Tag Archives: health

Support Prostate Cancer Awareness Week

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Prostate cancer is now the most common cancer diagnosed in men in the UK – every hour at least one man dies from this disease.

It is a cause that has suffered from years of neglect, so plan NOW for Prostate Cancer Awareness Week, 10-16 March 2008 – it’s your chance to make a difference.

Prostate Cancer Awareness Week 2008 aims to raise the profile of prostate cancer among the public and in the media. Hundreds of individuals and groups across the UK will join forces to help raise awareness of prostate cancer and raise vital funds to improve research, information and support services for men and their families who are affected by this disease

An early diagnosis of prostate cancer could improve a man’s chances of finding a successful treatment, yet 90% of adults in the UK do not know what the prostate gland does and the crucial role it plays in a man’s sexual function.

About Prostate Cancer Awareness Week

Prostate Cancer Awareness Week is an annual health awareness campaign organised by The Prostate Cancer Charity.

Every year nearly 35,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the United Kingdom and 10,000 men die from it.

African Caribbean men are three times more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than their white counterparts.

The Prostate Cancer Charity is striving for a world where lives are no longer limited by prostate cancer. The Charity is fighting prostate cancer on every front – through research, support, information and campaigning.

If you have any queries about prostate cancer call The Prostate Cancer Charity’s confidential helpline 0800 074 8383 which is staffed by specialist nurses and open from 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday and Wednesdays from 7 – 9pm.

If you want to make a donation to The Prostate Cancer Charity call 0208 222 7622 or visit www.prostate-cancer.org.uk

For further information contact: Lilas Allen or Nikki Nagler on 020 8222 7653/7670. Out of hours contact: 0798 432 5001. Email: or Email Nicola.Nagler@prostate-cancer.org.uk

UK Government reviews health guidelines for alcohol

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London: ONE in four women in the UK is drinking more than is recommended following a Government revision of the alcohol unit system.

The new guidelines have been issued because many drinks and particularly wine are higher now in alcohol than at the time the unit rules were created.

According to the UK Government’s Office of National Statistics, a glass of wine which is officially classified as one unit should now be counted as two.

The Government has highlighted the problem with wine because it forms, on average, 40% of a women’s intake of alcohol. This compares to less than 20 percent for a man.

It is estimated that about 14 percent of women, aged between 14 and retirement age, are drinking too many units because they are calculating using the old method. Using the new method this dramatically increased to 25 per cent.

Manyof those drinking too much as high income earners and professionals. An average senior female manager in a large company is now drinking 15.2 units of alcohol a week.

Among men, a third over the age of 25 are now thought to be drinking more than Health Department recommended safe levels of 21 units a week.

The new rules replace those created in 1978 which have been outdated by bars serving ever larger glasses of wine with ever higher alcohol levels.

Pub wine glasses used to hold 125 millilitres, but now many serve 175 or 250 are common. In addition, thirty years ago many wines only had nine per cent alcohol. Today’s many wines are 14 per cent and even higher. Many beers and lagers have also increased in strength in recent years.

www.vitalityshopuk.com offers 20% discount

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20% off all products

The Vitality Shop UK offers you the highest quality health nutraceuticals and beauty products from around the world.The aim of Vitality Shop UK is promote healthy lifesyles so that you can not only live longer and more vital lives.

Improved medical intervention and nutrition, has resulted in a huge spurt in longevity in the 20th century. An extra 20 years has been added to the average lifespan, bringing the average global life expectancy to 66 years. Life expectancy in Ancient Rome was 22 and in the Middle Ages 35. Today there are some people who live to more than 115 years.

Although medical science is a long way from the discovery of a longevity pill, there is a growing community of doctors worldwide who believe that we can change our biological biomarkers to those of a younger person by making positive lifestyle changes. As a result we can live longer, happier and healthier lives.

Email us at service@vitalityshopuk.com for your promo code

The Harley Implant Dental Centre, Harley Street, London

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10% discount on all treatments
The Harley Dental Implant Centre
111 Harley Street
London W1G 6AW
T: + 44(0)7935 2573
Email: info@implants-dental.com
Website: www.implants-dental.com

Drs Raj Parkash and Nigel Agger are two of the best dentists and cosmetic dentists in the business today. They work with a passion to deliver the best outcome for their patients.

What they say: “The Harley Dental Implant & Cosmetic Centre is a clinic dedicated to providing the best in dental implantology and cosmetic dentistry. We are internationally renowned for our exceptionally high standard of implant and general dentistry.

We are committed to providing the ultimate standard of quality service in restoring and maintaining your dental health in an atmosphere of professionalism and clinical confidence.

Our aim is to create results for our patients, which enhance the quality of their lives through our dedication to understanding their fundamental needs by means of precise and clear communication.

We treat the person, not just their teeth.”

Eat your way to health with green cuisine

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London In the beautiful, tranquil surroundings of Penrhos Court, a Herefordshire manor farm on the Welsh borders, award-winning author, chef and nutritionist, Daphne Lambert, has run Greencuisine organic food, vitality and health courses for over 15 years.

Greencuisine offers a range of practical nutrition-based cookery courses using locally grown organic foods. Run in small groups and led by qualified practitioners- all who have many years of experience of helping people to achieve optimum health – Greencuisine courses provide hands-on tuition in the kitchen and individual nutritional advice, as well as daily Yoga classes, massage and gentle walks in the local countryside.

Greencuisine cookery courses are designed to revive and rejuvenate while enabling participants to see the joy of food and ways in which our diet directly affects health. Owner and Leading Nutritionist, Daphne Lambert, believes that we are what we eat and that the foods we choose have a significant effect on our health and wellbeing.

Daphne Lambert says: “With over 25% of British adults now obese and cases of type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease and cancer on the increase¹, there is an immediate need to re-evaluate our diets and re-educate ourselves about the ways in which the food we eat affects our health.

