National and International News
India's newly rich battle with obesity - The Observer 04/12/05
India is facing an obesity crisis among its newly wealthy middle class as millions of its rural poor still struggle for enough to eat.
Life doesn't end at 60 ... three who found fulfilment by staying at work - The Observer 04/12/05
Sheila Richardson, 69, works at Aylett Nurseries, London Colney in Hertfordshire. She looked up 'retire' in the dictionary, found it defined as 'to withdraw, retreat and recede' and thought, 'No, thank you'.
Daggers drawn on cost of pensions - The Observer 04/12/05
Cheer leaders - The Observer 04/12/05
'Tis not just the season to be merry, but time to maintain a permanent level of sloshed-ness, according to statistics. Each year, every adult in the UK drinks 25.4 litres of wine, mostly condensed into the month of December. However, it's no secret the average glass comprises several splashes of oil (if you factor in production and transportation) and even optical brighteners. Then there's viticulture's massive pesticide habit: a recent Friends of the Earth study found residues of two pesticides in white wine which are known human disrupters.
Children die as winter snow sweeps quake valleys - The Observer 04/12/05
As temperatures plummet in the foothills of the Himalayas, Dan McDougall reports on the misery of Pakistani Kashmir, where cold and disease are multiplying the woes of the disaster's survivors
How the drugs giant and a lone academic went to war - The Observer 04/12/05
Worrying power games are at the heart of Procter and Gamble's relationship with academics, alleges the scientist investigating its billlion-dollar osteoporosis treatment, reports Jo Revill
Doctor accuses drugs giant of 'unethical' secrecy - The Observer 04/12/05
This was Plan B, actually - The Observer 04/12/05
We've all heard the panic stories about 'have-it-all' women leaving motherhood until later - or too late. But for most who have a baby around 40, doing it any earlier was simply not an option
Growing pains - The Observer 04/12/05
Is gymnastics a form of child abuse masquerading as sport? Does it destroy the health and stunt the growth of young girls? Former gymnast Rebecca Seal investigates the dangers as well as the addictive thrills of a sport she loved but which, she believes, left her shorter by four inches and struggling with permanent injuries
Oliver James: Blame games - The Observer 04/12/05
If our genes aren't responsible for the onset of many mental illnesses, what is? Oliver James weighs up the evidence - and fingers the culprit
Organisational disaster zone - The Observer 04/12/05
Struggling with paperwork? Lacking the tidy gene? Time to invest in a wall organiser that's easy to use - a shelf
First person: Iron gran's life and last moments - The Guardian 03/12/05
Sophie Radice reluctantly agreed to 'do the right thing' and sign her grandmother's living will, so she might die with dignity. It was a difficult decision, but one her family did not regret
Joanna Moorhead on one baby's gentle arrival via 'natural' caesarean - The Guardian 03/12/05
A British doctor is challenging convention to pioneer the 'natural' caesarean. Joanna Moorhead watched one baby's slow and gentle arrival
The day the sky fell in - The Guardian 03/12/05
Laurie was just 13 when he was killed by a rare and aggressive cancer. His father, Matthew Engel, describes losing his best pal
Mil Millington: Scientific wristwatch - The Guardian 03/12/05
I've got an epiphany on my wrist. The Oregon Scientific wristwatch incorporates various exercise-related features, such as training programmes, a Body Mass Index calculator and even - with the included chest belt - a pulse monitor. Now, I'm not as wheezingly frail as you might imagine, but I've never seen myself as the apotheosis of the Olympian ideal either. Yet, it turns out, my resting pulse is an impressive 53bpm, my recovery time is splendid, I have a great BMI and my Fitness Index is enviable.
Tagged, and ready for bed - The Guardian 03/12/05
Tagged, and ready for bed In the States they've been at it for years. But are British parents really ready to use satellite technology to keep tabs on their children? Lucy Atkins investigates
Lifeline for victims of sexual aggression - The Guardian 03/12/05
The latest of our reports looks at Burundi, where a clinic is helping to counter the HIV threat posed by rape
A trip to the far side of madness - The Guardian 03/12/05
When Clancy Sigal first met soon-to-be 'celebrity shrink' RD Laing in the 1960s, he was like a breath of fresh air. But then Sigal broke down, and Laing reneged on a solemn promise ...
P57. Enough to put you off your food - The Guardian 03/12/05
The story goes that, when the San tribe of southern Africa felt hungry but had no food around, they would chew on a plant called the hoodia gordonii. A few mouthfuls of this bitter-tasting succulent later, their hunger pangs would mysteriously disappear. Very soon, the plant will begin its journey to a plate near you. The remarkable appetite-suppressing quality of hoodia has attracted the attention of Unilever and, early next year, a clinical trial will begin on the active ingredient, a combination of molecules codenamed p57.
Shorts: Going nowhere fast - The Guardian 03/12/05
Is it a treadmill? Is it a stepper? No, it's TreadClimber - and it's winging its way from the States as I write. Like most stairclimbers, the steps move up and down, but the TreadClimber's steps are moving belts, like mini treadmills, so you travel forwards at the same time. According to research at Adelphi University in New York, the TreadClimber burns more calories than either of its parents - however, the maximum speed used in the study was 3mph, which I'd describe as funereal rather than brisk. Still, it does offer a low-impact aerobic workout - and subjects burned an average of 450 calories in half an hour on the toughest setting.
Ukrainian salt mines reinvented as a haven for asthma sufferers - The Guardian 03/12/05
In Soviet times a spell in the salt mines was the fate of dissidents and criminals. But today the glittering tunnels below Solotvyno in western Ukraine have been transformed into a more benign destination: a haven for people with asthma and other respiratory diseases.
Emma Mitchell: Is suntan lotion made of vinegar and olive oil safe? - The Guardian 03/12/05
While holidaying in the south of France, I was told by locals to replace my suntan lotion with a mixture of one part vinegar and two parts extra-virgin olive oil. This I have done with great success. Is it a safe way to tan?
