Healthwise

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NEWS AND VIEWS FROM THE WORLD OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH

We should all be delighted at the advances now being made by scientists, researchers and the medical profession. For 2011 we continue to highlight some of the latest developments in health and medicine. 

Electrical treatment

A new treatment suggests that tiny bursts of electricity can be used to reawaken paralyzed muscles to improve the abilities of people with incomplete spinal cord injuries.

According to the journal Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, researchers in Toronto lead by Dr Popovic tested the new therapy on a group of inpatients who could not grasp objects. The treatment involved low-intensity electrical pulses generated by a pocket-sized electric stimulator and, after just a few weeks, the level of improvement in the test group was three times better than that achieved by current treatments.

Artificial salt

Food researchers at the University of Nottingham have found that compounds called dextrans can trick the brain into thinking food is saltier than it is.

The team found that high concentrations of certain dextran molecules increase the sensation of saltiness and suggest that this could be used by manufacturers to help cut down the amount of salt in pre-prepared meals.

Health experts are keen for people to reduce their salt intake because it can raise blood pressure leading to increased risk of heart disease and strokes.

Mobile phone usage

Scientists at the University of Manchester say that the radio frequency we receive when using our mobile phones does not appear to increase the risk of developing brain cancers.

The team, lead by Dr Frank de Vocht, said their study looked at changes in the incidences of brain cancers between1998 and 2007, a period when the use of mobile phones was increasing, and found there was no evidence of any significant increase in brain cancers.

They say that there is no plausible biological mechanism for radio waves to damage our genes directly and that their findings indicate that a causal link between mobile phones and cancer is unlikely.

New anti-infection treatment for hip operations

A new and cheap technique could significantly reduce the infection rate following knee and hip joint replacement surgery.

Rush University Medical Centre in America has completed a study which showed that using betadine prior to surgical closure nearly eliminated early deep post-operative infection. Betadine is a proven antiseptic that is already used in hospitals across the world.

For the specific use after knee and hip joint replacement surgery, study author Dr. Craig Della Valle said: “Betadine is safe, inexpensive and simple to use. It is readily available within most operating rooms and in addition, it is effective on many types of bacteria including methicillin resistant MRSA.”

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