Spain prepares for anti-smoking laws

On Sunday the 2^nd of January Spain will find that smoking a cigarette with a drink at their local bar - has overnight become illegal. One of the laxest anti-smoking laws in Europe will have become one of the strictest, along with that of Ireland.

Spanish smokers will no longer be able to light up in bars, restaurants and cafes as new legislation takes effect that bans smoking in all enclosed public spaces. It will also be illegal to smoke in children's playgrounds and on school or hospital grounds, according to the law, which received final approval from parliament on December 21.

Spain already has an anti-smoking law, in force since January 2006. But it is less restrictive than that in other European countries, which bans smoking in the workplace, on public transport and in shops. It allows owners of bars, restaurants and cafes to decide whether to allow smoking or not. Most, faced with a drop in business, naturally chose to permit their customers to light up.

The new measures take effect nearly seven years after Ireland became the first European country to outlaw smoking in public places, a move that unleashed a domino effect across Europe in favour of smoke-free bars and cafes.

In the UK smoking has been banned since 2007 and has been enforced strictly and all bars and pubs have slowly complied and people have gotten used to it. It has been reported that since the smoking ban in 2007 half the people who where smoking now have quit.

So what seems like a New Year’s resolution for the UK population will be law for the Spanish. But for people who are considering quitting smoking for the New Year Champix has been a big success since its release an even the Government handing Champix out for people who are considered eligible.

For more information on Champix please visit Buy Champix Online.

Many UK women face cancer risk 'due to Obesity'

Nearly fifty percent of women in England are at increased risk of some cancers because of their large waistlines, says a cancer charity.

The World Cancer Research Fund warning is based on data from the Health Survey for England suggesting 44% have a waist size exceeding 31.5 inches (80cm). Research has found that these women are particularly at risk from bowel and breast cancer. A third of men had a larger than recommended waistline.

The Health Survey for England, which monitors trends in the country's health and is commissioned by the Department of Health, was published earlier this month. It contained information and statistics on obesity and raised waist circumference in men and women in England. Previous scientific studies have shown that excess body fat increases cancer risk.

Strong evidence

There is strong evidence that a large waistline is particularly harmful and raises the risk of cancers of the bowel, pancreas, breast (post-menopausal) and womb lining, the World Cancer Research Fund says.

Dr Rachel Thompson, deputy head of science for WCRF, said it was often thought that men were more likely to put on weight on their stomach. "But these statistics show that, actually, women in England are more likely to have a raised waist circumference than men.”This is why it is important that we let women know that this is just as relevant for them, particularly as breast and endometrial cancers account for about a third of newly diagnosed cancers in women," she said. Dr Thompson added: "Over the last few years the evidence has become increasingly strong that excess body fat and particularly fat carried around the middle, is a cancer risk factor."

What treatment is available for Obesity?

So far there are only two treatments that are available in the UK which are Xenical and Alli, both are the same drug Orlistat. Orlistat works in the digestive system in the small intestine as a fat absorber. It blocks out a third of the fat in food eaten in a patient's diet.

Xenical is the stronger of the two medications which is double the strength of Alli which is why it is only available on prescription for people who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 28. To Buy Xenical Online please click the highlighted link

.

Alli is available without the need for a prescription and has shown to be able to aid weight loss buy cutting out the fat in a person’s diet. To Buy Alli Online please click the highlighted link

70,000 fake Viagra tablets found by customs officials at Ben-Gurion Airport

A Passenger who arrived from Beijing via Frankfurt found to have NIS 1.5 million worth of illegal Viagra pills in his suitcase.

Customs authorities at Ben-Gurion International Airport over the weekend foiled an attempt to smuggle 70,000 fake Viagra pills into Israel from China. The value of the pills was estimated to be

1.5 million shekels or 271,639.91 Pounds.

The passenger flew to Israel from Beijing via Frankfurt. Authorities think that the passenger chose that itinerary out of the belief that customs officials would be less vigilant at 4 a.m. in the morning, which was the arrival time of the Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt.

The fake pills were found in the passenger's suitcase.

Average UK male weight up 16lb in 15 years, study finds

The average British man was more than a stone heavier in 2000 than he was in 1986, an Oxford University study found.

Scientists put the average weight rise of 7.7kg (16.9lb) down to men eating more calories and taking less physical exercise than 15 years earlier. The British Heart Foundation research in the British Journal of Nutrition analysed changes in food consumption and body weight between 1986 and 2000.

