Healthy Solutions

Alzheimer's: Diet 'can stop brain shrinking'

2011-12-30T20:54:00.001+07:00

By Helen Briggs
Health editor, BBC News website

Diet affected tests of memory and thinking skills

A diet rich in vitamins and fish may protect the brain from ageing while junk food has the opposite effect, research suggests.

Elderly people with high blood levels of vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids had less brain shrinkage and better mental performance, a Neurology study found.

Trans fats found in fast foods were linked to lower scores in tests and more shrinkage typical of Alzheimer's.

A UK medical charity has called for more work into diet and dementia risk.

The best current advice is to eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, not smoke, take regular exercise and keep blood pressure and cholesterol in check, said Alzheimer's Research UK.

“There is a clear need for conclusive evidence about the effect of diet on our risk of Alzheimer's, which can only come from large-scale, long-term studies”

Dr Simon Ridley Alzheimer's Research UK

The research looked at nutrients in blood, rather than relying on questionnaires to assess a person's diet.

US experts analysed blood samples from 104 healthy people with an average age of 87 who had few known risk factors for Alzheimer's.

They found those who had more vitamin B, C, D and E in their blood performed better in tests of memory and thinking skills. People with high levels of omega 3 fatty acids - found mainly in fish - also had high scores. The poorest scores were found in people who had more trans fats in their blood.

Trans fats are common in processed foods, including cakes, biscuits and fried foods.

The researchers, from Oregon Health and Science University, Portland; Portland VA Medical Center; and Oregon State University, Corvallis, then carried out brain scans on 42 of the participants.

They found individuals with high levels of vitamins and omega 3 in their blood were more likely to have a large brain volume; while those with high levels of trans fat had a smaller total brain volume.

Study author Gene Bowman of Oregon Health and Science University said: "These results need to be confirmed, but obviously it is very exciting to think that people could potentially stop their brains from shrinking and keep them sharp by adjusting their diet."

'Strong potential'

Co-author Maret Traber of the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University said: "The vitamins and nutrients you get from eating a wide range of fruits, vegetables and fish can be measured in blood biomarkers.

Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia
Symptoms include loss of memory, mood changes, and problems with communication and reasoning
No one single factor has been identified as a cause for Alzheimer's disease - a combination of factors, including age, genes, environment, lifestyle and general health are implicated
Source: Alzheimer's Society

"I'm a firm believer these nutrients have strong potential to protect your brain and make it work better."

Commenting on the study, Dr Simon Ridley, head of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, said:

"One strength of this research is that it looked at nutrients in people's blood, rather than relying on answers to a questionnaire.

"It's important to note that this study looked at a small group of people with few risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, and did not investigate whether they went on to develop Alzheimer's at a later stage.

"There is a clear need for conclusive evidence about the effect of diet on our risk of Alzheimer's, which can only come from large-scale, long-term studies."

Mental & Mood Disorders

Abortion 'does not raise' mental health risk

2011-12-11T18:52:00.001+07:00

By Jane Dreaper
Health correspondent, BBC News

Women who have unwanted pregnancies have three times the risk of mental health problems

Abortion does not raise the risk of a woman suffering mental health problems, a major review by experts concludes.

Data from 44 studies showed women with an unwanted pregnancy have a higher incidence of mental health problems in general.

This is not affected by whether or not they have an abortion or give birth.

But anti-abortion campaigners said the review sought to "minimise" the psychological effect of terminating a pregnancy.

Experts from the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (NCCMH) used the same research methods they use to assess evidence on other mental health issues for NICE.

The work - funded by the Department of Health - came after concerns that abortion may adversely affect a woman's mental health.

Usually, a woman's risk of suffering common disorders such as anxiety or depression would be around 11-12%.

But the researchers said this rate was around three times higher in women with unwanted pregnancies.

'Equal risks'

The director of NCCMH, Prof Tim Kendall, said: "It could be that these women have a mental health problem before the pregnancy.

"On the other hand, it could be the unwanted pregnancy that's causing the problem.

"Or both explanations could be true. We can't be absolutely sure from the studies whether that's the case - but common sense would say it's quite likely to be both.

"The evidence shows though that whether these women have abortions - or go on to give birth - their risk of having mental health problems will not increase.

"They carry roughly equal risks.

"We believe this is the most comprehensive and detailed review of the mental health outcomes of abortion to date worldwide."

Prof Kendall said many previous studies had failed to adequately control for instances when women previously had mental health problems.

After a project which involved a three-month consultation, the researchers believe it would not "be fruitful" to carry out further studies into how pregnancies are resolved.

They say future work should concentrate on the mental health needs associated with an unwanted pregnancy.

Support need

Dr Roch Cantwell, a consultant perinatal psychiatrist who chaired the steering group, said the review was called for in 2008.

He said: "At that time, the Royal College of Psychiatrists issued a position statement saying the evidence on abortion and mental health was imperfect and conflicting.

"We all recognise abortion is a very sensitive and emotive topic. Our aim was not to debate the moral and ethical issues, but to focus on the available scientific evidence."

The scope of the review excluded reactions such as guilt, shame and regret - although these were considered important - and also assessments of mental state within 90 days of an abortion.

This was because the research was not about "transient reactions to a stressful event".

Sophie Corlett, director of external relations at the mental health charity Mind, said: "It is important that medical professionals are given the correct information to provide support for all women, but particularly those with a pre-existing history of mental health problems.

"This study makes it absolutely clear that this group is at the greatest risk of developing post-pregnancy mental health problems and should be given extra support in light of this."

Dr Kate Guthrie, speaking for RCOG, said: "Abortion, including aftercare, is an essential part of women's healthcare services, alongside access to contraception and family planning information."

And, in a statement the sexual health charities FPA and Brook said: "This review of evidence will reassure women who have had or are thinking about having an abortion that it's a safe procedure with no direct impact on their mental health."

'False belief'

However, a spokeswoman for the ProLife Alliance said: "Once again the politics of abortion blinds those who should be rigorously objective in assessing epidemiological evidence.

"This is a pick-and-mix report trying to minimise the psychological effects of termination of pregnancy in a way which does our so-called medical experts little credit."

And Dr Peter Saunders, chief executive of the Christian Medical Fellowship, said: "This new review shows that abortion does not improve mental health outcomes for women with unplanned pregnancies, despite 98% of the 200,000 abortions being carried out in this country each year on mental health grounds.

"This means that when doctors authorise abortions in order to protect a woman's mental health they are doing so on the basis of a false belief not supported by the medical evidence.

"In other words the vast majority of abortions in this country are technically illegal."

Public Health Minister Anne Milton said: "We are pleased to see the conclusions of this important review.

"The findings will be one of the many sources of information that we will use to inform our sexual health document that will be published next year.

"What is clear is that having an unwanted pregnancy has implications for people's mental health and wellbeing."

Ayurtox for Body Detoxification

Heart attacks 'are worse' if they happen in the morning

2011-11-21T18:25:00.001+07:00

BBC News

People who have a heart attack in the morning tend to fare worse than those who have one at other times of the day and night, experts have discovered.

