Ra 4 Food - Health and Nutritional Tips

Girls from the age of 12 are now being inoculated against the virus responsible for cervical cancer. The nationwide schools programme has hit a series of controversies throughout its development and inception, and now parents are refusing to consent to the vaccine.

After the launch of the Government’s campaign to raise awareness, families have complained about the amount of information available prior to the start of the inoculation programme, and they are highly critical of the lack of consultation over the scheme.

The National Confederation of Parent Teachers Associations spokesperson, Margaret Morrissey said: “There certainly hasn’t been any parent consultation with organisations, as far as I’m aware.”

A target of around 600,000 girls will be vaccinated, followed by a catch-up schedule for older teenagers. The intent is to provide protection against strains of the human papilloma virus (HPV). This virus is believed to precede 70% of cervical cancer cases.

Produced by GlaxoSmithKline, the drug ‘Cervarix’ prompts the immune system to make antibodies against HPV types 16 and 18. Clinical trials proved it’s effectiveness in preventing the diseases in females aged 10 to 14, and women 15 to 25 years of age. The vaccine, however is not guaranteed to provide protection against HPV in everyone who has it, nor will it protect against other sexually transmitted infections. The vaccine is also less effective in teenagers who are already sexually active, and those who have an existing HPV infection.

Despite statistics revealing that more than 1000 women die of the disease every year, the Government’s choice of vaccine is considered dubious by some. Information about the vaccine ‘Cervarix’ is unclear. Jackie Fletcher from Jabs, an immunisation advisory group said: “There is a number of questions we want answered, such as how will the vaccine affect prepubescent girls? There have been only very limited trials. A large number of adverse reactions was reported in the US for the drug they use, such as collapsing, seizures and paralysis.”

Published side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain, itching, hives, joint pain, and fever. In rare cases (occurring in less than 1 per 100), the vaccine can cause upper respiratory tract infection, dizziness, tingling or

numbness at the injection site. Even with these figures, around 6000 of the inoculation candidates will suffer an adverse reaction to the vaccine.

Further criticism of the Government’s choice relates to the alternative vaccination, Gardasil. Campaigners have accused the Government of penny pinching for not choosing the Gardasil vaccine, which has been proven to give greater protection against HPV. A third of parents who have not allowed their daughters to receive the jab are concerned over the long-term safety of the jab.

Other parents are worried about the message implied with the vaccination. The debate about whether the jab will promote flippancy amongst teenagers, reduce the uptake of smear testing, reduce worries of sexually transmitted diseases, and dilute ‘safe sex’ messages continues.

B-vitamin deficiency may be responsible for vascular cognitive impairment, according to a study published in Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences.

The research on mice showed that a diet lacking in B-vitamin resulted in lower levels of cognitive ability.  The research is significant because it reveals an association between levels of homocysteine (an amino acid found in the blood) and Alzheimer’s disease and cerebrovascular disease.

Irwin Rosenberg, MD, director of the Nutrition and Neurocognition Laboratory at the HNRCA of Tufts explained: “The elevated levels of homocysteine that were associated with vascular cognitive impairment in the mice in our study are comparable to the levels that are associated in older adults with an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease and cerebrovascular disease, the latter of which manifests with conditions such as stroke and atherosclerosis. These findings may indicate that microvascular changes mediate the association between high homocysteine levels and human age-related cognitive decline.”

Around 26.6 million people worldwide are afflicted by Alzheimer’s.  The impact of the disease on cognitive function is significant, with early symptoms including memory loss of recent experiences, and manifestations of stress.  Many different measures including mental stimulation, exercise, and a balanced diet have been suggested for the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, but the degree of their value uncertain.  This research however, extends the medical world’s understanding of the disease.

Aron Toen, PhD and leader of the study said:   ”Metabolic impairments induced by a diet deficient in three B-vitamins -folate, B12 and B6- caused cognitive dysfunction and reductions in brain capillary length and density in our mouse model.  The vascular changes occurred in the absence of neurotoxic or degenerative changes.”

