National and International News
Poor diet link to rising cases of depression - The Observer 15/01/06
Increasing rates of anxiety, depression and irritability could be due to a poor diet that lacks the essential chemicals to keep the brain healthy, according to a leading mental health charity.
Poor diet link to rising cases of depression - The Observer 15/01/06
Want to boost your brain power? Just have a baby - The Observer 15/01/06
New American research shows that pregnancy and child rearing enhance mental capabilities
Coo! Childbirth makes women brainier - The Sunday Times 15/01/06
E-read all about it - The Observer 15/01/06
The world of publishing stands on the cusp of the greatest innovation since Gutenberg. With cheap, portable electronic readers just around the corner, what is the future of the printed book?
Alternative health - The Observer 15/01/06
How do you treat persistent cold sores? Can supplements boost a flagging sex drive? Each month our top expert answers your questions
Health panel: How can I improve my memory? - The Observer 15/01/06
A heroin overdose and chronic alcoholism have badly affected a former drug addict's ability to remember events from the recent past. Below, our panel of experts offer advice
Lucy Siegle: Is recycling a waste of time? - The Observer 15/01/06
Giving used cans and boxes a new life is good housekeeping. Dumping the waste on Asia is not, says Lucy Siegle
Crisis in mental hospitals revealed - The Observer 15/01/06
A 'prisoner' of the run-down psychiatric system tells of her ordeal in a new book
Postal test lets women check fertility levels - The Observer 15/01/06
A mail-order kit which allows women to monitor their biological clocks by indicating how many healthy eggs remain in their ovaries, will be unveiled next week. The 'ovarian reserve' test has been developed by Professor Bill Ledger, of Sheffield University, who has found a way of measuring three hormones, giving an indication of fertility.
Passport, tickets, suncream, sperm ... - The Observer 15/01/06
Faced with long waiting lists at home, infertile British women are booking IVF holidays in the sun. Louise France reports
Your letters - The Observer 15/01/06
It is not true that the BMA is firmly against treatment centres run by the independent sector (News, last week), but you are absolutely right to highlight the risks that an expansion of this policy could bring if not properly planned and integrated with existing NHS facilities.
Doctor in drug research row quits NHS post - The Observer 15/01/06
A senior doctor at the centre of a row over the probity of pharmaceutical research has resigned from his NHS post before the outcome of an inquiry into separate allegations.
Turkey tests for fourth bird flu child victim - The Guardian 14/01/06
Health authorities in Turkey are investigating whether a four-year-old girl who died yesterday has become the country's fourth child fatality from bird flu since the arrival of the dreaded H5N1 virus.
Work at home or go abroad if bird flu hits - The Telegraph 15/01/06
Turks bitter as bird flu hits tourism - The Sunday Times 15/01/06
Black-market bird flu drug seized in raids - The Sunday Times 15/01/06
Bird flu: Death in the air - The Independent 15/01/06
Bird flu and travel: the facts - The Observer 15/01/06
Turkey to test thousands in bid to contain bird flu outbreak - The Observer 15/01/06
Turkish boy tests positive for bird flu - The Telegraph 15/01/06
Possible case of human bird flu in Belgium - The Telegraph 14/01/06
Ready or not? - The Guardian 14/01/06
Is bird flu a real threat? - The Times 14/01/06
World Bank sees $1.2 bln needed to tackle bird flu - Reuters 14/01/06
Current Bird Flu Outbreak In Turkey Started In Mid-November, Not Mid-December - Medical News Today 14/01/06
EU pledges $100m to bird flu fund - BBC Health News 13/01/06
Pandemic Flu Could Cause Breakdown Of Drug-Supply Chain - Medical News Today 13/01/06
Lab Tests Confirm Avian Flu Virus In Two More Samples From Turkey - Medical News Today 13/01/06
Indonesia's confirmed bird flu deaths rise to 12 - Reuters 13/01/06
More drugs, quicker funds promised at bird flu talks - Reuters 13/01/06
GMC lets doctor stay on register - The Guardian 14/01/06
A gynaecologist found guilty of professional misconduct after he botched an abortion has been cleared to work as a doctor for a second time after a tribunal investigated 15 new allegations.
Panel says link with mental illness is 'very small' - The Guardian 14/01/06
New scientific evidence suggests a causal link between cannabis use and long-term psychotic symptoms, according to the government's top drug advisory committee. But in a draft report to the home secretary, Charles Clarke, seen by the Guardian, the committee says that the risks are not high enough to support reclassification as class B.
Yard chief attacks cannabis regrading - The Sunday Times 15/01/06
Blunkett tells Blair: don't tighten law on cannabis - The Independent 15/01/06
Police chief steps into cannabis row - The Observer 15/01/06
Expert advisers threaten revolt against Clarke - The Guardian 14/01/06
Sam Murphy on the gym pitfalls to avoid - The Guardian 14/01/06
Simply going to the gym doesn't guarantee you're getting fitter. It's what you do there, and after, that counts ... Sam Murphy on the pitfalls to avoid
Letters - The Guardian 14/01/06
Apart from the health benefits of a plant-based vegetarian and vegan diet (Super Green Me, January 7), the ecological and environmental benefits are great, too. Some 55 billion animals are raised and killed for meat every year. Our planet is simply not big enough to sustain these numbers. The result is destruction of rainforests, spreading of deserts and massive methane gas emissions. The amount of grain fed to these animals could feed almost 4 billion people. To safeguard the planet for future generations, a return to vegetarian and vegan diet is imperative. Nitin Mehta
Emma Mitchell: A post-baby boost - The Guardian 14/01/06
I returned to work three months ago when my baby was six months old and since then I've been constantly moderately ill (vomiting, colds, sore throats, running or blocked nose and now conjunctivitis). What can I do to boost my immune system?
Richard Johnson: Spuds I like - The Guardian 14/01/06
I'm currently on a low-fat regime; it's not working. Anyway, scientists have shown that eating low-fat meal after low-fat meal eradicates all traces of humour from the personality. So I've decided to go low-salt instead, and was thrilled to hear about the latest addition to what's known as the 'good for you' crisp sector. Kettle Foods hopes that its new no-salt variant will appeal to 'the growing group of health-conscious people who are looking to cut their salt intake' as well as those who want a natural taste with no additives. That would be me. The idea is hardly new, however: northerners will tell you that Seabrook in Bradford launched an unsalted crisp in 2004. They will then bang on about it until softy southerners start to cry. Kettle Chips Undressed, around 1.39 for a 150g packet; widely available.
If I had the time ... - The Guardian 14/01/06
Last year was pretty gruelling in our house: death, separation, dissertation to be handed in. What we needed, my daughter Amy thought, was to unite and relax at her yoga class. I have never liked yoga. Everyone's body-shape and posture is better than mine and I can never empty my mind, which is mandatory in that relaxing bit at the end. But Amy was persuasive. "Come on, Mum. They're all old and weird shapes. No one's any good. You'll be all right." So off we went, in the car, sun shining, roof down, to yoga.
Diary of a homeworker - The Guardian 14/01/06
Why do my office-bound colleagues always seem to know when it's the worst time to call?
Parliament going up in smoke - The Guardian 14/01/06
It is heartening, but not surprising, to see in your survey that the vast majority of Labour backbenchers wish to see a total ban on smoking in enclosed public places (Report, January 12). Some reports describe the MPs calling for a free vote to air their views as "rebels" - actually, their views reflect that of expert medical opinion and increasing backing from the public and industry leaders. It is the few that are satisfied with a partial ban who are out of step with the mainstream.
Macmillan Comments On News Of Free Vote On Smoking Ban, UK - Medical News Today 15/01/06
You support Health & Safety? What have you been smoking? - The Times 14/01/06
Ranks of civil servants show first signs of cuts - The Guardian 14/01/06
The number of civil servants has started to fall in response to the government's efforts to cut tens of thousands of jobs from the public payroll, official data showed yesterday.
