New beginning is promised for Copthorne care home

Posted on February 22nd, 2012

West Sussex care home Orchid View will be given a new start this summer after leading health and social care provider Care UK agreed to buy and re-open the Copthorne home.

Managers at Care UK are promising a ‘new beginning’ for the home which is currently closed.  Richard Pearman, Care UK’s Director of Business Development, said: “This empty building has the potential to be a really fantastic, high quality home providing compassionate care for older people including those living with dementia.  We won’t be reopening until the summer because we are absolutely committed to recruiting and training the finest team to deliver the high quality care that we are known for. Our commitment to care quality is behind many awards earned by our business, including Residential Care Provider of the Year in 2011.”

All recruits to the new home team will undergo an intensive training programme regardless of how much experience they bring from previous roles.  This training will include a comprehensive range of care modules including dignity in care. Every team member will also complete the Care UK dementia training course which gives everyone working in the home an insight into what it might be like to live with conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.  This has been proven to help staff deliver more empathetic, compassionate care and to increase the well-being of residents.

Anyone wishing to find out more about job opportunities at the new home should watch out in the local media for details of a special recruitment day being held in late spring.

Care UK already operates 86  homes across England and Scotland. The company is also opening brand new homes in Halstead, East Grinstead, Orpington and Hailsham to deliver first class care to older people.

Press release Care UK

Posted in Caring Advice, News | Tagged as: , , | Leave a comment

Number of smoking-related diseases in women reaching ‘epidemic proportions’: Irish Cancer Society

Posted on February 22nd, 2012

On Monday 20th Feburary, the Irish Cancer Society will launch its first major advertising campaignaimed specifically at young women who smoke. The Irish Cancer Society is concerned by the high levelof female smokers under-35 and believes that the number of tobacco related diseases in women is reaching epidemic proportions.

The number of women dying from lung cancer now exceeds the number of women dying from breast cancer. Research published in The Lancet last year found that women might extract a more carcinogens and other toxic agents from the same number of cigarettes than men. More than half of disadvantaged women aged between 18 and 29 years of age smoke, which is twice as high as the rate in non-disadvantaged groups.

The ‘I’ll Quit When I’m 30’ advertisements, that will be launched by Grace Batterberry the ex-smoker on Operation Transformation, are targeted at the young women who set a date to quit but find it difficult to stick to that date. The Society encourages women to pick their quit date and then plan, prepare and get help in advance so that they can take control of their lives, their health and their looks.

The Irish Cancer Society is launching the campaign to coincide with Ash Wednesday which is National No Smoking Day. The Society has recentlystated it has major concerns around the number of young women who smoke and this campaign encapsulates the need for action. Using youth media, online communications, social marketing and guerrilla advertising, the campaign aims to have young women to think about quitting and to direct them to support services so that they are successful.

Picture L – R: Ex-Smokers, Lisa Kiernan, Avril O’Sullivan and Grace Batterberry from Operation Transformation

Data from the National Cancer Registry shows that the number of lung cancers in women is increasing by 3% a year. From being a predominantly male disease for the past fifty years, lung cancer is projected to be a predominantly female disease by 2025. Despite a generation of health promotion, this easily preventable cancer still causes more deaths than any other. Smoking is the most important preventable cause of cancer.

While the Irish Cancer Society and other groups try to deglamourize smoking, the tobacco industry is working to strengthen the link between style and tobacco. Superslim cigarettes have been the key design innovation of the last five years, with particular appeal to the female smoker. Japan Tobacco International has developed odour-reducing technology which has carbon in the filter as well as a double layer of paper and added flavours in order to reduce odour emitted from burning cigarettes. All this product innovation is aimed at female smokers who the tobacco industry sees as a key growth area. Their success is highlighted by the fact more women are now dying from lung cancer than breast cancer.

