An apple-a-day almost as good as statins for cardiovascular health

An apple-a-day really could keep the doctor away, as the old saying goes, after Oxford University scientists found that eating one apple each day could be comparable to taking a statin in the battle to stave off heart attacks and strokes.

In fact, the scientists behind the new research – based on modelling and not an actual clinical study – claim that if every person over the age of 50 ate just one apple per day, there could be as many as 8,500 heart attack and stroke deaths avoided in the UK each year.

Amazingly, this is almost on par with the figure for if everyone over the age of 50 was prescribed statins, according to the findings published in the British Medical Journal.

This would then result in an additional 17.6 million people on statin medication and a potential 9,400 more deaths avoided each year in the UK. Doctors have previously spoken of their belief that a great number of the population would benefit massively from taking statins, with one American doctor last year arguing that a ‘statins for all’ approach should be considered.

“Statins and apples are both iconic,” lead researcher Dr Adam Briggs, of the British Heart Foundation Health Promotion Research Group at Oxford University said.

“An apple a day is known throughout the English-speaking world as a saying for health, and statins are now some of the most widely prescribed drugs in the world. So, when you now have a debate in the medical world about increasing the amount of statins prescribed for primary prevention, we wanted to look at what that would mean for population health and if there were other ways of doing it.”

Those behind the analysis say that theoretically, any fruit should suffice, but getting people to eat more fruit would be a challenging task for anybody. Past population surveys seem to suggest that as many as two-thirds of adults in the UK are simply not getting their 5-a-day portion of fruit and vegetables.

Nine in 10 of us do consume at least one portion a day, according to Dr Briggs, but he says we would all benefit greatly from eating more.

Dr Briggs says: “What we’re trying to say from this analysis is that dietary changes initiated at the population level can have a really meaningful effect on population health,” he said. “And second, so can increasing drug prescriptions. Now, we’re not trying to say that people should be swapping their statins for apples; that’s not where we’re going. However, if they want to add an apple to that as part of disease prevention, then by all means do so, because you’ll be further along in reducing your risk of fatal heart attacks and strokes.”

Interestingly, the cost of statin therapy from the drug alone would only be £180 million and around £260 million for the apples. The authors do say however that the NHS may be able to negotiate a freeze on the cost of apples, “although defrosted apples may not be so palatable,” they state.

Vitamin supplements: Just a dangerous waste of time and money?

Vitamin supplements are a waste of your money, unnecessary, offer very little in the way of health benefits, and could even be harmful, according to a group of scientists in the USA.

These damning conclusions were drawn up by academics from the University of Warwick and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, USA.

They studied almost 500,000 people across three separate research papers, counteracting the continuous claims that are made by the vitamin supplement industry – thought to be worth around £738 million in the UK alone last year and predicted to rise to £788 million by 2017.

One of the research papers included a retrospective study of 24 past trials comprising of 450,000 people, concluding there seemed to be no beneficial impact on mortality after a long-term intake of vitamin supplements.

A second paper looked at cognitive decline in 6,000 male doctors aged at least 65, summarising there seemed to be no benefits following 12 years of half taking a daily multivitamin containing vitamins A, B, C, E and beta carotene, and half a placebo.

In addition, a third saw no difference in 1,700 men and women over the age of 50 with heart problems over an average study of five years.

Those featured in the third paper had all suffered a heart attack six weeks prior to half being administered a high dose of multivitamins and minerals, coming in the form of a tablet that contained 28 components, whilst the remaining half were given a placebo.

During the next four and a half years, any subsequent deaths were recorded, or second heart attacks, strokes or hospital treatment for angina or surgery. There appeared to be no difference in the two groups.

The scientists said the daily taking of multivitamins is simply not justified, writing: “These vitamins should not be used for chronic disease prevention. Enough is enough.”

They said a typical Western diet should suffice in providing the vital vitamins that our bodies require.
Edgar Miller, of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, said: “There are some that advocate we have many nutritional deficiencies in our diet. The truth is though we are in general overfed, our diet is completely adequate.”

He added: “These companies are marketing products to us based on perceptions of deficiencies. They make us think our diet is unhealthy, and that they can help us make up for these deficiencies and stop chronic illnesses. The group that needs these is very small. It’s not the general population…There’s something for everything: preventing joint pains, stopping heart disease. If you’re going to spend your money on something every month, is this really the best option?”

Previous statistics have shown that over a third of Brits are taking a vitamin tablet each day, but the numbers are decreasing.

Research company Mintel estimated that 41% of the population were regularly taking dietary supplements in 2008, but that number had dropped to 35% in 2012.

