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Liver Disease : A Silent Killer

'Liver disease is a silent killer. Most people with the condition don’t know they have it until the disease is at an advanced stage, yet it’s the biggest cause of death in those aged between 35-49 years old.'
 
This is what Professor Stephen Ryder, Medical Advisor to the British Liver Trust, had to say on the dangers of liver disease. In addition to this, since 1970, deaths due to liver disease have increased by 400%. This is in stark contrast to other major killer diseases, such as heart disease and cancer, in which the number of deaths have either remained stable or decreased. This may be because studies have shown that it can take up to 20 years for liver disease to progress to a stage where symptoms begin to show, meaning that around 70% of people with liver disease are undiagnosed and unaware that they already have some degree of liver damage.
 
It is also upsetting to consider that 90% of all liver disease in the UK is attributable to alcohol, obesity and viral hepatitis and is therefore preventable. A lack of awareness of the seriousness and prevalence of liver disease together with the stigma that often surrounds it means that it is consistently overlooked.
Of the vast number of factors that contribute to Liver impairment, Alcohol is the most significant, with 7700 people dying from Alcohol induced Liver Disease yearly. Second to this, obesity, also poses a signigicant detriment to Liver function, causing a build up of fat in the liver, impacting its functionality. Lastly, viral infections such as Hepatitis B and C can negatively impact our liver function, with 180,000 people are estimated to be chronically infected with hepatitis B21 and 215,000 people are thought to have hepatitis.
 
The liver is one of the most repairable organs of the body, but prolonged damage to the liver can lead to scarring which unfortunately cannot be repaired. Tehrefore, early detection in liver disease vastly increases the patients chances of a full recovery. Largely asymptomatic in early stage, later stage liver dysfunction can present with abdominal pain, swelling of the abdomen, loss of apetite, loss of weight, fatigue and jaundice.
 
Despite this, Blood tests are routinely not offered to patients who just exhibit risk factors, but as we now know, symptomatic liver disease most likely equates to a case we have caught far too late. Here at the Wellness Pharmacy, we offer patient's the ability to take control of their own health. Patient's can book in with the pharmacy for a blood test to quantify a variety of Liver markers. A liver check test will give us levels of your ALT and AST, two liver enzymes commonly used for initial liver screening. Any abnormalities can then be investigated in more depth with a full liver screen. Our Well Person blood test will also give a broad outlook on liver function and its various biomarkers.
 
More can be read about these blood tests below.
Created On  18 Feb 2022 12:35  -  Permalink
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Feeling Itchy? Don't ignore it

Chronic pruritus, which is defined as itch persisting for more than 6 weeks, is common. It may involve the entire skin (generalized pruritus) or only particular areas, such as the scalp, upper back, arms, or groin (localized pruritus). A recent study has shown that  In a recent chronic itch was shown to be as debilitating as chronic pain. Deranged sleep patterns and mood disturbances, including anxiety and depression, are common and may exacerbate the itching.
 
The potential causes of chronic pruritus are vast and can be broadly categorized into four major groups; dermatologic causes, systemic causes (such as kidney and liver impairment), neuropathic
causes and psychogenic causes. Itching of any type may elicit secondary skin changes as a result of scratching, rubbing, and picking, so the presence of skin findings does not rule out a systemic causes. 
 
Regardless of this, investigation into causation is generally rare and regardless of presentation, patients are commonly treated to provide symptomatic relief, meaning topical creams or antihistamines are the norm. This approach ignores the root cause of the itch and therefore may only be blanketing a potentailly serious underlying condition. 
 
Patients with chronic itch are recommended to have a number of investiagation carried to determine whether a siginifciant underlying condition is responsible. This includes Full Blood Count, Liver Function Tests, Renal Function Tests, Serum Iron and Ferritin levels and Inflammatory markers such as ESR or CRP. Additional investigations may be required depending on clinical presentation, such as HbA1c, thyroid function tests and Bone Profile. 
 
Here at the Wellness Pharmacy, we offer a comprehensive blood test, a Functional Blood Chemistry Test, designed to test  for a variety of different biomarkers involved in our body's everyday processing This allows us to take a holistic approach to a number of different clinical presentations, whether chronic cases of itching, or  any other symptoms that may be affecting your quality of life. 
 
A consultation with a Clinical Pharmacist is also available if required by the patient.
Created On  11 Feb 2022 12:33  -  Permalink
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Vitamin D : A Silent Deficiency

Once foods were fortified with vitamin D in the 1920s, and rickets appeared to have been conquered, many health care professionals thought the major health problems resulting from vitamin D deficiency had been resolved. 
 

Although deficiency is still widespread and newer studies have found that even sub-clinical Vitamin D deficiency have been linked to with an array of diseases, most notably osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some cancers, and infectious diseases such as tuberculosis.
 

For a significant number of patients, Vitamin D deficiency does not present with acute symptoms in the immediate sense. It is only after an acute event occurs following prolonged vitamin D deficiency that these patient’s discover that they are deficient. This means that many patients are living without the knowledge that they require vitamin D supplementation. 
 

Also, around 50% to 90% of vitamin D is absorbed through the skin via sunlight. This means that the changes we have experienced to our way of living induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, make it likely for us to lack the exposure to sunlight we require to sufficiently supplement ourselves with Vitamin D. Dietary supplementation resultantly will play a larger role in our lives going forward and to suggest a safe and clinically sufficient dose of vitamin D supplementation, a blood to test to quantify vitamin D levels is necessary. 
 

WIth the thought that even sub-clinical deficiency of Vitamin D could contribute to the development of significant ailments in the long term, we believe patients should regularly check their Vitamin D levels to ensure patients give themselves the absolute best chance of living a health life. 
 

Here at the Wellness Pharmacy, we offer patients the ability to do just that. Patients can book in for private blood testing for Vitamin D alongside other vitamins and minerals, with a consultation by a clinical pharmacist if the patient requires this. 
Created On  4 Feb 2022 12:26  -  Permalink
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Created On  7 May 2019 15:45  -  Permalink
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