In the study, three groups of mice were fed three different diets for 10 weeks, during which time vitamin homocysteine levels were measured.  The cognitive function of the mice was assessed by their ability to navigate their way through a maze.  The study showed the B-vitamin deficient mice took longer to complete the maze compared with the non-deficient group.  The higher levels of homocysteine measured in the vitamin deficient mice was directly linked with their cognitive ability to complete the task.  Folate vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 were then used to reduce levels of homocysteine.

This amino acid is also implicated in cardiovascular disease, and bone weakness.  It is strongly suggested that diet influences blood homocysteine levels.  Folic acid, vitamins B6 and B12 are documented to help breakdown levels of homocysteine.  Higher levels are also associated with greater risks of fatal coronary heart disease and stroke.

Bernard Matthews Farms are investing £3 million in a new marketing campaign to ‘dispel myths’ shadowing the company.

The UK poultry group will be launching a national press, poster and TV campaign headed by the strapline, ‘Proud to Work at Bernard Matthews Farms’.  The message that Bernard Matthews is a trusted brand with a strong farming heritage comes after recent turbulent years.  The company was directly associated with an outbreak of bird flu at its Norfolk farm.  Coupled with the negative press subsequent to ‘Jamie’s School Dinners’, Bernard Matthews has had to fight hard to realign its brand and encourage brand loyalty. 

The promotional campaign will embark on three key phases.  The first opens on the 22^nd  September using press ads to reaffirm its sourcing policy that its products are 100% British.  Matt Pullen, Bernard Matthews Farms marketing director explained: “Our ‘Pride’ campaign is all about communicating our new identity, our rural roots and our new product ranges.  Most importantly, though, it’s about reassuring people about the company.”

This message will then be backed up by the second marketing phase.  Launched on the 6^th October in women’s press, colour supplements and TV listings magazines, the campaign will slightly shift focus and begin promoting the new ‘gold standard’ Golden Norfolk Turkey brand.  This phase aims to drive consumer awareness of the quality of it’s cooked meats.

The final phase, due to be launched in November, features a Big Green Tick in its national TV campaign, and will promote it’s better-for-you frozen range.

The preceding marketing phases are designed to bolster the finale of the brand’s marketing ads.  Due it’s controversial past, Bernard Matthews is heavily reliant on the success and persuasive power of it’s new promotional material.  Pullen added: “It’s a brand new brand communication for us, a single-minded idea that allows us to tackle perceived issues around the business by addressing them upfront.  We want to create a jolt with this campaign and get people to take a fresh look at Bernard Matthews Farms.

They hope to regain their position as a real industry competitor, and install new brand consumer confidence.  However, as food spend is decreasing in the UK due to the increasing food shortages around the world forcing up prices, the growth rate of the Matthews brand is expected to be slow over the coming period. 

Their active measures in shaking off their previous commodity image may prove difficult, especially with the growing trend of turning away from convenience foods, to the popular return to ‘make from scratch’.  This food climate message runs alongside momentum campaigns urging consumers to make healthier food choices - decreasing their sugar, salt and fat intake.  It appears that improving brand image and conveying a value-added product is a tricky recipe.  Nonetheless, Pullen remains positive about the Bernard Matthews message: “We’re proud of our high animal welfare standards and of the quality of our food. We’re also proud of our people and what they achieve.”

A recent joint replacement study conducted by the Royal College of Surgeons has revealed that the latest surgical techniques used for hip or knee replacements have lower success rates than the older methods.

Over 16,000 NHS patients have hip resurfacing or partial knee replacements every year, but one in seventy five will have to undergo a revision of their joint replacement within three years of the surgery. Although the new technique has significant improvements in mobility and a quicker recovery rate, research has revealed that the joints are twice as likely to fail compared with the older, traditional joint replacement. This news will affect thousands of patients, all of whom will have had high hopes for the longevity their new mobility.

The traditional surgical technique involved a complete replacement of the whole joint. It had previously been expected that the new procedure, which uses plastic, ceramic or metal prosthetic joint would last 10 to 15 years. However, patients are finding themselves readmitted to hospital for surgery, particularly those who had hip resurfacing and unicondylar knee replacements.

