I do like it when 2 apparently unrelated facts are linked by a new theory. This paper has proposed an interesting link. Sudden infant death syndrome they say is due to 3 factors coming together, a serotonin deficiency, being aged under 1 year old and lying on the stomach which result in a lack of oxygen and death. The advice to lie babies on their backs has therefore saved a lot of children from SIDS. They then asked the question “what has happened top all these babies that have survived?” The answer they suggest can be seen in the rising numbers of autistic children, as this is thought to have a link with low serotonin levels. Neat.

One of the most exciting developments in pathology is its potential to warn of diseases, often years in advance. For example high cholesterol levels are a predictor of heart disease, but we are now seeing tests such as BNP and Troponin I being used to accurately predict heart disease. A new paper here adds another test to the list, cytokines, which seem to be able to diagnose Rheumatoid Arthritis years before the symptoms develop. This early diagnosis could improve the outcomes for many sufferers.

It looks as though HPV screening could replace the PAP smear for cervical cancer screeing. The BBC have a report here that says testing for HPV may pick up those at risk of cervical cancer a lot earlier than the traditional PAP smear. This would seem to make sense as detecting the cause of a disease should be better than detecting the disease itself. The only worry seems to be a risk of treating women that would normally resolve the infection naturally.

Researchers have found that while smoking is a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes, quitting increases the risk further. Their paper suggests that those quitting need to be considered at higher risk for 3 years.

This paper has found that when abnormal cells are found on a PAP smear and the patient is HPV negative that almost all cases will have a clear PAP smear 2 years later. This seems to be another good reason to have the combined PAP and HPV screen.

Fight! Vs

Until now diabetics have had no clear guidance on whether to loose weight using a low carbohydrate or a low fat diet. A recent review of the literature here has concluded that there is not much difference in weight loss achieved with either diet, however, low carbohydrate wins by a nose as it results in slightly higher levels of HDL (Good cholesterol).

This paper suggests that Glandular fever can lead to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome that can last at least 2 years after the initial infection in adolescents. Girls seem to be particularly at risk.

Some propeller heads have published the results of their discussions here on bleeding disorders associated with heavy periods and post natal bleeding. They think that a lot of patients can put their blood loss down to an underlying bleeding disorder, such as vonWillebrands disease, that has gone undetected. They have produced a handy guide on how to spot sufferers. I have always thought that minor bleeding disorders are far more common than most doctors think and a lot of problems could be avoided with a few simple tests.

The HPA has reported the latest findings of the vCJD tonsil screening programme here. They have tested 63,000 tonsils and have found no evidence of vCJD. If their estimates, made at the beginning of the survey, were correct then they should have found about 30 positives by now. Lets hope that they don’t find any by the time the survey reaches its target of 100,000 samples.

More interesting work has been published on Vitamin D here. Vitamin D seems to play an important role in brain function as it is low in those who perform badly in mental tests. As Vitamin D is found in fish it would appear that your grandmother was right when she said fish was good for the brain. If fish is a problem for you sun light is another good source of vitamin D.