There are some unique problems when trying to reduce the number of young women who smoke says Kathleen O’Meara, Head of Communications at the Irish Cancer Society. “Smoking is not just a behaviouralhabit, it is anaddiction and one thatwomen sometimes find harder to fight than men. We don’t believe that it is enough to treat nicotine addiction as a lifestyle issue. The U.S Surgeon General has said that smoking can be as addictive as heroin and users can have the same relationship with tobacco as those who are addicted toheroin.We need to start thinking of smoking in these terms and provide the same level of support to fighttobacco use in this country.We know that 70%of smokers want to quit andmany womenneedprofessional andon-goingsupport if they are to succeed in quitting and the nature of this support may bedifferent from that needed by men.”
The National Smokers’ Quitline 1850 201 203 is a partnership between the Health Service Executive and the Irish Cancer Society. Smokers are encouraged to call for information, advice, support and a quit booklet. You can also visit the Smoking information pages on www.cancer.ie/reduce-your-risk/smoking or www.quit.ie

Posted in Cancer, Heart Attack, Pancreatic Cnacer, Quit Smoking | Tagged as: , , | Leave a comment

GPs to ‘prescribe’ apps for patients

Posted on February 22nd, 2012

Best health apps and ideas to revolutionise NHS for patients

People could soon be directed to free or cheap apps by their GPs to allow them to monitor and manage their health more effectively.

The latest innovations in smartphone technology will help patients and the public to find and use NHS services, manage conditions and make better lifestyle choices in a way that is very convenient for them.

It follows a call to find the best new ideas and existing smartphone apps that help people and doctors better manage care which received nearly 500 entries and over 12,600 votes and comments.

The most popular app ideas were:

•    to help manage long-term conditions like diabetes
•    to help people deal with post-traumatic stress
•    to track and monitor things like blood pressure
•    to help people find NHS services on a map
•    to get practical information about keeping fit and eating healthily

Popular apps include ‘Patients Know Best’, where each patient gets all their records from all their clinicians and controls who gets access to them.  The app means that patients can have online consultations with any member of their clinical team, receive automated explanations of their results, and work with clinicians for a personalised care plan.  It has already proved successful with hospitals including Great Ormond Street, UCL and Torbay as well as with GPs and community nurses from across the country who are responding to patients’ invitations.

The Diabetes App will also give people with diabetes reminders on checking blood sugar levels and taking medication.  It will allow them to monitor, record and track blood sugar information, which can then be sent electronically to their surgery or clinic.  The app also uses emerging FoodWiz software to help people control their diabetes or even help those at risk of diabetes to prevent it.  It will help patients to control their diet so they can rely less on medication and attending obesity clinics by allowing them to zap an increasing number of barcodes while shopping and get immediate information on the amount of calories, carbohydrates and fats.

The competition identified apps with potentially huge value to patients and the NHS that promote better management of long-term conditions or healthy living.  Last month, NHS Choices was visited by 14.5 million people looking for information on health and local services – helping many to get the advice they needed without making an appointment to see their GP.  Developing smartphone apps is the next step in giving patients the information and advice they need and want to stay healthy.

At an event showcasing the best ideas for new and existing health smartphone apps, the Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said:

“So many people use apps every day to keep up with their friends, with the news, find out when the next bus will turn up or which train to catch.  I want to make using apps to track blood pressure, to find the nearest source of support when you need it and to get practical help in staying healthy the norm.

“Information about your health is a service – just like the GP surgeries, Walk-in Centres and hospitals that millions of people access every week.  With more information at their fingertips, patients can truly be in the driving seat.

“Innovation and technology can revolutionise the health service, and we are looking at how the NHS can use these apps for the benefit of patients, including how GPs could offer them for free.”

Martha Lane-Fox, UK Digital Champion and dot.com entrepreneur, said:

“We live in a world where digital technology is an essential part of people’s lives – whether it’s at work or simply getting around town. I want to encourage more people to develop their digital skills, and that’s why it’s been great to be a part of this initiative. Using apps that locate local health services or apps that help you to get fit can dramatically improve your daily life.”

The Government is in the process of developing an Information Strategy to ensure that patients and clinicians have access to meaningful and up-to-date information.  This will give patients more choice, control and responsibility over their health and clinicians the information to manage how they deliver local services.  The strategy is expected to be published in the Spring.

Press release from The Department of Health

Posted in Apps, Health Advice, News, Technology | Tagged as: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Weight loss advice ‘ignores body changes’

Posted on February 22nd, 2012

Losing is weight “twice as hard as previously thought”, according to media reports today. Current government weight-loss guidelines “mislead” overweight people about the effort needed to lose weight and dieting rules “don’t take into account changes in metabolism that occur when you lose weight”, several newspapers said.