Maybe this is partly an after-effect of the crippling financial crisis that has gripped Britain in recent years, or it could be down to changing attitudes towards the benefits of vitamin supplements, especially when you consider the fact that in 2012 there was a 5% rise on the year before in the spending on fruit and vegetables in Britain.

What the future holds for an industry that is churning out these vitamin pills by the millions remains to be seen. Many would argue there is no good substitute for nutritious food within a healthy diet. With supplements you are plunging high levels of vitamins and minerals into your body that you would not normally get, or sometimes even need, and people often forget there is actually  a serious danger of having too much of a good thing so to speak.

It then starts getting messy when everything is loaded into one tablet as different components fight for absorption. For example, excessive amounts of calcium result in your body struggling to absorb iron, whereas high levels of iron mean you won’t absorb zinc.  The best thing to do before taking any supplements is to speak to your own GP and discuss what, if anything, you actually need. It could be that your diet alone is providing your body with sufficient vitamins and minerals.

Doctor to be sentenced after forging Viagra prescriptions – all for himself

We heard in October of this year how a clumsy patient attempted to forge a Viagra prescription – and inevitably failed after stupidly writing “100ml” instead of the correct dosage of 100mg.

However, shockingly it has come to light that a doctor has been forging his own prescriptions for the widely used erectile dysfunction medication. The reason? He was too embarrassed to request a prescription for the drug from his own GP, a court has heard.

Dr Mansoor Kassim, 37, of Ilford, Essex, was enduring problems in his marriage during the time when he produced fake Viagra prescriptions, which were tallied up to total £340.67.

Dr Kassim conjured up fictitious names – such as ‘Ravi Kumar’ – of both doctors and patients that supposedly were in need of the anti-impotence medication, known as ‘the little blue pill’ to millions around the world who take it.

After this, Dr Kassim went along to a local chemist with the intention of collecting the tablets for his own personal use.

As Dr Kassim actually worked within a trauma and orthopaedic unit, where patients usually wouldn’t require or be prescribed erectile dysfunction drugs. This immediately triggered suspicions amongst staff at the chemist.

Handwriting experts were drafted in by health officials and it was established than the stolen prescription scripts were all filled in by the same person – Dr Kassim.

The court at Caerphilly was told Dr Kassim was working as a senior doctor on the verge of becoming a consultant at the time he illegally obtained the Viagra; the offences occurred between the time of February 25 and October 24 this year. He was employed by the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, working at Ystrad Fawr Hospital at Caerphilly, South Wales.

The doctor could now face being struck off and will soon have to attend a hearing with the General Medical Council (GMC); the independent regulator for doctors in the UK.

Chairman of the bench David Wall told Dr Kassim: “These are serious allegations. You were in a high position of trust. We don’t feel we can deal with the matter without further investigation.”
The doctor has been freed on bail until next month, when he will receive his sentence.

Martyn Edwards, head of counter fraud with Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, said: “The NHS and the public in general are entitled to expect the highest levels of integrity from clinicians. In this instance, the conduct of Dr Kassim fell far short of those expectations. The NHS has absolutely no tolerance for dishonest abuse of a position of trust of this nature.”

Defending Dr Kassim, David Welch said: “He had marital difficulties which led him to seek out the medication. Dr Kassim was embarrassed to admit his problem to another doctor and so faked the prescriptions himself. He’s said this is the most stupid thing he’s done in his entire life. He’s now seeking counselling to look at really why he did what he did, given so much that was put at risk.”

However, self-prescribing via forged prescriptions could be viewed as indefensible and stupid simultaneously, especially in the 21^st century when any male suffering with impotence problems can quickly go onto the internet to a fully-registered and legitimate online pharmacy to obtain Viagra, following an online consultation of course with a doctor registered with the GMC. It saves any potential embarrassment of a face-to-face visit with your own GP, with the medication arriving the next day (within the UK) to a destination of your choice, whether this be at home or your place of work.

Spironolactone could reduce the pain for millions with arthritis

The potassium-sparing diuretic Spironolactone may have another use in the near future after scientists found that it could help the millions of people around the world suffering with debilitating arthritis.

Now commonly referred to as a ‘water pill’, due to the fact it can treat fluid retention (edema) caused by various conditions such as kidney or liver disease, Spironolactone was initially developed more than 40 years ago as a treatment for high blood pressure and heart failure.

However since then, the capabilities of Spironolactone have been revealed and the medication can now be prescribed as an acne treatment (for women only). For over 20 years, Spironolactone has been a popular anti androgen in the treatment of acne and hirsutism, becoming the most widely prescribed medication for these problems in the USA.

If all that wasn’t enough, new research has shown a breakthrough that could benefit the estimated 6 million Brits who are struggling with osteoarthritis – the most common type of arthritis in the UK – forcing 1 million people in the UK to see their GP about it each year.