“In Britain today, one in three adults dies of heart disease² and a quarter of us die from cancer related deaths caused by unhealthy diet³. As a nation we have lost a significant level of understanding and knowledge about how we think about and prepare food. Our courses are designed to provide practical health advice from qualified practitioners as well as hands-on sessions in the kitchen learning to prepare nutritious organic food that can be easily made at home.”

All Greencuisine cookery courses are residential, fully catered and all diets catered for and foods included. Take-home cookery and health food course notes are provided to enable attendees to integrate what they have learnt into their everyday lifestyle.

Greencuisine Cookery Courses:

Food and Health – £605 five day course

An essential course for everybody who wants to understand more about the food they eat and the impact it has on our health and on the body. Learn how to prepare a wide selection of organic, fresh, seasonal food with expert advice from Daphne Lambert on maximising nutritional value. Discover the importance of whole foods, the benefits of juicing, understand the digestive system and take part in daily Yoga classes. This course is booking now for corporate team building days.

Women’s Health – £350 two day course

A long-established, two day course developed exclusively for women and centred on foods that promote vitality and health. Includes daily yoga classes and time spent in the kitchen learning to create a range of delicious and nutritious dishes such as sushi, almond, date and banana torte, cranberry and banana smoothie and hemp cheese.

Women’s Health – £699 five day course

The 5 day version of the WHC offers a more in depth combination of hands on cooking, diet awareness, nutrition, yoga and massage with Daphne Lambert, Sue Pembrey and Belinda Jobst. Plenty of time is spent in the kitchen creating dishes to help give health and vitality.

Living Nutrition – £1,400 four weekends one in each season

Now in its fifth year, Living Nutrition is an annual course run by Daphne Lambert and Dragana Vilinac exploring the relationship between the food we eat and our health and vitality. Learn practical skills for optimising health through cooking, understand how to make informed decisions about the food you buy and the environmental impact food production can have, develop an insight into Traditional Chinese Medicine and gain an understanding of how your body works and your own individual nutritional needs.

A Feast for the Soul – £550 weekend course

A Feast for the Soul is a journey of self discovery through the preparation and sharing of food. This enlightening and popular course is run by Daphne Lambert and Jonathan Snell both whom use their vast experience to demonstrate how food choices in our diet should not be based purely only on the physical but should embrace philosophical, emotional and spiritual perspectives. Jonathan is an expert in the phsychology of belief and behaviour and the physiology of movement and psycho-physical integration. The course involves lots of time spent in the kitchen and is built around discussions about our beliefs and understandings of food including reference to food stories, tales and legends.

Greencuisine also offers gift tokens that can be used to purchase any Greencuisine course. For further information or to book a place on a course visit www.greencuisine.org or call 01544 230720.

Beer helps after exercise hydration

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Granada: Beer is better at hydrating the body after exercise than just water, according to new research from Granada University in Spain.

The scientists believe that the sugars, salts and carbon dioxide may be responsible.

The study looked at 25 students over a period of several months. They were asked to run on a treadmill in temperatures of 40C (104F).

Once they were on the point of giving up, researchers measured their hydration levels, concentrationability and motor skills. Half were then given two half pints of Spanish lager to drink, while the rest were given water. Both groups were then allowed to drink as much water as they wanted. The rehydration effect in the students who were given beer was ‘slightly better’ than among those given only water.

Based on the studies, the researchers have recommended moderate consumption of beer – 500ml a day for men or 250ml for women – as part of an athlete’s diet.

The ingredients of beer – which include malted barley, hops and yeast – are rich sources of vitamins and minerals.

Diabetes and obesity continue to rise in UK

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London: Rates of obesity and diabetes continue to rise across England, although people are living longer than ever, the UK Government has revealed.

Obesity rates in England were by 2005 the highest among the 15 member states who then formed the European Union. Also life expectancy continues to increase.

A girl can expect to live to 81, more than a year and a half longer than a decade before. But life expectancy in the north of the country is shorter than in the south.

Women in the North East and North West live over two years less than those in the South East and South West, while men live over two and a half years less than their southern contemporaries.

In the decade ending in 2005 covered by the report, the proportion of obese men rose by over 40%, although the figures did start to fall slightly in the final year.

The proportion of obese women however rose by almost 35% and shows no signs of slowing. Among children, it was up by over 50%.

The figures for children are seen as much more precise than those for adults, as they are based on hard data provided by almost every school in the country, while the adult figures are extrapolated from sample surveys.

This latest report comes on the back of a major study into obesity sponsored by the government, which forecast that the majority of us would be obese by 2050.

Obesity is known to contribute to some health conditions, including type 2 diabetes. Overall rates for diabetes increased from 5.8% of the population to 8.4% between 1998 and 2004.

Other conditions on the increase include chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. This latest data shows that among females, rates for these diseases have increased above the average of Western Europe.

Mortality rates from cancer are on the decline, although the outcome still varies according to the specific type of the disease.

And life expectancy is improving for everyone. While a baby girl can now expect to live to 81.2, a baby boy can expect to live to 76.9, nearly 2.5 years longer than ten years previous, according to the 2005 statistics.

Alcohol and exercise don’t mix – UK government warning

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London: Many people enjoy drinking alcohol and then exercise the following day quite comfortably. While this fact sheet outlines the impact that alcohol can have on the body’s performance during exercise, it is not designed to persuade people to change their exercising habits. It is intended to help you understand why you may not perform at your best after drinking.