Revision rates were highest among women who had undergone hip resurfacing. This is attributed to women having on average, weaker bones than men. Jan van der Meulen, who led the study from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, explained: “On the basis of our data, consideration should be given to using hip resurfacing only in male patients and unicondylar knee replacement in elderly patients.”

Consultant orthopaedic surgeon, Graham Gie, commented: “Hip resurfacing has only been around since the Nineties but it has been directly marketed to younger patients, in particular, as offering them a more active lifestyle following surgery. There isn’t really the long-term evidence to back those claims up, while at the same time the metal on metal joint has created another type of failure – fracture of the femur.”

The conclusions from the research are supported by other research around the world. Gordon Blunn, a biomedical engineer at University College London, added that an indication for this particular type of hip resurfacing was for younger patients, usually up to 50 years old. He said: “About 50 per cent of hip replacement patients in this age group have resurfacing and the revision rate is about 5 per cent after eight years.”

The report is published in the journal PLoS Medicine.

Scientists have discovered the protein structure responsible for nearly all human tumours.  It is hoped the discovery will lead to better cancer drugs.

Telomerase protein allows the development of cancer cells.  It has been the principle focus for scientists for more than a decade because of it’s role in the division of cancer cells: it allows cells to replace telomere structures – parts of DNA positioned at the end of gene-carrying chromosomes.   As the telomerase becomes active, cancerous cells divide by the continuous regeneration of the protein, allowing the cancer to grow and spread.

Decoding telomerase will now give scientists a better chance of designing new therapies to kill tumours by essentially blocking the protein’s activity, whilst leaving healthy tissue unharmed.   Leader of the research, Emmanuel Skordalakes from the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia said: “Telomerase is an ideal target for chemotherapy because it is active in almost all human tumours, but inactive in most normal cells.”  He added: “A drug that deactivates telomerase would likely work against all cancers, with few side-effects.”

The discovery was made by using a gene from a red flour beetle to manufacture telomerase in large quantities.  X-ray crystallography was then used to determine and identify structural components of its active region.

Current cancer drugs designed to inhibit telomerase activity have not been successful in clinical trials.  The new discovery however will now accelerate cancer drug research into creating telomerase-inhibiting drugs which will block the protein, and destroy tumours.

Whether or not the development of a new cancer drug will become available on the NHS is questionable, with one in four cancer patients currently being denied access to the latest and most effective drugs that are otherwise available in other parts of Europe.  26% of over 2000 patients have been refused treatment over the past 20 months, crucially denying over 1,300 patients life-extending drugs across the country.  Any new cancer drug developed on the back of the telomerase structure discovery would have to go through a lengthy process of trial and approval.  The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) would have to assess the cost-effectiveness of the new therapy for both England and Wales.  If approved, NHS trusts would then be able to offer the treatment, which would be an appropriate medication across many cancer types.

The regenerating quality of telomerase has also excited scientists in the possibility of developing treatment to slow the ageing process.

The research can be found in the international weekly journal of science, Nature.

There is new hope in the treatment of deafness.  Scientists have successfully proven it is possible to regenerate ear hair cells.

60% - 90% of deafness and hearing impairment is due to the loss of hair cells in the cochlea (inner ear).  The cochlea is responsible for detecting sound and activating nerves which transmit the sensory information to the brain for translation.  Damage to the cochlea hair cells is also connected to tinnitus – a condition that affects 7 million people in the UK.

The research for deafness therapies is principally conducted on mammals.  In this case, the team of scientists were able to grow this specific type of hair cell in mouse embryos in the womb.  Once the mice were born they had a greater number of functional cochlear hair cells than the comparative group of mice.

The Oregon based team discovered that they were able to manipulate a gene called Atoh 1 to create the crucial hair cells.  This therapy will not be available for human trials for some time, however, it offers a significant breakthrough to the 250 million people worldwide who are deaf or live with hearing defects.