The reports are based on a recent conference presentation in which obesity researchers reportedly said that current weight-loss guidelines fail to take into account the changes in metabolism the researchers identified. They said that this means weight loss takes twice the time predicted by current guidelines.

However, there is as yet no officially sanctioned way to work out a bespoke weight-loss programme for yourself, which is why if you’re worried about your weight it’s a good idea to have a chat with your GP.

The Independent said that there was a “slim chance” of the weight falling off with a reduction in calories. While this pun may have been hard to resist, it’s not particularly accurate; nor is the Financial Times’ assertion that “obesity experts [have] change[d] fat-loss guidance”.

What is the news based on?

The news reports stem from a presentation by Dr Kevin Hall, a researcher with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the US, at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Vancouver, Canada. Dr Hall reportedly said that dietary changes spark complex processes that alter the body’s metabolism and body composition and that this has made it difficult to assess the relationship between diet and weight changes. In a nutshell, he suggests that weight loss is not a straight line towards one’s target weight, but a downward curve that plateaus the closer you come to your goal.

Dr Hall’s presentation appears to be based on earlier work from the NIH in which a mathematical model is used to predict what happens when people of varying weights, diets and exercise habits try to change their weight. This model suggests that a reduction in energy intake of 100 kilojoules (about 24 calories) a day for each person would eventually lead to a reduction in body weight of about 1kg. Half the weight loss would be achieved in about a year and 95% in about three years. The NIH says this is only half the weight loss claimed for calorie reduction in current guidelines. This is important because it “leads to unrealistically large weight-loss expectations”, Dr Hall is reported to have told the AAAS conference.

The NIH has developed an online tool designed to calculate the level of dieting needed to achieve a weight loss target, taking numerous factors into account including metabolism. It allows users to adjust their calorie intake as well as activity levels and see how much their weight, body fat and other measures are predicted to change over time if they stick to the tool’s plan.

Is there evidence for this model?

In a paper published in the Lancet in August 2011, NIH researchers, including Dr Hall, described a mathematical model for what happens when people of varying weights, diets and exercise habits try to change their weight. The NIH also developed an accompanying weight-simulation tool. The paper concluded that:

  • Body-weight response to a change of energy intake is generally slow and depends on individual body composition and individual metabolic changes.
  • Generally, an average overweight adult who reduced their energy intake by 100 kilojoules a day would eventually lose about 1kg. Half the weight change would be achieved in about a year and 95% of the weight change in about three years.
  • Adults who are heavier have a larger expected weight loss for the same change of energy intake, although reaching a stable body weight will still take them longer.

It should be noted that this is not a clinical trial looking at real weight loss in people. It is a mathematical model that has been validated by comparing it to some actual changes in people. An NIH clinical trial comparing the effects of reducing fats and carbohydrates in obese adults is currently recruiting participants in the US.

What do current guidelines say?

In the UK, general guidance on losing weight for overweight or obese adults does not make detailed calculations of the relationship between calories in diet and weight change. Dietitians can help someone calculate the calorie loss needed to achieve a target weight over a certain period, but they would tailor this to the individual.

Overweight and obese adults are usually advised to follow a low-fat diet or one where the food eaten each day provides about 600 fewer calories than the body needs to stay the same weight. This is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) based on thorough appraisal of the evidence available, rather than being a “rule of thumb” as suggested in several newspapers. Very low-calorie diets are sometimes recommended by professionals for short periods of time in specific circumstances.

Getting enough physical activity (150 minutes a week for adults) is also usually crucial for most people who need to lose weight.

Do I need to change the way I diet?

This paper uses a mathematical model to advance the theory that for most people weight loss through dieting takes far longer to achieve than has previously been calculated. It doesn’t provide any evidence on the topic of specific diets and weight loss or advise specific changes to how people diet.

However, the news stories serve to remind us to set achievable weight loss goals, be realistic about our chances of reaching them and be determined in our efforts to do so.

Can I try the weight simulator?

The NIH online weight simulator tool allows people to input their age, sex and body weight and then calculate how many calories they’d need to cut from their diet in order to achieve their target weight loss. However, it is primarily a research tool. It includes no advice on diet or exercise and is not a substitute for personal medical advice on diet and weight loss. While the general principles of weight loss apply to all humans, this has been developed in the US, presumably for a US audience where the incidence of obesity is greater than that of the UK. As yet, it is not known whether a UK version will become available.

