Antimicrobial Use Could End Misery Of Eczema Flare-Up For Millions Of Sufferers In The UK

The most common cause of a flare-up in atopic eczema is a bacterium known as Staphylococcus aureus. Despite growing scientific evidence that Staphylococcus aureus makes atopic eczema worse and hinders healing, a survey conducted by YouGov in August 2010 amongst 642 people who have had eczema revealed that 71% of Brits had never heard of staphylococcus aureus and only 1% of eczema patients surveyed had discussed it with their GP or healthcare professional1. Use of antimicrobial emollients such as Eczmol have an established role in the prevention of infection but research shows only 11%2 have ever been prescribed an antimicrobial vs 41% who have been prescribed steroids3.

In the UK an estimated 1.7 million children4 and one in twelve adults have eczema5. Of these it is estimated that more than 90% carry Staphylococcus aureus in contrast to 30% of healthy individuals6,7. Traditional methods employed to manage the symptoms of eczema such as regular application of emollients and the use of soap substitutes are important factors in the fight against the unpleasant symptoms associated with eczema but they are not enough to stave off painful 'flare ups' that can cause misery amongst sufferers. Antimicrobial agents are available to help prevent 'flare ups' and yet YouGov research shows that of the few patients recommended antimicrobials 70%8 of them use these agents only when a 'flare up' occurs -as a treatment rather than prevention.

Eczmol, which contains chlorhexidine gluconate, was launched in the UK in April 2010 and has been shown to be four times more active than other antimicrobial lotion available on the market9. In trials it was shown to kill bacteria within 60 seconds of application10 and provide an enduring anti-microbial effect as a leave on product (up to 4 hours) and as a soap substitute (up to 2 hours)11.

Deborah Mason, Talk Eczema, "We now have some exciting data that clearly shows the long term efficacy of new antimicrobials on troublesome Staphylococcus aureus, but the YouGov data shows a worrying lack of knowledge amongst a large number of eczema patients in the UK about these particular bacteria, its effects and treatment. We will be doing everything we can to communicate to the eczema community the benefits of antimicrobials as a preventative treatment which we feel could significantly improve the lives of many people suffering with eczema. If patients are suffering they need to go back to their GP to discuss new ways to manage their eczema and help prevent further flare ups." http://www.talkeczema.com/

Staphylococcus aureus has long been associated with flare-up (red, weeping lesions) in atopic eczema. A flare-up is the first stage of infection which will often then present with a scabby golden-yellow crust formation on the lesions. Long term antibiotic treatment of atopic eczema is not recommended because of the potential for bacterial resistance.

Eczmol is an antimicrobial product designed to provide cover specifically against the bug known as Staphylococcus aureus and also contains emollient agents to soothe and soften dry skin. It spreads easily on the skin soaking in rapidly without the need for rubbing and can be used as an emollient or as a soap substitute. It can also be used in combination with other emollients or steroid creams.

Eczmol contains the antimicrobial agent chlorhexidine which has been widely used in the Health Service for more than 50 years. Chlorhexidine kills the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus quickly, and this together with the concentration that is achieved on the skin from Eczmol ensures that resistance to this agent is rare.

