| Overmedicated |  Last week I ran a story about a new analysis of the effectiveness or otherwise of the most commonly used antidepressants - SSRIs. The new analysis suggests that these drugs are little better than placebo - for people who have mild to moderate depression. They are effective against severe depression. The South African Institute of Psychiatrists subsequently lambasted the media for what they called "sloppy" reporting, saying that there was not enough emphasis on the fact that these drugs DO help in severe depression. As far as I could see, this was mentioned in every media report that I read about the new analysis, but the emphasis was, and I believe correctly, on the lack of effect in mild to moderate depression.
To me this begs the question, "why are people being given drugs at all for mild to moderate depression?" Depression is a common illness - and for those who suffer the severe version - debilitating and potentially life-threatening. For the rest of us it is generally mild, related to life events and self limiting - which means that it gets better on its own. There are also good non-drug methods of coping with depression, such as regular exercise, talking about your problems and being helped to cope with the events that precipitated the episode in the first place.
While I have some sympathy with the psychiatrists who are now worried that patients with severe depression will feel that their medication is no good, I can't help feeling that they should perhaps put some effort into persuading busy GPs that a pill is not always the answer to every mental health ill.
Bridget Farham Editor
https://www.bizcommunity.com
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MedicalOutrage in the UK over Down Syndrome child's cosmetic surgeryThe case of a Down syndrome girl subjected by her parents to cosmetic surgery to improve her appearance, has generated great controversy in the UK. Guidelines for weight gain during pregnancy should be revisedCurrent recommendations for weight gain during pregnancy - developed by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 1990 - should be revised, according to an internationally recognized obesity expert and chairman of obstetrics, gynaecology and women's health at Saint Louis University. Put a rainbow on your plate - CANSAEnjoy the rainbow of South African fresh fruits and vegetables daily in order to help prevent cancer. This is the message from the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) for nutrition awareness in March. Advertisement:
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Corporate Social ResponsibilityCanderel supports Pink Link Breast Cancer Advocacy [ActivRetail] Canderel® has announced its patronage of the PinkLink Breast Cancer Advocacy, which was formed to give patients and those affected by breast cancer a voice. PinkLink takes an innovative approach to breast cancer, using advocacy to inform, educate and advise women of their rights.
Dental diseaseDiabetes and dental dangersPeople who live with diabetes on a daily basis are usually told to eat properly, maintain regular physical activity, and if necessary, take medication.
HIV/AIDSUganda: ARVs bring sex back into marriagesFatuma and Hamidu Kamugisha met 12 years ago as hotel employees in Tanzania's Victoria Lake-side town of Mwanza and sparks flew. The couple hooked up, married and then returned to Hamidu's native Uganda where they had four children. A day in the life of a condom tester Before you wrap it up, meet the people who check it out. IRIN/PlusNews went inside the condom testing facilities of the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) to see what it takes to ensure condoms really are the frontline of HIV/AIDS prevention. Chad: Refugees waiting for HIV servicesMost of the roughly 50,000 people in the Amboko and Dosseye refugee camps near Goré, in the tropical forest of southern Chad, have fled across the border from neighbouring Central African Republic (CAR), but efforts to prevent and treat HIV among the camp residents are still in their infancy.
Hospital GroupsGolf day with a heart - The Heart and Stroke Foundation SAThe Heart and Stroke Foundation SA will be holding a golf day at the Somerset West Golf Course on Friday, 28 March. The competition is a 4-Ball Betterball Stableford and entry fees include green fees, dinner and great prizes. Tea... brewing up a cup of health? - The Heart and Stroke Foundation SA[Erika Ketterer] People have been drinking brewed tea for thousands of years. Although numerous health benefits have been attributed to tea, scientific research investigating its benefits has only been underway over the past few decades. So what are the facts? Much ado about nutty - The Heart and Stroke Foundation SA[Melissa Zwart] A high blood cholesterol level has long been known to contribute to cardiac risk; however, the proportions of the types of cholesterol that make up the total cholesterol are of more importance than total cholesterol alone.
