Calculator devised that can predict childhood obesity risk at birth

Scientists at Imperial College London claim they have constructed a formula that could predict a new-born baby’s chance of becoming obese as they get older. The calculator is available online for anybody wishing to test it out, with researchers hoping that parents analyse the results seriously and take positive steps now to help avoid weight creeping onto their child in future years.

The need for such a formula could be due to the fact that an alarming 17% of boys and 15% of girls aged between two to 15 in England are currently in the obese category of body mass index (BMI) classification. If your BMI is between 30 and 40, you would be considered obese. Although the online calculator has targeted how babies will develop in the future, a survey published this year unearthed damning statistics showing just over a quarter of all adults (26%) in England are obese.
The Researchers from Imperial College London studied 4,032 Finnish children all born during 1986 and also analysed information extracted from two other studies; one involving 1,503 Italian children and another that included 1,032 U.S. children.

It was initially considered if an obesity risk could be determined by studying genetic profiles. Accurate predictions were not able to be found though using the tests on this theory. In fact it was estimated that only about one in 10 cases of obesity is a direct result of a rare gene mutation that influences a person’s appetite. Instead, it was found that simple non-genetic factors could be used such as if the child’s mother smoked or not and the baby’s birth weight.

Prof Philippe Froguel from Imperial College London, led the study and he and his team managed to refine obesity risk factors to just six pointers which they say together can provide an accurate reading of a child’s chance of becoming obese.

The first question requests both parent’s BMI as many health experts argue that children of overweight adults are more likely to become overweight as well due to picking up bad dietary habits.
Next, the calculator asks for how many people are in the household as it is believed that single-parents have less time to spend properly taking care of their child and thus the child has a higher chance of becoming obese.

Following questions then ask for the mother’s professional category, if the mother smoked during her pregnancy and finally the birth weight (in kg) is required to be entered.
The calculator was used on the children in Finland, Italy and the US, and was found to be a fast and credible method of producing an obesity risk.

Prof Froguel said that prevention methods held the key to tackling the problem as once a child has become obese, they usually find it difficult to drop the extra weight. He said: “The equation is based on data everyone can obtain from a new-born, and we found it can predict around 80% of obese children. Unfortunately, public prevention campaigns have been rather ineffective at preventing obesity in school-age children. Teaching parents about the dangers of overfeeding and bad nutritional habits at a young age would be much more effective. The message is simple. All at-risk children should be identified, monitored and given good advice, but this costs money.”

Publishing their findings in the journal PLoS ONE, the researchers stated they believed parents could be provided with more information about breastfeeding – a factor linked to a reduced risk of a baby becoming obese later in life. They also said the time spent watching television should be greatly reduced and parents should avoid giving their children fizzy drinks. Ironically only two days ago Medical Specialists Pharmacy actually reported on many of the health dangers associated with such drinks.

If you have already become an adult and gained weight though, it is not too late to lose the extra lbs. and feel the benefits. There are so many reasons to lose excess weight if you are overweight or obese. It is absolutely not something you should consider to begin in the future, start today! The health benefits include:

. You will find it easier to breathe.
. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes is greatly reduced.
. Blood pressure decreases.
. Improved mobility, with less aches and pains.
. Lowers cholesterol levels.
. Decreases the risk of sudden death from a stroke or heart disease.
. Weight loss and being in good health promotes better sleep and waking with more energy.
. Weight loss can improve fertility.

As well as countless medical reasons why it is a danger to be overweight or obese, weight loss will improve your confidence levels and boost your wallet as you gain the willpower to give up spending money on expensive fatty meals and treats.
With Christmas rapidly approaching and many of us will probably gain weight over the coming month, now more than ever is the time to act!

Luckily, at Medical Specialists we have proven effective weight loss treatments such as Xenical and the recently introduced XLS-Medical Fat Binder. In conjunction with a healthy diet, they can help you drop the additional pounds and begin to reap the massive rewards from doing so. XLS-Medical can even be obtained today without the need for a prescription or doctor’s consultation. You can find out more information regarding both medications from the obesity section of the Medical Specialists website.

Brave housewife with PCOS grows her facial hair for Movember

A woman, who has battled hirsutism as a result of abnormal levels of male hormone testosterone, has appeared on ITV’s ‘This Morning’ as her ‘Movember’ charity bid comes to an end.  Movember is a month-long annual event primarily involving men being challenged to grow-out their facial hair. It aims to raise awareness and funds for men’s health; in particularly prostate and testicular cancer.

Siobhain Fletcher 36, from Leek, Staffordshire, suffers from a condition known as PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and has had to try and fight excessive facial hair growth since she was 17-years-old when she noticed whiskers beginning to grow on her upper lip region. During the next few years the hair growth began to worsen and Siobhain found herself having to trim whiskers from her lip and chin almost daily.

Over the next five years she became deeply distraught about her problem and cruel comments from others left her unable to leave the house for the majority of the time.

Speaking to Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield on This Morning, she explained that a friend’s participation in Movember had inspired her to use her condition positively instead of feeling depressed about her situation. She says “It helps people get checked for prostate and testicular cancer, and hopefully people will, instead of going to a funeral, be going to a remission party.”

Retracing the distressing few years that led up to her joining charity appeal, she said: “I had such low self-esteem. I used to clip it off with scissors, and dress very androgynously. I got stared at a lot and got mistaken for a man. It took its toll. Even though I was pretty, I didn’t feel like that…The only time I left the house was to go and see my horses. They don’t care what you look like, as long as you’ve got food.”

Siobhain tried various hair-removal methods such as waxing and electrolysis, but found no success through either. With her having very sensitive skin, the hot wax ended up removing both her hair and skin.  Electrolysis also proved unsuccessful as it can only remove around 10 to 15 hairs at a time and Siobhain’s facial hair is quite thick. She says: “It didn’t work – the hair grows up my cheeks as well. It was like trying to fell a tree in a forest.”

After continued problems with excessive hair growth in addition to finding herself unable to conceive, Siobhain finally decided to seek medical help and get some answers as to why she was experiencing these symptoms. In 2000 she was formally diagnosed with PCOS, which also causes irregular periods, weight gain, acne and hair loss from the head.

Polycystic ovaries are comprised of many harmless cysts, around 8mm each in size at the very most. Only half these numbers of cysts are found in regular ovaries. Both the follicular cysts and the eggs inside them are underdeveloped and in most cases of PCOS, ovulation cannot occur due to the follicles being incapable of emitting eggs.

The condition affects millions of women in the UK and its exact cause is still unknown but is believed to run in families, with history of high cholesterol and diabetes being contributors. So what are the options to women like Siobhain who cannot afford expensive laser hair removal treatment and will not receive this through the NHS?

Well, there are many inexpensive treatments to help with hirsutism, such as contraceptive pills like Dianette or Yasmin, as well as non-hormonal therapy in Spironolactone.

The combined oral contraceptive pill Yasmin, suppress androgens (male sex hormones) through the drospirenone inside the tablets. Yasmin has also been shown to maintain or even lose weight and just like Dianette, is incredibly effective at combating skin problems such as acne. Dianette and Spironolactone are also anti-androgens. Dianette contains a special hormone called ‘cyproterone acetate’ and is often prescribed to help regulate periods, reduce hair growth, reduce acne and is an excellent contraceptive. Unlike Dianette, Spironolactone is a non-hormonal treatment and thus does not work as a contraceptive method. However, Spironolactone has been used for over 20 years as an anti-androgen in the treatment of acne and hirsutism, being the most widely prescribed medication for these problems in the USA.

If you are still confused as to which treatment is most suitable for you, why not visit the ‘Women’s Health’ section on the Medical Specialists Pharmacy website. Here you can find out plenty of information about these medications and many more.

Daily fizzy drink intake linked to aggressive prostate cancer

As if there weren’t enough reasons to give-up sugary fizzy drinks, a new Swedish study has perhaps added another persuader to this. In addition to helping to rot teeth and adding extra inches to your waistline due to the massive sugar content, there have been studies to emerge this year that have found that fizzy drinks can have even more detrimental effects to health. For instance, in February it was revealed in an Australian study that soft drinks could result in an increased danger of developing asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).


Then in June, high levels of the dangerous colouring agent 4-methylimidazole (4-MI)  were found in cans of Coca-Cola in numerous countries around the world, a chemical shown in tests to be connected to cancer within some animals. Past research has also linked brittle bones, heart attacks, diabetes, pancreatic cancer, muscle weakness and even paralysis as possible dangers from the long-term heavy consumption of such drinks.

