Asthma and premature births down 10% thanks to the smoking ban

The ban of smoking in public places has helped to reduce premature births and severe child childhood asthma attacks by 10%, according to research from Europe and the United States and published in the medical journal Lancet.

“Our research shows that smoking bans are an effective way to protect the health of our children,” said Jasper Been of the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Population Health Sciences, who led the study.

He says their findings should hopefully result in anti-smoking laws being implemented in those cities, countries and districts that do not currently have such restrictions in place.

The smoking ban was introduced in England in 2007, making it illegal to smoke in all enclosed public places such as restaurants, nightclubs, bars, restaurants and shopping centres. The ban has previously been shown to be highly effective at protecting people from the serious health problems associated with passive (secondhand) smoking, with a 5% drop in asthma hospital emergencies in the years following the ban.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) say tobacco is responsible for the deaths of six million people around the world annually. Over 600,000 of these deaths are not even people who smoke, but those who have died due to heavy exposure to secondhand smoke. Health experts have predicted the worldwide death toll will rise to eight million by 2030 if current trends are kept up.

According to WHO, alarmingly there is just 16% of the world’s population that feel the benefits of being protected by comprehensive smoke-free laws, with a shocking 40% of children around the world being regularly exposed to secondhand smoke.

The new research in the Lancet, involved researchers from the University of Edinburgh, Maastricht University, Hasselt University in Belgium, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital analysing data from over 2.5 million births and around 250,000 hospital visits in relation to asthma attacks and is the first comprehensive study assess exactly how anti-smoking legislation has impacted children’s health.

Co-author Professor Aziz Sheikh, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, in Boston, Massachusetts, and the University of Edinburgh, says there is still a huge opportunity to improve the health of more children around the world.

“The many countries that are yet to enforce smoke-free legislation should in the light of these findings reconsider their positions on this important health policy question.”

There has never been a better time to quit smoking than now following a massive price reduction on a wide range of products and medications, and this includes the smoking cessation treatment Champix. For example, an online consultation for the Champix starter pack was £75, but this has now come down to just £38.95.For those already in possession of a private prescription, the price is even lower, at just £27.48!

Dublin man fined €22,000 for selling fake Viagra in his shop

A Dublin man faces a huge €22,000 fine (roughly £18,216) after submitting a guilty plea to stocking a counterfeit version of prescription-only erectile dysfunction medication Viagra, in addition to a variety other medicines at his bargains shop.

The 55-year-old from Woodstown Park, Knocklyon, pleaded guilty to 11 offences in breach of the Irish Medicines Board Act, after investigators discovered the products at his business, Breathnach’s Bargains, at St Dominic’s Shopping Centre, Tallaght.

The Dublin native was prosecuted after two separate inspections at the premises by an officer from the Irish Medicines Board (IMB), who swooped on the shop on September 28th, 2011 and again on April 11th, 2012.

Brenda Kirby, an enforcement officer with the IMB, informed Judge John O’Neill at Dublin District Court that she visited the shop and spoke to the man’s 26-year-old son after receiving a tip-off from customs officers.

Ms Kirby subsequently spotted a “large number of unauthorised medicinal products”. The 26-year-old male promptly spoke to his father on the telephone and he informed Ms Kirby the shop would promptly stop selling the products.

As many of the patients of Medical Specialists™ Pharmacy are fully aware, Ms Kirby stressed that the Viagra brand is produced only by the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, and anything bearing this name that is not produced by Pfizer, is counterfeit. After Pfizer received a sample of a product seized at the shop, they unsurprisingly confirmed both the drug and its labelling was fake.

A whole host of medications are sent to Pfizer thousands of times per week by authorities and it only takes a few days to find out how genuine they are. Fake drugs can comprise of numerous disgusting and lethal ingredients such as brick dust, chalk, paint and pesticides.

Then on April 11, 2012, Ms Kirby went back to the shop and again found medicinal products on sale. The 55-year-old owner admitted to possessing Kamagra tablets – which are not licensed for sale in Ireland or the United Kingdom -  and counterfeit Viagra tablets.

He also confessed to selling other prescription items, these being Max Strength Decongestant Tablets and Vicks Sinex Decongestant Capsules.  Calpol in 100ml and 140ml bottles, Diarrhoea Relief Capsules and Beechams All in One Tablets were also being sold at the premises.

Judge O’Neill convicted the man and handed down fines totalling €22,000 to be paid within four months or a 21 day prison sentence will be enforced. His son pleaded guilty to three charges relating to keeping Max Strength Decongestant Tablets and Vicks Sinex Decongestant Capsules in stock for supply. He must donate €1,000 (roughly £826) to charity by May 27 to receive the benefit of the Probation Act, otherwise he will be convicted and fined a larger amount.

Schools should provide free morning after pills and condoms, says NICE

New guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has called for schools to offer free morning after pills and condoms to teenage girls to reduce teenage pregnancy rates. NICE even recommended those under the legal age of consent should be provided with contraception.