The hidden costs of ignorance - The Guardian 14/01/06
It's easy to pay too much national insurance, writes Tony Levene
'Wasteful' school milk subsidy stays - The Guardian 14/01/06
Milk subsidies for 1.3 million children in 12,000 English nursery and primary schools are to continue despite warnings that they are a waste of money.
Sex offender teacher given jobs in three schools - The Guardian 14/01/06
The row over employing sex offenders in schools escalated last night when it emerged a second man deemed unsuitable to work with children had been working as a maths teacher for three months at a school in north-east England.
Sacked sex offence teacher gets fourth job - The Sunday Times 15/01/06
Focus: Cleared to teach? - The Sunday Times 15/01/06
Sex offenders in our schools. Just how many are there? - The Independent 15/01/06
Child molester was given teaching job at a fourth school - The Independent 15/01/06
Kelly told of schools sex crisis last year - The Observer 15/01/06
Sex scandal that engulfed Kelly - The Observer 15/01/06
How Kelly failed the vulnerable - The Observer 15/01/06
Ruth Kelly should now be moved - The Observer 15/01/06
Child sex offenders cleared to work in schools - The Times 14/01/06
Why it can take years to ban paedophile teachers - The Times 14/01/06
Letters to the Editor - The Times 14/01/06
More sex offenders worked as teachers - The Telegraph 14/01/06
The politics of paranoia - The Independent 15/01/06
Nobody is off limits in the Prime Minister's war on terror. Now he wants to dispose of the 'Wilson Doctrine' and bug his own MPs. But does the state need more power to spy on us? Francis Elliott reports
Nationwide alert over deadly crystal meth hitting UK streets - The Independent 15/01/06
Ministers are planning to tighten the laws on the highly addictive drug crystal meth amid fears that its use is on the increase in Britain. Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary, will this week highlight the dangers of the drug and promise a review of its class B status in response to warnings from police and health experts.
Drink and the modern girl - The Independent 15/01/06
Natalie's mother noticed how much her daughter was drinking at Christmas. So they had 'the talk'. Which is how Natalie found herself one of thousands ringing a national helpline. By Tom Anderson
Babies born in winter are bigger, brighter and more successful - The Independent 15/01/06
For centuries astrologers have sworn that the time of year a baby is born plots the course its life will take. Now extensive research conducted over a seven-year period appears to prove that babies born in the winter are more likely to grow into big, bright and successful adults than their summer counterparts.
Laughing gas, the legal drug sweeping clubland that is making regulators frown - The Independent 14/01/06
It is a mild anaesthetic, a rocket fuel and a propellant in aerosols. Nitrous oxide, the multi-purpose chemical also known as laughing gas, now has another use: it has taken off as the fashionable - and apparently legal - recreational drug of choice in clubs and dance venues.
Cancer chemical found in coffee - The Sunday Times 15/01/06
COFFEE is responsible for as much as a third of daily consumption of the cancer-causing chemical acrylamide, research by the United Nations has found.
Cloning expert quits country in row with partner - The Sunday Times 15/01/06
THE scientist who cloned Britain’s first human embryo has accused his partner of breaching good scientific practice.
Upfront women swell rush to breast surgery - The Sunday Times 15/01/06
THE number of women having surgery to boost the size of their breasts has increased by over 50% in the past year.
Making it pay to look after baby - The Sunday Times 15/01/06
PHOEBE PHILO has made the decision that is right for her but to extrapolate from that that it is impossible to have any career and children and stay sane is simply absurd (India Knight, News Review, last week).
Doctors cover up knife crimes - The Sunday Times 15/01/06
CASUALTY doctors in Scotland are masking the true extent of violent crime across the country by failing to report 80% of stabbings and 40% of gun crimes to police, according to a new report.
Smoke ban sends club boss overseas - The Sunday Times 15/01/06
JAMES MORTIMER, the millionaire nightclub owner, is shelving plans for expansion in Scotland because of a ban on smoking in public places.
Homophobic complaints inquiry - The Times 14/01/06
Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, has ordered an inquiry into how police react to complaints about allegedly homophobic and racist comments made on radio and television.
HIV 'cover-up' - The Times 14/01/06
A widow whose husband died after contracting HIV from contaminated blood has claimed that the blood came from infected prisoners in Arkansas, America, who were paid to provide it.
Day trip to say 'happy birthday' to centenarian who made LSD - The Times 14/01/06
A 100-YEAR-OLD man stood before an adoring crowd in Basle yesterday and described the bliss of tripping on acid.
Will they sink or swim? - The Times 14/01/06
Worried his wild youth might have affected his sperm, Angus Donald tries out two home-testing kits
The national birth lottery - The Times 14/01/06
Where you live could determine the way you have your baby - regardless of your wishes, says Simon Crompton
Calling for calm - The Times 14/01/06
Closet stress merchant Hannah Betts decided she needed a wife to sort out her problems. Instead, Body&Soul sent her a life coach to help put her house in order
The ties that bind - The Times 14/01/06
We think of Chinese foot-binding as barbaric - how could a mother mutilate her child? - but Lisa See, who has researched the subject, asks whether a Western boob job is so different
A game of two halves - The Times 14/01/06
Are you a WHHIP, who Won't Hold Hands in Public? Join the anti-commitment club, says Andrew G. Marshall
Breakthroughs, tips and trends - The Times 14/01/06
IF YOU start the day with a chip on your shoulder, your computer may soon be able to notice those bad moods and try to soothe you.
Waking nightmare - The Times 14/01/06
Tired Britain needs to rediscover the healthy pleasures of a lie-in
Beware the spin of scans - The Times 14/01/06
Cancer screening is the Queen Mother of modern healthcare. It is almost universally popular and even the few who doubt its merit think twice before criticising for fear of the reaction they will get. Most people are content to bear the discomfort of a mammogram or cervical smear, or the embarrassment of mailing a stool sample, because they understand the virtues of catching this most feared of diseases early. Such programmes invariably get a good press.
Liquid-based Cytology No Better Than Conventional Smear Test - Medical News Today 14/01/06
Doubts raised over new smear test - Daily Mail 13/01/06
Rash hour at the clinic - The Times 14/01/06
Every winter, in the run-up to the meningitis season well-meaning charities publish leaflets advising parents and teachers what to look out for and when to seek help if they think a child is ill.
Sex matters with Dr Thomas Stuttaford and Suzi Godson - The Times 14/01/06
I am 45 and sexually attracted to a woman who looks and behaves alarmingly like a younger version of my mother. Am I a pervert?
A little vice can be nice too - The Times 14/01/06
It isn’t just at this time of year that we’re encouraged to be good. Today’s culture of self-improvement promotes an endless stream of virtues, especially to create the New Man. He must be kind, thoughtful, generous and sensitive. He is supposed to have left behind his Neanderthal past, together with his lack of manners, selfishness, stubborn silences and pub residency.
Get over it: breaking resolutions - The Times 14/01/06
It’s only two weeks into the new year and I’m already not sticking to my resolutions. What can I do about it?
Sending partners packing - The Times 14/01/06
IF YOUR partner has a life plan, it’s time to get worried because a survey this week reveals that they are the cause of most break-ups at this time of year. January is dumping time, according to the Yahoo survey, with almost twice as many couples splitting up now as any other month in the year.
Antibody: Uma Thurman - The Times 14/01/06
UMA’s lifted the lid on love, and it doesn’t look good. She’s seeking a man and says, “It’s better to have a relationship with someone who cheats on you than someone who doesn’t flush the toilet.” A consistent male flusher? She really is asking the impossible. Few guys would now dare to try getting her seat all warm.
Need to know: genitalia - The Times 14/01/06
Men have a higher opinion of their genitalia than women.