Women's average weight gain over the period was 5.4kg (11.9lb). By studying official figures on body weight from 1986 and 2000 and calculating the food energy available during that time, researchers were able to work out the expected extra food eaten by men and women during that period.

They predicted that the average man in 2000 ate more food than the average man in 1986 - enough to make him 4.7kg (10.3lb) heavier in weight. But the actual observed increase in average male weight turned out to be higher.

This was much more than expected, so the study concluded that a reduction in physical activity was behind the increased weight as well as the extra food. The extra food available in 2000 was enough to explain the increased weight in women compared to 1986 as well.

Now at the end of 2010 and looking towards 2011 what does the future hold for obesity in England?

Anti-Obesity Drug Contrave Gains FDA Advisory Approval

Orexigen Therapeutics has had their weight loss drug Contrave passed by the FDA Advisory Board. 

Orexigen achieved a major milestone for the two out of three Americans who are overweight or obese. There has not been a new weight loss medication introduced in the last 10 years leaving Xenical as the main weight loss aid. and several drugs that were on the market have been withdrawn due to safety concerns. Two other drug makers submitted NDA applications for anti-obesity treatments earlier this year, but the same advisory panel that approved Contrave rejected their applications because of side effect concerns. The difficulties faced by others in gaining approval further demonstrate the significance of this achievement. 

Contrave combines the anti-craving drug naltrexone with the antidepressant bupropion in a single tablet. The combination boosts metabolism while curbing appetite and cravings. 

Fish oil won't help you lose weight, experts say

While there is some evidence from animal studies that fish oil can aid weight loss, new research on humans states otherwise.

Published on December 15 in the medical journal American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, US researchers tested the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids among a group of 128 overweight and obese adults enrolled in a diet and exercise program.

Participants in the study took five fish oil capsules (about three grams of omega-3 fatty acids) or five placebo capsules every day for 24 weeks. They were also asked to do 150 minutes per week of aerobic activity and 20 to 30 minutes of strength training at least twice a week.

People in both groups lost more than 5% of their body weight, but researchers found no difference between the groups, except in one area: the fish oil group had increased levels of omega-3s in their blood, which produced "a positive cardiovascular effect," the researchers stated in a release.

While omega-3 may not increase weight loss, there are plenty of great reasons to add omega-3 fish oil to your diet, experts say. Fish oil is reported to ward off heart disease, depression, and even psychological disorders. A January 2010 UCLA study concluded that a dietary increase of marine omega-3 fatty acids prolonged the lifespan of patients with coronary heart disease.

Deciding to add marine omega-3 fatty acids to your daily diet may be simple but finding sustainable and mercury-free fish high in omega-3 can be a challenge, so you may turn to supplements. If that is the case make sure you purchase marine omega-3 supplements that are pure, fresh and natural, and contain balanced EPA and DHA.

If you prefer to eat your oils, look to salmon, bluefin tuna, mackerel, herring, rainbow trout, crustaceans, anchovies, and sardines.

Access the study here. 

Weight loss business growing at fast pace

As obesity remains a health concern for most of Europe and especially the UK, the market for weight loss supplements or diet pills has grown strong in the UAE.

"Despite the economic crisis across the globe, the weight management market is still accelerating as the core targets of this market are the consumers for whom health and beauty is of higher importance than the cost. Such impulsive consumers are driving the growth of the market," Dr Safeek Ali, a dietician at Welcare Hospital, told Gulf News.

"The market players are therefore formulating attractive advertisements and brand promotions to gear up their product revenues amongst the numerous other alternatives and substitutes that are available in the market."

Big names

The two biggest players in the UAE weight-loss pills market were Xenical, produced by Swiss giants Roche, and Reductil, made by the US's Abbott Laboratories.

At the beginning of this year, Reductil was recalled from the shelves of 300 licensed pharmacies across the emirates due to risks they carried of increasing the chance of heart attack and stroke. Following this, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched a campaign against weight-loss products that contained certain prescription drugs and chemicals, many of which were being sold as dietary supplements.

They issued warnings about more than 70 products found to contain undeclared chemicals. According to pharmacists, Xenical is the only chemical product on the market. According to recent national statistics, more than 60 per cent of Emiratis are overweight.

The World Health Organisation estimates that more than 25 per cent of men and almost 40 per cent of women aged over 15 in the UAE are obese. Health experts have put it down to diet, lifestyle and education.

