Diagnostic of Irritable Bowel Syndrome… Calprotectin Test

NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) in the UK, strongly advises GPs to carry out this test, as it would avoid other more invasive tests to be carried out such as colonoscopies, when there is no need to for it.

A faecal sample used in this test would enable a diagnostic of an inflammatory bowel disease to take place (such as Ulcerative colitis or Chron disease) discarding the presence of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, which would facilitate an early diagnose of both of these illness and give way to a more effective treatment.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is an intestinal alteration of unknown origin that affects millions of people in the world, usually young people between the ages of 20 and 30 and whose main symptoms would be:

• Abdominal pain.
• A feeling of fullness after meals.
• Diahorreas that alternate with constipation.
• A change in the frequency and consistency of faeces.
• Flatulency or an increase in intestinal gas.
• Abdominal distension (A feeling of having eaten too much, when it is not the case).
• Rectal tenesmus or pain at the end of defecation, as well as a feeling of not finishing yet.
• Mucous in faeces.
• Others.

The treatment is aimed at treating the symptoms and taking preventative measures such as:

• Avoiding particular foods that not tolerated by the patient.
• Avoiding stimulating drinks.
• Not smoking.
• Cognitive therapy to alleviate stress and depression.
• Antispasmodics for abdominal pains.

In conclusion, the Calprotectin Test aids GPs in differentiating between inflammatory illnesses, which would produce a positive result, and irritable bowel syndrome, which would produce a negative result in the test.

The healthcare system would generate immense savings that could be invested in the public healthcare system and in turn would generate more preventative measures, research opportunities and a chance to develop new treatments.

Dr. J. Hurtado Martínez

Medical Director of HealthSalus

New advances in the diagnostic of cardiac disorders

New images of the heart through MRI scan and developed by the companies GE Healthcare and Arterys.

This new technology displays the heartbeat in 3D and from any angle.

It aids in differentiating between scarred and healthy tissue as well as measuring accurately the speed and the flow of blood through a variety of colours.

It will help to diagnose cardiac disorder with more precision.

Nuevos avances en el diagnostico de las patologías cardiacas

Ultimas imágenes del corazón a través de resonancia magnética y desarrollada por las compañías GE Healthcare y Arterys.

Esta nueva tecnología permite la visualización del latido cardíaco en 3D desde cualquier ángulo.

Ayuda a diferenciar los tejidos cicatrizados de los sanos, a la misma vez que mide con exactitud el flujo y velocidad de la sangre a través de diferentes colores.
Ayudará a diagnosticar las patologías cardiacas con mayor exactitud.

‘Trans Fats’, the most harmful type of fats

‘Trans Fat’ is produced through hydrogenation, which is the process whereby hydrogen is added to liquid fat, solidifying it in order to give food the maximum durability possible.

‘Trans fat’ is named ‘the hidden fat’ as many countries do not inform consumers of its presence within their food labels however, the USA has prohibited its use of ‘Trans Fat’ in a number of states, with the remaining states planning to follow their footstep in the coming years.

‘Trans Fats’ can be found in the majority of products that have a long shelf life such as:

• Margarine
• Precooked meals.
• Biscuits/Cookies.
• Industrial Pastries.
• Soups and ready-made sauces.
• Microwave Popcorn.
• Doughnuts.
• Crisps.
• Reused vegetable oil.
• Etc.

Customers are informed of the presence of ‘Trans Fats’ through a label that says ‘contains partly Hydrogenated Fat’ however, the biggest issue occurs when food companies do not place this warning, as they are not required to do by health laws in a large number of countries.

What damaging effects does ‘Trans Fat’ cause to your health?

• It increases cholesterol levels, especially LDL Cholesterol (bad cholesterol).
• It increases the number of triglycerides.
• It decreases the levels of HDL Cholesterol (good cholesterol).
• It increases the risk of cardiovascular accidents (heart attacks, stroke).
• It increases the risk of diabetes.
• It contributes to the development of dementia due to an increase in inflammatory cerebral processes.

‘Trans Fats’ can be easily replaced by healthy foods and would aid in the development of a healthier population. This should be the aim of governments and the food industry.