The new study, conducted by scientists at Lund University in Sweden, has found evidence that shows men who consume just one solitary 300ml soft drink each day  - less than a standard 330ml can – could be at a 40% higher risk at developing serious forms of prostate cancer; the most prevalent type of cancer in UK males. This is in comparison to men who refrain from drinking soft drinks.
Prostate cancer develops in the prostate – a gland in the male reproductive system. In the UK alone there are an estimated 36,000 to 40,000 men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer and there are about 250,000 men currently living with the disease. It tragically claims the lives of over 10,000 men in the UK every year.

The Swedish study involved tracking 8,000 healthy men who were aged between 45 to 73 years of age for an average of around 15 years.  All the men were in perfect health at the beginning of the study and were continually quizzed about their dietary preferences, including soft drink intake.
At the close of the study, the researchers compared the diets of the men who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer against that of the healthy men, and subsequently established a link between intake of sugary drinks and the potentially fatal disease.

Isabel Drake, Lund University researcher, commented on the study findings and said: “Among the men who drank a lot of soft drinks we saw an increased risk of prostate cancer of around 40 per cent.”
Their investigation also established some link between a less severe type of prostate cancer and large amounts of rice and pasta, cakes and biscuits, and sugary breakfast cereals that were in the subject’s diet.

However, before people start to panic and banish these foods from their diet completely, Dr Iain Frame, director of research at Prostate Cancer UK, attempted urged caution in interpreting the study findings and said:  “We cannot be certain whether any particular dietary pattern has a significant impact on a man’s risk of getting prostate cancer but it is highly unlikely that any single food source will lead to an increased chance of developing the disease.” In addition, Drake also stressed that more research would be required to fully prove any definite links between dietary choices and prostate cancer.

Symptoms of prostate cancer include: having to urinate more frequently, difficulty beginning to urinate, a feeling that your bladder has not been fully emptied and a weak flow of urine. If you are suffering with any symptoms similar to these you should visit your own GP as soon as possible for a check-up. The earlier prostate cancer is spotted – the better chance of treatment being effective and a full recovery can be made. If it is not prostate cancer then you may be one of 2.4 million men in the UK suffering from a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia. Also known as an enlarged prostate gland, it can be treated through the use of effective medication such as Flomax Relief, which eases the symptoms associated with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) of a BPH. Flomax works by relaxing muscles in the prostate gland, relaxing the muscles in the urethra (the tube from the bladder to the outside of the body).  This allows urine to travel more comfortably through the urethra, making it easier to urinate. Flomax is available today from the Medical Specialists Pharmacy chemist shop priced at just £8.75 for 14 capsules, or £15.95 for 28.

Contagious ‘winter vomiting bug’ hits UK; hospitals forced to close wards

An outbreak of norovirus or ‘winter vomiting bug’ as it is more commonly known, has left thousands suffering across Britain and forced an incredible 45 hospitals to shut down wards in an attempt to stop the winter bug from spreading any more than it already has – an increase from last year when 33 hospitals closed down certain wards for similar reasons.

Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital has closed four of its wards and is warning visitors to stay away, with four members of staff off-sick with the virus. Other hospitals that have experienced outbreaks of the winter vomiting bug include Solihull in the West Midlands, East Surrey Hospital, Weston General Hospital in Weston-Super-Mare, and Hinchingbrooke in Cambridgeshire.

Figures published from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) show that the number of confirmed reports of Norovirus is up a massive 52% on the same period last year in what is a five-year high. So far there have been 1,975 confirmed cases since July. This is in comparison to 1,301 at the same time in 2011.

HPA expert John Harris however said the increase could be because of better detection techniques in labs. He commented: “Everyone can help to minimise the risk of outbreaks at their local hospital by not going if they have the typical symptoms of a norovirus infection.”

Norovirus is primarily a winter pathogen, hence the ‘winter vomiting bug’ name, but infections and outbreaks can occur during any time of the year. Symptoms include a sudden onset of vomiting – which may be projectile and/ or diarrhoea that is usually quite watery in nature. The virus is highly contagious and easily spread by contact with an infected person – usually via the hands through touching the same doors or stair rails as somebody who has the virus.

Unfortunately there is no cure, but it will usually run its course after a few days. If you contract norovirus you should drink plenty of fluids to keep hydrated, take paracetamol for aches and pains, consume foods that are easily digestible and stay at home until your symptoms subside due to Norovirus being contagious.

An estimated 600,000 to 1 million people in the UK fall ill with Norovirus every year. If you do not want to become part of this statistic then there are a number of things you can do to try and both prevent contracting the virus, and stop it from spreading. For example, avoid sharing towels and flannels, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after using the toilet as well as prior to preparing meals, use a bleach-based household cleaner to disinfect any surfaces or areas that may be contaminated and wash all clothing and bedding at risk separately from other items.

Speaking on television regarding the outbreak, Daybreak’s Health Editor Dr Hilary Jones said that Norovirus is ‘very bad news’, adding: “Although it’s not hugely a life-threatening it is the most common form of gastroenteritis in adults in the UK.”

This is not the first high-profile outbreak of norovirus seen this year however. Only six months ago, Medical Specialists Pharmacy reported how the virus had spread aboard the luxury cruise ship ‘Boudicca’. In that instance, 170 of the 828 passengers ended up falling ill leading to a huge fumigation process before the ship could resume its journey to the Canary Islands.

Scotland aims to become a completely smoke-free country

Perhaps David Cameron’s coalition government could take the lead from Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond and his Scottish National Party as the latter and his SNP have set themselves the bold target of making Scotland a smoke-free country. Plans were first made almost thirty years ago to make Glasgow a city free of smoke by the start of the new millennium. Unfortunately this never materialised though.

However, Scotland would appear to be at the forefront in their attempts to stamp-out smoking and back in 2006, the efforts of the then First Minister Jack McConnell, led Scotland to becoming the first UK country to introduce a smoking ban, forbidding smoking in all enclosed public spaces such as restaurants, nightclubs, bars, shopping centres, etc.

In spite of initial doubts about the ban, it has since proved to be an overwhelming success both in Scotland and in England since its introduction here in 2007. Hospital admissions for numerous smoking-induced health conditions such as asthma and heart problems have both been declining in recent years. In addition, it is believed that 10% decrease in premature births across Scotland is also connected to the ban.

Since 2006, the Scottish ruling on smoking has not completely had the desired effect sadly. Despite some health benefits being evident, the number of people actually giving up the unhealthy habit for good has not increased as much as the government would have liked. In fact, figures show that there has only been in excess of 2% more people stubbing-out for good.

This has resulted in SNP ministers yesterday outlining their plans to publish a timetable at some point in the New Year on their goals and possible new legislation that aims to make the country smoke-free. No date or further detail though has been revealed on specifically how they intend to go about this difficult task.

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: “The strategy will focus on prevention, protection and cessation and will also include both a review of smoking-cessation services and ambitious targets for reducing smoking across Scotland.”

The plans though show at least prove that the Alex Salmond administration is one of the most impressive anti-smoking governments in the world. The only other countries who also share Scotland’s belief that smoking is a serious issue are New Zealand and Finland who have set smoke-free target date of 2025 and 2040 respectively. New Zealand’s government also recently announced a whopping 40% increase in tobacco taxes, due to be implemented in the next four years.

You may be wondering though what constitutes a country actually becoming ‘smoke-free’. Well, the generally accepted definition is when less than 5% of the population are smoking. Estimates say that the percentage of adults in Scotland smoking has decreased from 25.7% 2006 to 23.3% in 2011. Although the number is moving in the right direction, the SNP clearly have their work cut-out to reach their target which could easily take decades judging from comments from John Watson, director of policy at anti-tobacco charity Ash Scotland. He said: “For somebody born next year, let’s try and achieve the target by the time they reach 18 or 21, so we are looking ahead to the next generation living their lives free from tobacco.”

Professor Gerard Hastings, of Stirling University’s Centre for Tobacco Control Research, suggested how the aim could be realised, urging ministers to limit the ‘distribution networks’ for tobacco.  Professor Hastings highlighted the supermarket giant Sainsbury’s who recently stopped the sale of tobacco from sale at six of its supermarkets. This came after the Scottish Government’s health levy on business rates paid by large stores who sell cigarettes and alcohol.