The guidance aims for more accessible emergency contraception for under-25s; not just contraceptive pills and condoms but also the IUD (intrauterine device, or coil).

The new plans will involve qualified nurses, including school nurses, and pharmacists being able to offer free-of-charge emergency contraceptive pills in accordance with patient group directions (PGDs).

Under PGDs, health workers are able to give medicine directly to the patient without a prescription being required.

Emergency contraceptive pills include Levonelle 1500, which if taken within 72 hours (3 days) of sexual intercourse, will usually prevent pregnancy. Levonelle 1500 can be taken following unprotected sex or if a condom has accidentally come off or split and is available right now from Medical Specialists™ Pharmacy for just £22.50.

Alternatively, women can take ellaOne within 120 hours (5 days) and an IUD may be inserted up to five days following unprotected sex.

The guidance called for young women to be ‘encouraged to consider and choose a suitable form of contraception for their future needs’.

NICE also say that in accordance with best practice guidance, health professionals that are providing emergency contraception should understand they are able to give it to under-16s even without the knowledge or consent of the child’s parent(s).

“Health professionals, including pharmacists, who are unwilling (or unable) to provide emergency contraception should give young women details of other local services where they can be seen urgently”, the guidance states.

Professor Mike Kelly, director of the centre for public health at NICE, said: “It is really important that sexual health services offering information and advice can be found in places where young people have access to them. Evidence clearly shows that the availability of contraception reduces the rate of unwanted pregnancies. Local planners and providers of services must make sure that what they offer is right for their area.”

He added: “Young people often find contraceptive services and advice difficult to locate. This can be for a number of reasons. They may not know where services are, who provides them or when they are open. They can also be wrongly worried that information they give may not be treated confidentially. For that reason, this guidance focuses on ensuring they receive culturally sensitive, confidential, non-judgmental and empathic advice and support tailored to their individual needs.”

Last month saw the Office for National Statistics release figures showing UK pregnancy rates amongst under-18s is at its lowest since 1969 at 27.9% per 1,000 women aged 15 to 17.

It seems things are improving steadily with the number of pregnancies within under-18s dropping to 27,834 in 2012 from 31,051 in 2011, a decrease of around 10%. Meanwhile, 5,432 under-16s became pregnant in 2012, compared with 5,991 in 2011, a decrease of 9.3%.

Flexiseq Gel a revolutionary option for arthritis sufferers

A ground-breaking treatment could provide relief for the estimated nine million osteoarthritis sufferers in the UK – and it might be particular of interest to those who don’t like to take tablets or struggle to swallow them.

Available right now from Medical Specialists™ Pharmacy for just £17.99 without the need for a prescription, the water-based Flexiseq Gel has astounded researchers who have studied its massive impact to painful joints and the fact it is actually drug-free is even more staggering, showing no side effects from common painkillers.

Used twice a day, the gel has been clinically proven to reduce pain and restore mobility in the afflicted joint(s). Daily application in the morning and evening should suffice to result in significant improvement in joint pain in merely two days. It could now be the choice of long term targeted pain relief and boosted joint function for millions of arthritis sufferers.

Last year researchers conducted six clinical studies with more than 4,000 patients, finding that Flexiseq both reduces pain and improves the mobility of osteoarthritis sufferers.

One particular study of 1,300 patients determined that the gel works as a natural lubricant for affected joints and is as beneficial as commonly prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Diclofenac and Naproxen.

The findings were published in a December 2013 edition of Rheumatology – the British Society of Rheumatology’s official journal.

Dr John Dickson, a co-founder of the Primary Care Rheumatology Society, was involved with the study.

Dr Dickson spoke of prowess of Flexiseq, commenting: “It is well recognised that effectively managing chronic pain, particularly in patients with other conditions and risk factors, is a massive challenge that GPs and patients face on a daily basis. This topical treatment is drug-free and seems to have an excellent safety profile.”

Curious how the gel works? It is comprised of millions of droplets of fat, called ‘phospholipids’, which pass through skin and tissue, travelling to the site of the pain within the joint.

These droplets of fat then cover the cartilage with a coating of protective lubricant, replacing the damaged naturally occurring phospholipids that arthritis has caused.

Professor Philip Conaghan, from the University of Leeds, who led the research, said: “The need for new treatment options is well recognised as existing treatments don’t always work and many can cause serious side effects. Many [osteoarthritis] patients are elderly and have additional health conditions that mean they are especially at risk of these side effects. Safety is therefore a key concern for new therapies and patients and healthcare professionals would welcome new treatment options which are effective and without such safety concerns.”

What is IBS? Symptoms of the gut disorder and two surprising causes…

You may not have heard, but irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is on the rise. Over 10% of the population are currently battling with IBS and this percentage could get much higher in the long-term as more and more people are being diagnosed with stress – one main trigger of IBS. Not to mention that the nation’s dietary choices are generally still quite poor.

Other factors that can lead to IBS can include a combination of a number of issues such as: inflammation of your bowel – for example following an infection such as gastroenteritis, your genetic make-up – family members may have also had IBS, becoming more sensitive to pain from your gut and psychological problems such as stress or depression.

