Obesity linked to rise in kidney cancer

April 2nd, 2012

The number of cases of kidney cancer has quadrupled between 1975 and 2009. Experts believe that the rise is linked to obesity levels.

Obesity is known to increase the risk of kidney cancer by 70%, which has a bigger impact than smoking. Obesity is also known to increase the risk of other cancers, including breast cancer, bowel cancer and womb cancer.

Cancer Research UK warn that not enough people understand the link between obesity and increased cancer risk. Increased weight can lead to higher levels of some types of hormones being produced in the body, which can in turn help cause cancer.

Smoking is widely known to cause cancer and UK smoking rates have been falling in the last 35 years. However, the levels of obesity in the UK have been rising. People are classed as obese if their body mass index is 25 or higher and in the UK, it is estimated that 70% of men and 60% of women are now obese.

Kidney cancer rates have increased to approximately 9,000 cases and it is now the eighth most common type of cancer. It can be surgically cured if caught early enough and the five year survival rate for the disease has significantly increased since the 1970’s.

A spokesperson for Cancer Research UK said: “Cancer Research UK has helped to develop new drugs which destroy the blood supply to the kidney cancers. These drugs control the disease in most patients but do not cure it. It is best to prevent the problem in the first place.

Maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking are the best ways of doing that.”

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Full face transplant success in America

March 30th, 2012

A man in the USA has been given a full face transplant after suffering a gun accident 15 years ago.

The US military paid for his treatment in the hope that techniques learned will assist soldiers who are injured and disfigured in combat.

Now aged 37, Richard Lee Norris suffered massive disfiguration and lived a solitary life after accidentally shooting himself in the face. The injuries he sustained included complete loss of his jaw and lips.

The transplant involved him receiving an entire face from the base of the neck to the crown of his head. He also received a new nose, new teeth and a new jaw. Surgeons also used computer models to assess the damage in his face so that they could transplant tongue, nerves and muscle, removing all scar tissue from previous surgeries in the process.

The transplant took 36 hours to complete and is said to have been so successful that Mr Norris was able to brush his new teeth and shave within a week of its completion. He also regained his sense of smell and could feel his own face.

Although he does not look like the donor, his new face is said to be a combination of his previous facial structure and the donor’s. The lead surgeon, Eduardo Rodriguez, said: “Our goal is to restore function as well as have aesthetically pleasing results.”

Five other patients received organs from the same donor when the operations were performed early in March.

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Government announce extra funding for dementia research

March 29th, 2012

The Prime Minister has announced that the research funding for dementia will be doubled to £66 million by 2015.

Dementia currently affects approximately 800,000 people in the UK and is expected to rise to over a million in the next ten years. The total cost to the NHS, family and friends caring for dementia patients is estimated to be around £23 billion.

The costs associated to dementia are double the amount spent on cancer and triple the amount spent on heart disease, yet both other diseases receive significantly higher research funding and will continue to do so.

David Cameron, the Prime Minister, has indicated that the disease should be treated as a national crisis and the extra research funding should help the UK become a world leader in both dementia research and dementia care.

Mr Cameron said: “Dementia is simply a terrible disease. And it is a scandal that we as a country haven’t kept pace with it. The level of diagnosis, understanding and awareness of dementia is shockingly low. It is as though we’ve been in collective denial.”

The rise in research funding will be accompanied by the creation of 20 ‘dementia friendly communities.’ These will be designed to help the state work with people and businesses to meet the support needs of patients.

The Department of Health will also run a public awareness campaign and provide financial incentives for hospitals to carry out more checks for the disease.

The announcement has been welcomed by Alzheimer’s charities as a turning point for the future of dementia care services.

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Apsrin can help in fight against cancer

March 26th, 2012

Recent research from Oxford University has suggested that a small daily dose of Asprin can help to prevent cancer and may also help to treat it.

The research indicated that a daily dose of between 75mg and 300mg of Asprin over three years appeared to reduce the number of cancer cases by 25%. At the same time, the risk of dying from cancer fell by 15% for the first five years, and this fell to 37% if the patient continued taking the drug beyond five years.

