Study reveals financial impact of stroke

A new study has revealed the financial impact of having a stroke.

Scientists at King's College London questioned 799 patients to shed light on the challenges faced by stroke survivors.

Nearly a fifth of respondents said they had suffered a loss of income since their stroke, while 33 per cent said their outgoings had increased as a result of expenses such as extra domestic heating or having to make adaptations to their home.

More than half of patients who were employed at the time of their stroke said they had been forced to reduce their hours or give up work entirely.

The survey also revealed that almost half of respondents were not getting any support of help with their problems.

Joe Korner, communications director at the Stroke Association, which commissioned the research, said: 'This report paints a bleak picture of stroke survivors struggling to make ends meet.

'We know that many people have to give up work and go on benefits to survive hand-to-mouth, so it's distressing to find out that, despite the progress made in improving stroke provision in recent years, people aren't getting the support they need.'

According to the Stroke Association, about a third of people who have a stroke make a good recovery within a month, but most are left with long-term problems.
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Don't overlook that presistent cough

People should not ignore a persistent cough or chest infection, as it could be a sign of something more serious, pharmacists have warned.

Graham Phillips, community pharmacist and board member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said that anyone who is repeatedly buying cough medicines or iron tablets for tiredness should ask their pharmacist for advice.

'We can discuss your symptoms with you and help you understand you may have an underlying problem that needs checking out with your GP,' he explained.

Mr Philips also emphasised the importance of recognising the key symptoms of lung cancer, after a survey by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society uncovered poor levels of awareness.

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in the UK, with nearly 40,000 people diagnosed with the disease in 2007, but many people do not know the possible signs of symptoms.

Only 33 per cent of respondents identified having a cough as a warning sign, while just 11 per cent specifically mentioned a persistent cough.

Other key symptoms of lung cancer include breathlessness, breathing difficulties, wheezing, blood in the phlegm, coughing up blood, chest or lung pain, and weight loss.

The vast majority of survey respondents (92 per cent) recognised the importance of detecting cancer at an early stage, when it is usually much easier to treat.

However, 66 per cent admitted they would probably assume some of the key symptoms of lung cancer were merely signs of a bad cold or cough.
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Pioneering therapy to treat high blood pressure

Australian scientists are testing a new minimally invasive treatment for persistent high blood pressure (hypertension).

The procedure uses radio waves, which are applied to nerves leading into and out of the kidneys via a catheter.

The energy emitted by the catheter device is used to silence the sympathetic nerves, which play a 'crucial' role in the elevation of blood pressure, according to principal investigator Professor Markus Schlaich, from the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne.

He revealed: 'This study proves they can be specifically targeted with our novel approach.

'Renal denervation is a safe, quick and minimally invasive procedure that leads to a substantial and sustained blood pressure reduction without major side effects.'

The research team have published results from their first trial of the technique in the Lancet medical journal.

A total of 106 patients in Europe and Australia took part in the trial, which found that the procedure brought about an average blood pressure reduction of 33/11 mmHg, compared with patients who did not have the treatment.

The vast majority of patients (84 per cent) experienced a reduction in systolic blood pressure of at least 10 mmHg and there were no serious side-effects.

According to previous research, reducing systolic blood pressure by just 5 mmHg can reduce the risk of stroke by almost 30 per cent.

Chief investigator Professor Murray Esler, associate director of cardiovascular neurosciences at Baker IDI, claimed that the new procedure 'has the potential to become a truly revolutionary treatment with the scope to significantly impact the standard of care for the large number of patients suffering from uncontrolled blood pressure'.

Professor Graham MacGregor, chairman of the Blood Pressure Association, described the research as 'exciting' but said that more research is needed to see how safe and effective the therapy is in the long term.

'Most people won't need to undergo such invasive treatment as, for the majority, high blood pressure can be successfully controlled through prescribed medicines and a healthier lifestyle,' he added.
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Blood test may predict risk of heart failure

US scientists have developed a blood test that could help to identify older people with a high risk of developing heart failure.

