Cholesterol-lowering statins may help to slow the aging process

Statins are one of the most studied classifications of medications in the pharmaceutical industry as researchers gradually uncover the fantastic depths of their potential.

As well as their primary purpose of lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol aka. ‘bad cholesterol’ and thus decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, statins such as Lipitor (Atorvastatin) and Crestor (Rosuvastatin) have even remarkably been linked with aiding the symptoms of erectile dysfunction, decreasing the risk of liver cancer, and are even being explored in the treatment of asthma.

However, the list of potential benefits of statins has one new addition, according to the findings of research published in September’s publication of The FASEB Journal.

A study conducted in Italy shows that statins may slow down the rate at which telomeres reduce in size – an important factor in our natural aging process. Therefore, this could pave the way for statins forming the basis of a revolutionary anti-ageing treatment.

“By telomerase activation, statins may represent a new molecular switch able to slow down senescent cells in our tissues and be able to lead healthy lifespan extension,” said Giuseppe Paolisso, M.D., Ph.D., a researcher involved in the work from the Department of Internal Medicine, Surgical, Neurological Metabolic Disease and Geriatric Medicine at Second University of Naples in Naples, Italy.

Paolisso and colleagues divided their study participants into two groups; one group on statin therapy and a second, control group, who were not taking statins. Following an analysis of telomerase activity for both groups, those taking statins were found to have a higher activity within their white blood cells and thus less telomeres shortening in comparison to the control group. This shows the importance of telomerase activation in slowing down the development of many short telomeres.

You’d be forgiven for not knowing what a ‘telomere’ actually is though. The ends of our chromosomes are comprised of cells containing a DNA sequence that helps to prevent the threads of DNA from unravelling; a fraying effect as a consequence of cell division. These ends are known as telomeres. Due to the fact they prevent chromosome ends from fraying and sticking to each other, telomeres are often compared to the plastic tips on shoelaces.

The importance of telomeres is because each time a cell divides, the telomeres get shorter. If they shorten too much, the cell becomes unable to divide and becomes inactive, ‘senescent’ or simply dies. This has been linked to aging, cancer and an increased risk of death.

Gut bacteria could be heavily linked to obesity risk

A team of scientists have found that ‘good’ gut bacteria could play a key role in determining if you become or overweight or obese and help to protect against suffering from a heart attack or stroke – medical problems often caused by being overweight.

The findings from two studies demonstrate that by adhering to a diet rich in fibre, this could help to alter the makeup of these germs, and allow people to more easily shed excess weight.

“We know gut bacteria affect health and obesity, but we don’t know exactly how,” commented Dusko Ehrlich, one of the co-authors of the two new studies and coordinator of the International Human Microbiome Standards project.

He added: “People who put on the most weight lack certain bacterial species or have them at very low levels. This opens ways to develop bacterial therapies to fight weight gain.”

There are many health experts who are adamant it is the gut that is the primary area that is crucial in regards to weight gain or weight loss.

Jeffrey Cirillo, a professor at Texas A&M Health Science Center’s department of microbial pathogenesis and immunology, says: “It is now well known that bacteria in our gut play an important role in our health and well-being, possibly as important as our own immune response and proper nutrition. This means that disruption of the bacteria in our gut by use of antibiotics or eating foods that help only particular bacteria grow can have effects upon our entire bodies.”

Back in March a study was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, explaining that gastric bypass surgery resulted in weight loss (in mice) due to changes in their intestinal bacteria.
The new studies were published yesterday in the journal Nature, and in one of them, the researchers looked at gut bacteria of 169 Danish people who were obese and 123 Danish people who were not obese.

Those obese were generally found to have ‘less diverse’ gut germs, with more abnormalities with regards to metabolism. Those with a less diverse group of germs also tended to put on weight.
Cirillo says that although there is some uncertainty how obesity and bacteria are linked, from the research it would seem that the germs themselves have metabolisms which impact the overall metabolism within the human of where they live.

Study co-author Ehrlich says there may be a practical application to be had from the research, commenting: “The study lays ground for a simple test, which should tell people what their risk for developing obesity-linked diseases is,” If they are found to be at risk, diet changes may be necessary he says.

For a second study, researchers tracked the gut bacteria of 49 overweight and obese people as they were put on diets that were low-fat and low-calorie in an attempt to lose weight, but were also high in protein and included foods rich in fibre such as fruit and vegetables. The participants subsequently seemed to benefit from a change in the bacterial makeup within their guts because of the diet.

“Although these are relatively early and small studies on the topic, they suggest that management of our own diets can improve the richness of the flora within our guts and decrease our chances of becoming obese,” said Cirillo. “This does not mean that changes in diet will be effective for all people or that they can prevent obesity no matter how much someone eats, but that they can help the situation.”

Asthma, rhinitis and eczema symptoms all ignited by deodorant sprays

The lingering strong smell of frequent deodorant use amongst teenagers is so common that it has led to teachers taking to online forums to share their complaints about having to teach through the waft of Lynx on a daily basis.

