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Health panel: How can I beat post-natal depression? - The Observer 29/01/06
A mother who experienced terrible depression after the birth of her first child is now hoping for a second. How can she escape the misery of PND? Our panel of experts offer advice
Dispute led clone expert to quit - The Observer 29/01/06
Stem cell professor reveals to Antony Barnett that he disagreed with premature publicity given to scientific breakthroughs
Plan to cut outpatient numbers by 1m - The Observer 29/01/06
A million fewer patients could be seen by hospital specialists under new government plans and instead will be cared for nearer their homes.
Flying surgeons to offer local ops - The Sunday Times 29/01/06
Consultants 'must deign to leave their hospitals' - The Telegraph 29/01/06
S&M: How to teach hubby tricks in bed? - The Observer 29/01/06
'I've only had sex with two men, and they are best mates. I'd like to teach my husband a few tricks in bed, but I'm scared he'll realise I learnt these with his friend'
What's in your basket? - The Observer 29/01/06
The actress Emma Thompson's predilection for tea and spuds leaves her a bit short on greens and omega-3, reckons Dr John Briffa
Danny and his NHS lifesavers - The Observer 29/01/06
Today, we tell the inspirational story of how Danny Biddle, one of the victims of the 7 July bombings, was saved by an extraordinary team of specialists working at St Mary's Hospital in west London. Not only did they bring him back from the brink of death several times, but they then saw him through the harrowing struggle to come to terms with losing his legs. Night after night, nurses sat by his bed to reassure him as he relived the terrible events of that day.
Miracle workers who rebuilt Danny's life - The Observer 29/01/06
The true price we pay for Alzheimer's - The Observer 29/01/06
Your excellent feature 'The cost of Alzheimer's' (last week) highlighted the distressing impact of this disease on sufferers and their families and also brought to attention the iniquitous arrangements which compel thousands of dementia sufferers to pay for their own care.
Women demand tougher laws to curb abortions - The Observer 29/01/06
A majority of women in Britain want the abortion laws to be tightened to make it harder, or impossible, for them to terminate a pregnancy.
NHS 'MoTs' to give early warning of illnesses - The Guardian 28/01/06
All British people will be offered an NHS "MoT" in which they will be told how likely they are to develop certain diseases and illnesses based on tests taken at five stages during their lives.
Health MoT for everyone and private GPs in shops - The Times 28/01/06
Hewitt's new cure: a health MoT plus trainer - The Telegraph 28/01/06
Mixed reception to Hewitt's health 'MoTs' - The Telegraph 28/01/06
New Labour is bad for the nation's health - The Telegraph 28/01/06
Health MoTs will be offered to everyone - Daily Mail 28/01/06
People to be offered 'health MoT' - BBC Health News 28/01/06
Free fruit and veg scheme for young pupils hits problems - The Guardian 28/01/06
The government's programme to promote fruit and vegetables in schools has been hit by a freeze on health spending and by an official evaluation that suggests it has made little significant impact on children's consumption.
Jon Ronson talks to the Thornes, dubbed 'the fattest family in Britain' - The Guardian 28/01/06
The Thornes were dubbed 'the fattest family in Britain'. Now, having lost 100 stone between them, they describe how lonely it is to live in a family in which everyone shares the same problem
Seven ways to boost your metabolism - The Guardian 28/01/06
A vigorous session at the gym isn't the only way to burn energy. Sam Murphy on how to get science on your side
That's better - The Guardian 28/01/06
It's a month when there's always someone in the house who is under the weather. And Matthew Fort knows only one way to treat the poorly: with culinary medicine
Gates pledges $900m to fight against TB - The Guardian 28/01/06
A plan to cut deaths from tuberculosis by 14 million over the next 10 years was launched yesterday at the World Economic Forum in Davos with a pledge of $900m (£507m) from the Microsoft boss Bill Gates and exhortations for the world to try harder from the chancellor, Gordon Brown.
Gates cash kick-starts $31 bln TB funding drive - Reuters 28/01/06
Lucy Atkins on how can you protect your children from the damaging effects of divorce - The Guardian 28/01/06
Is it possible to protect your children from the damaging effects of divorce? Three British families struggling to cope with marriage breakdown travelled to Texas to visit a specialist 'divorce coach'. The results, says Lucy Atkins, were remarkable
Emma Mitchell: Remedy for allergy - The Guardian 28/01/06
All my life I have suffered from 'allergic' reactions to many things, but the local allergy clinic recently told me I had not allergies but 'hypersensitivity'. What is this, and are there homeopathic remedies?
