AFECTADOS POR CÁNCER DE PULMÓN DEMANDAN UN ÓRGANISMO REGULADOR QUE GARANTICE LA CALIDAD ASISTENCIAL DE LOS PACIENTES

La Asociación Española de Afectados por Cáncer de Pulmón (AEACaP), con motivo del DÍA EUROPEO DE LOS DERECHOS DE LOS PACIENTES, que se celebra el lunes, 18 de abril, ha reclamado la creación de un órgano regulador que incentive e implemente un sistema sanitario equitativo en la Europa de los 27, con un sistema de calidad que se base en los derechos y necesidades del paciente. La idea ha sido debatida en el pleno del Comité Económico y Social de la Comisión Europea, que ha celebrado un evento conmemorativo de los Derechos del Paciente al que por primera vez ha asistido el Comisario Europeo de Salud, John Dalli, demostrando así su apoyo al compromiso de lograr una asistencia de calidad en toda Europa. “Ha sido una oportunidad de intercambiar inquietudes, de ver lo que está haciendo la Eurocámara y planteando cuáles tienen que ser los retos de futuro”, comenta Martín González, vocal de AEACaP, que ha estado presente en el encuentro. Durante la jornada ha quedado patente que la atención al paciente necesita ser revisada en todo el continente. Al menos así se desprende el último estudio europeo sobre calidad sanitaria, que insta a mejorar la eficiencia, la calidad de los servicios y la protección de los pacientes en términos de información y transparencia, principalmente. De hecho, según insiste Martín González, “la regulación de los tiempos de espera y el acceso equitativo en toda España a la atención oncológica de calidad son dos de los puntos clave y que requieren una inmediata mejora”. También es fundamental crear un registro de reclamaciones de los pacientes con el que elaborar estudios analíticos que puedan ayudar a mejorar los servicios asistenciales. “En España, por ejemplo, existe ya una hoja de reclamaciones, pero sin embargo, su contenido no se plasma en ningún estudio ni hay constancia de cuáles son las principales demandas de los usuarios”, explica González. Y es que, según insiste Francisco J. Martínez, presidente de AEACaP, “la Oncología está experimentado un importante desarrollo tecnológico y mayores inversiones en investigación. Sin embargo, ha restado protagonismo a quien es el verdadero epicentro: el paciente. Los afectados, pacientes y familiares, queremos tomar parte activa en los procesos de decisión”. Para AEACaP esto es aún más importante cuando se trata de afectados por cáncer, de forma que, según el presidente de la Asociación, “son fundamentales el derecho del paciente con cáncer a participar en la toma de decisiones sobre cualquier acto relativo a su enfermedad, para lo que es necesario que se cumpla el derecho a recibir información comprensible sobre el proceso de la enfermedad”. --Situación en España Los representantes de la Comisión Europea también han demandado la creación de organismos nacionales que gestionen la información y establezcan mecanismos de control de la calidad del acceso de los pacientes a los servicios sanitarios, y estos datos se transfieran a su vez a la Eurocámara para poder ser evaluados comparativamente. “Es un primer paso pero el hecho de que se proponga en un marco europeo es una gran oportunidad para todos”, comenta el vocal de AEACaP. En este sentido, desde AEACaP consideran que España tiene ante sí un reto incluso mayor que otros países debido a la descentralización de los servicios, algo que sobre todo en situaciones de crisis económica como la actual pone en peligro incluso el derecho al acceso equitativo a los medicamentos innovadores, independientemente del lugar en el que se vida. Por ello, a juicio de Francisco J. Martínez, “es fundamental instar a las administraciones públicas a alcanzar un mayor compromiso político con los pacientes, con el fin de ampliar sus derechos y acceder a un mayor número de programas de apoyo, que deben ser incluidos dentro de un enfoque multidisciplinar del tratamiento”. El compromiso es incluso mayor tratándose de afectados por cáncer de pulmón, ya que “la sociedad sigue desinformada sobre los tumores pulmonares, por lo que la información se hace imprescindible desde la propia consulta para acabar con miedos infundados y fomentar un diálogo entre profesionales y pacientes”, insiste Martínez. --Reivindicaciones de los pacientes Active Citizenship Network (ACN), junto con un grupo de organizaciones de ciudadanos europeos elaboró en el año 2002 una Carta Europea de Derechos del Paciente, que incluye los siguientes 14 derechos: el derecho a las medidas preventivas, al acceso, a la información, al consentimiento, a la libre elección, a la intimidad y confidencialidad, al respeto del tiempo de los pacientes, al cumplimiento de los estándares de calidad, a la seguridad, a la innovación, a evitar sufrimientos innecesarios y el dolor, a un trato personalizado, a reclamar y a recibir una indemnización. Todos estos derechos, basados en la Carta de Derechos Fundamentales de la Unión Europea, son fundamentales en relación con los ciudadanos europeos y los sistemas sanitarios. El fortalecimiento de estos derechos se hará efectivo sólo con la cooperación y el compromiso de todos los grupos de interés de la asistencia sanitaria en cada país de la UE. Por lo tanto, es esencial aumentar la conciencia sobre la importancia de los derechos de los pacientes y las responsabilidades de todos para garantizar su respeto. El presidente de AEACaP considera que “la celebración del Día Europeo de los Derechos de los Pacientes es una gran ocasión común para que las asociaciones de afectados informen, debatan y adopten los compromisos necesarios para mejorar los derechos de los pacientes en Europa”.