Your seven most common fitness questions - The Guardian 03/12/05
Weekend's exercise expert Joanna Hall deals with the problems that bother you most
Will it be socks or botox this year? - The Independent 04/12/05
Vouchers for facelifts and tummy tucks are proving popular this Christmas as women buy for their partners
Now women start to worry about being good in bed - The Independent 04/12/05
Sex therapists and doctors are reporting the first cases of young women seeking help for "performance anxiety" - a syndrome normally associated with men.
Anger as world health body bans recruitment of smokers - The Independent 03/12/05
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has provoked a furious row by announcing that people who smoke will automatically be banned from employment with the organisation.
Hospital to woo patients with death rate boast - The Sunday Times 04/12/05
A HOSPITAL trust is planning to advertise for patients by stating that it has the lowest death rates in the National Health Service.
Britain urged to test cocaine addict vaccine - The Sunday Times 04/12/05
THE government wants to harness an anti-addiction vaccine designed to cancel out the high experienced by users of cocaine and other drugs.
Doctor says bird flu drug is useless - The Sunday Times 04/12/05
A VIETNAMESE doctor who has treated dozens of victims of avian flu claims the drug being stockpiled around the world to combat a pandemic is “useless” against the virus.
Sex lessons at five urged - The Sunday Times 04/12/05
CLASSROOM lessons about sex and relationships should be a routine part of the education of children as young as five so they can deal with today’s “increasingly sexualised society”, according to a government-commissioned report.
Sex lessons planned for all children - The Observer 04/12/05
Let's talk about sex - The Observer 04/12/05
Tobacco giant 'aided smuggling of cigarettes' - The Sunday Times 04/12/05
ONE of Britain’s biggest tobacco firms, Gallaher, has been accused by a key distributor of “permitting” the illegal smuggling of its cigarettes.
Abortion horrors - The Sunday Times 04/12/05
WAS appalled to read that the Royal College of Obstetricians approves of stopping babies’ hearts to ensure they are dead when they are born (Fifty babies a year are alive after abortion, News, last week).
Obese women to be refused IVF - The Sunday Times 04/12/05
SCOTLAND’S leading fertility experts are to recommend that fat patients should be denied access to IVF treatment.
Waiting time failures for big two cancers blamed on health boards - The Times 03/12/05
MINISTERS are struggling to meet their two-month target for the treatment of all cancer patients, according to figures which show that waiting times in two key areas are on the rise.
Care of deathbed patients is criticised - The Times 03/12/05
SURGEONS in Scotland have urged the National Health Service to improve care for patients who are close to death, saying that many are left to die on emergency or surgical wards because of a lack of hospices and poor palliative care.
China to 'tidy up' trade in executed prisoners' organs - The Times 03/12/05
CHINA broke its silence yesterday to admit for the first time that the organs of executed prisoners were sold to foreigners for transplant.
The maternal minefield - The Times 03/12/05
Why can’t mothers and daughters get along? Two new books could help to unravel the mystery, says Celia Dodd
The geisha at the gathering - The Times 03/12/05
In her second column on coping with tricky family figures, super gran Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall explains how to keep your cool with an exasperating sister-in-law
The Rolls-Royce of spas - The Times 03/12/05
Old fashioned? Maybe. But Janice Turner feels relaxed basking in the RAC’s refreshing formality
Slimming? It's easy peasy - The Times 03/12/05
The seven day GL diet: lose weight in time for Christmas the healthy way. In this extract from Nigel Denby's diet book, we show you how
GI diet: recipes - The Times 03/12/05
Loads of goodness — these GL dishes are quick to make and packed with flavour. From fresh avocado and prawns to sizzling salmon and pesto, this is fast food that will keep you going all day
Taking the long view: Yoko Ono - The Times 03/12/05
Yoko Ono, 72, hopes science will give us eternal life — so diets are out, double-cream indulgence is in
I handed over a jar in a pub car park and became a father. I'm really pleased about that - Telegraph 04/12/05
I am a resolutely single, 40-year-old man, and I am about to be a father. A woman is carrying my unborn child as I write. Maybe that doesn't sound so outlandish? Then how about this: I don't know much about the woman, because I only met her in a Croydon car park, for about a minute. You see, I am an internet sperm donor.
Under-18s may face tobacco purchase ban - Telegraph 04/12/05
Sixteen and 17-year-olds may be banned from buying cigarettes under a new government crackdown.
Hewitt considers smoking ban change - Daily Mail 04/12/05
Age limit on cigarettes could be increased to 18 - The Observer 04/12/05
Smoking ban for under-18s - The Independent 04/12/05
England considers raising smoking age to 18 - Reuters 04/12/05
Smoking age could increase to 18 - BBC Health News 04/12/05
Anti-smoking group says tobacco restrictions 'cynical' -The Telegraph 04/12/05
Minimum smoking age rise considered - Daily Mail 04/12/05
Smoking lobby backs age increase - BBC Health News 04/12/05
NHS Caesareans at top private hospital - Telegraph 04/12/05
The National Health Service has spent thousands of pounds for women to have Caesarean sections at an exclusive private London hospital favoured by celebrity mothers because of a crisis in maternity care.
'I remember following the ambulance, saying to the tail lights: Don't leave me, Jessica. Don't you leave me - Telegraph 04/12/05
Jessica Palmer was exhausted but she had planned the scene meticulously - she was lying in bed with her arms outstretched waiting for her toddler son, Harry, to come and greet his newborn sister.
Drugs policy turns failing force around - Telegraph 04/12/05
The police force at the centre of a controversial Government drugs initiative has jumped from the bottom of performance tables for solving drugs crime to the top.
Call for stronger action on sex traffic - The Telegraph 04/12/05
Ministers are under growing pressure to crack down on sex traffickers following the Sunday Telegraph's investigations exposing the brutal trade.
Letters: Sex trade - The Independent 04/12/05
Stem cell find may lead to prostate cancer cure - The Telegraph 03/12/05
A new way of inhibiting prostate cancer cells has been found that could prevent the disease returning after treatment.
