National and International News
Rise in prescription charges is a 'tax on ill-health' - The Independent 08/03/05
Prescription charges are to be increased to £6.50 per item by John Reid, the Secretary of State for Health, a move which risks undermining Labour's pre-election attack on the Tories over health charges.
Smooth operators - The Independent 08/03/05
Evolence is the latest, much-hyped cosmetic filler to tempt the wrinkle-conscious. But are we putting vanity before safety? Jane Feinmann investigates
'My daughter wants surgery to her thighs, eyes and nose. . . she is 13' - The Telegraph 08/03/05
Sarah Womack talks to a mother about her girls' obsession with image
The 'friendly' bug we all want to catch - The Telegraph 08/03/05
Some bacteria are good for you, says the marketing, but is there any hard evidence of medical benefits? Bryony Gordon reports
A Question of Health - The Independent 08/03/05
Should my daughter worry about palpitations? And how can I stop my feet from smelling?
Tales from the Therapist's Couch - The Independent 08/03/05
'My patient had developed a successful "false self". The part of him that felt authentic and true went into hiding'
The miracle machine - The Independent 08/03/05
Sadiq was starved of oxygen at birth. Ordinarily, he would have been brain damaged, but he was given a pioneering treatment that offers a future to hundreds of babies every year. Jeremy Laurance reports
Don’t bet on this spread - The Times 08/03/05
It is possible to reduce your cholesterol levels by eating Benecol — but only if you also adopt other diet and lifestyle changes, says The Times nutritionist
In brief: virtual pain relief; cutting fractures ... - The Times 08/03/05
Playing virtual reality games has been found to help alleviate pain in children with severe injuries. A study conducted at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide, South Australia, found that when children with severe burns used the games during dressing changes, they felt less pain than when just painkillers were given. The researchers have called for larger trials.
Doctor's Orders - The Times 08/03/05
Eat apples — the antioxidants they contain have been found to lower the risk of developing cancers and heart disease. Antioxidants mop up free radicals, preventing damage to cells. A study of rats conducted at Cornell University (to be published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry) found that those fed between one and six apples a day had a reduced risk of tumours.
Bed blocking [Letter] - The Times 08/03/05
The problem of bed blocking by the elderly in NHS hospitals is even more complex than Magnus Linklater describes (Comment, February 17; see also letters, February 21). It is not only health and safety issues that have led to the closure of nursing homes; the minimum wage has increased costs, and the rise in house prices has meant that capital can be realised (or made to give a greater return) by turning nursing homes into residential flats.
Pregnant MP bares bump to promote more babies - The Times 08/03/05
A GERMAN Euro MP has scandalised the political establishment by posing semi-naked just weeks before the birth of her second child.
Breaking up is hard to do - The Independent 08/03/05
It's expensive, unhealthy and antisocial. So why do smokers find it so hard to give up? Because it makes life seem worth living, says Kate Saunders
Flu and public hygiene [Letter] - The Times 08/03/05
Sir, In the face of the expected influenza pandemic the Government has decided to stockpile antiviral drugs whilst planning to develop an anti-bird flu vaccination. Meanwhile, Dr Thomas Stuttaford has decreed (column, February 21) that public hygiene will become the watchword, and we will not even be able to contemplate shaking hands with our friends and acquaintances.
Pharmacist mother faces jail for running drug ‘tuck shop’ - The Times 08/03/05
A MOTHER who ran a “tuck shop for drugs” from which she and her two sons sold cannabis to schoolchildren was told yesterday that she could face jail.
Labour pledges shorter wait for treatment - The Independent 08/03/05
Labour is promising to increase the number of operations carried out by private hospitals for the health service so that no patients will wait for more than 18 weeks for treatment by 2008.
Beer industry offers women a third way - The Telegraph 08/03/05
A £1 million marketing campaign aims to replace traditional pints and halves with "female friendly" thirds in an attempt to shatter the macho image of beer.
Making fine ales a glass act - The Times 08/03/05
Does my beer look big in this? - The Times 08/03/05
A herb in the balance - The Guardian 08/03/05
Fears that kava causes liver damage have outraged supporters of the anxiety-relieving remedy. But who's right?
What do your hands say about your health? - The Guardian 08/03/05
A lot. They could point to your chances of developing anything from high blood pressure to cancer. Joanna Moorhead reports
Family presses for BSE memorial - The Guardian 08/03/05
Relatives of the only US resident killed by the human form of BSE are to campaign for a memorial in Britain to all those who have died.
Mary-Ann Stephenson: Bush against women's right - The Guardian 08/03/05
For all George Bush's courting of Europe, when it comes to women's reproductive rights he is closer to Iran and Syria than the EU. In 1995, representatives from 189 countries met in Beijing and agreed a major programme on women's equality and human rights - the Beijing platform for action. This statement was ambitious, and the UN commission on the status of women is currently meeting in New York to review its progress over the past decade.
Robin Currie: Limited appeal - The Guardian 08/03/05
Not every disabled person wants the responsibilities that direct payments bring. If the system is to work a range of options are needed, says Robin Currie
Schools 'have crucial role' in tackling domestic violence - The Guardian 08/03/05
Sexist language and playground banter that portrays girls as inferior to boys can legitimise domestic violence in later life and should not be tolerated in schools, according to a teaching union.
Measure happiness? It's not that simple - The Guardian 08/03/05
What makes me unhappy is telling colleagues that I'm writing a piece on happiness, and having each of them sing the first terrible bars from Ken Dodd's 60s aural assault on the psyche, Happiness - more a virus than a tune.
Tories pledge sex health campaign - BBC Health News 08/03/05
The Tories say a major publicity blitz, akin to the 1980s Aids campaign, is needed to reverse an "epidemic" of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Reid attacks Tory 'human shields' - BBC Health News 08/03/05
Conservative leader Michael Howard should stop hiding behind "human shields" and debate his health policy openly, the health secretary has said.
Council cuts home support contracts - The Guardian 08/03/05
A council has been forced to scrap or renegotiate two-thirds of its supported housing contracts because of doubts about future funding under the government's troubled Supporting People programme, it emerged today.
500m saved in benefits fraud crackdown - The Guardian 08/03/05
Benefit fraud has fallen by £500m in one year to its lowest level for over a decade, according to figures to be released by the government tomorrow.
Comedy films leave viewers in good heart, says cardiologist - The Guardian 08/03/05
Laughter may after all be the best medicine. Comedy can make the blood vessels expand, step up the blood flow and leave viewers in good heart, a US heart scientist said yesterday.
Nestor suffers £56m loss - The Guardian 08/03/05
Staff supplier Nestor Healthcare reported a £56m loss for last year as the NHS's move to using in-house temporary staff hurt the business.
Cartel charges expected - The Guardian 08/03/05
The Serious Fraud Office has said it expects to bring fraud charges by October after its long-running investigation into a suspected multi-million-pound price-fixing cartel that targeted the NHS in the late 1990s.
Doctors urge free HIV drugs for all - The Guardian 08/03/05
HIV should be reclassified as a sexually transmitted disease which must be treated on the NHS for free, or there is a risk that its spread will increase, warned four senior doctors yesterday.
Patient's pathway the way ahead, says PM - The Guardian 08/03/05
Tony Blair and his health secretary, John Reid, will today combine a fresh commitment to shorter hospital waiting lists with the historic claim that Labour's expansion of the NHS is finally producing more capacity to treat patients in some areas than is currently needed.
Ministers hail fall in MRSA rates - The Guardian 07/03/05
The health secretary, John Reid, moved last night to check growing public concern over rates of MRSA infection in Britain's hospital system when he revealed that reforms introduced by the government are taking effect - and the rates are falling.
Hospital may start MRSA screening - BBC Health News 06/03/05
Sorry, Prime Minister, but if you had actually bothered to find out, you would have seen the figures tell a different story - The Telegraph 06/03/05
'Worst' hospital disputes MRSA infection figures - The Guardian 07/03/05
'Turning point' in superbug battle - Daily Mail 07/03/05
Reid in MRSA crackdown on hospitals - Daily Mail 07/03/05
Government acted on MRSA, says Reid - Daily Mail 08/03/05
Praise for hospital staff after MRSA fall - The Guardian 08/03/05
MRSA: They were warned last year and did nothing - The Telegraph 08/03/05
'Worst' hospitals cry foul at infection figures - The Guardian 08/03/05
'Worst' hospitals cry foul at infection figures - The Guardian 08/03/05
The good, the bad and the infectious - The Times 08/03/05
Graphic: MRSA reports: General acute - The Times 08/03/05
Graphic: MRSA reports: Specialist - The Times 08/03/05
Hospitals and patients face hygiene blitz over superbug - The Times 08/03/05
Government accused of 'trickery' over MRSA statistics - The Independent 08/03/05
Smoking 'can wreck your love life' - Daily Mail 07/03/05
Smokers are not only risking their health, they are also cutting their chances of finding a love match, according to a new survey.
Girls aged 5 'want to be thinner' - Daily Mail 07/03/05
Girls as young as five are unhappy with their bodies and wish they were slimmer, according to a new study.
Girls aged six 'unhappy with weight' - The Independent 08/03/05
Tissue typing unlawful, Lords told - Daily Mail 07/03/05
Medical treatment to produce so-called "designer babies" is against the law, the House of Lords has been told.
Marital bliss 'helps heal wounds' - Daily Mail 07/03/05
A happy marriage can help heal physical wounds - from scraped knees to major surgery, according to a new study.
Aspirin 'cuts stroke risk in women' - Daily Mail 08/03/05
Middle-age women can cut their risk of strokes but not heart attacks by regularly taking low doses of aspirin, and the pills help prevent both problems in women 65 and older, a major study has found.
UK plans to spend £1bn on biotech - BBC Health News 07/03/05
The UK government will spend £1bn on biotechnology by 2008, according to newly announced science spending plans.
Thalidomide slows cancer disease - BBC Health News 07/03/05
The controversial drug thalidomide can slow down the progress of a wasting disease in patients with pancreatic cancer, a study has shown.
Study suggests 'type 3 diabetes' - BBC Health News 07/03/05
Scientists say they may have discovered a previously unknown form of diabetes, after finding the brain produces insulin as well as the pancreas.
NHS rapped on blood clot deaths - BBC Health News 08/03/05
Thousands of hospital patients are dying unnecessarily of blood clots, says a report by MPs.
Call for action on blood clot deaths - The Guardian 08/03/05
Blood clots is one of the biggest killers, MPs say - The Telegraph 08/03/05
MEPs seek inquiry into donor pay - BBC Health News 08/03/05
A group of Euro MPs is calling for action to be taken against the UK government over claims that British fertility clinics are paying large sums of money to women in Romania to donate eggs.
Children's hospital closes beds - BBC Health News 06/03/05
Great Ormond Street Hospital has closed beds and re-scheduled operations after treating too many sick children.
Great Ormond St closes one in five beds - The Telegraph 06/05/03
Great Ormond Street cancels ops in cash crisis - The Telegraph 06/03/05
Troubled children's hospital promises it will break even - The Telegraph 08/03/05
'Hot' treatment option for cancer - BBC Health News 06/03/05
Inserting heated chemotherapy drugs into the abdomen is a good way to treat cancer that has spread, say experts.
Chest infection drug ineffective - BBC Health News 06/03/05
A widely used treatment for a type of life threatening chest infection is essentially ineffective, say experts.
Drug hope for child brain disease - BBC Health News 05/03/05
Scientists say they are closer to finding new ways to treat a devastating brain disease passed from parents to children.
Sperm 'clock' may help rape cases - BBC Health News 05/03/05
Forensic scientists say they may be able to use sperm's "death rate" as evidence of when a rape took place.
Director Leigh films cancer ads - BBC Health News 04/03/05
Rated 3 in Health; News; National and International News on Mar 6, 2005 at 20:45:15 GMT.
Oscar-nominated director Mike Leigh has directed the prime minister's wife Cherie Blair in a commercial to raise money for breast cancer research.
