Monday, February 27, 2006

Contents

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National News

Why things fell apart for joined-up thinking - The Observer 26/02/06

Whatever happended to joined-up government? One of New Labour's favourite mantras when it came to power, it dropped out of the lexicon in the second term. This is perhaps understandable, since there is precious little of it about. But that, too, is not surprising, because the management methods the government favours make joined-up anything almost impossible to achieve.


We need fewer babies in Britain, not more - The Observer 26/02/06

Some of us feel that the UK baby drought does not go far enough ('How the baby shortage threatens our future', News, last week). Worldwide, we have a threatened environment and it would surely be good if we in Britain could show an example and reduce our economic activities as well as our population size. More babies will mean even more older people - and it is people who have caused the problems that threaten our life-support systems. We are healthier now and capable of working longer.


Drugs giant promises data access - The Observer 26/02/06

A pharmaceutical giant has promised to give a full guarantee of independence to academic researchers whose work it funds in a move that follows widespread concern over the company's handling of a major UK drugs study.


How a plastic heart gave Claudia, aged one, a second chance to live - The Observer 26/02/06

A pioneering new plastic 'heart' is enabling doctors to keep alive critically ill children while they wait for heart transplants. Surgeons at Great Ormond Street Hospital have managed to stabilise three young children by using the 'Berlin Heart', a device which keeps the blood pumping around the body when the child's own organ is too weak to work properly. Until now there has been little doctors can do to support a child with severe heart failure once they deteriorate.

A life-saving piggyback: how baby was kept alive until new heart was found - The Independent 26/02/06
'Toy' hearts keep children alive - The Sunday Times 26/02/06


Four in 10 fines for antisocial crimes unpaid - The Observer 26/02/06

More than four out of 10 fines for litter, dog fouling and graffiti are not paid, despite government promises to crack down on antisocial behaviour.


What's in your bento box? - The Observer 26/02/06

Sushi has a healthy reputation although I'm a little dubious about its supposed merits due to the fact that its primary constituent - white rice - is generally unnutritious. In addition, refined rice tends to release its sugar quite quickly into the bloodstream which can stimulate, among other things, fat accumulation in the body.


How can I maintain my health into old age? - The Observer 26/02/06

We all know a little extra oil helps ease our joints as we enter our dotage. But what are the best alternatives if you find supplements hard to stomach? Our panel of experts offers advice


Ethical eating: how much do you swallow? - The Observer 26/02/06

Two years ago, there were just 150 Fairtrade products. Now there are over a thousand. So can a bunch of celebrities persuade us to buy more, asks Andrew Purvis


Massive rise in child porn sites
- The Observer 26/02/06

The number of websites found to be offering child pornography to UK internet users increased by 75 per cent last year amid fears of an explosion in illegal images generated overseas.


A brave teenager shows the way on animal testing - The Observer 26/02/06

The success of yesterday's demonstration held in support of Oxford's animal research laboratory is to be warmly welcomed. If nothing else, it sends a clear message to the extremists who are attempting to block its construction through acts of intimidation and violence. These individuals have scant popular backing, it is now clear, a view supported by surveys which show that 75 per cent of the UK public back the use of experiments on animals, mainly rats and mice, in order to develop new medicines and treatments. If we want to conquer Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's and diabetes, research centres like Oxford's are going to be of vital importance, a point now accepted by tens of millions of Britons.

Death threat for teenage animal test supporter - The Observer 26/02/06
Scientists rally behind teenage Pro-Tester - The Independent 26/02/06


Bird flu: 'don't panic', UK told - The Observer 26/02/06

Experts seek to reassure the public after restaurant takes wild fowl off its menu and McDonald's admits 'contingency plan'


Toxic cockpit fumes that bring danger to the skies - The Observer 26/02/06

Dozens of pilots have flown while dizzy, nauseous and suffering double vision on crowded passenger flights. The cause is contaminated air and it can strike without warning - but the cases have been kept from the public. Antony Barnett reports

Revealed: toxic gas threat to air safety - The Observer 26/02/06
Poisonous fumes on British jets made aircrew 'dizzy and sick' - The Independent 26/02/06


NHS chiefs get 'high noon' deadline to cut huge deficit - The Guardian 25/02/06

Top officials at the Department of Health were in crisis talks yesterday about a further deterioration in NHS finances caused by the overspending of hospitals and primary care trusts in England.


Emma Mitchell: Is soya flour good for you? - The Guardian 25/02/06

My sister has told me I shouldn't be eating soya flour because it's harmful to the body. Do you agree? She points out that it's in everything nowadays, so how do you avoid it?


Nicholas Lezard: How Slack Dad learned to cope on his own - The Guardian 25/02/06

I am writing this while looking after three children whose mother, heretofore but not hereinafter referred to as Unslack Mum, spends nine days swanning around Bangkok and Phuket with a friend. Actually, I'm not writing this under such circumstances. When they obtained, I was too busy to write anything much more complex than "remember PIANO MUSIC" and "2 pts gold top, please, not banana milk like last time". That second addition to my oeuvre, incidentally, took me 45 minutes and three drafts to get right. The first note said "2 pts PIANO MUSIC not babana I mean bananana". The second draft ... well, you get the idea.


Family forum: Nursery care for the under-threes; too early, too much, too long? - The Guardian 25/02/06

Last week we published an extract from childcare guru Steve Biddulph's new book in which he delivered a broadside against nursery care for the under-threes. Here we publish a selection of reader responses.


Out with the old? - The Guardian 25/02/06

From October, new ageism rules will mean laying off older staff could cost firms dear. Get rid of them now and the penalties are lower. What's a boss to do? By Ian Wylie and Chris Ball


Whatever happened to ... the Sars pandemic? - The Guardian 25/02/06

It has all been bird flu this week, but it is not so long since the spectre of a Sars pandemic was hogging the headlines. Severe acute respiratory syndrome is a pneumonia-like coronavirus that first emerged in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong in November 2002. Eight months later, the international spread of Sars-CoV had resulted in 8,098 cases and 774 deaths in 26 countries.


Doctors can let girl, 2, die, says judge - The Guardian 25/02/06

Doctors treating a severely disabled two-year-old girl should be allowed to act against her parents' wishes and let her die if they feel it is best for her, a high court judge has ruled.


Chaos alleged over dentists' contracts - The Guardian 25/02/06

Negotiations between dentists and their NHS bosses over new contracts are in chaos and will force more surgeries to opt out of NHS treatment this spring, dentists' leaders warned yesterday.


Ministers order 3.5m doses of bird flu vaccine - The Guardian 25/02/06

Britain has ordered 3.5m doses of a vaccine against the H5N1 avian bird flu virus in the hope that immunising key workers will help protect them if a mutated pandemic strain arrives in this country.

Deadline For Joining GB Poultry Register (UK)
- Medical News Today 25/02/06
Contract Award For Purchase Of H5N1 Vaccine, UK Department Of Health - Medical News Today 25/02/06
Poultry register short by 40m birds - The Telegraph 26/02/06


Jealous father gets life for torture and murder of son - The Guardian 25/02/06

A father who tortured and battered his three-month-old son to death because he was jealous of the attention the baby's mother showed him was jailed for life yesterday.


Decca Aitkenhead talks to a paedophile who 'never touched a child' and is trusted again - The Guardian 25/02/06

Angus realised at the age of 21 he was 'every parent's worst nightmare', a paedophile. Thirty years later, his partner trusts him with her young son. How did he change his life so completely?

The stress of marriage shortens your life by a year (if you're the wife) - The Independent 26/02/06

Wedding rings should come with a health warning - at least for women. New research reveals that while wedlock helps men to live longer, it shortens a woman's life by more than a year.


Food: We need it. We love it. So why do 11 million of us have trouble with it? - The Independent 26/02/06

Eating to feel better is now being recognised as a severe clinical problem in Britain. Which is why the Priory is treating chocoholics


Cheated at birth: The real gender gap - The Independent 26/02/06

Women are earning up to 1m less than men during their working life because of a "scandalous culture" of gender inequality in pay, The Independent on Sunday can reveal.

Women earn up to 1m less than men - The Independent 26/02/06
Chancellor's bid to boost women's pay - The Telegraph 26/02/06


The bird flu files: How Britain would fight a pandemic - The Independent 26/02/06

As bird flu crept closer to Britain's shores last night, with the discovery that a turkey farm in France was riddled with infection, top planners in Whitehall have begun to draw up emergency preparations for a pandemic that could, if the worst happens, kill hundreds of thousands of people in the UK. This news coincides with a report that says factory farming and the international poultry trade are largely responsible for the spread of bird flu, and wild birds are being unfairly blamed for the disease.

UK plc plans for bird flu epidemic - The Sunday Times 26/02/06
Avian flu may force McNuggets off menu - The Telegraph 26/02/06


Locked-up birds in flu outbreak will still be sold as free range - The Sunday Times 26/02/06

BRITAIN has stepped up preparations for an outbreak of avian flu with rules allowing free-range and organic poultry farmers to confine their flocks in sheds without losing their premium status.


NHS takes up Cherie's magic magnets cure - The Sunday Times 26/02/06

IT COULD be called the Cleopatra Effect. Magnetic therapy, which has held the rich and powerful in thrall from ancient Egypt to modern Downing Street, is about to be made available on the National Health Service.


Call to end NHS ‘lifestyle’ surgery - The Sunday Times 26/02/06

THOUSANDS of women are getting breast enlargements, tummy-tucks and nose jobs on the National Health Service, prompting calls for a review of the number of operations being carried out for cosmetic and lifestyle reasons.


Watchdog to reveal executive failure on doctors’ pay deal - The Sunday Times 26/02/06

MINISTERS failed to account for the huge cost of implementing a new contract for Scotland’s hospital consultants, leading to millions of pounds being diverted from frontline health services, the public spending watchdog is to reveal.


Trust me, the smoking ban is sexy - The Sunday Times 26/02/06

It’s called smirting, and it’s almost certainly coming to a smoking zone near you soon. Kathy Foley reports from Dublin on how the Irish ban has spiced up sex lives


Inside the mind of a brain expert - The Sunday Times 26/02/06

Baroness Susan Greenfield is taking science to the masses with her bestselling books and revolutionary research into how children learn. Now she brings her skills to Heriot-Watt University, writes Gillian Bowditch


Baby jabs fear over new NHS software - The Times 25/02/06

THE health of thousands of children in London has been put at risk by significant failures in the new 6 billion NHS computer system, The Times has learnt.

Thousands of children at risk after computer fault - The Observer 26/02/06


The hungry years? - The Times 25/02/06

Our battle with obesity is blinding us to malnutrition in the elderly


The nano state is here - The Times 25/02/06

Should we worry about the ill-effects of tiny matter? Vivienne Parry cuts nanotechnology down to size


Dr Copperfield: inside the mind of a GP - The Times 25/02/06

Ties and links with MRSA During an average consultation, it’s not unusual for the concentration of doctor or patient to wander and for eye contact to drift. With me, it happens around symptom seven of ten and it leads my gaze to a mark on the wall that usually proves more interesting than “ . . . a dizzy feeling when I break wind, doctor”. For the patient, it occurs whenever they catch sight of my tie.


Junk medicine: the species barrier - The Times 25/02/06

Human health and animal medicine There is nothing special about a human being as far as bacteria and viruses are concerned. The privileged ethical status of human life confers no protection against disease. To pathogens, a person is just another potential host, an organism that is worth infecting if it offers an attractive home.


So are you fit for the job? - The Times 25/02/06

Feeling a bit tired, overweight and sluggish? Watch out, your boss may have plans for your lifestyle. Roger Dobson on wellbeing at work


The joy of stress - The Times 25/02/06

Work is one of the main causes of stress. More than a third of the population find work their biggest worry, according to a recent BUPA survey. The Government-supported Health and Safety Executive points the finger at IT, saying it accounts for 30 per cent of our anxiety. Stress poses serious risks for our health. A study published in the BMJ last month suggested that men who experience stress a lot are twice as likely to suffer from heart disease and diabetes as those who are not exposed to stress. Meanwhile, high stress in female workers seems to carry five times the risk of heart disease and diabetes.


Sorted: chairs: are you getting the best support? - The Times 25/02/06

Paul Godfrey, a physiotherapist and physiologist, picks the best ergonomic chairs for correct posture - and they look good too


Dr Copperfield: inside the mind of a GP - The Times 25/02/06

Ties and links with MRSA During an average consultation, it’s not unusual for the concentration of doctor or patient to wander and for eye contact to drift. With me, it happens around symptom seven of ten and it leads my gaze to a mark on the wall that usually proves more interesting than “ . . . a dizzy feeling when I break wind, doctor”. For the patient, it occurs whenever they catch sight of my tie.


A pain in the neck - The Times 25/02/06

Years of slumping at her desk turned into a spine-chilling horror for Mary Gold. It was time to sit up — properly


Monkey business - The Times 25/02/06

Have you got what it takes to climb to the top of the tree? John Naish explains how you can win at the game of office primate psychology


Psychology of stripping - The Times 25/02/06

Top burlesque star Dita Von Teese takes her kit off for thousands of pounds — but she tells Hannah Betts that the only time she feels naked is when she’s not wearing her lipstick or heels


Spas: state of Grace - The Times 25/02/06

Grace Bradberry finds out how a luxury hotel woos the GI crowd


Relationships: The late-stayer - The Times 25/02/06

Every office has its late-stayer. He stays at his desk when his colleagues are putting their coats on to go home. “Coming to the pub, Steve?” they ask. “Maybe later,” Steve mumbles, eyes fixed on his computer screen. But he won’t show up later. He will carry on working.


