Author Archives: Editor

Eye health indicates body health

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Harvard: Deteriorating eyesight in older people is accelerated by a poor diet, smoking and being overweight, say doctors at the Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the main cause of vision loss in developed countries. In the US some 13 million people in show some signs of AMD, which is uncommon in people younger than 55. The health of eyes are also an indicator of the body’s general health.

This new study shows that diet, smoking, and BMI (body mass index) may affect the chances of getting AMD.

Johanna Seddon, MD, one of the researchers and his colleagues studies 934 people who were on average 67 to 71 years old. Half of the participants were screened at a Boston eye and ear clinic. The others were screened at an eye clinic in Portland, Ore.

A total of 184 participants didn’t have AMD. The rest had mild AMD (201 patients), moderate AMD (326 patients), or advanced AMD (223 patients).

Participants completed surveys about their diet and lifestyle. They also gave blood samples, which Seddon’s team checked for levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and homocysteine, which have been linked to increased risk of heart disease.

The researchers had previously reported that CRP and homocysteine are associated with age-related macular degeneration. This time, they checked how diet and lifestyle affected levels of CRP and homocysteine, as well as AMD risk.

None of the participants were asked to change their diets or lifestyles. The researchers just looked for patterns among the participants’ habits, blood chemicals, and AMD diagnosis.

Eye-Opening Data

The researchers found that people who smoked, were overweight, and consumed fewer antioxidants (natural chemicals found in many fruits and vegetables) tended to have higher levels of CRP and homocysteine.

For instance, people who reported eating fish more than twice per week had lower CRP levels. This was also true for people who consumed higher levels of vitamin C, beta-carotene, and the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin.

CRP levels were higher for people who smoked or had higher BMI, the study also shows.

Lower homocysteine levels were seen in people with more vitamin E in their blood and those who consumed more antioxidants and vitamin B-6. But higher blood levels of vitamin E were also tied to higher CRP levels. That contradiction should be studied further, note Seddon and colleagues.

Seddon commented: “Overall, these findings suggest that sick eyes may occur in sick bodies related to smoking, being overweight, and other unhealthy behaviors,” they write.

“AMD is associated with immune, inflammatory, and other cardiovascular mechanisms, and these results emphasize the need to adhere to healthy lifestyles for your eyes and your body overall.”

High flyers turn to alcohol to cope with City stress

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London: Automated call centres, mobile phones and computers crashing top the stress scale of modern life, say a new report from health charity DPP: Developing Patient Partnerships (DPP).

In response, over a third of men (34%) turn to alcohol and a quarter (25%) of the population resort to cigarettes to help them feel less stressed, says the report. It also highlights the confusion around what stress actually is. Many people (68%) think stress is simply having a ‘bad day’ and 57% see it as having too much to do. Many (64%) wrongly believe that stress itself is an illness.

The report, part of the DPP’s Dealing with Stress campaign, provides a stark insight into how stressed we all feel, how stress is misunderstood by the UK population and our failure to adopt effective coping mechanisms.

DPP Spokesperson Dr Rosemary Anderson says: “Considering that most people (79%) believe they have been stressed in the last year, it is worrying that they are seeking solace in alcohol and cigarettes when there are many positive things that people can do to help themselves cope plus feel better in the long term.

Its findings are confirmed by City health professionals who say there are growing number of highflyers, whose inability to cope, particularly with competitive stress in the workplace, is causing them to seek professional help for problem drinking.

Don Serratt, a former merchant banker in the City, founded Life Works, a mental health and addiction treatment group after his own decent into alcoholism. He has not had a drink for 20 years and now helps others do the same.

He says: “A work hard / play hard culture has always been associated with the City. Commerce is aggressive and individuals working in the field have to “let off steam”. Whilst a casual drink doesn’t pose a problem, the issues of binge drinking and turning to alcohol as the main stress release mechanism are prevalent. When this spirals out of control, addiction can result – causing financial problems, health issues and damaging relationships.

“There’s also the associated issue of professional derailment – the under-performance of senior professionals in industry as a result of mental health issues. The important thing in both circumstances is to identify a potential problem early and intervene. Clinical experience shows that the sooner appropriate treatment is put in place, the faster and more effectively an individual recovers. Friends, colleagues and families shouldn’t wait for a person they are worried about to hit rock bottom. If they have a gut feeling that something isn’t quite right, the slightest suspicion, then get it checked out.”

Georgia Foster(pictured), a clinical hypnotherapist and stress management consultant treats City patients at the Wren Clinic explores the alcohol abuse in her new book, The Drinkless Mind. In it she highlights the role of the conscious and sub-conscious mind. The rationale in the book encourages people to reprogramme the negativity of their unconscious mind. People who drink to excess are usually trying to silence their inner critic because they are unable to turn off this negative voice. She labels this the “Radio Crazy” phenomenon because you are unable to turn it off.

“I believe that the inner critic underpins all anxieties, fears and low self worth. The inner critic is suppressed in most people after a few drinks, and that is why we drink, it could however manifest itself in, aggression, and procrastination. Stress comes in many different shapes and forms. Anxiety and panic attacks are extremely common amongst highflyers. This type of client will believe that they not coping with their lives as well as they should and their demonic inner critic will blame them. Symptoms include sweating profusely in meetings, clammy hands, fear of flying and lifts, which is most of the time claustrophobia or being trapped in their lives. I see a lot of people who have professional/social anxieties about speaking in meetings, taking clients out for lunch and speaking in public.

“A common issue is insomnia which indicates that the individual is worried about the past or the future, and tries to rectify the past (which we can’t) or predict the future (which can be a negative image) by staying awake to resolve the thoughts. Originally there may have been a ‘real’ issue that was stopping them from sleeping but it then becomes a habit. Alcohol can often help people to relax enough to sleep, it does however play havoc with the natural sleep pattern. When people try and cut back on the booze they panic that they can’t relax enough to go to sleep and the pattern of emotional drinking kicks in.

“I also treat many clients who earn ridiculous amounts of money and don’t’ believe they deserve it and live a terrible panic stricken life that they are faking their success, which they are not. They are truly doing the job well but always stressed that someone else will take their job away from them. I respect that this maybe true in certain situations but once again can also be a self fulfilling prophecy. Self-help with some of these issues is very difficult for most people, and often, despite a desire to change certain behaviours, many people don’t really want to do the work to change, enough. Until that is, they literally have had enough.