Well, well... - The Times 14/01/06
“Lib Dem MPs may have cause to reflect that Charles Kennedy was a better politician drunk than most of them are sober” Diane Abbot, Labour MP
Happy families: the Peter Pan dad - The Times 14/01/06
Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall runs the rule over tricky family members
Over the counter: paracetamol/codeine/buclizine for migraine - The Times 14/01/06
Good for migraines. It consists of two painkillers and buclizine, an anti-sickness treatment, which is useful because, in migraine, nausea and vomiting can be a problem.
Taming my little monster - The Times 14/01/06
Charlotte Phillips faced up to her son's disruptive behaviour by changing her own. It worked
Home remedies: olive oil for earache - The Times 14/01/06
A reader has written to say that using olive oil for earache as a holiday emergency measure worked a treat.
No need to pulp fiction - The Times 14/01/06
Help! I’ve received some truly awful books for Christmas. What can I do with them?
Just like mummy made - The Times 14/01/06
A new breed of ready meals promises to be just like home cooking. Emma Cook tucks in
Need a boost? Zest assured - The Times 14/01/06
I can never have too many clementines, satsumas and oranges at this time of year. My body craves their uplifting cool juiciness. I’ve even started copying my parents and having half a grapefruit for breakfast, although I prefer the slightly sweeter pink variety. I find the yellow ones are a bit too acidic on an empty stomach.
Menu Master - The Times 14/01/06
Do I have to? That was my reaction to McDonald’s. While I applaud it for getting its act together in quality of ingredients, menu choices and overall nutritional content, I’m not a fan. I don’t like the additives, grams of fat, the stabilisers in core products such as Big Macs and milkshakes, and the whole grab-it-and-eat-it scenario. However, if you find yourself in one of its outlets, this is how I would choose a meal.
Know your enemy - The Times 14/01/06
Bamboozled by the facts about fat? Flummoxed by flab reports? Suzanne Schlosberg and Liz Neporent come to the rescue
Make it a challenging year - The Times 14/01/06
You made that new year’s resolution to get fit, promising yourself that you’d do three serious sessions in the gym a week. But how successful have you been? The best of intentions soon dwindle if you don’t set yourself a goal.
Not just anybody: Richard Hammond - The Times 14/01/06
TV presenter Richard Hammond, 36, is driven at work but puts the breaks on at home in the country
Having children 'is bad for your mental health' - The Telegraph 15/01/06
If you thought that the joys of watching your young ones grow up was one of life's simple pleasures, think again. Parenthood is actually bad for your mental health, according to the latest research.
The computer really does say 'no' - The Telegraph 15/01/06
Aggrieved NHS patients will be able to complain online using computer software that, its makers claim, could settle 98 per cent of cases.
Kylie may be winning her battle with cancer - The Telegraph 14/01/06
Hopes rose yesterday that the singer Kylie Minogue is winning her battle with breast cancer
Radiotherapy logjams 'are shortening patients' lives' - The Telegraph 13/01/06
A logjam of cases in radiotherapy departments is hastening the deaths of some patients and jeopardising the chances of a cure in others, specialiss say today.
Cancer survival rates hit by long waiting lists - Daily Mail 13/01/06
Shortage Of Radiotherapy Staff Putting Cancer Patients At Risk, UK - Medical News Today 14/01/06
Scope to close 50 charity shops as 10m loss looms - The Telegraph 13/01/06
Scope, the charity formerly known as The Spastics Society, is shutting 50 of its shops as it fights a predicted 10 million deficit.
Asylum seekers are offered 2,000 cash to go home - The Telegraph 13/01/06
Thousands of asylum seekers are to be offered millions of pounds in cash to return to their home countries under a scheme announced yesterday by the Home Office.
Feel fabulous with Team Telegraph: eating out - The Telegraph 13/01/06
Our team of experts has devised a two-week guide to diet, exercise, mental wellbeing and style that will give you back your zest for life. Ian Marber warns that you must not lose control and eat the wrong foods when dining in a restaurant - the rules of portion and proportion must still be obeyed
Cutting calories may reverse ageing - Daily Mail 15/01/06
Cutting back on calories will not only help you lose weight, it may also reverse the ageing process, according to new research.
Fizzy drinks 'boost memory' - Daily Mail 15/01/06
Fizzy drinks, the scourge of healthy diet campaigners, can improve your memory, according to experts today.
Four million 'need hearing aid' - Daily Mail 15/01/06
Four million people in the UK could benefit from wearing a hearing aid but are doing nothing about it, according to a new campaign.
Pregnancy drug 'doubles premature birth risk' - Daily Mail 13/01/06
A drug widely prescribed to pregnant women at risk of a premature birth may actually do more harm than good, researchers have found.
Clone team want to grow human cells in rabbit eggs - Daily Mail 13/01/06
British scientists want to create embryos by combining rabbit eggs with human DNA, it has emerged.
Cereal offenders - Daily Mail 13/01/06
They Are seen by many as a quick and healthy alternative to a proper breakfast. But cereal bars are not quite the nutritious snack they may appear.
NHS care 'not reaching the vulnerable' - Daily Mail 13/01/06
Vulnerable people living in the UK are being denied access to health care due to new rules on entitlement, campaigners are warning.
Celebrity chefs boost olive oil sales - Daily Mail 13/01/06
Olive oil has become Britain's most popular cooking oil - thanks to celebrity chefs such as Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver.
Sexual health plans 'not up to scratch' - Daily Mail 13/01/06
Local NHS organisations were condemned today for an "alarming" lack of planning in efforts to ease England's sexual health crisis.
BMA Slams Lack Of Local Planning To Improve Sexual Health Services In England - Medical News Today 15/01/06
Lack of data 'harms NHS choice' - BBC Health News 14/01/06
Patient choice is being undermined by poor monitoring of the quality of care being provided, a study says.
Monitoring Of Care Provided Under The New Patient Choice Scheme In England Is Poorly Structured And Variable - Medical News Today 13/01/06
Thousands dial up hearing test - BBC Health News 15/01/06
More than 150,000 people have checked their hearing via a telephone test, a charity says.
Heart implant has no nasty shocks - BBC Health News 15/01/06
A life-saving heart implant that is less likely to give patients nasty electric shocks is being developed by US and UK researchers.
New way to stop food poison bugs - BBC Health News 15/01/06
Researchers believe they may have found a novel way to disrupt bacteria that cause food poisoning.
Vaginal washing 'raises HIV risk' - BBC Health News 14/01/06
Sex workers who perform internal vaginal washing are three times more likely to get HIV than those who do not, a 10-year study in Kenya suggests.
Abortion doctor allowed to work - BBC Health News 13/01/06
A gynaecologist whose techniques were criticised by several women can keep his place on the medical register, a tribunal has ruled.
US giant takes over GP practices - BBC Health News 13/01/06
A giant US health firm is to take over GP services in Derbyshire, starting what is expected to be a new era of private sector involvement in the NHS.
Journal retracts Hwang research - BBC Health News 13/01/06
The respected US journal Science, which printed two now-discredited papers by disgraced South Korean scientist Hwang Woo-suk, has retracted both articles.
Push To Adopt Telehealth In Home Health Will Continue In 2006, USA - Medical News Today 15/01/06
During 2006, CMS will continue a push toward telehealth for home health agencies (HHAs). CMS has made the Quality Improvement Organizations (QIO) responsible for a number of goals in working with home health agencies in the 8th Statement of Work that began last August. These goals are: reducing the rate of hospitalization; increasing the rate of influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations; transforming corporate culture; and integrating telehealth into home health agencies' services. AAHomecare is working with other organizations, including the American Telemedicine Association, to foster policies that facilitate the adoption of telehealth by home health agencies.
