Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Contents

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National News
Breast cancer study finds fewer doses of radiotherapy effective - The Guardian 30/05/06

Giving breast cancer patients fewer but larger doses of radiotherapy may be as safe and effective as smaller, more frequent doses, according to research published today.

Fewer, larger radiation doses may help fight breast cancer - The Independent 30/05/06
Radiotherapy change can cut hospital visits - The Telegraph 30/05/06
Shorter, 'kinder' radiotherapy for breast cancer patients - Daily Mail 30/05/06
Fewer dose hope for breast cancer - BBC Health News 29/05/06
Prison service fatally flawed, says top judge - The Guardian 30/05/06

Wide-ranging criticism by lord chief justice adds to Home Office pressure

Call for cut in jail population - The Independent 30/05/06

Wider support still needed - The Guardian 30/05/06

The nation that inspired a worldwide modern hospice movement still woefully underfunds hospice care. Yesterday some short-term relief for children's hospices was announced by the health department. They faced a particular problem because a £48m lottery grant for children's palliative care - both at home and in hospices - is due to run out. Even with this funding stream, there was only one hospice bed for every six children in need of residential care. Hence the emergency approach which the association of children's hospices made to the prime minister 10 days ago. Hospices provide much wider help than just support in the last few days of life. They are an invaluable source of guidance and relief for families caring for terminally ill children. But numbering just 38 - with five more planned - hospices can only offer help to a minority of the 20,000 families with terminally ill children.

Prisoner handcuffed to hospital bed after losing leg - The Guardian 30/05/06

A remand prisoner recovering in hospital after surgery to remove one of his legs lies handcuffed to his bed, his lawyer claimed yesterday. Carl Shepherd, 35, from Northern Moor, Manchester, suffered head and leg injuries when arrested for burglary and was transferred from Manchester prison to hospital, where his left leg was amputated below the knee to prevent the spread of septicaemia.

Sexual health is the message - The Guardian 30/05/06

How can schools reduce the incidence of chlamydia in youngsters? By offering a screening programme

How to tell if you are a problem researcher - The Guardian 30/05/06

Over the last few years I have slipped into the dangerous and disturbing world of addiction. Not, you understand, that I have become a secret opium eater, or even succumbed to the joys of the sport of kings. Instead, I have been indulging in the sport of moral and political philosophers: being a busy-body. Indeed, I fear I may have become a busy-body sans frontières. Various forms of committee work have led me to spend time thinking about problem and compulsive gambling, drug addiction, alcohol abuse and tobacco dependence. I haven't done sex or shopping yet, but no doubt the time will come.

Open spaces - The Guardian 30/05/06

Ideas on how best to use our school buildings are buzzing around like children in a free tuck shop. Education bosses are bandying about words like "hub" and "community space" and "flexible environment". Two years ago, the government launched a multi-billion-pound rebuilding project and today, under the extended schools initiative, governors are being encouraged to examine how they can open up their buildings to the community.

'1,000 beds to go in NHS crisis' - The Guardian 29/05/06

The NHS will lose more than 1000 hospital beds over the coming year, shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley has predicted.

Admissions halted after hostage-taking and assaults at unit for dangerous prisoners - The Guardian 29/05/06

A pioneering high-security hospital unit designed for some of the most dangerous prisoners has been closed to admissions following a series of disturbances including hostage-taking and assaults on staff.

Crystal persuasion - The Guardian 29/05/06

Several doctors have criticised alternative therapies, but sometimes maybe they do work

Hay fever drugs boom as pollen counts and profits go sky high - The Guardian 29/05/06

For the country's 12 million hay fever sufferers, it could be the low point of the year. According to one forecast, the hay fever season will be at its worst at precisely 6.02pm today when pollen released high into the atmosphere in the morning returns to the ground, catching people out before they have started taking their pills, liquids, sprays and eyedrops.

Pollen surge that could get right up your nose - The Times 27/05/06
Sneezy season made easy - The Times 27/05/06

The rot starts here - The Observer 28/05/06

Scottish children have the worst teeth in Britain. Over the last 20 years, their sugar intake has doubled. One in three of its 12-year-olds is now overweight. But can the blame really be laid at the door of sugary sweets? Award-winning writer Alex Renton on a tale of poverty and decay

What's in your basket? - The Observer 28/05/06

Jerry Hall, the model-turned-actress and mother of four, is a stickler for home cooking and three meals a day

Can't cook, won't cook - The Observer 28/05/06

Food isn't petrol - it matters what we fill up on. And it'll take more than a few celebrity chefs to get the nation eating well

Dilemma: Is biodegradable all it's cracked up to be? - The Observer 28/05/06

It may not give you a totally green bill of health, but it's still best to go biodegradable - and start in nappies, says Lucy Siegle

Our little obsessions laid bare - The Observer 28/05/06

With the advent of the internet, a terrible beauty was born. And I don't just mean that site with the dairymaids and the enthusiastic donkey. Information has spread across the world; so have paranoia and conspiracy theories. Lonely, single people can find each other and forge new bonds; so can sinister groups with murderous intent. Disadvantaged yet visionary unemployed people can launch businesses for little cost and potential fortunes; so can paedo-porn suppliers.