Heart attacks occurring between 0600 and noon are more likely to create a larger area of damaged heart tissue.

The findings in Heart journal come from a study of over 800 patients in Spain.

Experts say the body's natural sleep-awake cycle could explain the differences seen, but advise more research to confirm the findings.

It is well established that a person's 24-hour body clock can influence heart attack risk.

For example, doctors know that people are more likely to have a heart attack around the time when they are waking up from sleep than at other times, but what is less known is the extent of damage that this leads to.

“Regardless of the time of day, the quicker someone having a heart attack is treated, the less the damage they will have”

End Quote Judy O'Sullivan British Heart Foundation

To investigate, Dr Borja Ibanez and colleagues analysed data on 811 patients at their hospital who had suffered a type of heart attack known as an ST elevation myocardial infarction, which occurs when there is a prolonged period of blocked blood supply to the heart muscle.

The researchers split the patients into four groups based on what time segment of the 24-hour clock the heart attack occurred.

They found that one group in particular - the 0600 to midday or "morning" heart attack group - had the most severe heart attacks.

This morning group had much higher levels of an enzyme in their blood that is a marker of dying heart tissue than patients whose heart attack had occurred in the evening (between 6pm and midnight).

Judging by the blood enzyme levels, the researchers estimate that the area of the heart damaged in the morning group was, on average, a fifth larger in comparison.

Judy O'Sullivan, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "This study provides some interesting observations on the association between the time of day a heart attack occurs and the degree of subsequent damage to the heart muscle.

"However further research is needed before we can draw firm conclusions.

"Regardless of the time of day, the quicker someone having a heart attack is treated, the less the damage they will have, which is why it is essential that anyone who experiences heart attack symptoms should call 999 immediately."

Heart attack symptoms women

Alpha radiation treats prostate cancers

2011-11-16T10:56:00.001+07:00

By James Gallagher
Health reporter, BBC News

Alpha particles can damage cells

A trial of a new cancer drug, which accurately targets tumours, has been so successful it has been stopped early.

Doctors at London's Royal Marsden Hospital gave prostate cancer patients a powerful alpha radiation drug and found that they lived longer, and experienced less pain and side effects.

The medics then stopped the trial of 922 people, saying it was unethical not to offer all of them the treatment.

Lead researcher Dr Chris Parker said it was "a significant step forward".

Cancer Research UK said it was a very important and promising discovery.

Radiation has been used to treat tumours for more than a century. It damages the genetic code inside cancerous cells.

Alpha particles are the big, bulky, bruisers of the radiation world. It is a barrage of helium nuclei, which are far bigger than beta radiation, a stream of electrons, or gamma waves.

Dr Parker told the BBC: "It's more damaging. It takes one, two, three hits to kill a cancer cell compared with thousands of hits for beta particles."

Alpha particles also do less damage to surrounding tissue. He added: "They have such a tiny range, a few millionths of a metre. So we can be sure that the damage is being done where it should be."

Prostate cancer

Each year in the UK about 36,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer; about 10,000 die from it
In most cases, it is a slow-growing cancer and may never cause any symptoms or problems.
Some men will have a fast growing cancer that needs treatment
Worldwide, an estimated 913,000 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008, and more than two-thirds of cases are diagnosed in developed countries

In 90% of patients with advanced prostate cancer, the tumour will have spread to the bone. At this stage there are no treatments which affect survival.

The study looked at patients with these secondary cancers, as the source of radiation - radium-223 chloride - acts like calcium and sticks to bone.

Half were given the radium-223 chloride drug alongside traditional chemotherapy, while the other patients received chemotherapy and a dummy pill.

The death rate was 30% lower in the group taking radium-223. Those patients survived for 14 months on average compared to 11 months in the dummy group.

The trial was abandoned as "it would have been unethical not to offer the active treatment to those taking placebo", said Dr Parker.

He added: "I think it will be a significant step forward for cancer patients".

Researchers also said the treatment was safe. Curiously there were fewer side-effects in the group taking the treatment than those taking the dummy medicine.

The findings are being presented at the European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress but they have not yet been peer-reviewed by other academics.

Prof Gillies McKenna, Cancer Research UK's radiotherapy expert and director of the Gray Institute for Radiation Oncology and Biology, said: "This appears to be an important study using a highly targeted form of radiation to treat prostate cancer that has spread to the bones.

"This research looks very promising and could be an important addition to approaches available to treat secondary tumours - and should be investigated further."

Enlarged prostate symptoms

Progeria may be treated by drug, researchers say

2011-11-04T10:19:00.001+07:00

By James Gallagher
Health reporter, BBC News

Hayley Okines, of Bexhill, East Sussex, was diagnosed with the illness when she was one.

A widely-used drug might help treat children with a condition that ages them up to eight times too quickly, Durham University researchers believe.

People with progeria also suffer heart problems, lack of growth and loss of body fat and hair.

Writing in Human Molecular Genetics, scientists said the condition was partly down to DNA damage caused by highly reactive oxygen chemicals.

They said the drug, n-acetylcysteine, could control the damage.

The average life expectancy for someone with the condition is about 13 years.

Their cells show significant defects, which researchers put into two categories: damage to the DNA and physical disruption of the cell's shape.

Prof Christopher Hutchinson, who led the study, said trials for drugs to correct the shape problems were showing some success.

He has been investigating the cause of, and simple solutions to, the damage to the genetic code.

'Very exciting'

The team at Durham University found that levels of damaging "reactive oxygen species" were five to 10 times higher in cells of patients with accelerated ageing.

They used n-acetylcysteine, which is already used to prevent liver damage in patients who have overdosed on paracetamol, on cells in the laboratory.

The drug soaked up the reactive oxygen. DNA damage in the cells then returned to "approximately normal levels".

Prof Hutchinson said: "For us it is very exciting."

However, it is unknown what the effect would be if the drug was given to children with the illness or how it would work with other drugs.

Prof Hutchinson told the BBC: "I have to say this is one more piece in the jigsaw which will eventually allow us generate treatments, but it is one more piece."

A full randomised clinical trial of the drug is not possible as the condition is so rare. The Progeria Research Foundation says there are just 78 children known to have the condition.

Its medical director Dr Leslie Gordon said: "[Prof] Hutchison's study has not only confirmed basic cellular defects in progeria, but has also identified potential ways to improve those defects.

"This type of biological science is how progress towards treatments and a cure for children with progeria will advance."

The findings might also one day have benefits for ageing in the wider populations.

Prof Hutchinson said: "If you give a child a drug which extends lifespan without adverse affects then you would expect these to be useful in an older population."

Body cleansing, Colon cleanse

Green leafy veg 'may cut diabetes risk'

2011-10-14T13:39:00.001+07:00

By Emma Wilkinson
Health reporter, BBC News

Green leafy veg, rather than a healthy diet in general, were linked to benefits

A diet rich in green leafy vegetables may reduce the risk of developing diabetes, UK research says.

In an analysis of six studies into fruit and vegetable intake, only food including spinach and cabbage was found to have a significant positive effect.