Key facts from the UK Government’s Know Your Own Limits Campaign

Alcohol can affect your sport and exercise performance in two main ways, due to the effect of alcohol or its breakdown products in your body after drinking, or indirectly because of the effects of alcohol on your sleep, diet, level of dehydration etc, which can also affect your performance and efficient recovery from exercise. Below we have collected key facts from a range of authorities on the subject*:

If you have alcohol 24 hours before exercising you are more likely to develop muscle cramps.

Alcohol affects the body’s ability to create energy therefore it slows down reaction times, increases body heat loss and reduces endurance.

After exercising the body needs to be rehydrated. It’s not helpful to drink only alcohol as it will continue to dehydrate the body further.

If you sustain injury while exercising, and you have had alcohol the night before, or drink any alcohol afterwards [while injured], you are likely to increase your recovery time.

People often reach for vitamin B on the morning after night out. But even small amounts of alcohol reduce the body’s ability to absorb vitamins and minerals that are essential for converting food to energy, and helping repair body tissue after injury.

Alcohol and injuries

If you sustain an injury while alcohol is still in the bloodstream, even from the night before, the recovery time from the injury will increase.

· If you drink alcohol after sustaining a soft tissue injury, it may take longer to repair. This relates to two key factors:

· increased muscle swelling – alcohol dilates and relaxes blood vessels which increases muscle blood flow, hence the swelling

1 alcohol can mask the pain and severity of an injury, encouraging over-use

If you have been injured, avoid alcohol and seek medical treatment. RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) is the best way to reduce swelling and speed recovery.

How alcohol affects you and sport

Speed: alcohol affects you even after you’ve finished drinking. Alcohol affects the central nervous system and slows down the information processing ability of the brain. This in turn slows down your reaction time, hand-eye coordination, accuracy and balance. Even a couple of drinks can affect your performance and perception.

Energy and stamina: the blood sugar that your body needs for energy is produced by your liver when it releases glucose into the blood stream. Alcohol keeps the liver too busy to produce this sugar efficiently. All of this means you have less energy and lower stamina.

No matter how much training and conditioning you’ve put in, a few drinks the night before can really take the edge off your fitness. When it is time to really ‘dig deep’, there might not be anything there.

Cramps: while exercising, your muscles burn up glucose, producing lactic acid as a waste product. Too much lactic acid leads to muscle fatigue and cramps. Alcohol that remains in your system contributes to greater build up of lactic acid. Therefore your risk of ‘cramping up’ increases dramatically.

Dehydration: the ‘dry horrors’ is the term used to describe an extreme symptom of alcohol’s diuretic (increased urination) effect. This extra fluid loss added to what you sweat out, means the risk of dehydration increases.

Performance: when you combine the effects of lactic acid build up, dehydration, and the body converting food to energy less efficiently, your aerobic performance is greatly reduced.

Alcohol and your muscles

Few people realise that consuming alcohol after a workout, practice, or competition can cancel out any physiological gains you might have received from such activities because:

short-term alcohol use can impede muscle growth; long-term alcohol use diminishes ‘protein synthesis’ resulting in a decrease in muscle build-up.

In order to build bigger and stronger muscles, your body needs sleep to repair itself after workouts, and alcohol is widely known to upset sleeping patterns.

* The authorities’ information hasn’t been factually verified by Department of Health, but we acknowledge that it represents sensible advice

Adults won’t exercise to live longer

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Even the threat of an early death is not incentive for most UK adults to exercise, according to a new survey of 2,100 people from YouGov.

Only 38% of people questioned by YouGov said they would do more exercise if their life depended on it. In addition, British Heart Foundation figures show only a third of people manage to do enough exercise to achieve the minimum recommended amount.

Experts warned inactivity is dangerous even in those who are a healthy weight.

In the YouGov survey brisk walking was found to be the favourite way of getting exercise – before dancing, swimming or going to the gym.

Physical activity and obesity are too different risk factors so even if you’re lean, if you’re inactive you increase your risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. However, only 4% said they found exercise fun.

A greater inspiration was exercising to change body shape, particularly among women and young adults.

Almost a third of 18 to 24-year-olds reported they would do more exercise if they saw an unflattering photo of themselves or were told they looked fat.

Other less predictable forms of motivation to work out included fancying someone at the gym.

But only 13% of men and 7% of women said keeping a healthy heart was their main motivator.

Excuses for not exercising were found to be always close at hand – from not having enough time to the one in seven who blame bad weather for not doing enough physical activity.

The British Heart Foundation, which is launching a campaign to encourage people to up their heart rate for 30 minutes a day, says that someone dies every 15 minutes as a direct result of physical inactivity.

The government recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity five times a week.

Dr David Haslam, clinical director of the National Obesity Forum, said it made for depressing reading but confirmed what had been shown in clinical trials, where even those who had a heart attack did not change their lifestyles.

“Children instinctively exercise when left to their own devices, but they don’t because they’re stopped from doing that by the school curriculum and parents scared of child abductors and murderers lurking on every corner.

“So, if it doesn’t become a habit, you’re not going to work hard to go against the tide and introduce it as an adult.”

He added that exercise could be incorporated into everyday life.

“Physical activity and obesity are too different risk factors, so even if you’re lean, if you’re inactive you increase your risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease,” he said.

Depression more harmful to health than diseases

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Geneva: Depression is more harmful to health than lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and obesity, according to a new report from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The organisation investigated information on 250,000 patients in 60 countries, and discovered that on a scale of zero to 100 – with zero indicating worst health and 100 indicating best – sufferers of depression had an average score of 72.9.

This compared with ‘better’ scores of 80.3 for asthmatics, 79.6 for angina sufferers, 79.3 for arthritis sufferers and 78.9 for those with diabetes.
does more harm to a person’s wellbeing than physical diseases such as asthma, angina and diabetes, a study has found.

In 2000, scientists rated depression as having the fourth greatest public health impact. But by 2020 they predict it will have risen to become the second leading cause of disease burden.

