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digestnews bone and surgery
Autumn 2013
Aromatherapy could
treat post-op nausea
The research
Bone health:
lack of
awareness
A poor understanding of bone
health and how to reduce the risk
of osteoporosis exists in the UK
according to a recent poll of 1,000
women.
The survey of women aged 25
to 65 years shows that 96% had
no idea how much calcium or
vitamin D is needed in a weekly
diet to help protect bone health.
Half of respondents had no
idea that osteoporosis is associated
with menopause. About 70% of
participants said they do not eat
enough oily fish to keep their
bones and joints in optimal health.
Less than 20% took supplements
for their bones, relying on their
diet without understanding what
they needed to eat.
The lack of oestrogen during
menopause enables the
development of osteoporosis.
“There is a general poor level of
awareness of osteoporosis among
both patients and medics,” says a
spokesperson from Arthritis
Research UK. “Research has
shown that less than half of
osteoporosis patients take calcium
and vitamin D alongside their
drug treatment, which is essential
in order to get the maximum
health benefit.”
Aromatherapy could offer an
effective alternative to drugs when
it comes to treating the nausea
many experience after operations,
says research published in
Anesthesia & Analgesia.
A total of 301 people who were
nauseous after surgery received
one of four types of aromatherapy.
Two groups received true
aromatherapy, with essential oil
of ginger or a blend of oils (ginger,
spearmint, peppermint and
cardamom) placed on a gauze
pad. The other groups were given
gauze pads with non-aromatherapy
solutions: either rubbing alcohol
or a saline solution (the placebo).
People given the two
The implications
Postoperative nausea occurs in
up to one-third of surgical
patients and is linked to longer
hospitalisation and increased risk
of readmission. Non-drug
approaches to managing it are
needed.
Next steps...
“Aromatherapy is promising as
an inexpensive, non-invasive
treatment for postoperative
nausea that can be administered
and controlled by patients as
needed,” says study lead,
Dr Ronald Hunt.
Another study shows that
intravenous dextrose solution
may also be useful in managing
post-operative nausea and
vomiting.
Omega-3 fatty acids reduce
hip fracture risk
The research
Postmenopausal women who eat
large amounts of omega-3 fatty
acids may reduce their risk of hip
fracture, says a team from the
Ohio State University.
Researchers analysed hip
fracture records and red blood
cell samples from the Women’s
Health Initiative, which followed
postmenopausal women for 15
years. A total of 648 women were
tracked, half of whom had broken
a hip. Those with higher
concentrations of omega-3 fatty
Special delivery for
osteoporosis drugs
Tiny nanoparticles may be used to find and deliver
medicines to targeted cracks in the bones,
suggests new US research.
When a bone cracks, the minerals that
leak out create an electric field that pulls
the negatively charged nanoparticles
toward the damaged area. So tiny
cracks that can lead to broken bones in
people with osteoporosis could be
healed before they develop into more
serious breaks.
“What makes our nanomotors different is that
they can actively and naturally deliver medications to a targeted
area,” explains Prof Ayusman Sen who was involved in the study.
“Current methods, in contrast, involve taking a drug and hoping
that enough of it gets to where it is needed for healing.”
ARTHRITIS
aromatherapy treatments
had lower nausea scores
compared with the other
groups and were less likely
to need antiemetic drugs.
The aromatherapy blend was
more effective than ginger
only.
acids tended to have a lower
risk of hip fractures than
those with low levels. The
research was published in
the Journal of Bone and
Mineral Research.
The implications
Boosting intake of omega-3 fatty
acids could therefore help to
reduce postmenopausal women’s
risk of hip fractures.
“Inflammation is associated
with an increased risk of bone
loss and fractures, and omega-3
fatty acids are believed to reduce
inflammation, explains senior
author Prof Rebecca Jackson.
Next steps...
It seems that some omega-3 fatty
acids are better than others at
reducing fracture. This study
found that alpha-linolenic acid
was important (found in
flaxseed oil and nuts) as was
eicosapentaenoic acid (occurs in
oily fish). Docosahexaenoic acid,
also found in oily fish, did not
seem to have a significant effect
on fracture risk.
Tobacco smoke toxins cause
bone degradation
Toxic chemicals in tobacco smoke
harm the structure of bones,
which in turn increases the risk of
osteoporosis. The research sheds
light on the well-known link
between smoking and the risk of
bone fractures and osteoporosis.
US researchers carried out
studies on mice that looked at the
effects of two tobacco smoke
chemicals on their bones and
published their findings in the
Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences.
They found that the
toxins interact with AhR
receptors and induce bone
resorption, transferring the
calcium from bone fluid to
the blood; the mice lost
more bone matter
than they created.
AhR receptors may
therefore be an important target
for the development of new
osteoporosis therapies.
www.arthritisdigest.co.uk
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