Poor lifestyle choices causes a surge in cancer rates

There are fresh concerns that poor choices in lifestyle may be attributed to a large increase in the number of certain cancers following the publication of data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The number of cases of malignant melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer, has seen the biggest rise, shooting up by 56% amongst men and 38% for women between the years 2002 and 2011.

Melanoma is relatively rare, but has become more prominent in recent times because of the surge in people using sunbeds. The cancer is caused due to cells beginning to abnormally develop in the skin and health experts believe it is exposure to UV light from natural or artificial sources such as a sunbed could be responsible. It starts within the skin and may spread to organs in the body. A usual sign of this cancer is the change of an existing mole of the sudden appearance of a new one.

Health experts at the ONS believe the rise in melanoma cases could be due to gradual changes in the nation’s fashion choices, with people more skin-revealing clothes in recent years. This together with large amounts of the population sunbathing at every rare chance of sunshine across the country and an increase in the use of sunbeds has put people at risk.

ONS statistics also show that in total, all combined new cases of cancer across England increased by a fifth between 2002 and 2011 – with 274,233 patients being diagnosed with cancer in 2011. From the 274,233, men made up 139,120 of the new diagnoses compared with 135,113 women. Both figures will no doubt be a lot more after additional hospital admissions are included in the totals.
The most prominent cancers in men are still the previous common types; prostate (25.6%), lung (13.8%) and colorectal (13.6%).

Smoking and poor diet are the main factors responsible for a surge in oral cancers, which have increased by 37%. Kidney cancer has also increased by 25% in men and 36% in women.

Both of these cancers are heavily linked to excessive alcohol consumption and tobacco usage. In fact these two factors together are believed to actually account for a staggering three-quarters of all oral cancer cases in Europe.

Nick Ormiston-Smith, statistical information manager at Cancer Research UK, spoke on how the nation’s poor lifestyle choices are being underestimated and are causing huge health problems later in life.

He said: “Forty per cent of cancers can be attributed to lifestyle factors so swapping some bad habits for healthier ones can help reduce the risk of developing the disease. Smoking increases the risk of at least 14 forms of cancer including lung, bowel, pancreatic and mouth. Cutting down on alcohol, keeping to a healthy weight, avoiding sunburn and being more active can also help reduce the risk of many cancers. Leading a healthy life doesn’t guarantee you won’t get cancer but it can stack the odds in your favour.”

After seeing the alarming ONS figures, Ciarán Devane, chief executive at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “It is startling that the number of new cases of cancer diagnosed has soared by nearly a fifth in the last ten years. However, it is important to note that this overall figure disguises a wide variation across the cancer types. While it is welcome news that the number of new cases of ovarian and stomach cancer rates have decreased, malignant melanoma is up by a huge 66 per cent. Today’s ONS figures also reveal a worrying gender gap. Cancer affects women more in younger age groups, but men are significantly worse affected over the age of 60. The reasons for this are complex and only partially understood. Further research needs to be carried out to understand these differences better. We are warning that the rising numbers of cancer patients poses a huge challenge for the NHS as it will not be able to cope with the surge in demand unless it puts the necessary plans and resources in place now.”

Fear of impotence and wrinkles drive smokers to quit

Here is some basic information about some of the numerous dangers of smoking:

. Scientists say that the average smoker will lose 14 years of their life because of smoking.
. Smokers are twice as likely to suffer from a heart attack in comparison to their non-smoking counterparts.
. Smoking has been proven to be directly responsible for many types of cancer including: throat, lung, kidney, bladder, stomach, liver and cervix.
. Smoking accounts for 71% of all lung cancer deaths.

Now, you’d be forgiven for thinking these reasons alone would be enough of a deterrent for smoking and perhaps persuade current smokers into quitting smoking to improve their long-term health.

New research would suggest however this isn’t the case at all and it is in fact vanity/self-preservation motivations that are the reasons behind people kicking the deadly habit into touch rather than the worry of a premature death.  Indeed, there still remains an estimated 10 million Brits who are addicted to smoking, which should not be the case when there is smoking cessation medication available such as Champix that can help them quit for good, saving potentially thousands of pounds a year and adding years onto their life.

Despite the government’s best efforts to get people to stop smoking via steep increases in cigarette taxation and increasingly more graphic warnings and images being plastered on cigarette packets, for men it is the worry of impotency and a loss of sex drive that urges them to quit smoking.  Whilst it would seem women are concerned about cigarettes accelerating the aging process and giving them wrinkles, laugh lines and dreaded ‘crow’s feet’.

Stirling University’s Brian Williams, professor of Behavioural & Health Services Research, commented on his team’s research, saying: “Eight out of ten smokers want to quit. Targeting groups with images of issues that relate directly to their own concerns can have most effect. If we know one brand has a certain market – among say women – it would allow us to design images that were tailored to that particular demographic, say on looks or fertility. It is what advertisers do as well.”

Professor Williams and colleagues scrutinised answers given from around 19,000 people who completed a UK-wide online survey about their thoughts/reactions to graphic images printed on cigarette packaging.

It was found that there were three particular images that struck a chord with respondents due to their shock factor. A neck tumour image was found to be the most powerful, with 80% admitting this had affected them. Second was diseased teeth at 77%, and diseased lungs was third most powerful, with 72% saying this had upset them.

Interestingly, researchers observed that particular images seemed to have a bigger impact on certain age and gender groups differently than others.

For instance, the study found that female smokers were considerably more affected by all three images regarding aging in comparison to male counterparts. Images related to pregnancy and children also had a bigger impact on women compared to the male smokers.

The study report added: “Men were consistently more affected by the images relating to sexual performance/impotence. Images relating to heart and lung disease as a consequence of smoking were most effective amongst over-50s. Students and professionals were more affected by cosmetic issues than those who were unemployed or retired, possibly due to the impact of damage to their appearance caused by smoking. Most of the images relating to fertility, impotence and pregnancy > had a significantly greater effect on the 16-39 age group. The closer the characteristics of both the narrative and visual > forms match those of the viewer the greater the likely impact on risk representations.”

The report concluded: “This suggests that, as specific images have a more persuasive effect on particular groups, it may be worth considering a targeted approach to anti-smoking messages, placing appropriate images on brands known to be purchased by young, adult and older smokers.”
Professor Williams believes that smokers may not quit with shock tactics alone. He said: “What we are missing at the moment is images and messages on cigarette packets that encourage people to take the next step; that it is possible to give up.”

Medical Specialists lead the way for ED treatment as Viagra’s UK patent ends

If somebody says the phrase ‘erectile dysfunction’ (ED) or ‘male impotence’, one may instantly think of Pfizer’s wonder drug Viagra. This is mainly because Viagra was the very first oral medication approved for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

The brand name Viagra will probably always be strongly associated with ED/male impotence and its name alone carries a lot of history and weight behind it. The active ingredient of Viagra ‘sildenafil’ will probably not invoke the same level of familiarity and this chemical name could sound less attractive to men. However, when it boils down to it, that is all Viagra is – sildenafil.

Viagra’s origins are surprisingly traced all the way back to 1989 when a group of pharmaceutical chemists working at Pfizer’s Sandwich, Kent research facility in England, first synthesised sildenafil citrate, a compound that they had high hopes for in the treatment of heart problems such as angina. Two separate Phase 1 trials in addition to one Phase 2 clinical trial over the period of 1991 – 1992 revealed rather unconvincing results for angina treatment, but it became apparent the drug’s strengths lay elsewhere.

