September 2008
Cancer cells may spread earlier than thought
Cancer cells may spread around the body much earlier in the disease process than was previously thought, a new US study suggests.
Cancer spread (metastasis) was thought to only occur when the disease was advanced and cells had become more aggressive. But the latest study from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre in New York suggests that apparently 'normal' cells may move away from the original tumour site and lie dormant in other parts of the body until cancer genes within the cells are switched on.
http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/news/archive/newsarchive/2008/september/18757252
August 2008
Stress may raise breast cancer risk in young women
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Young women who experience more than one stressful life event are at greater risk of developing breast cancer, but a general feeling of happiness and optimism may help guard against the disease, Israeli researchers report.
The findings shouldn't be interpreted to mean that optimism is all you need to prevent breast cancer, Dr. Ronit Peled of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beer Sheva, study's lead author, told Reuters Health. The best way to protect oneself against the disease is still to eat well, be physically active, and follow screening recommendations, she said in an interview.
Peled and her team investigated the role of severe life events, such as losing a parent before age 20, in breast cancer risk. The breast cancer incidence in Israeli women is among the highest in the world, while stress is also a fact of life for people living in the country, Peled noted. http://www.cancer.net/patient/News+and+Events/News+Articles?&reuterview=plwc_detail_view&reutersid=11295
Illegal drugs: NHS reports rapid rise in young users being hospitalised
The number of under-25s admitted to hospital with mental and behavioural problems linked to illegal drug use has risen by 18% in a decade, figures showed today.
In the decade from 1996, drugs-linked hospital admissions among children under 16 rose 48% from 272 to 402 and there was a 17% jump among those aged 16 to 24 from 5,964 to 6,983, according to the NHS information centre.
The number of admissions among those aged 25 to 34 also nearly doubled over the decade, from 8,229 admissions in 1996/97 to 15,330 in 2006/07.
The figures relate to NHS hospital admissions in England where the main or secondary diagnosis was of drug-related mental health and behavioural disorder.
The proportion of 16- to 24-year-olds admitting to cocaine use at any stage in their lives rose above 11% for the first time while use in the previous year rose to more than 6%. Cannabis use fell to less than 21%.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/aug/14/drugsandalcohol.nhs
Diabetes link to one in 10 deaths
Diabetes indirectly kills one person in 10 in England, new figures released yesterday show. It causes strokes, heart attack and kidney failure, and often goes unreported on death certificates, causing people to underestimate the disease.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/aug/11/health
Study shows many cancer survivors use complementary therapies
Many cancer patients and survivors use complementary and alternative therapies, according to a new study by the American Cancer Society.
The study, which is published in the journal Cancer, found that several types of complementary therapies are used by nearly half of cancer survivors, according to co-author Dr Ted Gansler, a member of the American Cancer Society.
http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/news/archive/newsarchive/2008/august/18717980
July 2008
Smiling could make you happier than Prozac
Smiling, dancing and spending less money are just some of the ways to feel happier according to a government scientific adviser.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2463252/Smiling-could-make-you-happier-than-Prozac.html
Health: Walking for 45 minutes helps to control diabetes
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/jul/28/medicalresearch.health1
Bill Gates joins campaign to curb smoking in developing world
· Foundation adds $125m to Bloomberg's $375m Britain lags behind in world cancer survival, says study
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jul/24/smoking.health
First-ever global study of cancer survival rates during the 1990s reveals UK's poor record
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/jul/17/health.cancer
June 2008
INTEGRATED HEALTH TRUST GOES NATIONAL
More than 130 guests attended the Integrated Health Trust’s national launch event in
Trust’s chairman Peter Wallace introduced special guest speaker Professor Karol Sikora who opened with the hard hitting statement “the NHS is in meltdown” and that only way forward is the rapid adoption of the integrated healthcare model for prevention and self help.
This event provided the perfect opportunity to announce the Trust’s first major achievement – the formation of the
For more images from this event please see the Gallery page.