Bodylicious: lip balms - The Times 25/02/06

Catherine Small, the acting editor of Cosmopolitan Hair & Beauty magazine, chooses the best products for chapped lips


Agony and ecstasy: sex advice - The Times 25/02/06

After a recent prostate operation at the age of 74, I can't ejaculate and my penis is not as engorged as before. Will I ever regain a normal erection?


Spread that eco-magic - The Times 25/02/06

Can’t see the wood for the trees in your office? Then call in the eco-expert, says Anna Shepard


What’s cooking in the canteen? - The Times 25/02/06

Can this tasty, colourful meal really be a worker’s lunch? Nick Wyke reports on a new appetite for better choices


Menu mentor: Jane Clarke's guide to delicious eating out - The Times 25/02/06

MARKS & SPENCER If I haven’t packed my own lunchbox, Marks & Spencer’s Food to Go is my most likely port of call. It’s where I feel the quality stands up best — even if the loose fruit can be astronomically expensive. And I approve of the way the products are labelled clearly. I have a certain weakness for M&S food, apart from its Count on Us range which, for me, smacks too much of being on a diet. There is a huge variety to choose from, but I would probably be tucking into the following for lunch.


At your table: lunchboxes: it's easy to pack a nutritious punch - The Times 25/02/06

With the days still cold and gloomy, lunchtime nourishment needs to be more than just a flabby, tasteless sandwich or a pre-packed salad that doesn’t touch the sides of your stomach


Going up the walls - The Times 25/02/06

Indoor climbing walls are a great way to get in shape. Novice Anna Shepard ropes up for a gripping lesson


Not just anybody: Jason Gardener - The Times 25/02/06

Champion sprinter Jason Gardener, 30, likes to slow down by chilling at home with his family

Childhood obesity time bomb explodes - The Telegraph 26/02/06

Soaring levels of obesity have sparked a crisis of "adult" diabetes in children, a new study has revealed.


'We will sue Whitehall for breaking race law' - The Telegraph 26/02/06

The chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality accused the Government yesterday of "deep institutional complacency" for failing to enforce its own laws to safeguard the rights of ethnic minorities.


We have let down the poor, says Blair - The Telegraph 25/02/06

Tony Blair conceded yesterday that Labour had let down many of the poorest in society by spending money unwisely and intervening to help them only when it was "too late".

Poverty of the spirit - The Telegraph 25/02/06


Father who killed baby was known to be a risk - The Telegraph 25/02/06

A father who battered and burned his infant son to death despite authorities knowing that he posed a risk to children was jailed for life yesterday.

Hope for better baby hearing test - BBC Health News 26/02/06

A brain test to detect which frequencies babies cannot hear could help design individualised hearing aids for them, a researcher suggests.


Temp work 'harms women's health' - BBC Health News 25/02/06

Women in temp jobs are more likely than men in similar posts to have their employment terminated if they are often off sick, a study has found.


New ruling as Charlotte worsens - BBC Health News 24/02/06

A judge has ruled that doctors treating toddler Charlotte Wyatt can decide not to resuscitate her if they feel it would not be in her best interests.


Confusion over drug trial rights - BBC Health News 24/02/06

Clinical trial patients may mistakenly believe they would be compensated for accidental harm because of badly worded contracts, a senior doctor warns.


MI6 payouts over secret LSD tests - BBC Health News 24/02/06

Three UK ex-servicemen have been given compensation after they were given LSD without their consent in the 1950s.

Changing Rules Of Engagement Between Government,industry And NHS To Provide Best Treatment For Patients, UK - Medical News Today 26/02/06

A fundamental change in the way Government, the pharmaceutical industry and health providers interact is essential if the best possible healthcare is to be provided to patients, delegates at a major London conference heard today.


NHS To Help Patients Help Themselves, UK - Medical News Today 25/02/06

NHS and social care organisations are being given extra support in helping millions of people with long term conditions manage their health better and stay out of hospital, in a new guide published today by the Department of Health.


Status Of Organic Birds Confined Indoors To Comply With Veterinary Requirements Introduced In Response To A Threat Of Avian Influenza, UK - Medical News Today 25/02/06

The UK Administrations recognise there is concern that the possible introduction of veterinary requirements to confine poultry indoors in response to the threat of, or an outbreak of, avian influenza could result in flocks, and thus eggs and poultry, losing their organic status.


Xenon Gas Safe In Surgery And Could Help Stop Nerve Damaging Illnesses - Medical News Today 25/02/06

Scientists have successfully conducted the first clinical trial giving xenon gas to patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting in order to safeguard against postoperative brain damage that can occur following this procedure.


Reduction In Teenage Conceptions Good News, Says Fpa, UK - Medical News Today 24/02/06

Toni Belfield, fpa (Family Planning Association) Director of Information, said: “We welcome the new conception data out today (23rd February 06), that shows a significant reduction in the rate of teenage pregnancy in both the under 18 and under 16 age groups in England.


International News

Factory farms blamed for spread of bird flu - The Independent 26/02/06

Dissident scientists accept that the flu began in wild birds, but say it developed in the cramped conditions of Asian factory farms. Research published in the official journal of the US National Academy of Sciences blames the poultry trade for the virus spreading from China to Vietnam.


Office smokers of Madrid are allowed in from the cold - The Independent 25/02/06

The temperatures in Madrid were hovering around freezing point this week, but this did not stop groups of shivering workers standing outside their office buildings puffing on their cigarettes.

'DNA target' to block HIV found - BBC Health News 26/02/06

American scientists have discovered how a molecule controls HIV's ability to hijack the genetic machinery of human cells.


France confirms bird flu strain - BBC Health News 25/02/06

France has confirmed the deadly bird flu virus H5N1 has been found on a turkey farm in the east of the country.

Bird flu fears intensify as France is forced to slaughter turkeys - The Independent 25/02/06
Deadly flu strain hits EU poultry - The Telegraph 25/02/06
Chirac urges calm over bird flu - BBC Health News 25/02/06


Hope for early Alzheimer's test - BBC Health News 24/02/06

Experts have developed a way to track the loss of key receptors in brain tissue caused by the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease.


France holds human bird flu drill - BBC Health News 24/02/06

Authorities in France have staged an exercise to test the ability of the emergency services to cope with an outbreak of bird flu in humans.


'Pharmed' goat drug not approved - BBC Health News 24/02/06

An application to license the world's first medicine to be produced from a GM animal has been turned down.


Orthopaedic Surgeon Performs Innovative Microfracture Procedure On Arthritic Knees Avoiding Knee Replacement Surgery - Medical News Today 26/02/06

Kevin Plancher, M.D. a leading New York Orthopaedic Surgeon, has a national reputation for his expertise in performing the Microfracture procedure on patients with arthritic knees with worn away cartilage. The Microfracture procedure is spurred to generate its own new cartilage like surface, (the white fibrous cushion that keeps bone from rubbing against bone in joints), and it is far less invasive, simpler and easier on the patient than other treatments for bad knees.


Economic Impact Of Acute Ischemic Stroke - Medical News Today 26/02/06

Study results presented today at the International Stroke Congress (ISC) in Florida highlight the increasing financial burden caused by the outcomes of acute ischemic stroke and its impact on a variety of healthcare resources. The data show the effect of long-term disability caused by stroke on healthcare resources and emphasize the importance of wide economic assessment in evaluating the benefit of new stroke treatments.


Diagnosing Child Abuse, Criterion Not Always Accurate - Medical News Today 26/02/06

When it comes to looking for damage to the eyes to prove child abuse, new research shows that things aren't always as they seem, according to Patrick Lantz, M.D., a forensic pathologist from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.


AstraZeneca Files Notice Of Appeal For Patent Infringement On Toprol-XL® - Medical News Today 26/02/06

straZeneca announced today that is has filed a Notice with the US District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri of its appeal to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit of the January 17, 2006 decision by Judge Rodney Sippel declaring US compound patent Number 5,081,154 and composition patent Number 5,001,161 covering TOPROL XL (metoprolol succinate) extended release tablets invalid and unenforceable.


Treatment For Prostate Cancer Helps Older Men Live Longer, Versus Observation - Medical News Today 26/02/06

A new study shows older men with early stage prostate cancer survive longer if they are treated versus not being treated in favor of the "watchful waiting" approach advocated by many physicians for older men with other health problems. In addition, the study revealed a survival benefit for men treated with radiation therapy making it the first study to demonstrate a survival advantage in an older population. The study was presented by Fox Chase Cancer Center medical oncologist Yu-Ning Wong, M.D., at the 2006 Prostate Cancer Symposium Feb. 25 in San Francisco.


Coping With Crisis On Campus: Conference Will Focus On College Mental Health Issues After Disasters - Medical News Today 26/02/06

In the past few years, college campuses across the country have been rocked by crisis, from regional disasters such as hurricanes and terrorist attacks to local incidents including accidents, fires and clusters of suicides.


Swaziland's First Children's HIV/AIDS Medical Center Opens; Building Treatment Capacity In The World's Hardest Hit Country - Medical News Today 26/02/

The first pediatric center dedicated to caring for HIV/AIDS-infected infants and children in Swaziland, the African country with the highest prevalence of AIDS in the world, officially opened today. Operated by Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, in partnership with the government, it is funded by Bristol-Myers Squibb's SECURE THE FUTURE® philanthropic initiative. It is the third center dedicated to treating HIV-infected children to open as a result of the Bristol-Myers Squibb-Baylor partnership in Africa, adding to a growing network of clinics addressing the terrible impact of HIV/AIDS on children in Africa and elsewhere in the developing world.


Androgen Deprivation Therapy Does Not Keep Localized Prostate Cancer From Spreading, New Study Says - Medical News Today 26/02/06

Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute researchers wanted to know if depriving men of testosterone actually keeps cancer from spreading beyond the prostate. What they found is that men who have localized prostate cancer with certain high-risk features and receive this treatment -- known as androgen deprivation therapy -- remain at risk of dying from prostate cancer.


French And Foreign Consumers Shun French Poultry - Medical News Today 26/02/06

The French poultry industry is starting to feel the devastating consequences of the psychological fear of bird flu as French and foreign consumers stop buying poultry products. According to various sources in France, chicken meat sales have dropped by 30%. Despite President Jacques Chirac's assurances that cooked chicken meat is perfectly safe to eat.

Hong Kong bans French poultry after bird flu find
- Reuters 26/02/06


Prostate Cancer Treatment And Bone Loss - Common Osteoporosis Treatment May Help - Medical News Today 26/02/06

Men with prostate cancer who experience bone loss from cancer treatment could benefit from a weekly oral therapy commonly given to women with osteoporosis, according to a study presented by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Prostate Cancer Symposium, Feb. 24 to 26 at the San Francisco Marriott. The study, abstract number 139, will be featured in a press program at the meeting, 7:30 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 26.


Investigational Therapy Denosumab Increased Bone Mineral Density With Twice-Yearly Dosing; One Year Data Published In NEJM - Medical News Today 26/02/

Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN), the world's largest biotechnology company, announced today the publication of Phase 2 data demonstrating twice-yearly injections of denosumab (previously referred to as AMG 162), a RANK Ligand inhibitor, significantly increased bone mineral density (BMD) in the total hip, lumbar spine, distal 1/3 radius and total body compared to placebo. The results of this one-year study appeared in the Feb. 23, 2006 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Data results also included an open-label FOSAMAX(R) (alendronate)(a) arm of the same clinical trial.


Intelligently Designed Molecular Evolution At Berkeley - Medical News Today 26/02/06

Evolutionary paths to new therapeutic drugs, as well as a wide assortment of other enzyme products, have been created through, of all things, intelligent design. A team of researchers with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California at Berkeley have developed a technique in which the evolution of an important class of proteins is steered towards a desired outcome.


Relationship Between Oral And Cardiovascular Health Shown By Study - Medical News Today 26/02/06

New research is reinforcing the longstanding belief that a connection exists between periodontal disease, or severe gum inflammation, and cardiovascular disease. But according to Moise Desvarieux, MD, PhD, infectious disease epidemiologist in the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, the nature of the relationship is still unclear and patients cannot rely only on good oral hygiene as a way to reduce their risk for heart disease--they must manage other risk factors for the disease as well.


Pain Medicine Scientific Research Highlights - Medical News Today 26/02/06

22nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine Pain medicine investigators presented preliminary research findings at poster sessions held during the 22nd annual meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego.


Growth In Transdermal Gels Driven By Demographic, Healthcare Trends- New Survey By Greystone Associates Examines Market Potential - Medical News Today

As the pace of drug discovery accelerates, the route of administration is increasingly being viewed as a critical component of therapeutic business strategies and an integral part of the drug development process. While oral administration remains the dominant method for delivering drugs systemically, a significant number of new therapeutic compounds will require delivery technologies that avoid or mitigate the metabolic processes associated with oral ingestion of medication.


Efficacy Of Glucosamine And Chondroitin Sulfate May Depend On Level Of Osteoarthritis Pain - Medical News Today 26/02/06

In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine*, the popular dietary supplement combination of glucosamine plus chondroitin sulfate did not provide significant relief from osteoarthritis pain among all participants. However, a smaller subgroup of study participants with moderate-to-severe pain showed significant relief with the combined supplements. This research was funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Researchers led by rheumatologist Daniel O. Clegg, M.D., of the University of Utah, School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, conducted the 4-year study known as the Glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT) at 16 sites across the United States.


Teen Sexual Encounters Not Only A Result Of Unsupervised Afternoons - Medical News Today 26/02/06

Teen girls reported they were twice as likely to engage in sexual intercourse in the evenings as after school, according to research by Indiana University School of Medicine Adolescent Medicine researchers.