Although IBS unfortunately does not have an absolute cure, there are a number of over-the-counter treatment options that can ease symptoms for some sufferers and these include: Mebeverine, Buscopan IBS Relief and Colpermin.

Not sure if you might have IBS? You should always see your GP for a formal diagnosis and discuss how to go forward with the condition, but there are a common group of symptoms that people usually experience. Not everybody suffers all the same symptoms, some are varying in their severity, whilst different food, drink, or other factors can trigger symptoms off.

A prominent sign you have IBS is a recurring and discomforting pain in your abdomen – often in the lower area on the left side. Mild to severe stomach cramps is another common symptom which may subside with bowel movements. Sufferers may find their pain and symptoms flare-up after eating. For instance, some wheat or dairy are particularly bad culprits in this respect. Alternatively, some find their symptoms may be more severe in the evenings and women’s pain is often associated with their menstrual cycle. Moreover, a bloated, swollen abdomen is a frequent sign of IBS in women.

Be aware for changes in bowel habits – faeces may vary in its consistency, switching between frustrating bouts of constipation and diarrhoea, or you could find you are only able to pass small amounts of mucus. Other times, some people find they have a sudden need to empty their bowels or this process may even feel strained and following this, you might feel you have not fully emptied them.

Other IBS symptoms that may also occur are: loss of appetite, nausea, tiredness, backache, headache, belching, quickly feeling full after you have eaten food, heartburn, and bladder problems due to an associated irritable bladder.

This week American cardiothoracic surgeon and TV personality Dr Mehmet Oz offered some IBS advice for the millions and millions of people around the world who have the troublesome gut disorder.

He says: “If you get frequent cramping, bloating, constipation and even diarrhoea when you are stressed out, then it may be a sign of IBS — irritable bowel syndrome. One in five of us has it, and you are four times more likely to get it if you are a woman. Today, discover the surprising things that may be causing your IBS and what you can do to wipe it out of your system for good.”

According to critically acclaimed Dr Oz, IBS may flare-up from just two things that a lot of us probably consume on a daily basis. On his show, ‘The Dr Oz Show’, he explained to viewers that stress may not always be responsible IBS; but it could get a helping hand and worsened by some of the things in your diet. In particularly, two culprit triggers that can cause an irritable bowel are artificial sweeteners and chocolate.

Dr. Oz says that when we consume a lot of fizzy drinks and candy to try and manage stress or to boost energy levels, it can create an imbalance in our body which triggers a development of IBS. Understandably, Dr Oz’s advice is to reduce the amount of drinks you consume with these artificial sweeteners and cut down on the amount of chocolate you eat.

If that wasn’t good enough reason to cut down on fizzy drinks, it has been shown that just drinking as little as one fizzy drink each day can raise your risk of developing diabetes by 22%.

Multiple sclerosis could be treated with statins, says study

Multiple sclerosis (MS) decline could be slowed down with the widely used cholesterol-lowering drugs statins, demonstrating both anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects on the nervous system in previous studies, and chosen for this reason in the latest study.

Study leader Dr Jeremy Chataway of University College London Hospitals, said: “In the progressive stage of MS the brain shrinks by about 0.6 per cent a year. Our main measure of success was to reduce the rate of brain atrophy.”

After the early trial results, published in The Lancet, showed an encouraging effect from statins leading to slow brain shrinkage in people with MS, The University College London (UCL) scientists say larger trials are now able to get underway.

MS is a fairly common autoimmune disease that is suffered by around 100,000 people around the UK. It occurs following damage to a protein surrounding the brain and spinal cord (myelin) after a breakdown in the immune system. Nerve signals become disrupted from the brain to the rest of the body leading to vision impairment, muscle stiffness and uncontrollable movement, fatigue and ataxia (balance and coordination problems).

Unfortunately, there is no cure at present but certain treatments may help in the early stages of MS, slowing down the progression of the disease and reducing the number of relapses.

After about 10 years, it is thought about half of those with relapsing remitting MS then develop advanced secondary progressive MS, where symptoms get worse and there are less or sometimes even no periods of remission.

Although no licensed drugs have found to be effective at treating this stage of MS, Dr Jeremy Chataway and his colleagues are optimistic low cost statins could be considered as an option.
For the study the researchers assessed 140 people with secondary progressive MS. They randomly assigned a high dose (80mg) of one the most commonly prescribed statins – simvastatin –  to half the group, whilst the rest were simply given a placebo. Everyone was then monitored over a period of two years.

MRI scans conducted prior to and after the study period showed an average yearly brain shrinkage of 0.3% for those taking simvastatin, compared to the previously predicted 0.6%. This worked out as a reduction of 43% when factors such as age and gender were taken into account.

Despite not being the primary focus of the study, those patients taking statins were also discovered to have small but significant improvements in their disability scores against those that had taken placebo tablets.

