BBC ONLINE ON DEPRESSION

Depression risk 'highest in 40s'

Realistic aspirations may be the key to happiness

Life may begin at 40, but research suggests that 44 is the age at which we are most vulnerable to depression.

Data analysis on two million people from 80 countries found a remarkably consistent pattern around the world.

The risk of depression was lowest in younger and older people, with the middle-aged years associated with the highest risk for both men and women.

The study, by the University of Warwick and Dartmouth College in the US, will feature in Social Science & Medicine.

One possibility is that individuals learn to adapt to their strengths and weaknesses, and in mid-life quell their infeasible aspirations Professor Andrew Oswald University of Warwick

The only country which recorded a significant gender difference was the US, where unhappiness reached a peak around the age of 40 for women, and 50 for men.

Previous research has suggested that the risk of unhappiness and depression stays relatively constant throughout life.

However, the latest finding - of a peak risk in middle age - was consistent around the globe, and in all types of people.

Researcher Professor Andrew Oswald, an economist at the University of Warwick, said: "It happens to men and women, to single and married people, to rich and poor, and to those with and without children."

He said the reason why middle age was a universally vulnerable time was unclear.

Count your blessings

However, he said: "One possibility is that individuals learn to adapt to their strengths and weaknesses, and in mid-life quell their infeasible aspirations.

Depression is a complex and challenging condition that remains poorly understood Marjorie Wallace SANE

"Another possibility is that a kind of comparison process is at work in which people have seen similar-aged peers die and value more their own remaining years. Perhaps people somehow learn to count their blessings."

Professor Oswald said for the average person, the dip in mental health and happiness comes on slowly, not suddenly in a single year.

Only in their 50s do most people emerge from the low period.

"But encouragingly, by the time you are 70, if you are still physically fit then on average you are as happy and mentally healthy as a 20-year-old.

"Perhaps realizing that such feelings are completely normal in midlife might even help individuals survive this phase better."

Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of the mental health charity Sane, said: "This study raises intriguing questions about the processes that lead to depression in mid-life, as well as indicating what a common experience it is worldwide.

"Depression is a complex and challenging condition that remains poorly understood, with as many as one in ten people with severe depression taking their own life.

"We welcome any scientific contribution to our understanding of this illness, particularly if the research can aid the development of better treatments, both therapeutic and pharmaceutical."

Andy Bell, of the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, said mental health problems were extremely common - but he stressed they could occur at any time in life.

BBC ONLINE: Do What You Want To Do

Here is a wonderful story I came across on BBC Online which I think our members with Asthma (and those who don't have the condition) will appreciate. It is really inspiring to read of how disability and illnesses are seen so positively in Western nations compared to our part of the world.

Read on dear Petpositive members and be enlightened and encouraged! aNt PET+BLOGSPOT.


Celebrity Health - Karen Pickering

Karen has launched her own swim school

Swimmer Karen Pickering represented her country at a senior level for 20 years.

She was four times World Champion, won 14 European Championship medals, 38 British Championship titles and 13 Commonwealth Games medals.

In the 2002 Commonwealth Games Karen won two golds and a silver medal and was given the honour of carrying the English flag at the closing ceremony.

Karen, who has asthma, has twice held a World Record and has competed at four consecutive Olympic Games.

In 1994 she was awarded an MBE for services to swimming and she has recently launched her own swim school.

HOW DID YOU FIRST REALISE SOMETHING WAS WRONG?

I was about seven and I was playing tag in the street with my friend and I couldn't breathe properly.

No-one ever let me think that there was anything I couldn't do Karen Pickering

I assumed it wasn't the first time it had happened because I didn't think it was odd.

She then told me her brother had the same thing and it was asthma.

HOW DID YOU GET DIAGNOSED?

I went home and told my mum what had happened and what my friend had said. We went to my doctor (Dr David Harper) who then diagnosed me properly.

WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION TO THE DIAGNOSIS?

I can't really remember but I suppose as my friend's older brother had it too I probably thought it was cool.

Neither the doctor nor my parents made a big deal of it.

