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 'As
a service provider to the Medical Profession, we feel
it is useful to have a topical web page where busy doctors
would have the opportunity to catch up with information
and views covering subjects which affect their world.
We
would welcome additional contributions from active doctors
as well as from other sources.
September 2008
Dr
Frank Says......
Concern over Tofu
Researchers from The University of Loughborough studied
719 elderly Indonesians in the region of Java. They report
in the Journal of Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders
that Tofu, a soy product, when consumed at least once
a day was associated with memory loss, especially in the
over 68s. Tofu is rich in phytoestrogens which promotes
damage to cells by free radicals. However they also suggest
that the brain damage may be caused by formaldehyde, which
is used in Indonesia as a tofu preservative.
Men have a biological clock too
It has long been known that women have age "window" in
which they are more like to conceive. A paper from France
presented at the conference of The European Society of
Human Reproduction, held in Barcelona, followed 12,200
French couples having fertility treatment and their results
showed that the chance of a successful pregnancy falls
if the man is over 35. The study was based on treatment
at the Eylau Centre in Paris over the time span January
2002 and December 2006. Preliminary findings were that
DNA damage in sperm was the main factor in reduced chance
of pregnancy.
Malaria in the UK
A report from The Health And Protection Agency, published
in The BMJ, identified 6753 cases of malaria in the UK
in the five years from 2002 to 2006, which is a 30% increase
over the last 15 years. Since 1987 there have been 39000
case of malaria and 25000 of these were caused by plasmodium
falciparum which is the most likely to cause a fatality
and of the 25000 183 died. Only 40% of UK citizens traveling
to infected areas take prophylaxis the report says!
Poor fertility made worse by drinking coffee
Too much coffee can reduce the chance of pregnancy in
a woman who drinks coffee say researchers from Raboud
University in Nijmegan in the Netherlands. They used lifestyle
questionnaires in women who received IVF treatment between
1985 and 1995. They found that drinking alcohol 3 or more
times a week carried the same risk as 4 cups of coffee
a day. They also estimated that a 36 year old woman who
smoked, drank 4 cups of coffee a day, alcohol 3 times
a week and was overweight, and went through 3 cycles of
IVF would only have a 5% chance of pregnancy. On the other
hand, a woman of healthy weight, who did not smoke, drink
alcohol or coffee would have a 15% chance of pregnancy.
A new type of CJD identified in the US
Ten people have so far died from a fatal, fast advancing
form of dementia called PSPr, scientists report from the
US National Disease Pathology Center in Ohio. The patients
exhibit additional symptoms to those encountered with
CJD such as the inability to speak and move. Post mortem
examination of brain tissue shows the familiar sponginess
together with tiny holes. The UK National CJD Surveillance
Centre in Edinburgh is in contact with Ohio watching for
any cases in the UK.
Blood pressure and dementia
A study from Imperial College, published in Lancet Neurology,
found that hypotensive drugs reduce the risk of developing
dementia by 13%. They say that only 50% of those over
65 years receive ideal hypotensive control and 25% of
those over 65 probably have undiagnosed hypertension.
New evidence on cot death syndrome
The European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Italy, report
in Science that low levels of serotonin in infant mice
trigger rapid changes in heart rate and temperature leading
to sudden death. This is similar to findings published
in the US in 2006. The researchers are now looking at
factors which may cause the serotonin imbalance.
And potential new treatment of Malaria
Scientists in Melbourne have identified eight proteins
on the parasite that enable it to stick to the surface
of a hi-jacked cell. They say that removing just one of
these proteins renders the parasite unable to infect.
Professor Walter Cowman of The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute
in Melbourne says that targeting these proteins would
be a key to fighting the disease.
Vaccines against superbugs?
Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer, says that vaccination
against MRSA and C. diff. could help reduce the risk to
patients. He says that vaccines should be available within
10 years. Between 2005 and 2008 there were more than 8000
hospital deaths attributable to these two pathogens.
And finally…………..
A 92 year old grey haired man comes into the consulting
room and sits down in front of the doctor. "What can I
do for you sir?," says our doctor friend. "Well," says
the 92 year old, "I'm having sex regularly with most of
the 18-25 year old girls in my neighbourhood and they're
all very satisfied." "Oh," says the doctor, "What's the
problem?" "There's no problem," said the man, "I just
want to tell everyone about it!"
Please
let us let us have your constructive observations on
this page and any views covering other subjects. E-mail,
website@locumlink.uk.com
or drfrank@locumlink.uk.com
. These can be published under a pseudonym for further
comment.
Ed
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