Dr Chataway added: “Caution should be taken regarding over-interpretation of our brain imaging findings, because these might not necessarily translate into clinical benefit. However, our promising results warrant further investigation in larger phase 3 disability-driven trials.”

Dr Susan Kohlhaas, head of biomedical research at the MS Society, said: “There are no treatments that can stop the condition from worsening in people with progressive MS. Scientists have worked for years to find a potential treatment that could help people, and now, finally, one has been found that might. This is very exciting news. Further, larger clinical trials are now absolutely crucial to confirm the safety and effectiveness of this treatment.”

Bad breath causes and how to treat it

Bad breath (also known as halitosis) is the term for when an unpleasant odour is present upon exhaled breath. However, it is nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about and in fact around 95% of us suffer with it at some point in our lives, with a quarter of adults battling it on a regular basis.

Consistently poor oral hygiene is primarily the cause of bad breath. Bacteria from poor oral hygiene can accumulate on the teeth and tongue, causing plaque to form (the soft, white deposit that forms on the surface of the teeth), gum disease and tooth decay.

Unfortunately, this bacteria joins with saliva in the breakdown of food particles and proteins, culminating in the release of unpleasant smelling gases known as also known as volatile sulphur compounds (VCSs). The culprit VCSs include: hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, allyl methyl sulfide, and dimethyl sulphide. The failure to brush and floss on a regular basis will mean that food still trapped in areas between your teeth will be broken down by the bacteria, giving you bad breath.
There are numerous other factors though that can contribute to bad breath, and it is worth being aware of them.

Crash dieting

Fasting and low-carbohydrate/high-protein diets result in the the body breaking down fat and chemicals called ketones are produced, which can be obvious on your breath with their sickly, sweet odour that has a distinct metallic smell.

Smoking

Many people who do not smoke would probably be able to distinguish a smoker by breath resembling the smell of an ashtray. Stopping smoking can also stop this kind of bad breath and also reduce the risk of gum disease – which also causes bad breath.

Food and drink

Realise that if a food or drink item has a stench going into your mouth, the after-effects coming out will probably have a stench as well! Garlic, onions, spices, coffee and alcoholic drinks are particularly bad culprits. Bad breath from these foods and drink is normally only a temporary problem and can be averted by simply avoiding these things.

Medicines

Certain types of medicines are known to cause bad breath and if this is indeed the case, you can speak to your GP about possible alternatives if the problem proves troublesome. Medicines associated with bad breath include: some chemotherapy drugs, some nitrates used in the treatment of angina, phenothiazines (tranquilisers), dimethyl sulfoxide and disulfiram.

Stress

The body’s sympathetic nervous system begins during times of stress enabling a rapid response for ‘fight or flight’ situations, but this results in a decrease in the production of saliva. This happens as saliva is only required for the breakdown of food, and not in a crisis moment. However, this results in the mouth becoming much drier. A dry mouth usually means bad breath!

Morning bad breath

Bad breath after a night’s sleep is a common occurrence as the mouth dries up and stagnates during the night. This type of bad breath normally subsides after beginning to eat breakfast and the flow of saliva increases.

Treating bad breath

Bad breath treatment will usually depend on the cause of it. As we have stressed already, stopping smoking, avoiding certain food and drink, eating enough carbohydrates, having good oral hygiene, as well as using CB12 mouthwash (as seen on television) and fresh breath sprays such as Gold Spot, are just some of the things you can do to try and alleviate bead breath.

Also, attend regular dental check-ups as dentists can ensure any plaque is removed from your teeth – especially in areas difficult to get to. They can also spot any early signs of gum disease and advise appropriate treatment as early as possible.

Salford schoolboy dies from an asthma attack

Tributes have been paid to a football-mad Salford schoolboy after he tragically died from an asthma attack. Ben O’Neill, 12, played for local team Bar Hill JFC in Irlams o’th’ Height and was a huge Manchester United supporter.

The 12-year-old Buile Hill High School pupil suffered a sudden asthma attack at his home in Salford last week.

Ben’s mother, Nicola Newns 35, said: “It was not expected at all. Ben woke up at 2am coughing, which is the usual sign that he was having an attack. I ran to get his inhaler, but he had stopped breathing within seconds.”

She added: “We live just across the road from Salford Royal Hospital and the paramedics were here within a minute even though it felt like an hour. They worked on him for 48 minutes but there was nothing they could do. Ben’s brother, Jacob, has brittle asthma too, and he has been in hospital four times on a ventilator in intensive care. Ben has never had as severe attacks as Jacob, and I always feared something might happen to Jacob, but not Ben.”

Asthma is a health problem that afflicts around 5.4 million people in the UK; approximately 1 in every 12 adults and 1 in every 11 children has asthma. Although the cause of asthma is open to debate and not yet fully understood, the lung problem is known to run in families, as demonstrated with Ben and his brother, and more needs to be done to raise asthma awareness – a view shared by Ben’s mother.