By 1994, Pfizer researchers Nicholas Terrett and Peter Ellis noted that men involved in the trial studies of sildenafil citrate as a heart medicine had benefited from increased blood flow into the penis area, aiding those who may previously had difficulty in achieving or sustaining an erection. Over the following three years there were a total of 21 clinical trials conducted, involving nearly 4,500 men. Terrett and Ellis were able to prove sildenafil was both safe and effective as a treatment for erectile dysfunction.

In 1997 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agreed to give Pfizer’s ‘Viagra’ as it was now to be called, a priority review. This is only allocated for drugs which demonstrate large advances in treatment or can be used for a medical need. It was then approved on 27^th March 1998 by the FDA and later given the go-ahead for immediate sale in the European Union in September of the same year.

The popularity of Viagra soon skyrocketed and netted its manufacturer Pfizer billions of dollars each year, even infamously being endorsed in TV adverts by former United States Senator Bob Dole and the Brazilian former world cup winner and football star Pelé. The stigma surrounding men suffering with impotence was finally starting to disappear as men around the world embraced this revolutionary new drug which garnered nicknames such as ‘Vitamin V’, ‘The Little Blue Pill’ and ‘Blue Diamond’.

Men who previously kept their bedroom problems strictly in the bedroom were now willing to discuss this genuine health problem and the fact it is something which can cause deep distress, depression, low self-esteem and can impact relationships. Soon even celebrity figures such as Playboy founder Hugh Hefner were speaking of Viagra’s prowess, with the aging lothario describing Viagra as “God’s little helper”, whilst actor Michael Douglas, married to Catherine Zeta-Jones, raved that Viagra was “a wonderful enhancement . . .that can make us all feel younger.”

This takes us to the present day. Pfizer has seen its market share dramatically decrease in the intervening years due to the entry of Eli Lilly’s Cialis and Bayer’s Levitra and men now have more options available than ever, including the Cialis Daily and Levitra ODT (Orodispersible) variations which have subsequently been introduced. Medical Specialists Pharmacy is one of the leaders in erectile dysfunction treatment and we always have our finger on the pulse regarding the latest treatments for erectile dysfunction and a whole host of other medical conditions.

In fact, if you are not already aware, Pfizer’s UK Viagra patent expired on 21st June 2013 and this now makes it eligible for other pharmaceutical companies to produce an erectile dysfunction medication that contains sildenafil, just like Viagra. This is known as a ‘generic’ alternative. Generic medicines are known for their hugely competitive prices which could prove a massive relief for many of us suffering from the credit crunch-induced hardship.

For some, it is all in the name. Viagra is associated with being the first, and thus best. But let’s not forget what it is actually inside a Viagra tablet – sildenafil.  It could be a blue diamond-shaped tablet or a white oval-shaped tablet, regardless of its outer appearance, the sildenafil contained inside is exactly the same and has the same purpose – to help men suffering from erectile dysfunction to achieve and maintain an erection that is satisfactory for sex.

For more information about the latest erectile dysfunction treatments obtainable from Medical Specialists, visit the male impotence area of the website where we have recently added new treatments such as Sildenafil Teva and Sildenafil Actavis – both at incredibly low prices. Or, if you find tablets difficult to swallow, we also now offer Nipatra (sildenafil) chewable tablets.

PE regarded similar to maths and English could tackle ‘obesity time-bomb’

Welsh Paralympic multi-gold medallist Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson has spoken of her desire for Wales to become pioneers in fighting the global obesity epidemic by making Physical Education (PE) a ‘core’ subject at school, alongside English, Welsh, mathematics and science.

Baroness Grey-Thompson, 43, was born with the congenital disorder spina bifida and therefore requires the use of a wheelchair. However, the disability did not prevent her from having a hugely successful athletic career and by the time of her official retirement in 2007, had achieved an impressive haul of 16 Paralympic medals; becoming Britain’s most successful paralympian. This included 11 gold medals and Baroness Grey-Thompson also held more than 30 world records and was a six-time London Marathon winner (between 1992 and 2002).

The former paralympian chaired a group comprising of education and physical activity experts from across Wales, and she delivered the report herself yesterday to the education minister Leighton Andrews and minister for culture and sport John Griffiths.

The reported praised the Welsh Government’s effort in maintaining ‘physical literacy’ as crucial as reading, writing and numeracy in schools, further adding that the government should ideally bestow PE with a ‘core subject status’, together with English, Welsh, maths and science.  This would make Wales the first nation in the world to take such a stance.

Estimates for childhood obesity rates in the UK show that Wales have the highest, and Baroness Grey-Thompson is worried that unless actions are taken as soon as possible then the problem will get much worse.

Although the group predict promoting PE to that of a core subject could potentially cost £5 million annually, this is relatively inexpensive when bearing in mind that obesity and its related health conditions cost the NHS in Wales approximately £73 million each year.

After being requested to formulate innovative and practical recommendations on developing the role of schools in increasing levels of physical activity among children and young people, the group spent six months deliberating on ideas – mulling over how to improve facilities, training, the curriculum and the inspection of sports provision in schools.

Baroness Grey-Thompson says that if PE is to become a core subject, all teachers will have to be vigorously prepared during their initial training – as opposed to just four hours’ instruction on PE which exists currently.

She commented: “Parents would be horrified if that happened with maths, English or Welsh. Evidence shows that we are facing a ticking obesity time-bomb and unless we make sport and physical education and school sport a core subject, we will still be here in 20 years’ time having made little or no progress.”

The minister for education Leighton Andrews gave his thoughts after seeing the report, saying: “We commissioned this report to consider how our schools can increase levels of physical activity in our children and young people. We will now take time to consider the recommendation in the context of the wider review of the national curriculum and assessment. We firmly believe in the positive impact that physical activity can have on the people and nation of Wales, and I’m determined to ensure that sport continues to make an important contribution to Welsh life.”

Seeing 10 smoking ads can increase the risk of teen smoking by 40%

Tobacco adverts run the risk of persuading teenagers to start smoking according to researchers behind a new study published in the online only journal BMJ Open.
 
Researchers from The Institute for Therapy and Health Research in Germany, claim that by just seeing 10 adverts for tobacco, this can increase risk of youngsters picking up the deadly habit.
The claims emanate from the researcher’s findings from a two and a half year period where they closely tracked over 1,300 non-smoking 10 to 15-year-olds, specifically monitoring the teenager’s exposure to tobacco advertising and their subsequent behaviour.

Whilst tobacco advertising to the public is completely outlawed in the United Kingdom due to the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002, in Germany tobacco advertising on billboards is still permitted. In addition, tobacco smoking in Germany is still advertised in certain magazines, during sporting events, and in petrol stations.  Television and radio advertising for such products however is banned.

The German researchers began monitoring the teenagers – selected from public schools in three separate regions of Germany – in 2008. They were quizzed on how often they had seen certain advertisements, which included those of Germany’s top six most popular cigarette brands as well as eight more non-tobacco products. These included mobile phones, cars, clothes and chocolate.

In 2011, after 30 months had passed, the teenagers were asked the same questions as before. They were also asked about if they had smoked in the previous two and a half years, and if so, how often.
It was discovered that around a third of the study participants (406 in total) had tried smoking in this time frame, in addition to one in 10 (138) admitting they had smoked in the month leading up to the present day.

