Total Health's blog

Early puberty, also known as ‘precocious’ puberty is defined as the physical changes associated with puberty starting before the age of eight years in a girl and nine years in a boy. How can you know if your child has started undertaking these changes, what are the signs, and can anything be done to stop or slow down the process?

A study carried out by researchers at the University of Oxford recommends that the cholesterolA substance present in many tissues and an important constituent of cell membranes although high concentrations of a certain type of cholesterol in the blood are unhealthy.-lowering drugs, statinsA class of drugs that inhibit cholesterol formation in the liver., should be prescribed to healthy people, as well as those at risk of problems with high cholesterol. The recommendation forms the conclusion of a study of 175,000 people published in the Lancet this week.

As totalhealth wrote in February 2012, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) rejected the drug abiraterone for the treatment of prostate cancer. This was due to its limited benefit but high cost. However, new draft guidance published today by NICE, recommends that abiraterone should be used as a treatment option for castration-resistantA microbe, such as a type of bacteria, that is able to resist the effects of antibiotics or other drugs. metastatic prostate cancer.

International fashion magazine Vogue, and Elite Model Management have signed up to a pact aimed to regulate the modelling industry and enforce stricter rules concerning underage and under-weight models. The companies have advised that the whole industry is needed to get behind the pact in order for this to make a difference.

An international team of researchers have published data in The Lancet showing that 18% of deaths worldwide among children under the age of five years are caused by pneumoniaInflammation of one or both lungs.. The second leading cause of death amongst this age group is the result of premature birth complications and the third leading cause, adding up to 0.8 million children, is diarrhoeaWhen bowel evacuation happens more often than usual, or where the faeces are abnormally liquid..

Arthritis Care Week 2012 is this week and will coincide the with launch of a new report, OAosteoarthritis Nation 2012, a survey of people suffering from osteoarthritisA disease mainly of the large joints of the body, as a result of wear and tear of the surface cartilage. who have described how the condition affects their lives. Osteoarthritis (OA) causes stiffness and pains within joints making it difficult to walk, bend and use the fingers depending on where in the body the arthritis is. In order to alleviate these difficulties, a number of products are on the market which aim to help people complete previously simple tasks.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has today published draft guidance recommending the use of botulinum toxinA substance poisonous to the body. type A injections for the treatment of headaches on the NHS. Previously, NICE has questioned the manufacturer of Botox over its value for money but have been satisfied with the answers given.

The eAllergy Helpdesk was launched this week for the benefit of health professionals in correctly identifying and diagnosing allergies. The helpdesk has been designed to provide quick evidence-based advice to help primary healthcare providers more effectively assess and treat patients with allergies.

Haemorrhoids, often known as piles, are enlarged veins around the anal region and these can seriously endanger a patient's health for a number of different reasons. Haemorrhoids can be a source of infectionInvasion by organisms that may be harmful, for example bacteria or parasites. and sometimes the bloodA fluid that transports oxygen and other substances through the body, made up of blood cells suspended in a liquid. in the enlarged vein may form a clotBlood that has coagulated, that is, has moved from a liquid to a solid state. resulting in a thrombosed haemorrhoidSwollen blood vessel in the lining of the anus, also known as piles. which is extremely painful. Although severe bleeding from haemorrhoidsSwollen blood vessels around the anus, also known as piles. is unusual, anaemiaA reduced level of haemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood. Anaemia causes tiredness, breathlessness and abnormally pale skin. may result if the bleeding is prolonged.

Currently, patients in the UK with type 2 diabetesA disorder caused by insufficient or absent production of the hormone insulin by the pancreas, or because the tissues are resistant to the effects. are screened once a year for diabetic retinopathy, a common complicationA condition that is linked to, or is a consequence of, another disease or procedure. in diabetes leading to damage to the eyes. Research carried out by the University of Exeter however, has found that it would be safe and cost-effective to screen diabetic patients once every two years instead.