Holiday and Travel packing checklist

Christmas is now almost a forgotten memory as we approach the end of January. A long five-week month after Christmas has left many of us skint and the struggle to stick to our New Year’s resolutions will simply be adding to the misery.

However, as payday is upon the majority of the nation this week, Brits can now switch their attentions to jetting off to warmer climates. In fact, the UK’s leading travel association, Abta, has already noted a substantially high number of bookings already for summer holidays, with some tour operators experiences a sales rise of more than 10% annually.

With that in mind, perhaps it is time to think about your health and wellbeing whilst on holiday, especially when considering that a past survey suggested that an alarming 80% of us are not prepared to deal with minor medical problems in the home, never mind when out and about within a foreign country.

If you are visiting a tropical region for example, there are a number of prescription and over-the-counter products to consider. The NHS fit for travel website can provide more information about the risks in particular countries, but in terms of tropical regions, malaria is the obvious risk and is still a massive killer.

According to the World Health Organization, in 2010, there were approximately 219 million malaria cases (with an uncertainty range of 154 million to 289 million) and an estimated 660,000 malaria deaths (with an uncertainty range of 490,000 to 836,000).

Antimalarials

Therefore, an antimalarial is must, with Doxycycline, Malarone and Paludrine all different medications for malaria prevention. Malarone can also be used for the treatment of malaria, should you contract the disease. All three are prescription-online medicines but you can also boost your protection with Jungle Formula Maximum pump spray, which effectively repels mosquitoes, midges and other biting insects for up to 10 hours per application. You must remember to order your prescriptions well in advance of your trip.

Antihistamines

Antihistamines such as Loratadine are commonly taken to ease the symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis (hay fever). Loratadine is useful for insect bites, easing the itching associated with them, and avoiding bites in tropical places is absolutely imperative due to the risk of malaria.

Asthma Inhalers

The last thing you want is to suffer an asthma attack on holiday and be without your inhaler. Order repeat prescriptions well in advance and make sure you have a good supply of blue reliever and brown preventer inhalers.

Contraception

For women who have been prescribed a daily contraceptive pill such as Dianette or Yasmin, it is important that you make sure you have a sufficient supply of your medication to last before, during and after your holiday, until you can obtain some more. Contraceptive pills alone will not provide protection against sexually transmitted infection and with a tendency for Brits to have a carefree attitude to sex when on holiday, condoms are essential to pack for your getaway.

Travel sickness

If you or any of your travelling group suffer from travel sickness then make sure you have necessary treatment to hand. Travel sickness is caused by repeated unusual movements, usually when travelling by boat, car, plane or train, and is especially common in young children and women. Kwells and Avomine tablets are widely used for the prevention and relief of travel sickness.

Other items

Sunblock cream with a high sun protection factor (SPF) is a must to minimise the risk of sunburn. Inbuprofen, Paracetamol, or other pain killers, are also handy should you require them during your holiday. You should also considering packing a first aid kit armed with assorted plasters, dressings, latex gloves, tape, scissors and other essentials.

Under-18s to be banned from buying e-cigarettes

The government has announced it is pressing ahead with plans to ban the sale of e-cigarettes to those under the age of 18.

E-cigarettes are used by around 1.3 million people in the UK, intended to resemble a traditional cigarette. 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.

Smoking rates have dropped, but there are huge concerns that the e-cigarettes could be helping to encourage youngsters to begin smoking who previously never had, critics arguing they are a gateway to nicotine addiction and there needs to be further research into the impact on our health.

“We do not yet know the harm that e-cigarettes can cause to adults let alone to children, but we do know they are not risk- free,” England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies commented in a statement.

She continued: “E-cigarettes can produce toxic chemicals and the amount of nicotine and other chemical constituents and contaminants, including vaporised flavourings, varies between products – meaning they could be extremely damaging to young people’s health.”

The fact remains though that they have become so popular that some are under the belief the market for e-cigarettes could grow bigger than that for traditional cigarettes. Last year mark consultant Euromonitor estimated the global market for e-cigarettes to be worth over $2 billion (£1.2 billion).

The banning of the sale of e-cigarettes to under-18s will be introduced as early as next week as an amendment to the Children and Families Bill. In a further crackdown on smoking, ministers are also formulating plans to stop adults purchasing regular cigarettes for under-18s.

Any adults found guilty of disobeying this particular law may be hit with a £50 fixed penalty notice or could be fined up to an amount of £2,500.

The laws follow Department of Health statistics showing 41% of 15-year-olds who smoke admit to acquiring their cigarettes from others instead of trying to purchase them from a shop.

Furthermore, an incredible 95% of 11 – 15-year-olds who smoke say someone else has bought cigarettes for them from a shop in the previous year.

Public Health Minister and Conservative MP Jane Ellison said: “Two thirds of smokers say they smoked regularly before they were 18, showing that this is an addiction largely taken up in childhood. We must do all we can to help children lead a healthy life. That’s why this measure is designed to help protect children from the dangers of being bought cigarettes by irresponsible adults – something that I hope concerned parents and responsible retailers will welcome.”

It seems completely quitting smoking altogether and not just reverting to e-cigarettes would be the safest option for smokers. 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.

Migraines to be blasted away with magnetic pulse device

So you are one of the estimated 1 in 4 women and 1 in 12 men in the UK who are suffering with migraines, what do you do? Well this is where Medical Specialists Pharmacy come in and today we are delighted to announce we can now supply a wide range of proven and popular migraine treatments.

The first goes by the name of Sumatriptan; the active ingredient in over-the-counter Imigran Recovery tablets and prescription-only Imigran nasal spray.

Imigran Recovery tablets begin to relieve migraine headache in a mere 30 minutes, though some people find nasal sprays work faster and easier to use when feeling sick. Known as a type of medicine called ‘triptans’, Sumatriptan has been used for a number of decades by people around the world and is deemed a safe medication, with Imigran being the most widely used triptan.

