Mesh implants used to repair pelvic organ prolapse have been reclassified as 'high risk' by the American FDA.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has strengthened rules regarding
the use of vaginal mesh implants to treat pelvic organ prolapse in
women. Problems are common
The devices were reclassified on Monday from a "moderate" to "high" risk category.
Manufacturers
must now submit pre-market approval applications to the FDA to help the
agency better assess the implants' safety and effectiveness.
Pelvic organ prolapse involves a weakening or stretching of internal
structures that support organs such as the bladder, bowel and uterus.
It can happen in women after childbirth, a hysterectomy or menopause. It
can cause pelvic pain, constipation and urinary leakage, and often
affects sexual activity.
Surgeons have long used the mesh implants to reinforce weakened pelvic floor muscles and repair pelvic organ prolapse.
But, problems afterwards such as pain, infection, bleeding, urinary
problems and pain during intercourse are common, the agency said.
"These
stronger clinical requirements will help to address the significant
risks associated with surgical mesh for repair of pelvic organ
prolapse," Dr William Maisel, deputy director of science and chief
scientist at the FDA Centre for Devices and Radiological Health, said in
an agency news release.
"We intend to continue monitoring how
women with this device are faring months and years after surgery through
continued post-market surveillance measures," he added.
The updated requirements apply to surgical placement of the mesh
implants through the vagina (transvaginal) to treat pelvic organ
prolapse.
The new rules do not apply to other uses of surgical mesh.
Makers
of transvaginal mesh implants already on the market now have 30 months
to submit pre-market approval applications, while makers of new devices
must submit an application before they can be approved for sale in the
United States, the FDA said.
Surgeons at a hospital in Taraz, southern
Kazakhstan were stunned after removing a hairball from an unnamed
11-year-old girl’s stomach during a surgical operation.
According to Daily Star, the youngster was taken to the hospital
after suffering from a severe stomach ache and loss of appetite and
could not as much as take in a glass of water.
One of the surgeons holding out the hairball after removing it from the unnamed 11-year-old girl’s stomach. Photo: Daily Star
The doctors could not ascertain the reason for the girl’s discomfort
until they carried out the surgical operation and made the bizarre
discovery from her stomach.
The huge ball of hair measured about 17cm across the stomach and
around 35cm into the girl’s bowel and the parents confessed to have
spotted their daughter chewing her long hair, but were unaware she was
swallowing it.
The hairball after being removed from the girl’s stomach. Photo: Daily Star
Medically, the condition is known as Rapunzel syndrome while the
Scientists, who called the hairball a ‘trichobezoar’ expressed
confidence that their patient would eat and drink again.
Baby Noubia, Guinea's last Ebola patient, was released from hospital in November
Guinea has been declared free of Ebola by the World Health Organization (WHO), two years after the epidemic began there.
Guineans are expected to celebrate the landmark with concerts and fireworks.
The disease killed more than 2,500 people in the country and a further 9,000 in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Sierra Leone was declared free of Ebola in November, but new cases have emerged in Liberia, which had been declared Ebola-free in September.
A
country is considered free of human-to-human transmission once two
21-day incubation periods have passed since the last known case tested
negative for a second time.
"It's the best year-end present that
God could give to Guinea, and the best news that Guineans could hope
for," Ebola survivor Alama Kambou Dore told AFP news agency.
Local
health workers echoed a warning from medical charity Medecins Sans
Frontieres that vigilance was still vital despite the mood of
celebration.
"We have to be very careful, because even if open
transmission has been stopped, the disease has not been totally
defeated," said Alpha Seny Souhmah, a Guinean health worker and Ebola
survivor.
According to the UN, 6,220 Guinean children have lost one or both parents to Ebola.
Analysis: Tulip Mazumder, Health correspondent,
This
is another major milestone in the bumpy road to the end of the worst
Ebola outbreak in history. It all started in Guinea when the virus
emerged, probably from fruit bats, in a rural community deep in the forest.