She says: “He was loved by everyone that knew him – he was full of energy and a clown, he made you laugh. He had played football for a season with Barr Hill. His brothers played for them and he wanted to be like them too. I think people need to be educated about asthma. I would hate this to happen to another family. People think that asthma is just a bit of a wheeze which can be sorted out with an inhaler, but the type Ben had isn’t.”

A one minute’s silence was held in his memory prior to all matches at the weekend in the Salford league Ben played in and 50 people have donated over £500 so far as part of an appeal fund to cover Ben’s funeral costs. The funeral will take place this Friday at St James and All Souls Church near Salford Precinct. “Not one person who met him wouldn’t smile at his memory”, says his mother.

Kay Boycott, chief executive of Asthma UK, spoke on Ben’s tragic death, commenting: “It’s always distressing to hear that a child has died due to asthma, and our thoughts go out to Ben’s family and friends and this very sad time. Sadly many people don’t realise how serious asthma is because it’s so common. One in every eleven children are receiving treatment for asthma, yet every year it kills enough children to fill a classroom.”

What is Gout? Read why the excrutiating condition is no laughing matter…

Previously viewed a bit too light-hearted, almost as a bit of a joke, gout is anything but a laughing matter. It is actually the most prevailing type of inflammatory arthritis but in years gone by gout was typically looked upon as something that only over-indulgers picked up; those who had been hitting the wine and red meat a little too hard.

With the quality of medical care vastly improved over the past few decades, life expectancy is higher than ever and more people are now experiencing this painful, debilitating condition – simply put it is nothing to be mocked about and is a serious problem that requires the appropriate treatment, such as through Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which work to reduce the level of pain and inflammation. Examples of NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen, diclofenac and naproxen.

Gout causes pain and swelling to one of more joints. Although it usually strikes in the big toe, gout can attack other joints such as those in the elbows, knees, feet and ankles and those in your hands, fingers and wrists.

Symptoms of gout commonly occur at night, but can arise at any point during the day. Other symptoms include: swelling (inflammation) in and surrounding the affected joint, red, shiny skin over the affected joint and peeling, itchy and flaky skin over the affected joint as the swelling decreases.

Gout is caused by a build-up of a chemical in the blood called uric acid (urate), which is a waste product that is transmitted through the kidneys and into your urine so it can be removed from the body. The level of uric acid in your blood can increase if your kidneys are not passing uric acid fast enough or if your body produces too much uric acid.

High levels of uric acid result in the formation of tiny crystals in your tissues, commonly in and around the joints. These crystals could leak from the joint cartilage into the joint space, causing the soft lining (synovium) to react. It is this which produces the intense swelling and pain you experience. As crystals thrive at a cooler body temperature, this is why gout is more prominent in the fingers and toes.

Risk factors for the development of gout include medical problems that induce a rise in uric acid levels, such as high blood pressure (hypertension), obesity, having high lipid levels (high cholesterol) and long-term deterioration in kidney function. Other risk factors include lifestyle ones, such as diet. For example, eating too much red meat or seafood and drinking too much alcohol (especially beer) can put you at risk, whereas having psoriasis can occasionally cause your body to make too much uric acid.

Self-care techniques when a gout attack strikes are primarily aimed at preventing further attacks and relieving symptoms. When you experience an attack, it is important to rest and elevate (raise) your limb and try to avoid hitting or damaging the afflicted joint.

You should also keep the joint as cool as possible, remove any clothing actually on the joint and apply an ice pack to the area. Ice wrapped inside a towel, or even a frozen bag of peas should do the trick!

Keep the ice pack or bag of peas on the joint for about 20 minutes. The ice should not be applied directly on the skin and this procedure should not be carried out for over 20 minutes at a time due to risk of skin damage.

No Smoking Day arrives as financial rewards are considered for quitters

No Smoking Day is upon us today as millions of smokers in Britain and indeed around the rest of the world are encouraged to at least give up cigarettes for this one day to help prepare them to give them up for good in the near future. Basically, if you can successfully do it for this one day, you should see you are able to do it everyday eventually!

In the three decades following the introduction of No Smoking Day in 1983, the proportion of UK adult smokers has fell from a third to a fifth, but the fact remains that there are still a staggering ten million smokers in the country and 100,000 of them will lose their lives each year as a result of this dangerous habit, such as from heart or circulatory diseases.

Although an estimated one in five UK adults smoke, studies have previously indicated that around two thirds of them would like to quit smoking. Therefore, today’s No Smoking Day is the perfect time to start.

This year’s No Smoking Day has been given a ‘V for Victory’ theme to it, hopefully helping hundreds of thousands of smokers to win the fight against cigarettes and it has now become one of the UK’s biggest annual health awareness campaigns.

However, could bribing smokers to quit be the answer? The findings of a new study indicated that smokers were more likely to quit when there were financial rewards to be gained from it – even as little as just £3 was found to be effective.

Researchers at Newcastle University assessed the results of 16 projects where people were urged to stop smoking, lose weight, go for vaccinations, or attend cancer screening appointments and were then awarded money, vouchers, lottery tickets or other financial incentives to improve their ways.
The study, published in the journal PLoS ONE, states that the smokers these schemes were more than twice as likely to stop smoking for six months compared to people merely given advice on how best to quit.