It didn't stop me doing anything. I just had to remember to take my preventative medication and carry a ventolin inhaler with me.

I played on all the school sports teams and was a good runner.

I did cross country races carrying my inhaler.

No-one ever let me think that there was anything I couldn't do. That is why I think the way my parents handled my diagnosis was so important. They just let me get on with things and never panicked.

WHAT WAS YOUR TREATMENT?

I was given inhalers to take. They were the old capsule ones and the powder tasted horrid.

Dr Harper also suggested that I swam as it would strengthen my lungs.

In the late 90s the doctor with the British Olympic team (Dr Mark Harries) suggested I try an inhaler called Asmanex.

This changed my life and cut down the number of attacks I suffered in training and competitions.

HOW DID YOU FEEL DURING TREATMENT?

As a kid, I had to rely on my mum and dad to remind me to take it but other than that it was no big deal.

As I progressed with my swimming, I struggled a bit with exercise-induced asthma.

I could keep an inhaler at the end of my lane during training and that made things easier.

I learned the hard way to make sure I took it before I raced too as I had an attack during a race once. After that I kept an inhaler with me in my tracksuit pocket.

I also struggled with the chemicals in pools. I was fine in the pool that I trained in regularly but suffered when I went somewhere else such as away on training camps.

I learned to manage my asthma better and prepare for training in different pools by upping my medication.

HOW DO YOU FEEL NOW?

I still have asthma attacks and I have noticed since I stopped swimming so often that much lower levels of exercise now induce an attack.

So when I do swim, which is at least once a week, I make sure I do a lot of breath-holding drills to keep my lungs strong. I still always carry an inhaler with me.

The thing for me is that I don't know any other way. I have had asthma for as long as I can remember. It's part of who I am.

I know it must be hard for a parent to watch their child struggle to breathe but I was lucky that my parents did not wrap me up in cotton wool or stop me doing anything, they just made sure I took my medication.

I am grateful that they didn't act like it was anything special or anything to be scared of, it was just something I had.

WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME CONDITION?

Asthma doesn't have to rule your life, you just have to manage it so don't let it stop you doing the things you want to do.

Karen Pickering speaks to promote the work of Asthma UK.

Special CNY Treat For 50 Disabled Elderly & Their Caregivers By Midweek

PETPOSITIVE UPDATE:

It's all set. Very soon, as many as 50 disabled and elderly persons together with their caregivers will be treated to a Chinese New Year treat that they will never forget.

The event which is being put together for PETPOSITIVE by Mid Valley Megamall and Cititel Mid Valley starts in the morning and will end by mid afternoon. Organised specifically for elderly persons, the guests will be the blind and physically handicapped.

The Megamall and the Hotel's guests will be treated to free haircuts and be given free eye-checks together with eye-glasses each before they are led into Cititel for a sumptuous Chinese New Year lunch.

The half-day event, which will be covered by the media, will end with a 20-minute acrobatic show by performers from China.

As another treat, the elderly disabled guests will get to meet and mingle with TraxxFM's newsreader and broadcaster Pei Lee who will be one of the volunteers at the event.

As many of you might know, Pei was one of our emcees at PETPOSITIVE'S maiden charity dinner and launching event at the Legend Hotel, KL on July 29, 2007. Her services was provided free of charge for our Society.

The persons-in-charge on the day will be Captain AKS Russell (Pix 1) and PETPOSITIVE committee member Fasidah Sabeh. (Pix 2)

PETPOSITIVE'S photographers (also FOC) are Ruwaidy Mat Rasul (Pix 4) and Mr Sivaraman Kannan (Pix 2). The latter is not only a PETPOSITIVE member but is also the Vice-President of the Malaysian Parkinson's Disease Association of KualaLumpur.

Look out for a full-report of the activity soon.

PET+BLOGSPOT

BBC ONLINE: Pain for sickle cell disease patients more common and severe

Sickle cell 'causes daily pain'

The sickle cell has a distinctive shape

Daily pain from sickle cell disease may be far more common - and severe - than previously thought, research suggests.