Guinea
saw far fewer cases than neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Leone, yet the
virus has been circulating there for longer than anywhere else.
I
remember travelling through Guinea at the height of the outbreak, and
there was still a lot of denial about Ebola; people told me it was a
made-up disease. Suspicion is still rife in some communities, and many
simply do not trust their government.
Ebola has made a comeback
in Liberia after the country twice declared the end of the epidemic, and
there is every possibility it could return to Guinea. It will be up to
communities to keep the killer virus at bay, by reporting suspicious
deaths and encouraging loved ones to seek treatment if they show
symptoms of Ebola.
But medical facilities also need to respond
quickly, which will happen for the extra 90-day "heightened
surveillance" period. A key question is what will happen after that,
particularly for the thousands of Ebola survivors who are still facing
health problems.
More than 100 health workers also lost their lives in the fight against
the disease.Many survivors still live in fear of the stigma and
long-term side effects associated with the virus.
The
government in Guinea has blamed the virus for poor economic performance
and says it has also caused people to distrust the country's health
services.
President Alpha Conde has doubled the health budget since winning re-election in October.
A prostate cancer cell - 2,500 patients are diagnosed each year in Wales.
A cancer expert has spoken of the role Welsh patients have played in a major study into prostate cancer treatment.
The
life of patients with prostate cancer could be prolonged by up to two
years by combining hormone therapy with a drug, researchers believe.
The Wales Cancer Research Centre was involved in a trial of 1,776 men.
The results were revealed earlier this year but have now been published in The Lancet.
It claimed patients who took a chemotherapy drug alongside hormone therapy lived, on average, 10 months longer.
Study vice chairman Prof Malcolm Mason said he was "thrilled to see such positive results".
The
international research study is called Stampede - or Systemic Therapy
in Advancing or Metastatic Prostate cancer: Evaluation of Drug Efficacy.
Nearly 20,000 people have prostate cancer in Wales and more patients took part in the research from Wales than any other area.
Hormone therapy is used to stop a tumour
growing but in most cases, over time, it starts to grow again.
The trial has looked at using other treatments in combination with it.
The drug Docetaxel was used alongside hormone or radio therapy in 1,184 of the trial patients.
'Big success'
It was compared with the results of 592 men who received the standard therapy.
The drug is commonly used and is inexpensive, although it has temporary chemotherapy side-effects.
It is usually prescribed when therapy has failed.
Prof Mason is one of the original designers of the study
Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff has been one of the main participants in the research.
Prof
Mason of the Wales Cancer Research Centre said: "In Wales, we put more
patients into this trial than any other region, so this is really a big
success for NHS Wales.
"Based on the results, we would recommend
that Docetaxel should be incorporated into the standard of care for men
with metastatic prostate cancer who are starting long-term hormone
therapy for the first time and are fit enough to receive chemotherapy."
The trial has been financed by Cancer Research UK and five pharmaceutical companies.
Naomi Campbell is suffering from a damaged hip as a result of “wear and tear” that made her joint buckle.
Naomi Campbell at the Milan's amfAR gala fashion week
(Dailymail)
45 year old super model Naomi Campbell might undergo hip replacement surgery according to reports.
Naomi Campbell is suffering from a damaged hip as a result of “wear and tear”
that made her joint buckle. Doctors have advised her to lighten up her
busy schedule as surgery on her damaged joint is more than a
possibility.
Naomi Campbell at the Milan's amfAR gala fashion week
(Dailymail)
The famous model was at the premiere of the movie ‘The Danish Girl’ by Eddie Redmayne and had to use a walking aide.
''Naomi
had to hobble in through the back door to avoid being pictured. She was
openly telling other guests she may need a hip replacement. She said
her injury was down to wear and tear” said a source to The Sun newspaper.
''She even skipped the after-party because it looked like she was in a lot of pain'' the source further said.
Naomi Campbell nudes
(sexpornimages)
In recent months Naomi Campbell has been spotted on wheelchair. Last week she had to be assisted out of Madonna’s house.