Largely down to their clever marketing campaigns, such as the slogan “Get the look that gets the girl” and many adverts depicting how their sprays can have a major impact with the opposite sex,  Lynx has become the market leader and has a staggering eight million users in just the UK alone.

In fact it is believed that around half of children are using deodorant by the age of 11, with the fear of body odour making them spray themselves far too excessively.

However, this excessive use has led to worry from health experts that over-using deodorant can result in increased inhalation of dangerous aerosol chemicals. This can then cause health problems such as asthma, allergic skin reactions and breathing difficulties.

Maureen Jenkins, director of clinical services at Allergy UK, commented: “Around one in three adults in the UK have some form of allergic disease — asthma, rhinitis or eczema — and their symptoms are easily aggravated by perfumed products and exacerbated by aerosol chemicals. Even people without allergies can be sensitive to chemicals found in cleaning products or toiletries, experiencing skin reactions, breathing difficulties, nausea or headaches. The reactions are made worse when it is an aerosol as the fine mist is easily inhaled.”

Although rare, inhaling aerosols may over time trigger heart problems which could prove fatal.
The Capewell family from Manchester tragically found this out in 1998 when 16-year-old Jonathan Capewell died of a heart attack in the bedroom of his home in Oldham, Greater Manchester. Jonathan’s 17-year-old sister, Natalie, discovered her brother lay motionless on the floor of his bedroom and raised the alarm.

His father, Keith, 58, recollects: “When we arrived at the hospital, they were still trying to revive him. But about ten minutes later they said he was gone. We were shocked. There had been no warning. They asked if he had a heart condition but there was nothing like that. He was a perfectly normal, healthy boy.”

At the time, Keith spoke about the fact his son would cover his entire body with deodorant at least twice a day and a post-mortem revealed Jonathan had ten times the lethal dosage of butane and propane within his blood. Both are used as aerosol propellants and had built up following several months of high deodorant use.

Jonathan Clague, a consultant heart specialist at the Royal Brompton Hospital, described how aerosol chemicals can cause death: “The main cause of death is usually suffocation, known as hypoxia. If oxygen is not being breathed in and something else is inhaled, such as chemicals, then suffocation occurs and the heart stops.”

The Capewells have been calling for more action to be taken to increase awareness of dangers associated with aerosol deodorants.

Keith says: “Our youngest son Nathan was four when Jonathan died and as soon as he was old enough to use deodorant we drummed into him that he had to open the windows and only use short bursts. He’s 20 now and he does that to this day. I’d like to see warnings on the front of the can, like there are for cigarettes and alcohol. Because we know first-hand that deodorants can be just as fatal.”

E-cigarettes found to contain dangerous chemicals

Electronic cigarettes are not the harmless devices their manufacturers would have you believe and are “potentially carcinogenic” according to a French consumer advocacy group, who say that some are even as harmful as normal tobacco.

The report, published by monthly magazine 60 Millions Consommateurs (60 Million Consumers), details the findings of the National Consumers’ Institute who utilised a new and intelligent method to analyse 10 separate reusable and disposable e-cigarette models.

Their analysis follows the French government unveiling plans back in May this year to prohibit electronic cigarettes from public places in France, which may cause some degree of upset to the estimated one million smokers of the devices in the country.

According to the National Consumers’ Institute, the tests showed that three out of 10 e-cigarettes contained a similar quantity of formaldehyde as regular cigarettes, in addition to other hazardous chemicals such as acrolein, chrome, nickel and propylene glycol – which can cause various respiratory and immune deficiency problems.

Thomas Laurenceau, editor of the National Consumer Insitute magazine, wrote: “We detected a significant quantity of carcinogenic molecules in the vapour of these cigarettes which have thus far gone undetected. In three models out of ten the levels of the carcinogenic compound formaldehyde come close to those of a conventional cigarette. The highly toxic molecule acrolein was also detected in the vapours of e-cigarettes, sometimes at levels even higher than in traditional cigarettes.”

However, the report was also scathing in its assessment of certain models not having safety caps as the nicotine levels within the liquid of an electronic cigarette may prove lethal if ingested by children.
Mr Laurenceau continued: “It’s not a reason to ban them, but a good reason to control them.”

Just five months ago during an interview with a radio station, French health expert Professor Bertrand Dauzenberg spoke of his belief that e-cigarettes were counter-productive and having the opposite affect that they were meant for, commenting: “These electronic cigarettes could also lead children to start smoking and sale should be banned to minors. However for heavy smokers, I believe these will reduce the health risks, but the best way to quit smoking is the patch or chewing gum.”

The furore in France follows similar apprehensions regarding the safety of e-cigarettes in the UK, following the announcement in June that from 2016 The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will regulate e-cigarettes as medicines when new European-wide tobacco laws are due to be introduced.

This means electronic cigarette manufacturers will face much stricter regulations than previously, being forced to adhere to strict safety standards or risk a ban on the sale of their products. Part of the concern is that e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which can be highly addictive and can lead to heart problems.

Perhaps quitting smoking, and not just reverting to e-cigarettes, is the recommended path to take for smokers. It is clear that many e-cigarettes and all regular cigarettes can cause a varying degree of health problems. Fortunately, Medical Specialists Pharmacy is able to help you quit smoking with the aid of the smoking cessation medication Champix, which 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.

