MS Drug could help prevent heart failure

A drug used for the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) could help prevent heart failure, according to a new study published in the Internet journal Circulation. The work was funded by the British Heart Foundation and the Medical Research Council.

The drug Gilenya was recently approved for use in the treatment of MS in the United States and research has found that it could also be used to reverse the symptoms of cardiac hypertrophy thus preventing heart failure.

Working with the University of Illinois at Chicago, researchers from the University of Manchester led the study and found that if they enhanced the activity of a molecule called PAK1 by using Gilenya, it showed "remarkable results" in mice with ventricular hypertrophy.

In a press release, Study co-author Dr Xin Wang, a Lecturer in Molecular Cardiology in Manchester’s Faculty of Life Sciences, said:

“Cardiac hypertrophy is the pathological state to respond to sustained stresses on the heart resulting in increases in ventricular wall thickness and muscle mass of the heart. The condition is often associated with fatal complications, such as, heart failure and rhythm disorders, such as ventricular arrhythmias, leading to millions of deaths worldwide each year.

“Our research had previously identified the effect of Pak1 in preventing tissue damage caused by reduced blood flow to the heart, known as cardiac ischemic injury. This latest study used mice with a genetic modification of the Pak1 gene to show how the enzyme, when stimulated by Gilenya, prevented and even reversed the symptoms of ventricular hypertrophy.”

Professor Jeremy Pearson, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said:

“This study has identified, in mice, a gene (Pak1) that could be targeted by drugs to protect the heart from failure. Since an approved multiple sclerosis drug exists that already targets Pak1, there is real promise that with more research these findings could be translated into a new treatment for people living with heart failure.”

750,000 people in the UK suffer from heart failure - a medical condition which leaves the body unable to pump blood - and figures are on the increase, according to the British Heart Foundation. 

Combination treatment could be effective treatment for tendonitis

People with tendonitis will know how painful the condition is and will know how difficult it can be to treat especially when the usual treatments don't work.

For inflammation of a tendon an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen is often recommended.  A specialist or physiotherapist might also suggest that you use ice or heat to try to east the inflammation and swelling.

There are some other options which can be used such as a tenotomy - a technique which involves using needle sticks to break down scar tissue and promote the healing of the tendon. Another option is the use of platelet rich plasma (PRP) which using the healing power of the patients own platelet cells.

Study author Jay Smith. M.D. said:

"These disorders can be hard to treat, and patients tend to receive one therapy or the other, depending on what a doctor happens to offer. Our study was the first clinical study to investigate the combination of both treatments in injured tendons."

Research which was carried out by the Mayo Center and published in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation shows that a combination of both of these methods could be an effective way of treating patients with long-term tendon problems.

During the study, 34 patients with tendonitis or soft tissue damage underwent a two-stage treatment. During the first stage, ultrasound technology was used to guide a needle to the damaged area and the tendon was repeatedly poked with a needle so that bleeding would be induced. Patients were then treated with concentrated platelets, which were given by injection.

Commenting on the study Dr.Smith said:

"The needle breaks up non-healing, degenerative tissue and induces bleeding, hopefully converting a chronic, degenerative injury into an acute injury that has healing potential.”

The study found that maximum benefits were gained in the four months following the procedure. More than 70% of patients reported that they had improved use of their tendons and 76% noticed a reduction in pain. Ultrasound techniques were used to monitor the health of the tendons and it was noted that there were signs of the tendons healing.

Dr. Smith said:

“Larger studies are still necessary to determine whether the combination is particularly helpful for certain injuries or types of tendons, but this investigation showed these therapies together are safe and effective for some people who have an ongoing tendinopathy."

*Previously published on jfnews.co.uk

Arthritis Research UK announce new centre for early treatment of osteoarthritis

Arthritis Research UK has announced the opening of a new £6 million experimental tissue engineering centre. The centre hopes to regenerate bone and cartilage by using patients' stem cells in what would be an innovative new treatment if it proves successful.

The charity say that there are 8 million sufferers of arthritis in the UK and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 50 million Americans with arthritis or a related condition.

Commenting in a press release, Professor Alan Silman, medical director of Arthritis Research UK, said:

"This early experimental work is the first step on a journey that could significantly reduce the need for joint replacement operations".

"It's hugely exciting. At the moment joint replacement surgery is the most effective treatment we have but people with osteoarthritis cope with years of increasing pain and disability until they reach the point where surgery becomes a viable option."

Taking the lead in the new innovation will be Newcastle University, the University of Aberdeen, Keele University/the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and the University of York will also take part.

Researchers hope to see results within five years and say that it could reduce the need for joint replacements.