Man sacked after being caught smoking at home - The Telegraph 03/12/05
A German company has sacked one of its employees for smoking at home after hiring a detective to catch him in the act.
The secret of eternal youth - The Telegraph 02/12/05
The Japanese diet lets you live longer and look younger, says Melissa Whitworth
Warning over internet health claims - Daily Mail 04/12/05
Overstated and outlandish claims about health issues on the internet are giving science a bad name, campaigners warned.
Cranberries 'fight tooth decay' - Daily Mail 04/12/05
Eating Christmas dinner could be good for your teeth - but only if you cover it with cranberry sauce, research suggests.
Disease warning in earthquake zone - Daily Mail 03/12/05
Doctors struggling with a constant flow of patients in a quake-ravaged Pakistani city have warned that the number of sick could swell dramatically in the coming weeks, as harsh weather creates conditions for pneumonia and other illnesses to spread.
Surgery 'delayed to reduce debt' - Daily Mail 03/12/05
Hospitals have been told to delay operations to reduce debts faced by primary care trusts, it has emerged.
Operations go-slow forced by NHS crisis - The Guardian 03/12/05
Surgery delayed to save money - The Times 03/12/05
5bn injection can't lift NHS debt - The Times 03/12/05
'A dire financial position' - The Times 03/12/05
Hospitals admit surgery 'go-slow' - BBC Health News 03/12/05
The dieters destined for failure - Daily Mail 02/12/05
It's something that most dieters will have experienced - shedding all those pounds only to pile them all back on later.
Cartoon boosts 'Elfy' food for kids - Daily Mail 02/12/05
Children who are reluctant to eat their greens may change their minds following the launch of a new cartoon.
A tipple may not be good for you - Daily Mail 02/12/05
Drinking two glasses of wine a day may not be such good medicine after all.
Alcohol's health benefits doubted - BBC Health News 02/12/05
Crunch time for NHS dentists - Daily Mail 02/12/05
Dentists must consider their new contracts and decide whether NHS dentistry has a future, leaders of the profession has said.
Face transplant woman says 'Merci' - Daily Mail 02/12/05
The first post-surgery words of a woman who underwent the world's first partial face transplant were "thank you," and she has since been able to eat strawberries and chocolate, her doctors revealed.
Face op patient 'said thank you' - BBC Health News 02/12/05
First picture of woman given a face transplant - Daily Mail 03/12/05
Six months to feel her new face - The Telegraph 03/12/05
Face transplant woman 'owes her life to dog after suicide attempt' - The Guardian 03/12/05
French surgeons defend ethics of face transplant - The Independent 03/12/05
Woman with a new face looked in the mirror and said 'Merci' - The Times 03/12/05
Face transplant woman is eating and talking - Reuters 02/12/05
Donor for world's first face transplant had hanged herself - The Independent 04/12/05
Revealed: tragic death of woman who donated her face - The Sunday Times 04/12/05
'They gave me back my face' - The Sunday Times 04/12/05
Face transplant woman 'doing well' - Daily Mail 04/12/05
Hospital wait list 'at record low' - Daily Mail 02/12/05
The number of people waiting for an NHS operation in England has fallen below 800,000 for the first time.
Warning over Scots waiting times - Daily Mail 02/12/05
Scottish health minister Andy Kerr has issued a tough warning to NHS boards that not enough is being done to cut cancer waiting times.
Charges fear over NHS reform - Daily Mail 02/12/05
The reform programme currently being rolled out across the NHS could lead to patients being charged for care, experts have warned.
World health body gives up smokers - Daily Mail 02/12/05
The World Health Organisation has stopped hiring smokers as part of its commitment to controlling tobacco use, a spokesman has said.
Health agency refuses to hire any more smokers - The Guardian 03/12/05
'We want to empower patients' - BBC Health News 03/12/05
Dr Tim Kenny and wife Beverley are firm believers in giving their patients as many PILS as they want and need.
Launch of child disability guide - BBC Health News 03/12/05
A guide aimed at improving the care of children with disabilities has been launched by the government.
X-rays predict bird flu 'toll' - BBC Health News 03/12/05
Doctors say they can predict how deadly a case of bird flu might be by looking at an infected person's chest x-ray.
X-rays show shared symptoms among bird flu victims - Reuters 02/12/05
Avian Flu, X-Rays Predict Patient's Survival Chances - Medical News Today 04/12/05
Doctor stays on medical register - BBC Health News 02/12/05
A professor who gave job references for disgraced surgeon Richard Neale is to keep his place on the medical register.
GMC member guilty of misconduct - The Independent 03/12/05
Carers 'missing 750m benefits' - BBC Health News 02/12/05
People who give up work to care for relatives or friends are missing out on benefits worth nearly 750m, a campaigning charity says.
Plans to boost medical research - BBC Health News 02/12/05
Chancellor Gordon Brown has announced plans to boost research and development in the NHS.
Spinal Cord Injury, Nerve Regeneration Possible, University Of California San Francisco - Medical News Today 04/12/05
A team of scientists at UCSF has made a critical discovery that may help in the development of techniques to promote functional recovery after a spinal cord injury.
BiovaxID Vaccine Therapy Of Follicular Lymphoma In First Remission, Ongoing Phase III Trial Update - Medical News Today 04/12/05
Biovest International (OTCBB: BVTI.OB), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of patient specific immunotherapeutics and automated cell culture instrumentation, announced that an abstract being presented on December 11 at the American Society for Hematology in Atlanta, Ga., presenting long term follow-up data from its BiovaxID Phase II clinical trial is available on-line at www.hematology.org.