Virginia Commonwealth University researchers asked 232 sickle cell patients to keep diaries.

The Annals of Internal Medicine study found many experienced daily pain - but many tried to cope with it at home, rather than seeking medical help.

Previous research has assumed that, if patients did not seek help, then they were not in pain.

This study could change the way people view the pain of the disease Dr Wally Smith Virginia Commonwealth University

Sickle cell disease is caused by a mutation in a red blood cell gene that changes smooth, round blood cells into a sickle-shaped or C-shaped cells that are stiff and sticky and tend to clot in blood vessels.

When they get stuck in small blood vessels, the sickle cells block blood flow to the limbs and organs and can cause pain, serious infections, and organ damage, especially in the lungs, kidneys, spleen and brain.

Pain can be both acute - in which case it is known as a crisis - and long-lasting.

In the current study, over half of the sickle cell disease patients completing up to six months of pain diaries reported having pain on a majority of days. Almost one-third had pain nearly every day.

Daily phenomenon

Researcher Dr Wally Smith said: "The major finding of our study was that pain in sickle cell disease is a daily phenomenon and that patients are at home mostly struggling with their pain rather than coming into the hospital or emergency department.

"I believe that this study could change the way people view the pain of the disease.

"We need more drugs to prevent the underlying processes that cause pain in this disease.

"And we need better treatments to reduce the chronic pain and suffering that these patients go through."

Dr Alison Streetly, a medical advisor to the Sickle Cell Society and director of the NHS Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Screening Programme, welcomed the study, and hoped it would help to raise awareness.

She said: "There is a tendency to underestimate the serious impact sickle cell can have on people's lives.

"Many people with the condition are living with pain on a regular basis, but managing it on their own.

"It is important that the NHS takes it seriously."

Dr Phil Darbyshire, a consultant paediatric haematologist at Birmingham's Children's Hospital, said the findings echoed anecdotal evidence from patients.

However, he said there were big differences between the US and UK health systems, and so extrapolating from the American experience was not necessarily appropriate.

"In general terms this study adds weight to efforts we are all making to improve health provision for people with sickle cell disease and suggests that much of these efforts should go to supporting people in their own homes trying to control symptoms better to allow people to work and as far as possible lead normal lives."

StarMetro On FRIM Launch on January 14, 2008

Friday January 25, 2008

A jungle pathway for the disabled

By Hilary Chiew

Chong: Appreciates the chance to enjoy the jungle atmosphere again.

In the last 25 years, Chong Tuck Meng, has not stepped into the natural, outdoor world. Prevented from doing so owing to his disabled state of being, he recently gets a rare chance of being close to nature at the Kepong Botanical Garden.

“Forest is nothing new to me as I came from Bentong, Pahang which were pretty much a forested area during my younger days. So, it is really heartening to find this beautiful jungle in the heart of the city made accessible for people like me,” said the 45-year-old who heads the Perwira K-9 Malaysia, an organisation for people who are paralysed from the neck down like him.

(K-9 refers to the ward in Hospital KL for patients with spinal cord injuries.)

The 80ha garden located next to the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (Frim) has incorporated a 400m wheelchair-friendly pathway to cater to the needs of the disabled community.

Refreshing: The wheelchair-bound visitors being taken around the trail at the Kepong Botanical Garden after the launching ceremony.

Called the Razak Walk, named after the current director-general Datuk Dr Abdul Razak Mohd Ali, the cemented trail was launched recently with little fanfare participated by senior staff of the institute and representatives from several organisations of the disabled community.

Razak said the trail was designed with the disabled in mind as there are not many public parks available for the disabled members of society. And it could very well be the first nature trail designed for the disabled people in the country.

Close encounter: Wheelchair-bound Francis Siva (left) and S. Johnson admiring a ginger plant along the Razak Walk.

Besides creating a disabled-friendly corner in the botanical garden, the trail also aims to introduce the natural wonders of the rainforest to the less fortunate lot.

The plot of planted forest is dedicated to under-storey plants like palms, orchids, gingers, pitcher plants and mosses. About 150 species of under-storey plants found in the peninsula as well as from Borneo had been planted along the 400m trail.