Finger length 'key to aggression' - BBC Health News 04/03/05
The length of a man's fingers can reveal how physically aggressive he is, Canadian scientists have said.
Global measles deaths fall by 40% - BBC Health News 04/03/05
The number of children dying from measles across the world has fallen by almost 40% over the last five years, health experts have revealed.
Operators told to ignore 999 pest - BBC Health News 04/03/05
Emergency services have welcomed a court ruling that 999 operators can ignore a south Wales woman who called them nearly 800 times in a year.
Push to cut heart deaths in young - BBC Health News 04/03/05
A drive to reduce the number of sudden heart disease deaths among young people in England has been announced.
Population of London killed by smoking - Daily Mail 06/03/05
Smoking has killed 6.3 million people in the UK in the last 50 years - almost the number currently living in London - campaigners have said.
They're young. They have healthy relationships. The last thing they want is sex - The Independent 06/03/05
Why? Because for career, spiritual and health reasons, young Britons are being seduced by the abstinence movement. And now they are to have their own reality TV show. By Steve Bloomfield
Government leaves UK defenceless against flu threatening to kill 500,000 - The Independent 06/03/05
Britain will be largely defenceless against a devastating and "imminent" pandemic of bird flu for more than a year, an Independent on Sunday investigation can reveal.
Scientists to make 'Stuart Little' mouse with the brain of a human - The Telegraph 06/03/05
It will look like any ordinary mouse, but for America's scientists a tiny animal threatens to ignite a profound ethical dilemma.
Royal College of Psychiatrists backs film therapy - The Telegraph 06/03/05
Psychotherapists are to use feature films as a tool to encourage their patients to talk more freely about their problems, in a scheme backed by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
How do you tell a six-year-old that she will have her hands and feet amputated? - The Telegraph 06/03/05
They had every reason to celebrate her recovery from meningitis. But only two weeks later, the family of Olivia Clarke was dealt a second blow, writes Olga Craig
Targets that make us sick - The Telegraph 06/03/05
The general election might not have been formally announced, but last week's "War of Mrs Dixon's Shoulder" put paid to any doubts that we are in the middle of the campaign. With a few exceptions, the Conservatives have been on the back foot since Tony Blair took over the leadership of the Labour Party in 1994. But it is now the Conservatives who are making the political running – and last week, they produced an initiative which put the Government on the defensive on its favoured ground: the NHS.
Hospitals to be fined if they cancel operations - The Telegraph 06/03/05
Hospitals that fail to meet health department targets to reduce waiting lists and carry out operations will be fined under proposals to be announced by the Government this week.
Go-ahead for cancelled op 'fines' - BBC Health News 06/03/05
Blair fights back on health with fines for treatment delays - The Independent 06/03/05
Private health scheme boom - The Sunday Times 06/03/05
A THOUSAND Scots each week are turning their backs on the NHS and taking out private health cover, writes Sue Leonard.
Profile: Alfred Kinsey: The swinging detective: he opened our eyes to sex - The Sunday Times 06/03/05
Sexual intercourse began, Philip Larkin famously declared, “in nineteen- hundred-and-sixty-three, which was rather late for me/ Between the end of the Chatterley ban and the Beatles’ first LP”.
Cancelled operations twice as high as ministers admit - The Sunday Times 06/03/05
THE NHS may be cancelling more than twice as many operations at short notice than the government has acknowledged.
MMR jab scare research dealt a 'killer blow' - The Sunday Times 06/03/05
SCIENTISTS at two government centres have cast fresh doubt on the research at the centre of the mumps, measles and rubella (MMR) vaccination scare.
How the fit and fabulous stay that way: Rufus Wainwright - The Times 05/03/05
Elton John’s favourite singer-songwriter, Rufus Wainwright, 31, loves shopping and stripping off
At your table - The Times 05/03/05
Get back to your roots — they’re tasty, easy to cook and full of vitamin C
Nature's emporium - The Times 05/03/05
Jane Wheatley visits an award-winning organic restaurant that sells cotton yoga vests and beetroot and bacon soup
Spinning - The Times 05/03/05
An article reporting the concerns of sports physiotherapists and orthopaedic surgeons that “Spinning” might cause injury to some participants (January 15) was about indoor cycling generally rather than just the specific exercise programme known as Spinning. Star Trac, which, with Mad Dogg Athletics (owner of the trademark “Spinning”), are the sole distributors of the official programme worldwide, has asked us to point out that Spinning is not intrinsically unsafe but must be taught properly with good equipment and supervision.
What's the evidence? Dr Toby Murcott - The Times 05/03/05
What does research say about kinesiology? A search through databases of medical publications produces hundreds of papers on the established science of kinesiology — the study of mechanics and anatomy in relation to human movement — but not the complementary therapy kinesiology. The evidence for this is scant and anecdotal rather than clinical.
Kinesiology: It works for me - The Times 05/03/05
Irma Kurtz: Moving on: Act of betrayal - The Times 05/03/05
Eighteen months ago, when I was 58, I was taken to hospital very ill with intestinal problems. I had also developed septicaemia and an operation was carried out to save my life, with further surgery scheduled. I was unconscious for 11 days in intensive care, eventually pulling through but very weak for the following year. Our two grown-up daughters said my husband, 62 at that time, seemed devastated and unable to cope. When I returned home he was supportive and caring, and told everyone how much we should all appreciate life. I was weak but kept smiling and positive. Four months later my husband started seeing a woman from his Spanish class who lives near by; she was recently widowed. He began saying he felt unloved and behaved coldly to me. I asked him to visit Relate with me but he refused. He has recently moved out of our home and rents a room, saying we are separated. We have been married for 38 years and have three baby grandchildren. Our daughters are upset as their father keeps asking to visit them with this woman so she can meet his grandchildren. Surely there is a compassionate solution to this hurt. He seems to have betrayed us all.
What's wrong with your . . . Paternity leave? - The Times 05/03/05
The Government’s proposal this week that women should be able to transfer some of their maternity leave and pay to their partners throws men (and women) into scary, uncharted territory.
Sex with Dr Thomas Stuttaford and Suzi Godson - The Times 05/03/05
My wife and I are 43 and were both virgins until we married at 29. Since then, we have found that my wife has vaginismus and have never had successful intercourse as she finds it painful. We don’t want to accept this, despite it being too late to have children
The fun of the fair - The Times 05/03/05
It’s Fairtrade Fortnight. But, if the thought of foraging for ethical, organic or environmentally friendly products seems out of reach when you are wrapped up in the challenge of everyday living, don’t panic: it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. There are plenty of adjustments that will not swallow up every out-of-office moment and that your body and the planet will thank you for. Here are ten easy ways to live more virtuously:
Detoxing your relationship - The Times 05/03/05
The adverts say it all — internet dating, lunch dates, speed dates and good old introduction agencies. Seven in ten Londoners under 50 told a recent survey that they had dated in the past year. A third had tried internet dating. Most single people want partners. But so many of us end up being serial daters, or serial monogamists in short unsatisfying relationships instead of developing a long-term love life. If you feel stuck in that type of loop, how do you get out of it?
Deep and meaningful - The Times 05/03/05
Film star Isabelle Huppert doesn’t do diets, gyms or therapy — but she does love playing depraved women. What’s going on
Ghosts in a machine - The Times 05/03/05
What is it that triggers the brain to produce a religious experience? Jerome Burne investigates
The gym bug - The Times 05/03/05
WELL, that does it. As if there weren’t enough to deter you from getting up on a cold, dark morning to trail to the gym, we’re now being told — in some newspapers at least — that we might contract a superbug once we get there.
Restless success - The Times 05/03/05
Those people who influence our lives most get the least sleep, according to a new survey for the Sleep Council — an information organisation funded by the British beds industry. Teachers, politicians and hospital doctors on call are all towards the top of the sleep-deprivation league, with MPs getting a mere five hours’ sleep a night on average. Solicitors, on the other hand, who get enough time to catch up on their sleep in court anyway, get an average eight hours at night as well — with one in five getting a luxurious ten.
Darian Leader: analysis this: Alzheimer's drugs - The Times 05/03/05
LAST week’s proposal by the Government’s medicine- rationing body to cut back on some Alzheimer’s drugs was greeted with widespread protest. The drugs, apparently, are deemed too expensive by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, despite the fact that they help many of the 700,000 people in Britain who are afflicted by the disease. Alzheimer’s is a chronic condition which has achieved a high profile due to well-known sufferers such as Ronald Reagan and the novelist Iris Murdoch. We tend to associate it with cognitive problems, most notably memory loss. A sufferer may not recognise their spouse or remember who their loved ones are — a painful experience for all concerned.
John Naish: Breakthroughs, tips and trends - The Times 05/03/05
CHEER UP: things could be worse — you might have a heart attack. Being gloomy may be a more serious risk factor for coronary disease than physical problems such as high blood pressure, doctors cautioned this week.
Action needed to end child poverty [Letter] - The Times 05/03/05
Saturday, March 5, marks the 40th anniversary of the inaugural meeting of the Child Poverty Action Group, which was founded as a short-term campaign to work for the end of child poverty in Britain.
Flu pandemic [Letter] - The Times 05/03/05
Air travel must surely be one of the weak links in any attempt to contain a flu pandemic (report, February 28). That this spreading mechanism can potentially be vastly magnified was brought home to me during a recent long-haul flight by the many travellers who made no attempt to contain the effect of sneezing. It would be reassuring to know that aircraft air-recirculation and filter mechanisms are able to handle this danger.
Drugs lottery that means some pay twice as much for vital medicines - The Times 05/03/05
SOME chemists are charging hundreds of pounds more than others for popular prescription drugs that patients cannot get on the NHS.
'Little wonder he won't talk about Scottish health service' - The Times 05/03/05
TONY BLAIR was last night accused of insulting Scots by choosing to come north of the border to make a speech about the NHS in England.
Pillows and duvets ‘could carry avian flu virus’ - The Sunday Times 06/03/05
A LEADING scientist has urged ministers to ban imports of pillows and duvets from the Far East to protect Britain against a potentially lethal outbreak of avian flu.
'Denial lobby' turns up the heat - The Observer 06/03/05
The vocal minority sceptical of the threat of global warming are now targeting the UK, writes Conal Walsh
Oliver James: Father time - The Observer 06/03/05
If more men (and particularly politicians) looked after their young children, they'd have a keener sense of the support mothers need, says Oliver James
Child database 'will breach human rights' - The Observer 06/03/05
The government's attempts to prevent another Victoria Climbié tragedy have been thrown into doubt after it emerged that plans for a national database containing details on every child in England and Wales risk breaching the European Convention on Human Rights.
Childcare shake-up will send men into the nursery - The Observer 06/03/05
The government is to break open the female-dominated world of childcare by encouraging men to work as childminders - providing, in the process, male role models for single-parent families headed by women.
Ban food dyes and Abortion Limit [Letters] - The Observer 06/03/02
In commending heartily your coverage of the possible health dangers of dyes added to food (News and Leader, last week), I would go further. Why is it necessary to add artificial colours and chemical tastes at all?
Kiwis lead the way to simpler pensions- The Observer 06/03/02
Britain is studying the state plan that gives cash to New Zealand's OAPs, says Maria Scott
Britons break heavyweight record- The Observer 06/03/02
New figures on the expanding waistlines of men and women have shocked the experts
Dr John Briffa: Gospel truths - The Observer 06/03/02
Tragically, some antidepressants have been linked to suicidal behaviour. But Dr John Briffa finds St John's wort offers a natural rescue remedy
Warning on 'rationed' contraception - The Observer 06/03/02
Women are being denied the contraception of their choice because of NHS rationing, family planning experts warn today.
Time for a commercial break - The Observer 06/03/02
Markets are all very well, but using them internally or in the public sector can be dangerous, writes Simon Caulkin
184m a day, 7m operations a year. But is the NHS good value? - The Observer 06/03/05
After a week in which the War of Margaret's Shoulder dominated the headlines, health editor Jo Revill assesses who is right in the hospital row.