Previous research had suggested that people would need to take Asprin for 10 years before receiving any benefit.
The research also indicated that the number metastatic cancers were also reduced as a result of taking low amounts of cancers. Metastatic cancers describe cancers where the tumor spreads from one part of the body to another and the research suggested that Asprin had a differing level of success in preventing different cancers from spreading.

Many people already take Asprin to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. However, it can also increase the risk of potentially fatal internal bleeding, particularly within the first few years of taking it.

Experts recommend discussing the risks and gains with a doctor before considering taking a regular dose. They are calling for the government to publish some definitive advice for prescribing the drug.

The Department of Health have indicated that they are looking into the best method of advising the public over the use of Asprin.

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Deaths from liver disease at record high

March 25th, 2012

Figures from the NHS have revealed that over the last ten years, the number of deaths related to liver disease have risen by 25% and are now at a record high.

The numbers of people who died from liver disease in 2001 was 9,231. This rose to 11,575 by 2009. Experts indicate that the leading causes of liver disease are largely preventable and are calling for more to be done to address the problem.
The rise in deaths from liver disease have been attributed to heavy drinking, obesity and hepatitis.

A breakdown in the figures also shows that people in the North West and North East of England had the highest rate of death from liver disease, whilst people in the East and South West had the lowest.

Furthermore, the figures also showed that the majority of deaths from liver disease occurred in people under the age of 70. The condition accounts for approximately a tenth of all deaths in people in their 40s, whilst there has also been significant rises in liver disease in younger people.

The condition also appears to have caused more deaths in men than women.

A spokesperson from the Department of Health said: “These figures are a stark reminder of the preventable damage that eating too much and drinking too much alcohol can do. Urgent action is needed to halt this trend. Our upcoming liver strategy will set out our plans on this issue, drawing on our plans to tackle problem drinking and obesity.”

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Differences in arm blood pressure indicate death risk

March 22nd, 2012

A recent study from the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Exeter has shown that measuring blood pressure in both arms can give an indication of an increased risk of dying at an earlier age.

The study involved 230 patients in Devon who were followed for a period of ten years. Each had been diagnosed with high blood pressure and the researchers compared the systolic blood pressure readings taken from both the right and left arms of each patient.

The results indicated that if the patient’s two blood pressure readings had a difference of over 10mm Hg, then they had a bigger risk of dying early from heart problems such as heart attack or stroke.

Other studies have indicated that big differences in blood pressure readings in both arms could indicate an increased risk of vascular disease.

The national guidelines for measuring blood pressure indicate that it should be taken from both arms, but not all medics follow them.

Experts are suggesting that both doctors and people who routinely measure their own blood pressure at home, should make sure that they follow the guidelines in future.

A spokesperson for the British Heart Foundation said: “This study supports national guidelines, which recommend that blood pressure readings are taken in both arms. It is normal to have a small difference in your blood pressure readings between arms. However, a big difference between your readings may carry risks, so more tests could be needed to check your heart health.”

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Scientists begin new stroke hibernation study

March 20th, 2012

A Europe-wide study into the treatment of stroke cases by cooling the body and placing the patient into a state of hibernation is set to begin soon.

The study is to involve 1,500 patients across Europe and about 200 of them will be from the UK.

It is due to begin in September this year and will run for 4 years.

After being admitted to hospital, stroke victims will be asked if they want to participate in the trial. Relatives can also give consent for some patients who are unable to do so.

The treatment involves using cooling pads and intravenous fluids to lower the patient’s body temperature by 2 degrees.
It is thought that when the body is cooled, either the brain needs less oxygen to operate or another defence mechanism is triggered in the brain cells. Some smaller studies have suggested that the treatment is more effective when used within 6 hours of suffering a stroke.

However, the researchers need the larger study to find out if it has any substantial benefit.

