' artificial nerve, bringing damaged limbs and organs back to life. They plan to create a biodegradable tube through which nerve endings can grow. The stem cells used for this will be extracted by liposuction rather than from bone marrow.
Nerve Connections (Mail 15th Jan 08) Scientists at Wake Forest University, North Carolina, are experimenting with keratin, extracted from hair clippings, to encourage the regrowth of damaged nerves. Whilst attempts have been made to do this by sew two ends of nerves together using a nerve from another part of the patients body, sometimes surgeons place a tube (nerve guidance conduit) between the two ends, so nerve fibres can grow along it. The new idea is to fill the tube with a gel of keratin and this is hoped will result in greater success (as it did in mice).
Microdecompression for severe Back and Sciatic Pain (Mail 6th Nov 07) A contributor describes the relief found from an operation on her spine to remove part of the section of a disc pressing on the nerve. A nurse, she had suffered severe pain for many months, bad enough to stop her sleeping. The surgeon was Mr Andrew Quaille of the Hampshire Clinic, Basingstoke. (£5,500 to £9,300) Physiotherapy is needed before and after the operation, which basically deflates the offending disc. In most cases 'Wallis ligaments' (plastic spacers) have to be inserted to assist the deflated disk
Rheumatoid Arthritis (Mail 6th Nov 07) The article describes treatment of a young girl severely affected by RA from 17 onwards. Late diagnosis and delayed treatment resulted in severe damage to joints. The disease is yet another caused by an over-active auto-immune system. Pharmaceuticals are used to calm this down. The cheaper one, Methotrexate is offered first but new drugs, called anti-TNFs are becoming available to block the normally useful immune system chemical TNF. Because of cost, NICE recommends that these are only used when Methotrexate has been ineffective. Very recently a new drug, Rituximab, has been approved by NICE. People who take these drugs mostly improve but do have to take a cocktail of other drugs to counter the side effects of these .
Orencia for Rheumatoid Arthritis. (Daily Express 19th June 2007) and Lancet . In a trial of a new drug one lady (69) said that, although she had not responded to a host of drugs since the onset of Rheumatoid Arthritis at the age of 23, after just three weeks of taking Orencia (still not approved by NICE) the swelling in her hands, knees, elbows and wrists had gone down. Meanwhile she is waiting to see if the local Health Trust will fund the drug and her condition is beginning to deteriorate.
Osteoarthritis (Mail 28/08/07) is one of the commoner problems of ageing. Folk remedies have included : Wd40 !; Snake venom(one person reckoned a bite by an adder relieved his symptom for 2 months (don't try this at home, Cleopatra); Chillies: Capsaicin is used in painkilling creams and gels. A drug for injection into joints is being developed; Nettle stings (cheap but not very cheerful), Ginger pills; Leeches (have an anesthetic effect); Music (releases endorphins); Curry ( is said to prevent arthritis); Green tea (again a preventative); Rose hips (contain GOPO fatty acid); Orange juice (preventative for rheumatoid arthritis)
Frozen Shoulder (Express 19th June 2007) Stiffness and pain , usually in the non dominant shoulder. Treated with anti inflammatory pain killers.shoulder exercises and a cortisone injection. In some cases hydrodistension (a special liquid injected into the joint space) and, as a last resort, there is an operation to release the tight ligaments (usually a day case). But they nearly always get better even without treatment, though this may take up to three years.
Rheumatoid Arthritis A pen device is allowing patients with rheumatoid arthritis to inject themselves with medicine that, until now, had to be given in hospital. Small enough to fit into a pocket, it has a hidden needle to inject a drug, called Humira, that fights the pain and inflammation that damages joints. Around 350,000 people in Britain suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, which causes inflammation of the membrane lining the joints, resulting in swelling and leaving many crippled. The disease is triggered when the body's defence mechanisms go into action unnecessarily, attacking joints. As a result they become inflamed and swollen, causing pain or stiffness. As well as painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, many patients also take corticosteroids. In recent years, a new class of medicines, known as anti-TNF drugs, has emerged. In rheumatoid arthritis, a protein called TNF is present in the blood and joints in excessive amounts, where it increases inflammation. Anti-TNF drugs, such as Humira, block the action of this protein. Humira was recently approved for use on the NHS.
