Archive for the ‘Travelling with Medical Conditions’ Category

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Eating three bananas a day could cut stroke risk

Wednesday, May 11th, 2011

We have all heard of ‘an apple a day’ but what about ‘a banana a day’? In fact, make that 3 bananas a day….

According to this article, a banana for breakfast, one for lunch and one in the evening would provide enough potassium to reduce the chances of suffering a blood clot on the brain by around 21%

We should also try to eat other potassium-rich foods such as spinach, nuts, milk, fish and lentils. In the latest research, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, scientists analysed data from eleven different studies – dating back to the mid-Sixties – and pooled the results to get an overall outcome.

They found a daily potassium intake of around 1,600 milligrammes, less than half the UK recommended daily amount for an adult of 3,500mg, was enough to lower stroke risk by more than a fifth.

The average banana contains around 500 milligrammes of potassium, which helps to lower blood pressure and controls the balance of fluids in the body. Researchers from the University of Warwick and the University of Naples said potassium intake in most countries is well below the recommended daily amount.

Now, we do often hear about the latest superfoods that we can eat, and this could be another one. But it is probably something that is worth bearing in mind…

If you have had a stroke, you may also be interested in our travelling with stroke category.

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Wrist watch sensor for blood pressure checks

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011
Travelling with hypertension

The way we all know of getting our blood pressure checked could change in the future!

Soon, the traditional way of measuring blood pressure using a cuff around the upper arm (which has been used for over 100 years) could become obsolete, according to this article. This is due to the invention of a ‘wrist watch’ capable of much more accurate readings.

The device works by calculating pressure in the aorta, the largest artery in the body, which is known to give a different (more accurate) reading from pressure in the arm. By taking a much more accurate reading, doctors can work out appropriate treatment based on the risks from high blood pressure.

The device has been designed by scientists at the University of Leicester and in Singapore. A sensor in the watch sits over the artery in the wrist and records the pulse wave, which is then fed into a computer to calculate the pressure close to the heart.

The Department of Health is funding the work and the technology is expected to be in use soon in specialist centres, before being available more generally in the NHS in about 5 years.

So what are the benefits? Because the wrist watch measures pressure in the aorta we get a more accurate reading. This is because the aorta is millimetres away from the heart and close to the brain, and the pressure here is a bit lower than in the arm. For example, some patients have high pressure in the arm but their aortic pressure is completely normal and these patients may not need to be treated/need different treatment. A study on the device is published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Ok, but regardless of how your blood pressure might be measured in the future, another study has found that studying might be good for your blood pressure. It is kind of like when we say to children, “eat your vegetables, they are good for you”. We all know that vegetables are good for you, and we often tell children that studying is good for you too. But this study provides a tangible health based reason why this is the case (although mainly for women).

Scientists found a correlation between years spent in education and lower lifetime blood pressure. The trend emerged from data on nearly 4,000 men and women taking part in a major US health study spanning 30 years.

Researchers compared men and women who had completed less than 12 or more than 17 years of education. They found that more educated women had readings 3.26 mmHg (measurement for blood pressure) lower, on average, over the 30-year timespan.

So, hope you have enjoyed reading these interesting developments in both the measurement of blood pressure and the reasons for high blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, and would like to find out more, particularly about travelling with high blood pressure, you can check out this blog category.

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Living with Cancer

Tuesday, April 5th, 2011
Travelling with cancer

There are things to think about when travelling with cancer

The Times is running a special supplement this week, all about living with cancer.

It will include information about how people’s lives change when they are diagnosed with cancer.  Currently, two million people in the UK are living with cancer, a number set to double by 2030 as diagnoses are made earlier and treatments improve

Two in every five of those diagnosed with the disease are of working age. The Times have put this supplement together to help, inform and reassure readers who have been affected.

The point they make is that because cancer is a way of life for so many people, we need to try and think of it in a different way. The new reality of cancer is that it is not a disease to be conquered, but a normal part of life that needs to be managed and adjustments made.

At AllClear, we agree with this advice, because we believe that if you have cancer, you still want to live your life as fully as you possibly can, and that includes going on holiday. You may want to plan a holiday for the end of your treatment, or that of a loved one, to relax and recuperate. So we have provided some tips on travelling with cancer here that might be useful for you.