The first study, led by Professor Marion McMurdo, head of ageing and health at Dundee University, was conducted earlier this year and assessed the effects of whether taking 25mg of Spironolactone daily for a duration of 5 months would provide any relief for osteoarthritis sufferers.

The results have been published in the American Journal of Medicine, and report that many patients said they had a decrease in pain levels.

Those behind the study believe that Spironolactone reduced pain by suppressing a hormone called aldosterone, previously linked to inflammation in the joints, or could increase levels of cortisol, a hormone lessens the body’s sensitivity to pain.

The next stage for Professor McMurdo and her team will be the monitoring of 86 patients aged 70 or over, all of whom suffer with severe knee pain. Participants will either be given Spironolactone or a ­placebo, daily for 12 weeks. Pain will be analysed and their joint inflammation will be measured before and after the trial.

Professor McMurdo said: “Osteoarthritis affects over half of the older population and there is no cure, so the goal is to reduce pain and stiffness. Older people are particularly prone to drug side effects. Most commonly used painkillers cause side effects – like confusion and constipation – and can cause bleeding from the stomach. Such bleeds are much more serious in an older person. So fresh drug approaches to managing osteoarthritis in older people are urgently required. If effective, Spironolactone would provide a safer, more economical prospect than many modern anti-inflammatory drugs. It only costs £1 a week and we know from its use as a heart treatment that it is relatively safe.”

Professor Alan Silman, medical director of Arthritis Research UK, has put his faith into Spironolactone being a successful and viable treatment option for arthritis in the future, even pledging £135,000 to help cover the research cost.

Professor Silman commented: “Spironolactone has been around for decades so we know it is safe.”

New cases of cancer now over 14 million

The number of people dying from cancer each year has increased, according to the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

The global death toll went up by 8%, increasing from 7.6 million – calculated in a 2008 survey – to the figure of 8.2 million that was estimated for 2012.

In respect of just actual diagnoses of cancer, this has also increased, with over 14 million being diagnosed with cancer in 2012. This marks a significant increase from the 12.7 million cases that were recorded in 2008.

Last year, an estimated 1.7 million women were given new a new diagnosis of breast cancer, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). This represents an increase in excess of 20% from 2008, with both incidence and mortality going up.

In fact, the disease is now the most prevalent of all cancers in women across 140 countries around the world.

Dr David Forman, from the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, said: “Breast cancer is also a leading cause of cancer death in the less developed countries of the world. This is partly because a shift in lifestyles is causing an increase in incidence, and partly because clinical advances to combat the disease are not reaching women living in these regions.”

IARC’s report, named GLOBOCAN 2012, offers the most recent available statistics for 28 different types of cancer within 184 countries, providing an extensive look into the problem of cancer across the globe.

The report states that the most diagnosed cancers worldwide in both sexes combined are lung, breast and colorectal cancers. The cancers found to commonly result in death are lung, liver and stomach cancers.

Overall, lung cancer – primarily caused as a result of smoking – was found to be the world’s most common cancer. The 1.8 million cases recorded is 13% of the total.

The burgeoning problem of cancer is believed to be linked to a change in lifestyles in the developing nations, shifting more closely towards industrialised countries.

However, the report noted “huge inequalities” between rich and poor countries. For instance, new cases of cancer being higher in developed countries, it is the less developed countries that have much higher death rates. Reasons for this are thought to be due to lack of screening and access to treatment, meaning cancerous tumours often not being found at an early enough stage.

Christopher Wild, IARC’s director, commented: “An urgent need in cancer control today is to develop effective and affordable approaches to the early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer among women living in less developed countries.”

Cover up for Christmas: No condom? Better jog on…

With just under a fortnight to go until the big day, the Christmas party season is now in full swing and for this reason alone is why last week Medical Specialists created a guide on how to survive the work Christmas party .

One thing to bear in mind is that just because it is the festive party season, it is not an invitation to let all your common sense and rational thinking simply fly out the door…Cover up for Christmas!

And by that we don’t just mean wear a woolly hat, gloves and scarf, we mean make sure you have plenty of condoms and other contraception readily available…and use them! Get yourself protected immediately to avoid an unplanned pregnancy or contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI), some of which may never actually fully clear-up.

Just like a beloved pet pooch you might receive at Christmas, an STI might not just be for Christmas…it may be for life, with symptoms of STIs such as genital herpes possible reoccurring at any given time. Genital herpes treatment can reduce the frequency of outbreaks however, and minimise the risk of it spreading to sexual partners (with condom use of course).

According to The Family Planning Association, worried/distressed phone calls made to their sexual health line are usually at their highest rate during January, perhaps unsurprisingly when statistics show more teen girls are falling pregnant in December and January in comparison to the other ten months of the year.

