Latest news with #JAMAOtolaryngology-Head&NeckSurgery
Scottish Sun
21-04-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
One in three cases of dementia could be triggered by common condition that plagues 18 million Brits
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A COMMON condition that affects millions of Brits could be responsible for one in three cases of dementia, say researchers. Treating the condition might delay dementia for a large number of older adults, they add. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Hearing loss could be responsible for one in three cases of dementia, according to new research Credit: Getty There are currently estimated to be 982,000 people living with dementia in the UK and this is projected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040. Older age, smoking, and excessive alcohol use are among the main risk factors for dementia. Now a new study, published in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, has revealed hearing loss may be responsible for nearly one-third of dementia cases in older adults. Researchers found up to 32 per cent of dementia cases over an eight-year period could be attributed to clinically significant hearing loss. Their findings suggest potential benefits from hearing interventions, such as hearing aids. Over 18 million adults in the UK are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus. It can be caused by a variety of factors, including age-related changes, exposure to loud noises, genetic conditions, and certain medical conditions or injuries. As part of the new study, the researchers analysed data from 2,946 adults aged 66 to 90 years, who at the start didn't have dementia. They were followed for up to eight years between 2011 and 2019. 'This cohort study suggests that treating hearing loss might delay dementia for a large number of older adults,' the researchers concluded. Five simple tests that could indicate dementia Treatment for hearing loss varies depending on the underlying cause and severity. For many types of hearing loss, hearing aids and assistive devices are used to improve communication. In some cases, surgery or other medical interventions may be necessary. How to prevent hearing loss 2 Wearing earplugs in noisy places can help protect your hearing Credit: Getty One of the best ways to prevent hearing loss is to protect your ears from loud noise. Avoid loud environments or activities as much as possible, wear earplugs or earmuffs when exposed to loud sounds, especially in noisy workplaces or at concerts, and reduce the volume of music, TVs, and other devices to a comfortable level. Regular hearing check-ups can also help, especially if you have a family history of hearing loss or work in a noisy environment. And be aware of the warning signs of hearing loss. The NHS says common signs include: difficulty hearing other people clearly and misunderstanding what they say, especially in noisy places asking people to repeat themselves listening to music or watching TV with the volume higher than other people need difficulty hearing on the phone finding it hard to keep up with a conversation feeling tired or stressed from having to concentrate while listening If you think your hearing is getting gradually worse, see your GP.
The Sun
21-04-2025
- Health
- The Sun
One in three cases of dementia could be triggered by common condition that plagues 18 million Brits
A COMMON condition that affects millions of Brits could be responsible for one in three cases of dementia, say researchers. Treating the condition might delay dementia for a large number of older adults, they add. There are currently estimated to be 982,000 people living with dementia in the UK and this is projected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040. Older age, smoking, and excessive alcohol use are among the main risk factors for dementia. Now a new study, published in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, has revealed hearing loss may be responsible for nearly one-third of dementia cases in older adults. Researchers found up to 32 per cent of dementia cases over an eight-year period could be attributed to clinically significant hearing loss. Their findings suggest potential benefits from hearing interventions, such as hearing aids. Over 18 million adults in the UK are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus. It can be caused by a variety of factors, including age-related changes, exposure to loud noises, genetic conditions, and certain medical conditions or injuries. As part of the new study, the researchers analysed data from 2,946 adults aged 66 to 90 years, who at the start didn't have dementia. They were followed for up to eight years between 2011 and 2019. 'This cohort study suggests that treating hearing loss might delay dementia for a large number of older adults,' the researchers concluded. Five simple tests that could indicate dementia Treatment for hearing loss varies depending on the underlying cause and severity. For many types of hearing loss, hearing aids and assistive devices are used to improve communication. In some cases, surgery or other medical interventions may be necessary. How to prevent hearing loss 2 One of the best ways to prevent hearing loss is to protect your ears from loud noise. Avoid loud environments or activities as much as possible, wear earplugs or earmuffs when exposed to loud sounds, especially in noisy workplaces or at concerts, and reduce the volume of music, TVs, and other devices to a comfortable level. Regular hearing check-ups can also help, especially if you have a family history of hearing loss or work in a noisy environment. And be aware of the warning signs of hearing loss. The NHS says common signs include: difficulty hearing other people clearly and misunderstanding what they say, especially in noisy places asking people to repeat themselves listening to music or watching TV with the volume higher than other people need difficulty hearing on the phone finding it hard to keep up with a conversation feeling tired or stressed from having to concentrate while listening If you think your hearing is getting gradually worse, see your GP. Is it ageing or dementia? Dementia - the most common form of which is Alzheimer's - comes on slowly over time. As the disease progresses, symptoms can become more severe. But at the beginning, the symptoms can be subtle or mistaken for normal memory issues related to ageing. The US National Institute on Aging gives some examples of what is considered normal forgetfulness in old age, and dementia disease. You can refer to these above. For example, it is normal for an ageing person to forget which word to use from time-to-time, but difficulting having conversation would be more indicative of dementia. Katie Puckering, Head of Alzheimer's Research UK's Information Services team, previously told The Sun: 'We quite commonly as humans put our car keys somewhere out of the ordinary and it takes longer for us to find them. 'As you get older, it takes longer for you to recall, or you really have to think; What was I doing? Where was I? What distracted me? Was it that I had to let the dog out? And then you find the keys by the back door. 'That process of retrieving the information is just a bit slower in people as they age. 'In dementia, someone may not be able to recall that information and what they did when they came into the house. 'What may also happen is they might put it somewhere it really doesn't belong. For example, rather than putting the milk back in the fridge, they put the kettle in the fridge.'