The study, in a report published in the medical magazine, The Lancet, was led by Dr Somnath Chatterji, who said its findings demonstrated the urgent need to improve treatment for depression.

He said: “When people come for treatment for long-term chronic diseases, doctors tend to focus mainly on the physical diseases – they are not looking for depression.

“This study reinforces the importance of recognising and treating depression as part of chronic illness because it’s a much more effective way to improve people’s health than just dealing with chronic physical illness. The treatment of mental illness is a necessity, not a luxury.”

Male cosmetic surgery grows in popularity

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London: A survey conducted on behalf of UK newspaper, the Sunday Telegraph, has found that 23 percent of men or one in four would have cosmetic surgery to improve their looks.

The survey of 1,000 British men was done by Opinion Health. Of those questioned, 46 percent admitted to poor eating habits, with most of their meals made up of junk food and pre-packaged meals. Forty percent has virtually no form of physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Over the last two years men in the UK have gone in increasing numbers for liposuction, and procedures for younger-looking features such as nose jobs and eyelid surgeries.

Statins may be new weapon against Alzheimer’s

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Seattle: The family of anti-cholesterol drugs called statins and taken by millions around the world, can protect against Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research.

An examination of brain tissue has provided the first direct evidence that statins – taken to prevent heart disease and strokes – can also ward off dementia and memory loss. The study is published in the American Journal of Neurology.

The new findings s come from a study of 110 brains – donated for medical research – at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. The researchers led by Dr Gail Li examined the brains for changes linked to Alzheimer’s -including the creation of ‘plaques’ and ‘tangles’ made from the protein called beta amyloid.

These changes appear in the brain long before any symptoms of dementia develop. Eventually, they damage enough brain cells to trigger confusion, memory loss and eventually death. The researchers found far fewer tangles in the brains of people who had taken statins, compared to those who had not.

The findings were true even after age, sex and the history of strokes were taken into account. This is the first study to compare the brains of people who took statins with those who did not.

Dr Eric Larson, study co-author said: “These results are exciting, novel and have important implications for prevention strategies.”

Statins work by blocking the action of a chemical in the liver which is needed to make the ‘bad’ form of cholesterol, LDL. Reducing levels of bad cholesterol keeps blood vessels unclogged.

The researchers are not sure how statins also prevent the buildup of protein tangles in the brain. They suspect that a healthy flow of blood is a key factor.

Another study, five year’s ago at Boston University found that statins may cut the risk of Alzheimer’s by as much as 79 per cent, even in people with a family history of the disease. Some small- scale studies have found an apparent link between statins and cancer and Parkinson’s disease. Other studies, however, suggest that the drugs can ease the pain of rheumatoid arthritis.

Nagging health questions answered on new UK government site

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London: Got a nagging question about your health? Are you planning a new fitness regime or are you interested in finding out more about a particular condition and relevant treatment options? If you are looking for reliable, personalised information about your health and lifestyle you can now find it at the new website, NHS Choices www.nhs.uk

Health advice is now the second most searched for subject online so it is no surprise that there is a lot of information of variable quality out there.
NHS Choices is a one-stop shop for all your health information that you can trust and that puts you in charge of decisions about your own health, lifestyle and even treatment options.

See how fit and healthy you are with a quick and easy personal health check and watch short movies from the experts and real people about their experiences of common conditions and treatments. Read honest accounts of how celebrities such as Steve Redgrave, Tricia Goddard, Rosemary Conley and Nik Powell, Richard Branson’s co-founder of Virgin Records have overcome their own health problems. You can even become an expert with access to information only previously available to the medical profession.

Get motivated and take inspiration for a healthy life from Live Well, a series of online magazines featuring up to date articles, short movies and celebrity contributions to appeal to different groups such as women, teenagers, men and families.

Get great ideas for healthy eating with recipes from Emma Bunton, Nadine Coyle, Dannii Minogue and Myleene Klass and watch celebrity chefs cook up simple, healthy meals for the whole family and romantic nights in.

Find inspiration for a fitness regime that works for your age and lifestyle. Get active and take the Chelsea FC challenge, try walking your way to fitness and a great pair of legs or read how Olympic sprinter, Linford Christie has managed to stay fit and lean post retirement and post forty.

Learn our how to stay happy and healthy at work and see what the experts have to say about a mid life crisis. Is your urge for a newer model – car or woman – due to brain or hormone changes or just bad behaviour.

Should you need to go to hospital NHS Choices gives you the information to make an informed decision about where and when you want to be treated. View ratings on hospital waiting times, cleanliness and readmission figures and for the first time what previous patients have to say about their treatment and experiences via immediate online feedback.

It is even possible for you to make your choice of hospital based upon personal preferences such as travelling times, MRSA incidences and availability of single sex wards.

Background:
1. The NHS Choices website draws on the combined experience and expertise of NHS.uk, NHS Direct, the National Electronic Library for Health, and the Healthcare Commission.

2. NHS Choices can be found at www.nhs.uk The site will continue to evolve and significant extensions are scheduled for later in 2007 and 2008.

3. The site will allow patients to access NHS approved information using a number of features under distinct headings:

Live Well
• Information that will help the well to stay fit and assist those who are unwell to manage their condition

• ‘Magazine’ content will reflect the interests and needs of different groups such as teenagers, families and those over 70

Health A-Z
• Access to a vast library of approved medical literature, previously only available to clinicians to enable a deeper understanding of conditions & treatment options
• Easy to understand multi-media guides on the most common procedures e.g. hip replacement
• Detailed guides to living with 20 long-term conditions such as diabetes to help patients manage their condition. Expert opinions from professionals and patients will provide advice and support

Choose Services
• Authoritative, comparative data on the standards and availability of services
• Searchable comprehensive directories e.g. on hospitals, GPs and care homes
• A quality scorecard that will help patients and GPs together to identify the most appropriate clinicians and locations for their treatment

Your Thoughts
• Patients will be able to directly comment and feedback on their hospital experience
• All comments will be pre-moderated and references to named individuals will be removed
• Hospitals will have the opportunity to respond to comments about their services.

