'Alternative cancer therapies' may increase your risk of death
Conclusion
The results and conclusions of this study are clear: people who choose conventional treatments for cancer (such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and hormone treatments) are likely to live longer than those who choose alternative medicine only.
It's rare for people to choose to ignore conventional treatment completely when faced with a cancer diagnosis. More often, people choose to add complementary therapies to their conventional cancer treatment. This study doesn't apply to people combining conventional and complementary therapies.
There are some limitations to the study to be aware of:
As an observati...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 16, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Source Type: news
'Fat but fit' people may still be at risk of heart disease
Conclusion
This large, valuable study confirms that – as has long been thought – an increased BMI is linked with an increased risk of heart disease.
It shows that people with an obese BMI had a higher risk of heart disease, even if they didn't have other risk factors like high cholesterol and high blood pressure, proving that body fat is an independent risk factor.
That said, this study does have some limitations. For example, definitions of being metabolically unhealthy aren't entirely consistent with other definitions of metabolic syndrome.
This was also only assessed at the start of the study, and risk factors may...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 15, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Obesity Source Type: news
Reports that antibacterials in pregnancy are 'harmful' unfounded
Conclusion
This experimental study in mice demonstrates the ability of TCC, a substance found in some antibacterial soaps, to transfer from mother to baby across the placenta and through breast milk. Moreover, this had signs of developmental effects on new-born mice, reducing brain size. It also increased body weight, which was associated with poorer fat metabolism in the female mice.
This research adds to the body of research suggesting that triclocarban, like the antiseptic triclosan, has potentially harmful effects and should not be used in consumer products.
However, the study was carried out on mice and they are not ...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 14, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Pregnancy/child Source Type: news
Gene editing brings pig organ transplant closer
Conclusion
This promising research shows that it can be possible to use gene editing techniques to eliminate retroviruses from pigs, removing one of the potential barriers to using genetically modified pigs as organ donors for humans.
There are a few points to note. As the researchers say, though they have shown that pig retroviruses can be passed onto human cells in the laboratory, we don't know what the effects would be in real life. We don't know whether pig retroviruses would be transferred to humans and whether they could cause cancers or immunodeficiency illnesses, for example.
The research is at an early stage. The ...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 11, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Genetics/stem cells Source Type: news
Vitamin B3 found in Marmite not proven to prevent miscarriage
Conclusion
This early-stage laboratory research has pinpointed two potential genes that might be responsible for some miscarriages and birth defects.
As well as identifying a problem, the researchers also managed to find a solution: the effect of these genes can be combatted by increasing vitamin B3 intake.
But treating a very specific and uncommon cause of birth defects in mice is certainly not a sure-fire solution to "significantly reduce the number of miscarriages and birth defects around the world".
We need future research to see if the same effect would happen in humans.
Also, three of the four children inc...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 10, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Pregnancy/child Source Type: news
Saliva 'may speed healing' but 'kissing it better' probably won't
Conclusion
This complex study helps us understand the biological mechanisms behind wound healing in the mouth and the role of saliva in promoting wound healing. As well as keeping the mouth moist and reducing levels of harmful bacteria, saliva contains a protein that encourages the movement of cells in ways that help wounds to heal.
It's possible this might lead to the development of new wound-healing treatments in future; however, this study didn't look at future uses – it simply helps us better understand how the body heals itself.
Before any new treatment could be developed, further studies in cell lines and in animal...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 10, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Pregnancy/child Source Type: news
'Exercise pill' could potentially help people with heart failure
Conclusion
The protein hCT1 caused heart muscles to grow in a more healthy way in rodents with heart failure. When treatment stopped, the heart went back to its original condition – something that does not happen when the heart grows in a dysfunctional way.
There is currently no cure for heart failure and treatment is only available for keeping symptoms under control. Therefore, this very promising early-stage research with potential for developing a drug for people with heart failure, has huge implications.
However, it is important to remember that as this is experimental laboratory research, there are many more stage...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 9, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Source Type: news
Software used to screen social media photos for depression signs
Conclusion
This study suggests that a computer algorithm could be used to help screen for depression more accurately than GPs – using Instagram images.