Football Clubs provide incentive to get kids moving and eating healthy diets

Today a symposium held at the EuroPRevent 2011 meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, reviewed some of the best examples of using football as a platform to encourage children to eat healthy diets and take regular exercise. The symposium “Professional Sports to Promote Children’s Health” heard about the differences that three different Corporate Social Responsibility Programmes across Europe have been making to the health of the next generation. “For cardiovascular prevention it’s really important to get children moving and eating well from an early age,” said Erik Meijboom, professor of Congenital Cardiology at the University Hospital of Lausanne, Switzerland. “Once they start liking exercise it becomes a routine part of daily activities which should remain with them for life.” “The platform of football offers a tremendously effective population tool for getting kids active because it touches all levels of society,” said Patrick Gasser, senior manager for Football and Social Responsibility at the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Childhood obesity represents the most common childhood health disorder in Europe, with 22 million European children (one in five) estimated to be overweight and obese, and the number calculated to be rising by 400,000 each year. Overweight children are estimated to be three to five times more likely to suffer a heart attack or a stroke before they reach the age of 65. “The over presence of calories, the easy availability of fast food and the absence of physical activity are all combining to put children at risk of developing early cardiovascular disease,” said Meijboom.

Studies suggest that the emergence of atherosclerotic disease can occur early in life, with children displaying fatty streaks in their arteries, which can progress into plaque and narrowing of the arteries. The factor which most deters parents from encouraging their children to exercise, said Meijboom, is the adverse publicity around sudden cardiac death (SCD). While it is accepted that exercise and intense physical activity through athletic participation increase the likelihood of SCD, these risks have been vastly over estimated. Indeed a study undertaken by Meijboom for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2006, which reviewed 1101 cases of SCD that had occurred in athletes under 35 years between 1966 and 2004, found that 50% had congenital anatomical heart disease and cardiomyopathies and that 10% had early onset atherosclerotic heart disease.¹ “It’s evident that premature atherosclerotic disease is an important cause of sudden death in this age group and that children are much more likely to suffer from it if they’re obese and don’t take regular exercise,” said Meijboom.