Moreover, of the 1,300 teenagers, one in 20 (66) stated they had smoked their way through over 100 cigarettes – determined as being ‘established’ smokers by the researchers. Worryingly, 58 of those teenagers said they now smoked every day. A third of those were younger than 14 years of age and only a quarter were at least 16-years-old. The minimum legal age to purchase cigarette or tobacco products in Germany is 18. In comparison, it is illegal to sell tobacco to anybody under the age of 18 in England and Wales but the minimum age for consumption in public is 16.

When the exposure to the different types of advertisements were compared, the non-tobacco products were seen a lot more. However, almost half in the study had seen one particular cigarette advert at least once, whilst 13% had seen the ad over 10 times.

The researchers took into account common influences for picking up the habit and then determined that exposure to tobacco advertising was second only to peer-pressure for beginning to smoke for the first time.

The teens who had seen the most tobacco-related advertisements (11 to 55 times in total) had around the double the chance of becoming either an established or daily smoker in comparison to those who had seen on average the least amount (between 0 to 2.5).

It was calculated that there was a 38% increase of the teenagers becoming ‘established’ smokers for each extra 10 viewings of a tobacco ad and were 30% more likely to become daily smokers compared with the same number of sightings for adverts promoting non-tobacco products.

The authors concluded: “Only exposure to tobacco advertisements predicted smoking initiation, which cannot be attributed to a general receptiveness to marketing.”

If you would like to quit smoking, Medical Specialists Pharmacy can help you do this as we offer the smoking cessation medication Champix for suitable patients.

Champix is not recommended for use in children or adolescents below 18 years of age, however smokers over this age can benefit from the medication, which works to mimic 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 succumb to the urge and have a cigarette whilst on the treatment. The medication equates to just £75.00 per pack – inexpensive compared to an estimated £2,555 you could save each year by quitting smoking!

All you have to do is complete the simple four-step online consultation and if approved by one of our Doctors, they will write a prescription that will be dispensed by our in-house pharmacy team, dispatched to you at your home, place of work, or where ever you choose, discreetly within 24 hours!*

*Allow extra time for overseas deliveries.

Debunking some of the common myths about erectile dysfunction

Here at Medical Specialists Pharmacy we deal with thousands of patients every year, many of whom are men of varying ages seeking help with their erectile dysfunction (ED).

Therefore, we hear many assumptions, myths and misconceptions about the subject, and why men suspect they have developed impotence. We have even experienced a certain degree of shame and embarrassment from some men who seek our help, which should not be the case at all as erectile dysfunction is a fairly common health problem.

Since Pfizer’s Viagra burst onto the market in 1998, it has been followed by Eli Lilly’s Cialis and Bayer’s Levitra, all of which offer men a relatively safe and effective treatment to combat erectile dysfunction. As their popularity has skyrocketed in the subsequent 15 years since Viagra emerged, the unrealistic expectations and myths have also increased, which further add to an uncertainty about erectile dysfunction.

Here we breakdown the most common myths and dispel each of them:

MYTH: Erectile dysfunction only occurs in older men.

FACT: Although it is something that happens to approximately 4 in 10 men over the age of 40, erectile dysfunction can actually affect men of all ages and as Medical Specialists reported earlier this week, it is now becoming more prominent in younger men.

MYTH: Erectile dysfunction is just ‘part and parcel’ of getting older.

FACT: The condition may be more common in older men and more stimulation may be required compared to in years gone by, but there is no reason for men to simply accept their sex lives are over once they reach a certain age. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and through the help of oral medications like Viagra, men can still enjoy sex well into their senior years.

MYTH: Erectile dysfunction is not medically serious and is simply an upsetting annoyance.

FACT: The inability to achieve and sustain an erection, although annoying and sometimes distressing for those who want to enjoy sex, may actually be the early signs of an underlying health condition such as diabetes or heart problems such as high blood pressure and atherosclerosis – where the arteries become hardened. Atherosclerosis can result in a potentially fatal heart attack. Erectile dysfunction may mean atherosclerosis is already present in the heart or brain. Typically, many men with erection problems also have one or more risk factors for atherosclerosis, including:

. High cholesterol levels.
. High blood pressure.
. Diabetes.
. Smoking.
. Obesity.

MYTH: Erectile dysfunction means you are not attracted to your partner.

FACT: There could be a multitude of reasons for the inability to achieve and maintain an erection for sex. Not being attracted to the other person could be one, but it is a lot more likely to be another reason, including:

. Lifestyle choices such as smoking and alcohol consumption.
. A hormonal imbalance.
. Neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
. Emotional problems such as stress, anxiety and depression.
. Medications to treat the emotional problems listed above, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been known to cause sexual side effects. Severity can depend on the particular drug and dose, but may ease over time as the person’s body adjusts to the drug.
. The after-effects of surgery for prostate and bladder problems.
. Diabetes – An estimated 35 to 50% of men with diabetes also have erection problems.

MYTH: Those with other medical conditions besides erectile dysfunction cannot take any ED medication.

FACT: Generally, erectile dysfunction medications do not interfere with other medical conditions or medications.  However, men suffering with heart related conditions or taking nitrate drugs should only take ED medications under undergoing a physical examination and seeing their GP first.

Brits still have a poor perception of asthma

Considering there are a staggering 5.4 million asthmatics in Britain, it could be assumed that the majority of us are pretty clued-up on the serious lung condition asthma. Unfortunately, the results of a new survey suggest this could be far from the truth.

Research conducted by supermarket giant Asda showed that whilst 94% acknowledge asthma as a serious health condition, 1 in four respondents could not recognise key symptoms associated with asthma. In fact, 17% incorrectly believed blocked sinuses are a sign of the lung condition.

An additional 15% of those surveyed simply thought feeling dizzy was asthma-related and 13% bizarrely assumed having itchy eyes was somehow a key symptom of asthma. In reality, the primary common symptoms of asthma are having a shortness of breath, wheezing (accompanied by a whistling sound), chest tightness/pain/pressure, coughing (especially at night or early in the morning).
Sufferers usually find their symptoms to be particularly worse at night time, after exposure to cold air, exercise-induced, or brought-on by a reaction to an allergen – similar to hay fever sufferers.

Other wrong assumptions held by Brits include thinking there is a permanent cure for the lifelong condition; incredibly a third of us believe this to be true. Moreover, 15% merely think that asthma is something that only ‘unfit’ people have.

This is clearly untrue though and many are obviously forgetting the countless famous asthma sufferers who have reached the top of their field, such as the multimillionaire and recently retired footballer David Beckham and cyclist Laura Trott, who won gold at the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games in the Team Pursuit and Omnium events.

However, asthma attacks still cause around 1,140 deaths each year and a substantial number of those could have been avoided with more awareness about the condition and how to efficiently control it. Only 37% of Brits have a decent knowledge about asthma medication or can differentiate between the purpose of blue and brown inhalers.

Unfortunately, this perhaps demonstrate a worrying lack of awareness about the fact a person’s asthma can be better controlled with regular and correct utilisation of brown preventer inhalers such as the commonly used Qvar Beclometasone and Easi-Breathe inhalers. Over time, the brown preventers are effective at reducing the need for blue inhalers – which are taken immediately to relieve asthma symptoms and essential in treating asthma attacks.