The causes of migraine attacks are not fully established, but many health experts believe it is the widening of blood vessels in the brain that brings on the familiar throbbing pain with migraine headaches. Sumatriptan helps to narrow the blood vessels in the brain and thus, relieves this pain. It does this by imitating the action of serotonin by stimulating the serotonin receptors in the brain and stopping the transmission of pain signals.

Another widely prescribed migraine treatment is Rizatriptan; the active ingredient in both Maxalt tablets and Maxalt Melt tablets. Both are prescription-only, or obtainable through an online consultation with a Medical Specialists GMC-registered doctor. Like Imigran, Maxalt belongs to a medicine called a serotonin (or 5HT) agonist and again targets the serotonin receptors in the brain.

Maxalt Melt tablets dissolve on the tongue in your saliva and therefore do not require a drink of water when taking them. Those who typically feel sick or vomit when experiencing a migraine attack and thus cannot drink are especially suited to Maxalt melts, in addition to people unable to swallow normal tablets.

The most common of the neurological conditions – migraine – has also this week been in the news for having another new type of treatment to its arsenal. Although oral and nasal medications for migraine are still the most tried, tested and popular, the new device may  benefit the select few who are unable to take traditional anti-migraine treatments.

Surprisingly, the new treatment comes in the form of a magnetic handheld device that transmits pulses through the skull and into to the brain. The official name for the treatment is ‘transcranial magnetic stimulation’ (TMS), and involves holding the device behind a patient’s head and with a simple click of a button, magnetic pulses are sent to the brain helping to disrupt the painful headaches.

One trial of TMS involved 164 patients experiencing at least one migraine attack with visual disturbance, finding pain-free levels with 40% of patients for around two hours after using the device.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), responsible for assessing safety and suitable for the latest treatments, have published guidance stating TMS is eligible to be recommended to certain patients through the NHS.

Although viewed as a potential breakthrough for those who unable to benefit from alternative treatments ineffective, or unsuited (i.e. during pregnancy), patients can only receive TMS if referred to a specialist headache clinic first and NICE are adamant that further research into magnetic therapy is essential.

If you missed the Medical Specialists ‘The misunderstood mystery of the migraine’ article back in November, simply click here for further information about migraines, including the common symptoms of a migraine, a description of the 5 stages of an attack and how the condition differs from a typical headache.

Would you get a head tattoo to cover baldness?

Male pattern baldness is the most common type of hair loss in men, afflicting an estimated 6.5 million men in the UK and for many it is noticeable by the time they reach the age of 35.

In recent times there has been countless celebrity hair loss stories in the media. For instance, we have seen celebrities such as Wayne Rooney and Calum Best opt for expensive hair transplants, and even pop superstar Justin Bieber has come out and said that Prince William needs to take hair loss medication Propecia.

Other effective and proven hair loss treatments for men include Regaine Foam, Regaine Lotion and Alpecin caffeine shampoo. However, how about covering up your diminishing hair with a tattoo?

Yes, you read that correctly, a tattoo! British men are now able to benefit from a procedure which involves tattooing tiny dots on their scalp, helping to mask receding hairlines and hair loss.

The new technique will set men back quite a hefty amount however, between £500 – £3,000, providing them with what will seem like a full head of hair – all in just a couple of hours. Men will end up with a ‘buzzcut’, which may or may not be to everyone’s liking, but has been made popular in the last decade by celebrities such as Wentworth Miller and David Beckham.

A hair expert will apply differing shades of specifically blended pigments into the patient’s scalp, mimicking the size, shape and density of micro hairs, creating the buzzcut appearance.

The idea was formulated by Ian Watson, 42, founder of HIS (Hair-Ink-Skin) Hair. Mr Watson was in his mid-twenties when he suffered with alopecia, brought on by the loss of his brother to cancer.
In an attempt to cover the hair loss, Mr Watson asked his brother’s widow to use a fine ink pen and draw tiny black dots onto his scalp. Although the ink washed off in the shower, the whole premise got Mr Watson thinking and his idea gathered pace from there.

The treatment is suitable for varying types of hair loss, whether it be alopecia, cancer, and baldness. No anaesthetics, incisions or adhesives are used during the procedure, leaving the patient without any scars on their head. Adjustments can also be made in the future if there is further hair loss suffered, or style preference is changed.

The downside is the price as not many people in the current financial climate can afford to pay between £500 and £3000 for treatment, plus no actual hair is regrown or prevented from being further lost, as opposed to the previously mentioned Propecia.

Medical Specialists Pharmacy are able to offer the prescription-only medication Propecia (finasteride) to suitable males, which works by blocking the conversion of testosterone to DHT, responsible for hair loss.  It is obtainable following a quick and easy 4-step process which includes an online consultation with one of our in-house GMC-registered doctors, priced from as little as £47.58 per month.

11,000 UK deaths from poor heart attack care

New research published in the Lancet indicates that thousands of lives could have been saved each year in the UK from heart attacks, but substandard care for victims means that the UK is lagging behind other countries in Europe.

The failure to administer rapid treatment and good quality aftercare has resulted in the loss of at least 11,000 lives in the last seven years, with death rates one third higher than other countries.

The study involved researchers from the UK and Sweden looking at information regarding the care and outcomes of 120,000 heart attack patients across hospitals in Sweden and more than 390,000 in the UK between 2004 and 2010.

Sweden was picked for comparison because its health system is comparable; universally available, receives it’s funding from tax, with no cost at the point of use. Both also have national guidance implemented for heart attack management, although the two countries drastically differ in size with the population in excess of 63 million, whereas Sweden only has a population of between nine and 10 million.

After just 30 days of the occurrence of a heart attack, death rates were discovered to be over a third higher in the UK than Sweden – 10.5% compared with 7.6%.

Over time, the difference in death rates between the two countries decreased, but the UK always had higher mortality, but mortality was always higher in the UK.

Even considering factors like age, sex, the severity of heart attacks, smoking, blood pressure and diabetes, researchers still estimated 11,263 deaths between 2004 and 2010 could have been “delayed or prevented” if patients in the UK had received treatment in the same standard as their Swedish counterparts.