Where can I get weight loss advice?

If you think you need to lose a bit of weight, there’s a lot that you can do to help yourself. The key things you might consider are:

  • Commit to changing your behaviour to lose weight.
  • Understand calories and how the energy balance in your diet works.
  • Follow these eight simple healthy eating tips.
  • Find out how to get your recommended 150 minutes of activity every week, for example, you could try the NHS Couch to 5K running plan.
  • Try to maintain a safe level of weight loss.

If your weight is a real health problem, it’s best to see a healthcare professional such as your GP or a nurse at your GP surgery. He or she can measure your BMI and provide information and support about losing weight, the benefits of a healthier diet and doing more physical activity. They can also tell you about local organisations that can help people to lose weight.

For most overweight people, losing just 5% of your body weight can have health benefits such as lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of diabetes.

Analysis by Bazian.

Reproduced with the permission of NHS Choices

Posted in Health Advice, Health and Fitness, Research, Science, Weight-loss | Tagged as: , , , | Leave a comment

Drug combo may fight pancreas cancer

Posted on February 22nd, 2012

An experimental drug combination may provide “a new weapon against pancreatic cancer”, BBC News has reported.

In a search for new ways to fight the aggressive cancer, scientists combined an existing chemotherapy drug called gemcitabine with an experimental chemical called MRK003. The chemical can block the actions of a protein called ‘gamma secretase’ that plays a range of roles in the body. To test the effect of this combination they gave the mixture to mice genetically engineered to develop pancreatic cancer. They found that that the mice survived 26 days with the combination treatment, compared with just nine when given an inactive dummy drug. Cancer Research UK reports that a human trial of gemcitabine combined with another gamma secretase blocker are now underway.

Pancreatic cancer often has a poor prognosis as it’s usually only diagnosed at an advanced stage, by which time it is resistant to many conventional treatments. It is the fifth most common cause of cancer death in the UK, and patients with metastatic disease (where the cancer has spread) survive between two and six months on average.

This animal study has reported promising results for a new form of combination therapy. However, there are limitations to what can be learnt from animal tests, so the results of the current clinical trial will provide a much clearer indication of how safe or successful this regime is for treating patients.

Where did the story come from?

The study was carried out by researchers from the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute, Cambridge University and Merck Research Laboratories, USA. It was funded by the University of Cambridge and Cancer Research UK, the Li Ka Shing Foundation and Hutchison Whampoa Limited, the UK National Institute for Health Research, Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre and the collaborative research programme at Merck, a pharmaceutical company. The study was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Experimental Medicine.

This story was covered by the BBC and Metro. The coverage was accurate and explained that the drug is part of an ongoing phase I/II clinical trial.

What kind of research was this?

This study examined the use of an experimental drug in a mouse model of pancreatic cancer and on cells grown in the laboratory. Animal models of disease provide a useful way to test what might happen if human patients were given a particular drug. Although the animal models don’t necessarily reflect what would happen in humans, they can be invaluable in exploring the properties of potential treatments. The mouse model in this research has already been used to test several pancreatic cancer drugs, with researchers finding that it accurately modelled the responses seen in patients with the condition.

This is the ideal study design for preliminary trials of new drugs. Drugs need to be shown to be well-tolerated and effective in the laboratory and in animals before trials on humans can take place.

What did the research involve?

The researchers took mice that modelled the main subtype of pancreatic cancer, called pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. This type accounts for around 90% of pancreatic cancer cases. The researchers wanted to test a novel drug called MRK003, a type of “inhibitor” that blocks the ‘gamma secretase pathway’. Gamma secretase is involved in a signalling pathway between cells, which is disrupted in many cancers.

To test their theory, the researchers looked at the effect of several treatment regimes involving MRK003, administering it alone or in combination with a drug called gemcitabine that is already clinically used to treat pancreatic cancer. In particular, the researchers looked at:

  • the way treatment affected the expression of certain markers that are characteristic of pancreatic cancer
  • the effect on mice survival
  • the effect on the tumour cells

What were the basic results?