Response To Asthma Medications May Be Affected By Obesity - Medical News Today 26/02/06

As the nation's collective waistline has swelled in recent decades, rates of asthma diagnoses also have accelerated. Indeed, much research has affirmed a link between the two conditions.


Intelligently Designed Molecular Evolution At Berkeley - Medical News Today 26/02/06

Evolutionary paths to new therapeutic drugs, as well as a wide assortment of other enzyme products, have been created through, of all things, intelligent design. A team of researchers with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California at Berkeley have developed a technique in which the evolution of an important class of proteins is steered towards a desired outcome.


Proteins Are Key To Cell Death In Heart Disease, Stroke And Degenerative Conditions - Medical News Today 26/02/06

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have gained deeper understanding of two members of a family of proteins called caspases that play a key role in promoting apoptosis, a process in which the cell responds to external signals by essentially committing suicide.


PSA Campaign About Risky Sexual Behaviors A Success, Says Brenner Children's Hospital Researcher - Medical News Today 26/02/06

Media campaigns that remind parents to talk with their children about sex are effective, according to a pediatric researcher at Brenner Children's Hospital and Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Robert H. DuRant, Ph.D., and his colleagues studied a public service announcement (PSA) campaign aired recently in North Carolina that conveyed the message, "Talk to your kids about sex. Everyone else is." The campaign, which ran for nine months and featured billboard, television and radio PSAs, focused on 20 North Carolina counties which have the highest teen pregnancy rates. A telephone survey of parents in the region showed that the campaign did influence them to talk with their children about sex. The results are published in the March issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health.


First Diagnostic Indicator For Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Identified - Medical News Today 26/02/06

Claire Collier went to see her doctor shortly after she started experiencing cramping and other symptoms. This started a series of referrals and seemingly endless stream of tests. Finally, nine months later after test after test had come back negative, she received the diagnosis of ALS. Only then could she begin to receive the treatment needed to treat her symptoms.


Cholesterol Levels Discounted As A Biological Marker For Suicide Risk Among Alcoholics - Medical News Today 26/02/06

  • Alcoholism is a major risk factor for suicidal behavior.
  • Prior research has suggested that cholesterol may be a general biological marker for suicide risk.
  • New research discounts cholesterol levels as a biological marker for suicide attempt risk among alcoholics, but identifies a "profile" of patients at risk.


Cigarette Smoking Nearly Doubles Risk For Root Canal Treatment - Medical News Today 26/02/06

According to a new study appearing in the April issue of the Journal of Dental Research, cigarette smoking can lead to not only tooth discoloration and gum disease, but also a common dental procedure that helps to heal a diseased tooth--the root canal.


Genetic And Environmental Influences On Alcohol Consumption - Medical News Today 26/02/06

There is little doubt that alcohol-related disorders in humans are genetically based. The influence of environmental factors, however, remains unclear. Given that studies of humans are complicated by a multitude of cultural and day-to-day-living factors, researchers in the March issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research use rhesus monkeys to examine genetic and environmental influences on alcohol consumption. Results indicate that, just as with humans, both genetic and environmental factors contribute to variation in alcohol consumption among the non-human primates.


Alcoholism, Smoking And Genetics Among Plains American Indians - Medical News Today 26/02/06

Alcoholism and smoking have a high rate of co-occurrence in the general population. Yet little is known about the co-morbidity of alcoholism and smoking among American Indians. In the March issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, researchers examine patterns of alcohol and tobacco use among Plains American Indians, as well as the influence that a catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) functional polymorphism called Val158Met may have on these behaviors.


NIH Grant To Support Research On New Treatment For Severe OCD - Medical News Today 26/02/06

As part of a five-year, $3.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers will look at whether a breakthrough therapy for Parkinson's disease can also treat the worst cases of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). A research team led out of the University of Rochester Medical Center will measure whether Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) can reduce the rampant anxiety that keeps some OCD patients homebound.



Moderate Drinkers Who Occasionally Drink Heavily Are More Likely To Suffer An Alcohol-related Injury Than Chronic Heavy Drinkers
- Medical News Today 26/02/06

Moderate drinkers who occasionally drink heavily are more likely to suffer an alcohol-related injury than chronic heavy drinkers, a Swiss study has found, and the risk is greatest during a bout of binge drinking.


Early Diagnosis And Melanoma - Medical News Today 26/02/06

Melanoma is the most common cancer amongst us. It is the cutaneous tumour with the worst prognosis and its incidence is growing. Although possible overdiagnosis has been criticised, the reality is that, the death rate has gone up from 6,000 to 9,000 cases in ten years. In the USA, in concrete, it is the main cause of death amongst women between 19 and 50 years of age. According to specialists from the University Hospital of Navarra and from the USA, early diagnosis guarantees cure in 99% of patients with melanoma.


Antibody-interleukin Complexes Stimulate Immune Responses, New Study Shows - Medical News Today 26/02/06

The findings could also be significant for developing new ways to help patients with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, or juvenile diabetes.


Preliminary Results From Largest Allergy Study Of Its Kind To Be Released Monday, February 27, 2006 - Medical News Today 25/02/06

The results, endorsed by the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, are in. 34,000 households were screened; 2,500 patients surveyed; 1,500 hours of interviews were completed for a scientific survey of allergy (allergic rhinitis) patients and physicians, titled: "Allergies in America: A Landmark Survey of Nasal Allergy Sufferers" to be released on Monday, February 27, 2006 at a Media Luncheon Panel Discussion to be held at 12 noon at the Central Park Zoo's Gallery in New York City.


Pilot Study Examines The Use Of The Tongue As An Alternate Donor Site For Graft Urethroplasty - Medical News Today 25/02/06

A wide variety of free extragenital graft tissues have been used for urethroplasty including ureter, saphenous vein, appendix, full-thickness skin, bladder mucosa and buccal mucosa. The current opinion is that the best site for harvest is probably the buccal mucosa but oral complications can occur and cause long-term problems such as peri-oral numbness, salivatory changes and difficulty opening the mouth. The mucosal covering of the lateral and under surface of the tongue is identical in structure with that lining the rest of the oral cavity. Therefore, like buccal mucosa, lingual mucosa has constant availability, easy harvesting, and favorable resistance to infection and tissue characteristics.


Ipsogen Presents Breast Cancer Biomarker Results At The Upcoming EBCC 5, The 5th European Breast Cancer Conference - Medical News Today 25/02/06

Ipsogen SAS, the French cancer diagnostics company, announced today that its latest breast cancer program results had been selected for presentation at the EBCC 5 congress, the 5th European Breast Cancer Conference, held in Nice, France, 21-25 March 2006.


Genetic Link Found Between Eating Disorders And Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - Medical News Today 25/02/06

Researchers at the University of Toronto have unravelled the genetic link between eating disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) among women who experience both syndromes. Their study, published in European Neuropsychopharmacology, suggests how a particular gene influences OCD pathology in an eating disorder population.


Investigational Therapy Denosumab Increased Bone Mineral Density With Twice-yearly Dosing - Medical News Today 25/02/06

Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN), the world's largest biotechnology company, announced today the publication of Phase 2 data demonstrating twice-yearly injections of denosumab (previously referred to as AMG 162), a RANK Ligand inhibitor, significantly increased bone mineral density (BMD) in the total hip, lumbar spine, distal 1/3 radius and total body compared to placebo. The results of this one-year study appeared in the Feb. 23, 2006 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Data results also included an open-label FOSAMAX® (alendronate)* arm of the same clinical trial.


Tool Helps Doctors Tailor Infertility Treatments For Couples - Medical News Today 25/02/06

Physicians must consider a number of variables when treating couples who cannot naturally conceive because of factors involving both the woman and man. However, a new tool developed at the University of Iowa helps experts better predict outcomes and choose the treatment method that is most likely to help the couple achieve pregnancy.


Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Among Children Living In Russian 'Baby Homes'
- Medical News Today 25/02/06

Researchers have examined a sample of children living in Russian "Baby Homes" for features that are indicative of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).


The Early Prostate Cancer Trial And Adjuvant Anti-androgen Therapy: Still Defining The Role - Medical News Today 25/02/06

The Early Prostate Cancer Trial (EPC) was the largest prostate cancer (CaP) study ever undertaken. It evaluated adjuvant bicalutamide in patients across the world that still had their standard care primary therapy: whether watchful-waiting, radiotherapy or radical prostatectomy.


Advent Of Prenatal Ultrasonography Has Led To Higher Discovery Of Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction (UPJO) - Medical News Today 25/02/06

The advent of prenatal ultrasonography has led to a higher rate of diagnosis regarding pediatric hydronephrosis lending to a higher discovery of ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO). The gold standard of treatment for UPJO is open dismembered pyeloplasty. Pyeloplasty truly has an impact on future development and health of that renal moiety with systemic consequences such as hypertension. Piedrahita and Palmer developed a critical pathway to determine whether open pyeloplasty could be performed in preadolescent and adolescent children with UPJO and safely discharge them after a 1-day hospitalization.


Intensive Support Programmes Benefit Parents Of Children With Rare Diseases - Medical News Today 25/02/06

Intensive support programmes can help parents of children with rare diseases reduce their stress levels and improve their quality of life, according to research published in the latest Journal of Advanced Nursing.


One Source Of Human Salmonella Infection Is Associated With Pet Reptiles, With Snakes Poisoned At Birth - Medical News Today 25/02/06

Scientists in Germany have found that a significant route of transmission of Salmonella in non egg-laying snakes is from the mother to the offspring during pregnancy and birth.


Micro Robots, From Cell Manipulation To Micro Assembly - Medical News Today 25/02/06

From cell manipulation to micro assembly, micro robots devised by an international team of researchers offer a glimpse of the future.


Cell Growth And Cell Division Genes Identified - Medical News Today 25/02/06

A recent study shows that hundreds of genes contribute to cell growth and cell division. For the first time these genes, many of which are potential contributors to cancer, have been mapped in a single systematic study.


Ginkgo Biloba Extract: More Than Just For Memory? - Medical News Today 25/02/06

Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center say they now have a clearer picture of how an extract from the leaves of the Ginkgo biloba tree reduces the risk of aggressive cancer in animal experiments.


Learning And Memory Stimulated By Gut Hormone - Medical News Today 25/02/06

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found evidence that a hormone produced in the stomach directly stimulates the higher brain functions of spatial learning and memory development, and further suggests that we may learn best on an empty stomach.


Senegal: Trial Of Intermittent Malaria Treatment In Children Leads To 86% Reduction In Cases - Medical News Today 25/02/06

A team of researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, working in partnership with colleagues from Senegal, has found that intermittent preventive malaria treatment of children under five has a dramatic impact on malaria frequency.


More Targeted Way To Deliver Cancer Drugs Using Natural Biomolecules - Medical News Today 25/02/06

The future of drug design lies in finding ways to target a drug specifically to a diseased cell, or even a molecule within that cell, while leaving healthy cells and molecules unharmed.


Man-made Prostate Created By Women - Medical News Today 25/02/06

In a giant step towards understanding prostate disease, Melbourne scientists have grown a human prostate from embryonic stem cells.


Level Of Osteoarthritis Pain May Determine Efficacy Of Glucosamine, Chondroitin Sulfate - Medical News Today 25/02/06

The popular dietary supplements glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate proved no better than a placebo in relieving osteoarthritis knee pain in most participants of a major national trial. But the study, published in the Feb. 23 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, also showed a smaller subgroup of trial patients with moderate to severe osteoarthritis knee pain taking the combination of the two supplements experienced significant pain relief.


How BAT Lobbied To Kill Off Groundbreaking Tobacco Legislation In Uzbekistan, New Study - Medical News Today 25/02/06

A paper in the British Medical Journal reveals for the first time how British American Tobacco actively undermined and eventually overturned groundbreaking legislation that would have served to protect the health of the Uzbek population.


Providence Health System Shows Investigational Osteoporosis Therapy Increases Bone Mineral Density - Medical News Today 25/02/06

Providence Health System researchers announced today that an investigational therapy for bone loss, denosumab, demonstrated significant increases in bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Many older adults experience bone loss that leads to low BMD and fractures. Bone mineral density is often used to gauge a person's risk of fracture. These research findings, which were published in the Feb. 23, 2006 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, are significant especially in light of the recent Surgeon General's report on bone health. The report highlights the need for new, improved approaches to prevention and treatment of osteoporosis and other bone loss conditions.


Taste Gene May Play Role In Smoking - Medical News Today 24/02/06

Recent research on the genetics of smoking has focused on genes that are thought to be related to nicotine metabolism, personality traits, and regulation of emotions.


Children's Self-esteem Can Affect Their Response To Asthma - Medical News Today 25/02/06

While many urban children suffer from asthma, those who have high self-esteem and good problem-solving skills may be less likely to have their asthma symptoms interfere with school, a new study finds.


Learning To Love Bacteria: Stanford Scientist Highlights Bugs' Benefits - Medical News Today 25/02/06

Bacteria are bad. Mothers and doctors, not to mention the cleaning product industry, repeatedly warn of their dangers. But a Stanford University School of Medicine microbiologist is raising the intriguing idea that persistent bacterial and viral infections have benefits.


Genetic Test Accurate For Salt-related High Blood Pressure - Medical News Today 24/02/06

Researchers led by UVa Health System pathologist Robin Felder, Ph.D., have demonstrated that looking for several variations of genes that control blood pressure can predict the risk for high blood pressure caused by high levels of salt. Once it is fully developed, this effective diagnostic test will be the first of its kind, says Dr. Felder, whose work will be published in the Feb. 23 issue of the journal Clinical Chemistry. When a subject had three or more variations in these genes, the new genetic test correctly predicted risk for salt-induced high blood pressure in 94 percent of cases. Health is adversely affected by high salt intake in up to half of Americans.