--Something to Chew on Programme Andy Smith, from the Manchester United Foundation, presented the “Something to Chew on Programme” which aims to get eight year olds in the Manchester area leading healthier life styles. The project, which was started in September 2008, involves a six week programme of sessions, with topics including diet and health, food safety, consumer awareness, food preparation, being active and football fitness and body movement control. In the programme (which was devised by a teacher, nutritionist and football coach) children undertake practical sessions, like making a sandwich, where they are encouraged to try all sorts of different foods that they might not normally come across, such as avocado, salmon, and peppers. Lessons are all delivered by coaches wearing the Manchester United kit. The project, which was developed in partnership with the Food’s Standards Agency (FSA) and Salford City Council, targeted 51 primary schools across Salford, Trafford and the wider Manchester area. “What we’re trying to do is use the brand of football as an engagement tool to pass on health messages to young people with the ultimate message that you need to have a good life style to be able to perform at the highest level,” explained Smith, an executive manager with Manchester United Foundation. “If these messages have the backing of the Manchester United brand they’re instantly perceived as worthwhile by children.” Evaluation of the programme showed that it has had a significant impact on the children’s behaviour, with results showing after participation children were twice as likely to have had breakfast as they were beforehand, that 27% felt more positive about eating fruit and vegetables, that agility and balance was improved, and that children reported a positive impact on their self-confidence. “What hit me most was that results showed the programme wasn’t only reaching the children, but also their families, with 28% of behaviour in the home changing for the better,” said Smith.

**ESC

Shifting Alzheimer's Perspective to Create Positive Outcomes (Kim Warchol) Part 1

Irina Shayk desnuda para recaudar fondos contra el cáncer de piel

Victoria Beckham, Helena Christensen, Heidi Klum, Marisa Miller, Dita Von Teese, Milla Jovovich, Naomi Campbell, Selma Blair... Ninguna de ellas ha dudado en posar desnuda para el diseñador Marc Jacobs... ¡por una buena causa! Y, ahora, se une a ellas Irina Shayk, la novia del futbolista portugués del Realñ Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo. Como sus antecesoras, luce su espectacular anatomía en la ya famosa serie de camisetas de este diseñador estadounidense (se distribuyen a través de su firma Marc by Marc Jacobs) que, bajo el lema 'Protect the skin you're in' recauda fondos para el NYU Cancer Institute y, en concreto, a favor de la lucha contra el cáncer de piel.

**Publicado en "Hola.com"

Temporary memory loss strikes hospitalized seniors

Battling an illness, lack of sleep and strange surroundings can make any hospital patient feel out of sorts. For seniors, hospitalizations actually may cause temporary memory loss and difficulty in understanding discharge instructions, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study. The seniors go back to normal one month after the hospital stay, the study found. But immediately following a hospitalization is a critical time in which seniors may need extra support from healthcare professionals and family, according to Lee Lindquist, the lead author of the study, published online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, March 2011. Lindquist, M.D., is an assistant professor of geriatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. "A helper on the day of discharge could make sure a senior understands discharge instructions and help her get home and follow instructions safely," Lindquist said. "If a patient is by herself the day of a hospital discharge, it's possible that she won't comprehend complicated medical instructions, increasing medication errors and chances of re-hospitalization." More than 200 seniors, age 70 and older, who lived on their own in the Chicago area and were not diagnosed with dementia or other cognitive problems, took part in the study. At the time of discharge, cognition tests were administered to examine mental status. Almost one-third had low cognition that was previously unrecognized. One month later, 58 percent of those patients no longer had low cognition. They had significant improvement in areas of orientation, registration, repetition, comprehension, naming, reading, writing and calculation. Healthcare professionals need to be more aware of seniors' thought processes on the day they are released from the hospital, Lindquist said. Screening all seniors for low cognition before they leave any hospital could help doctors and nurses flag patients in need of specialized transitional care with more frequent follow-ups in the days after hospitalization. "When the senior is no longer sick enough to be in the hospital, it doesn't mean they're 100 percent ready to be on their own," Lindquist said. "It's a critical time and they need extra support and understanding from healthcare professionals and family." **Source: Northwestern University