The researchers found that MRK003 could reduce the expression of certain pancreatic cancer markers. When given alone, MRK003 had no effect on the survival of pancreatic cancer model, but when given in combination with gemcitabine the median survival time of the mice was significantly increased, from nine days when given a placebo to 26 days when given MRK003 and gemcitabine in combination (p=0.002). The researchers found that combination treatment promotes tumour cell death and suppresses tumour growth.

How did the researchers interpret the results?

The researchers concluded that this research supports the further investigation of gamma secretase inhibitors (drugs like MRK003) in combination with gemcitabine for the treatment of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Conclusion

Patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer can have a poor outlook, as the disease is aggressive and often advanced by the time it produces any symptoms. Despite being a relatively rare form of cancer (with around 7,800 cases diagnosed each year), it’s the fifth most common cause of cancer death in the UK. Patients with metastatic disease (where the cancer has spread) have a median survival of between two and six months.

Given the current poor outlook for pancreatic cancer patients, there is a real need for new treatment options for the condition. This experimental study, although only in mice, has produced positive results for the combination therapy involving a gamma secretase inhibitor and gemcitabine. Gemcitabine is an established treatment for pancreatic cancer, but it currently provides only modest survival results.

The combination treatment was found to promote the death of tumour cells and suppress tumour growth, and increased survival time to 26 days (compared to nine days with a placebo).

These are exciting early results in an area with a clear need for better treatments. However, it will take the results of further clinical trials, such as the phase I/II clinical trial currently underway, to tell how successful or safe this regime is for treating patients.

Analysis by Bazian

Reproduced with the permission of NHS Choices

Posted in Cancer, Drugs, Medication, Pancreatic Cnacer | Tagged as: , , , , | Leave a comment

Introducing the national dementia CQIN

Posted on February 22nd, 2012

In this blog Professor Alistair Burns introduces the National Commissioning for quality and innovation (CQIN) plan. The CQIN will be introduced in April with the aim of improving some areas of dementia care in hospital.

The CQIN aims to increase awareness around dementia as people are admitted to hospital. A flowchart has been developed for healthcare staff to use.

The CQIN has three main aims:

  1. Identifying people with dementia – members of staff will ask members of the family or friends of a person admitted to hospital if the patient has suffered any problems with their memory in the last 12 months
  2. Asses people with dementia – if there is evidence to suggest a problem with their memory,  that person will be given a dementia risk assessment
  3. Refer on for advice – a referral would be made for further support either to a liaison team, a memory clinic or a GP.

Reproduced with the permisson of The Department of Health

Posted in Alzheimer Care, Dementia | Tagged as: , , , , | Leave a comment

Deadly bird flu research may be censored

Posted on February 22nd, 2012

Fears over possible biological terrorism are delaying the publication of research into the H5N1 avian influenza virus.

h5n1a

Experts have yet to reach agreement on how to release their findings without placing a weapon into the hands of potential terrorists.

Experts at the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva will discuss the issue further before deciding whether or not to release the controversial report in full.

The two papers sparked a row after they were submitted to the journals Science and Nature last year.

Source hc2d.co.uk  – read the full article here >>>

Posted in Bird Flu, Flu, Health Advice, Immune System, Infection Control | Tagged as: , , | Leave a comment

Heart UK Urges NHS in England to Improve Inherited Raised Cholesterol Testing to Prevent Early Deaths

Posted on February 22nd, 2012
  • 80-85% of inherited raised cholesterol cases in England remain undiagnosed
  • Opportunity to prevent early heart disease and save lives being missed
  • “A national programme will save lives and money” – HEART UK CEO Jules Payne

LONDON, February 22, 2012 – HEART UK, the Cholesterol Charity, has today urged health authorities in England to undertake a targeted national programme of testing for Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH), a form of inherited raised cholesterol, and prevent thousands of early deaths.

The HEART UK FH Report, to be launched at Westminster today with Virendra Sharma MP, shows how a national programme in England would also save the NHS money by preventing the need to treat patients for chronic heart disease. AstraZeneca, Genzyme Therapeutics Limited and MSD have provided funding for the development and publication of this report, but final editorial control has remained with HEART UK.

Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is a relatively common genetic condition, affecting one in 500 people and when undiagnosed and untreated, sufferers have a much higher premature death rate from cardiovascular disease than the general population. If untreated, around 50% of men and 30% of women with FH will have developed coronary heart disease by the age of 55.