Travel Insurance: You will need to arrange specialist cancer travel insurance. This is vital in case you fall ill and have to be brought home, or have unexpected further cancer treatment abroad, as this could be very expensive. Your cancer travel insurance will give you complete peace of mind so you can get on with enjoying your holiday. You may have had difficulty in finding travel insurance to cover your cancer in the past but because AllClear specialize in travel insurance for cancer patients, check out our website.

Talk to a Medical Professional: They may be able to suggest a good time to go, as well as helping to decide what is realistic for you. They can let you know if you are fit to travel.

Destination Decisions: For many, travelling with cancer will have little effect on their holiday. However, you may feel more tired following cancer treatment so you should check that the facilities you need are close to where you are staying. Also, certain cancer treatments, such as radiotherapy, leave the skin more sensitive to the sun. Consider your flight length, because some people with cancer are at greater risk of developing blood clots or DVT.

Vaccinations: If you are having certain cancer drugs or have a weakened immune system, you may not be able to have the required vaccinations for your holiday destination, so check with your doctor.

Medication: If you are taking any cancer medication, you should plan how much you need to take with you and get make sure you have extra in case you lose any.

 Also, look out for the 20-page supplement in the Times on Wednesday entitled Living with Cancer. It combines personal accounts with articles from specialist writers and columnists in the field of health, science and lifestyle.

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Reduce cancer risk by reducing red meat consumption

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

reduce cancer risk by reducing red meat consumptionPeople should limit consumption of red meat to no more than 500g every week, or 70g a day, according to the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition. To give you an idea, an average slice of ham is about 23g and a medium steak is about 145g.

Now when I first heard these figures, I thought that those figures wouldn’t seem that difficult, but then when you think of all 3 meals a day, throughout the week, you can see how easy it might be to go over these figures

So why these guidelines – what is the link with red meat and cancer? Well, red meat contains substances that have been linked to bowel cancer. One compound in particular, haem, which gives red meat its colour, has been shown by some studies to damage the lining of the colon.

The advice follows recommendations from the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF).

So that is red meat, but processed meat, like sausages, are even worse for you. The WCRF estimated that 3,800 cases of bowel cancer could be prevented every year if everyone ate less than 70g of processed meat a week. Processed meat is generally defined as that preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or with chemical preservatives added to it. This process is thought to cause the formation of carcinogens.

Two rashers of bacon a day throughout life has been linked to a 20% rise in the risk of getting bowel cancer. The average person has a risk of bowel cancer of five in 100 but this rises to six in 100 if they eat 50g of processed meat a day. Men in Britain eat an average of nearly 50g of processed meat a day compared with just 24g for women – but this is still too much according to the guidelines.

I hope you have found this information useful. It is definitely something to think about, particularly when we are on holiday, and our diet may be very different to normal.  You can also check out our blog category on Travelling with cancer, if you would like more information.

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Drugs hope to halt threat of blindness in the elderly

Wednesday, March 16th, 2011

disability travel insuranceAccording to this article, researchers have worked out one of the root causes of age-related macular degeneration AMD – the most common form of blindness in the elderly – and have developed two treatments that could combat it.

The first patients could be treated this year. This is particularly important because the numbers of AMD sufferers is expected to treble in the next 25 years as the population ages, there is an urgent need for a breakthrough.

AMD is caused by deterioration and death of cells in the macula, part of the retina used to see straight ahead. The disease creates a blackspot in the centre of a person’s vision. It can make it impossible to carry out everyday tasks such as reading, driving and watching television.

Researchers at the University of Kentucky compared the eyes donated by men and women who had died with AMD with those of non-sufferers. They found that levels of an enzyme called dicer were three times higher in the healthy retinas. They then showed that when levels of dicer are low, a toxic type of genetic material called alu builds up, which leads to the death of the light-sensitive retinal cells,

There are two drugs that could halt the disease. One boosts levels of dicer, the other breaks down the toxic alu. The University of Kentucky has applied to patent the techniques and the first trials could start by the end of this year.

Future options include ‘bionic eyes’ – or tiny microchips packed with hundreds of light sensors designed to replace those in the retina lost to disease.

Some really interesting research, which could make a real difference to quality of life for people as they get older, and more time to get on with enjoying that next holiday instead!