At Medical Specialists Pharmacy we applaud the efforts of the Scottish Government to encourage a nationwide curbing of smoking. Millions of lives will be saved, hospital admissions will drop drastically, secondhand smoking will decrease in addition to asthma rates and cardiovascular diseases, and money will be saved for consumers as cigarette prices go up as well as millions of pounds will be saved by NHS Scotland; vital as budgets become tighter.

We are pleased to be able to offer smoking cessation medication to all new and existing patients. Champix is a prescription medication that can be obtained following an online consultation with one of our GMC registered doctors. The medication equates to just £75.00 per pack, a small price when it comes to your long-term health. Champix mimics the effect of nicotine on the body, reducing the urge to smoke and relieving withdrawal symptoms. It can also decrease the enjoyment you experience of smoking if you are still smoking whilst on the treatment.

National HIV testing week begins today

England’s first ever National HIV testing week gets underway today all around the country, in what is a massive nationwide campaign primarily aiming to encourage people to get tested who may be at risk of HIV; People from African communities and gay or bisexual men. However, the number of people who don’t belong to either of these groups is increasing every year and it is clear that awareness needs to be raised about the potentially deadly condition.

In fact, at the end of 2010 it was estimated that there are 91,500 people with HIV in the UK and approximately a quarter (22,000) are actually unaware they have the virus. That total comprises of around 40,100 gay men and 47,000 heterosexual men and women.

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus and it is a serious health condition that attacks our bodies natural defence mechanism against infections and disease – the immune system. The Health Protection Agency released statistics back in 2010 that showed 95% of those diagnosed with HIV in the UK had picked up the virus from sexual contact. Most commonly it is the failure to use a condom during sex which is the problem although sharing infected needles, syringes or other drug paraphernalia can also increase the risk of contracting HIV.

After infection, symptoms usually take between two to six weeks to arise and they include the common flu symptoms such as fever, sore throat, tiredness, muscular pain and also you could develop a body rash. If you believe you might be at risk then you should go for a test immediately and do not delay. Putting-off necessary critical treatment can prove fatal and it is thought that a person who is diagnosed at a late stage is actually nine times more likely to die within twelve months of receiving their diagnosis compared to someone who gets tested in good time. If left untreated or properly managed, HIV then develops into AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). This is where the body is unable to fight off life-threatening infections due to the severe damage to the immune system.
Therefore, National HIV testing week is vital to shed the stigmas attached to HIV/AIDS and encourage people to get tested if they think they might be at risk. There is no shame in coming forward to seek help and it could save your life.

The week is being pioneered by The Terrence Higgins Trust, a leading HIV/AIDS charity, in addition to HIV Prevention England (HPE). The HPE is a Department of Health- funded partnership of community organisations that aim to tackle HIV in England by targeting those most at risk of contracting the disease. Through the next seven days there will be numerous testing and awareness-raising events happening across the country.

Genevieve Edwards, director of health improvement at Terrence Higgins Trust, stressed the importance of the need for such initiatives to fight HIV. She said in a statement: “There is a growing consensus that reducing undiagnosed HIV would firmly put the brakes on the spread of infection in this country. We’ve already seen other parts of the world make progress in reducing rates of undiagnosed and late diagnosed HIV, and that’s without healthcare systems as comprehensive as our own. It is now fully within our grasp to halt the spread of HIV, but we need more regular testing among high-risk groups to bring down rates of undiagnosed infection. National HIV Testing Week provides a great opportunity to encourage this, and we would welcome any organisation that wants to get involved.”

Even the London Mayor Boris Johnson took time out of his hectic schedule to give his backing to the campaign and urged people to come forward to seek help. Speaking earlier this week he said: “London is home to almost half of all people living with HIV in the UK, but a quarter of them are unaware they carry the virus. It is vital that people who might be at risk get tested, not only to reduce the risk of transmission to others, but to ensure they get the life-saving treatments that are available.”
The campaign will be focused on getting local authorities in England to promote HIV prevention schemes as a high priority. Also, work will be done to urge GPs and practice staff to keep their knowledge of HIV up-to-date so they are able to diagnose the condition more easily and recommend appropriate treatment.

HIV testing programmes will run up until Friday 30th November – the day before World Aids Day. Regular visitors to the Medical Specialists Pharmacy website will already have seen our ‘In The Press’ news section and be aware that for the last few years we have given away free condoms for a full week to any men buying erectile dysfunction products in support of World Aids Day. We are strong advocates for promoting better sexual health and already provide a wide range of medications to treat sexually transmitted infections such as herpes and chlamydia.

As mentioned earlier, the failure to wear a condom is the biggest cause of HIV being transmitted from person-to-person. Currently Medical Specialists have teamed up with the discount deal provider website ‘Mighty Deals’ to further help our patients in the current financial climate. We are currently offering a fantastic deal on Durex Performa condoms, slashing an incredible 70% off 72 individually wrapped Durex Performa condoms worth £60. For a limited time only we are able to offer this deal at an unbelievable ‘Mighty Price’ of just £18! So don’t delay and head to the deal page where you can find out exactly how to claim this incredible bargain!

No need to hold your breath anymore for a cure: CB12 is here!

With Christmas almost upon us – 32 days away to be exact – friends, family and work colleagues will soon be gathering together in what is a jovial time across Britain as the festive spirit takes over. As Christmas trees and decorations will be gracing homes and work offices, one particular Christmas decoration – mistletoe – will sometimes rather humorously be deliberately situated in a location by somebody who has earmarked out their crush for a romantic Christmas kiss.

However, perhaps an underestimated threat to this happening and certainly no laughing matter, is persistent bad breath. The condition is also known as ‘Halitosis’ and it can be a deeply upsetting and bothersome thing to live with for somebody who suffers with it. Even a simple thing as a kiss has to be strategised, with any attempt possible made to mask the odour from the other person. These attempts though such as soft mints or chewing gum, are often a futile and very short-term solution for bad breath.

Although most of us will experience short periods of bad breath, it is believed that up to 50% of people are suffering from persistent bad breath, which can be the result of numerous reasons. These can include lifestyle choices such as heavy smoking and alcohol consumption, in addition to eating certain heavily flavoured foods such as garlic or onions can leave an undesirable odour. Persistent bad breath may be a sign of poor oral hygiene such as not brushing your teeth regularly or even gum disease, and occasionally bad breath may be symptom of infection or illness, or could be an unwanted side effect from taking a particular medication. Nitrates taken for angina and some chemotherapy medications can affect a person’s breath.

Without doubt though, the most common kind of bad breath stems from naturally-occurring bacteria present in our oral cavity and work at disintegrating bits of food inside the mouth. Food debris continually coming into contact with the bacteria, allows it to flourish and the anaerobic respiration of this bacteria will then generate repulsive ‘rotten egg’ smelling gasses, also known as volatile sulphur compounds (VCSs). The culprit VCSs include: hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, Allyl methyl sulfide, and dimethyl sulphide.

This process of which will cause bad breath in all of us at some point, is referred to as ‘Endogenous bad breath’. Many people around the UK – including some doctors – believe that this bad breath is caused by digestive upsets or metabolic diseases like diabetes. However, scientists say that almost 90% of endogenous bad breath is actually caused by the bacterial build-up on the tongue.
In some cases, this type of bad breath may be treated through a simple process of cleansing the tongue thoroughly on a regular basis, known as ‘tongue scraping’; performed before or after you’ve finished brushing and flossing your teeth. Unfortunately, bacteria on the tongue can reproduce at a rapid pace and constantly produce VSCs.

Therefore, you might be wondering what can be done to fight these pesky VSCs that are causing undesirable breath. Well, the answer might lie with a revolutionary mouthwash that is currently flying off the shelves in countries all around the world. The mouthwash in question is named ‘CB12’, which may be familiar with those who have seen its adverts on television.

Most mouthwashes will simply mask the smell of bad breath for a very limited period of time and this is where CB12 is different. This unique long-lasting mouth rinse has been proven in clinical trials to be highly successful at preventing and neutralising bad breath for up to 12 hours. If that isn’t enough to get excited about, CB12 also contains fluoride to help prevent tooth decay.

After initially being launched in Sweden back in 2006, the wonders of CB12 have quickly spread around the globe and it has hit record sales. The brains behind CB12 is Dr Thomas Norlin, currently a leading implantologist at The Dental Spa in Shrewsbury, which is part of The Velvet Group, and Dr Norlin continues to act as a scientific advisor for CB12.

