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MEDICAL NOTES
Hep C sufferers who don’t even know it
THE hunt is on to track down thousands of people who may have hepatitis C – but don’t know it. Many people with the blood-borne virus have no symptoms and may never know they have been infected. But left untreated, it can eventually lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Health care professionals and community health organisations have saved thousands of lives by treating people they know are most likely to have been infected, such as drug users who have shared needles. But they are now appealing to many people who may have been infected through other means – like sharing bank notes or straws while snorting cocaine, or even sharing razors or toothbrushes with an infected person. New drugs effectively mean that this virus can now be cured and the UK has signed up to the WHO target to eliminate hepatitis C by 2030. Professor Stephen Ryder, Medical Advisor to the British Liver Trust said, “Work towards eliminating hepatitis C in the UK is a huge public health success story. However, a key challenge is the fact that hepatitis C often has no symptoms in the early stages and many people don’t know they have it. “You don’t have to have injected drugs to catch hepatitis C – if you’ve shared a banknote to snort cocaine, your liver health could be at risk too because the virus is found in blood and you might not notice traces of this on the banknotes you’re sharing.” Symptoms can include feeling tired, weight loss, feeling sick and jaundice, but they vary from person to person.
The stark stats . . .
n Liver disease is on the rise. Since 1970, deaths due to liver disease have increased by 400%. Every day, over 40 people die from liver disease in the UK. n This is in stark contrast to other major killer diseases, such as heart disease and cancer, in which the number of deaths have either remained stable or decreased. n Shockingly, liver disease is the biggest cause of death in those aged 3549. It is the third leading cause of premature death in the UK and more than one in five of us are at risk of developing the condition n 90% of liver disease is preventable. Three quarters of people are currently diagnosed at a late stage, when it is too late for lifestyle changes or intervention. n Take the charity’s online quiz to see if you could be at risk: www.britishlivertrust.org.uk/screener n British Liver Trust Helpline: 0800 652 7330
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2021
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Clubs urged to study effects on brain
Liverpool base for Pandemic Institute
TACKLE THIS!
HEADING FOR TROUBLE? On-field collisons affected blood flow to the brain, the study found
P
ARENTS of keen young rugby players will be concerned at new research which claims just one season is enough for professionals to suffer a drop in blood flow to the brain – vital for it to function normally.
For the first time, players at one professional team were followed over the course of a season to measure how physical contact in games – like tackles and collisions – affected their brains. Repeated on-field contacts resulted in the rugby union players having a reduced ability to regulate blood flow to the brain. The health consequences of this is crucial, as it may pave the way for neurodegenerative disease later in life, say researchers. Compared to backs, forward players were involved in more “contact events” and showed an accelerated decline in their ability to regulate blood flow. Professor Damian Bailey, who led a research team at the University of South Wales, said: “We hope that this study will encourage more rugby teams to engage in larger scale studies of this nature to determine the life-long implications associated with recurrent contact and concussion in rugby, including the potential links to neurodegeneration in later life. “Our ultimate goal is to make the sport safer for the players and minimise the damage they incur through contact.” Previous research in rugby union has mostly focused on concussion, and has linked it to neurodegenerative diseases in later life. But until now the physiological toll of repetitive contact on the field has not been investigated. The new study addresses these gaps and could
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lead to improved treatment to mitigate the impacts and make the sport safer for these players’ brains. It is the first to highlight that repetitive contact sustained through participation in rugby union causes subtle, yet important alterations in a player’s ability to regulate blood flow to the brain. A spokesman for the university said: “The research suggests that the decline in blood flow regulation was related to an increased formation of invisible molecules called free radicals that circulate in the bloodstream. In excess, they prevent blood vessels from opening up as they should, to get oxygen and glucose to the brain due to a shortage of nitric oxide, which causes blood vessels to open.” Researchers collected data from 21 players (13 forwards and eight backs) before, during and after a 31-game season. Before the season began, they created a profile for each player based on data including molecular (blood-borne), cerebrovascular (blood flow regulation to the brain) and cognitive (memory, attention, concentration) metrics. During the season, they determined how many contact events each player was exposed to throughout play. They also mapped concussion incidence in order to determine which match event was most likely to cause concussion. After the season was over, they reassessed the players’ physiological profiles and mapped these against contact events sustained throughout the season.
n The new research was published in The Physiological Society’s journal Experimental Physiology.
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LIVERPOOL has been chosen as the global headquarters for a partnership committed to making the world better prepared for future pandemics. The Pandemic Institute, whose mission is to help prevent, prepare for, and respond more effectively to global health emergencies, will be based in what is soon to be designated one of the world’s healthiest buildings, The Spine in Paddington Village. A medical, academic and civic partnership – including the city’s two universities, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Liverpool University Teaching Hospital – the Institute will have an unrivalled breadth of worldleading expertise all on one campus. And it aims to rapidly translate its work into tangible policy, solutions and activity, with an important impact on governments, businesses and individuals across the globe. Professor Matthew Baylis, Director of the Pandemic Institute, said it has “the potential to help revolutionise how the world responds to pandemics. “Uniquely, it will take a holistic view, from looking at future threats through to the response of communities and the healthcare system as well as treatments such as medicines and vaccines. “Liverpool is perfectly placed to be the home for the Pandemic Institute – building on the foundations laid so far in the city, and its significant contributions in this field, Liverpool is a global city with expertise in many fields relevant to pandemics, including medical, tropical and veterinary research,” Professor Baylis added. In response to Covid-19, Liverpool has pioneered innovative approaches including a whole city community testing pilot which cut transmission rates by a fifth.
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