A portion and a half a day was found to cut type 2 diabetes risk by 14%, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) reports.

But experts urged people to continue to aim for five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

“This study suggests that green leafy vegetables seem to be particularly important in terms of preventing diabetes”

End Quote Professor Melanie Davies University of Leicester

The researchers from Leicester University reviewed data from the studies of 220,000 adults in total.

They found that eating more fruit and vegetables in general was not strongly linked with a smaller chance of developing type 2 diabetes but "there was a general trend in that direction".

Yet when it came to green leafy vegetables, which the researchers said also includes broccoli and cauliflower, the risk reduction was significant.

The team calculated that a daily dose of 106g reduced the risk of diabetes by 14% - a UK "portion" is classed as 80g.

It is not clear why green leafy vegetables may have a protective effect but one reason may be they are high in antioxidants, such as vitamin C and another theory is that they contain high levels of magnesium.

Study leader Professor Melanie Davies, professor of diabetic medicine at the University of Leicester, said the message to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day remains an important one.

But she added: "People like very specific health messages.

"We know that intake of fruit and vegetables is important, but this study suggests that green leafy vegetables seem to be particularly important in terms of preventing diabetes."

The team are now planning a study in people at high risk of developing the condition to see if increasing their intake of vegetables like spinach and kale can help to reduce their chances of being diagnosed with diabetes.

Fruit and veg

In 2008/09, the National Diet Nutrition Survey showed that, although fruit and vegetable intake has risen over the past decade, only a third of men and women eat the recommended five-a-day.

In an accompanying editorial in the BMJ, Professor Jim Mann from the University of Otago in New Zealand, stressed that the message of increasing overall fruit and vegetable intake must not be lost "in a plethora of magic bullets," even though green leafy vegetables clearly can be included as one of the daily portions.

Dr Iain Frame, director of research at Diabetes UK said: "We already know that the health benefits of eating vegetables are far-reaching but this is the first time that there has been a suggested link specifically between green leafy vegetables and a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes."

But he warned the evidence was limited and it was too early to isolate green leafy vegetables and present them alone as a method to cut the chances of developing the condition.

"We would be concerned if focusing on certain foods detracted from the advice to eat five portions of fruits and vegetables a day, which has benefits in terms of reducing heart disease, stroke, some cancers and obesity as well as type 2 diabetes."

Diabetes UK is currently funding research into whether fermentable carbohydrates found in foods such as asparagus, garlic, chicory and Jerusalem artichokes could help weight loss and prevent Type 2 diabetes.

Cosmic Joy for Mood Enhancement

Undetectable blood vessel damage linked to signs of age

2011-09-07T08:34:00.001+07:00

BBC News
Tiny clots in the brain may be the cause of some signs of old age such as stooped posture and restricted movement, say US scientists.

Researchers examining the brains of 418 deceased patients found damaged blood vessels in 29% of them which would not have been picked up by normal scans.

Damage in the brain undetectable by usual scanning has been linked to signs of ageing

They said higher levels of damage were linked to more limited movement.

The researchers, writing in the journal Stroke, said declining mobility should not be accepted as normal ageing.

Mild symptoms of Parkinson's disease - such as slow movement, rigidity, tremors and posture - increase with age and are thought to affect up to half of people by the age of 85.

Undetectable

A team of scientists at the Rush University Medical Center, in Chicago, carried out autopsies on the brains of nuns and priests who were taking part in the Religious Order Study.

The brains were examined under a microscope for signs of damage which would be invisible to normal brain scans.

“If there is an underlying cause, we can intervene and perhaps lessen the impact”

End Quote Professor Aron Buchman Rush University Medical Center

They found 29% of patients with no previously detected sign of stroke had clotted or narrowed blood vessels.

When comparing the severity of damage with a score of Parkinson's-like symptoms, the study said there was a link.

It concluded that damage, undetectable with current scanning techniques, "may contribute to the development of what is currently considered 'normal' age-related motor symptoms such as parkinsonian signs".

However, it could not prove that the damage itself caused declining mobility, merely that there was a link between the two.

Lead researcher Prof Aron Buchman said: "This is very surprising.

"Often the mild motor symptoms are considered an expected part of aging. We shouldn't accept this as normal aging. We should try to fix it and understand it.

"If there is an underlying cause, we can intervene and perhaps lessen the impact."

Dr Kieran Breen, director of research and development at Parkinson's UK, said: "We know that as people get older they are more likely to develop mini-strokes, so tiny that they cannot be detected by normal scanning techniques.

"Movement problems can occur that are similar to those experienced by people with early mild symptoms of Parkinson's.

"As our brains get older many changes do take place, although there is no evidence from this study that these changes lead to full-blown Parkinson's".

Memory concentration

Baby heart defect test 'could save lives'

2011-08-10T18:57:00.001+07:00

By James Gallagher
Health reporter, BBC News

A quick and cheap test could save the lives of babies born with congenital heart defects, doctors say.

A study of 20,055 newborns, published in The Lancet, showed testing oxygen in the blood was more successful than other checks available.

The researchers have called for the oxygen test to be used in hospitals across the UK.

The British Heart Foundation said the test could "make a real difference" as cases go unnoticed.

Congenital heart defects - such as holes between chambers in the heart and valve defects - affect around one in every 145 babies.

They are detected by ultrasound during pregnancy or by listening to the heart after birth, however, the success rate is low.

Decades old

Doctors at six maternity hospitals in the UK used pulse oximeters - a piece of technology which has been around for 20 years - to detect levels of oxygen in the blood.

If the levels were too low, or varied between the hands and feet, more detailed examinations took place.

The test takes less than five minutes and it found 75% of the most serious abnormalities. In combination with traditional methods, 92% of cases were detected.

While some defects are inoperable, advances in surgery mean most can be corrected.

Oximeters have been used to monitor oxygen levels for a long time

Dr Andrew Ewer, the lead researcher at the University of Birmingham, called for the test to be adopted by hospitals across the UK.

"It adds value to existing screening procedures and is likely to be useful for identification of cases of critical congenital heart defects," he said.

Dr David Elliman, from the UK National Screening Committee, said the screening programme for infants was being reviewed and "this research will form an integral part of that review".

Amy Thompson, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "Early and rapid detection is key for greater survival.

"Not all babies who are born with a heart defect will show any signs or symptoms, so problems can go unnoticed. This is a promising piece of research which shows how a quick and simple test could help to detect more heart defects and make a real difference."

In the US, some states have already introduced the oximeter test.

Dr William Mahle, from Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, and Dr Robert Koppel, from Cohen Children's Medical Center in New York, argued that: "The decision to introduce another screening assay for newborn babies is one that should be made after careful consideration.

"Health-care systems in the developed world are already heavily burdened. Yet the compelling data provided [here] support inclusion of pulse oximetry into the care of the newborn baby."

AyurGold for Healthy Blood

Head injuries can have 'physical link to dementia'

2011-07-24T20:40:00.001+07:00

By Eleanor Bradford,BBC News
BBC Scotland Health Correspondent
Research carried out in Scotland and the US has established a link between a single head injury and dementia.