Anne Karpf: Rights and wrongs of teenage abortion - The Guardian 28/01/06
It looked as if we were squaring up for a very old fight when, last year, Sue Axon first challenged the Department of Health's guidelines that allow under-16-years-olds to be given confidential advice about sexual matters. In the left corner the liberals, defending confidentiality as essential to avoid thousands more unwanted pregnancies. In the right corner the conservatives, claiming their parental rights were being usurped by professionals. For me it seemed like no contest: I hadn't marched for the liberalisation of abortion so many times only to have it whisked away from the most vulnerable all these years later. Now that Axon has lost, I still cleave to the same position and yet some of the glib certainties have ebbed away. Perhaps it's just a sign of middle-age to see beyond the slogans: today I subscribe less to "free abortion on demand" than "life's a bitch".
Inhaler could replace needles for diabetics - The Times 28/01/06
AN INSULIN inhaler that could replace injections for some people with diabetes has been approved by European drug-licensing authorities.
Diabetes inhaler given approval - BBC Health News 27/01/06
'I help terminally ill patients to kill themselves. If I go to prison, so be it' - The Independent 29/01/06
Doctor struck off for giving advice on suicide vows to go further in promoting his cause
The figures do add up to a healthier Britain - The Sunday Times 29/01/06
I CERTAINLY accept that we have not solved all this country’s problems. But I don’t recognise the one-sided account of our record painted by David Smith (How the wheels came off UK plc, Focus, last week).
NHS patients pay cash for superior care - The Sunday Times 29/01/06
NATIONAL Health Service patients are paying for enhanced levels of care and operations that are no longer available free at hospitals across England. The superior treatment for fee-paying NHS patients has been criticised as creating a two-tier health service and privatisation by stealth.
Top crisp maker crunches fat levels - The Sunday Times 29/01/06
WALKERS, the manufacturer of Britain’s bestselling crisps, is to cut saturated fats in its products by more than 70% amid rising concerns about the health risks from snack foods high in salt and fat
In your face: the secrets of healthy living - The Sunday Times 29/01/06
YOUR face really is your fortune. If you are married, of a higher social class and have fewer than four children, then you probably look younger than you actually are.
Swallows & Amazons bid to liven up children - The Sunday Times 29/01/06
THE government’s children’s commissioner is to campaign for youngsters to relearn how to take risks by following the example of Arthur Ransome’s pre-war novel Swallows and Amazons.
An extra €500m should be spent on elderly care, says think tank - The Sunday Times 29/01/06
THE Irish government needs to spend an extra €500m to meet its own targets on increased care for the elderly, according to a report to be published tomorrow.
Harney delays hospital project - The Sunday Times 29/01/06
THE health minister is at the centre of a row over the future of Temple Street Children’s hospital in Dublin after 20 medical consultants said that its planned redevelopment on a site beside the Mater hospital has been “sabotaged”.
Magic mushrooms banned in Ireland after man's death - The Sunday Times 29/01/06
THE sale of magic mushrooms is to be banned in Ireland, following a lobbying campaign by the family of a man who died after eating the drug.
Stem cell man ‘faces job bar’ - The Sunday Times 29/01/06
A BELFAST man who spent his life savings on stem cell treatment in Ukraine claims he is now penniless because his former employer won’t give him back his job.
An experimental course may help middle-class marijuana smokers trying to quit. John Naish gets the inside dope
Haunted by her past - The Times 28/01/06
Jane Horrocks thinks she inherited her obsessive genes from a line of tough women. Her ancestry is so important that she contacts the ‘other side’ via a spirit guide called Alan, she tells John Naish
All in the line of beauty - The Times 28/01/06
Extreme cold can wreck your complexion but when Hannah Betts joined a team of Polar explorers to test a new skin-protection formula she jumped in feet first
Self-help for women? It’s a scream - The Times 28/01/06
A weekend in the country getting in touch with her inner woman didn’t sound scary, but when Genevieve Fox heard the group wail, it was time to run
Do it like this, not like that - The Times 28/01/06
The control freak may be the boss at work, accustomed to telling others what to do, and them doing it without delay. And this attitude may extend to his family life. Or he may dream of being the boss and act out his fantasy at home. Women can be control freaks too but, in my experience, they tend to be men.