Top hospital forced to turn away ill children - The Observer 06/03/02
Victory for Jamie in school meal war - The Observer 06/03/05
Turkey Twizzlers, the infamous fast-food product loathed by nutritionists and loved by children, are to be banned by one of the largest companies supplying school lunches.
Listen to Jamie on school meals [Leader] - The Observer 06/03/02
The devil in the glass - The Observer 06/03/05
A friend of mine who has moved to the Mediterranean returns occasionally, parched and in search of beer. He doesn't miss much about Scotland - he is particularly rude about the state of our teeth - but he does miss a culture that spins around drink. He is not alone. I was in Cuba recently and ran across another expat, wide-eyed with joy at discovering somebody who would match him, glass for glass.
Why I won't be giving my mother Fairtrade flowers - The Guardian 05/03/05
It ought to have been a joyous announcement for someone like me who buys Fairtrade coffee and uses the swirly Fairtrade logo on Green and Black's chocolate bars to justify regular indulgence. At last Tesco was introducing a Fairtrade rose that would remove the guilt from Mother's Day.
Riots, rubbish, years of toil - and fears for the future - The Guardian 05/03/05
I live in Badia East area; there are maybe 3,000 people in this community. The state government wants to move us out and last year they broke down 200 houses without warning.
'No glass ceilings' on poll ambitions, says Kennedy - The Guardian 05/03/05
Charles Kennedy today told his party to campaign equally against both Labour and the Conservatives so there would be no "glass ceilings" on how many new MPs the Liberal Democrats could win at the next election.
Full text: Charles Kennedy's speech to Lib Dems spring conference - The Guardian 05/03/05
Male patch firm cuts float price - The Guardian 05/03/05
Scottish healthcare firm Ardana Bioscience had to reduce the price of its shares in its upcoming flotation by 16% to persuade new investors to back the company.
Making for a closer knit community - The Guardian 05/03/05
This month the focus of the government's "year of the volunteer" initiative is on older volunteers. Events taking place across the country will celebrate the contribution already made by older volunteers and encourage others to become involved.
Britain faces third freezing week as chill is blamed for death of nurse found in snow - The Guardian 05/03/05
The Arctic spring snap starts its third week today, with the now familiar pattern of snow before seven, thaw by eleven expected to continue for the next few days.
Joanna Hall: Body strategy - The Guardian 05/03/05
I am a 39-year-old woman who has trained virtually daily for 10 years (sprinting, weight training, etc) and I'm in excellent physical shape. I will be undergoing surgery later this year and unable to train for two or three weeks. I'm worried about the mental and physical effects (depression, weight gain, muscle loss). Any advice?
Blair targets corruption in Africa plan - The Guardian 05/03/05
Tony Blair will next week demand a radical shake-up of the west's approach to the world's poorest continent when his year-long Africa Commission calls for a doubling of aid, the dismantling of trade barriers, the writing off of debts and immediate action to stamp out corruption.
Set course - The Guardian 05/03/05
Speech and language therapy is a booming field. The rise in school standards, the introduction of policies to include special needs students in mainstream education, and a heightened awareness among parents and other carers about what therapies are available have all boosted demand for therapists.
Natural health therapist Emma Mitchell answers your questions - The Guardian 05/03/05
My eight-year-old daughter suffers from nosebleeds, especially at night and when she is hot or swimming. Her father also suffered when he was younger. Can anything be done?
Strike a balance: Will Mellor - The Guardian 05/03/05
I eat as healthily as I can and I cook more now I've got a baby. I like spicy stuff. I need something spicy every day to keep my energy levels up. I sometimes take vitamins; if I have had a heavy weekend, I take some Berocca and that sorts me out. I think it's important to be able to go out and have a good time.
On reflection - The Guardian 05/03/05
Pensioners living in Commonwealth countries such as South Africa were cheered by the start this week of a Law Lords hearing into the case of Annette Carson, 64.
Top Glaxo drugs seized in US swoop - The Guardian 05/03/05
The US authorities yesterday seized stocks of two top-selling GlaxoSmithKline drugs because they were poorly made and posed a health risk to patients.
FDA Seizes Batches of Two Glaxo Drugs - Reuters 04/03/05
U.S. Seizes Batches of Two Glaxo Drugs - Reuters 04/03/05
Infant DNA profiling too costly, says watchdog - The Guardian 05/03/05
Plans to take DNA profiles of all newborn babies and hold them on a national database should be shelved, according to the government's genetics watchdog.
Alcohol death rate still rising - The Telegraph 04/03/05
Rising numbers of people are dying from alcohol-related illnesses such as liver disease, according to new figures.
Poorer children 'at more risk' - The Telegraph 04/03/05
Children from poorer families are 16 times more likely to die in a house fire than their affluent counterparts, a study published today by the Health Development Agency shows.
Back me or sack me on NHS, says Blair - The Telegraph 05/03/05
Tony Blair yesterday challenged people to vote him out of office if they thought the National Health Service had got worse under Labour.
Blair's challenge: If NHS is worse than under the Tories, vote me out - The Independent 05/03/05
Blair 'angry' at Tory NHS 'cynical' tactics - The Telegraph 04/03/05
The war of Mrs Dixon's shoulder is a just one [Leader] - The Telegraph 04/03/05
Blair angry as NHS row hots up - Daily Mail 04/03/05
Blair admits: I know I'm an issue - The Observer 06/03/05
How Mrs Dixon's shoulder hijacked politics - The Guardian 05/03/05
Who won the war of Margaret's shoulder? - The Guardian 05/03/05
What happened to Jennifer? - The Guardian 05/03/05
What they said about... - The Guardian 05/03/05
From private pain to party warfare - The Guardian 05/03/05
Why are more operations being cancelled despite more cash? - The Guardian 05/03/05
Forget the policies, what about you? - The Observer 06/03/02
Judge me over the NHS, Blair challenges voters - The Times 05/03/05
Howard is right to storm Labour's sacred ground - The Telegraph 06/03/05
Mrs Dixon's shoulder and the National Health Service [Letter] - The Times 08/03/05
Amsterdam falls out of love with coffee shops as liberal stance on drugs begins to crumble - The Independent 05/03/05
For the past 18 years Michael Veling and his staff have been serving up such delights as White Widow and Blueberry in his wood-panelled coffee shop in the heart of Amsterdam.
How children pay the price when their mothers are jailed - The Independent 05/03/05
More than 17,000 children are separated from their mothers each year because the women have been sent to prison. Almost all are forced to leave their homes, an analysis of figures from the Government and prison reform campaigners has found.
The dentist's tale: An asylum-seeker who wants to help - The Independent 05/03/05
The NHS is short of dental surgeons. This one wants to help. But Souad Gasmi is an asylum-seeker, and is banned from working. So instead of paying tax, she receives benefits. Is this policy sensible?
Why living in the suburbs can be a pain in the neck - The Telegraph 05/03/05
No wonder the housewives are desperate: life in suburbia - that holy ground of middle-class contentment - is actually bad for your health, according to a study.
New laws mean nanny nightmare for parents - The Telegraph 05/03/05
It is the recurring nightmare of over-stretched parents. Just when they have found their perfect nanny, their Mary Poppins, she looks around the door, smiles nervously and announces: "I'm pregnant."
EU warning on marketing alcopops to young people - The Telegraph 05/03/05
The European Union's health chief has offered the drinks industry a stark choice: put your house in order and stop marketing products, including "alcopops", to young drinkers or it will be done for you.
Pro-lifers push Mississippi to brink of becoming first abortion-free state in US - The Telegraph 05/03/05
Outside the last abortion clinic in Mississippi, Melody Miller feels that triumph is within her grasp.
Disillusioned doctors ready to turn on Labour at election - The Telegraph 05/03/05
Family doctors look set to desert Labour at the next general election, according to a poll published yesterday.
Brighton 'healthiest place in UK' - Daily Mail 04/03/05
Brighton is the healthiest place in Britain judged on its appetite for fruit and vegetables, according to new figures.
'School dinners link' to CJD deaths - Daily Mail 04/03/05
Three victims of CJD, the human version of mad cow disease, all ate the same beef as part of their school dinners, it was reported.
Reid hails heart disease progress - Daily Mail 04/03/05
Health Secretary John Reid has hailed improvements in tackling heart disease - England's biggest killer - including a 27% drop in premature deaths in six years.
Woman rapped over 'alcoholic soap' - Daily Mail 04/03/05
The head of a health watchdog has rebuked a GP's wife for raising publicly her worries that hospital patients were getting drunk on alcoholic soap gel.
Brain damage 'signature war wound' - Daily Mail 04/03/05
Brain damage could become the signature wound of the Iraq war as troops now well protected by body armour are being left with neurological damage from blasts, it has emerged.
Reid rejects Tory 'lies' claim - Daily Mail 04/03/05
Health Secretary Dr John Reid has rejected a claim by Conservative leader Michael Howard that he lied about the Tories' health plans.
Feather imports: Bird flu warning - Daily Mail 05/03/05
A leading microbiologist has warned that poultry feathers being imported from China could carry the bird flu virus.
'Bird flu threat' from feathers - BBC Health News 05/03/05
Call to limit gene therapy - Daily Mail 05/03/05
Following a setback in gene therapy experiments in France, US health advisers are recommending the treatment be given only to children who have no other alternatives.
NHS in meltdown, Tory claims - Daily Mail 05/03/05
The NHS in Wales is in "meltdown" under Labour's control, Conservative health spokesman Jonathan Morgan has said.
Older Patients Benefit from Obesity Surgery Too - Reuters 04/03/05
Stomach bypass surgery, using "keyhole," or laparoscopic techniques, is a safe method of achieving weight loss in older patients and the benefits in this age group are similar to those seen in younger patients, new research shows.
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Hearing Investigates FDA, Drug Safety Efforts - Medical News Today 06/03/05
FDA requires no new authority from Congress to ensure prescription drug safety, Janet Woodcock, acting deputy commissioner for operations at the agency, testified at a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on Thursday, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports (Pugh, Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/4). The committee held the two-day hearing to examine potential reforms to FDA, which has faced increased criticism in recent months over prescription drug safety concerns. FDA last month announced plans to establish a Drug Safety Oversight Board, which will monitor and report -- on an advisory basis -- information about adverse reactions to medications. Sandra Kweder, deputy director of the FDA Office of New Drugs, on Tuesday testified that FDA should have the authority to require revisions to the language on prescription drug labels and studies to test the safety of medications after they reach the market (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 3/2).
Cholesterol-Lowering Statins Aren't the End of the Line for Reducing LDL - Medical News Today 06/03/05
Although statin drugs successfully lower LDL cholesterol for most people, a small subset of patients don't respond well to these medications or need to stop taking them because of side effects. "All told, the statins are the safest and best tolerated of all cholesterol-lowering medications, but the second- and third-choice drugs can have first-rate benefits, either alone or together," says Dr. Harvey Simon, editor of the Harvard Men's Health Watch.
Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Highlights News Coverage of State Medical Malpractice Insurance Developments, USA - Medical News Today 06/03/05
The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report examines recent developments related to medical malpractice insurance in eight states. Summaries appear below. * Arizona: The state Senate on Feb. 21 approved legislation that would allow physicians to apologize and offer condolences to patients and their families without concerns that plaintiffs could use the statements as evidence in malpractice lawsuits, the AP/Arizona Daily Star reports. Meanwhile, at the Arizona Litigation Reform Summit last month, trial attorneys, patient advocates and lawmakers considered proposals that would ask patients to waive litigation rights prior to physician visits, encourage physicians to lobby patients for medical liability reform and pay injured patients over time rather than in one lump sum. The summit, held by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, received financial support from Viad, BlueCross BlueShield of Arizona and Altria. According to the AP/Daily Star, state lawmakers next year might reintroduce a bill that would amend the state constitution to allow caps on noneconomic damages in malpractice lawsuits (AP/Arizona Daily Star, 2/27).