May 2008
INTEGRATED MEDICINE REACHES NEW ACADEMIC HEIGHTS
New integrated health charity to open Britain’s first College of Integrated Medicine in association with Professor Karol Sikora and the University of Buckingham
A groundbreaking integrated health project is being launched today [May 22] in London by a new charity, the Integrated Health Trust, which aims to create a Centre of Excellence for Integrated Medicine (IM) in the UK to model the gold standard in IM care, education, research and preventative healthcare.
The British College of Integrated Medicine
At the launch at the Royal College of Physicians in Regents Park, the Integrated Health Trust, formed in November 2007, will announce its first achievement - the formation of the British College of Integrated Medicine which will start its first courses to educate doctors and nurses in all aspects of the IM model in January 2009. This course will be run by IM pioneers Dr Rosy Daniel and Dr Mark Atkinson and other leaders in the IM field. It will be professionally validated by the team of Professor Karol Sikora at his innovative Medical School at the University of Buckingham.
Integrated healthcare combines the very best of all medicines - orthodox, complementary, psychological, nutritional, spiritual and self-help - for the care of the sick and the prevention of illness. IM practitioners treat the cause and not just the symptoms of illness and enhance the self-healing potential of the body, mind and spirit.
Professor Karol Sikora, Clinical Dean at Buckingham University and Medical Director of Cancer Partners UK* is one of the Trust’s advisors, and will be speaking at the launch about the importance of Integrated Medicine in the UK. He said: “This is a remarkable and ambitious initiative aiming to bring IM into routine use throughout healthcare in Britain. It urgently requires a focus for training, teaching and research that this project envisages. The combination of aging populations, technological progress and an informed, demanding clientele will result in increasing financial strain in all healthcare environments. Predominantly tax based systems, such as Britain’s NHS, are particularly vulnerable to meltdown unless new approaches can be found to return people to health with simpler and cheaper holistic strategies.”
The College curriculum is currently under review by Britain’s leading IM doctors and the first course will be run in shared facilities until the Trust’s own premises are built.
Mac Jeffery, a beneficiary of integrated medicine who will be speaking at the launch, said: “Integrated Medicine has played such an important part in my survival from cancer. I have received excellent orthodox treatment, accessed the best in complementary therapy and on the way met some amazing practitioners. Integrated Medicine has focused on 'all of me' not just my illness and given me strategies to take control of my life and health.”
A powerful lobby group for proactive healthcare
The Trust also aims to form a coalition of all those in Integrated Healthcare m in order to give the model a powerful, unified voice. Project leader Dr Rosy Daniel is renowned for her pioneering work as former Medical Director at Bristol Cancer Help Centre (now Penny Brohn Cancer Care) and as Medical Director of Health Creation, through which she has pioneered a new proactive health coaching model. She said:
“Integrated Medicine is still under-powered in the media and in Government consultation processes. The Trust will lobby to affect debates and legislation regarding our health and the health of future generations. This can be best achieved by having a large membership of all those allied to the natural health movement and we are now inviting membership of all those individuals and organisation who stand for the protection and nurturing of life through natural approaches to health, nature and the environment.”
The Trust’s plans for an Integrated Health Park
The Trust’s third objective is to offer a residential IM Clinic for those looking for the best combination of conventional and complementary healthcare all within an inspiring integrated health park which will offer a multiplicity of life enhancing experiences for clients and for the general public. The aim is to find a large site within a 10 mile radius of Bristol and Bath with scope for making beautiful gardens and facilities for all ages to explore and develop their own creativity and personal potential, and become motivated to make healthy change.
The Trust plans for this Centre to be an exemplar for the optimum treatment and prevention of obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer and other chronic illnesses. Dr Daniel says: “We want to help catalyse a core shift in society from the current focus on passive disease management to the generation of positive health. This project will be to life and health what the Eden Project has been nature.”
ENDS
Older people promised new deal from NHS
Sarah Boseley, health editor The Guardian, Thursday May 22 2008
The health secretary, Alan Johnson, yesterday signalled a new deal for older people, saying they should be helped by the NHS to live lives that were not only longer but healthier, more active and more independent.
He called on the health service to provide more preventive care so older people could continue living at home and stay out of hospital. The provision of health and social services tailored for this age group was patchy, he acknowledged.