“One of the reasons for all this is that we are educated in this society to avoid exposing vulnerabilities to the outside world, which means all stress and emotional issues become buried within. Ultimately this has long term health effects but along the way we are given many signs such as the above symptoms. If we don’t feel safe simply because we have been taught to ‘keep quiet’ about our problems we feel lost and alone and resort to gratification of the primitive world, such as consumption of food, alcohol, excessive sex and sleep – which is a sign of depression.”

Case study

Jenny (not her real name or job), is a senior IT consultant at a large investment bank and is her mid-thirities. She is an extremely funny person and her role as the social/funny person of the office and also meant being a big drinker. One evening after work she got so drunk – which was not uncommon – that the fell down the escalators at Bank tube station, breaking her nose, smashing her glasses and almost loosing an eye. She did not realise this damage until she woke up the next day with very little memory but in some serious pain. She was in shock for days.

Contacts:
Georgia Foster, All Hallows House, Idol Lane, EC3. For copies of The Drinkless Mind and CD cost £17.99 call 0845 660 4396. www.georgiafoster.com
Lifeworks, London, W1 and Woking Surrey. Free phone number 0800 081 0700 and www.lifeworkscommunity.com
DPP: Developing Patient Partnerships Campaign. www.dpp.org.uk

Rose-hip – a new hope for sufferers of joint pain and osteoarthritis

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London: Rose-hip can help alleviate joint pain in patients with knee, hip, and hand osteoarthritis, according to latest research.

In the study, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial published in the Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology (Aug 2005)1, 82% of patients reported a reduction in pain after 3 weeks of active treatment with GOPO – the active compound isolated from Rosa canina, a type of rose-hip.

The research could give new hope to the 9 million people in the UK who suffer from painful joints2 due to arthritis and related conditionsbut who are keen to maintain an active life. In comparison, one of the largest long-term studies on glucosamine3, currently the most popular supplement for joint health, showed only a 40% response rate to treatment and that it took up to 12 weeks before the subjects reported feeling improvement.

The research also found that GOPO alleviated pain to an extent that therewas a significant reduction in the consumption of traditional painkillers such as paracetamol, ibuprofen, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAID’s) – a key benefit not observed in studies on glucosamine. Although typical treatments for the pain and inflammation caused by arthritis, NSAID’s can cause serious side effects if used over a prolonged period including abdominal pain, heartburn, nausea, and vomiting.

“I was very interested to see the results of this research, which show
rose-hip extract to have a very quick effect in reducing osteoarthritic pain in the hip, knee, and hand. This study suggests that rose-hip extract offers potential relief from pain for osteoarthritis sufferers, without theside effects that are often found with conventional anti-inflammatorydrugs or pain killers”, says Dr Rod Hughes, Consultant Rheumatologist at St Peter’s Hospital in Surrey.

The study, recently presented at the 10th World Congress on Arthritis in December 2005, is a continuation of extensive research into anti-inflammatory efficacy of GOPO in osteoarthritis. The Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology is one of the leading international journals in the field of arthritis and rheumatology. Unfortunately due to the drying process that is needed to isolate the active anti-inflammatory compound from the sub-species of rose-hip, GOPO is not available in a normal diet and can only be taken in the form of a food supplement. LitoZin Joint Health, from Lanes, is the only supplement containing GOPO and is specifically formulated for maintaining joint health.

LitoZin Joint Health is available in Boots, independent pharmacies and
health food stores, and is priced at £19.99 for 120 capsules. For more
information on LitoZin Joint Health, please see www.litozin.co.uk For more information on arthritis, please see Arthritis Care
(www.arthritiscare.org.uk ) and Arthritis Research Campaign (www.arc.org.uk)

About Lanes G R Lane Health Products Ltd (Lanes) is one of the major natural medicine companies in the UK and manufactures well-known products such as Olbas,Kalms, Quiet Life and Aquaban. Established in the 1930’s by Gilbert Lane – an early supporter of the ideathat we can improve our health through diet and the use of carefully selected plants and nutrients – Lanes remains a family owned business and is chaired by Gilbert’s grand-daughter, Janet Lane. References 1 A powder made from seeds and shells of a rose-hip subspecies (Rosa canina l.) reduces symptoms of knee and hip osteoarthritis: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, Scand J Rheumatol 34:302-308, July – August 2005 by Winther, K. Apel, K and Thomsborg,G., 2 Statistics from the Arthritis Research Campaign 3 Long term effects of glucosamine sulfate on osteoarthritis progression: a randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial JY. Reginster , R. Deroisy , LC. Deroisy, et al., Lancet , 2001, vol. 357, pp. 251—256)

Sun cream manufacturers in class action over cancer risk

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Los Angeles: Several of the world’s leading manufacturer’s of sun creams are being sued in a US court accused of exposing users to the risk of cancer.

In a lawsuit filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court the makers of leading brands Coppertone, Hawaiian Tropic, Banana Boat and Neutrogena are alleged to have made misleading claims about the effectiveness of their products.

It is being alleged by a group of US consumers that the advice given in the marketing of these creams gave a false reassurance that it was safe to spend long periods in the sun, resulting in a higher risk of cancer.

Recent UK studies have shown that some sun creams do not offer the protection factor stated on the pack. In addition scientists believe that prolonged sun bathing can mutate DNA which in turn may lead to cancer.

The defendants named in the lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, include Johnson & Johnson Inc, Schering-Plough Corp, Playtex Products Inc, Tanning Research Laboratories Inc, and Chattem Inc.

The suit focuses on labels that claim the sunscreens protect equally against the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays.

Documents lodged with the court say the products may protect against harmful UVB rays with shorter wavelengths. However, the skin remains exposed to UVA rays with longer wavelengths that penetrate deep into the skin.

The suit also questions whether products which claim to be waterproof, or effective in water, offer the protection that is claimed, and alleges that parents have been misled into believing their children are protected by products specifically designed for them.

The case seeks to stop the defendants from engaging in allegedly misleading marketing practices.

It also seeks the refund of money ‘wrongfully acquired’, unspecified damages for injuries suffered, and punitive damages. Schering-Plough said the company had not seen the lawsuit and could not comment on the specifics but said that labelling and advertising for all its products, including sun care, are developed in compliance with all applicable laws and FDA regulations.