The study was done by researchers at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow and the University of Pennsylvania.

The study suggests a brain injury can spark a process in which the brain is damaged in other ways

It is thought to be the first to find a physical abnormality in brain tissue of people who have had head injuries.

A link had previously been established between dementia and sports which involve repetitive blows to the head.

These contact sports include boxing and football.

Further studies have also shown a similar link with people who have had other kinds of head injury.

Dr William Stewart, who led the team in Glasgow, said: "We know from clinical studies that there's a link between sustaining a head injury and developing dementia, and what we're interested in is trying to understand what might be happening in the brains of these patients."

Brain abnormalities

Researchers examined brain tissue from 39 people who had recovered from a brain injury, and 39 people who had never had a brain injury.

They found abnormalities in one third of those who had had a head injury.

“Part of the challenge in dementia is that a lot of the work we do is with people who already have it”

End Quote Dr William Stewart

Dr Stewart said: "What's quite remarkable, and causing much excitement, is that the patients who'd had a head injury had quite large numbers of proteins - or abnormalities - in their brain.

"That's very similar to what we'd see in older patients and, in particular, people with Alzheimer's, yet these patients were in their 40s and 50s and the only thing which marked them apart from the control group was that they'd had a head injury."

More than 150,000 people in the UK suffer a head injury every year.

This study suggests a brain injury can spark a process in which the brain is damaged in other ways.

Dr Stewart hopes that this will lead to further research that could reveal how and why dementia develops.

He explained: "Part of the challenge in dementia is that a lot of the work we do is with people who already have it.

"What we don't understand is how they get to that stage and what sets off the process in their brain. What we might be able to do is study patients after a head injury and work out what's happening inside their head."

It is hoped that learning more about this process could lead to new and better treatments for dementia.

Memory concentration

HIV medicines 'boost prevention'

2011-07-14T20:04:00.001+07:00

By Helen Briggs
editor, BBC News website
HIV drugs can be used to boost protection against HIV as well as treating symptoms after infection, research suggests.

Two studies in Africa add weight to previous data showing drugs used to treat HIV can reduce infection risk when taken daily.

The HIV drug tenofovir

The World Health Organization said the studies could have "enormous impact" in preventing HIV transmission.

The findings were revealed in the run-up to an AIDS conference in Rome.

"This is a major scientific breakthrough which re-confirms the essential role that antiretroviral medicine has to play in the AIDS response," said Michel Sidibé, executive director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

"These studies could help us to reach the tipping point in the HIV epidemic."

Future hopes

One trial, carried out by the University of Washington, US, followed almost 5,000 couples in Kenya and Uganda, where one person had HIV infection and the other did not.

“If you're currently trying to stay HIV negative don't give up on the condoms yet”

End Quote Lisa Power Terrence Higgins Trust

The uninfected person took a daily HIV medicine (tenofovir), a combination of two HIV drugs (tenofovir and emtricitabine), or a placebo pill.

There were 62% fewer HIV infections in the group on the single drug and 73% fewer HIV infections in the group that took the combination, compared with those given a dummy pill.

The other trial, conducted by the United States Centers for Disease Control, followed 1,200 HIV-negative heterosexual men and women in Botswana. They received either a once-daily combination tablet or a placebo. The HIV medication reduced the risk of getting HIV by about 63% overall.

A previous trial found the combination of two HIV drugs reduced the risk of infection in gay and bisexual men by 44%. But a similar study in women at risk of HIV infection in Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa produced disappointing results.

New tools

The HIV charity, the Terrence Higgins Trust, described the latest findings as "genuinely exciting".

Head of Policy Lisa Power told the BBC: "Pre-exposure prophylaxis is not going to be available overnight but we are exploring whether it is one of a range of things that can drive down onward transmission of HIV."

But she stressed that the findings needed to be properly tested and trialled.

"If you're currently trying to stay HIV negative don't give up on the condoms yet."

The WHO and UNAIDS recommend that people make evidence-informed decisions on HIV prevention options.

They say no single method is fully protective against HIV and antiretroviral drugs for prevention need to be combined with other HIV prevention methods such as condoms.

"Effective new HIV prevention tools are urgently needed, and these studies could have enormous impact in preventing heterosexual transmission," said Dr Margaret Chan, the WHO's Director-General.

"WHO will be working with countries to use the new findings to protect more men and women from HIV infection."

Full details of the studies will be presented at the meeting in Rome.

Immunice for Immune Support

Kidney cancer

2011-06-27T20:05:00.001+07:00

BBC News
Tony Blacker

What is kidney cancer?

There are several types of kidney cancer. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type in adults, responsible for approximately 80 per cent of cases.

Kidney cancer symptoms

Many people with kidney cancer have no symptoms at first, especially when the cancer is small. The affected kidney will become larger and in time, the tumour may grow through the wall of the kidney and invade nearby tissues and organs, such as the muscles around the spine, liver and nearby large blood vessels.

As the cancer develops, the following may occur:

Blood in the urine, which is usually painless and may 'come and go' as the tumour bleeds (the first symptom in 60 per cent of cases)
Pain in the back or side
Swelling in the abdomen
High blood pressure
Feeling generally unwell or tired
Loss of appetite
Polycythaemia (too much blood in body) or anaemia (too little)
Varicocele (tangled network of veins in the scrotum)
Hip fracture, owing to spread of the cancer to bone
Excessive hair growth in females
Feeling thirsty
Night sweats
Severe weight loss

Kidney cancer causes

Although kidney cancer is more common in men over the age of 60, many people develop it for no apparent reason. However, certain risk factors increase the chance of it developing, including:

Smoking
Obesity
High blood pressure
Family history of the disease
Dialysis patients with cysts in their kidneys
Inherited disorders such as Von Hippel-Lindau disease Read more...

AyurGold for Healthy Blood

Elderly told to have regular eye tests to stop falls

2011-06-22T18:32:00.001+07:00

BBC News
Elderly people are being encouraged to have regular eye tests as a way of preventing falls.

Age UK and the College of Optometrists say too few request the free check-ups offered to those aged above 60.

An Age UK poll of 1,700 suggests one in seven over-60s, nearly two million, has not been tested for at least two years.

Falls are the leading cause of accidental death in the over-75s

Nearly four million are estimated to have fallen in the past two years, and the poll indicated one in 14 of these falls was linked to vision problems.

Falls are the leading cause of death through injury in the elderly.

Helena Herlots, of Age UK, said: "It's worrying that such a high number of older people have not had a sight test recently.

"Going for regular sight tests and wearing the right glasses will not only improve balance, co-ordination and mobility, but will help to maintain general eye health."

Dr Anna Kwartz, of the College of Optometrists, said: "Many of the visual problems that affect older people and lead to falls can be treated.

"Regular sight tests can help aid early detection and treatment."

Healthy colon and body cleanse

'Funding crisis' in brain research

2011-06-17T20:45:00.000+07:00

BBC News
Scientists say research into mental illnesses such as depression is facing a funding crisis.

They warn that new treatments will be delayed and that the next generation of neuroscience researchers will not be trained.

