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2010-9-8 Statins may cut arthritis risk, study suggests Israeli researchers looked at 1.8m patients and found fewer incidents of the joint condition among those who took the cholesterol-busting drugs.It was thought statins could ease symptoms in those already diagnosed by stopping the over-production of tissue between the joints.But the Maccabi Healthcare Services Research Institute study suggested they could stop it developing altogether.The team discovered 2,500 cases of rheumatoid arthritis, the debilitating inflammation of the joints which affects about one in 100 people.They found that those people who were on statins, now commonly prescribed to prevent heart attacks, were 50% less likely to develop the condition than those who were not regularly taking the drugs.The relationship in this trial between adherence to statin therapy and incidence of rheumatoid arthritis is unclear, but the work builds on existing knowledge.However, the researchers acknowledged that the work, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, now needed to be confirmed in other populations.Jane Tadman, of Arthritis Research UK, said: "Our own published research and that of researchers in Japan has shown a modest but significant effect on inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis, and this latest piece of research adds further evidence of this link."We now need larger clinical trials to confirm further that statins can reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis." 2010-9-1 MS activity alters with seasons, US researchers say The severity of multiple sclerosis (MS) may change with the seasons, say US researchers.Brain scans of patients compared with weather patterns at the time showed higher levels of disease activity in the spring and summer.The US researchers said the findings had implications for testing new medicines, which may show up different results depending on the time of year.It is not clear why warmer weather would have this effect.Other studies have shown that vitamin D from exposure to sunlight may have a protective effect against MS - a long-term inflammatory condition of the central nervous system.For the study, researchers compared MRI brain scans of 44 people taken from 1991 to 1993 to daily temperature, solar radiation and precipitation measurements over the same time. The adults in the study, who had untreated MS, had eight weekly scans followed by eight scans every fortnight then six monthly check-ups - an average of 22 scans per person. After one year, 310 new brain lesions were found in 31 people, they reported in Neurology. The lesions were up to three times more likely to appear in the warmer spring and summer months.Further analysis also showed that there was a link between both new disease activity and intensity of disease activity and the warmer months. 2010-8-30 Anti-whaling NGOs warn of 'contaminated' whale meat Environmental and animal-welfare groups are urging the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to persuade the World Health Organization (WHO) to act over fears about eating whale meat.The coalition of organisations wants the WHO to issue guidelines amid fears about the safety of the meat.The groups say whale meat is highly contaminated with mercury and should not be eaten.But whaling nations say they already have health guidelines in place.For the past weeks, anti-whaling activists have been drafting a letter aimed at persuading governments to act, in particular, trying to draw attention to the issue of consuming meat of smaller whales and dolphins, known as small cetaceans.It's quite wrong to use the term 'health hazard'”They say dangerously high levels of mercury accumulate up the food chain. Small cetaceans, like tooth whales and pilot whales, are near the top of it and therefore a lot more toxic compounds tend to accumulate in these mammals' tissues than in smaller inhabitants of the marine world, warn the NGOs.Currently, the WHO does not have any guidelines regarding the consumption of whale meat, but its website does list mercury as one of the top 10 chemicals of major public health concern.The groups are hoping that their efforts will prompt the WHO to issue such advice in the near future. 2010-8-30 Medicine errors 'could harm children' Using household spoons to measure them out could mean a potentially dangerous overdose, they say.Children under five are at the highest risk of accidental overdose.The study, presented in Lisbon, tested 97 adults and found 61% measured the wrong dose - 17% measured an overdose and 44% did not give enough.Dr Rebekah Moles, from the University of Sydney, recruited 97 people visiting day-care centres catering for under-fives from the city.Of these, 53 were mothers, seven were fathers and the rest were day care staff.We were surprised and concerned to find that some people thought that medicines must be safe because you can buy them without prescription.”For example they told the parent that their youngest child felt hot and irritable, but was still drinking, eating and playing.Common over-the-counter medicines were made available, together with a selection of spoons and other dosing devices, and the volunteers chose at what point they would use a medicine, and measured out the dose themselves.Dr Moles said: "Taking all the scenarios together, 61% of the participants would have given an incorrect dose, and only 75% were able to measure accurately what dose they intended to give."n total, 17% measured out an overdose of the drug, and 44% did not give enough."We found that 7% would give a medicine without taking their child's temperature, and 46% would give medicine when the temperature was less than 38 degrees."In total, only 14% managed the scenario correctly. 