Report In Annals Of Internal Medicine Shows Value Of Homecare - Medical News Today 15/01/06
A recent article in the ANNALS OF INTERNAL MEDICINE describes a study that found homecare resulted in shorter length of stay, lower costs, and higher satisfaction levels for patients and families among 455 elderly patients with pneumonia, exacerbation of chronic heart failure, exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or cellulitis.
Increased Concern About HIV/AIDS Spreading Throughout The International Business Community - Medical News Today 15/01/06
Concern over the growing threat of HIV/AIDS is rising in the global business community, according to an extensive survey just released by the World Economic Forum. Nearly half (46%) of the business leaders surveyed in the report released today by the Forum's Global Health Initiative say they expect the disease to impact their operations over the next five years. That's an increase of 9 percentage points in just the last 12 months. The challenge now facing businesses throughout the world is to convert this concern into programmes that are strong enough to control the impact of the disease on their business.
Scottish Medicines Consortium Approves Zoton FasTab, The First And Only Oro-dispersible PPI For Test And Treat - Medical News Today 15/01/06
The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has now recommended the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) Zoton FasTab® (lansoprazole oro-dispersible tablets), in combination with approved antibiotics, for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) from the upper gastrointestinal tract in patients with ulcer-like dyspepsia (in whom H. pylori infection has been demonstrated). 1 This makes Zoton FasTab the first and only oro-dispersible PPI - which is easy to swallow with or without water - available in Scotland for Test and Treat.
Deer Antlers Hold Clues To Stem Cell Research - Medical News Today 15/01/06
New research carried out by veterinary scientists at the Royal Veterinary College reveals that deer antler regeneration may use stem cells and involves similar mechanisms to those used in limb development. The research could take us towards a ‘holy grail' in human medicine: the ability to restore organs damaged through trauma, disease, cancer or excision.
National Birth Defects Prevention Month - Folic Acid Awareness Week, January 9-15 - Medical News Today 15/01/06
The Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine will recognize National Birth Defects Prevention Month and Folic Acid Awareness Week by heightening awareness of the importance of a folic acid-rich diet for women who are pregnant or trying to conceive.
King's Fund Announces The First Partners Of Its New Funding Programme To Improve The Health Of Londoners - Medical News Today 15/01/06
Support to mental health and end-of-life care services in London is extended today (13 January 2006) as the King's Fund announces the first award partners of its latest funding programme.
China, Thailand To Distribute Herbal Drug To Treat HIV-Positive People - Medical News Today 15/01/06
Thailand and China plan to distribute an herbal drug that researchers say can boost the immune systems of HIV-positive people and help manage the virus, health officials said on Wednesday in Thailand, AFX/Forbes reports. The drug, called SH Instant, combines three medicinal herbs from China and two from Thailand and was developed as part of a six-year, $2 million project, according to the Medical Science Department of Thailand's Ministry of Public Health (AFX/Forbes, 1/11). China's Department of Medical Services Deputy Director Pongphan Wongmanee said that China and Thailand worked together to test the efficacy of the herbal drug (Thai News Service, 1/11). In a study of 60 patients, the 40 people who took the drug "fared better in fighting the virus than the 20 who did not" take the drug, AFX/Forbes reports (AFX/Forbes, 1/11). SH Instant was shown to reduce the participants' viral load by 43% but does not eliminate the need for standard antiretroviral drugs, according to the Thai News Service. In initial trials, patients experienced no adverse side effects to SH Instant. The drug currently is in the third phase of testing. China's Ministry of Public Health said it plans to distribute SH Instant within the next three months. The drugs will be produced in China, but Thailand is negotiating an agreement to sell the drug in Thailand before it is available in other countries, Pongphan said (Thai News Service, 1/11).
FDA Grants Accelerated Review Of Microbicide Developed By Australian Pharmaceutical Company - Medical News Today 15/01/06
FDA on Tuesday granted an accelerated review for a microbicide gel developed by Australian pharmaceutical company Starpharma, The Australian reports (Ooi, The Australian, 1/10). The fast-track status means the agency will take half the standard time -- about six months -- to review the product, called VivaGel. The agency also will be more involved in further human trials of the gel (Greenblat, Australian Financial Review, 1/10). Microbicides include a range of products -- such as gels, films, sponges and other products -- that could help prevent the sexual transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases in women (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 11/1/05). VivaGel did not cause any harmful side effects in trials of 35 women in Australia and also was effective in preventing the spread of genital herpes. Trials including 100 women are planned to begin later this year, and VivaGel is likely to be ready for commercialization in 2008, according to Starpharma Chief Operating Officer Jackie Fairley (Australian Financial Review, 1/10).
Guardian Examines Spread Of HIV In Northern Zambia's Lake Mweru Region - Medical News Today 15/01/06
London's Guardian on Saturday examined the spread of HIV in the region surrounding northern Zambia's Lake Mweru, which in recent years has seen an influx of young men who have migrated to the region to start fishing. Although the area was sparsely populated 30 years ago, the closure of Zambian copper mines, increasing poverty and conflict in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo have contributed to the region's recent population growth. The area's increasing population and the resulting towns and villages also have drawn poor women to the area to work as commercial sex workers. Men and women who come to the area from many countries -- including Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nigeria, Malawi and the D.R.C. -- form "temporary marriages" that contribute to the spread of the virus in the community, the Guardian reports. In addition, although condoms have been promoted in recent years, local beliefs hinder their widespread use, according to the Guardian. In Nchelenge, the largest of the lakeside towns, the adult HIV-prevalence rate is estimated to be 25%, according to Medecins Sans Frontieres, which began operations in the town in 2001. Of the nearly 10,000 estimated HIV-positive people in the region surrounding Lake Mweru, MSF has provided 350 with access to antiretroviral drugs (Vidal, Guardian, 1/7).
Tomato Juice Keeps Emphysema From Developing In New Model; Lycopene Cited - Medical News Today 15/01/06
US FDA last year allowed some tomato products to carry highly-qualified labeling claims linking tomato products with reduced incidence of prostate cancer. Research team studies mechanisms of nutrients in human disease and lifestyle. Feeding tomato juice to mice kept them from developing emphysema after cigarette smoke exposure that was long enough to induce emphysema in a control group, Japanese researchers report in February issue of the American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology.
Polymer Aids In Blood Clotting, Pointing Way To New Treatment - Medical News Today 15/01/06
A serendipitous comparison prompted by an old scientific image and involving an ancient but understudied molecule may lead to a new treatment strategy for injuries or illnesses in which blood clotting is paramount to survival.
Family Influences Breast Cancer Treatment Among Older Hispanics - Medical News Today 15/01/06
The influence of the family in the treatment decision-making process for breast cancer may account the significant racial differences in breast cancer management, according to a new study. Published in the February 15, 2006 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study reveals that older, Hispanic women more than any other racial group, rely on family to make treatment decisions. Perhaps most important, patients who identified the family as the final treatment decision-maker were more likely to be treated with mastectomy rather than breast conserving surgery (BCS).
Support Services Needed By Cancer Carers - Medical News Today 15/01/06
A cancer diagnosis can be a devastating experience for the person concerned, but for families and loved ones, who later become the primary source of support and care, it can be a stressful, life changing experience. A unique new study will explore the individual experiences of these unsung heroes and identify the support services they need.
Success Of Dental Implants Depends On Overall Health - Medical News Today 15/01/06
Dental implants, an artificial tooth root surgically anchored into a jaw to hold a replacement tooth or several teeth in place, offer a permanent solution to replace lost or extracted teeth. Implants have become a treatment of choice for some patients to eliminate the need for removable partial or complete dentures. Other patients choose implants for esthetic purposes or to conserve tooth structure in an otherwise cavity-free mouth.
