
Health expert on the risk factors for liver cancer
Rising obesity rates are a major contributing factor, with the proportion of liver cancer cases linked to obesity expected to double from 5 per cent to 11 per cent.
Around three out of four cancers that start in the liver are hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which frequently develops in livers scarred by conditions such as excessive alcohol consumption or Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD).
Early stages of liver cancer often show no symptoms, but advanced signs include jaundice, unexplained weight loss, and fatigue, with diagnosis typically involving ultrasound, CT, and MRI scans.
Treatment options are diverse, ranging from curative surgeries like liver resection, transplant, or ablation for early detection, to other methods such as chemoembolisation for more advanced cases.
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Daily Mail
22 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
I've been a personal trainer for 25 years - I avoid this 'healthy' food because it makes you look old
Demand for plant-based meat alternatives, gluten-free snacks and other 'healthy' options has undeniably taken the world by storm. Fuelled by a deluge of alarming reports into the dangers of eating too much processed meat, gluten and refined carbohydrates, supermarket shelves are now packed with 'plant based meat' and grain and nut-packed granolas. But, Tracy Campoli, a certified holistic health coach, warned these so-called "healthy" products could be ageing the body from the inside out, causing chronic inflammation and visible signs of ageing. According to Ms Campoli, some of the most popular plant-based meat-alternatives are seriously lacking in vital nutrients like protein, and are instead packed full of additives, seed oils and salt. In a video posted to YouTube, the fitness coach analysed five different "healthy foods" that are by their very nature highly processed, and concluded that fake meat is one of the worst offenders when it comes to health. 'Just because it's plant-based, it doesn't mean it's healthy—you've got to read your labels,' she warned her 347,000 subscribers. Around 12 per cent of people in the UK eat a meat-free diet, with many choosing to give up red meat in particular because of its supposed link with heart disease and even cancer. But, Ms Campoli warned: 'Some of these so-called "good for you" choices may secretly be sabotaging your skin and even speeding up visible signs of ageing like wrinkles. 'But more plant-based alternatives might actually be causing some fine wrinkles on your face. Ms Campoli continued: 'So many of those mass-marketed plant-based meat alternatives—such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger—all use inflammatory oils which can speed up your cellular ageing.' Seed oils such a canola oil, sunflower and rapeseed oils are high in polyunsaturated fats which, it has long been claimed, are a 'heart healthy' substitute for traditional animal fats. But in recent years, they've also found themselves at the centre of a raging health debate. Detractors refer to seed oils as 'The Hateful Eight' – which also include corn, soybean, cottonseed, grapeseed, safflower and rice bran oil. Critics say these oils—which today make up more than 25 per cent of the calories in our diets—are causing obesity and leading to a host of health problems from type 2 diabetes to depression and even migraines. It's a claim that goes against medical advice of the past few decades: butter, dripping and lard are high in 'bad' saturated fats which raise cholesterol and heart disease risk, while seed oils contain unsaturated fats that can decrease cholesterol levels and protect the heart. But according to Ms Campoli seed oils aren't always the healthier option. 'They may sound healthy, but they are actually really not great for our body, causing more oxidative stress,' she warned in the clip. The main concern us that they are high in omega-6 fatty acids, she explained. 'When we have an excess of omega-6 in our body it creates more oxidative stress, damages your skin cells and it can cause wrinkles.' She added that these alternative products are often packed with higher levels of salt than their animal-derived counterparts, as manufacturers try to mimic the taste and texture of real meat. This, she says, can cause people to bloat and make the skin look more puffy. Eating too much salt can also lead to high blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. 'It's also not good for your skin because sodium can also lead to dehydration,' Ms Campoli added. 'But it's hydration from the inside out gives us that glowy more youthful-looking skin. 'If you're eating a lot of excess salt, you're going to look dry and dehydrated. She concluded: 'All of these ingredients together can cause inflammation in the body. 'Inflammation is the root cause of so many diseases and health problems so we want to do our best to keep inflammation at bay. 'You're better off eating more whole foods than looking for substitutes.' Wholegrain breads that are full of hidden sugars and emulsifiers, granola, rice cakes and gluten-free snack products also made her blacklist. 'Many of these products breads contain hidden sugars which contribute to glycation—meaning it stiffens and weakens your collagen, making your skin saggy and contributing to the visible signs of ageing.' It comes as new research suggests consuming a diet low in ultra-processed foods could help supercharge weight loss. Additive-laden foods have been vilified for decades over their supposed health risks, with dozens of studies linking them to type 2 diabetes, heart disease and even cancer. Now, British scientists who tracked dozens of adults have discovered those who ate a diet rich in minimally processed foods and avoided UPFs, lost twice as much weight as those who often consumed UPFs. Sticking to meals cooked from scratch could also help curb food cravings, they also found. However, diets high in UPFs had little impact on blood pressure, heart rate, liver function and cholesterol. Researchers argued their findings echoed calls to limit certain types of UPFs but cautioned it also showed that not all UPFs are 'inherently unhealthy'.


Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Labour's decision to close the Fleming Fund is a false economy that puts our national security at risk
Health emergencies rarely respect borders or budgets. As I write, the world is facing an antibiotic emergency, with bacteria rapidly evolving resistance to the treatments we depend on to counter infectious diseases. Without effective antibiotic treatments, global health and the global economy are defenceless against the likes of pneumonia and sepsis. Antibiotics are the infrastructure of modern medicine, making chemotherapy, caesarean sections and hip replacements possible. More than 1.1million people die across the world every year because of antibiotic resistance, including 35,000 in the UK alone. These trends are increasing and inter-generational, with deaths in children tripling in the last three years. For the last decade, the UK has been at the forefront of global efforts to tackle the wider threat posed by antimicrobial resistance (AMR). While antibiotic resistance poses the single biggest threat to modern medicine, AMR points to a serious problem for all types of antimicrobial agents – antifungals, antivirals, and antiparasitics – threatening to reverse all the significant gains we've made against HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis. The UK's Fleming Fund has been a bulwark against such threats: building laboratory capacity in 25 low- and-middle-countries to detect emerging AMR outbreaks, allowing for proactive, data-driven responses before they escalate into global crises. Among many other things, the Fleming Fund has tripled the genomic sequencing capacity across the entire African continent – which even pivoted to detect Covid-19 variants. The UK government's decision to shut down the Fleming Fund is a false economy and directly puts our national security at risk. It will cost lives, as well as precious GDP that could be spent on frontline NHS services. If we are to learn any lessons at all from Covid-19, it should be that we cannot afford to cut corners when it comes to preventing and preparing for inevitable pathogenic threats. Bold investment to protect against AMR Decisions made today will directly impact our ability to counter and contain AMR pandemics in the very near future. When I was Chancellor in 2023, the Treasury recognised the economic health ramifications of AMR, and the UK government commissioned economic studies to better understand the risks and opportunities. The Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation found that if AMR resistance accelerates in line with poorer-performing countries, the world faces an additional seven million deaths globally by 2050. The Center for Global Development then estimated that economically, this would wipe $1.7 trillion annually off global GDP by 2050 and it will cost $175 billion extra a year for health systems to treat people. Country-level estimates released recently estimate that the British economy would be $59 billion smaller in this scenario and the UK would spend an additional $2.8 billion a year treating superbugs. $296 billion and $188 billion would be wiped off the US and EU economies respectively. In contrast, this research shows that there would be large economic benefits to the UK and elsewhere if we invest in improving the treatment of infections. With the UK economy facing significant challenges and the NHS workforce facing rising pressures, now is the time to act boldly and invest proactively to protect against AMR. Whilst the UK alone cannot solve AMR, the UK can and should leverage its world-leading technical expertise and diplomatic leadership through the Fleming Fund, its Special Envoy on AMR, Dame Sally Davies, and other global investments in AMR. Even in a world where only 0.3 per cent of gross national income (GNI) is earmarked for international aid funding, there must be a budget line for AMR. If we are to drive economic growth and build resilience against health threats at home and abroad, we need decisive action with investments that put health security first. With an evolved Fleming Fund, we can mitigate against the worst effects of AMR by supporting research and development of new antibiotics, increasing access to treatments in countries where lack of access accelerates resistance, embedding large-scale education and training programmes to ensure the sustainable and responsible use of existing antibiotics, and harnessing AI for diagnostic tests and surveillance for the UK and the countries most severely impacted by AMR. A world without the Fleming Fund puts even greater pressure on UK government and the life sciences sector to find new ways to prepare for the pandemics we already detect and those we are yet to detect, to safeguard UK health and economic security. Now is the time for the government to step up.