Under-storey vegetation thrives on the forest floor with canopy-filtered sunlight and plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance in the natural forest ecosystem.

“It is important for them to know the forests and appreciate it. Natural forests are too challenging for them so we’ve to provide this facility. Otherwise, they will just go to shopping malls.

“There are, however, room for improvement with the trail. We are getting feedbacks from the community after this launch and improve on the design of the trail which included some slopes and installing railing where it is needed,” he said, adding that the next disabled-friendly facility will be the 1.5km trail around the lake area.

Anthony Thanasayan, a vocal advocate of disabled rights thinks the trail was a noble effort on the part of FRIM and hopes that more of such facilities will be made available for the disabled community.

Cool trail: The Razak Walk is a 400m-long nature trail within the 80ha Kepong Botanical Garden.

“It maybe a small step for FRIM but it is a big step for us. The trail provided a fantastic opportunity for us to be acquainted with nature despite some of the shortcomings.

“We are offering ourselves to be in a committee to manage the trail so that we can share our knowledge on how to make the trail and the garden a truly disabled-friendly place,” he said.

Thanasayan said the steep parts of the trail could be a hindrance to the wheelchair-bound public and suggested an alternative route to avoid the dangerous slopes.

Rare outing: Anthony Thanasayan soaking in the sights, sounds and smells of the jungle.

The garden that is open to the public daily from 7am to 7pm is a popular haunt for joggers. However, some unscrupulous visitors had been stealing the rare plants in the garden.

Pictures From Razak Walk Launch In FRIM

Hello everybody! Here are the pictures taken by Ruwaidy Mat Rasul and his wife Tuty Liana Medali for Petpositive at the FRIM launch on January 14. The event took place from 9am until 10.30am.

I was invited in my capacity as columnist for Wheel Power and President of Petpositive. Francis Siva, Head of the Independent Living and Training Centre of Rawang, Selangor; Chong Tuck Meng, Advisor to Perwira K9 Malaysia in KL and Engr Mr Sivaraman Kannan, Vice-President of the Malaysian Parkinson's Disease Association in KL was also present at the event.

Petpositive was also represented by Captain AKS Russell and his wife Fasidah Sabeh, who is also a committee member of Petpositive.

Here is a short synopsis to the photographs above. For a fuller write up, click on WHEEL POWER.

1) FRIM’s Director-General Datuk Dr Abdul Razak Mohd Ali (extreme left) whom the trail is named after, with his gang looking obviously mighty pleased with the whole thing.

2) The disabled guests taking a breather after the tour. Standing behind me (right) is Elango Valautham, the brainchild behind Denai Razak.

3) Morning tea after the excursion with Fasidah Sabeh (facing the camera) in deep thought. Probably pleasantly relieved that none of us encountered any unpleasant leeches that day.

4 & 5) Intrepid explorers: Landscape architect Nik Adlin bte Nik Mohd Sukri, Waidy and aNt wondering what unfriendly beasts we might encounter in our adventure. (Nah, just kidding!)

BBC ONLINE NEWS ON WOUND HEALING HOPE

Great news everybody! Here is a piece of news from BBC Online that offers hope in the future for wound healing which is a bane for many a wheelchair-user. PET+BLOGSPOT


Gel 'to speed up wound healing'

Scarring can be both disfiguring and debilitating

A gel to speed up wound healing and reduce scarring is being developed by UK scientists.
 
It works by suppressing a key gene, boosting blood supply, and altering the way new tissue is laid down.

The researchers say it may aid not just surface injuries, but also people who suffer internal organ tissue damage through illness or abdominal surgery.
The University of Bristol research appears in the Journal of Experimental 

Medicine.

Scarring is a natural part of tissue repair.

While it is most obvious on the skin, it can also occur in many other tissues in the body, where it can have serious consequences.

For instance, scarring of the liver following alcohol-induced damage can be fatal, and scars caused by abdominal surgery can often lead to major complications.