But there are several limitations that need to be considered when analysing the results:
As only people with a CES-D score of between 16 and 22 (on a scale of 0-60) were included, this is likely to have ruled out those with moderate to severe depression.
There were a small number of participants.
Selection bias will have skewed the results – it only includes people who like to use Instagram and are willing to allow researchers access to all of their posts.
...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 8, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Mental health Source Type: news
Alcohol linked to an increased risk of skin cancer
Conclusion
These findings should be interpreted with care before concluding that an alcoholic drink per day increases your risk of skin cancer.
There are several important cautions:
These are only observational studies. It wouldn't be possible to randomise people to different alcohol intake and follow them to look at cancer development. And with observational studies, many other health, sociodemographic and lifestyle factors may be influencing the link between alcohol intake and cancer development. The studies differed considerably in terms of the influencing factors they took account of, with some adjusting for various...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 7, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Source Type: news
Diabetes drug may be helpful for Parkinson's disease
Conclusion
This research shows some interesting early findings, though the magnitude of effect was very small compared to the improvements in symptoms with current dopaminergic drugs. The study was well conducted but did have some limitations:
The number of people taking part was quite small. This may have meant it was hard to detect any other benefits or harms of taking the drug other than the effects on motor scores.
The period of time people were given the drug and followed up meant that longer-term effects could not be measured.
The benefit of the drug observed so far might not be big enough to make a differen...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 4, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Neurology Source Type: news
Gene editing used to repair diseased genes in embryos
Conclusion
Currently, genetically-inherited conditions like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy cannot be cured, only managed to reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death. For couples where one partner carries the mutated gene, the only option to avoid passing it onto their children is pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. This involves using IVF to create embryos, then testing a cell of the embryo to see whether it carries the healthy or mutated version of the gene. Embryos with healthy versions of the gene are then selected for implantation in the womb.
Problems arise if too few or none of the embryos have the correct version of the...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 3, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Genetics/stem cells Source Type: news
Kitchen sponges may be a 'bacteria hotspot' – but no need to worry
Conclusion
There's no need to panic about the results of this study. Bacteria are everywhere, so it's no surprise to find them growing in kitchens. The researchers say sponges, being porous and usually damp, represent ideal conditions for bacteria to grow.
The study found that one of the most dominant types of bacteria came from the Moraxella family. These bacteria are often found on human skin, so it's likely they got onto the sponges from people's hands. Moraxella are also linked to the unpleasant smell sometimes found after laundry has taken longer to dry, so they seem to be common in the household environment.
The s...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 3, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Source Type: news
Could discovery of 'fat switch' cure obesity?
Conclusion
This early-stage research suggests there is potentially a mechanism by which energy expenditure and storage is controlled in normal-weight mice versus obese mice.
Removing a protein called hypothalamic TCPTP, which acts as the "switch" for fat storage, promoted weight loss in obese mice.
This might give us some insight into how weight loss could be promoted in obese humans by turning this switch off.
But at this stage, this is just a hypothesis – we can't assume the same is true for humans. Many therapies and procedures that appear promising at the outset aren't always successful in humans.
Given t...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 2, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Obesity Source Type: news
More older adults 'may benefit from taking statins,' study reports
Conclusion
The study was an interesting analysis of how many more people in England could be eligible to receive statins than those currently receiving them.
It didn't make any recommendations about acting on these findings. The study was also unable to follow people over time to see whether statins might have made a difference.
And the study did have some limitations:
Because it only looked at people at one point in time, we don't know whether the people who were considered at risk of CVD actually went on to develop it.
The researchers were only able to use one year of data from HSE, as this was the only year that...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 1, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Source Type: news
Calls for GPs to offer HIV screening in high-risk areas
Conclusion
The results of this study suggest it seems to be cost-effective to screen new patients for HIV when they register at a GP practice in areas where HIV is particularly prevalent.
This conclusion is based on projections making use of a wide range of data from the UK, and making certain assumptions about HIV prevalence over time and the behaviour of people who've been newly diagnosed with HIV.
The researchers used good methods, and their recommendation to roll out screening in areas where there are high rates of HIV is consistent with current National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
Stud...
Source: NHS News Feed - July 31, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medical practice Source Type: news