It may also be a concern to learn that the study found patients in Sweden were significantly more like to get quick treatment to help unblock their arteries.

Only 22% of UK patients received balloon angioplasty or stent placements, however a staggering 59% of heart attack patients in Sweden received such treatments.

It gets worse; upon being discharged from hospital, 89% of the Swedish patients were prescribed medications such as beta blockers, with this figure being 11% higher than that in the UK.

Lead author Professor Harry Hemingway, from the National Institute for Cardiovascular Outcomes Research at University College London, said: “Our findings are a cause for concern. The uptake and use of new technologies and effective treatments recommended in guidelines has been far quicker in Sweden. This has contributed to large differences in the management and outcomes of patients.”

NHS England claim that things are improving though, with National Clinical Director for cardiac care, Professor Huon Gray, saying: “The advanced treatment patients now receive in the UK means heart attack death rates have fallen from one in four in the 1970s, to one in 20 now, but we know more needs to be done and we are working hard to further improve survival rates.”

Premature ejaculation campaign urges men to get treated

TV Doctor and star of ‘Embarrassing Bodies’ Dr Christian Jessen, yesterday launched a new premature ejaculation campaign in Ireland.

The ‘Take Control’ awareness campaign is aimed at tackling a condition which is still the most common type of sexual dysfunction in men, affecting around 1 in 5 Irish males.

The Irish Association of Sexual Medicine have voiced their concerns that many men are simply ignoring their symptoms, disregarding it as just ‘stress’, or are feeling to ashamed to discuss the problem, which should not be the case in the 21^st century and there are a whole range of premature ejaculation treatments out there for men.

Although opinions about what could be classified as ‘satisfactory sex’ can vary between couples, it should be worth noting that the NHS state that if you are regularly ejaculating prior to or within one minute of entering your partner’s vagina, this is usually regarded as a medical issue that should be treated.

Hopefully, with the new campaign which kicked off yesterday, more men will now feel open about the issue of premature ejaculation. There is also a Take Control website offering some myths and truths about premature ejaculation, advice on how to speak to your doctor about it, as well as real life stories from people who have also experienced premature ejaculation problems.

“PE is one of the last remaining sexual taboos and so many men who suffer from it find it embarrassing and difficult to talk about,” commented Dr Jessen at yesterday’s launch. “Leaving it unaddressed can have a very negative impact upon men’s confidence and their overall well-being, not to mention their relationships.”

Erectile dysfunction is one issue Medical Specialists Pharmacy are inundated with phone calls and emails about, with thousands of men seeking our help with the best impotence treatment for them, however premature ejaculation is an area that more men need to come forward about and get treated for. Following an online consultation with one of our doctors, men with the condition can buy Priligy, an oral medication that can prolong a man’s sexual performance by an average of 200% to 300%.

After all, recent research showed that an incredible 85% of Irish people believe it is an imperative thing to satisfy their partner sexually as it will boost the strength of the overall relationship, and this is one stat that is probably applicable to other countries around the globe, not just specific to Ireland.
Trish Murphy, a psychotherapist, has spoken to countless couples and helped them with the condition, witnessing herself how it can be detrimental to relationships.

She says: “The potential shame and embarrassment combined with anger and frustration for men and their partners can create a vicious cycle that compounds the problem and limits the chances of reclaiming lost intimacy. These psychosexual aspects underline the importance of sexual counseling and the treatment of the couple in finding solutions.”

Air pollution puts obese children at higher risk from asthma

A new study shows that obese children exposed to high levels of air pollution could be three times more likely to develop asthma in comparison to their peers who are not obese and exposed to less air pollutants.

This conclusion was drawn up by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC), who analysed 311 children in predominantly Dominican and African-American areas of New York City.

The air within each child’s home was monitored for a period of two weeks at age 5 or 6, in order to assess that child’s exposure to a type of air pollutants known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH).

In addition, the child’s height and weight were tracked and respiratory questionnaires were asked. It was found that 20% of the children were suffering from asthma and going off body mass index, 20% could be classified as obese.

It was determined that high exposure to PAH exposure was only linked to asthma for the obese children. The link was due to alkylated forms of PAH; released by a variety of things such as candles, cooking, cigarette smoke, incense, and more.

A two-to-three-fold rise in asthma risk was witnessed amongst obese children that were exposed to significant levels of PAH chemicals 1-methylphenanthrene and 9-methylphenanthrene, but just PAH or obesity on their own could not foresee asthma risk.

Lead author Kyung Hwa Jung, PhD, associate research scientist in the Department of Medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, said: “Our results suggest that obesity may magnify the effects of these air pollutants, putting children at greater risk for having asthma.”

The study is useful as it could result in the development of better targeted treatment. “These findings suggest that we may be able to bring down childhood asthma rates by curbing indoor, as well as outdoor, air pollution and by implementing age-appropriate diet and exercise programs,” commented senior author Rachel Miller, MD, Professor of Medicine (in Pediatrics) and Environmental Health Sciences, chief of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at CUMC, and co-deputy director of the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health.

Asthma and obesity are two conditions that have been on the increase in recent decades, both in the US and in the UK.

Obviously this study was conducted in the US, where the percentage of American children who are obese has risen from 7% in 1980 to 20% in 2008, while childhood asthma has gone up from 4% in 1980 to 10% in 2009.

In the UK, there are 5.4 million people currently receiving treatment for asthma, of which 1.1 million are children (1 in 11) and 4.3 million are adults (1 in 12). Last year a 11-year-old boy from Manchester hit the headlines after weighing in at a staggering 24 stone.

Exercising for a few hours each week could cut diabetes risk by a third

Want to reduce your chances of type 2 diabetes? According to the findings of a new study, weightlifting could be the key.

The new study into diabetes was conducted over a period of 8 years and involved researchers monitoring the health of almost 100,000 nurses in the United States; all middle-aged or slightly older and none of whom had diabetes at the beginning of the study period.