Inflammatory response
The first stage of wound healing involves an inflammatory response, stimulating white blood cells to migrate to the site of injury, and kill off potentially disease-causing microbes.

The same white cells guide the production of layers of a fibrous substance called collagen.

These layers of collagen help the wound heal but, because they are not laid down in the same way as tissue when it is first created, they stand out from the surrounding tissue and result in scarring.

The Bristol team discovered that a single gene called osteopontin plays a key role in controlling this process - and developed a gel that suppresses this action.

They found that once the gel was applied, the speed of regeneration of blood vessels around the wound, and the rate of tissue reconstruction were both accelerated.

In addition, deposition of collagen layers was more controlled - resulting in less scarring.

Researcher Professor Paul Martin said: "White blood cells (macrophages), and the chemical signals (PDGF) delivered to the wound cells, and osteopontin itself are now all clear targets for developing medicines to improve healing of skin wounds and other organs where fibrotic tissue repair can be debilitating.

"We hope that it won't be too long before such therapies are available in the clinic."

Earlier research by Professor Martin's lab and others has shown that embryos of many species, including humans, heal wounds without leaving a scar.

Dr Jeff Hart, director of Cica Biomedical Ltd, and a contributor to the Journal of Wound Care, said: "There are all kinds of examples of problems with scarring in the clinical arena, and any therapy that could alleviate, or even eradicate, scarring would be fantastic."

Professor Enrique Amaya, a tissue regeneration expert at Manchester University, said: "The next step will be to find a pharmaceutical drug which can do the same thing as this gel is doing." 

PETPOSITIVE'S DEEPAVALI PARTY: A Blessing For Pets And Humans

Blessing Of Pets: Story and pictures by Sivaraman Kannan (top) Children dancing to the beat (bottom)

More than 150 people - many of them people with disabilities - gathered at Petpositive's Deepavali Party on Dec 2 last month. The event was sponsored by the Hanuman Temple of Brickfields in Jalan Scott in Brickfields Kuala Lumpur and held at the same venue.

The three-hour event which began at 3pm included a private pet blessing ceremony which two members took part. The pets that were blessed by the temple priests was a cat called Putri and Soolam the Golden Retriever.

Both disabled persons who also took part in the blessing where wheelchair users with spina bifida.

The temple representative who organised the event for Petpositive was Suresh Maniam who is also the temple's treasurer.

The following is the testimony of Mr Sivaraman Kannan, a Petpositive member and Vice President of the Malaysian Parkinson Disease Association who was present at the party.

The pictures in this Blog are also provided by him.




(The clown enthralled the children (top) whilst paraplegic S Jeyaraj (bottom) went horse-riding for the first time.)

"Many years ago I witnessed cows being blessed in Tamil Nadu, India during the Ponggal Festival.

This was indeed carried out in a grand scale and the cows were decorated with flower garlands, sandle wood paste and vermilion powder and the festive atmosphere was in the air. I was momentarily transported back to India when Ms. Sara Lew and I drove up Scott road last month on a Sunday afternoon.

Malaysian Parkinson’s Disease Association had an invitation from Mr. Anthony Thanasayan to join the Petpositive Association Members in a ceremony to bless their pets on 2nd December 2007 at the Hanuman Temple in Scott Road, Kuala Lumpur.

Not knowing what to expect, Sara and I were pleasantly surprised when we turned the corner and saw the set up. There was this long gaily decorated tent on the road side and the loud pop music and the DJ blaring away. All the the people there had transformed the quiet Scott Road to a carnival centre!

There were two horses for joy rides for the participants. Not only were the children excited to see the horses and wait for a ride, even Anthony’s dog, Soolam, was very eager to see the horses.
Most of the time I have seen his dog it was quiet and always at his side. This time the dog was very frisky and practically pleading with Anthony to go nearer to the horses. What difference is there in the inquisitiveness of this dog and that of a young child? The horses and their handlers were kept busy with the joy rides.

There was ample food and drinks and the DJ was at his max performance in getting the children to the dance floor. The pop music made the crowd lively.