Visit the ‘Asthma and Allergies’ area of the Medical Specialists Pharmacy website for a full list of all the preventer and reliever inhalers we provide for suitable patients.

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. You can undergo a quick and easy confidential online consultation with one of our GMC-registered Doctors and if suitable, they will write you a prescription which is passed to our in-house RPSGB–registered Pharmacists and dispensed to a location of your choice, all within just 24 hours!*

*Allow extra time for overseas deliveries.

Reduce teenage pregnancy with earlier sex education say MSPs

Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) are pushing for a new national strategy to begin sex education classes for children at a much earlier age as well as calling for children as young as 13 to be provided with free contraception.

The proposed plans by the Health and Sport Committee was included in a report following a six-month investigation and would be introduced in Scotland to combat the huge problem of teenage pregnancies, with Scotland having one of the highest rates in Western Europe.

The report highlighted an existing strategy whereby condoms are freely available to anybody aged between 13 and 24, in addition to arguing that efforts to prevent teenage pregnancy should be implemented ‘as early as possible, preschool even’ as these are ‘formative years’ which influence their experiences during adolescence and beyond.

Approximately seven out of every 1,000 under-16s in Scotland fall pregnant. Rates in the poorest areas are five times higher in comparison to the more prosperous regions, with youngsters in the poorer areas more than twice as likely to not have an abortion. There has been a gradual, small reduction in rates amongst the under-18 and under-20s however.

There are no age limits in place at the moment with regards to sex education, leaving it to parents and teachers to consult with one another to decide the best solution. The committee claim this is causing a lack of nationwide consistency and a drastic variance in advice and services across the country.

For instance, the Scottish Government is also being urged to reconsider how sex education is taught in Catholic schools after arguments that youngsters especially in the west of Scotland are ‘disadvantaged’ by not being told certain aspects of sex and reproduction.

Health committee convener and Labour MSP Duncan McNeill said: “Scotland has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in Western Europe, which has a long-lasting impact on generations of young parents and their children. This is why this committee is calling for a new strategy to tackle teenage pregnancy. Improved access to contraception or better access to high-quality sexual health education won’t in itself tackle our rates of teenage pregnancy. Our committee is confident that implementing this package of measures will bring about the step-change we need to make a real difference.”

Sexual health group Brook and the Family Planning Association welcomed the committee’s report, saying: “High-quality sexual relationships education does not encourage young people to become sexually active.”

Traffic light food labelling system given green light

A voluntary new universal food labelling system aimed at making it easier and quicker for consumers to make healthier food choices was announced yesterday by the government.

It is one of many initiatives that health ministers are hoping will be affective at reducing the billions of pounds the NHS lose annually due to the nation’s poor diet, leading to an ever-increasing number of obesity-related health conditions such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

The overhaul on how a product’s nutritional information is displayed was agreed upon by the government, food manufacturers and food retailers. The standardised front-of-label packaging will be introduced by December 2014 by those parties who have agreed to sign up to the changes.

Currently, food and drink manufacturers are not forced into stating nutritional information, and as such, those that do decide to state it can vary in what information they give. One of the biggest complaints consumers have about so many differing food labels is that they are simply confusing.

The vast variety of labels has been attributed to growing customer demand for more nutritional information; however there has never been an agreement on a consistent system for displaying this information – until now. The new labelling system will therefore enable people to compare similar foods to easier select the healthier option.

Presently, nutritional information can be stated either on the back, side or on the front of packaging. However, the new standardised labels for food and drink and drink products will be clearly displayed on the front of the product and consumers will be quickly able to see the amount of energy in kilojoules (kJ) contained, in addition to kilocalories (kcal) – known as calories, fat and saturated fat content, the amount of sugar and the amount of salt. ‘Guideline Daily Amounts’ will disappear and the amounts of each will now be explained as ‘Reference Intakes’.

Those amounts will be accompanied with how much of the maximum daily intake a portion of food accounts for. The already commonly used traffic light system for food labelling will be deemed the standard display for a quick glance at a product’s nutritional value in regards to fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt – Red means high, amber means medium and green means low.

The voluntary new scheme, part of the government’s ‘Responsibility Deal’, has received positive feedback from supermarkets and manufacturers that had showed disdain for changes in the past.
Nestle, Mars, PepsiCo, Premier Foods and McCain have all signed up, together with major supermarkets accounting for 60% of food sales in the UK; Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Marks & Spencer, the Co-operative and Waitrose.

Speaking about the new food labelling, Public Health Minister Anna Soubry said: “The UK already has the largest number of products using a front of pack label in Europe but we know that people get confused by the variety of labels that are used. Research shows that, of all the current schemes, people like this label the most and they can use the information to make healthier choices. We all have a responsibility to tackle the challenge of obesity, including the food industry. By having all major retailers and manufacturers signed up to the consistent label, we will all be able to see at a glance what is in our food – this is why I want to see more manufacturers signing up and using the label.”

Which? Executive Director, Richard Lloyd, also commented about the issue, saying: “For years Which? has been calling for food companies to use traffic light labels so we welcome this big step forward towards making it easier for consumers to make healthy choices. With levels of obesity and diet-related disease on the increase, it’s vitally important that people know what is in their food, and this labelling scheme will encourage food companies to do more to reduce the amount of sugar, salt and fat in popular products. We hope that more food manufacturers will join the scheme so that their labels will be consistent and comparable to those on the front of the retailers’ own packs.”

Bad breath biggest pre-date fear for Brits

The film ’50 First Dates’ may have depicted the issue as one of a light-hearted comical experience, but in reality first dates can often prove a nerve wracking and sometimes stressful experience – and this is before you have even gone on the date!

Brits worry about a whole assortment of factors leading up to the date such as choosing the right attire to wear or if there will be a sufficient number of topics of interest to discuss to mask over any potential awkward silences.

However, a new survey by the makers of revolutionary mouthwash CB12 has found that indeed bad breath seems to be the biggest concern of single Brits before going on their date, with over half who answered the survey stating this is their main worry before the big night.

Perhaps this is an unsurprising reason provided as a concern when bearing in mind that the same survey found three quarters (75%) claim they would be deterred from going on a second date with somebody if they had bad breath (also known as halitosis).

Topping the list however for dating turn-offs was body odour (86%), followed by bad breath, whilst excessive sweating and bad teeth were both given as reasons for being turned-off by 58% of the respondents.

Therefore, to increase your chances of achieving a second date with somebody, it might be worthwhile making sure you are stocked up with plenty of anti-perspirant, toothpaste and neutralise any bad breath for up to 12 hours with CB12 mouthwash!

The survey also discovered that bad skin/spots (34%), over-doing make-up (30%), untidy-looking nails (29%) and too much facial hair (28%) also proved to be big turn-offs for people.

James Preece, a top UK dating expert said: “It’s completely natural for people to get pre-date nerves, especially on a first date when first impressions are so important. Bad breath is clearly causing a huge amount of angst amongst daters, yet thankfully there are products out there such as CB12 which can help.  Confidence is key when it comes to dating as when people ooze confidence they appear more attractive to others – addressing pre-dates concerns boosts chances of having a fantastic date.”
The biggest pre-date worries, in order, were found to be:

. Bad breath
. Choice of outfit
. Looking fat
. Body odour
. Bad hair
. Food stuck in teeth
. Untidy/Ungroomed nails
. Make-up
James has provided 5 tips for unlucky-in-love serial daters to try and follow. They are:

1. Friday afternoon is the best time of the week to message when online dating. People are winding down at work, looking forward to the weekend and are looking for a distraction and possibly a date over the weekend.