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The genes behind heart disease

Thursday, March 10th, 2011
Travelling with heart conditions

Researchers have indentified genes associated with heart disease

 

According to this article, researchers have now identified a number of the rogue genes associated with heart disease, which is a major step forward.

The 18 genes that raise the risk of cardiac problems, from heart attacks to hardening of the arteries, have been pinpointed in three studies involving hundreds of scientists worldwide.

This information could help treat and even prevent heart disease, which is to blame for one in eight deaths around the world – including more than 90,000 a year in the UK. Researchers say that the potential of the findings is so great that heart disease could be eradicated within 50 years.

The discovery was detailed in the journal Nature Genetics. Some of the newly discovered genes affect cholesterol, blood pressure and other processes important to heart health – but how many of the others damage the heart and arteries is, as yet, a mystery. This suggests there are important causes of heart disease yet to be found – and that drugs to combat the effects of the genes could one day make a huge improvement to health through targeted drugs. Professor Hugh Watkins, who co-led one of the studies, said the first new drugs could be on the market in under a decade.

To identify the genes, 300 scientists from around the world analysed the DNA of more than 200,000 people. They focused on genetic links to the narrowing of the arteries that supply the heart muscle with  oxygen-rich blood. This narrowing, caused by the build up of fatty deposits, raises the risk of blood clots; angina; heart attacks; heart failure and irregular heartbeats.

North American researchers said the breakthrough meant we were ‘inching closer’ to a genetic test that will tell a person their risk of a heart attack.

However, it is important to remember, that for most people, other factors such as smoking, poor diet and a lack of exercise can play a much greater role in causing heart attacks.

So, this research seems to be a major development in the fight against heart disease, but obviously lifestyle still plays a major role too.

If you have a heart condition, and are planning any travel, you might want to check out our blog category, travelling with a heart condition.

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Rock Band guitarist reveals how a radioactive injection beat his prostate cancer

Thursday, February 17th, 2011

According to this article, Andy Scott, a guitarist from the rock band Sweet, first found he was suffering from prostate cancer after suffering from painful stomach cramps, but a radioactive injection helped him fight the cancer.

So what is his story? Well basically, following his stomach problems.  Andy had routine blood tests which showed he had raised prostate-­specific antigen (PSA) levels, a marker for prostate cancer — while normal readings are around four, Andy’s was 20. More tests showed he had an aggressive walnut-sized tumour that had broken through the ­covering of the prostate gland and was at risk of spreading.

Andy was told he needed surgery to remove the tumour and the prostate, followed by radiotherapy. There can be pretty severe side effects with this surgery, including urinary incontinence and impotence, due to the risk of nerve damage.

However, Andy’s surgeon told him about another option — instead of surgery he could have an intense form of radiotherapy, known as high dose rate brachytherapy.  This involves putting a tiny ­radioactive seed inside the prostate via a needle or catheter and then removing it 20 minutes later — because the radiation isn’t beamed through healthy tissue, it causes less damage. There is still a risk, although this is thought to be much less than with surgery and conventional ­radiotherapy.

First, Andy had to undergo standard hormone treatment to shrink the tumour. Then Andy had two brachytherapy treatments. He then had a lower dose of conventional radiotherapy for four-and-a-half weeks to make sure all the cancer had gone. Tests then confirmed there was no sign of the cancer, and he was soon back performing at gigs.

Around 36,000 men in Britain are diagnosed with the cancer each year and 10,000 die of the disease, but this new treatment provides some new hope for people suffering from prostrate cancer. March is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month so I wanted to share this blog post with you to let you know about the new treatment.

AllClear supports prostate cancer awareness month given that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, and more needs to be known about the treatment and diagnosis options available. We also know that for people with cancer, a holiday may be really important for rest and recuperation, and that is why we offer travel insurance for prostate cancer.  You can find out more about travelling with cancer here.

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Cancer treatment dodges immune system

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

A nanotechnology cancer therapy that targets tumours has been given to a patient in the first human test of a promising new approach to treating the disease, according to this article in The Times.

How does it work? The therapy packs a common cancer drug, docetaxel, into a nanoparticle that is designed to escape the body’s immune system. The nanoparticles then deliver drugs effectively to the blood stream and then bind to cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue. The nanoparticle’s diameter is 1,000 times smaller than that of a human hair.