Senator Grassley Says Prescription Drug Reimportation Bill Will Pass Senate - Medical News Today 06/03/05
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Thursday said that the Senate this summer likely will pass a bill to allow the reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada, the... Detroit Free Press reports. According to Grassley, opposing Republican lawmakers will not have the ability to block such legislation this year because of increased public support for reimportation (Detroit Free Press, 3/4). Grassley said, "It'll pass 75-25." He added, "A year ago, the leadership could hold it up because it was toward the tail end of the session. They can't hold this up for two years, so we will have importation of drugs before this 12 months is out" (CongressDaily, 3/4). Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) oppose such legislation over concerns that the federal government currently cannot guarantee the safety of reimported medications (Detroit Free Press, 3/4). Grassley and Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) are co-sponsors of a reimportation bill (S 334) introduced last month (CongressDaily, 3/4).
President Bush's Proposal Would Reduce Medicaid Spending by $8.5B Through 2010, Less Than Administration Estimates, CBO Says - Medical News Today 06/03/05
The Bush administration has estimated that the president's Medicaid plan would reduce spending by $13 billion through 2010, but a preliminary projection from the... Congressional Budget Office says the proposal would reduce costs by about $8.5 billion, the AP/Las Vegas Sun reports (Fram, AP/Las Vegas Sun, 3/3). In his budget proposal, Bush recommended a $60 billion reduction in Medicaid spending over 10 years, including $40.5 billion by eliminating "accounting gimmicks" used by states, $15.1 billion by lowering payments to pharmacists and $4.5 billion by implementing more stringent restrictions on nursing home eligibility. Bush also proposed $11.3 billion to expand children's health coverage, $1.8 billion to care for more nursing home residents at home and $1.9 billion to extend coverage (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 3/1). CBO also estimated that Bush's proposed cuts to all programs would save $50.8 billion over the next five years, 18% less than the $62 billion in savings the Bush administration calculated. According to the AP/Sun, the differences in projections might be because of "differing assumptions about the programs' spending rates, the economy and other factors." The CBO's estimates could "complicate" Congress' task of writing its budget beginning next week, the AP/Sun reports. Although Congress' budget is "expected to follow closely" Bush's proposal, House Budget Committee Chair Jim Nussle (R-Iowa) said that House committees will not be required to decide specific Medicaid cuts until September. Nussle said he did not think the CBO estimates would have "a big impact" on Congress' budget proposal. The two chambers of Congress must approve a compromise budget for it to take effect. The president's signature is not needed (AP/Las Vegas Sun, 3/3).
Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Highlights News Coverage of State Medicaid Developments - Medical News Today 06/03/05
The following summarizes news coverage of state Medicaid developments.... * Alabama: State Medicaid Commissioner Carol Herrmann said the federal government has fined the state $4.4 million as part of a deal to end a financing dispute, the Birmingham News reports. The fine --including $4.2 million for Medicaid services provided through the state Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation and $240,000 for Medicaid administrative costs claimed by local school boards -- settles "long-standing allegations" that Alabama improperly increased its share of federal Medicaid matching funds, according to the News (Reilly, Birmingham News, 3/2).
Infotrieve® Announces Coming Launch of the Life Science Research Center, Search & Discovery Tool for Simplifying R&D - Medical News Today 06/03/05
Infotrieve, Inc, today announced plans to launch its new web-based search and discovery research environment, the Life Science Research Center (LSRC), in March 2005. The LSRC simplifies scientists' daily workflow by providing a robust user interface to search diverse types of scientific, technical, and medical (STM) information and to identify relationships across traditionally disparate sources of content. The LSRC will utilize full-text searching of pre-processed STM content such as literature, patents, drug pipeline data, genes, technical protocols, laboratory products, and industry news.
FDA Should Have Announced Conflicts Among COX-2 Inhibitor Committee Members, Editorial States - Medical News Today 06/03/05
Although "there was nothing illegal" about the appointment of scientists with past financial ties to... Pfizer, Merck and Novartis to a joint FDA advisory committee on the safety of COX-2 inhibitors, the agency "can be faulted for its failure to announce the conflicts at the time of the meeting," a New York Times editorial states (New York Times, 3/4). According to a recent review conducted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, 10 members of the committee had past financial ties to pharmaceutical companies that market COX-2 inhibitors. The committee voted to recommend that FDA allow the COX-2 inhibitors Celebrex and Bextra, both manufactured by Pfizer, to remain on the market and that the agency allow the COX-2 inhibitor Vioxx, manufactured by Merck, to return to the market (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 2/28). According to the editorial, without the votes of those 10 scientists, the committee "would have favored withdrawing Bextra from the market and blocking the return of Vioxx" and would have recommended that FDA allow only Celebrex to remain on the market, the review found. However, the "deeper problem is that links between drug companies and medical researchers are pervasive," the editorial states. The editorial concludes, "Unless the FDA makes a more aggressive effort to find unbiased experts or medical researchers start severing ties with industry, a whiff of bias may taint the verdicts of many advisory panels" (New York Times, 3/4).
Bungled Insulin Production May be a Culprit in Diabetes - Medical News Today 06/03/05
Like pieces of origami that get mangled during folding, some insulin molecules get produced in bungled forms - as well as the correct form - inside the cells of the pancreas, new research shows.
Some House Members Say They Will Press Forward With Changes To Medicare Drug Benefit, Despite Bush's Veto Threat - Medical News Today 06/03/05
Some House Republicans "are expressing a growing interest" in amending the Medicare prescription drug benefit, as they work on Social Security, despite earlier comments by President Bush that he would reject any changes, ...The Hill reports (Cusack, The Hill, 3/3). At HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt's swearing-in ceremony in February, Bush warned Congress not to reopen the new Medicare law, saying, "I signed Medicare reform proudly, and any attempt to limit the choices of our seniors and to take away their prescription drug coverage under Medicare will meet my veto." The comments came in response to criticism from some Democrats and Republicans about new cost projections for the benefit. CMS officials in February said that the new drug benefit would cost more than $720 billion over its first 10 years, with expenses reaching $100 billion annually by 2015 (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 2/14). According to The Hill, some Republican legislators "have pointed out that it is politically difficult to make the case that Social Security is in crisis when Medicare is estimated to become insolvent 23 years before Social Security." House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) during a recent House Republican Conference meeting told Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.) "that Bush's comments do not mean that changes to Medicare are off the table," the Hill reports. Wamp, who voted against the Medicare legislation in November 2003, supports means-testing for the drug benefit and legalizing prescription drug reimportation. House Ways and Means Committee Chair Bill Thomas (R-Calif.), who opposes reimportation and "has not expressed any interest" in means-testing, also recently suggested that long-term care be considered "as part of a broad package to reform Social Security," The Hill reports (The Hill, 3/3).
Virginia African-American Women Not Represented in Abortion Debate Despite Higher Rate of Abortion - Medical News Today 05/03/05
African-American women in Virginia are "noticeably not part" of the debate on abortion-restriction legislation in the state Legislature despite having abortions at three times the rate of white women, the... Richmond Times-Dispatch reports. "We take for granted it's really a white person's thing," Day Gardner -- director of Black Americans for Life, part of the National Right to Life Committee -- said, adding, "I thought [the abortion rate] was about the same within all races." However, federal and state data show that African-American women, proportionally, have about three times as many abortions as white women. According to Virginia Department of Health data, African-American women in 2003 had a rate of 30.2 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44, compared with white women who had a rate of 12 abortions per 1,000 women. Abortion-rights supporters say the higher rates are linked to a "reproductive health crisis" among African-American women, which also includes a lack of adequate health insurance, higher rates of childbirth-related deaths and reproductive cancers and a lack of education on sexual health issues, according to the Times-Dispatch. Antiabortion advocates are trying to "actively enlist" African-American and other minority women to oppose abortion within their communities, although current representation is "spotty," the Times-Dispatch reports (Smith, Richmond Times-Dispatch, 3/3).
April is Cancer Control Month: Take Advantage of Medicare's Cancer Screenings, USA - Medical News Today 05/03/05
To prevent cancer deaths, older and disabled adults with Medicare can take advantage of essential preventive care benefits that screen for several types of cancers. Cancer has displaced heart disease as the leading killer of Americans under the age of 85, according to the American Cancer Society.
Bird Flu Defence - Top Twelve Antiviral Vitamins and Herbs for Family Preparedness - Medical News Today 05/03/05
While the World Health Organization (WHO) is projecting an outbreak of bird flu which could affect millions of people and is urging countries to improve their vaccination preparedness, families are showing an increased interest in antiviral herbs and nutritional supplements referenced in a new report.
Utah Senate Approves Bill Allowing Direct-Entry Midwifery - Medical News Today 05/03/05
The Utah Senate on Wednesday approved 15-14 a bill... (HB 25) that would legalize direct-entry midwifery in the state and allow such midwives to be certified, the Salt Lake Tribune reports (Walsh, Salt Lake Tribune, 3/3). The Utah House approved the bill last month. The original version of the legislation, which was introduced by state Rep. Jackie Biskupski (D), would require individuals seeking a voluntary midwifery license to complete a three-year program, including 1,350 hours of clinical education. In order for midwives to be licensed, they would have to complete a state pharmacology course and pass written and practical skills tests. The measure would allow midwives to administer drugs such as Vitamin K and pitocin and would establish guidelines for when pregnant women should be transported to a hospital (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 2/23). State Sen. Allen Christensen (R) on Tuesday made a "last-ditch effort" to block the bill, according to the Tribune. Although Christensen replaced most of the original measure with amendments written by "traditional" midwives who oppose all regulation, the bill was restored and reconsidered on Wednesday, according to the Tribune. The bill now goes to Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman (R) (Salt Lake Tribune, 3/3).
More Than 80M Africans Might Die From AIDS-Related Causes by 2025; Almost $200B Needed To Combat Disease, UNAIDS Report Says - Medical News Today 05/03/05
More than 80 million Africans could die from AIDS-related causes by 2025, and the number of new HIV cases could increase to 90 million on the continent if more is not done to combat the spread of the disease, according to a... UNAIDS report released on Friday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the AP/USA Today reports (AP/USA Today, 3/3). The report, titled "AIDS in Africa: Three Scenarios to 2025," outlines three plausible scenarios of the African HIV/AIDS epidemic over the next 20 years based on the current actions of the global and African communities (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 3/2). It is based on UNAIDS projections made over a two-year period in collaboration with several institutions, including the African Development Bank, African Union, World Bank and Royal Dutch Shell (Tadesse, Reuters, 3/4). The scenarios include a "best-case situation," a "middle-case" condition and a "doomsday scenario," all of which "warn that the worst ... is still to come," according to the AP/USA Today. "What we do today will change the future," the report says, adding, "These scenarios demonstrate that, while societies will have to deal with AIDS for some time to come, the extent of the epidemic's impact will depend on the responses and investment now."
Washington Post Examines Sudan's High Rates of Infant, Maternal Mortality - Medical News Today 05/03/05
The Washington Post on Friday examined the high rates of infant and maternal mortality in southern Sudan, a "pocket of especially harsh suffering and poor survival odds for pregnant women" and infants. According to the World Health Organization, about 590 Sudanese women die during childbirth for every 100,000 live births, a rate that represents a "brighter picture" than in other countries, such as Sierra Leone and Afghanistan, where the number of deaths is three times as high, the Post reports. However, the "ravages of civil war," a lack of skilled health care workers and remote settlements make Sudan "an especially precarious place to give birth," according to the Post (Wax, Washington Post, 3/4). The complete article is available online.
New Drugs for Bad Bugs: Approach Could Bolster Antibiotic Arsenal - Medical News Today 05/03/05
Call it a chemical crystal ball. A new approach to predict whether a drug in development is likely to work and which dose is best could get antibiotics to market faster and more cheaply, say University of Florida researchers.