Brain stem stells may restore walking ability

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Toronto: Spinal-cord damage resulting in paralysis may soon be treated with brain stem cells allowing patients to walk again, according to a new Canadian study recently published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Although the study has been carried out on rats, human research is predicted to begin in five to ten years.

Neurosurgeon, Dr. Michael Fehlings, of the Krembil Neuroscience Center at Toronto Western Research Institute led a team that injected stem cells extracted from mouse brains to the injury site of paralysed rats with spinal injuries.

The rats were also given a drug cocktail including growth hormone, cyclosporine to prevent rejection and the anti-inflammatory minocycline, which researchers believe attributed to the success of the therapy by reducing the spinal cord inflammation and cell damage and boosting the survival of stem cells.

Researchers found that rats receiving the stem cells restored their walking ability although the injections of stem cells could not completely restore the lost capability.

Fehling said the team had not aimed to regrow the spinal cord but to attempt replacement of one cell type.

The type of cells used in the study was neural precursor cells, which are extracted from mouse brains and ready to turn into a central nervous system cell. Researchers said 30 percent of the stem cells could survive the t ransplant process and help the recipients repair the spinal cord damage.

The researchers said it was necessary for the recipients’ to have viable nerve fibres for the stem cell therapy to work. The stem cells injected in the spinal cord work to develop myelin, the insulating layer around nerve fibers that transmits signals to the brain. About 50 percent of patients have the nerve fibers intact when they get injured. The sooner the therapy is administered also assists in a more effective outcome.

The treatment may as well be applicable to humans, according to the researchers, because the stem cells used for the injection may be extracted from the patients’ own brains using a biopsy needle. Stem cells can be extracted from brains other people donate.

Stem cells are present in many parts of the body such as bone marrow, fetuses, embryos, u mbilical cord b lood and even t eeth. Stem cell research is a hot issue because much of the research would involve fetuses and or embryos, which draws objections from many people. But researchers said the neural precursor cells used are adult stem cells that only help produce nerve cells.

Increase in angina amongst older women, says new report

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London: Middle-aged women are at the same risk of suffering from angina as men, according to a new report from researchers at University College London.

Angina, in which the arteries narrow and harden around the heart is also more common in both men and women.

The UK study looked at more than 100,000 patients aged between 45 and 89 suffering from angina and concluded that the prognosis for women is also far worse than for men with higher death rates, and doctors should give me more to investigating females.

In developed countries two women out of every 100 develop angina each year.
Symptoms include chest pain, breathlessness and poor circulation. Stopping smoking, increasing exercise and lowering blood pressure and cholesterol can reduce symptoms. Usually it is treated with a bypass, angioplasty in which the arteries are held open or drugs.

Women are protected from heart disease before the menopause by high oestrogen levels, which may hinder the development of problemsby improving blood flow and arterial flexibility.

The study, published yesterday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, was funded by the British Heart Foundation.

British chiropractors defend treatment

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London: A recent UK medical report which cast doubt on the benefits of spinal manipulation for back problems has been criticised as biased from the outset by the British Chiropractic Association (BCA).

In a statement the BCA says it is outraged by the recent claims made by Professor Ernst in a study* published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. The BCA believes that the study was created using carefully selected, negative articles, in support of a pre-determinedconclusion, and that this research was biased from the outset. The BCA strongly maintains that chiropractic is a safe and effective formof treatment and finds numerous faults with Ernst’s latest attack on the well-established chiropractic community.

The study was flawed for a number of reasons: In the main, the co-author (Ernst) only selected 16 research studies, out of a possible 60-70. A quarter (25%) of these selected studies were by the report’s own author, adding even more bias to the results Elements of ‘spin’ exist within the context of the research – making reference to ‘no evidence that SM is superior to other standard treatments’
can actually be translated, as SM is just as effective as other standard treatments.

The study cited that 16,000 chiropractors were practising in the UK, in fact there are just 2,200 chiropractors in the UK, all of whom are regulated by the General Chiropractic Council.

The original reviews were not reported in full, leaving a great deal to the authors’ own interpretation. A report prepared for the NHS National electronic Library for Health (NeLH) by the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, based at the University of York, has already stated, “The reliability of the authors’ conclusions cannot be fully assessed” because “insufficient details of the methodological robustness of the reviews included in the systematic review were provided. In addition, few details relating to the quality or the results of the primary studies included in the original reviews were reported”.

Chiropractic is a mature profession, and numerous studies exist which clearly demonstrate that chiropractic treatment, including manipulative and spinal adjustment, is both safe and effective. The profession has always adopted a responsible attitude to research, and has never laid claims that manipulation is the cure for conditions such as asthma and colic but there have been instances where these conditions appear to have benefited from chiropractic treatment. More so chiropractors should be congratulated for carrying out studies, which actively explore the scope of the treatment for such conditions.

In recent years, there have been three Medical Research Council funded research projects with results published in the BMJ. All clearly demonstrate the efficacy and cost effectiveness of the chiropractic management of back pain.

Barry Lewis, BCA President comments: “The vast majority of chiropractic patients are suffering from lower back pain or neck pain. When it comes to back pain, there is no single treatment that has been researched more than chiropractic. No other treatment methodology has come under as much scrutiny, and the recent UK BEAM trial demonstrates that the ‘package of care’ chiropractic offers compares more than favourably with GP ‘best practice’.”

Existing research which Ernst failed to include within the ‘systematicreview’ include: UK Beam Trial; Back pain, exercise and manipulation (UK BEAM) randomised trial: effectiveness of physical treatments for back pain in primary care.
2004 Medical Research Council; ‘Low Back pain of mechanical origin: randomised comparison of Chiropractic from hospital outpatient treatment’; Meade et al. 1990 Medical Research Council (Follow-up-study) Trial ‘Randomised comparison of Chiropractic and hospital outpatient management for low back pain; results from extended follow up’; Meade et al. 1995 RCGP – Clinical Guidelines for the Management of Acute Low Back Pain (1996, 1999, 2001) Clinical Standards Advisory Group; Backpain Report 1994. Acute Back Pain – Primary Care Project; The Wiltshire and Bath Health Commission. Carter JT, Birrell LN (Editors) 2000. Occupational health guidelines for the management of low back pain at work – principal recommendations. Chiropractic Treatment in Workers with Musculoskeletal Complaints; Mark P Blokland DC et al;Journal of the Neuromusculoskeletal System House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology report on Complementary and Alternative Medicine November 2000

BCA chiropractors see tens of thousands of patients each day and they provide a safe and effective form of treatment that keeps people of all
ages healthy and happy: Ex England star and rugby player, Austin Healey: “I am aware of recent claims that manipulation doesn’t work. I couldn’t disagree more.
Chiropractic treatment plays an important part in keeping me at the top of
my game.”

