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The majority of cervical cancer is actually caused by a virus known as the human papilloma virus or HPV. A statistic has recently been made public after research is showing that around 20 percent of all cancers are caused by infections that are entirely preventable. It is estimated that infection causes around 2 million cases of cancer in a single year, with 80 percent of those cancers occurring in the developing world. In 2008 nearly 8,000,000 people died from cancer worldwide, with around 1.5 million of these having got the disease after contracting an infection. This research has been published in the Lancet Oncology journal. The Cancer research facility based in France has commented, “There are cancers that are caused by bacteria, viruses and even parasites. They account for some of the most preventable causes of cancer around the globe. There are public health practices such as safe injections, vaccinations and treatments which can seriously affect the prevalence of these types of cancer.” The research showed that over 15 percent of all cancers were being caused by infection related conditions in 2008. The study also showed how people in the developing world were much more likely to get the disease through this method, about 300 percent more likely. A doctor working on the study, Dr de Martel commented, “Infection related cancer is something that can be entirely preventable. This is especially true with HPV. With appropriate treatment, this type of disease can be entirely prevented and this is something that should be a serious focus for public health.” Programmes are being launched around the world which will vaccinate people against this type of virus to prevent them getting the cancer associated with it. The cancer only affects women and it is estimated that half the cervical is caused by the virus An expert from the University of Leeds has recently stated that the number of cases of osteoarthritis in the country is growing at an alarming rate. Two of the main reasons why this increase is being seen is because people are more obese than they’ve been in the past and this is one of the leading causes of the condition. On a more positive note, more people are developing the disease, simply because they are living longer. The charity Arthritis Care stated that by 2030 the number of cases of osteoarthritis will have probably doubled. Currently there are around 8 million people suffering from the condition in the UK and the study showed that over 70 percent of people suffering from this condition are in constant pain. Around 15 percent of patients described this pain is being unbearable. Prof Conaghan, from the University of Leeds, is an expert in musculoskeletal medicine and he has said that joint related illnesses are becoming an increasing problem for the health service in the country. He commented, “We need to take action immediately to alleviate the problem of painful joints in all patients. It is a myth that joint pain is something that is an inevitable part of old-age, it should stop being looked at as an inevitability, and start being treated properly.” A study that was conducted at the end of last year online took the opinion of 2000 people who suffer from the disease. This study showed that the average age of diagnosis for people was 57 but that increasingly people are being diagnosed with the disease younger. Osteoarthritis is a condition which primarily affects the hips and can make walking painful and challenging. Despite all of the modern medicine available, exercise is still the best treatment for this condition. Researchers say that Aspirin can be just as effective as more expensive drugs such as Warfarin for patients suffering from heart failure. It was found that Aspirin can help prevent the combined risk of strokes, cerebral haemorrhage and death just as effectively as Warfarin. Warfarin users had two times the risk of major bleeding to those on Aspirin although they only had half the risk of suffering a stroke. The research, results of which have been reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, was carried out over ten years by the Columbia University Medical Centre. They studied two thousand patients in eleven countries. Researchers did say that further studies will be necessary. Evidence did suggest that Warfarin could be more effective in stopping the combined outcome of strokes, intracerebral haemorrhage and death.This was discovered in patients who were studied for over four years. Research done previously had found Warfarin to be better for preventing strokes in heart failure patients with atrial fibrillation. This latest research was the biggest study of this kind, ever. People who suffer from heart failure have a greater risk of blood clots which can cause a fatal or disabling stroke. Warfarin thins the blood and Aspirin prevents clotting. This reduces the risk of a blood clot or blockage in a cerebral artery, thus preventing strokes or cerebral haemorrhages. One disadvantage with Warfarin, also known as Coumadin, is that it requires a prescription and the patient must be monitored to check on the blood an also to adjust dosages if necessary. In the study it was found there was no great difference in the effectiveness of both drugs in preventing the combined risks. Heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump enough blood round the body. This happens when the heart muscle is weak or too stiff and cannot work properly. Some of the symptoms of heart failure are excessive tiredness, shortness of breath and swollen legs. Nearly a million people suffer from heart failure in the UK and six million suffer from it in the United States. Scientists developing an implant for the eyes of blind people which will allow them to restore some of their sight have recently stated that initial clinical trials of the device have exceeded their expectations. The technology has recently been tested on British patients for the first time and these microchips have already been capable of providing people with some useful visual assistance within just weeks after surgery. This is going to be great news for people who are suffering from an eye condition called retinitis pigmentosa, a condition which is genetic and will ultimately lead to blindness. The scientists on the study found that after the device