According to an insider, ''It's
become well known in the industry that she's been suffering. There have
been a lot of whispers about what's wrong with her, given that she has
even needed a wheelchair at certain points.''
Naomi Campbell for La Perla's Made to Measure Atelier campaign
(La Perla/ Mert & Marcus )
A close friend has
however said that Naomi Campbell’s injury is nothing serious and but
because of frequent travelling and busy schedule. The close friend added
that Naomi Campbell will be back to full health once she rests.
Embattled former oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke in another
edition of The Boss Newspaper revealed that what matters most to her now
is how to take care of her poor health.
According to her,she is in pains, has received several doses of
chemotherapy and about receiving radiotherapy for her cancer treatment.
She believes doctors can not do beyond that.
The World Health Organization has confirmed that a new case of the deadly Ebola virus has surfaced in Liberia.
"There is one confirmed case," WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told AFP, without providing further details.
Liberia was declared free in September.
Julius Agwu has donated $35,000 to ailing singer Alariwo.
Alariwo
of Africa recently confirmed rumours of his ill health when he granted
an interview to Punch revealing that he has been diagnosed with a
disease known as Varicocele, an enlargement of veins inside the scrotum.
To
undergo a surgery to take care of the ailment, the Crossover singer
needs $130,000 for surgery abroad, an amount he’s been trying to raise.
Alariwo of Africa
Part of that money
has been paid, courtesy of a donation from Nigerian comedian, Julius
Agwu who recently survived a brain surgery in America.
“Julius
is the only entertainer that has volunteered to donate the sum of
$35,000 to my cause. I was shocked when he called to say he would give
me the money. Now what I should be looking for is the balance. I want to
thank him for this wonderful gesture” Alariwo said.
Alariwo (Press)
He continued “A lot of people were kind enough to provide support during the crisis. I am talking about people like Ayo Animashaun, Otunba Sesan Rufai and many others.”
Alariwo
however still needs to raise some funds for his planned medical trip
abroad to complete the total of $130,000 for his own treatment and also
balance up what is left of his wife’s bills, who has also been ill with acute pulmonary embolism.
I
heard the word ‘parody’ for the first time when I wrote a highly
opinionated article for a top personal development blog in the U.S
earlier this year. Just like I expected, some of the blog readers felt
threatened and they asked for my head. Others thought the article was a
parody so they kept their cool.
That
article wasn’t a parody, but this one is. So please don’t crucify me in
the comment section. Rather, relax and enjoy my first real attempt at
parody.
Actually a lot of articles have been written of, by, and for single
women in the past. I recently read an article by Yetunde Olasiyan
on three things single women do not deserve, and I commend her. But
then, why settle for three when you can have seven? That’s why I decided
to add my voice to the already saturated topic and increase mine to seven.
Below is my tongue-in-cheek list of seven things every not-yet married woman does not deserve.
A flourishing career
Please, please and please, you do not have any business looking for a
job, let alone keeping one. Your major reason for existence is to get
married and bear someone’s children. This purpose should not be
jeopardized for any reason.
Fine, we
can tolerate you having and keeping a job, but please, why on earth
should you aim for a promotion? Why should you even desire a raise? This
is the main reason you are no longer focused on your single major
purpose: getting married.
Resign if
you have to. Reject that promotion too. You do not deserve to have a
flourishing career, period. Wanna know why? Of course it is because you
are not yet married, durrh.
Happiness in any form
What the heck are you smiling at? What on earth is the reason behind
those 32 set of white teeth I see you flashing around? Listen up babe;
you do not deserve to be happy if you have not yet said ‘I do’. You should be sad, perpetually crying, and mourning your miserable not-yet-married state.
Save all that smile, laughter and joy for the day you finally get married. Until then, you shouldn’t be happy, period.
A car
Are you fu**ing kidding me? Who on earth told you to buy a car? Listen
up babe; I’m here to tell you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing
but the truth. Sell that car or give it out immediately. You are single
goddamnit! It doesn’t matter where you are working (why on earth are you
even working? Please read the first point again), it doesn’t matter how
much you earn too.