Lunchtime fix: CACI Electro-Cellulite Massager - The Times 28/01/06
Experts say that most anti-cellulite treatments are as effective as snake oil, but that hasn’t stopped cosmetics companies coming up with more ingenious methods to zap our fat. The CACI Electro-Cellulite Massager is a treatment that claims to send small currents of electricity into problem areas to “break down” cellulite. It is supposed to firm legs, lift buttocks and tackle dimply thighs, all in only 40 minutes.
Dr Copperfield: inside the mind of a GP - The Times 28/01/06
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport recently published a list of “Icons of Englishness”, including the Routemaster bus, Stonehenge and a decent cup of tea. Researchers from YouGov determined last year that our inalienable right to free speech, our world-renowned system of justice and the monarchy were things that made us proud to be British.
Bodylicious: anti-scar treatment - The Times 28/01/06
Alessandra Steinherr, the beauty director of Cosmopolitan magazine, chooses the best products to smooth and soften the appearance of scars.
Junk medicine: scientific peer review - The Times 28/01/06
The disgrace of Woo Suk Hwang, the South Korean cloning pioneer who faked his data, had already placed the integrity of medical science and its peer-reviewed journals under close scrutiny. Both are reeling again this week from another scandal. On Monday, Jon Sudboe, of the Norwegian Radium Hospital, confessed to fabricating a study of mouth cancer, published last year in The Lancet.
Sex matters with Dr Thomas Stuttaford and Suzi Godson - The Times 28/01/06
My once sexually adventurous wife of over ten years now utterly rejects my advances. She will not say why. What on earth should I do?
She doesn’t want to drink - The Times 28/01/06
My daughter is 4 and I am concerned that she is not drinking enough. She needs a lot of persuasion to have half a cup of juice with breakfast, does not drink school milk and often comes home with her lunch drink unopened? How can I encourage her to drink more during the day?
What's up, doc? checking your reflexes - The Times 28/01/06
Why bother? The doctor is tapping a tendon in your knee. This causes a slight but sudden stretch of your thigh muscle, which sends an automatic signal — via nerves and spinal cord — ordering the muscle to contract.
Get over it: being a pessimist - The Times 28/01/06
My partner complains that I always look on the down side of life. How can I be more optimistic?
It works for me: biosthetic aromatherapy - The Times 28/01/06
In search for a cure for baldness, one City boy discovered ‘biosthetics’. It performed miracles, he tells Emma Mahony
Home remedy: peppermint tea for indigestion - The Times 28/01/06
Can peppermint tea settle your stomach if you’ve overeaten?
Eco-worrier: Fairtrade fruit - The Times 28/01/06
Should I buy my bananas only from the Windward Islands?
Learning to think small - The Times 28/01/06
Can you teach a mum who’s never seen raw garlic to cook healthy food for kids in just two hours?
Not the beetroot of all evil - The Times 28/01/06
“But what can I do with them?” I heard someone ask at our local farmers’ market, as he picked up a bunch of earthy, dark-red beetroots. I usually have my hands too full to feel any desire to stop, but this was easy.
Change one thing: running the marathon - The Times 28/01/06
When David Aaronovitch tried to kickstart his running regimen, he was first told to stop ...
Not just anybody: Kathleen Turner - The Times 28/01/06
How the fit and fabulous stay that way. Actress Kathleen Turner, 51, used to drink to numb her arthritis; these days she’s addicted to the gym
'I don't know the science behind my miracle cure - and I don't care' - The Telegraph 29/01/06
Stem cell therapy holds the promise of being the ultimate cure for everything that can go wrong with the body. The hope is that one day, it will be possible to use stem cells to regrow and replace any diseased or failing organ. From Alzheimer's Disease to Parkinson's, from heart attacks to muscle or brain collapse - stem cells could, theoretically, be used to cure them all.
Police help kerb-crawl men hide crimes - The Telegraph 29/01/06
Men arrested for kerb-crawling are being helped to conceal their behaviour from their wives in a "re-education" scheme backed by the Home Office.
One in five dentists ready to leave NHS - The Telegraph 29/01/06
Thousands of dentists are poised to leave the National Health Service in protest at the Government's new work contract, prompting the worst crisis in the profession since NHS services began nearly 60 years ago.
