Tag Archive: Research


A cure for depression

Filed Under: Healthcare News by Kirsty — Leave a comment
October 26, 2009

It is already a widely accepted theory that the Mediterranean diet, protects against heart disease and cancer. However spanish researchers have found that it may also help to prevent depression. Their findings showed that depression was less likely to develop in those who have a diet high in fruit, vegetables and cereals and low red meat. The study was carried out over 4 and half years.

The findings showed that those who were adhered to the diet were exsmokers, those who were married and older idividuals.They were more physically active and showed higher energy intake.

This study seems to show that healthy eating is good for your mental health which would make sense as if you have a healthy lifestyle it will boost your energy and also if you’re more active there is increase in the endorphines in your bloodstream which improve your mood. However it is thought that a larger study may be needed to further prove this theory.

The question is how long before there is a theory that disproves this one?

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Educated women live longer

Filed Under: Healthcare News by Kirsty — Leave a comment
October 25, 2009

Research carried out by a Swedish research team suggests that well-educated woman have a positive influence on both their own and their partner’s chances of a long life. The statistics showed that a if the woman only has a school education then her partner had 25% greater chance of dying earlier than the man whose partner had a university education. It is thought that the reason for this is that educatated women are more likely to understand the health messages their family needs. When the roles are reversed it is the male’s income and social status that affect women’s lifespan.

One theory put forward is that women tend to take on the responsibility of feeding the family so a more educated woman will be more aware of better eating habits. It is also is thought women who are better educated tend to receive better healthcare and their partner benefits from this.

I don’t know if this is purely the case in Sweden where the research involved 1.5 million participants all of which were swedish; but I don’t really agree that the better educated women increase the life of the male. I think that it is simply a case of common sense that if you eat well and have an active lifestyle then you will in theory live longer. Plus is some scenarios due to having a high powered job I would have thought that their life may be shortened due to stress related illnesses.

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Hidden Diabetes Warning

Filed Under: Healthcare News by Kirsty — Leave a comment
October 15, 2009

A recent study has shown that some people with type 2 diabetes are suffering needlessly from regular low blood sugar attacks. The study showed that out of 2,000 people all of which had type 2 diabetes 50% of them reported having symptoms of a hypoglycaemic episoded in the last 2 weeks. GPs claim that this is partly due to the increasing pressure to control their blood sugar makes it worse.

One of the key components of treatment is to ensure blood sugar levels don’t get too high, as this can lead to severe complications. Worryingly it is thought that the some people are on the wrong medication and that in some cases the medication may be causing the hypoglycaemia.

Knowing several people who are diabetic, yes the medication is there to help but it is important to recognise the early warning signs of a hypoglycaemic episode so that you can do something about it before it destroys your day. Also it is worth pointing out that even if you are on medication diet is very important. I know it sounds cheesy but why let diabetes control you when you can control it?

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Tinnitus cause found

Filed Under: Healthcare News by Kirsty — Leave a comment
October 10, 2009

Tinnitus is a condition where the patient reports hearing sounds in one or both ears but there is no external source.

Doctors previously thought that tinnitus was generated by ear problems. However following claims by US doctors that it is possible to pinpoint the area of the brain activated when patients suffer from tinnitus it is now widely accepted that the sounds are generated in the brain. The breakthrough was made by at team at Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit who used a special scanner to map the locations in the brain.

The scan is called magnetoencephalography (MEG) and it measures the very small magnetic fields generated by intracellular electrical currents in the neuron cells in the brain.

They played various sounds until the patients agreed that that was the sound they experienced and then scanned their brains while the sound was played.

Here are just a few interesting facts about tinnitus:

  • There are approximately 2.3 million sufferers in the UK with moderate or severe tinnitus
  • Tinnitus noise can beat in time with your pulse
  • Most people experience brief periods of tinnitus after long exposure to loud noise

The results for the MEG imaging showed that those who only experienced tinnitus in one ear the greatest amount of activity was in the auditory cortex on the opposite side of the brain. However those with tinnitus in both ears brain activity was in both sides of the brain, with greater activity appearing in the opposite side of the brain to the ear with the strongest perception of tinnitus. Another part of the brain that was showing high levels of activity on these scans was the lmbic system that governs how we react to things.