Nursery illness blamed on rare strain of E. coli - The Observer 28/05/06

A rare strain of E. coli O157 is behind the infection outbreak linked to a children's nursery in Dunfermline, Fife, experts confirmed yesterday.

Violent crime: the shocking truth - The Observer 28/05/06

It was the study Labour used for a devastating attack on spiralling rates of crime during the Tory Nineties. Now, a decade on from his acclaimed account, David Rose reveals that violence is getting worse and the chances of criminals being caught are lower than ever

Crime rate soars as criminals walk free - The Observer 28/05/06

Burger bars replace NHS coffee shops - The Observer 28/05/06

Trusts to ditch volunteers for fast-food income

Hospital cafes offer more than tea and sympathy - The Observer 28/05/06

Sunshine is good for you (again) - The Observer 28/05/06

After years of telling us not to spend too long outdoors on sunny days for fear of cancer, doctors and researchers now admit that following their advice can lead to vitamin D deficiency

Professor in drug study fraud claim - The Observer 28/05/06

Psychiatrist says that he will fight charges of misconduct and defrauding the NHS

This pernicious mix of big business and busybodies - The Observer 28/05/06

The National Identity Register, when linked to other databases, will give the state unlimited powers to spy on us

Seven ways to a healthy heart - The Guardian 27/05/06

Making sure the beats go on is not quite as hard as you might think, says Peta Bee. So there's no reason not to act

Making a difference after hours - The Guardian 27/05/06

Entrepreneurs aren't renowned for having a conscience. But there's a new business sector that doesn't base success exclusively on profit. Hazel Davis meets three people who launched social enterprises while holding down a day job

Emma Mitchell: Green solutions for your hair care - The Guardian 27/05/06

I suffer from an itchy, dry scalp. I've tried several shampoos, but none has helped. When I was young, my mother washed my hair in green soft soap: is there a product like it today?

Imagine my surprise - The Guardian 27/05/06

The sorrow for hypochondriacs is that when they're finally proved right, they're in no position to say "I told you so". That's why no one wants to be one. But with the health of the nation uppermost in minds as various as David Cameron's, Skippy's, and a group of Britain's leading doctors', it was hard not to worry obsessively.

Forty years of miracle cures. Now it's homeopathy's turn - The Guardian 27/05/06

'I hope you get cancer and then look in the mirror." That is a pretty representative sample from the Bad Science mailbag last week, so I shan't be writing about mobile phone masts again until you all calm down. But it's in the backlash that you can find the truth. This week some fabulous elderly scientists came out loudly against homeopathy on the NHS.

Bottom line is that it works, says homeopathic chief - The Guardian 27/05/06
Find the balance - The Times 27/05/06
Because you gotta have faith - The Times 27/05/06
Study to look at impact of cervical cancer on men - The Independent 30/05/06

The largest study of the effects of cervical cancer is to examine its impact on men.

A cure for Stress? - The Independent 28/05/06

It started as a hi-tech relaxation technique for burnt-out executives. Now everyone from schoolchildren to sports stars are discovering the seemingly miraculous benefits of Heartmath. Jerome Burne investigates
Specialist nurses face the axe - The Times 30/05/06

THE axe is falling on specialist nurses as their high salaries attract the eye of trust managers keen to cut costs.

No jobs for new doctors - The Times 30/05/06

HUNDREDS of graduates will leave medical school next year with no prospect of finding work as a doctor.

Health bosses in demand - The Times 30/05/06

NHS managers, maligned in some quarters for an apparent ability to suck up scarce resources with their clipboards and paperclips, are in demand — by local government.

What could be making my hands swell and my limbs go numb? - The Times 30/05/06

I am 36, a mother of three, and find that my hands swell when I get hot and my arms go numb if I lie on them when I sleep. When I sit on the floor my legs go numb and start tingling. Can you help?

Abortions at home for 10,000 - The Times 29/05/06

A RECORD 10,000 women had an abortion in their own home last year, according to new figures.

Treatment by tablet offers women the safer option - The Times 29/05/06
Bedroom abortions - The Times 29/05/06
Abortion pill use doubles in 12 months - The Telegraph 29/05/06
Home abortions 'hit record high' - BBC Health News 29/05/06
History of the abortion pill - Daily Mail 29/05/06
Number of women taking suspect abortion pill doubles - Daily Mail 29/05/06

Passengers turned away as virus outbreak hits liner - The Times 29/05/06

HUNDREDS of passengers waiting to embark on a cruise were turned away last night after the ship they were due to sail in was seized by officials investigating a virus outbreak.

