National and International News
Breakthrough scanner gives premature babies new hope - The Observer 08/01/06
A scanner that measures particles of light as they travel through the head is helping doctors to assess whether very premature babies are at risk of brain damage.
Back pain therapists attacked - The Observer 08/01/06
Chiropractors and osteopaths are continuing to treat patients suffering from back pain long after the treatment has failed to improve their condition, according to a disturbing new study.
Scores of private cancer treatment centres to be built for NHS patients - The Observer 08/01/06
Around 50 'cancer factories' are to be built around Britain by private companies to improve the quality and speed of care for NHS patients suffering the most common forms of the disease.
Turkish deaths raise bird flu fears - The Observer 08/01/06
Concern grows of an epidemic across Europe after UK tests confirm brother and two sisters in eastern Turkey had H5N1 virus
Experts fear bird flu mutation in eastern Turkey - The Independent 08/01/06
Turkish deaths put Europe on bird flu alert - The Sunday Times 08/01/06
New bird flu cases nearest to Europe yet - The Telegraph 08/01/06
Secretary Leavitt Releases Pandemic Influenza Guide, USA - Medical News Today 08/01/06
Four People Infected With Bird Flu In Turkey, Perhaps Many More - Medical News Today 08/01/06
European Medicines Agency Receives First Pandemic Influenza Vaccine Application - Medical News Today 08/01/06
Fresh cases of bird flu in Turkey - BBC Health News 07/01/06
Concern as third child from Turkish family dies of bird flu - The Guardian 07/01/06
Ignorance condemned bird-flu children - The Times 07/01/06
Turkey deadly bird flu confirmed - BBC Health News 06/01/06
Bird Flu Claims Life Of Third Child From Same Family, Turkey - Medical News Today 06/01/06
The A to Z recipe for a healthy life - The Observer 08/01/06
With many popular detox diets debunked in a major report last week, Amelia Hill unravels the truth about the essential foods, drinks and exercises that could help you to achieve a new you in the new year
'My mother was sat beside me and I remember thinking 'If she's crying then I really am done for. But she wasn't - The Observer 08/01/06
A few years ago 28-year-old Emma Kearns's chances of survival would have been bleak. But thanks to Herceptin, breast cancer sufferers could now look forward to a long life. For the first time ever, scientists are talking about a cure. Simon Garfield charts the 20-year story of the superdrug that has changed the face of modern medicine
Cure or con, I'm still putting my tricky life into a therapist's hands - The Observer 08/01/06
As new figures reveal that millions of Britons are undergoing analysis, Lorna Martin joins their ranks in the hope of changing her life and discovering the secret of perfect happiness
Health: How can I get my breath back? - The Observer 08/01/06
An ex-smoker who stubbed out his last cigarette two years ago is finding that even the slightest exercise leaves him puffed out. Our panel of experts offer advice
Ten things that you need to know about ... - The Observer 08/01/06
If you are travelling in most European countries you need a European health insurance card (EHIC). It replaces the old E111, which stopped being valid at the start of this month. Without the card, you may end up paying for some forms of emergency or 'necessary' care, which you would otherwise get free or at reduced prices.
The Tories and the NHS - The Observer 08/01/06
'Health is very important. If you ask people if they want to be healthy, they say 'yes'. I've spent a lot of time around hospitals and they are very good. And cleaner than you'd think.
'It's farcical how Cameron has rescued Blair's ideas from the rubbish dump' - The Observer 08/01/06
Cameron may cost the NHS - The Sunday Times 08/01/06
Cameron exploits his disabled son, says Hewitt - The Independent 08/01/06
War on terror - The Guardian 07/01/08
Stephen Armstrong meets biomolecular scientist Richard James We're huddled in his car driving into the Derbyshire hills on a cold December morning as Professor Richard James outlines his vision of an apocalypse. "Nine per cent of all patients acquire infections in UK hospitals, some of which are superbugs," he explains. "They're responsible for around 5,000 deaths a year. The percentage of blood infections that are methicillin-resistant is over 40%. And it's going to get worse."
First things first - The Guardian 07/01/06
Matthew Fort has always started the day as he means to go on - and that means kicking off with a proper breakfast. After all, how else will he make it to lunchtime?
Whitehall unconfidential: the censors are on the run - The Guardian 07/01/06
A document leaked to the Guardian shows how powerless Tony Blair has become to stem a tide of embarrassing disclosures
Letters to the Editor - The Times 07/01/06
Experience: Five months pregnant and my baby was dead - The Guardian 07/01/06
I was on a routine appointment. The scan operator said, "Can you just give me a minute, Sarah?" I lay still on my back, watching her hurried movements. I was waiting to hear the burst of amplified heartbeat from the scanner, but there was only a tense, extending silence. Finally, she put down her equipment and said, "Well, I am sorry. That's really unexpected."
Gurus on the rise - The Guardian 07/01/06
Planning on sorting out your act this year? Who doesn't want success in their professional and personal lives? This couple can help you get there. Sarah Dempster visits planet life-coach
My mentor - The Guardian 07/01/06
Mayor plans healthier food for Londoners - The Guardian 07/01/06
The mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, yesterday promised a greener and more healthy capital by imposing prohibitively high charges on polluting lorries and improving access to more local and organic food.
The old more dangerous than the new - The Guardian 07/01/06
The timing could not have been more cruel. Yesterday the Lancet medical journal published a new study suggesting that Britain has the steepest increase in death rates from liver cirrhosis in western Europe just days after the heaviest drinking season of the year. Yet its warning could not have been more timely. Where once, in the 1950s, the UK had the lowest death rates of cirrhosis in western Europe, the mortality rate for men has increased fivefold in England and Wales and sixfold in Scotland. In women there were corresponding fourfold increases. More serious still, the increases decade by decade have been accelerating, while the rest of Europe's have declined by 20% to 30% since the early 1970s. England is now in the middle of the European pack with Scotland approaching top position.
Increase In Death Rates From Liver Cirrhosis In Britain Largest In Western Europe - Medical News Today 07/01/06
Free time - The Guardian 07/01/06
Charlotte Ashton is spending each month of her gap year with a different UK charity. This month, Christmas working at a homeless shelter provides a refreshing perspective
Letters: Break the incapacity link to poverty - The Guardian 07/01/06
As one of the hundred MPs who received a letter from the Department of Work and Pensions consulting us on solutions for the above-average number of people on incapacity benefit in our constituencies, I wish to respond to Prof John Veit-Wilson's letter on the matter (Invalidity benefits are too low, January 4). His fatalistic outlook ignores the possibility that people can be "profitable" in other ways outside of regular 9-5 employment, which may not be appropriate for all.
Move with the times - The Guardian 07/01/06
Are you dancing? You should be, according to the style pundits who say that dance is to be the fitness fad of the year. Nike's Rockstar workout, a hip-hop-flavoured dance class, was created by 'choreographer to the stars' Jamie King (proper stars, mind, including Madonna, J-Lo, Justin Timberlake and Britney). Next month it launches at Holmes Place and Danceworks, along with a new range of dance-inspired clothing that will make you feel like auditioning for Fame (check out the corset). See nikewomen.com for details. Meanwhile, Ragdale Hall Health Hydro in Leicestershire gets dance fever for a week (January 30-February 3), during which you can try out anything from disco mania to cheerleading, in between pedicures and body wraps. Call 01664 434831 (ragdalehall.co.uk).