Dr. J. Hurtado Martínez

Medical Director of HealthSalus

Cholesterol and Blood Clot Removal Systems

Sistemas de Remoción de Coágulos y Colesterol

Tacking Care Of Children. Enterovirus.

What is the Enterovirus?

The Enterovirus is a type of virus that has mild symptoms most of the time and has been causing outbreaks for over 40 years.

Who are the most affected by this virus?

Children under the age of 6 are the most affected by this virus, eventhough it can affect all ages. This illness can also affect adults although; it is much easier for them to overcome, as their immune system is much stronger than that of children.

Patients heal without any scars in 90% of cases.

How is it transmitted?

The illness is transmitted through the saliva and nasal mucus as the virus is lodged in the mucosa membranes, or through surfaces that have already been contaminated by carriers of this virus.

Where is it mostly transmitted?

Schools, nurseries and at home as well as places where there is a cluster of people.

What are the symptoms?

The most frequent symptoms are:

• Fever.
• Diarrhoea
• Vomiting.
• Respiratory Diseases.

However, the Enterovirus that are causing severe problems in Cataluña, Spain that have been named D68 and D71 and that have already affected a large number of children, are due to an outbreak that has been active since February, and that can produce tremors, convulsions, weakness, impaired balance, sensory disturbances, difficulty in speaking and eating, etc.

All of these symptoms are due to the encephalitis that is caused by the virus.

These outbreaks have already been detected in USA and other countries in Asia apart from Spain.

What is the treatment?

There is no current treatment for this virus however, China is developing a vaccine that is pending approval, and so you can only take preventive measures

that should be rigorously adhered to.

What are the preventive measures to be taken?

• Wash your hands rigorously, which should already be done all the times that is needed.
• Cover your mouth with your arm when you are coughing or sneezing.
• Disinfect all the surfaces that are touched by carriers or sufferers of the virus.
• And above all, if children have a fever of more than 37,5 do not take them to school or nursery and go to your GP.

Lastly, I want make an appeal to all of the churches in England, where the congregation drink from the chalice during the celebration of mass, and make them aware of the source of infection that that is.   

Dr. J. Hurtado Martínez

Medical Director of HealthSalus

Innovation in Medicine

Innovación en Medicina

Vitamin B12. A vitamin of madness.

Aptly named that way.

This vitamin is so important that when there is a great deficiency, the Central Nervous and Peripheral System is affected producing:

• Deep depression.
• Change of mood.
• Hallucinations.
• Paranoia.
• Memory loss.
• Loss of smell and appetite.
• Urinary Incontinence.
• Paraesthesia or tingle.
• Numbness of fingers and toes.
• Tiredness.
• Loss of energy.
• Difficulty in walking.
• Both the tongue and throat are red.
• Yellow skin.
• Anaemia etc. 

The vitamin B12 is found in meat, fish, eggs, milk, etc.. It is produced by the body in a small quantity.

This vitamin deficiency causes an increase in the size of red blood cells, hindering the correct transportation of the haemoglobin that is contained within them. It also affects the development of nerves and the creation of cellular DNA, etc.

Eventhough anaemia can occur, it is not always associated with it.

Vitamin B12 is commonly associated to Folic Acid or Vitamin B9, contributing to the metabolism, so a reduction in vitamin B12 would also lead to a reduction in the metabolism.

The main causes of this deficit would be:

Pernicious anaemia, which is the most important cause of deficiency in the UK.

This is an alteration of the immune system which alters the walls of the stomach where vitamin B12 is absorbed making it impossible for this action to take place.

The cause of this is unknown, but it tends to be found in people with other autoimmune pathologies, within their families and in women over the age of 60.

Other problems that would generate this deficit would be:

• Gastrostomies or stomach surgery.
• Chronic colon diseases such as Chrohn’s disease.
• A number of medicines such as antacids or proton bomb inhibitors such as Nexium, Zantac, etc. which are used for indigestions, hiatal hernias and other gastric problems, or Metformin which is used for diabetes.
• Vegans are at a greater risk of experiencing this deficiency, especially if they have been adhering to a vegan diet for more than 2 years, as their deposits would be already empty by that time.
• People over the age of 50, also are at a greater risk of suffering from Vitamin B12 deficiency.

