Tomorrow’s world, future of healthcare and a shift towards the prevention agenda

Talking medicine cabinets, body monitoring implants, virtual health forecasts – this is the future of healthcare and a shift towards the prevention agenda. But how will pharma adapt?

In today’s world, just a touch of a keyboard is enough to access a wealth of general health information. Before long, however, specific information about what diseases we are predisposed to, what drugs we would most benefit from, even what time of day we should take our pills will also be available – and probably sent straight to our smartphone.

Indeed, a recent Ogilvy CommonHealth Worldwide report listed 20 ideas they say are likely to come to fruition in the next decade – and all are based on technology that is already at our fingertips. From evolving current services such as healthcare at home to the more futuristic, the report says these advances will revolutionise the way people live and think about health.

NTAC is key in ensuring patients benefit from medical innovations

The New NHS Technology Adoption Centre, NTAC, has re-launched (2011). As part of this process NTAC underwent a comprehensive review and has launched a new set of services to speed up the diffusion of proven technologies across the NHS. These services are based on the considerable expertise and knowledge which has been built up over the last four years and are better aligned with the changing NHS and the current medical technology landscape. Led by CEO Sally Chisholm the new NTAC is building on this base of knowledge and experience with a new team of purposely selected individuals who have the skill and expertise to bring life changing technologies to NHS patients. NTAC  is the only organisation that is solely dedicated to the diffusion of proven innovation across the NHS.

 

Painkiller heart risks must be outweighed by benefits

New research has found low dose ibuprofen is less likely to increase someone’s risk of heart or circulatory disease, compared to other painkillers.

Analysis of more than 50 previous studies showed non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) diclofenac, even in doses available without prescription, elevated someone’s risk of heart attack or stroke. The findings also indicated that indomethacin and new NSAID etoricoxib were associated with an increased risk.

Up to 27 million people living with undiagnosed dementia worldwide, says report

Three-quarters of the estimated 36 million people with dementia worldwide do not have a formal diagnosis, according to a major new report published today (Tuesday, 13 September).

The World Alzheimer Report 2011, ‘The benefits of early diagnosis and intervention’, commissioned by Alzheimer’s Disease International estimates that early diagnosis could create savings of up to US$10,000 (£6,254) per person. It suggests this could be achieved in various ways, including providing Alzheimer’s drugs and support for carers earlier, delaying the need for people to go into hospitals or care homes. The report makes recommendations including every country having a national dementia strategy promoting early diagnosis, and to increase investment in research. This is the first comprehensive review of all worldwide evidence on early diagnosis and intervention for dementia.

Diabetes UK launches checklist of 15 ‘must have’ services to stay healthy

More than half a million¹ people with diabetes in England are at increased risk of blindness because they have not received retinal screening², an essential annual check which tests for eye disease (diabetic retinopathy). Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in the country’s working-age population and leading health charity Diabetes UK warns that blindness is just one complication that people with diabetes could be at risk of because they are missing out on a wide range of health checks and specialist services.

Higher density of blood vessels could point to Alzheimer’s

A higher density of blood vessels in the brain could be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease according to research published in the Public Library of Science ONE online today (Wednesday 31 August 2011).

Scientists at the University of British Columbia found that mice modelled to show symptoms of Alzheimer’s had nearly double the density of capillaries compared to normal mice. They also found a similarly higher density in brain samples of people who had died of the disease compared to those who hadn’t had the disease.

Alzheimer’s Society comment:

‘Identifying early changes that can be easily measured in people with Alzheimer’s is one of the big challenges for scientists trying to develop treatments and ultimately a cure. This new research builds on existing knowledge and points towards an exciting new avenue of investigation. This could one day pave the way towards a better future for hundreds of thousands of people.

More research is now needed to confirm this link and also to answer the proverbial chicken and egg question of whether these changes are a cause or a symptom of the disease. One in three people over 65 will die with dementia yet dementia research is still drastically underfunded. We must invest now.’

Dr Susanne Sorensen, Head of Research, Alzheimer’s Society

Shoppers are being left in the dark over salty bread

New research has found that bread can account for a fifth of our daily intake of salt, with some loaves loaded with more salt per slice than a packet of crisps.

Consensus Action on Salt and Health surveyed the salt content of 294 fresh and packaged loaves, with the worst offender containing more than 2g of salt per 100g.

Home blood pressure test recommended to diagnose hypertension

Monitoring people’s blood pressure at home rather than having repeated tests at a GP surgery has been recommended for patients in England and Wales.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), which provides guidance to medical practitioners, has for the first time recommended using home monitoring to take regular readings over specific time period.

This would help identify people with ‘white coat hypertension’ where the stress of being tested in a GP surgery can cause their blood pressure to rise for a short period, but does not mean they have hypertension.

Malnutrition in young people increases the risk of heart disease in later life

Children, teenagers and young adults who experience acute malnutrition, such as a famine, are more likely to develop heart disease later in life.

Researchers studying girls and young women who lived through the Dutch famine at the end of the Second World War have found those who were severely affected by the famine had a 27 per cent greater risk of developing heart disease compared to those unaffected.

Victoria Taylor, senior heart health dietitian for the British Heart Foundation, said: “This study showed a link between children and young adults experiencing famine and the likelihood of them developing heart disease later on in life. Although it wasn’t clear exactly what changes occurred in the body to increase the risk, this highlights how our environment can have a long term impact upon our heart health.

“Fortunately, the problems of famine seen in other countries have not been an issue in the UK in recent times. But that doesn’t make this study irrelevant for us. It adds to the importance of providing a healthy diet for children and young people because of the way it can shape their future heart health.”

 

The study is published online in the European Heart Journal.

Plants could pave the way for new ovarian cancer treatments

Tropical plants may contain the basis of new and effective treatments for ovarian cancer, according to researchers at the Universities of Strathclyde and Portsmouth.

The scientists are developing a programme for testing plant extracts for the ability to stop cells from ovarian tumours growing. In initial tests, several plant extracts killed the tumour samples, taken from cancer patients.

The extracts are complex mixtures of many different chemicals but ingredients in the plants could be used as starting points for new medicines to tackle the disease. The scientists are now planning further investigation of the most promising compounds.