Israeli scientists invent robot ‘sub’ that travels through human veins

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Tel Aviv: Israeli scientists have created a robot ‘submarine’ which is so small it can swim through the veins to provide medical treatment.

Dr Nir Schwalb, of the Judea and Samaria College, and Oded Salomon, of the Israel Institute of Technology, say their machine has the unique ability to ‘crawl’ through tubes the width of blood vessels and is even able to travel against the flow of blood, using magnetic power, as it passes through veins and arteries.

Previous micro-robots have been too large to enter the smallest and most complex areas of the body but the latest is one millimetre in diameter and has tiny arms which allow it to ‘grip’ as it travels along. The robot is still in development but it is hoped that in future it may be used to treat a variety of diseases including cancer.

Mr Salomon said: ‘We believe we have created a robot that will be tiny enough to pass through the body and at the same time have navigational abilities for performing-complex medical tasks. We are discussing with doctors from many different fields which application will be most useful.

Micro-surgery is usually carried out with catheters and endoscopes which are far too large for most parts of the body.

Thousands may go blind as UK government denies key drug to elderly

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London: The UK government’s drug watchdog is refusing to allow doctors to precribe a drug which could save the sight of thousands of elderly people who live in England and Wales.

At the same time the drug – Macugen – is available on the public health service, the NHS, to those living in Scotland.

Macugen is used to treat the wet form of age-related macular degeneration, where veins leak causing blindness.

The watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. said another drug, Lucentis, could be used but only if patients have gone almost blind in one eye and the disease is far progressed in the other.

It also restricted the use of Lucentis to a specific type of the condition which affects only around 20 per cent of sufferers.

There are around 26,000 new cases of wet AMD, which affects the macular region at the back of the eye, in the UK every year.

Based on Nice’s recommendations, 80 per cent of these patients – more than 20,000 a year – will be left to go blind. Macugen and Lucentis, known as antiVEGF drugs, stop the deterioration of the sight.

On Monday the Scottish Medicines Consortium, the rationing body north of the border, approved Lucentis for all NHS patients after previously giving the green light to Macugen.

It is the latest example of post-devolution Scotland giving its patients access to many drugs denied those in England and Wales, which is covered by NICE.

The drugs are also available in many other countries including Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, the U.S. and Australia.

Nice’s draft guidance, which is up for consultation, was greeted with anger from charities, clinicians and opposition politicians. The Royal National Institute of Blind People said it was ‘outraged’.

Head of campaigns Steve Winyard said: ‘Anti-VEGF drugs have the potential to halve the number of people going blind each year and patients in the UK who can benefit from them must all have them – and quickly.

‘It is simply unacceptable that Nice is recommending that only a small minority of patients within England and Wales will benefit from these ground-breaking treatments. Nice must reconsider.

‘Anti-VEGF drugs are cost- effective. It is much more expensive to support someone once they have lost their sight than to provide sight-saving treatment.’

Tom Bremridge, chief executive of the Macular Disease Society, said: ‘Limiting the treatment options to 20 per cent of patients who would benefit is unjustifiable and allowing one eye to go blind before treating the second is cruel and totally unacceptable.’

Winifred Amoaku, consultant at the Royal College of Opthalmologists, said the two drugs worked differently. She attacked the fact that only Lucentis had been given the go-ahead because some patients would benefit more from Macugen.

‘Both treatments should be made available to opthalmologists,’ she said. ‘One treatment doesn’t fit all and opthalmologists should be able to prescribe the most suitable option for their patient.’

The Nice ruling comes despite a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine which found that the sight of nine out of ten patients given Lucentis improved or stabilised after two years of treatment.

Lucentis costs up to £2,000 per injection or £28,000 for a full course of treatment, which is 14 injections over two years. Macugen is around £1,800 per injection or £36,000 for a full course of 20 injections.

Dr David Gillen, medical director of Macugen manufacturer Pfizer, said: ‘Macugen has been shown to maintain vision in patients will all types of wet AMD and has a licence to reflect this.

‘From a cost perspective, it has been convincingly demonstrated that Macugen’s cost-effectiveness can be enhanced when treatment is started at an early stage before too much vision is lost.’

More Britons seek health treatment abroad

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London: Despite huge investment in the UK’s public health service over the last 17 years, patients from the UK are voting with their feet and travelling abroad for treatment, says a survey by Treatment Abroad.

More than 50,000 people travelled abroad for treatment last year, and spent £161 million on medical tourism. The number of medical tourists increased by 25% over the 12 months and, predicts the survey, will continue to grow over the next 6-12 months. With NHS budget shortfalls and continued lengthening waiting lists it appears that medical tourism is a trend set to continue.

“There has always been speculation about the true number of medical tourists travelling from the UK for treatment.” says Keith Pollard director at Treatment Abroad we have seen visits to the www.treatmentabroad.net site grow from 3,000 a month to over 60,000 in March 2007, so it was obvious that people were researching treatment overseas. We instigated the Medical Tourism 2007 Survey to see just how many people where going abroad, where they we going, what for and just how much they were spending.”

The Medical Tourism Survey 2007 reveals that India, Hungary and Turkey are amongst the most popular medical tourism destinations for UK patients.

Dentistry is the most popular service with dental treatments such as crowns, dental implants, bridges and veneers leading the way. Over 20,000 Brits travel abroad for their teeth, spending around £2,500 each, with an estimated market value of over £50 million per annum.