Portland Orthopaedics Lodges FDA Application To Implant New Primary Hip Replacements - Medical News Today 15/01/06
Sydney-based Portland Orthopaedics Limited (ASX: PLD) has lodged an application with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval to market the company's new M-COR primary hip product range in patients in the US. Portland Orthopaedics received its first FDA approval for the DTC Hip in 2000 and in 2005 was granted FDA approval for use of its second product, the Equator Plus Cup.
BMA Slams Lack Of Local Planning To Improve Sexual Health Services In England - Medical News Today 15/01/06
Commenting on a 13 January report from sexual health charities*, BMA Chairman, Mr James Johnson, said: “At a time when many areas of the health service are showing signs of improvement, it is appalling that sexual health services are actually getting worse, despite clinicians' best efforts to deal with patient demand."
Mechanism Underlying Response To Targeted Therapy For Kidney Cancer, UCLA - Medical News Today 15/01/06
UCLA researchers knew - based on two clinical trials - that a subset of kidney cancer patients responded well to an experimental targeted therapy, but they didn't know why. If they could determine the mechanism behind the response, they would be able to predict which patients would respond and personalize their treatment accordingly.
Discovery Of Glucagon Secretion Mechanism May Lead To Improved Therapies For Diabetic Hyperglycemia - Medical News Today 14/01/06
A University of Toronto research team directed by Professor Qinghua Wang has discovered a mechanism for secretion of the hormone glucagon, which could facilitate the development of new drug therapies for diabetic hyperglycemia.
Thiamin Deficiency Common In Hospitalized Heart Failure Patients - Results Suggest That Vitamin Supplements May Help Protect Patients - Medical News Today 14/01/06
Among patients hospitalized with heart failure, about one in three has deficient levels of thiamin, although thiamin deficiency was less common among those patients who were taking vitamin supplements, according to a new study in the Jan. 17, 2006, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Coffee Limits Blood Flow To Heart Muscle During Exercise - Medical News Today 14/01/06
In healthy volunteers, the equivalent of two cups of coffee reduced the body's ability to boost blood flow to the heart muscle in response to exercise, and the effect was stronger when the participants were in a chamber simulating high altitude, according to a new study in the Jan. 17, 2006, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Teenage Drinking And Smoking - Siblings Are Powerful Role Models - Medical News Today 14/01/06
Brothers and sisters are more powerful role models than friends or parents when it comes to teenage drinking and smoking, research has shown.
Scientists Identify A Bipolar Risk Gene, It Is Called FAT - Medical News Today 14/01/06
A collaboration, led by scientists at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, has discovered the first risk gene specifically for bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness. This means that people who have a particular form of this gene are twice as likely to develop the disease.
Smoking During Pregnancy Raises Risk Newborn Has Webbed Or Missing Fingers Or Toes - Medical News Today 14/01/06
There's one more reason not to smoke during pregnancy. A mother's cigarette smoking increases the risk that her newborn may have extra, webbed or missing fingers or toes, according to a study in the January issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Manchester Oral Health Pioneer Wins Second Major Honour In Six Months - Medical News Today 14/01/06
Professor Anthony Blinkhorn of the School of Dentistry at The University of Manchester has been awarded the prestigious H. Trendley Dean Distinguished Scientist Award for 2006 by the International Association of Dental Research (IADR).
Full-day Vs. Half-day Kindergarten - Medical News Today 14/01/06
In an important new longitudinal study forthcoming in the Feb. 2006 issue of the American Journal of Education, researchers draw on a nationally representative sample of more than 8,000 kindergarteners and 500 U.S. public schools to explore the role of full-day vs. half-day kindergarten in early academic achievement. The researchers found that full-day programs, which are most commonly available to less-advantaged children, are roughly equivalent to an additional month of schooling each year when compared to half-day programs.
Study Identifies Molecule Essential For Proper Localization Of Blood Stem Cells - Medical News Today 14/01/06
Scientists at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Regenerative Medicine and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HCSI) have defined a molecule that dictates how blood stem cells travel to the bone marrow and establish blood and immune cell production. The discovery may help improve bone marrow stem cell transplantation and the treatment of several blood disorders.
American Association For Cancer Research Supports New FDA Clinical Research Guidelines - Medical News Today 14/01/06
The American Association for Cancer Research, the world's oldest and largest organization dedicated to cancer research, enthusiastically supports the new guidelines announced today by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, whose primary goal is to streamline the earliest phases of clinical research for new medical treatments.
AstraZeneca And M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Form Umbrella Scientific Collaboration Agreements - Medical News Today 14/01/06
AstraZeneca and The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, a recognized world leader in cancer research, today announced entering into scientific collaboration agreements that will allow for integrated pre-clinical and clinical research on new treatments for cancer, focusing initially on aerodigestive diseases (e.g., lung cancer, head and neck cancers or colorectal cancers).
Iron And Folic Acid Supplementation Guidelines For Children Should Be Revised - Medical News Today 14/01/06
Giving all young children iron and folic acid supplements in a population with high rates of malaria could result in an increased risk of severe illness and death, according to the results of a randomised trial in this week's issue of The Lancet.
Moderate To Severe Depression - Antidepressants And Electroconvulsive Therapy Are Best Treatment Options - Medical News Today 14/01/06
Despite public and professional misgivings, antidepressants and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) are the most effective treatments for moderate to severe depression, state the authors of a Seminar in this week's issue of The Lancet.
Epsilon4 Allele Carriers Show Altered Brain Activity Before Onset Of Alzheimer's Symptoms - Medical News Today 14/01/06
Healthy individuals who are at risk of Alzheimer's disease show reduced activity in the hippocampal region of the brain when performing tasks related to forming new memories. In a study published today in the open access journal BMC Medicine, individuals carrying the apolipoprotein E (APOE) epsilon4 allele, which has previously been associated with high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD), showed altered brain activity compared to APOE epsilon3 homozygotes. According to the authors of the study, this supports the idea that certain regions of the brain exhibit functional decline associated with the AOPE epsilon4 allele, and this decline begins before the onset of AD symptoms.
Clinton Announces Deal For Low-Cost Second-Line Antiretroviral Drugs, HIV Tests - Medical News Today 14/01/06
Former President Clinton on Thursday announced an agreement reached by the Clinton Foundation that will allow the sale of antiretroviral drugs efavirenz and abacavir, as well as HIV tests, at a lower cost in developing countries (Wilson, "All Things Considered," NPR, 1/12). This is the first time the foundation has reduced prices for second-line AIDS drugs, antiretrovirals taken by patients who have developed resistance to first-line treatments. Under the deal, the drug efavirenz will be produced by Indian companies Cipla, Ranbaxy Laboratories and Strides Arcolab, as well as South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare, for no more than $240 per patient annually. Cipla also will produce the drug abacavir for $447 per patient annually. These prices reduce by 30% or more the cost of medications that are already offered at reduced prices. In addition, rapid HIV tests will be produced for between 49 cents and 65 cents per test by Chembio Diagnostics, Orgenics, Qualpro Diagnostics and Shanghai Kehua Bio-Engineering. The foundation negotiated the terms by helping to obtain the drugs' ingredients at a lower cost. More than 240,000 people in the developing world, including Africa and the Caribbean, receive medications through the foundation's agreements (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/12). "Too many people die because they can't afford or don't have access to the drugs," Clinton said, adding, "Too many people are being infected because most of the people who have the virus today have not been tested" (Matthews, AP/Forbes.com, 1/12).