Obesity in the UK

More than half of the adult population in the UK is either overweight or obese. About 2 in 5 adults in the UK are overweight while 1 in 5 adults are obese. The number of obese people in the UK is rising, particularly among young adults.

How do you know if you are overweight or obese?

Your BMI (Body Mass Index) relates your weight to your height and describes how much of your body is made up of fat. If your BMI is greater then 25 then you are overweight and if it is greater then 30 then you are obese.

If you have a BMI which is greater than 28 and would like to Buy Xenical Online please click the highlighted link.

Swine flu: The 24 people who died this winter may be only a small percent of the true number, admit experts

According to newspaper reports the 24 people who died this winter from swine flu could be a fraction of the true death toll, medical experts admitted yesterday. The known deaths so far include one pregnant woman and nine children. Last night it emerged that at least one of those killed by swine flu had been vaccinated against the virus.

Over the last seven days the swine flu death rate has risen by 60 per cent and doctors warn it will continue to rise over the next few weeks. In total 27 people have died from flu this winter, with 24 of these victims of swine flu, or H1N1. The others died from a different strain, known as influenza B.

But many victims die from complications such as a heart attack or pneumonia, so the virus is not recorded on their death certificate. Doctors defended the use of the vaccine, which they said was effective in between 70 and 80 per cent of cases – a relatively high success rate compared with other immunisations against flu.

For vulnerable patients at risk of Flu, NICE recommends prescribing Tamiflu for treatment.

At Risk Groups

1.                      patients over 65 years old
2.                      chronic respiratory disease (including asthma and COPD)
3.                      Chronic heart disease
4.                      Chronic renal disease
5.                      Diabetes mellitus
6.                      Immunosuppressed patients
7.                      Chronic neurological conditions
8.                      Chronic liver disease

During the 2009 H1N1A pandemic pregnant women and children under the age of 5 were identified as additional risk groups by the department of health.

Tamiflu is an oral NICE recommended antiviral medicine for treating at risk patients with flu symptoms within 48hrs when influenza is circulating in the community defined by Heath Protection Agency, or equivalent influenza surveillance, whether they are vaccinated or not.

Buy Tamiflu online from Medical Specialists online pharmacy to protect against influenza today.

References: NICE technology appraisal guidance 168, Amantadine, Oseltamivir and Zanamivir for the treatment of influenza.

Swine flu winter: 200 fight for life as number of patients doubles in a week

According to reports in today’s newspapers, nearly two hundred swine flu victims were fighting for their lives last night. The number of patients in intensive care has doubled in a week and many of them are either elderly or pregnant. Fourteen have so far died. Seventeen of the 190 are being kept alive by highly-specialised heart and lung machines – three times the usual number.

It is feared that the swine flu strain may have grown more virulent over the past 12 months with victims quickly becoming dangerously ill. Intensive care units are warned to look out for the illness in new admissions, with medics urged to use antiviral medicines if they have the least suspicion a patient has it. Hospital managers have been holding emergency meetings to draw up plans to tackle a further onslaught of cases. It is thought the cold weather could cause a surge of admissions, putting intensive care units under massive strain. Analysis by SDI Healthcare, which models flu rates based on reports from GPs and chemists, suggests infection rates are at a five-year high.

It estimates that nine million Britons have been struck down – nearly one in six of the population. Twice the level seen this time last year, the infection rate is 36 per cent above normal, making it the worst flu outbreak in five years.

Three strains of influenza are in circulation: H1N1 or swine flu, flu B and H2N3. Swine flu is proving the most deadly and has claimed 14 of this winter’s 17 victims.

Pregnant women, the obese and asthmatics are at greater risk, with the virus far more common in those under the age of 65. GPs blame the surge in cases in part on low vaccination rates, particularly among younger age groups.

For further information on who is at risk this winter with the H1N1 virus (Swine Flu) please visit http://www.medical-specialists.co.uk/news/2010/11/19/who-is-at-risk-from-flu-this-winter/

Or for more information on how you can protect you and your family this winter against swine flu, please click the link to Buy Tamiflu Online

Pregnant woman in swine flu coma

 

According to reports in The Sun news paper, Pregnant Fallon Devaney, 25, is in a coma after being rushed to hospital suffering with swine flu, she is also now fighting pneumonia, but the staffs believe the baby, due in April, may be sapping her strength. The parents of Fallon Devaney fear they will have to choose who can be saved - the mother or her unborn baby.