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Mother-of-two, 49, issues warning after weight loss jabs left her passing BLACK urine and hospitalised: 'I thought I was going to die'
A mother has told how she felt 'lucky to be alive' after a weight loss jab left her hospitalised and suffering black urine. Claire Reed, from Aberdeen in Scotland, was prescribed Mounjaro in March after she was left 'fed up' of not fitting into her clothes properly. The 49-year-old, who was classed as overweight, claimed she only had to fill out a questionnaire provided by online pharmacy MedExpress before she was offered the £200 a month drug. She lost four stone in the first four months, dropping from 15 to 11 stone. But in June, she suddenly began to feel nauseous every time she tried to eat or drink and would faint almost daily. Despite noticing her urine had turned black due to dehydration she refused to tell family and friends she was on the jab over fear of embarrassment. It was only when she fell unconscious in the car, her son and daughter rushed her to hospital and she was immediately put on an IV drip to rehydrate the body. Tirzepatide, the ingredient behind Mounjaro, has long been hailed a game-changer in tackling obesity. Administered weekly, the drug—manufactured by Eli Lilly—is designed to help type 2 diabetes patients control their blood sugar levels or for obese people to lose weight for health purposes Administered weekly, the drug—manufactured by Eli Lilly—is designed to help type 2 diabetes patients control their blood sugar levels or for obese people to lose weight for health purposes. However, the injections, known collectively as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), are known to cause worrying side effects such as pancreatitis—when the pancreas suddenly becomes inflamed—or gastrointestinal issues. The family of drugs known as GLP-1 RAs, originally developed to treat diabetes, are now often being used for weight loss as they were found to suppress a patient's appetite. Recalling her terrifying ordeal, Ms Reed said: 'I was going on holiday to Dubai with my daughter and I was fed up with not fitting in my clothes. I wasn't really that big but that was the motivation to start. 'I ordered them online, I didn't go to the doctor. There were no instructions on how to deal with it, it works for a lot of women quite well. 'I couldn't eat so I was just collapsing because I had no food or water, I wasn't able to process anything in my body. 'I felt very sick and had no appetite. Even on holiday, I couldn't eat. It's not nice going on holiday and not eating because your whole life revolves around food. 'I kept collapsing at the end of the day because when you're not drinking or eating anything your body just shuts down. 'It was always at the end of the day but I didn't say anything, I was embarrassed. 'I was never going to the toilet and when I did my urine was black. I had to force myself to drink water.' She added: 'We were in the car and I was just passing out, going in and out of consciousness, my daughter and son started panicking and they took me straight to the doctor, who referred me to hospital. 'They put me on an IV. I told them I've been taking the jab and they said this could be what it is.' Ms Reed has now vowed never to use the jabs again but is still struggling to eat as she did before starting the medication. 'I'm still not hungry and still not gaining weight. Any food at all makes me feel sick,' she said. 'I was very scared, your body needs food and fluid. I thought I could die, I stopped just now and I've never been like this before, trying to get the jab out of my system. 'The consultant said this is a big problem because the people selling it to you can't see you, they're just asking a quick questionnaire. And then you're left on your own. 'Your appetite won't come back, it's absolutely terrible. I'm so weak and tired all the time. 'There's not enough awareness about the dangers of taking it, everyone wants to lose weight and feel great but there are risks.' MedExpress and Eli Lilly have both been approached for comment. At least half a million NHS patients and some 15million patients in the US are now thought to be using weight-loss jabs, which can help patients lose up to 20 per cent of their body weight in just a few months. And the numbers using them privately are even higher. They have also been shown to significantly reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. However, other reported problems using the jabs include constipation, fatigue, headaches, dizziness and even hair loss. In June, UK medicines watchdog the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) also revealed it had received more than 560 reports of people developing an inflamed pancreas after taking so-called 'GLP-1' injections since they were first launched. Ten cases proved fatal. Under official guidelines, only patients who have a body mass index (BMI) of over 35 and at least one weight-related health problem like high blood pressure, or those who have a BMI of 30 to 34.9 and meet the criteria for referral to a specialist weight management service, should be prescribed weight loss jabs. In the UK, law forbids the sale of such drugs without a prescription from a medical professional.