Paul Clifton, BBC correspondent “I had a longstanding back injury and I have not the slightest doubt that chiropractic has enabled me to lead a normal life. As a cameraman and correspondent, carrying heavy equipment and travelling are part of my day to day life, without chiropractic treatment I certainly could not do the job I do.”

Professor Ernst has a track record of disparaging not only the chiropractic
profession but also other similarly regulated healthcare professions. Ernst and Canter have carefully selected negative articles in support of their conclusion that manipulation cannot be recommended as a treatment when national clinical practice guidelines, based on much more and better research than the studies this article has selected, has come to exactly the opposite conclusion.

*A systematic review of systematic reviews of spinal manipulation. Ernst E, Canter PH. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine Vol 20 April 2006, pp189-193.

Fish oil health benefits not clear, says new study

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London: A new study by the published online by the British Medical Journal today doesn’t find evidence of a clear benefit of omega 3 fats on health.

These findings do not rule out an important effect of omega 3 fats, but suggest that the evidence should be reviewed regularly, say the researchers.

Consumption of long chain omega 3 fatty acids, found in oily fish and fish oils, and a shorter chain omega 3, found in some plant oils, is thought to protect against heart disease. UK guidelines encourage the general public to eat more oily fish, and higher amounts are advised after a heart attack.

Researchers analysed 89 studies (48 randomised controlled trials and 41 cohort studies) to assess the health effects of long and short chain omega 3 fats on total mortality, cardiovascular events, cancer, and strokes.

Each study involved a treatment group and a control group and investigated the effect of omega 3 intake on health for at least six months. Differences in study quality were taken into account to identify and minimise bias.

Pooling the results showed no strong evidence that omega 3 fats have an effect on total mortality or combined cardiovascular events. The few studies at low risk of bias were more consistent, but they also showed no effect of omega 3 on total mortality or cardiovascular events.

When data on long chain omega 3 fats were analysed separately, total mortality and cardiovascular events were not reduced. No study showed increased risk of cancer or stroke with higher intake of omega 3, but there were too few events to rule out important effects.

Other recent reviews of omega 3 trials found that omega 3 fats decrease mortality, but the publication of a large contradictory trial has changed the overall picture. The authors cannot say exactly why the results of this trial differ from the other large studies in this field.

They therefore conclude that it is not clear whether long chain or short chain omega 3 fats (together or separately) reduce or increase total mortality, cardiovascular events, cancer, or strokes.

UK guidelines advising people to eat more oily fish should continue at present but the evidence should be reviewed regularly, say the authors. However, it is probably not appropriate to recommend a high intake of omega 3 fats for people who have angina but have not had a heart attack.

To understand the effects of omega 3 fats on health, we need more high quality randomised controlled trials of long duration that also report the associated harms, they conclude.

We are faced with a paradox, says Eric Brunner in an accompanying editorial. Health recommendations advise increased consumption of oily fish and fish oils. However, industrial fishing has depleted the world’s fish stocks by some 90% since 1950, and rising fish prices reduce affordability particularly for people with low incomes.

Global production trends suggest that, although fish farming is expanding rapidly, we probably do not have a sustainable supply of long chain omega 3 fats, he warns.

Pangaea launches new wrinkle-busting range

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London: Europe’s leading dermaceutical company, Pangaea Laboratories, has launched a new skincare range containing the latest wrinkle-busting technology.

Medik8®, consists of 24 products combining cutting-edge biotechnology (use of fat based delivery systems, ‘liposomes’) with the latest dermaceutical peptide ingredients. All products contain clinically proven actives and patented ingredients. Medik8® (Pangaea Laboratories) is a science laboratory ultimately interested in one thing – results.

Some groundbreaking ingredients in the Medik8® range include:-
• SOD – Superoxide Dismutase enzyme protects hyaluronate against depolymerization by free-radicals that cause the breakdown of cell scaffolding

• Idebenone – the most powerful antioxidant available for topical use

• Derma-Peptides – actually interact with collagen and elastin formation mechanisms
• Pre-SPF – protects the Langerhans skin cells from UV damage (the 2-4% of epithelial cells that are responsible for skin immune response)

Medik8® is split into 3 areas: Daily, Solutions and Injection-Free.

• skin ageing
• skin redness / rosacea
• pigmentation marks
• stretch marks
• dark circles
• cellulite / orange peel
• ingrown hairs
• dry skin
• thread veins / spider veins
• acne / congested skin
• fine lines & wrinkles
• general skin improvement
• tired dull skin
• thin lips

Medik8® products are not tested on animals and use bio–degradable packaging. Where necessary, products are packed in airless containers to preserve the potency of the actives throughout their life on the shelf and in the bathroom.

For further information on the Medik8® range, stockists or mail order please contact Medik8 on 0845 673 2222 or visit www.medik8.com to order online.

SKIN TREATMENT JARGON BUSTER

Pangaea uses dermatological and dermaceutical interchangeably, because dermaceutical is not currently as well known. Dermatological refers to the branch of medicine that is concerned with the physiology and pathology of the skin; whereas dermaceutical is a contraction of derma~ (meaning skin) and ~ceutical (meaning drug-based product or preparation)

Liposomes – are tiny fat-based hollow spheres filled with active ingredients, which are absorbed into the skin and release their contents precisely where they are most needed – under the surface into the deeper layers of the skin

Antioxidants – our enviornment leads to the formation of “free radicals” that damage healthy cells. In the skin this leads to lines, wrinkles and loss of skin tone. Antioxidants can reduce the activity of these free radicals by soaking them up ( a plus and a minus become a neutral), and can help the body to repair itself.. Well know antioxidants include vitamins A, C and E. Idebenone is the latest and most powerful antioxidant available for topical use. SOD is another hi-tech anti-oxidant that protects hyaluronate against depolymerization by free-radicals ( that is the breakdown of cell scaffolding)

Langerhans’ cells – The skin is the largest organ in area. Langerhans’ cells are located in the lowest epidermal layers. The Langerhans’ cells play a central role in the skin’s immune system and an integral part of the body’s total defence system.