Heel Pain (and other foot and shin pains) I realise it is just an advertisement but Parish and Bell Clinic 020 8404 6860 (www.parishandbell.co.uk) for a free information pack on foot complaints. Clinics in South London, Newcastle and Bristol.
SKIN/HAIR
Mail Feb 03 2010 Salivary stones : An unusual one but the patient got pain and swelling in the mouth when anticipating a tempting meal ! It seems that small stones can build up, blocking one of several salivary glands in the mouth. For small ones an operation under a 'local' can be performed to extract the stone. This operation, at Guy's Dental is comparatively new and not done elsewhere. For larger ones a general anaesthetc is needed and possibly cutting from the outside.
Scar limitation (Mail 20th Oct 09) A new drug to heal wounds without scarring is being developed. Called Juvista should be available within three years but people undergoing repeat surgery are being recruited for the trials at www.revisestudy.com. However, there are things that can be done immediately or soon after the wound has healed. It is important to keep the wound covered and moist. Kinesiotape can be used. There is a silicone spray or gel called Kelocote, used by plastic surgeons. It is also available on the NHS or can be bought in pharmacies. Massaging the area with moisturisers such as Nivea or E45 is said to help (after the dressing has been removed). For bad scars, consult your GP as to whether another operation (to improve the scar) is advisable
Skin Care (Mail 16th August 09) Superdrug is selling a Moisturising Cream for £1 a pot (150ml) . Boots sell one for £19.75. Selfridges have just started to sell one for £215 (35ml). Or you can pick up a pot of La Prairie Cellular Cream Platinum Rare for a mere £600. David Fenton, Consultant dermatologist at St Johns Institute of Dermatology concludes. " If you use a product and it makes your skin feel well moisturised and you keep using it every day you will feel the benefits, whatever it's got in it. It is also recommended that you use sun protection. So will you buy the £600 version for your mug ? Not me. She can buy her own.
Hair loss (Mail June 30th 09) Some women suffer post menopausal hair loss, particularly at the front. This is called Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia (FFA). If this is noticed in time there are treatments that can be applied to restrict the scarring which damages the hair follicles. Most clinics are private but you can ask your GP for an appointment with a dermatologist
Mail 8th March 09 US manufacturer Frutels recommends two to five doses of its Acne Care choclate a day to help clear acne.
Settees and armchairs, made in China, are treated with a fungicide that can cause severe allergic reactions and eczema. Thousands of complaints have been made about the furniture, made by south China factory LinkWise and previously sold by chains including Argos, Walmsley's and Land of Leather.
Wrinkle Creams (Mail Sept 18) The makers of RoC Lift Cream (£18) (Johnson and Johnson) have been ordered to scrap its misleading adverts. They have joined a long line of others including Avon Thermafirm, Nivea DNAge, Bodyshop Wise Woman and Clarins Expertise 3P. Ladies, your purse is being ripped off, not your wrinkles. Try petroleum jelly.
Living Skin (Readers Digest Sept 08) UK company Intercytex is working with the US Armed Forces to develop skin from human fybroblasts and fibrin - a protein found in wound healing
Man boobs (Mail 22nd July) An embarrassment to some men ,and particularly to boys, these may not be just fatty tissue due to obesity but may be gynaecomastia, a growth of female gland tissue due to a hormonal imbalance. It appears to be on the increase and it is thought to because of increases of oestrogen in the water and meat and other pollution. It can be reduced by cosmetic surgery but is rarely performed under the NHS. It costs between £2000 and £4000. One surgeon said the operation had the "biggest (beneficial) effect on a patient of any procedure that he performed"
Shingles A form of virus of the herpes family which lies dormant after suffering from Chicken pox. It may never re-occur but is most likely when older or when one's immune system is weakened. It can develop anywhere on the body. If antiviral drugs, such as aciclovir, are taken in the first 48 hours, it may reduce the symptoms. After that it is down to the individuals system and it may clear quickly or may go on for years with considerable pain. See www.herpes.org.uk/shingles or www.britishpainsociety.org
Skin Tags (Mail 19 Feb 08) These are small growths that hang from the skin. The doctor can freeze or burn these off but the Mail suggests a DIY method by looping a piece of thread around the base and tying it tight. They reckon it will turn black and drop off within a few days. Keep the area clean until it heals by dabbing on surgical spirit, using cotton wool.