Open Letter From Advocates Urges U.N. Commission on Narcotic Drugs Not To Withdraw From Needle-Exchange Programs - Medical News Today 05/03/05
More than 300 scientists, policy analysts, human rights and HIV/AIDS advocacy groups and advocates from 56 countries on Tuesday signed an open... letter urging delegates attending next week's meeting of the U.N. Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna, Austria, to "resist" U.S. pressure to withdraw from needle-exchange programs, Inter Press Service reports (de la Torre, Inter Press Service, 3/2). Of "particular concern" for those who signed the letter is a meeting reported to have taken place in November 2004 between Robert Charles, chief of the State Department's Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, and Antonio Maria Costa, head of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, which is a co-sponsor of UNAIDS. Following that meeting, Costa allegedly had "new ideas about omitting certain language from UNODC documents that specifically referred to syringe-exchange programs," according to Inter Press Service. The open letter states, "Strategies that attempt solely to achieve abstinence from drug use do not constitute an acceptable alternative to programs, such as syringe exchange, that help active drug users protect themselves from HIV/AIDS" (Inter Press Service, 3/2). "Silencing the United Nations on needle exchange is deadly diplomacy," Jonathan Cohen of Human Rights Watch's HIV/AIDS Program, one of the signatories of the letter, said, adding, "The United States should be encouraging proven HIV prevention strategies, not attacking them" (HRW release, 3/3).
Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis - FDA Approves CLARINEX-D Gel 24 HOUR Prescription-Strength Once-Daily Nondrowsy Antihistamine with a D - Medical News Today 05/03/05
Unique Gel Control delivery system provides effective 24-hour relief - Schering-Plough Corporation (NYSE: SGP) today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved CLARINEX-D(R) 24 HOUR (desloratadine 5mg and pseudoephedrine sulfate USP 240 mg) Extended Release Tablets for the relief of the nasal and non-nasal symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis (outdoor allergies), including nasal congestion, in patients 12 years of age and older. Available this April in time for spring allergy season, CLARINEX-D 24 HOUR will be the only once-daily prescription antihistamine and decongestant combination treatment on the market to provide 24-hour relief of nasal and non-nasal allergy symptoms.
World measles deaths drop by nearly 40 per cent over five years - Medical News Today 05/03/05
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) today announced that countries are on target to halve deaths from measles, a leading vaccine-preventable killer, by the end of the year. Global measles deaths have plummeted by 39%, from 873 000 in 1999 to an estimated 530 000 in 2003.
State Law Allows Non-Physicians To Perform Eye Surgery, Oklahoma - Medical News Today 05/03/05
Leaders of America's medical and osteopathic associations met in Oklahoma City today to protest a one-of-a-kind Oklahoma law and regulation that allows optometrists to perform eye surgery with a scalpel.
Report highlights diseases from the environment - Medical News Today 05/03/05
While many infectious diseases are caused by human-to-human transmission, others are caused by microorganisms that exist in the outside environment. Scientists from a variety of fields, including medicine and the environment, must work together to address the challenges posed by these environmental pathogens, according to a new report, From Outside to Inside: Environmental Microorganisms as Human Pathogens, released today by the American Academy of Microbiology.
Promising Results for Cyberonics' VNS Therapy(TM) in Patients With Bulimia, University of Minnesota Researchers Report - Medical News Today 05/03/05
Cyberonics, Inc (Nasdaq: CYBX) today announced promising initial pilot study results from a study of VNS Therapy in patients with bulimia nervosa at the University of Minnesota's Neuroscience Research Center. The pilot study is designed to evaluate whether or not VNS Therapy reduces the episodes of binging and vomiting that are the hallmark of bulimia by reversing the physiological changes that occur in the function of the vagus nerve. The National Institutes of Health provided a $300,000 grant to the University of Minnesota to fund the study. To date, six patients have been treated with VNS Therapy. All reported significant reductions in episodes of binging/vomiting.
Georgia Senate Committee Approves Bill That Would Require 24-Hour Waiting Period for Women Seeking Abortion - Medical News Today 05/03/05
The Georgia Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Wednesday approved a bill... (HB 197) that would require a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking abortion and tighten parental notification regulations for minors seeking the procedure, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Campos, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 3/3). The measure, which the state House already has passed, would require women seeking abortion to be informed of the medical risks of the procedure, the gestational age of the fetus, information about potential fetal pain experienced during an abortion and alternatives to the procedure. In addition, the measure would require that a minor's parent or legal guardian be notified if she seeks an abortion. The current parental notification law allows other adults, such as a grandparent or other relative, to stand in for a minor's parent or guardian. An earlier provision requiring doctors to tell women about a possible link between abortion and an increased risk of breast cancer was removed by a state House committee. In addition, the state House committee agreed to keep secret the names of abortion providers who would be required to report information to the state about abortions performed (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 2/25). An amendment proposed by state Sen. David Adelman (D) that would have exempted rape and incest survivors from the waiting period and other requirements was "quickly" defeated, according to the Journal-Constitution. Opponents of the measure say it would put up "unnecessary barriers" for women seeking legal abortions, according to the Journal-Constitution. Although the bill now will advance to the state Senate Rules Committee, Georgia Right to Life said that it is "hopeful" that the bill will come to a vote by the full state Senate as early as Friday, according to the Journal-Constitution.
Interventions to Increase Influenza Vaccination of Health-Care Workers, California and Minnesota, USA - Medical News Today 05/03/05
Vaccination of health-care workers (HCWs) has been shown to reduce influenza infection and absenteeism among HCWs (1), prevent mortality in their patients (2), and result in financial savings to sponsoring health institutions (3). However, influenza vaccination coverage among HCWs in the United States remains low (4--6); in 2003, coverage among HCWs was 40.1% (CDC, unpublished data, 2005). This report describes strategies implemented in three clinical settings that increased the proportion of HCWs who received influenza vaccination. The results demonstrate the value of making influenza vaccination convenient and available at no cost to HCWs.
Oklahoma House Approves Unborn Victims of Violence Act - Medical News Today 05/03/05
The Oklahoma House on Wednesday approved 97-0 a bill... (HB 1257) that would make it a separate crime to harm a fetus during the commission of a violent crime against a pregnant woman, the AP/KOTV.com reports (Talley, AP/KOTV.com, 3/2). The measure, sponsored by state Rep. Pam Peterson (R), is based on the federal Unborn Victims of Violence Act, which makes it a separate crime to harm a fetus during the commission of a violent federal crime. Under the federal legislation, which President Bush signed into law in April 2004, perpetrators can be charged regardless of whether they were aware of the woman's pregnancy. The law applies to fetuses at "any stage of development" but states that "nothing in this section shall be construed to permit the prosecution ... of any person for conduct relating to an abortion for which the consent of the pregnant woman or a person authorized by law to act on her behalf has been obtained" (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 2/15). The measure now goes to the state Senate.
Researchers discover a good side to cholesterol in controlling cell signals - Medical News Today 05/03/05
Cholesterol, often stigmatized for its role in heart disease, has long been known to be essential for the health of the fat-laden membranes that surround individual cells. New findings by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center highlight a novel role for cholesterol inside the cell itself - anchoring a signaling pathway linked to cell division and cancer.
Epilepsy - VNS Therapy(TM) System as a Treatment for Refractory Epilepsy in Korea and Brazil - Medical News Today 05/03/05
Cyberonics, Inc (Nasdaq: CYBX) today announced that it received approval from the regulatory agencies in Korea and Brazil to market the VNS Therapy Models 102 and 102R Generators, and the VNS Therapy Model 302 Leads in Korea and Brazil for the treatment of pharmacoresistant epilepsy. The Models 102 and 102R Generators are slimmer, lighter and easier to implant than their predecessor, the Model 101 Generator. The Model 102R Generator is a dual connector version of the Model 102 Generator for use as a replacement for Model 100 and 101 Generators with dual connector Model 300 leads that have reached end of service.
Theranostics A Key Factor Driving Drug Development At Major Pharmaceuticals, FIND/SVP Reports - Medical News Today 05/03/05
Growth in molecular diagnostic technologies is a driving factor leading major pharmaceutical companies to incorporate a new category of medicine -- Theranostics -- into their drug development strategies, according to a prediction in a new industry Trend Report from FIND/SVP. The result of these efforts is tests that reveal how well patients respond to particular therapies.
House Subcommittee Hears Testimony on Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act - Medical News Today 05/03/05
The House Subcommittee on the Constitution on Thursday heard testimony on a bill... (HR 748) that would make it a federal crime to circumvent a state's parental notification or consent law by transporting a pregnant minor to a state without such a law in order for her to undergo abortion, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports (Kellman, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 3/3). The bill, called the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, includes an exception if an abortion is necessary to save the life of a pregnant minor (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 1/31). In addition, the measure would allow minors seeking abortion in other states to gain judicial bypass from a judge in their home state to avoid parental notification, according to the AP/Chronicle (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 3/3). Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) in January said that passing such legislation is one of the top 10 legislative priorities for Republicans in Congress this session (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 1/31). "No one should be able to circumvent state laws by performing an abortion in another state on a minor daughter without parental consent," Marcia Carroll of Lancaster, Pa., said during testimony. Carroll said that the family of her daughter's boyfriend took the 14-year-old girl, who had decided to continue with her pregnancy, to a New Jersey abortion clinic and refused to take her home until she had an abortion, according to the AP/Chronicle. Opponents of the measure say that it would prevent pregnant minors from "abusive" families from accessing abortion and would "punish well-meaning relatives, friends and doctors who try to help," according to the AP/Chronicle. Laura Murphy, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Washington legislative office, said, "This legislation will not create healthy family communication where it does not already exist, and it ignores the plight of those young people who need support most" (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 3/3).
Jefferson Lab Medical Imager Spots Breast Cancer - Medical News Today 05/03/05
A study published in the February issue of the journal Radiology shows that a positron emission mammography (PEM) device designed and built by Jefferson Lab scientists is capable of imaging breast cancer tumors. In the pilot study, conducted by Duke University Medical Center researchers, the unit imaged 18 malignant tumors in 23 patients receiving additional screening due to suspicious mammograms.
Mood elevating hormone may trigger depression and heart problems - Medical News Today 05/03/05
Impaired function of a receptor that regulates release of a mood elevating hormone in the brain may be responsible for causing depression, anxiety and cardiovascular disorders, according to a Yale study in Pharmacogenetics and Genomics.
First genomic-based test to predict stroke from ruptured brain aneurysm, Mayo Clinic - Medical News Today 05/03/05
Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered a genetic marker that may pave the way for a fast, inexpensive blood test to predict one type of deadly stroke that strikes 30,000 people in the United States annually.
New trials for counseling caregivers and patients with Alzheimer's begin - Medical News Today 05/03/05
Three studies are underway at the NYU School of Medicine to find out whether short-term counseling can ease the psychological stress and depression of people with Alzheimer's disease and their family members. These studies were inspired by the success of a previous trial at the NYU School of Medicine that showed that even a short period of counseling can have a long-term beneficial impact on the emotional well-being of people taking care of spouses with Alzheimer's disease.
Next-Generation Tools for Analyzing Gene Transcription, Regulation and Corresponding Genetic Pathways - Medical News Today 05/03/05
Genpathway, Inc today announced the availability of its novel tools enabling discovery and characterization of differential gene transcription, components and processes for gene regulation, and corresponding genetic pathways.
NHS vacancies in London twice the national average - Medical News Today 05/03/05
NHS vacancies in London are twice as high as the national average, despite concerted government efforts to boost the number of health staff working in the capital, says a new King's Fund report published today.
HIV Testing Should No Longer Be Accorded Any Special Status - Medical News Today 05/03/05
HIV testing should no longer be accorded any special status, argue two senior doctors in this week's BMJ.