Women most happy with their body at the age of 34

A new study into female body image has found that women finally grow to accept their body and are most ‘happiest’ with it at the age of 34.

This is apparently the age when the majority of women will begin to love and appreciate their lumps, bumps and wrinkles.

By their early 30s, many women will have more knowledge about diet and exercise in regards to what works for them, and this is around the age when women have usually settled into a committed long-term relationship. Although model Kelly Brook, who turns 34 in November, may disagree with the last point after her controversial break-up with Rugby player Danny Cipriani, which hit headlines recently.

Celebrity skin guru, beautician Nichola Joss says: “I have female clients of all ages and those in their early to mid-thirties typically have great body confidence. They work hard to maintain the best body shape possible, are educated about eating well and treating their body with respect. This brings them satisfaction. Crucially, at 34 maturity levels are high. Many 34 year olds I know have experienced either a loving relationship or close personal friendship and these bring confidence, both inside and out.”

The new study into female body image was conducted by skin and body care firm Sanctuary Spa, and found that roughly 40% of British women will closely look at themselves in the mirror whilst naked each day, and an additional 25% looking once each week.

There are around 16% of women however who are so body conscious due to wrinkles and other problems that they simply cannot bring themselves to properly look in the mirror without clothes on.

It seems the stomach region could be contributing for a lot of the female body hang-ups, with 57% of women in the study saying they would most like to change their stomach, and indeed 10% flatly refuse to wear a bikini when they are on the beach.

Over half of women (65%) – are so fearful of revealing pictures of themselves whilst in a bikini being plastered on Facebook that they will let this fear influence their choice of attire.

On the flip side, there was some positivity from those surveyed and women seem to be most proud of their breasts (30%), legs (22%), and shoulders (19%).

In terms of their celebrity body aspirations, unsurprisingly given her nickname of ‘The Body’, actress and model Elle MacPherson has the best bikini body according to half of women, whilst Kylie Minogue claimed the most votes for best beach bum (43%), ahead of Jennifer Lopez (32%) and Carol Vorderman (8%).

Women most envy Holly Willoughby’s curves (48%), followed by Catherine Zeta Jones (22%) and Nigella Lawson (17%).

Strictly Come Dancing judge Darcey Bussell, ambassador for Sanctuary Spa Active Reverse Body, had the second most envied arms (25%), behind yoga enthusiast Jennifer Anniston (47%).

Bussell commented: “For me body confidence is all about being healthy, strong and happy in my own skin. I also think good posture improves confidence and can take years off your appearance. Always pull out of your waist to create space between your hips and ribs, which improves core strength and helps you to look and feel more confident.”

Gut Week begins as research shows potential IBS epidemic in the UK

National Gut Week began on Monday and will be running until the 25th August, and research carried out for the national digestive health awareness campaign shows that Britain’s hectic lifestyle habits are causing a significant increase in cases of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). So much so, that it is not just obesity that is seemingly set to be labelled as an ‘epidemic’.

It is estimated that IBS is suffered by 12 million Brits and is one of the most common causes for time off work – the average sufferer is off work for around 22 days each year due to a flare up of their symptoms, which include a variety of debilitating problems such as stomach cramps, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhoea.

To control IBS symptoms, health experts will often advise eating at evenly spaced out and set times each day. However, almost a quarter (24%) do not eat 3 equal sized meals each day and 10% are snacking on high-calorie unhealthy treats at least 3 times a day, according to research undertaken by One Poll among 2,000 adults across the UK from 3rd – 5th June 2013.

So what other findings did the research uncover for Gut Week?

. 23% of women most regularly snack on fruit, 23% of men prefer biscuits.

. Almost 20% of women feel stressed most days, compared to 10% of men.

. 10% eat breakfast in front of the computer, whilst over a third (35%) eat breakfast in front of the TV.

. 44% eat dinner in front of the TV.

From the data extracted it is clear that the demise of sitting around the table to eat is obvious with over a third now preferring to sit in front of the TV. The danger here is that people are probably eating more than they would normally as they’re too busy focusing on the programme in front of them and not on what they’re eating.

This is on top of the fact an alarming number of people are feeling stressed ‘most days’, it is hardly surprising the nation is facing a potential IBS epidemic.

Dr Nick Read, a gastroenterologist, commented: “It’s certainly worrying that a third of the people the research surveyed feel stressed and anxious most days. These feelings can activate the ­sympathetic nervous system which ­increases intestinal sensitivity and causes IBS spasms, bloating and indigestion. Eating while standing up or rushing around also sensitises the gut, making people less tolerant of the foods they eat. In short, this kind of lifestyle is a recipe for problems.”

It has long been known that women account for the majority of IBS cases, and in fact account for more than 70% of hospital admissions. This is because their hormones seem to make IBS worse and makes them more susceptible to the symptoms. Moreover, trying to balance life at home with that at work seems to be taking its toll.