The treatment has previously been used in some heart attack cases and birth injuries. The researchers hope it will help reduce the number of deaths and brain injury in stroke victims and increase recovery rates.

There are few stroke treatments currently available and as such this study has caused some excitement in the field. It is also being followed closely by the European Space Agency who are interested in the potential of using hibernation in long haul space travel.

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Charity warns of MS nurse shortage in Wales

March 17th, 2012

The Multiple Sclerosis Society Cymru have raised concerns over a shortage of specialist MS nurses in some areas of Wales.

They indicate that there are 13 specialist MS nurses in Wales, but only one was present in North Wales and none in Powys.

However, there are approximately 4,000 people in Wales who suffer from MS. As such, there is only 1 nurse per 308 suffers and the charity are concerned about a ‘postcode lottery’ for service provision.

MS is a neurological condition which affects around 100,000 people in the UK. Women are twice as likely to develop the condition than men and about 80% of sufferers have the Relapsing Remitting MS (RRMS) form.

A new drug called Fingolimod has been introduced as an alternative treatment to the current series of injections and hospital infusions used to treat the condition. Whilst the drug is twice as effective at reducing relapses of RRMS, it doesn’t benefit all sufferers of the condition.

The charity are calling for all health boards in Wales to to adopt the use of the new drug. At the same time, they point out that MS nurses are the people who really understand the disease and they are ‘people really who provide the gateway for people with MS.’

A spokesperson for the Welsh government indicated that they were working on improving MS services. They added: “It is for individual health boards to ensure they have the correct skill mix and staff levels to support people who suffer with multiple sclerosis.”

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Eye test may help diagnose brain health

March 16th, 2012

Research from the US has suggested that damage seen on the retina of the eye may help to indicate declining brain function.

The research involved 511 women over the age of 64 for a period of ten years. Of these patients, 39 were diagnosed with retinopathy. Brain scans indicated more areas of damaged brain tissue in people with the condition and they also performed worse in tests of brain function, such as memory and abstract reasoning tests.

Retinopathy can lead to blindness and is common in patients who suffer from Type 2 Diabetes.

The researchers believe that issues with blood supply that can cause the disease also cause damage to the brain.
The researchers suggest that identifying damage to the tiny blood vessels in the eye during an eye test could give a valuable early indication of brain health problems.

However, they also indicate that only a small number of patients were involved in the study. An even smaller number were diagnosed with retinopathy and whilst some had exhibited signs of brain decline, which can be an early sign of dementia none had developed the condition. They added that more research was needed.

A spokesperson for Alzheimer’s Research UK, indicated that the research adds to the evidence linking vascular health to cognitive decline and highlights the importance of looking after our hearts. They added: “Accurate early detection of the cognitive decline that can be associated with dementia could unlock our ability to treat it. This small study offers clues for another possible route doctors could consider when monitoring for the signs of cognitive decline.”

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BMA recommend weekend consultants in hospitals

March 15th, 2012

A growing amount of research has indicated that there is an increased death rate in hospitals over the weekend.

The chairman for the British Medical Association, Dr Mark Porter, has now suggested that hospital consultants should now consider working over the weekend to help address the issue.

Consultant cover over the weekend is common in the intensive care and A&E departments, but most other areas only require a consultant to be on call. It has been suggested that this contributes to an increased death rate by as much as 10% over the weekend.

There has been some changing to normal working patterns in some NHS trusts, but Dr Porter has called for this to become more common.

A spokesperson from the NHS Confederation welcomed the suggestion and pointed out that having a consultant present is very different to having one on call. However, they also raised the issue of cost. Hospitals can’t afford to employ more consultants and it may be that they would have to reconfigure their services.

However, Ministers are considering offering some financial incentives to help hospitals improve their weekend services.
Sir Bruce Keogh, the medical director for the NHS, said: “Having more senior staff and consultants around at weekends is fundamental to the NHS shifting from a five-day-week to a seven-day-week. It will mean better support for junior doctors and key decisions, like what tests to run, what treatment to give and whether to operate – can be made more quickly.”

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