New Study Says Heart Health And Lifestyle Are Associated With Maintaining Brain Health As We Age - Medical News Today 24/02/06

Heart health risk factors and lifestyle choices, such as exercise, learning new things and staying socially connected, are associated with maintaining brain health as we age according to a new report from a multi-Institute collaboration of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published online today in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association.


Cheshire and Merseyside News


Blair: hospital MRSA threat is exaggerated - Daily Post 24/02/06

TONY BLAIR last night told the Daily Post he believed that the risk to NHS patients from MRSA had been "exaggerated".

Premier answers the big questions - Daily Post 24/02/06


Thieves of ambulance satnav 'put lives at risk' - Liverpool Echo 24/02/06

THIEVES are putting lives at risk by stealing hi-tech satellite navigation systems from ambulances.


Our bird flu nightmare - Chester Chronicle 24/02/06

CHESHIRE poultry farmer Ian Lloyd says bird flu could 'devastate' his industry.

Threat of bird flu looms over Cheshire - Chester Chronicle 24/02/06
Don't panic call as bird flu hits European flocks - Ormskirk Advertiser 23/02/06


Docs put Ince in the dock - Chester Chronicle 24/02/06

A WEEK after the Government released a report on waste management ordering an increase of 22 incinerators in the UK. BARRY ELLAMS spoke to scientists and GPs to find out why incinerators like the proposed Ince Marsh plant are bad for our health.


Psychotherapist cleared of attack - Chester Chronicle 24/02/06

A PSYCHOTHERAPIST walked free from Chester Crown Court this week after being found not guilty on charges of assault and false imprisonment.


Save our services - Runcorn Weekly News 23/02/06

HUNDREDS of demonstrators braved the wind and rain on Tuesday evening to protest against controversial proposals to remove emergency services from Halton Hospital.


MP fights Alzheimer's drug cause - Ormskirk Advertiser 23/02/06

WEST LANCS MP Rosie Cooper has written to Patricia Hewitt to try and help sufferers of Alzheimer's who could have their NHS treatment withdrawn.


Figures boost - Ormskirk Advertiser 23/02/06

ORMSKIRK and Southport's hospital emergency teams are celebrating new figures which show that 99.4% of patients are admitted, discharged or transferred within four hours of arrival at the A&E and minor injuries unit.


No to maternity call - Ormskirk Advertiser 23/02/06

HEALTH chiefs have poured cold water on demands to re-open an axed midwifery unit.


GP signs up for big race - Southport Visiter 24/02/06

A SIX-year-old boy with leukaemia has inspired his local doctor to raise money for cancer sufferers.


Confusion over dentist contracts - Daily Post 25/02/06

The "shambolic" introduction of new contracts for dentists has left practices across England and Wales in confusion, the profession's national body has said.


Resuscitation guidelines concern - Daily Post 24/02/06

Care homes should be able to "opt out" of trying to save the lives of dying elderly patients, according to a group of medical experts.


Cumbria and Lancashire News


12 new dentsts recruited
- News & Star 24/02/06

TWELVE new NHS dentists are coming to north and west Cumbria in a move that will almost wipe out the area’s mounting waiting list.


Greater Manchester News


Patient terror at dentist from hell - Manchester Evening News 26/02/06

A DENTIST from hell left patients cowering in the chair and begging him to stop drilling.


More NHS patients will see dentists - Bolton Evening News 25/02/06

MORE people in Bolton will be able to get NHS dental treatment from April 1 as a result of a national reorganisation.


Are we ready to stop bird flu? - Manchester Evening News 24/02/06

LIFE-SAVING bird flu drugs do not appear to have been stockpiled in the north west - despite assurances by health bosses that they are geared up to deal with a massive outbreak among humans.


MRSA ordeal for new mum - Manchester Evening News 24/02/06

THE plight of a mum who caught MRSA after giving birth at a Manchester hospital has emerged as shocking figures reveal the rise in deaths linked to the bug.


Have a say on health - Bury Times 25/02/06

PEOPLE wanting an input in the future of Bury's health services are invited to attend a special workshop to have their say.


Have your say on Christie Hospital - Bury Times 25/02/06

PEOPLE in Prestwich and Whitefield are being invited to have their say on how cancer services will be developed at Christie Hospital.


Have your say on hospital's future - Bolton Evening News 25/02/06

PEOPLE in Bolton are being invited to have their say on how cancer services develop at the Christie Hospital.


Plan to raise adult abuse awareness - Bolton Evening News 25/02/06

HOSPITAL staff are dealing with almost 100 adult victims of abuse every year.


Patient deaths surgeon to be a psychiatrist - Bolton Evening News 25/02/06

A FORMER surgeon who left two patients dead after a series of botched operations has been allowed back to work.


New contracts will improve NHS dentistry - Bury Times 24/02/06

CATHERINE Keen makes a number of points about NHS dentistry (Letters February 16). Each of them is inaccurate.

Friday, February 24, 2006

Contents

Click on content link below to go to the news from that section: this will open a web page if you receive this by email



National News


Study questions ecstasy link to depression - Reuters 24/02/06

Ecstasy, the illegal recreational drug blamed by doctors for depression and anxiety, may often only enhance these symptoms rather than cause them, according to a study published on Friday.

Ecstasy linked to childhood depression - the Daily Mail 24/02/06
Child anxiety link to ecstasy use - BBC News 24/02/06


UK to buy bird flu vaccine stock - BBC News 24/02/06

The government has awarded two companies multi-million pound contracts to produce a vaccine against the deadly strain of bird flu for humans.


Fall in teenage pregnancy rate - The Times 24/02/06

THE Government has missed its target of reducing teenage conceptions by 15 per cent between 2000 and 2004, although by only a small margin.


Hospital price guide withdrawn - The Times 24/02/06

Hospitals have been told that they can no longer rely on an official “treatment price list” used to draw up budgets.

NHS funding 'manipulation threat' - BBC News 24/02/06


This needle won't hurt and you should feel a lot calmer before you sit your exam - The Times 24/02/06

The 900 children at Stanchester Community School are the first in Britain to be offered acupuncture to help them to cope with pre-exam nerves.


Superbug deaths up by nearly a quarter in year - Guardian 24/02/06

The number of deaths related to MRSA, the so-called hospital superbug, increased by almost a quarter, according to the latest figures. MRSA is now six times more likely to be a factor in the deaths of people in NHS hospitals than anywhere else, the Office for National Statistics said yesterday.


'Let old folk in care die' - the Daily Mail 24/02/06

Care homes should be able to "opt out" of trying to save the lives of dying elderly patients, according to a group of medical experts.
Care homes 'not to resuscitate' - BBC News 24/02/06


UK to buy bird flu vaccine stock - BBC News 24/02/06

The government has awarded two companies multi-million pound contracts to produce a vaccine against the deadly strain of bird flu for humans.



'Parents are healthier than their kids' - the Daily Mail 24/02/06

Parents will always claim they know best - and when it comes to being healthy, offspring in their twenties and thirties would do well to listen.


International News

Autistic ability 'underestimated' - BBC News 24/02/06

The intelligence of people diagnosed with autism is being underestimated, a science conference in St Louis, US, has been told.


Public Has Inadequate Understanding Of Food Risk Issues, Food Experts Say - Medical News Today 24/02/06

A recent study shows that food safety experts have little confidence in the public's understanding of food risk issues. The study is published in the Journal of Food Safety.


Hundreds Of Genes Contribute To Cell Growth And Cell Division - Medical News Today 24/02/06

A recent study shows that hundreds of genes contribute to cell growth and cell division. For the first time these genes, many of which are potential contributors to cancer, have been mapped in a single systematic study.


Dental Industry Leaders Launch National Foundation To Aid Millions Of Underserved Children - Medical News Today 24/02/06

A consortium of senior dental industry leaders, today announced the creation of The National Children's Dental Foundation at the Foundation's launch event held at The Chicago Children's Museum. The Foundation's mission is to eliminate dental disease and promote overall health and well-being by supporting and providing access to the best comprehensive prevention, education, treatment and advocacy programs for the growing numbers of dentally underserved children nationwide.


Key Distinction Between Outbreaks That Die Out And Epidemics Found By Study - Medical News Today 24/02/06

In an important study forthcoming in the March 2006 issue of the American Naturalist, biologists from Yale University, University of Florida, and Dartmouth University explore the dynamics of pathogen survival and shed new light on a longstanding mystery: why some infectious diseases are limited to small outbreaks and others become full-blown epidemics.


Great (taste) Expectations: Brain Anticipates Taste And Shifts Gears, Study Shows - Medical News Today 24/02/06

As the prism of our senses, the human brain has ways of refracting sensory input in defiance of reality.


Fresh theory on cause of Crohn's - BBC News 24/02/06

A weakened immune system - not an over-active one as had been suspected - may cause the intestinal disorder Crohn's disease, research suggests.



Cheshire and Merseyside News


Day care hospice to be sited at hospital - Ormskirk Advertiser 24/02/06

TRUSTEES of West Lancashire Community Hospice have announced a site for a new day care Hospice in Ormskirk.


GP's 'second-rate' health service fear - Ormskirk Advertiser 24/02/06

AN Ormskirk-based GP says that option three for the future of West Lancashire's Primary Care Trust would mean safer and better services for local patients.


Nurse takes healthy eating message to the classrooms - Southport Visiter 24/02/06

WHILE Jamie Oliver challenged schools to provide healthier school meals, Southport school nurse, Chris Laverty, has been taking a whole school approach to support healthy eating at Greenbank High School.


Action against asbestos - Maghull & Aintree Star 24/02/06

ASBESTOS victims and campaigners are inviting those affected by Asbestos to attend their public meeting on Monday (February 27).


Staff will advise on 999 calls - Maghull & Aintree Star 24/02/06

A MAJOR shake-up of the way some 999 calls are dealt with is being planned.


Blair: hospital MRSA threat is exaggerated - Daily Post 24/02/06

TONY BLAIR last night told the Daily Post he believed that the risk to NHS patients from MRSA had been "exaggerated".


Fears raised over future of hospital - Weekly News 24/02/06

GRAVE doubts over the future of Halton Hospital were voiced by councillors as they grilled hospital trust chiefs on its proposed restructuring at a meeting.


Cumbria and Lancashire News


Chemists step in to help oxygen patients - Preston Today 24/02/06

PHARMACISTS across Lancashire have been forced to restart home deliveries of oxygen after chaos broke out with the newly privatised home supply service.


Going through the lotions - Preston Today 24/02/06

A baby boy was flown more than 12,000 miles for a miracle cure to a devastating condition after UK doctors were left baffled.


Greater Manchester News

Are we ready to stop bird flu? - Manchester Evening News 24/02/06

LIFE-SAVING bird flu drugs do not appear to have been stockpiled in the north west - despite assurances by health bosses that they are geared up to deal with a massive outbreak among humans.

Monday, February 20, 2006

Contents

Click on content link below to go to the news from that section: this will open a web page if you receive this by email



National News


Whistleblower accuses staff of 'appalling' abuse at care home - The Observer 19/02/06

Family threatens legal action after claim that a resident was strapped to his wheelchair for hours, reports Antony Barnett


Now, don't tell me about your parents - The Observer 19/02/06

Freud's methods are slipping out of fashion as therapy booms. One in five Britons has had it - but now analysts want a practical approach. Lorna Martin and Edward Helmore report


UK baby shortage will cost 11 billion - The Observer 19/02/06

Britain is suffering a baby 'shortage' with potentially disastrous consequences as work pressures force young women to shelve plans for a family, according to dramatic new research urging an 11bn campaign to boost parenthood.

How the baby shortage threatens our future - The Observer 19/02/06
Fertility trap: The 500,000 question - should you gamble with your body clock - The Independent 19/02/06
Late mothers cause baby gap of 92,000 - The Sunday Times 19/02/06
Having a child early costs women hundreds of thousands of pounds
- The Telegraph 19/02/06


Smokeless tobacco test on the way - The Observer 19/02/06

With the smoking ban now passed, cigarette firms plough cash into alternative nicotine hit


'Hit squads' aim to save community hospitals - The Observer 19/02/06

'Hit squads' are to be sent around the country to check that National Health Service trusts are not planning to close community hospitals.


Heroin girl, 11, out of hospital - The Observer 19/02/06

An 11-year-girl who collapsed at school after smoking heroin has left hospital, it has been reported.


70% of dentists 'might quit NHS' - The Guardian 18/02/06

Almost seven out of 10 dentists might quit the NHS when new Government reforms come into force, a survey claimed.


NHS to decide on breast cancer drug by August - The Guardian 18/02/06

Breast cancer patients hoping to benefit from Herceptin, the drug that many perceive as their best hope of conquering the disease, will have to wait until August before the NHS decides whether it gives value-for-money treatment for women with early stage disease.

Herceptin maker tries to fast-track NHS approval - The Times 18/02/06
Wider use of cancer drug will be 'too late for many women' - The Telegraph 18/02/06


Court clears Meadow to practise again - The Guardian 18/02/06

Doctors who give mistaken expert evidence in child abuse cases were granted immunity in law from disciplinary action yesterday in a groundbreaking high court ruling that cleared the controversial paediatrician Professor Sir Roy Meadow of serious professional misconduct.

