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Parents With Autistic First Child Face One In Five Risk Of Sibling Developing Disorder

Parents of a child with autism face a risk of almost one in five that their next child will also develop the disorder, say researchers. The risk is higher than previous estimates – and goes even higher if the second child is a boy. In families where there is more than one older sibling with autism, there is a one in three risk the next child will be affected, according to an international study published online in the journal Pediatrics.

The study of 664 children by researchers in the U.S., Canada and Israel is the largest ever into the risk of recurrence of autism among siblings.

Previous estimates put the risk at between 3 and 10 per cent that an infant with an older sibling with autism would also develop the disorder, which affects the ability to interact socially and communicate.
But the new study found a ‘substantially higher’ risk rate of 18.7 per cent on average.
However, the risk rises to over 26 per cent if the second child is male – because the disorder is mostly found among boys – and over 32 per cent for infants with more than one older sibling with autism.
Sally Ozonoff, professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at the MIND Institute at the University of California-Davis, Sacramento, who led the study, said: ‘This is the largest study of the siblings of children with autism ever conducted.
‘There is no previous study that identified a risk of recurrence that is this high.’
Autism, or autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), including Asperger’s syndrome, is an umbrella term for a range of developmental disorders that have a lifelong effect on someone’s ability to interact socially and communicate.
Around one child in every 100 – 80 per cent are male – has autism and genetic factors play a role in its development.
Researchers in the U.S., Canada and Israel, included 664 infants whose average age was eight months at the start of the study, and who were tested for autism when they reached three years.
A total of 132 infants met the criteria for ASD, with 26 per cent of boys compared with nine per cent of girls diagnosed in the study as a whole.
The overall rate of autism among all study participants was 18.7 per cent.
In families with one older child with autism, or simplex families, the rate of incidence was 20.1 per cent.
In families with more than one sibling with autism, the recurrence rate was 32.2 per cent.
Dr Ozonoff said ‘It’s important to recognise that these are estimates that are averaged across all of the families. So, for some families, the risk will be greater than 18 per cent, and for other families it would be less than 18 per cent.
‘At the present time, unfortunately, we do not know how to estimate an individual family’s actual risk.’

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Hectic Lifestyle A Factor In Diarrhoea

Diarrhoea is unpleasant and uncomfortable, a recent survey shows that up to 10 per cent of the UK population may suffer from frequent diarrhoea.

It’s not just going to occur after food poisoning or travel. There are many factors which can cause an imbalances digestive system, with food and mood being the main triggers.

Research of 1,000 diarrhoea sufferers reveals that many believe the main cause of it to be stress or anxiety.

“Diarrhoea can be very isolating due to the discomfort, fear and embarrassment people feel because of the condition,” says Dr Nick Read, gastroenterologist and psychotherapist from the IBS network.

“Unfortunately, for many people it’s a recurring problem experienced several times a week, which can dominate their lives. Leaving the home is an ordeal which is planned around toilet stops, while the stress and axiety of having an accident further aggravates the condition.”

The research, conducted by the makers of Imodium, found that one in three people admit to having an ‘over-active’ bowel and the effect of this can significantly impact on quality of life, with 65 per cent saying that it stops them from carrying out their normal routine.

Many sufferers are unwilling to talk clearly and openly about their condition, meaning that they can feel alienated from family and friends.

The research also indicates that eating habits are increasing digestive healtyh problems, although 74 per cent of people are aware that eating quickly affects their digestive health, 65 per cent still admit to rushing while eating, showing that they are ignoring advice about the subject.

Dr Read continues: “Many things can ‘tip the balance’ of our sensitive digestive systems, not just infections but the way we ‘feel’. For frequent sufferers, it’s often changes in food and mood that can trigger a bout of diarrhoea, though some women can experience symptoms around their period due to hormonal changes.”

Amanda Hamilton, nutritionist says: “It’s just this kind of bust lifestyle that can lead to frquent bouts of diarrhoea suffered by many. With the hectic lives we lead, meals often become our lowest priority but it’s extremely important to get into good eating habits in order for our body to function properly.

Amanda advises you on the everyday eatin habits that can upset your digestive system.

Eating too quickly – it takes up to 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain that it’s full, so eating more slowly means you’re likely to end up eating less. When you gulp down food, you often end up swallowing air too – this can lead to trapped wind and uncomfortable indigestion.

Eating too many fatty and spicy foods – these can upset the balance of the gut and irritate the intestines. When this happens the body produces more water to dilute the irritants resulting in dirrhoea. Some people are more sensitive than others to rich or spicy foods, so know your limits.

Eating big, heavy meals – these take longer to digest, so your system has to work much harder.

Drinking excess alcohol – after a night of heavy drinking the intestines absorb the toxic alcohol and lose their ability to absorb water. This leads to a release of fluid from the intestinal lining, which can result in an attack of diarrhoea that lasts until the alcohol has left the digestives system.