Of the estimated 120,000 people in the UK with FH, only some 15-20% have been formally diagnosed, despite the fact that, unlike many genetic conditions, FH can be diagnosed and treated relatively simply, allowing sufferers to lead normal healthy lives.

HEART UK Chief Executive Jules Payne said: “It is shocking that English health authorities are not taking FH testing as seriously as they could, particularly when a national programme would save lives and save money.

“These are such simple steps and we are disappointed that the NICE guidelines have still not been implemented. There is no excuse for the NHS in England not to have made better progress. With effective, affordable means of diagnosing and treating FH readily available, this cycle of early deaths must be stopped.”

NICE published its Guideline for the treatment of FH in 2008, which advocates diagnosing FH through ‘cascade screening’ – a process of blood cholesterol and genetic testing in individuals and their families with especially high cholesterol and a history of premature heart disease.

While FH initiatives have been established to address the condition in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, there remains no national FH programme in England with some 80-85% of the FH population still undiagnosed. HEART UK expected more would be done to diagnose and treat people with the condition.

The HEART UK FH Report establishes that if 50% of patients with FH are diagnosed and treated, the NHS could save £1.7m per year on health treatment otherwise required for heart disease, while not implementing cascade screening is costing the NHS £1.4 million per year.

HEART UK recommends a national programme for FH in England under the auspices of the National Commissioning Board or similar, which would ensure that access to FH services is available beyond the limited boundaries of a PCT or Clinical Commissioning Group. A national FH programme for England will not only save lives and families, it will also save money. A UK-wide national patient register and database for FH is also needed to aid better cascade screening across the country.

Dr Dermot Neely, Co-Chair of the HEART UK FH Guideline Implementation Team said: “Proper diagnosis and treatment of FH in England is long overdue and lives are being lost. This is about putting proven medical research into practice. A national programme in England, joined up with a UK-wide register of FH patients, is the only way to ensure that cases are detected and treated wherever people live.”

Dr David Milne, Co-Chair of the HEART UK FH Guideline Implementation Team added: “Primary care clinicians like me want to provide the best care for our patients in the long term and we need the support of specialist services to pick out those families that need advice and

intervention from a young age, rather than just providing care for those in middle age and older. This report highlights the need for better joined up working between primary and secondary care, greater clinical awareness of FH, and proper commitment to finding cases of FH and treating them as needed.”

The NICE Guideline shows that cascade testing, using a combination of cholesterol and DNA tests in affected families, followed by intense lipid lowering therapy, is cost-effective and delivers optimum health outcomes.

Download the report here >>>

Press release with the permission of Heart UK.

Posted in Cholesterol, Health Advice | Tagged as: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pancake Recipes

Posted on February 20th, 2012

Celebrate Shrove Tuesday with these scrumptious savoury and sweet pancake recipes.

Source yahoo.co.uk – read the recipes here >>>

Posted in Foods | Tagged as: | Leave a comment

Human test of implanted medicine chips

Posted on February 20th, 2012

BBC News says we are a step closer to microchips that can be “implanted under a patient’s skin to control the release of drugs”.

The news was based on a study that tested the use of advanced microchips containing tiny drug reservoirs that can be remotely triggered to release medication into the body. Creating workable drug-release chips has long been a goal of researchers, as it could help people take the correct dose of vital medicines such as insulin.

In this particular trial, reported to be the first of its kind, eight women were given the chips filled with a drug to combat osteoporosis. The drug, teriparatide, is normally delivered by daily injection, but researchers found that using the chips produced similar physical results to injections. Also, there were no toxic or adverse events, due to either the microchip or the drug, and all the patients reported that it did not impact on their quality of life.

This study throws up a range of possible uses for microchip-based drug delivery, which could one day be used for the treatment of wider conditions that require frequent, scheduled dosing, particularly where standard treatment is through injection.

However, much more testing of the technology will be needed to firmly establish its safety, and to see whether there could be wider applications. One key consideration though, would be whether the use of this advanced technology can actually prove better or cheaper than the use of injections.

Where did the story come from?

The study was carried out by researchers from MicroCHIPS, Inc, (a private company producing medical microchips); the Harvard Medical School; Case Western Reserve University; On Demand Therapeutics, Inc, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It was funded by MicroCHIPs, Inc.
The study was published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Science Translational Medicine.

