HEALTH NOTES: Lung Injections To Address Life-Threatening Blood Clots May Reduce Risk Of Death With The HALF
Injecting drugs directly into the lungs to target life-threatening blood clots could cut the risk of death in half, a study finds.
Blood clots in the lungs, known as pulmonary embolism, lead to around 25,000 deaths in the UK each year.
The condition is usually treated with blood thinners, which are given into the bloodstream through an IV in the arm.
However, Israeli researchers have found that it is more effective to feed low doses of blood thinner directly into the pulmonary arteries – the blood vessels where these clots form.
The study, published by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, found that the technique reduced the risk of death by 55 percent. Researchers say this is because the method directs the blood-thinning drugs directly to the clot, breaking it down significantly faster.
Blood clots in the lungs, known as a pulmonary embolus, lead to around 25,000 deaths in the UK each year (pictured, an illustration of a blood clot in the lungs)
The costs of private dentists are rising
In the past year alone, the cost of visiting a private dentist has increased by 15 percent.
An initial consultation now costs £75 on average, compared to £65 in August 2022, according to independent consumer information website My Tribe Insurance.
The company also found that the price of certain types of fillings has risen by more than a quarter.
My Tribe founder Chris Steele says the price increases have been driven by an increase in demand as few NHS dentists are taking on new patients. is increasing quite rapidly.’
Asthma patients now have access to an inhaler that tracks how severe their breathing problems are. The device, called a Digihaler, contains medicines that relieve symptoms of the chronic condition, such as coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath, which affects 5.4 million people in the UK.
It also includes sensors that can measure how much air the user can breathe in at one time – a reliable indicator of asthma severity.
The Digihaler, made by Israel-based medical company Teva, can then send these readings to the patient’s doctor, who can notice any deterioration in their breathing ability.
People in the UK are much more likely to have genetic mutations that lead to skin cancer than people living in sunny climates, a study has found.
Researchers found that the British population has, on average, four times the number of DNA mutations linked to skin cancer than people in Singapore, which is close to the equator.
The scientists at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in London say the findings explain why skin cancer rates in the UK are 17 times higher than in Singapore. This is despite the fact that UV light from the sun is three times as strong in the Asian city-state.