Dr Norlin first became interested in creating a product that would properly and efficiently fight bad breath way back in 2002, after becoming frustrated that existing products would only work to mask the odour through the use of various flavourings, and not actually get to the route of the problem.
This is what Dr Norlin explained in regards to VSC gases and what provided him with the motivation to develop the remarkable CB12 mouthwash: “The majority of VSCs are produced when protein remnants in the mouth break down into amino acids. The two amino acids that form the main substrate for the production of VSCs are cysteine and methionine. VSCs originate from food, such as a protein-rich diet, milk products and cheese. They also originate from blood, a dry mouth or anything that increases the number of germs, i.e. the amino acids. Certain bacteria have enzymes that break down these amino acids and the result is sulphurous gases, i.e. VSCs which consist of the gases hydrogen sulphide, methyl mercaptan and dimethyl sulphide. Methyl mercaptan is the component of VSCs that causes the worst smell, even in very small quantities. We also know now that there is a correlation between VSCs and periodontitis. In other words, there are elevated levels of VSCs in deep gum pockets, so patients with gum pockets have higher levels of VSCs than other patients. Studies often measure only hydrogen sulphide and not methyl mercaptan to detect VSCs. In order to show the presence of methyl mercaptan a gas chromatography is required. The methyl mercaptan smells the worst and is more aggressive, also it is not neutralised as easily as hydrogen sulphide. With the development of CB12 there was one primary aim: to eliminate all gases and not just some of them. By using a gas chromatography as part of thorough research it has been proved and later published in several scientific journals that CB12 eliminates VSCs for a longer period and is more effective than any other product that exists on the market.”

He also states that recent studies recently carried out by the Microbiology Unit at West of England University, centred on a clinical comparison between CB12 and four other commercially available mouthwashes.  CB12 was found to be the best and most effective product.

If you are suffering from halitosis, why not try this miracle revolutionary product, and no longer will bad breath be a source of embarrassment or distress. CB12 is available today from the Medical Specialists Pharmacy Chemist Shop priced at just £9.95 for a 250ml bottle of either two varieties. We fully empathise that the build-up to Christmas hinders everybody’s disposable income so that is why we are offering such a low price compared to the RRP of £14.59.

We have the CB12 Mint Menthol, for a strong and refreshing mint and menthol taste, or you can opt for CB12 Mild, which has a gentle mint flavour – ideal if you have a sensitive mouth or if you desire a softer mint taste.

Pregnant women taking antibiotics leave babies at risk of asthma

A new Danish study has emerged that shows potential dangers to children if their mothers take antibiotics during pregnancy, with these children possibly more likely to develop asthma in comparison to children whose mothers did not take any antibiotics when expecting.

The researchers state that results they have gathered from their study are not 100% definitive in proving that antibiotics were completely responsible for the apparent increased asthma risk. However their data does back-up an already known theory that the body’s own ‘friendly’ bacteria play an important role in whether or not a child develops asthma, with antibiotics seemingly sabotaging these good bacteria.

Dr. Hans Bisgaard, a professor at the University of Copenhagen, was one of a few authors of the study, published in The Journal of Pediatrics. He said: “We speculate that mothers’ use of antibiotics changes the balance of natural bacteria, which is transmitted to the new-born, and that such unbalanced bacteria in early life impact on the immune maturation in the new-born.”

Anita Kozyrskyj, a professor at the University of Alberta, has also conducted her own studies trying to ascertain asthma and antibiotic links, and she believes it is these effects on the immune system could end up leading to a development of asthma later on, although she is still trying to work out exactly how.

Although there have been arguments against the findings, previous research has suggested that those children who are given antibiotics during the first six months of their life are at a 52% more risk of developing asthma and allergies by the time they are 6 years old.

Dr Bisgaard and his colleagues however decided to focus their research on the effects of antibiotics earlier than infancy. To do this they obtained information from a Danish national birth database comprising of over 30,000 children who were born sometime between 1997 and 2003. The team’s follow-up analysis spanned for a total of five years.

It was discovered that approximately a quarter of the children (7,300), had mothers who had taken antibiotics during their pregnancy. Of these children, just over 3% had been admitted to hospital for their asthma prior to the age of five.

In total, it was found that 581 (2.5%) of the approximate 23,000 children not exposed to antibiotics, had been admitted to hospital for asthma.

Dr Bisgaard and his team then looked at other possible risk factors for asthma and managed to calculate that the children that had been exposed to antibiotics whilst in the womb were around 17% more likely to require hospital treatment for asthma conditions.

Also it was calculated that those children with mothers who had taken antibiotics during pregnancy were 18% more likely to have been issued a prescription for asthma medicine such as Ventolin for example, compared to kids whose mothers did not take antibiotics when they were pregnant.

If you are suffering from asthma, why not allow At Medical Specialists Pharmacy to help you as we are able to provide new and existing asthma patients with a wide range of medications. If you have already been prescribed an inhaler, have lost your inhaler, or run out and cannot get a prescription immediately, we are able to supply you an inhaler to help your asthma symptoms. After undergoing a private and confidential online consultation with one of our Doctors, if you are suitable they will then write you a prescription which is passed to our in-house Pharmacists and dispensed to a location of your choice. We have both blue (relievers) inhalers such as Ventolin and Salbutamol, and brown (preventers) inhalers such as Qvar Beclomethasone and Qvar Easi-Breathe.

Supermarkets ordered to include more fruit and veg in ready meals

Hearing the words ‘ready meal’ or ‘microwave meal’ would not typically invoke thoughts of healthy eating and have long been associated with a quick option for students. As more and more people are developing hectic, busy lives though, they are worryingly becoming a common choice for meals for those who feel like they don’t have the time to prepare a healthy meal.

Health concerns arise because the freezing process in these ready-made meals usually affects the taste of the food and manufacturers try to compensate for this by using heavily processed production methods and loading the food with extra salt and fat. They are usually always a lot less nutritious than fresh food and the partially hydrogenated vegetable oils that are used by manufacturers to stabilise the food, have been linked to numerous cardiovascular problems.

With obesity levels predicted to surge in the next 18 years, clearly the government believe they need to act quickly and they have decided to target ready meals in their latest attempt to get the nation to eat more healthily.

Estimates show that around 70% of the UK is failing to eat their ‘five-a-day’ recommended intake of fruit and vegetables. Furthermore it has recently been revealed that only one in ten children and a third of adults are hitting the five-a-day target and now the Department of Health (DOH) are calling for food manufacturers to include more fruit and vegetables to their ready meals as part of government’s ‘Responsibility Deal’. This is an initiative in which the DOH works in cooperation with large businesses to try and reform Britain’s public health.

There are currently 16 supermarkets, food manufacturers and trade bodies that have signed up to the pledge of creating healthier ready meals. They are: Aldi, Co-operative Food, Iceland, Lidl, Morrisons, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, General Mills, Mars, caterers 3663, Brakes, CH & Co Catering, Subway and the British Frozen Food Federation.

Action could not have come as a better time after a recent survey showed that almost a quarter (25%) of Brits are under the impression that chips count as part of a vegetable intake and nearly half think the same thing regarding roast potatoes. For those unaware, they do not count because they contribute mainly starch to your diet.

Why five-a-day some may ask. Well, as well as being low in calories and fat, fruit and vegetables are the pinnacle of a healthy, balanced diet. Eating plenty of fruit and veg can help you maintain a healthy weight, prevent obesity, in addition to helping to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers. Because of their high fibre content, fruit and veg can also help with digestive problems, keeping your gut healthy, preventing constipation and even reducing your risk of developing bowel cancer.

Public Health Minister Anna Soubry spoke on the plans to increase fruit and veg in ready meals, saying: “It’s vital that we focus particular attention on encouraging those who currently consume very little to boost their intake.  Research shows that fruit and veg intake ‘tracks’ through childhood and adolescence, so healthy school lunches with at least two portions of fruit or vegetables are really important to give children the opportunity to experience fruit and vegetables from an early age, and to see other children and adults around them enjoying these foods.”