Hyaluronate – A salt or ester of Hyaluronic Acid (HA). One molecule of HA holds 1000 times its weight in water. It helps pull moisture from the air to the skin. Acts as the filler /binder between collagen and elastic scaffolding layers.

Depolymerization – The breaking down of long polymers into their constituent small molecules. If a molecule is a ‘brick’ then a polymer would be a ‘wall’

Quality of life can improve in old age, say researchers

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London: Increasing age does not necessarily cause a reduction in the quality of life, and in some cases, can even improve it.

Research published online this month in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, describes how researchers looked at indicators of the quality of life, and found that in England it is above average between the ages of 50 and 84, and in some cases increases compared with earlier years.

The researchers from Imperial College London, Karolinska Instituet, Stockholm and City University, London studied the effect of health factors such as long standing illness, social factors like trusting relationships and socio-economic factors on the quality of life.

Dr Gopal Netuveli from Imperial College London, and lead researcher, said: “Although many worry that old age and retirement could be a time of hardship, this study shows that for many their quality of life actually improves as they get older. In particular, social engagement such as volunteering can significantly improve quality of life, even in very old age.”

The researchers found that factors such as a long standing illness, difficulties in moving about and carrying on with every day activities, depression or financial difficulties can all reduce the quality of life.

Factors such as trusting relationships with friends and family, frequent contact with friends and living in a good, safe neighbourhood were all found to increase the quality of life.

The team looked at data from 12,234 individuals aged 50 or over living in 2002 from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

Professor David Blane, from Imperial College London and senior researcher, said: “An increasingly ageing population has raised the possibility of a ‘long and morbid winter’ for many old people, and a potential problem for national economies with more people to support than there are people to work.

“However this study indicates that many of the problems associated with old age may be compressed to the last few years and people are able to lead a fulfilling life after retirement.”

Beta carotene slows down age-related lung decline

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Paris: Beta carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, slows the decline in lung power associated with ageing, reveals research in the medical magazine Thorax.

Beta carotene belongs to a group of antioxidant substances called carotenoids, which give fruits and vegetables their red, yellow, and orange colourings.

Researchers assessed the FEV1 and the blood levels of carotenoids and vitamin E in almost 1200 adults aged between 20 and 44 in 1992.

Eight years later the same measurements was taken in 535 of the original participants, half of whom were men.

FEV1 measures the volume of air forced out of the lungs in one second after taking a deep breath, and is a critical indicator of lung power. It naturally declines with age.

Between 1992 and 2000, the average decline in FEV1 was just under 30 ml a year. But the drop off was significantly slower in those in whom levels of beta carotene were highest to begin with and in those in whom levels rose over the eight years.

Alpha carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E levels had no impact on the rate of decline of FEV1.

In 1992, men had lower levels of carotenoids in their blood than women, and the decline in FEV1 was significantly steeper in men than in women over the eight years.

But the steepest declines in FEV1 of more than 52 ml a year were seen in those smoking a pack or more of cigarettes a day, and with low levels of vitamin E and beta carotene in their blood.

The authors suggest that beta carotene compensates for some of the damage caused by oxygen free radicals, while both it and vitamin E may help to lessen the damaging effects of heavy smoking on the airways.

And they warn that heavy smokers whose dietary intake of antioxidants is low, “are probably at very high risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).”

Male smokers 40% more likely to be impotent than non-smokers

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Sydney: Men who smoke a pack or more of cigarettes daily are 40 per cent more likely to be impotent than non-smokers, finds research in Tobacco Control.

The research team analysed the questionnaire responses of over 8000 men aged between 16 and 59 who were taking part in the Australian Study of Health and Relationships.

Almost one in 10 of the men said that they had had erectile problems lasting a month or more during the preceding year.

More than a quarter of the respondents were smokers, one in five of whom smoked 20 or fewer cigarettes a day. Just over 6% smoked 20 or more a day.

The results pointed to a significant association between smoking and erectile problems, which became stronger with increasing numbers of cigarettes smoked.

When compared with non-smokers, those who smoked 20 or fewer cigarettes a day were 24 per cent more likely to report difficulties maintaining an erection. Those smoking more than a pack a day were 39 per cent more likely to report erectile difficulties.

Unsurprisingly, older age and a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease were also associated with a greater likelihood of erectile problems. But moderate drinking significantly cut the risk.

Oily fish may prevent spread of prostate cancer

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Manchester: Including oily fish, containing Omega 3 fatty acids may prevent the spread of prostate cancer to other parts of the border, according to research by the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research at the Christie Hospital.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men and is particularly dangerous if it infects areas such as bone marrow.

Omega 3 fats, found in mackerel, fresh tuna, salmon and sardines, have already been found to cut the risk of contracting the cancer. And this research suggests they might prevent a more aggressive form of the disease developing particularly when Omega 3 is combined with Omega 6 oils.

The experts looked at prostate cells in the laboratory and examined the extent to which they spread to bone marrow.

Both types of oils are essential for good health, but a balance could be required as omega 6 was found to help cancer to spread.

Dr Mick Brown, chief scientist in the research group, said that Omega 6 fats, found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, increased the spread of tumour cells into bone marrow. And this was blocked by Omega 3, so a balance was required.

The findings, published in the British Journal of Cancer, may also help in the development of drugs to stop other cancers, such as breast cancer, from spreading in the body.

Other research shows that a daily dose of fish oils could help keep Alzheimer’s disease at bay.

A team from St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London looked at the effect of omega 3 supplements on the number of glutamate receptors in the brains of aging rats. These are known to be essential to memory and alertness.

After 12 weeks, the researchers found that the concentration of glutamate receptors in the brains of rats who ate unsupplemented food had decreased. But the animals whose food had been enriched had as many as much younger rats, the journal Neurobiology of Aging reports.