The findings have been published in PLoS Medicine and show that lifting weights, doing press-ups or other similar resistance exercises on the muscles, shows a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Current guidelines state that people aged between 19 and 64 should already be doing such exercise at least 2 days a week.

Benefits witnessed in the study arose from also engaging in aerobic workouts such as cycling or fast walking; activities that again healthy people aged between 19 and 64 should be doing for at least 150 minutes per week.

So, how much exercise is sufficient enough to make an impact in this regard? The women in the study who managed to do at least 150 minutes of aerobic activity each week, together with at least an hour a week of muscle-strengthening activities had the most significant drop in risk, reducing their risk of type 2 diabetes by about a third. However, those who only engaged in a total of one hour a week still managed to reduce their risk by about 13%.

It is already known that regular aerobic exercise such as jogging, fast walking, cycling, etc., can help to reduce the risk of diabetes, but the study would suggest that incorporating resistance training will provide an even bigger boost – although this type of training is already recommended by the NHS.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body’s cells are not reacting correctly to insulin. It is estimated that around 90% of adults in the UK with diabetes have type 2 diabetes, commonly in recent times due to a poor diet and obesity. Other risks include a family history of the disease, are over the age of 40 and are of South Asian, African-Caribbean or Middle Eastern origin.

The charity Diabetes UK say that for overweight individuals, each kilogram you lose in weight could equate to up to a 15% decrease in your risk of developing diabetes.

Dr Richard Elliott, spokesman for the charity, commented: “Despite limitations to which this research can be applied to women in general, it underlines the message that leading an active, healthy lifestyle can help to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. We know for certain that the best way to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes is to maintain a healthy weight by eating a healthy, balanced diet and by taking regular physical activity. At this time of year, many people are looking for an easy way to lose weight and be more physically active. We recommend finding an activity you enjoy as you are more likely to stick with it and stay motivated.”

‘Viagra for women’ on the horizon…and it could even help you lose weight!

Viagra for women has been a topic of great debate ever since Pfizer Viagra first became available way back in 1998, approved for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

However, that could be a reality by the end of next year as scientists conduct trials on a new wonder drug that almost sounds like it is too good to believe. Not only will be the tablet provide a boost to the woman’s sex drive, but it will apparently also help to curb their appetite and lose weight.

ORLIBID, the British company involved in developing the drug, are optimistic they will be successful in having ‘ORL101’ on shelves by the end of 2015.

An estimated four in ten women complain at some point that their sex life is larking the spark it once had and drug companies have toiled for a number of years to create a female equivalent of the hugely popular but still male-only Viagra – Pfizer’s sixth-biggest medicine, with annual sales of about $2 billion (£1.22 billion).

A strong psychological factor linked to a woman’s libido makes it difficult for pharmaceutical companies to create something effective and beneficial.

Dr Mike Wyllie, part of the team behind the development of Viagra, is of the opinion that ORLIBID could hold the key to unlocking the problem of a woman’s sex drive, and possibly succeed where others have not.

Increasing the brain to desire, ORL101 is a synthetic version of melatonin, which those with a penchant for tanning may have heard of.

Many experts have already been aware of melatonin’s ability to boost sex drive, but the task of getting it into a pill, as opposed to an injection, has proved a complex task.
The cost of ORL101 is anyone’s guess but it is assumed the drug will be comparable to Viagra’s price when it initially launched; up to £12 a tablet.

The tablet will only need to be taken 15 minutes prior to sex, providing a boost to the woman’s libido for up to an impressive 2 hours. This conclusion has been derived from studies conducted on jabs with comparable formulas, which led to better sex and a decreased appetite too.

Dr Wyllie is offering his services to ORLIBID on an advisory basis, free of charge, and will not profit from sales. He says: “It will be for everyone from those where female sexual dysfunction is destroying their relationships to those just wanting to spice up their sex life.”

Dr John Dean, a former president of the International Society for Sexual Medicine, said a drug could be ideal when no medical or psychological cause for sexual problems is found.

He added: “Low sexual desire is by no means a trivial problem. It affects lives, relationships, productivity and satisfaction.”

Health experts demand 30% reduction in food sugar content

Sugar is the primary food and drink component which is causing havoc for Britain’s obesity crisis, health experts claim.

The scientists and doctors behind ‘Action on Sugar’ – which is modelled on the 1990s group Consensus Action on Salt and Health (Cash) – are hoping to put enough pressure on the government and industry enough to help enforce as much as a 30% sugar reduction in food and drink products. Cash, chaired by Professor Graham MacGregor, who also heads Action on Sugar, managed to bring down salt levels in our food and the hope is a similar impact can be had on our sugar levels.

The say that with a 20-30% reduction in sugar content, this could slash calorie intake by about 100kcal a day and this figure could be much higher for those who have a high sugar intake each day.
Instead of drastically cutting sugar in one clean swoop, Action on Sugar argue for a gradual decrease in the amount of sugar within ready meals, cereals, sweets and soft drinks, as this is less likely to be noticed by the general public. Basically, it would be comparable to weaning people off sugar!

Professor MacGregor says: “This is a simple plan which gives a level playing field to the food industry, and must be adopted by the Department of Health to reduce the completely unnecessary and very large amounts of sugar the food and soft drink industry is currently adding to our foods…Provided the sugar reductions are done slowly, people won’t notice. In most products in the supermarkets, the salt has come down by between 25% and 40%.”

Dr Aseem Malhotra, cardiologist and science director of Action on Sugar, said: “Added sugar has no nutritional value whatsoever and causes no feeling of satiety. Aside from being a major cause of obesity, there is increasing evidence that added sugar increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and fatty liver.”

To try and ease the obesity crisis, the government’s strategy so far has been to reduce targeted marketing and calorie reduction, mainly done through the public health responsibility deal.
MacGregor says it is not enough though and has had little bearing on calorie intake. He says “We must start to slowly reduce the amount of calories people consume by slowly taking out added sugar from foods and soft drinks.”

But the food and drink industry is obviously fighting its corner and has argued it is unfair to pinpoint sugar as the cause of the obesity crisis gripping the UK.

