Latest news with #CFS
Scotsman
17 hours ago
- Health
- Scotsman
Fresh investment into innovative service is ‘game-changing' for improved care in the community
Major new investment in an innovative approach to helping provide better care in the community is set to be a 'game-changer' for Scotland's growing frail population, according to a formal NHS partner. Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... InnoScot Health believes that the announcement of a fresh £85m government boost to the specialist Hospital at Home service – supporting expansion to 2,000 virtual beds across Scotland by December 2026 – will make a significant improvement to many lives. Head of Innovation at InnoScot Health, Robert Rea said: 'Thanks to personalised, remote, real-time technology, the Hospital at Home service provides high-quality, patient-centred care for frail people living in their own homes, avoids unnecessary hospital stays, and frees up capacity. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'With some 35 per cent of the population over 65 identified as mildly frail, 15 per cent moderately frail, and five per cent severely frail, the need for acceleration of dedicated, targeted innovation is clear. Head of Innovation at InnoScot Health, Robert Rea 'Now, thanks to this timely further investment, I believe we are increasingly turning the tide in Scotland's efforts to deliver innovation-driven improvements in better managing and coordinating care in the community and striking the right balance with social care and hospitals.' Injuries caused by falls are thought to be a leading cause of hospital admissions for those over 75 – with the number of people in that category projected to grow by 340,000 over the next 25 years – but Hospital at Home tech means that many of those falls can be avoided. The fresh multi-million-pound boost comes in tandem with the national rollout of specialist frailty services across all 30 of Scotland's A&E departments by the end of this summer, a move aimed at reducing waiting lists and the duration of hospital stays. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Announcing the additional investment during a visit to NHS Forth Valley's Hospital at Home service, First Minister John Swinney said it would help to 'ensure many patients can receive first class NHS care in the comfort of their own homes and not have to travel to a hospital where it isn't required'. He insisted that the expansion would also be aimed at 'improving the flow of patients throughout the NHS and generating greater capacity for staff'. Amongst frailty-targeting homegrown tech is the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). The judgement-based tool helps assess illnesses, function, thinking and understanding to generate a frailty score for further assessment. CFS is available on the Right Decision Service – a 'Once for Scotland' source of digital tools enabling people to make quick and safe decisions based on validated evidence. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad InnoScot Health initially worked in partnership with the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) to help develop the Right Decision Service, which was then launched by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS). InnoScot Health now has legal manufacturer responsibility for calculators, software, and decision support tools that are integrated into the Right Decision Service. Robert continued: 'We know that innovation is a vital asset for improving frailty services, and we can help support NHS Scotland staff in identifying and developing solutions which not only change lives but also realise time and cost savings which can be redeployed back into the health service. 'Inspiring and encouraging the healthcare workforce to come forward with ideas which shift the focus from acute to community is key to the future of NHS Scotland.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Health
- Scotsman
What is ME and the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome explained
ME can cause debilitating symptoms 🏥 Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... An estimated 390,000 people living in the UK have ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. A new plan for care reforms have been announced by the government. ME can cause debilitating symptoms. A new plan for care reforms for ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) has been revealed by the government. ME affects an estimated 390,000 people living in the UK, it can cause debilitating symptoms including fatigue, sleep problems and difficulties with thinking, concentration and memory. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The impact varies between cases, but severe ME/CFS, which is thought to affect a quarter of those diagnosed, leaves patients unable to leave their home or work. Many of those living with ME/CFS currently struggle to access appropriate care. An estimated 390,000 people living in the UK have ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. | Pexels, Tima Miroshnichenko The plan will introduce new training for NHS healthcare professionals, featuring up-to-date learning resources to increase understanding to ensure signs are not missed. It will help combat the stigma faced by people living with ME/CFS, which stems from a lack of awareness about the condition, as well as increase funding for research, awarded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research and will address the specific needs of children and young people, ensuring they receive appropriate support in education settings. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Ashley Dalton, said: 'ME/CFS is a debilitating illness that can severely limit patients' ability to participate in everyday activities, maintain employment, or enjoy family and social life. 'Today's plan will help tackle the stigma and lack of awareness of this condition through improved training for NHS staff. And through our neighbourhood health services, we will ensure patients suffering from the effects of ME/CFS can access quality care, closer to home, as pledged in our 10 Year Health Plan.' Sonya Chowdhury, Chief Executive, Action for ME, said: 'This is an important step for the ME community, long overlooked and under-served. The plan must not be a token gesture - it requires a sustained, strategic commitment to care, funding, and research. Without it, meaningful outcomes for people with ME will not be achieved.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What is ME/CFS? Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), is a long-term condition that can cause debilitating symptoms that affect different parts of the body. It is characterised by extreme tiredness, debilitating pain and additional symptoms related to post-exertional malaise. What are the symptoms of ME? The NHS explain that symptoms of ME can include extreme tiredness, problems sleeping, problems with memory or concentration, post-exertional malaise. Other symptoms can include: muscle or joint pain headaches a sore throat or sore glands that are not swollen flu-like symptoms feeling dizzy or sick fast or irregular heartbeats (heart palpitations) muscle twitches or spasms intolerance to alcohol or certain foods or chemicals being very sensitive to light, sound, touch, taste and smell having hot flushes or cold chills if the temperature changes feeling dizzy, sick or fainting when standing up from a sitting or lying position There is no specific test for ME and not everyone will experience the same symptoms. It is defined as mild, moderate, severe and very severe and can have a significant impact on a person's day to day life. You can find out more about ME/CFS and what support is available at Action for ME.
