Healthcare - Articles

A trip to the doctor is the start of a conversation that provides the link between our everyday lives and the medical profession. Each day in the UK more than a million conversations take place between doctors and patients. When governments, policy makers and others talk about healthcare, these conversations often fade into the background. But conversations are the foundation for our health, with enormous potential impact.
An interesting article written by Faizal Farook and Jack Stilgoe of  Demos (http://www.demos.co.uk) as a result of the Healthy Conversations Project. "Approaching its sixtieth birthday, the NHS faces some tough challenges. Success in treating acute illness and failure in prevention mean that medicine will have to manage a flood of chronic illness. This mean…

It is estimated that one in two smokers will die from a smoking related disease, causing, on average, six to eight years of life lost per smoker. Smokers can also impact the health of those around them, for example their children, through passive smoking.
It is estimated that one in two smokers will die from a smoking related disease, causing, on average, six to eight years of life lost per smoker. Smokers can also impact the health of those around them, for example their children, through passive smoking. Facts : What does a cigarette contain? Tobacco smoke contains around 4,000 chemicals - here's just a few of them and their impact on the body: Nicotine : A drug that stimulates the brain and keeps people hooked on smoking.  If you are a regular smoker, when the blo…

New book from informa Healthcare presents controlling lifestyle risk factors as best weapon to fight onset of Breast Cancer
NEW YORK—April 25th, 2008—informa Healthcare, one of the premier medical scientific publishers, published earlier this month a revised and updated Second Edition of its bestseller: Breast Cancer: Prognosis, Treatment, and Prevention. According to the Global Cancer Facts and Figures report, in 2007 cancer killed some 7.6 million people around the world. By 2020 the World Health Organization estimates the cancer death rate will grow to 10 million per year. Breast cancer alone affects one in every nine women worldwide. But there is hope. The rapid pace of research—whereby findings quickly are integrated into standard therapy and treatment protocols—promises significant…

“By 2010, almost 50 percent of children in North America and 38 percent of those in the European Union will be overweight, research has found”. For pharmaceutical companies looking to target growing successful markets, the anti-obesity drug treatment market offers unique opportunities.
A new Report from Visiongain. “By 2010, almost 50 percent of children in North America and 38 percent of those in the European Union will be overweight, researcher has found”. For pharmaceutical companies looking to target growing successful markets, the anti-obesity drug treatment market offers unique opportunities. This high-level management report examines the commercial prospects for anti-obesity prescription drugs in the global healthcare market. With obesity now the most common nutritional disorder…

PharmiWeb.com May monthly focus feature highlighting the symptoms and various treatments for Crohn’s disease.
Who's affected?Approximately 1 in 1,500 people have Crohn's disease, and the condition affects slightly more women than men. It can develop at any age, but usually starts between the ages of 15 and 40. In Europe and North America, it most commonly affects Caucasians. The precise cause of Crohn's is unknown. The condition can run in families and is three times more common in smokers. Not smoking may reduce the risk of developing the disease. What are the symptoms?Symptoms occur when part of the gut becomes inflamed. Typical symptoms include: Diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever, loss of appetite and weight loss, feeling generally unwell, and extreme tiredness. The symptoms vary depen…

Obesity is the heavy accumulation of fat in your body to such a degree that it rapidly increases your risk of diseases that can damage your health and knock years off your life, such as heart disease and diabetes.
The fat may be equally distributed around the body or concentrated on the stomach (apple-shaped) or the hips and thighs (pear-shaped). For medical purposes, the body mass index (BMI) is used to determine if your weight is in the healthy range. Doctors use BMI because it compares your weight against your height. Work out your BMI The BMI figures used in this article apply to adults only. Doctors use special charts to work out BMI for children to take account of differing rates of growth and development. Take your weight (kg) and divide it by the square of your height (m). For e…

Despite the pressures, medical and healthcare businesses appear to be reacting bullishly to the credit crunch according to a new study released today. When asked if they had to start their business again in today’s economic climate, 78% of medical and healthcare businesses would do it all again tomorrow.
The research by The Credit Show, the UK’s largest exhibition and conference dedicated to professionals associated with the consumer and commercial credit arena, shows that SMEs, including medical and healthcare businesses, plan to expand sales in the UK on average 56% in the coming year. The study is based on detailed online interviews with 117 small and medium sized businesses. The businesses were drawn from across the UK and from a mix of sectors. In general, the study paints a picture…

