New Cancer Guidelines Baby Milk Formula

Cancer Guidelines
Possibly in response to some of the appalling stories that have reached the media, the government have introduced guidelines to help people who are suspected of suffering from cancer.
From now on, everyone whose symptoms may be due to a cancer should be seen within two weeks of their visit to the GP.
The symptoms that are included within these guidelines can be found at www.doh.gov.uk/pub/docs/doh/wallchart.pdf
To reach this fast track, your GP must refer you on a special form. These forms have been sent out by the local hospitals to GPs in their area. In addition, they are available on www.doh.gov.uk/cancer/proforma.htm

return to top of page

Smokers are as daft everyone else
The tobacco industry clings to every straw in the bale to protect its product. However, the longest running study of the effects of smoking has confirmed beyond all doubt that smoking does not prevent dementia. It may even worsen it.
This study was started in 1951 and has followed the health and habits of doctors to the grave. Just as many smokers have died from dementia as non-smokers and younger.

www.BMJ.com.
Doll 2000;7242 1097-1101

No more excuses! - buy the book and do the deed

Baby Milk formula
Eighteen month old babies, scored 8% better on tests of memory and problem solving if their infant milk formula had been supplemented with 0.72% arachidonic acid and 0.36% docosahexaenic acid between the ages of 0 and 4 months. There is growing evidence that these supplements are needed to bring the performance of bottle-fed babies up to the level of their breast fed cousins. Unfortunately, as yet, it is in no ones interest (except for the babies) to add them, they cannot be patented and will only increase the price and reduce competitiveness. Only medical and public pressure will change this.

return to top of page

St John's Wort Is St John's Wort safe?
St John's Wort is an antidepressant, available without prescription, effective for mild to moderate depression. The answer is almost certainly 'Yes but..' Although St John's Wort is relatively free of side effects, like all drugs, it may interact with other drugs. This may cause new side effects, or it may increase or reduce the effect of the other drug.

St John's Wort may increase the effect of other antidepressant medication such as fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine sertraline citalopram or anti-migraine medication such as sumatrtriptan, anratriptan, rizatriptan. It will decrease the effect of Warfarin, digoxin, anti-epileptic drugs, HIV drugs, immunosuppressant drugs for a transplant patients and the oral contraceptive pill.

If you are taking St John's Wort and a drug that belongs to one of the groups mentioned, you need to discuss your specific case either with your pharmacist or GP. It does not mean that the two drugs cannot be taken together rather that the doses may need adjusting.

Preventing Heart Disease
The UK has the highest rate of heart disease in Europe and the lowest treatment rate. Bearing in mind that heart disease is decreasing in the west, the government has announced plans to further reduce deaths from heart disease. But will they help?

1 Stop Smoking clinics. Existing NHS Clinic have less than 20% success rate.

2 Emergency Heart Clinics, where people can be seen within two weeks if they are suspected of having heart disease.

3 An 8 minute response from the ambulance service and improved the facilities in Accident and Emergency departments so that 75% of people are treated for heart attacks with 30 minutes.

4 Increasing the use drug therapy following a heart attack, including daily aspirin, B blockers and cholesterol reducing drugs.

5 Increasing the number of heart operations.

These plans will be backed by funding of £50 million, but Professor Alberti, President of the Royal College of Physicians commented 'The extra funding will get things going, no more.' In the meantime, it will be business as usual, unless of course you live close to a hospital, know the consultants or have one of the better health insurance plans.

Further government information http://www.doh.gov.uk/nsf/coronary.htm

return to top of page

Six cloned cows may hold the key to immortality

By Dr Marios Kyriazis

Researchers who used cloning techniques to create six identical cows in the laboratory say that it is possible to use similar techniques to create human organs which are practically immortal. This opens up amazing possibilities which were predicted by pioneering scientists decades ago. The cloned human organs could, theoretically, be used to replace old hearts, livers, failing immune systems or damaged cartilage in arthritic joints. In the future it will also be possible to create complete human bodies to be used when our own body is damaged beyond repair by the ageing process. But if you want to live forever you have to wait. The scientists who took part in this experiment are not exactly sure how the ageing clock inside the cloned cells was reset.