Home alone - The Guardian 07/01/06
No office politics, no commute, no boss ... working from home sounds like a dream. So why aren't we all doing it? By Andrew Clark.
Emma Mitchell: How to reduce a seriously high cholesterol? - The Guardian 07/01/06
I am 62 and was shocked to find that, at 7.6, my cholesterol is seriously high. My GP prescribed statins, but I am worried about side-effects and have asked for two months to try to reduce cholesterol by other means. My diet is healthy, I am fairly active and not overweight, I don't smoke and rarely drink alcohol.
'I said to the nurse, please feed her' - The Guardian 07/01/06
Pauline Pringle's mother went into hospital for a hip operation and came out close to starvation. And as Blake Morrison reports, hers is not an isolated case
Seven ways to quit smoking - The Guardian 07/01/06
It's a perennial resolution, but modern methods could make 2006 the year you give up giving up, says Eva Gizowska
Beauty school: Skin care - The Guardian 07/01/06
Spend all you want on fancy moisturisers, but moisturising is only half the story: keeping your skin aglow also means proper cleansing. Sometimes, lathering with enough facial wash to take off mascara and surface grime is all you have time for, but it's worth putting in a little work now and again. Paula Holte-Smith, skincare specialist at the Skin Health Spa, says you should never rub to remove eye make-up: the skin is too delicate. Use a good eye make-up remover and cotton wool. Check your cleanser is pH balanced so it doesn't dry out the skin. 'And be wary of facial wipes,' she warns. 'They can contain alcohol, which is very drying.' If you feel a breakout coming on, apply a glycolic acid cleanser on a facial cloth soaked in warm water, to clear dead skin cells. 'But don't scrub every day: too much exfoliating overstimulates the skin and makes the problem worse.' Last point, which seems obvious but is often overlooked: don't forget your hairline, neck or outer edges of your cheeks. Apparently, many women forget they're just as often scrutinised in profile.
Super green me - The Guardian 07/01/06
Alex Jamieson was the woman who helped Morgan Spurlock back to health after he ate nothing but McDonald's. Now she wants to detox the world, finds Hannah Pool
Cannabis: Can it really drive you mad? - The Independent 08/01/06
Two years after the law was relaxed, the nation's favourite recreational drug is to be reclassified. They say it is linked to psychosis, but can the odd spliff be that dangerous? Jeremy Laurance reports
Britain's top chef tells how perilous operation saved his career - The Independent 08/01/06
Heston Blumenthal went under the knife to end decades of crippling back pain
The baby millionaires: Fertility experts become medical profession's highest earners - The Independent 08/01/06
Helping desperate women to conceive earns these 'unorthodox' specialists more money than even the best-paid plastic surgeons. By Sophie Goodchild and Jonathan Owen
'I've met people from all walks of life suffering this addiction' - The Independent 07/01/06
During 14 years of counselling for alcohol dependency, I have met people from all walks of life, from professional men and women of all ages to unemployed people in their 20s. They include single parents, doctors, lawyers and journalists and all began to develop problems for different reasons.
Are you just a social drinker or are you now an alcoholic? - The Independent 07/01/06
'Russia's curse' casts pall over orthodox holiday - The Guardian 07/01/06
Kennedy exclusive: 'I have been in denial. But I will fight on' - Independent 07/01/06
Radio talkshow DJ rushes to help as caller dies on air - The Independent 07/01/06
A late-night radio talkshow host spoke of his shock after a listener died on air during a phone-in.
DJ in doomed bid to save life of caller who died on air - The Telegraph 07/01/06
Overpopulation 'is main threat to planet' - The Independent 07/01/06
Climate change and global pollution cannot be adequately tackled without addressing the neglected issue of the world's booming population, according to two leading scientists.
Doctor warns on freed mental patients - The Sunday Times 08/01/06
A SENIOR consultant in the National Health Service has revealed how unstable mental patients have been released against her medical advice into the community where they have committed serious crimes.
Interview with Professor Louis Appleby, the government's national director of mental health: extracts - The Sunday Times 08/01/06
Girls of 13 given contraceptive implants on NHS - The Sunday Times 08/01/06
THE National Health Service has been giving girls as young as 13 contraceptive injections and implants that make them infertile for up to three years, in an attempt to cut teenage pregnancies.
Policing the doctors - The Sunday Times 08/01/06
WE assume that Rod Liddle’s column (Don’t defer to doctors, Comment, December 18) was meant to be tongue-in-cheek — his understanding of the medico-legal climate is fixed in the 1950s
Policing the doctors - The Sunday Times 08/01/06
WE assume that Rod Liddle’s column (Don’t defer to doctors, Comment, December 18) was meant to be tongue-in-cheek — his understanding of the medico-legal climate is fixed in the 1950s.
Doctors will open all hours in bid to cure sick Scotland - The Sunday Times 08/01/06
LATE-NIGHT GP surgeries and mobile hospitals in railway stations and shopping centres are among a series of new measures to be introduced by the Scottish executive to tackle the country’s poor health record.
Alcohol experts call for revival of temperance - The Sunday Times 08/01/06
ONE of Scotland’s leading experts on alcohol addiction has called for a revival of the temperance movement after a report revealed drink-related deaths have doubled in the last decade.
MSPs flout no smoking guide - The Sunday Times 08/01/06
POLITICIANS who voted for a ban on smoking in public buildings have given the go-ahead for a 20,000 shelter at Holyrood that will allow them to continue to light-up at work — in breach of their own guidelines.
Light cast on young royals by midwife's family album - The Times 07/01/06
Sister Helen Rowe's mementoes are to be auctioned
Paedophile jailed in first use of laws to combat sex tourism - The Times 07/01/06
A DEPRAVED hobby shop assistant was jailed yesterday after becoming the first British sex tourist to be brought to justice under new laws designed to catch paedophiles operating abroad.
Gay, Muslim and trying to come out of the closet - The Times 07/01/06
The conservative mainstream is forcing Islamic homosexuals into sham marriage and a secret sex life
NHS refuses to fund heart surgery - The Times 07/01/06
One of the patients denied the life-changing heart operation that the Prime Minister had is being forced to take out a loan to pay for it. Mike Collins, 55, a lecturer from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, suffers from atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm disturbance, and was one of about hundred patients referred to the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, for catheter ablation, a curative procedure, who were told later they could not have it.
Letters to the Editor - The Times 07/01/06
Instead of dreaming up ever more excuses why the Government should not tackle the problem of bovine tuberculosis in badgers (article, Dec 22, 2005), Roy Hattersley and his scientific refuseniks should acknowledge that at least a quarter of badgers in England and Wales are infected with a fatal disease transmissible to man and cattle and from which badgers themselves suffer a slow and lingering death.