The test detects a protein called troponin T, which leaks into the blood when heart cells are damaged.

Scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine used the test on 4,221 over-65s, none of whom had a history of heart failure.

Participants had their levels of troponin T measured at the start of the study and again after two or three years.

Over the next 11.8 years, 1,279 of the participants were diagnosed with heart failure and 1,103 died from cardiovascular causes.

The researchers found that those who had detectable levels of troponin T at their two or three-year follow-up were more likely to develop heart failure or die from cardiovascular causes than those with undetectable levels.

Writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study authors claimed that the blood test detected troponin T in almost all patients with chronic heart failure or heart disease 'and provides independent prognostic information with respect to heart failure admission and cardiovascular death in these patients'.

Professor Jeremy Pearson, associated medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said that the findings were interesting.

He added: 'Further studies are needed to determine whether this test can be used successfully to help intervention and treatment of heart failure, and ultimately reduce future risk.'
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New drug to reduce clot risk in patients with irregular heartbeat

Patients with an irregular heartbeat may benefit from a new drug, which appears to be better than the standard treatment warfarin at cutting the risk of stroke and blood clots.

A clinical trial involving more than 14,000 patients has revealed that rivaroxaban reduced the risk of stroke and blood clots by an extra fifth, compared to warfarin.

The research was carried out by scientists at the University of Edinburgh and Duke University in North Carolina.

It suggests that thousands of Britons with an irregular heartbeat could benefit from taking the drug instead of warfarin.

Keith Fox, British Heart Foundation professor of cardiology at the University of Edinburgh, presented the research at the American Heart Association conference in Chicago.

He said: 'Our study showed that rivaroxaban is simpler to administer and patients taking it have fewer strokes and blood clots.

'We now have an effective alternative to warfarin for patients with irregular heart beats and one that reduces complications and is easier to administer.'

Professor Peter Weissberg, the British Heart Foundation's medical director, revealed that around 800,000 people in the UK have atrial fibrillation, which causes about one in seven first-time strokes.

'This important study adds rivaroxaban to the increasing list of new drugs that seem to be at least as good as warfarin, the current standard therapy to prevent strokes in atrial fibrillation,' he said.
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Southampton hospital reveals rise in Rickets

The bone disease rickets could be affecting more than a fifth of children, medics have warned.

Researchers at Southampton General Hospital checked more than 200 local children for signs of bone problems caused by a lack of vitamin D.

Professor Nicholas Clarke, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the hospital, and colleague Dr Justin Davies, a consultant paediatric endocrinologist, found that more than 20 per cent of the youngsters were affected - a discovery Professor Clarke admits was 'astonishing'.

Rickets is caused by a deficiency in vitamin D and is becoming more common as a result of children eating a poor diet and not getting enough sunlight.

Commenting on the findings, Professor Clarke said: 'In my 22 years at Southampton General Hospital, this is a completely new occurrence in the south that has evolved over the last 12 to 24 months.'

The professor revealed that the problem is affecting children from all socioeconomic backgrounds, despite the fact that the disease was once associated with poverty.

According to the NHS, rickets is most likely to affect children with dark skin, as they need more sunlight to get enough vitamin D.
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Vapour rubs improve sleep in children with colds

Children with cold symptoms may sleep more easily if they are treated with a vapour rub before bedtime, a new study in Paediatrics journal shows.

Scientists at Penn State College of Medicine found that vapour rubs help to treat children with night-time coughs and congestion, as well as improving sleep for young cold sufferers.

A total of 138 children, aged two to 11, took part in the study, all of whom were suffering from coughing, congestion and poor sleep.

Participants were treated before bedtime with Vicks VapoRub, petroleum jelly or no treatment.

Parents whose children received the vapour rub typically reported less frequent and less severe coughing, less congestion and improved sleep compared to those whose children received petroleum jelly or no treatment.

