Hope for vegetative patients

One of the most terrible decisions we can be faced with can be dealing with a patient in a vegetative state. New research now suggest that 40% of coma patients in such a condition may be misdiagnosed and only an estimated 20% of patients return, like the Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond, after his car crash in September, to fully functioning normality after serious brain injury.

Hope comes from Cambridge neuroscientist Dr Adrian Owen who has instigated a groundbreaking neuroscientific research programme that is set to transform the prospects of diagnosis for long term vegetative state patients. He has devised a scanner that can reveal evidence of fluctuating levels of brain activation in such patients when offered visual stimuli such as family photographs. Even minimally aware patients can retain emotions, personality, and a capacity to suffer and it is time to stop the tragic myth that a persistent vegetative state can reliably be diagnosed just by observing the patient. If Dr Adrian Owen’s pioneering work can help reduce that tragic 50% of misdiagnosed patients then he is to warmly encouraged and hopefully supported with plenty of grant money that I see too often wasted on pointless research.

Cholesterol screening for two year olds in the USA

Often in health matters we follow the USA, but this is one case where I sincerely hope we don’t. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is recommending cholesterol screening for children as young as two if there are weight issues or a family history of heart attacks or high cholesterol.

That might sound like a good health preventive, except that the response if high cholesterol is found is to recommend statin drugs, not dietary changes. Statins work by blocking the action of a certain enzyme in the liver which is needed to make cholesterol. Proponents say there is growing evidence that the first signs of heart disease show up in childhood – which is true – but their claim that cholesterol-lowering drugs, called statins, may be their best hope of lowering their risk of early heart attack is much more controversial.

Dr. Jatinder Bhatia, a member of the AAP nutrition committee, has said that “The risk of giving statins at a lower age is less than the benefit you’re going to get out of it”. A statement that is seriously undermined when he went on to say that there is not “a whole lot” of data on pediatric use of cholesterol-lowering drugs. So how on earth can he recommend it foThe use of statins in adults is currently under debate, so why on earth promote a drug that has been shown to actually cause heart problems in healthy subjects? Last year, US researchers at the University of Illinois examined the effects of the statin drug Lipitor on subjects with no history of heart problems. After taking the drug for three to six months, some subjects showed deterioration in at least one marker for heart function, and a smaller number were found to have deterioration in three different heart function markers. Natural Alternatives|:

Statins have been heavily promoted to reduce cholesterol, but there are plenty of healthy alternatives instead. CoQ10, artichoke leaf, red yeast rice and sugar cane are all being used to reduce cholesterol and if you have a history of heart disease in your family, or are concerned about your cholesterol levels – or those of your children – then these are some other things you can try:

* Follow a low-glycaemic diet (low processed carbohydrates), which lowers cholesterol

* Eat foods containing high levels of beta-sitosterol, found in most plants, especially soybeans, as they can reduce cholesterol by at least 10 per cent

* Take omega-3 fatty-acid supplements, preferably with vitamin B6

* Eat a high-fibre diet based on vegetables, fruits and nuts and oat bran, apple pectin and psyllium are especially helpful

* Try blue-green algae supplements; they contain large amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids which may reduce cholesterol

* Garlic lowers cholesterol so cook frequently with it

Sour cherries have a sweet effect

One fruit I particularly love are dark, sweet cherries, but for maximum health effect it is the tart, sour, cherries that bring most benefit. Available as juice or powder, not suitable for eating raw, they have powerful antioxidant qualities but a new benefit has just been announced by researchers from the University of Michigan.

They have found that regularly including tart cherries in the diet can reduce the symptoms of metabolic syndrome and the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of symptoms including high blood pressure, high triglycerides, high fasting blood sugar, low HDL (“good”) cholesterol and obesity (particularly around the stomach). The study found that cholesterol levels and stomach fat were both reduced in the trial and, more importantly perhaps, that the cherries were found to reduce inflammation at a systemic level. Our body’s natural response to injury is inflammation as it seeks to heal the affected part, but as I mentioned in last week’s Health News, chronic inflammation has been linked to increased risk for many diseases including depression.

If you are interested in finding out more, or for the name of your local stockist or ordering online, then a good website is www.cherryactive.co.uk or call them on 08451 705 705

Depression triggered by chronic inflammation

It’s well known to doctors that patients with chronic inflammation, such as that linked to coronary heart disease or rheumatoid arthritis, are more likely than others to become depressed. Some pro-inflammatory drugs, such as interferon-alpha, which is used to treat Hepatitis C and a cancer known as malignant melanoma, also induce symptoms of depression in a significant number of patients, as does treatment with antibiotics.

What they haven’t known is why, but now researchers at the University of Illinois have discovered that IDO (indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase), an enzyme found throughout the body and long suspected of playing a role in depression, seems to act as a molecular switch and is in fact essential to the onset of depressive symptoms sparked by chronic inflammation.

The researchers knew that infection causes immune cells to produce cytokines, signaling proteins that help the body fight infection. These proteins also activate IDO in the body and brain. IDO degrades the amino acid tryptophan, which is the precursor of serotonin, a brain chemical known to positively influence mood. The researchers suspect that the metabolites produced when IDO degrades tryptophan are in some way promoting depression and this opens the way to research further into how to inhibit this behaviour and pre-empt depression.