You don’t deserve
to even learn how to drive a car till you get married. And the same
goes for any other ‘luxury’ like flying or travelling abroad.
Investments, especially landed properties.
Did I just hear you say you want to buy a property? Jeez! What is wrong
with you! Are you married? No! Then No, you shouldn’t make that
investment!
I don’t even know how you
managed to have all that money in the first place. Or did you not read
the first point about you not having a flourishing career? Fine let’s
assume you have already broken that all important rule, but please don’t
make things worse by investing that money.
What
you should do is keep it in an account and finally wait for the lucky
dude that will come and rescue you from your not-yet married state. For
marrying and rescuing you, he deserves to be rewarded with all your
savings.
A second degree or any form of advanced learning.
Wait a minute sister; have you completely lost your mind? Did you just
say you want to get a second degree and do a professional course? Oh,
you even want to do it abroad?
Are you crazy? Is it not bad enough that you even got a first degree without getting married?
The
problem is that you have not yet understood that getting married is the
sole reason for your existence. If you did, you would not consider any
form of higher learning until it happens.
Your own apartment
Oh my God! Someone should wake me up from this nightmare. You wanna
rent your own apartment when you haven’t gotten married? Wait, you even
want to buy the house? My dear, e be like say dem dey follow you from village o!
If
your parents don’t live in the same town with you, squat with a
relative. I don’t care if it takes you three hours to get to work, bear
it gallantly like an honourable single woman that understands her
purpose.
Any form of luxury or celebration. You just celebrated your birthday last week, and you had fun, abi?
You then went further to buy a plasma TV and an accompanying home
theater set. As if those are not enough, you are even using a tablet and
an expensive phone.
Listen up dear;
if John Lewis or Mark Spencer is not your husband’s name, you shouldn’t
be wearing his shoe or using his handbag. You should be managing life
until your ‘knight in starched agbada’ comes to rescue you.
Lastly, are there other things you think I left out? Let’s discuss in the comment section.
In case you missed the introduction, this is a parody. It’s a tongue-in-cheek article with an exaggerated form of sarcasm.
My
conclusion: I believe and preach that life is meant to be lived and not
existed in. That means that nothing should stop you from living your
best life at any point in time. Waiting for a perfect time, condition or person before you give your best shot at life is an anomalous anathema. Don’t fall for that trap. Live your best life now!
Khloe Kardashian has hit back at
estranged husband Lamar Odom in an explicit Twitter rant after fans
accused of her not ‘honouring’ her weddings vows.
The
Keeping Up With The Kardashians star slammed critics, who claim she
should choose between her current boyfriend James Harden and her
estranged spouse.
The
31-year-old recently called off her divorce from Lamar as he returns
to health following his recent four-day drink and drug binge.
Scroll down for video
'He went against ALL our wedding
vows': Khloe Kardashian slammed critics, who claim she should choose
between her current boyfriend James Harden and her estranged husband
Lamar Odom
‘You
can't be with Harden and still be married fam, gotta choose one,’ one
fan wrote, to which another replied, ‘For better or worse, sickness and
health, till death do them part. I'm with you, she needs to pick one of
the other.’
Not
taking the comments lightly, Khloe quickly fumed: ‘You should have said
those to the man who went against all our vows. Judge yourself. F**k
off.’
In another tweet, the reality TV star confirmed that the divorce is still going ahead.
+7
Former beau: The 31-year-old Khloe
recently called off her divorce from Lamar (pictured) as he returns to
health following his recent four-day drink and drug binge
Fuming: The TV star hit back at her
estranged husband in an explicit Twitter rant after fans accused of her
not ‘honouring’ her weddings vows
‘Divorce
is still going forward. Doesn't mean I won't be there through sickness
and health. I've proven that.’ she retorted. ‘Stop believing everything
you read. Not my place to clear up every rumor. I think I know what I'm
doing in my life. (sic).’