Psoriasis (Mail 13th Nov 07) Affects 2% of the population. Red patches with silvery scales caused by an increase in cell turnover with dead skin cells accumulating on the surface. The exact cause is unknown but it can run in families and certain genes are linked to it. It is trigerred by a variety of factors, particularly infections and physical and emotional stress. Most doctors prescribe creams and keeping the area well moisturised. In one case I recall the condition cleared up as soon as our divorced her husband ! This is not advocated as a 100% cure ! See www.psoriasis-association.org.uk
Dandruff (Mail 6th Nov 07 - Journal of the National Academy of Science) I know it is not serious but it is interesting that they have traced the DNA of the fungus (I knew I was going off!) that causes dandruff. The study, for Proctor and Gamble) which shed (!) light on this should lead to the development of better cures.
Leg Ulcers Mail 1st Jan 2008 The Mayo clinic in the USA has found improved healing of stubborn foot and leg ulcers when patients were given ultrasound therapy as well as the normal treatment.
Cellu-tights (Mail 12th July 07) Marks and Spencers £5 Spa Legcare Slimming tights, claimed to reduce thigh cellulite (dimpling) Our three trial girls didn't find much, if any, difference (or me).
URINARY SYSTEM See also Prostate under Cancer, above.
Prostate (Mail Jan 2010) The article suggested alternatives to surgery for benign enlargement of the prostate. A reader asked about a herbal medicine called saw palmetto. He had been prescribed the alpha blocker alfuzosin hydrocholide but hadn't found it effective. The article said that the herbal medicine sometimes helped and had no known side effects. But you had to give it a good trial over several weeks. The article also said that these days tests doctors investigate the size and shape of the prostate using a digital rectal examination. It said that the PSA test is only an indication as high readings can be caused by other things. There is another alpha reductase inhibitor called inasteride. Again, it may take some months to shrink the prostate.
Urinary Incontinence In women this is often the result of childbirth coupled with a reduction in oestrogen during menopause. Pelvic floor strengthening excercises (under the guidance of a phisiotherapist ) help as many as 80%. Next, the use of the drug duloxetine may be recommended. If this fails, surgery is possible and has a high success rate.
Vasectomy (Mail 12th Aug 2008) Male sterilisation is carried out during a short operation where the Vas Deferens tube, which carries sperm. Few people manage to get this reversed. It is performed under a local anaesthetic. There is some pain for up to four days after the operation. It does not result in erectile dysfunction or other ill effects, although some people complain of scrotal pain.
Stress Incontinence (Mail 12th Aug 2008) i.e. loss of urine during coughing, laughing, sneezing, lifting etc, may be helped by the insertion of two balloons (under local anaesthetic) around the neck of the bladder. These are then filled with a liquid which boosts the urethra sphincter muscles that control the flow of urine. About 70% of women are helped. Where no improvement is found the device can be removed easily.
Kidney Screening (Mail 8th April 2008) The results of a GP screening program has shown that an alarming proportion of the number screened are suffering to some degree from kidney problems. GP's are being asked to screen many people, starting with those most likely to be affected i.e. those who are obese and/or have high blood pressure and older people. The test used takes a sample of urine and analyses it for the glomerular filtration rate . It is worked out by measuring a substance called creatinine in the urine. The Gloerular rate is then calculated by computer. It is suggested that people in risk groups, or who suspect that they have kidney problems, should request a test by their GP
Incontinence (Mail 15th Jan 08) Dr Mohammad Shamin Khan (Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital/ The London Clinic) is using Botox injections on the bladder of people whose lives are made a misery by having to go urinate up to 30 times a day. The paralysing effect of Botox reduces the number of times they have to go to something manageable. The effect wears off after 9 to 12 months and further injections are required after this time
ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (April 8th 08 Mail) In a book by Simon
Singh and Edzard Ernst "Trick or Treatment ?" the authors set out what they
believe to be the true situation regarding Complementary (rather that
traditional) treatments and medicines. In brief they give a
thumbs down to Alexander Technique, Aromatherapy, Bach Flower
Remedies, Static Magnet Therapy and Chiropractic Therapy. Hypnotherapy
is said to be effective with certain conditions but NOT smoking. Osteopathy
passes for Musculoskeletal problems but not other conditions. With
regard to herbal remedies top marks go to Garlic, Ginko, Devil's
Claw, Echinacea, Horse Chestnut, St John's Wort, Hawthorn and Red Clover.