Bacterium Confirmed As Cause Of Death In California Women Who Took Mifeprex; Risk Of Infection 'Low,' Report Says - Medical News Today 04/12/05
The deaths of four California women who were taking... Danco Laboratories' Mifeprex -- known generically as mifepristone, which when taken with misoprostol can cause a medical abortion -- were linked to toxic shock caused by the bacterium Clostridium sordellii, but the risk of infection in conjunction with taking the drug is "low," according to a report published on Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Baltimore Sun reports (Rockoff, Baltimore Sun, 12/1). FDA in July issued a public health advisory warning physicians to watch for any signs of sepsis or other infections among women taking the drug -- which FDA approved in 2000 for the termination of pregnancies of 49 days or less. FDA officials on Nov. 4 updated the warning on the agency's Web site after they discovered that the deaths of four California women who took the drug all were caused by C. sordellii, a rare and deadly bacterium (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 11/28). The report found no direct link between the deaths of the four women, who received prescriptions at different clinics throughout the state between 2003 and 2005. It also found that the drugs they received came from different manufacturing lots (La Ganga, Los Angeles Times, 12/1). CDC said the one factor that ties the four cases together is that misoprostol was administered vaginally instead of orally. Vaginal administration of misoprostol is considered "off-label use," which is allowed but not recommended by FDA (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 11/23). The researchers note that additional data need to be gathered to "evaluate ... possible association between medical abortion and C. sordellii infections," adding that the four cases "demonstrate that serious infection can occur after medically induced abortion, much as it can occur after childbirth, spontaneous abortion and surgical abortion." They add the cases point to a "need for physician awareness of this syndrome" (Fischer et al., NEJM, 12/1).
USA Today Examines 'Different Conclusions' Two Studies Reach On Association Between Vaginal Birth, Bladder Control - Medical news Today 04/12/05
USA Today on Thursday examined the "somewhat different conclusions" reached by two recent studies examining the effects of vaginal birth on bladder control. Gunhilde Buchsbaum, a urogynecologist at the University of Rochester, and colleagues in a study published in the December issue of the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology concluded that genetics, not childbirth, determine urinary incontinence in women. The researchers examined 143 pairs of postmenopausal sisters with an average age of 61, in which one sister had delivered an average of three infants vaginally and the other sister had never delivered an infant. About half of the women who had given birth vaginally reported incontinence, compared with 48% of the women who had not given birth. The difference was not statistically significant. In a separate study published in the December issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Roger Goldberg, director of urogynecology research at Evanston-Northwestern Healthcare in Evanston, Ill., examined 271 pairs of identical twins with an average age of 47 and found that childbirth is associated with of incontinence. The study found that women who had delivered vaginally were more than twice as likely to report urinary incontinence as women who had delivered infants by caesarean section. Goldberg said that identical twins "eliminat[e] any possibility that any differences you find are due to genetics," adding that how infants are delivered "is a major factor" among women who develop incontinence in their younger years. Buchsbaum's study suggests that the effect of delivery on incontinence "disappears" by menopause, according to USA Today (Rubin, USA Today 12/1).
Simple mesh gives Iraq woman hope - Medical News Today 04/12/05
A simple piece of mesh, costing just 65 pounds in the UK, was able to save an young Iraqi woman from a life of misery and rejection.
NHS patients tracked by satellite - Medical News Today 04/12/05
The movement of patients in Coventry and Warwickshire is being tracked to streamline NHS ambulance services.
Virus clue to cervical cancer jab - BBC Health News 04/12/05
Scientists have unravelled the body's immune response to a virus which causes most cases of cervical cancer.
Impact Of Pain On Rheumatic Disease Treatment - New Insights Into Pain Mechanisms; Practical Advice On Pain Management - Medical News Today 04/12/05
Long treated as a side effect, pain is now widely recognized as an integral part of patient care. While the last decade has brought extraordinary advances in the unravelling of pain mechanisms at the molecular level, evaluating and alleviating pain remains an ongoing challenge for physicians, particularly rheumatologists. The December 2005 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism (interscience.wiley.com/journal/arthritis) offers a timely examination of pain as it pertains to rheumatology practice.
Rheumatoid Arthritis, Role Of Type II Collagen, Study - Medical News Today 04/12/05
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the joints, which gradually erodes the cartilage and bone. The agents of destruction include inflammatory cells, cytokines, and protein-degrading enzymes known as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs).
Would Legalizing Physician-assisted Suicide Undermine Patient's Trust In Doctor? Apparently Not - Medical News Today 04/12/05
There is little evidence to support the argument that legalizing physician-assisted death would reduce patients' trust in their doctors, according to a researcher from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues.
Mutations In HRAS Gene Sequence Confirmed In Patients With Costello Syndrome - Medical News Today 04/12/05
Gene mutations in the HRAS sequence are present in most patients affected with Costello syndrome, according to a new study in the American Journal of Medical Genetics. The mutations occurred de novo in patients, meaning, they were not observed in their parents' genes. The study is published in the December issue of the journal, which is published by John Wiley & Sons. It is also available online via Wiley Interscience (www.interscience.wiley.com).
Caffeine Dependence Linked To Family History Of Alcoholism, Johns Hopkins Study Suggests - Medical News Today 04/12/05
A study led by Johns Hopkins investigators has shown that women with a serious caffeine habit and a family history of alcohol abuse are more likely to ignore advice to stop using caffeine during pregnancy. Withdrawal symptoms, functional impairment and craving were cited by the women as reasons they could not cut out or cut back on caffeine use.
AIDS Patients In Haiti Have Similar Response To Drug Regimen As U.S. Patients, Study Says - Medical News Today 04/12/05
When given a standard three-drug antiretroviral regimen, AIDS patients in Haiti have similar treatment responses as AIDS patients in the U.S., according to a study published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Boston Globe reports (Smith, Boston Globe, 12/1). Patrice Severe of the Haitian Study Group on Kaposi's Sarcoma and Opportunistic Infections and colleagues examined 1,004 AIDS patients who began a regimen of antiretroviral drugs after clinics in Haiti started receiving international funding in 2003. Researchers found that one year after the treatment began, 87% of adults and 98% of children were still alive, which is comparable to one-year survival rates in the U.S. (Nano, AP/Las Vegas Sun, 12/1). The report's finding runs counter to some arguments that the high cost of antiretrovirals and a lack of medical infrastructures in many developing countries make delivering treatment difficult, the Miami Herald reports. Andre Vulcain, coordinator for AIDS care at the University of Miami's program in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, said, "For many years, the international community had a lot of reservations in promoting treatment for HIV/AIDS in developing countries" (Goldstein, Miami Herald, 12/1). Calvin Cohen -- research director for the Community Research Initiative of New England, which conducts HIV/AIDS drug trials -- said, "What this report confirms is that the hesitation to treat [patients in developing countries] is not warranted for any medical reasons" (Boston Globe, 12/1). According to a report released last week by UNAIDS and the World Health Organization, Haiti -- the country with the highest HIV prevalence rate in the Western hemisphere -- has shown an encouraging decrease in prevalence, with rates declining from 5% to 3% since the 1990s, in part because of a reduction in the stigma associated with the virus, new education programs and clinics, and international aid (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 11/23).