Medical Specialists Pharmacy advise that everybody should at least hit their five-a-day target for fruit and vegetables as there are countless major health benefits from doing so. However, be warned that this does not mean a high intake of sugar and saturated fats can also be maintained. If you are overweight, we would advise adopting a healthy lifestyle and diet in conjunction with a scientifically proven weight loss aid such as XLS-Medical or the prescription medication Xenical. Both are available today from Medical Specialists at incredibly low prices.

High levels of air pollution can age the brain by 3 years

A study recently presented in San Diego at The Gerontological Society of America’s (GSA) 65th Annual Scientific Meeting, has linked a high level of air pollution to cognitive decline, with data suggesting that increased pollution levels could be ageing the brains of over-50s by up to three years. In addition, previous research had also found that the problems of pollution are connected to cardiovascular and respiratory conditions such as asthma and COPD. This is because pollutants such as cigarette smoke and car exhaust fumes emit gases and particles into the atmosphere, causing irritation to the airways.

The latest research on air pollution was conducted by the US-based National Institute on Aging, who analysed 14,793 men and women aged over 50. The scientists specifically looked at the results of cognitive tests and correlated the results against geographical data of air pollution.  Participants were tested on knowledge, language, orientation and word recall, being measured on a scale of 1 to 35.
As it currently stands, health experts estimate that air pollution is already effecting the heart and lungs and slashing the life expectancy of everybody living in the United Kingdom by approximately seven to eight months.

The U.S. scientists were studying exactly how the particle matter ‘PM2.5’ affected health and well-being of the participants. PM2.5 is released via dust, dirt, liquid droplets, soot and smoke. It is commonly breathed in after being emitted by vehicle exhaust emissions, in addition to gas boilers and heavy industry.  The name PM2.5 stems from the fact that the particles which are 2.5 micrometres in diameter or smaller, are unfortunately small enough to be inhaled and deposit deep inside the lungs and the brain.

In order to obtain accurate information, numerous factors were taken into account such as age, race/ethnicity, education, smoking behaviour and respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. It was determined that exposure to fine air particulate matter ranged from 4.1 to 20.7 micrograms (mcg) per cubic metre, and for every extra 10 micrograms of PM2.5 in a cubic metre of air (about the difference between inner London and rural Britain), the decline of brain power in the study subjects equated to roughly three years of ageing.

Dr Jennifer Ailshire, from the Andrus Gerontology Center at the University of Southern California, carried out the analysing by utilising data obtained from the American Environmental Protection Agency and the Health and Retirement Study. Regarding the results of the research, she said: “As a result of age-related declines in health and functioning, older adults are particularly vulnerable to the hazards of exposure to unhealthy air. Air pollution has been linked to increased cardiovascular and respiratory problems, and even premature death, in older populations, and there is emerging evidence that exposure to particulate air pollution may have adverse effects on brain health and functioning as well.”

Adding to Dr Ailshire’s comments was Professor Frank Kelly, a professor of environmental health at King’s College London. He offered his thoughts on the problem of air pollution and said: “The average amount of this pollutant in London is around 13 to 15 mcg per cubic metre, while in some rural areas away from traffic it can be as low as three or four mcg. The research shows that living somewhere with clean air means your will retain your brain power for a longer period of time than if you live in an urban area. Here is another study showing that the quality of the air that we breathe can not only affect for our heart and lungs, but our brains as well.”

Calls for a global treaty to clamp down on counterfeit drugs

Experts are calling for the introduction of a global treaty to fight the growing problem of trading in potentially fatal counterfeit medicines, of which some of the risks we have previously described back in February . The demands might have something to do with the fact that currently there are bizarrely more sanctions in place regarding the trading of illegal tobacco than counterfeit drugs. In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO) claim that in less developed nations, roughly over one in every 10 drug products are fake and around a third of malaria medicines (i.e. Malarone and Paludrine) are counterfeit, particularly a major issue in certain areas of Africa and Asia.

In more developed nations such as the UK and the U.S., patients can relax somewhat in that medicine safety is a lot better, however there is still a risk of adverse reactions or even deaths being caused as a result of substandard and falsified drugs. This was shown recently when a contaminated batch of methylprednisolone acetate steroid injections that were given to patients in the U.S. for back pain, resulted in an outbreak of fungal meningitisand subsequently the deaths of 24 people.

In a paper published in the British Medical Journal on Wednesday, academics and health professionals demanded for the introduction of a new international law to prevent the flood of lethal drugs into the market.

Their article, argues strenuously that a fake drugs treaty is required, similar to those that already exist to combat money laundering and human trafficking. The publishing of the paper comes just week before 100 states are due to congregate in Beunos Aires, Argentina, and conduct the first meeting of its kind that aims to find effective ways on how the tackle the global problem.

However, the lead author of the report, Amir Attaran of the University of Ottawa, was angered on Monday after being informed by WHO that he and other non-governmental representatives were forbidden from attending, after an objection by India, whose large drugs industry is responsible for manufacturing cheap generic versions of medications. India believe that Western governments backed by ‘Big Pharma’, are using the counterfeit drugs fight as a smokescreen for their real aim; restricting trade in unpatented medicines that are actually urgently required by the poor.

Attaran blasted it was a ‘scandal’ that only government officials were permitted to attend the meeting in Argentina to discuss strategy for fighting counterfeit drugs. He is confused that by under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, tobacco products must be tracked and criminalises illicit trade globally, “oddly making the law tougher on cigarette falsification than on medicine falsification” he says.

Attaran continued: “The protocol will now make it a requirement to track and trace tobacco products. Cigarette packets can carry serial numbers so it is possible to track them from beginning to end. If this is something you can do for a $5 cigarette packet I do not see why we can’t do it for a $3,000 packet of drugs that could save your life. In Canada we have seen a fake version of the heart drug Avastin come into the country that contains no active drug, just starch and nail polish remover. When you are dealing with a medicine like that if there was a serial number on it you would be able to easily see if it was fake.”

Medical Specialists agree that action needs to be taken to stem the tide of deadly drugs reaching unsuspecting patients. For this to happen though there clearly needs to be a lot less distrust amongst government, public health campaigners and pharmaceutical companies.

Patients around the globe never need to worry about dangerous fakes when dealing with Medical Specialists Pharmacy. Established in 1994 and becoming the UK’s first legal online clinic in 2001, we are fully registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and also a member of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA). Our team of Doctors are registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) and our Pharmacists are registered with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB).

The astonishing wonders of the female contraceptive pill Yasmin

With so many versions of the contraceptive pill currently available, it may be a little confusing and even daunting for many women when trying to decide exactly which is the right choice for them.
Many people may not be aware, but ‘The pill’ first came to prominence 56 years ago (1956) in Puerto Rico and in the present day there are approximately 3.5 million women in the UK alone who choose this as a contraception method.

Contraceptive pills are chosen often in conjunction with the male still wearing a condom as normal in what could be regarded as a ‘belts and braces’ safety precaution. More and more women could turn to contraceptive pills for their incredibly high rate of pregnancy prevention.

Another persuasive factor could also be the fact that only two months ago, the Implanon contraceptive implants hit headlines for all the wrong reasons when it was revealed that the small biodegradable rod had become lost within the body of hundreds of women after doctors are struggling to locate them, leaving the woman infertile.

Long term patients with Medical Specialists Pharmacy may already be aware that we have provided oral contraceptive treatment for women for a number of years now, in the form of the wonder drug Dianette. For those unfamiliar with Dianette, it is a pill taken by women for everyday for 21 days of their menstrual cycle, followed by a 7 day break when no pills are taken at all (also known as ‘cyclic treatment’). During this break, women are still protected against unwanted pregnancies. In the 7 day rest period, hormone levels in the blood begin to decrease and women will experience a withdrawal bleed that is just like a normal period. Regardless of bleeding, the next pack of 21 tablets is begun after the week is up.

However, there are now more options than ever for women in regards to contraception. One such option is another contraceptive pill, named ‘Yasmin’. Taken by thousands of women across the UK and even millions more worldwide, it has recently been introduced by Medical Specialists along with Marvelon and the Morning after pill, Levonelle 1500.

A Yasmin tablet contains two active ingredients; ethinylestradiol and drospirenone. These are synthetic forms of the naturally occurring female sex hormones, oestrogen and progesterone. The drospirenone within Yasmin works as a diuretic, meaning it helps to flush the body of excess fluid and reduce the symptoms of bloating which stem from this problem that arises when a woman is pre-menstrual. One tablet is taken every day for 21 days and you then have a seven day break from pill-taking, exactly the same as Dianette.