was implanted, the patients were already able to see light, and were able to locate bright objects when they were placed against a dark background. As part of the trial, ten people are going to be fitted with the device through collaboration between the University of Oxford and Kings College Hospital. Robert McLaren is the retinal surgeon who is going to be working on the devices and he is also a professor of ophthalmology from Oxford University. Over the next few months, the devices are going to be tested further as it is expected that patient’s vision will improve as they become used to the devices. Clinical trials of this technology have been taking place for the last six years and after this stage it is expected that the device will be commercially approved, assuming everything is successful and the device is proved safe. The NHS is a great universal health care system designed to make sure that everyone has access to health care regardless of their wealth or situation in life; however, it can also be very hard to work with if you or a family member fall ill and want the best care possible. There have been reports of people waiting for hours to see a doctor and it is no secret that the NHS is not the best with specialty cases as you will not find the top doctors in the UK operating out of NHS hospitals. With this in mind, if you want full protection and want to end the burden of attempting to get to get the best treatment possible, you may have better luck turning to private clinics where the emphasis is on you and not speeding your case through. Of course, private hospitals and clinics come with a high price tag attached to them; which is why finding a private health insurance provider is necessary. If you carry a private insurance policy then you can rest assured that a stay at a specialty clinic or private hospital will not break the bank while still receiving the top level of care during a time of illness. For those who think that private health insurance is out of their budget, you may be surprised at the low quotes that you receive from Medical Sure UK, one of the top private health insurance providers in the country. You can simply head to their online website for a safe and secure way to enter your information and find out just how affordable private health care could be for your family. Plans are available on an individual, family, or business basis so there is sure to be one designed to meet your specific needs. One of the benefits of using Medical Sure is that it is an insurance comparison website, so it does the hard work for you when it comes to finding the lowest rates. You could spend hours browsing the internet searching for quotes from all private health care providers, or you could simply head on over to Medical Sure and allow them to look for you in less than sixty seconds in most cases. Medical Sure works with many different providers including More Than, Aviva, Sun Life Direct, Direct Line, More Than, and more to make sure that you get the best package for you. In fact, the comparison website makes it so easy that you would be a fool not to at least take a look and see if there is an affordable plan for you. After all, with private health insurance you will have access to private hospitals, better treatment options, top of the line medical procedures, quicker access to specialists and physicians, and some critical surgeries that are only open to those that have access to private health care. Offer your family the best protection you can and take a look today at the health care you could be receiving. For Medical Sure UK If you are considering having cosmetic surgery, and particularly breast enhancements, one of the hardest decisions is which company to go with. An internet search will bring up so many results you will be bewildered, and all those cheap ones that seem too good to be true probably are. At the end of the day, you want to achieve your desired result and not end up with a disfigurement or ugly scar. The breast enhancement surgery by MYA is considered to be just about the best there is, so they should be your first port of call when looking into cosmetic surgery clinics. John Ryan is a pioneer of cosmetic surgery, and he has brought together a selection of the most skilled and experienced surgeons in the world to form the backbone of MYA, short for Make Yourself Amazing. By bringing his team together, John is responsible for more than 100,000 procedures and his forward thinking attitude led him to be a major part of The Clinic, the ground breaking reality show that aimed to remove the mystery of cosmetic surgery and remove the stigma attached to it. This show gave viewers an unprecedented glimpse in the world of cosmetic surgery and what really goes on. The fact that he was apply to allow the cameras into his clinics and see behind the scenes speaks volumes about the confidence he has in his staff, and the resulting testimonials were exemplary across the board. MYA are specialists in the field of breast enhancement and also offer their clients a full range of both surgical and non surgical procedures. They offer competitive finance packages and have a nationwide network of consultancy centres. The hand picked team of elite cosmetic specialists will provide you with the body you have always dreamed off, and their extensive range of options makes it easier than ever to give you back that body confidence that everyone deserves. Their extensive network of clinics can be found in, among other, Newcastle, Manchester, London, Leeds, Liverpool, Bristol. Glasgow and Cardiff, so there will be one near you. The MYA website in one of the most frequently visited in this field, and this user friendly site will give you all the help and advice that you need to make the informed decision to place yourself in the hands of experts. On the home page you can find the clinic closest to where you live in a matter of seconds, and the site is also packed with the likes of testimonials, forums and a detailed and comprehensive list of the procedures they undertake. You only have one body, and cosmetic surgery is simply a way of making it look its best. There are a hundred and one reasons why a woman seeks out a cosmetic surgeon, and you owe it to yourself to get the best treatment possible for your surgery. Save yourself a lot of time and effort by not bothering to look around