WDDTY Jan 4th 2007

[Guest guest]

HEALTHY 2007 TO YOU ALL

 

Everyone at What Doctors Don't Tell You wishes you a healthy, vibrant

and peaceful 2007.

 

 

PARACETAMOL: A deadly painkiller, even at the recommended dose

CANCER DRUG: It's also given for lupus, and now two patients have

died

WINE: Great news! This week it's good for you

THE DANES: Research reveals why they are so smug

 

 

 

PARACETAMOL: A deadly painkiller, even at the recommended dose

 

 

Paracetamol – or acetaminophen as it's known in the States – is the

most widely used painkiller in the world. There's a pack in most

homes, and you can always nip out to the local newsagents or general

store if you do run out.

 

For a drug that's so freely available, you'd imagine that it is

safe. And our drug watchdogs assure us that it is when taken at the

recommended dose of 4g a day.

 

It's not. One study discovered that it caused liver damage in up to

44 per cent of all participants who were taking it at the standard

dose. In fact, paracetamol has become the major cause of acute liver

failure in the USA and Europe, a condition that will almost certainly

kill the patient unless the diseased organ is replaced.

 

Some of these cases have been the result of unintentional overdose –

where perhaps one tablet too many has been taken – and fatalities

have occurred at doses as low as 7g, just 3g above the recommended

dose.

 

Despite the evidence, you won't in anyway be surprised to hear that

America's drug regulator, the Food and Drug Administration, isn't

changing the way the drug is made so freely available, even after

a `careful consideration' of the many fatalities.

 

(Source: The Lancet, 2006; 368: 2395-6).

 

 

 

 

 

 

CANCER DRUG: It's also given for lupus, and now two patients have

died

 

 

A special alert has gone out on cancer drug Rituxan (rituximab) after

it was blamed for the deaths of two patients.

 

It's a powerful immunosuppressant known as a monoclonal antibody, and

it's been licensed as a therapy for non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

 

Despite the supposed limitations of its use, doctors have also been

giving it to patients with the auto-immune disease, systemic lupus

erythematosus (SLE), or lupus.

 

Around 10,000 SLE patients have been given Rituxan in the USA alone –

and it was two of these who died in 2006. They both had a viral

infection of the brain, known as PML (progressive multifocal

leukoencephalopathy).

 

The future of the drug is uncertain, but while drug regulators

deliberate, doctors are being told to watch out for early signs of

PML in patients being given Rituxan.

 

(Source: FDA website).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WINE: Great news! This week it's good for you

 

 

If you're still feeling a little hung over from the Christmas and New

Year festivities, here's some consoling news from the world of

science.

 

The very latest research tells us that a glass or two of wine every

day is good for us, and helps ward off a heart attack. This very

latest research is, of course, at variance with the quite recent

research, which revealed that wine is very bad for us indeed.

 

This, in turn, differed from the blimey-it-wasn't-that-long-ago

research, which found that wine was neither good nor bad for us,

provided it stayed in the bottle.

 

This very latest research tracked the progress for 16 years of 11,700

male healthcare professionals with high blood pressure. Researchers

found that those who drank one or two glasses of wine or other

alcohol every day suffered fewer heart attacks. Those who drank less

frequently – one drink or less every two or three days – didn't get

any protective benefits.

 

(Source: Annals of Internal Medicine, 2007; published on-line,

January 2).

 

THE DANES: Research reveals why they are so smug

 

 

Why are the Danes so smug? In every survey over the past 30 years,

the Danes have come out on top as the most satisfied and fulfilled

people in Europe.

 

Usually around two-thirds of Danes categorise themselves as

being " very satisfied " with life which is more than double that

recorded in other European countries.

 

Researchers from the University of Southern Denmark decided to

investigate, and concluded that the smugness was down to a range of

factors.

 

Hair colour: It's been scientifically proven, and later endorsed by

Rod Stewart, that " blondes have more fun " . However, there are more

blondes in Sweden, and they are bloody miserable.

 

Genes: Is self-satisfaction genetic? The Danes and the Swedes share

the same genotypes, and the Swedes are. . .(see above).

 

Food: The Danes conclusively prove that happiness is no way

associated with good food. The staple diet consists of potatoes and

gravy and, for a special treat, they'll eat `butter breads', which we

can only assume is bread with butter on it.

 

Climate: The Danes also conclusively prove that a good climate is

not associated with happiness. The Danish weather is even colder and

cloudier than England's. In 2004 there were 1539 hours of sunshine

in Copenhagen, 1573 in London and 1821 in Stockholm, which is in

Sweden, where the people are. . .(see above).

 

Language: The Danes don't say they are " satisfied " as that's

English. They say they are " tilfred " . The Swedish would say they

are " nojd " . Tilfred is an easy word to say; nojd isn't. Perhaps

Swedish people find it easier to say " bloody miserable " (in English)

than their native " nojd " , which suggests the results could be skewed.

 

Alcohol and smoking: Experts tell us that smoking lots of cigarettes

and drinking gallons of alcohol is bad for our wellbeing. The Danes

are carrying out a lengthy experiment to disprove this theory.

 

General health: When the Danes are asked about their own health,

they come out top. However, when independent researchers conduct

similar surveys, the Danes are among the least healthy. Life

expectancy in Denmark is 13th out of the 15 countries surveyed. This

may be a consequence of `Alcohol and smoking'.

 

Sport: The Danes don't do sport. They did once, in 1992, when their

nation amazingly won the European football Championship. It's true

to say the Danes have lived off the glory ever since (see `Alcohol

and smoking').

 

Expectations: The Danes are never disappointed. However, Italians

and Greeks, who have the highest expectations in Europe, spend their

days in utter despair and depression.

 

So the key to happiness seems to be: win a football game once in a

while (England take note), and expect nothing else from life.

 

(Source: British Medical Journal, 2006; 333: 1289-91).

 

 

 

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