Tireless voice vows to continue speaking out - The Guardian 18/02/06
Q&A: Sir Roy Meadow - The Guardian 18/02/06
Disgraced Meadow reinstated by judge - The Independent 18/02/06
Cot deaths doctor wins battle to be reinstated - The Times 18/02/06
Sir Roy Meadow, the flawed witness, wins GMC appeal - The Telegraph 18/02/06
Experts buoyed by Meadow ruling - BBC Health News 18/02/06


Welcome to the Jab'n'Tuck revolution - The Independent 19/02/06

The latest range of anti-ageing injections is eliminating the need for the cosmetic surgeon's knife


Phone firms targeting of under-fives is 'as bad as marketing junk food' say MPs - The Independent 19/02/06

Senior MPs are calling for an urgent government inquiry into the "targeting" of children with cartoon mobile phone merchandise, including Winnie the Pooh, dangly soft toys and Scooby-Doo mobile phone covers.


Bird flu: the species you should really fear - The Independent 19/02/06

As the danger of a pandemic grows, Britain is woefully ill-prepared, says Geoffrey Lean

UK 'not doing enough' on bird flu - BBC Health News 19/02/06
'No panic' over bird flu threat - BBC Health News 19/02/06


Smoking ban will lead to 1.1bn loss for Treasury - The Independent 18/02/06

The Chancellor, Gordon Brown, will lose a staggering 1.14bn in revenue as a result of the MPs' vote to ban smoking in all enclosed public places.

A 'pleasure' that's not worth dying for - The Telegraph 16/02/06
No smoke without willpower - The Telegraph 16/02/06


Scottish health targets 'useless' - The Sunday Times 19/02/06

MINISTERS are pursuing “meaningless and unambitious” health targets that will fail to rid Scotland of its reputation as the sick man of Europe, one of the country’s leading economists has warned, writes Jason Allardyce.


Smoke ban officers to follow offenders home - The Sunday Times 19/02/06

TEAMS of council enforcers are to be given the power to trail people who flaunt the ban on smoking in public places, including following them to their cars and homes.


NHS pays the price - The Sunday Times 19/02/06

PROFESSOR Rod Griffiths challenges us to acknowledge that the NHS cannot pay for all the new medicines “and have the courage to say they are not the best use of public cash” (News, last week).


Blunder left trail of lethal radiation - The Times 18/02/06

Safety cap left off toxic cargo as it travelled 130 miles across Britain

Lorry leaked radioactive beam for three hours - The Telegraph 18/02/06


GPs told to abandon private suppliers of oxygen - The Times 18/02/06

FAMILY doctors unable to obtain oxygen for their patients were advised last night to abandon the newly privatised supply service and revert to an old system to ensure that more lives were not put at risk.

Letters to the Editor - The Times 18/02/06
Second patient dies following oxygen switch - The Telegraph 18/02/06
Patients hit by oxygen shortage - BBC Health News 17/02/06


Child prisoners suffer cruelty by staff - The Times 18/02/06

CHILD prisoners are being subjected to treatment that would prompt child abuse investigations elsewhere, an independent inquiry said yesterday.

Cut back use of force on youths in jail, says peer - The Telegraph 18/02/06


High-street chemist prepares for H5N1 onslaught - The Times 18/02/06

HIGH STREET chemists are being trained to give advice to concerned members of the public about bird flu.


If you want local choice, you'll have to play the hated postcode lottery - The Times 18/02/06

POSTCODE LOTTERIES are back in the headlines, newly notorious as Ann Marie Rogers’s case for an NHS Herceptin prescription failed in the High Court this week. Few critics of the court judgment have failed to mention the “postcode lottery”. And spit. Post- code lotteries are bad — I think we’re all agreed on that.


Running for cover - The Times 18/02/06

Insurance scares over genetic-tests are a big fuss about nothing

Insurers drop plan for gene-test checks - The Telegraph 18/02/06


Who dares usually wins - The Times 18/02/06

Risk-takers will live longer, have more friends and are less likely to get Parkinson’s, Jerome Burne asserts boldly

Risk-takers 'escape Parkinson's' - BBC Health News 18/02/06


Damned lies and placebos - The Times 18/02/06

Doctors lie, sometimes quite deliberately. I’m going to lie to someone next Wednesday when he picks up his chest X-ray result. I already know it shows a huge tumour in his right lung. I suspect that it has already seeded secondary deposits throughout his body to account for his weight loss, liver enlargement and memory lapses.


Junk medicine: organ donation - The Times 18/02/06

More than 5,500 British patients are waiting for a new kidney. However, the shortage of organs is such that only 1,700 of these can expect a transplant each year. More than a quarter of the lucky ones have a friend or relative to thank for their new organs. Of the less fortunate, more than one a day will die on the waiting list.


Computer analysts - The Times 18/02/06

The NHS is set to approve online therapy for a range of emotional problems. Will it work, asks John Naish


The gender mender - The Times 18/02/06

The US cardiologist, scientist and bestselling author Marianne Legato has changed the face of women’s medicine. She tells Vivienne Parry why she is now turning from hearts to minds


Chill out at the snow spas - The Times 18/02/06

Winter breaks don't have to be all downhill: one Times writer finds peace in a 'pod', another unwinds with a deep massage


Happy families: the know-it-all brother-in-law - The Times 18/02/06

An expert is an asset to any family, or so you might think. But does any family really need this one: the know-it-all brother-in-law? The trouble is, he is an expert on everything. You may be thrilled with your new bookshelves: you had them made to measure by a local craftsman for what seemed a reasonable price. You show them, with pride, to your brother-in-law. “Oh,” he says, “If only I’d known. I could have told you that Ikea sell identical units; you’d never know the difference.”


Lunchtime fix: the Vacunaut - The Times 18/02/06

The Vacunaut is billed as a non-surgical tummy tuck, offering a sexy six-pack in six weeks, but, frankly, you’re not going to look all that sexy while you’re wearing the suit (see right). In fact, you’ll feel silly, sweaty and a little bit uncomfortable. Robbie Williams, apparently, is a huge Vacunaut fan and Anna Friel uses the female version — but then she’d look sexy in just about anything.


Agony and ecstasy: sex advice - The Times 18/02/06

I am 34 and my boyfriend wants to be more experimental in bed. I quite like the idea of eating food off him, perhaps chocolate or cream. Any tips?


How to treat a tummy bug - The Times 18/02/06

My daughter is 5 and there’s a tummy bug going around at her school. Several children in her class were sent home recently after being sick. How are these bugs transmitted? My daughter’s been lucky to escape so far but if she does catch it, at what point should I contact our GP?


What's up doc? Taking your blood pressure - The Times 18/02/06

Why bother? The doctor inflates a cuff on your arm, which temporarily cuts off the blood supply. Next, the cuff is deflated slowly while he uses his stethoscope to listen to the main arm artery. When the cuff pressure equals the pressure within the artery, blood pumps back into the arm. This is heard through the stethoscope as a rhythmic tapping. At this point, the mercury level in the blood pressure machine, the sphygmo- manometer (“sphyg”), gives the systolic pressure. After further deflation, the sounds become muffled; this is the diastolic pressure. These figures are recorded one over the other. Hence the “perfect” blood pressure of 120/80, although there’s a wide range of normal.


Open harp surgery - The Times 18/02/06

Cardiologists have a new way to pluck up your heart strings, says David Mattin


Eco-worrier: re-using rags - The Times 18/02/06

I rip up old clothes to use as rags and dusters but I wash them regularly. Is that any better than using disposable cloths?


Home remedies: colloidal silver for preventing infections - The Times 18/02/06

One of our Scottish readers swears by colloidal silver — silver particles in a liquid — for practically everything, from colds to cold sores. She and her partner have used it on the the dog, their friends’ budgie, the grandchildren, cattle and lambs.


Please Sir, we want more - The Times 18/02/06

A year after Jamie Oliver stirred up a big row over school meals, Simon Crompton asks if lessons have been learnt


At your table: pancakes - The Times 18/02/06

My kitchen ceiling, walls and cupboard doors may well be splattered with batter this year as I’ve decided that my daughter Maya, 3, is old enough, with the right supervision, to start flipping pancakes.


Breathing space: walking the dog: taking a healthy lead - The Times 18/02/06

A long walk with a dog is a great way of having a cardiovascular workout. And, according to a study published last month, older people who get out and about with a dog had lower stress levels than those who walked the same distance by themseles. If you don't have the time, or your own pooch, why not borrow one and do your bit for charity?


Not just anybody: Diana Rigg - The Times 18/02/06

How the fit and fabulous stay that way. Actress Diana Rigg, 67, thrives on hard work and her only concession to health is low-tar cigarettes


Alzheimer's drug rethink - The Telegraph 18/02/06

The Department of Health has asked its advisory body to think again about how drugs for Alzheimer's disease are prescribed following criticism of its proposals last month.


Acupressure 'best for back treatment' - Daily Mail 17/02/06

A form of Chinese massage may be more effective than conventional treatments in reducing lower back pain, researchers believe.

Acupressure 'good for back pain' - BBC Health News 17/02/06


Men 'dying needlessly from breast cancer' - Daily Mail 17/02/06

Men are dying unnecessarily from breast cancer because they are unaware of the symptoms or too embarrassed to seek help, a leading expert has claimed.


Bird flu: Will all poultry get jabs? - Daily Mail 17/02/06

Britain's entire poultry stock - 150million birds - may have to be vaccinated in a bid to stop bird flu.

UK Considering Vaccinating Whole Poultry Stock Against Bird Flu - Medical News Today 17/02/06


Would you have a DIY abortion? - Daily Mail 17/02/06

What do you think about home abortion? Join the debate in our reader comments below


Celebrity health - Gwyneth Lewis - BBC Health News 19/02/06

In a series on celebrities and their health the BBC News website talks to Wales' first national poet, Gwyneth Lewis, about her battle with depression.


Metals link to multiple sclerosis - BBC Health News 19/02/06

Multiple sclerosis could be linked to difficulty in processing iron and aluminium, a study has suggested.


NHS 'target effect' fears raised - BBC Health News 18/02/06

Extra controls are needed to make sure hospital bosses are not manipulating services to meet targets, a study says.


MPs petition for end to 'sex tax' - BBC Health News 17/02/06

MPs - including Lib Dem leadership contender Simon Hughes - are calling for the price of condoms to be reduced to prevent the spread of HIV.


Radiation overdose girl improving - BBC Health News 17/02/06

The doctor caring for a teenager who was given a massive overdose of radiation said she was improving after receiving specialist oxygen treatment.


Global Toll Of Glaucoma Set To Reach 80 Million By 2020 - Medical News Today 19/02/06

The global toll of the disabling eye disease glaucoma is set to reach 60 million by 2010, rising to almost 80 million by 2020, finds research in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.


Cancer % Private Medical Insurance - Industry Initiatives ‘an Important Step In The Right Direction' But Clarity For Consumers Still Lacking, UK - Medical News Today 19/02/06

Latest initiatives by the insurance industry to improve the clarity of consumer information on private medical insurance are an important step in the right direction but don't go far enough, says cancer information charity CancerBACUP.


CancerBACUP Response To High Court Decision On Herceptin, UK - Medical News Today 19/02/06

"This ruling has huge implications for cancer care. We believe the public will see this as postcode prescribing rather than local-decision making," says Joanne Rule, Chief Executive of CancerBACUP.


Pregnant Women With Heart Disease More Likely To Die During Pregnancy, Report Says - Medical News Today 19/02/06

Women with congenital heart disease are 100 times as likely to die during pregnancy as women who do not have the condition, according to a report published on Monday in BMJ, BBC News reports (BBC News, 2/13). The report -- which was written by Michael Gatzoulis, professor of cardiology and adult congenital heart disease at Royal Brompton Hospital in London, and colleagues -- estimates that more than 125,000 women in the United Kingdom have congenital heart disease (Moss, Independent, 2/13). The report says that heart disease is the second-leading cause of maternal death in the U.K., and the number of women with the condition is expected to increase. The report recommends that doctors provide adequate prepregnancy counseling, as well as prenatal care, to women with congenital heart disease. The report adds that doctors should discuss labor and delivery with such patients "well in advance," adding that the "postpartum period requires a multidisciplinary team approach with cardiologists, obstetricians and anaesthetists" (Gatzoulis et al., BMJ, 2/13). "Prolonged and difficult labor should be avoided, and detailed continuous monitoring of the mother and fetus is mandatory," Gatzoulis wrote. He added, "The principle is to manage the stress of labor in such a way that it does not exceed the woman's capacity to cope with it." According to BBC News, a group of experts at a conference in London this week are expected to call for improved awareness of the risks associated with congenital heart disease and pregnancy (BBC News, 2/13).


'High Efficiency' Vacuum Cleaners No More Effective Than Standard Models At Reducing Exposure To Dust-mites - Medical News Today 19/02/06

Researchers at the North West Lung Centre, run by The University of Manchester and based at Wythenshawe Hospital, have discovered that vacuum cleaners with 'high-efficiency particulate air' or HEPA filters are no more effective than standard models at reducing exposure to dust-mites.


