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Community pharmacies are well placed to play a role in preventing deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD) said Director of NHS Services. The recent analysis by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) revealed that nearly 100,000 more people with cardiovascular disease than expected have died since the start of the pandemic in England. Latest figures show that the number of people waiting for time-sensitive cardiac care was at a record high of nearly 390,000 at the end of April in England. Average ambulance response times for heart attacks and strokes have consistently been above 30 minutes since the beginning of 2022, and in December 2022 they even breached 90 minutes. The target is 18 minutes, though the Government has set a new average target of 30 minutes over 2023/24. Director of NHS Services, Alastair Buxton, said: "It is concerning to hear that there have been tens of thousands of preventable deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD) since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We share BHF's desire to see more action on preventing the causes of CVD and, subject to appropriate funding being in place, community pharmacy teams are well placed to play a role in this.

The UK must act swiftly to fend off competition if it wants to build the world's leading life sciences sciences hub, a new report suggests. A year on from the launch of the government's life science vision, the report commissioned by the the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry said although achieving the ambition remained feasible, the UK would need an attractive business environment because its competitor countries were becoming more adept at attracting investment. To achieve the ambition of the vision, the PwC-produced report suggested raising pharmaceutical R&D investment in the UK to build a 'stronger manufacturing and research infrastructure', alongside better investment in, access to and uptake of innovative medicines. It said the UK would also need to adopt a renewed approach to the priority healthcare challenges identified in the government's 'Life Science Vision', which would mean cutting the overall burden on health of dementia, cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory disease and mental health. The report quantified the size of the prize if the vision was implemented in full and the UK could emulate the successes of leading EU countries, which included: £68 billion in additional GDP over 30 years, owing to increased R&D investment £16.3 billion additional annual GDP from increased pharmaceutical exports Supporting 85,000 additional jobs Up to 40 per cent decrease in disease burden across the whole UK - for areas like cardiovascular disease, mental health conditions and Cancer. Reduced variation in speed of access to new medicines within three months of licensing for all NHS patients.

The British scientists behind one of the major therapeutic Covid-19 trials have turned their focus to treatments for monkeypox, a viral disease that has been labelled a global health emergency by the World Health Organization. The team from Oxford University behind the so-called RECOVERY trial - which honed in on four effective Covid treatments - on Tuesday unveiled a new trial, dubbed PLATINUM, to confirm whether Siga Technologies' tecovirimat is an effective treatment for monkeypox. Although there are vaccines developed for the closely related smallpox that can reduce the risk of catching monkeypox, there are currently no treatments that have been proven to help hasten recovery in those who develop the disease. The UK has over 3,000 confirmed cases of monkeypox. The virus is transmitted chiefly through close contact with an infected person. It typically causes mild symptoms including fever, rash, swollen lymph nodes and pus-filled skin lesions. Severe cases can occur, though people tend to recover within two to four weeks. Siga's drug, branded Tpoxx, has been cleared to treat diseases caused by the family of orthopoxvirus that includes smallpox, monkeypox and cowpox by the European Union and United Kingdom, but due to limited trial data it is generally only used in severe cases in Britain.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common liver condition that requires timely diagnosis. It involves a spectrum of liver conditions ranging from non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) to fibrosis and can eventually evolve into cirrhosis. Over the years, liver biopsy has been the popular diagnostic procedure for NASH/NAFLD. However, considering the progressive nature of NAFLD, sole reliance on liver biopsy procedures does not only lack feasibility but is also susceptible to suboptimal standardization. Going through liver biopsy surgery is unnecessary at the slightest observation of NAFLD symptoms. Observing NASH/NAFLD red flags is not enough to determine the presence of the disease. You will need a proper diagnosis to ascertain the liver condition. This article emphasizes the benefits of choosing the non-invasive liver test diagnostic procedure instead of the invasive method. UNDERSTANDING NASH/NAFLD Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is one of two types: simple fatty liver or NAFL and Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH). Simple fatty liver or NAFL indicates the presence of fat in the liver. NASH is the least common and clinically aggressive variant of NAFLD.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved Anastrozole in a new use to prevent the disease. The off-patent drug has been used as a breast cancer treatment for many years. Clinical trials have shown that it can reduce the incidence of breast cancer in post-menopausal women with increased risk by almost 50 per cent. Health Minister Will Quince expressed his happiness on the approval of the drug that can help to prevent this "cruel disease". He said: "We've already seen the positive effect Anastrozole can have in treating the disease when it has been detected in post-menopausal women and now we can use it to stop it developing at all in some women.