Eczmol 270ml £3.70

For more information visit. http://www.eczmol.co.uk/

References:1.YouGov Survey Results, sample size 2084. Fieldwork 30th July - 2nd August 20102.YouGov Survey Results, sample size 2084. Fieldwork 30th July - 2nd August 20103.YouGov Survey Results, sample size 2084. Fieldwork 30th July - 2nd August 20104.Shamssain M. Trends in the prevalence and severity of asthma, rhinitis and atopic eczema in 6- to 7- and 13- to 14-yr-old children from the north-east of England. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2007; 18: 149-53. 5.(www.eczema.org/faqfile.htm)6.Goodyear HM, PJ Watson,SA Egan, EH Price, PA Kenny and JI Harper. 1993. Skin microflora of atopic eczema in first time hospital attendees. Clin Exp Dermatol 18:300-3047.Ricci G, A. Atrizi, I.Neri, B Bendandi, and M Masi. 2003. Frequency and clinical role of Staphylococcus aureus overinfection in atopic dermatitis in children. Pediatr Dermatol 20:389-393 8.YouGov Survey Results, sample size 2084. Fieldwork 30th July - 2nd August 20109.Data on file (LSC 0249), Genus Pharmaceuticals10.British Standard prEN12054 report. Leeds Skin Centre for Applied Research. 6.10.09 11.Data on file (LSC 0261), Genus Pharmaceuticals
More YouGov Statistics
60% of those questioned (642 respondents) use emollients to manage eczema flare ups65% of those questioned (507 respondents) had never used an antimicrobial to treat their eczema42% of those questioned currently with eczema (247 respondents) experience more than 5 'flare ups' annually.49% of those questioned currently with eczema (241 respondents) have been prescribed steroids at least once since August 2009 to manage eczema flare ups.
TalkHealth is a web-based patient support and information service dedicated to people facing everyday life with conditions such as eczema, allergies, asthma, psoriasis, acne and the menopause. TalkHealth's aim is to provide practical support to people with these conditions through the provision of online membership communities. Where sufferers and their supporters/carers can meet with others and learn more about their condition and the latest advances and ideas in research and treatment. We provide the opportunity for people to take control in decisions concerning their health in a positive way. For more information, email info@talkhealthpartnership.com and www.talkeczema.com

Walk4Life to hit the streets on 26 September

Crowds of walkers in ten cities across England and Wales will take great strides to improve their health this month by taking part in Walk4Life.

Change4Life, ITV and walking groups are joining together to hold ITV’s Walk4Life Day on Sunday 26 September. This is a nationwide day of mass-participation walks which will see people across the country stepping out and on their way to a happier, healthier future.

On 13 September, ITV newsrooms across England and Wales are launching the campaign to get viewers off their sofas and encouraging them to get active, improve their lifestyle and walk in a location near them.

The free Change4Life events will be open to everyone, from experienced ramblers to first-time walkers and will be between one and three miles long. Ten major events will be held around England and Wales, led by local ITV personalities.

Public Health Minister Anne Milton said: “Walking is a great way for families to spend time together. Brisk walking for at least ten minutes is good for improving health and can count towards the recommended activity goals of thirty minutes five times a week for adults, and sixty minutes every day for children. It’s good for you and it gives you a chance to take time out of your busy life - quality time that is free and available to us all."

Adam Crozier, ITV’s Chief Executive said: “Walking is something that almost everyone can do to improve their health. I hope our viewers across the country will step up to the challenge and join ITV’s Walk4Life Day. “

The walks coincide with the launch of a new website http://www.walk4life.info/ which allows people to type in their postcode to find a local walk, or if they live near one of the ten ITV Walk4Life events, to head down and join in.

There’s also a network of hundreds of regular walks across the country, which can all be found on the Walk England website. A wide range of supporting organisations including the British Heart Foundation, Living Streets, Walking for Health, Ramblers, Sustrans and Walk England are all bringing their walking expertise to the day and are a good source of information for people wanting to find local walks in the future.

Bringing together local, commercial and governmental partners, Change4Life is helping people all over the country understand the long-term health risks of a poor diet and inactive lifestyle, and is helping to highlight the small and simple changes, such as walking which can make a big difference.

Walks are taking place in:-

• Cambridge – Mill Pond –led by Walk England (11am)

• Nottingham – Victoria Embankment –led by Age UK (11am)

• Birmingham – Highbury Park – led by the Ramblers (11am)

• Bristol – Millennium Square - led by the Bristol Health Walks Partnership (10.45am)

• Brighton – Seafront - led by Brighton and Hove City Council (11am)

• Caerphilly – on Thursday 23rd September – led by Sport Wales (11 am)

• Newcastle – Quayside, City Centre – led by Newcastle City Council (11am)

• Hull – The Humber Bridge – British Heart Foundation event (11am) –donation of £5 to BHF required

• London – Gabriel’s Wharf – led by Walk England (11am)

• Manchester – Hollingworth Lake –British Heart Foundation event (11am) – Free to enter if registered in advance or a donation of £15 if you turn up on the day.

Doing Good for Others is Good for Your Health

It's official, doing good for others is good for your health. New research has uncovered what's been called the 'helper's halo' - the ability to lower stress, increase happiness levels, boost self esteem and reduce anger, simply by being more considerate and doing good deeds for others.

The study, supported by healthcare provider Simplyhealth and carried out by scientists at Mindlab International, investigated whether improvements to physical and psychological health can actually be gained by carrying out altruistic acts, and follows similar research carried out by Harvard University two decades ago.