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Cure for colour blindness

Filed Under: Healthcare News by Kirsty — Leave a comment
September 19, 2009

Scientists claim that they are getting closer to curing colour blindness using gene therapy. In one study a US team, lead by Professor Jay Neitz were able to restore full colour vision to adult monkeys who were unable to distinguish between red and green. Experts believe that although more studies are needed, the same treatment could potentially work for humans who are colour blind. Until recently they had not thought it was possible to manipulate the adult brain in this way. Scientists believed that adding new sensory information could only be carried out in the earliest years of life; as this is when the brain is at its most malleable.

The study took place 2 years ago and the monkeys improved vision has remained stable ever since. The plan for Professor Neitz’s team is to continue to monitor the animals in order to evaluate the long term effects of the treatment and remain hopeful that a similar idea could be applied to humans who are colour blind.

There are several forms of colour blindness, the most common of which is inherited red/green colour blindness, which passed on through a faulty colour vision gene on an X chromosome. However colour blindness can occur as a result of diseases such as macular degeneration or from side effects of medicines. Statistics show that this research could benefit approximately 7% of men and 1% of women born with genetic colour deficiencies.

This research seems to be the first in primates to address the colour vision deficiencies and indicate that intact cells are modifiable in their colour perception.

Although there is still alot more research to be done before the test is carried out on humans or becomes available in clinics it seems to be a massive step towards curing genetic abnormalities.

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Can the internet help cure insomnia?

Filed Under: Healthcare News by Kirsty — Leave a comment
August 28, 2009

Statistics show than in Britain one in 10 can’t sleep at night. New online treatments for insomnia could be the cure that is only a click away? Of course there are those who are critical of this new treatment such as Jim Horne who claims that: “The more personal the approach between the person who is the sufferer and the therapist, the better.”

There is help available from the NHS for insomniacs, unfortunately places are often very limited and the waiting lists are long. This new cure is free and are currently being offered on a commercial basis from the United States. Those who are critical of this new theory claim that it sounds rather like a spam email “End sleepless nights once and for all – at home.” However over the past few years, researchers have been developing internet-based courses designed to do exactly that.

Those who support the theory claim that it can be as effective as face-to-face cognitive behavioural therapy. Everyone knows the folk remedies for sleeplessness

  • Drink warm milk,
  • Take a hot bath,
  • Sip herbal tea,
  • Count sheep.

More often than not these don’t work, therefore your only option is to hope sleep will come, or to get one of the places on the waiting list for cognitive behavioural therapist, whilst putting up with the wakeful nights and groggy days while you wait.

With insomnia being one of the most common mental health problem with less than 50% of sufferers mentioning it to their GP. It is thought that many people feel that it is too trivial to mention to their GP or they believe they can manage on their own.

The online treatments may have the potential to ease this pressure due to the shortage of therapists trained to deal with insomnia, although the NHS is trying to help the situation by traning more therapists. bringing insomnia treatment to the internet.

If you are having trouble sleeping here are a few top tips from the experts:

  • Stay positive – if you worry about not sleeping, you won’t sleep
  • Good sleepers try to stay awake – don’t dwell on falling asleep
  • One bad night isn’t the end of good sleeping patterns – there’s always tomorrow

Here are a few things not to do:

  • Don’t nap – the bed shouldn’t be for anything but sleep and sex
  • Don’t stay in bed longer than 20 minutes. If you’re not asleep, get up and do something else until you feel tired
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Millions wasted on “No Shows”

Filed Under: The NHS and Healthcare by Kirsty — Leave a comment
August 16, 2009

Statistics show that more than £600 million is the cost to the NHS for patients failing to keep hospital appointments. That’s enough to run two medium-size hospitals! The figures show that between 2007 and 2008 6.5 million patients missed appointments which cost hospitals £100 per patient in revenue. In order to compensate for this some places are overbooking to compensate for people not attending, however there are drawbacks with this idea such as disadvantaging patients if 100% attendance occurs. Young males appear to make up the biggest portion of those that don’t attend appointments. At the opposite end of the scale people aged between 70 and 74 were the most conscientious in terms of attending appointments. However it isn’t all doom and gloom, over the past few years the attendance figures have improved slightly in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. Unfortunately the same can’t be said about Scotland where figures have increased.

Schemes such as sending text message reminders are being rolled out by the Department of Health. Whilst some say that missing appointments is unforgivable Unison is saying that the patients are not to blame when appointments are arranged months in advance. Other initiatives such as the choose and book scheme have also been introduced in order to reduce the number of missed appointments.

