That's Fit Staff
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Long-term use of osteoporosis drug 'doubles cancer risk'
Osteoporosis sufferers are being warned that long-term use of a drug used to treat fractures could double their risk of developing cancer of the oesophagus.More than a million people with osteoporosis take oral bisphosphonates. Those who have taken the drug for five years or more are twice as likely to develop the cancer than those who have not, according to a study by Oxford University.
Nearly 8,000 people in Britain are diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus each year. Survival rates are low compared to other cancers, (about 7,500 people die from it each year) and only three in 10 survive more than 12 months after diagnosis.
The study of 3,000 people found that the incidence of oesophageal cancer is about one in 1,000 for people aged 60 to 79. However, that figure was double for people who have taken oral bisphosphonates for five years or more.
Although the risk is small, the researchers also found that people who had one or more previous prescriptions for oral bisphosphonates were 30% more likely to be diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, compared to those who had never taken the drugs.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the Government's medicine's regulator, suggested there was "no need" for patients to stop taking the medication on the basis of the study alone.
However, experts believe that the findings, published in the British Medical Journal, may persuade many to stop taking the drugs.
Dr Jane Green, lead author of the study, said their results were "part of a wider picture" because bisphosphonates were "increasingly prescribed to prevent fractures".
She said: "what is lacking is reliable information on the benefits and risks of their use in the long-term."
But she added: "Oesophageal cancer is uncommon. The increased risks we found were in people who used oral bisphosphonates for about five years, and even if our results are confirmed, few people taking bisphosphonates are likely to develop oesophageal cancer as a result of taking these drugs."
Dr Laura Bell, from Cancer Research UK, also emphasised the risks were "still small".
"Anyone who is taking these drugs and is worried about their risk of cancer should talk to their doctor."
The National Osteoporosis Society said: "It is a case of balancing the reduced risk of fractures against the side effects of treatment.
"When you consider the fact that there are 230,000 osteoporotic fractures every year in the UK and 1,150 hip-fracture-related deaths every month, the case for treatment is strong."
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Compost carries Legionnaire's risk
Gardeners are being warned about the risk of Legionnaire's disease after a pensioner was diagnosed as carrying Legionella longbeachae, a rare form of the bacteria, after being infected by compost through a cut to his hand.The "previously fit and healthy" 67-year-old was admitted to intensive care following a serious eight-day fever, according to a report in The Lancet.
He has now fully recovered but doctors are warning gardeners of the risks and making medics aware of the signs so that cases can be quickly diagnosed.
Simon Patten, an intensive care consultant at the hospital, wrote in the medical journal: "When we questioned the patient to find out the source of this infection, we discovered that he was a keen gardener and had lacerated his left index finger two days before the onset of his symptoms, while planting with compost; we presumed that this cut was the site of entry of the organism."
The UK Royal Horticultural Society has issued warnings about the risk of contracting Legionnaires' disease from handling compost and has announced that bags of potting compost will carry cautionary statements.
Paul Alexander, principal horticultural scientist at the RHS, said: "Elderly gardeners and those with a suppressed immune system are most vulnerable."
Although the risk remains very low - in the UK, just nine cases have been reported since 1984 - there are things you can do.
Gardeners are advised to wear gloves when handling compost and to avoid opening a compost bag with their head right over it. They are also advised not to store compost in greenhouses, as the higher temperatures might encourage Legionella bacteria, and to wear dust masks when turning compost heaps.
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Teenagers who surf rather than sleep 'triple chances of mental illness'
Anyone with a teenager will know how hard it can be to persuade them to go to bed at a reasonable hour. But if they spend their time surfing the net rather than sleeping it could be time you pulled the plug for the sake of their health.
Sleep-deprived teenagers are three times more likely to develop a mental illness, according to research.
The average 17-24 year old used to sleep around eight to nine hours per night, but thanks to electronic gadgets, this has fallen to as low as five hours for some.
Researchers in Australia studied the sleeping habits of almost 20,000 people aged between 17 and 24 and reported their findings in the journal Sleep.
They found over half of those who got fewer than six hours sleep had high levels of psychological distress, compared with one quarter of those who slept eight to nine hours a night.
Lead researcher Professor Nick Glozier said: "Over the past few decades young adults have been sleeping fewer and fewer hours, whereas the rest of us have generally been sleeping more hours.
"There's a whole load of gadgets that kids and young adults now have in their bedrooms that they never used to have.
"Yet of course they have to get up and go to school or college or go to university at exactly the same time. So there's a group of them who are becoming more and more sleep-deprived."
He warned that a lack of sleep could have potentially serious effects.
"What we are seeing is young adults who start off with anxiety and body clock problems, moving on to problems like bipolar or major depression.
"In young adults already experiencing distress, the fewer hours they sleep the worse the outcome."
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Taking fish oil could save lives of 10,000 heart patients
We all know about the importance of getting enough omega-3 fatty acids in our diet and now a study suggests that taking a daily supplement of fish oil could save the lives of thousands of heart failure patients each year.Researchers found that taking 1g of fish oil per day (in addition to the patient's usual medication or a dummy pill) resulted in a nine per cent reduction in deaths from the condition.