“These days most women have to juggle a professional and family life,” says Dr Read. “This means rushing from one thing to the next and grabbing food on the go.”

Dr Marilyn Glenville, author of Natural Solutions to IBS, adds: “Many people with IBS discover their bowels seem to function as a kind of emotional barometer, indicating how they feel about what is going on in their lives. Tension always makes IBS worse and we are living in much more stressful times.”

However, you do not need to suffer in silence or think there is nothing you can do to control your symptoms. You can obtain a free ‘Gut Week pack’ today by either ordering it  or downloading it. The Gut Week pack is full of digestive health and advice from a range of experts.
Medical Specialists Pharmacy have also previously provided information on how to combat IBS and offer a number of medications to help control symptoms such as Mebeverine, Colpermin and Buscopan IBS Relief.

96 stone man airlifted to hospital on the orders of a Saudi Arabian king

A man with the weight of two baby elephants was flown to hospital in a specially-equipped plane on the orders of a Saudi Arabian king.

Khalid Mohsin Shaeri, from Saudi Arabia, who officials say weighs an incredible 1,345 lbs (96 stone), had to be evacuated from the second floor of his apartment complex via a forklift truck. Once this was accomplished, the charitable King Abdullah covered the costs of the plane journey to hospital for Mr Shaeri for emergency treatment due to a variety of obesity-related health problems.

Due to his heavy weight, 20-year-old Mr Shaeri has been unable to leave his bedroom for two and a half years, within his apartment on the second floor of a building in the southern Saudi city of Jarzan.
King Abdullah had initially Mr Shaeri to be transported to hospital back in February of this year, however treatment was postponed for six months until a specially made bed could be constructed for him in the United States.

After the king’s orders, Saudi Arabia’s health ministry worked together with the civil defence and the Saudi Red Cross to begin the evacuation process. This resulted in a section of Mr Shaeri’s building being demolished to get him out.

If the reports in Saudia Arabia are correct, Mr Shaeri’s 1,345 lb weight will make him the second heaviest man on record.

Images released from the operation show Mr Shaeri sitting in bed whilst civil defence employees are lifting the bed up onto a forklift truck. One person even holds an umbrella to shield the sun’s rays from Mr Shaeri. Following this, he was taken to the local airport by ambulance and then flown on the specially-equipped plane to the King Fahd Medical City in the Saudi capital of Riyad.

Mr Shaeri’s cousin Naser Makke spoke of the relief that Khalid has finally been able to receive the treatment he required, and thanked the king for his generosity.

He said: “We have been waiting for this moment for a long time, the King, may God protect him and give him the long life, had given his instructions to the ministry of health to do all the arrangements to transfer the patient for treatment in a safe way.”

Saudi health minister Dr Abdullah al Rebeeah commented that King Abdullah had demanded the rescue operation take place as a “humanitarian gesture”, adding: “It is one of the King’s traits that he always demonstrates whenever someone is in need. Once the ministry received the royal order it formed a medical team specialized in intensive care to work out the best plan to transfer the case to Riyadh and handle it as best as possible medically.”

Mr Shaeri’s future and indeed lifespan, now depends on his willingness to begin the long road to recovery and a successful weight loss plan. However, this story highlights how obesity can dramatically affect a person’s life if left untreated and able to spiral out of control, regardless of where in the world they are. This man was left a prisoner in his own home because of his weight and without urgent weight loss will no doubt be a ticking time bomb for a whole range of obesity-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cancer, skin infections and gallstones.

Weight loss can be achieved through weight loss aids in addition to adopting a healthy lifestyle. The prescription medication Xenical is suitable for those with a BMI over 27, whereas there are other medications that do not require a prescription such as Alli and XLS-Medical Fat Binder. To be suitable for Alli or XLS-Medical Fat Binder you must have a BMI of over 25. To find out more information on how to obtain them, visit the ‘Obesity’ area of the Medical Specialists Pharmacy website.

Free smartphone app to help teens quit smoking

A motivational anti-smoking smartphone app has been released, primarily aiming to help teenagers give up smoking now before it is too late and their health is negatively affected, in addition to preventing those from starting the deadly habit if they have not done so already.

The ‘Tobacco-Free Teens’ smartphone app is available free on the Apple iTunes Store and has been funded by the Tobacco Outreach Education Program (TOEP). It has been downloaded more than 1,000 times since its launch on 27 June but this could skyrocket once awareness of the app spreads between friends.

Featuring a variety of colourful and fun animated teen characters and ‘cool’ music, the app will have a universal appeal for teens, including those who have never smoked previously, those who want to quit, those finding it difficult to quit and those with apparently no intention of quitting smoking.

“Our app combines education and entertainment with comics and interactive games,” commented the app’s designer Alexander Prokhorov, a professor in the Department of Behavioural Science at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

He added: “It motivates teens to stay away from tobacco and teaches behavioural skills to help them resist pro-tobacco pressures. Such an approach is much more appealing to youth than text-based instructional tools.”

Prokhorov based the design and content in the app from the curriculum of a bilingual, online tobacco prevention and cessation program aimed and middle and high school students from different countries around the world.