This means the treatment can deliver higher and more effective doses of drugs to tumours, while limiting damage to other cells that trigger the distressing side-effects of standard chemotherapy. Pre-clinical studies, using animal models and cancer cell cultures, have indicated that the system can expose tumours to doses of docetaxel 20 times higher than those achieved by conventional delivery techniques.

An American woman with ovarian cancer was the first of about thirty patients to receive the treatment last month in a trial that will assess the safety of the technique and establish the doses that can acceptably be used. The trial will include patients with ovarian; head and neck; breast; prostate and lung cancer. If the patient trial is successful, the drug could be licensed within three to five years.

The treatment was developed by BIND Biosciences, a company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

The treatment is designed to solve three of the major challenges in drug delivery: how to ensure therapeutic molecules get to the right place in the body, how to release them slowly over several days, and how to prevent the body’s immune system recognising them as foreign and destroying them.

If you would like to find out more cancer treatment news, or about travelling with cancer, you can read more blog posts here.

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Skin Cancer Treatment

Thursday, February 10th, 2011

According to this article, skin cancers can now be treated at home - thanks to a piece of kit that seems pretty simple but is actually very clever. The basic equipment is just a sticking plaster that emits light.

So how does it work? The device, called the Ambulight, is an established alternative to surgery for many forms of skin cancer that uses laser combined with a light-sensitive drug to destroy cancer cells. This avoids the scarring associated with surgical removal of the tumour and the need for a hospital stay.

The Ambulight consists of a pod that houses medical-grade red LED lights. The light source is attached to a controller the size of a mobile phone. Photosensitising cream is rubbed on to the skin, and the pod is attached to the skin with a plaster. Once the cream is absorbed into the skin, the pod automatically turns on. Three hours later the light switches off and the device can be disposed of. Patients can move freely during treatment. The machine costs just £100,  about half the price of the average hospital outpatient appointment.

This new sticking plaster treatment is used to treat non-melanoma-type skin cancers, which affect around 15% of the UK population. These cancers do not commonly spread, but they are still considered malignant.

Ambulight developer James Ferguson, Professor of dermatology at Dundee University, hopes the treatment will eventually be offered at GP surgeries.

Muriel Lowe, 59 underwent the treatment after being diagnosed with skin cancer. Muriel had two treatments, then after three months she returned for tests and was told the cancer had gone.

The Ambulight plaster has just received a European licence and is now being rolled out to NHS hospitals nationwide. I think this seems like an extremely clever new treatment and will be interested to hear more about as it gets rolled out in the UK.

If you have skin cancer and are  planning a holiday, you can find out more about travelling with cancer here.

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Sunshine Vitamin to help fight Cancer

Wednesday, February 9th, 2011

Marie Cruikshank, 62, was told she had advanced lung cancer and would have just a few months left to live. But a high-dose supplement of Vitamin D (the “sunshine vitamin”) has helped her fight the disease, according to this article. sunny holidays and travel insurance

Her GP prescribed the vitamin after discovering that Mrs Cruikshank had a very low blood level of vitamin D. Scientific evidence suggests that cancer patients may be in a better position to fight the cancer if their vitamin D level is in the optimal range.

Marie was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2006. She was referred to the Western General Hospital where she was put on chemotherapy which shrunk the tumour. Her GP then started her on vitamin D, adjusting the dose according to the result of blood tests. Currently she takes 1.5mg per week.

 Scientists said large-scale studies were now needed to see if the increased survival rate identified could be a direct response to the vitamin D.

Professor Angus Dalgleish, of St George’s Hospital, Tooting, southwest London, is convinced that vitamin D helped save Mrs Cruikshank’s life. He said: “A patient with lung cancer in Scotland would be lucky to live four months never mind four years. In Athens a lung cancer patient might live four years. A sunny climate seems to prolong life.”

This is a really good positive news story, especially when you think of the simplicity of a simple vitamin supplement compared to other cancer treatments. What is more, we already know that holidays can be a good thing for people to relax and recuperate after cancer, but this story could be another reason for cancer patients to enjoy a lovely holiday in the sun. You can find out more information on travelling with cancer here, or you can find specialist cancer travel insurance here.

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