Globe Health Tours News

May 14: A study conducted by Malmo University Hospital in Sweden revealed that women who breastfeed for more than a year have lesser chance of getting affected by rheumatoid arthritis. Those women who breastfed for one to 12 months the risk rate decreased by 25%.

The study included 136 women with the condition to 544 without, for the Annals of Rheumatic Disease study. The study hinted that giving birth to children without breastfeeding will not protect women against getting affected by rheumatoid arthritis. Nearly 400,000 people in the UK are affected by this. The study also pointed out that women have two fold chance of getting affected by rheumatoid arthritis than men.

Breastfeeding will influence the secretion of hormone named oxytocin that is capable of reducing stress hormone level, lower blood pressure and ensure good health. On the other hand breastfeeding also increase the level of a prolactin hormone that can stimulate the immune system and might actually raise the risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

While commenting on this Rachael Haynes of Arthritis Care, a voluntary organisation said: “The surprising results of this research underscore the need to know more about rheumatoid arthritis and its reason.”

According to the results of the Infant Feeding Survey released in May last year most of the women are not following the guidelines put forth by the government. Less than one in 100 women used to breastfeed for the first six months.

This study also considered the role of contraceptive pill that is earlier considered to reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis as it has hormones that are secreted during pregnancy. But even the oral contraceptives fail to protect women from getting affected by the disease.

Apr 7: Increasing rate of accidents and other injuries are paving way to more and more fracture cases. Scientists are trying hard to identify an effective method to find easy solution to fracture related problems. In what could be considered as significant research scientists at Yale University have found out that removing marrow from the heart of bones will help to heal fractures more effectively than before.

It is believed that marrow is rich in stem cells that repairs bone damages, but the rats treated using new technique recovered quickly. The report published in News Scientists said that the research will help the older patients to get rid of major surgeries including hip replacement. As part of the study the research team led by Agnes Vignery drilled into the upper leg bones of the anaesthetised rats. Some of the rats were treated using a hormone that boosts the growth of new bones.

Both groups of rats were X-rayed to analyse the bone recovery rate. After examination scientists found the rats without bone marrow recovered faster. Scientist believes that the loss of some bone marrow will not lessen the ability to produce enough blood cells. If this process is reproduced in humans it will simplify the complex bone fracture treatment procedure.

While commenting on this the consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Wrightington Hospital in Wigan said: “The idea of removing marrow with a needle will eliminate major operation procedures to solve the fracture related problems more effectively. If it is strengthening the bone of rats then there are lots of hopes for it being successful in humans.”

According to Dr Brendan Noble, at the University of Edinburgh, other than bone marrow there are other types of cells including the membranes surrounding the bones that play an important role in fast recovery of bones.

Mar 25: New Scientist magazine published an article quoting that the massages will control nerve cells and activates them when the amputee watches someone doing massage. The scientists in the UK also agreed with this as the illusion effect will bring benefit to the amputees.

“During the massage the neurons in the brain get active either when they perform the action themselves or when they see others performing it. To bring maximum effect the patient has to accept the illusion as real,” said Kate MacIver of Pain Research Institute at Liverpool University.

As part of the study ex-soldiers were subjected to study by Vilayanur Ramachandran.
A mirror box is designed for this purpose and the amputees were asked to put their remaining limbs in the case. While standing in front of the mirror they felt an illusion that the mirror image is their working hand. The sensory cells in their brain fail to give a right signal.

In another similar experiment when the amputees see the hands of the volunteers being patted the amputees began to feel the stroking sensation in their remaining limb. One of them really felt the disappearance of pain for 10 to 15 minutes. The findings of the study will also benefit the stroke victims. At early stage the stroke victims will regain movements by watching other people doing massage.

Feb 18: In a bid to remove the pain of numerous patients who are affected by bone fracture, a new study conducted by the UK based researchers enables using patients own stem cells to merge shattered bones and cartilages. The research team of the Edinburgh University are giving shape to a “bioactive scaffold” to shield stem cells from blood and bone marrow thereby allows them to grow into bone and cartilage when placed in the body.

This innovative technique makes use of the stem cells that are extracted from blood and bone marrow will be available on a wide scale within two years time. Stem cells extracted from bone marrow are used for the research and the expert team is working hand in hand with the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service to develop bone forming cells from blood. This allows the patients to get relief from surgery.

Dr Brendon Noble, working with the MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine said that they will focus their research on mending cartilage injuries caused due to the fatal road accidents that demands prolonged treatment and end up in partial cure. Elderly patients who sustain fracture also tend to heal slowly.

He further added that: “Half of us will have orthopaedic surgery in our lifetime. To remain active in later part of your life these kinds of problems should have to be alleviated and the new study will have a far reaching impact in this regard.”

“This research will simplify the treatment of the severe trauma injuries that are unable to cure using the current techniques and it will help in replacing bones that are lost to cancer. To enable this technology to reach the numerous needy patients spread all over the world the scaffold should have to be compatible with the human and resist rejection,” said Professor Chris Moran, member of the British Orthopaedic Association and expert in trauma surgery at the University of Nottingham.

Surgeons believe that this technique when applied will turn as a rescue for those suffering from trauma injuries that are too severe to heal. The project estimated at £1.4m will also have a wide impact on the treatments like osteoarthritis.

People with backpain live in their own world a lot of the time. Waiting and hoping for some relief. The American College of Physicians have published guidelines for the management of their case:

1. Physical exam and focused history, including assessment of psychosocial risk factors for chronic disabling back pain, to categorize patients as having nonspecific back pain, radiculopathy or spinal stenosis, or pain with another specific spinal cause

2. No routine imaging or other diagnostic tests for patients with nonspecific back pain

3. Imaging and other relevant diagnostic testing for patients with severe or progressive neurologic deficits or when serious underlying conditions are suspected

4. Imaging (preferably magnetic resonance) for evaluation of persistent pain, radiculopathy, or spinal stenosis only when patients are being considered for surgery or epidural steroid injection

5. Providing patients with prognostic information and self-care options (written information, remain active, superficial heat)

6. Use of acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as first-line medication, depending on pain severity and physical dysfunction while considering lack of long-term efficacy

7. Nonpharmacologic therapy for patients who do not improve with self-care alone: spinal manipulation for acute pain; intensive interdisciplinary rehabilitation, exercise therapy, yoga, cognitive behavioral therapy, or progressive relaxation for chronic pain.

If you are a patient: check this list and make sure they think in the same way.