In one of the gaming activities, the user is required to tap away different things that are acting as smoking temptations – depicted as objects – which are quickly moving around the screen.

As a stark reminder of how smoking can affect teenager’s looks to potential romantic interests, a separate game requires the user to match-up two pairs of cards showing memorable images of smoking repercussions such as bad breath, yellow teeth and stained fingers.

“Every module of the app was carefully designed with teens in mind,” says Prokhorov.  He continued: “Most teens are very particular about their appearance and don’t realise that smoking can affect their appearance well before they develop cancer.”

Medical Specialists Pharmacy are supportive of the app as people must remember that the younger you start smoking, the more damage you will do to your body later in life. For instance, did you know that someone who begins smoking at age 15 is three times more at risk of dying from cancer than someone who starts smoking during their mid-20s.

An estimated 20% of teenagers in the UK are smokers and roughly 75% of those will then continue this deadly habit into their adult lives. Clearly something needs to be done to bring these figures down and hopefully the smoking app will play some part in that.

If you are a smoker aged 18 or above, the smoking cessation medication Champix can help you to quit smoking by mimicking the effect of nicotine on the body. Therefore, it both reduces the urge to smoke and relieves withdrawal symptoms. Moreover, Champix can reduce the enjoyment of cigarettes if you do smoke when on treatment. It is available today at Medical Specialists from as little as £75.00 per pack.

Hospital vending machines found to be loaded with junk food

A cancer charity as hit out at hospitals across England for allowing patients free access to unhealthy and high calorie snacks.

World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) have conducted a survey that shows 73% of English health trusts are lacking any kind of policy to monitor what type of food is being offered in their vending machines.

This means all patients, in addition to staff and visitors, can pick and choose whatever chocolate, crisps and fizzy drinks they please.

The WCRF’s criticism stems from the fact that there are no national guidelines on the health content of food and drink sold in hospital vending machines in England, unlike the machines in Scotland and Wales which have to include a minimum of 30% healthier choice options for food and drink products. This has been the case since 2008 when both countries introduced their own guidelines, and the WCRF say England has fallen ‘woefully’ behind.

The WCRF’s survey included each acute hospital trust – all 146 of them in England – and asked questions regarding their stance on vending machines and if any policies were in place.

Perhaps tellingly, only 110 of the 146 bothered to respond and 81 admitted no such policies were in existence. Shockingly, only 11 of the trusts claimed they did have a vending machine policy and 18 said a policy was currently ‘in development’.

In total, over half (58%) of hospitals said their vending machines did not have 30% healthy products, however 67% said they offered at least one healthier option for each type of product in their machines.

Amanda McLean, general manager at the WCRF, said chocolate bars, crisps and sugary soft drinks were not suitable things to be stocking inside hospital vending machines.

“Because there is strong evidence that these foods cause obesity – a risk factor in diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease – they are partly to blame for many people ending up in hospital in the first place,” she said.

“Hospitals should put an end to vending machines that sell only high calorie food and drink. They should be beacons of good health in our communities and encourage and support people in making healthier choices about the food they eat.”

It was back in June at the British Medical Association’s (BMA) conference when doctors spoke of their belief that hospitals should prohibit the sale of junk food in their vending machines and cafes.
The BMA’s science board is now assessing the issue before urging the Department of Health to introduce guidelines for every hospital in the country.

The  Department of Health themselves released a statement via a spokeswoman, who said: “Hospitals in England have a clear responsibility to promote healthier choices in vending machines so staff and visitors can eat good quality food. We know that some hospitals have already signed up to our Responsibility Deal and committed to making healthier food and drink available, and would encourage other hospitals to do the same and look after their staff, patients and visitors.”

Huge breakthrough in the quest for a malaria vaccine

A vaccine for one of the world’s biggest killers – malaria – has become a step closer after researchers in the U.S.  made a breakthrough in a small early-stage clinical trial.

The new malaria vaccine is being tentatively named ‘PfSPZ’ and is unique as it contains sporozoites (SPZ) – a life cycle stage of live but weakened malaria Plasmodium falciparum parasites.

Details of the Phase-1 clinical trial were published yesterday in the journal Science. Developers of the vaccine say that the weakened, early stage parasites can actually help a person build up an immunity following an injection of a high enough dosage into the bloodstream.

Lead author Dr Robert Seder, from the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health, in Maryland, said: “We were excited and thrilled by the result, but it is important that we repeat it, extend it and do it in larger numbers.”

It has been common knowledge amongst health experts for several decades that exposure to mosquitoes treated with radiation is highly effective as a malaria prevention method.

Unfortunately, evidence shows that roughly 1,000 mosquito bites are required over a time period to gradually develop a sufficient level of immunity.  Therefore, it is simply an unfeasible way to protect people.

Dr Seder added: “Based on the history, we knew dose was important because you needed 1,000 mosquito bites to get protection – this validates that. It allows us in future studies to increase the dose and alter the schedule of the vaccine to further optimise it. The next critical questions will be whether the vaccine is durable over a long period of time and can the vaccine protect against other strains of malaria.”