Fallon was taken from home in Kirk Hallam, Derbys, to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham on Tuesday. She had not received the seasonal flu jab, which also guards against swine flu (H1N1 Virus).

Fallons mum Linda said: "All pregnant women should be given the vaccine. If Fallon had it she would not now be lying in a hospital bed almost dead.

Dr Stephen Fowlie, Medical Director at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "We encourage all people in at-risk groups to have the seasonal flu vaccine, including pregnant women. They should contact their GP for more advice."

And the Government's Chief Medical Officer, Prof Dame Sally Davies, said: "It is particularly important for pregnant women, no matter what stage they have reached, to get their free flu vaccine as soon as possible."

Meanwhile it emerged that parts of the North were suffering a shortage of swine flu anti-viral drug Tamiflu because of distribution problems.

NHS chiefs said the problem was temporary.

If you or your family have not had your seasonal flu jab or have not taken precautions this year by taking Tamiflu, please visit our website at

www.medical-specialists.co.uk to buy Tamiflu online

Thousands of fake Viagra and Cialis pills found in US bust

It’s apparently one of the biggest counterfeit busts in recent history. 

Authorities arrested 54-year-old Awni Zayyad. The Wilson, North Carolina resident is accused of trafficking over a thousand fake Viagra and Cialis pills.

“My first reaction when I hear that is, ‘If it’s fake, what is it?’ You have absolutely no clue what could be in these drugs,” says Charles Odell, with the Dilworth Centre for Chemical Dependency.

Odell says he often sees overdoes from fake drugs.

“When you're taking a drug off the street that is a bootleg or fake drug, then you're completely on your own without any assistance from a physician,” he adds.

Agent Delbert Richburg heads up Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Charlotte.

Richburg says the Charlotte area has seen its fair share of counterfeit items from health products, to consumer goods.

“These are some counterfeit Apple products, iPods, and again, you look at this iPod and it doesn't have the Apple, doesn't have the Apple mark on it,” Richburg explains.

Not surprisingly, the Internet has given rise to all sorts of counterfeit merchandise. ICE shut down over 82 websites on Cyber Monday.

“Unfortunately, you might spend $50 or $100 on a typical item that lasts for 30 days before it starts, the stitches come out and it starts to deteriorate,” he says.

Nationally, ICE confiscated over $200 Million in counterfeit items in 2009. $30 Million from health products alone. 

“At the very least it could cause serious health affects, worst it could possibly take your life,” Richburg says.

Officials say Thursday’s bust proves counterfeit items are not only low quality, but can also be risky to your health.

Stolen pies contained a secret ingredient, Viagra

A baker has revealed his pies contained a secret ingredient this year Viagra, which he let slip after a batch of pies were stolen by thieves on the way to a pie eating competition.

The pies were stolen as they were being delivered to the World Pie Eating Championships in Wigan.

Baker Vince Bowen says “they all contained traces of the pharmaceutical sex aid” which he apparently uses as a preservative to keep the potatoes firm.

The event's organiser and bar-owner, Tony Callaghan, told locals to be on the look-out for a group of "hardened criminals".

Mr Callaghan said: "It's a right cock-up. It's going to be very hard to sort this one out."

The world famous pie-eating championships have long made use of special ingredients.

The bakery came up with the idea of using Viagra after over-mushy potatoes led to record-breaking times in 2007.

Smoking cause over 30% of severe rheumatoid arthritis cases

Smoking cigarettes and cigars is thought to behind more than 30% of all cases of severe rheumatoid arthritis, research suggests. It is also to blame for more than 50% of cases in people who are genetically predisposed to developing the debilitating condition, a Swedish study found.

Around 350,000 people in the UK are affected by rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is an autoimmune disease which occurs when the body's immune system attacks the lining of the joints, causing them to become red, swollen, inflamed and painful. It is three times more common in women than men.

In the study, more than 1,200 Swedish men and women with RA, and 871 without the condition were questioned about their smoking habits. They were then grouped according to how long they had smoked. Blood samples were also taken to measure levels of anticitrullinated protein/peptide antibody (ACPA), a marker for disease severity, and to assess the participants’ genetic profile for susceptibility to RA.