The lively dance to the pop music by the two wheelchair bound members drew a very loud round of applause from the crowd. Most of the participants were from the various disabled groups and took this opportunity to forget their shortcoming and enjoy themselves.

The smiles on their faces and the joy of the crowd was heart warming indeed.

Those people with limited faculties really appreciate the benefits of pets in their daily lives and the pets to them is a blessing and blessing their pets is the least we can do. We reluctantly had to leave early as I have to reach home before dark because of my eye problem.

Thank you, Anthony and your team, for the wonderful afternoon."

Engineer Sivaraman Kannan

Veterinary Association To Distribute Positive Lives! Newsletter To Its Vets

PETPOSITIVE UPDATE:

Good News! The Malaysian Small Animal Veterinary Association (MSAVA) will help Petpositive to distribute our Positive Lives! Newsletter to its members.

This was promised by MSAVA's President Dr Matthews Thomas after aNt presented his speech at a veterinary function in a hotel in Petaling Jaya Armada Hotel on January 12 this month.

Dr Thomas was responding to a call by aNt asking veterinarians to come forward to help promulgate Petpositive in the veterinary profession. He announced this at the dinner table in the presence of other guests. One of them was Dr P Vanaja, a former MSAVA President and Petpositive's current committee member.

MSAVA is said to have about 200 veterinarians registered with the society across the nation.

Positive Lives! is the official print newsletter of Petpositive. It is sponsored by K9 Pets Sdn Berhad and Diamond Pet Foods.
PETPOSITIVE was invited to briefly share about our mission to the Rhone Ma event below which was highlighted in The Star last Wednesday. The event took place on January 12 this month at the Armada Hotel in Petaling Jaya. More than a 100 veterinarians were present. Petpositive was represented by committee member Dr P Vanaja, assistant treasurer Andrew Martin and aNt. PET+BLOGSPOT
Wednesday January 16, 2008
StarMetro

New product said to be good against fleas, ticks, lice and ear mites

Grand launch: The Malaysian Small Animal Veterinary Association’s Dr Matthews Thomas unveiling the new product as Merial Asia head of other Asia Andy Choy (right) looks on.

FLEAS, ticks, lice and ear mites – these are the enemies of our furry friends and Rhone Ma Malaysia Sdn Bhd has a solution to the problem.

The animal health biologics (vaccines) trading company is introducing Frontline Combo, a product suitable for puppies and kittens aged eight weeks and above of any size.

At the product launch attended by vets from the Klang Valley recently, Rhone Ma techno-commercial executive Dr Melanie Yap explained the product.

New product: Frontline Combo is available for dogs and cats.

“Frontline Combo can kill adults, eggs, larvae and immature fleas, ticks, lice and mites, thus breaking the life cycle completely,” she said.

Dr Yap also mentioned that the product is safe for cats and dogs of any physiological stage, including pregnancy and lactation.

Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy Association president Anthony Thanasayan shared his experience of using Frontline products at the event.

“For some of the disabled and the elderly, pets give them a reason to live.

“I have three dogs that really changed my life, but the tick problem was a tough one when it comes to taking care of them,” he said.

He added that Frontline had helped him tackle the problem with its many benefits and he does not have to share his bed with ticks anymore.

Frontline Combo is available at veterinary clinics only. For more information, call 03-7873 7355.

From BBC Online: Now we can understand canines

One of the important requirements in building a relationship with our pets is our ability to communicate with them. Communication involves understanding what our pets are trying to tell us. Here is an interesting story from BBC Online that brings us closer to our canine companions. Enjoy! PET+BLOGSPOT


Yap-lication unlocks canine moods

BBC tests 'translator'

The nuances of a dog's barks, howls, yaps and growls can now apparently be discerned by a new computer programme developed by Hungarian scientists.

The software is said to distinguish the emotional reaction of 14 dogs of the Hungarian Mudi breed.

After analysing 6,000 barks, it aims to determine when a dog has seen a ball, when it is fighting, playing, meeting a stranger or when it wants a walk.

But the scientists admit the technology only just out-performs humans.

While the computer correctly recognised the emotional state of 43% of dogs, humans did almost as well with 40%.

