Shortness of breath, tiring more quickly and reduced capacity are amongst the early signs of pulmonary hypertension. Learn more about this chronic disease.
26.09.2023
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Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a chronic pathological increase in blood pressure in the pulmonary vessels that can result in a significant impairment of physical capacity. Due to its unspecific symptoms, it is often difficult to detect pulmonary hypertension. If it is not treated, it can be life-threatening.
Diagnosing pulmonary hypertension is not easy
The complaints are at first often mild and may also indicate other diseases such as asthma, bronchitis or chronic fatigue syndrome. That is why it can take on average up to 2.5 years to make a diagnosis. This is valuable time in which the patient is not receiving any effective therapy.
The initial symptoms of pulmonary hypertension may include:
Shortness of breath during physical exertion such as when climbing or going up stairs
Increased fatiguability
Feeling of tightness in chest
Heart palpitations, faster heartbeat
Dizziness during intense physical exertion
Reduced capacity
In an advanced stage, these complaints may occur:
Signs of a decreasing pumping power of the right heart, such as water accumulations in the legs (oedema) and distended jugular veins
Intense chest pain, as in a heart attack
Blue lips as a sign of reduced oxygen supply to the body, low or falling blood pressure readings in the systemic circulation
Treatment of pulmonary hypertension is done by a team of specialists
Only specialists with extensive experience can treat pulmonary hypertension because the therapy is complex and must be individually adapted to each patient based on the causes and symptoms. Therefore, it is important that those affected be treated in a specialised centre for pulmonary hypertension.
In Switzerland there are several specialised centres for pulmonary hypertension, so-called PH centres
In a PH centre, experts from different medical specialties collaborate in an interdisciplinary manner to enable patients with pulmonary hypertension to receive the therapy that gives them the greatest possible quality of life. The specialists are able to detect, diagnose and treat pulmonary hypertension. Moreover, PH centres are established for emergencies and offer those affected round the clock support.
The sooner pulmonary hypertension is diagnosed and treated, the sooner a patient can benefit from an improvement in the quality of his or her life. With our commitment, we wish to contribute to the clarification and early detection of the disease.
The Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Pulmonale Hypertonie SGPH [Swiss Society for Pulmonary Hypertension, SGPH] is a panel of experts and is available as a reference centre on the subject of pulmonary hypertension for physicians and patients.
Do you know diseases that vaccination can help to prevent? Here you can find out more.
12.07.2023
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Vaccines help protect against diseases by very cleverly inducing immunity in our bodies. They present our bodies with a substance recognizable as the infection – for example a virus or bacterium constituent. This tricks the body’s immune system into producing antibodies and an immune memory, which then provide protection if exposure to the actual infection occurs. This immunity may be retained for years, decades, or even a lifetime following vaccination.
The following overview shows some diseases and infections that vaccination can help to prevent (as of June 2023):
01.
Human papillomaviruses
Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are widespread. To date, more than 200 types of the virus are known. A distinction is made between high-risk and low-risk HPV types. The latter can cause genital warts in women and men. These are harmless but rather unsightly and annoying skin changes (nodules) in the genital area. The high-risk types can trigger forms of cancer in women and men, such as cervical cancer or vaginal, penile, anal, and throat cancers.
02.
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is an inflammation of the liver (jaundice), which is caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). The virus is transmitted via the blood or body fluids of an infected person (e.g. sexual intercourse). Hepatitis B is highly contagious. The infection is considered to be chronic if the virus is in the blood for longer than six months. WHO estimates that two billion people are infected by the hepatitis B (HBV) virus worldwide. 257 million of these are already chronically ill; over 880,000 people die every year as a result. In Switzerland, about 44,000 people live with hepatitis B.
03.