Collating the results from all the schemes, the researchers came to the conclusion that financial incentives managed to raise the chance of behaviour improving by an impressive 62% and interestingly it was found higher amounts of money on offer were not much more effective than smaller ones.

Interestingly, the risk of being penalised financially also worked as a motivator, but it was found that people tend to change for the worse once the incentives are pulled.

The researchers argue there are those who will no doubt eventually return to their previous ways regardless of which method they have undertaken in order to quit smoking, lose weight, or other ways of improving their health.

Researcher Dr Jean Adams described such schemes as providing ‘rewards’ rather than ‘bribes’ and though the 16 projects they looked at were given in the US, similar financial motivations for patients may save the NHS a lot of money in the long-term.

Dr Adams said: “We try all kinds of techniques to help people quit smoking or otherwise live healthy lives, so why not try this? It is about nudging people to healthier behaviours. There is a chance this could save the taxpayer money in the long-run.”

Why it is vital to get the blood pressure reading from BOTH of your arms

Have you had your blood pressure checked in one arm and the reading seemed ‘normal’? Typically it is checked by your GP or another healthcare professional, or you can even do it yourself with a home testing kit. A reading between 90/60 and 139/89 is judged to be normal.

Not many people usually request to have their other arm checked for a blood pressure reading or check it themselves, however it might be worth doing this in the future as it could just save your life.
A new American study into apparently healthy individuals discovered that in instances when there was a significant difference between the blood pressure readings in each arm, there was 38% increased risk for a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular problems.

Researchers from Harvard Medical School in the US decided to look at the blood pressure reading of both arms from almost 3,400 men and women over the age of 40 and deemed in good health.

Generally, a small difference between the two readings is considered normal and not sufficient to cause alarm. In this study, systolic pressure – the pressure of the blood when your heart pushes blood out and the higher of the two figures within a blood pressure reading – was found to vary by an average of roughly five points.

For 10% of the people monitored in the study, a difference of at least ten points was found between the two arms. In the subsequent 13 years, those particular men and women were 38% at a higher risk of a potentially deadly heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular health problems.

For two readings with a large difference, it is believed that the arm showing the higher reading probably has an artery that is congested with fat.

NHS guidelines advise GPs to extract the blood pressure readings of both arm. However, many are guilty of simply getting the reading from whichever arm of the patient happens to be nearest to them.

Thembi Nkala, a senior cardiac nurse with the British Heart Foundation, importance of having your blood pressure checked in both arms, saying: “Even if someone has no other cardiovascular risk factors, uneven high blood pressure could be a sign of an increased future risk of cardiovascular problems. UK guidelines already call for blood pressure to be measured in both arms when diagnosing high blood pressure. If you’re worried about your blood pressure or cardiovascular risk, speak to your GP or practice nurse.”

In respect to a blood pressure reading, you should not instantly panic if you have one blood pressure reading that seems high, you have not actually have high blood pressure (hypertension). Many of us are nervous or may feel stressed when visiting our GP and this can cause fluctuations in blood pressure, increasing it.

In that scenario, patients can be provided with a blood pressure kit to use throughout the day to check if there is a consistent high blood pressure reading or not. Your GP could also request you to undergo blood and urine tests to see if you have conditions that increase blood pressure, such as kidney disease.

Malaria moving to higher altitudes due to climate change

Rising temperatures and climate change could put people living in the tropics at risk of contracting the mosquito-borne malaria, according to scientists who have spent two decades monitoring the deadly disease within two densely populated mountainous regions in South America and Africa.

Those residing in higher altitudes have typically not been at risk from the disease, as mosquitoes carrying the malaria parasite find it difficult to survive in the cooler air.

Professor Mercedes Pascual University of Michigan, who led the research, says: “The risk of the disease decreases with altitude and this is why historically people have settled in these higher regions.”

Health experts have spent years arguing if malaria will move because of climate change, and this is one of the only studies of its kind that demonstrates how malaria can migrate higher with a temperature increase. This puts millions of people at risk, who historically have been benefiting from living in malaria-free areas in the high-altitude tropics.

The study involved an analysis of the densely populated areas in the highlands of Colombia and Ethiopia as there were comprehensive records kept for the two of both temperature and malaria cases from the 1990s to 2005.

It was discovered that during warmer years, malaria managed to transmit into the mountains and for the years when the temperatures were cooler, the disease was restricted to lower altitudes.

“We have identified that malaria does indeed move up and down and that the movement is temperature dependent. It’s been difficult to prove and people have been questioning it now for 20 years,” said Menno Bouma of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who was involved in the research.

“The implications are that if this is true, and that a global warming is occurring leading to an increase in temperatures, then malaria will increase at higher altitudes where many people live. The high altitude areas in the tropics are particularly highly populated,” Dr Bouma added.

Dr Bouma says that those in the higher altitudes do not have any protective immunity as they are not exposed to malaria, meaning they could be susceptible to potentially even more serious and fatal cases of the disease.