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.”

So what can you do to avoid having to make a panic call to the FPA come January? The first is make sure you are fully stocked up on your contraception of choice, and ladies if this is in the form of a pill you need to take every day such as Marvelon or Yasmin, it is imperative you have enough to cover the Christmas period – especially if you happen to be going away.

If you are going away, we advise you to do the following things to ensure you have packed your contraception:

. Add it to your list of things you need to pack.

. Set a phone reminder.

. Ask somebody to remind you before you go.

. Make a note in your diary.

. Leave a note near the front door that you will see.

“The classic mistake is to go away and forget to take your contraception with you, or to run out of pills on Christmas Eve,” Findlay added.

“To avoid this, check when your pill pack is going to run out. If it will run out while you’re away, get a new one before you go. And if you’re using the contraceptive injection, make sure it’s up to date. Whatever contraception you use, make sure you’re organised and have enough to last.”

Also make sure to stock up on condoms. After all, condoms are the only method of contraception to protect against both pregnancy and STIs. Condoms are vital if you have sex with somebody new; who knows where that passionate kiss under the mistletoe will lead to, and are important to have should your regular contraception run out or fail to work.

We warn this as people generally tend to significantly increase their alcohol intake over the festive period and not many people may be aware of this, but vomiting can actually decrease your pill’s effectiveness. If you have had a bit too much to drink one night and end up being sick, condoms are essential to protect against an unwanted pregnancy.

And what better way to stock up on condoms than to buy Durex condoms. In particularly, 72 Durex performa condoms at the astonishingly low price of just £60! This bundle should last well into the New Year and keep you covered up for Christmas and beyond. The Durex performa condoms even have a special Benzocaine cream inside to help control climax and prolong sexual excitement for longer lasting lovemaking.

The five healthy lifestyle rules that could prevent dementia

By adhering to five healthy, positive lifestyle choices, a person stands to slash their risk of developing dementia by around two thirds, according to the findings of a new Welsh study.

Lead author Professor Peter Elwood, from Cardiff University’s School of Medicine, said healthy aspects of life are “far more beneficial effect than any medical treatment or preventive procedure”.

“The size of reduction in the instance of disease owing to these simple healthy steps has really amazed us and is of enormous importance in an ageing population,” he said.

“What the research shows is that following a healthy lifestyle confers surprisingly large benefits to health – healthy behaviours have a far more beneficial effect than any medical treatment or preventive procedure.”

Professor Elwood said that it was apparent that “very few people” had a healthy enough lifestyle that would be sufficient in avoiding the onset of dementia.

“Taking up and following a healthy lifestyle is however the responsibility of the individual him or herself,” he said.

“Sadly, the evidence from this study shows that very few people follow a fully healthy lifestyle. Furthermore, our findings reveal that while the number of people who smoke has gone down since the study started, the number of people leading a fully healthy lifestyle has not changed.”

The five key aspects of staving off a disease that has afflicted 800,000 people in the UK are as follows: engaging in regular exercise, maintaining a healthy body weight, not smoking, sticking to a healthy diet and minimising alcohol intake.

Making sure to stick to at least four of the five healthy lifestyle habits may reduce the risk of dementia and cognitive decline by a staggering 60%, the researchers from Cardiff University found.
The benefits of following four of the habits doesn’t stop there though, this could also help to reduce new cases of diabetes, heart disease and stroke by 70%. This would be compared to those who followed none of the lifestyle habits.

The researchers, beginning in 1979, tracked 2,235 men from Caerphilly who were aged between 25 and 49, for a 35-year period. Behavioural patterns were recorded, with regards to the participants’ health, firstly looking at the possible causes of heart disease as this disease was rife in the area.
However, as time passed through the cohort study, focus was shifted to analysing the devastating effects of dementia and strokes.

It was determined that if half of the men involved in the study had be pressed into even adopting just one of the healthy lifestyle habits in 1979, this could have resulted in a 13% drop in dementia cases, in addition to 12% less diabetes diagnoses, 6% fewer cases of vascular disease and the number of fatalities may have even been 5% less.

The findings were published in advance of today’s crucial meeting of health ministers from the G8 nations, which will aim to find new, more efficient ways of tackling the disease worldwide.

David Cameron has already state that by 2025 the UK will double its annual funding for dementia research to £132 million, a significant increase from the 2015 target of £66 milliom. The prime minister’s announcement will be welcomed by many with estimates showing that the global number of dementia sufferers could treble to 135 million by 2050.

Moreover, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) recently unveiled their plan to conduct random, unannounced inspection visits that will assess the care of dementia patients at 150 institutions across England.