Cancer-fighting drugs included in UN list of essential medicines

The UN health agency, WHO, has announced that dozens of new drugs have been added to the list of essential medicines that every country should have, including new cancer treatments that can be swallowed rather than injected.

More than 150 countries use the UN’s Essential Medicines List, which contains around 460 drugs deemed critical to treat public health needs. This latest update adds 28 products for adults and 23 for children, and specifies new uses for 26 already-listed products, based on value for money, evidence and health impact.

WHO said on Tuesday that the five cancer therapies added to the list are regarded as “the best in terms of survival rates” to treat melanoma, lung, blood and prostate cancers.

They include two recently developed immunotherapies - nivolumab and pembrolizumab - that have delivered up to 50 per cent survival rates for advanced melanoma, a skin cancer that, until recently, was incurable.

“The inclusion in this list of some of the newest and most advanced cancer drugs is a strong statement that everyone deserves access to these life-saving medicines, not just those who can afford them,” said WHO Director-General.

Other updates to the list include new oral anticoagulants to prevent stroke, as an alternative to warfarin treatment of deep vein thrombosis. These are “particularly advantageous” for low-income countries, according to WHO, because, unlike warfarin, they do not require regular monitoring.

In addition, the agency’s committee also advised that countries supply new products to treat chronic inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel diseases.

Life-threatening bleeding after childbirth was also addressed in this year’s Essential Medicines List update, with the proposal to use carbetocin rather than the currently used therapy, oxytocin.

“This new formulation has similar effects to oxytocin?but offers advantages for tropical countries as it does not require refrigeration,” WHO said in a statement.

UPDATES ON CRITICAL DIAGNOSES TOO

In a related development, the UN health agency also updated its Essential Diagnostics List, in recognition of the critical, life-saving importance of finding out what is wrong with patients before it is too late.

The first list, issued last year, concentrated on a limited number of priority diseases, such as HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, and hepatitis. This year’s list includes more non-communicable and communicable diseases. In all, WHO added 12 tests to the Essential Diagnostics List to detect a wide range of solid tumours such as colorectal, liver, cervical, prostate, breast and germ cell cancers, as well as leukemia and lymphomas.

The list focuses on additional infectious diseases prevalent in low- and middle-income countries such as cholera, and neglected diseases like leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, dengue, and zika.

The list was also expanded to include additional general tests which address a range of different diseases and conditions, such as iron tests for anemia and tests to diagnose thyroid malfunction and sickle cell anaemia, which is very widely present in Sub-Saharan Africa.

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Atrial fibrillation: When your heart doesn’t beat in the right rhythm

Your heartbeat is the first sign that you are alive. According to the American Heart Association, the normal heart rate for adults should range between 60 to 100 beats per minute. However, if it is as fast as 300 times per minute, you are suffering from a condition called atrial fibrillation (AF) which means your heart’s electrical impulses have lost coordination. Atrial fibrillation or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) can be the cause behind heart failure, blood clots, stroke, and other cardiovascular complications. For all those suffering from this condition, a new study has come with significant findings. So far, the surgical procedure to treat atrial fibrillation, known as catheter ablation, was considered to be superior to the available drug therapies. But the new study states that both these options are equally effective. However, the quality of life is better and the need for hospitalization is lower after a surgical procedure compared to the drug therapy.

NEW RAYS OF HOPE FOR ATRIAL FIBRILLATION

Apart from this new research, there have been a few other significant developments in terms of  the AF diagnosis and treatment. Researchers identified two biomarkers known as brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) that can help in better diagnosis of irregular heartbeat. BNP is a hormone that is secreted by the heart and FGF-23 is a protein that helps in the regulation of phosphate (an ion).  Elevated levels of these blood markers reveal that a person has irregular heartbeat which needs urgent and targeted treatment.

 Also, an updated study has revealed that a new type of blood-thinning medication known as non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) can potentially reduce the risk of stroke due to AF. During atrial fibrillation, irregular heartbeat results in blood clot in the atria (heart chamber). This clot may reach your brain through blood, causing blockage in the blood vessels of your brain, which may result in stroke. The new medications are anticoagulants that can prevent blood clot.

HOW DOES YOUR HEART BEAT, ACTUALLY?

The upper right chamber of your heart, known as the right atrium, hosts a natural pacemaker (sinus node), which produces the electrical impulses responsible for your heartbeat. The electrical impulses pass through the atrioventricular (AV) node, the connecting pathway between the upper and lower chambers of heart. As the signal is produced from the sinus node, it reaches the two upper chambers, known as the atria, which contract to pump blood into your ventricles, the two lower chambers of your heart. Similarly, the ventricles contract to pump blood to your body. This is  when the electrical impulses pass through the AV node to the ventricles (lower chambers of the heart).

DECODING ATRIAL FIBRILLATION

Atrial fibrillation is a condition where your heart beats at an irregular pace. When you suffer from this cardiac ailment, the upper two chambers of your heart experience chaotic electrical impulses and start beating rapidly which is not in sync with the lower two chambers. As a result, the AV node is bombarded with impulses which, it tries to pass on to the ventricles. However, all of them cannot get through. Due to this rapid movement of impulses, the ventricles also start beating fast but not as fast as atria. This results in an irregular heart rhythm, ranging from 100 to 175 beats per minute.

CAUSES AND RISK FACTORS

There are various probable reasons behind atrial fibrillation including high blood pressure, abnormal heart valves, heart attack, coronary artery disease, an overactive thyroid gland, metabolic imbalance, exposure to stimulants like caffeine, tobacco or alcohol, lung diseases, etc. In some cases, however, the causes are unknown where the patients haven’t been diagnosed with any heart damage. But experts have identified a few factors that increase your chance of suffering from irregular heartbeat. They include sleep apnoea, obesity, family history, high blood pressure, and any other chronic condition. According to experts in the field, older people are at a greater risk of developing AF. Additionally, a study has revealed that working for long hours can potentially increase your risk of developing a heart rhythm disorder. Also, another research has found that too much job pressure is linked with 48 per cent higher risk of atrial fibrillation. If you are suffering from this condition, you are likely to experience symptoms like racing heart, fatigue, dizziness, chest pain and shortness of breath.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES

You need to make sure your heart is healthy in order to reduce the risk of atrial. Here are few tips for a healthy heart.
Make healthy food choices: Eat a balanced diet that includes fruits, green vegetables, whole grains, and limited saturated fats. Also, minimize your caffeine and salt intake and avoid processed foods. Opt for salmon, nuts and other foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Healthy fats from dark chocolates and olive oil can also potentially protect you from AF.
Quit smoking: According to a study  smoking may boost your risk of developing heart rhythm disorder.
Indulge in daily exercise: Daily workout can make your muscles strong and help in proper blood flow. It is advised to do light exercises like walking and jogging to prevent AF.
Keep your weight in check: Obesity is a potential risk factor for various heart conditions including AF. Therefore, prevent obesity by cutting back on sugar, processed food, simple carbohydrates and unhealthy fats.  Working out regularly is also equally important.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                         FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                  https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/           

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