The Food and Drink Federation commented: “Sugars, or any other nutrient for that matter, consumed as part of a varied and balanced diet are not a cause of obesity, to which there is no simple or single solution. That’s why the food industry has been working on a range of initiatives with other players to tackle obesity and diet-related diseases.”

They also argue that consumers can clearly see the sugar content of the products they are buying, with manufacturers being forced to adhere to strict regulations for this, adding that the industry has already lowered salt and saturated fats, with little concrete proof that sugar is particularly damaging.

Alarming figures show almost one billion smokers on the planet

The earth’s population has more than doubled in the last 50 years, soaring to 7.1 billion according to the United States Census Bureau (USCB).

Inevitably, this has impacted the total number of smoker’s around the globe, with estimates showing there could be almost one billion people around the world who are lighting up. This is despite the fact that the habit is becoming less popular in certain parts of the world as people become more concerned for their health and the reality hits home that smoking is an incredibly expensive habit.

In 1980 it was estimated that the total number of global smokers stood at around 721 million. However, in 2012, this figure now stood at 967 million, according to data that was collated from 187 countries. The rise has occurred even though on the whole, the percentage of the population smoking on a daily basis across the globe has actually come down.

Research by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) have highlighted a spiralling population on the earth for the huge rise in smoking rates, with Bangladesh, China and Russia witnessing a particularly high number of inhabitants beginning to smoke during the last few years. Researchers noted that surprisingly, some of the largest smoking rates can be seen in the developing world.

Over half of the males in many countries smoke on a daily basis, such as those in Russia, Indonesia, Armenia, and Timor Leste.

At the other end of the scale however, the lowest smoking rates for men are found in Antigua and Barbuda, Sao Tome and Principe, and Nigeria. Smoking rates are lowest for women in Eritrea, Cameroon, and Morocco.

The small country of East Timor can claim the unwanted title of having the highest prevalence of tobacco use, with 61% of its population lighting up each and every day.

Two Caribbean Islands – Antigua and Barbuda – could proudly say they were jointly rock bottom of the list, with just 5% of their populations smoking each day.

Particular countries to be commended are Canada, Iceland, Norway and Mexico, all of whom were found to be effective at either getting their inhabitants to quit smoking, or manage to urge them not to start it in the first place.

IHME Director Dr Christopher Murray said: “Despite the tremendous progress made on tobacco control, much more remains to be done. We have the legal means to support tobacco control, and where we see progress being made we need to look for ways to accelerate that progress. Where we see stagnation, we need to find out what’s going wrong.”

Amanda Sandford of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) commented on the research, saying: “As the overall number of smokers worldwide is still rising, this study shows how important it is for all countries to implement a range of tobacco control measures to curb the terrible toll of tobacco-related illness and death. Low and middle-income countries in particular face an enormous challenge to fend off the powerful tobacco industry and stop smoking rates escalating.”

Eating more fibre could ease asthma symptoms

The results from animal studies suggest that asthma treatment may bizzarely come in the form a diet rich in fruit and vegetables.

Tests on mice, as reported in the journal Nature Medicine, has found that a high-fibre diet can impact the balance of microbes in the gut and make airways either more or less susceptible to the inflammation involved in allergic airway conditions such as asthma.

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 often occur in response to an allergen, cold air, exercise, or emotional stress. It is these triggers which create an inflammatory cascade in the bronchial tree.

The last three decades have witnessed a surge in rates of allergy-triggered asthma, in particularly in the more developed nations. Many health experts have attributed this to changes in dietary habits, such as a decrease in our fibre intake.

The reported stated: “In recent decades, there has been a well-documented increase in the incidence of allergic asthma in developed countries and coincident with this increase have been changes in diet, including reduced consumption of fibre.”

Therefore, Dr Benjamin Marsland of the University Hospital of Lausanne in Switzerland and colleagues, decided to study the variations in the immune and inflammatory responses of mice when the amount of fibre in their diet changed.

They discovered that those mice on a low-fibre diet experienced more lung inflammation after coming into contact with dust mites. In comparison, mice given food enriched with pectin – found in cell walls of plants – suffered with less allergic airway problems.

It was established that this boost in soluble fibre – most often contained in fruit and vegetables – was converted into short-chain fatty acids. These fatty acids increase resistance to irritation in the immune system.

For those who may struggle to adapt their diet to include more fibre, the researchers say that a fatty acid supplement may be instead taken to ease asthma symptoms.

Dr Marsland, spoke to BBC News, saying: “There’s a very high probability it works in humans, the basic principle of fibre being converted to short-chain fatty acids is known. But we don’t know what amount of fibre would be needed and the concentrations of short-chain fatty acids required might be different. It is early days, but the implications could be far reaching…Moreover, these data can be interpreted within the context of epidemiological studies showing as fibre content in the diet has decreased, the incidence of allergies has increased. Taken together, our findings support the concept intervention strategies targeting diet are a valuable approach for not only intestinal diseases but also respiratory inflammatory diseases.”

It would be foolish though to suggest asthma sufferers should disregard their blue reliever and brown preventer asthma inhalers just yet and merely rely on consuming more fibre. A diet rich in fibre may well be beneficial for asthmatics but it is generally recommended for everybody as it can to help to lower cholesterol, decrease the risk of heart disease and lessen the risk of some types of cancer.

Over 5,000 under-16s diagnosed with STIs in 2012

Shocking figures released by Public Health England under the Freedom of Information Act show that children as young as eleven have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
If that isn’t bad enough, over 5,000 youngsters under the legal age of consent have been given diagnoses for a range of sexual infections in the last year alone.

The statistics show that 5,386 youngsters under 16 have required treatment for infections such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes and various other conditions. Moreover, in the last three years there has been a staggering 16,707 children under 16 that have been diagnosed as having an STI – the equivalent of 15 children receiving a diagnosis each day in the country.