Pneumococcal Disease (PD)
PD is caused by a bacterium called Streptococcus pneumoniae, also known as pneumococcus. Pneumococcal diseases occur sporadically worldwide – outbreaks are rare. Several million people are affected each year and over one million of them die, many despite timely antibiotic treatment. The burden of disease is particularly high for infants under 2 years of age,among those aged 65 years and older and people of all ages with chronic conditions such as chronic heart disease or chronic respiratory disease. In Switzerland, there are about 1000 severe pneumococcal infections per year, mostly pneumonia, less frequently blood poisoning or meningitis. Children under two years of age and persons over 65 years of age are mainly affected. A total of around 100 people die each year, of whom around 80% are over 65 years of age.
04.
Chickenpox
Chickenpox is an infectious disease caused by the highly contagious varicella zoster virus (VZV). The virus causes a blister-like rash, itching, tiredness and fever. Chickenpox is most common in children but anyone who has not had chickenpox can get the disease.
05.
Measles
Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that can occur at any age. It begins with fever, fatigue, abdominal pain, photophobia, inflammation of the oral mucosa and is often accompanied by cough, colds and sore throat. Uncomplicated cases heal quite quickly and without permanent consequences. However, there is a risk of complications such as brain inflammation (encephalitis; 1 per 1000 cases), pneumonia (measles pneumonia; 10 to 60 per 1000 cases) or middle ear inflammation (otitis media). Sometimes measles complications lead to death.
06.
Mumps
Mumps is a contagious disease caused by a virus. It typically starts with headache, discomfort and fever, followed by the characteristic swelling of the parotid glands. Mumps is generally a mild children’s disease that mainly affects children between the ages of five and nine. However, adults can also become infected with mumps, which can be associated with serious complications.
07.
Rubella
Rubella is a contagious, generally mild viral infection that occurs most often in children and young adults. While the illness is generally mild in children, it has serious consequences in pregnant women causing fetal death or congenital defects known as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). The rubella virus is transmitted by airborne droplets when infected people sneeze or cough. Humans are the only known host.
Dr. Maurice Hilleman: “The father of modern vaccines”
25.05.2023
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Vaccines are part of MSD’s history and are closely associated with Dr. Maurice Hilleman (1919-2005), the father of modern vaccine science. During his nearly 30-year career at MSD, he developed more than 40 vaccines for humans and animals. This legacy continues today thanks to our dedicated researchers.
The story of modern day vaccines began in 1796 when Dr. Edward Jenner inoculated 8-year-old James Phipps with cowpox as a way to protect him from smallpox. Jenner used the term “vaccination,” “vacca” being Latin for “cow.” In fact, it has been recognized for centuries that some diseases never reinfect a person after recovery. Smallpox was the first disease people tried to prevent by intentionally inoculating themselves with infected matter.
Dr. Edward Jenner inoculating 8-year-old James Phipps with cowpox.
Eight decades after Jenner published his findings, Louis Pasteur developed the first live attenuated bacterial vaccine. Attenuation is a process that weakens the bacteria or virus in a vaccine so it is less likely to cause disease, while still triggering an immune response similar to the natural infection. It would take many more decades for advances in basic and clinical research to make it possible for scientists to understand viruses well enough to begin developing vaccines that help protect against viral diseases.
DR. MAURICE HILLEMAN
The scientists who made giant strides in the fight against viral diseases included Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin. Dr. Maurice Hilleman, who led MSD’s Department of Virus and Cell Biology from 1956 to 1984, also belonged to that distinguished group of vaccine pioneers. Credited with helping to develop more than forty vaccines, Dr. Hilleman’s passionate commitment continues to inspire scientists in medical research laboratories to this day.
Dr. Hilleman was born and raised on a farm in Montana. It was a hard life, but a farm background was a great foundation for his later work. “When you are brought up on a farm, you have a lot of general knowledge,” he said. After graduating from the University of Chicago with a doctorate in microbiology and chemistry, Hilleman chose to work at a pharmaceutical company instead of academia.