Community acquired MRSA - Medical News Today 05/03/05
There has been recent media interest in community acquired MRSA (C-MRSA) but the (UK) Health Protection Agency are unaware of any link to gyms or healthclubs. Over the past three years, the Agency has identified approximately 100 cases of C-MRSA in the UK, and one patient has unfortunately died. These cases have been acquired within the community.
Flu activity continues to rise in USA, Week 7 Update - Medical News Today 04/03/05
During week 7 (February 13-19, 2005)*, influenza activity continued to increase in the United States. Nine hundred ten (20.4%) specimens tested by U.S. World Health Organization (WHO) and National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) collaborating laboratories were positive for influenza viruses. The proportion of patient visits to sentinel providers for influenza-like illness (ILI) has been above the national baseline for 6 consecutive weeks. The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza is above the epidemic threshold. There have been nine influenza-associated pediatric deaths reported to CDC this season. Thirty-three states reported widespread influenza activity, 15 states reported regional influenza activity, and two states, New York City, and the District of Columbia reported local activity.
Increase in Demand for Two Antiretroviral Drugs Might Exceed Supply, Wall Street Journal Reports - Medical News Today 04/03/05
The increasing demand for the antiretroviral drugs stavudine and efavirenz, both manufactured by... Bristol-Myers Squibb, might soon exceed supply and lead to shortages for HIV-positive patients in developing countries, the Wall Street Journal reports. The potential shortages are largely being attributed to a "rapid increase" in purchases of the drugs by the five-year, $15 billion President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, programs funded through the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and other organizations treating HIV-positive people in developing countries, according to the Journal. In addition, supplies of the two drugs already are low in many developing countries because the World Health Organization recently withdrew its approval of generic versions of the drugs manufactured by two Indian generic drug makers. The withdrawal prompted the companies to remove the generic drugs from the market. Bristol-Myers Squibb and Merck, which markets efavirenz in developing countries, acknowledged the possible shortages and said the main priority is ensuring that patients continue to have access to the drugs, the Journal reports. However, some new patients might have to wait or use alternative treatments until the shortages are rectified, according to the Journal. Both companies said that the expected length of the shortages is unknown because demand for the drugs is continuing to increase. The "vast majority" of HIV-positive people in developing countries do not have access to antiretroviral treatment, according to the Journal (Davies, Wall Street Journal, 3/4). According to a December 2004 WHO report, 700,000 people in developing countries were on antiretroviral drugs at the end of 2004, compared with 440,000 as of June 2004. However, only about 12% of an estimated 5.8 million HIV-positive adults in developing countries who need antiretrovirals are receiving them (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 2/23).
First step towards a non-invasive screening test for early signs of testicular cancer - Medical News Today 04/03/05
Researchers in Denmark have discovered a way to detect early signs of testicular cancer before it has started to spread. Their findings are the first step towards developing a simple screening test for men at risk of the disease.
NAPNAP Alerts Parents to Potential Complications of Rotavirus Infection - Medical News Today 04/03/05
Unpredictable disease accounts for an estimated 500,000 visits to primary care offices every year - The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) wants parents to know that rotavirus, the most common cause of severe diarrhea, affects nearly all children by the age of five, and can lead to serious health consequences, including dehydration. NAPNAP offers advice for parents on how to recognize this common childhood infection.
Doctors Confident About Flu Vaccine Supplies, Australia - Medical News Today 04/03/05
AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, said today that doctors are confident there will be sufficient flu vaccine available for the coming influenza season following assurances from Chief Medical Officer, Professor John Horvath.
Researchers find three major beetle groups coming up one testicle short - Medical News Today 04/03/05
A surprisingly large number of beetles are missing one of their testes, the male gonads of insects. As far as the researchers who discovered this can tell, the insects are not in any way bothered or impaired by this absence.
72% of British have breakfast at home - Medical News Today 04/03/05
Despite our increasingly hectic lifestyles, nearly three quarters of Great Britain's population (72 per cent) are still taking time out to tuck into breakfast in the comfort of their homes. New statistics also dispel the myth that we are skipping the most important meal of the day. Only nine per cent of people miss out on breakfast and just three per cent grab theirs on the run - despite the range of breakfast bars and snacks on offer "to go".
25,000 Lives Save By Speedier Heart Treatment, UK - Medical News Today 04/03/05
The NHS has delivered substantial progress on the promises it made to tackle the biggest killer in England today - heart disease
Case psychologist Exline studies relationship of narcissistic personality, forgiveness - Medical News Today 04/03/05
When harsh words or actions tear a relationship apart, forgiveness can sometimes mend it. Because forgiveness implies letting go of justified feelings of resentment, it can be costly in terms of pride. Certain types of people--those with a high sense of narcissistic entitlement--may be especially reluctant to face the costs of forgiving others, according to Case Western Reserve University psychologist Julie Exline. The Case assistant professor of psychology examines the narcissistic personality in terms of its ability to forgive, in the article "Too Proud to Let Go: Narcissistic Entitlement as a Barrier to Forgiveness" in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. According to Exline, the idea of the narcissist grew out of Greek mythology and the concept of excessive admiration toward oneself.
Eureka! Presentation to the European Parliament - Medical News Today 04/03/05
Brussels: EUREKA!, the pan-European research initiative, will be presented to the Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee of the European Parliament on 30th March 2005.
FDA Assesses New Report on Acrylamide - Medical News Today 04/03/05
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reviewing a report released on March 2, from the Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) on acrylamide in food. Acrylamide is a natural byproduct that forms when certain carbohydrate-rich foods are fried, baked, or roasted at high temperatures. Acrylamide can cause cancer in laboratory animals at high doses, although it is not clear whether it causes cancer at the much lower levels in food.
BMA(NI) comment on latest NHS waiting lists, UK - Medical News Today 04/03/05
Commenting on the release today of the DHSSPS's NHS waiting list figures, BMA(NI) Chairman, Dr Brian Patterson, said that the reduction in numbers of people waiting for inpatient treatment, albeit small, was to be welcomed and paid tribute to the doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff who have worked hard to achieve this. However, Dr Patterson said that for the 49,250 patients still waiting for hospital treatment it spelt misery. "We are not seeing any significant reduction in these still unacceptably high figures for inpatient treatment.
Some HIV Patients At Risk Of Exhausting Treatment Options - Medical News Today 04/03/05
A small but growing proportion of HIV infected patients in the United Kingdom may be in danger of exhausting current treatment options, says a paper published online by the BMJ today.
London GP Questions Passive Smoking Propaganda At Conference On Choice - Medical News Today 04/03/05
As a new study claims that passive smoking kills more than 11,000 people per year in the UK, DR MICHAEL FITZPATRICK, GP and author of the books 'MMR and Autism: What Parents Need to Know' and 'The Tyranny of Health: Doctors and the Regulation of Lifestyle', argues that such claims should be carefully scrutinised.
Study finds Seroquel effective and well tolerated - Medical News Today 04/03/05
Alderley Park, UK ¨CAstraZeneca announced results from a study involving elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) treated with the atypical antipsychotic SEROQUEL (quetiapine) today at the annual meeting of the American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry in San Diego, USA. The study found that SEROQUEL at 200 mg/day was effective in reducing agitation in elderly patients with AD without leading to a decline in cognitive function. SEROQUEL was also generally well tolerated with no incidence of cerebrovascular adverse events during treatment, which have been associated with the use of other atypical antipsychotics in this patient population. 1 In the 30-day follow up, one cerebrovascular event was reported in the 100 mg/day group.
TAT2005 - 3rd International Symposium on Targeted Anticancer Therapies - Medical News Today 04/03/05
The 3rd International Symposium on Targeted Anticancer Therapies (TAT 2005) will be held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, March 3-5, 2005. This conference will provide an update of recent developments concerning the new generation of rationally designed anticancer agents with well defined molecular targets in the cancer cell or the cancer cell's environment: targeted agents. The first representatives of this new generation of cancer therapies, including bevacizumab (Avastin®), cetuximab (Erbitux®) and bortezomib (Velcade®), have already been approved for the treatment of cancer patients. In addition, dozens of other targeted agents are in various stages of clinical development. It is expected that several of these agents will obtain regulatory approval in the (near) future. Thus, TAT 2005 will provide a view of the future of cancer therapy.
Sunflower Seed Oil Can Protect Low Birth Weight Babies From Infection, The Lancet - Medical News Today 04/03/05
Massaging low birth weight babies with sunflower seed oil is a low cost intervention that can protect them from infections, concludes a study published online by The Lancet.
Team develops mouse model to test therapies for macular degeneration, UCSD-Utah - Medical News Today 04/03/05
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine and the University of Utah have developed a mouse model of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in people over age 55, and Stargardt Macular Degeneration (STGD), a form of the disease that affects children and young adults.
U.S. Drops Request for Amendment Stating That Right to Abortion Not Established in 1995 U.N. Women's Rights Platform - Medical News Today 04/03/05
The US delegation on Wednesday at a... United Nations review of the Fourth World Conference on Women platform dropped its "contentious demand" for an amendment that would have clarified that the 1995 conference platform does not include a right to abortion or create any new international human rights, the New York Times reports (Hoge, New York Times, 3/3). Participants at the 1995 Beijing conference adopted a platform stating that abortion should be safe in places where it is legal and that criminal charges should not be filed against any woman who undergoes an illegal abortion. The platform also stated that women have the right to "decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality ... free of coercion, discrimination and violence." Ahead of this year's review, the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women -- which organized the two-week meeting expected to be attended by delegates from more than 100 countries and more than 6,000 women's rights advocates -- proposed a declaration asking the participating countries to reaffirm progress toward the Beijing platform. However, Bush administration representatives said last week that the United States would not sign on to the declaration because of concerns that the platform classified legal abortion as a human right and on Friday proposed an amendment that would reaffirm U.S. commitment to the platform and declaration "while reaffirming that they do not create any new international human rights and that they do not include the right to abortion." Diplomats from Egypt, Qatar and Vatican City had indicated support for the U.S. amendment on Monday, but diplomats from the 25-nation European Union on Tuesday announced their opposition to the amendment (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 3/2).
Heart Surgeons Publish Death Rates, UK - Medical News Today 04/03/05
Twenty five heart surgeons in Northwest England publish their individual mortality rates in this week's BMJ. The results show that all surgeons are performing to satisfactory standards.
Three Out Of The Four Million Newborn Babies Who Die Each Year Could Be Saved - Lancet Launches Neonatal Survival Series - Medical News Today 04/03/05
Three million of the four million newborn babies who die worldwide each year could be saved by low-tech and low-cost interventions, concludes a landmark series of articles published online by The Lancet (Thursday March 3, 2005). Every hour around 450 babies die before the age of four weeks (the neonatal period), mainly from preventable causes.
Address to National Governors Association, "Medicaid: A Time to Act" - Speech by US Health Secretary Leavitt - Medical News Today 03/03/05
“Good morning. It's great to be among so many friends. We've spent a lot of time together the past few days. In fact, I think I met personally with just about all of you.”
Antidepressant drug tested in treatment of bladder disease - Medical News Today 03/03/05
Queen's selected as only Canadian site in U.S. NIH-sponsored study - (Kingston, ON) - Queen's University has been selected as the only Canadian site to test a new antidepressant drug approved by the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) for its potential to alleviate pain in two common bladder conditions that have no known cause and no effective therapy.
Eisai Announces Results of Osteoporosis Fracture Study Using Menatetrenone - Medical News Today 03/03/05
Eisai (TSE: 4523) has announced the results of its Osteoporosis Fracture Study (OF Study) using menatrenone. Organized by the Ministry of Health, the OF Study, which has surveyed 4,000 patients with osteoporosis since 1995, compared the two subject groups: one administered solely with calcium and the other with calcium and menatetrenone.