Children under the age of 16 diagnosed with STIs in England last year

(SOURCE: PUBLIC HEALTH ENGLAND)

Age	Boys	Girls
Under 13	16	58
13	23	167
14	124	994
15	491	3,448
Total	654	4,667

* 65 children’s gender was not provided and not included within the above figures.

In just a decade, the number of STIs diagnosed in children has more than doubled. In 2003, the number of reported cases stood at 2,474, so clearly there is major work to do from the government and health care professionals to halt this worrying trend.

In addition, last year there were 90 reported cases of children under the age of 12 being diagnosed with STIs and doctors fear the actual correct figure could be significantly higher than this. Some children may be too terrified or embarrassed about speaking to adults about their embarrassing problem, whereas some STIs can take months for symptoms to even appear.

For instance, genital warts may show up around two to three months after infection, but could take anywhere up to a year to appear, whereas chlamydia may not have any symptoms at all in some people, or could lead to infertility without sufficient chlamydia treatment.

Unsurprisingly, it is older children who have the largest number of STIs. In 2012, 10,318 children aged 16 were treated, whilst there were 17,810 aged 17.

Dr Gwenda Hughes, head of STI surveillance at Public Health England (PHE) commented, “Data on infections primarily transmitted through sexual contact are routinely collected, across all age groups, by PHE. Rates remain highest in under 25-year-olds and whilst often these infections can be simple to diagnose and treat, if left untreated they can have serious health consequences. Regardless of age, everyone should use a condom with new and casual sexual partners, which significantly reduces the risk of getting an STI. We also advise young adults to get screened for chlamydia each year.”

She added: “The National Chlamydia Screening Programme is in place in England ensuring access to free testing from a range of convenient locations. With regards to those under 13 years old, the number of infections reported each year is very low. In this age group, using the term ‘sexually transmitted infection’ is problematic as it is very rare for children to be sexually active at this age. Moreover recent research suggests most of the infections reported are not acquired sexually; and of the few that may have been, sexual abuse was implicated. There is national guidance in place for health professionals to follow in these cases.”

How to stick to your New Year’s resolutions

2014 is now already three days old, with the year going off literally with a bang following that hugely spectacular and big-budget firework display by the London Eye as hundreds of thousands of people crowded into the capital to watch the event.

With a new year comes the chance for self-improvement, forgiveness for events from the previous year, a time to learn from mistakes, a chance to start again, strengthen relationships with loved ones, and strive to overhaul your lifestyle – if it needs it of course!

All these factors usually come in the form of something which dates back to the time of Julius Caesar; New Year’s resolutions. Romans would typically make a vow to be good to each other, and this is something which some people today probably still vow to do, but as times have changed in the modern day, latter day resolutions reflect this. ‘Cut down on Facebook’ or ‘Sell unwanted stuff on Ebay’ show how modern technology has impacted our outlook on life.

Things that will never change, regardless of the times, is the strife for many of us to try and give our health, diet, nutrition, exercise habits, etc. a boost each and every year. Unfortunately, the statistics of success with resolutions reads pretty grim. In 2007 Richard Wiseman from the University of Bristol carried out a study of 3,000 people and found that 88% of those who set New Year’s resolutions failed to meet them. This was in spite of the fact that over half (52%) of the participants had confidence of meeting their goals at the start of the study.

Therefore, you might be wondering what you can do to make yourself part of that elite 12% who actually manage to make their resolutions stick. If so, read on…

. Plan out small, realistic steps to your goals

Realising your ultimate goal, say losing weight, can be intimidating at the beginning of your journey. Creating one giant goal of simply ‘lose weight’ means you are much less likely to accomplish this unless you create some broken-down, personal, actionable steps. For instance, try writing down a series of smaller milestones that you can do before you reach the bigger picture. This could be ‘joining the local gym’, ‘switch from whole milk to skimmed’, ‘go for a 20 minute jog on Tuesday and Thursday mornings’.

. Anticipate obstacles that could arise

Focusing back onto the previous example of losing weight and going for jogs as part of this, an obstacle for this could be the weather. Plan ahead and check weather forecasts; is it going to be cold the next morning? Is it going to rain? Make sure you are fully equipped for everything and have appropriate running shoes, gloves, a woolly hat and make yourself visible with a reflective jacket if it is dark in the morning. If possible, having a treadmill at home could keep you on your weight loss goal for the occasions it is simple not feasible to get out for a jog. Or if you are worried about temptations with ‘bad’ foods whilst trying to adhere to a healthy diet, create avoidance tactics.
. One thing at a time

A limited amount of willpower we possess means that tackling multiple resolutions simultaneously is just asking for trouble, and likely unattainable. Focus on one goal at a time and when you have accomplished a particular goal, move on to the next. Remember you have twelve months to hit your targets, which brings us on to our next point; Try to keep your resolutions to an absolute maximum of ten.

. Don’t beat yourself with each slip up

You are only human at the end of the day and there is a good chance you will fall off track at least once or twice along the way to reaching your goals. Say you are quitting smoking as one of your resolutions for the year and something happens during that year that upsets you, and you smoke one cigarette. Don’t dwell on it, learn from it. Slip-ups like that actually usually strengthen a person’s resolve to meet their goals. Find ways to manage stress or discover other things to do when you find yourself tempted by that cigarette or chocolate cake (if trying to lose weight).

. Document your progress

There are many ways to do this in the modern age of technology. You could maintain a word document tracking your progress through the year as you reach each goal, describing your emotions and feelings on a daily basis, or what temptations and triggers you faced if you had slipped up. Positive and negative actions made during the year allow you to reflect on the time in an honest way. There are also many smartphone apps that will allow you to track your progress and alert you to what the triggers are to your behaviour patterns. Consider joining online forums where you can find support in others who might be going through similar experiences to yourself. Having people to share your successes and struggles throughout the year will make it easier to achieve your New Year’s resolutions.