The following got a Medium rating : Black Cohosh,
Cranberry, Milk Thistle, Peppermint, Tea Tree and Valerian.
Unfortunately, apart from placebo benefits, which all treatments may
afford (if you THINK it will do you good it MAY) the following got a
thumbs down : Aloe Vera, Chamomile, Evening Primrose, Ginseng
and Lavender.
Yoga, Homeopathy and Acupuncture were dealt with on the 15th April.
Yoga was well thought of from the physical as well as mental point
of view; acupuncture might have some effect on back pain but did not
get an enthusiastic write up. In fact, some dangers were pointed out,
especially if disposable needles were not used. Scientific proof of any benefit
from Homeopathy was completely absent, apart from the placebo
effect, which applies to every cure that was ever offered since time began.
Mail April 09. Echoing the paragraph on alternative medicines (above) Prof. Lesley Regan looked at various non prescription offerings and says : she devised a 'placebo' pill and gave it to overweight people with instructions to use it alongside a low cal diet and taken before meals with a glass of water + some exercise. 70% lost weight and probably swore by the pill ! Medicines have been sold like this for many years. A percentage of people feel better, anyway. Vitamin tablets are taken by the better off (or more health conscious) who probably don't need any supplement to their diet. People with a poor diet don't take them (and could use them). The only vitamin she recommended was Folic Acid for pregnant women. She cast doubts on the use of expensive painkillers over the cheaper varieties. She found little scientificc evidence behind the claims about detox products. Enchinacea (for fighting infections) and garlic (for lowering cholestrol) came in for further praise, while Evening Primrose oil and Ginseng got yet another thumbs down. But some herbal medicines can be a little too powerful. She quoted St John's Wort as possibly stopping the contraceptive pill from working. That could be a surprise for some folk. But for all products the placebo effect was the most powerful !
So, what do the doctors do ?
Mail April 08. Doctors frequently tell us that getting enough
exercise, eating a balanced diet, quitting smoking and cutting back on alcohol
are vital if we want to stay in good health. But are there things these
specialists also do as part of their own routine in order to maximise general
wellbeing? To find out, we asked a broad range of medical professionals
and practitioners to pass on their personal tips for maintaining good
health.
Apologies, the OMG comments are mine ! One sometimes wonders about
specialists.
TRY TO BRUSH YOUR TEETH ON ONE LEG (Sorry, couldn't bend down that far!) Leicester-based chiropractor Tim Hutchful says: "When I'm brushing my teeth I stand on one leg, as this works the core stability muscles which protect our back and which don't get used enough - particularly if you have a sedentary lifestyle. This exercise also helps restore balance and improve posture, since we often have a tendency to lean to one side. Stand on your left leg first until you start to feel too wobbly and then do the same with the right." (OMG1)
KEEP A MIRROR BY YOUR DESK Simon Costain of the Centre for Gait and Posture in London says: "A quick glance at the mirror by my desk tells me whether I have subconsciously slipped into a slouch, a position which puts pressure on the back, shoulders and neck. Seeing your reflection is a great way to force yourself to sit up straight." (and , anyway, you can admire yourself)
SHOE SHOP AT THE END OF THE DAY Mike O'Neil, a podiatric surgeon based at Princess Margaret Hospital in Windsor, says: "When I need new shoes, I go shopping at the end of the day. Feet swell up throughout the day due to heat and activity so buying at this time means you are trying on shoes when your feet are at their largest, so you avoid a bad fit."
HAVE BREAKFAST BEFORE BED Dr Andrew Dowson, director of headache services at King's College Hospital, London, says: "In the absence of food, our body uses sugar from its energy stores and this mechanism can trigger migraine or a headache. By eating, say, a bowl of cereal just before bedtime, we mitigate the potential headache problems."