She's really in your face - The Times 07/01/06
Is 10 Years Younger cutting-edge TV or just cruel? Its presenter, Nicky Hambleton-Jones, tells Janice Turner why some women need the knife
Lighten up winter blues - The Times 07/01/06
Why can short, dark days make life seem so gloomy? Jerome Burne casts fresh light on a seasonal disorder
Your brilliant, cheating, beautiful mind - The Times 07/01/06
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Gorgeous, moi? Neuroscientist Cordelia Fine explains why our vain brains see the world through a lens of deluded optimism, in an extract from her new book
Baby bump gets a hand - The Times 07/01/06
Too busy for antenatal classes? Don't panic, says Lucy McDonald, who did it all in a weekend. Plus the best products for firming post-baby skin
No butts this time - The Times 07/01/06
One week in, Tory leader David Cameron discovers that quitting the evil weed is not such a drag
My degeneration - The Times 07/01/06
Play it loud at your peril, warns a deafened Who star. Is he right?
Turn on, tune in, and then turn the volume down on your iPod... - The Telegraph 06/01/06
Breakthroughs, tips and trends - The Times 07/01/06
WORRIED about how much of your brain still works after the festivities? Forgetting your log-on or the names of colleagues is a common post-festive faux pas, but a new scanning discovery could help to tell whether it’s just mind-fug or the start of something more sinister.
Sex matters with Dr Thomas Stuttaford and Suzi Godson - The Times 07/01/06
At this time of year, my husband and I often have our active sex life interrupted by my cystitis. Can you recommend any preventative measures?
Going back to health basics - The Times 07/01/06
Sir Francis Galton tends to be remembered for founding a field of research, eugenics, that makes no meaningful contribution to modern medicine. The Victorian polymath’s enthusiasm for breeding a super-race has thankfully had its day, and his theories of heredity are now recognised as pseudoscience.
You've broken my resolution - The Times 07/01/06
In the run-up to December 25, my surgery is stuffed with patients who, “Don’t want to be ill for Christmas, doctor”. And just after, it’s crammed with those who are, “Too ill to go back to work before the new year, doctor”. The former want a prescription; the latter a certificate — and most get neither. By now, though, the appointment book should have recovered from meltdown. So why are you still having problems seeing your GP? Simple: I’m spending all day seeing people who’ve broken things. Not bones, because they go to casualty. But resolutions, because they come to me.
Lunchtime fix: Aveda body masque - The Times 07/01/06
January may be a month of abstinence, but if swapping pleasure for penance is not your style, there are other ways of feeling virtuous. The Aveda body masque is a moisturising, conditioning treat for your skin that aims to leave you glowing with health in just 60 minutes. No sweaty star jumps or unpleasant diets are necessary: just lie back and let the therapist do the work.
Smacks of baby's needs - The Times 07/01/06
My husband and I look after our 14-month-old grandson for three days and two nights each week while his parents work. He receives a lot of attention from us as neither of us works. Recently he has started to smack his parents, mainly his mother, when he feels she is not taking notice of him. Is he punishing her for leaving him? There will be a new baby next month; it would be helpful to iron out this problem by then. What is your opinion?
Over the counter: Simethicone for infant colic - The Times 07/01/06
Brands Dentinox Infant Colic Drops, Infacol
Where's the sugar, daddy? - The Times 07/01/06
"How's daddy's best girl? Does my princess love her daddy? Did she miss him?" The father-daughter relationship can be just as special and intense as that of mother and son. And as tricky.
Deciphering the human code - The Times 07/01/06
A-Z of relationships: U is for understanding Does everyone long to be understood? It is often said that the secret of a successful relationship is that both parties understand each other.
Get over it: the new year - The Times 07/01/06
I’m suffering from new year blues. I want to feel happier about the coming year. What can I do?
Follow recycle lanes to greener life - The Times 07/01/06
Have you made a resolution for a cleaner, greener 2006? If your enthusiastic feedback to our Eco-worrier column is anything to go by, the answer is yes. Last year’s responses included your solutions and advice to fellow greenies, as often as it raised new issues — a reflection, perhaps, of how hard it can be to find info on solving eco-dilemmas. So, here’s a helping hand, with my top tips, websites and predictions for the year.
A clean break - The Times 07/01/06
Dispel that post-festive sluggish feeling and kick-start your system with Jane Clarke's simple, tasty, seven-day plan
Menu mentor - The Times 07/01/06
Jane Clarke's weekly guide to nutritious but delicious eating out: Sketch
Get fresh: seasonal shopping list - The Times 07/01/06
If buying seasonal foods from local producers, fewer food miles and lower food bills were among your new year resolutions, you will need to shop carefully. Much of the produce sold in the supermarkets is from abroad at this time of year. Keep an eye on labels to identify UK produce.
Survival of the unfittest - The Times 07/01/06
Not everyone wants to diet and detox. But at this time of year even the most famously unfit celebs and lethargic Times writers succumb. Here they reveal their darkest health secrets
Ready for ruff and tumble? - The Times 07/01/06
Will dog yoga be the next big workout to sweep Britain? Yes, if it's filling gyms in America, says Lucy Broadbent
That's snow business - The Times 07/01/06
Britain's No 1 female snowboarder Lesley McKenna, 31, gets a spiritual high on the slopes
And St Pat's is offering hernia miles - The Telegraph 08/01/06
Iam surrounded by gorgeously tempting shiny brochures. Yes, it's that time again when we all sit down and try to decide where to go for our annual patient-choice non-emergency NHS operation.
A tax on being alive - The Telegraph 08/01/06
Labour's determination to introduce compulsory identity cards for all British citizens sends a shiver down the spine of anyone concerned about individual liberty or protecting their privacy from the intrusive meddling of the state. One of the most treasured and ancient freedoms enjoyed by Britons has been not having to present "identity papers" to the police.
No identity card? You could be fined 2,500 - The Telegraph 08/01/06
Funding for Blair's anti-yob drive cut - The Telegraph 08/01/06
Tony Blair will be forced to admit this week that his new Respect action plan to tackle anti-social behaviour will have only a small fraction of the £90 million funding he had promised.
Backdoor DNA - The Telegraph 07/01/06
There is a respectable argument in favour of the creation of a national DNA database in which all citizens would have their samples included.
Chocolate bars 'still too large'- The Telegraph 07/01/06
Health campaigners have accused snack food manufacturers of reneging on a commitment to scrap king-size chocolate bars.
Taste for meddling - The Telegraph 07/01/06
Million families miss out on 250m in child handouts - The Telegraph 07/01/06
Around a million new parents who were sent Child Trust Fund vouchers worth more than 250 million over the last year have failed to do anything with them.
Confused about cannabis? - The Telegraph 06/01/06
As ministers equivocate, Amy Iggulden tries to find some answers
The ugly truth and how to face up to it - The Telegraph 06/01/06
Look in the mirror and what do you see - flabby chin, crow's feet, pointy tummy? Join the club - most women today, even glamorous celebrities, are unhappy with their looks. Alison Palmer has some tips on improving your self-image
Slimming clubs to admit 11-year-olds - Daily Mail 07/01/06
Children as young as 11 are being admitted to slimming clubs that normally cater for adults.
