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Travellers, including those who wear medical alert jewellery to identify their condition, will now be able to receive a meningitis vaccine. It is likely that the treatment called Menveo will be used for people travelling to sub-Saharan Africa where epidemics of the disease have been particularly prevalent, according to the BBC. For example, the A-strain of the disease has caused a high number of deaths on the continent and the Y-strain is said to be increasing in east African countries such as Tanzania. In Nigeria, 1,500 people are thought to have the illness with 150 deaths reported by Integrated Regional Information Networks. Nigeria lies within what is called the 'meningitis belt' that stretches across central Africa. Dr Jane Zuckerman, director of the World Health Organisation's Collaborating Centre for Travel Medicine at University College London's Medical School, told the BBC that the risk of contracting illnesses such as meningitis needs greater consideration from travellers. She said those looking to visit other countries, including people who wear medical alert jewellery, should think about 'visiting a specialist health centre where they can be advised and provided with expert knowledge'. 
People who wear medical alert jewellery might benefit from a pioneering technique to identify and track the progress of disease, according to a group of Scottish researchers. A team of scientists from Edinburgh University has revealed how gold chemical sensors implanted into the body could detect a disease and track it progress. The sensor, which would be implanted into cells would absorb a laser light and re-emit it, causing cell proteins nearby to vibrate. The shape of the vibrations can help experts understand the nature of a disease. Gold-coated metal is used because it is unreactive, which means a patient will not reject the implant. Dr Colin Campbell of the university's School of Chemistry believes the team has 'developed a useful device' in tracking diseases. Although the next stage of research will focus on the immune system, researchers believe the technique could be adapted to various conditions affecting many people, including those who wear medical alert jewellery. 
A key voice for people with diabetes, including those who wear medical alert jewellery, has called upon the government to make the condition a 'key priority' in the next parliament. Diabetes UK, which represents more than 160,000 members in Britain, has put together its top ten priorities for the next government to tackle after the general election. This list includes an end to discrimination at work for sufferers, a 'world-class' diabetes service, better care for older people and improved emergency care. It also called for research into the condition, for which some people may wear medical alert jewellery, to be prioritised in the coming years. The organisation's public affairs manager Donna Castle said that diabetes is 'one of the biggest health challenges facing the UK today'. Ms Castle also said that NHS spending on diabetes treatment and care 'will escalate significantly' over the next 15 years as more people are diagnosed. Estimates are that health spending on the condition is around £9 billion a year. 
People who suffer from chronic diseases, including those who wear medical alert jewellery, are receiving more support via the internet, according to research. The report from Princeton Survey Research Associates revealed that adults in the US living with long-term illness are less likely to have internet access than healthy residents. In total 62 per cent of those with chronic diseases had access to the internet compared to 81 per cent of healthy adults. However, researchers were keen to point out that this is primarily to do with lack of internet access as opposed to there not being interest in the subject online. Indeed, online users can get access to a wealth of user generated material such as blog posts, reviews and podcasts. Diabetes UK's digital media manager Amanda Neylon said that users of the organisation's Facebook page, including those who may wear a diabetic bracelet, feel comforted that they can 'share what they are going through with others in the same position'. 'Online enables very responsive feedback, takes away location issues and often gives people the confidence to be honest and open, which can be difficult for some in a face to face situation,' she added. 
A leading voice for people with dementia, including those who may wear Alzheimer's medical alert jewellery, has welcomed the government's pledge to reform a 'broken' care system. The Alzheimer's Society said that Alistair Darling's budget showed a 'commitment' from the government to reform the UK's social care system. Andrew Chigley, the organisation's head of policy and public affairs, said it was good news for hundreds of thousands of people suffering with dementia in this country, including those who wear medical alert jewellery to identify their condition. Mr Chigley suggested that sufferers currently face a 'dementia tax' of many thousands of pounds for care 'that is too often substandard'. He urged the government to follow its intentions with a white paper clearly outlining much needed reforms and leave behind 'soundbites and weak promises'. 'All political parties need to embrace this golden opportunity to come together and find a way to create a care service that guarantees high quality care at a fair price,' he added. In addition to his pledge on social care, Mr Darling maintained a commitment to 'frontline' services such as the NHS. 