U.K. Development, Pharmaceutical Company Officials To Discuss Pediatric HIV/AIDS Medicines - Medical News Today 18/02/06

Officials from the U.K. Department for International Development are organizing talks with pharmaceutical company representatives to address the low number of affordable and safe drugs designed to treat children living with HIV/AIDS in developing countries or prevent them from contracting the virus, the Financial Times reports. Drug makers for many years have been motivated to develop adult HIV/AIDS medications by the high prices they can charge in wealthy nations, according to the Times. However, they have little incentive to adapt the drugs for HIV-positive children, most of whom live in resource-poor countries, the Times reports. According to estimates from international organizations, 2.3 million children under the age of 15 are living with HIV/AIDS, and less than 5% of those in need of treatment are receiving it. Although there are several pediatric HIV/AIDS medications available as syrups, they often are difficult to administer, have a short shelf life and can cost several times the amount of adult formulations, according to the Times. Some HIV/AIDS specialists have called for the development of pediatric drugs in tablet form. DFID officials are expected to call on pharmaceutical companies to allocate increased funds for clinical trials of pediatric drugs and guarantee that they will be made available in developing countries at affordable prices (Jack, Financial Times, 2/11).


New Sensor To Provide Early Warning Of Oxygen Loss To Unborn Children - Medical News Today 17/02/06

Researchers at the University of Warwick, and the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, have devised a new sensor which dramatically improves the amount of early warning doctors and midwives get of a dangerous situation in the birth process when the unborn child's brain is starved of oxygen - Fetal Hypoxia.

Oxygen Loss To Unborn Children Detected Earlier By New Sensor - Medical News Today 19/02/06


Breakthrough In The Design Of New Drugs - New Way Of Recognising DNA - Medical News Today 17/02/06

Scientists led by Mike Hannon at the University of Birmingham and Miquel Coll at the Spanish Research Council in Barcelona have discovered a new way that drugs can attach themselves to DNA, which is a crucial step forward for researchers who are developing drugs to combat cancer and other diseases.


Obese boys, girls more likely to be bullied - Reuters 17/02/06

Obese grade-school children are more likely to be the targets of bullying than their leaner peers are, a UK study suggests.


International News

Bird flu 'likely to reach Britain' - The Guardian 18/02/06

The Government has confirmed that bird flu was "likely" to reach UK shores following confirmation that a duck in France died of the disease.

France Confirms First H5N1 Infected Bird - Medical News Today 19/02/06
Cold snap may have driven birds - Telegraph 19/02/06
Government accepts bird flu virus may soon reach UK shores
- The Independent 19/02/06
UK alert as bird flu death confirmed - The Observer 19/02/06
Bird flu 'to arrive in Britain this week' - The Telegraph 19/02/06
Bird flu strain is now within 400 miles of Britain's shores - The Times 18/02/06
Duck with bird flu found in France - The Telegraph 18/02/06
French duck is 'likely' flu case - BBC Health News 17/02/06
French bird flu sparks UK worries - BBC Health News 18/02/06
France detects its first case of bird flu - The Guardian 18/02/06


How to be beautifully, blissfully wrong about Tamiflu: just call it a bird flu vaccine
- The Guardian 18/02/06

The interesting thing about the Tamiflu vaccine for bird flu that everybody keeps going on about, is this: it's not a vaccine. The manufacturers even spell that out in their factsheet. It's a drug, an antibiotic for viruses.


Drug reactions depend on age - The Guardian 18/02/06

Scientists have discovered striking differences in the way children and adults process drugs, explaining why some people may have a poor response to medical treatments whilst others do not.

How drugs for adults can harm children - The Times 18/02/06
Scaled down drugs 'risk to the young' - The Telegraph 18/02/06
New fears over safety of children's medicines - Daily Mail 18/01/06


Depriving children of loving environment damages intelligence - The Guardian 18/02/06

Depriving children of a loving family environment causes lasting damage to their intelligence, emotional wellbeing and even their physical stature, according to the most extensive study of social deprivation yet.

High price paid by unloved babies - The Times 18/02/06
Long-term care 'harms children' - BBC Health News 17/02/06
Orphanages stunt growth, foster care better-study - Reuters 17/02/06


Drink, smoke cancer deaths on the wane
- The Sunday Times 19/02/06

DEATH rates associated with lifestyle cancers are falling, according to a 30-year study conducted by Ireland’s leading specialist.


Boys 'face double the burns risk' - BBC Health News 19/02/06

Boys are twice as likely to burn themselves as girls, a study suggests.


Involuntary Movements In Patients With Huntington's Disease Cut Down By Tetrabenazine, Study Finds - Medical News Today 19/02/06

The medication tetrabenazine cut down involuntary movement in patients with Huntington's disease on average by about 25 percent, with many patients experiencing a greater improvement, according to a study in the February 14 issue of the journal Neurology.


New Compound May Be Effective In Preventing Cancers With A Strong Link To Inflammation, Such As Liver, Colon, Prostate And Gastric Cancers - Medical News Today 19/02/06

Scientists have identified a new compound called CDDO-Im that protects against the development of liver cancer in laboratory animals. Experiments, led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, show CDDO-Im to be effective at doses 100 times lower than other compounds known to prevent cancer in people. Because of its makeup, the researchers believe CDDO-Im could be particularly effective in preventing cancers with a strong link to inflammation, such as liver, colon, prostate and gastric cancers. It could also play a role in preventing diseases such as neurodegeneration, asthma and emphysema. The findings are featured in the February 15, 2006, issue of the journal Cancer Research.


Bipolar Disorder In Children And Teens, Landmark Study Released - Medical News Today 19/02/06

Children and teen-agers with bipolar disorder suffer from the illness differently than adults do. Their symptoms last longer and swing more swiftly from hyperactivity and recklessness to lethargy and depression.


Human Brain Evolution And Eating Fish From Shoreline Environments - Medical News Today 19/02/06

Forget the textbook story about tool use and language sparking the dramatic evolutionary growth of the human brain. Instead, imagine ancient hominid children chasing frogs. Not for fun, but for food.


Rights To Commercialise World's First Contraceptive Spray Acquired By Acrux - Medical News Today 19/02/06

Acrux (ASX:ACR), the Australian company with patient-preferred technology for delivering drugs across the skin, today announced an agreement with the New York-based Population Council, Inc. The agreement enables Acrux to progress toward commercialisation of a unique contraceptive spray, containing the new-generation contraceptive drug Nestorone®.


Some Highlights From The February 15 JNCI - Medical News Today 19/02/06

Study Suggests Drug For Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia Can Be Effectively Administered Tri-Weekly


Detecting Recurrent Bladder Tumors - Study Assesses NMP22 In Combination With Cystoscopy - Medical News Today 19/02/06

The purpose of urinary bladder markers is ideally to minimize the need for cystoscopy in the detection of bladder cancer. In general, bladder markers do not have the sensitivity and specificity necessary to do this.


Over 30,000 Birds Probably Died Of Bird Flu In India - Medical News Today 19/02/06

Indian authorities have confirmed that H5N1 (bird flu) infected birds have been found in the west of the country. A massive cull is being organised in an attempt to stem the spread of the virus.


Cellular Changes That Occur In Sperm After Ejaculation - Medical News Today 19/02/06

A new paper in the February 15th issue of Genes & Development lends novel insight into the cellular changes that occur in sperm while they reside in the female reproductive tract providing a new understanding of the molecular genetics of successful fertilization.


'Noise' In Gene Expression Could Aid Bacterial Pathogenicity, Study Suggests - Medical News Today 19/02/06

An experiment designed to show how a usually innocuous bacterium regulates the expression of an unnecessary gene for green color has turned up a previously unrecognized phenomenon that could partially explain a feature of bacterial pathogenicity.


Asia Pacific Government, NGO Leaders Meet In Thailand To Discuss Universal Access To HIV/AIDS Treatment, Prevention - Medical News Today 19/02/06

Delegates from 22 countries in the Asia Pacific region on Tuesday began a three-day meeting in Pattaya, Thailand, aimed at creating regional plans for universal access to HIV/AIDS treatment, as well as prevention information, the Bangkok Post reports. UNAIDS Director of Country and Regional Support Michel Sidibe said delegates at the conference -- which includes representatives from governments, nongovernmental organizations and community and faith-based organizations working in public health -- highlighted where money is needed for long-term prevention and treatment so that funding proposals could be made for the region. "We will make sure that the universal access process makes a difference, both in advocacy and in practical actions to help countries overcome obstacles to scaling up," Sidibe said (Bangkok Post, 2/14). Prasada Rao, UNAIDS Asia Pacific regional director, said that to achieve universal access, every nation in the region must enhance their HIV-prevention efforts as well as their treatment programs (Xinhuanet, 2/15). The nearly 200 delegates also are scheduled to discuss funding for domestic and global HIV/AIDS programs, fighting the stigma related to the epidemic and providing equal care and services to HIV-positive people. Sidibe said each country will create its own objectives, as well as a list of "10 top actions" to curb the epidemic across the region (Associated Press, 2/14). "The fight against AIDS must be invigorated," Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, special UNAIDS representative on HIV and AIDS in the Pacific, said, adding, "We must change our attitudes and persuade others to change their attitudes towards AIDS and in particular towards those suffering from it" (PNS/Pacific Magazine, 2/13). Some HIV/AIDS advocates expressed reservations about what can be accomplished at such a large meeting. Mechai Viravaidya, a Thai senator and director of the Population and Community Development Association, said there is "not much the U.N. can do if there is no country commitment," adding that there must be progress on a local level. About 20% of the more than 40 million HIV-positive people in the world live in the region, according to the Post (Bangkok Post, 2/14).


Ovarian Cancer Responds To Aspirin Derivative To Make Recurrent Cancer Cells Less Resistant To The Chemotherapy - Medical News Today 19/02/06

A new study using ovarian cancer cell lines shows promise in treating the deadly disease by combining the chemotherapy drug cisplatin with an aspirin-like compound to make recurrent cancer cells less resistant to the chemotherapy.


Group Of HIV-Positive Libyan Children To Be Sent To Europe For Treatment - Medical News Today 19/02/06

A group of 30 HIV-positive Libyan children, who allegedly were infected with the virus by five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian physician, will be sent to Europe for treatment, Libyan officials said Monday, AFP/Yahoo! News reports (AFP/Yahoo! News, 2/13). Six health workers accused of infecting 400 Libyan children with HIV were sentenced to death by firing squad in May 2004. Libyan Supreme Court President Ali al-Alus on Dec. 25, 2005, overturned the convictions two days after Bulgaria, Libya, the U.S. and the European Union agreed to establish a fund to finance the children's care and treatment. The agreement did not mention the accused health workers, and Bulgarian officials said that the fund is part of an international effort to find an end to the situation (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/30). Saleh Abdel Salam, a director of the Kadhafi Foundation, said the first group of children will travel to France on Feb. 27 (AFP/Yahoo! News, 2/13). According to the Sofia News Agency, the children will be treated at five hospitals in Europe: three in Paris, one in Rome and one in Florence, Italy. The news was announced after a meeting in Tripoli, Libya, between the fund's governing board and a group representing the families of the children (Sofia News Agency, 2/13). According to Mark Pierini, E.U. ambassador to Libya, discussions concerning the fund are scheduled to resume on March 13. Pierini added that the meetings will last for several weeks (AFP/Yahoo! News, 2/13).


Levitra May Protect The Heart, VCU Study Shows - Medical News Today 19/02/06

The widely used erectile dysfunction drug Levitra is now the second drug in its class found to protect the heart against tissue damage following acute heart attack, according to a new study by Virginia Commonwealth University researchers.


People With Bleeding Disorders At Risk From New Infectious Agents, Jefferson Hematologist Says - Medical News Today 19/02/06

An international team of scientists, including a hematologist from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, has concluded that people with bleeding disorders such as hemophilia remain at risk from emerging infectious agents in plasma and blood transfusions. For this reason, recombinant therapies, that is, those produced in the laboratory, must always be an option.


Australian First To Save Sight - Medical News Today 19/02/06

A new system of storing eye tissue, to be launched on Tuesday 14 February at the Lions Corneal Donation Service (LCDS), will help save the sight of hundreds of Victorians a year by extending the time between donation and needing to perform the transplant.


X Chromosome Dosage Compensation Does Occur In Germ Cells - Medical News Today 19/02/06

X chromosome dosage compensation does occur in germ cells. A study published today in the open access journal Journal of Biology reveals that expression of the genes on the X chromosome is doubled in Drosophila germ cells to compensate for the missing second X chromosome. The study shows that this also occurs in C. elegans and mice somatic cells. In human female somatic cells, one of the two X chromosomes is inactivated to equilibrate expression between the sexes, but this unbalances the expression of the X compared to the other chromosomes. This study is the first demonstration that the X chromosome is upregulated in germs cells, which brings the X chromosome and the other chromosomes back into balance. The study is also the first demonstration that upregulation of the X chromosome in somatic tissue is conserved across species.


Alzheimer's Disease Progresses In Highly Educated People More Rapidly - Medical News Today 19/02/06

High levels of education may help ward off Alzheimer's disease, but they also speed up its progression once developed, reveals research in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.


Results Of Two Epidemiological Studies Provide Important New Clinical Information About The Safety Of ORTHO EVRA(R) - Medical News Today 18/02/06

Ortho Women's Health & Urology, the maker of the ORTHO EVRA(R) (norelgestromin/ethinyl estradiol transdermal system) birth control patch, has received the first results from two separate ongoing epidemiologic studies that were designed to evaluate the risk of experiencing serious side effects when using this form of hormonal birth control therapy. With the support of the study investigators, Ortho Women's Health & Urology is making this information available and sharing the data with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other health authorities.


Single Intramuscular Dose Of Anthim Is More Effective Than Daily Dosing Of Antibiotics Against A Lethal Anthrax Spore Challenge - Medical News Today 19/02/06

Today, at the 4th Annual American Society of Microbiology Biodefense Research Conference in Washington DC, Elusys Therapeutics presented new efficacy data on its anthrax therapeutic, Anthim(TM).