Number Of HIV-Positive California Residents Increases Because Of Improved Treatment, Longer Survival - Medical News Today 04/12/05
The number of HIV-positive California residents has increased 40% over the past seven years because of improvements in medications to treat the disease, according to a study released Wednesday by the University of California's Universitywide AIDS Research Program, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. "The consequence of improved survival among persons with AIDS is a rapid and sustained increase in the number of persons living with AIDS," UARP Director George Lemp said. About 151,000 HIV-positive residents live in the state, compared with 108,000 in 1998, according to the report. An estimated 57,200 of those individuals have been diagnosed with AIDS, twice the number of reported AIDS cases in the state 10 years ago. Because more people are living longer with the disease, the total annual cost of treatment also is increasing, according to the report. Spending through California's AIDS Drug Assistance Program, which uses federal and state funding to provide HIV/AIDS-related medications to low-income, uninsured and underinsured HIV-positive individuals, increased from $145 million in 2001 to $275 million this year, the report says. However, spending on HIV/AIDS prevention programs through the state Office of AIDS has declined, falling from $429 per HIV-positive person in fiscal year 2000-2001 to $351 in FY 2005-2006.
Global Ceremonies Mark World AIDS Day - Medical News Today 04/12/05
World leaders, advocates and HIV-positive people marked World AIDS Day by calling for "far stronger" action to fight the pandemic, Reuters reports (Wulfhorst, Reuters, 12/1). In Cambodia, the government distributed free condoms and cell phone games to raise awareness. In Russia, advocates marching in Moscow said that stigma has hampered prevention efforts and helped the disease spread in the country. In India, students in the city of Agartala dressed as skeletons bearing messages to fight the pandemic. Members of the Belarussian Youth Union in Minsk, Belarus, formed the word "AIDS" with candles (Guardian, 12/2). World AIDS Day ceremonies in Swaziland -- where an estimated 38% of adults are HIV-positive -- were canceled by the king because they conflicted with a traditional ceremony. However, in nearby Lesotho, King Letsie III called on all citizens of the country "to know their status so that they can be able to manage their lives and receive treatment" (Diouf, AP/Philadelphia Inquirer, 12/2). AIDS advocates in Buenos Aires, Argentina, decorated the city's famous obelisk with an enormous pink condom to highlight condoms as a method of HIV prevention. Speaking in Vatican City, Pope Benedict XVI said that prevention policies promoting abstinence and marriage are showing results "in several regions of Africa" (Reuters, 12/1).
Nutritionally Enhanced Rice Reduces Iron Deficiency, Study - Medical News Today 04/12/05
Breeding rice with higher levels of iron can have an important impact on reducing micronutrient malnutrition, according to a new study in the Journal of Nutrition. The research, conducted by scientists from the Philippines and the United States, is a major step forward in the battle against iron deficiency, one of the developing world's most debilitating and intractable public health problems affecting nearly 2 billion people.
Enzyme May Be Target For New Anti-inflammatory Compounds, Virginia Commonwealth University - Medical News Today 03/12/05
Virginia Commonwealth University researchers studying the enzyme that triggers inflammation have found that it may be a target for a new class of anti-inflammatory drugs to treat arthritis, asthma, multiple sclerosis, lung and colon cancers and Alzheimer's disease.
Your Eyes Decide Where Your Foot Lands During Mid-swing When You Are Walking - Medical News Today 03/12/05
Visual information enables walkers to adjust their step while their foot is in mid-swing - such fine control helps particularly when walking over rough terrain Placing your foot accurately is a complicated process. If something moves where you plan to place your foot then you can adjust your step while your foot is swinging through. Experts thought previously that if nothing changed in the path, or in your plans, then the place where your foot will land is fixed before it even leaves the ground. In this case, you would make no use of immediate visual information during each step.
Gum Disease And Heart Disease, New Link, Virginia Commonwealth University - Medical News Today 03/12/05
Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have found that changes in the plasma lipoprotein profile of patients with severe periodontitis - a condition characterized by chronic infection and inflammation of the gums - may contribute to these patients' elevated risk for heart disease and stroke.
Supplement Diet With Leucine Prevents Muscle Loss Linked To Ageing - Medical News Today 03/12/05
Muscle in adults is constantly being built and broken down. As young adults we keep the two processes in balance, but when we age breakdown starts to win. However, adding the amino acid leucine to the diet of old individuals can set things straight again. This is the finding of research performed by Lydie Combaret, Dominique Dardevet and colleagues at the Human Nutrition Research Centre of Auvergne, INRA, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
Tracking The Memory Trace - Medical News Today 03/12/05
Memory formation follows a dynamic pattern, allowing for retrieval from different areas of the brain, depending on when an organism needs to remember, said a researcher at Baylor College of Medicine.
Viewing Immune Cells At Work Helps Clarify How T Cells Control Autoimmunity - Medical News Today 03/12/05
Using a new form of microscopy to penetrate living lymph nodes, UCSF scientists have for the first time viewed immune cells at work, helping clarify how T cells control autoimmunity.