2010-8-25 Lab made cornea offers new hope for restored vision Produced entirely from synthetic collagen, the implants offer the tantalising possibility for a replacement to human donor tissues.The custom-made corneas work by prompting regeneration of the nerves and cells in the eye.This is the first time vision has been restored in this way.Our ability to see depends on the cornea, the transparent layer that covers the pupil, iris and front of the eye. Made entirely of collagen, it refracts light to focus images on the retina.Damage to the cornea is the second biggest cause of blindness worldwide, affecting nearly 10 million people. In countries where tissue banking is possible, corneal damage and disease is treated by implanting human donor corneas. But there is a worldwide shortage.The "biosynthetic" implants were made from a synthetic version of human collagen designed to mimic the cornea as closely as possible. Fibrogen, the company that made the implants used yeast and human DNA sequences to create the custom corneas. Diseased tissue was removed from the corneas of 10 patients and replaced with the implants. They were then followed for two years after surgery to monitor how well the implants were incorporated into the eye. In six of the patients, vision improved from about 20/400 to 20/100 which means they could see objects four times further away than before the operation.Sight was restored in all 10 patients who received the artificial implants. However, a number of the patients needed additional assistance from contact lenses. 2010-8-18 Predictive blood test for TB 'a step closer' A DNA fingerprint in the blood shows promise in identifying which carriers of TB will go on to get symptoms and spread the infection.Such a test would allow earlier diagnosis and treatment of the lung disease, potentially saving many lives.Experts say the research, published in Nature, is "remarkable" but needs to be proven by further work.Tuberculosis, or TB, is an infectious bacterial disease of the lungs, causing symptoms such as coughing, chest pains and weight loss. Someone in the world is newly infected with TB every second, with nearly two million deaths each year.Only around one in 10 people infected with TB go on to develop the active form of disease.Currently, although a skin or blood test can show if someone is harbouring TB, but not showing symptoms, it is impossible to predict who will get the full-blown disease.Researchers from the UK, US and South Africa examined the genetic signature in the blood of patients with active TB.The same genetic markers were found in about 10% of patients with latent infections, suggesting they are candidates for the full-blown form of the disease.These patients will now be followed up in the future, to see if they do go on to get symptoms. 2010-8-12 Pea plant grows inside man's lung A Massachusetts man who was rushed to hospital with a collapsed lung came home with an unusual diagnosis: a pea plant was growing in his lung.Ron Sveden had been battling emphysema for months when his condition deteriorated.He was steeling himself for a cancer diagnosis when X-rays revealed the growth in his lung.Doctors believe that Mr Sveden ate the pea at some point, but it "went down the wrong way" and sprouted."One of the first meals I had in the hospital after the surgery had peas for the vegetable. I laughed to myself and ate them," Mr Sveden told a local Boston TV reporter. Mr Sveden said the plant was about half an inch (1.25cm) in size. "Whether this would have gone full-term and I'd be working for the Jolly Green Giant, I don't know. I think the thing that finally dawned on me is that it wasn't the cancer," Mr Sveden said.He is currently recovering at home with his wife Nancy, who joked that God must have a sense of humour. 2010-7-8 Fast food 'fuelling Asia diabetes boom' Many Vietnamese have diabetes but are unaware of it - and the condition is spreading fast in South East Asia, scientists have warned.A study by Australian and Vietnamese scientists found about 11% of men and 12% of women in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City had undiagnosed type 2 diabetes. This was in addition to the 4% of people who had been diagnosed.The scientists, from Australia's Garvan Institute of Medical Research, blamed changing lifestyles and fast food."Dietary patterns have been changing dramatically in Vietnam in recent years, particularly in the cities as they become more Westernised," said Professor Tuan Nguyen of the Sydney-based institute. "There are fast food outlets everywhere," he said, adding that similar studies in Thailand reinforced the link."Because of that, we feel very confident that we can extrapolate our findings to other parts of South East Asia including Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia and Laos," he said.The study was based on a sample of more than 2,000 people. The condition is caused by high levels of sugar and fat in the diet and inadequate exercise.The most common form of diabetes can lead to heart disease, vision loss and kidney failure. 2010-7-5 EU rules on pregnant workers' pay But while on maternity leave they are not guaranteed the full amount, or to be paid an on-call duty allowance, the European Court of Justice said.The ruling - binding across the EU - was prompted by two cases involving women in Austria and Finland.Both took a pay cut during pregnancy.They then took their cases to court to argue they should not have lost pay because of their pregnancies.The judges in Luxembourg said that when pregnant women were no longer doing specific tasks rewarded by extra payments then there was no automatic entitlement to those payments.But a pregnant worker granted leave from work or temporarily transferred to another job because of her pregnancy should be paid the money they were earning before the move, they said.The court said those workers "must be entitled to remuneration consisting of her basic monthly pay and the pay components and supplementary allowances relating to her occupational status, such as those relating to her seniority, length of service and professional qualifications". 2010-7-5 Pregnant women 'must take vitamin D supplements' The team at University College London Institute of Child Health says official bodies currently offer conflicting advice.Writing in the British Journal of Nutrition, they say there is a "strong case" for a daily dose of vitamin D in pregnancy.But one leading expert said more evidence was needed.The Department of Health advises pregnant women to ensure they receive a certain level of vitamin D - 10 micrograms per day. The researchers say this in effect endorses use of supplements, because diet and the sun provide too little.But the National Institute of health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) said in its guidance that it did not support supplements. It has instead said that women should simply "be informed" about the importance of having adequate vitamin D levels during their pregnancy and while breastfeeding - adding that some women may choose to do this via supplements.Additionally, pregnant women on low incomes are entitled to a range of nutrients - including vitamin D - as part of the Healthy Start Scheme. 