The researchers believe the same could hold true for humans and say that omega 3 could hold promise as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.

Big waists increase heart attack risk

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Atlanta: A big waist increases the risk of heart disease, the American College of Cardiology in Atlanta has been told.

It is not how fat you are but where the fat is, that indicates the risk of having a heart attack, according to the results of an research by Canadian scientists who analysed the waist sizes of 168,000 men and women worldwide.

They found that in men, the risk of heart disease increased by between 21 and 40 per cent for every 51/2in (14cm) extra they put on their waist size. For women, the same increase in heart disease risk occurred for every 53/4in (14.9cm) growth in waistline.

Excess fat around the middle, they say, is more harmful than weight gain on the legs and hips.

This is because fat cells carried-around the stomach are the most dangerous of all, pumping out chemicals that can damage the insulin system. Abnormal levels of these toxins can lead to high blood sugar and unhealthy cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of heat disease and diabetes.

Dr Jean-Pierre Despres, the director of cardiology research at University Laval in Quebec, said: ‘Your risk of having a heart attack has nothing to do with your body mass index.

‘After 20 years of research we’ve learned that it’s not how fat you are that determines your risk to obesity, but where the excess fat is located.’

He added: ‘You could be classed as normal weight but if you have a high proportion of tummy fat you are at increased risk.’

In line with their findings, men and women with a beer gut or apple shape are more likely to be jeopardising their health.

Those carrying the same amount of weight on the thighs and bottom – a pear shape – will be at a lesser risk. Dr Despres added: ‘This is the first time a study of this magnitude has been conducted worldwide in a primary care population.

‘The importance and the clinical significance of these results will stimulate additional studies that will aid us in identifying patients most at risk.’

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is calculated by dividing the person’s weight in kilograms by the square of their height in metres.

A BMI of between 25 and 30 is classed as ‘overweight’, while more than 30 is defined as being obese. The ideal body mass index is between 18.5 and 24.9.

Adult obesity levels in Britain have almost quadrupled in the last 25 years while the rate of child obesity has trebled in the past two decades.

Ten per cent of six-year-olds are obese, rising to 17 per cent in 15-year-olds.

B vitamins may be harmful to heart patients

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Oslo: A Norwegian study of around 4,000 heart attack survivors who were given high doses of vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid increased their risk of a second attack or stroke, it has been found.

B vitamins are one of the most popular health products on the market and taken by many to boost health and immune system. They are also thought to be helpful with premenstrual syndrome and other female problems. The Bs are also recommended to reduce homocysteine a substance found in the blood and linked to a number of health problems including heart disease, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease.

But the Norwegian study found no clear benefit, even after three years of treatment. Volunteers who took all three supplements faced a considerably higher risk of further heart attacks or strokes.

For those who took the full trio of supplements, the risk was 22 per cent higher, compared to a rise of up to 14 per cent for those who took vitamin B6 alone or a combination of B12 and folic acid.

Professor Kaare Harald Bonaa, of the University of Tromso, told a medical conference in Atlanta that some doctors were treating patients with B vitamins despite a paucity of supporting evidence.

‘Such therapy may even be harmful and should not be recommended,’ he said.

His conclusions were strengthened by a second study on the B vitamins also presented at the conference. A team of Canadian researchers gave more than 5,500 volunteers from 13 countries either a placebo or supplements of vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid.

The supplements in both studies were in doses at least double that available over the counter.

Although the vitamins in the Canadian study reduced levels of homocysteine, they did not cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes. In some cases, the supplements seemed to aggravate other health problems, lead researcher Dr Eva Lonn, of McMaster University in Ontario, said. Homocysteine is an amino acid produced by the body and found in the blood.

It was thought it could cause fatal blockages in the heart and brain by damaging the lining of the arteries and making blood more likely to clot.

But following the latest research – which will appear in the New England Journal of Medicine later this week – scientists believe it may be a sign, rather than a cause, of heart disease.

Heart disease in Ireland halves in 15 years

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London: Deaths from coronary artery heart disease in Ireland have halved since the mid 1980s, finds research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Almost half of the drop is attributable to lifestyle changes, especially smoking and diet, it suggests.The research team used a combination of published data on the use and effectiveness of specific treatments for heart disease and associated risk factors, such as smoking, cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and a sedentary lifestyle.

Between 1985 and 2000, deaths from coronary artery disease in Ireland fell by 47% in those aged 25 to 84, resulting in almost 3800 fewer deaths in 2000 than in 1985.

Almost 44% of the drop-off was attributable to better, and more timely, treatment, including tackling heart failure and secondary prevention.

But just under half of the figure (48%) was attributable to sharp falls in smoking, which accounted for over 25%, and in cholesterol, which accounted for 30%. Falls in high blood pressure accounted for 6%.

Smoking rates have fallen more slowly in Ireland than they have in the UK and other developed countries, but have been given a boost by a ban on workplace smoking, which came into force in 2004.

Rises in rates of obesity, diabetes, and sedentary lifestyles offset these favourable trends by around 13% or 500 deaths. And the authors suggest that if these trends continue, they threaten to overturn the substantial health gains made.

US senior citizens set to double by 2030

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Washington: The number of senior citizens in the US is expected to almost double within the next 25 years, says a new census report from the National Insititute on Aging.

By 2030, almost one in five Americans will be 65 or older, up from the current 12 percent.The eport does not project growth by state or county, but in 2000, Cook County had 630,265 people over 65, the second-largest elderly county in the nation, trailing only Los Angeles County. About 12 percent of Cook County residents are 65 or older.Statewide, Illinois had 1.5 million seniors, or about 12 percent of the total population. The number grew about 4 percent between 1990 and 2000.

TOP 5 CAUSES OF DEATH

FOR PEOPLE 65 AND OLDER (2000)
1. Heart disease
2. Cancer
3. Stroke
4. Chronic respiratory diseases such bronchitis, emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
5. Pneumonia and influenza

LIFE EXPECTANCY
1900: 47
1950: 68
1960: 70
1980: 74
1990: 75
2000: 77

It’s a baby boomer-fueled phenomenon, as the oldest begin to turn 65 in 2011. The growth will affect several facets of America, from family life to health care to public policy, note the authors of the report, “65 + in the United States: 2005.”