In a press release, Professor Andrew McCaskie, centre director and professor of orthopaedic surgery at Newcastle University's Institute of Cellular Medicine and the Freeman Hospital, part of the Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:

"Every patient has their own 'repair kit'. Whereas joint replacement uses metal and plastic to replaces the severely damaged joint, we're trying to treat at an earlier stage and assist the human body to repair itself."

"Keyhole and minimally invasive operations for early arthritis have been in development for some years and we propose to improve upon these techniques and work towards more widely available treatments. This requires research at all levels of the process, from laboratory to bedside. We hope that elements of this approach will reach the patient in the operating theatre within five years."
Usual treatments for arthritis include painkillers. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs or steroids.

Inexpensive tablet could help smokers quit

A low cost pill could help smokers quit the habit, according to UK charity the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

The trial, which was partly funded by the BHF as part of the National Prevention Research Initiative, showed the smokers were more likely to give up if they were taking a tablet called Tabex, which contains a naturally occurring nicotine substitute.

According to the manufacturers, Tabex has a 57% success rate and takes 21 days to work. The tablets are taken one every two hours to begin with, and then the intervals are slowly extended until the tablets are taken once every six hours.

The product has been available in some European countries for a long time but it was a recent trial in the UK that seems to have proved ithe tablet's effectiveness.

Tabex contains cytisine, which is derived from Laburnum seeds, and details of the study have been published in the New England School of Medicine.

Commenting in press release, Doireann Maddock, Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said:

“If you want to live a longer and healthier life, stopping smoking is the single most important thing you can do. However, even though it is a major risk factor for heart disease, it can be a challenging habit to break."

“Getting professional help to stop smoking increases your chance of success enormously and the results from this latest trial are encouraging. We need some bigger trials first but this pill may yet offer a low cost treatment to help people break this harmful habit."

“In the meantime, those looking to quit smoking should speak to their GP about the huge range of proven services that are out there to help.”

*Previously published on Wordpress in October 2011.

Stem cell trial could offer new hope for patients with untreatable eye condition

In a press release from London's Moorfields Eye Hospital they announced that they've been given the go-ahead to begin a stem cell trial which could give hope to patients with an untreatable eye condition.

The trial was given approval by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on and the trials are scheduled to begin within the next few months. If successful, the stem cell treatment could help young patients who have the hereditary eye condition Stargardt disease (juvenile macular degeneration) that causes vision loss in young patients.

During the trial, patients will be injected with retinal stem cells during a procedure which Moorfields Eye Hospital say will take approximately one hour.

Commenting on the potential of the new trial in a press release, retinal surgeon Professor James Bainbridge, said:

“There is real potential that people with blinding disorders of the retina, including Stargardt disease and age-related macular degeneration, might benefit in the future from transplantation of retinal cells."

“The ability to regenerate retinal cells from stem cells in the laboratory has been a significant advance and the opportunity to help translate such technology into new treatments for patients is hugely exciting. Testing the safety of retinal cell transplantation in this clinical trial will be an important step towards achieving this aim.”

In an email, a representative stated that the trial will involve 12 patients and will be carried out over two years.

*Previously published on Digital Journal

McDonald's to serve fruit with every US Happy Meal from 2012

In a move that has been praised by Michelle Obama, fast food chain McDonald’s has announced that it will bring in new nutritional standards.  McDonald's says that by  the end of the first quarter in 2012, each Happy Meal served in the US will come with a quarter cup or half serving of apple, and French fries served with the meals will also come in a smaller serving size. Low-fat dairy options will also be offered as an option with Happy Meals.

McDonald's has also stated that calories and levels of fat in Happy Meals will also be reduced with calories being reduced by around 20%.

Commenting in a press release, Jan Fields, president, McDonald’s USA, said:

“McDonald’s will always try to do the right thing, and we know we can help make a difference in our communities.”

“The commitments we’re announcing today will guide the future evolution of our menu and marketing.”

Looking further ahead, McDonald’s also announced that by 2015 salt in meals will be reduced by 15% and by 2020 the burger chain will offer reduced sugar, saturated fat and calories in their meals.
McDonald’s also say that they are developing their first app which will allow people to find out nutritional information while they’re on the move.

There has been many reports over the past few years regarding the obesity epidemic and figures from CDC show that 17% of children in the US, equivalent to 12.5 million, are considered obese. Perhaps the plans by McDonald’s will be a step in the right direction. Encouraging children to eat well from a young age has to be a good thing and although the obesity epidemic is more complex than that, the announcement by McDonald’s is a positive move - and a necessary one.

*Previously published on Wordpress