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Human Race Gained Strong Immune System From Neantherthals

A study has suggested that had it not been for the Neanderthals the human race would not have survived or developed a strong immune system.
Research by immunologist Peter Parham suggests that interbreeding with Neanderthals gave our ancestors a ready-made cocktail of DNA invaluable in fighting diseases common in northern climates.
In some parts of the world, up to 4 percent of people’s DNA comes from the short, stocky cavemen, and now new research reveals how this DNA has benefited us.
Professor Parham, of the respected Stanford University in California, focused on a family of 200-plus genes called human leukocyte antigens that are key to the workings of the immune system.
He showed that some of our HLA genes are identical to those that were found in Neanderthals.
This includes one Neanderthal immune system gene called HLA-C 0702, which is also quite common in modern European and Asian populations but absent in modern Africans.
Experts believe that modern man and Neanderthals shared a common ancestor in Africa.
Around 400,000 years ago, early Neanderthals left Africa and headed for Europe and Asia. However, our ancestors stayed behind and evolved into modern humans.
The professor told a meeting of the Royal Society in London that this interbreeding instilled modern man with a “hybrid vigour” that allowed it to go on and populate the world.
Matt Pope, a University College London expert in Neanderthal evolution told the Sunday Times that modern man benefited from the arrangement. “Rather than having to evolve from scratch as they moved out of Africa and into Europe and Asia, this interaction would have provided a fast-track to adapting to new environments,” the Daily Mail quoted him as saying.
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XMRV Virus Now Thought Not To Be Cause Of CFS

The role of virus — XMRV known for causing chronic fatigue syndrome is under doubt again. According to a new study the syndrome which is also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), has turned out be laboratory malfunction and it says that XMRV does not cause infection in humans. The discovery is major setback for the scientists who said to have found the evidences to link the virus with the disease.

The recent research assessed the purity and ancestry of viral samples isolated from human cells. In their findings, researchers came to conclusion that the human cells in the previous study had been contaminated. Stating this as the reason rigorous detection methods were used during testing. The study was carried out by researchers from University College London, the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge and the University of Oxford. The study was published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Retrovirology.

The 2009 study that first linked XMRV to ME involved examination of blood cells from ME patients, finding that most samples contained DNA from the virus. The new study examined the DNA from different types of mice to check the presence of virus. In the result they found all of them positive. In this study scientists also investigated human cells that were contaminated with XMRV virus. They then investigated the presence of the XMRV virus using complex methods of detection, and also set out to see whether the human cells included viruses that could be mistaken for XMRV.

In the results it was found that DNA in human cells was contaminated with DNA from different viruses, some which came from XMRV and others were mistaken for having XMRV origin. Further analysis suggesting that contamination was a likely reason for detection of this virus in human samples. Finally, the researchers found that the type of XMRV that is derived from human samples is less diverse than that from mouse cells. This is unexpected for a virus thought to cause an infectious disease.
In conclusion researchers said the XMRV found in patients is likely to have come either by mouse DNA or by other cells infected with viruses that originate in mouse DNA. They conclude that XMRV is unlikely to be a human pathogen.

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NHS rolls out bowel cancer screening programme

Bowel cancer is also known as colon, rectal or colorectal cancer. The lining of the bowel is made of cells that are constantly being renewed. Sometimes these cells grow too quickly, forming a clump known as a bowel polyp or an adenoma. Polyps are usually benign. Although they are not bowel cancers they can change into a malignant cancer over a number of years. A malignant cancer is when cancer cells spread beyond the original site and into other parts of the body.

What are the symptoms of bowel cancer?

The most common symptoms of bowel cancer are:

  • a persistent change in bowel habit, especially needing to go to the toilet more often or having diarrhoea for several weeks
  • bleeding from the back passage or blood in the bowel motion
  • severe abdominal pain
  • a lump in the abdomen
  • unexplained tiredness or weight loss

These symptoms do not necessarily indicate bowel cancer, but if one or more persists for four to six weeks then the GP should be consulted.

How many people get bowel cancer? (Incidence)

There were 37,514 new cases of bowel cancer diagnosed in the UK in 2006, 20,430 males and 17,084 females. This represents rates of 56.0 per 100,000 males, 36.4 per 100,000 females and 45.3 per 100,000 overall1

How many people die of bowel cancer? (Mortality)

In 2007, there were 8,474 male deaths from bowel cancer and 7,533 female deaths. These represent a rate of 22.1 per 100,000 (male), 14.1 per 100,000 (female) and 17.7 per 100,000 overall.1

What is the lifetime risk for bowel cancer?

The lifetime risk of developing bowel cancer for men is around one in 18. For women, it is around one in 20.

What are the risk factors?

  • Age: Bowel cancer can occur in younger people but 8 out of 10 people who get cancer of the bowel are over the age of 60.
  • A previous bowel polyp
  • Personal history of chronic bowel inflammation: Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease will slightly increase the risk of developing bowel cancer.
  • Diet: A diet that is high in red meat and fat and low in vegetables, folate and fibre may increase the risk of bowel cancer.
  • Lack of exercise: Moderate exercise may help prevent bowel cancer.
  • Obesity: Being overweight or obese may increase the risk of bowel cancer.
  • Smoking and alcohol: Although not as strong a risk factor as for other cancers, smoking may also increase the risk of bowel cancer, particularly in heavy drinkers. Alcohol consumption may increase risk, especially in those with low levels of folate in their diet.
  • Family history: Fewer than 1 in 10 cases of bowel cancer are due to an inherited gene defect. However, there are certain families who have an increased risk of developing bowel cancer due to a variety of conditions including familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer (HNPCC).
  • Personal history of bowel cancer: Having had bowel cancer before increases the risk of a new cancer developing.