Watchdog warns of risks in IVF embryo testing - The Telegraph 29/01/06
The safety of genetic testing on IVF embryos will be questioned in a report by the watchdog Human Genetics Commission.
Meet the Divorce Coach - The Telegraph 29/01/06
You have finally realised that you don't really suit mustard-coloured culottes. You've learned how to clean your kitchen's most hidden crevices; stopped your children from turning completely feral; taken drastic steps to improve your sex life and got your weight down to a manageable 27 stone.
'It was the worst night of my life' - The Telegraph 28/01/06
A new report claims that fathers who attend caesarean births are doing more harm than good. But do they want to be there, or are they just responding to pressure from society, asks Christina Hopkinson
And they said I should let one of my triplets die - Daily Mail 27/01/06
Every time Claire Orgill looks at her healthy, happy triplets, she gives thanks that she ignored the doctors' advice.
Want to quit smoking? Do it suddenly - Daily Mail 27/01/06
Many smokers gear up for months to try and kick their habit, making meticulous plans to ease them off the nicotine.
Cancer woman's Herceptin protest - BBC Health News 29/01/06
A 45-year-old mother with breast cancer says she will protest at the Welsh assembly until a Herceptin "postcode lottery" for women is over.
Hewitt against abortion changes - BBC Health News 29/01/06
Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt has said she is not in favour of introducing tougher UK abortion laws.
Poor-area GPs 'deserve more pay' - BBC Health News 29/01/06
GPs should be paid more for working in deprived areas to help tackle health inequalities, a think tank has said.
Chimp antibodies 'fight smallpox' - BBC Health News 29/01/06
Antibodies derived from chimpanzees may help treat smallpox and the potentially deadly side effects caused by the existing vaccine, US scientists say.
Hope of liver cancer blood test - BBC Health News 29/01/06
Scientists hope new technology will help them develop a blood test to improve early diagnosis of liver cancer in high risk groups.
Trial to test asthma salt theory - BBC Health News 28/01/06
Scientists are to test the hypothesis that eating less salt can help people with asthma control their symptoms.
Clues to cause of long-term pain - BBC Health News 28/01/06
Undamaged nerve fibres - not those that are injured - may cause long-term chronic pain, research suggests.
'MRSA risk' patients on baby ward - BBC Health News 27/01/06
Health campaigners are demanding an inquiry after patients thought to be a high MRSA risk were placed in a Surrey hospital's maternity ward.
Cancer battle woman in remission - BBC Health News 27/01/06
Barbara Clark, the nurse who fought to receive the drug Herceptin on the NHS, is in remission from breast cancer.
Vaginal Oestrogen May Stop New Breast Cancer Drugs Working, Say UK Specialists - Medical News Today 28/01/06
Breast cancer specialists from one of the UK's leading cancer centres cautioned doctors today (Thursday 26 January) of the risks in prescribing vaginal oestrogen to breast cancer patients being treated with the new aromatase inhibiting drugs, anastrozole, letrozole and exemestane[1].
PAC Report: Macmillan Cancer Relief Says Now It's Time To Focus On Patients Not Just Targets - Medical News Today 28/01/06
Macmillan Cancer Relief called for a new National Cancer Plan to dramatically improve the patient's experience throughout the cancer journey in light of the Public Accounts Committee report "The NHS Cancer Plan" today.
Eisai Establishes European Strategic Business Hub In The UK - Medical News Today 28/01/06
Tokyo, Japan (JCN Newswire) - Eisai Europe Ltd. (Headquarter: London, President: Yutaka Tsuchiya), a regional headquarter in Europe and a subsidiary of Eisai Co., Ltd. (Headquarter: Tokyo, President and CEO: Haruo Naito) concluded the Heads of Terms with Arlington Securities Ltd. in the UK on land sales and the development to establish a strategic business hub in Europe.
More Patients To Get Access To Cutting-Edge Medical Therapies Under New Health Research Strategy, UK - Medical News Today 28/01/06
UK Health Minister, Jane Kennedy today announced a new health research strategy aimed at giving patients better access to ground-breaking new medicines and treatments, and supporting researchers carrying out health and social care research throughout England.