A report by the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology said private companies were pulling out due to the challenge of bringing drugs to market.

Scientists fear the cost of getting drugs to the market place is holding back brain research

It called for more investment and changes to the way trials take place.

The report was the result of a summit of more than 60 representatives of governments, universities, the pharmaceutical industry and patient groups.

Higher failure rate

It said up to 80% of funding for brain research in Europe had traditionally come from the private sector. However, pharmaceutical companies were retreating from the field because of the cost of bringing drugs as far as the consumer.

The report said it took much longer to develop drugs for mental illness - 13 years on average. Those drugs had a higher failure rate and were harder to get licensed for use, it said.

Only one new anti-depressant has been approved in Europe, agomelatine, in the past 10 years.

Professor Guy Goodwin, from the University of Oxford, said a lack of funding could lead to a "generational crisis" in neuroscience research and training.

He said there should be more public money invested in brain research: "The cost and burden are really quite high, yet research attracts disproportionately low investment.

"Public investment in research should be somehow related to the burden of the disease."

The report suggested ways of encouraging more people to invest, such as increasing the patent length for psychiatric drugs - making them more profitable.

A European "medicines chest" was also suggested. Pharmaceutical companies would donate drugs they were no longer using for research, which could then be used by other organisations.

The report suggested that drugs discarded for treating Alzheimer's disease, for example, could be used in research for psychiatric disorders.

Professor David Nutt, of Imperial College London, described the current situation as "madness".

He said: "With Europe's extraordinary tradition in neuroscience innovation relying so heavily on private-sector investment, the consequences for the region's research base and public-health agenda are of major concern."

Healthy colon and body cleanse

Body dysmorphia

2011-06-03T22:13:00.000+07:00

BBC News

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a preoccupation with the appearance of a certain part of the body.

Dr Rob Hicks

What causes it?

The cause of BDD is unclear, but it may be genetic or caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain.

What are the symptoms?

People with BDD are excessively worried about a part of their body which they perceive to have a defect. They continue to believe this despite reassurances about their appearance.

Any area of the body may be involved in BDD, but the face is the most common.

A person with BDD may:

Wear excessive make-up or heavy clothing to hide their perceived defect
Repeatedly look in the mirror and seek reassurance about their appearance
Frequently touch or measure the perceived defect
Repeatedly pick at their skin or pluck their hair and eyebrows
Feel anxious when around other people
Seek medical treatment for the perceived defect
Diet and exercise excessively

People with BDD may not be able to hold down a job and sometimes avoid socialising. They can also find it difficult to have relationships. Read more...

AyurGold for Healthy Blood

Low vitamin D levels 'linked to Parkinson's disease'

2011-05-28T09:36:00.001+07:00

BBC News
Having low vitamin D levels may increase a person's risk of developing Parkinson's disease later in life, say Finnish researchers.

Their study of 3,000 people, published in Archives of Neurology, found people with the lowest levels of the sunshine vitamin had a three-fold higher risk.

Sunlight on the skin helps generate vitamin D

Vitamin D could be helping to protect the nerve cells gradually lost by people with the disease, experts say.

The charity Parkinson's UK said further research was required.

Parkinson's disease affects several parts of the brain, leading to symptoms like tremor and slow movements.

30-year study

The researchers from Finland's National Institute for Health and Welfare measured vitamin D levels from the study group between 1978 and 1980, using blood samples.

They then followed these people over 30 years to see whether they developed Parkinson's disease.

They found that people with the lowest levels of vitamin D were three times more likely to develop Parkinson's, compared with the group with the highest levels of vitamin D.

Most vitamin D is made by the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight, although some comes from foods like oily fish, milk or cereals.

As people age, however, their skin becomes less able to produce vitamin D.

Doctors have known for many years that vitamin D helps calcium uptake and bone formation.

But research is now showing that it also plays a role in regulating the immune system, as well as in the development of the nervous system.

Vitamin target

Writing in an editorial in the US journal Archives of Neurology, Marian Evatt, assistant professor of neurology at Emory University School of Medicine, says that health authorities should consider raising the target vitamin D level.

"At this point, 30 nanograms per millilitre of blood or more appears optimal for bone health in humans.

"However, researchers don't yet know what level is optimal for brain health or at what point vitamin D becomes toxic for humans, and this is a topic that deserves close examination."

Dr Kieran Breen, director of research at Parkinson's UK, said: "The study provides further clues about the potential environmental factors that may influence or protect against the progression of Parkinson's.

"A balanced healthy diet should provide the recommended levels of vitamin D.

"Further research is required to find out whether taking a dietary supplement, or increased exposure to sunlight, may have an effect on Parkinson's, and at what stage these would be most beneficial."

AyurGold for Healthy Blood

Stem cell method put to the test in Parkinson's study

2011-05-18T10:40:00.001+07:00

By Pallab Ghosh
Science correspondent, BBC News
UK researchers are launching a study into the potential of using a person's stem cells to treat Parkinson's disease.

A Oxford University team will use adult stem cells, which have the ability to become any cell in the human body - to examine the neurological condition.

Scientists hope to better understand how Parkinson's develops

Skin cells will be used to grow the brain neurons that die in Parkinson's, a conference will hear.

The research will not involve the destruction of human embryos.

Induced pluripotent stem (IPS) cells were developed in 2007.

At the time, scientists said it had the potential to offer many of the advantages of embryonic stem cells without any of the ethical downsides.

Three years on, it seems to be living up to that claim.

Compare and contrast

The team at Oxford University is among the first in the world to use IPS to carry out a large scale clinical investigation of Parkinson's, which is currently poorly understood.

Researchers will be taking skin cells from 1,000 patients with early stage Parkinson's and turning them into nerve cells carrying the disease to learn more about the brain disorder, the UK National Stem Cell Network annual science meeting will hear.

The technique is useful because it is difficult to obtain samples of diseased nerve tissue from patient biopsies.

IPS enables the researchers to create limitless quantities of nerve cells to use in experiments and to test new drugs.

"Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the UK and is set to become increasingly common as we live longer," said Dr Richard Wade-Martins, head of the Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre.

"Once we have neurons from patients we can compare the functioning of cells taken from patients with the disease and those without to better understand why dopamine neurons die in patients with Parkinson's."

The research is being funded by Parkinson's UK.

The charity's director of research, Kieran Breen, described it as "vital research that will help us better understand the causes of this devastating condition and how it develops and progresses.

"We hope the work will pave the way for new and better treatments for people with Parkinson's in the future."

About 120,000 people in the UK are living with Parkinson's.

Cancer prostate

Five-a-day of fruit and vegetables 'saves lives'

2011-05-09T17:58:00.001+07:00

By Helen Briggs
Health reporter, BBC News
Around 33,000 lives a year could be saved if everyone in the UK followed dietary guidelines, research suggests.

Eating five portions of fruit and veg a day has the biggest effect, say experts at Oxford University.

Fruit: We don't eat enough

Only a third of Britons consume enough fruit and veg, with the worst results in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The UK daily guidelines are to eat five portions of fruit and veg, no more than 6g of salt, and keep saturated fat to 10% of total energy intake.