Around half of Ethiopia’s population live at an altitude between 1,600m (5,250ft) and 2,400m, and the scientists estimate there could be a surge in malaria cases. They predict even just a 1C increase in average local temperatures will mean there will be three million children more children who will contract malaria annually.

“We have estimated that, based on the distribution of malaria with altitude, a 1C rise in temperature could lead to an additional three million cases in under-15-year-olds per year,” says Professor Pascual.

The most recent figures released by the World Health Organization show an estimated 207 million cases of malaria in 2012, resulting in about 627,000 deaths. The majority of these deaths occur among children in Africa. Clearly more work needs to be done into control efforts of the disease, getting malaria treatment and prevention methods to the millions who need them.

In addition, if you are travelling to particularly at-risk countries, The NHS Malaria Fit For Travel website offers advice about antimalarials such as Malarone and includes a map to show what other diseases are common in certain regions.

Smokers encouraged to quit for No Smoking Day on 12 March

Medical Specialists Pharmacy is proudly supporting the next annual No Smoking Day, which will be taking place on 12 March 2014. Whether it is for this yearly awareness day, month-long campaigns such as ‘Stoptober’, for a New Year’s Resolution, or any other particular occasion, basically there is always a good reason to quit smoking today, not way in the future.

No Smoking Day is being pioneered by the British Heart Foundation, who understand not everybody can go ‘cold turkey’ and suddenly quit smoking for good instantly, but they are encouraging smokers to quit at least just for this one day to prove to themselves they can do it. It is hoped this one day smoke free will increase their motivation to quit for good in the long-run; this can be achieved with the help of smoking cessation medication such as Champix.

Now is the perfect time to quit as Medical Specialists Pharmacy have just drastically reduced the price of Champix to its lowest ever price! Prices have been reduced by as much as a whopping 50%. For instance, an online consultation for the Champix starter pack was £75, but this has now come down to just £38.95! For those already with a private prescription, the price is even lower, at a mere £27.48.

Everyone may have their own personal reasons for wanting to give up smoking. In the current financial climate, paying almost £10 for a packet of cigarettes is simply not feasible, with food and bills obviously much more important. For others, quitting could be part of a much wider plan to become healthier and include increasing exercise, eating better, etc.

A packet of 20 cigarettes can set you back around £7-£8, so the average 20-a-day smoker could suddenly have an extra £56 in their pocket each week. Wondering what to spend all that extra cash on? If you are spending £7 each day on your smoking habit, here’s what else you could be spending your money on:

1 day (£7): Two movie rentals or a new lipstick.
1 week (£49): A family cinema trip or a meal for two.
1 month (£210): A shopping spree or premiership football tickets.
3 months (£630): A new laptop or the latest flat screen TV.
6 months (£1,260): A leather suite or a home cinema.
1 year (£2,555): A new kitchen or a holiday of a lifetime.

If all that wasn’t music to your ears, you will feel extra money in your pocket in other ways. You will now suddenly find that life, home and car insurance will now be cheaper because you are a non-smoker.

It is worth remembering that you and everybody around you will reap the massive benefits from you stopping smoking. Your friends and family will no longer be inhaling second-hand smoke and having their health badly impacted too and for you personally, this is what you can look forward to in the forthcoming 12 months after stopping smoking:

20 minutes

Your heart rate and blood pressure return to a normal level.

8 hours

Oxygen levels return to normal as the nicotine and carbon monoxide begin to leave your body.

24 hours

Mucus and other smoking debris is cleared from the lungs.

48 hours

Nicotine should have been removed from your body by this stage and your sense of smell and taste are boosted.

2 – 12 weeks

Breathing improves and you find exercising is easier.

3 – 9 months

Any coughs, wheezing and breathing problems are reduced as your lungs repair.

1 year

You now have half the risk of coronary heart disease than that of a smoker.

If you want to get involved with No Smoking Day you can visit here or here to download the huge and informative campaign handbook which has details about the history of the day, what is included in the ‘V for Victory’ kit and advice for schools, employers and much more. On the downloads page of the British Heart Foundation website you can even see the smoking percentage statistics for your specific town and compare this against other regions within the United Kingdom.

Chinese Aoni condom breaks World Record for its thinness

The quest for a thin condom usually takes men to the Skins range of condoms or the Durex Ultra Thin Feel condom. Not only are thin condoms typically easier to put on, but they are generally preferred amongst many men due to the increased sensation and pleasure they provide, with a more natural feeling provided for both partners.

And now the mantle of ‘the world’s thinnest condom’ has been taken by a Chinese company and it is so thin and barely there, it has managed to achieve the Guinness World Record for the thinnest latex condom.

Known as the ‘Aoni condom’, it has been found to have a thickness measurement of a mere 0.0014 inches (0.036 millimeters), thinner than the past record set by a condom manufactured by Okamoto of Japan.

The super-thin Aoni condom was devised by the Chinese company Guangzhou Daming United Rubber Products, who are currently producing an estimated 200 million condoms each year.