Iron Particles And MRI Could Replace Biopsies To Track Stem Cell Therapy And Deploy Stents - Medical News Today 03/12/05
In a series of experiments in animals, researchers at Johns Hopkins have successfully used a technique that tracks mesenchymal stem cells via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to monitor the progress of the cells in repairing tissue scarred by heart attack.
Radiation Better Than Surgery At Preserving Speech For Patients With Head And Neck Cancer - Medical News Today 03/12/05
Patients suffering from advanced head and neck cancer affecting their larynx can maintain vocal function by undergoing a combination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy instead of surgery to remove the larynx, according to a study published in the December 1, 2005, issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of ASTRO, the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.
Breast CT Is More Comfortable Than Mammography And Maybe More Accurate, Research Shows - Medical News Today 03/12/05
Breast CT, an investigational technology for early breast cancer detection, may be better than mammography at detecting breast lesions and is much more comfortable for women, researchers from the University of California, Davis reported today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago.
Glimpse Into The Workings Of The "motor" That Opens And Closes Hatchways That Allow Nutrients To Pass Into Our Cells - Medical News Today 03/12/05
Scientists have a tough time visualizing the tiny hatchways that allow nutrients to pass into our cells, but a group of Purdue University biologists may have found the next best thing: a glimpse into the workings of the "motor" that opens and closes them.
Heparin Antibody Risks After Heart Surgery - Medical News Today 03/12/05
New research suggests that patients who develop antibodies to the anti-clotting drug heparin nearly double their risk of death or serious complication after heart surgery.
Cortisol Levels Are Positively Associated With Pup-feeding Rates In Male Meerkats - Medical News Today 03/12/05
We investigated the biological basis of caring behaviour in wild groups of cooperatively breeding meerkats, a species in which adult 'helpers' provide care for the offspring of a dominant breeding pair.
Mother Jones Timeline Of FDA Action Regarding EC Applications, USA - Medical News Today 03/12/05
"Timeline of Emergency Contraception and FDA," Mother Jones: The timeline provides links to articles from February 1997 -- when FDA approved the first EC regimen -- to a current Center for Reproductive Rights lawsuit challenging FDA's indefinite deferment of an application from Barr Laboratories to allow its EC Plan B to be sold without a doctor's prescription to women ages 17 and older (Friedman, Mother Jones, 11/29).
Genetic Diversity In Butterflies - Medical News Today 03/12/05
Global climates are warming and some species are expanding their distributions to track these changes. We examined three British butterfly species in order to investigate the consequences of these range expansions on their genetic diversity. Overall, the two expanding species had lower genetic diversity than a non-expanding species.
Selection For Protection In An Ant-plant Mutualism: Host Sanctions, Modularity, And A Principal-agent Game - Medical News Today 03/12/05
How does one species get another species to do what it wants? For example, how do plants convince some animals to carry away seeds?
Multiple Feedback Loop Design In The Tryptophan Regulatory Network Of Escherichia Coli Suggests A Paradigm For Robust Regulation Of Processes In Serie - Medical News Today 03/12/05
The evolutionary process has resulted in complex working designs of organisms to survive in uncertain environments. These designs are characterized by numerous molecular interactions resulting in a network.
Spatially Resolved Non-invasive Chemical Stimulation For Modulation Of Signaling In Reconstructed Neuronal Networks - Medical News Today 03/12/05
A biohybrid system is created, in which networks of neuronal cells are reconstructed on silicon chips and interfaced to a microfluidic system.
Extending The Dynamic Range Of Phase Contrast Magnetic Resonance Velocity Imaging Using Advanced Higher-dimensional Phase Unwrapping Algorithms - Medical News Today 03/12/05
Phase contrast magnetic resonance velocity imaging is a powerful non-invasive technique to measure in vivo blood flow. Its sensitivity is usually restricted to prevent the measured phase from being 'wrapped' onto the range -Ñ| to +Ñ|.
Nano Measurements With Micro Devices: Mechanical Properties Of Hydrated Collagen Fibrils - Medical News Today 03/12/05
Predicting when bones may fracture and designing next generation spacecraft materials have something in common: the need to measure mechanical properties of nano-scale objects.
Nanoprinting Onto Cells - Medical News Today 03/12/05
Biological cells in tissue can react to the substratum nanotopography on which they are growing. These reactions may be of importance in the design of better metallic and polymer prostheses, eg. for hip replacement. In these examples a cell, perhaps 1/1000 cm long senses detail around it 100 to 300 times smaller.
Evolution Of Hyperactivity, Impulsivity, And Cognitive Diversity - Medical News Today 03/12/05
The evolutionary status of ADHD is central to assessments of whether modern society created it, and is important in understanding its neurobiology and treatment.
Link Between Creativity And Mating Success - Medical News Today 03/12/05
Biologists have puzzled over how the genetic variants that predispose people to schizophrenia persist in the human gene pool, given that the effects of the disorder are so serious.
Gene For Debilitating Vitamin B12 Disease Identified By MUHC And McGill Scientists - Medical News Today 03/12/05
Scientists at the MUHC and McGill University have identified a gene responsible for a disease that impairs the body's ability to handle vitamin B12 and that may contribute to heart disease, stroke and dementia. The details of the CIHR and March of Dimes funded research are published in this week's issue of Nature Genetics. The research, which began more than 20 years ago, will allow doctors to perform earlier diagnosis, assess 'carriers' of the disease--Combined Methylmalonic aciduria (MMA) and Homocystinuria--and open the door to new and improved treatments for this debilitating disease.
Hormone Aldosterone Promising Target For Stroke Treatment - Medical News Today 03/12/05
A bi-polar hormone that can contribute to strokes and minimize their damage is emerging as a therapeutic target in the battle against these brain attacks, researchers say.
Volunteer Operated Defibrillators Are Life-savers, Study - Medical News Today 03/12/05
The first large-scale study to see whether trained volunteers and lay people can use defibrillators to save the lives of cardiac arrest (CA) victims has concluded that their use by lay people is safe, and if the response time can be shortened to within eight minutes there is the potential to save the lives of 15 out of 100 people who collapse suddenly with CA.