160 pound bird flu test preys on 'worried well' - Daily Mail 06/01/06
A new 160 pound test for bird flu which any patient can pay for has been criticised for preying on the 'worried well.'
Older mothers 'could routinely use frozen eggs' - Daily Mail 06/01/06
Women may soon be delaying motherhood until their 40s with improved egg-freezing, an expert claims.
Protein may regulate depression - BBC Health News 07/01/06
Scientists say they have pinpointed a protein which they believe may play a pivotal role in depression.
'I can't go out without my camouflage' - BBC Health News 07/01/06
Meeting Lucy Palmer it is difficult to imagine she has a serious skin condition that has left her feeling so 'disfigured' that she is embarrassed to go out without her special camouflage 'make-up' on.
Transplant success 'race divide' - BBC Health News 07/01/06
Transplanted hearts do not survive as long in black children as they do in other ethnic groups, a study says.
Slovak abortion move worries EU - BBC Health News 06/01/06
An attempt by the Vatican to reduce the number of abortions in Slovakia has raised concerns in the European Union about the loss of rights for women.
Cash crisis may hurt patient care - BBC Health News 06/01/06
A report has raised serious concerns about the financial state of the health service in Surrey and Sussex, and the possible impact on patient care.
Cerebral palsy 'infection link' - BBC Health News 06/01/06
Babies exposed to certain infections shortly before and after birth have a greater risk of cerebral palsy, Australian research suggests.
Viral Infection At Birth Linked To Cerebral Palsy, BMJ - Medical News Today 07/01/06
Women 'set to put family on ice' - BBC Health News 06/01/06
Young career women will soon be routinely freezing their eggs so they can have children after their fertility has declined, experts are predicting.
'Even sneezing was a real pain' - BBC Health News 07/01/06
Daniel Knibb is only 41, yet he has already had to have a hip and both jaws replaced because of arthritis.
Teen hormone transplant aid hope - BBC Health News 08/01/06
Scientists are proposing to use the hormone which triggers puberty to make organ transplants safer.
Antidepressants 'no suicide risk' - BBC Health News 08/01/06
The risk of suicide attempts does not increase when people start taking anti-depressants, a US study suggests.
University Business Expert Slashes Hospital Waiting Times, UK - Medical News Today 08/01/06
Day surgery waiting times at South Tyneside District Hospital in the North East of England have been slashed from nine months to three weeks as a result of a business improvement technique developed by the University of Sunderland.
After Cardiac Arrest, Children Fare Better Than Adults, Landmark Study Shows - Medical News Today 08/01/05
Children are more likely to survive in-hospital cardiac arrests than adults and with appropriate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the survival rates for both children and adults are higher than previously thought. These are some of the findings of the largest-ever study of cardiac arrests occurring in hospitals. The study was supervised by Robert A. Berg, MD, professor of pediatrics and associate dean at The University of Arizona College of Medicine.
Antibiotics Do Not Prevent Recurrent Myocardial Infarcts In Subjects With Periodontitis - Medical News Today 08/01/06
Periodontitis, an infection of the gingiva and tooth-supporting tissues, may influence the effectiveness of antibiotics used for the prevention of recurrent cardiovascular events. A three-month course of treatment with antibiotics decreased recurrence of cardiovascular events in patients without periodontitis, while the medication was found to have no effect in patients with periodontitis. This is the first time dental infections have been linked to the effectiveness of long-term treatment with antibiotics designed to prevent myocardial infarcts.
Elsevier Partners With ASENT To Publish NeuroRx® - First Elsevier NeuroRX Issue To Appear In January 2006 - Medical News Today 08/01/06
World-leading scientific and medical publisher Elsevier is pleased to announce the formation of a partnership with the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics (ASENT). Under the new partnership, Elsevier will become publisher of the Society's official journal, NeuroRx®.
Surprise Discovery Helps Scientists Understand What Makes Rabies Deadly, And Perhaps How To Combat It - Medical News Today 08/01/06
In an unexpected discovery, scientists at Jefferson Medical College have found that a tiny change in a rabies virus protein can turn a "safe" virus extremely deadly. The finding has enabled the researchers to refine a vaccine they previously created against rabies in wildlife, making it safer and more effective.
National Statistics For 18 Major Birth Defects Released, USA - Medical News Today 08/01/06
Down Syndrome and cleft lip and/or palate most prevalent defects studied.
Pharmacogenetics May Benefit Many People - Medical News Today 08/01/06
Chances are good that a medication you take is one of several drugs that can be affected by genetic factors, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the St. Louis College of Pharmacy. They found that 29 percent of patients seen at local primary-care offices had taken at least one of 16 drugs that can cause adverse reactions in genetically susceptible people.
GSK, Merck And Bristol Myers Squibb Are The World's Most Ethical Companies, Across All Sectors, Swiss Study - Medical News Today 08/01/06
The three most ethical companies in the world are innovative pharmaceutical manufacturers according to a new and independent study by a Swiss-based organisation.
Wilmington News Journal Profiles Program Providing HIV/AIDS Awareness Information At Barber Shops, Salons - USA - Medical News Today 08/01/06
The Wilmington News Journal on Wednesday profiled the "offbeat salon approach" of the Wilmington, Del.-based HIV/AIDS community outreach program Do the Right Thing 4Life. The program -- which is supported by AIDS Delaware and will celebrate its fifth anniversary on Feb. 4 -- provides HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment information, as well as condoms, to participating barbershops and beauty salons. Do the Right Thing 4Life -- founded by Frank Hawkins, director of education and community outreach for AIDS Delaware, as a means of providing blacks with HIV/AIDS information -- aims to: increase awareness of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases, encourage "safer" behaviors such as condom use to prevent HIV transmission, encourage HIV testing, promote discussion of the epidemic and provide access to HIV/AIDS-related services, the News Journal reports. Hawkins has enrolled five salons and shops in Wilmington in the program and hopes to expand the program throughout New Castle County, Del. (Brown, Wilmington News Journal, 1/4).
Chemical Signaling Helps Regulate Sensory Map Formation In The Brain - Medical News Today 08/01/06
Researchers from the University of Chicago have uncovered an important mechanism used by the developing brain to pattern nerve connections in the part of the brain that interprets visual signals. In the process, they have provided the first experimental evidence for a decades-old model of how nerve cells establish distant connections in a way that can consistently relay spatial information.
Epstein-Barr Reactivation During Pregnancy Might Lead To Preterm Delivery, Study Says - Medical News Today 08/01/06
If the Epstein-Barr virus -- which causes mononucleosis and other diseases -- is reactivated during pregnancy, it might lead to preterm delivery or infants with lower birthweights, according to a study published in the December 2005 issue of BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Reuters Health reports. Anne Eskild of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and colleagues examined records from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway and investigated 280 fetal deaths and 940 live births from among 35,940 pregnancies in the registry. The researchers found that 1.5% of women were found to have a first instance of EBV infection, and 25% of women with EBV had signs of reactivation of the virus during the first trimester. According to the study, the pregnancies of women with EBV reactivation were shorter than those of women without reactivation. In addition, EBV reactivation was more than twice as high among women who delivered before 21 weeks' gestation than among those who delivered after 21 weeks' gestation, the researchers said. According to the study, reactivation of the virus in the woman also was associated with a lower average birthweight, body length and head circumference. Eskild said, "EBV reactivation in the first part of pregnancy was associated with shorter duration of pregnancy and lighter babies," adding, "Our findings need to be verified by others. ... There is insufficient knowledge about the consequences of maternal EBV infection in pregnancy to make any clinical recommendations and guidelines" (Boggs, Reuters Health, 12/27/05).