2. If you want to attract and date a ’10,’ you’ve got to become a ’10′ yourself. This needs to be in every way – mentally & physically. So always dress to impress and never stop looking at ways to improve and enrich your life.

3. Mint can really enhance a kiss as the cooling sensation when air hits your mouth is a fantastic feeling. This can make it more memorable and give you more chance of getting another!

4. Kissing involves three senses at once – touch, taste and smell. So if you don’t have fresh breath you’ll spoil it for both of you.  Before your date, make sure your breath is fresh by using a mouth rinse so you can be confident you’ll have fresh breath throughout your date and especially for your first kiss!

5. A smile shows empathy and showing your teeth is a primitive display that you are not a threat.   So if a person gives someone a genuine warm smile it shows they are interested and comfortable talking to them. Studies have shown that teeth don’t need to be overly white to be considered attractive, just clean and natural looking. If you have bad teeth or bad breath then it suggests you are lazy and don’t care about your appearance, so definitely work on this if necessary.

More younger men are now suffering from erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction (ED), also known as male impotence, is a very common condition affecting almost half of men between 40 to 70 years of age on at least one occasion.

The inability to achieve and maintain an erection satisfactory for sexual intercourse is often mistakenly assumed to be an ‘older’ man’s condition and something that surely could not affect a male under the age of 40…wrong!

In fact, Medical Specialists Pharmacy deals with thousands of patients every year who are requesting ED treatments such as Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra. The stigma attached to this genuine health problem seems to be finally subsiding as men banish their worries and embrace these highly effective treatments.

And now, a new study published in the The Journal of Sexual Medicine has revealed that approximately a quarter of men under the age of 40 are seeking treatment to combat erectile dysfunction, and almost half (48%) of these men were actually suffering with severe ED.

“Erectile function, in general, is a marker for overall cardiovascular function — this is the first research showing evidence of severe erectile dysfunction in a population of men 40 years of age or younger’ Irwin Goldstein, editor-in-chief of The Journal of Sexual Medicine, commented in a statement.

Goldstein continued: “Clinically, when younger patients have presented with erectile dysfunction, we have in the past had a bias that their ED was primarily psychologic-based and vascular testing was not needed. We now need to consider regularly assessing the integrity of arterial inflow in young patients — identifying arterial pathology in such patients may be very relevant to their overall long-term health.”

Prevalence of ED would seem to increase in correlation with age; however studies of younger men have painted a confusing picture of the true extent of the problem, with prevalence rates varying from between 2 and 40%.

Therefore, Paolo Capogrosso, MD, of the University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, in Milan, Italy, and a team of researchers assessed the clinical and sociological factors of 439 men who had attended one particular academic outpatient clinic requesting first-time medical assistance for impotence problems between January 2010 and June 2012.

From the 439 men, it was found that 114 (26%) were aged 40 or under. Younger patients were determined to have a lower average body mass index, a higher average level of testosterone in their blood, in addition to a lower rate of any other medical issues. However, they generally smoked more cigarettes and took more illicit drugs compared to older patients; both have been known to contribute to impotence problems in men.

Another common problem for men – premature ejaculation – was found to be more prominent in younger men, whilst Peyronie’s disease (where scar tissue causes a bending/deformity of the penis) was more common in the older patients.

More studies may have to be conducted that cover a much large, varied demographic, but the findings of this study could suggest that the condition may be affecting a lot more younger men than health experts predict.

It could be that some men may not wish to share their problems with anybody else, especially their own GP, and this may explain why at Medical Specialists we are seeing a rapidly increasing number of men turning to us for help in treating something that can be deeply distressing and can have a major impact on a man’s self-esteem and relationship with his partner.

For information on how to obtain the previously mentioned treatments for erectile dysfunction; Viagra, Cialis and Levitra, in addition to premature ejaculation treatments such as Priligy and Stud 100 spray, visit the Men’s Health area of the Medical Specialists Pharmacy website.

Liver disease patients found to have hospital discrimination

A report into patient deaths across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, has concluded that the NHS has been guilty of showing a dismissive, negative and discriminative attitude towards people who are suffering with alcohol-related liver disease.

The findings are part of a new report from the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD), which state there are poor levels of care in the health service, not enough specialist doctors, as well as shortcomings in regards to screening, managing patient’s drinking habits and caring for acutely ill patients.

NCEPOD assessed almost 200 hospitals and thoroughly examined the cases of 385 patients who had died from alcohol-related liver disease.

The research found that as many as 32 of the deaths – one in 12 of those examined – could have been prevented if the patients had received better quality care, and shockingly, under half of the patients reviewed were deemed to have received what could classed as ‘good’ care.

It was found that despite three-quarters of the patients being admitted into hospital more than once; a third had never been referred to alcohol support services for help in stopping their drinking.

In addition, a quarter of the patients whilst in hospital had never been given the chance to see a specialist in diagnosing and treating liver disease – a gastroenterologist or hepatologist. In fact, the presence of consultant hepatologists were only discovered at 28% of the 191 hospitals studied in the report.
The NCEPOD strongly argue that every patient who attends hospital should be screened for alcohol misuse and any patient with worrying drinking behaviour should be given alcohol support services. The report also says that anybody suffering with urgent alcohol-related liver disease should never have to wait more than 24 hours before being seen by a specialist such as a gastroenterologist or hepatologist.

Report author Dr Mark Juniper, NCEPOD clinical co-ordinator and consultant physician at the Great Western Hospitals Foundation trust, said: “Many people with alcohol-related liver disease have multiple admissions with this condition. This gives clinicians an ideal opportunity to offer appropriate treatment and advice to patients to help them stop drinking and improve their future health. Unfortunately, this isn’t happening and in over a third of patients reviewed in this study, referral for support to stop drinking was not made, despite most hospitals reporting to have alcohol liaison services. This is partly because the services are not available at all times that they are needed.”
Dr Juniper, a consultant physician the Great Western hospitals NHS foundation trust, Swindon, continued: “Similarly, patients were not always seen by a specialist in liver disease, and when they were, this was often not for several days after admission. We know that abstinence works, and that when simple advice is offered to patients, one in eight will reduce their harmful drinking levels – that’s better than the results from ‘stop smoking’ support services. There are misunderstandings. It is quite difficult to predict the patients who will do well and who will do badly once they get into hospital and are very sick…there are patients who are being denied intensive care and aggressive treatment who do have the potential to survive.”

Liver disease, also known as ‘hepatic disease’, is where the liver is damaged or develops a disease. Alcoholic liver disease is just one of many varying types of liver disease and covers numerous conditions and associated symptoms that emerge after the liver becomes damaged because of alcohol misuse.

Unfortunately, symptoms of alcoholic liver disease do not often appear until the liver is severely damaged so it is important to monitor drinking levels before it is too late.

Alcohol misuse can lead to alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver. All have a number of symptoms but common signs are loss of appetite, nausea, weakness and abdominal pain. However, when cirrhosis reaches its more serious second stage, the person will experience total loss of liver function, known as liver failure, and other symptoms can include: personality changes (as a result of toxins in the bloodstream interfering with the brain), vomiting blood, rapid heartbeat, staggering when trying to walk, dark urine, jaundice, hair loss, muscle cramps and more weight loss.

