Research & Lifestyle
Adverse Drug Reactions
Posted on 04/06/2008
According to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association written by a team led by Bruce Pomeranz, adverse drug reactions (ADR) have become the USA's fourth-biggest killer. The results of 39 studies of adverse drug reactions suggest that they could affect as many as 2.2 million hospital patients a year, causing 106,000 deaths. This is equivalent to 4.6 per cent of all recorded deaths. An average 6.7% of all hospitalised patients experience an ADR every year, according to the investigators. And these incidence figures are probably conservative, the researchers add, since their ADR definition did not include patient outcomes linked to errors in drug administration, overdoses, drug abuse and therapeutic failures. Another US study has estimated that the overall cost of treating ADRs is up to $4 billion per year.
Laughing It Off
Posted on 04/06/2008
A dose of comedy taken daily for four weeks has been found to significantly reduce the symptoms of depression. Some of the patients who were told to spend 30 minutes a day listening to therapeutic tapes of comedians were cured, while others found that the severity of their symptoms had been halved. Laughter has previously been found to boost the immune system, increase natural disease-fighting killer cells and lower blood pressure, as well as having a beneficial effect on conditions as diverse as cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. One group of researchers has reported that skin reactions triggered by allergies were significantly reduced among patients after they watched a Charlie Chaplin film, while another team found that people who don"t have a sense of humour are more at risk of heart disease. Physical laughter has been found to trigger the release of endorphins, the body"s natural painkillers, and produce a general sense of well-being. One study found that laughing during a 60-minute humorous video decreased blood cortisol levels and increased natural killer activity in a healthy audience.
Bring Me Sunshine
Posted on 04/06/2008
Sunshine has had a bad press recently. However a new study shows that insufficient exposure to ultraviolet radiation may be an important risk factor for cancer in western Europe and North America. When US mortality rates for cancer were examined, it was found that a range of cancers of the digestive and reproductive systems in New England were close to double those in the south west US, despite only minor variations in dietary habits. Looking at 506 different regions of the US it was found that there was a close inverse correlation between cancer mortality and levels of ultraviolet B light. It is suggested that the protective effect of sunlight is a stimulus to the body to synthesise vitamin D. The strongest correlation with lack of sunlight was found with cancers of the breast, colon, and ovaries.
Forty Winks
Posted on 04/06/2008
The metabolic and endocrine hormonal changes resulting from sleep deprivation have a similar impact on the body to the ageing process and may increase the severity of age-related chronic disorders such as heart disease and diabetes, according to researchers at the US Department of Medicine in Chicago. Over the last hundred years, the average number of hours people spend asleep per night in the more developed countries has decreased from nine hours to seven-and-a-half hours. It is thought eight hours is the amount of sleep the average person requires for the body to be fully rested.
Exercise and Health
Posted on 04/06/2008
Walking is as effective as more vigorous exercise, for example running, in reducing the risk of heart attack and strokes for women. A study of 73,743 post-menopausal women from 50 to 79 years of age in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study, found that brisk walking for about two and a half hours a week reduced the risk of heart disease and stroke by about one-third, whilst prolonged sitting increased the risk. (N Engl J Med 2002; 347:716-725).
Smoking and Fertility
Posted on 16/05/2008
Both active and passive smoking have been shown to significantly increase female and male infertility, as well as the incidence of early spontaneous abortion, preterm labour, ectopic pregnancy, multiple pregnancy, poor embryo...
International Agency plans to call nightwork a probable Carcinogen
Posted on 16/05/2008
The International Agency for Research on Cancer plans to categorize overnight shift work as a probable carcinogen, according to the Associated Press. The AP says the agency will make the change in December, and the American Cancer...
Cancer and Exercise
Posted on 16/05/2008
Although doctors normally advise cancer patients to rest, a study carried out at the Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre found that light exercise (walking) can improve overall health. Of 123 cancer patients, one third were asked to...
Leukaemia and the Immune System
Posted on 16/05/2008
The Chinese medicine approach to the treatment of cancer has always emphasised that supporting the vital energy (qi) is as important as attacking the cancer. This view has been confirmed by research carried out at the Royal Free...
Shiatsu and Cancer
Posted on 16/05/2008
1. Shin YH, Kim TI, Shin MS, Juon HS. Effect of Acupressure on Nausea and Vomiting During Chemotherapy Cycle for Korean Post-Operative Cancer Patients. Cancer Nursing, 2004; 27(4):267-74. Despite the development of effective...