TAKE ANTIHISTAMINES WITH YOU ON OUTINGS Sean Woodward, a pharmacist and member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, says: "Whenever I go out for the day - particularly during summer - I take antihistamines. I also pack them when I go on holiday. They're great for insect bites and if taken immediately they rapidly reduce irritation to a point where you might hardly know you've been bitten. Waiting until you get home means the discomfort can become far more acute."
BRUSH YOUR TEETH BEFORE BREAKFAST Dr Lance Knight, a dental surgeon based in Manchester, says: "As we sleep, bacteria and plaque form on our teeth. If we have breakfast without brushing this away, the bacteria multiplies thanks to any sugar and acid in the food which, in turn, increases the risk of tooth decay.'Brushing not only removes the bacteria but also allows the fluoride in the toothpaste to coat the teeth, protecting them against acid and sugar."
WEAR SUNBLOCK EVERY DAY Norman Waterhouse, a plastic surgeon based at the Wellington Hospital in London, says: "There's a great deal of merit in using sun cream right through the winter in order to protect the skin from the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays. It doesn't have to be too high - an SPF of 15 to 20 is enough. But this should rise to 30 or 40 in the summer, even if the sun doesn't feel that strong. 'I've seen and treated a lot of sundamaged skin which could have been avoided if people had used sunblock." (OMG2)
WEAR EAR PLUGS WHEN MOWING THE LAWN Angela King, senior audiologist with the Royal National Institute for the Deaf, says: "You might not think it but regular, routine practices can have a high decibel level - more than 85 decibels will damage hearing but a lawnmower can reach 94 decibels. Whenever I'm doing noisy household jobs such as mowing the lawn or DIY, I wear earplugs." (OMG3)
TAKE YOUR GLASSES OFF TO RELIEVE FATIGUE Andrew Lotery, Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Southampton, says: "Being short-sighted, whenever I feel tired I take my glasses off for a few minutes, stop what I'm doing such as reading or watching TV and close my eyes. This prevents the eye focusing on anything in particular, relaxes eye muscles, and the strain which causes fatigue is relieved."
TAKE YOUR JACKET OFF WHEN YOU GET TO WORK Robin Shepherd, acting chairman of the General Osteopathic Council, says: "If I have to wear a suit, I'll take the jacket off as soon as possible. Any form of restrictive clothing can distort posture and lead to back pain. It also forces us to breathe using the upper part of the lungs, which creates tension in the shoulders and affects posture as well as breathing."
SPIT, DON'T RINSE, WHEN BRUSHING TEETH Dr Henry Clover, senior dental adviser with dental payment provider Denplan, says: "I always spit out rather than rinse away what is left in my mouth after I've finished brushing my teeth. Rinsing after brushing reduces the effectiveness of your fluoride because you wash it away. "For this reason, don't use mouthwash straight after either."
SLEEP IN SILK SHEETS TO BEAT DRY SKIN Dr Sarah Brewer, a GP and independent medical nutritionist, says: "Having dry skin, I prefer to sleep in silk sheets. Not only do they feel so much more comfortable, but they polish rather than scratch the skin's surface so that it feels less itchy. Silk is also less allergenic, so is good for asthma and eczema sufferers."
SLEEP ON YOUR BACK if you want to be beautiful. Angelica Kavouni, a Harley Street cosmetic surgeon, says: "I always try to sleep on my back. Sleeping on your side or front squashes the face into the pillow and increases the chances of lines and wrinkles. This is particularly true of the nasal-labial fold, which is the line that runs from the nose to the mouth. Whenever you wake up during the night and find yourself on your side or front, switch to your back (OMG4)
But LIE ON YOUR RIGHT TO BEAT INDIGESTION Dr Sarah Burnett, consultant physician at an independent practice in London, says: "If I feel like I've over-eaten or suffer with indigestion after a heavy meal, I lie down on my right side. The gullet joins the stomach on the left side of the body so by lying on the right, food can move more effectively through the digestive tract." (OMG5)
LIMIT HAIR BRUSHING AND DON'T TOWEL-DRY YOUR HAIR Dr Benjamin Farjo, a hair restoration surgeon, says: "Rather then towel-drying my hair, I prefer to blot it or let it dry naturally - rubbing can break and destroy the outer layer of the hair shaft. I also prefer a wide tooth comb as this limits damage to hair. The more you brush, more damage you do to the shaft, which can contribute to thinning."