For years, no one considered that an infection somewhere in the body could affect the brain, but we now know that the immune system is a sensory organ and is perfectly adapted to ‘see’ infectious agents. It then communicates that information to the brain so proving that there is a clear link between the immune system and the nervous system.

If you have a tendency towards depression, it can help to know how to combat any potential downward spiral if you have a chronic infecitopn, or are taking antibiotics. St John’s Wort is helpful to many, as is taking additional B complex and vitamin C to both help the immune system and help mood elevation. Keeping the immune system healthy and strong is a priority with a good diet, low sugar intake, regular cupuncture and herbs such as Echinacea to keep on top of any potential down swings.

Alzheimers detection in young people is possible

Alzheimer’s is one of society’s greatest fears, and although this item has been covered this week in the mainstream press I just wanted to highlight in case you missed it. It seems it may now be possible to have an early diagnostic test in teenagers to establish their risk for the disease as scans have found that people carrying the affected gene show changes in their brain activity decades before any symptoms from dementia might occur.

This gene is responsible for removing cholesterol from the blood and taking it to the liver where it is broken down and is involved in brain function and repair. The APOE4 version of the gene has also been linked with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and poor recovery from traumatic brain injuries. People who inherit one copy of the APOE4 gene are known to be at a four fold increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease while those with two copies are at ten times the normal risk. One in four of the population are though to have at least one copy of the gene, although even those who carry the altered gene are not certain to go on to have symptoms of dementia and those without the gene are not completely in the clear. A team at University of Oxford and Imperial College London carried out a series of brain scans on people aged between 20 and 35 who were showing no signs of the disease but were carrying the altered gene and compared the results to people with a different version of the gene. These results are the first to show that there was hyperactivity in the part of the brain involved in memory in healthy young people who have the APOE4 version of the gene. The study shows that their brains behave differently even when they are not asked to perform memory tests. It is thought the brains of people carrying the APOE4 version of the gene have to work harder both during memory tests and at rest and become ‘worn out’ which is what brings on symptoms of dementia later in life.

These are exciting first steps towards establishing a diagnostic procedure much earlier to show who may go on to develop Alzheimer’s and hopefully aid in prevention and treatment. Further news in this week is that the already popular Mediterranean diet might also significantly decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, according to a study from the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain at Columbia University.

A third of participants who strictly followed a Mediterranean diet were 28 percent less likely to develop borderline dementia than the third with the lowest adherence; and the diet also appeared to protect patients with borderline dementia from developing Alzheimer’s disease. Again, the ones with the highest adherence to the diet were 48 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than the one-third with the lowest compliance. So get out the olive oil and increase the amount of vegetables, fish and pulses and decrease the saturated fats, dairy and red meat.

Rheumatoid arthritis on increase among women

The overall rate of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been decreasing for 40 years, currently down to 2.1 million from the 3 million recorded in 1995. However, it has substantially increased among women according to a study done at the Mayo Clinic and presented the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals in San Francisco.

RA is a chronic inflammation of the joints caused when the body’s immune system destroys its own tissue, unlike osteoarthritis, which is caused by external damage to joints and connective tissue. Throughout the world, RA is generally more common in women than in men, which suggests that hormones may be playing a part. This is borne out by the fact that it usually goes into remission during pregnancy, and is very unusual for the disease to begin at that time. However, in the few weeks after delivery, women with RA often experience a relapse and there is a much higher frequency of development of RA. This may be because prolactin, the hormone which is responsible for milk production, enhances inflammation which is a key factor in RA.

Surprisingly, RA is also a relatively modern disease as it was unknown in Europe before 1800 which suggests either environmental or nutritional factors have played a part in its spread. It was first documented in North America where Native American skeletons dating back several thousand years show evidence of RA and they currently have the highest incidence of the disease anywhere in the world. Certainly RA is much less common in underdeveloped countries and rural areas with virtually no cases in Africa, China and Indonesia though it is found in those groups which move to an urban lifestyle in the city and change both their environment and their diet.

Until 1994 the rate of RA amongst women was only 36 per 100,000, but by 2005 it had grown to 54 per 100,000 while the rate amongst men for the same period stayed constant. This increase has prompted the researchers at the Mayo clinic to now investigate further to try and establish what has caused this rise.

Conventional treatment for RA usually involves painkillers such as paracetamol or NSAID’s such as ibuprofen to reduce inflammation which may relieve pain and swelling. Prescribed drugs such as sulfasalazine and methotrexate work to slow down the disease process and delay joint damage though they are often given in multiples and you will often have to experiment with different dosages and mixes. There are now four new medicines, infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab and rituximab, on the market which your doctor may prescribe if previous medications haven’t worked. Unfortunately, various medical studies have repeatedly shown that taking traditional painkilling drugs like ibuprofen and diclofenac have a 55% and 24% increased risk of heart attack respectively and can also increase your risk of peptic ulcers, diabetes and breast cancer.