2010-6-17 Lung cancer risk 'cut by B vitamin' People with plenty of a B-vitamin in their blood appear to be at a reduced risk of lung cancer, even if they smoke, a European study suggests. High levels of Vitamin B6 and the amino acid methionine cut the risk by half, a study of 400,000 people suggested. These occur naturally in nuts, fish and meat or can be taken as supplements. But experts told the Journal of the American Medical Association that stopping smoking remained the best way of reducing lung cancer risk. And, as yet, it is too early to say that taking vitamins would provide any extra protection, they say. Higher vitamin levels could simply reflect healthier lifestyles. More studies are needed before scientists can be confident that increasing levels of B-vitamins in the diet can reduce the risk of lung cancer, and also to understand why this might be, says the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) which was involved in the research. 2010-6-6 Gene test hope for personalised cancer therapy Cancer Research UK hope that the project will analyse the tumours of up to 6,000 patients a year for a range of genetic defects.The results will guide doctors in choosing the most effective therapy for that patient. The charity predicts such tests could become routine within five years.Due to be launched in the autumn, the project will examine how best to roll out genetic testing across the NHS. Six centres will be set up around the country where scientists will classify a patient's tumour according to the specific genetic mutations it carries. Patients will then be offered drug treatment based on the genetic make-up of their cancer. Potentially, such an approach could save the NHS money by cutting prescribing of expensive treatments which are unlikely to work. Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said scientists have now discovered enough genetic markers and drugs for such testing to make a real difference. Cancer drugs which have been developed in recent years to specifically target a genetic mutation, include the breast cancer treatment Herceptin. 2010-5-26 Alcohol prescriptions on the rise A total of 150,445 prescription items for two specific drugs were dispensed in 2009, up 12% from 2008. However the figures may be a marker of a greater willingness to seek treatment, and doctors to offer it. In 2007, the last time figures were released, the number of men displaying alcohol dependency had in fact fallen. In 2009 nearly 95,000 prescription items were dispensed of Acamprosate calcium, which helps restore the brain's chemical balance to reduce a patient's withdrawal symptoms from alcohol. During the same time period just over 55,500 prescription items were dispensed of Disulfiram, which causes a severe and unpleasant reaction in the patient if they drink alcohol. This was at a cost of £2.38m. The number of men with symptoms of alcohol dependency fell between 2000 and 2007, from 11.5% of men aged 16 to 74 to 9.3%. The dependency was for the most part categorised as mild. At 4%, the number of women with symptoms of alcohol dependency remained unchanged over that period. 2010-5-19 'Sausage not steak' increases heart disease risk Eating processed meat such as sausages increases the likelihood of heart disease, while red meat does not seem to be as harmful, a study suggests.A Harvard University team which looked at studies involving over one million people found just 50g of processed meat a day also raised the risk of diabetes. But there was no such risk from eating even twice as much unprocessed meat, such as beef, lamb or pork. This was despite the fact the two forms of meat have a similar fat content. Writing in the journal Circulation, the researchers speculated that given the similar quantities of cholesterol and saturated fats, the difference may be explained by the salt and preservatives added to processed meats. This is defined as any meat preserved by smoking, curing or salting and includes bacon, sausages, salami and other luncheon meats. Salt can increase blood pressure in some people, a key risk factor for heart disease. In animal experiments, nitrate preservatives can promote atherosclerosis and reduce glucose tolerance, which can in turn lead to heart problems and diabetes. 2010-5-13 Eating nuts can lower cholesterol, say experts The review of 25 studies, involving nearly 600 people, showed eating on average 67g of nuts - a small bag - a day reduced cholesterol levels by 7.4%. The US Loma Linda University team believes nuts may help prevent the absorption of cholesterol. UK experts said the research showed nuts were an important part of a healthy diet, but warned against eating nuts covered in sugar or salt. Previous work has indicated eating nuts regularly is beneficial, but the Archives of Internal Medicine study set out to put an accurate figure on the effect.The people involved ate 67g of nuts a day on average, over a period of three to eight weeks. As well as improving cholesterol levels, it also reduced the amount of triglyceride, a type of blood fat that has been linked to heart disease. However, the impact was least pronounced among the overweight. It is not yet clear why nuts have this effect, although one suggestion is that it is down to the plant sterols they contain, which are thought to interfere with cholesterol absorption. Lead researcher Joan Sabate said increasing nut consumption as part of a healthy diet should be recommended. He added: "The effects of nut consumption were dose related, and different types of nuts had similar effects." Ellen Mason, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, agreed, but she urged people to go for unsalted nuts. "Apart from salted peanuts at the pub, nuts in sugary cereals or the traditional Christmas selection, nuts have been largely lacking in our diets in the UK," she added. The study was carried out by independent researchers, although it was partly funded by the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research and Education Foundation. 1 2 3 4 5 Next