Chikungunya In La Réunion Island (France) - Medical News Today 18/02/06

Between 28 March 2005 and 12 February 2006, 1 722 cases of chikungunya have been notified by physicians from a sentinel network in La Réunion, including 326 cases reported during the week 6 to 12 February. Estimations from a mathematical model indicate that 110 000 people may have been infected by chikungunya virus since March 2005 in La Réunion, including 22 000 persons during the week 6 to 12 February. During the first week of February, other countries in the south west Indian Ocean have reported cases: Mauritius (206 cases) and the Seychelles (1 255 cases).


Concern That Bird Flu May Spread In West Africa
- Medical News Today 18/02/06

FAO today expressed growing concern that the bird flu virus H5N1 may spread to other countries in West Africa following the discovery of the virus in Nigeria last week. The effects on a region already facing severe malnutrition would be devastating, the UN agency warned.


Vaccine Maker Predicts A New Genetic Change In The H5N1 (Avian Flu) Virus - Medical News Today 18/02/06

Recombinomics is issuing a new prediction and warning of a likely alteration in the avian influenza H5N1 hemagglutinin gene. Like the warning/prediction issued on October 22nd, 2005, this new alteration will increase the virus' affinity for human receptors and lead to more efficient transmission of H5N1 to humans. The company has notified the WHO of its prediction and warning regarding the near term likelihood of this genetic alteration occurring.


69.4% Of Ischemic Stroke Patients Had Blood Flow Restored In Multicenter Trial - Medical News Today 18/02/06

Ischemic stroke patients treated in the Multi MERCI trial experienced blood flow restoration rates of 69.4%. Additionally, one out of three ischemic stroke patients was functionally independent at 90 days following this procedure. Interim results of the Multi MERCI (Part 1) trial were reported today at the International Stroke Conference, Kissimmee, FL, by Wade Smith, MD, PhD, Principal Investigator and Associate Professor of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco.


Severe Chronic Pain - Remoxy(TM) (ORADUR-based Oxycodone) Receives Special Protocol Assessment And Commences Pivotal Phase III - Medical News Today 18/02/06

Durect Corporation (Nasdaq: DRRX) reported today that Remoxy(TM), an abuse-resistant pain medicine under development based on DURECT's patented ORADUR(TM) technology incorporating the opioid oxycodone has successfully completed a Special Protocol Assessment with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and that a pivotal Phase III trial is being commenced on Remoxy in 400 patients with severe chronic pain. The events were announced on February 16 by King Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: KG), the company which will be commercializing Remoxy, if approved, and Pain Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: PTIE), Durect 's licensee of the rights to Remoxy and other ORADUR-based products incorporating oxycodone and three other opioid compounds.


Treatments Used To Remove Abnormal Cervical Cells Increase Risk For Problems During Pregnancy, Study Says - Medical News Today 18/02/06

Treatments used to remove abnormal cervical cells increase a woman's risk for problems during pregnancy, according to a study published on Friday in the journal Lancet, Reuters reports. Maria Kyrgiou of Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital in London and colleagues looked at 27 previous studies that examined treatments used to remove abnormal cells from the cervix (Reuters, 2/10). Researchers compared the different methods to remove tissue, including cold knife or laser conization, in which a conical sample of tissue is removed; laser ablation, in which a laser is used to remove the tissue; and a loop electrosurgical excision procedure, in which tissue is removed using a wire loop and a low-level electrical current. The study finds that women undergoing cold knife conization were two-and-a-half times as likely to deliver prematurely or deliver a low-birthweight infant and three times as likely to deliver by caesarean section as women who did not undergo cold knife conization, according to HealthDay News/Forbes. Women undergoing LEEP were between 70% and 80% more likely to deliver prematurely or deliver a low-birthweight infant and almost three times as likely to experience a rupture of the cervical membranes compared with women who did not undergo LEEP, HealthDay News/Forbes reports. Researchers also found that women undergoing laser ablation were not at an increased risk for complications compared with women who did not undergo laser ablation, according to HealthDay News/Forbes (HealthDay News/Forbes, 2/9). Kyrgiou said, "This information should be considered when counseling women before their consent to treatment and lends support to the philosophy of doctors not treating young women with mild abnormalities," adding that the findings "probably favor" beginning cervical screening after age 25 "with respect to long-term obstetric outcomes" (Reuters, 2/10).


Successful Completion Evaluation And Validation Of Human Neural Crest Stem Cell Line - Stem Cell Research Institute, Inc - Medical News Today 18/02/06

U.S. BioDefense (OTC Bulletin Board: UBDE) is pleased to announce today that it has successfully completed the evaluation and validation of its human neural crest stem cells as a part of its agreement with the University of British Columbia.


NIH GAIT Study Supports Use Of Glucosamine And Chondroitin For Osteoarthritis Treatment - Medical News Today 18/02/06

Arthritis experts and orthopaedic surgeons are discussing the results of the NIH study that shows a supplement to be as effective as the most expensive NSAIDs for moderate and severe pain from arthritis.


Plan To Manage Mass Casualties In Disasters To Be Created By CU - Medical News Today 18/02/06

Cornell University and Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC) are partnering with Lockheed Martin to develop a computerized system to help hospitals nationwide plan for and deal with mass casualties from disasters such as hurricanes, a flu pandemic or bioterrorism. The system will aid in readiness planning, simulate a disaster situation for testing purposes and act as a decision support system in a real disaster.


CXCR4 Target Plays Central Role In Cancer Progression In More Than 75% Of Cancers - Medical News Today 18/02/06

Northwest Biotherapeutics (OTC Bulletin Board: NWBT.OB) today announced that the company will be presenting new preclinical data on a monoclonal antibody to CXCR4 at the Cambridge Healthtech Institute's 13th Annual Molecular Medicine Tri- Conference, February 21st-24th at the Moscone North Convention Center in San Francisco, California.


Number Of Twin Births Rising In China As Women Increase Use Of Fertility Drugs - Medical News Today 18/02/06

The number of twin births in China is increasing as more women in major Chinese cities use fertility drugs to avoid the country's strict family planning policies, Chinese state media said on Monday, AFP/Mail & Guardian reports (AFP/Mail & Guardian, 2/13). The Chinese government's one-child-per-family policy was instituted in the 1970s to slow the country's population growth (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 1/3). Women who live in rural regions and some wealthier urban families who want more children -- which is "impossible" under the country's one-child policy -- are the primary groups of women taking fertility drugs, according to the China Daily. China's Ministry of Health in January 2005 forbade healthy women from using fertility drugs, but there are reports of pharmacies saying that no prescription is necessary to acquire the drugs (Wu, China Daily, 2/13).


Cancer-killing Ability Of Chemotherapy May Be Improved By MRI Drug, Study Says - Medical News Today 18/02/06

A contrast agent currently used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), called mangafodipir, may increase the cancer-killing ability of some chemotherapy drugs while protecting normal cells, according to a study in the February 15 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute .


Risk Of Prostate Cancer Not Reduced By Antioxidant Supplementation - Medical News 18/02/06

Intakes of dietary or supplemental antioxidants were not associated with a decreased risk of prostate cancer among men in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial, according to a study in the February 15 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute . The study did find that vitamin E and beta-carotene supplementation may be associated with reduced prostate cancer risk in certain population subgroups.


FDA Approves Carboplatin Injection, 600 Mg - Initial Treatment Of Advanced Ovarian Carcinoma - Medical News Today 18/02/05

American Pharmaceutical Partners, Inc. (Nasdaq: APPX), today announced that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Carboplatin Injection (liquid form) in a 600 mg multi-dose vial. Carboplatin is the generic equivalent of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company's Paraplatin(R).


Lower Socioeconomic Status And Higher Rate Of Death Associated With Poor Physical Fitness - Medical News Today 18/02/06

Individuals who have abnormal findings on exercise stress testing are more likely to have lower than higher socioeconomic status, and these physiologic characteristics may help account for the correlation between low SES and a higher rate of death, according to a study in the February 15 issue of JAMA.


Mortality Of Older Americans Predicted With 81 Percent Accuracy By Simple System - Medical News Today 18/02/06

Researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center have created an index that is 81 percent accurate in predicting the likelihood of death within four years for people 50 and older.


Weight-loss Medication Shows Modest Benefit Also Improving HDL And Triglyceride Levels - Medical News Today 18/02/06

Use of the weight-loss medication rimonabant produced modest yet sustained weight loss after 2 years, and improved HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, according to a study in the February 15 issue of JAMA.


Novel Cancer Therapy Developed From Basic Research - Medical News Today 18/02/06

Cancer researcher Professor Axel Ullrich, a director at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried, Germany, already showed at the beginning of the 1990s that blocking blood vessel development in a tumour slows down its growth, and shrinks its tissue. This fundamental principle led to the development of SUTENT®, whose active ingredient is Sunitinib. SUTENT® was recently approved for clinical use in the United States, and it is expected to be brought onto the German market this year.


Newborn Infants In Pain Can Be Effectively Treated With Morphine And Topical Tetracaine - Medical News Today 18/02/06

Intravenous morphine used alone or with topical tetracaine effectively reduced levels of pain in preterm newborn infants undergoing central line insertion procedures, according to a study in the February 15 issue of JAMA.


Swaziland Receives Inadequate Foreign Funding To Address HIV/AIDS Epidemic, King Mswati Says - Medical News Today 18/02/06

Swazi King Mswati III on Friday said that international donors are not providing enough funding to curb the country's HIV/AIDS epidemic or revitalize its failing economy, the Associated Press reports. In a speech opening the Swazi Parliament, Mswati said the country will allocate increased funding for HIV/AIDS-prevention programs and initiatives aimed at children who have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS. He also pledged funding for areas affected by drought in the country. In addition, Mswati called upon the country's residents to protect their families from HIV/AIDS. Swaziland has an estimated HIV prevalence rate of 38%, according to the Associated Press (Associated Press, 2/10).


A Bulging Midriff Roughly Doubles Women's Chances Of Gallstone Surgery - Medical News Today 18/02/06

A bulging midriff almost doubles a woman's chances of developing gallstones and the need for surgery to remove them, finds an extensive study published ahead of print in Gut.


Muscular Dystophy Genetics - Medical News Today 18/02/06

Various forms of human muscular dystrophy result from mutations in genes encoding proteins of the nuclear envelope. A new paper in the February 15th issue of G&D reveals how.


Pancreatic Cancer Combated By Broad-spectrum Cysteine Cathepsin Inhibitors - Medical News Today 18/02/06

In the March 1 issue, Drs. Johanna Joyce (MSKCC), Douglas Hanahan (UCSF) and colleagues lend new insight into how broad-spectrum cysteine cathepsin inhibitors combat pancreatic cancer, and provide new data to help refine the design of more precisely targeted anti-cathepsin therapies.


New Findings Indicate Improved Treatment, Prevention Strategies Needed For Heart Disease In Women - Medical News Today 18/02/06

Recent findings suggest that many women experience a different form of heart disease that is harder to detect and have led researchers to call for improved treatment and prevention strategies, the Wall Street Journal reports (Winslow, Wall Street Journal, 2/14). According to research released earlier this month by NIH, as many as three million women in the U.S. might have a cardiovascular condition called coronary microvascular syndrome that places them at higher risk of a heart attack but often goes undiagnosed because its symptoms do not appear on an angiogram. The condition causes plaque to accumulate evenly inside the major arteries and smaller blood vessels or the arteries to fail to expand correctly or go into spasm, the findings show. Other symptoms include fatigue, upset stomach and pain in the jaw or shoulders. However, because many women with symptoms do not show signs of blocked arteries on standard tests, doctors sometimes send them home without treatment or refer them to psychiatrists. The findings, which appear in a supplement to the Feb. 7 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, are the latest results released from the ongoing Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation. The WISE study began in 1996 and tracked about 1,000 women with the goal of improving diagnosis and expanding understanding of heart disease in women (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 2/2).


Blood Pressure Improved By Pyridostigmine For Disorder Causing Postural Drops - Medical News Today 18/02/06

Use of a medication called pyridostigmine alone or in combination with low-dose midodrine appears to improve standing blood pressure in patients with orthostatic hypotension, a fall in blood pressure associated with postural changes and standing, according to a study posted online today that will appear in the April 2006 print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.


'Big Science': Top Funding For EU Lung Research Project PULMOTENSION - Medical News Today 18/02/06

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) describes a group of chronic, prolonged crippling and fatal vascular diseases. It is characterized by high blood pressure in the lung vessels leading to right heart failure. PH often affects young or middle-aged patients, who suffer from progressive loss of exercise capacity and dyspnoea. As a result, this serious lung disease represents a major burden on our healthcare systems.


Mad Cow Protein Might Be Necessary For Healthy Brain Function As It Aids Creation Of Brain Cells - Medical News Today 18/02/06

Few conditions are more detrimental to human brains than the one popularly referred to as mad cow disease. But now there's reason to suspect that the protein which, when malformed, causes bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cows and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in people, might also be necessary for healthy brain function. Researchers from Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital have discovered that the normal form of this detrimental protein may actually help the brain create neurons, those electricity-conducting cells that make cognition possible.


Novel Drug-delivery System Created By Wrinkled Membranes - Medical News Today 18/02/06

A University of Illinois scientist studying how membranes wrinkle has discovered a novel system for on-demand drug delivery.


Bacteria's Mysterious Sugar Coat Unwrapped - Medical News Today 18/02/06

Scientists at The University of Texas at Austin have developed a quick and simple way to investigate the sugar coating that surrounds bacteria and plays a role in infection and immunity.