The growth likely will be expensive, as the ratio of younger, working people supporting older people shrinks, the researchers say. In 2000, there was one older person for every five working-age people; in 2030, there will be one older person for every three workers.

Other findings include the fact that Americans are living longer the average is now 77 years. The population older than 85 has almost doubled since 1980.

The health of older Americans is generally improving – in 1982, about 26 percent of senior citizens reported having a disability; in 1999, that dropped to about 20 percent. Many have quit smoking. But obesity is on the rise: 33 percent of men and 39 percent of senior women. And about 80 percent of seniors say they have at least one chronic health problem.

Tomorrow’s retirees will be better educated, which has been linked to longer life expectancy and health.

*Finances: About 10 percent of Americans over 65 were living in poverty in 2003, a significant improvement from 1959, when 35 percent were officially poor. (Of all American age groups, 12.5 percent live below the poverty level.)

About 19 percent are in the labor force; that number is projected to increase.

*Living alone: More seniors are divorced, mirroring American society as a whole. In 1960, only about 1.5 percent of senior Americans were divorced, but by 2003, that number grew to about 8 percent.

The median income for older households was $36,006 in 2003, though that number drops by half for elderly living alone, including widowers. More than one out of three women over 65 in Illinois live alone.

About half of the people over 65 need assistance with everyday activities. Marriage creates a larger social network of relatives and friends who can provide vital support at older ages, the researchers say.

Skin cancer set to soar because of global warming, world expert warns

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London: The number of people who will get skin cancer in the UK is set to treble within the next thirty years, a top scientist has warned.

Already over the last five years more people have died of skin cancer in the UK than in Australia,says Professor Mark Birch-Machin, professor of Molecular Dermatology at the University of Newcastle.

“This is not going to go away. The rate of increase is greatest in Britain.” he said.

In the UK there are 100,000 new cases of skin cancer each year and in the US 1.3 million cases.

Speaking at the spring conference of the British Association of Cosmetic Doctors in London, he said that the predicted rise in temperatures as a result of global warning,some 3 degrees, would push the average summer temperatures in Britain to between 19 and 22 degrees Farenheit, when most people would get sunburn. Temperatures during the summer currently average 19 degrees or less.

Professor Birch-Machin said that messages about safe-sunbathing were currently confusing and misleading. High factor creams allow people to stay in the sun for longer but whilst they prevented sunburn they did not prevent damage to the skin cell DNA which it is now believed plays a role in skin cancers. He pointed to the recent publicity over the potential lack of Vitamin D which is made by the skin as a result of sunlight and that some sunbed outlets were promoting their businesses by highlighting this issue.

“You can get enough vitamin D by walking from your car to your office,” he said.

A test to determine sunburnt DNA has been developed by Professor Birch-Machin. Burnt DNA is thought to lead to cell mutations that cause skin cancer. See www.skinphysical.co.uk

He predicted that new “smart” sunscreens which protected against the burning of cell DNA would soon be on the market.

Red wine fights gum disease

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Quebec: Chemicals in red wine may help reduce gum disease, scientists at the Universite de Laval have discovered.

The reason is that red wine contains polyphenols, chemicals which give red wine its colour, help reduce the periodontitis, the damaging disease which attacks the gums and bone surrounding teeth.

It is estimated that 65 per cent of adults aged over 50 and 15 of younger people have the disease which in its worst form leads to tooth loss.

It is caused by a combination of bacteria and free radicals – harmful oxygen molecules – in the mouth. When you drink red wine, the polyphenols interfere with this process and can reduce damage to the gums, scientists say. In laboratory tests, polyphenols were found to combine with the free radicals and render them harmless.

The research by scientists from Universite Laval in Quebec, Canada, is published in the latest edition of the U.S. Journal of Dental Research.

Lead researcher Dr Vanessa Houde presented the findings at the American Association for Dental Research in Orlando, Florida, yesterday.

Previous research has discovered that red wine has many health-giving properties.

Last October, researchers found drinking it may help to ward off lung cancer. UK doctors have even recommended red wine to heart-attack patients, after evidence emerged of its benefits for the cardiovascular system.

Scientists are also developing a pill which they hope will harness the healthy anti-oxidant properties of red wine without the alcohol.

Polyphenols are also found in green tea, fresh fruit and vegetables, which have all been found to lower the risks of cancer and heart disease.

The chemicals are thought to help get rid of free radicals which are believed to trigger the illnesses.

Polyphenols are also known to hamper the inflammatory process which leads the hardening of the arteries and other disorders.

Worldwide increase in kidney disease

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London: Chronic kidney disease is rising rapidly worldwide and is becoming a global healthcare problem, warn experts in this week’s British Medical Journal.

In the United Kingdom, the annual incidence of end stage renal disease is around 100 per 1,000,000 population. This figure has doubled over the past decade and is expected to continue to rise by 5-8% annually, but it still remains well below the European average (around 135/1,000,000) and that of the United States (336/1,000,000).

The rise in end stage renal disease worldwide probably reflects the global epidemic of type 2 diabetes and the ageing of the populations in developed countries (the annual incidence in people over 65 in the UK is greater than 350/1,000,000, and in the US it is greater than 1,200/1,000,000).

The number of people with diabetes worldwide, currently around 154 million, is also set to double within the next 20 years, and the increase will be most notable in the developing world, where the number of patients with diabetes is due to reach 286 million by 2025.

The cost of treating end stage renal disease is substantial and poses a great challenge to provision of care. In Europe, less than 0.1% of the population needs renal replacement therapy, which accounts for 2% of the healthcare budget. In the US, the annual cost of treatment for end stage renal disease is expected to reach $29 billion by 2010. Few countries will be able to meet these growing medical and financial demands.

More than 100 developing countries, with a population in excess of 600 million, do not have any provision for renal replacement therapy. Consequently, more than a million people may die every year worldwide from end stage renal disease.

Programmes to detect chronic kidney disease, linked to comprehensive primary and secondary prevention strategies, are needed urgently, say the authors.

Mass population screening for chronic kidney disease is neither practical nor likely to be successful or cost effective. But structured and well resourced programs targeting at risk individuals, such as those suffering from diabetes and hypertension, along with primary prevention programmes based on reducing risk factors across the whole population could make a big difference.

The authors believe that such an approach to risk reduction may slow or even reverse declining renal function.