Large Daily Dosage Of Vitamin D Lowers Risk Of Breast, Ovarian Cancers, Study Says - Medical News Today 08/01/06
A daily dosage of 1,000 international units of vitamin D can lower the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers by about one-third, according to a study in the Dec. 27, 2005, online edition of the American Journal of Public Health, the New York Daily News reports. Cedric Garland of the University of California-San Diego Moores Cancer Center and colleagues looked at 63 previous studies that examined the association between vitamin D and cancer (Rose, New York Daily News, 12/29/05). Out of the 63 studies, 13 involved research on breast cancer and seven looked at ovarian cancer (Hope, Daily Telegraph, 12/29/05). Garland said the previous studies found that the link between vitamin D intake and a lower risk of cancer is as apparent as the link between smoking and higher risk of lung cancer, Reuters reports. He added that people should consider taking vitamin D supplements to increase their daily intake to 1,000 international units, which is within National Academy of Sciences' safety guidelines (Reuters, 12/28/05). "Breast cancer will strike one in eight women. Early detection using mammography reduces mortality rates by approximately 20%, but the use of vitamin D might prevent this cancer in the first place," Garland said (Daily Telegraph, 12/29/05). However, Colin Cooper of the United Kingdom's Institute of Cancer Research said more studies need to be conducted in order to verify the findings. Cooper added, "If you look at any individual study, the evidence is really suggestive, rather than providing absolute proof. ... They failed to provide any mechanism for how low levels of vitamin D are actually linked to high incidence of cancer" (BBC News, 12/28/05).
Genes Contribute More Strongly To The Risk Of Depression In Women Than In Men - Medical News Today 07/01/06
Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have found that genes contribute more strongly to the risk of depression in women than in men, and that there may be some genetic factors that are operating uniquely in one sex and not in the other.
Scientists, Linking Gene With Serotonin And Depression, Offer Insights To New Treatments - Medical News Today 07/01/06
For the more than 18 million Americans who suffer from depressive illnesses, the best pharmacological treatments are those that increase levels of serotonin, the brain chemical that regulates mood, sleep and memory. New research by an international team of scientists, led by Rockefeller University researchers in Paul Greengard's laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, shows that a gene called p11 is closely related to serotonin transmission in the brain -- and may play a key role in determining a person's susceptibility to depression.
Immune Substances May Help Antibody-based Drugs Fight Cancer - Medical News Today 07/01/06
A new study suggests that antibody-based cancer drugs might help patients more if they are given with substances that stimulate the immune system.
Examining How One Disease May Prevent Another, UCLA - Medical News Today 07/01/06
The knowledge that one disease may prevent the onset of another is not new. For example, the discovery that cowpox vaccines can prevent smallpox dates back to 1798.
Can Dogs Sniff Out Cancer? Studies Show They Probably Can - Medical News Today 07/01/06
In a society where lung and breast cancers are leading causes of cancer death worldwide, early detection of the disease is highly desirable. In a new scientific study, researchers present astonishing new evidence that man's best friend, the dog, may have the capacity to contribute to the process of early cancer detection.
Blood Flow In Brain Takes A Twist, Affecting Views Of Alzheimer's - Medical News Today 07/01/06
New findings that long-overlooked brain cells play an important role in regulating blood flow in the brain call into question one of the basic assumptions underlying today's most sophisticated brain imaging techniques and could open a new frontier when it comes to understanding Alzheimer's disease.
Fox Foundation Grant Funds Major Gene Therapy Advance For Treatment Of Parkinson's Disease - Medical News Today 07/01/06
An innovative gene therapy approach pioneered by Pennsylvania-based RheoGene Inc. will be further refined and tested in preliminary clinical trials within four years, thanks to a $4.2 million grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF).
Chronic Multi-Symptom Illness Still More Prevalent Among Persian Gulf Veterans - Medical News Today 07/01/06
Comparing veterans deployed in the first Persian Gulf War and veterans deployed elsewhere at the same time has revealed veterans who served in the Persian Gulf have nearly twice the prevalence of chronic multi-symptom illness (CMI), a cluster of symptoms similar to a set of conditions often called Gulf War Syndrome.
Drug-Resistant Bacteria Patterns In Intensive Care Units Changing Nationally, USA - Medical News Today 08/01/05
A dangerous drug-resistant bacterium is becoming more prevalent in many intensive care units, according to an article in the Feb. 1 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, now available online.
Drug-Resistant Bacteria Patterns In Intensive Care Units Changing Nationally, USA - Medical News Today 08/01/05
A dangerous drug-resistant bacterium is becoming more prevalent in many intensive care units, according to an article in the Feb. 1 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, now available online.
Much Overeating Caused By Eating Too Many Flavors All At Once - Medical News Today 08/01/05
A major cause of overeating is eating too many flavors all at once, triggering the hypothalamus in the brain to ask for more food, according to David Katz, M.D., of the Prevention Research Center and the Rudd Food Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale University.
Difficulty In Treating Older Hepatitis C Patients With Combination Therapy - Medical News Today 07/01/06
A new study in Japan examining the effects of combination therapy on older patients with hepatitis C found more adverse effects necessitating discontinuation of treatment, lowering of dosages, and lower long-term benefits in this age group.
Stressed-out Moms Think Their Children Are More Difficult - Medical News Today 07/01/06
Mothers who experience stress from parenting are more likely to perceive their babies as temperamentally difficult, according to a new study by researchers at Bradley Hospital, Brown Medical School and Women & Infants' Hospital.
Simple Test Identifies More Accurately Individuals Who Might Have Colorectal Cancer - Medical News Today 07/01/06
Use of a simple test, in addition to traditional screening tests, identifies more accurately individuals who might have colorectal cancer, according to researchers reporting online today in THE LANCET ONCOLOGY. This test, known as an immunochemical faecal occult blood test (FOBT), when used for individuals who have previously tested positive on initial screening with the more traditional guaiac FOBT, "could decrease substantially the number of false positives in a screening programme for colorectal cancer", according to lead author Dr Callum G Fraser, and could reduce the need for colonoscopy in many individuals.
Should Abstinence Be The Only Sex Education For Teenagers? - Medical News Today 07/01/06
While few Americans remain abstinent until marriage and most initiate sexual intercourse as adolescents, abstinence from sexual intercourse is an important behavioral strategy for preventing human immunodeficiency virus, other sexually transmitted infections, and unintended pregnancy among adolescents, according to the report, Abstinence and Abstinence-Only Education: A Review of U.S. Policies and Programs.