People with medical alert jewellery may be interested to hear about a leading food and drinks brand looking to reduce salt content PepsiCo, whose brand names include Walkers, Tropicana and Pepsi-Cola, have pledged to lower average sodium content in the key brands by 2015. Katharine Jenner, campaign manager for the Consensus Action on Salt and Health is pleased with the changes being made and suggested that the move is down consumer pressure. She said: 'PepsiCo have got such a huge influence and a really big market share, so if companies like PepsiCo are pledging to reduce their salt, it's a sign that consumers' tastes are changing and that these companies are finally responding.' And the signs are good for people looking for healthier diet included those who wear medical alert jewellery. Both children and adults are eating favouring fruit as a snack rather than chocolate or crisps, according a YouGov survey last week. 
New figures have revealed that the number of diabetic people in Scotland has increased. The Scottish Diabetes Survey showed that 228,004 people have a form of the condition. An increase in diagnoses of Type 2 diabetes was blamed for the higher figures with more than 9,000 more cases in Scotland in 2009 compared with the year before. There was a slight drop in the number of Type 1 diabetics, but the figure remained at over 27,000. One of the strongest factors behind the increase was the growing problem of obesity. Although an ageing population was cited as another factor, the report also suggested a higher number of people being diagnosed at a younger age and being assessed before symptoms can develop. Diabetes UK's Scotland director Jane-Claire Dudson called the figures 'truly alarming'. 'Many people do not realise how serious diabetes can be. It causes heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and blindness and more deaths in the UK than breast and prostate cancer combined.' 
Although it seems an unusual setting, people suffering with allergies or intolerances can go the UK's biggest interior design event for some sound advice. The Ideal Home Show, which began at London's Earls Court on March 20th, includes an allergy pavilion. Allergy UK will have top experts on hand at the event to provide allergy advice on managing symptoms for sufferers, including those with medical alert jewellery. In addition, the pavilion will include companies demonstrating products that are scientifically proven and gained the Seal of Approval. Among those firms will be those who have also achieved the Allergy UK Consumer Award & Allergy Friendly Award. So, there is something to help, if you're bored of getting tips on brightening up your home from the likes of Fiona Phillips, Linda Barker or Masterchef judge Gregg Wallace. The event runs until Easter Monday (April 5th). 
GPs want longer appointments to treat patients with complex, long-term conditions, including people who may wear medical alert jewellery. The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), which represents more than 38,000 family doctors in the UK, said in its manifesto, that changes could be made that allow minor patients to be treated whilst freeing up time for more serious cases. The RCGP's chairman Steve Field recommended that patients with minor ailments should be treated with telephone surgeries such as one used at his practice in Birmingham. Indeed, so popular are the surgeries that they have been extended into the afternoon. Furthermore, Mr Field beleives GPs should extend their services to online and video consultations. He added: 'We want to work with patients to give them more responsibility for their healthcare, but not prevent them from coming to the surgery if they are worried.' The Self-Care Campaign, funded by drugs companies, said recently that nearly one-fifth of a GP's appointments focused upon minor ailments and not on more serious patients including those who identify their condition with medical alert jewellery. 
A leading British supermarket has relaunched its range of food made especially for people with food allergies or intolerances. Sainsbury's Freefrom range includes more than 200 products that are free of gluten, wheat or dairy. The retailer has added around 90 products to the range and Allergy UK is raving about some of the new foods on offer. Anyone who wishes they could eat a jam tart can now enjoy one thanks to the inclusion of ground almonds in the pastry. There is also a new kind of pasta that blends rice and corn and looks exactly the same as wheat or egg varieties. There is a surprisingly large and varied range of recipes for people with food allergies who might wear medical jewellery to identify their condition. For example, Sainsbury's own Try Team may have inspired people with food allergies to make a gluten, wheat and dairy-free Thai green curry or even a gluten and wheat-free banana and caramel trifle. To celebrate the relaunch, the supermarket giant is offering money off on some of the range until Tuesday (March 23rd). 