The research, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, was based on a computer model linking food consumption with mortality from heart disease, stroke and cancer.

Public health experts at the University of Oxford used it to analyse data for 2005 to 2007 from a variety of studies in the UK looking at links between diet and deaths.

They used the model to predict how levels of heart disease, stroke and cancer would fall if everyone followed recommended dietary advice.

Data analysis

Eating five portions of fruit and veg a day would save 15,000 lives, including 7,000 from heart disease, almost 5,000 from cancer and around 3,000 from stroke
Another 4,000 deaths would be prevented by sticking to dietary recommendations on fibre; around 7,000 from watching fat intake and 7,500 by reducing salt

Dr Peter Scarborough, from Oxford University, who led the research, said: "Meeting dietary recommendations would have a massive effect on the health of the nation.

"According to our model, the biggest impact would be eating more fruit and veg. But this doesn't mean you should just stop at five - the more the better."

Dr Scarborough said very few people in the UK achieved all of the dietary recommendations.

But he said helping people to make simple choices about a healthy diet could have a major impact on disease.

“This research highlights that well worn dietary messages - like eating five portions of fruit and veg a day - shouldn't be overlooked, because they could have a huge impact on our health”

Victoria Taylor British Heart Foundation

He told the BBC: "If we have a food environment that is better set up to encourage healthy eating we could have a big impact on health outcomes in the long term.

"It's encouraging people to make healthier choices by making healthier choices easier."

The study was co-funded by the British Heart Foundation.

Senior dietician, Victoria Taylor, said: "This research highlights that well worn dietary messages - like eating five portions of fruit and veg a day - shouldn't be overlooked, because they could have a huge impact on our health."

Her comments were echoed by Dr Rachel Thompson of the World Cancer Research Fund.

She said: "This study highlights the important role fruits and vegetables play in cancer prevention and this is why we recommend people eat at least five portions a day of a variety of fruits and vegetables.

"There is strong evidence they reduce risk of several types of cancer, including cancers of the oesophagus and the stomach.

"Also, as well as directly reducing our cancer risk, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can help us maintain a healthy weight.

"This is important because we estimate that about 19,000 cancer cases in the UK are diagnosed every year that are linked to weight."

Healthy blood sugar range

Cancer breath test 'step closer'

2011-04-27T11:48:00.001+07:00

BBC News
A breath test that can sniff-out cancer is a step closer to reality, according to a preliminary study.

Researchers found an "electronic nose" was able to identify chemical signals of cancer in the breath of patients with lung or head and neck cancer.

Could a breath test detect cancer?

A cancer charity said it would take years of research to see if the breath test could be used in the clinic.

About 80 volunteers took part in the Israeli research, published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Of these 22 had various head-and-neck cancers, 24 had lung cancer and 36 were healthy.

The prototype breath test uses a chemical method to spot markers of cancer present in the breath.

The hope is that one day such a test could be used in a GP's surgery to give an instant diagnosis.

'Urgent need'

Researchers at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology - are working on a device called the nano artificial nose.

Head-and-neck cancer

Around 9,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with head-and-neck cancer each year

Cancers include those of the eye, mouth, voice box and food pipe

They looked at head-and-neck cancer, which is often diagnosed late, making it more difficult to treat successfully.

Lead researcher, Professor Hossam Haick, said: "There's an urgent need to develop new ways to detect head-and-neck cancer because diagnosis of the disease is complicated, requiring specialist examinations.

"We've shown that a simple 'breath test' can spot the patterns of molecules which are found in head-and-neck patients in a small, early study.

"We now need to test these results in larger studies to find if this could lead to a potential screening method for the disease."

Dr Lesley Walker, of Cancer Research UK, said it was incredibly important to spot the disease as soon as possible when it was easier to treat successfully.

She added: "These interesting initial results show promise for the development of a breath test to detect head-and-neck cancers which are often diagnosed at an advanced stage.

"But it's important to be clear that this is a small study, at a very early stage, so many more years of research with patients will be needed to see if a breath test could be used in the clinic."

Ayurtox for Body Detoxification

Early HIV treatment will save lives and money, WHO says

2011-04-18T21:25:00.001+07:00

BBC News
HIV-related deaths could be reduced by 20% over the next five years if treatment begins earlier, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says in fresh guidance.

There were over 5m people receiving treatment for the virus at the end of 2009, up more than a million from 2008 - the largest ever increase in a year.

The WHO wants treatment to begin even before a patient feels ill

The guidelines would raise the number needing treatment to 15m by 2015.

But there are concerns about funding as countries potentially cut back on aid.

Unveiling its first new guidance for four years at the Aids 2010 conference in Vienna, the WHO says it wants treatment with a cocktail of drugs to begin before the virus seriously undermines the patient's immune system.

This means changing the threshold at which a drugs regimen should be started from 200 CD4 cells per microlitre of blood to 350, regardless of symptoms. These cells are the key marker of the health of the immune system.

Starting treatment sooner could prevent opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis, which is the number one killer of those with HIV.

"In addition to saving lives, earlier treatment also has prevention benefits," says Dr Gottfried Hirnschall WHO director of HIV/Aids.

"Because treatment reduces the level of virus in the body, it means HIV-positive people are less likely to pass the virus on to their partners."

Expanding treatment to more people will push the costs for 2010 up to $9bn, according to UN estimates. But experts stress that extra costs would be more than offset by decreased hospital costs, increased productivity, fewer children orphaned by Aids and a fall in new HIV infections.

"The investments we make today can not only save millions of lives but millions of dollars tomorrow," says Dr Bernhard Schwartlander of UNAIDS.

"People with weaker immune systems who come late for treatment require more complex and costly drugs and services than those who start treatment earlier and are healthier."

Front of the queue

The new threshold, which many doctors in richer countries already follow, is thought most likely to be applicable to those states with the resources and infrastructure for treating people earlier.

There remain more than 4m poor people whose infections are progressing and who cannot access treatment even under the old criteria.

The WHO says that despite its new guidance, the principle remains that those most in need of treatment should remain the priority.

More also needs to be done to encourage people to seek testing early, as many wait until symptoms appear when the viral load is already high.

The new drive takes place against a backdrop of uncertainty about the future of funding to fight the disease.

“As a doctor I'd much rather give a patient pills today and send her home, than delay treatment and see her in six months at the hospital with complicated tuberculosis”

End Quote Dr Eric Goemaere Medecins Sans Frontieres

A report published by UNAIDS found that overall support for the global AIDS effort from donor nations flattened out last year in the midst of the global economic crisis.

The Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria says it needs up to $20bn over the three years to maintain progress on tackling HIV infections.

The UK, for instance, last month put the fund and many other agencies on notice to prove that the spending works or face cuts.

The charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said there had been rapid progress in 2009 but it was concerned about the fate of 10m waiting to start treatment amid signs of a decreased commitment.

"Today international donors expect doctors to tell patients to come back for treatment when they're at death's door," said Dr Eric Goemaere, medical co-ordinator at MSF in South Africa.