The new vaccine is being developed by a biotech company called Sanaria, based in Maryland, U.S., who irradiated lab-grown mosquitoes before extracting the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum.

Their Phase-1 clinical trial of PfSPZ involved 57 volunteers aged 18 to 45 who had no previous history of the malaria disease. The researchers administered varying strengths of PfSPZ to 40 of the participants and the other 17 received no vaccine whatsoever.

After a week’s analysis, no severe side effects were noted in any of the participants in the study. However, to determine how effective the malaria vaccine actually was, each person – including those who didn’t receive the vaccine – was exposed to bites from five malaria infected mosquitoes.

A week later everybody was analysed for infection and those not given the vaccine received treatment for malaria. It was found that those given high doses were significantly less likely to contract malaria in comparison to the others in the study.

Just three of the 15 participants who received higher doses actually became infected. However, 16 of 17 participants in the lower dosage group became infected and 11 of the 12 participants who were not vaccinated then became infected.

The study, conducted between October 2011 and October 2012, was hugely promising due to the fact none of the participants experienced any side effects from the vaccine. However, the researchers admit it could be years before the vaccine is available in communities where it is needed.

Dr William Schaffner, head of the preventive medicine department at Vanderbilt University’s medical school, said although it was a ‘scientific advance’, it could be as long as a 10 year wait before the malaria vaccine is scientifically proved, given approval, and made available for distribution.

He told CCN: “This is not a vaccine that’s ready for travellers to the developing world anytime soon. However, from the point of view of science dealing with one of the big-three infectious causes of death around the world, it’s a notable advance. And everybody will be holding their breath, watching to see whether this next trial works and how well it works.”

Of course, if you are travelling abroad in the next 10 years and need malaria prevention and treatment, there are other medications available right now. These include Doxycycline, Malarone, Paludrine, and Jungle Formula Maximum Pump Spray.  In addition, don’t forget to check the NHS Fit For Travel website where you will find the recommended malaria medication for your destination.

Can two cups of hot chocolate per day boost your memory?

The elderly may benefit from two cups of cocoa per day, following the results of a new study published in the journal Neurology which shows that drinking two cups of hot chocolate each day gave older people a boost to their memory and thinking skills.

In the study, conducted by researchers at Harvard Medical School in Boston, 60 people with an average age of 73 were assessed; none of whom had any problems with dementia. However, 18 were experiencing impaired blood flow at the beginning of the study. This was shown through ultrasound tests.

The participants were told to drink two cups of hot cocoa on a daily basis for 30 days and to not consume any chocolate during this period. Half were given cocoa rich in flavanol and the rest were given low-flavanol cocoa.

Flavanols are a distinct group of compounds in the flavonoid family and are naturally occurring antioxidants. They can be found in red wine and tea in addition to cocoa. For many years, health experts have raved about the positive effect that cocoa flavanols can have on the body’s vascular system. Flavanols are great for healthy blood flow as they stimulate the production of nitric oxide; a naturally produced chemical in the body that dilates blood vessels.

“We're learning more about blood flow in the brain and its effect on thinking skills. As different areas of the brain need more energy to complete their tasks, they also need greater blood flow. This relationship, called neurovascular coupling, may play an important role in diseases such as Alzheimer's,” said Dr Farzaneh Sorond, the study's lead author from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

It was found that 88% of those who had impaired blood flow at the start of the study had experienced an improvement to their blood flow by an average of 8.3%. This is in comparison to 37% of people improving in a similar manner that had a normal blood flow at the beginning of the study.

In addition, those with a normal blood flow did not improve on tests that measured their thinking skills, however the 18 people with impaired blood flow did. The latter actually managed to reduce the time they required to complete tasks; dropping from an average of 167 seconds to 116 seconds for tasks such as connecting sequential dots on pieces of paper or recognising particular characters on computer screens.

There were no major statistical differences in blood flow or in test scores between the two hot chocolate groups that would favour flavonol-rich cocoa or vice versa and the researchers believe it may only require a small amount of flavanol to prove beneficial for those with impaired blood flow. Alternatively, they acknowledge that it could be another ingredient, such as caffeine, that is causing the changes.

Before people start bulk-buying large amounts of hot chocolate, the study authors urge caution. “We're several steps removed from that recommendation. Before we recommend cocoa, it's important to go back and figure out what's in it that's doing this and make sure it's sustainable,” says Dr Sorond.
Moreover, consuming large amounts of a sugary drink will invariably lead to a risk of tooth decay and weight gain/obesity – with the latter also linked to cognitive problems in itself.

The Alzheimer's Association issued a statement yesterday criticising the study and its implications.

“This is a very small and very preliminary study, and it is not well-designed as a test of an intervention or therapy,” said Maria Carrillo, vice president of medical and scientific relations at the association. She added: “No one should start drinking cocoa with the expectation that it will provide cognitive benefits based on this study. There was no control group in this study to compare to the group that drank the cocoa.”

Deadly H7N9 avian flu spreads between humans

A potentially deadly strain of avian (bird) influenza virus appears to have transmitted between humans for the very first time.