Researcher Dr Ian Paul, associate professor of paediatrics and public health sciences at Penn State, commented: 'Safe and effective, evidence-based treatments are desperately needed by parents and healthcare providers for children.

'The results of this study suggest that an old, commonly used remedy is effective at providing symptomatic relief from night-time cold symptoms with the added benefit of improving sleep for children with colds and their parents.'

NHS figures show that the average child experiences between three and eight colds a year, as a child's immune system is not fully developed and is therefore less able to fight common infections than an adult's.
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Health information websites save NHS money

Websites that provide reliable health information are saving the NHS millions of pounds a year, new research shows.

A study by scientists at Imperial College London found that 70 per cent of patients use the internet to search for health information.

The research also revealed that a third of people who log on to the NHS website do not feel the need to book a GP appointment afterwards.

This could be saving the NHS up to £44 million a year, the researchers say.

Bristol GP Knut Schroeder said: 'The internet is a great resource for health-related information, as long as people can use sources they can trust and rely on.'

Dr Schroeder revealed that many of his patients use websites to look up health-related information, such as symptoms or medical conditions.

'As a result, they are often better informed and are in a better position to use health services more appropriately,' he added.

Health minister Simon Burns said that the internet is increasingly being used in relation to health and that people must be able to find 'accurate, trusted information'.

A recent survey by consumer watchdog Which? revealed that patients are keen to have a personalised health information website from a trusted source.
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UK organ transplants reach record high

A record 3,706 transplants were carried out in the UK last year, marking a five per cent increase over the previous year.

The number of cornea transplants has risen by 12 per cent, while kidney transplants were up by eight per cent.

Figures from NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) also show that the number of deceased organ donors rose to a record high of 959, while the number of living donors increased by seven per cent to 1,061.

Sally Johnson, director of organ donation and transplantation at NHSBT, said that she is 'delighted' that more lives have been saved.

'We have made huge improvements to the way we work in hospitals and in promoting the overwhelming need for organs and I am glad these changes are reaping real rewards with so many lives saved,' she commented.

'But there is more we must do if we are to save the three people a day who are currently dying due to lack of a suitable organ.'

The report also shows that the number of people on the organ donor register has risen by six per cent, from 16,124,871 at the end of March 2009 to 17,077,105 at the end of March 2010.

However, Ms Johnson said that more must be done to promote the importance of organ donation, as the number of patients waiting for a transplant rose by two per cent between March 2009 and March 2010.

She added that people can help by signing up to the NHS Organ Donor Register and letting their families know their views on donation.

A spokeswoman for the British Heart Foundation described the increase in the number of transplants as 'very exciting'.

But she added that the system could be transformed by introducing an opt-out policy, whereby people would automatically be placed on the organ donor register unless they chose not to be.
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Study suggests new stroke drug target

US scientists have shed light on the brain's limited ability to recover after a stroke and uncovered a possible new therapy to aid neurological recovery.

When a person suffers a stroke, chemicals are released that 'dampen down' the activity of brain cells so that the spread of damage is limited.

However, this state - known as 'tonic inhibition' - persists for weeks and actually becomes detrimental to the brain's recovery.

Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Otago in New Zealand have now shown that it is possible to switch off this response and promote recovery in mice.

Dr Tom Carmichael, associate professor of neurology at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine, commented: 'It was surprising to find that the level of tonic inhibition was increased for so long after stroke and that there was an inflection point where the increased level eventually hindered the brain from recovering.

'It was also surprising that we could easily manipulate tonic inhibition in the brain after stroke to restore it back to a normal 'non-stroke' level and, in doing this, enhance behavioural recovery.'

Dr Andrew Clarkson, a research fellow at the University of Otago and a co-author on the Nature paper, added that the advance also provides hope for patients with traumatic head injuries.

He explained: 'The brain mechanisms of repair are similar so there is potential for this to work for them too.'

The researchers now hope to continue their studies in the laboratory before moving to clinical trials in humans.
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