FREEZE SOFT TOYS TO KILL OFF DUST MITES Dr Steve Turner, a consultant pediatrician specialising in allergies at the University of Dundee, says: "Keeping children's soft toys clean is nigh impossible, and it's not always ideal to put them in the washing machine. However, droppings from dust mites do get onto these toys and can aggravate a child's eczema or asthma. When I can't wash toys, I put them in the freezer. At temperatures of below -20c, the mites die." (OMG6 would you like dust mite faeces with that ?)
WALK TO WORK AND LEAVE YOUR CAR KEYS THERE Dr Mel Lobo, a consultant physician in cardiovascular medicine at Barts and the London NHS Trust, says: "I hate the pressure of having to go to the gym so I fit plenty of walking into my daily routine. Walking for 40 minutes a day is highly beneficial for cardiovascular health and can reduce blood pressure which, left undetected, can lead to fatal conditions such as stroke. "When I needed to get rid of my old car ten years ago I never replaced it and this has forced me to walk everywhere since. If you don't want to do anything that drastic, leave the keys in the office a couple of times a week, then you'll be forced to walk there and back." (but have a spare set in case of emergencies !) (OMG7)
WHEN EATING OUT, ONLY LOOK AT THE FISH MENU Professor Karol Sikora, leading cancer specialist and medical director of Cancer Partners UK, says: "When I'm in a restaurant I don't even look at the meat dishes on the menu - instead, I only choose from the fish. We need to eat more fish because it is lower in fat and oily varieties are high in omega oils, all of which are beneficial for joints and allround health. By not looking at meat options, which can be high in saturated fat, I avoid the temptation and force myself to eat more fish."
WORK ONLY THE HOURS YOU'RE PAID TO WORK Dr Jan Wise, a London-based psychiatrist, says: "Maintaining a work/life balance is vital for good health so stop yourself working longer than the hours you are paid to do. If you don't, this will eat into the time you have apportioned for leisure or out-of-work activity, put you under pressure and increase stress. "Stress is the root cause of a lot of my patients problems and the reason why people start to think they are no longer in control of their lives. (Lucky Jan) You can beat stress in more practical ways by taking up exercise such as swimming and cycling."
TAKE A LIVE PROBIOTIC Tom MacDonald, Professor of Immunology at Barts and the London School of Medicine, says: "I have a probiotic drink every day in order to maintain the healthy balance of beneficial bacteria in the gut and protect against digestive problems. "But I only buy those that contain live organisms, since these are the only ones which have any real benefit. So, if you're going to take a probiotic, make sure that it contains live bacteria." (keep a microscope handy by the 'fridge)
BUY SNACKS YOU DON'T LIKE (!) Victoria Taylor, dietitian for the British Heart Foundation, says: "If I'm buying snacks for the other people in my house or for visitors, then I make sure I buy flavours or varieties I don't particularly like. It makes me less tempted to eat them myself." (OMG7)
TRY NEW FRUIT AND VEG Dr Peter Mace, medical director of BUPA Wellness, says: "When shopping for fruit and vegetables or eating in a restaurant, I always choose varieties I haven't tried before. The more types you eat, the greater the exposure you get to the broad range of micronutrients found in fruit and vegetables, which are essential for good health."
ORDER SODA WATER FOR HEARTBURN Dr Jesme Fox, medical director of the Roy Castle Lung Foundation, says: "If I'm out in a social situation, say having dinner, and I get heartburn, a quick way to relieve it is to order soda (not tonic) water. Soda water is alkaline and will neutralise the acid that causes heartburn."
OPEN THE WINDOW AT BEDTIME Dr Neil Stanley, a sleep research expert based
at the Clinical Research and Trials Unit at the Norfolk and Norwich University
Hospital, says: "No matter how cold it is outside, I sleep with the window
open. Body temperature needs to drop for us to fall asleep easily and many
people make the mistake of keeping their bedrooms too warm (ideal temperature
is around 16c). "If I do toss and turn, I get out of bed and then get back
in again. We change positions around 40 times a night and lying on your arm
or with your neck slightly bent can cause subliminal discomfort and prevent
us falling asleep. Getting out of bed forces us to reposition ourselves properly
before we go to sleep."
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