Guest guest Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 News content CHRONIC FATIGUE: Does this mystery disease have its roots in an unhappy childhood? HYSTERECTOMY: It's a radical procedure that most women don't need to have STATINS: Too many people are taking them (and they're doing far less good than you think) ---- ----------- CHRONIC FATIGUE: Does this mystery disease have its roots in an unhappy childhood? Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a mysterious condition that usually baffles doctors. Nobody is sure why it starts, how to treat it, or to even guess its course. A new study has discovered one part of the puzzle, and it all goes back to our childhood. Researchers have found that people are up to eight times more likely to suffer from CFS if they experienced some trauma – such as sexual, emotional or physical abuse, or neglect, or depression – when they were children. When they reviewed the history of 43 CFS sufferers compared with 60 healthy adults, they found that unhappy experiences in childhood was a significant marker for adult CFS. The likelihood was graded by the severity of the trauma, and those whose childhood experiences were less traumatic had a three-fold chance of developing CFS, while those who were badly scarred by their experiences were eight times more likely to suffer chronic fatigue. (Source: Archives of General Psychiatry, 2006; 63: 1258-66). HYSTERECTOMY: It's a radical procedure that most women don't need to have If you suffer from heavy menstrual bleeding – and it's something that affects one in four women sometime in their life – your doctor will probably recommend a hysterectomy. A hysterectomy – in which a woman's womb is removed – is one of the more traumatic surgical operations, and yet it is one of the most common. One-third of American women and one-fifth of British women will have had their womb removed by the time they reach the age of 60, and most have the procedure in order to stop heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB). Despite its frequency, the advice is just plain wrong, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Evidence (NICE) has announced this week. Too many doctors still believe that a hysterectomy is the only way to stop HMB, and yet there are many other therapies that are far less radical that could be just as effective. So, instead, NICE is asking women to find out for themselves all their options. In most cases, a hysterectomy is unnecessary, and pointless. Menstrual bleeding is as likely to be caused by hormonal imbalances, thyroid problems, or fibroids, and so can be treated with supplements, drugs or minor surgery. (Source: The Times, 24 January 2007). BE NICE TO YOURSELF, AND FIND OUT ABOUT YOUR HEALTH OPTIONS Everything you need to know about women's health, and the many ways you can stay well, are explained in the WDDTY Guide to Women's Health. It's a complete guide, packed with scientific references so you know it's advice you can trust. Better yet, it tells you everything that your doctor won't. To order your copy, __________ STATINS: Too many people are taking them (and they're doing far less good than you think) Cholesterol-lowering statins have become one of the most popular `just in case' drugs on the market. They're handed out to anyone who may be at risk from developing heart disease – which, in the eyes of the doctor, will be pretty much everyone over the age of 50 or so. So it's not surprising to learn that 36m Americans take a statin every day, generating annual sales of $15.5bn for the manufacturers, and making two statins - Lipitor and Zocor - the top two best-selling drugs in the USA. Statin use has been increasing by an average of 12 per cent a year, and it's a trend that is likely to continue while medicine sees almost all of us as being at risk from raised cholesterol levels. There's evidence to suggest that those of us with a diagnosed heart condition may benefit from a statin, but this is a small fraction of those who take the drug. A new Harvard study has discovered that just 8 per cent of people taking a statin had a heart condition – the rest were merely considered to be at risk, a judgment that was entirely subjective, and based on very little evidence. The Harvard researchers looked at the results of eight trials, and discovered that the statins didn't reduce the number of deaths, even among those with a known heart condition. The drugs had a marginally positive effect on men, although it works out that 67 people would need to take the drug for five years in order to prevent one heart attack. It had no benefit whatsoever among 10,990 women who took it. All of this suggests that far too many people are taking a statin, and with no positive outcome. Instead of being the universal `just- in-case' drug, its use should be restricted to people who have been diagnosed with a heart condition, the researchers conclude. Their findings follow on from last week's discovery that statins may cause Parkinson's (see WDDTY E-news No. 326), and from earlier studies that suggest the drugs may be causing the heart conditions they're supposed to be preventing. (Source: The Lancet, 2007; 369: 268-9). ---- ----------- Help us spread the word If you or a friend would like to see a FREE copy of our monthly health journal What Doctors Don't Tell You, please e-mail your, or their, full name and address to: info. Please forward this e-news on to anyone you feel may be interested; better yet, get them to themselves by clicking on the following link: http://www.wddty.co.uk/e-news.asp. Thank you. Listen to Lynne On the radio: Hear Lynne McTaggart on Passion, the innovative DAB digital radio station focusing on your health and your environment - http://www.wddty.co.uk/passion_main.asp ============================================ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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