The rare declaration comes after Ebola killed more than 1,600 people in the DR Congo.
DR Congo Ebola outbreak declared global health emergency
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Category Archives: Mind Building
Children with gender identity issues ‘need help from all sides’
Referrals to NHS gender identity clinics have more than tripled in the past five years.
Luton house transformed to help parents of sick children
The former 1930s council house will support 420 families a year and has five bedrooms.
Health24.com | Why is staying slim so tough? Evolution may be to blame
It’s not easy maintaining a healthy weight. Even when you manage to drop a few kilograms, they often return.
Why would the body seem to encourage obesity?
New research suggests the answer lies far back in human evolution, with an anti-starvation mechanism that primes the body to store fat.
The key to this mechanism is a protein dubbed “RAGE,” according to New York University (NYU) scientists working with mice. They believe RAGE evolved to help keep ancient humans from starving when food was scarce.
But today, in times of plenty, there’s a glitch at work: RAGE is produced to combat the cellular stress caused by overeating.
The protein seems to mistake this stress as similar to starvation, and so it switches off the body’s ability to burn fat. The result: fat becomes easy to accumulate, but tough to shed.
Still, there’s a silver lining to all of this, the NYU team said, because the research might lead to anti-obesity drugs.
Long way off
“Our thinking is that RAGE is targetable. When we put mice with no RAGE expression at all on a high-fat diet, they ate the food but were not becoming obese,” explained study author Dr Ann Marie Schmidt, from the NYU School of Medicine.
And a lack of RAGE appeared to be safe, at least for mice. “When you totally delete RAGE in mice, they have normal reproduction and no problems with cognition,” she said.
The researchers hope that because RAGE seems to be active just during times of metabolic stress instead of during everyday functions, taking it away won’t create problems.
But don’t pin your hopes on a RAGE-deleting drug just yet.
Schmidt was quick to note that any such drug is a long way off yet because the research is currently in mice. Findings from animal studies don’t always translate to humans.
Still, Schmidt said the potential is exciting.
In addition to limiting the body’s ability to burn fat, RAGE also may contribute to inflammation throughout the body. So, along with taming obesity, it’s possible that removing the RAGE protein might help with some of the inflammatory consequences of obesity, such as diabetes, cancer, hardening of the arteries and Alzheimer’s disease, according to the researchers.
No magic bullet for obesity
Dr Michael Wood, medical director for bariatric (weight-loss) surgery at the Detroit Medical Center’s Harper University Hospital, said the study was interesting, although very early.
And, Wood said, “obesity is a very complicated problem, and I think these findings are an oversimplification.”
But Wood noted that it’s possible the RAGE protein plays a role in excess weight. It’s just not likely the only factor in the development of obesity.
“I don’t think there’s one switch or any one thing that can solve this complicated issue. There’s no magic bullet for obesity,” he said.
Right now, if someone wants to lose weight, they have to commit to lifestyle changes, Wood said. And, that’s true even if someone has weight-loss surgery. He added that the most significant change comes from eating fewer calories. Exercise is a healthy habit, but only a small component of weight loss.
The study was published online July 16 in the journal Cell Reports. Funding was provided by the American Heart Association, the US Public Health Service and the American Diabetes Association.
Image credit: iStock
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Health24.com | Getting ready for baby: Why some couples should consider genetic counselling
No one expects their baby to be born with a birth defect. But allowing families to plan for them from before they conceive to birth could be the key to keeping these babies alive, says Helen Malherbe, chair of the nonprofit advocacy group Genetic Alliance South Africa.
Malherbe also researches birth defects, sometimes called congenital disorders, at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences. She was speaking at the University of the Witwatersrand’s (Wits) annual Paediatric Fund Meeting held recently in Johannesburg.
Most birth defects, such as Down syndrome or cleft palate, are caused by genetic factors determined long before a baby is born, explains the World Health Organisation (WHO) on its website. Babies with birth defects may look or function differently from others.
In some cases, defects are caused by substance abuse, as is the case with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). WHO data shows South Africa has the most cases of FAS in the world.
Hundreds of babies if not more are born with congenital disorders each year, according to data collected by the national health department’s Birth Defect Notification Tool between 2006 and 2014. The data was published in a 2016 South African Medical Journal study.
Malherbe warns that this proportion is likely far higher since health workers are not trained to recognise many of the conditions, which can be difficult to spot. In fact, a lack of properly trained staff means the country could be missing up to 98% of birth defects, the 2016 study revealed.
Child deaths have decreased by around 30% since 2002, Statistics South Africa data shows. Malherbe argues this is in large part because of the roll-out of South Africa’s HIV treatment and child vaccination programmes.
But South African Medical Research Council figures show that about 32 out of every 1000 babies born in the country still die before the age of five. And previous declines in death rates have stagnated since 2011.
Malherbe says now is the time for South Africa to start investing in genetic services such as genetic counselling before and after babies are born, Malherbe argues. This should include screening and counselling for public and private sector moms over the age of 35, for women who have had miscarriages, and for those who already have children affected by birth defects.