In addition to battling the problems of water retention, Yasmin can also help to maintain or even lose weight and just like Dianette, has been shown to be incredibly effective at easing skin conditions such as acne.

Don’t take our word for it though, this is what Dr Diana Mansour, head of fertility services for Newcastle Primary Care Trust, had to say about Yasmin: “It is not unusual for women to come back to us and say that Yasmin is the best contraceptive option they’ve had so far. Some of the other contraceptive pills they’ve been on have made them feel awful. Women have not only put on weight but have felt moody, too. If you ask women why they give up taking the pill, it is usually the side-effects, or perceived side-effects, and one of those is weight gain.”

In fact, trials conducted in June 2000 pitted Yasmin against Microgynon 30; another main contraceptive pill used by women in the UK. Both contraceptives were found to improve acne symptoms. However, it was discovered that women taking Yasmin actually lost between 1lb 10oz and 3lb 10oz over the course of a year. In comparison, women taking Microgynon 30 managed to put on 1lb 8oz.

One delighted user of Yasmin is 28-year-old Kathy Hart, a marketing director based in Kent. At aged 17, Kathy began to take the low dose contraceptive pill Mercilon. Initially happy, she began to gain weight with Mercilon. Kathy says: “But after ten years I started to gain weight and at that point the low dosage pill was no longer deemed suitable. I started to get intermittent bleeding between periods, tender breasts, awful headaches and a real feeling of bloatedness – something I’d never experienced before. I was about to get married at the time, so was under a lot of personal stress. The condition of my skin deteriorated and I started getting lots of spots, which left me feeling very depressed. It felt like a nightmare vicious circle. When you’re getting married, you’re desperate to look like a princess – but my body seemed be refusing to cooperate. At one point I thought I would not be able to fit into my wedding dress because I was so bloated all of the time. Eventually, I decided I’d had enough and went to see a family planning adviser. After listing all my problems, she mentioned the new contraceptive pill, Yasmin. I was told Yasmin would help my skin look better, that my hair would be less oily and more glossy, and, most importantly, that it would help stop the bloating. Although it wasn’t available on prescription at the time, I was told I could take it on a trial basis. I didn’t even hesitate. The combined package of benefits was exactly what I needed. I jumped at the chance. For the first month of taking it, I actually felt quite nauseous and the pills didn’t seem to agree with me at all. But my family planning adviser said that the nausea was completely normal. I’d been taking a different contraceptive pill – and therefore a different drug – for nearly ten years, so there was bound to be an adjustment period. After the first month, the improvement was fantastic. I stopped getting the “spotting” between periods, and over the next few months my skin cleared completely. It helped me regain all the confidence I’d lost. Now, 13 months on, I’m 100 per cent happy with Yasmin and I recommend it to all my friends. The base level benefits – such as not getting pregnant and the cycle control – work exactly as they should. But above and beyond that is the fact that Yasmin controls the bloatedness and all the other awful things I was experiencing on my previous contraceptive pill.”
If Kathy’s story wasn’t enough, just listen to what Dr Mansour had to say in her praise of Yasmin, where 90% of the 60 women taking Yasmin prescribed by Newcastle Primary Care Trust, were still on the treatment after three months. Dr Mansour comments: “That’s a much higher rate than with the standard pill we prescribe, Microgynon 30, when only 78 per cent of patients are still taking it after three months. Basically, if you’re using a pill that actually has a health benefit, then you’re much more likely to stick with it and the women we’ve prescribed Yasmin to, are far happier using it than previous contraceptive pills they’ve been on.”

So, there you have it. We hope women now feel a little more clued up about the wide range of contraceptive pills that are available, and the added benefits that some of them have besides their primary purpose. For further information though, feel free to visit the Women’s Health section of the Medical Specialists website where we offer female contraceptives such as Yasmin, Marvelon, Dianette and Levonelle 1500 (Morning after pill), as well as medications for other conditions such as female hair loss and sexual health.

Many parents smoke inside the car and damage their child’s health

A new study that has been released online and due to appear in the December 2012 issue of ‘Pediatrics’ has revealed that parents will often carelessly expose their children to tobacco smoke in their cars. This is even happening when the parents are still adopting a ‘smoke-free’ policy inside the home.

In the study, researchers from MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC) quizzed 795 parents who were smokers, regarding their car-smoking policy and behaviour. Specifically, investigators were trying to determine whether or not the parents actually left their children exposed to tobacco smoke inside the car.

The parents were interviewed upon leaving their child’s doctors’ office in one of 10 paediatric practices, spanning eight U.S. states. The results showed that 73% of parents acknowledged that there had been someone smoking inside their car within the previous three months.
There were 562 parents who had not bothered to adopt a ‘smoke-free’ policy for themselves or others inside the car, and almost half (48%) of this total admitted that they had smoked in the car when their child was present.

Many of the parents said they adhered to a strict no-smoking policy inside the home; however only 24% said that they also had a ‘strictly enforced’ smoke-free in their car.

In addition, some statistics attained from the interviews shows that there is definitely a lot more work to be done in regards to how paediatricians can play their part in encouraging parents to completely protect their children from cigarette smoke.

It was found that only approximately one-fifth of the parents claimed that the paediatric health care provider had bothered to ask them about their smoking status. Moreover, only 12% of parents reported that they have received advice to refrain from lighting-up inside their cars.
Emara Nabi-Burza, MBBS, MS, the study’s lead author, says those parents who smoke need to take more responsibility for protecting their children and recognise the huge negative impact that tobacco smoke can have on their child’s health.

Emara commented: “Workplaces, restaurants, homes and even bars are mostly smoke-free, but cars have been forgotten. Smoking in cars is not safe for motorists and non-smokers – especially children, who have no way to avoid tobacco smoke exposure in their parent’s car. Now that we know the magnitude of the problem, paediatricians and the public can act to help these children.”

Involuntary/secondhand smoking (SHS) such as the aforementioned example, is an incredibly understated subject that Medical Specialists believe the government and health authorities need to put more work into, in an attempt to reduce it. Babies and new-borns are a particularly major high-risk group when it comes to SHS. A mother who smokes during her pregnancy will leave the unborn baby with a decreased oxygen supply and the baby will have raised levels of carbon monoxide in their bloodstream.

Other problems that could therefore arise include the baby having a low birth weight, miscarriage, premature birth or sudden infant death syndrome; whereby babies of mothers who smoke are twice as likely to die from this compared to babies carried by a non-smoker. Children that are exposed to SHS, such as when their parents smoke in their cars, could be left with long-term suffering from persistent colds, ear infections, pneumonia, bronchitis, and severe asthma. SHS can severely impact lung growth in children and can then cause them to cough, wheeze, and suffer with breathlessness.

If you are a parent and this article has concerned you, it is not too late to make some positive changes to your life to improve the health of both you and your children. For example, never allow smoke into your house. If you, a friend or family member wants to smoke, go outside to do it. Explain this policy to your guests when they enter your home and do not put out any ashtrays around the house. Also do not allow smoke into your car. If you or a passenger wishes to smoke, stop at a place where you or they can smoke outside of the vehicle.

For anyone who does smoke though and wishes to stop for good, whether a parent or not, allow Medical Specialists to help you with hugely effective smoking cessation treatment. Champix is a prescription medication that works out from as little as just £75.00 per pack, an incredibly small price when it comes to your long-term health and the health of those around you. Champix mimics the effect of nicotine on the body, reducing the urge to smoke and relieving withdrawal symptoms. It can also decrease the enjoyment you experience of smoking if you are still smoking whilst on the treatment.

Pepsi launch ‘fat blocking’ cola drink in Japan

A ‘special’ version of Pepsi’s cola drink has gone on sale today in Japan, with bold claims of weight loss and lowering ‘bad’ cholesterol coming from the soft drinks giant.
Funnily enough the drink will be named ‘Pepsi Special’, and will be distributed by Suntory International, who is hoping for a similar hit as the Japanese fat-busting drink Mets Cola, released by the beer company Kirin only a few months previously.

Both drinks contain an indigestible form of the light carbohydrate dextrin; occasionally used as a fibre supplement. Dextrin inhibits the body’s ability to absorb fat while eating and also reduces the level of ‘blood triglycerides’ in your bloodstream and bad LDL cholesterol. If that wasn’t enough though, it also manages to help keep HDL, the good cholesterol.