New Pathways Linking Liver Disease To Changes In The Central Nervous System - Medical News Today 07/01/06
Liver disease is often associated with "sickness behaviors," such as malaise, listlessness, anorexia, difficulty concentrating, and fatigue. In cholestatic liver diseases (where bile production is impaired) such as primary biliary cirrhosis, fatigue occurs in up to 86 percent of patients. Previous studies have suggested that these symptoms originate from changes to the central nervous system (CNS), but little is understood about how these changes occur or the pathways involved.
Vitamin D Supplementation During Pregnancy Could Reduce Osteoporosis In Children - Medical News Today 07/01/06
Vitamin D supplementation of pregnant women could lead to longlasting reduction in osteoporotic fractures in their children, according to a study published in this week's issue of The Lancet. The study shows that children whose mothers were lacking in vitamin D during pregnancy grow up to have weaker bones.
Role For Medical Journals And General News Media To Raise Awareness Of Child Survival - Medical News Today 07/01/06
A Comment in this week's issue of The Lancet reflects on last month's Countdown to 2015 conference on Tracking Progress in Child Survival. Two of the millennium development goals (MDGs) are critical: MDG-4 calls for a reduction in under-5-mortality rates by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015. MDG-5 calls for a reduction in maternal mortality by three-quarters during the same period
What Will Primary Care Look Like In England In Ten Years' Time? - Medical News Today 07/01/06
The forthcoming white paper on health and community services in England will affect all of our futures, so the BMJ asked some people with an interest in general practice to predict the future.
Magnet Therapy Has No Proved Benefits, British Medical Journal - Medical News Today 07/01/06
Patients should be advised that magnet therapy has no proved benefits, and that any healing effect is likely to be small, say US researchers in this week's BMJ.
New Generation Clinical Trials Could Save Time And Money, Improve Patient Care - Medical News Today 07/01/06
As we enter the era of personalized medicine, it is time to take a fresh look at how we evaluate new medicines and treatments for cancer, according to Donald Berry, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Biostatistics and Applied Mathematics at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Loss Of Caspase-8 Makes Neuroblastoma More Aggressive - Medical News Today 07/01/06
The caspase-8 gene plays a critical role in suppressing metastasis (spread) of neuroblastoma, and the expression of this gene is frequently absent in cancer cells that are aggressively metastasizing, according to investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the University of California at San Diego (UCSD). Neuroblastoma is a tumor of the nervous system and is the most common tumor in infants younger than 1 year of age; it accounts for 7-10 percent of childhood cancers.
Smoking While Pregnant Causes Finger, Toe Deformities - Medical News Today 07/01/06
Women have yet another reason to stop smoking while pregnant. In the largest study of its kind, plastic surgeons found smoking during pregnancy significantly elevates the risk of having a child with excess, webbed or missing fingers and toes, according to the January issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). In fact, the study found that smoking just half a pack per day increases the risk of having a child born with a toe or finger defect by 29 percent.
Namibia Law Banning Male-to-Male Sex Is Hindering Condom Distribution, HIV Prevention In Prisons, Advocates Say - Medical News Today 07/01/06
A 30-year-old law in Namibia banning male-to-male sex is preventing condom distribution in the country's prisons and hindering HIV prevention efforts, according to HIV/AIDS advocates, South Africa's Mail & Guardian reports. According to government officials, condom distribution would promote sex between men, which is outlawed under the 1977 Criminal Procedures Act. Ignatius Mainga, a spokesperson for the country's Ministry of Safety and Security's prison services, said, "By giving (prisoners) a condom, you are telling them to go ahead and do it." Mainga added that the "majority" of cases involving men who have sex with men in prison are consensual and that inmates do not want condoms because they do not "want to be seen as having sex with other men." However, Michaela Hubscle, former deputy minister at the now-closed Ministry of Prisons and Correctional Services, said instances of rape still occur between men in prison and condoms are needed to protect inmates. "We are sitting on a time bomb. The prevalence rate will increase if we do not protect those who enter prison (HIV-)negative and those who are positive from reinfection," Hubscle said (Tibinyane, Mail & Guardian, 1/4).
World's Largest Drug Database - Medical News Today 07/01/06
Until the 1980s, most of our knowledge about drugs and drug targets could fit into a few encyclopedic books. But with the recent explosion in biological and chemical knowledge, that information is now scattered over thousands of textbooks, subscription databases and print journals. Until now. Thanks to the work by University of Alberta researchers, this previously inaccessible drug information is now consolidated and available freely online.
Number Of C-Sections, Elective C-Sections Rising, USA - Medical News Today 07/01/06
CBS' "Evening News" on Dec. 26, 2005, reported on the increase in the number of caesarean section deliveries, including elective c-sections. The segment discusses women who schedule c-sections for "no medical reason" other than not wanting to go through labor and delivery. The segment includes comments from Peter Bernstein, associate professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology and women's health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center; Micheal Sbarra, an obstetrician at Hackensack University Medical Center; and women who chose to have c-sections (Kaledin, "Evening News," CBS, 12/26/05).
U.S. Should Model Global HIV Programs After Successful Initiatives In Other Countries, Editorial Says - Medical News Today 07/01/06
"President Bush and his advisers need to take another look at what has really worked around the world" in curbing the spread of HIV in developing countries, a Denver Post editorial says. Countries such as Uganda and Haiti have effectively reduced their HIV prevalence rates by launching widespread prevention campaigns, encouraging safer-sex practices, promoting HIV testing and fighting stigma, the Post says. In addition, Brazil has curbed the spread of HIV by increasing access to antiretroviral drugs and offering HIV education, testing and treatment programs, the editorial says. However, the "Bush administration insists that countries receiving U.S. assistance preach abstinence above all else, a stricture that makes it almost impossible to reach to impoverished, infected people who already are terrified of being abandoned by their communities," the editorial concludes (Denver Post, 12/28/05).
Preventing The Harmful Immune Response To Newly Transplanted Organs - Medical News Today 06/01/06
University Hospital Zurich researchers have determined a way to prevent the harmful immune response to newly transplanted organs, which can lead to organ rejection. The study appears in the January 4, 2006 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Human Hair Follicle Stem Cells - Medical News Today 06/01/06
In a study appearing in the January 4, 2006 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Jonathan Vogel and colleagues from the National Cancer Institute successfully isolated and characterized genes expressed by human hair follicle stem cells. The isolation, cultivation, and propagation of these stem cells are important for tissue-engineering approaches to treating disorders of the hair and skin.
How Chromosomal Leap Frog Causes Cancer In B Cells - Medical News Today 06/01/06
MALT lymphoma is a cancer of B cell lymphocytes that usually develops in lymphatic tissues in the stomach, thyroid, lungs or eyes. At least 3 different chromosomal translocations - where parts of chromosomes are interchanged - have been implicated in the development and progression of MALT lymphoma.