New study identifies possible cause of salt-induced hypertension

New research from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Kent State University shows that salt intake raises blood pressure because it makes it harder for the cardiovascular system to simultaneously juggle the regulation of blood pressure and body temperature. For decades, medical researchers have sought to understand how salt causes salt-induced high blood pressure to no avail. Some individuals, described as "salt sensitive," experience an increase in blood pressure following the ingestion of salt, whereas others, termed "salt resistant," do not. Until now, scientists have been unable to explain why some individuals are salt sensitive and others are salt resistant. This inability to explain why salt raises blood pressure in some individuals but not others has hampered the development of a comprehensive theory as to what causes most cases of high blood pressure. Since the cardiovascular system is responsible for maintaining normal blood pressure and also helps control body temperature by conducting heat from the muscles and internal organs to the skin's surface, a team of researchers led by Robert P. Blankfield, MD, MS, clinical professor of family medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and a member of the Department of Family Medicine at University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Ellen L. Glickman, PhD, professor of exercise science at Kent State University, tested whether these dual roles of the cardiovascular system might help explain how salt ingestion leads to salt-sensitive hypertension. The researchers examined the effect of salt and water consumption versus just water upon a group of 22 healthy men without high blood pressure. The study participants' blood pressure, rectal temperature, cardiac index (the volume of blood pumped by the heart per minute), and urine output were monitored at one, two, and three hours after the men ingested either salt and water or water alone. Changes in rectal temperature were compared between the men identified as salt sensitive versus those who were salt resistant. The study found that the ingestion of salt and water lowered body temperature more than the ingestion of water by itself. In addition, body temperature decreased more in individuals who are salt resistant than in individuals who are salt sensitive. "It appears that salt sensitive individuals maintain core body temperature equilibrium more effectively than salt resistant individuals, but experience increased blood pressure in the process," Dr. Blankfield says. "Conversely, salt resistant individuals maintain blood pressure equilibrium more effectively than salt sensitive individuals following salt and water intake, but experience a greater temperature reduction in the process." Matthew D. Muller, PhD, postdoctoral research fellow at the Penn State College of Medicine, and the paper's first author explains, "If our results are generalizable, it would be possible to account for the role of salt in the development of salt-sensitive hypertension: salt and water loading raises blood pressure in salt sensitive individuals, and the elevated blood pressure persists for a finite period of time during and after the salt and water intake. These transient blood pressure elevations, whether brief or prolonged, might initiate the complex changes within the walls of the arteries and arterioles that characterize individuals with essential hypertension." Dr. Muller adds, "Nowadays, physicians tell their patients that no one knows what causes high blood pressure. Since we can now explain why salt-sensitive hypertension develops, a theory that will explain all hypertension may be possible. Thus, physicians may one day be able to tell their patients that the cause of high blood pressure is understood, and physicians may also be able to explain to their patients what must be done to avoid developing this chronic medical condition." Dr. Muller conducted this research as a doctoral student at Kent State University. **Source: Case Western Reserve University

Antibody response may lead to narrowed arteries and organ rejection

Kidney transplant recipients who develop antibodies in response to receiving new organs can develop accelerated arteriosclerosis, or narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the kidney, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The results indicate that arteriosclerosis resulting from such donor-specific antibodies may play an important role in organ rejection following transplantation. Antibody-mediated transplant rejection—a process that occurs when a transplant recipient mounts antibodies against a new organ—can contribute to declining function and ultimately loss of transplanted kidneys. To study the effects of antibody-mediated transplant rejection, Gary Hill, MD (Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, APHP, in Paris, France), Alexandre Loupy, MD, PhD (Hôpital Necker, APHP in Paris, France), and their colleagues examined kidney biopsies from 40 transplant patients who mounted antibodies directed against their transplanted kidney and 59 patients who did not. The investigators found that narrowing of the arteries significantly progressed between three and 12 months after transplant in the antibody-positive patients but not in the antibody-negative patients. In those patients who did not develop antibodies, narrowing of the arteries progressed at approximately one third the rate of patients who did develop antibodies. In the antibody-positive patients, narrowing of the arteries in the transplanted kidneys was much worse than expected based on the donor's age and translated to approximately 28 years of "aging" in the first year after transplantation. "This accelerated arteriosclerosis can now be seen to form part of the rejection process, and it will probably be found to contribute to the ultimate decline of kidney function," said Dr. Hill. The study's results should spark considerable interest in the importance of arteriosclerosis following kidney transplantation. "Acceleration of arteriosclerosis was a totally unexpected finding, an important one since it broadens our thinking about what constitutes transplant rejection," said Dr. Hill. **Source: American Society of Nephrology