UK’s public health service cleans up after private clinics

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London: NHS surgeons are being left to “pick up the pieces” after poor surgery at private treatment centres, warns a senior doctor in this week’s British Medical Journal.

“The number of patients we are seeing with problems resulting from poor surgery is too great,” argues Angus Wallace, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Nottingham.

There is no doubt that the expansion of orthopaedic services, provided by the Department of Health through private hospitals and independent sector treatment centres (ISTCs), has been a much needed development, but it has occurred at a price, he writes.

What has happened in ISTCs is that junior specialists have been imported from overseas and asked to provide total surgical care without help and supervision from a more senior colleague, a situation that is alien to many of them – hence the reason why the failures find their way to the NHS hospitals.

He suggests that this situation has arisen because of a political philosophy called “additionality.” When ISTCs were set up, there was concern that their development might result in NHS hospitals losing some of their own surgical staff. To ensure that this could not happen a six-month rule was imposed – an NHS surgeon could not work in an ISTC until he or she had stopped working for the NHS for six months.

While this ensured that the NHS hospitals were protected from losing their own staff, it also meant that the ISTCs did not have access to many, or any, senior surgeons who could act as senior consultants and help their colleagues when they ran into trouble.

“Now we are seeing the consequences of this philosophy – poor operations, inadequate supervision of surgeons, and a poor mechanism for remedying any problems that occur,” writes Wallace.

There are also concerns about how clinical governance and appraisal procedures are being addressed in ISTCs, creating a suspicion by NHS staff that corners have been cut in achieving the goals of high productivity and throughput.

But perhaps the issue that should be of most concern is that of training the country’s up and coming surgeons, adds the author. The “straightforward” cases, now dealt with by the ISTCs, had been the cases on which young NHS surgeons learnt their craft. This time honoured and soundly proven method of training has now, sadly, been denied. Consequently the competence of our next generation of surgeons is in jeopardy.

“We, as NHS staff, need to help, and many of us wish to, but we are frustrated by the artificially created divide between the ISTC and the NHS hospital,” he says. “The government has created a two-level health service that is creating many problems. I believe that we should now integrate the ISTCs with the NHS instead of running them as a private healthcare system paid for by the state.”

Obesity in children set to rise

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Boston: US doctors have found that having just one fizzy drink a day could equate to putting on almost a stone in a year.

The warning follows a study of teenagers by US researchers assessing if home deliveries of ‘healthy’ drinks such as bottled water helped.

A second study, by the International Obesity Task Force, warns childhood obesity will almost double by the end of the decade.

The IOTF, which studied data on childhood obesity from around the world, warns that the number of children who are overweight in the EU is set to rise by 1.3m a year, with more than 300,000 of those likely to be obese.

By the end of the decade, it is estimated that 26m children in the EU will be overweight, including 6.4m who will be obese – double the current number.

In the Middle East, the proportion of obese children is set to rise to 11.5%, and in both North and South America, it will be up to 15.2%.

In Asia, the proportion of obese children is set to treble to 5.3% – up from 1.5% now.

Dr Tim Lobstein, co-ordinator of the IOTF’s childhood and adolescent obesity research programme, said: “The obesity estimates are very cautious, but extremely worrying.”

In the US study, researchers from the Children’s Hospital Boston studied 103 children aged 13 to 18. Half received weekly deliveries of healthy drinks.

They were instructed to avoid drinks containing sugar and received reminders via monthly phone calls and refrigerator magnets to “think before you drink”.

The rest of the teenagers were asked to continue their usual eating and drinking patterns.

At the end of six months, those receiving deliveries had cut their consumption of sugary drinks by 82%, while that of the other group remained unchanged.

Researchers found that the heavier the teenager had been initially, the stronger the effect on body weight.

Among the heaviest third, those who had drinks delivered saw a decrease in their body mass index (BMI), while the control group had a slight increase – the difference equated to almost one pound per month.

Other factors affecting obesity, such as the amount of physical activity levels and time spent watching television, did not change in either group.

Dr Cara Ebbeling, who led the study, said: “Sugary beverages have no nutritional value and seem to make a huge contribution to weight gain.”

She said the study showed it was relatively easy to have a significant impact on teenagers’ habits.

“People often get overwhelmed by nutrition advice and give up.

“We opted to study one simple, potentially high-impact behaviour, and made it easy for adolescents to replace sugary drinks with noncaloric [no or low calorie] beverages.”

She added: “It should be relatively simple to translate this intervention into a pragmatic public health approach.

“Schools could make noncaloric beverages available to students by purchasing large quantities at low costs.”

Exercise lowers cholesterol

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London: Exercise lowers LDL “bad cholesterol”, a new study has discovered.

The Brunel University study also found that both fat and thin people who did not exercise both had high levels of LDL.

Leader researcher, physiologist Dr Gary O’Donovan said that many people believed that the only benefit of exercise was weight loss but being thin was not enough to protect people from unhealthy levels of blood cholesterol. Slim people also needed to exercise, he said.

High levels of LDL is associated with coronary heart disease, heart attacks and strokes.

Does Botox fight cancer?

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Botox injections may help treat cancer says scientists who discovered that tiny doses of the potentially-lethal toxin can significantly boost the effects of chemotherapy.

The wrinkle-busting poison appears to speed up the destruction of tumour cells. It does this by relaxing the muscles in blood vessels that supply the tumour, increasing blood flow and oxygen supplies.

So when drugs are injected into the bloodstream, they have a better chance of reaching deep inside the tumour and stopping it reproducing.

The findings, published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, contrast sharply with the latest innovations in cancer treatment.

Several new drugs focus on starving tumours of their blood supply, rather than increasing it.

But the Botox results suggest boosting blood flow can make chemotherapy far more effective.

The cancer breakthrough is potentially the most significant in a growing number of clinical applications for one of the most lethal poisons known to man, which has become most famous as a cosmetic therapy.

Smokers more likely to be depressed

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Oslo: Smokers are more likely to suffer from depression than non-smokers, researchers in have found.

An 11-year study of adults found that the level of depression increased the more cigarettes smoked and heavy smokers – those on more than 20 a day – were four times more likely to suffer.

The report from the University of Oslo concluded that nicotine may change brain levels of the mood enhancing chemical serotonin in long-term smokers.