Although the Aoni condoms are only actually available to buy within Asia, the man who pioneered the project, Victor Chan, is optimistic of getting the condom to a potentially profitable North American market.

Speaking about the challenging process on creating the thin yet durable Aoni condom, Chan says: “It was quite tricky. It took a lot of work to arrange the right mix and fine-tune the ingredients to give us the right performance.”

The next projects for Chan and his colleagues include the development of a vibrating condom that will stimulate the woman’s G-spot as well as a sanitising condom that will be covered in a layer of silver nanoparticles.

It seems to be exciting times for condoms being revolutionised, obviously in the hope ultimately that more couples decide to use them on a consistent basis. Condoms are an absolute necessity for safe sex, being a fantastic method of preventing an unwanted pregnancy and safeguarding against sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia or genital herpes.

In March of last year Medical Specialists reported how Microsoft founder Bill Gates was pledging to give thousands of dollars into the development of ‘next generation’ condoms.

At the time, the The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation released a statement for why this was such an important issue, saying: “The one major drawback to more universal use of male condoms is the lack of perceived incentive for consistent use. The primary drawback from the male perspective is that condoms decrease pleasure as compared to no condom, creating a trade-off that many men find unacceptable. Is it possible to develop a product without this stigma, or better, one that is felt to enhance pleasure? If so, would such a product lead to substantial benefits for global health?”

Two projects have received $100,000 (£66,000) from the foundation for their research.  The first are a group of researchers from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. They are utilising stretchy materials known as superelastomers to produce condoms that are incredibly thin. The second is being carried out by scientists at the University of Manchester in the UK. They are mixing latex with graphene — a type of carbon many call a “super material” — to produce condoms that are thinner, stronger and more elastic.

All about Testosterone: How to spot if you have High or Low T

Testosterone is a word many have heard of, but may not know a lot about. To some, the word may be an unknown entity that sweaty rugby players charging around a field probably have plenty of, but nobody knows why or what specifically it is. To some, testosterone is purely linked to the display of aggressive behaviour, but it is more complex than that.

Testosterone is actually the principal male sex hormone derived from the androgen group and is an essential factor in sexual and reproductive development, produced primarily in the testes.  It helps a number of important functions such as muscle mass/strength, sex drive, sperm production, fat distribution, bone density and red blood cell production.

The development of secondary sex characteristics at puberty is also aided by testosterone, such as voice deepening and growth of facial and body hair.

Testosterone is also present in women too, but at substantially lower amounts than those found in men. In women, testosterone is generated within the ovaries and adrenal glands, with their levels at an estimated tenth to a twentieth of man’s levels. As it is a steroid hormone, testosterone is derived from cholesterol.

Low testosterone

Levels of testosterone are known to decrease over time with age, but many health experts are in disagreement about what brings on ‘Low T’, known as hypogonadism, and the topic is often a controversial one. Men typically receive treatment for hypogonadism if their testosterone levels are below 300 nanograms per decilitre and they are showing symptoms of low testosterone.

Many men are terrified that dwindling levels of testosterone will lead to a huge drop in sexual desire and performance will be impacted. As men advance in their years, sexual function could be affected by lowered levels of the hormone, including:

. Infertility.
. Less desire for sex.
. Erectile dysfunction (ED), or less erections that may occur randomly, such as during sleep. The link between ED and testosterone is not fully understood, however low testosterone levels are with the same health conditions that have been linked to ED, such as type 2 diabetes, obesity and heart disease.

Other low T symptoms may include:

. Losing muscle mass.
. Decreased energy.
. Increased body fat.
. Depression/bad mood.

Low T treatment depends mainly on what you and your doctor deem to be the most suitable for you.

Gels and Solutions
Testosterone gels and solutions are applied each day, with the testosterone in the gel being absorbed directly through the skin when you apply the gel or solution.

Patches
Patches mean testosterone can be absorbed by the skin and are normally worn on the arm or upper body. They are applied once each day.

Injections and implants
Testosterone injections are typically administered into the upper buttock, every 1-2 weeks by your doctor. Testosterone may also be implanted as pellets within soft tissues. The testosterone is slowly absorbed by your body into the bloodstream.

High testosterone

If a woman’s body produces too much testosterone, she may experience irregular or absent menstrual periods and excessive body hair (hirsutism). In addition, frontal balding – similar to male pattern baldness -  is another sign that a woman has high testosterone levels as well as suffering with acne, increased perspiration, an enlarged clitoris, increased muscle mass and their voice deepening.

However, the good news is that a combined anti-testosterone (androgen) and oestrogen medicine named Dianette (Cyproterone Acetate / Ethinylestradiol) can be prescribed for women with these problems. Not only does it work as an oral contraceptive pill, Dianette can be prescribed to regulate periods, combat excessive hair growth on the face and body (hirsutism) in women, help to reduce acne which hasn’t improved after the long-term use of oral antibiotics in women and can help women who suffer with female hair loss.