There are also many self-help measures you can take to ease the symptoms, but not to eradicate the disease. Start with a simple hot water bottle, or ice pack, to relieve swelling and pain and try to find the right balance for you between exercise and rest. You may be recommended to see a physiotherapist and you need to try and keep your joints supple with some exercise, and swimming is ideal as it puts no strain on them. Being overweight will cause extra problems for your joints

Professor David L Scott, of Kings College Hospital, London did a study on patients who used complementary and alternative medicines and found it was over half of the UK and other Western countries who were using homoeopathy, acupuncture and aromatherapy to ease their RA symptoms. The first trial of homeopathic treatment with RA was published in a mainstream medical journal in 1980 on patients from Glasgow. It showed the patients had significant improvements in pain, joint tenderness and stiffness and two other trials in Germany showed equally positive results. Acupuncture has long been proven to be able to relieve pain – often being used instead of an anaesthetic in childbirth and clinical operations. A qualified aromatherapist will be able to create a mix of oils that can soothe pain and inflammation as well as helping relax and distress you.

Blow on your cup of tea!

If you have an asbestos mouth, it is not something to boast about as a new report on the British Medical Journal website has found that drinking very hot tea (70°C or more) can almost double the risk of cancer of the oesophagus.

Scientists are also willing to give us the facts, and apparently the optimum period to wait is 4 minutes so get out the egg timer and then count to 60. The study was carried out in northern Iran, where large amounts of very hot tea are drunk every day, but in Britain we apparently prefer our tea at 56-60°C – so only pay heed if you are one of the ‘scalding’ variety of tea drinkers!

HRT & Cancer confirmation

HRT is a thorny subject, with its advocates and detractors in equal numbers. I have been on HRT for 6 months many years ago, and know what it can do, but I also have seen much research on the damage it can wreak. New studies in recent months had pointedout the dangers of side effects such as strokes, blood clots, brain shrinkage, dementia, and even gallbladder disease, but the greatest danger comes from its role in promoting cancer.

The New England Journal of Medicine recently reported that when women are taken off HRT their cancer risk is dramatically reduced. A new study was conducted by UCLA oncologist Dr. Roman Chelbowski, and he found that the rate of breast cancer in postmenopausal women dramatically dropped in the first two years after they stopped using HRT, and then continued to reduce each year afterwards. Women in the study who also took hormone supplements of oestrogen and progestin had double the chance of developing cancer over five years, compared to women who weren’t on any form of HRT.

My view is that if you take HRT knowing the risks that is your business, but I do urge you not to fall into the trap of taking HRT long-term, which is what many doctors advocate. The risks increase, and the benefits decrease, the longer you are on it so make sure you have a definite schedule. Menopausal symptoms may be alleviated, but the menopause itself can’t be avoided, HRT or not.

Fight mood swings with fish oil

A recent report in the American Journal of Nutrition offers some hope for women – and those who have to live with them – who sufferfrom the hormonal havoc that can occur with PMS and in the time running up to the menopause. It’s not just the hormones of course, other stresses such as work and family life also add their load, plus the emotional challenge for many women of approaching the end of their childbearing years.

Other than hiding in a cupboard during the time when you want to lash out at everyone and everything and no sensible partner is insane enough to ask if you are alright without running the risk of a clip round the ear or a torrent of weeping. Now hope is at hand in the form of supplementing the diet with omega 3 oil.

Two groups of women took part in the eight week study; one being given 1.2 grams of omega-3 from fish oil and the others a placebo of sunflower oil. The group who had the placebo showed no improvement, but those taking omega-3 had definite improvements in their emotional state.

To supplement to the level of the trial you would need 1200mg a day of omega 3 and 1,050 mg of EPA. If you are not keen on taking supplements then you could increase the amount of oily fish in your diet such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring and anchovies. Or turn to that childhood staple of cod liver oil if you can stand the taste. It contains large amounts of EPA and DHA.

A word of caution, most people can take fish oil supplements safely, but if you are any form of anti-coagulant, such as Warfarin please speak to your doctor. Fish oil supplements can thin the blood so you must check whether they are suitable for you before embarking on adding them to your diet.

Beat gum disease with a cuppa

Now you know how fond I am of green tea, and actually I have found a new one in my supermarket made by Dr Stuart which combines green tea and rice. Sounds disgusting but actually it sweetens the green tea, and makes it more palatable and as I have just found another good reason for drinking it, I encourage you to try it. A cup of green tea per day may help keep gum disease at bay, a new study suggests.

A report in the Journal of Periodontology says that researchers at Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan found that among middle-aged Japanese men, the odds of having gum disease declined as their intake of green tea went up. For each daily cup they drank, the risk of having signs of gum disease – including receding, easily bleeding gums – went down and this may be because green tea has a high concentration of antioxidant compounds called polyphenols. Much gum disease arises from bacterial infection, and lab research suggests that green tea polyphenols can inhibit those germs and the damage they cause. It is of course no substitute for good oral hygiene and the dentist, but prevention is always better than cure – particularly when green tea has so many other health benefits as well.

« Previous Page — Next Page »