EU launches new anti-smoking campaign - Medical News Today 03/03/05
Young people, non-smokers and those wanting to quit can get help to lead a life without tobacco, according to a new, € 72 million EU anti-smoking campaign launched today. EU Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou kicked off the campaign at the Rond-Point Schuman outside the European Commission's Berlaymont headquarters in Brussels by unveiling the campaign slogan “HELP: For a Life Without Tobacco” on a giant inflatable structure which will tour all 25 EU capitals. The new campaign has been devised for the European Commission by a consortium of health experts and PR professionals (see MEMO/05/68 for details). The roadshow will be followed by a “HELP” TV and cinema advertising campaign over the summer. Commissioner Kyprianou said: “The sickness and death caused by smoking costs EU countries € 100 billion a year. Prevention and information campaigns like “HELP” are an investment in a healthier and more prosperous future for our citizens. As well as promoting tobacco-free lifestyles to young people, the campaign will also highlight the dangers of passive smoking and support the trend towards tobacco-free public places.” The European Commission has earmarked € 72 million for the new campaign between now and 2008. Adolescents (15 to 18 year olds) and young adults (18 to 30 years olds) will be the main target groups.
Heart Disease Risk May be Reduced by Meditation - Medical News Today 03/03/05
Black adolescents with high normal blood pressure who practice transcendental meditation improve the ability of their blood vessels to relax and may reduce their risk of becoming adults with cardiovascular disease, researchers say.
Cryoablation is effective in treating cancer patients' pain - Medical News Today 03/03/05
Freezing tumors is an effective way to treat a cancer patient's pain, preliminary results of a new study show.
Labeling Revision for CRESTOR® Approved by the FDA - Medical News Today 03/02/05
AstraZeneca today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved revisions to the prescribing information for its cholesterol-lowering medication, CRESTOR® (rosuvastatin calcium), based on submissions made by AstraZeneca. The Company is committed to providing the most up-to-date information about the appropriate use of CRESTOR, and will proactively communicate these revisions to healthcare professionals.
New data bank for childhood research aimed at helping identify asthma factors - Medical News Today 03/02/05
A unique Asthma UK research initiative launched today could help to identify factors in early childhood that cause asthma.
Preventing Diabetes-Related Hospitalizations Could Save United States $2.5 Billion Annually, Study Says - Medical News Today 03/02/05
The United States could save almost $2.5 billion annually by preventing diabetes-related hospitalizations, according to a study by the... Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, CQ HealthBeat reports (CQ HealthBeat, 3/1). According to the study, based on data from AHRQ's 2001 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, reducing hospital admissions for diabetes-related complications, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and circulation problems that can lead to amputations, could save Medicare $1.3 billion per year and Medicaid $386 million per year (AHRQ release, 3/1). The study also found that in 2001 30% of people with diabetes who were hospitalized had two or more hospital stays, and that hospital costs for patients with multiple stays averaged $23,100, compared with $8,500 for patients who had a single hospital admission. Women with diabetes were two to four times as likely to be hospitalized for cardiovascular disease as women who did not have diabetes, according to the study. In addition, African Americans and other minorities, as well as low-income patients regardless of race, are more likely to have multiple hospitalizations related to diabetes compared with white and higher-income patients, the study found. AHRQ Director Carolyn Clancy said the study results "highlight the importance of carefully monitoring people with diabetes who have a prior admission for the disease to prevent repeat hospitalizations, improving the care of diabetic patients who also suffer from cardiovascular disease and enhancing treatment for minorities and low-income patients" (CQ HealthBeat, 3/1).
Stop smoking services encourage more GPs to help smokers quit, UK - Medical News Today 03/02/05
Clinics to help people stop smoking have led to an increased number of GPs recording whether patients smoke and referring them for assistance to quit - according to a new report*.
UK Government meets target on older people living independently - Medical News Today 03/02/05
More older people now live independently in their own homes than ever before. Improving the quality of life of more older people by helping them to live at home was a target set by the government in 2002 in support of its National Service Framework for Older People. It committed to helping more people stay in control of their own lives by ensuring 30% of people receiving care from social services did so at home.*
Virginia Considering Restrictions on Medicaid Benefits for Undocumented Immigrants - Medical News Today 03/02/05
Virginia lawmakers might soon pass legislation... (SB 1143) that would restrict undocumented immigrants from receiving Medicaid and other public health care insurance and welfare benefits, the Washington Post reports. The legislation, however, would not prevent undocumented immigrants from receiving emergency medical care or disaster relief. The legislation would require that people seeking public benefits prove their legal status to state or local officials by providing the same documentation required for obtaining a driver's license. The current system requires people applying for Medicaid to check a box affirming that they are legal residents. A conference committee is currently reviewing the legislation before sending it to Gov. Mark Warner (D). Warner would not comment on whether he would sign the legislation. State Sen. Emmett Hanger (R), the bill's sponsor, said, "Clearly, this is an issue of state resources and making sure that they go to the appropriate people," adding, "Our services and benefits should be focused and reserved for our citizens." But State Delegate Brian Moran (D) said, "The only thing this really does is place an unnecessary and substantial burden on legal United States citizens. And those people are our constituents" (Jenkins, Washington Post, 2/26).
Ultra Suction (TM) Dentures, better seal and no undesirable effects - Medical News Today 03/02/05
Biomedics NZ Limited, a New Zealand based company, claims to have developed a new type of denture retention: One with a better seal and without the undesirable effects, such as plastic resin palate. The system relies mainly on lowering the pressure beneath the denture to keep it stable. The company reports:
Hendrie Earns Peer Recognition for Geriatric Psychiatry Research, USA - Medical News Today 02/03/05
A lifetime of research into the neurological diseases of aging has earned Hugh C. Hendrie, M.B., Ch.B., the former chairman of the Indiana University Department of Psychiatry, national honors from the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry.
Organ recipients join national campaign to say ‘Thank you for the gift of life' - Medical News Today 02/03/05
Individuals from across the UK, who have received life saving organ transplants, are joining a major campaign to thank organ donors and their families.
G8 Should Do More To Fight HIV/AIDS, Improve Development in Africa, Opinion Piece Says - Medical News Today 02/03/05
Although there have been "encouraging developments" in Africa over the past few years, "problems remain," and the "scourge of HIV/AIDS is sweeping the continent," British Prime Minister Tony Blair writes in an opinion piece in Toronto's... Globe and Mail. "No continent, no matter how prosperous, could tackle such problems on its own," Blair says, adding that Africa, "despite the resilience and talents of its people, is both poor and, uniquely, getting poorer." Therefore, the United Kingdom has made Africa, along with climate change, one of two "priorities" during its chairmanship of the Group of Eight industrialized nations, Blair says. G8 nations and the developed world "need to play our part in tackling HIV and AIDS, working together to respond effectively and moving forward on research on vaccines and microbicides," according to Blair. "All G8 members have significant engagements in Africa," he says, adding, "We recognize the potential benefit of developing prosperous African trading partners" and the "threat to global security that results from a failure to address poverty." Blair concludes, "It is my view that ... we have not done enough. We cannot carry on as we are. We must act now and follow through" (Blair, Globe and Mail, 2/26).
NICE's draft recommendations on Alzheimer's Medicines are blow to patients and to future research, says ABPI - Medical News Today 02/03/05
Draft recommendations on medicines to treat Alzheimer's disease, published today by NICE, are a devastating blow to patients and will act as a significant deterrent to companies undertaking further research in this area, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) said today.
Organic Consumers Association asks that Splenda Ad Be Investigated, USA - Medical News Today 02/03/05
The Organic Consumers Association (OCA), in a letter delivered today, urged the Federal Trade Commission to launch a formal investigation of the deceptive marketing campaign being conducted by Johnson & Johnson's McNeil Nutritionals for its artificial sweetener, Splenda.
Canada Doubles 2005 Contribution to Global Fund to Fight AIDS to $112M - Medical News Today 02/03/05
Canada for 2005 will more than double its 2004 contribution to the... Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to $112 million, compared with the $50 million it contributed last year, the fund announced on Monday, the AP/Jamaica Observer reports (AP/Jamaica Observer, 3/1). The contribution will be administered through the Canadian International Development Agency and is a part of the $275 million in the country's budget allocated for global health initiatives this year, according to a Global Fund release. In order to meet the U.N. Millennium Development Goals, the Canadian government has called for an increase of $274 million in funding over the next five years for international development initiatives and aims to double its current aid commitments by 2010. "Canada's increased contribution is particularly welcome, as this is a year where we face extraordinary challenges," Global Fund Executive Director Richard Feachem said, adding, "To meet our current commitments, we will need $2.3 billion in 2005, and by 2007 we estimate our financial needs at $3.6 billion. We encourage other countries to follow Canada's lead" (Global Fund release, 2/28).
Pregnancy Dot Org Files Deceptive Trade Practices Complaint Against Consumer Reports(R) - Medical News Today 02/03/05
Pregnancy org asked the US Federal Trade Commission to investigate what it terms deceptive and misleading trade practices by Consumers Union(R), publisher of Consumer Reports(R) magazine.
UNC findings may help explain cause of most common movement disorder - Medical News Today 02/03/05
Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill may have identified the genetic basis underlying essential tremor disease, the most common human movement disorder.
Cleaners, Nurses And Doctors Make Improvements On Think Clean Day, UK - Medical News Today 28/02/05
Chief Nursing Officer demands action for cleaner, safer hospitals - Nurses, doctors, consultants and cleaners from 939 hospitals sites will be working together to raise the profile of good hygiene in hospitals today as part of Think Clean Day.
Heart Healthy Children = Heart Healthy Adults - Medical News Today 28/02/05
Children who have very healthy levels of blood sugar, blood pressure, weight and cholesterol are likely to become heart-healthy adults, say Tulane University researchers. The data, drawn from 1474 participants in the Bogalusa Heart Study over two decades, were published in a recent issue of Diabetes Care.
Is It Exercise Or Dieting That Helps Prevent Cancer? - Medical News Today 28/02/05
Scientists and health professionals have long believed that maintaining a healthy - or “ideal” - weight makes a difference in decreasing an individual's risk for cancer. But one lingering question is whether or not it's better, in terms of cancer prevention, if that weight is reached and maintained by dieting or by exercising.
HIV diagnoses remain at high level in 2004, UK - Medical News Today 28/02/05
New diagnoses of HIV remained at a high level during 2004, the Health Protection Agency Board heard this week. Reports received so far show there were 5016 new diagnoses reported for 2004 compared to 5047 at the same time in 2003. These figures will rise further as late reports are received.
Chugai Pharmaceutical's Antitumor Agent Natulan Now Available for Treating Glioma - Medical News Today 28/02/05
Chugai Pharmaceutical (TSE: 4519) has announced that it has received approval for expanded indications of Natulan, an antitumor agent, from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (Japan).
Sudan I, Contaminants Working Group of 24-25 February 2005 - Conclusions of the European Commission - Medical News Today 28/02/05
Expert Working Group on Agricultural Contaminants on Worcester sauce by the unauthorised colour Sudan I - At the request of the Commission, the issue of contamination by the dye Sudan I was addressed at the meeting of the working group of experts on agricultural contaminants which was held on 24-25 February 2005. The UK delegate presented the update of the situation in his country about the contaminated Worcester sauce by the colour Sudan I. The dye was found in chilli powder used to make Worcester sauce, which was used as an ingredient in some processed products.
Study Shows Methylphenidate Linked to Chromosomal Changes - Medical News Today 28/02/05
In a small but startling preliminary new study, Texas researchers have found that after just three months, every one of a dozen children treated for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with the drug methylphenidate experienced a threefold increase in levels of chromosome abnormalities-occurrences associated with increased risks of cancer and other adverse health effects.
Topical Treatment Shown to Inhibit HIV and Herpes Simplex Virus Infection - Medical News Today 28/02/05
Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers demonstrated that a gel applied in the vagina provides protection from both the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the herpes simplex virus. The study, presented at the 12th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, is the first to show that a gel can retain anti-viral activity within the human vagina.