Cancer Detection: Spinning Biological Trash Into Diagnostic Gold - Medical News Today 06/01/06
Scientists have started to examine small proteins and peptides present in human blood serum in the hope that these molecules might reflect biological events associated with disease and consequently be useful as diagnostic disease markers. In a study appearing in the January 4, 2006 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Paul Tempst and colleagues from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center examined the peptides present in serum samples from patients with advanced prostate, bladder, or breast cancer, as well as from healthy individuals and identified certain peptides that were cancer-type-specific markers. These peptides proved to be enzymatic breakdown products generated after the blood was collected from the patients. Previously thought to be "biological trash", this study instead highlights that small peptides identified in human serum may in fact be "diagnostic gold" and serve as easily identifiable disease biomarkers.
Turns-ons And Turn-offs For Smooth Muscle Cells - Medical News Today 06/01/06
In a study appearing in the January 4, 2006 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Gary Owens and colleagues from the University of Virginia determine what causes smooth muscle cells (SMCs) to turn on or turn off the expression of certain SMC genes during healthy and disease states.
Blocking Eotaxin May Help Asthmatics Breathe Easier - Medical News Today 06/01/06
Researchers at Oregon Health and Science University have shown that the nerves in the lungs, which cause the airways to narrow during asthma attacks, release eotaxin, a substance that attracts eosinophils, a type of white blood cell, to the nerves.
Tercica Launches Increlex In The US, Long-Term Treatment Of Growth Failure Caused By Severe Primary IGFD - Medical News Today 06/01/06
Tercica, Inc (Nasdaq:TRCA) today announced the US commercial launch of Increlex(TM) (mecasermin (rDNA origin) injection), the only recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-1 (rhIGF-1) replacement therapy indicated for the long-term treatment of growth failure in children with severe Primary IGFD. Tercica also announced that following its December 2005 submission for marketing approval in the EU, the company is preparing for a potential January 2007 launch of Increlex in Europe. Increlex, which is now available to patients throughout the U.S., represents the first major innovation in treating children with short stature since recombinant human growth hormone was approved 20 years ago.
Painkiller Side-Effects, Genes Play A Part - Medical News Today 06/01/06
A study published in the January issue of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) journal Gastroenterology found a difference in how people responded to popular painkillers and that up to 30 percent of this variability can be attributed to an individual's genetic make-up. This variation can influence both how useful the drugs are in affording relief from pain and inflammation, and the number and severity of the adverse effects. This evaluation is perhaps the most rigorous look at how people vary in their response to drugs and was designed as part of a strategy to determine genetic and other markers that might help predict response and safety of these drugs, including susceptibility to cardiovascular complications.
Rotateq And Rotarix Prevent Severe Childhood Diarrhoea Caused By Rotaviruses - Medical News Today 06/01/06
Tests have shown that Rotateq and Rotarix are effective in preventing diarrhoea in children cause by rotaviruses. Rotateq is manufactured by Merck while Rotarix is produced by GSK. You can read about these studies in the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The journal states that both drugs have an impressive efficacy profile.
Research Adds To Concerns About Surgeons Performing Occasional Breast Cancer Operations - Medical News Today 06/01/06
A leading cancer expert has expressed concern about the link between hospitals carrying out low numbers of breast cancer operations and disproportionately high readmission rates.
Gold Nanoparticles, Radiation Combo May Slow Alzheimer's - Medical News Today 06/01/06
Chemists in Chile and Spain have identified a new approach for the possible treatment of Alzheimer's disease that they say has the potential to destroy beta-amyloid fibrils and plaque -- hypothesized to contribute to the mental decline of Alzheimer's patients. The researchers say the new technique, which they call a type of "molecular surgery," could halt or slow the disease's progress without harming healthy brain cells. The research is scheduled for publication in the Jan. 11 issue of the American Chemical Society's Nano Letters.
Wounds Heal 25% Faster In Older Adults Who Exercise Regularly - Medical News Today 06/01/06
The body's ability to heal even small skin wounds normally slows down as we age. But a new study in older adults finds that regular exercise may speed up the wound-healing process by as much as 25 percent.
Aurobindo Receives Tentative FDA Approval To Produce Oral Version Of Generic Antiretroviral Nevirapine For PEPFAR - Medical News Today 06/01/06
FDA last week granted tentative approval to Indian drug manufacturer Aurobindo Pharma to produce an oral version of the antiretroviral drug nevirapine for pediatric use under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the UNI/newKerala.com reports. The approval is for 50-milligram/five milliliter oral solution of nevirapine, which is sold under the brand name Viramune by Boehringer Ingelheim (UNI/newKerala.com, 1/3). The tentative approval designation means the drug meets FDA safety and efficacy standards but cannot be sold in the U.S. because of existing patents or exclusivity agreements, although it can be used by relief organizations outside the U.S. under PEPFAR (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 6/21/05).
PRI's 'The World' Examines Efforts To Prevent HIV Transmission Through South African Virginity Exams - Medical News Today 06/01/06
"The World" -- a production of BBC World Service, PRI and WGBH Boston -- on Tuesday reported on virginity testing of girls and young women in Zulu tribes in South Africa. Zulu women in the country revived the custom in recent years in the belief that it will reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS by encouraging abstinence. The segment includes comments from tribe elders who perform the tests and a girl who underwent the exam. In addition, the segment includes comments from health experts who are concerned that unsanitary conditions surrounding the tests will contribute to the spread of disease, and lawyers who say the practice violates privacy rights (Schmidt, "The World," PRI, 1/3).
Thailand Announces Fewer AIDS-Related Deaths, New HIV Cases In 2005 - Medical News Today 06/01/06
Thailand's Ministry of Public Health on Monday announced that the number of AIDS-related deaths in the country declined from 5,020 in 2004 to 1,640 in 2005, Thailand's The Nation reports (The Nation, 1/3). The health ministry's Disease Control Department also announced that the number of new HIV cases in 2005 declined by about 10% to about 18,000 in 2005 (Bobb, VOA News, 1/4). DCD also reported that the number of people who developed AIDS decreased from 13,364 in 2004 to 8,681 in 2005. DCD Director-General Thawat Suntharcharn said the decrease in the number of new AIDS cases and AIDS-related deaths can be attributed to the government's antiretroviral drug program (The Nation, 1/3). The health ministry announced in July 2005 that the country planned to provide low-cost antiretrovirals to the more than 500,000 HIV-positive people who live in the country. Thailand already provides antiretrovirals at no cost to about 50,000 low-income HIV-positive people under a pilot program that provides basic care to all Thai people (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 8/4/05). Thawat said that about 80,000 HIV-positive people now are receiving antiretroviral drug treatment through the government program. Public Health Minister Pinij Charusombat said that the ministry could further improve care for HIV/AIDS patients, adding that the government plans to open new clinics targeted at men who have sex with men (The Nation, 1/3). The majority of new HIV cases last year occurred among teenagers and MSM, Thawat said, adding that the country provided 24 million condoms to high risk groups last year to aid prevention efforts (VOA News, 1/4).
Angioplasty or surgery ups heart failure survival - Reuters 07/01/06
In a study of people with severe heart failure, those treated early with angioplasty or coronary bypass surgery to improve blood flow to the heart had significantly better survival than those treated with drug therapy.