Key findings included:

*Average increase in self esteem by 31%

*Stress levels lowered amongst the group by 36%

*Reported feelings of anger reduced by a quarter

*An increase in positive thoughts and feelings

*Awareness of other people's feelings and empathy towards members of the community increased by 10% from 71% to 81%

Participants aged between 18 and 55 years old were recruited by Mindlab and asked to go out into their local community and perform simple, random, selfless tasks of their choosing for nine days. Acts included, giving someone money for a parking ticket if they had no change for the machine, painting a neighbour's garden fence and clearing their basement and tending to a friend's allotment when they were on holiday.

A series of experiments and laboratory tests were carried out on each of the participants before and after the trial. These include the monitoring of electrodermal activity (EDA) skin conductance which is a sensitive measure of stress levels in humans, heart rate and four psychological assessments to quantify emotional states and personality traits.

Dr David Lewis-Hodgson chartered psychologist and founder of Mindlab International comments: "Put simply, everyone wins - doing good things for others can not only make them feel good, but it has a health benefit to you too. Just like the Domino Effect, making an individual happy by taking time out to think about them leads that person to do the same for someone else, so spreading those feelings of wellbeing.

"This new study resonates with the findings of a similar study carried out by Harvard University in 1988, in which researchers identified what they called the 'Mother Teresa Effect'. As this study shows, being more considerate to others can reduce stress levels. The effects of stress on the body are well documented - it can suppress the immune system, lead to a rise in blood pressure, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, and contribute to infertility. Therefore to improve our chances of being healthy we should all go out and start doing good to others today."

44 year old Richard, one of the study participants, adds: "It may not sound much, but on one of the days I simply let someone with lots of shopping stand in front of me in the supermarket queue. I was surprised at how grateful people were when I did such small things. It made me think about how little we actually do for each other in our day to day lives."

Other participant altruistic deeds included:

*Buying a train ticket for someone in the queue as the credit card machine wasn't working and they couldn't pay for it

*Helping an elderly lady carry her food shopping to the car

*Helping clear their mum's house and taking all the rubbish to the tip

*Stopping in the car allowing a lady with a pushchair to cross the road safely.

The study was commissioned as part of Bothered Britain Week (6 - 10 September 2010) - a national health campaign which aims to discover what we are bothered about as a nation, and whether we really are bothered about our health and each other. For the latest campaign updates you can follow on twitter @simplyhealthuk or log onto Facebook and search for 'we can be bothered'.

James Glover from Simplyhealth comments: "We were really pleased to hear that doing kind deeds for other people encourages them to return the favour, spreading that feeling of goodwill. If you've recently helped out a friend or neighbour and would like to share your story then visit http://www.wecanbebothered.co.uk/."

Liquorice Soothes Eczema Symptoms

A new rub-on herbal gel known as A-1 Cool, which amongst other things contains liquorice, could be used to tackle eczema. The gel will help cool and moisturise the skin, plus ease any itching.

For more information about eczema click here

Big Head May Protect Against Dementia

According to research carried out at Munich University, having a big head may help protect against the worst ravages of dementia.

Researchers found that people with Alzheimer's with the largest craniums had better memory and thinking skills than patients with smaller skulls.

For more information about how having a big head may protect against demenita, follow this link

Equity and Excellence - Liberating the NHS

Secretary of State for Health Andrew Lansley has set out the Government's ambitious plans to reform the NHS during this Parliament and for the long-term.

The White Paper ‘Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS’ published today, details how power will be devolved from Whitehall to patients and professionals.

Professionals will be free to focus on improving health outcomes so that these are amongst the best in the world. Improving the quality of care will become the main purpose of the NHS.

Patients will get more choice and control, backed by an information revolution, so that services are more responsive to patients and designed around them, rather than patients having to fit around services. The principle will be "no decisions about me without me".

For more information about the liberation of the NHS follow this link

Researchers Say Depression May Double Dementia Risk

Having depression may nearly double the risk of developing dementia later in life, new research suggests.

Experts know that the two conditions often co-exist, but it is not clear if one actually leads to the other.

Now two studies published in the American journal Neurology suggest depression does mean dementia is more likely, although they do not show why.

For more information about how depression and dementia may be linked click here