The World Health Organization said on Sunday (May 29) that monkey pox constitutes a "moderate risk" to overall public health at global level after cases were reported in countries where the disease is not typically found. "The public health risk could become high if this virus exploits the opportunity to establish itself as a human pathogen and spreads to groups at higher risk of severe disease such as young children and immunosuppressed persons," WHO said. As of May 26, a total of 257 confirmed cases and 120 suspected cases have been reported from 23 member states that are not endemic for the virus, the health agency said in a statement. There has been no reported fatalities so far. WHO also said that the sudden appearance of monkeypox at once in several non-endemic countries suggests undetected transmission for some time and recent amplifying events. The agency added that it expects more cases to be reported as surveillance in endemic and non-endemic countries expands. Monkeypox is an infectious disease that is usually mild, and is endemic in parts of west and central Africa. It is spread by close contact, so it can be relatively easily contained through measures such as self-isolation and hygiene.

Health secretary Sajid Javid urged people to book a Covid-19 booster shot on Wednesday (December 1) as he said there were 22 confirmed cases of the Omicron virus variant in the country. Javid said the government believed a booster campaign would help protect against severe disease from Omicron, even if it turns out that vaccines are not as effective against the variant as previous strains of the disease. He said he hoped to know more about Omicron within two weeks, as scientists work to understand what impact the new variant will have on transmissibility and serious disease. "At this point in time the case numbers are very low," Javid told Sky News. "For the UK we've got 22 confirmed cases at the moment and that will go up, it will certainly go up." Britain plans to offer all adults a Covid-19 booster shot by the end of January. Government data shows 81 per cent of the population aged over 12 have had two doses of the vaccine while 32 per cent have had a booster shot or third dose.

Community pharmacy could play an important role in proactive detection of heart valve disease (HVD), which remains under-recognised and under-detected in England, suggested a new report published by Wilmington Healthcare. Pharmacy bodies, including Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and Community Pharmacy England (CPE), have also endorsed the report, which encourages Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to consider the innovative approach of detecting HVD with the help of community pharmacists. Despite HVD detection being a priority listed in the NHS Long Term Plan, a large number of people with HVD remained undiagnosed and untreated in the country due to lack of awareness of the disease prevalence. In June 2022, a pilot study was launched in Farnborough Primary Care Network (PCN), Hampshire, to evaluate the feasibility of using e-stethoscopes (digital auscultation) to detect this heart condition by a community pharmacist.

Pfizer on Thursday said a single dose of its new respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine Abrysvo maintained its ability to protect against the illness through a second year of respiratory disease season. The company said in a press release that the vaccine's efficacy against RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease with three or more symptoms was 77.8 per cent through season two, compared with efficacy of 88.9 per cent after the first RSV season, which led to the shot's US approval. The data is from a late-stage trial of more than 37,000 participants being conducted in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Cumulative efficacy over both seasons after around 16.4 months of disease surveillance was 81.5 per cent, Pfizer said. The data is similar to the efficacy of GSK's rival RSV shot Arexvy over two seasons, which was released in June.

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In many rural areas and underserved neighborhoods, a critical issue is quietly emerging. Although often overlooked, its effects are extensive and significant. Countless individuals in these communities do not have sufficient access to dental care, confronting a harsh reality where a minor toothache can develop into a severe problem. This situation impacts more than just oral health; it also affects general well-being, job prospects, and even self-confidence. Recent studies reveal a startling picture of dental health disparities in these areas. Studies show that individuals residing in rural areas face a higher risk of tooth loss due to untreated decay and gum disease when compared to those living in urban areas with better access to dental care. Children miss school and adults miss work due to preventable dental problems. These statistics paint a bleak portrait of a healthcare gap that demands our immediate attention. Good dental health is not a luxury; it's a fundamental component of a healthy life. It contributes to our overall well-being, playing a role in preventing chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. The consequences of neglecting oral health can be devastating, leading to pain, infection, and even systemic health issues.

ou are walking down the lane towards your home and what if you can't remember your own home address. Heard of the instance and you're frightened, just imagine how do people manage who actually suffer from Alzheimer's disease.

ou are walking down the lane towards your home and what if you can't remember your own home address. Heard of the instance and you're frightened, just imagine how do people manage who actually suffer from Alzheimer's disease.

