Monthly Archives: January 2013

'Promising' dementia drug made from pigs' brains could help 200,000 sufferers

The new drug called cerebrolysin improves concentration, memory and mood among those suffering with vascular dementia

  • The new drug is licensed in some countries but not in the UK or U.S.
  • No serious side effects were reported from taking the drug

By Jenny Hope

PUBLISHED: 00:46, 31 January 2013 | UPDATED: 03:32, 31 January 2013

 

The new drug called cerebrolysin improves concentration, memory processing and mood in patients

Dementia sufferers may benefit from a ‘promising’ new treatment made from pigs’ brains, say researchers.

The new drug – called cerebrolysin – improves concentration, memory processing and mood in patients with a certain kind of dementia known as vascular dementia, which affects up to 200,000 Britons.

No treatment has yet been specifically developed for vascular dementia.

But the new drug is licensed in some countries for dementia, stroke and traumatic brain injury – although not yet here or in the US.

Researcher Li He of the Department of Neurology at Sichuan University in Sichuan, China, said ‘Our review suggests that Cerebrolysin can help improve cognitive and global function in patients with mild to moderate severity vascular dementia.’

Cerebrolysin is a drug made from pig brain proteins that has produced some positive results from small vascular dementia trials.

Larger trials are now underway.

But the drug is not easy to administer, with regular intravenous infusions necessary, says the review.

Health and social care will need half of Government spending unless changes made: King's Fund

Health and social care could consume half of government spending in 50 years’ time if current trends continue, a think tank has predicted.

 

Currently nine per cent of the UK’s income is spent on health and social care, and this is predicted to more than double to 20 per cent by 2061

By , Medical Editor

7:30AM GMT 31 Jan 2013

By 2060, half of all Government spending could go on health and social care unless major changes are made, the King’s Fund has reported.

The new report states that population changes, increases in wealth and medical advances will increase pressure to spend more on health and social care in the future.

Currently nine per cent of the UK’s income is spent on health and social care, and this is predicted to more than double to 20 per cent by 2061. Taking into account economic growth, current levels of taxation and Government expenditure this would mean one in every £2 spent by the Government went on care.

Prof John Appleby, author of the paper, said that increases on this scale were not inevitable.

Does no one care asks disabled man left in the cold?

Disabled man left to freeze

Chris Eaborn, keeping warm next to an old gas fire, lent to him by a neighbourChris Eaborn, keeping warm next to an old gas fire, lent to him by a neighbour

Published on Wednesday 30 January 2013 12:34

A DISABLED man trapped in his freezing Wigan home has made a public cry for help after having his power cut off for more than three days.

Chris Eaborn was so desperate for help after his electricity was cut off that he put notices in his window crying “HELP! We have had no electricity or heating for 72 hours. Does anyone care at all?”

Another reads: “We cannot cook any food, we cannot shower, basic human rights denied,”

The 56-year-old had been hoping for a quick fix after cable fault hit his home in Woodhouse Lane, Beech Hill, last Saturday night.

With no phoneline, he was forced to seek the help of a neighbour, whose power had also been shut off, to call Electricity North West.

But due to high volumes of calls following the bad weather, Mr Eaborn was unable to get through until Monday morning,

So he put up an SOS message in his window, hoping someone would take pity and help him and the two other houses in the row of terraced homes affected.

The resident, who has an ulcerated leg, said; “I have no power, no heat and I am freezing – there is no damp proofing and I have had two freezing nights.

“I can’t even boil a kettle, have a shower, or cook hot food – I can’t do anything because everything is powered by electricity. I need the heat because of my leg.