Prostate Cancer Device Market Set To Triple In Asia And Latin America - Medical News Today 28/01/06
The next five years will herald massive growth for minimally invasive prostate cancer devices in several emerging markets, with high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) technology leading the way. By 2010, the Asian and Latin American markets for brachytherapy seeds, cryoablation, and HIFU devices will gross over $25 million in revenue-more than 3 times the market value in 2005.
Future Science Group Signs With Ingenta For Delivery Of Electronic Journals - Medical News Today 28/01/06
Future Science Group has reached an agreement with Ingenta, the global research gateway, to provide electronic access to over 20 review journals published under their imprints Future Drugs and Future Medicine.
Penn To Test New Thermal Energy Procedure To Reduce Asthmatic Symptoms - Medical News Today 28/01/06
New Procedure May Revolutionize Traditional Asthma Care By Lessoning Smooth Muscle Tissue in the Airway.
Updated Index To Methamphetamine Research Literature - Medical News Today 28/01/06
The New York State Department of Health has posted a new version of "A Key to Methamphetamine-Related Literature" on its web site
New Pathway Could Present An Intervention Point For Cancer Treatment - Medical News Today 27/01/06
A new cellular pathway leads to destruction of a protein that promotes growth of breast, prostate and similar cancers and could provide a new avenue through which to pursue treatment of such diseases, said a researcher at Baylor College of Medicine.
Computer Systems Assisting Orthopaedic Surgeons - Medical News Today 27/01/06
EUREKA project E! 2288 MEDAC is helping orthopaedic surgeons to document clinical cases and analyse compiled patient data.
Non-surgical Therapy That Destroys Tumors But Leaves Healthy Surrounding Tissue - Medical News Today 27/01/06
Nonsurgical cancer therapy that destroys tumors but leaves healthy surrounding tissue intact could be available at every hospital if research reported this week in the journal Nature eventually comes to fruition.
BRCA1 Gene Found To Inhibit Two Sex Hormones, Not Just One - Medical News Today 27/01/06
Could help explain why women who have mutations in their BRCA1 gene are susceptible to 'hormone-dependent' cancers including breast, endometrial and cervical cancers.
Study Implicates Defective Synapse Generator In Onset Of Alzheimer's - Finding Links Age-related Brain Disease To Down Syndrome - Medical News Today 27/01/06
A new UCLA/Veterans Affairs study implicates defects in the machinery that creates connections between brain cells as responsible for the onset of Alzheimer disease.
UNC Scientists Discover 'gatekeeper' Protein In Blood Clotting - Medical News Today 27/01/06
New research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine has identified a protein that may control blood clotting by keeping blood platelets from sticking together.
DNA-wrapped Carbon Nanotubes Serve As Sensors In Living Cells - Medical News Today 27/01/06
Single-walled carbon nanotubes wrapped with DNA can be placed inside living cells and detect trace amounts of harmful contaminants using near infrared light, report researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Their discovery opens the door to new types of optical sensors and biomarkers that exploit the unique properties of nanoparticles in living systems.
Bird Flu Virus Has Unique Gene Not Found In Human Flu Virus - Medical News Today 27/01/06
According to scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, USA, all bird flu viruses they have investigated have a unique gene not found in human flu viruses. This unique gene may play a major role in making the H5N1 bird flu virus strain so virulent (potent, powerful).
Brain Damaged Girl Improves, Her Eyes Follow Sounds - Medical News Today 27/01/06
Haleigh Poutre, who sustained severe brain injuries as a result of attacks by her stepfather and adoptive mother and was nearly removed from life support not that very long ago is now in a rehabilitation center.
Passive Smoking Raises Breast Cancer Risk For Under 50s - Medical News Today 27/01/06
According to the California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, passive smoking (second hand smoke) raises the risk of developing breast cancer for women under 50 by 68% to 120%. Post-menopausal women, say the researchers, do not have a greater risk from passive smoking.
Hewitt Launches Manual To Help Guide NHS Through Reform Process, UK - Medical News Today 27/01/06
New guidance includes plans to get the NHS back in the black. The next steps in creating a patient-led NHS were outlined today by Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt.