Why do some people have allergies and some not? And why has the prevalence of allergic disorders been increasing over the past century, especially in industrialised, developed countries?
The hygiene hypothesis tries to explain why some people have allergies and some do not, and why the prevalence of allergic disorders has been increasing over the past century, especially in industrialised, developed countries. It suggests that the modern obsession with cleanliness may be counterproductive; in childhood, at least, resulting in the immune system becoming too sensitive to infection. Our reliance on antibacterial products with new born babies, has been linked to asthma and other allergic diseases. The Hygiene Hypothesis was first proposed by David P. Strachan in an article published in the BMJ…

Which current or future therapies will drive the sleep disorders market from 2008 to 2018? What is the patient identification rate for each of the therapeutic areas? What is the present state of the disease awareness? What R&D opportunities exist for ‘new comers’? Which key companies are involved in the market?
This report will tell you. The report focuses on the market for following sleep disorders: • Insomnia • Restless legs syndrome (RLS) • Narcolepsy and • Obstructive Sleep Apnoea / Hypopnea Syndrome (OSAHS) More than 80 sleep disorders have been identified. They affect over 200 million people worldwide. The market penetration for insomnia drugs has not reached saturation point. Opportunities remain. But with the introduction of several new products the market is set to see cha…

Forget sweat patches, VPLs and spots…a new survey commissioned by Kleenex® has found that it’s blowing your nose in public that causes us the most embarrassment! The survey of hay fever sufferers reveals that most people prefer a quiet sniff over a good nose blow when out and about. However, allergy specialists warn that the more discreet option actually makes symptoms worse.
A nationwide survey of over 2000 people found that a quarter of hay fever sufferers felt they were unable to blow their nose properly when in public. However, Dr Adrian Morris, a specialist in allergy and respiratory medicine at London’s Royal Brompton Hospital, explains “the only way to remove the irritant is by blowing into a tissue, thereby expelling the substance from your body.” Over half of respondents to the Kl…

Asthma is a significant health problem. Acording to the National Asthma Campaign, the condition continues to grow, and in the UK an estimated 8 million people are diagnosed as having asthma, with 5 million people receiving treatment. The cost of asthma to the NHS is more than £850 million a year.
Asthma is a condition that affects the airways – the small tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs. When a person with asthma comes into contact with an asthma trigger, the muscle around the walls of the airways tightens so that the airway becomes narrower. The lining of the airways becomes inflamed and starts to swell. Often sticky mucus or phlegm is produced. All these reactions cause the airways to become narrower and irritated – leading to the symptoms of asthma. How do you get it? Asthm…

Bell Pottinger Group has formed Bell Pottinger Health, a new business dedicated to leading the expansion of its health franchise with Shipra Singh newly hired as Managing Director. Simultaneously the company has brought in a life science investor relations team led by Mike Wort.
Bell Pottinger Group has formed Bell Pottinger Health, a new business dedicated to leading the expansion of its health franchise with Shipra Singh newly hired as Managing Director. Simultaneously the company has brought in a life science investor relations team led by Mike Wort. Bell Pottinger Health, which will report to Kevin Murray, Chairman of Bell Pottinger Group, will be led by De Facto Communications CEO Richard Anderson in the role of Chairman and by Shipra Singh, formerly of Hill & Knowlton, as Managi…

While having a sales force that can deliver your company¡¦s message to physicians and other health care professionals is critical to effective performance, the true key to success is having a sales force that can adapt that message to the needs and preferences of those they call on. Wilson Learning¡¦s research shows that versatile salespeople can be over 50% more successful than their less adaptable counterparts. This was effectively demonstrated in a study with a large pharmaceutical company.
Executive Summary While having a sales force that can deliver your company¡¦s message to physicians and other health care professionals is critical to effective performance, the true key to success is having a sales force that can adapt that message to the needs and preferences of those they call o…