According to ‘The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey’ in USA, 3,2% of the population over the age of 50 have low levels of B12 and up to 20% of the population is on the edge of suffering from a deficit. It would increase up to 25% in other countries and continents.

The treatment for this deficiency consists of supplements of this vitamin in the form of capsules, or injections in severe cases, which should always be under medical supervision and knowing the level of deficiency.

Lastly I want to say that the damage caused to the central nervous system is irreversible, which is something that can be easily avoided with an early diagnostic and treatment.  

Dr. J. Hurtado Martínez

Medical Director of HealthSalus

Las Endorfinas u Opiáceos Naturales

Llamadas también ‘hormonas de la felicidad’ son producidas por el cerebro, generando sentimientos de euforia,  aumento del sistema inmunológico, favorece las relaciones humanas, disminuye el dolor, etc… Similar a los efectos de los corticoides y la morfina, es considerada ‘la droga de la felicidad’.

Su producción es estimulada por el ejercicio, las relaciones sexuales, el trabajo bien hecho, la música, el arte, la ciencia y cualquier actividad creativa.

Numerosos estudios han demostrado que cuando humanos y animales juegan juntos se incrementan los niveles de endorfinas en los dos. Cualquier gesto visual de amor, hace que estas se segreguen, inclusive el video de esta pareja de nutrias durmiendo agarradas de la mano para no perderse. Un ejemplo de amor para todos.

Dr. J. Hurtado Martínez
Directora Médica de HealthSalus

Endorphins or Natural Opiates

Also referred to as ‘hormones of happiness’ endorphins are produced by the brain, inducing feelings of euphoria, boosting the body’s immune system, improving human relationships, reducing the feeling of pain, etc. Similarly to the effects produced by corticosteroids and morphine, is considered to be ‘the happiness drug’.

Its production is stimulated by exercise, sexual relations, successfully completed work, music, art, the sciences and activities that involve creativity.

A number of studies have shown that when humans and animals play together levels of endorphins are increased in both of them. Visual gestures of love also cause them to segregate, including the video of this pair of otters holding hands whilst sleeping so that they don’t lose one another. An example of love for everyone.

Dr. J. Hurtado Martínez
Medical Director of HealthSalus

The Mediterranean diet. One of the best to use when losing weight.

It is considered to be an intangible piece of cultural heritage by UNESCO and according to Harvard University, it is one of the best diets to use in order to lose weight.

The following products make it rich in fibre, vitamins, antioxidants and omega 3.

The Mediterranean diet is rich in:

• Vegetables.
• Fruits.
• Legumes.
• Cereals.
• Fish.
• Extra-virgin olive oil.
• Garlic.
• Onion.
• Nuts.
• Eggs (to be consumed moderately).
• Dairy products (to be consumed moderately).
• Meat (to be consumed moderately).

Using the Mediterranean diet as a basis to lose weight, the bases of the diet would the same as those for the general population, with only reducing the portions being eaten, always served in a small plate or a dessert plate and be made up of approximately 10 to 11 tablespoons per portion without taking into account the added vegetables.

• The legumes that are part of the Mediterranean diet are: white beans, chickpeas and lentils.
• Cereals: Rice (wholegrain is best), breakfast cereals without sugar, bread and whole grain pasta.
• Fish: sardines, anchovies, hake, salmon, small fishes and seafood with low levels of mercury and with a rich amount of omega 3.
• Extra virgin olive oil, for its richness of mono unsaturated fatty acids, but only using 3 to 4 tablespoons in weight loss diets due to its high amount of calories.
• Milk in the form of low fat yogurt, due to its large quantity of probiotics, which aid the health of the colon.

Exercise is essential in this diet.

For everybody depending on age, walks of half an hour up to an hour, for a minimum of five times a week.

Drinking 2 litres of water per day, which helps to eliminate toxins through the kidneys and it is the best diuretic that exists.

Always eating a fresh salad of vegetables as a first course in all the main meals, followed by a course each day of a different legume, with one day being rice and with another being pasta, always mixing it with vegetables at different stages of cooking and always accompanied by a piece of bread.

Have dinners consisting of fish and vegetables, eggs, grilled chicken, or seafood.

