HEALTH NOTES: How doctors can use an eye test to detect signs of bowel disease
Per Mail on Sunday Reporter
Posted: 22:00, 9 July 2022 | Updated: 11:24 PM, July 9, 2022
Doctors can detect the first signs of bowel disease in a patient’s eyes.
People with a specific set of eye complaints are twice as likely to be diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, experts at the University of Birmingham say.
Previous research had shown that people suffering from these conditions are likely to have blurred vision, burning or itching in the eyes and even blindness, due to inflammation of the eye.
In the study, researchers examined the records of nearly 200,000 patients to see if eye problems could be an early predictor of bowel disease. The reason for the link is not known, but genetics is believed to play a role.
People with a specific set of eye complaints are twice as likely to be diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, according to experts at the University of Birmingham.
An inactive thyroid can increase the risk of dementia.
The small butterfly-shaped gland in the neck releases hormones responsible for functions such as metabolism and temperature regulation. For approximately 1.4 million Britons, the thyroid is inactive, does not produce enough hormones and causes a number of health problems such as weight gain and, in the worst case, heart disease.
Now, American scientists have found that people over 65 with an inactive thyroid are 80% more likely to develop dementia than people of the same age without thyroid problems.
The study, published in the journal Neurology, also found that people who take medications for the disease are three times more likely to develop dementia than those who do not.
Most people with appendicitis can be safely treated at home with antibiotics, avoiding the need for surgery, according to a study.
The condition is a painful swelling of the appendix, a sac attached to the intestine. To prevent it from exploding, it is usually surgically removed urgently.
Previous trials had shown that treating patients with intravenous antibiotics in the hospital was just as effective. Now researchers have discovered that antibiotics can be taken at home, with little need for hospital treatment.
Most people with appendicitis can be safely treated at home with antibiotics, avoiding the need for surgery, according to a study.
In a study of 726 patients with appendicitis, 46% were discharged within 24 hours to be treated with antibiotics at home. A month later they experienced no more health problems than those who remained in the hospital, and were less likely to need surgery.
One in 100 Britons took part in a Covid drug trial in 2021, new figures reveal.
More than 772,000 people in the UK participated in a total of 308 Covid studies last year, the National Institute for Health and Care Research reported.
Trials included those that monitored the continued efficacy of coronavirus vaccines and new treatments for severely ill patients with Covid. One of the most important was the panoramic study on the use of so-called antiviral treatments, given to 25,000 vulnerable Britons who did not respond well to vaccines.