The results of this study have also been presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

The story appeared on the BBC and a number of newspapers, including the Daily Mail, the Daily Mirror and The Independent.

Most of the coverage of the story was good. However, alongside The Independent’s main article the newspaper featured an opinion-based section discussing potential uses of the device, including allowing psychiatrists to trigger doses in schizophrenic patients when they resist injections of medication. There is a distinct difference between using medical devices to structure the delivery of medication and using them to force people to take medication against their will.

It seems unlikely that medical groups would find this theoretical use to be ethically acceptable, and it should be noted that the treatment of mental health problems was not assessed in the study or in other coverage.

The Independent also used a photograph of a distressed man huddled on the floor wearing no shoes, intended to illustrate schizophrenia. While the condition can certainly involve periods of acute problems and distress, it seems to a rather extreme and particularly negative depiction of someone with schizophrenia.

What kind of research was this?

This was a small cohort study of a drug delivery microchip, implanted under the skin. The microchip contains tiny drug reservoirs and can be programmed to wirelessly release discrete doses of a medication.

This particular study used the drug teriparatide, prescribed by specialists only for the treatment of severe osteoporosis (bone weakening). It is normally delivered by daily injection and given for a maximum treatment period of two years only.

The researchers aimed to see whether the drug released from the device had similar ‘pharmacokinetics’ (adsorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion) and biological effect to the drug administered by standard injection. They also monitored how reliable and reproducible drug release from the microchip was, and if there were any side effects of the implant.

This was the first clinical trial of this microchip. As the researchers state, further development is required to ensure proper operation of implanted devices, and devices containing more reservoirs will be needed if the device were to provide regular doses over one or more years. In addition, before this technology becomes available, it will have to be tested in larger, controlled trials.

What did the research involve?

Eight women with osteoporosis, aged between 65 and 70, were recruited for the study. The drug delivery microchip was implanted under the skin, just under the waistline. The devices were implanted for four months. Eight weeks after implantation, the microchip started releasing daily doses of teriparatide for a period of 20 days. Blood samples were drawn regularly to monitor the pharmacokinetics and to determine levels of bone markers. A safety assessment was also performed.

After the 20 days of drug release from the device, the researchers administered the osteoporosis drug by injection, and again took blood samples, so that release from the microchip and from the injection could be compared.

What were the basic results?

In one patient, feedback from chip indicated that the drug was not being released. The results from this patient were excluded.

Drug released from the microchip in the seven other patients had similar pharmacokinetics to drug administered by injection, and bone markers indicated that drug released from the microchip increased bone formation as expected. However, the effectiveness of medication released from the microchip was not compared to the effectiveness when given by injection.

There were no toxic or adverse events due to the device or drug. Patient response to the implant was also favourable, stating that it did not impact upon their quality of life.

How did the researchers interpret the results?

The researchers concluded that the programmable implant was able to deliver teriparatide at scheduled intervals, with pharmacokinetics similar to injections ‘without the pain and burden of daily injections’.

Conclusion

This study was a small clinical trial, performed in eight women, of an implantable microchip-based drug delivery device. It found that the microchip could deliver the osteoporosis drug teriparatide with similar pharmaceutical properties to injections, including adsorption, distribution, excretion and metabolism by the body. There were no toxic or adverse events due to either the microchip or the drug, and the patients all responded favourably to the implant, stating it did not affect quality of life.

Larger controlled trials comparing this device with conventional injected teriparatide would be needed to confirm the safety and efficacy findings. Furthermore, trials may need to assess use of the chip over a longer period – on prescription, teriparatide may be administered by daily injection for up to two years.

The findings also suggest that this microchip-based drug delivery device may have the potential to be used for the treatment of wider conditions that require frequent, scheduled dosing, particularly where standard treatment is through injection. However, much more testing of the technology will be needed to see whether there could be wider applications.

Analysis by Bazian

Reproduced with the permission of NHS Choices

Posted in Drugs, Medication, Osteoarthritis, Research, Science, Skin | Tagged as: , , , , , , | 1 Comment

  •  

    February 2012
    M T W T F S S
    « Jan    
     12345
    6789101112
    13141516171819
    20212223242526
    272829  

  • Categories

  • Meta

    • Get this widget for your own blog free!