Health briefing

A round-up of today's other stories in brief

Mayo obesity tops national average

ONE IN three adults over 40 years of age in Co Mayo are obese, according to a report launched yesterday by Croí, the West of Ireland Cardiac Foundation, in collaboration with HSE West’s Mayo Primary Community and Continuing Care Department. The report revealed the findings of a year-long nurse-led community-based cardiac risk factor screening programme, that assessed 1,541 people. The report’s author, Ailish Houlihan, said “a recent national survey [Slán] found that 25 per cent of the Irish population were obese, but this study puts Mayo top of the league table for obesity, ahead of the national average”.

Texting cuts no-shows at hospital outpatient clinic

THE USE of text messaging to remind patients of their hospital appointments has significantly reduced the numbers failing to show up at one outpatient clinic.

Doctors at Tallaght hospital, concerned about the numbers failing to show for urology outpatient appointments, decided to send patients reminders by text three days in advance.

Prior to the introduction of text messaging, the non-attendance rate was 17.6 per cent – the equivalent of more than 4,500 no-shows – but after the service started the non-attendance rate dropped to 12.4 per cent or about 3,400 no-shows.

The greatest improvement was among 16- to 30-year-old patients, where the reduction in non-attendance rates was as high as 63 per cent.

The improvements are outlined in a letter published in the latest edition of the Irish Medical Journal. “We conclude that the use of text message reminders results in substantial improvement in the utilisation of clinical and administrative resources, with considerable cost saving to the overstretched health system,” the hospital’s department of urology states.

It points out non-attendance at outpatient clinics is a common occurrence and is estimated to cost the UK National Health Service between £20-£65 (€24-€77) per incident. “It also has a negative impact on already overstretched clinic waiting lists,” the letter added.

More than half of patients who miss their appointment cite forgetting their appointment or confusion about dates or times as the reason.

'Orphan drug status' for TCD blindness treatment

SCIENTISTS AT Trinity College Dublin have gained approval to develop a treatment for a type of retinitis pigmentosa (RP), which can lead to blindness.

The European Medicines’ Agency has granted “orphan drug status” to the team who have discovered a link between RP and a mutant gene which causes the most common form of the disease.

RP is the name given to a diverse group of inherited eye disorders which affect the retina. Sight loss is progressive and blindness can result in many cases.

Orphan status is granted for treatments for diseases that are relatively rare. The RP in question is caused by a mutation in the rhodopsin gene, which affects between 150 and 200 people in Ireland and 30,000 between Europe and the US.

The TCD scientists have developed a treatment for mice which switches off both the dominant and mutant form of the rhodopsin gene and then replaces the mutant form, which causes the disease, with its healthy counterpart.

The scientists have managed to restore full sight to mice and believe that a similar gene-based therapy can be developed for humans.

Lead researcher Prof Jane Farrar said: “It is confirming that a third party thinks our data is strong. This will speed the whole process up.”

The researchers are moving towards further testing in animals with a view to starting clinical trials on humans.

Prof Farrar said the research could have implications, not just for RP, but for similar illnesses caused by mutant genes.