A University of Warwick student is using fruit flies to research Alzheimer's. Ceri Lyn-Adams spoke at the UK's biggest Alzheimer's conference this week about her project. She said: 'We are using the humble fruit fly to study the protein which forms tangles in the brain during Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.' The PhD student is studying the protein to see how it causes damage, with the aim of developing new treatments for Alzheimer's sufferers, many of whom wear medical jewellery to identify their condition. Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said that projects done by PhD students such as Ms Lyn-Adams are essential to the dementia research of the future. Ms Wood said dementia research was 'seriously underfunded' and more money for research was needed if a cure was to be found. According to the Alzheimer's Research Trust, a quarter of the government's medical research budget is spent on cancer research, while only 2.5 per cent is spent on research for dementia. 
Preventable infections cause death in children, including those wearing children's medical alert bracelets A study has suggested that one in five deaths in children in England and Wales is because of a preventable infection. Out of the 1,300 deaths in two years, half were in children who had other health problems. There was a high rate of deaths from intestinal infections in children with underlying medical problems. Whilst these children may do what they can to prevent dying from their medical condition, such as by wearing a children's medical alert bracelet, they are more at risk from infections which would not normally be a problem in healthy children. The results back up a study published last year that claimed more needed to be done to prevent children with cancer dying from an infection which could potentially have been avoided. Liz Baker, senior science information officer at Cancer Research UK, told the BBC: 'Incredible progress has been made in treating children's cancer more effectively. Sadly, these treatments can sometimes weaken the immune system.' One suggestion to cut the number of deaths in childhood from infections is to increase the number of childhood vaccinations. 
Preventable infections cause death in children, including those wearing children's medical alert bracelets A study has suggested that one in five deaths in children in England and Wales is because of a preventable infection. Out of the 1,300 deaths in two years, half were in children who had other health problems. There was a high rate of deaths from intestinal infections in children with underlying medical problems. Whilst these children may do what they can to prevent dying from their medical condition, such as by wearing a children's medical alert bracelet, they are more at risk from infections which would not normally be a problem in healthy children. The results back up a study published last year that claimed more needed to be done to prevent children with cancer dying from an infection which could potentially have been avoided. Liz Baker, senior science information officer at Cancer Research UK, told the BBC: 'Incredible progress has been made in treating children's cancer more effectively. Sadly, these treatments can sometimes weaken the immune system.' One suggestion to cut the number of deaths in childhood from infections is to increase the number of childhood vaccinations.
MPs are calling for better checks on how Primary Care Trust (PCT) spend money for dementia sufferers, according to the Alzheimer's Society. Over two thirds of PCTs are unable to say what they spent their budget from the National Dementia Strategy for England on. Those who wear Alzheimer's medical alerts were among those intended to benefit from the £150 million the government made available for spending in the dementia sector last year. The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Dementia put forward a freedom of information request for the details, but only 31 per cent of the PCTs who replied said they had allocated their share of the money. The same number said they could not say how the funds had been spent because they had been grouped with other funding. Andrew Chidgey, head of policy at Alzheimer's Society, said that if the National Dementia Strategy 'is to be the success it so desperately needs to be, we need more accountability and stronger leadership both nationally and locally'. Care services minister Phil Hope responded that he 'will hold local areas to account if they are not investing in dementia services'. 
Scientists have discovered a molecular pathway that causes cancer cells to grow old and die. Research done on mice showed that blocking a gene which causes cancer called Skp2 can make cells begin an ageing process. Pier Paolo Pandolfi from Harvard Medical School in Boston told Reuters that Takeda Pharmaceutical Co's experimental cancer drug MLN4924 appears to have the ability to block the cancer causing gene. The drug is in its clinical trials in people, offering hope that in the not so distant future cancer patients, many of whom wear medical alert watches, may be able to use the drug to help them beat the illness. Genetically altered mice that developed a form of prostate cancer were used in the study. Hui-Kuan Lin, from the University of Texas, said: 'We now want to examine whether Skp2 is required in other tumour model systems, such as a HER2 model, to determine whether it is globally required for an oncogenic event.' 