Meanwhile,
has Khloe been forced to cancel some of her book tour after she
reportedly contracted a serious staph infection whilst visiting Lamar at
Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles
She told later her followers: ‘Signing off.... Antibiotics +painkillers + tweeting does not equal anything good lol.’
TMZ reports that Khloe has a painful lesion on her leg and has a high fever, swollen glands and is sweating a lot, too.
+7
Oh dear: Khloe (pictured last week) was forced to cancel a few public appearances after reportedly contracting a staph infection
A note to fans: The star took to
Twitter on Wednesday to reveal she was unwell. At that time, she thought
her symptoms were stress related
A source told the site: 'It's so scary. She's so sick.'
Khloe
took to Twitter on Wednesday to tell fans she was cancelling two public
appearances to promote her book Strong Looks Better Naked.
At
the time, the star thought stress was to blame, writing: 'Dolls! So
sorry I needed 2 re schedule my book signing. I'm sick & dr's orders
are that I need to lay low until we narrow down what's wrong.
'I'll
be going for more testing today. I'm very sorry again. Stress can run
our bodies down so please everyone take care of yourselves.'
However the star's representative later
confirmed her illness, telling Gossip Cop: 'She is getting treatment and
will be OK,' adding she 'just needs to rest and get it treated.'
Busy schedule: Khloe has been doing
almost daily in-store appearances to promote Storng Looks Better Naked
as well as lots of press. The star is seen here last week at an
appearance in San Diego
+7
Making waves: The star's book is now a
New York Times Best Seller and details her path to fitness and her
recovery from her marriage collapse
The reality star is hoping to reschedule her appearances.
Staph
infections are caused by a bacteria that typically lives on the nose or
skin but can turn deadly if it enters deeper into the body and infects
the bloodstream, joints, bones, lungs or heart.
Symptoms
can vary from painful skin rashes and boils to dangerous heart
infections. Food poisoning, blood poisoning and toxic shock syndrome are
some of the most common types of staph infections, which are typically
treated with antibiotics.
Khloe was meant to be in Houston, Texas, on Friday for a book signing.
The
reality star has been doing almost daily in-store appearances to
promote her now New York Times Best Seller as well as lots of press.
The KUWTK babe has been by Odom's bedside almost every day since he collapsed and slipped into a subsequent coma last month.
He
was rushed to Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas for initial treatment and
was later transferred to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles for
ongoing care.
While
no longer in a coma, the former basketball player has sustained a brain
injury due to strokes he had after being found unresponsive at a Nevada
brothel on October 13 and has a long way to go to return to health.
Khloe
has spoken about her personal internal struggle about promoting her
book while her husband is seriously ill. The couple were divorcing but
that has been put on hold.
She told the Associated Press
recently: 'It is very weird to be selling something or telling
everybody ''go buy my book'' when there's very serious things happening
in my life.
'Real
life happens and nothing is going to stop. Your work can't just stop.
So we have to learn to juggle it all and still make time for yourself.'
Complicating matters further, the book speaks about how she moved forward from her marriage collapse.
'Everything in the book I am living day by day right now.'
Things
with Lamar are also a day-by-day situation, with Khloe revealing he is
struggling cognitively, having to learn to walk, talk and eat again.
The basketball legend is also said to be having memory problems.
She
added: 'Every day like I say ''I'm doing press for the book.'' And
he'll just look like, ''What? What are you talking about?'' And I'll
remind him again. So it's constantly reminding him, but that's what we
do every day until he gets better.
'And you know the brain is magical. It's gonna heal in time.'
Khloe Kardashian has a staph infection but “will be OK,” Gossip Cop has learned. The “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” star contracted the infection while visiting Lamar Odom
at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he’s been
hospitalized since not too long after suffering a number of strokes
following being found unconscious in a Nevada brothel.
Kardashian has had to cancel part of her book tour for “Strong Looks
Better Naked” as a result of the staph infection. Earlier on Wednesday,
she tweeted, “Dolls! So sorry I needed 2 re schedule my book signing.