But the author of the research - Csaba Molnar, from Eotvos University in Budapest - says the software can be improved, and told the BBC it may have applications for analysis of human communication.

"I would say that we proved there are very strong contextual differences between the barks, but that very long further work is needed to determine which emotional states and which characteristics belong to each (different breed).

He added: "In the future we can use this software for any other vocal or any other signal categorisation."

The scientist also believes that later versions of the software could help owners and dog trainers identify more about dogs' well-being.

"A possible commercial application could be a device for dog-human communication," the scientist told Reuters news agency.

PETPOSITIVE BREAKING NEWS!

SUPER NEWS EVERYONE!

1. Mid Valley City and Cititel Mid Valley Hotel is organising a Chinese New Year get-together for about 50 elderly persons through Petpositive. The event to be held on Thursday January 31. Invitations to the occasion is now all filled up. Twenty elderly blind persons, twenty persons with Parkinson's disease and their caregivers and ten more physically disabled elderly persons and their volunteers will be taking part. The event will include an auspicious CNY hair cutting opportunity, a sumptuous lunch and a 20-minute performance of high-octane acrobatics from performers from China.
2. Malaysia's first handicapped-friendly trail called the "Denai Razak" or "Razak Walk" will be launched on Monday, January 13 at 9am. The close-door event has invited aNt as writer of Wheel Power and President of Petpositive to be present at the occasion. Also attending will be Capt AKS Russell and his wife Fasidah Sabeh of Petpositive.
3. Please note that owing to this month's jam-packed activities, we have decided to postpone our animal-assisted therapy and nature trip in FRIM for Deaf children to sometime in March or April of this year. FOR DETAILS ON THIS AND OTHER DEVELOPMENTS, PLEASE STAY LOGGED ON TO PET-BLOGSPOT.
   

From BBC Online: Drug Warning for people with learning disabilities

Learning disability drug warning

About 200,000 people with learning disabilities are treated with the drugs

Doctors are being warned not to routinely give people with learning disabilities anti-psychotic drugs to curb aggressive behaviour.

An Imperial College London study of 86 patients found the drugs were no more effective than being given none at all.

Researchers said it was more important to address the underlying causes.

In the UK, 200,000 people with learning disabilities are given anti-psychotic drugs - even though there is a risk of side-effects, the Lancet reported.

These can include risk of weight gain, impotence and strain to the cardiovascular system.

The problem with patients with learning disabilities is that we haven't had the evidence on whether anti-psychotic drugs worked Professor Peter Tyrer, lead researcher

The team studied patients in 10 inpatient and community settings in England, Wales and Australia.

One group was given haloperidol, a first-generation antipsychotic drug, a second group got risperidone, a second-generation version, while a third received a dummy pill.

Clinical assessments of aggression, aberrant behaviour, quality of life, adverse drug effects and feelings towards their carer were recorded at four, 12 and 26 weeks.

The researchers found that aggression had decreased substantially with all three treatments by week four, but patients receiving the dummy pill had the greatest change.

Improvements were seen with the other measures, but these were similar for all three groups.

Evidence

Lead researcher Professor Peter Tyrer said: "The problem with patients with learning disabilities is that we haven't had the evidence on whether anti-psychotic drugs work.

"Therefore, these patients were assumed to be the same as other mental health patients.

"But what our research shows is that drugs are no better than not giving any drugs. It seems what is important is the care a person receives.

"When people with learning disabilities are aggressive it is important they are given support and people communicate with them."

But he added that there would still be exceptional circumstances where such drugs were necessary.

Dr Jim Kennedy, prescribing spokesman at the Royal College of GPs, agreed.

But he added: "All too often the drugs are used as a chemical restraint. This can be poor practice."

And David Congdon, from the Mencap charity, said: "Anti-psychotic drugs should be seen as a last resort.

"Challenging behaviour is caused by many different factors - an undiagnosed health condition causing extreme pain, frustration at not being able to communicate properly, or boredom due to a lack of meaningful activity.

"All of this can be dealt with without the use of anti-psychotic drugs."