Clinton To Announce Deal That Cuts Prices For Second-Line Antiretroviral Drugs, HIV Test - Medical News Today 13/01/06
Clinton announces AIDS drug initiative - Reuters 13/01/06
Heart Benefits From A Low-calorie Balanced Diet - Medical News Today 14/01/06
Eating a very low-calorie yet nutritionally balanced diet is good for your heart. Studying heart function in members of an organization called the Caloric Restriction Society, investigators at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that their hearts functioned like the hearts of much younger people. The researchers report their findings in the Jan. 17 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
First Clear Molecular Images Of The Structure Of ‘Dicer', An Enzyme That Enables Cells To Dissect Genetic Material Precisely - Medical News Today 14/01/06
A team of Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) scientists has peeled back some of the mystery of how cells are able to turn off genes selectively to control critical events of development. The new insights arise from the first clear molecular images of the structure of Dicer, an enzyme that enables cells to dissect genetic material precisely.
Type 3 Deiodinase Enzyme Keeps Thyroid Hormones In Check - Medical News Today 14/01/06
Thyroid hormones (THs) are secreted by the thyroid gland and play a critical role in growth and development, so much so that reduced or excessive levels of THs during fetal and neonatal development can cause severe abnormalities.
Choroideremia - Development Of The First Mouse Model - Medical News Today 14/01/06
Choroideremia is a rare, inherited disorder found almost exclusively in males and is characterized by progressive loss of vision due to degeneration of the choroid and retina. The disorder is caused by a mutation in the CHM gene on the X chromosome, which codes for an important protein called the Rab escort protein-1 (REP-1), which shuttles other cellular proteins towards the cell membrane to allow the passage of nutrients in and out of the cell. The absence of REP-1 results in nutrient deficiency and degeneration of light-sensitive photoreceptors embedded within the thin layer at the rear of the eye (the retinal pigment epithelium, RPE), and the choroid (a layer filled with blood vessels that nourish the retina).
Protein T-Bet's Role In Development Of Inflammatory Arthritis - Medical News Today 14/01/06
In a study appearing online on January 12 in advance of print publication in the February 2006 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Laurie Glimcher and colleagues from the Harvard School of Public Health report an essential role for the protein T-bet in the development of inflammatory arthritis.
Family Of Immune System Invaders Unmasked By UCSD Team - Medical News Today 14/01/06
Like a family of petty criminals gone wrong, researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) were surprised to find that bacterial pathogens found in a number of troublesome diseases are actually related. Not only that, their wrong-doing is carried out by disguising themselves, then hijacking their hosts.
Long-term Memory Controlled By Molecular Pathway At Synapses - Medical News Today 13/01/06
Harvard University biologists have identified a molecular pathway active in neurons that interacts with RNA to regulate the formation of long-term memory in fruit flies. The same pathway is also found at mammalian synapses, and could eventually present a target for new therapeutics to treat human memory loss.
Several Other Infectious Invaders Besides The Flu To Worry About - Medical News Today 13/01/06
There are a lot more infectious invaders besides the flu to worry about. They don't get the big headlines, but they still knock people down for days or weeks and cause thousands of deaths each winter.
FDA Warns Against Confusion Over Foreign Prescription Drug Brand Names - Medical News Today 13/01/06
FDA on Wednesday warned U.S. consumers and health care professionals that confusion over the brand names of prescription drugs purchased from other nations could prompt consumers to take improper medications, the Wall Street Journal reports. For example, FDA cited Flomax, which in the U.S. is the brand name for the enlarged prostate treatment tamsulosin but in Italy is the brand name for the anti-inflammatory medication morniflumate. "Taking a different active ingredient may not help, and may even harm, the user," FDA said. FDA officials said the agency has found 105 U.S. prescription drug brand names with foreign counterparts that appear similar and could mislead consumers (Dow Jones/Wall Street Journal, 1/12).
Christian Science Monitor Examines Employers That Require Healthy Habits From Workers - Medical News Today 13/01/06
The Christian Science Monitor on Wednesday examined employers that require healthy habits from their workers, both on and off the job. Some employers prohibit their employers from smoking, while others are instructing employees who are overweight, have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, or do not exercise "to shape up or pay up," according to the Monitor. At some companies, workers who do not enroll in preventive wellness programs will face higher health insurance premiums. The Monitor profiles medical benefits firm Weyco, which fired workers who refused to quit smoking. Lisa Horn, manager of health care at the Society for Human Resource Management, said that the practice of insisting on healthy habits for workers makes sense. She said, "They're really trying to improve the health of their employees overall and not just reduce costs for the employer but also for the employees. It certainly seems like their intentions are in the right place." However, Jeremy Gruber, legal director of the National Workrights Institute, said, "This isn't about smokers. This is about all of us being able to go about our private lives without employers making decisions based on what we do off the job." Mila Kofman, assistant research professor at Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, said, "My biggest fear is that ... companies will try to use these wellness programs as a subterfuge to discriminate against unhealthy people." Howard Weyers, Weyco president and founder, said, "I tell people that [the company's decision] was not a privacy situation, this was a company policy. Employees are adults, and we expect them to make adult decisions about things like drugs or tobacco. What's more important: your job or the use of those things?" (Dotinga, Christian Science Monitor, 1/11).
New Web Site Launched For Medical Professionals; Report Examines International Health Systems - Medical News Today 13/01/06
New Web site, Institute on Medicine as a Profession: The new Web site, which aims to be a resource for academic researchers and others, includes a new library of documents and other data on medical professionalism and information on IMAP Advocacy Fellowships (IMAP Web site).
FDA Needs More Independence, Authority To Protect Consumers, NEJM Opinion Piece Says - Medical News Today 13/01/06
Congress should give more independence and authority to drug safety oversight to help protect consumers from potential risks of medicines, Wayne Ray, Vanderbilt University researcher, writes in a perspective piece in Thursday's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Bloomberg/Arizona Daily Star reports. Ray, who has served as an expert witness in trials for liability cases for Merck's Vioxx and Bayer's Baycol cholesterol drug, suggests splitting the drug approval and safety functions that are currently housed under one FDA unit. In addition, he proposes a new Center for Drug Information, which would issue risk warnings for medications. Ray says that funding reorganization could be done through a tax on pharmaceutical sales. In addition, Ray suggests that the U.S. phase in sales of new medicines. Ray said that consumers "may be taking their medicines with a false sense of security. People should not put up with a system that does not protect them. They should ask Congress for change." Ray adds, "[L]itigation generates billions of dollars in legal fees and settlements that ultimately become part of the cost of new medications." He says that the legal process and the current way of releasing drugs after approval are "haphazard" and "[do] not benefit the public health, the medical profession or the pharmaceutical industry." Ray will present his points at a Tuesday meeting with the Institute of Medicine, which was asked by FDA to assess the agency's safety oversight and suggest changes. IOM plans to publish a report by midyear with suggestions for changes at FDA (Young, Bloomberg/Arizona Daily Star, 1/12).
China's Henan Province Offering Free HIV, STD Testing To Men Who Have Sex With Men - Medical News Today 13/01/06
Government officials in Central China's Henan Province are offering health examinations at no cost to men who have sex with men in an effort to reduce the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, Xinhua/China Daily reports. The tests will be administered as part of a joint research project conducted by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Health, according to Wang Zhe, vice director of the province's disease control and prevention center. The project will provide exams for 200 MSM, and the ministries will collaborate with local advocacy groups to recruit participants, whose identities will remain anonymous and their information confidential. Researchers plan to learn about participants' families, marital status, sexual orientation and behaviors, by distributing questionnaires to the men. They will gather more information about the prevalence of STDs among the group by assessing the tests' results. The program marks the first time a provincial-level government has launched such a project, according to Wang. The exams are expected to be offered in nine cities in the province, including Chengdu, Chongqing and Nanjing (Xinhua/China Daily, 1/11).