For the full story go to:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/may/22/nhs.longtermcare
April 2008
The Integrated Health Trust hosts its first conference on Women’s Health
The British College of Integrated Medicine (now part of IHT) in conjunction with the British Society of Integrated Medicine will be hosting a one day training programme on Women’s Health on Saturday 17th May 2008 at The School of Pharmacy 29-39 Brunswick Square, London, WC1N 1AX.
For more information please visit our EVENTS section
The Integrated Health Trust prepares for London launch
On May 22 IHT will be hosting an event at the Royal College of Physicians, Regent’s Park, London.
For more information please visit our EVENTS section.
BBC documentary shows health benefits of CAM
Get Well NI, a film that documents a Government-backed pilot project to provide CAM therapies on the NHS to patients, will be screened on Monday May 5th at PM on BBC Northern Ireland – or on Channel 973 or 992 for Sky viewers.
According to the charity Get Well UK, this is a brilliant story from the patient's perspective – which is what healthcare and democracy is all about.
IHT responds to media spotlight on CAM evidence with press release to all national broadsheets
Integrated healthcare movement rallies support
CAM evidence debate misses the point, says IM consultant Dr Rosy Daniel
A new integrated healthcare body is today [Friday April 18th] calling upon the CAM community and other allies and beneficiaries of integrated health to come together to counteract the damage being caused by the continuing attacks on proactive natural healthcare.
The Integrated Health Trust aims to act as a powerful lobby for the Integrated Healthcare movement and those who are interested in learning about the benefits of this medicine model, which combines the very best of all approaches - orthodox, complementary, psychological, nutritional, spiritual and self-help - for the care of the sick and the prevention of illness.
“Integrated Medicine does not yet have a sufficiently clear professional or public voice and is still under-powered in the media and in government consultation processes. Far more power needs to be generated to affect debates and legislation regarding our health and the health of future generations and this can be achieved by having a large membership of all those allied to the natural health movement,” said project leader and IM consultant Dr Rosy Daniel.
Dr Daniel believes that the ongoing debate about medical evidence for CAM misses the key point that a major contribution made by CAM practitioners and Integrated Medicine doctors is in meeting the emotional, social, and spiritual needs of patients which otherwise get medicalised within the current health system, at enormous cost to the tax payer. This is evidenced by the great waste in un-used prescribed medicines where the doctor has failed to address the problem on the level being experienced by the patient.
Added to this are the huge benefits to patients and society of self-help approaches which have been shown to improve coping, quality of life and survival, the evidence for which is often to be found in the psychology and psycho-neuro-immunology, rather than medical journals.
The Integrated Health Trust aims to create a centre of excellence for integrated medicine in the UK. This will model the gold standard in IM medical care, education, research and preventative healthcare.
“It is essential that the very important role of the integrated health movement does not get misunderstood or dismissed as a result of the debate about medical evidence for Complementary Medicine. Our key role is in preventative healthcare and also in bringing the heart and soul back into medicine. The public are voting with their feet in paying for the compassion and proactive approach offered by Integrated Health practitioners which is so sadly lacking within mainstream medicine,” Dr Daniel continues.
By creating a centre of excellence for IM, the Trust will be making a positive model and contribution to preventing the health crisis predicted by health economists, as well as the personal burden of lifestyle-related chronic disease. Dr Daniel says:
“The inconvenient truth about health is that rates of cancer, heart disease, obesity, diabetes and all the inflammatory conditions are spiralling out of control both in developed and developing countries which are adopting the Western lifestyle.
“We want to help catalyse a core shift in society from the current focusing on passive disease management to the generation of positive health. For the first time in this country, we will offer recognized training and qualifications for doctors and nurses in integrated medicine.”
The project has support from some of Britain’s leading Integrated Medicine pioneers including Professor Karol Sikora (former Head of the World Health Organisation's Cancer Programme and Medical Director of Cancer Partners UK), Professor George Lewith (Professor of Integrated Healthcare, University of Southampton), Professor Stephen Wright (Professor of Integrated Nursing, University of Lancaster) who all sit on the advisory board.