New Peptide Antibiotic Isolated From American Oyster - Medical News Today 03/12/05
North Carolina Sea Grant researchers have isolated a new peptide antibiotic from the American oyster that may have implications for managing many diseases in oysters.
Scientists Develop Protein-sequence Analysis Tool - Medical News Today 03/12/05
With more and more protein sequence data available, scientists are increasingly looking for ways to extract the small subset of information that determines a protein's function. In addition to sorting out what makes related proteins differ, such information can also help scientists engineer proteins to do new jobs.
Radiologists Tackle Diagnosis Of Puzzling Football Injuries - Medical News Today 03/12/05
New imaging discoveries may improve physicians' ability to diagnose and treat two serious injuries affecting football players, according to two studies presented this week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Liver Transplants May Not Be Indicated For Cystic Fibrosis Patients With Bleeding Complication - Medical News Today 03/12/05
A new study on patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) who have had abnormal bleeding from ruptured blood vessels in the esophagus (variceal hemorrhage) as a result of liver disease found that transplant may not be indicated if there are no other indications of advanced liver disease.
Evidence Grows That Alzheimer's Is A Type Of Diabetes - Medical News Today 03/12/05
Researchers at Rhode Island Hospital and Brown Medical School have discovered that insulin and its receptors drop significantly in the brain during the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, and that levels decline progressively as the disease becomes more severe, leading to further evidence that Alzheimer's is a new type of diabetes. They also found that acetylcholine deficiency, a hallmark of the disease, is linked directly to the loss of insulin and insulin-like growth factor function in the brain.
New Kidney Disease Drug Saves Lives At Low Cost - Medical News Today 03/12/05
A recent study has found that sevelamer (Renagel®) is having a positive long term clinical and economic effect when used on hemodialysis patients. This study, undertaken by the Caro Research Institute in Concord, MA and published in Value in Health, examined the long-term consequences associated with one year of sevelamer use.
Slightly Higher Risk Of Major Birth Defects Associated With IVF - Medical News Today 03/12/05
Babies conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF), a method of assisted reproduction, have a slightly increased risk of major birth defects, such as heart or muscle and skeletal defects, compared to babies conceived naturally, according to a University of Iowa study.
Noninvasive Ultrasound Treatment Shrinks Fibroids - Medical News Today 03/12/05
A totally noninvasive procedure using high-intensity ultrasound waves to heat and destroy uterine fibroid tissue significantly relieves fibroid-related symptoms in women, according to the results of a multicenter clinical trial. Magnetic resonance-guided, focused ultrasound surgery (MRgFUS) allows radiologists to precisely target fibroids without harming healthy surrounding tissue. The study was presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Skimmed Milk Halves Hypertension Risk - Medical News Today 03/12/05
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition is the peer-reviewed journal of international reference in the field of nutrition. In its latest issue, of November, it published an article which demonstrated that non-fat milk products can reduce the risk of hypertension by 50%, while nevertheless there is no appreciable connection between that disease and the consumption of whole milk.
How Severe Are Go-cart Injuries? Study - Medical News Today 02/12/05
A Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center study of children who were hospitalized from motorized go-cart accidents found that the average hospital stay was almost five days and that more than half of children required at least one operation - and almost a third required two or more operations.
Young Female Smokers At Higher Breast Cancer Risk - Medical News Today 02/12/05
Researchers outline in the November issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings their study of postmenopausal women, which supports the hypothesis that women who smoke cigarettes before first full-term pregnancy have a 20 percent increased risk of breast cancer compared with women who began smoking after the birth of their first child or were never smokers.
Heavy Marijuana Use And Schizophrenia Risk - Medical News Today 02/12/05
Heavy use of marijuana may put adolescents who are genetically predisposed to schizophrenia at greater risk of developing the brain disorder, according to research presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Genetic Key To Growth Of New Arteries Is Identified - Medical News Today 02/12/05
Researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center have uncovered part of the genetic mechanism that causes new arteries to grow in response to blocked arteries.
Yale Scientists Decipher 'wiring Pattern' Of Cell Signaling Networks - Medical News Today 02/12/05
A team of scientists at Yale University has completed the first comprehensive map of the proteins and kinase signaling network that controls how cells of higher organisms operate, according to a report this week in the journal Nature.
World First Trial To Test Human Implant Of HeartPOD™ - Medical News Today 02/12/05
Researchers at The Alfred and Monash University are leading a world first trial to investigate whether the implantation of a specially designed HeartPODTM monitoring system in heart failure patients can keep them out of hospital and lead to a better quality of life.
Study finds coffee reduces liver risk - Reuters 04/12/05
Coffee and tea may reduce the risk of serious liver damage in people who drink alcohol too much, are overweight, or have too much iron in the blood, researchers reported on Sunday.
S.Korea scientist in seclusion; storm continues - Reuters 04/12/05
South Korea's pioneering stem cell scientist has been in seclusion since he spoke of ethical lapses in procuring human eggs, but with national pride and global science at stake, the affair shows little sign of dying down.
FDA panel supports ADHD patch with limits - Reuters 03/12/05
An experimental patch to treat children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is safe and effective but should carry certain warnings, a U.S. advisory panel unanimously said on Friday.
"Dr. Ecstasy" laments the rave drug's notoriety - Reuters 02/12/05
Rated 3 in Health; News; National and International News on Dec 4, 2005 at 08:54:34 GMT.
The scientist who introduced Ecstasy to the world in the 1970s fears the drug's notoriety and popularity at nightclubs is destroying any chance that it might be used to treat the mentally ill.
New intestinal bug emerging in North America - Reuters 02/12/05
Two reports highlight the emergence of a new, highly toxic strain of the bacterium Clostridium difficile that is resistant to fluoroquinolone antibiotics, such as Cipro (ciprofloxacin) and Levaquin (levofloxacin), and is causing geographically dispersed outbreaks.
Bacterial vaginosis makes viral shedding more likely - Reuters 02/12/05
Women with bacterial vaginosis are four times more likely to shed cytomegalovirus in their lower genital tract than women without bacterial vaginosis, a new study shows.