I’m sick &dr’s orders are that I need to lay low until we narrow
down what’s wrong.” That was followed up with another tweet that read,
“Ill be going for more testing today. I’m very sorry again. Stress can
run our bodies down so please everyone take care of yourselves.”
But it’s more than stress. It’s actually a painful bacterial infection on her leg that resulted in Kardashian’s fever spiking. Gossip Cop hears Kardashian is pretty sick with swollen glands, but she’s been put on antibiotics. A rep for Kardashain tells Gossip Cop, “She is getting treatment and will be OK,” noting the reality star now “just needs to rest and get it treated.”
It’s that time of the week again where we look at pictures from a different era of a celebrity’s life.
Remember when Uti Nwachukwu had an afro? Well that was almost six years ago.
Today, Thursday, November 19 on Instagram, the actor posted an image of him rocking a fro with the caption:
“New Look Thursday or #TBT”.
Uti on an afro
(Instagram/siruti)
Since November 2009, Nwachukwu has been sporting dreadlocks. But from recent indications, it appears that the TV personality may be returning to his old looks.
Earlier today he also posted an image of chopped dread locks with a caption suggesting he wanted to donate his hair to charity.
Uti's chopped dread locks
(Instagram/siruti)
Nwachukwu gained
public recognition following his appearance on Big Brother Africa in
2008. Two years later, he went on to with the fifth edition of the
reality show. Since then he has starred in several reality TV shows and
is the host of Africa Magic’s “Jara”.
The folds of the human brain are broadly consistent but do vary between individuals
A study of 153
brain scans has linked a particular furrow, near the front of each
hemisphere, to hallucinations in schizophrenia.
This fold tends to be shorter in those patients who hallucinate, compared with those who do not.
It is an area of the brain that appears to have a role in distinguishing real perceptions from imagined ones.
Researchers say the findings, published in Nature Communications, might eventually help with early diagnosis.
The
brain wrinkle, called the paracingulate sulcus or PCS, varies
considerably in shape between individuals. It is one of the final folds
to develop, appearing in the brain only just before birth.
"The
brain develops throughout life, but aspects such as whether the PCS is
going to be a particularly prominent fold - or not -may be apparent in
the brain at an early stage," said Jon Simons, a neuroscientist at the
University of Cambridge, UK.
"It might be that a reduction in
this brain fold gives somebody a predisposition towards developing
something like hallucinations later on in life."
If further work
shows that the difference can be detected before the onset of symptoms,
for example, Dr Simons said it might be possible to offer extra support
to people who face that elevated risk.
But
he stressed that schizophrenia is a complicated phenomenon.
Hallucinations are one of the main symptoms, but some patients are
diagnosed on the basis of other irregular thought processes.
The
PCS is a furrow tucked inside the front of the brain, in the region
highlighted in yellow. This illustration shows the inward-facing surface
of the right hemisphere
"We've known for some time that disorders like
schizophrenia are not down to a single region of the brain. Changes are
seen throughout various different areas.
"To be able to pin such a key symptom to a relatively specific part of the brain is quite unusual."
Monitoring reality
Dr Simons and his colleagues used data from the Australian Schizophrenia Research Bank,
including structural MRI scans revealing the detailed physical
dimensions of 153 individual brains: 113 people with schizophrenia and
40 healthy controls.
Because this database includes other important
information about the subjects, the team was able to choose its samples
very carefully.
The schizophrenia patients, for example, were
split into those with a history of hallucinations (79 people) and those
without (34) - but the two groups were closely matched in other ways.
"We're
selecting patients to put into each group such that those two groups
are... as directly comparable as possible," Dr Simons told the BBC.
Factors such as the individuals' age, sex, medication and even whether
they were left- or right-handed were all taken into account.
"So
as close as we can get it, the only difference between those two groups
is that one group experiences hallucinations and the other one doesn't."