Around 700,000 people in Britain suffer from heart failure - and sadly, a third die within a year of being diagnosed.
Prof Martin Cowie, of Imperial College London and the Royal Brompton Hospital in London said around 10,000 lives a year would be saved if two thirds of heart failure patients took the capsules daily.
In fact, taking fish oil is so beneficial that it may soon be prescribed to heart failure patients on the NHS.
The fish oil used in the study (known as Omacor), contains 90 per cent omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ethyl esters rather than a standard over-the-counter product.
It would cost the NHS 51p per patient per day.
The research paper published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine, said: "Although not yet licensed for use in patients with chronic heart failure, it is likely that updates on international guidelines will make a recommendation to at least consider increasing omega-3 PUFA ethyl esters consumption in the form of oily fish or capsules, 1g per day, in patients with chronic heart failure already optimally medically treated."
Dr Jeremy Pearson, deputy medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: "Researchers have been trying to find something that fish oils really do so this is interesting. If people feel they can tolerate it, which most people do if they take capsules and not liquid, I don't think there is any suggestion that they might be doing themselves any harm."
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A coffee break could ward off heart disease
There's no need to feel guilty about treating yourself to your morning latte – in fact it could be the secret to a long life. New research into what helps people live to be 100 shows that even those with high blood pressure are healthier for a daily cup of coffee as it helps to improve elasticity of the arteries and can ward off heart disease.
The subjects of the research were all aged between 65 and 100 and long-term inhabitants of the Greek island of Ilkaria. It is known as the 'land of longevity' as a third of residents reach the age of 90.
The population suffers 20 per cent less cancer and half the rate of heart disease compared with the western average, and there is virtually no dementia.
Researchers looked at 485 people with high blood pressure, which results in stiffness of the arteries, and found that the 56 per cent of people who were moderate coffee drinkers consuming between one and two cups per day, had the best arterial health, with their blood vessels behaving like those found in younger people.
Their arteries were more elastic than those in people who drank little or no coffee, although those who drank three or more cups a day had the least elasticity.
Dr Christina Chrysohoou, who led the study, believes that ingredients such as caffeine and antioxidants may partly improve arterial function by increasing the ability to take up nitric oxide, which is impaired in patients with high blood pressure.
It's also significant that moderate coffee drinkers took time out to relax and enjoy their coffee break with friends.
Fancy a coffee, anyone?
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'Brisk walking' could prevent 10,000 cancers a year
Research has shown time and time again that regular exercise can improve health. But scientists at the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) now believe that just 45 minutes of moderate exercise a day could stop more than 5,500 cases of breast cancer developing in Britain each year.
They also believe that at least 4,600 cases of bowel cancer could be prevented annually if people exercised for 30 minutes daily.
This would reduce the incidence of both types of cancer by 12 per cent and would cut 1,500 deaths from breast cancer and 1,900 deaths from bowel cancer annually.
The charity is keen to emphasise the link because it believes that only a third of people know that exercise has a direct effect on cutting cancer.
What's more, exercise does not have to mean sweating at the gym: brisk walking, cycling, swimming, dancing, gardening and housework all count.
Dr Rachel Thompson, deputy head of science for WCRF said: "There is now very strong evidence that being physically active is important for cancer prevention. Even relatively modest increases in activity levels could prevent thousands of cancer cases in the UK every year.
"By taking up walking as a hobby or even walking to the shops instead of taking the bus or car, people can make a real difference to their health."
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iPhone app could replace the stethoscope
The stethoscope is one of the most recognisable pieces of medical equipment. But its days could be numbered, all thanks to a free app created by University College London. Peter Bentley invented the iStethoscope application, which monitors heartbeat through sensors in the phone, as a bit of fun. But it took off and now 500 apps are being downloaded every day after a free version was introduced last week.
"Everybody is very excited about the potential of the adoption of mobile phone technology into the medical workplace, and rightly so," said Bentley.
He added: "Smartphones are incredibly powerful devices packed full of sensors, cameras, high-quality microphones with amazing displays."
In future it could be possible for people to conduct their own ultrasounds or monitor blood pressure through their smartphones.
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Scientists find genes linked to migraines
Anyone who suffers from migraines will tell you how debilitating the condition can be. Sufferers experience pain, visual disturbances and nausea – and with one in six women and one in 12 men having them, most of us know someone who is affected. Although most sufferers manage to identify their own triggers, researchers have now identified a genetic variant linked to the condition.
Scientists looked at the genetic make-up of more than 50,000 people and found that those with a particular DNA variant between two genes on Chromosome 8, have a greater risk of developing migraine.
The results suggest that an accumulation of a chemical known as glutamate in the nerve cell connections in the brain may play a key role in the initiation of migraine attacks.
Prevention of the build up of glutamate may provide a promising target for new treatments for migraine.
Researchers hope that this discovery will lead to the development of new drugs and treatments.
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