Estimated Number Of HIV-Positive People In China Is 650,000, According To Report By China's Health Ministry, WHO, UNAIDS - Medical News Today 27/01/06
The number of HIV-positive people in China is an estimated 650,000 in 2005, 30% lower than the country's previous estimate, according to a report released on Wednesday by China's Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization and UNAIDS, Reuters reports (Reuters, 1/25). According to the report, 2003 estimates said that the number of HIV-positive people in China was 840,000, but current estimates say that 650,000 HIV-positive people live in the country, and 75,000 of those people have developed AIDS. The report also estimates that in 2005 there were 70,000 new cases of HIV and 25,000 AIDS-related deaths. The country's current HIV/AIDS prevalence is approximately 0.05%, the report says (China's Ministry of Health/WHO/UNAIDS, "2005 Update on the HIV/AIDS Epidemic and Response in China," 1/24). In some areas of Henan and the far-western border of Yunnan and Xinjiang, HIV prevalence among pregnant women is more than 1%, Reuters reports (Reuters, 1/25). Of the total number of HIV/AIDS cases in China, 80% are associated with injection drug use and commercial sex work, the Wall Street Journal reports (Oster, Wall Street Journal, 1/25). According to the Kyodo News, the new case load estimates have reduced the United Nation's prediction of the number of HIV-positive people that will be living in China by 2010 from 10 million to approximately 1.5 million (Kyodo News, 1/25). Wang Longde, China's vice minister of health, said the current case-load estimates are lower because China conducted a survey in 2004 that found the number of people who contracted HIV through illegal blood sales was lower than previously predicted in 2003 (Xinhuanet, 1/25). According to experts, another reason for the lower estimates could be the country's improved data collection capabilities (Reuters, 1/24).
European Donors In Discussions To Provide Funding For Programs Suspended By The Global Fund In Myanmar - Medical News Today 27/01/06
A group that includes the European Commission, Australia, Britain, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden is planning to replace funding that the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria was providing in Myanmar, unnamed diplomats said on Tuesday, AFP/Yahoo! News reports (AFP/Yahoo! News, 1/24). The Global Fund in August 2005 announced a suspension of its grants to Myanmar, citing travel and other restrictions implemented by the country's government that impede the delivery of medical supplies and services. The fund in 2004 pledged to spend $98 million over five years to fight the three diseases in the country. ECHO, the European Commission's humanitarian aid department, last month pledged about $18 million in funding aimed at helping vulnerable populations in Myanmar and refugees living along the country's border with Thailand (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/3). The European diplomats said the new donor group held talks on Jan. 19 with the Myanmarese government about providing funding to fight the diseases, and they also have had talks with the opposition political party in the country, as well as not-for-profit groups, according to AFP/Yahoo! News. The donor group wants to create a new system for funding health programs that uses procedures, created by the Global Fund, that aim to prevent funding from supporting the country's military-led government and allow health care workers to travel freely throughout Myanmar, according to AFP/Yahoo! News. A U.N. official on Tuesday said the U.N. Development Programme has secured funding so that Global Fund programs in the country can continue until July in an effort to "allo[w] a smooth handover when the new donors take over," AFP/Yahoo! News reports (AFP/Yahoo! News, 1/24).
Scientists Uncover 3-D Structure Of HIV, Study Says - Medical News Today 27/01/06
Scientists have uncovered the 3-D structure of HIV, according to a study published in the Jan. 10 edition of the journal Structure, BBC News reports. Because strains of HIV vary in size and shape, scientists have found it difficult to understand its structure, the study says. Stephen Fuller, a professor at Oxford University's Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, and colleagues took several images of the virus from different angles. The team took about 100 images of 70 individual viruses and compared them using a computer program. The researchers found that the cone-shaped core of HIV is as wide as the viral membrane, and the virus has spikes on the outside that it uses when attaching to CD4+ T cells. In addition, the study finds that HIV differs from most viruses in that its membrane, rather than its internal structure, defines its size, a feature that limits the way the virus can assemble. "Identifying how the virus grows will allow us to address the formation of this important pathogen and how it accommodates its variability," Fuller said, adding that the finding could lead to the development of more effective therapies to treat HIV (BBC News, 1/24).
