Cães que salvam vidas!

'Cães treinados detectam doenças - As capacidades deste animal na detecção e monotorização de doenças como o cancro, diabetes e Alzheimer

Nos últimos anos, vários estudos têm vindo a comprovar que os cães conseguem detectar, e monitorizar várias doenças humanas através do odor. Desde o estudo publicado no British Medical Journal, em 2004, que mostrou que era possível para cães treinados detectar a existência de cancro na bexiga através do odor da urina, têm vindo a ser realizados diversos testes com várias raças de cães na prevenção e diagnóstico de cancro e de outras doenças comuns como a diabetes ou Alzheimer.

Com base nestes estudos foi criada, no Reino Unido, a Cancer and Bio-detection Dogs, uma organização que treina cães para a detecção de doenças, especialmente para a monitorização da diabetes tipo I. De acordo com esta organização, a alteração do odor, exalado pelo corpo do doente quando a sua taxa de açúcar sobe ou desce, é sentida pelos cães antes que outros sinais, como a palidez, sejam perceptíveis por humanos. Ao detectar essa alteração de odor, a cadela começa a lamber os braços e as pernas do doente, alertando-o para a necessidade de ajustar a medicação.'

A responsabilidade editorial desta informação é da revista PREVENIR

Ainda acerca deste assunto, recomendo vivamente a leitura deste artigo - A Nose for Danger: Diabetic Alert Dogs Save Lives.

TB Vaccine Promising as New Way to Fight Type 1 Diabetes

One expert said the finding was important, but many questions remain.

"This study shows that by increasing TNF, they can induce the death of the autoreactive T-cells that destroy the cells that make insulin, and they transiently increase C-peptide levels," said Dr. Spyros Mezitis, an endocrinologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "But what happens after 20 weeks? How often would they need to give this vaccine?"

"I'm concerned about increasing the levels of TNF in the body," he added. "They're saying that only the insulin-secreting cells are affected, but what are the long-term effects if it's given repeatedly? What about the growing cells in children, because if it works it would be used in children."

Still, he said, "this is important research that helps us understand the pathophysiology of type 1 diabetes."

http://www.drugs.com/news/tb-vaccine-promising-new-way-fight-type-1-diabetes-39728.html

http://www.webmd.com/news/20120808/can-tb-vaccine-stop-type-1-diabetes

Incidence of type 1 diabetes in Shetland now highest in Europe

http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2012/07/26/incidence-of-type-1-diabetes-in-shetland-now-highest-in-world 

'Shetland is experiencing rapid and unexplained growth in type 1 diabetes, with the highest incidence of diagnosis per head of population in Europe.
JDRF, formerly the Juvenille Diabetes Research Foundation, an organisation dedicated to finding a cure for type 1, said around 27,000 people in Scotland live with type 1 every day. Diagnosis of under fives in Scotland is the highest in the world.
The anticipated growth in children coming through the school system with type 1 will prove to be an added challenge for many in education, although Mr Brookes insisted teachers in Shetland were well-equipped to deal with them.
“The last time we were here we visited a few of the schools. And I think what was apparent in Shetland was that the schools absolutely embrace the condition.”