Reliving football memories can help Alzheimer's sufferers, research in Scotland has found. The Scottish Football Reminiscence Project has found that Alzheimer's patients and those suffering from other dementia problems can start to communicate again and see their symptoms reduced by talking with other sufferers about football. A group of dementia sufferers get together to share memories and photographs of football matches they saw, famous games and their experiences of attending matches. Alzheimer's Scotland supported the trial and hopes to set up the project in other areas so sufferers, many of whom wear Alzheimer's medical alerts so their condition can be recognised by strangers, can benefit from the scheme. Professor Debbie Tolson, from the Scottish Centre for Evidence Based Care of Older People at Glasgow Caledonian University, said: 'This was a fascinating study that revealed impressive results.' The study has the baking of former Scotland manager Craig Brown, who spoke yesterday of Ally MacLeod: 'A sufferer of Alzheimer's was a very good friend of mine and arguably the most illustrious, legendary Scotland manager.' 
Doctors in America have found they can treat cancer by freezing it. The non-surgical method involves inserting needle like-instruments into the tumour and feeding freezing gas in to it. The cancer cells are then destroyed by an ice-like ball that develops in the tumour. All of the 13 women who have had the treatment so far have had their cancer destroyed and stayed free of cancerous tumours for up to five years. Many people wearing medical jewellery for different types of cancer could benefit, including those suffering from breast and prostate cancer. Lead researcher Dr Peter Littrup, from the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, said: 'Minimally invasive cryotherapy opens the door for a potential new treatment for breast cancer and needs to be further tested.' Dr Caitlin Palframan from the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer added that further tests were needed, saying: 'We are a long way away from knowing whether cryotherapy has potential as a treatment option.' 
A new study has suggested that children with peanut allergies are more likely to suffer from severer or more frequent asthma attacks. Out of 160 five-to-18-year-olds with asthma in the study, more hospitalisations because of asthma were seen among the 46 with peanut allergies than those who did not have the allergy. After the age of three, 23 per cent of children and teenagers with peanut allergies had been admitted to hospital, compared with 16 per cent of those without the allergy. Severe reactions to peanuts can cause anaphylaxis and can be life threatening, so many children wear allergy bracelets which identify their condition if they are to suffer a reaction while they are away from their parents. Lead researcher on the study Alyson Simpson told Reuters that parents of children with peanut allergies should try to keep asthma under control by working with the child's doctor. A major trial was launched by researchers in Cambridge last month to find a treatment for childhood peanut allergy. 
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) is denying many cancer patients access to expensive drugs according to a campaign group. The Rarer Cancers Forum has said that NICE is 'failing to follow the spirit' of guidelines implemented to increase the threshold of drugs for cancer sufferers. There are many types of rare cancer and sufferers often wear medical alert pendants to identify others to their illness. Each type of cancer does not affect a lot of patients, but together the rarer types account for between a third and a half of cancer cases. As there are few people suffering from each of these rarer types of cancer, it is difficult for drug companies to research and produce treatments that are cheap. Up to 16,000 cancer patients have not been given drugs because NICE had not negotiated thoroughly with pharmaceutical companies before deeming drugs too expensive, the Rarer Cancers Forum has said. Professor Peter Johnson, chief clinician for Cancer Research UK, said: 'We're disappointed that the new end of life criteria agreed with Nice are still not giving patients with less common cancers access to treatments that are routine in other parts of the world.' 
Research in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that two Novartis-made drugs have little or no effect on diabetes. US and UK researchers looked at whether using a drug that lowers blood pressure or one that lowers blood sugar could stop high-risk patients developing diabetes. However, the drugs Starlix (nateglinide) and Diovan (valsartan) have been found either to produce no decease in the number of diabetes sufferers or failed to alleviate the health problems triggered by diabetes. Exercise and a healthy diet is the only way to keep healthy for those at risk from diabetes, researchers said as the results show the drugs are unlikely to decrease the number of people who wear a diabetic bracelet. Co-author of the report, Professor John McMurray from the University of Glasgow, said: 'Losing as little as fiver per cent of body weight has been shown to make a dramatic difference [in preventing diabetes].' In the UK seven million people are at risk of developing heart disease, Diabetic UK has said. 