If you are misusing alcohol, you could still have liver damage even though you are displaying none of the above symptoms. Medical Specialists Pharmacy recommend that if you are drinking too much alcohol, contact your GP as soon as possible and request a liver function test in addition to a blood test to detect enzymes that are usually only present in the blood due to liver damage.

Quadruple rise in childhood obesity hospital admissions

Alarming NHS figures show that the number of children requiring hospital treatment for obesity-related conditions has increased more than four-fold in less than ten years.

The analysis, conducted by researchers at Imperial College London, comprised of a study of NHS hospital admission statistics for obesity between 2000 and 2009 in England and Wales. The research team, led by Dr Sonia Saxena, looked at statistics where either obesity the main cause for the admission or together with a condition that had worsened due to obesity.

They discovered a sharp rise in the number of five to 19-year-olds admitted to hospital with obesity related conditions, increasing from 872 to 3,806, with almost 21,000 patients aged five to 19 being treated for such problems in that period. Reporting their findings in the journal Public Library of Science ONE, the team also state that admissions were more common in girls than boys.

Girls accounted for 55% of the cases, as well as comprising of three-quarters of the patients who had underwent bariatric weight loss surgery, where the stomach is reduced in size. Also known as gastric surgery, bariatric operations carry a number of risks and can cost thousands of pounds for somebody who decides they do not want to join an ever-growing NHS waiting list for such operations – after meeting strict criteria of course.

Dr Sonia Saxena says: “This is one of the first studies to show health problems linked to obesity are affecting children. The figures are alarming. This is no longer a ticking obesity time bomb – it has exploded. It is no longer obese adults that should be the sole focus of our concerns. It’s clear that rising obesity levels are causing more medical problems in children. The burden of obesity is usually thought to have its serious consequences in adulthood, but we now see it manifesting earlier, in childhood.”

Tam Fry, a member of the National Obesity Forum and chairman of the Child Growth Foundation charity, added: “I’m not surprised by this leap, and I won’t be surprised if in five years we’re taking about another significant rise. When it comes to obesity we have taken our eyes off children to such an extent that they are now completely unmonitored and left to get on with it. The medical profession is not really paying too much attention to them. A lot of these young people are completely unaware that piling on the pounds will not only make them fat but give rise to these other conditions. We’ve got a substantial number of our children going into their secondary school life ill-equipped to know what the consequences of fatness and obesity are. We need a thorough reappraisal of the way we allow the food industry to get away with stuffing unhealthy levels of fat and sugar into their food. We need to ban fizzy drinks and sugar-laden drinks entirely. We need to take really radical steps.”

Obesity has long been connected to a wide range of serious health problems during childhood and increases the risk of developing conditions such as type-2 diabetes, asthma and can result in interrupted sleep due to breathing difficulties.

Government figures show that about 30% of children between the ages of 2 and 15 years old are classified as overweight and around a fifth are classified as obese. Worryingly, the number of overweight or obese children is expected to double by 2050.

Doctors and health experts have stressed the need for urgent government action to ease a nationwide obesity crisis, such as severely limiting access to junk food.

Professor Mitch Blair of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, commented: “The UK already has the highest rate of childhood obesity in western Europe, estimated to cost the NHS £4.2billion a year. This, coupled with these latest statistics, further emphasises the need for urgent action. The fast paced nature and rising cost of day-to-day living means parents are often left with little option but to feed their family quick and easy food which is often extremely unhealthy. This, and the fact children favour video games or watching television over playing outside, is a recipe for disaster. We need to look seriously at how fast food is marketed at children and consider banning junk food prior to the 9pm watershed, limiting the number of fast food outlets near schools and making sure children are taught the importance of a healthy, balanced diet.”

Crackdown on e-cigarettes: Stricter regulations announced

In three years’ time The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will begin to regulate e-cigarettes as medicines when new European-wide tobacco laws are due to be introduced.

The MHRA have confirmed from 2016, cigarette manufacturers will face much stricter regulations than previously, being forced to adhere to strict safety standards or risk their products being banned.
E-cigarettes contain nicotine, which can be highly addictive and may even cause heart problems.

However, there are no harmful chemicals that are contained in regular tobacco cigarettes such as carbon dioxide and tar. The decision, announced yesterday by the MHRA, will cover all products currently on the market that contain nicotine.

Along with smoking cessation medication such as Pfizer’s Champix, e-cigarettes have increased in popularity over recent years and there are an estimated 1.3million users just in the UK alone. The battery-powered devices are designed to resemble a real cigarette, but do not require any match or flame to be smoked.

Liquid nicotine is converted into a mist, or vapour, that the user inhales – simulating the process of smoking. As the devices emit a smoke-like water vapour, this has led to the term ‘vaping’ being commonly referred to for their use.

E-cigarettes that are deemed fit for purpose and pass the new safety standards will then be available to obtain on prescription from the NHS as an aid for stopping smoking.

From 2016, smokers eager to quit will still be able to get their e-cigarettes over the counter in supermarkets and newsagents, however manufacturers will now have to apply for a licence beforehand and will be prohibited at advertising any products judged to be targeted at under-16s.
Currently there are chocolate and bubble-gum-flavoured products being sold, but by 2016 it is unlikely these would be licensed. Some argue those particular flavoured-products are merely a ‘gateway to smoking’ for youngsters, and risk helping them to smart smoking when otherwise they wouldn’t.

The debate regarding the pros and cons of e-cigarettes is one that will not go away anytime soon. Previously, health experts have voiced their opinions that millions of lives could be saved if smokers switched to e-cigarettes.

However, unlike regular cigarettes due to the smoking ban, the electronic devices are permitted to be smoked in public places such as bars, restaurants and public transport. There are those who believe this is ‘normalising’ something which is now generally viewed as unacceptable.

Speaking yesterday after the news was announced of the proposed regulations, Jeremy Mean, group manager of vigilance and risk management of medicines at the MHRA, said: “Reducing the harms of smoking to smokers and those around them is a key government health priority. Our research has shown that existing electronic cigarettes and other nicotine-containing products on the market are not good enough to meet this public health priority. Some NCPs (nicotine-containing products) are already licensed and the government’s decision to work towards medicines licensing for all these products is designed to deliver quality products that will support smokers to cut down and to quit. The decision announced today provides a framework that will enable good quality products to be widely available. It’s not about banning products that some people find useful, it’s about making sure that smokers have an effective alternative that they can rely on to meet their needs.”

Whether people can completely rely on e-cigarettes though remains to be seen. In the past experts have stated that users of the products cannot be guarantee of the purity of the nicotine contained inside them and MHRA research has discovered that amounts of nicotine can be ‘considerably different’ from the level printed on the label, casting doubt on exactly how useful the products are to those who are trying to cut down or stop smoking, a MHRA spokesman said.

The previously mentioned smoking cessation medication Champix is a drug which contains no nicotine and works by stimulating the nicotine receptors in the brain, thereby reducing craving and withdrawal symptoms you may experience when stopping smoking. In addition, Champix can also reduce the enjoyment of cigarettes if you do smoke when on the treatment. Champix is available today from Medically Specialists Pharmacy from as little as just £75.00 per pack, a small price to protect your long-term health.

Holiday sex could lead to an even bigger rise in STIs

As we enter summer and temperatures in the UK and especially in many other areas around the world begin to climb, thousands of holidaymakers will no doubt be venturing overseas to enjoy the sunshine.