Research published online by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) claims that the avian influenza A (H7N9) virus which has claimed dozens of lives in China this year, had been passed from a 60-year-old man to his 32-year-old daughter who was caring for him at the time.

The father and daughter lived in eastern China and the father had made frequent trips to a live poultry market. He suddenly became ill just days following his latest visit back in March and later died on 4 May due to multiple organ failure.

However, the man’s daughter had developed symptoms of her own just six days after her father’s admittance into hospital and actually died ten days before he did, on 24 April. She was in good health before caring for her father and had apparently not been in contact with any live poultry, which means the virus must have been passed to her from her father. Investigations later confirmed an identical virus strain in both patients.

Dr Peter Horby, senior clinical research fellow at the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Hanoi, Vietnam, said: “The most likely source of infection for the daughter was her father, during the period that she cared from him whilst he was ill.”

He alleviated fears over other strains of avian flu however, noting that avian flu has been in existence for more than a decade and that they “have not progressed any further down the path towards a pandemic virus”. Dr Horby also said human-to-human transmission had been minimal for strains H5N1 and H7N7, and the swine origin flu virus H3N2v.

Up until the end of June, within China there had been in excess of 130 cases reported and 43 deaths since February. Despite Dr Horby’s assertions, there is huge fear that the outbreak could now spread amongst humans at a rapid rate.

According to available evidence, in the majority of instances the effected people had previously visited live poultry farms or had come into contact with live poultry approximately seven to 10 days prior to the emergence of their symptoms.

Symptoms begin with a high fever, cough and a shortness of breath. Often, the sufferer will then develop more severe illness such as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), septic shock and multi-organ failure leading to death.

Although the World Health Organization (WHO) state that no vaccine for avian influenza A(H7N9) infections in humans is currently available, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends Tamiflu (oseltamivir) for the treatment of H7N9 because many of the H7N9 viruses that have been studied are likely susceptible (sensitive) to this medication.

It is estimated that Britain attracts around 179,000 Chinese tourists a year, and it only takes one person carrying the virus for an outbreak to erupt and spread between people.

Tamiflu is available today through Medical Specialists Pharmacy from as little as £21.98 per pack of 10 capsules. You can buy Tamiflu online with or without a prescription at Medical Specialists, after completing a simple online consultation.

Obesity crisis worsens as 11-year-old boy reaches 24 stone

England’s childhood obesity epidemic could be much worse than first thought following the publication of alarming NHS statistics which show that seven school children have tipped the scales at over 20 stone. The figures come from the National Child Measurement Programme, an England-wide initiative whereby schoolchildren are weighed and measured twice prior to reaching the age of 12.

The most overweight child in the country has been revealed to be an 11-year-old boy from Manchester, who at 4ft 4in was found to weigh a staggering 23 stone 11lb in 2011-2012, meaning the boy’s Body Mass Index (BMI) was 84.2.

To put this into perspective; this is approximately twice the weight of a healthy male who is 5ft 10in tall and you are in fact medically classified as obese with a BMI reading of between 30 and 35.

Anybody with a BMI of over 40 is deemed ‘morbidly obese’ and is 80 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than someone of a normal weight and you are also likely to lose 10 years off your lifespan.

However, prior to this discovery, a 10-year-old girl from Hounslow, West London, was one of many school children measured and weighed during 2006-2007 for the government’s yearly weigh-in of all year-six pupils. The girl was 4ft 10in tall and weighed in at 24 stone 5lb.

Between 2006 and 2012, there were a total of seven children who weight more than 127kg (20 stone). This included an 11-year-old girl from Bolton, Greater Manchester, whose weight was recorded at 22 stone 11lb during 2012-2012, giving her a BMI of 69. A few years before this in 2007-2008, a 10-year-old boy from Wandsworth, South-West London, weighed 21 stone 10lb and had a BMI of 79.

According to a study published in June conducted by Imperial College London, the number of children admitted to hospital due to obesity-related health problems has shot-up more than four-fold in the last decade, and it seems the problem could spiral out of control unless an urgent intervention is made. Asthma, diabetes and sleeping difficulties are all on the rise because of obesity.

Moreover, statistics from the National Child Measurement Programme show that around one in 10 children are obese when they begin primary school and a third are obese by the time they come to leave, and obesity rates for children in the UK are the highest in Western Europe. Also, it seems that rates are significantly higher in the more deprived communities around the country.

Professor Mitch Blair, of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, spoke to the Sunday Times and said: “Being severely overweight at such a young age has clear physical health implications including a higher risk of diabetes, heart disease and joint problems. In addition there can be serious psychological repercussions. Teenage years are tough enough without the extra burden of being obese.”

Tam Fry, spokesman for the National Obesity Forum, commented: “We have come to accept that 26 per cent of adults in the UK are obese. But we should be outraged that 20 per cent of children are too…We are waiting for children to get fat and then doing something about it. What we should be doing is monitoring them, so before they get fat we have already started to sort them out.”

Fake Viagra amongst 30 million Yuan haul seized in China

Shanghai police officers working together with those from three other provinces – Hubei, Zhejiang, and Hebei – have shut down the illicit operations of six criminal rings throughout China following the confiscation of 2,600kg worth of the erectile dysfunction medications such as Viagra.