Illegal websites posing as pharmacies still swarm the search engines

Buying from the internet can be risky, especially when it comes to your health. Those with health problems such as erectile dysfunction should only ever receive their medication from a registered pharmacy, clearly displaying the green cross logo and pharmacy number – which can be verified – on the front page of their website, as follows:



So for example, you have erectile dysfunction, you should have already have had, or about to initiate check-ups with your own doctor for any other underlying reasons for erectile dysfunction, and are about to search for a genuine, registered pharmacy on the internet. This is where you need to beware; there are thousands of illegal websites posing as pharmacies, who do not care about your health, who are plaguing search engine results and easily accessible, high up the rankings.

Often even within the first few pages especially of any given search engine, there are countless examples, and it is catastrophic. It is disastrous for patients, for genuine online pharmacies, and gives the entire e-commerce industry an unfairly bad reputation. But the good news is Medical Specialists Pharmacy are reporting these malicious websites to authorities and to the search engines themselves.
Here are the summarised important factors that can help you spot a rogue online pharmacy/illegal website.

. An unnecessary/suspicious internet browser redirect.
. No requirement of a doctors’ consultation for prescription medication.
. Long delivery times, sometimes up to several weeks. This is due to the drug being imported from a foreign country before it gets to you.
. The price of the medication is a lot cheaper than what would be expected, sometimes by as much as 70%. If a price is too good to be true, it’s probably because it is.
. ‘Bonus’ or ‘free pills’. Seriously, just stop and think what doctor would throw in free pills for you requesting a higher amount of something. Frankly, it is absurd and an obvious sign of an illegal pharmacy.
. The website does not list any contact details, e.g. a telephone and fax number, email address, company address or details of its pharmacists, doctors, etc.
. A registered Pharmacy such as Medical Specialists Pharmacy will have the GPhC green cross logo together with its Pharmacy number. This number can be checked to see if it does actually exist.
. The company registration and VAT number should both be clearly stated on the website. Both of these are a legal requirement.
. A non-UK currency and/or a ‘head office’ that is based overseas.

Now when you think of searching for products of services, the chances are almost all of us will turn to Google. Simply put, amongst search engine users, Google blows all of its competitors out of the water. It is the most popular search engine by a staggering distance, with an estimated 83% of search engine users found to prefer Google in 2012, a remarkable percentage whatever way you look at it.
Those behind the previously mentioned illegal websites are fully aware of what search engines are popular, and will target them with a vengeance. It is a problem for both patients and legitimate fully-registered pharmacies such as Medical Specialists, Chemist Direct, and it is a problem that needs dealing with NOW.

Worryingly, a lot of illegal websites are posing as pharmacies, selling counterfeit drugs. They have no regulation and their drugs may have none of the active ingredient at all.  These websites are still populating user’s search results and more vigilance needs to be shown by internet users all around the globe to spot them and avoid at all costs. The cost could even be your health or worse, your life. Safety is of no concern to these criminals, they instead offer counterfeit drugs, or ‘generic’ versions of medications that should not have generics.

Even the pill quantities should make anyone with common sense alert to authenticity. Erectile dysfunction medications are usually packaged within a box of four tablets and it doesn’t take a lot to realise you are not dealing with a genuine pharmacy when 120 mg x 10 ‘generic Viagra’ pills are being sold for just £17.76. Quantity issue aside, 100 mg is the highest dose of Viagra and this alone should raise serious alarm bells. Those cheap ‘generic’ Viagra tablets could actually contain very little sildenafil (Viagra’s active ingredient), none of it at all, or much more than listed on the website – highly dangerous to those with certain health problems.

Other common traits for the illegal websites is suspiciously low prices, as touched upon with the previous example, as well as absolutely no prescription or online doctors’ consultation required when ordering. All genuine UK online pharmacies should have GMC-registered doctors under their wing to assess if particular patients are medically suitable for certain medications.

However, it does not stop there. Say it is Viagra you want to treat your erectile dysfunction, even before the website has loaded, take notice of your browser address bar. There is a good possibility a seemingly random website address of ‘xyz.com/index.php?12345’ showing on the search results will suddenly change to ‘cheapgenericdrugs4u-order-viagra-online’, or something else that appears suspect. Ask yourself, why would any legitimate online pharmacy go to the trouble of implementing a redirect in your internet browser? Basically, they wouldn’t…Close the website immediately before it has infected your computer with malware; malicious software that can disrupt or damage your computer’s operation and even collect sensitive information for a third party’s benefit.

Powerful anti-smoking campaign could shock people into quitting smoking

Smokers could be scared into quitting smoking when they catch a glimpse of a new graphic television advert set to be given its debut today. More than 10 million British adults smoke – around 22 per cent of men and 19 per cent of women, so many will have their eyes opened wide upon seeing the advert, which says “If you could see the damage, you’d stop”.

The advert is said to “bring to life the toxic cycle of dirty blood” generated by the inhalation of cigarette smoke. It has long been common knowledge the devastating impact that cigarettes have on the heart and lungs, with smokers being double the risk of dying from a stroke in comparison to non-smokers.

However, health officials have now used the new campaign get the message across how the toxic chemicals in cigarettes – such as arsenic and cyanide – can destroy cells in the brain. This therefore increased the risk of not only stroke, but suffering dementia and cognitive decline is also greatly increased.

The campaign has been funded by Public Health England and has been launched by the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies.

“We know about the serious effect smoking has on the heart and lungs but smokers need to be aware of how much potential damage is being done to the brain and other vital organs through toxins in cigarettes entering the blood,” she commented.

She added: “Smoking is the major cause of premature death, with one in two smokers dying prematurely from smoking related diseases, and it is extremely worrying that people still underestimate the health harms associated with it. However, it is not all doom and gloom for smokers looking to quit this New Year. Within five years of stopping smoking, your risk of stroke can be reduced to the same as a lifetime non-smoker.”

In addition to the obvious health benefits of people quitting smoking, there is also a hugely underestimated impact on the economy as a result of smoking. In particularly, a staggering amount to the tune of £5 billion is lost each and every year due to health costs, sick leave and lost productivity.