It is common courtesy to inform the doctor that you won’t be able to make the appointment or that you no longer require their services. Obviously this can’t be done if you forget but simply not attending is just rude and also selfish as not only is it wasting health professionals’ time and money but it is also impacting on others such as those who are on waiting lists or need to make an appointment but are unable to get one because the doctors are fully booked.

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Insect repellant – Toxic?

Filed Under: Healthcare News by Kirsty — Leave a comment
August 7, 2009

The chemical DEET which is found in many insect repellent sprays has been shown to be toxic and can cause fits in children, the current advice is that it should not be used by pregnant women. In research studies DEET blocked the enzyme cholinesterase, which is essential for sending messages between the muscles and the brain which can cause muscle spasms and in severe cases death. Other side effects of DEET are excessive salivation and eye watering.

DEET, is also known as diethyl toluamide, and is used in a many repellent sprays. Initially it was thought that the DEET simply altered the insects sense of smell to prevent them from detected the smell of the human. However on further study it was found that it acts on the enzyme which is present in both insects and mammals. Therefore the idea that it simply modifies insect behaviour is false as it directly inhibits enzyme activity in both mammal and insect nerves, research also shows that DEET interacts and strengthens the toxicity of carbamates, a class of insecticides also known to block acetylcholinesterase.

This research raises questions with regards to the safety of insect repellents, however at present it is mainly based on theory and tests on animals if you are at all concerned speak to a pharmacist or a doctor. Alternatively try alternatives from your health food shop

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Quality Nursing Revealed by New Tool

Filed Under: Healthcare News by Kirsty — Leave a comment
August 7, 2009

Under a new Strategic Health Authority Initiative nurses will be able to compare the quality of patient care against other trusts in England. The initiative ‘Energise for Excellence in Care’ is designed to improve fundamental nursing care, it is hoped that the tool should be available on website for the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement after it has been adapted.

The new tool is based on the ‘acuity/dependency’ tool which was developed by the Association of UK University Hospitals, which helps to categorise patients depending on their conditions (for example ‘stable’ or ‘unstable’) which can then be used to help inform staffing levels, skill mix and workforce development needs.

It is hoped that the new tool will enable nurses to deliver evidence-based care, that will include the development of new services where appropriate. In order to improve quality patient care indicators are key according to Lord Darzi’s Next Stage Review of the NHS, which was published summer 2008. In May 2009 a list of over 200 indicators that could be used to improve services across the NHS was published by the Government.

The Chief Executive David Nicholson will take personal responsibility for the ‘quality, innovation, productivity and prevention’ (or QIPP). It is also the focus of the DH management board. The Department of Health funded initiative; “Energise for Excellence in Care” is being led by senior nurses. Although it is hoped that this initiative will help the QIPP initiative it is important to stress that it also has wider goals, such as getting the nurses to focus on the things that really matter to patients. The initiative is also designed to give nurses permission to say what needs to be done and encourage nurses to reflect on the quality of the care that they are providing.

If nurses are consistently providing high quality care it may reduce costs for the NHS as fewer mistakes will be made and morale will improve as it is well known that low morale is detrimental to productivity and in this case patients. For more information see How morale levels affect the workplace

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Link between fat parents & fat kids

Filed Under: The NHS and Healthcare by Kirsty — Leave a comment
August 6, 2009

If their mothers are obese the statistics show that the daughters are 10 times more likely to be overweight; with sons the chance is 6 times more likely that they will be overweight if their father is overweight.

These results came from a study into whether childhood obesity was linked to environmental influences instead of genetic ones. The study involved looking at BMI’s for 226 five-year-olds and their parents. The researchers noted a relationship between the BMI of the children and the same sex parent. However no link was found between the children and the parent of the opposite sex. This suggests that the link is environmental as if it was genetic it would be unlikely to be gender selective.

These findings are not really surprising as it is a logical step that the parents eating habits and lifestyle would influence the child but what is surprising is that it seems to be gender specific. One possible explanation for the relationship between children and same sex parents is that the children use their parents as role models and so model their behaviour on the parent of the same sex.

If this is the case you would have thought that the parents would ensure that they are a positive role model for their children. Also they should take into consideration that the “fat kids” are usually singled out by bullies and are more prone to health problems such as diabetes and heart problems, add into the mix the psychological problems such as low self esteem. It is also worth pointing out that your eating habits can be passed down through the generations so not only are your children affected but your grandkids and great….grandkids.

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