Montreal Gazette
2 days ago
- Health
- Montreal Gazette
Montreal researchers link protein to chronic fatigue
By A Université de Montréal professor and his team believe they have made a breakthrough discovery about a poorly understood illness that affects thousands of Quebecers and has significant ties to long COVID. In a recently published study, Dr. Alain Moreau identifies a potential new biomarker and therapeutic target for myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS), once known as chronic fatigue syndrome. It's an advancement he says could revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of the illness. 'It is very, very encouraging,' Moreau said in an interview, explaining the findings were 10 years in the making. 'We believe it can bring a lot of hope to patients.' ME/CFS is a complex disorder often triggered by viral infection. It can strike a person's muscular, nervous and immune systems and can become disabling, with many patients unable to work or confined to bed as a result. Though it can attack the body in different ways, its cardinal symptom is what's known as 'post-exertional malaise' — a worsening of symptoms, or appearance of new ones, after minimal physical or mental exertion. Moreau's study focused on a protein known as SMPDL3B. Though usually found attached to cell membranes, where it plays a role in controlling the immune system's response, it can also become detached and found in blood plasma. The study identified that people with ME/CFS have elevated levels of the soluble form of the protein in their plasma. The higher the levels, the more severe their symptoms. Those elevated levels could be caused by a specific enzyme, PI-PLC, that detaches the protein from the cell membrane and disrupts immune regulation. Critically, Moreau said, there are known diabetes drugs that can inhibit PI-PLC's activity. 'In other words,' Moreau said, 'this discovery shows that two medications currently in use — two molecules that are now even produced in generic formats — may be of interest for the treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis.' The study also identified that the levels of SMPDL3B found in people's plasma is influenced by estrogen, which could explain why women are so disproportionately affected by ME/CFS and why some experience an improvement in symptoms with age. The study included a cohort of 249 ME/CFS patients from Quebec, all recruited before the COVID-19 pandemic, and was tested against a cohort of 141 Norwegian patients. 'We reached exactly the same conclusion in both: that elevated levels of soluble form was associated with symptom severity and also that women had much higher levels,' Moreau said. The study was first published in the Journal of Translational Medicine earlier this month. Moreau stressed that randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm and apply the findings moving forward. Potential for long COVID patients While promising for ME/CFS patients, Moreau believes the findings could also have important implications for long COVID patients, who often experience similar symptoms. The link between the two illnesses first started emerging after the early waves of the pandemic. As people shared stories of persistent COVID symptoms that worsened after exertion, ME/CFS patients recognized what they were going through. Today, it's believed that nearly half of the people suffering from long COVID meet the diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS. In both cases, women are disproportionately affected. While the number of ME/CFS patients in Quebec used to be estimated at 70,000, Moreau believes that post-pandemic, it is now likely more than 100,000 people. He hopes the findings can be encouraging to people suffering from both conditions. 'We are trying to contribute to the research and make a difference,' he said.