Genetic screening and counselling after a baby is born may pick up issues not otherwise visible to the naked eye. Some birth defects only become obvious later in life, although they are present from birth. In cases like these, doctors need to quickly prescribe what are very often affordable and simple solutions to help babies develop just like any other infant.
Start talking about birth defects
Globally, access to these kinds of services – which also extend to social support and even corrective surgeries as in the case of cleft palettes – could prevent up to 70% of deaths and disabilities caused by birth defects, according to a 2006 Global Report on Birth Defects published by the March of Dimes Defects Foundation.
And delays in treatment don’t only hurt children and families, they can also cost the healthcare system thousands. Caregivers of children with severe disabilities and chronic illnesses, including birth defects, cost the government R1bn in grants each year between 1998 and 2012, according to a report by the department of women, children, and people with disabilities.
“For every child who dies, many survive serious diseases and sustain lifelong mental and physical disabilities, “ Malherbe wrote in a report for the South African Health Review in 2016. She says: “South Africa has already passed the point at which other nations started developing genetic services to reduce child mortality further.”
Shelley Macaulay is one of just a handful of genetic counsellors in South Africa. She manages genetic counselling at the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) and Wits. Health workers such as herself and medical geneticists – or physicians trained to diagnose and treat patients with genetic disorders – are also crucial to helping families learn to care for children affected by birth defects, Macaulay says.
She explains: “Genetic counsellors are trained to analyse and interpret genetic data. They can explain complex conditions and give families the tools they need to care for children born with these conditions.”
In addition to a lack of counsellors, there are only 12 medical geneticists working in South Africa’s public sector, Malherbe warns.
The lack of these kinds of specialists is a chronic condition in South Africa. With a dearth of trained specialists in the field, she says, there are too few to train large numbers of new students hoping to enter the field.
Malherbe says the country would still need to improve how it tracks cases. Once we know where babies with birth defects are, the country can begin to zone in on tailored solutions.
“The only way we’re going to tackle child deaths in South Africa is if we start talking about birth defects.”
This story was produced by the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism, bhekisisa.org. Sign up to the newsletter http://bit.ly/BhekisisaSubscribe
Health24.com | WATCH: Living with narcolepsy
Sleep disorders expert
Dr Alison Bentley is a general practitioner who has consulted in sleep medicine and sleep disorders, in both adults and children of all ages, for almost 30 years. She also researches and publishes on a number of sleep-related topics both in formal research journals and lay publications including as editor of Sleep Matters, an educational newsletter on sleep disorders for doctors.
What can be done about Scotland’s drugs crisis?
Experts back five ways of trying to halt Scotland’s rising toll of drug-related deaths.
Menstrual cups ‘as reliable as tampons’
Scientific review shows they are as leakproof as other sanitary products, say researchers.
Limits on pot fishing can result in win-win for fishermen and marine wildlife
Restricting the amount of inshore potting for crab and lobster within marine protected areas (MPAs) can generate a “win-win” for both fishermen and the marine environment, according to the first major study exploring the issue.
The study showed that crab caught in areas of low potting levels were of greater average weight, meaning that there was a potential incentive for fishermen to fish less.
However, in areas consistently exposed to medium and high levels of potting, the crab weighed less than those caught in areas with low potting and unfished control areas.
The experiment in Lyme Bay was conducted by the University of Plymouth, and funded by Defra and the Blue Marine Foundation. It found that in areas of low potting intensity the industry was operating in a way that had little impact on seabed species or economically-important shellfish.
The only species to show any potentially adverse effect from low potting levels, compared with no fishing, was Ross coral, though this is highly sensitive and one of the species hit hardest during the 2013/14 winter storms.
The extent to which different forms of fishing are compatible with MPAs has long been a subject of debate.
In Lyme Bay, the banning of dredging and trawling in what became at the time the largest MPA in the UK led to a significant recovery of seabed life and fish and shellfish stocks, but the question remained just how much fishing with pots — a significant practice around the UK coast — could undermine that recovery.
The new report also talks about the amount of pots being used by fishermen under a voluntary code is having little impact on the marine environment, but if commercial intensity were to increase above a measurable “threshold” then reef species that have started to return following the ban on trawling could be negatively affected.
The report was written by Dr Adam Rees, who led the research as part of his PhD, Lyme Bay Project lead and Professor of Marine Ecology Martin Attrill, and Senior Research Fellow, Dr Emma Sheehan.
Dr Rees said: “When the Marine Protected Area was introduced in Lyme Bay, it brought with it a ban on trawling and dredging. In the absence of that, commercial potting saw a marked increase leading to concerns among both marine biologists and local fishermen about its long-term sustainability. Through this study, we have seen that if the growth is allowed to continue unchecked, it could undo some of the great results seen from a conservation perspective. Over time, it could also impact on the quality and quantity of the fishermen’s yields so finding ways to manage fishing effort should bring benefits both for fishermen and for marine ecosystems.”