Despite his many accomplishments, including helping to develop more than 40 human and animal vaccines, Dr. Maurice Hilleman’s name is virtually unknown by the general public and press. Yet his impact on public health is undeniable.
"Since Pasteur, he's done more for preventive medicine than anyone else."
Dale C. Smith
Chief historian at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD
"His commitment was to make something useful and convert it to clinical use. Maurice's genius was in developing vaccines, reliably reproducing them, and he was in charge of all pharmaceutical facets from research to the marketplace."
Paul Offit
Chief of infectious diseases, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Hilleman's biographer
In 1988, President Ronald Reagan awarded the National Medal of Science to Dr. Hilleman, and in 1997, he was honored with The Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal Award. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has called Dr. Hilleman one of the true giants of science, medicine and public health in the 20th century.
Things to know about cancer and the biomarker MSI-H/dMMR
Cancer patients need treatment that is most suitable for their specific disease. Biomarkers, biological characteristics that can be measured in blood or tissue samples, are an aid in finding the right treatment. MSI-h/dMMR is such a biomarker.
19.12.2022
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Cancer is more than just one disease. There are many types of cancer and the disease can occur anywhere in the body. It develops when healthy cells grow uncontrolled: they become cancer cells and destroy healthy tissue. Cancer cells can spread, break away from their place of origin, and affect other parts of the body (metastasize). Cancer patients need treatment that is most suitable for their specific disease. Biomarkers, biological characteristics that can be measured in blood or tissue samples, are an aid in finding the right treatment. MSI-h/dMMR is such a biomarker.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide
43’500
In Switzerland, about 43’500 people are newly diagnosed with cancer each year, about 17’200 die of it, and about 67% still live 5 years after diagnosis.
19’000’000
In 2020, more than 19 million people worldwide were diagnosed with cancer. Nearly 10 million people died of it.
What happens in the body when cancer develops
All cells in our body have certain jobs to do. Normal cells divide in an orderly way. They die when they are worn out or damaged, and new cells take their place. In cancer, cells divide uncontrollably and crowd out the normal cells. This causes discomfort in the part of the body where the cancer started. Cancer cells can also spread to other parts of the body. Most cancers form lumps, which are also called tumors.
How do cancers differ?
Some cancers grow and spread fast. Others grow more slowly. They also respond to treatment in different ways. For example, some types of cancer can be treated well with surgery, while others respond better to drugs like chemotherapy, immunotherapy or a combination of different therapies. Often more than one treatment is used.
The role of biomarkers in cancer treatment
Biomarkers are certain biological characteristics that can be measured in blood or tissue samples. They help to better understand a cancer disease and can provide information for the choice of a treatment option. There are several biomarkers, MSI-H/dMMR is one of them.
MSI-H is the abbreviation for MicroSatellite Instability High. MSI is a change in short, repeating DNA sequences (microsatellites), that is often found in tumor cells of certain cancers. MSI-H cancer cells cannot correct errors that occur during DNA replication.
dMMR stands for “deficient mismatch repair”, which means “defective DNA repair system”. Normally, the DNA repair system intervenes when it identifies errors and repairs these cell changes. If this system does not work, it is called a defective DNA repair system (dMMR). A defective dMMR system can lead to microsatellite instability (MSI).
Tumors with high microsatellite instability often respond better to certain therapies. An MSI biomarker test can help to identify patients who may respond to such therapy.
How an MSI-H/dMMR biomarker test works
Every cancer is different. To help develop a treatment plan that is right for a patient, the doctor may order laboratory tests. These tests are used to evaluate the tumor for various biomarkers, including MSI-H/dMMR.
A tissue sample (biopsy) of the tumor is taken, and the doctor orders the test.
The doctor typically gets the results in 2 to 10 days.
Doctor and patient discuss treatment options based on the results and decide which treatment seems most appropriate.
Biomarker research has made significant progress to date, providing cancer patients with new treatment options.