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Health
- Scotsman
What is ME and the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome explained
ME can cause debilitating symptoms 🏥 Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... An estimated 390,000 people living in the UK have ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. A new plan for care reforms have been announced by the government. ME can cause debilitating symptoms. A new plan for care reforms for ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) has been revealed by the government. ME affects an estimated 390,000 people living in the UK, it can cause debilitating symptoms including fatigue, sleep problems and difficulties with thinking, concentration and memory. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The impact varies between cases, but severe ME/CFS, which is thought to affect a quarter of those diagnosed, leaves patients unable to leave their home or work. Many of those living with ME/CFS currently struggle to access appropriate care. An estimated 390,000 people living in the UK have ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. | Pexels, Tima Miroshnichenko The plan will introduce new training for NHS healthcare professionals, featuring up-to-date learning resources to increase understanding to ensure signs are not missed. It will help combat the stigma faced by people living with ME/CFS, which stems from a lack of awareness about the condition, as well as increase funding for research, awarded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research and will address the specific needs of children and young people, ensuring they receive appropriate support in education settings. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Ashley Dalton, said: 'ME/CFS is a debilitating illness that can severely limit patients' ability to participate in everyday activities, maintain employment, or enjoy family and social life. 'Today's plan will help tackle the stigma and lack of awareness of this condition through improved training for NHS staff. And through our neighbourhood health services, we will ensure patients suffering from the effects of ME/CFS can access quality care, closer to home, as pledged in our 10 Year Health Plan.' Sonya Chowdhury, Chief Executive, Action for ME, said: 'This is an important step for the ME community, long overlooked and under-served. The plan must not be a token gesture - it requires a sustained, strategic commitment to care, funding, and research. Without it, meaningful outcomes for people with ME will not be achieved.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What is ME/CFS? Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), is a long-term condition that can cause debilitating symptoms that affect different parts of the body. It is characterised by extreme tiredness, debilitating pain and additional symptoms related to post-exertional malaise. What are the symptoms of ME? The NHS explain that symptoms of ME can include extreme tiredness, problems sleeping, problems with memory or concentration, post-exertional malaise. Other symptoms can include: muscle or joint pain headaches a sore throat or sore glands that are not swollen flu-like symptoms feeling dizzy or sick fast or irregular heartbeats (heart palpitations) muscle twitches or spasms intolerance to alcohol or certain foods or chemicals being very sensitive to light, sound, touch, taste and smell having hot flushes or cold chills if the temperature changes feeling dizzy, sick or fainting when standing up from a sitting or lying position There is no specific test for ME and not everyone will experience the same symptoms. It is defined as mild, moderate, severe and very severe and can have a significant impact on a person's day to day life.
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Health
- Scotsman
What is ME and the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome explained
ME can cause debilitating symptoms 🏥 Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... An estimated 390,000 people living in the UK have ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. A new plan for care reforms have been announced by the government. ME can cause debilitating symptoms. A new plan for care reforms for ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) has been revealed by the government. ME affects an estimated 390,000 people living in the UK, it can cause debilitating symptoms including fatigue, sleep problems and difficulties with thinking, concentration and memory. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The impact varies between cases, but severe ME/CFS, which is thought to affect a quarter of those diagnosed, leaves patients unable to leave their home or work. Many of those living with ME/CFS currently struggle to access appropriate care. An estimated 390,000 people living in the UK have ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. | Pexels, Tima Miroshnichenko The plan will introduce new training for NHS healthcare professionals, featuring up-to-date learning resources to increase understanding to ensure signs are not missed. It will help combat the stigma faced by people living with ME/CFS, which stems from a lack of awareness about the condition, as well as increase funding for research, awarded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research and will address the specific needs of children and young people, ensuring they receive appropriate support in education settings. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Ashley Dalton, said: 'ME/CFS is a debilitating illness that can severely limit patients' ability to participate in everyday activities, maintain employment, or enjoy family and social life. 'Today's plan will help tackle the stigma and lack of awareness of this condition through improved training for NHS staff. And through our neighbourhood health services, we will ensure patients suffering from the effects of ME/CFS can access quality care, closer to home, as pledged in our 10 Year Health Plan.' Sonya Chowdhury, Chief Executive, Action for ME, said: 'This is an important step for the ME community, long overlooked and under-served. The plan must not be a token gesture - it requires a sustained, strategic commitment to care, funding, and research. Without it, meaningful outcomes for people with ME will not be achieved.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What is ME/CFS? Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), is a long-term condition that can cause debilitating symptoms that affect different parts of the body. It is characterised by extreme tiredness, debilitating pain and additional symptoms related to post-exertional malaise. What are the symptoms of ME? The NHS explain that symptoms of ME can include extreme tiredness, problems sleeping, problems with memory or concentration, post-exertional malaise. Other symptoms can include: muscle or joint pain headaches a sore throat or sore glands that are not swollen flu-like symptoms feeling dizzy or sick fast or irregular heartbeats (heart palpitations) muscle twitches or spasms intolerance to alcohol or certain foods or chemicals being very sensitive to light, sound, touch, taste and smell having hot flushes or cold chills if the temperature changes feeling dizzy, sick or fainting when standing up from a sitting or lying position There is no specific test for ME and not everyone will experience the same symptoms. It is defined as mild, moderate, severe and very severe and can have a significant impact on a person's day to day life.
