Vibrating Bed for Cystic Fibrosis

A boy of six who suffers from severe Cystic Fibrosis has seen his lung capacity improve by eight per cent within a month of using a new vibrating bed.

The bed, kindly donated by the manufacturer, shakes loose the high levels of mucus from his lungs whilst he sleeps.  Cystic Fibrosis causes a mucus build up on the lungs which can lead to infections, breathlessness and a reduction in life expectancy.  The bed works by vibrating at different levels on different areas of the back to loosen the fluid and causes the patient to cough it up.

Manufacturers of the bed, Niagara, say the bed uses Cyclo-Therapy which is a three way vibration that rotates and gently pulsates out from the center in a whirlpool motion.

Unhealthy Diet

A study published this month has revealed that for nine out of every ten families a ready-meal or takeaway is the staple diet.

The unhealthy eating habits were exposed by a poll for the governments Change4Life campaign to encourage healthy eating.  2000 mothers took part in the study, with 96 per cent admitting to using pre-prepared meals and only 16 per cent cooking from scratch.  The main reason given for using ready-made food was the speed in which it could be served.

Antibiotics Warning

Dame Sally Davies, the government’s chief medical officer has given an Antibiotics warning on the overuse of antibiotics which is leading to a “ticking time bomb” and should be put on the National Risk Register – which also includes “catastrophic terrorist attacks” and civil emergencies.

The register is designed to increase awareness about different types of threats and help government, individuals and organisations to think about their readiness.  It sets out an assessment of the likelihood and potential impact of a range of different risks which may affect the UK.   In the report Dame Sally also suggests better incentives for the pharmaceutical industry to develop new drugs and highlights the importance of better hygiene to avoid infections.  It also encourages only prescribing antibiotics when really needed to avoid infections becoming resistant.

Egyptian Mummies Had Hardened Arteries

A study of over 100 Egyptian mummies from around the world has revealed that hardening of the arteries may have been much more common among ancient people than previously thought.

Egyptian mummy, époque ptolémaïque, IIIe – IIe siècle avant J.-C., Louvre,Département des Antiquités égyptiennes, N 2627
Source/Photographer – Dada (Own work)

Hardening of the arteries, atherosclerosis, causes heart failure and in worst case scenarios, death.  Atherosclerosis has previously been linked to current risk factors such as smoking, obesity and lack of exercise; however the findings in the study suggest that it may also be due to a more basic human disposition to the disease.  The study, being published in The Lancet, used CT scans to look for hardened arteries in 137 mummies from Egypt, Peru, southwest America and the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.

Cancer Drug Victory

Two drugs hailed as one of the biggest breakthroughs in treating advanced malignant melanoma in three decades have finally been given the green light by the governments rationing body.

Yervoy and Zelboraf have been approved by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence and are being offered to patients whose tumours have spread to other parts of the body.  Dr James Larkin, a medical oncologist at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, said: “There had been a perception among doctors that melanoma was different and impossible to treat.  This drug (Zelboraf) shows that isn’t the case and at last we have hope in our fight against this terrible cancer.”

Although the drugs are not a cure, they have been shown to extend the lives of those suffering from nine months to sixteen months, opening up the prospect that malignant melanoma, similar to some other cancers, could be contained and hopefully in the future, cured.