"This is bad medicine. As a doctor I'd much rather give a patient pills today and send her home, than delay treatment and see her in six months at the hospital with complicated tuberculosis."

Ayurtox for Body Detoxification

Money woes 'linked to rise in depression'

2011-04-07T12:37:00.001+07:00

By Nick Triggle
Health reporter, BBC News
Economic problems may be fuelling a rise in depression in England, it has been suggested.

Prescriptions for anti-depressant drugs such as Prozac rose by more than 40% over the past four years, data obtained by the BBC shows.

GPs and charities said they were being contacted increasingly by people struggling with debt and job worries.

Economic problems can act as a trigger for depression, experts say

They said financial woes could often act as a "trigger" for mental health problems.

The rise has happened at a time when the government has been increasing access to talking therapies, which should in theory curb the demand for anti-depressants.

In the last year alone referrals for talking therapies rose four-fold to nearly 600,000, Department of Health figures showed.

'Toxic combination'

Dr Clare Gerada, head of the Royal College of GPs, said some of the rise in prescribing was also likely to be due to increased awareness about the condition.

But she added: "Of course, in times of economic problems we would expect mental health problems to worsen - and GPs are seeing more people coming in with debts racking up, or who have lost their job and are cancelling their holidays.

"They feel guilty that they can't provide for their family and these things can often act as a trigger for depression."

Case study

Caitlin, 28, from Manchester, has struggled with mental health problems since adolescence.

But financial problems in the last year have made it worse and she has recently been prescribed anti-depressants.

She used to work in a residential care home for children, but has been out of work for 12 months.

Caitlin is now living on benefits totalling £140 a week, but the cost of her mortgage and other bills far outstrips this. It means she has built up debts of £10,000.

She is currently doing voluntary work and studying, but has given up on getting a job in the immediate future because of the cuts to public services.

"It is a really worrying time. I have never been out of work for this long and it puts a real strain on you."

Mental health charity Sane also said it had seen more people contacting its e-mail and phone advice lines with money worries.

Its chief executive, Marjorie Wallace, said: "It is impossible to say for sure that economic problems are leading to a rise in depression. But we are certainly hearing more from people who are worried where the next meal is coming from, job security and cuts in benefits - many who are getting in touch with us for the first time.

"It is a toxic combination, especially for those who already have darker thoughts and other problems."

The figures, obtained from NHS Prescription Services under the Freedom of Information Act, cover anti-depressant prescribing from 2006 to 2010, during which time the country had to cope with the banking crisis, recession and the start of the spending cuts.

They showed the number of prescriptions for selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, the most commonly prescribed group of anti-depressants, rose by 43% to nearly 23m a year.

The data also showed increases in other types of anti-depressants, including drugs such as Duloxetine which tends to be used for more serious cases.

Care services minister Paul Burstow said: "The last recession has left many people facing tough times. If people do experience mental health problems, the NHS is well placed to help.

"We're boosting funding for talking therapies by £400m over the next four years. This will ensure that modern, evidence-based therapies are available to all who need them, whether their depression or anxiety are caused by economic worries or anything else."

The Power of Mentorship: Finding Your Passion

Migraine heart link in children

2011-04-01T16:19:00.001+07:00

By Helen Briggs
Health reporter, BBC News
Children who see flashing lights during a migraine have twice the normal likelihood of having a hole-in-the-heart, a study suggests.

US doctors examined 109 children over six who were migraine sufferers.

About half of those with a type of migraine accompanied by a visual disturbance called an aura had the heart defect, the Journal of Pediatrics reports.

Migraines cause throbbing pain

The British Heart Foundation called for further research into the link.

Amy Thompson, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "There could be a number of explanations for this link so further research needs to be carried out before we draw any firm conclusions.

"Once we understand the relationship in more detail it could signal an improvement in patient care."

A number of medical studies have found a link in adults between a hole-in-the-heart - known technically as a patent foramen ovale (PFO) - and migraine with aura.

Patent foramen ovale

A flap or valve-like opening in the wall between the two upper (atrial) chambers of the heart
It is frequently found before birth, but seals shut in about 80% of people
When pressure is created inside the chest - for instance by coughing - the flap can open, allowing blood to flow in either direction
This can allow blood to bypass the filtering system of the lungs
If debris is present in the blood, such as small blood clots, it can pass through the left atrium and lodge in the brain, causing a stroke

This has lead to attempts to treat migraine by surgery to close the hole, when other migraine therapies have failed.

Dr Rachel McCandless and colleagues of the University of Utah used a scanning technique known as an echocardiogram to look for the heart defect.

Of the children who had migraines with aura, 50% also had the defect. This is nearly double the rate seen in the general population.

She said she hoped "our study will help guide future research about this difficult problem".

Around one in 10 people have aura with their migraines.

Common aura symptoms include visual disturbances such as seeing flashing or flickering lights, numbness, tingling sensations and slurred speech.

ClariMind Memory & Concentration Supplement

One in eight women will get breast cancer, charity says

2011-03-23T07:37:00.002+07:00

BBC News
A woman's risk of developing breast cancer has risen to one in eight from one in nine, according to Cancer Research UK.

Breast cancer rates are rising, figures show, but survival rates are also improving too

The charity's figures show that breast cancer rates in the UK have increased by 3.5% in 10 years, from 42,400 new cases in 1999 to 47,700 in 2008.

Women aged between 50 and 69 have seen the biggest rise in breast cancer rates of 6%.

Exercising and eating healthily can reduce the risk, cancer charities say.

Cancer Research UK figures suggest that breast cancer is by far the most common cancer in women, accounting for almost a third of cases.

Bowel cancer is the second most common, followed by lung.

Almost half of breast cancer cases in 2008 (48%) were in women aged between 50 and 69.

A third were in women aged over 70, with 19% in women aged 25-49.

Healthier habits

Previous research has shown that lifestyle factors and a family history of breast cancer increase a woman's risk of developing the disease.

Sara Hiom, director of health information at Cancer Research UK, said that small changes in everyday habits can help to reduce cancer risk.

"Cutting back on alcohol by keeping within government recommended limits of no more than 14 units a week (a small drink a day) helps.

"Taking more exercise and eating a diet high in fibre but low in saturated fat can help maintain a healthy weight - which in turn reduces breast cancer risk."

BREAST CANCER RISK FACTORS

These are indicators only and how they interact is difficult to predict. Women can do all the rights things and still get breast cancer. Likewise, women can do all the wrong things and never get the disease.

Family history: A woman with a mother, sister or daughter with breast cancer has around double the risk of getting it herself than a woman with no family history.

Obesity: Being overweight or obese is thought to increases the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer by up to 30%, because excess body fat raises levels of hormones such as oestrogen and insulin - common features of cancers.

Age: the older the woman, the higher her risk. Women aged 50-69 are most at risk, particularly those who have a late menopause.

Childbirth: The younger a woman has children, the lower her risk. Having children at all cuts the risk, as does breastfeeding.

Lifestyle: regular physical exercise and a healthy diet helps reduce the risk by cutting dangerous fatty body tissues. Smoking is not advised.