According to a press release, Shanghai police initiated an investigation after a number of brand name sexual enhancement drugs were found contained in a dubious looking express delivery parcel.
Police then forwarded a sample of the contents to the local food and drug administration for analysis, who confirmed that the drugs had not adhered to any manufacturing regulations.

The parcel was tracked to an adult store on Fengzhuang Road North, which apparently had previously closed down, but not without the owners leaving a phone number plastered on the door before vacating the building. After ringing the number provided, an officer was then greeted by a male from the ironware shop next door!

The male in question, surnamed ‘Dong’, then casually displayed his collection of other phony erectile dysfunction pills for the officer. Of course, Dong was subsequently arrested and several boxes of brand name counterfeit drugs were discovered inside the ironware store.

Seven people were then arrested and on June 24 in excess of 10,000 pills were seized in a warehouse raid in the Hubei Province. Files contained in the building showed that just between the months of January to April, more than 2,600 counterfeit drugs worth over 30 million Yuan (£3.23 million) had been transported to various distributors around China. Those arrested admitted their manufacturing costs for the fake drugs were just a dozen Yuan, and sold on for several hundred Yuan.

The news comes just a month after it was reported the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seized a haul of over $41 million (£26.9 million) worth of substandard or counterfeit medication and shut down 1,677 websites selling such poorly produced and dangerous products.

The issue of counterfeit medicine looks to be one that will be around for the long-term whilst it is profitable for the criminals involved. However, organisations such as Pfizer  and Medical Specialists Pharmacy will persevere in the fight to beat the production and sale of counterfeit medicine.
Your health and well-being are not taken into account at any time by criminals these low-cost fake drugs often contain little or no of the active ingredient, or highly toxic ingredients such as arsenic, brick dust, floor wax and cartridge ink!

However, you can undergo an online consultation today with one of Medical Specialists’ GMC-registered Doctors and we supply genuine prescription and non-prescription medicines to treat a wide range of conditions such as: male impotence, male hair loss, female hair loss, acne, obesity, high cholesterol and many more. Once approved by the Doctor, they will then write you a prescription which is passed to our in-house Pharmacy team and subsequently dispensed and dispatched to you within a mere 24 hours! (Allow extra time for overseas deliveries).

Almost 80% of adults don’t do enough exercise

Nearly eight out of every 10 adults in England may not be getting enough exercise each week and putting their health at risk.

This worrying statistic comes from a study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and conducted by the University of Bristol, where researchers looked at data from over one million adults in England from the Active People Surveys (APS).  It was discovered that 80% were not adhering to governmental targets of engaging in moderate exercise at least 12 times in a four-week time period.
The APS analyses an individual’s socioeconomic position in addition to factors such as the weather and availability of sports facilities to them.

According to the researchers, the study demonstrates a clear association between a person’s education, household income and local area deprivation in accordance with the amount of physical activity they engage in.

It was found that better educated and wealthier individuals were more likely to exercise, whilst the poorer and less educated were more likely to not bother with much exercise. However on the whole, the majority of adults are seemingly way under the recommended levels of activity required to keep healthy.

Those with a degree apparently only had a 12% chance of being inactive but those without any qualifications were in fact three times more likely to not exercise.

Other findings from the study were the fact 8% of people physically capable of walking had not done this for even a mere five minutes continuously in the previous four weeks. Involvement in the most common activities was found to be ‘very low’.

In addition, researchers said nearly half (46%) had walked for less than 30 minutes continuously during leisure time, whilst 88% had not been swimming and a staggering 90% had not even been to a gym in the last four weeks.

Unsurprisingly, the study findings suggested that warm weather provided people with more motivation to exercise and rain decreased the amount of physical activity.

Carol Propper, professor of economics at the university’s Centre for Market and Public Organisation, said: “Physical inactivity is the most important modifiable health behaviour for chronic disease, so knowing who is physically inactive is important for designing cost-effective policy interventions.”

Tam Fry, spokesman for the National Obesity Forum and honorary chairman of the Child Growth Foundation, hit out at the figures and said: “No-one should be at all surprised by these woeful statistics,” and blamed the government for not  doing enough to use the London 2012 Olympics as a springboard for more participation in grassroots sport.

To stay healthy, NHS guidelines state that adults aged 19-64 should try to be active daily and get at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week. This can include fast walking, hiking, volleyball, rollerblading or basketball. However, on top of this the NHS recommends to engage in muscle-strengthening exercises on 2 or more days each week. This can include heavy gardening (such as digging and shovelling), lifting weights, yoga and exercises that use your body weight for resistance (such as push-ups and sit-ups).

It is apparent that many of the population are simply not doing enough to stay active and this in conjunction with poor diets are causing more and more people to become overweight or obese. The good news for those overweight or obese is that it is never too late to make positive changes and a healthy, balanced diet in conjunction with exercise and a weight loss aid such as Xenical, Alli, or XLS-Medical will provide you with the tools to live a much healthier life.