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FOCUS ON HEALTH
South 12 Woodham
South Woodham Focus
EDITING HUMAN EMBRYOS IS OK ….. so long as it's done for
good reasons rather than simply because you want a 'designer
baby.' The official press release says: "An independent inquiry by
the Nuffield Council on Bioethics has concluded that editing the
DNA of a human embryo, sperm, or egg to influence the
characteristics of a future person (‘heritable genome editing’)
could be morally permissible. If that is to happen, a number of
measures would need to be put in place first to ensure that
genome editing proceeds in ways that are ethically acceptable."
The Nuffield Council says that technique of genome editing –
"the deliberate alteration of a targeted DNA sequence in a living
cell – could theoretically be used in assisted reproduction to alter
the DNA of a human embryo, before it is transferred to the
womb. This is not currently lawful in the UK, but could, in time,
become available as an option for parents who wish to influence
the genetic characteristics of their future child (for example, to
exclude a heritable disease or a predisposition to cancer in later
life). The Council says that the possibilities raised by this radical
new approach to reproductive choices could have significant
implications for individuals and for all of society, and there must
be action now to support public debate and to put in place
appropriate governance."
For more info see
http://nuffieldbioethics.org/news/2018/heritable-genomeediting-action-needed-secure-responsible
DIABETES AND CANCER. The World Heath Organisation (WHO)
divides the complications of diabetes into two groups:
microvascular (due to damage to small blood vessels) and
macrovascular (due to damage to larger blood vessels).
Microvascular complications include damage to the eyes
(retinopathy) leading to blindness, to kidneys (nephropathy)
leading to renal failure, and to nerves (neuropathy) leading to
impotence and diabetic foot disorders (which include severe
infections which may lead to amputation).
Macrovascular complications include cardiovascular diseases such
as heart attacks, strokes and insufficiency in blood flow to the
legs. A spokesman for The World Health Organisation, Dr WHO,
said: "There is evidence from large randomized-controlled trials
that good metabolic control in both type 1 and 2 diabetes can
delay the onset and progression of these complications."
These risks are well known to everybody except those at most
risk ... seemingly because they have developed the ability to blot
it out and because their friends and family have given up
nagging them.
"Did any of us in our wildest dreams ever think we'd live long
enough to see the end of the DFS sale?" Ken Dodd
To the above list we can now add another - diabetes seemingly
increases the risk of cancer. Diabetes is a risk factor for all-site
cancer for both men and women, but the increased risk is higher
in women than in men, according to a new article in
Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the
Study of Diabetes).
The journal reminds us that "cancer is the second leading cause
of death in the world. It is estimated that 1 in 4 women and 1 in
3 men develop cancer during their lifetime. In 2015 there were
17.5 million incident cancer cases and 8.7 million cancer deaths
globally, and these figures are expected to increase in the next
decades. Diabetes prevalence has also grown rapidly: 415 million
adults were reported to have the condition in 2015, with 5
million deaths attributed. In the same year 12% of global health
expenditure was spent on diabetes and its complications."
Diabetes has been associated with the risk of all-site, and some
site-specific, cancers in several systematic reviews and metaanalyses.
"Previously, however, there has been no systematic
overview of the evidence available that sex differences may
impact on this risk. This study (conducted by the University of
New South Wales, Sydney, Australia and the University of
Oxford, Oxford, UK) assessed whether there are sex differences
in the association between diabetes and cancer. It confirms that
diabetes is indeed a risk factor for all-site cancer in both sexes,
but shows also that the effect is stronger in women than in men,
and that this increase in risk for women varies with cancer site.
The authors stress "the importance of a sex-specific approach to
quantification of the role of diabetes in cancer research,
prevention and treatment," and concludes that (as you'll have
guessed) "further studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms
underlying the sex differences in the diabetes-cancer
association."
Wear short sleeves! Support the right to bare arms!
SUMMER RISKS. As soon as we get a bit of sunshine and warm
weather the killjoys want to spoil it all. The BBC warns that
"Potentially toxic algae are blooming in rivers and lochs during
Scotland's long, hot summer. Blue-green algae, which poses a
health risk to humans and animals, has flourished during the
warm spell ... and, following death of two dogs "scientists are
urging people to record sightings of the algae in a bid to speed
up response times."In the past we've had these algae down
south too so keep a look out.
The biggest risk though at present is the sun. Here in the UK we
tend to think that our brand of sunshine is safe - perhaps
because we see so little of it for so much of the time. This year
(in case you haven't noticed) it's different. Children's skin is
particularly vulnerable so do keep them safe! This may mean
keeping them out of the sun - or covering them up (long sleeves etc.)
As for sun creams, Sunsense.com tells us that: " “The SPF [sun
protection factor] of a sunscreen is derived by taking the time it
takes you to burn with a sunscreen and dividing it by the time
taken for you to burn without a sunscreen. For example if you
burn in 300 minutes with a sunscreen and 10 minutes without a
sunscreen, this is 300/10 = 30."
Whilst there are benefits from sensible sun exposure we are all,
irrespective of age, at risk of skin cancer ... even those who have
passed the first flush of youth. Lynne Hyland writes in the Mirror:
"We’re meant to get wiser as we get older, but when it comes to
SPF, we seem to have a bad case of sun blindness. Over-55s are
officially the UK’s worst at applying sun cream, with alarming
new Mintel research showing 43% didn’t use SPF even ONCE in
the past year." She quotes Dr Jonquille Chantrey: "A lot of
people think, 'Well, the damage has been done, it’s futile to start
using SPF now.' However sun damage isn’t a finite thing. Keep
adding to it and you risk tipping your immune system past the
point where it can’t repair mutations any more, leading to skin
cancer." (And in the meantime, you’re making yourself look
older, faster.)"
As I've mentioned here before, the definitive guide to sun
exposure comes, not from a medic, but rather from Noël Coward
whose song: "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" should be displayed
on large placards throughout the summer on every beach in the
land:
In tropical climes there are certain times of day
When all the citizens retire
To tear their clothes off and perspire
It's one of those rules that the greatest fools obey
Because the sun is much too sultry
And one must avoid its ultry-violet ray
The natives grieve when the white men leave their huts,
Because they're obviously ... definitely ... nuts!
Dr John
SOUTH WOODHAM
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