Survival rate still poor when bone cancer returns - Reuters 02/12/05
Although as many as 70 percent of patients who have the localized stage of the bone cancer osteosarcoma survive after surgery and chemotherapy, the overall survival rate after recurrence is less than 30 percent, researchers report.
Blunt trauma raises heart attack risk - Reuters 02/12/05
New research supports the idea that that blunt trauma can lead to a heart attack.
Passive smoking is breast cancer risk factor - Reuters 02/12/05
The results of studies "with thorough passive smoking exposure assessment" indicate that passive smoking raises the risk of breast cancer, especially in premenopausal women, to a similar degree as active smoking.
Purging disorder is a distinct eating disorder - Reuters 02/12/05
Purging disorder appears to be a disorder that is separate from bulimia nervosa, Iowa researchers report in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.
Cheshire and Mersey News
MP urges members to reject merger - Warrington Guardian 03/12/05
HOSPITAL board members are being urged to reject secret plans to merge Warrington Hospital with Whiston.
Bumper year for League of Friends - Warrington Guardian 02/12/05
WARRINGTON Hospital's League of Friends has enjoyed a bumper fundraising year, collecting almost £150,000.
Waste site job estimate incorrect - Chester Chronicle 04/12/05
A WASTE park will create 2,000 fewer jobs than first estimated if given the go-ahead.
Tree of Light event - Chester Chronicle 04/12/05
THE Countess of Chester Hospital's 2005 Tree of Light will be lit during a special ceremony and service of remembrance tonight at 6pm.
So where is the drunken chaos? - Chester Chronicle 04/12/05
Last week, Britain became a 24-hour drinking nation as the licensing laws underwent controversial change. Opponents believe it will increase drunken behaviour on the streets while supporters feel it will reduce such problems.
Kiddie booze haul seized - Chester Chronicle 02/12/05
POLICE seized 108 litres of alcohol from children in a clampdown on underage street drinking.
Carer in battle for fortune - Daily Post 02/12/05
A YACHT dealer who claims he was left with nothing after caring for a Liverpool millionairess until she died of cancer yesterday launched a High Court battle for a share of her fortune.
Cumbria and Lancashire News
Anguish of 'happy slapping' victim - Lancashire Evening Post 03/12/05
A "HAPPY slapping" attack victim today told how yobs laughed as they filmed an attack which left him with severe facial injuries.
70k to reduce NHS waiting list - Lancashire Evening Post 03/12/05
MORE than 70,000 in NHS cash is to be spent on private staff to bring down a waiting list which has run longer than a year.
Dentist's cash extraction too painful - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 03/12/05
THE greed of professional people never fails to annoy me. The majority of dentists are now in private practice and we now hear the opticians are also thinking of going private.
Hair loss help for cancer patients - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 02/12/05
Cancer patients at the Royal Preston Hospital are to benefit from a hi-tech machine that will minimise hair loss during chemotherapy treatment.
Doctor denies sex charge - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 02/12/05
A DOCTOR accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old patient in her hospital bed has been suspended by the General Medical Council for 18 months.
Greater Manchester News
Look after the elderly this winter - Bury Times 02/12/05
RELATIVES, friends and neighbours in Prestwich and Whitefield are being urged by fire chiefs to keep an eye on the elderly as forecasters predict one of the coldest winters in years.
Maternity unit: decision will be made after consultation - Bury Times 02/12/05
There are inaccuracies in your report last week ('Baby unit will shut in plan to axe services', Guide, November 24) which we are most anxious to correct as they will cause unnecessary worries to local residents.
Baby unit meant that I was close to my son - Bury Times 02/12/05
Fight for mum and baby unit - Bury Times 02/12/05
Hospice plea for lights - Bury Times 02/12/05
BURY Hospice is asking revellers to dig deep this festive season.
Prescription pricing staff in strike threat over job cuts - Bolton Evening News 02/12/05
UNIONS representing staff at the Prescription Pricing Authority have threatened industrial action following the announcement of job cuts across the North-west.
Life-saving treatment is cancelled as disease spreads - Bolton Evening News 02/12/05
A CANCER sufferer due to have a second bout of pioneering treatment is devastated after being told the disease has spread.
Hospital building 'must be saved' - Bolton Evening News 02/12/05
A FORMER Victorian cottage hospital could be demolished and replaced with a industrial unit.
Mother's campaign against phone mast - Bolton Evening News 02/12/05
A MOTHER has launched a campaign to stop a mobile phone mast being built near to her son's bedroom.
Hospital winning the fight against superbugs - Bolton Evening News 02/12/05
THE battle against superbugs is being won at the Royal Bolton Hospital.
Hospice charity is wound up - Bolton Evening News 02/12/05
A CHARITY which received more than 40,000 in donations to build a children's hospice in Bolton has folded after running out of cash.
Yobs target immigrant nurses - Manchester Evening News 02/12/05
DOZENS of foreign healthcare workers drafted into Manchester to tackle NHS staff shortages are living in fear after being targeted by racist yobs.
NHS agrees to pay life-saving bill - Manchester Evening News 02/12/05
A CANCER patient has won a second battle to get the NHS to pay for life-saving treatment.
1 comments:
My name is Chris Brown and i would like to show you my personal experience with Levaquin.
I am 50 years old. Have been on Levaquin for 21 days now. Started feeling achilles tendon pain 5 days after starting levaquin. Physician and pharmacy NEVER provided information about this side effect, as the prescribing information states they should. I never made the connection that an antibiotic could cause this side effect so I finished the regimen. Six months later, including three months of physical therapy, walking better, though still feel occassional pain. Fault is with physician and pharmacist. Levaquin is an important drug for fighting infections, but should be prescribed second line. There are other proven options to try first. Indiscriminate use by physicians is causing needless side effects and dramtically increasing resistance problems.
I have experienced some of these side effects-
Achilles tendon damage, wrist pain
I hope this information will be useful to others,
Chris Brown
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