However, within the carefree spirit that often accompanies holidays abroad, there is plenty of alcohol intake and a slightly reckless attitude in regards to safe sex and sexual health. The holiday season is always a notorious period for people aged between 18 to 30 to jet off abroad with friends and heavy drinking leads to less inhibitions, less regards for contraception and more casual sex.

This all means that there is a high risk of contracting any of a number of dangerous sexually transmitted infections (STIs).  Often people drink high quantities of alcohol on holiday and let their guard down to some degree, doing things then wouldn’t think of doing when at home – and this needs to stop.

It must be worth bearing in mind that in certain countries compared to others, STIs could be extremely common and obviously this puts you at even more at risk than you would be back at home.
Symptoms of STIs can include:
. Unusual discharge from your penis, vagina or anus.
. A pain or burning feeling when urinating.
. Itching, blisters, sores or lumps on or around the genitals.
. Pain when urinating.
. For women, bleeding between periods and/or after sex.

Many will experience symptoms of an STI around two weeks after they return from holiday but worryingly with one of the most prevalent STIs – chlamydia – most don’t know they have it due to no obvious symptoms. Approximately 50% of men and 70 to 80% of women will not experience any symptoms at all with the infection.

It is this week, and at the beginning of summer, that health officials have decided to release stark warnings about the increase of diagnoses of STIs; with new cases rising to almost half a million in England and perhaps unsurprisingly, the under-25s are guilty of the highest rates.

The new information has been released by Public Health England (PHE), who says that during 2012 there were 448,422 diagnoses – an increase of 5% from the previous year.

Chlamydia was the most common infection at 46%, new gonorrhoea diagnoses have risen to 21%, and health officials are alarmed by the rises.

Lisa Power, policy director for the Terrence Higgins Trust, a sexual health charity, said: “Everyone knows about STIs but still think it won’t happen to them. We’ve learned to associate being unwell with having symptoms, and if people don’t have symptoms, they think they are fine. Then 20 years down the line, a woman with chlamydia might find her tubes are blocked, or someone with syphilis might end up with dementia. What we are worried about is that sexual health has been handed to the local authorities and we’ve already seen cutbacks.”

If you believe you may have contracted an STI, it is vital you see your GP or visit a sexual health clinic to get tested as soon as possible and if the infection isn’t treated, this could lead to more serious health problems such as infertility.

Alternatively, Medically Specialists Pharmacy offer the Clamelle chlamydia test kit for just £24.85 which can be used in the privacy and comfort of your own home to prevent an embarrassing visit to your GP or GUM clinic and there is no need to take any time off work.

Once ordered, we will post the test kit to you, which you can use to check yourself. Take a quick urine sample and post the sample to the laboratory in the envelope provided, and the result is posted or emailed back to you by the laboratory a few days later.

Or, if you have been confirmed as having this or gonorrhoea, the antibiotic Azithromycin can prevent the spread of the bacteria so that your body’s natural defences can fight back and remove the infection from your system. We also have the medication Valtrex working out as costing just £3.50 per tablet, which helps to slow the spread of the herpes virus.

Sweating too much? It may not be due to the weather…

Although the weather seems to have now momentarily returned to the ‘norm’ for the UK, last week saw Britain blessed with unfamiliar scorching-hot weather and certain areas such as Hampshire, experienced temperatures of around 25C.

Obviously with glorious sunshine comes sweating – aka perspiration. Sweating is basically our body’s built-in cooling system and occurs when the temperature rises. Heat activates the sweat glands within our skin, which then release fluids (sweat). After this evaporates, your body will have cooled-down and a more comfortable internal temperature is restored.

However, excessive and seemingly unnecessary sweating – especially when it is not a particularly hot day – can raise a red flag for certain health problems and is something that should not be casually ignored.

Here are some of the factors that could be causing excessive sweating:

Hypoglycaemia

This is when the blood has a usually low level of sugar (glucose) in the blood – dropping below about 4 millimoles per litre (mmol). Although often a condition mainly associated with diabetes, non-diabetics may experience an imbalance in sugar levels after delaying or missing meals, in addition to fasting, or exercising on an insufficient food intake. If the brain does not receive enough glucose then symptoms of hypoglycaemia can begin, which include: headache, migraine, nausea, sweating, confusion, faintness, and hypothermia. A prolonged glucose tolerance test can be carried out to find out if you are hypoglycaemic; this measures your body’s ability to process sugar.

Medication

If you are taking medication and also experience excessive sweating, the two may actually be linked. One of the most common culprits in this regards is antidepressants as they can raise levels of stress hormones such as noradrenaline, resulting in more perspiration – commonly at night. Other medications known to cause sweating are iron tablets, antibiotics, blood pressure medications and cold and flu remedies containing pseudo-ephedrine. An often overlooked drug also responsible for increased sweating is nicotine. When you smoke, the nicotine you inhale causes the body to emit a chemical called acetylcholine, which stimulates your sweat glands.

Thyroid problems

Persistent sweating could be an indicator you have an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). This basically means your thyroid gland is generating too much thyroid hormone. This increases the rate of the body’s metabolism, resulting in symptoms such as tremors (shaking), weight loss, feeling tired, muscle weakness, thinning of hair and anxiety. In addition, when too much thyroid hormone is produced, the sweat glands are stimulated and more sweat is emitted than usual.

Pregnancy and menopause

Women have to deal with a multitude of sweating episodes whilst still in their reproductive period. Pregnant women may feel extra-hot due to a rise in hormone levels, blood flow and metabolism.
During the menopause, women’s oestrogen levels decrease which impacts the body’s internal temperature gauge. Sweating however combats these hot flushes. On the plus side, pregnancy sweat is likely to be odourless and women can alleviate the problem to some degree by wearing light, breathable fabrics, remain cool by having a refreshing shower or bath, and drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.

So how much is ‘too much’ with regards to sweat? Well, it can differ from person-to-person, and can depend on the type of activities a person is generally involved in. For example, a highly active individual such as a labourer or gym enthusiast would be expected to sweat large amounts. Whereas office workers in a climate-controlled building would usually be expected to sweat very little and for somebody who sweats whilst remaining sat calmly at their desk could be deemed to be have hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating).

As many people have varying ‘sweat needs’, doctors sometimes have difficulty in determining what constitutes as ‘too much sweating’. However, if you believe you are sweating far too much than you should be, Medical Specialists Pharmacy advise you speak to your doctor in case there is an underlying heath condition behind the problem.

This Morning presenter Matt Johnson hasn’t let asthma beat him

Welsh Daytime TV presenter Matt Johnson has highlighted the seriousness of asthma and the importance of using asthma medicine after speaking to Wales Online, describing how he almost collapsed ‘in the middle of nowhere’ whilst out running.

“I had to stop because my chest was so, so tight,” Matt revealed. “I was halfway through my run, in the middle of nowhere and I really panicked. The more I panicked, the more it got worse. In the end I managed to calm down a bit and eventually it got better.”

However, it is not only physical exertion that triggers the 30-year-olds asthma symptoms; the handsome presenter from Caerphilly even admits that he sometimes struggles when on screen to millions around the UK.

Recently, a comical comment from fellow presenter Eamonn Holmes particularly left the Welshman gasping for air. Matt commented: “Weirdly, when I laugh really hard I get a very tight chest. The other day Eamonn Holmes made me laugh on the This Morning set because I tried to get him to join a nudist beach club and he gave me a very good reason why he shouldn’t. I laughed out loud and my chest got very tight.”