Research led by the University of Warwick has uncovered exactly how the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae has become resistant to the antibiotic penicillin. The same research could also open up MRSA to attack by penicillin and help create a library of designer antibiotics to use against a range of other dangerous bacteria.
According to Dr Adrian Lloyd of the University of Warwick (UK) "We have reconsitiuted and biochemically characterised one of the steps essential to clinical resistance to penicillin in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Our data are likely to be extremely useful in the design of inhibitors of this step that will restore penicillin sensitivity to Streptococcal infections that have become resistant to this antibiotic. Because this step is conserved in other pathogens, there is…

In case you hadn’t noticed, mobile phone manufacturers – and the operators – are desperate to part you from your cash in return for a flash new device. So, to help you decide if you should give in to temptation, we have reviewed three of the latest smartphones that the market has to offer.
In case you hadn’t noticed, mobile phone manufacturers – and the operators – are desperate to part you from your cash in return for a flash new device. So, to help you decide if you should give in to temptation, we have reviewed three of the latest smartphones that the market has to offer. There isn’t any industry standard definition as to what a smartphone actually is, so for the sake of this article, we’ll assume that a smartphone is a mobile phone with extra, PC-like functionality. And the products…

Professor Alan Barrell raises some of the issues for those keen to spin out their research and head a new company.
Professor Alan Barrell FRSA., DBA will Chair EuroSciCon's 'How can I spin out my research and become a company?' meeting on March 14. In this article he raises some of the issues for those keen to spin out their research and head a new company.LEAVING THE LABORATORY FOR BUSINESS -Who wants to be a Chief Executive?Big decisions face all of us at many times in life. There can be no bigger decision for the academic, researcher or health professional, to leave the relative security of the laboratory bench and an environment of intellectual challenge of one kind, and pitch into the uncertain roller coaster world of business and commerce. “So many questions” said one…

Climate change will have consequences for the health of UK citizens according to a UK government report published on 12th February. The report, called Health Effects of Climate Change in the UK, has been published jointly by the Department of Health (DH) and the Health Protection Agency (HPA).
  Flooding and Windstorms Death from drowning, injury, mental illness and infectious diseases. can be just some of the health effects experienced after flooding and windstorms. Although periods of flooding and windstorms are increasing in the UK, actual deaths associated with flooding are still relatively low when compared to other countries in Europe, with only eight deaths reported since 2001. There is also a “very slight” chance that malaria could return to the South of Engla…

-The European Commission has granted a broad label expansion for Avastin in combination with any standard chemotherapy in first and later treatment lines for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. -This broad approval mean that virtually all patients currently suffering from colorectal cancer that has spread to other parts of the body will now have access to effective new treatments that have proven survival benefits. -The approval is based on the results of two large internationa
Roche announced today that the European Commission (EC) has given its approval for the significantly wider use of its anti-angiogenic agent Avastin (bevacizumab) in patients suffering from metastatic colorectal cancer. This new broader label will now allow Avastin to be used in combination with an…

Roche to announce new breast cancer data pointing to better survival chances and potential for cure Phase II results suggest Avastin can be used in curative setting
Basel, 10th December 2007 – Experts attending the 30th San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) December 13-16, will be amongst the first to hear new data that highlight further advances in the treatment of breast cancer with Avastin, Herceptin, pertuzumab and Xeloda. Data to be presented will show that Avastin may have the potential to be used as a curative treatment following breast cancer surgery. Results from the randomized CHAT study (Xeloda, Herceptin and Taxotere), will show that Xeloda when added to Herceptin and docetaxel offers important survival benefits for women with advanced breast cancer. In addition, data…

Spanish pharmaceutical company Almirall has unveiled a state-of-the-art new dry-powder inhaler in which it plans to market its lead pipeline compound aclidinium bromide for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The device, developed by specialist inhaler company Sofotec, acquired by Almirall in 2006, is set to become the gold standard in inhaler design, claims the company, and will aid patient compliance with anticholinergic medication.
Spanish pharmaceutical company Almirall has unveiled a state-of-the-art new dry-powder inhaler in which it plans to market its lead pipeline compound aclidinium bromide for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The device, developed by specialist inhaler company Sofotec, acquired by Almirall in 2006, is set to become the gold standard in inha…