These claims are based on a 2006 study by Japan’s National Institute of Health and Nutrition, conducted on rats that were fed dextrin. The study’s results went some way to showing that dextrin can help in reducing the absorption of fat in the body and also helping to bring down cholesterol levels.
Unfortunately no information has been released in regards to the drink’s sugar or corn-syrup content in the drink in comparison to the regular Pepsi drink  spokesman said it would have a ‘crisp refreshing and unique’ aftertaste.

Pepsi Special will have a unique look, being sold in a ‘luxury’ gold and black bottle with the Pepsi logo on the side of the bottle. The price will be initially set at 150Yen (£1.20), only slightly more than a typical 500ml bottle of regular Pepsi sold in the UK. However, there has been nothing said by either Pepsi or Suntory International regarding a European or U.S. release date.

One thing that is clear though is just who the drink could appeal to, going off the humorous advert that Pepsi have posted on their website. The ad depicts a young businessman who has to make a choice between a woman dressed in a pizza costume and another wearing a burger outfit. Basically it is claimed that the man will not have to discard either, as long as he drinks Pepsi Special. It would seem the soft drink giant is keen to appeal to young, health-conscious men who enjoy such drinks but are also worried about their weight, as well as possibly previous customers who have stopped buying soft drinks for health purposes.

The drink has been met with scepticism though by some people though. Sue Baic, a spokesperson from the British Dietetic Association, questioned just how effective the drink was in its fat-busting claims. She said: “I think this drink is unlikely to make much difference to how much fat you absorb. I can’t see any studies that show dextrin works in people. Even if it has an effect on rats that doesn’t mean it will translate into humans. I suggest a higher fibre diet with fruit, vegetables and whole grains would be a better way to fill you up and make you feel less hungry. Plus then you would get the benefits of all the vitamins and minerals as well.”

It is debatable just how ‘healthy’ though these types of drinks are due to the high volume of additives that are packed inside, many of which are disastrous for teeth. In addition, high sugar content will do nothing good for weight and in the long run can lead to health complications such as diabetes.
From Medical Specialists’ experience, and from contact with our thousands of patients, success comes firstly from factors such as lifestyle improvements such as a healthier diet and more exercise. Help can also be found from clinically proven treatments for obesity such as Xenical or XLS-Medical Fat Binder.

It may be also questionable whether or not a fizzy drink can have a genuine impact on your good and bad cholesterol levels. Luckily, for suitable patients, we can provide cholesterol-lowering statin medications Crestor (Rosuvastatin) and Lipitor (Atorvastatin). Along with diet, they lower ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL-C), increase ‘good’ cholesterol (HDL-C), and also slow the progression of atherosclerosis in adults with high cholesterol. We are pleased to inform our patients that we now also offer legal generic Atorvastatin, with prices from as little as just £11.25 per pack.

Contraceptive pills could avert the onset of dementia in later life

Young women who are taking the contraceptive pill could be prevented from developing memory problems and dementia in their later years claims a new U.S. study.

In particularly it is believed that the group of female hormones, oestrogen, are the key. Oestrogen is present in contraceptive pills such as Dianette, Marvelon and Yasmin and scientists say it is linked to a better memory as it stops arteries from hardening and therefore increases the supply of blood into the brain.

It has long been common knowledge that Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), (also containing oestrogen) can help stave off dementia. However, it is only now that a study has emerged that has analysed the possible benefits of contraceptive pills.

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin decided to focus their investigations on 261 women who had conducted health surveys and were aged between 40 to 65.

The women had to perform memory tests such as naming as many words as possible about a particular subject as well as naming certain objects. What intrigued researchers was the fact that a lot of the woman who had been taking a contraceptive pill came out with better results than those women who had not. In addition, a correlation was established between length of time on the pill and a higher rate of scores the women managed to attain.

Researchers say that the oestrogen could also be promoting the growth of certain cells within both the brain and spinal cord in addition to maintaining blood flow to the brain.

The study, published in the Journal of Women’s Health, was led by researcher Kelly Egan, who said: “Our analysis indicated that hormonal contraceptive use may have a protective cognitive (memory) effect, even years after use is discontinued. This is especially true in subjects with a longer duration of use.”

Their study did not go into looking at the causes and risk factors for dementia however, or how it can be treated.

Dementia is a term given to a collection of related conditions that are connected to the on-going, gradual decline of the brain and changes to its structure, Memory, thinking, speech, understanding and judgement can all be severely impacted when someone is suffering from dementia, and the sufferer will almost always require some form of help from family and friends, in particularly in relation to decision making.

There are currently 570,000 people living with dementia just in England. Over the next 30 years it is predicted that this number is going to double. The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, where there is a progressive loss of brain cells. There is no definitive cause of Alzheimer’s but it is believed to be due to a number of things such as lifestyle factors that are contributing to vascular disease, a family history of the condition and also has been linked to severe head injuries.
Unfortunately there are no medical cures for dementia and the condition will gradually worsen over time. However, if you or a family member has been diagnosed with dementia, The NHS, social services and voluntary organisations are able to give advice and offer any necessary support to help you and your family.

Certain signs of aging could be a predictor for heart disease

A person’s risk of heart disease could be estimated by examining signs of aging such as hair loss or bags around the eyes, claim researchers in from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. They say such things can be used to determine the true biological age of a person as well as simply a numerical age.

The researchers say that if you have three to four signs of aging such as a receding hairline, baldness (particularly around the crown), earlobe crease or yellow fatty deposits around the eyelid, then you could have a 57% increased risk of a heart attack and a 39% increased risk of heart disease.
They further state that deposits of cholesterol beneath the skin named ‘xanthelasmata’ are one of the biggest signs that can predict the risk for both a heart attack and heart disease. These deposits usually appear as slightly yellow or skin-coloured lumps on the hands or ankles, and are an early sign of familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH).

If you are unfamiliar with this term, it is a genetic defect that affects roughly 1 in every 500 of the population and causes them immediately from birth to be lacking in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors, which get rid of cholesterol from our blood. Because these people have high cholesterol from the moment they are born, they are at great risk from vascular diseases and hardening of the arteries, much earlier than normal. For anybody unfortunately who has FH, usually the most effective treatment is through statin therapy (e.g. Lipitor or Crestor). These medications decrease the production of LDL cholesterol by the liver, which in turn decreases LDL cholesterol blood levels by around 50%. There are around 120,000 sufferers in the UK and only 15% actually know they have the condition. Medical Specialists would advise everybody to visit their doctor who is able to perform a simple cholesterol check. If your cholesterol is abnormally high then they can suggest ways to best manage this, such as through statin medication.

For the recent study analysing heart risks, the Danish researchers looked at 10,885 people over 40 years of age. It was noted that 7,537 had fronto-parietal baldness - where the hairline is receding at the temples. Furthermore, 3,938 were suffering with crown top baldness. In addition, they also found that 3,405 had earlobe creases and 678 people had fatty deposits around their eyes.

A follow-up period was then carried out, spanning an incredible 35 years. The researchers, led by Professor Anne Tybjaerg-Hansen, found that 3,401 people had developed heart disease and 1,708 had suffered from a heart attack.

In the study – presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2012 – researchers explained how the quantity of greying hair, presence of wrinkles, the type and severity of baldness, and presence of earlobe crease and eyelid deposits were linked to a possible increased risk of heart problems.

Professor Tybjaerg-Hansen, said: “Checking these visible aging signs should be a routine part of every doctor’s physical examination. The visible signs of aging reflect physiologic or biological age, not chronological age, and are independent of chronological age.”

Warnings issued after ‘high risk’ patients are not going for their flu jab

We are fast approaching the winter season in the UK as autumn is coming to a close. You may have already noticed this though by the rapidly dropping temperatures, the need to use the ice scraper on your car windscreen and it is now getting darker much earlier in the evenings. The wintery chill will unfortunately also bring with it a high number of colds and flu outbreaks across Britain. The common cold can be dealt with simple enough and will be gone within a week usually but the flu can be more serious and even prove fatal at times.

However many of the population who are deemed as ‘high risk’ are not receiving the flu jab despite many the warnings that health officials give around this time each year.  Department of Health (DOH) figures worryingly show that many people who are at risk of becoming seriously ill from flu complications, have yet to receive the flu vaccination.