ENDS April 18th, 2008
Response to the Cochrane review on antioxidants in the prevention of mortality
The use of anti-oxidants has hit the headlines again following a systematic review paper published by the Cochrane collaboration. Understandably the Health Supplements Information service has bitten back with this, and also sent IHT a link to the comments made last year by Dr Paul Clayton when these figures were originally published – visit https://www.cytoplan.co.uk/articles/copenhagenstudy.pdf
THE HEALTH SUPPLEMENTS INFORMATION SERVICE COMMENTS ON THE ROLE OF ANTIOXIDANTS IN THE PREVENTION OF MORTALITY IN HEALTHY PEOPLE AND PEOPLE WITH DISEASE
15th April 2008 – In response to a systematic review paper1 regarding antioxidant supplements, published by the Cochrane collaboration, the Health Supplements Information Service (HSIS) would like to comment.
Pamela Mason, nutritionist and spokesperson for HSIS says: “Antioxidant vitamins, including these noted in this Cochrane review are essential for health and UK national dietary surveys have shown that some people have poor intakes of such nutrients.
“What is important about this review is that it demonstrates nothing new whatsoever. Moreover, this review was published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association.2 Trials using antioxidant supplements have shown inconsistent findings and yet another review or meta-analysis is not going to tell us anything at this stage that we don’t already know. Moreover, this review like several others, has included data from healthy and sick people.
“Antioxidant vitamins, like any other vitamins were never intended for the prevention of chronic disease and mortality. They are intended for health maintenance on the basis of their various physiological roles in the body and in the case of the antioxidant vitamins, this does, in appropriate amounts, include a protective antioxidant effect in the body’s tissues.
“What we need now, I am afraid, is yet further research, looking at the role of antioxidant vitamins in different groups of people, at different stages of life and throughout life, and possibly also in different mixtures and amounts.”
Pamela adds: “However, what we do know is that these vitamins are essential for health and that many people in the UK do not have an adequate intake according to recommended daily amounts. A vitamin supplement taken in recommended amounts can be beneficial for health, especially for those people whose intakes are poor.”
- ENDS -
1. Bjelakovic G, Nikolova D, Gluud LL, Simonetti RG, Gluud C. Antioxidant supplements for prevention of mortality in healthy participants and patients with various diseases. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD007176. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD007176.
2. Bjelakovic G, Nikolova D, Gluud LL, Simonetti RG, Gluud C. Mortality in randomized trials of antioxidant supplements for primary and secondary prevention: systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA. 2007 Feb 28;297(8):842-57.
For further information please contact:
Nicky Smith, Nexus Healthcare 020 0528850/ 07867 513 361
Eva Levin, Nexus Healthcare 0207 0528853
March 2008
Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council
On March 31 2008 a reception was held in London to celebrate the formation of the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council. It marked the end of planning for the Council and the beginning of its practical creation.
As of early April, the CNHC is poised to recruit a Chief Executive and complete its website. It should be opening its books to the first wave of complementary practitioners later this summer.
http://www.fih.org.uk/what_we_do/regulation/event_to_mark_the.html
February 2008
Team players
Following the very successful launch of the Integrated Health Trust in Bath in November the R&D phase of the project is now well underway - with a team of seven in place!
Dr Rosy Daniel needs little introduction as Project Leader; Jaq Chappelle is Development Director with the task of attracting sponsorship and organising events; Ali Jennings, former editor of Folio Magazine for Bristol and Bath, currently has a research role that will lead to community and public relations; Mary Chancellor and Maria Saunders are looking after our rapidly growing membership; Jo Slee is in charge of the finances while Georgie Wardzala is kindly volunteering with secretarial support.
These crucial roles have been made possible by the support of the Fountain Group two of whom, Ian Travers-Smith and Lambert Coles, join Rosy as our management committee. The team is working in a new office at the Apthorp Centre in lovely, leafy Weston Road, Bath, where the office IT is managed by the ever-patient Mike Tooze.
“These key people are propelling the IHT vision forward rapidly, and I’m delighted to see that in the space of a few months this has become a reality. I have to keep pinching myself when I walk into the office and see the team hard at work - it just goes to show that if you believe in something strongly enough it can happen!” said Rosy.