In the brain scans, the team looked for differences in the PCS because
they knew from a previous study that the length of this fold showed a
correlation with people's "reality monitoring" ability.
And
sure enough, this was reflected in the patients suffering
hallucinations: on average, they had a PCS that was about 2cm shorter
than the patients without hallucinations, and 3cm shorter than the
healthy controls.
Turning this measurement around, the team
calculated that a 1cm decrease in the length of the furrow corresponded
to a 20% increase in the risk of experiencing hallucinations.
As with other brain folds, the PCS (shown in red) can vary considerably in different people
The study's first author, Jane Garrison, said that
although other factors were certainly at play when a brain generates
hallucinations, this was an important observation.
"We think that
the PCS is involved in brain networks that help us recognise information
that has been generated ourselves," she explained. "People with a
shorter PCS seem less able to distinguish the origin of such
information, and appear more likely to experience it as having been
generated externally.
"Hallucinations are very complex phenomena
that are a hallmark of mental illness and, in different forms, are also
quite common across the general population.
"There is likely to
be more than one explanation for why they arise, but this finding seems
to help explain why some people experience things that are not actually
real."
Stephen Lawrie, a professor of psychiatry at the University
of Edinburgh, was not involved with the research but has studied brain
structure in relation to schizophrenia and hallucinations.
He
said the new findings were thoroughly researched and quite surprising -
partly because, although schizophrenia is known to affect frontal parts
of the brain like the PCS, hallucinations in particular are often
associated with other areas that control perception and language.
"There's
quite a strong literature showing that auditory hallucinations are
related to dysfunction or structural disruption in language areas of the
brain," Prof Lawrie told BBC News.
"I think the value of this is
that it probably helps us think slightly more broadly about
hallucinations in schizophrenia, in terms of it not just being about
language areas of the brain - but involving a more distributed network
of regions, and implicating, in particular, cognitive control or
higher-order cognitive functioning."
He attributed the disease to genetics, diet and obesity, saying high
levels of estrogen and ethnic background were other factors that could
also contribute to gallstones development.
Obesity major cause of gall bladder stones
(Jpost)
Dr Okezie Emenike, a medical doctor with a private hospital in Asokoro, Abuja, said obesity was the highest risk factor to the development of gall bladder stones.
Emenike said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.
He
explained that gallstones were pieces of solid particles that form in
the gallbladder, noting that the stones develop because of cholesterol
and pigments in the bile which formed hard particles.
According to him, most people have gallstones without knowing and that it is common among women and older persons.
He
attributed the disease to genetics, diet and obesity, saying high
levels of estrogen and ethnic background were other factors that could
also contribute to gallstones development.
The doctor said some medications such as cholesterol-lowering drugs could also predispose an individual to gallstones.
He
also said that diabetes, eating diet high in fiber, as well as rapid
weight lose posed risk to developing gall bladder stones.
He added that "liver cirrhosis is another risk factor, as well as being between the age of 60 years and above.
"Being
a female and pregnant are other causes of developing gallstones too, as
well as taking medications with high estrogen content.’’
The
medic then urged persons susceptible to gallstones to make lifestyle
changes such as eating healthy balanced diet and drinking lots of water
to keep the body hydrated.
Emenike also urged
individuals who wanted to lose weight to do so gradually, stressing that
it was a measure to prevent gallstones.
He,
however, suggested surgery to treat gall bladder stones and also
recommended the use of drugs to dissolve gallstones caused by
cholesterol.
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Media captionCharlie Sheen on NBC Today: "I'm here to admit that I'm HIV positive"
Hollywood star Charlie Sheen has confirmed he is living with HIV in a US television interview.
"I am here to admit that I am HIV positive," he said.
The former star of sitcom Two And A Half Men appeared on NBC's Today show, ending days of intense media speculation.
Sheen
revealed to Matt Lauer he had paid "enough to take it into the
millions" to keep people from going public about his illness.
"I
have to put a stop to this onslaught, this barrage of attacks and of
sub-truths," he said, adding he was diagnosed four years ago.