The University of Oxford on Tuesday said there was no evidence that vaccines would not prevent severe disease from Omicron, but that it was ready to rapidly develop an updated version of its vaccine developed with AstraZeneca if necessary. Earlier on Tuesday, the head of drugmaker Moderna said that Covid-19 shots were unlikely to be as effective against the variant, jolting global markets. The University of Oxford said that there was limited data on Omicron so far, and that it would carefully evaluate the impact of the variant on its shot, echoing an AstraZeneca statement last week. "Despite the appearance of new variants over the past year, vaccines have continued to provide very high levels of protection against severe disease and there is no evidence so far that Omicron is any different," it said in a statement.

The new deal struck by the NHS will enable provision of a life-saving treatment for babies and young children who suffer with a rare and fatal genetic disease, metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD). The revolutionary gene therapy treatment, known by its brand name Libmeldy, is used to treat MLD, which causes severe damage to the child's nervous system and organs, leading to a life expectancy of just five to eight years. Having a reported list price of more than £2.8 million, it is the most expensive drug in the world, but can now be offered to young patients on the NHS in England after the health service negotiated a significant confidential discount. the drug works by removing the patient's stem cells and replacing the faulty gene that causes MLD before then re-injecting the treated cells into the patient. The most common form of MLD usually develops in babies younger than 30 months and can cause loss of sight, speech and hearing, as well as difficulty moving, brain impairment, seizures, and eventually death.

Amgen Inc on Monday agreed to buy Horizon Therapeutics Plc in a deal valued at $27.8 billion (£22.67bn), fortifying its rare diseases portfolio in the biggest buyout in the sector this year. The company will pay $116.50 in cash, a premium of nearly 20 per cent to the stock's last close, for each Horizon share. Horizon shares closed up 15 per cent on Monday at $112.36. They had climbed 23.5 per cent through Friday since the company disclosed in late November it was in preliminary talks with Amgen, Sanofi and Johnson & Johnson for potential offers. Amgen shares dipped less than 1 per cent to close at $276.78. Sanofi said Sunday it ended discussions with Horizon after concluding the transaction prices "do not meet our value criteria." J&J also said in early December that it had dropped its pursuit of the deal.

The Health and Social Care Secretary has announced over £175 million funding to boost genomics research in the UK. Through this funding, the government aims to create the most advanced genomic healthcare system in the world. "Patients with cancer and children born with treatable rare genetic diseases are set to benefit from earlier diagnosis and faster access to treatment, following a £175 million boost to cutting-edge genomics research announced by the Health and Social Care Secretary today (Tuesday)," said DHSC. The funding will enable research which could deliver world-leading genomic healthcare to patients, which involves the study of people's DNA. "£105 million to be funded to kickstart a world-leading research study, led by Genomics England in partnership with the NHS, to explore the effectiveness of using whole genome sequencing to find and treat rare genetic diseases in newborn babies," said DHSC. "An initial £26 million to support an innovative cancer programme, led by Genomics England in partnership with the NHS, to evaluate cutting-edge genomic sequencing technology to improve the accuracy and speed of diagnosis for cancer patients and use artificial intelligence to analyse a person's DNA, alongside other information such as routine scans.

NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB)'s decision to withdraw gluten free prescriptions for people with coeliac disease across Leeds and Calderdale has disappointed Coeliac UK. In a statement released on Thursday, the charity, which provides support and advice to those living with the disease, has raised "grave concerns" about the decision, warning that it will have a detrimental impact on the coeliac community. The policy is currently implemented across the ICB's other places including Bradford district and Craven, Kirklees and Wakefield district, preventing coeliac patients from accessing gluten free bread and flour mix on prescription. NHS West Yorkshire ICB wants to align its gluten free prescribing guidelines across its five places. But the charity is worried that the additional cost of gluten free staple products will poses a real challenge to maintaining the gluten-free diet, which is the only treatment for the condition.