The vaccine is available without charge to those deemed at risk to provide protection against catching flu and developing serious complication such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Some of the eligible groups of people include anyone over 65 years of age or over, if you have a certain medical condition such as asthma or diabetes, are pregnant or if you are the carer for somebody who may be at risk if you yourself fall ill.

Information released by the DOH though shows that an increasing number of pensioners and those with medical conditions are not bothering to get the vaccine. In England alone there are approximately 4,700 deaths every year that are attributed to flu and those who are in the ‘high risk’ groups are shockingly around 11 times more likely to die from it in comparison to somebody not deemed at risk.

Figures show that at the end of last week 48.9% of patients aged 65 or over in England had received the flu jab. However, in the same week in 2011, the take-up for the vaccine was 54.8%. A similar trend has been seen in patients with health conditions such as asthma, whereby 28.7% of patients had received the vaccine by 28 October and at the same point last year the figure stood at 32.2%.

Health officials are now urging those at high risk to get themselves to their GP for a vaccination and there has been a website set-up called ‘Winterwatch’, which will go live in the next few weeks and will aim to provide up-to-date winter-related health information.

The health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, warned: “Cold weather can be hazardous for our health – particularly for older people and those with respiratory illnesses. Each year, the cold weather is responsible for an increase in deaths and thousands of cases of flu, falls, heart attacks and strokes. In past years, these extra pressures have cost the NHS £42 million in emergency admissions alone. As winter approaches, we should all be on our guard against health problems – by taking simple steps and looking after our older friends and family we can keep warm and well.”

Adding to Mr Hunt’s comments was public health minister Anna Soubry, who said: “We have taken the decision this year to run a flu campaign because too many people in at-risk groups have not come forward for the jab yet, although local campaigns have been running for the past month. Our campaign aims to encourage people who are most at risk from flu, who have put it off or who don’t think it is important, to get the vaccine.”

People should bear in mind that it can take around ten days for the vaccine to provide protection against flu following the jab. If you are unsure whether you need the vaccine or wondering if you are able to receive a free vaccine, you can contact NHS Inform on 0800 22 44 88 for more information.

Disregarding digestive problems may lead to anaemia and osteoporosis

Are you one of the 12 million Brits who are suffering with the common traits of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)? Bloating, trapped wind and diarrhoea are a few of the digestive complaints associated with IBS. However, if you do not believe you have IBS or have not been formally diagnosed with the gut condition, you should still not ignore these digestive problems that could be occurring on a regular basis as they may be a warning sign that something more serious is wrong.

The concern has emanated as a result of a study carried out by a2 Milk UK, a company who have released a specialised kind of milk across supermarkets such as Morrison’s and major Tesco stores in the UK. Normal cow’s milk contains various types of proteins and one of these is called ‘caseins’. The main types of the beta-casein fraction are a2 and a1, and the a1 protein has been linked to various symptoms similar to what a person would suffer with IBS. The a2 Milk however is extracted from certain British dairy cows, unique in the fact that they simply produce milk comprising of just the a2 protein.

The a2 Milk UK survey found that an incredible 84% of women will experience some degree of digestive pain or discomfort after they consume a particular food. Of this total, 46% claimed they simply self-medicated for short term relief from symptoms and 35% said they do nothing at all about their problems.

Amongst the reasons for deciding to take no action about gut complaints, women said they felt embarrassment about going to visit their doctor to discuss the issues they were experiencing, and others said that they felt the symptoms were not severe enough to seek help and treatment from a GP.
Unfortunately, choosing to neglect these symptoms over a period of time could prove damaging for someone’s health in the long term and result in the digestive system becoming inflamed.  The inflammation means that there could be difficulty for the digestive system to successfully take in nutrients from other foods, not just the problematic ones.

GMTV’s ‘Health Editor’ Dr Hilary Jones, reflected on the findings of the survey and he said: “When people’s bodies are not digesting crucial nutrients found in many foods – as is the case with symptoms such as diarrhoea and bloating – the risk of certain illnesses dramatically increases. While it may be tempting to self-medicate or hope the problem will go away, sufferers are not getting to the root of the problem.”

Dr Jones was interested in the fact that 28% of the women who were polled said that discomfort occurred after eating dairy. He added: “This issue is particularly key with dairy and milk intolerance as there are a range of reactions that people can have to milk. It’s not as simple as lactose intolerant or not. All too often people soldier on or cut milk out entirely when there are alternative options available. If in any doubt, talk to your GP – we aren’t scary I promise!”

Melanie Bibby, a2 Milk UK’s Nutrition Manager, added her opinions on the tricky subject of digestive discomfort. She said: “You really shouldn’t be getting any digestive discomfort after eating. But people think that it’s just the norm, especially if it’s been not quite right for a long time – they forget that it’s not how it should be. She advises that sufferers should monitor their problems from the use of a food diary, and also use a process of ‘trial and error’ with suspect foods. She continues: “But it’s very difficult to work out what you’re intolerant to. Many people have a problem with dairy but it’s hard to tell if you’re reacting to the lactose or to the milk proteins. Most people are intolerant to a particular protein found in milk called a1. Or you can react to the lactose. If it’s the lactose, switching to soya milk can help but if it’s the a1 protein, it won’t make any difference as soya contains similar proteins. A2 milk is normal milk, but it comes from dairy cows that naturally don’t produce the a1 protein; instead their milk contains a2, which is much better tolerated. I want people to know that there might be an alternative to cutting out dairy for them, because of course that can mean you miss out on very important nutrients too.”

Stomach troubles are a common complaint amongst Brits, including former Blue Peter presenter Zoe Salmon who recently spoke out on her own struggles.

If you do have IBS, why not browse around the ‘stomach and bowel’ area of the Medical Specialists website.  We offer an ever-growing range of effective medications such as Mebeverine and Buscopan IBS relief. In addition, the medication Lansoprazole can help with acid reflux problems that cause heartburn and complications with swallowing. All of these medicines are available right now at low prices, in addition to the new wonder treatment for IBS – Symprove. If you have not heard about the miracle that is Symprove then you need to get clued up about it immediately! We have even ran two separate features on this highly effective probiotic drink and now offer the 500ml mango and passion fruit flavour of Symprove, which can be purchased today from the Medical Specialists chemist shop, priced just £19.93.

A nasal spray dubbed the ‘Female Viagra’ is being trialled

The words ‘nasal spray’ and ‘sexy’ are rarely, if ever, used together in the same sentence. However, things could change in the future if clinical trials are successful for what could be a female equivalent of the male erectile dysfunction medication Viagra.

In fact if you are one of the many frustrated women around the World who is suffering from Female Orgasmic Disorder (FOD), today could be your lucky day! Medical Specialists Pharmacy are pleased to be the bearer of good news for the estimated 5 – 10% of women who suffer from this underestimated condition, and thus never experience any type of orgasm through any kind of sexual activity. The condition is also known as ‘anorgasmia’ and is defined by the American Psychological Association’s diagnostic manual as: “Persistent or recurrent delay in, or absence of, orgasm following a normal excitement phase.”

The new female drug in development is a testosterone gel named ‘Tefina’ that gets absorbed into the body via a droplet-sized dose sprayed into the nose. Although the absorption would take merely minutes, it could then be several hours before the effects kick-in for the woman so this delay would have to be considered, and Tefina would not be ideal for any spur-of-the-moment love making.

Without even taking into account the thousands of male patients that Medical Specialists have helped with erectile dysfunction problems, Viagra is estimated to generate around a staggering $2 billion annually in the U.S. alone as the reluctance to seek help is finally being banished. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to predict that Tefina could be a huge hit too and generate lots of money.

Australian researchers based at Melbourne’s Monash University are now attempting to recruit approximately 100 female volunteers between the ages of 18 and 49 so they can begin trials of the drug.

Dr. Fiona Jane of Melbourne’s Monash University, spoke out on the need for such a treatment for women. She said: “Female sexual dysfunction is a real thing and we think up to 43 percent of women suffer some form of sexual dysfunction. A lot of people have thought that drumming up the idea of a female ‘Viagra’ is just for pharmaceutical companies. In fact, there is a huge need for women to have their sexual dysfunction addressed.”

Clinical trials are now set to begin in Australia, Canada and the U.S., supported by Trimel Biopharma, who is developing the drug. The spray would be strictly only be available on prescription but it could be another three to five years unfortunately before it becomes available in pharmacies.  In the meantime keep checking the Medical Specialists website to stay updated on this and other similar products that may become available in the near future.