The findings showed that the heaviest smokers were more than 2.5 times as likely to test positive for ACPA. A heavy smoker was defined as someone who had smoked 20 cigarettes a day for at least 20 years. Among those who had a genetic predisposition to the disease, and who tested positive for ACPA, smoking accounted for more than half the cases (55 per cent). Those who smoked the most had the highest risk. They  also found that the risk of RA fell for people who had quit smoking, the longer they had given up smoking. However, among the heaviest smokers, the risk was still relatively high, even after 20 years of not having smoked.

Based on these figures, the researchers calculated that smoking accounted for 35 per cent of ACPA positive cases, and one in five cases of rheumatoid arthritis, overall.

Although the risk of RA from smoking is not as high as for lung cancer, where smoking accounts for 90 per cent of cases, it is similar to that for coronary artery heart disease, said the researchers. The researchers, from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, said other environmental factors may add to an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis, including air pollutants and hormonal factors. But they suggest that their findings are sufficient to prompt those with a family history of rheumatoid arthritis to be advised to give up smoking.

The above findings are published in the journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

If you or your partner are worried about smoking and the effects it could be having on you or your family there are options available. Firstly a visit to your local GP is in order for advice and guidance on how to stop smoking.

 

There also may be a local NHS Stop Smoking Services, which could give you the extra support you need to quit.

There are also treatments widely available on the market today such as Champix the smoking cessation treatment. If you would like further information on where to buy Champix online please visit www.medical-specialists.co.uk

What is premature ejaculation?

What is premature ejaculation? 

Well the simple answer is when a man ejaculates earlier than he has intended or his partner would like him to, or in some cases even before an orgasm is reached. Premature ejaculation (PE) is also known as rapid ejaculation, rapid climax, premature climax, or early ejaculation.

How common is premature ejaculation?

Premature ejaculation is commonly reported as the most common male sexual problem of all ages. The Global Study on Sexual Attitude and Behaviours (2005) did collect data on the prevalence of PE from many countries around the world but did not collect for India. From studies done in India, mainly using clinic samples, the prevalence of PE ranged from 12% to 78%. A 2006 study on urban slum men reports a prevalence of PE to be16%. Premature ejaculation is more common in younger men, as they are often less sexually experienced or secure with the situation in which they are having sex.

Symptoms and Causes of Premature Ejaculation

Predominant age: All age groups

Predominant sex: Male only

Signs and Symptoms

• Ejaculation occurring before individual wishes
• Ejaculation does not occur following normal erection (including masturbation)

Causes

• Never any ejaculate
  • Congenital structural disorder (Mullerian duct cyst, Wolffian abnormality)
  • Acquired (radical prostatectomy, postinfectious, post-traumatic, T10-12 neuropathy)
• Retrograde ejaculation
  • TURP (25%)
  • Surgery on the neck of the bladder
  • Extensive pelvic surgery
  • Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for testicular cancer (also can produce failure of emission)
  • Neurologic disorders, eg, multiple sclerosis
  • Drugs, eg, amoxapine, desipramine, imipramine
• Retarded ejaculation
  • Rarely may be due to underlying painful disorder, eg, prostatitis, seminal vesiculitis
  • May be psychogenic as part of erectile dysfunction
  • Sympathectomy, eg, spinal cord injury, diabetes mellitus
  • Some drugs may impair ejaculation, eg, certain MAO inhibitors, SSRIs, alpha-blockers, antipsychotics, tricyclic antidepressants
• Premature ejaculation
• Sexual inexperience
• High level of sexual arousal
• Fear of sexually transmitted disease
• Anxiety
• Guilty feelings about sex
• Interpersonal maladaptation (marital problems, unresponsiveness of mate)
• Lack of privacy

What Treatment Is Available for Premature Ejaculation?

There are many ways of improving your staying power, some are more laborious including Masters and Johnson recommended a start and stop technique to increase the time until ejaculation. This requires a great deal of couple cooperation and communication, and may be difficult for some.


There are also various treatments available on the web, one treatment stands out called Stud 100 The active ingredient, Lidocaine, is a anaesthetic which is used to reduce the sensitivity to touch of ejaculation in cases of over-rapid or premature ejaculation. It delays ejaculation by reducing the sensitivity of the penis, significantly prolonging intercourse and providing greater satisfaction for both partners. Stud 100 can be used with both latex and non-latex condoms: Stud 100 has been tested with leading brand condoms and meets the BSI Test Protocol.

References

1. http://www.sexualhealthindia.com/sexual-health/premature-ejaculation
2. http://www.health.am/sex/premature-ejaculation/
3. http://www.medical-specialists.co.uk/chemist-shop/stud-100.php