Early Physicians Suspicious of the Tracheotomy - Medical News Today 28/02/05
The tracheotomy, performed on Pope John Paul II, is an incision made into the windpipe, or trachea, through the front of a person's neck. When a person's upper airway is blocked, an otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon (ear, nose, and throat specialist) can perform a tracheotomy to create an alternate airway. Air can then be drawn into the lungs via an opening in the trachea, bypassing foreign bodies, secretions, or swelling. This opening may be temporary or permanent, depending on the needs of the individual patient.
Leflunomide Useful for Drug-Resistant Juvenile Arthritis - Reuters 04/03/05
Leflunomide therapy is well tolerated and benefits some patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) resistant to the drug methotrexate, according to results of a new study. "The beneficial effect of leflunomide was maintained over the long term in the majority of patients," the researchers report.
Pfizer HDL Drug Linked to Hypertension in Some - Reuters 04/03/05
Pfizer Inc.'s experimental drug to raise "good" HDL cholesterol was effective and well tolerated in two small mid-stage trials, but appeared to cause a small increase in blood pressure among some patients, according to industry analysts
The Secret to Man's Aggression: in His Finger? - Reuters 04/03/05
How long a man's second finger is relative to his fourth finger appears to predict whether he is prone to be physically aggressive toward others, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
Medication Errors Common at Hospital Admission - Reuters 04/03/05
Potentially harmful medication errors are often made at the time of hospital admission, Canadian investigators report in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Higher Maternal Weight Ups Likelihood of Twins - Reuters 04/03/05
In a study of more than 50,000 pregnancies in the United States, the odds of having fraternal twins (twins formed from two eggs), increased as maternal body mass index (BMI) rose.
No Evidence That Echinacea Treats Colds - Reuters 03/03/05
Most of the major studies on the effectiveness of echinacea for treatment of the common cold contain major flaws, suggesting that research has not yet established that this herbal medicine is effective, according to a new report.
Severe Obesity Linked to Increased Healthcare Costs - Reuters 03/03/05
As waistlines grow bigger, healthcare costs get higher, according to the results of a study that found healthcare expenses to be nearly twice as high in morbidly obese individuals than in their normal-weight peers.
Young Men with Sleep Apnea Have Higher Risk of Death - Reuters 03/02/05
Most patients referred for evaluation of sleep apnea, a condition in which airways become blocked during sleep and breathing stops for brief periods, are in their 50s, but men in their 20s with this condition appear to have the highest risk of death, an Israeli research team reports.
Heart Attack During Pregnancy Rare, But on the Rise - Reuters 03/03/05
Heart attack during pregnancy, labor or delivery occurs rarely, but the rate has increased in the last 10 years, according to a study conducted by a team from the University of California-Davis. The trend seems to be related to the increase in maternal age.
U.S. Rabbis OK Sucking Circumcision Blood from Tube - Reuters 03/02/05
Rabbis should use a tube to suck blood from circumcision wounds rather than sucking directly with their mouths to protect infants and rabbis from disease, the leading Orthodox rabbinical group said on Thursday.
Program Helps Reduce Teenagers' Risky Driving - Reuters 03/02/05
A program that has teenagers and parents sign driving "agreements" helps keep kids from driving under potentially hazardous conditions, according to the results of a new study.
Impotence Treatment Linked to Heart Infection - Reuters03/02/05
The use of contaminated syringes to inject drugs for impotence led to an outbreak of a serious heart infection in Israel caused by a pathogenic mold, investigators report.
Healthy Lifestyle Could Reduce Alzheimer's Risk - Reuters 03/03/05
Regular exercise and a healthy diet could go a long way to reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, a medical expert said on Thursday.
Brain Stimulation May Curb Persistent Depression - Reuters 02/03/05
Individuals with severe depression who do not respond to standard types of treatment may be helped with an experimental treatment called deep brain stimulation, Canadian investigators report.
Illegal Drug Sales Booming on Internet - Reuters 02/03/05
Illegal drug sales on the Internet are booming as unlicensed online pharmacies selling drugs like morphine evade a patchy global effort to stop them, the United Nations narcotics watchdog said on Wednesday.
Smoking Ups Risk of Premenopausal Breast Cancer - Reuters 02/03/05
Both active and "passive" smoking (exposure to secondhand smoke) increase the risk of breast cancer in premenopausal but not postmenopausal women, a study of middle-aged Japanese women suggests.
New Studies Point to Crisis Among U.S. Black Men - Reuters 02/03/05
A batch of new studies suggesting that black males in the United States are falling ever further behind other groups in health, education and employment has ignited a debate within the black community about who is to blame and what can be done.
Egyptian Baby Learning to Breathe After Operation - Reuters 28/02/05
An Egyptian baby who underwent an operation to remove the head of a twin that failed to develop in the womb is gradually being trained to breathe independently, one of the doctors treating her was quoted saying Monday.
Patient Dies: Biogen, Elan Halt MS Drug - Reuters 28/02/05
Biogen Idec (BIIB.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and Elan Corp. Plc (ELN.N: Quote, Profile, Research) (ELN.I: Quote, Profile, Research) on Monday suspended sales of their much-heralded new multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri after a patient died from a rare and often fatal infection of the central nervous system.
HIV Treatment: 2 Million Years of Life Saved - Reuters 28/02/05
Progress in HIV care has saved at least 2 million years of life in the United States, according to the results of a study that quantified the total impact of HIV treatment in the US for the first time.
Zinc Shortage Linked to Esophageal Cancer - Reuters 28/02/05
People with low levels of zinc in their tissues may be at increased risk for developing cancer of the esophagus, according to research reported in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Company Plans U.S. Future for Cannabis Drug - Reuters 28/02/05
Britain's GW Pharmaceuticals said Monday it was accelerating plans to introduce its cannabis-based medicines into the United States as U.S. founder investors increased their stake in the business.
Bird Flu Kills 47th Asian Victim in Vietnam - Reuters 28/02/05
Bird flu has killed a 69-year-old Vietnamese man, the 47th Asian victim of a virus experts fear could unleash a global influenza pandemic capable of wiping out millions of people.
Fight Against Polio Launched in Ivory Coast - Reuters 27/02/05
On foot and by bicycle, an army of 28,000 people advanced through towns and remote villages in Ivory Coast Sunday to vaccinate children against polio to try and finally defeat the crippling disease.
Forearm Test Not Good for Checking Blood Sugar - Reuters 04/03/05
People with diabetes who need to monitor their blood sugar levels should not use their forearm to get a blood sample if they think their levels are low, two teams report.
Cheshire and Mersey News
Peggy never ceased caring - Crosby Herald 03/03/05
TRIBUTES have been paid to a popular Crosby charity worker who has died from cancer.
Safety blitz proves success - Formby Times 03/03/05
NO car crashes have occurred on the A565 through Ince Blun-dell since new road safety measures were put in place.
Chance to attend PCT meeting - Maghull & Aintree Star 03/03/05
SOUTH Sefton Primary Care Trust (PCT) will be holding a Public Board Meeting on Wednesday, March 9.
Smokers tempted to give it up - Ormskirk Advertiser 03/03/05
A THIRD of West Lancashire ' s smokers will be attempting to give up the habit on No Smoking Day next Wednesday.
Cleared doctor faces GMC probe - Ormskirk Advertiser 03/03/05
A DOCTOR who was cleared by a court of indecently assaulting 12 of his patients is being investigated by a medical watchdog.
Trashing the ash! - Skelmersdale Advertiser 03/03/05
THE Concourse will announce a smoking ban on National No Smoking Day next Wednesday.
Phone mast fears spark mass protest - Skelmersdale Advertiser 03/03/05
RESIDENTS are holding a public meeting to organise a protest against phone masts planned for Birch Green.
Stubbing it out by 2008 - Skelmersdale Advertiser 03/03/05
BUSINESS leaders, health executives and council officials have taken the first step towards a smoke-free West Lancashire.
'Please help our son' - Southport Visiter 04/03/05
A SOUTHPORT family is desperately raising funds to help their teenage son who is suffering from a rare, terminal disease.
Hospital fines for cancelling surgery - Daily Post 07/03/05
HEALTH Secretary John Reid has confirmed that hospitals will effectively be fined for cancelling operations and failing to offer patients a new date for surgery.
I gave up a kidney to save my wife's life - Chester Chronicle 04/03/05
RELAXING in their living room, Lorraine and Dave Crowley seem like any loving couple.
Danger dye found in just one product - Weekly News 03/0/05
COMPANIES across Halton took swift action to check for contamination of products by the cancer causing dye Sudan 1 after the national alert.
Sauce is safe, say fast food giants - Weekly News 03/03/05
BOSSES at McDonald's have reassured Halton residents that they have removed batches of contaminated barbecue sauce from sale.
Honeymoon in a shack fixing children's teeth - Daily Post 07/03/05
SPENDING your honeymoon in a dentist's surgery is not most couple's idea of a romantic start to married life.
Cumbria and Lancashire News
Health chiefs go public on MMR - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 07/03/05
PRESTON'S public health chiefs are leading the way in encouraging immunisation by having their 20-month-old son vaccinated with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab.
Common sense has prevailed [Letter] - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 07/03/05
I WAS delighted to hear that the pharmacy staff from Darwen Health Centre will definitely be moving to the new building after winning their appeal.
Probe into patient's death - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 07/03/05
A FATHER-OF-TWO who went missing from Blackpool Victoria Hospital in his dressing gown and slippers has been found dead in nearby allotments.
Cash cure plan for hospitals - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 07/03/05
HOSPITAL chiefs fear it may take them up to three years to steer their accounts back into the black.
Child's life was most important [Letter] - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 07/03/05
A WARNING to mothers: if you need to rush your child to hospital because he is choking on something, don't exceed the speed limit unless you are prepared to pay £60 plus £35 costs.
Hospital car park security is poor [Letter] - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 04/03/05
I AM a nurse at Fairfield Hospital and am writing to express my anger and my concern about the lack of car park security there.
Asbestos fear at hospital - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 04/03/05
HOSPITAL bosses are being forced to spend almost £300,000 after a survey revealed parts of Burnley General Hospital were riddled with dangerous asbestos.
Health fear - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 04/03/05
RAW sewage pumped into an East Lancashire river during storms is destroying the environment and causing a major health problem, anglers claimed today.
Greater Manchester News
Mother faces jail over cannabis 'tuck shop' - Manchester Evening News 07/03/05
A MOTHER who ran a family "tuck shop for drugs" in which she and her two sons peddled cannabis to schoolchildren was told today she could face jail.
Body kept in morgue for three years - Manchester Evening News 08/03/05
THE body of an elderly woman has been left in a Manchester mortuary for three years because her son refuses to hold a funeral.
Dentist crisis claim Liberal Democrats - Bury Times 07/03/05
DENTAL care is reaching crisis point as more dentists stop providing NHS treatment, say local Liberal Democrats.
A new way to take your medicine - Bolton Evening News 07/03/05
FOR years there has been just one way to get a prescription - you go to the surgery, wait to see the doctor, come out with a piece of paper, head to the pharmacy and wait again while they prepare your medicine. It's a long-winded business that most of us - particularly the elderly and infirm, or busy parents - could do without. So you will be glad to hear that recent developments are now making the whole matter much easier and less time-consuming, especially for those with repeat prescriptions. Here Boots tell us how it can be done in three easy options
More smokers say: We want to give up - Bolton Evening News 07/03/05
HEALTH chiefs believe they are winning the battle to stop people smoking.
Children fail diet checks - Bolton Evening News 05/03/05
HALF the children tested in an area of Bolton were found to have iron deficiencies because of poor diets.
Trust gets new vice chairman - Bolton Evening News 04/03/05
A VICE Chairman for the Bolton Hospitals Trust Board has been appointed. Michael Kilcoyne, a non-executive director, has taken up the role from February. The previous Vice Chairman, Eileen Lindley, retired in November.
Top class home care service [Letter] - Bolton Evening News 04/03/05
I AM writing this letter to thank one body of workers who never seem to get a mention - the home care workers.
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