Regenerative Medicine Advanced By Use Of Adult Stem Cells For Replacement Bone - Medical News Today 18/02/06

In a significant advance for regenerative medicine, researchers at Rice University have discovered a new way to culture adult stem cells from bone marrow such that the cells themselves produce a growth matrix that is rich in important biochemical growth factors.


Chemical Detection Speeded Up By Reversible Microlenses - Medical News Today 18/02/06

Scientists at Georgia Tech have created technology capable of detecting trace amounts of biological or chemical agents in a matter of seconds, much faster than traditional methods, which can take hours or up to a day. The system uses reusable hydrogel microlenses so small that millions of them can fit on a one-inch-square plate. It could greatly enhance the ability of authorities responding to a biological or chemical weapons attack as well as increase the speed of medical testing. The research appears as an early view online for the chemistry journal Angawandte Chemie.


Addiction May Be Combatted By Single Treatment Strategy - Medical News Today 18/02/06

An international research team led by the University of Saskatchewan has discovered a signaling pathway in the brain involved in drug addiction, together with a method for blocking its action, that may point to a single treatment strategy for most addictions.


Estrogen HRT Might Lower Risk Of Heart Disease For Women In Their 50s, Study Says - Medical News Today 18/02/06

Women who take estrogen as a hormone replacement therapy from ages 50 to 59 might have a lower risk of developing heart disease, according to a study that is part of the NIH-funded Women's Health Initiative published in the Feb. 13 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, the Washington Post reports (Stein, Washington Post, 2/14). In July 2002, NIH researchers ended a WHI study on combination HRT three years early because they determined that the treatment might increase the risk for heart disease, invasive breast cancer and other health problems (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 2/3). In that study, women took a combination of estrogen and progestin (Peres, Chicago Tribune, 2/14). For the most recent results, researchers examined 10,739 women enrolled in the WHI, ages 50 to 79, who had hysterectomies (Washington Post, 2/14). Half of the women were randomly assigned to receive Wyeth's estrogen pill Premarin and half were assigned to receive a placebo (Grady, New York Times, 2/14). Women with intact uteruses are not given estrogen alone because it increases the risk of developing uterine cancer, according to the Post (Washington Post, 2/14). Researchers in 2004 released preliminary results showing that women who received the estrogen had neither an increased nor decreased risk of heart disease compared with women taking the placebo. Researchers then followed up the results of the 3,310 women who were ages 50 to 59 when the study began to examine the prevalence of heart disease among the group about seven years after receiving the placebo or Premarin. Researchers found that 46 women who took Premarin died of a heart attack, had a heart attack or had symptoms of heart or cardiovascular disease, and 70 women who took the placebo experienced such symptoms -- a 34% lower risk for the Premarin group (Washington Post, 2/14). In addition, the study found that the Premarin group had a 45% lower risk of needing a bypass surgery or angioplasty compared with the placebo group.


Drug Aimed At Huntington's Eases Chorea, The Disease's Hallmark Feature - Medical News Today 18/02/06

A drug widely available in Europe and Canada - but not the United States - dramatically eases one of the most disabling symptoms of Huntington's disease, involuntary writhing movements known as chorea, according to a study in the Feb. 14 issue of the journal Neurology.


Hormone Linked To Good Hearing As We Age - Medical News Today 18/02/06

Researchers have linked a hormone known to adjust levels of key brain chemicals to the quality of our hearing as we age. The more of the hormone that older people have in their bloodstream, the better their hearing is, and the less of the hormone, the worse their hearing is.


Developing Rapid Diagnostic Test Chip For Human Respiratory Infections Including Test For Avian Flu Infection - Medical News Today 17/02/06

Sydney-based Ambri Limited (ASX: ABI) today released additional detail about its recently announced program to develop a rapid diagnostic test chip for human respiratory infections including a test for avian flu infection.


Biota Commences Phase 1 Clinical Trial Of Common Cold Drug Candidate - Medical News Today 17/02/06

Biota Holdings Limited (ASX:BTA) today announced the commencement of Phase I Human safety trials of its Human Rhinovirus (HRV) drug, BTA -798 for the prevention and treatment of one of the major causes of the common cold.


Benefits Of Estrogen Shouldn't Be Overlooked, USC Physician Says - Medical News Today 17/02/06

Results released this week from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) trial clarifies estrogen's role in protecting women from heart attacks. A USC medical researcher encourages women and doctors not to dismiss hormone therapy as the research continues to sort out mixed results from the last few years.


Rituximab Maintenance Therapy Dramatically Improves Survival For Patients With Lymphoma - Risk Of Death Can Be Halved - Medical News Today 17/02/06

Two years of maintenance therapy with rituximab dramatically improves the chances of survival for patients suffering from one of the most frequent forms of lymphoma, indolent non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL). The EORTC 20981 trial reveals that rituxibam maintenance treatment prologns progression free survival by about 2,5 years, irrespective of initial treatment. Moreover, the risk of death is halved for patients who receive rituximab maintenance therapy, compared to those who receive no maintenance treatment. The outcome of the clinical trial was presented at the 47th annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology in Atlanta, USA, late last year. The final report of the trial is about to be published shortly.


New Study Shows The Taxus Drug-Eluting Stent System Is A Better Choice For Patients And The Swedish Healthcare Budget - Medical News Today 17/02/06

A paper published today in the Scandinavian Cardiovascular Journal highlights that the TAXUS™ drug-eluting stent (DES) system is cost-effective compared to bare metal stents (BMS) in high-risk patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) treated in Sweden.1 For high-risk patients, when compared to BMS, the TAXUS stent system is cost-effective at 12 months and could lead to significant savings at 24 months despite the higher initial cost of the device. The authors also argue that if a cost-effectiveness measure of cost per revascularization avoided is used, the TAXUS stent system is cost-effective in average-risk patients at 12- and 24-months.


Iraq Confirms Second Human Case Of H5N1 Bird Flu Infection - Medical News Today 17/02/06

Iraqi authorities have confirmed a second human case of H5N1 bird flu virus strain infection. A 39-year-old man from Sulaimaniyah, northern Iraq, developed flu-like symptoms on January 18th and died on January 27th. His niece, a 15-year-old girl, had died of bird flu infection on January 17th.


SensorNet Prototype System For The Detection, Identification And Assessment Of Chemical, Biological, Radiological And Nuclear Threats - Medical News Today 17/02/06

Fort Bragg could be the model for the nation when it comes to protecting the public through a network that integrates a 911 dispatch system with sensors, alarms and video surveillance.


Diet study confusion will not change habits-analysts - Reuters 19/02/06

New studies indicating a low-fat diet does not reduce the risk of cancer and calcium supplements do little to prevent broken bones are unlikely to change consumers' habits and may only add to confusion about the link between diet and health.


Vioxx jury says Merck not liable in death - Reuters 18/02/06

A federal jury said on Friday that drugmaker Merck Co. Inc. was not liable in the 2001 death of a Florida man who used the recalled painkiller Vioxx.


FDA panel recommends flu vaccine changes for 2006/07 - Reuters 17/02/06

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on Friday recommended changing two of the three virus strains used in this year's seasonal flu vaccine for the 2006/07 flu season.


Smoking not good with new inhaled insulin - Reuters 17/02/06

Smoking leads to major changes in the absorption of the newly approved inhaled insulin, Exubera, German and US researchers warn.


Anti-inflammatories may not help tendon injuries - Reuters 17/02/06

Anti-inflammatory painkillers like ibuprofen and naproxen may be ineffective in many cases of tendon injury, according to researchers.


Cortisol's role in obesity not clearcut - Reuters 17/02/06

It is simplistic to suggest that lowering cortisol levels will promote weight loss, as some television ads claim, according to researchers at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.


FDA: More study needed on birth control patch risk - Reuters 17/02/06

Early findings suggest Johnson & Johnson's contraceptive patch may cause more blood clots than birth control pills but more research is needed, U.S. health officials said on Friday.


World must invest in bird flu vaccine: WHO official - Reuters 17/02/06

The world has spent more than $3 billion to stockpile anti-virals against bird flu but is not investing enough to develop an influenza pandemic vaccine, a top official of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.


Cheshire and Merseyside News


Let battle recommence - Warrington Guardian 18/02/06

CONTROVERSIAL plans to build the UK's first health waste treatment plant in Warrington, thrown out last year, are to be debated again.



Fears over drug clinic
- Southport Visiter 17/02/06

RESIDENTS have vowed to fight plans to establish a drugs clinic and syringe exchange service in Manchester Road.


A&E service reversal? - Southport Visiter 17/02/06

SOUTHPORT and Ormskirk Hospital says reports that emergency services shifted between its sites could be moved back as part of the controversial shake up of Mersey-side and Lancashire hospitals are premature.


Parents urged to follow Joy's lead - Southport Visiter 17/02/06

THE director of Public Health for Southport and Formby Primary Care Trust is reminding parents of the importance of keeping their child's vaccinations up to date.


Hospital chief looks forward to a little healthy competition - Chester Chronicle 17/02/06

It's a new era for the Countess of Chester, which has undertaken a massive building programme. As patients are given the right to choose where they are treated, DAVID HOLMES finds chief executive Peter Herring looking to the future with unflappable optimism.


Herceptin set for NHS fast track? - Daily Post 17/02/06

The makers of breast cancer drug Herceptin announced they had applied for an early-use licence, which could fast-track it for use across the NHS.


Warning on health target 'gaming' - Daily Post 17/02/06

Extra controls are needed to make sure health bosses are not manipulating services just to meet Government targets, researchers have said.


Smoking ban backed by Helen - Warrington Guardian 17/02/06

WARRINGTON South MP Helen Southworth has backed a total ban on smoking in public places.

Smoking ban: The great divide - Chester Chronicle 17/02/06
MP supports smoking ban - Ormskirk Advertiser 16/03/02
A breath of fresh air for shoppers in Wayfarers - Southport Visiter 17/02/06
Historic decision for public health - Southport Visiter 17/02/06


How will my family cope without me? - Runcorn World 17/02/06

That's the devastating dilemma facing young mums battling cancer, who know they may only have months to live.


CARE providers across Halton have teamed. - This up to encourage everyone to get the right treatment - Runcorn World 17/02/06

This follows a rise in people attending North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust's accident and emergency department.


Heart disease can be prevented - Runcorn World 17/02/06

HEART disease which killed 1,388 people in Halton and Merseyside last year, can be prevented, say health chiefs.


Bashful women shy away from vital cancer scans - Daily Post 16/02/06

WOMEN in Merseyside are missing potentially life-saving cancer scans because they are embarrassed at undressing, according to research published last night.


Work plan for care residents - Liverpool Echo 16/02/06

DISABLED people could be put to work instead of attending day care centres in Liverpool.


A haven for child victims - Liverpool Echo 16/02/06

Last week the NSPCC secured a deal to build a centre of excellence in Liverpool, but exactly how will children who have suffered abuse benefit from it? Jessica Shaughnessy reports


Unit's minor use just not enough to justify it - MP - Ormskirk Advertiser 16/03/02

MORE people should be using Ormskirk Hospital's minor injuries unit.


Hospital assessed - Ormskirk Advertiser 16/03/02

SOUTHPORT & Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust is one of the safest in the country, an independent health watchdog has confirmed.


Early present for baby unit - Ormskirk Advertiser 16/03/02

CHRISTMAS has come extremely early for the special care baby unit at Ormskirk Hospital, after receiving a donation of 600 pounds.


Changes at hospital ensure bright future - Halton Weekly News 16/02/06

HEALTH chiefs claim Halton Hospital can look forward to a bright future.


Half the borough population is obese - report - Halton Weekly News 16/02/06

MORE than half the population of Halton is obese, a shock report has revealed.


Think: Do you really need to go to A&E? - Halton Weekly News 16/02/06

PATIENTS are being urged to make sure they get the correct treatment.


Cumbria and Lancashire News


Oxygen-wait death sparks national probe - Carlisle News & Star 18/02/06

A NATIONAL probe has been launched after the News & Star revealed how a Carlisle woman died while waiting for emergency oxygen.


Work to start on 1.4m 'Super Health Centre' - Carlisle News & Star 17/02/06

WORK on the 1.4 million health centre for Aspatria is to begin this month.


Maternity audit wait - Carlisle News & Star 17/02/06

HEALTH bosses say it will be at least May before any further information about west Cumbria’s threatened maternity service is revealed.


Dentists blame alcopops for bad teeth - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 17/02/06

DENTISTS are blaming sugary alcopop drinks for a generation of East Lancashire twenty-something drinkers with bad teeth.


Greater Manchester News

'High Efficiency' Vacuum Cleaners No More Effective Than Standard Models At Reducing Exposure To Dust-mites - Medical News Today 19/02/06

Researchers at the North West Lung Centre, run by The University of Manchester and based at Wythenshawe Hospital, have discovered that vacuum cleaners with 'high-efficiency particulate air' or HEPA filters are no more effective than standard models at reducing exposure to dust-mites.


Cancer victim Gemma is not giving up hope - Bolton Evening News 17/02/06

Cancer sufferer Gemma Feeney has been told she is terminally ill - but is refusing to give up hope.


Not clearing up litter is a health risk - Bolton Evening News 17/02/06

WRITERS A Lowther and Bill Perrigo should not be so pessimistic about the tsunami of litter that is enveloping Bolton.


Legal action to be taken over smoking 'breach of rights' - Bolton Evening News 17/02/06

A LANDLORD is to launch legal action against the Government after MPs voted to ban smoking in all pubs.


Nicky's fight with breast cancer at 26 - Bury Times 17/02/06

A WOMAN who was told by her GP that she was too young for breast cancer found herself fighting for her life aged 26.