John Brigande, head of the research at Oregon Health and Science University, US is profoundly deaf.  His hearing began to deteriorate from the age of 10.  Brigande said: “My hearing loss is an enormous challenge in both my personal and professional lives. I have hope that there will be new restorative therapies for hearing loss in my lifetime.”

The cochlea has around 15,500 hair cells, but because the cells do not regenerate, they are vulnerable to damage from ageing, excessive noise, genetic defects, and drugs and infections.  The result is progressive and irreversible hearing loss.

Brigande added: “There is intense interest in cell replacement strategies to ameliorate the effects of inner ear disease, but until now we didn’t have direct evidence indicating we could make a functional sensory hair cell”.

The team have started further investigations of the possibility of reversing genetic mutations that cause deafness.  This research could lead to developing techniques to regrow hair cells, and ‘curing’ deafness.

Dr. Brigande continued: “We have the first step down: we can induce functional sensory hair cells to form. Now, we need to learn if it’s possible to restore hearing in a deaf mouse mutant, experiments that are ongoing. We know it’s possible to generate sensory hair cells that function, and that’s an important step toward defining rational therapies in humans. I am profoundly hard of hearing. The exciting news for those of us with hearing loss and tinnitus is that we now have hope of having our hearing restored some day.”

There are two possible routes to developing the programme: implantation of hair cells through the combination of gene therapy with embryonic stem cell research; and cochlea gene manipulation which could stimulate hair cell growth.

John Brigande’s team’s research are published in Nature science journal.

Sufferers of the most common cause of progressive blindness in the elderly are due to receive a drug that cost £10,700 per patient on the NHS. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has approved the Use of Lucentis for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The advice should mean that thousands of people will receive the treatment, the most effective so far in treating the condition. Nice rejected an alternative medicine, Macugen.

The guidance was welcomed by the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB), which has campaigned for Lucentis.

Steve Winyard said: “We’ve been waiting for this for over two years. It is a victory for thousands, bringing overwhelming relief to desperate people across the country.

“Finally the torment faced by elderly people forced to either spend their life savings on private treatment or go blind, is over.”

AMD is the main cause of sight loss among the elderly in the UK, and destroys the central region of the retina, the macula, which leads to progressive loss of vision. It comes in two forms – wet and dry – with the dry being the most common.

Wet type is more aggressive however, and accounts for around 90 percent of blindness caused by the condition.

In December, Nice dropped one of the more controversial aspects f its guidance, which suggested that patients would have to have lost site in one eye before they would receive treatment for the other.

The NHS will fund just 14 Lucentis injections, with the cost of any more being met by the manufacturer - in this case Novartis. This “dose-capping” scheme was recommended by Novartis and has been agreed with the Department of Health.

The cost of a single Lucentis injection is £761.20 (excluding VAT). Over two years and 14 injections, the cost will be £10,700per patient, assuming eight injections in the first year and six in the second year.

Andrew Dillon, Nice chief executive, said today: “Lucentis is an expensive drug, costing more than £10,000 for each eye treated, but that cost needs to be balanced against the likely cost savings.

“It has been estimated that the costs related to sight impairment for patients treated with Lucentis are around £8,000 cheaper than for patients who receive best supportive care over a 10 year period.

“Our guidance means that patients who are suitable for this treatment will have the same access to it, irrespective of where they live.”

There are 26,000 new cases of wet AMD in the UK each year. The condition can lead to blindness in as little as three months if left untreated.

Canadian researchers have found that anyone taking medication should beware of drinking fruit juice. Apple, Orange and Grapefruit Juice can all have significant effect of the uptake of drugs, lowering or increasing their effectiveness.

While the influence of grapefruit juice is already well known, and some drug labels caution against drinking it with medicines, this latest research has extended the need for care.

David Bailey, Professor of Physiology, Pharmacology and Medicine at the University of Western Ontario presented the results of his study to the American Chemical Society meeting in Philadelphia yesterday. His study showed that fruit juices can limit the effects of several drugs, including three beta-blockers which are used to treat high-blood pressure, the cancer drug etoposide and some antibiotics.