the other websites and go straight to the best; MYA. Guest Post for MYA Millions of us are given local or general anaesthetic every day of the week for all manner of surgical procedures. One of the most common is laser eye surgery, used to correct both near and far sightedness as well as astigmatism. While this is considered to be a simple, run of the mill procedure, there are laser eye surgery risks you should be aware of if you are considering undergoing this kind of surgery. Whilst this procedure usually carries a short recovery period and is often considered to be risk free, there really is no such thing where surgery is concerned. The major risk of laser eye surgery is post-operative infection. This prolongs the recovery period and also increases the level of post-operative discomfort, but the statistics show us that only 0.1% of patients will suffer from this. Another post-operative condition, which is even rarer, is the onset of corneal haze. This is where an abnormal amount of scar tissue develops during the cornea’s healing process, and could actually lead to worse vision than before the operation. Extreme corneal haze occurs in very isolated cases, and causes serious problems with vision, and as the quality of the eyesight is so greatly reduced it can lead to a second operation. Another risk is the possibility of under or over correction, due to no fault of the surgeon. The unpredictability of how the cornea will heal is the cause of this, and if this occurs, patients are more likely to choose to wear glasses or contact lenses than undergo another procedure where the risk of worsening the eyesight even more is elevated. Another of the rarer risks associated with laser eye surgery is regression, this where the initial result is positive but within a short period of time the result fade and the patient is back to square one. Another one is the so called ‘halo effect’, where the vision is distorted and that is more noticeable when the light is dim. A layer of the peripheral cornea that is untreated creates a second, faded image or effects that lead to impaired night vision. Laser surgery does a great job, and has helped to improve the sight of millions, but it isn’t flawless and accepting that is carries risks is a way of preparing yourself for the worst scenario rather than believing it is an infallible, miracle cure. Older patients in particular should expect that while their vision may be improved, they will not regain the 20/20 vision they enjoyed in their youth and the best they can realistically get is to only use glasses for reading. Although it can’t be classed as a risk, patients who undergo laser eye surgery should be ready for disruption in their every day life if they are having one eye done at a time. It is dependent on what the surgery is to correct whether or not you have to have one done at time or both together, and those who have had the former report the likes of driving to be particularly difficult until they have had their second operation. Guest Article Nature, the science journal, has recently published two papers about the bird flu virus and how it has been enhanced in laboratories to make it more deadly. Some people have described the articles as a recipe for someone who wants to create a biological weapon. Experts in biological security have stated that these articles potentially give people the blueprint to create a virus that is far more dangerous than the original bird flu. One reason why bird flu is not hugely problematic for people is because it cannot be spread by coughing or sneezing. However, if a person does get the disease then it can be deadly. There is an ongoing battle about whether the paper should be published as some people see it as a form of censorship for it to be blocked. However, the argument for blocking it could be strong as it would be seen as protecting the safety of the public. The disease is currently only spread from birds to humans and it is possible that with the genetic mutations mentioned in the study that the disease can be spread on a much easier way and therefore would be able to kill far more people. A professor of virology in Hong Kong has stated, “People tend to think that because bird flu has not yet made the jump to human to human transmission that it will never be possible. This paper simply shows that this sort of change can happen. It doesn’t mean that we are going to be faced with a very dangerous pandemic, but it does show that this disease can have more serious implications than we are currently aware of.” Most people agree that the paper does serve a general public health use, but that it also poses a potential security risk. A study in the Netherlands has discovered that taking a daily dose of Aspirin can cut the chances of dying from bowel cancer by thirty percent. Patients already diagnosed with the disease who then started taking a daily dose for nine months or more, reduced the likelihood of them dying by nearly a third. Compared with not taking the drug at all, taking it for any length of time reduced the risk of dying by twenty three percent. The research was led by Dr. Gerrit-Jan Liefers who said that his team at Leiden University Medical Centre had shown how the use of this simple, cheap drug could have “profound clinical implications.” They looked at the cases of four and a half thousand patients diagnosed with bowel cancer between 1998 and 2007. Of these, half took the drug before and after diagnosis, a quarter took it only after diagnosis and the other quarter did not take it at all. The results have been published in the Cancer Research UK-owned magazine, the British Journal of Cancer. The executive director of policy and information at Cancer Research, Sarah Lyness, said that although this was good news, there were still some concerns about side-effects. The research could be welcome news for more elderly patients with other health problems meaning they would not be able to have chemotherapy. The disease is more prevalent in elderly people so this could be a breakthrough in the treatment of this group of patients. So the next task for Dr. Gerrit-Jan Liefers and his team at Leiden University is a study on the over seventy years-old age group. This will take the form of a randomised controlled trial. The study is due to start later this year. |
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