Healthwise

For previous articles in the healthwise series visit 'More Healthwise' 

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. 

DIABETES RISK

People taking high doses of statins may have an increased risk of developing diabetes.

Around 200,000 people in England take 80mg or more of simvastatin or atorvastatin every day, often as a cholesterol lowering medication.

According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, this level of dosage can increase the chance of developing Type 2 diabetes by 12 per cent over five years, compared to people taking only a moderate dose of statins (ie less than 40 mg a day).

However, it was noted that the benefits of high dose statins could still outweigh the risks.

EARLY DETECTION GALL BLADDER CANCER

Gall bladder cancer is fairly rare but when diagnosed has a high mortality rate.

Now researchers at the University of Granada have discovered that a new type of scanning method allows early diagnosis which could lead to improved treatment.

A new and complex metabolic imagining diagnosis technique based on the analysis of glucose gives excellent results offering a significant improvement over other imaging methods and enabling more accurate diagnosis to be made.

DISTURBED SLEEP

Hospital pillows are riddled with 30 different bugs that can cause infections such as MRSA and clostridium difficile.

According to a report from Barts and the London NHS Trust, the risk from dirty pillows in hospitals has been greatly underestimated. And while nurses have to regularly wash their hands and disinfect bed frames and mattresses, pillows have not received the same attention and bugs are being passed on to new patients.

DRUGS TESTS FOR OVER 65s

The Royal College of Psychiatrists has suggested that all over 65 year olds should be screened by their doctor for signs of drug and alcohol abuse.

They say older people can easily become dependent on drink or prescription medicines, especially after major changes in life such as retirement, illness or bereavement.

The Royal College say that screening should be included in the routine health checks for the over 65s

BENEFITS OF FRANKINCENSE

Scientists at Cardiff University have examined the potential benefits of frankincense to help relieve the painful symptoms of arthritis with good results.

They say they have been able to demonstrate that treatment with an extract of Boswellia frereana, a fairly rare type of frankincense, helps prevent the breakdown of cartilage tissue which causes the condition.

HIGH TECH HEARING AIDS

New software has been developed that could revolutionise the diagnosis and treatment of hearing impairments.

Researchers at the University of Essex said that current hearing aids don’t do enough to help separate sounds, they just amplify them, and this does not help many people in social situations such as parties or where there is constant background noise.

The team has been working on “hearing dummies” that are carefully calibrated so that they address individual situations and sound interference.

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