Cosmetic surgery is a close second with around 14,500 patients travelling outside the UK. Breast augmentation, tummy tuck, liposuction and facelift are popular choices; patients spend around £3,500 each, creating an estimated market size of £50 million.

The most common types of elective surgery for patients travelling abroad are hip replacement, knee replacement, laser eye surgery and cataract removal, with some 10,000 patients spending £37 million in 2007.

With medical tourism gaining in popularity it is not surprising that there are over 500 clinics, medical tourism companies, hospitals, doctors, dentists and healthcare providers overseas, who are actively promoting their services to the UK market and wooing the British public to travel abroad for treatment.

To request a copy of Treatment Abroad’s Medical Tourism 2007 Survey and for further press information please contact
Keith Pollard email: keithpollard@privatehealth.co.ukT: + 44(0)870 777 0401

www.treatmentabroad.net is full of sound practical advice on going overseas for elective surgery, cosmetic surgery and dentistry. The site will help every potential medical tourist decide on the best destination and healthcare provider to suit their needs

Holistic Health & Beauty – Emma Hardie

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Emma Hardie is a leading exponent in holistic anti-ageing and natural skin rejuvenation. She is particularly known for her pioneering Sculpting Facial and Natural Face Lift workshops. She specialises in treating skins that prefer a more gentle and healing approach. Her unique method has led to TV and radio appearances treating the faces of A-list celebrities. Emma practices from her Knightsbridge and Oxford clinics.

Find out more at www.emmahardie.com Email her at Emma Hardie

Why spinach is the new broccoli

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Sales of spinach in the UK have increased by up to 35 per cent in the past year – and celebrity chefs are the inspiration for this positive change in our diet.

As well as cooking the healthy vegetable, consumers are now using it in salads and in other dishes, according to leading supermarket chain Tesco.

The health benefits of spinach include vitamin E. It is also thought to be helpful to slimmers and with memory.

Free special report on prostate cancer – detection and treatment

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Johns Hopkins Health Alerts, the consumer health information website published by University Health Publishing in conjunction with Johns Hopkins Medicine, today released an important new Special Report on treating and preventing prostate cancer.

The special report stresses that early detection and treatment are keys to defeat prostate cancer, and also outlines strategies for prostate cancer prevention, and dealing with prostate cancer’s most common side effects, including erectile dysfunction.

Who is at risk for prostate cancer? Every man. The risk increases with age. Men over 50, African-American men, and men with family medical histories of prostate cancer face the greatest threat. Regular testing is crucial.

Even if a person does not fall into any of these risk categories, education is their best weapon. The special arms people with clear, practical advice on what they can do to prevent prostate cancer.

The free special report 7 Keys to Treating Prostate Cancer explains the process of screening and detection, and discusses the treatment options available should the diagnosis prove to be prostate cancer.

The seven keys include:

1-Understand Your Prostate Biopsy

2-Get a Second (and Third or Fourth) Opinion

3-Choose the Right Treatment

4-Dealing with Erectile Dysfunction

5-Seek Extra Help-If Needed

6-Understand the Role of Diet

7-Consider Complementary Techniques

The author, Dr. Jacek L. Mostwin, is one of the leading surgeons at Johns Hopkins’ James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, ranked #1 in America for 16 consecutive years.

Dr. Mostwin clearly guides the reader through the diagnostic tools and innovative treatments for prostate cancer so that anyone concerned about it or suffering from it can make the best decisions about their medical care, to try to insure the best outcome.

The progress Dr. Mostwin and his fellow specialists have made in the battle against prostate cancer is remarkable, yet much more can be done to prevent this disease.

Anyone wishing to receive this free information can download this invaluable special report for free at www.hopkinsreports.com/prostate

The Johns Hopkins Special Reports website is produced by University Health Publishing, which has been publishing health-related information for people over 50 since 1988 through the monthly newsletter *Johns Hopkins Medical Letter: /Health After 50/* and the Johns Hopkins White Papers.

Public unaware of gum health

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New York: US consumers named having “whiter teeth” or a “better smile” most often when asked to list the benefits of practicing good oral hygiene, despite a growing body of evidence that suggests that the gum disease gingivitis, if allowed to progress to periodontitis (advanced gum disease), may increase one’s risk for broader health problems over time.

There are several explanations for a possible causal relationship between oral health and overall health. The scientific community is still exploring and debating this potential connection, examining the role of germs that cause periodontitis (advanced gum disease), chronic inflammation of the gums resulting from periodontitis, genetics and lifestyle habits, such as smoking.

Nearly 100 percent of dental professionals (98 percent) and physicians (91 percent) indicate that they believe that there is a link between oral health and overall health, and many are already trying to educate consumers about the mouth-body association. In fact, 65 percent of physicians and 94 percent of dental professionals surveyed reported that they are discussing the association between poor oral health and broader health problems with at least some of their patients.

The makers of Listerine this week launched a print advertising campaign to help educate consumers on the association between oral health and overall health as well as to remind consumers of the benefits of a twice-daily rinse with Listerine Antiseptic.

“It’s great to see that physicians as well as dentists are informing their patients about this emerging science, but we also need to take it a step further by recommending immediate actions that our patients can take to make a difference,” says nationally recognized dentist Dr. Gregg Lituchy, a pioneer in the dental health field. “My patients appreciate it when I can recommend simple ways to achieve improvement in their oral care. For example, in addition to regular visits to the dentist, twice-daily brushing and once-daily flossing, I recommend rinsing with Listerine for 30 seconds twice a day, which has been shown to reduce significantly more plaque and gingivitis when added to brushing and flossing. That’s a small time commitment, but a big win.”

In addition, physicians should encourage their patients to make regular visits to their dental professional so that they may detect early any oral health problems, which can be a sign of other health problems.