Roche, Glaxo: US OKs new use for osteoporosis drug - Reuters 06/01/06
Swiss drug maker Roche Holding AG and Britain's GlaxoSmithKline Plc won U.S. approval for long-lasting intravenous use of their osteoporosis drug Boniva, the companies said on Friday.
Worried about bird flu? Stock up, HHS advises - Reuters 06/01/06
There is no vaccine and drugs are in short supply but Americans may be able to ride out any bird flu pandemic if they stock up on supplies and keep their children clean, the U.S. government said on Friday.
Nonprescription inhaler effective for asthma - Reuters 06/01/06
In a small study of patients with nighttime asthma, a nonprescription inhaler containing epinephrine was nearly as effective as a prescription inhaler dispensing albuterol in terminating an acute asthma flare-up.
Indigent diabetics distrust medical system - Reuters 06/01/06
A survey of people with diabetes attending a clinic for the indigent found that they have little trust in the medical system, and that attitude is remarkably consistent for all the respondents.
Menstrual cycle characteristics tied to fertility - Reuters 06/01/06
A new study suggests that certain characteristics of a woman's menstrual cycle may confer increased fertility, while others may lead to a greater risk of miscarriage.
Viagra packages to include anti-counterfeit tags - Reuters 06/01/06
Pfizer Inc., in a move to thwart counterfeit Viagra, on Friday said it has included special radio frequency identification tags on all packages of its anti-impotence pill to verify they are the authentic Pfizer product.
Neighborhood affects risk of heart attack - Reuters 06/01/06
The economic situation of people's neighborhoods may affect their risk of suffering a heart attack, a study in Sweden suggests.
S. Korea panel to issue final word on stem cell fraud - Reuters 06/01/06
A South Korean panel investigating disgraced scientist Hwang Woo-suk said on Friday it would issue its final findings next week on whether he committed fraud in claiming he had developed tailored embryonic stem cells.
Cheshire and Mersey News
Concern over unit closures - Southport Visiter 06/01/06
THE National Childbirth Trust has spoken out against the numbers of small birthing units closing up and down the country - including Southport's Maternity Led Unit.
Hospital A&E suffers New Year bottleneck - Chester Chronicle 06/01/06
A BUSY New Year period saw the Countess of Chester's A&E department overrun by patients with minor ailments.
Smokeless zone - Chester Chronicle 06/01/06
CHESTER City Council has agreed an almost total ban on smoking in its buildings.
Tiny liars to trap booze bandits - Liverpool Echo 06/01/06
YOUNGSTERS are being told to lie about their ages when they go undercover to buy alcohol.
Fans face Goodison smoke ban - Liverpool Echo 06/01/06
EVERTON fans could be banned from lighting up on the Goodison Park terraces.
Hospice appeal hits 2m target - Liverpool Echo 06/01/06
A HOSPICE which cares for Merseyside's terminally ill children has reached its 2m target to complete its new teenage wing.
Pete Price phone-in caller dies on air - Liverpool Echo 06/01/06
LATE night radio listeners were shocked when a caller died while on air.
Cumbria and Lancashire News
MRSA victim's pledge to help hospital clean-ups - Lancashire Evening Post 07/01/06
A FORMER hospital cleaning supervisor whose leg was amputated because of MRSA today vowed to clean-up dirty wards --by becoming a hospital inspector.
Workers face smoke-free zone - Lancashire Evening Post 07/01/06
WORKERS at Blackburn-based Heritage Envelopes have returned from the Christmas holiday period to a "smoke free" environment after the company banned smoking on the premises.
NHS worker quits over `vile' texts - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 06/01/06
A NURSING assistant who admitted sending "vile and abusive" text messages to a work colleague has resign-ed.
Perverted sex tourist jailed - Carlisle News & Star 07/01/06
A CUMBRIAN sex tourist has been jailed for at least six years after preying on deprived children in Africa.
Perverted sex tourist jailed - Carlisle News & Star 06/01/06
Alcohol addiction can happen to anyone - Carlisle News & Star 07/01/06
ALCOHOL addiction can happen to people from any background – a fact Cumbrian health workers believe Charles Kennedy’s admission has hammered home.
Dental surgery hope for glasses - Carlisle News & Star 07/01/06
PLANS to create two new dental surgeries across the Scottish border could offer hope to the 1,500 patients in Carlisle whose dentist has quit the NHS.
I had my nose broken, broken ribs, and I was stabbed. He hit me, threatened me with knives and sexually abused me in frint of my child... - Carlisle News & Star 07/01/06
A PIONEERING new group has been launched to help victims of domestic violence after figures showed Cumbria Police dealt with nearly 6,000 incidents in a year.
Community beds cuts will hit rural elderly - Carlisle News & Star 06/01/06
SCRAPPING 118 community hospital beds will leave elderly people in rural areas vulnerable and isolated, west Cumbrian GPs have warned.
Police hail hard stance on drinkers a success - Carlisle News & Star 06/01/06
WEST Cumbria police have hailed their tough stance on booze-fuelled disorder over the festive holiday a success – and have vowed to use similar tactics during this summer’s World Cup football tournament.
Head shaved for hospital - Carlisle News & Star 06/01/06
THE father of a 12-year-old has had his head shaved to raise money for the hospital where his son is being treated for cancer.
Greater Manchester News
Sick baby's airlift ordeal - Manchester Evening News 07/01/06
THE parents at the centre of a 200-mile dash to find a hospital bed for their sick baby have spoken of their ordeal for the first time.
MBE salute to hospital star Elsa - Manchester Evening News 07/01/06
A HOSPITAL volunteer has been given a special thank you for her 20 years helping to make the lives of cancer patients better.
Parents put on meningitis alert - Manchester Evening News 06/01/06
PARENTS are being warned to watch out for signs of meningitis in their children after a spate of cases across the region.
Patients 'tipsy' on superbug soap - Manchester Evening News 06/01/06
HOSPITAL patients are drinking anti-MRSA hand wash as a substitute for alcohol, it has been claimed.
Drink deaths soar across city - Manchester Evening News 06/01/06
DEATHS from alcohol abuse have soared across Greater Manchester.
Boost for hospital stroke services - Bolton Evening News 07/01/06
STROKE services at the Royal Bolton Hospital are to receive a boost, with plans designed to improve patient care.
Amarillo song inspires boy's cancer recovery - Bolton Evening News 07/01/06
A COURAGEOUS young cancer sufferer was shown the way to recovery - by listening to Is This The Way To Amarillo.
Busy night for paramedics - Bury Times 06/01/06
PARAMEDICS in Greater Manchester had little chance to welcome in the New Year after recording one of their busiest ever nights.
An upgrade to Fairfield? - Bury Times 06/01/06
HAVE any of the decision makers in the health authority ever had the misfortune to be a patient in a surgical ward of North Manchester General Hospital?
Spend super centre cash on patients - Bolton Evening News 06/01/06
HAVING read the lead story and editorial on 'super surgeries' (Bolton Evening News, December 29), I was very saddened to learn that the current GP system is 'outdated', as suggested by both your leader writer and Dr Kevin Snee, Chief Executive at the Bolton Primary Care Trust.
Health plans a scandal say GPs - Bolton Evening News 06/01/06
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