Infectious diseasesUGANDA: Eliminating meningitis saves 5,000 children a year, say officialsA new vaccine has halted the progress of a deadly strain of meningitis in Uganda. Egypt: New human bird flu case raises fears An eight-year-old boy from Fayyum province was diagnosed with avian influenza on 8 March, bringing to four the number of human cases in the past two weeks and raising fresh fears of a pandemic.
Medical ResearchResearch could put penicillin back in battle against antibiotic-resistant bugs Research led by the University of Warwick has uncovered exactly how the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae has become resistant to the antibiotic penicillin. Sex, for a slimmer you…A specialist in men's health suggests that warning overweight men about the consequences of fat on their sex lives may help them shed their kilos where other strategies have failed.
Medical TechnologyDoctor + iPhone = better healthcareThe next time you go to your physician's office, check to see if your doctor is using an iPhone, along with a stethoscope and blood pressure cuff, to evaluate your health. New smarter technology for identifying human remainsA researcher from the Physical Anthropological Laboratory of the University of Granada has developed the most complete database today to identify human remains and bodies in advanced states of decomposition using 3D computerised techniques for facial reconstruction.
Mental healthSouth African psychiatrists react to reporting on anti-depressant medication - The Write AgencyRecent global reports about the apparent ineffectiveness of antidepressants have SA psychiatrists up in arms
Obstetrics and GynaecologyAccupuncture improves fertility rates in in vitro fertilisationAdjuvent accupuncture may help women to conceive. Liberia: Maternal health worsened since war endedNew statistics showing an increase in maternal mortality since the end of Liberia's civil war in 2003 have created alarm among health workers who say the country's almost non-existent healthcare system is to blame.
OncologyCancer-causing chemical found in some organic products[Los Angeles Times] Many well-known "natural" and "organic" products--including items in the Kiss My Face, Alba, Seventh Generation and Nature's Gate lines--contain a cancer-causing chemical that is a byproduct of petrochemicals used in manufacturing, according to test results released by the Organic Consumers Assn. Can the degree of tumour angiogenesis can assessed in vivo?Differentiation of angiogenic burden in human cancer xenografts using a perfusion type optical contrast agent (SIDAG). Cell receptor on track for painless bladder cancer testDetecting, monitoring bladder cancer at all stages steps away from home, doctor's office.
PaediatricsLactogen infant formula recalledNestle has recalled a batch of Lactogen infant formula that may contain higher amounts of iron, zinc and copper than declared on the label, the company said yesterday, Tuesday, 11 March 2008.
Public healthSIERRA LEONE: “If you are really sick you either die or go to Freetown”The daily challenge of healthcare in Sierra Leone Cigarettes: the plain truthCigarettes should be sold in plain, dull cardboard packs, with nothing but the health warning and the brand name allowed, researchers at the University of Sydney School of Public Health have argued in a major review published in the international research journal, Addiction. Swaziland: Enough is enough, say nursesTired of being taken for granted, Swaziland's nurses have opted for industrial action after the government ignored a deadline to improve conditions of service. Cash transfers and child healthCash can improve health outcomes in children. Nanoparticles… not good for your brainDutch researchers say exhaust fumes may give you more than a headache; they could in fact alter the way the brain functions. Companies unite to bring clean water to AfricaEthos Water and H20 Africa join forces to help alleviate the world water crisis; expanded distribution of Ethos™ water through Pepsi-Cola Bottling System boosts awareness and funding for the cause.
TuberculosisNovel, needle-free TB treatmentA novel aerosol version of the most common tuberculosis (TB) vaccine, administered directly to the lungs as an oral mist, offers significantly better protection against the disease in experiments on animals than a comparable dose of the traditional injected vaccine, researchers report this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. | | |
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