While more than 80 percent of consumers surveyed reported brushing their teeth two or more times a day, only 56 percent said they regularly floss and 60 percent use an antiseptic mouthrinse such as Listerine(R) Antiseptic.

Dental professionals surveyed named gum diseases (gingivitis and periodontitis) more frequently than cavities when asked to list the most common oral health issues their patients face.

More about the mouth-body connection

There are several possible explanations for the link between oral health and overall health. One theory involves the germs that cause advanced gum disease (periodontitis). Another theory points to the potential effects of chronic inflammation of the gums caused by advanced gum disease. In any event, genetics or bad habits, such as smoking, may increase the chances of both poor oral health and poor overall health.

“The connection between poor oral health and broader health problems is not yet completely understood. We do know, however, that periodontitis is a bacterial infection, characterized in part by inflammation of the gums,” says William Meggs, M.D., author of The Inflammation Cure and professor and chief of the Division of Toxicology, and vice chair for Clinical Affairs for the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University School of Medicine in Greenville, North Carolina. “Many experts believe that inflammation, in the mouth and elsewhere in the body, is a common thread linking a broad range of health problems.”

While the nature of the link is not yet fully understood and no cause-and-effect relationship has been established, what has been shown is that some sort of an association exists between oral health and overall health, and that both dental professionals and physicians agree that it is a good idea to maintain the health of your mouth, including your gums.

About the Surveys

The surveys, with a focus on the association between oral health and overall health, were conducted in May 2006, interviewing a nationwide sample of 1,001 U.S. adults 18 years of age and older and 301 medical doctors and 303 dentists. Data for the total sample were weighted to be representative of the total U.S. adult population on the basis of region, age within gender, education, household income, and race/ethnicity. The surveys were sponsored by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, makers of Listerine Antiseptic.

About Plaque and Gum Disease

Plaque, a soft, sticky film of bacteria, is directly responsible for the development of gingivitis, an early and reversible form of gum disease. When the bacteria that cause plaque stick to the teeth and gum tissue and multiply, the tissue becomes infected and inflamed, and the gums become red, swollen and sometimes bleed easily. More than half of Americans have some form of gingivitis, but because it’s painless, many people don’t realize they have it.

If left untreated, gingivitis can lead to the advanced gum disease periodontitis, which when left untreated can lead to eventual tooth loss. Periodontitis also is difficult to detect, because it is often painless. Up to 15 percent of adults will experience the severe form of this disease. The best way to determine whether or not you have gingivitis or periodontitis is to see your dentist.

About Listerine

Listerine Antiseptic is the number one dentist-recommended brand of mouthrinse and the only major brand name over-the-counter mouthrinse that carries the American Dental Association (ADA) Seal of Acceptance. Made by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, Listerine contains a fixed combination of four essential oils and is clinically proven to kill germs that cause bad breath and to help prevent or reduce plaque and gingivitis. Listerine is not indicated for the treatment of periodontitis. To learn more about Listerine Mouthwash and to further explore the mouth-body connection, visit http://www.listerine.com

About Pfizer

Pfizer Inc discovers, develops, manufactures and markets leading prescription medicines for humans and animals and many of the world’s best-known consumer products. The Consumer Healthcare division of Pfizer, headquartered in Morris Plains, New Jersey, is the world’s second-largest consumer healthcare company, with a portfolio of market-leading brands that also includes Purell(R), Neosporin(R), Benadryl(R), Sudafed(R), Visine(R), and Rogaine(R).

Chewing gum has health benefits, says new report

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London:The world’s largest manufacturer of chewing gum, The Wrigley Company, today announced the launch of the first Expert Report outlining the four key benefits of chewing gum.

The report pulls together research on how chewing gum can improve dental health (specifically aiding plaque reduction), help with weight management, improve concentration and alertness and also relieve stress. This is the first time the research, conducted by academics and scientists across the globe over the last few years, has been pulled together in one comprehensive, user friendly guide.

The launch of the Expert Report follows the creation of the Wrigley Science Institute (WSI) earlier this year. The Institute has been set up to conduct further research into the health benefits of chewing gum and brings together experts in their fields from Europe, United States and Asia. Initial findings from the WSI are due out later this year.

“Most people associate chewing gum with fresh breath and a cleaner feeling mouth but the benefits of chewing gum are a lot broader than that. Research conducted in the last few years has already shown direct correlations between chewing gum and reducing stress, improving focus, effective weight management and dental health,” said Alexandra MacHutchon, a Wrigley spokesperson.

“This report brings together the science behind these claims in a consumer friendly report that also provides information on other additional benefits such as reducing acid reflux, helping with the affects of air pressure while flying and aiding smoking cessation.”

The Expert Report is the first in what will be a series of updates from The Wrigley Company on the health benefits of chewing gum.

“As the WSI publishes new research on the different ways that chewing gum can benefit your health we will be updating and refreshing the Expert Report and continuing to educate consumers. We are continually finding new benefits both in terms of general health and in specific medical areas such as surgery recovery times. As more research is commissioned we are very excited about the prospect of finding new ways in which gum can help people maintain a healthy body and mind,” said Alexandra.

About the Wrigley Company

The Wrigley Company is the world’s leading manufacturer of chewing and bubblegum and a major player in the confectionery industry worldwide.

Some of Wrigley’s most famous brands include Wrigley’s Extra®, Airwaves®, Orbit®, Juicy Fruit®, Wrigley’s Spearmint®, Doublemint® and Hubba Bubba®. Wrigley is committed to diversifying close to home and recently launched its first non-gum products for over one hundred years – Extra™ Thin Ice™ and Extra™ Mints.

Anti-ageing tea better than water

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Drinking tea is more beneficial than drinking water, according to research published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Tea not only rehydrates you as well as water does, but it can also offer protection against heart disease and cancer because it contains protective antioxidants known as flavanoids.