The Lyme Bay and Torbay Special Area of Conservation is a 312 km² section of the English Channel off the coast of southern England, which is predominantly fished by small boats operating out of towns and villages on the same stretch of coastline.
Researchers from the University’s School of Biological and Marine Sciences have been assessing the impacts of the protected area since its designation, with local fishermen playing an integral role in assisting the monitoring effort and being regularly updated on new findings which could impact their livelihoods.
This latest four-year study sought to gather evidence on the ecological impacts of potting by controlling potting effort within a number of trial areas in the Lyme Bay MPA.
It assessed impacts on the important reef species and reef community, mobile species that interact with this habitat and economically important fishery species targeted by local inshore commercial fishermen.
The report supports the Codes of Conduct, introduced by BLUE and local fishermen, which was designed to ensure potting activity is kept within sustainable limits and that the threshold of higher potting levels identified in this study is not breached.
Angus Walker, Axmouth Harbour Master and fisherman, said: “This study produced precisely what we, the fishermen, expected it would. We feel vindicated. We’ve been telling the Marine Management Organisation for years that our potting was not causing damage.”
The University and the Blue Marine Foundation are currently working to build on the success of the Lyme Bay Project and ensure that small-scale fishermen across the UK can operate in a way that boosts both their livelihoods and conservation practices.
Charles Clover, Executive Director of the Blue Marine Foundation, added: “This study shows that there is a ‘sweet spot’ — an overlap of interests — between static-gear fishing and biodiversity conservation. If mobile gears can be kept out of sensitive marine areas, and potting kept to low levels, the marine environment will benefit and fishermen will enjoy a higher quality of catch. This study confirms the value of the ‘high quality, low volume’ approach which we and the inshore fishermen have pioneered in Lyme Bay. These results will enable the Lyme Bay Fisheries and Conservation Reserve Consultative Committee to manage the area with confidence into the future and provide invaluable advice for the managers of other marine protected areas, both around Britain’s coasts and elsewhere.”
Higher iron levels may boost heart health — but also increase risk of stroke
Scientists have helped unravel the protective — and potentially harmful — effect of iron in the body.
In a series of early-stage studies examining genetic data from over 500,000 people, a team of international scientists, led by Imperial College London, explored the role that iron plays in over 900 diseases.
The results reveal not only are naturally higher iron levels associated with a lower risk of high cholesterol levels, they also reduce the risk of arteries becoming furred with a build-up of fatty substances.
However the research, funded by the Wellcome Trust, also revealed the potential risks associated with naturally higher iron levels. These included a higher risk of blood clots related to slow blood flow blood — a common cause of stroke — and a higher risk of bacterial skin infection.
Dr Dipender Gill, lead author of the study from Imperial’s School of Public Health, said: “Iron is a crucial mineral in the body, and is essential for carrying oxygen around the body. However, getting the right amount of iron in the body is a fine balance — too little can lead to anemia, but too much can lead to a range of problems including liver damage.”
Dr Gill cautioned the study only looked at naturally occurring iron levels in the body related to genetic variation between individuals — and did not investigate the effect of taking iron supplements. He cautions anyone to speak to their doctor before starting — or stopping — iron supplements.
In the studies, the research team used a genetic technique called Mendelian Randomization to investigate the link between iron levels and the risk of disease. In this process, they sifted through genetic data from thousands of people to identify genetic ‘variants’ associated with naturally higher iron levels. They then investigated whether people who carry these variants, called single-nucleotide polymorphisms, also had higher or lower risk of a range of conditions and diseases, such as high cholesterol and atherosclerosis.
The results, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association and PLOS Medicine, revealed that naturally higher iron levels were associated with reduced risk of both high cholesterol and atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis is a potentially serious condition where the arteries become clogged with fatty substances. This can reduce the flow of blood in the arteries, and in some cases can lead to a block in flow to the brain (triggering a stroke), or the heart (triggering heart attack).
However, the picture was complicated by further findings from the same study, which revealed high iron levels may be linked to a risk of clots related to slow blood flow, which can increase the risk of certain types of stroke and the condition deep vein thrombosis.
And to add to this, the studies also revealed higher iron levels may also be linked to an increased risk of bacterial skin infections.
So what is going on?
Dr Gill said these findings now need to be investigated in patient trials. He explained: “These studies reveal new avenues of research, and present many questions. We are still unclear on how iron affects cholesterol levels, narrows arteries and form blood clots, but we have ideas. One possibility is that the lower cholesterol levels may be linked to the reduced risk of arteries becoming furred. Furthermore, higher iron levels may cause blood clots to arise when flow is reduced, possibly explaining the increased chance of clots.”
He adds that previous research suggests that iron may also play a role in bacterial replication and virulence, which may be linked to the increased risk of skin infections.
Story Source:
Materials provided by Imperial College London. Original written by Kate Wighton. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