Entertainment Live: Charlie Sheen reaction
'Bad decision'
He
said when he revealed his HIV status to friends "the truth became
treason", leading to "blackmail and extortion and a circle of deceit".
"I
trusted them, they were in my inner circle and thought they could be
helpful. My trust turned to their treason," he said, adding a prostitute
took a picture of his medication and threatened to sell it to
newspapers.
"I think I release myself from this prison today," he said.
He
admitted that his use of drink and drugs was a "bad decision" but said
it was "impossible" that he would have passed HIV on to anyone else.
The actor said he does not know how he contracted the virus but stressed he does not feel any stigma attached to the illness. Sheen said cluster headaches alerted him to the illness
Speaking about the time prior to his diagnosis, he
said: "It started with a series of cluster headaches and sweating - I
was hospitalised. I thought I had a brain tumour - after tests they said
this was the situation. It's a hard three letters to absorb."
Sheen
appeared with his doctor, Robert Huizenga, who said his daily
medication has suppressed the virus and he is "absolutely healthy".
"Charlie has an undetectable level of the virus in his blood," he said.
When
asked to respond to rumours Sheen has Aids, Dr Huizenga said: "Charlie
does not have Aids - that's when the virus suppresses the immune system.
He is healthy."
'Shame and anger'
Sheen said he is taking prescribed drugs daily and despite his erratic tendencies, has never missed a day's medication.
He said he is no longer taking recreational drugs but admitted he still "drinks a bit".
Dr Huizenga said he did have concerns Sheen might omit to take his medication.
"We're
petrified about him, we're so, so anxious that if he was overly
depressed or abusing substances he'd forget to take a pill, but he's
managed to take his medication," he said.
When asked if he would stop drinking, Sheen responded by saying: "Perhaps the freedom of today might lead to that as well."
Sheen
said his "personal disbelief and shame and anger" at the initial
diagnosis "led to a descent into substance abuse and fathomless
drinking".
But now he feels he has "the responsibility to better
myself and help a lot of other people. With what we're doing today,
others may come up and say, 'Thanks Charlie, thanks for kicking the door
open'."
He said he hoped the media pressure would ease now.
"You
can never predict how the media will roll with something," he said. "I
hope it's a lot more forgiving and supportive than a lot of the garbage
I've read over the past few days - that I knew I had Aids and was
intentionally spreading it.
"It's as far from the truth as can be."HIV facts by Michelle Roberts, Health editor, BBC website
There
are many different ways that you might catch HIV, but the main ones are
having unprotected sex or sharing needles or syringes.
HIV is
transmitted via blood, not saliva, but it is possible to catch HIV
through unprotected oral sex (although the risk is much lower than with
vaginal or anal sex).
Once infected, the virus attacks the person's immune system, making them more prone to other infections and diseases.
There is no cure for HIV, but there are treatments that mean people with the virus can live a long and healthy life.
The best way to prevent HIV is to use a condom for sex and to never share needles or other injecting equipment.
The actor rose to fame in the 80s with hit films including Platoon and
Wall Street and, in 2011, was the highest-paid actor on TV thanks to his
sitcom role.But he has frequently struggled with drink and drug abuse.
The
star, who played a hedonistic bachelor in Two And A Half Men, was fired
from the show in 2011 after a downward spiral in his personal life,
often played out in public.
Production had been suspended after he entered rehabilitation for reported drug and alcohol abuse.
The
actor - the youngest son of West Wing star Martin Sheen and brother of
actor Emilio Estevez - has also had a troubled personal life and has
been married three times.
He first marriage, to Donna Peele,
ended after a year. His second marriage was to former Bond girl Denise
Richards, with whom he has two daughters. They divorced in 2006 and he
married Brooke Mueller, with whom he has twin sons.
He was then due to marry adult film star Scottine Ross, but the wedding was called off.
The actor said he had told Richards and Mueller and his oldest daughter about his diagnosis.
Alariwo of Africa