Interestingly, and a subject Medical Specialists Pharmacy have previously touched upon, Matt used to be almost embarrassed to get out his inhalers to use and says the condition was ‘uncool’ in school. His experience whilst out running and without his medication has left him taking his condition a lot more seriously however.

He says: “I can happily take my inhaler anywhere in front of anyone and always have a puff before a live broadcast just in case. I keep on top of my asthma now because the thought of having a severe attack is terrifying.”

Asthma is a long-term respiratory disorder, where the air passages within the lungs unexpectedly become inflamed, narrowed, and swollen. This then prevents airflow into and out of the lungs. Attacks occur often in response to an allergen, cold air, exercise, or emotional stress.

It is thought that there are 5.4 million people in the UK currently receiving treatment for asthma. This equates to 8.8% of the total population (62 million estimated in 2010). In addition, it affects a staggering 300 million people worldwide.

From this total, there are a huge number of celebrity figures who have asthma and in recent times, many have spoken out about their experiences battling the condition in order to raise awareness.  In February, Olympic hero Laura Trott gave a detailed account on her asthma and there are many other celebrities with asthma such as David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Paula Radcliffe, Bradley Wiggins and Rebecca Adlington. All of these famous faces did not let asthma overcome them, and with proper management of their symptoms and making sure to use their inhalers, all achieved their goals without letting asthma hold them back.

You don’t need to take our word for it though, Matt continued: “When I grew up asthma always seemed like something that was a geeky, uncool thing to have. So if me running around the place shows people that I’ve got asthma but life goes on, then that’s wonderful. I remember at school people thought it was an uncool thing to have. Some kids suffer with it really badly but it’s not much fun to have it made into a joke. Some people are so disabled by their asthma, physically but mentally. Many people think, oh I can’t take part in exercise – I’ve got asthma. But you only have to look at someone like Bradley Wiggins or Laura Trott who have asthma but went onto win Olympic gold medals at London 2012. When you think of people with asthma like me from daytime TV, world class athletes and someone like One Direction’s Harry Styles , who was seen taking his pump at the side of the stage and then carrying on with a huge concert, then surely that’s inspirational enough.”

The presenter is due to host charity Asthma UK’s ‘Breathtaking Ball’ in London on Friday to raise awareness and funds for asthma.

Wayne Rooney undergoes a ‘top-up’ hair transplant

Almost two years to the day since he underwent his first hair transplant, 27-year-old Manchester United footballer Wayne Rooney has had a second, ‘top-up’ procedure at the same private London Harley Street Hair Clinic that he first visited in 2011.

The technique performed to combat Rooney’s baldness two years ago was Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE), an excruciatingly long operation that involves the surgeon extracting thousands of hair follicles from an area where they are in abundance – usually the back of the head – and then re-planting them into the areas where they are most needed.

Various reports had suggested Rooney paid anywhere between an incredible £15,000 – £30,000 amount for his initial hair transplant, following endless jibes from teammates about his premature balding. At the time, he stated: “Just to confirm to all my followers I have had a hair transplant. I was going bald at 25 why not. I’m delighted with the result.” Rooney had previously touched upon the subject of his hair loss in his autobiography. He said he looked at himself in the mirror and thought: “Bloody hell, you’re going bald and you’re only a young lad.”

Rooney has been pictured numerous times in recent months with seemingly much thinner, wispier hair, calling into question the long-term effectiveness of such expensive hair transplants – often costing up to tens of thousands of pounds. Just last month at an England training base, onlookers were shocked to see his hair thickness had diminished considerably and his scalp was clearly visible.

However, Clinic director Nadeem Uddin Khan delivered the news of Rooney’s second hair restoration operation, which lasted nine hours, saying: “He visited us for pre-planned second-stage treatment of his successful transplant. This was scheduled when he began in 2011. It’s standard.” A separate source told The Sun newspaper: “It was very successful. He’s as pleased as punch with the results and can’t wait to unveil his new look.”

The pre-planned top-up transplant could not have come at a better time for Rooney after hair loss expert Dr Asim Shahmalak spoke last month about thinning areas appearing on the footballer’s head and even advised another transplant before baldness strikes again.

Dr Shahmalak, a hair transplant surgeon on Channel 4′s Embarrassing Bodies, had seen recent pictures of Rooney and commented: “It’s very clear from the pictures that Wayne has kept hold of the hair from his first transplant at the front of his head. But he has continued to lose his hair further back on his head and on his crown. It has given him two noticeable bald patches. The best way to remedy this is with a second hair transplant. He also needs to start using the drug Propecia, which footballers can take quite legally without failing any drug tests…”

Visit the Men’s Health or Women’s Health area of the Medical Specialists Pharmacy website to find out more information on how to obtain hair loss treatments such as the previously mentioned Propecia, and other popular products such as those featured on television – Regaine and Alpecin caffeine shampoo.

‘Viagra for women’ may be available in 2016

In just three years’ time, it could be that men are not the only sex who get a helping hand in the bedroom, as Dutch scientists are developing two new drugs to cure the loss of a woman’s desire, one of which is a testosterone-based therapy to heighten pleasure.

The revolutionary new drugs Lybrido and Lybridos, or ‘Female Viagra’ as they are being nicknamed, are being developed by Dutch and US firm Emotional Brain, who claim either could be on bedside cabinets across the world by 2016, being used to boost a woman’s sexual desire and increase feelings of satisfaction in the bedroom.

Currently, men hugely benefit through medicines such as Viagra, Cialis or Levitra for impotence, in addition to Priligy and Stud 100 spray for premature ejaculation. Women’s bedroom issues are often overlooked and ignored, but not for much longer!

The creators Emotional Brain were founded in 2001 primarily to pioneer innovative health care. A lot of their work is targeted at researching women’s sexual health. The twelve years following, many experts have tried to find causes for Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD) and targeted therapy to treat the problem.

Unfortunately, previous treatments have been found relatively ineffective as female libido is commonly linked to psychological issues and not merely physical factors.

Emotional Brain believes they may have created something to beat the problem through two-in-one pills that will target both the body and brain.

The pills will be sized smaller than a typical aspirin and Lybrido will be comprised of a Viagra-like drug coated in a testosterone and will have a minty taste. Both components may be weak to combat low libido separately, but the testosterone-coating that melts in the mouth followed by a delayed-release of the Viagra-type substance.

Lyrbridos however will have its Viagra-like molecule replaced buspirone; an anti-anxiety medication that increases levels of the hormone serotonin. Unlike Viagra, Lybridos targets brain areas associated with sexual desire, encouraging the brain to realign with intimacy.

U.S. trials have finished involving more than 200 women have recently been completed, and Emotional Brain founder Adriaan Tuiten states the results from both drugs are ‘very, very promising’.
Dr Tuiten was prompted to research into female emotions after having his heart broken by an ex-girlfriend whilst he was in his 20s. It is his belief that the treatments will be a massive hit especially amongst women who have been married for many years and for whom sex may have lost the appeal and become stale over time.

Dr Tuiten says up to 43% of women experience a low sex drive at some point in their lives and has alleviated fears that the new drugs wills turn women into sex-crazed nymphomaniacs, stating that the treatments will work at simply increasing low-libido to more ‘normal’ levels.