It would be ideal to eat 5 meals a day:

• A good breakfast (cereal with milk or toast with olive oil and freshly squeezed orange juice).
• A piece of fruit or a yogurt mid-morning.
• Lunch at midday, which would ideally be the main meal of the day (legumes, rice or pasta, with vegetables).
• An afternoon snack of a yogurt or a piece of fruit.
• A light dinner of grilled fish, eggs or grilled chicken. 

A piece of fruit after every meal helps to quench the need to eat something sweet for those that have a sweet tooth, and eating it before a meal helps to quench the hunger for those who get very hungry, however we should never forget to eat a vegetable salad as a first course due to its large quantity of fibre that will help to reduce our appetite.

Dr. J. Hurtado Martínez

Medical Director of HealthSalus

Gall Bladder Endoscopy Surgery

https://vimeo.com/24518750

Cirugía Endoscópica de la Vesícula Biliar

https://vimeo.com/24518750

The Benefits of Coffee

Originally from Arabia and extended throughout the world, recent studies have acknowledge its infinite properties.

Studies published by the journal ‘Hepatology’ show how caffeine decreases the amount of fat found in the cells of mice that suffer from non-alcoholic fatty liver.

‘The Journal of Clinical Oncology’ published in recent studies that coffee helps to prevent relapses in patients treated with surgery and chemotherapy for colon cancer. The reason being that coffee acts by decreasing the inflammation that is found within the colon.

Other benefits would include:

• Decrease in the risk of suffering from diabetes… Studies conducted in Athens University state that this effect would be due to the large quantity of antioxidants that is found within coffee.
• There is also an increase in concentration and a decline in physical and mental fatigue.
• An increment in the resistance within sports.  
• Another important benefit of coffee found by Harvard University, is how it prevents skin cancer not melanoma, by filtering the Ultraviolet radiations that harm the skin.

Despite of all the benefits that coffee has, there are people that are intolerant to it leading them to suffer from:

• Insomnia.
• Tachycardia.
• Intestinal Discomfort.
• Polyuria or increase urinary frequency. 

This people need to take their measures, and primarily drink energetic drinks with caution, as many of these do not warn in regards to the amount of caffeine that they contain.

Experts recommend that nobody should drink more than 400mg of caffeine per day.

The caffeine content found in the most common drinks is:

• Coffee cup: 80mg of caffeine.
• Coca cola: 40mg of caffeine.
• Energetic drinks: 80mg in 250ml.

There are some multi-vitamin tablets that contain up to 300mg of caffeine.

It has been frequently forbidden for patients that suffer from hypertension to drink coffee, however if you have drank coffee your entire life it will not influence your BP readings.

And for everybody that tolerates it well, it is delicious!!

Dr. J. Hurtado Martínez
Medical Director of HealthSalus

Que le pasa al cuerpo cuando se encuentra en una situación amenazante tanto física como sicológicamente (crisis de pánico)

‘Lucha o Huida’: el término utilizado para describir la reacción fisiológica del cuerpo al peligro. 
La boca puede secarse debido a que los fluidos son preservados para las partes más importantes del cuerpo. 
Una descarga de Adrenalina, Noradrenalina y Cortisol provoca que el corazón lata más rápidamente. 
La respiración se acelera, pudiendo acabar en Hiperventilación. 
La temperatura del cuerpo se incrementa y por lo tanto puede causar que uno sude más.
Los vasos sanguíneos se dilatan para que llegue el flujo de la sangre a los músculos más grandes del cuerpo y al corazón, provocando una tensión más elevada.
La amígdala cerebral causa que más imágenes de lo normal sean almacenadas en el cerebro, por lo tanto, el tiempo es percibido más lentamente; simplemente es un espejismo de la memoria.

Cirugía - Prótesis de Rodilla

Knee Replacement Surgery

Tomates y Cáncer de Próstata

Según estudios realizados por los investigadores David Neal y Vanesa Er de las Universidades de Cambridge y Bristol, comer 10 tomates medianos a la semana, reduce un 18% el cáncer de próstata; esto es debido a la gran cantidad de Licopeno, que es el antioxidante encontrado en ellos.