A report by the Alzheimers Association has revealed that Hispanics and black people are at the highest risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. The report, titled 2010 Alzheimer's Facts and Figures, reports that five million people in America are living with the disease. Black Americans are twice as much at risk of developing the disease as whites and Hispanics are 1.5 times more likely to develop it. The increase in Alzheimer's is thought to be due to an increase in diabetic sufferers and those with high blood pressure, who are more at risk of developing the disease. Maria Carrillo, senior director of medical and scientific relations at the association, said: 'African-Americans and Hispanics are particularly vulnerable, because the proportion of these two risk factors is higher even still. We can actually do something about this increased risk with better management of the conditions.' Those who are unfortunate enough to develop the disease can benefit from an Alzheimer's medical alert bracelet which can help a patient's parent or spouse locate the sufferer if they wander off. 
Cancer patients are losing out on millions of pounds in benefit payments, a study by Macmillan Cancer Support has revealed. Across the UK last year £90.8 million of benefits went unclaimed by terminally ill cancer patients, the findings show. Cancer patients are given a lot of information when they are diagnosed, such as the benefits of wearing a medical alert bracelet. However, it seems that there is a lack of financial advice available to patients. The charity is calling for financial advice to be automatically given to people when they are diagnosed and throughout their illness. Disability living allowance, which was £70.35 a week last year, was not claimed by 32 per cent of people dying from cancer, the findings from Macmillan show. Allan Cowie, general manager for Macmillan in Scotland, said: 'The benefits system is confusing and complex and, for someone who is unwell, it can seem impossible to navigate.' 
New research has revealed that a mutation which affects the body's response to the smell and taste of food could contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes. According to US researchers, the genetic alteration may mean that some people are more vulnerable to the 'gradual onset' of the condition. Senior author of the study Vann Bennett, a professor in the departments of cell biology, biochemistry and neurobiology at Duke University Medical Centre, said that the development of diabetes 'happens through what is called the parasympathetic nervous system, not directly through eating food'. He added that his team thinks 'this parasympathetic response is potentially very important in type 2 diabetes'. Those who are affected by the disease could inform others of their condition should they ever find themselves in any trouble by wearing trendy diabetic bracelets. This news comes after research presented at the American Heart Association Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention revealed that fizzy drinks can contribute to the development of diabetes. 
A new campaign has been launched to raise awareness of Colitis and Crohn's disease. Richard Driscoll, chief executive of the National Association for Colitis and Crohn's Disease (NACC), pointed out that although many Brits understand why some people have to wear a diabetic bracelet, they are not as knowledgeable about other conditions. He pointed out that about a quarter of a million people suffer from the disease in the UK and the new Step Up and Be Counted campaign hopes to highlight this. Mr Driscoll said that as well as improving local care services, the NACC wants to do 'much more research for Colitis and Crohn's disease by establishing a national register of people who have inflammatory bowel disease'. He explained that the condition is very difficult to live with and can have a significant impact on people's every day lives. The NACC states that Colitis and Crohn's disease affects one in every 400 people in the UK and men and women can suffer from the condition in equal measure. 
The Big Lottery Fund's Reaching Communities programme has announced that it will be donating a cash boost to people living with dementia in North Yorkshire. Those who wear Alzheimer's Medical Alert bracelets to inform others of their condition are set to receive £432,446 from the organisation. As part of its Living well with Dementia project, the Scarborough Whitby and Ryedale Branch of the Alzheimer's Society will use the money over a period of three years to help those living in the area. It is thought that up to 3,500 people could benefit. Colin Barnes, manager of the Scarborough branch of the Alzheimer's Society, said that the initiative will 'help people cope and reduce the isolation and loneliness that so often accompanies a diagnosis, especially in the sparsely populated areas of the North Yorks Moors and the Esk Valley'. In related news, a survey conducted by Turning Point recently revealed that three-quarters of people in the UK have suffered from depression at some point, although many do not seek any help. 
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