Lifelines this week looks at depression therapies, contact lenses, arthritis and osteoporosis and learning difficulties
• DEPRESSION THERAPIES: Prescribing of antidepressant drugs has risen dramatically since the early 1990s while cognitive behaviour therapy, a proven effective alternative to drugs, has not been developed for widespread use. UK researchers have found that between 1991 and 2002 antidepressant prescriptions increased almost three-fold with a total cost increase of £310m (€450m). They argue these costs could have been used to deliver cognitive behaviour therapy to 1.54 million patients with depression or mixed anxiety depression. The authors say this indicates that the development of psychological therapies is a feasible alternative to antidepressants. (Opportunity cost of antidepressant prescribing in England: analysis of routine data, British Medical Journal Online, 21st March 2005) www.bmj.com
• CONTACT LENSES: A new study has looked at patients using contacts lenses who develop an acute eye problem (keratitis). Four types of lenses were studied - rigid, hydrogel daily disposable, hydrogel, and silicone hydrogel and results indicated no differences in risk of severe keratitis between the different types of lenses when they were worn during the day. However the risk of severe keratitis rose when all lenses were slept in, particularly in those wearing hydrogel lenses while they slept. These people were found to be five times more likely to develop severe keratitis than those wearing silicone hydrogel lenses. (Br J Ophthalmology 2005; 89: 430-6)
• ARTHRITIS AND OSTEOPOROSIS: Detoxing, natural treatments for arthritis and osteoporosis, and the role of nutrition in health are the themes which naturopaths and nutritional therapists will address on Saturday and Sunday in the Galway Bay Hotel, the Promenade, Salthill, Galway. Admission €10. Booking on Tel:01-6274730.
• LEARNING DIFFICULTY: Approximately 9 per cent of Irish people have a specific processing or learning difficulty, according to recent estimates. A series of public seminars will offer parents, teachers and other professionals an insight into such learning difficulties as Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Asperger's Syndrome and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. The first in the series is called Demystifying Specific Learning Difficulties and will take place in the Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown, Dublin on April 7th. Cost €95.
More details from the National Bua Centre on Tel:01-8851386. See also www.buacentre.com