African Americans Face Higher Risk Of Lung Cancer Than Other Races, Study Says - Medical News Today 27/01/06
African Americans who smoke face a higher risk of developing lung cancer than smokers of other races, indicating that genes "might help explain the racial differences long seen in the disease," according to a study in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine, the AP/Detroit Free Press reports (Chang, AP/Detroit Free Press, 1/26). In the largest study on the topic to date, researchers from the University of Southern California and the University of Hawaii followed 183,000 study participants over an eight-year period beginning in 1993. Over the course of the study, 1,979 enrollees developed lung cancer. Among African-American men who smoked, there were 264 cases of lung cancer per 100,000 individuals, compared with 264 cases among native Hawaiian men, 158 cases among white men, 121 cases among Japanese-American men and 79 cases among Latino men. The study, which did not include other ethnic groups, found that women overall had lower incidences of lung cancer, but ethnic disparities generally "followed the same pattern," the Wall Street Journal reports (Bulkeley, Wall Street Journal, 1/26). Overall, whites who smoked up to one pack of cigarettes daily had a 43% to 55% lower risk of developing lung cancer than blacks who smoked the same amount. Latinos and Japanese Americans were 60% to 80% less likely than blacks to develop lung cancer if they smoked up to a pack a day, according to the study (AP/Detroit Free Press, 1/26). The disparities -- which persisted even after researchers considered factors such as diet, socioeconomic status and occupation -- disappeared among participants who were the heaviest smokers, likely because the damage caused by smoking at that level overwhelmed other factors, according to lead author Christopher Haiman, an assistant professor at the Keck School of Medicine at USC.
IAVI President Berkley To Advocate For Doubling HIV/AIDS Vaccine Research Funding At World Economic Forum - Medical News Today 27/01/06
International AIDS Vaccine Initiative President Seth Berkley ahead of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2006 this week in Davos, Switzerland, said he plans to advocate for a doubling of commitments from policymakers and other participants at the forum for HIV/AIDS vaccine research to at least $1.2 billion annually, Reuters reports (Hirschler, Reuters, 1/25). IAVI estimates that about $682 million is spent annually on HIV/AIDS vaccine research and development, with about $100 million coming from the private sector (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/3). Berkley said the potential bird flu epidemic has highlighed the problems that result from not taking a long-term approach to vaccine development based on economic incentives for private companies. "The whole system for vaccines is not aligned properly," Berkley said, adding, "We have to find better ways to accelerate research, finance research and to create incentives for pharmaceutical companies." He said the Group of Eight industrialized nations has expressed support for making HIV/AIDS vaccine research a priority at six different meetings -- including the 2005 meeting in Gleneagles, Scotland -- but implementation of promises remains an important obligation, Reuters reports (Reuters, 1/25).
Patients And Staff To Benefit From Funding Programme To Improve End-Of-Life Care, UK - Medical News Today 27/01/06
The NHS needs to pay more attention to dying patients and their relatives by improving the places where they are looked after.
Understanding Tumor-host Interactions, Five European Labs Cooperate - Medical News Today 27/01/06
An EU funded Specific Targeted Research Project (STREP) entitled "Tumor-Host Genomics" has been launched at the University of Helsinki, Finland. The Tumor-Host Genomics project links together the resources of five European leading-edge laboratories studying major signaling pathways in mesenchymal and hematopoietic cells, forming a concerted effort to understand tumor-host interactions, and to identify novel therapeutic targets.
Stem Cell Therapy For Parkinson's Disease - Medical News Today 27/01/06
High hopes have been pinned on the prospects of using stem cells to eventually be able to replace diseased or dead cells with new, healthy ones. In order to do this, the stem cells must be programmed to form cells with the exact speciality needed for the treatment of patients.
Role Of The Nervous System In Regulating Stem Cells Discovered - Medical News Today 27/01/06
Study led by Mount Sinai School of Medicine may provide new hope for cancer patients and others with compromised immune systems.
BiovaxID™ Yields 89 Percent Survival In Patients With Aggressive Non-Hodgkins - Medical News Today 27/01/06
Accentia Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABPI) and its subsidiary, Biovest International, Inc. (OTCBB:BVTI), report follow-up data to a Phase 2 trial conducted by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) that shows Biovest's BiovaxID yielded an 89% survival rate in mantle cell lymphoma patients. The median follow-up was 3.8 years. Historically, patients with this type of lymphoma only have had a 50% chance of surviving 3 years and 20% chance of surviving 5 years. BiovaxID, an investigational personalized anti-cancer vaccine, stimulates the immune system to seek out and destroy tumor cells. The data were published in a recent edition of Nature Medicine (Nat Med.2005; 11(9):986-91).
