Healthwise    September 2009      

Healthwise is a regular column written especially for laterlife.com members and visitors. Welcome to healthwise 114.

For previous articles in the healthwise series visit 'more healthwise'

 NEWS AND VIEWS

 Laser help for macular degeneration

Age related macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of blindness in the over 60s in the western world. Around 200,000 people in Britain alone are currently registered as blind or partially sighted because of it.

Now a surgeon at King’s College in London has developed a laser technique that he says can delay the onset of this problem. Professor John Marshall, a senior ophthalmologist at the college, said he hoped the treatment would be available within two to five years.

Genetic reasons for requiring less sleep

Researchers at the University of California have identified a gene mutation that appears to be at least partly responsible for letting some people be happy and active on a lot less sleep than the usual eight hours.

The researchers have identified an “awake” gene that helps identify why some people are genetically programmed to survive on less than six hours’ rest a night.

Out of the frying pan and into the hospitals

New uses are being found for Teflon, the material used to give frying pans their non-stick coating.

A surgeon in a Coventry hospital has used the material on a patient suffering from a collapsed windpipe. He used the Teflon to repair and rebuild the windpipe with excellent results; a first in the country.

Cannabis may help prostate cancer sufferers

New research published in the British Journal of Cancer suggests that the active chemicals in cannabis are able to slow prostate cancer cell growth.

The laboratory study was based largely on cells, but it supports a growing body of evidence which is suggesting that the active agents in cannabis, cannabinoids, may have a role to play in halting the growth of tumour cells.

There is still a lot of research to be completed on the mechanisms of how cannabinoids work on prostate cancer cells, and effective treatments also need to be developed so that the psychoactive side-effects commonly associated with cannabis use are eliminated.

Milk helps fight heart disease

Scientists at the University of Reading and University of Cardiff have found that people who drink a pint of milk a day have a greatly reduced chance of contracting cardiovascular disease.

The researchers found that drinking more than half a litre of milk a day (just under a pint) reduces the chances of suffering heart attacks and strokes by up to a fifth.

Professor Ian Givens, a nutritionist at the University of Reading and co-author of the study, said it is believed that proteins in the milk help reduce blood pressure which in turns reduces stress on the heart and blood vessels. The study also showed the incidence of diabetes was reduced by between four and nine per cent and colon cancer rates were also lowered among those who drank milk.

If in any doubt about any of the information covered in healthwise articles and it's relevance for you, consult your GP.

IN THE PREVIOUS EDITION

Fight against macular degeneration
New technique could prevent millions from going blind in their senior years

The taste of low BP
Vegetables high in certain chemicals could have a beneficial effect on blood pressure.

Beware those walking sticks
Your walking stick could become a hazard instead of a help!

Better cancer treatment
A new way to treat cancer has been unveiled by a group of scientists in Australia

Working out
A new study says older people should do specific exercises to build muscle well into their eighties.

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