Professor Kevin Fenton, national director for health and wellbeing for Public Health England, speaking to the BBC News, said: “Tar, arsenic, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide – these all have either effects that they can cause cancers or they can cause significant amounts of damage to the lining of blood vessels. We really want to draw attention to that toxic nature of cigarette smoke and the ways it can be dealt with – which are either to stop smoking or to switch to healthier nicotine delivery systems – for example nicotine patches etc.”

Professor Fenton argued that there is so much more than can still be done to urge more people to kick the habit into touch.

Also speaking to BBC News was somebody who has successfully managed to quit smoking. John Lee, suffered a stroke that “came out of the blue” at the age of just 42. This resulted in paralysis to the left side of his body.

“I had been playing golf in Portugal. I flew home, got in the shower, felt a bit light-headed and that was it. My twins were seven years old at the time…The children were devastated. It’s really hard to explain the effect a stroke has. It doesn’t just affect you, it affects everyone around you. I was married at the time – since then my marriage has broken down, basically due to the stroke. The children have gone from having a dad that can run around and play football and do everything with them, to basically being able to do nothing. I would encourage anyone never to start smoking.”

The post-Christmas battle with the bulge has begun!

Firstly, Medical Specialists Pharmacy hopes everybody has had a brilliant Christmas with friends, family and loves ones. We hope you have recovered from the frenetic, fast-paced and chaotic last few days and are settling down back to normality!

The period of the year that follows Christmas and runs into the following year is a particularly busy one for Medical Specialists. Our patient base spanning thousands upon thousands, usually expands as quickly as the waistlines of many who are seeking our help!

Yes, this is the time when all those mince pies, all those chocolate treats on offer, that fatty/sugary Christmas pudding and the endless supply of alcohol at the work Christmas party, will all make their presence felt – on the scales.

It is thought the average Brit consumes two or three Christmas dinner servings, taking in 2,300 calories in the process. This means women are consuming 115% of their recommended daily intake of calories and for men, it is 92%.

However, even prior to the festive period, most Brits will lose an average of 3lbs, usually to look their best for parties or other social events. This is all well and good until you learn that this is typically followed by severe overindulgence and a 6lb gain in weight. It seems the excess of food and alcohol simply catches up to all of us rather quickly and explains why ‘go on a diet’, ‘lose weight’, or ‘exercise more’, are included on many people’s list of New Year’s Resolutions.

Weight loss is achieved relatively easy enough, theoretically. With the right positive mind-set and willingness to achieve it, together with adopting a healthy diet and weight loss aid such as Xenical or Alli, shifting those post-Christmas pounds is rather doable.

A lax approach with food and inevitable slight weight gain is generally expected around the festive period, and sometimes hard to avoid when work colleagues are offering you treats on a regular basis. Weight gain can be reversed through dieting, however what happens when you have a lax and careless approach with regards to your sexual health?

As mentioned earlier, many want to look their best for parties and social events, which means the likeliness of attracting a sexual partner has suddenly increased somewhat. Unfortunately, sensible attitudes to sex suddenly go out the window at this time of year as people get swept up in the party atmosphere. Alcohol consumption spirals, along with sheer carelessness.  Condoms and other contraception simply don’t get used or are forgotten about in the heat of the moment, and a whole host of problems are created.

This is demonstrated in the fact the Family Planning Association (FPA) say their sexual health hotline is at its busiest in January as worried individuals contact them about an unplanned pregnancy or an apparent sexually transmitted infection they have contracted.

Rebecca Findlay of FPA, spoke last year about the issue, saying: “The helpline tends to go quiet before Christmas as everyone is busy and out partying, but calls then peak in January. Most people call about STIs or unintended pregnancy.”

If women have unprotected sex and are forgetting to take daily their daily contraception of Marvelon or Yasmin, this could result in many of the pregnancy concerns reported to the FPA, especially if condoms are not being used as well – which also massively reduce the risk of STIS. Condoms should be used with or without the daily contraception pill for this very reason and if you are worried, we are able to provide you with a clamelle chlamydia test kit that you can conduct in the comfort of your own home, or even a morning after pill. The morning after pill can actually be taken up to 72 hours after sexual intercourse has taken place.

Therefore, perhaps showing more care for your sexual health could be one of your New Year’s Resolutions should you decide to create some, like 7 million others will do, as the New Year gives everybody the perfect chance for self-improvement.

So what are the common resolutions we tend to make? Some old-age common resolutions include the health-oriented goals such as quitting smoking, joining a gym, cutting down on alcohol and eating less chocolate.

In recent years, as our daily lives have become faster paced and frantic, this has reflected on the introduction of some surprising resolutions, and less emphasis on ones that were previously more highly prioritised.

Instead, there are more aims influenced by our increasing time spent on social media, with ‘Socialise more in real life rather than Facebook’ making it in at number 21 of the 2012 LA Fitness poll of 2,000 people to find what they wanted to achieve for 2013.

The top 30 New Year’s Resolutions were found to be:

1. Read more books
2. Save more money
3. Lose weight
4. Redecorate
5. Take better photos
6. Go travelling
7. Sell old unwanted stuff on eBay
8. Buy a tablet
9. Organise photos
10. Do something for charity
11. Spend more time with kids
12. Buy a Sunday paper
13. Less TV time
14. Connect my computer to my TV
15. Leave work on time more often
16. Less time on Facebook
17. Totally revamp my wardrobe
18. Try a new hairstyle
19. Get a six-pack
20. Eat less chocolate
21. Socialise more in real life rather than Facebook
22. Drink less alcohol
23. Buy less coffee from Starbucks/big chains
24. Start my own business
25. Tell someone I have feelings for them
26. Quit smoking
27. Gain a promotion
28. Learn how to use Twitter
29. Run a half or full marathon
30. Call people more than text

Whatever your hopes and aspirations are for 2014, Medical Specialists wishes you luck in your journey to get there. However, you do not have to make that journey alone and we are here to help. Whether this be through smoking cessation medication to help you to quit, or through directing you to a weight loss forum where you can share your experiences and diet tips with others in a similar position, our patients’ needs are always at the core of everything we do. Good luck and a have a great New Year!