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Sugary drinks linked to greater oral cancer risk, study indicates
ST. PAUL, Minn., March 13 (UPI) -- A study released Thursday found that women who consumed at least one sugar-sweetened beverage daily had a nearly five times greater chance of developing oral cancer than those who largely avoided sugary soft drinks. The University of Washington study comes as cases of oral cavity cancer are increasing at an "alarming" rate among mainly younger, non-smoking, non-drinking patients without any other identifiable risk factors. Some have theorized that diet may play a role in the rising numbers. Oral cavity cancer, for many decades, was primarily associated with older men exposed to well-known cancer risks, including tobacco, alcohol and betel nut chewing. With the advent of anti-smoking health campaigns, the overall number of smoking-related oral cavity cancer cases in Western nations has been steadily declining. Still, more than 355,000 new cases of oral cavity cancer were diagnosed globally in 2020, with nearly 177,000 deaths. Most concerning, however, has been an increase in cases among non-smokers globally, especially among younger White women. The cause of this rise remains unknown. Among the possible culprits that have been ruled out is human papillomavirus, or HPV, a common infection spread through sex. The University of Washington study, published in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, found that high sugary soft drink intake was associated with a significantly increased risk of oral cancer in otherwise low-risk women, regardless of their smoking or drinking habits. While sugar-sweetened beverages have previously been eyed for links to colorectal and other gastrointestinal cancers, they have never before been studied in connection with cancers of the head and neck. The results may point the way for a new direction in seeking the cause of oral cancer in low-risk women, according to lead author Dr. Brittany Barber, an assistant professor of otolaryngology head and neck surgery at the University of Washington School of Medicine and her study colleagues. "Oral cavity cancer is less common than breast or colon cancer, with an annual incidence of approximately 4-4.3 cases per 100,000. However, the incidence of oral cavity cancer is increasing in non-smoking, non-drinking women," Barber said. "Our study showed that, in women, consuming one or more sugar-sweetened beverage per day was associated with a 4.87 times higher risk of oral cavity cancer or three people more per 100,000 diagnosed. "Clinicians should be aware of the both the oral health risks associated with consumption of sugary beverages and the emerging oral cavity cancer epidemic in women." The data was compiled from responses to the national Nurses' Health Study, begun in 1976, and Nurses' Health Study II, begun in 1989, which contain survey information submitted by nearly 163,000 female nurses every two years over the course of three decades on demographics, lifestyle and medical conditions. From that database of nurses' study participants, the researchers zeroed in on 124 reported cases of invasive oral cavity cancer. In their models, those nurses who reported drinking one or more sugar-sweetened beverage daily (or five people per 100,000 population) had a 4.87 times higher risk of oral cavity cancer compared with those who drank fewer than one beverage monthly (two per 100,000), increasing the rate of oral cancer by three more people per 100,000 population. When restricted to both nonsmokers or light smokers and nondrinkers or light drinkers, the risk of oral cancer was 5.46 times higher. The latest findings build on earlier studies showing that sugary drinks are associated with periodontal disease in young adults, which in turn has been linked with oral cancer. "Although this association does not imply causality, our hypothesis is that diets with higher added sugar may contribute to chronic inflammation, which may, in turn, contribute to the risk of [oral cavity cancer]," the authors state. The study is indeed "eye-opening" and addresses "an important question with an elegant study design and generating clear and compelling results," said Dr. Arnaud Bewley, an associate professor who chairs the Department of Otolaryngology at UC-Davis Health. Bewley, who was not involved in the study, told UPI in emailed comments he is "not surprised that sugary beverages play some role in oral cancer etiology. The high-sugar nature of the modern Western diet is being increasingly understood to be at the root of many chronic diseases, and this study adds to that list. "As the authors point out, it may not be the sugar itself directly inciting the cancer; It may be the chronic inflammation from dental and gum disease, the alteration in the oral microbiome or even the dental interventions that follow," he said. Consumption of high sugar beverages also may be associated with other dietary habits or other behaviors that were not captured in the survey and are therefore impossible to control for, he noted. Agreeing with that assessment was another noted otolaryngologist, Dr. Ilya Likhterov, an associate professor of otolaryngology of the University of California-San Francisco School of Medicine, who told UPI he suspects the consumption of sugary beverages might be a surrogate for a generally compromised and unhealthy "oral biome" in the participants who developed oral cancer. "We do know that there are young patients who are non-smokers and non-drinkers who don't have the traditional, environmental risk factors for cancer that do develop [oral cavity cancer, and there's been a lot of work being done trying to identify the cause of it," he said. Regarding sugar-cancer link, "my first thought would be oral hygiene," he added. "We know that patients with gingival disease or chronic inflammation of the mouth have known risk factors for oral cavity cancer. "Like in the gut, the oral microbiome has 'good' bacteria and 'bad' bacteria. Sugar intake can really change the balance, and that could be a cause for the increase in incidence of oral cavity cancer." That possibility could be a direction for further research focusing on the effect of changing oral bacteria on the immune system and its ability to fight off mutations, Likhterov said.