The researchers say their findings could benefit older members of the population, many of whom do not drink much water and so run the risk of dehydration.

Previous studies have shown that drinking just three a day can cut the risk of having a heart attack by 11 per cent.

It has also been shown to stave off some forms of cancer, including colorectal cancer.

Other health benefits include reducing tooth decay and possibly improving bone strength.

Some studies have suggested the caffeine in tea can also help concentration and improve your mood.

The key component is a group of antioxidants called flavonoids – a major component of tea – which help prevent cell damage.

Like fruit and vegetables, tea is a good natural source of flavonoids – three cups actually contain eight times the antioxidant capacity of an apple.

Marriage is good for health

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Los Angeles: Marriage is good for your health, according to a new US study.

Researchers from the University of California say that men who never marry are more likely to die an early death than women who remain single. The findings are based on the national census and death certificates of neraly 67,000 adults in the US between 1989 and 1997.

Similarly those who are widowed, divorced or separated are also more prone to an early grave. The study is published in the British Medical Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Bachelors aged between 19 and 44 are more than twice as likely to die than their married male peers.

Professor Robert Kaplan, who led the research, said that the evidence suggested that social isolation increases the risk of premature death.

After taking into account factors such as age, the researchers established that those who had been widowed in 1989 were almost 40 per cent more likely to die within the eight-year period than their married counterparts.

Those who had been divorced or separated were 27 per cent more likely to die.

However, those who had never been married were a staggering 58 per cent more likely to die during the period than their peers who were married and still living with their spouses in 1989.

At the start of the study period, almost one in two of the sample group were married, and almost one in ten were widowed.

About 12 per cent were divorced and 3 per cent separated.

The study found that for the younger age group, the main causes of death among those who had never married were infectious diseases such as HIV.

Among the middle aged and elderly, the main causes were heart disease and long-term illnesses.

Researchers say that those who marry have the advantage of being ‘socially connected’ which increases life expectancy.

Professor Kaplan said: ‘Our study raises a series of new questions.

‘Firstly, we found that having never been married is a better predictor of poor health outcomes than either divorce or widowhood.

‘And secondly, the impact of social isolation is not constrained to the elderly.’

Co-author Dr Richard Kronick added: ‘The study shows that marriage appears to help people live longer.

‘This could be because people who are married take better care of themselves, perhaps because they have something to live for.

‘And of course there is no denying that love is a good thing. It reduces stress and can help you deal with problems better.

‘When you are in a relationship there is also the element of social connectedness, where you have more social contact and more interaction with others.’

Happiness poll reveals that Briton’s less happy than 50 years ago

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London: Briton’s may be better off financiall but they are less happy, according to poll carried out for the BBC.

It found that although Britain is three times richer than it was 50 years ago, the country is not as happy as it was then. In 1957, 52% of the people said they were ‘really happy’ but only 36% said they were, according to the BBC Two TV programme called The Happiness Formula.

In common with the US, the UK is reporting lower levels of personal happiness. A General Social Survey recently found that 34% of Americans were ‘very happy’ in the 1970s. By the end of the 1990s the figure dropped to 30%.

Polls over the last few decades seem to indicate that as soon as average incomes reach about £10,000 annually ($18,000), any further income increases do not bring about more happiness.

It seems there are many countries whose levels of happiness are higher than Britain’s.

When British people were recently asked whether governments should aim more for making a country happier or wealthier, 81% opted for happiness while only 13% opted for wealth. 52% of British people polled believe schools should focus more on teaching children how to achieve happiness in their personal lives.

43% of British people think that where they live is less friendly than it used to be, 22% think it is more friendly.Only 7.7% of 1000 people interviewed thought work fulfillment was the most important contributory factor towards happiness. Most people place relationships as the largest factor, followed by health.

UK doctors question benefits of supplements

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London: Britons may be overdosing on vitamins, according to a new report by insurer Norwich Union Healthcare.

Four in ten family doctors believe patients are taking too many of the supplements without knowledge of possible serious side effects.

Most family doctors also believe people do not realise that vitamin and mineral supplements may intefere with drug function. Iron supplements, for example, can make antibiotics less effective in fighting infection and vitamin B6, used by many women for premenstrual tension, can cause nerve damage. Excessive vitamin A taken during pregnancy can harm an unborn baby and it also thought that high doses of vitamin C could increase the risk of cancer.

The research also discovered that 13 per cent of the 250 family doctors had patients who had suffered harmful side effects from vitamins in the last year.

Most doctors surveyed believed patients overestimated the benefits of taking vitamins, with many using them as a substitute for a healthy diet and lifestyle. Three quarters had seen an increase in the number of people self-medicating with vitamins over the last five years.

Almost half of the doctors felt there was not enough information on vitamins to enable people to make informed decisions on their own.
They also supported stricter controls on testing of vitamins and backed the idea that only pharmacists should sell them, rather than allowing them to be bought over the counter or via the internet.

Earlier this year the EU introduced new rules governing vitamin and mineral supple-ments, but guidelines on maximum doses are still being written and the process is expected to take until 2009 to be completed.
Previous research has raised a cancer risk from high doses of vitamin C.

A study published in the journal Science in 2001 found that in test tube tests, the vitamin could trigger a biological process that damages the
DNA, or genetic code, of cells. Earlier this year, women were warned that taking B vitamins to ward off a heart attack fails to work and may increase the risk.

Researchers in Norway found that heart attack survivors who took a combination of B vitamins for three years were more likely to suffer problems, including second heart attacks and strokes. There was also a possible increase in cancer risk thought to be triggered by increased cell growth.

A study last year found that high doses of vitamin E could be hazardous for elderly people. The substance is often thought to protect the heart and help stave off Alzheimer’s disease.