Roche To Transfer Technology For Protease Inhibitor Saquinavir To Generic Drug Companies In Developing Countries - Medical News Today 13/01/06
Switzerland-based pharmaceutical company Roche on Thursday announced it will offer generic drug companies in developing countries assistance in producing the protease inhibitor saquinavir under its Technology Transfer Initiative, Reuters reports (Reuters, 1/12). The technology transfer for saquinavir -- which is recommended by the World Health Organization as a second-line HIV/AIDS treatment in resource-poor countries -- will be available for drug makers in 63 developing nations, according to a Roche release (Roche release, 1/12). About 69% of HIV-positive people worldwide live in countries covered under Roche's Technology Transfer Initiative, Dow Jones reports (Dow Jones, 1/12). "We want to use the knowledge we have developed to help strengthen local manufacturing capability and hope to help as many manufacturers as possible in these hardest-hit countries by sharing our knowledge, so that they can learn and benefit from our technology," Roche CEO William Burns said. The company plans to have a fully operational team to handle requests by the second quarter of 2006. The team will be based in Africa and at the company's headquarters in Switzerland (Roche release, 1/12).
Monitoring Of Care Provided Under The New Patient Choice Scheme In England Is Poorly Structured And Variable - Medical News Today 13/01/06
The monitoring of care provided under the new patient choice scheme in England is poorly structured and variable, warn two ophthalmologists in this week's BMJ.
Supersized 'island' Of Resistance Genes Discovered In An Infectious Bacterium - Insight May Help In Fight Against Hospital Infections - Medical News Today 13/01/06
Researchers have discovered a cluster of 45 genes coding for antibacterial drug resistance in the bacterium, Acinetobacter baumannii, a major cause of hospital-acquired infections worldwide. The study was reported in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.
Gene-specific Ebola Therapies Protect Non-human Primates From Lethal Disease - Medical News Today 13/01/06
Scientists have developed a successful strategy for interfering with Ebola virus infection that protected 75 percent of nonhuman primates exposed to the lethal disease. This is the first successful antiviral intervention against filoviruses like Ebola in nonhuman primates. The findings could serve as the basis for a new approach to quickly develop virus-specific therapies for known, emerging, and genetically engineered pathogens.
Research Details How Group B Coxsackieviruses Hijacks Cell Signals To Cause Infection - Medical News Today 13/01/06
A common virus that causes meningitis and heart inflammation takes a "back door" approach to evade natural barriers, then exploits biological signals to infect human cells. Broadening knowledge of how viruses cause infection, a new study describes elaborate methods that the virus has evolved to bypass the body's defenses.
Cracking The Code For How Gene Expression Is Controlled - Medical News Today 13/01/06
Molecular biologists, developmental biologists and computer scientists at the Universtity of Helsinki, Finland, came together to advance towards cracking the code for how gene expression is controlled. The results of this work are published in Cell, in January 2006.
Society Of Nuclear Medicine Commends FDA For Release Of New Guidance Documents - Medical News Today 13/01/06
The Society of Nuclear Medicine commends the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research and the Office of Regulatory Affairs for their commitment to facilitating safe and effective research with today's release of two important documents regarding investigational new drugs.
Alcohol Influence In Films - Can Predispose Younger Teens To Experiment With Alcohol - Medical News Today 13/01/06
Seeing movies that feature characters drinking alcohol can predispose young adolescents to experiment with alcohol at an early age, concludes a study led by Dartmouth Medical School (DMS) researchers. It is the first research study to measure the influence of alcohol use in movies and, using data from more than 600 films and 5,000 students, found that movies play a significant role in an adolescent's decision to drink at a young age.
Clock Inside The Circadian Clock Discovered - Medical News Today 13/01/06
Just as a pocket watch requires a complex system of gears and springs to keep it ticking precisely, individual cells have a network of proteins and genes that maintain their own internal clock -- a 24-hour rhythm that, in humans, regulates metabolism, cell division, and hormone production, as well as the wake-sleep cycle. Studying this "circadian" rhythm in fruit flies, which have genes that are similar to our own, scientists have constructed a basic model of how the cellular timekeeper works. But now, a new report in this week's issue of the journal Science turns the old model on its head: By providing a glimpse into living cells, Rockefeller University researchers have uncovered a previously undetected clock inside the circadian clock. The scientists made the finding with a rarely used technique called FRET, which enabled them to follow circadian proteins over an extended period of time and watch the clock as it ticks away in a living cell.
Statement On NIH Research On Obesity And Type 2 Diabetes - Medical News Today 13/01/06
Obesity and type 2 diabetes have become major public health problems in this country. Less than half of American adults are at a healthy weight. Approximately one-third of American adults are obese and an additional one-third are overweight and at risk for becoming obese. Alarmingly, approximately 16 percent of children and teens ages six to 19 are also overweight. Overweight and obesity increase the risk of developing numerous serious health problems, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes has increased with the national increase in overweight and obesity. Approximately 20.8 million people -- 7 percent of the United States population -- have diabetes. In this month's "Nature Medicine" special feature on the metabolic syndrome, we discuss the NIH research portfolio on obesity and type 2 diabetes.*
Blocking Leptin Helps Halt And Heal Multiple Sclerosis - Medical News Today 13/01/06
Italian researchers have found that blockade of the hormone leptin, which is primarily produced in fats cells, has beneficial effects on the induction and progression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in mice - the animal model of human multiple sclerosis (MS). In their study appearing online on January 12 in advance of print publication in the February 2006 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Giuseppe Matarese and colleagues from Università di Napoli "Federico II" suggest that leptin neutralization may be a potential way to both prevent and treat MS.
Diagnosis And Treatment Of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Improves With Advanced Genomics And Proteomics - Medical News Today 13/01/06
In an article in the Jan 15 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh researchers report that a serious, life-threatening form of pulmonary fibrosis, called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, lacks all the hallmarks of inflammation and is probably unnecessarily treated with anti-inflammatory drugs. Moreover, in a related study, the investigators identified a protein found in excess amounts in the lung tissue of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which may be a more appropriate target for therapy.
U.S. Advocates Protest U.S.-Thai Free Trade Agreement; U.S. Officials Say Agreement Will Not Affect Drug Access - Medical News Today 13/01/06
Thirty representatives from U.S. nongovernmental organizations on Wednesday gathered at the U.S. Trade Representative's office to protest a proposed Free Trade Agreement that is being negotiated this week between the U.S. and Thailand, Agence France-Presse reports (Agence France-Presse [1], 1/11). Thailand and U.S. officials are meeting in Thailand's northern city of Chiang Mai for the sixth round of talks on the agreement and are seeking to finalize the deal, which aims to foster trade between the two countries. Some HIV/AIDS advocates oppose a proposal by the U.S. to extend patent protection for drugs developed by U.S. companies to 25 years because they fear it could limit drug access for HIV-positive Thai people. About 10,000 demonstrators, including more than 2,000 HIV/AIDS advocates, on Monday gathered at the U.S. consulate in Chiang Mai to protest the proposed agreement (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/9). The U.S. advocates said their demonstration was to show support for the protesters in Chiang Mai (Agence France-Presse [1], 1/11). U.S. officials on Tuesday said that patent issues discussed in the proposed FTA will not affect access to drugs, including antiretrovirals, used by Thai patients (Maneerungsee/Chantanusornsiri, Bangkok Post, 1/11). "Nothing in the FTA will affect the price of generic pharmaceutical drugs, including HIV medicines that are now publicly available in Thailand," chief U.S. negotiator Barbara Weisel said (Agence France-Presse [2], 1/11). Neena Moorjani, a spokesperson for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, added, "Our objective is to promote the development of new drugs while ensuring access to medicines so ... patients will continue to be able to obtain the newest and most effective medicines" (Bangkok Post, 1/11). Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said, "I want to reassure protesters that my government will not sign the agreement if I find that we do not benefit from it" (AP/Guardian, 1/10). The talks, which the U.S. hopes will lay the groundwork to allow agreements to be finalized this spring, are expected to last until Friday (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/9).