Bird Flu Poses Threat To International Security, Illinois Scholar Says - Medical News Today 27/01/06
In the past, when government leaders, policymakers and scholars have turned their attention to peace and security issues, the talk invariably has focused on war, arms control or anti-terrorism strategies. But Julian Palmore believes it's time to expand the scope of the conversation.
Three Neuronal Growth Factors May Be Key To Understanding Alcohol's Effects - Medical News Today 27/01/06
Growth factors are a large and diverse group of polypeptides critical for the development of the central nervous system. A symposium at the June 2005 annual meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism in Santa Barbara, California focused on three growth factors - insulin, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) - that may also play an important role in the regulation of the behavioral effects of alcohol. Symposium proceedings are published in the February issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
Daughters Of Alcoholics - Medical News Today 27/01/06
During the last decade, most of the research on genetic and environmental variables relevant to children of alcoholics has focused on the sons of alcoholics. In contrast, symposium participants at the annual meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism in Santa Barbara, California in June 2005 focused on moderators of risk for alcoholism and other psychopathologies among daughters of alcoholics. Proceedings are published in the February issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
Peptide vaccines raise concern in animal study - Reuters 27/01/06
Findings from an animal study indicate that inoculation with so-called peptide vaccines can have lethal consequences.
Patients may see scary lights during eye surgery - Reuters 27/01/06
Patients who are awake while undergoing surgery on the gel-like vitreous inside the eye often report seeing frightening lights, similar to what is experienced by cataract surgery patients, a new study shows. As a result, many patients say they would opt for general anesthesia the next time around, despite the greater risk.
Antidepressants may affect immune system - Reuters 27/01/06
Antidepressants like Prozac and Zoloft, which affect a brain chemical called serotonin, may also influence the body's immune system, new research suggests.
Women with type 1 diabetes have low bone density - Reuters 27/01/06
Bone mineral density (BMD) in premenopausal women with type1 diabetes, also referred to as juvenile, diabetes, is 3 percent to 8 percent lower than in women without diabetes, investigators at the University of Pittsburgh report.
US senator cites bird flu to oppose China exports - Reuters 27/01/06
China should not be allowed to process and ship poultry meat for sale in the United States due to the risk of bird flu, the Democratic leader of the Senate Agriculture Committee said on Friday.
DHEA may reduce depression symptoms in HIV patients - Reuters 27/01/06
The dietary supplement DHEA seems to relieve the symptoms of minor depression in patients infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, according to a new report.
Cheshire and Mersey News
Hospital trust chief to quit after 16 years - Daily Post 27/01/06
THE chief executive of Wirral Hospital Trust is to quit this summer after 16 - sometimes controversial - years in the job.
Elderly home help costs may go up by 70% - Chester Chronicle 27/01/06
HOME help charges for some older people could rise by more than 70% if cuts in local services get the go-ahead.
Tell us about cancer mix-up - Warrington Guardian 27/01/06
ARE you one of the 17 women with breast cancer wrongly given the all-clear by a radiologist at hospitals in Greater Manchester?
Experts warn we must cut down on salt - Warrington Guardian 27/01/06
HEALTH experts are urging people to reduce their salt intake as part of National Salt Awareness Week, which starts this Sunday.
Cumbria and Lancashire News
Walker airlifted to hospital - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 27/01/06
A BURNLEY woman was airlifted to hospital after breaking a leg in a fall while out walking in the Lake District.
Home birth made easy by the baby unit - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 27/01/06
LITTLE Beatrix Taggart may have been born at home - but her parents are supporting the Bolton Evening News campaign in support of the Royal Bolton Hospital's baby unit.
`Yes' to parking plan? - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 27/01/06
CONTROVERSIAL plans to transform part of Rakehead Recreation Ground into a car park for Burnley General Hospital are due to get the green light next week.
Greater Manchester News
Cancer campaigner gets the all-clear - Bolton Evening News 27/01/06
CANCER patient Bob Norburn has been given the all-clear by doctors.
Public meeting will demand services are retained - Bury Times 27/01/06
A PUBLIC meeting is to be held at Bury Town Hall next month to demand Fairfield Hospital's maternity department and special care baby unit is kept open.
This is cancer scandal doc - Manchester Evening News 27/01/06
THIS is the first picture of the doctor at the centre of the breast cancer scandal.
Error radiologist suspended - Bury Times 27/01/06
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