The study involved healthy volunteers taking fexofenadine, an antihistamine, with either grapefruit juice, water containing naringin – the chemical that causes the fruit’s bitter taste – or plain water. When the medicine was taken with the grapefruit juice, only half of the drug was absorbed into the body, as it was with the water.

Naringin and similar substances in orange and apple juices appeared to bock a “transporter” molecule called OATP1A2 which helps to shuttle drugs from the small intestine to the bloodstream.

Drugs that were boosted in the body by grapefruit juice were affected by a different mechanism that prevented them being broken down.

Professor Bailey originally discovered the drug-boosting effects of grapefruit 20 years ago.

He said: “I’m sure we’ll find more drugs that are affected in this way.” Most medicines should be taken only with water, he said.

Under proposals to be announced next week by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), nationwide testing for tens of thousands of young people for a genetic defect that can kill them in their twenties.

The tests will include children as young as ten, and focuses on those whose mother and fathers were known to have high cholesterol levels. Up to 120,000 people in Britain carry genes that cause high cholesterol levels. The genes Carriers have a much higher risk of developing heart disease at a younger age than other people, and dying from it before they are aware of the risk.

The tests will aim to detect familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), which is the most common genetic disorder among young people of European descent.

At this point, less than a fifth of the 120,000 carriers of the FH genes know that they have the condition. According to Alan Rees, chairman of the charity Heart UK, this represents a “systematic failure”, and is “a disgrace”.

Many people with FH die suddenly of heart attacks that could easily have been prevented with statins, a treatment that lowers a carriers cholesterol levels.

The NICE guidance is expected to recommend “cascade screening”, in which close relatives of every identified FH sufferer are screened for the three genes that cause half of all cases.

NICE says cascade screening would be straightforward to introduce in Britain, would cost relatively little, and could save thousands of lives. The simple test, costing £200, can establish if someone is a carrier of any of these genes.

Child carriers of the gene begin to suffer from furred-up arteries as young as 8. By the time they reach their twenties the arteries can be as damaged as that of a 50-yer-old, yet sufferers have no obvious symptoms and most are unaware of the risks that they run. Statins can lower the heart risk to normal levels.

“Statins will halve levels of the bad form of cholesterol,” said Dermot Neely, a consultant at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle upon Tyne. “And they are as cheap as chips - cheaper, actually. The problem is getting people on to treatment before they have a heart attack. Heart attacks that occur at a young age are often fatal, so we need to identify FH as early as possible. We may need to start treating in childhood.”

The hardest part is to identify the cases. A parent has a 50-50 chance of passing on the gene to a child, so once an “index case” is identified; close relations will be asked whether they want to be tested.

The new guidance will recommend that the children of those affected by FH should take the test by the age of 10. Those found to be positive will be advised about leading a healthy life, and counselled especially strongly not to start smoking. The first option for drug treatment is simvastatin, which is cheap, but for more severe cases more potent statins may be needed.

In extreme cases, a form of dialysis in which cholesterol is removed from the bloodstream may be considered.

A study has found that less than one in 100 Britons have a healthy diet, preferring high sugar, salt, and fatty foods.

The study found that just eight in 1000 adults – or 0.8 percent – met all five targets for levels of saturated fats, total fats, fruit and vegetables, salt and sugar recommended by the World Health Organisation.

Women were better overall, with 1.2 percent meeting all five targets, compared with 0.4 percent of men.

The analysis of the figures collected by the Office for National Statistics and the Medical Research Centre are to be published in the journal proceedings of the Nutrition Society.

Dr Joanne Lunn, of the British Nutrition Foundation, said: “The consequences of a poor diet are chronic diseases in later life.

“Bad habits are often ingrained in families. They can be changed but it often takes the efforts of the entire family. We need to change some people’s preconceptions, such as that healthy food is more expensive.”

The WHO recommends salt intake should be under a teaspoon a day. Consumption of fruit and vegetables should exceed 14oz.