Iceland study finds important diabetes gene - Reuters 15/01/06
A single genetic change could predispose close to 40 percent of the population to type-2 diabetes, researchers said on Sunday.
Doctor made up cancer study: hospital - Reuters 15/01/06
A Norwegian cancer expert made up fictitious patients for an article about treatment of oral cancer published in a leading medical journal, the hospital said on Sunday.
US says two flu drugs unlikely to work - Reuters 14/01/06
U.S. doctors should stop using two medicines to treat this season's influenza because the dominant strain has become resistant to the drugs and they are unlikely to work, health officials said on Saturday.
Income may influence antidepressant response - Reuters 13/01/06
Pooled data from published studies suggest that adults from low-income neighborhoods are less likely to respond to antidepressant medication and more likely to be suicidal than those living in higher income neighborhoods.
Sperm retrieval tough after age 35 in some men - Reuters 13/01/06
Sperm extraction is unlikely to be successful in men with a chromosomal disorder known as Klinefelter's syndrome who are over 35 years of age, Japanese investigators have found.
Prozac counters emotional turmoil after stroke - Reuters 13/01/06
The antidepressant Prozac (fluoxetine) may help relieve certain emotional disturbances in patients who've suffered a stroke, Korean researchers report. As senior investigator Dr. Jong S. Kim told Reuters Health, Prozac significantly improved "emotional incontinence and anger proneness, but not depression."
Cutting calories, portion sizes may really work - Reuters 13/01/06
Though countless fad diets promise a trimmer physique, the old-fashioned route of portion control and calorie consciousness may be the way to go after all, a new study suggests.
Cheshire and Mersey News
Watch for signs of Meningitis - Warrington Guardian 14/01/06
THE Health Protection Agency is warning people in Warrington to be on the lookout for symptoms of meningococcal infection.
Hospital shows fall in waiting times - Warrington Guardian 14/01/06
WAITING times are continuing to fall at Warrington Hospital, health chiefs revealed this week.
Pillars of the community facing deportation - Daily Post 13/01/06
SHE dreams of becoming a doctor and helping others in the community she has grown to love.
Widow stranded in US with 250k bill - Daily Post 13/01/06
AN ELDERLY woman from Wirral has been left stranded in America with a £250,000 bill the day after her husband died.
That's champion! - Liverpool Echo 13/01/06
LIVERPOOL has its first physical activity champions.
Wareing pledges to oppose total smoking ban in pubs - Daily Post 13/01/06
WEST Derby MP Bob Wareing vowed last night to fight a smoking ban in every pub, insisting claims of health risks for staff and fellow drinkers were "exaggerated".
A new blitz on bird flu - Liverpool Echo 13/01/06
A BIRD flu vaccine made in Liverpool could treat four times more patients than original tests indicated.
Cherie joins stars at cancer centre - Liverpool Echo 13/01/06
LIVERPOOL'S breast cancer support group has received VIP backing.
How this school is a lifeline for victims of violence - Liverpool Echo 13/01/06
VICTIMS of domestic violence and homelessness are being given a new start as classroom assistants.
SOS over battered men's line - Liverpool Echo 13/01/06
A HELPLINE that provides support for men who are victims of domestic violence is in danger of closing.
My cancer heartbreak - Chester Chonicle 13/01/06
A YOUNG mum involved in a tug-of-love has been told she can't have any more children after being diagnosed with cervical cancer.
Emergency measures - Chester Chonicle 13/01/06
HOSPITAL consultants say Chester's Accident and Emergency department was swamped by patients with minor ailments over the holiday period. ROB DEVEY investigates whether a walk-in medical centre could be the answer.
Walk-in clinic can test DNA - Chester Chronicle 13/01/06
CHESTER'S first walk-in DNA testing clinic opens its doors on Monday.
Splashing time for newborn babies - Southport Advertiser 13/01/06
LIKE ducklings to water, a new class is showing that swimming really can be second nature to newborn babies.
Drinkers warned not to drive - Southport Advertiser 13/01/06
MERSEYSIDE Police stopped more than 6,500 drivers across the region during a crackdown on drink-driving over the Christmas and New Year period.
'No risk' of outbreak - Southport Advertiser 13/01/06
HEALTH officials have said there is no risk of a meningitis outbreak after a six-year-old girl from Hesketh Bank died of the disease.
Parents are told stay calm - Ormskirk Advertiser 12/01/06
PARENTS have been urged to keep calm after a six-year-old girl died of meningitis.
No way in for disabled - Ormskirk Advertiser 12/01/06
DISABLED customers at HSBC Ormskirk are still having difficulties gaining access to the premises, despite the Advertiser highlighting the problems last October.
Drink-drive arrests fall - Ormskirk Advertiser 12/01/06
FIGURES released yesterday reveal that drink driving in Lancashire fell significantly during the Christmas crackdown.
Drinkers warned not to drive - Southport Advertiser 13/01/06
Smokes ban inspires new year quitters - Ormskirk Advertiser 12/01/06
SMOKERS banned from lighting up outside Ormskirk Hospital have been inspired to quit their habit.
Residents vow: We'll stop plans for drugs centre - Daily Post 12/01/06
RESIDENTS last night pledged to block plans to create a drug rehabilitation centre near a Wirral children's home.
NHS Trust may face a 9.2m cash crisis - Crewe Guardian 13/01/06
HEALTH chiefs have been warned if urgent action isn't taken to stem the financial crisis at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust they could be staring at 9.2 million losses for 2006/07.
Protests at mental health care home - Congleton Guardian 13/01/06
PARENTS fear a new care home in Congleton could affect the safety of their children.
Hospital faces demolition - Congleton Guardian 13/01/06
CONGLETON War Memorial Hospital could be demolished to make way for a health park under plans for increased community health services.
Taking it to the street - Congleton Guardian 13/01/06
Cumbria and Lancashire News
Scrap hospital closure plans, says watchdog - Carlisle News & Star 13/01/06
A GOVERNMENT health watchdog says plans to close cottage hospital beds in Cumbria should be scrapped.
Bed threat remains depsite forum's vow - Carlisle News & Star 14/01/06
Security probe as video prank gang film in casualty at the Infirmary - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 13/01/06
A notorious stunt website sparked a major inquiry -- by filming a boy as he appeared to shock himself with a hospital defibrillator.
Greater Manchester News
Back the baby unit - Bolton Evening News 14/01/06
BOLTON has launches its fight for a hospital super centre for new babies and children to be developed in the town.
Manchester Oral Health Pioneer Wins Second Major Honour In Six Months - Medical News Today 14/01/06
Professor Anthony Blinkhorn of the School of Dentistry at The University of Manchester has been awarded the prestigious H. Trendley Dean Distinguished Scientist Award for 2006 by the International Association of Dental Research (IADR).
Anger over botched op doc - Manchester Evening News 13/01/06
A DOCTOR who removed a woman's ovary and part of her bowel during a botched abortion was not deficient in his performance, a tribunal in Manchester has said.
I thought GP would kill me, tribunal told - Manchester Evening News 13/01/06
A WOMAN who was allegedly raped by her GP during an examination feared the doctor would kill her to silence her, a medical tribunal has heard.
Minister's pledge in dental crisis - Manchester Evening News 13/01/06
HEALTH minister Rosie Winterton was quizzed over the state of NHS dentistry on a visit to the north west.
Fairfield: public consultation begins - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 13/01/06
THE final decision on the future of Fairfield Hospital's maternity department, including its special care baby unit, moves one step closer with the launch of the formal public consultation.
Help Taylor keep walking tall - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 13/01/06
THE mum of a five-year-old girl told by doctors she could lose the ability to walk by her teens is appealing for help to get her daughter to a specialist centre.
Did air bag gas kill my baby? - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 13/01/06
A MOTHER has spoken of her family's fears that gases released by air bags in a car accident could have contributed to her baby's sudden death.
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