HRT: women using hormone replacement therapy have a 66% increased risk of breast cancer but the risk is temporary, returning to that of a never-user within five years of stopping.

Oral contraceptives: they increase risk by around a quarter but since users are generally younger women, their risk is relatively low.

Alcohol: drinking as little as one alcoholic drink per day increases breast cancer risk by around 12%

New figures from the World Cancer Research Fund suggest that making these simple changes in lifestyle could result in about 79,000 cases of all kinds of cancer being prevented in the UK each year.

The WCRF says breast cancer cases specifically could be reduced by 42%.

Obesity most likely increases the risk of cancer by raising levels of hormones such as oestrogen and insulin in the body. High levels of these hormones, produced by the fat tissues, are common features of many cancers.

Excess body fat may also affect how the body processes fats and sugars and how the immune system functions.

Almost two out of every three women with breast cancer survive for more than 20 years and more than three-quarters of women with breast cancer survive for at least 10 years, says Cancer Research UK.

Sara Hiom, from Cancer Research UK, urged women to get tested at the earliest possible stage.

"Mammograms will pick up breast cancers early on before they can be felt as a lump or spotted through other visible changes and we know that the earlier a cancer is detected the more successful treatment is likely to be, so women can benefit by taking up invitations to breast screening," she said.

Dr Rachel Greig, senior policy officer at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said the figures were a wake-up call and should not be ignored.

"More women are developing breast cancer and, although survival is improving thanks to breakthroughs in breast awareness, screening and treatment, we clearly have much further to go.

"A two-pronged attack is needed - commitment to research into the causes of breast cancer, supported by women arming themselves with knowledge of the risks that may contribute to the disease."

Body Cleanse Starter Kit

Brain disorder 'messaging clue'

2011-03-16T10:49:00.000+07:00

BBC News
Scientists say they have discovered a "maintenance" protein that helps keep nerve fibres that transmit messages in the brain operating smoothly.

The University of Edinburgh team says the finding could improve understanding of disorders such as epilepsy, dementia, MS and stroke.

Nerve fibres are 'message highways'

In such neurodegenerative disorders, electrical impulses from the brain are disrupted.

This leads to an inability to control movement, and muscles wasting away.

The brain works like an electrical circuit, sending impulses along nerve fibres in the same way that current is sent through wires.

These fibres can measure up to a metre, but the area covered by the segment of nerve that controls transmission of messages is no bigger than the width of a human hair.

Signal failure

The scientists discovered that the protein Nfasc186 is crucial for maintaining the health and function of the segment of nerve fibres - called the axon initial segment (AIS) - that controls transmission of messages within the brain.

They found that the AIS and the protein within it are important in ensuring the nerve impulse has the right properties to convey the message as it should.

Professor Peter Brophy, director of the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Neuroregeneration, said: "Knowing more about how signals in the brain work will help us better understand neurodegenerative disorders and why, when these illnesses strike, the brain can no longer send signals to parts of the body."

Dr Matthew Nolan, of the university's Centre for Integrative Physiology, said: "At any moment tens of thousands of electrical impulses are transmitting messages between nerve cells in our brains.

"Identifying proteins that are critical for the precise initiation of these impulses will help unravel the complexities of how brains work and may lead to new insights into how brains evolved."

The work was funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council.

Memory concentration

Women's lung cancers has doubled since 1970s in over-60s

2011-03-08T11:27:00.001+07:00

BBC News
Lung cancer rates have more than doubled for women over 60 since the mid-1970s, figures show.

Cancer Research UK figures say the rate rose from 88 per 100,000 in 1975 to 190 per 100,000 in 2008, the latest year for which statistics are available.

Most lung cancers are linked to smoking

Lung cancers in men fell, and CRUK say this is linked to smoking rates.

The proportion of male smokers peaked before 1960. But women had rising rates in the 1960s and 1970s, which would have an effect on those now over 60.

Overall, the number of women diagnosed with lung cancer has risen from around 7,800 cases in 1975 to more than 17,500 in 2008.

Figures for men went from 23,400 over-60s diagnosed in 1975, falling to 19,400 in 2008, with rates showing a similar large drop.

The charity said 5,700 women over 60 were diagnosed with lung cancer in 1975, compared with 15,100 in 2008.

Exposure

In the late 1980s, lung cancers in women in their 60s plateaued, and even started to fall.

But they began to rise again in 2002.

However cancer rates among women in their 40s did fall between 1975 and 2008.

Smoking causes around 90% of lung cancers, and CRUK wants more efforts to be put into anti-smoking measures.

Jean King, Cancer Research UK's director of tobacco control, said: "Around nine in 10 cases of lung cancer are caused by smoking and one in five people still smoke, so it's vital that work continues to support smokers to quit and protect young people from being recruited into an addiction that kills half of all long term smokers.

"In particular we want displays in shops covered up so that young people are no longer being exposed to this form of tobacco marketing."

Body detoxification

Aspirin 'helps protect against bowel cancer'

2011-03-02T15:31:00.001+07:00

By Nick Triggle
Health reporter, BBC News
A daily aspirin tablet may help prevent bowel cancer, a study suggests.

Oxford University found it cut cases by a quarter and deaths by more than a third in a review of 14,000 patients.

Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer

Aspirins are already widely used to help protect people against strokes and heart problems, although many healthy middle-aged people do not take them because of the risk of side-effects.

But researchers said their findings - published by the Lancet - "tipped the balance" in favour of taking them.

They followed up four study groups over a period of 20 years to identify the impact of regular small doses of of the drug - the tablets given for medical reasons are often a quarter of a strength of those used to treat headaches.

“To date, for healthy middle-aged people it has been a fine balance as to whether to take aspirins, but this tips it in my view”

End Quote Professor Peter Rothwell Lead researcher

They found it reduced the risk of the incidence of bowel cancer by 24% and of dying from the disease by 35%.

And even though regular aspirin use can have side-effects, the researchers said it was still worthwhile as on such low doses these tended to be relatively minor, such as bruising or nose bleeds.

One in 20 people in the UK develops bowel cancer over their lifetime, making it the third most common cancer. About 16,000 people die each year as a result of it.

The findings build on previous research on the issue, and come after the government announced earlier this month it was looking to start a new screening programme for bowel cancer for 55-year-olds.

Lead researcher Professor Peter Rothwell said the screening would provide the perfect opportunity for doctors to discuss with their patients about whether to take aspirin.

"To date, for healthy middle-aged people it has been a fine balance as to whether to take aspirins, but this tips it in my view.

"There is a small benefit for vascular disease and now we know a big benefit for this cancer. In the future, I am sure it will be shown that aspirin helps prevent other cancers too."

'Talk to GP'

He added those with a high risk of bowel cancer, including the obese and those with a family history of the disease, should give aspirin treatment a particular consideration.

Mark Flannagan, chief executive of Beating Bowel Cancer, said they were "very positive" findings and giving aspirin alongside the new screening programme should be looked at.

But he added: "Anyone considering starting a course of medication should first consult their GP."

Prostate cancer, Prostate disease