Virus-hit cruise ship detained at Harwich - The Telegraph 29/05/06
Fjords cruise cancelled after outbreak of vomiting disease - The Guardian 30/05/06
Refunds offered after virus breaks out on cruise ship - The Independent 30/05/06
500 holidays lost as liner hit by bug is kept in port - The Telegraph 30/05/06

Babies are aborted over an extra finger or club foot - The Times 29/05/06

MORE than 20 women have had abortions in advanced pregnancy because scans revealed that their unborn children had club feet.

Babies with club feet aborted - The Sunday Times 28/05/06
Babies aborted for not being perfect - Daily Mail 28/05/06

Schools caterers refuse to bid for healthier lunches - The Times 29/05/06

PLANS to ban junk food from school lunches are under threat because some local authorities are unable to find a contractor willing to provide healthier meals.

The shameful new rules on Alzheimer's - The Times 29/05/06

Limiting these drugs will hurt millions of families

Anger as Alzheimer's drugs ruled too expensive - The Independent 27/05/06
Curb on Alzheimer's drugs - The Telegraph 27/05/06
Alzheimer's drugs policy outrage - BBC Health News 26/05/06
Update On NICE Guidance On The Use Of Drugs To Treat Alzheimer's Disease, UK - Medical News Today 28/05/06

I've turned so angry and bitter that I need help - The Times 29/05/06

I feel as if my personality has been stripped away and I am floundering in a sea of depression and anger. In the past two or three years I have become an angry, bitter person, always mentally criticising everything — even photos of people in newspapers or someone I’ll drive past on the motorway.

When art is in the right place - The Times 29/05/06

The Children's Laureate is energising the lives of elderly psychiatric patients with joyful, humorous paintings

Urban Worrier - The Times 29/05/06

Feel my pain. Better yet, see it! Made the mistake of going into the office the other day. My boss gave me a funny look. “Are you sure you’re supposed to be here?” she asked. She was not expressing uncertainty over whether I was still employed by the company but, touchingly, concern about my welfare. Possibly she had a point. I had caught a glimpse of my reflection on the way in and saw a man with all the ruddiness and healthful glow of Banquo’s ghost. The consultant had told me to take it easy while the kidney recovered from its dramatic reaction to the assault on the cuckoo stones. He had suggested that I work from home. But I was bored one day and decided to haunt my colleagues. Unfortunately, it seems that too many of them are afeared of the supernatural, so here I am working from home again.

Patients get right to elite treatment - The Sunday Times 28/05/06

PATIENTS will be encouraged to bypass their local NHS hospitals to be treated at elite foundation trusts and private treatment centres anywhere in England under reforms to be introduced by Patricia Hewitt, the health secretary, this week.

Sleeping pill that brought a coma victim back to life - The Times 27/05/06

A SLEEPING pill that triggered a period of consciousness in a comatose patient after being administered to calm a bout of restlessness is to be taken into full clinical trials, The Times has learnt.

Foreign criminals freed from psychiatric hospitals - The Times 27/05/06

POLICE are hunting for hundreds of foreign criminals who have been released from psychiatric hospitals without being considered for deportation, it was reported last night.

Doctor 'was looking after widow' - The Times 27/05/06

A consultant physician accused of tricking an 86-year-old widow out of her savings and valuable artwork told the General Medical Council that he was merely carrying out her husband’s dying wish.

Tipsy on tonic - The Times 27/05/06

FIGURE-conscious tipplers beware: slimline tonic and other diet mixers can leave you distinctly light-headed, Australian researchers claimed this week.

Game, set and in shape for more - The Times 27/05/06

Tennis champion Martina Navratilova is so passionate about keeping fit that she’s written a book about it. She tells Ginny Dougary about life as a bionic woman

Quiet on the court, please - The Times 27/05/06

Inside story: leprosy: my passage to India - The Times 27/05/06

How the quiet dignity of leprosy patients inspired Victoria Hislop

Agony and ecstasy: taking stock of the affair - The Times 27/05/06

'I'm certain my husband of 30 years is having an affair with another woman. I don't want to lose himl how can I entice him back into my arms?'

With this three-ring circus, I thee wed - The Times 27/05/06

From chocolate fountains to hen and stag weekends in Prague, the big day is costing us a fortune. We’d all be happier — and a lot richer— if we kept it simple, says Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall

Kids can really dig it - The Times 27/05/06

From snails to dirty nails, Emma Cook learns how to involve the children in an enjoyable plot

Gardening adventures for your little blossoms - The Times 27/05/06

GARDEN ORGANIC, RYTON GARDENS, WARWICKSHIRE These plush organic gardens, run by Garden Organic, the national charity for organic growing, are holding a week devoted to getting your sprogs into digging dirt. The children’s week, from Monday, has different activities every day, from making insect masks to sowing seeds and making compost. And every Wednesday throughout the summer Ryton Gardens runs tours for children, followed by a gardening activity.

Lunch-time fix: custom blend manicure - The Times 27/05/06

After years of gnawing my nails and chewing my cuticles, I’ve got the art of hiding my hideous hands down to a tee. So a manicure for chronic nail-biters sounded like something I had to try. The Custom Blend treatment gives you realistic falsies, the colour of your natural nails, which can’t be chewed or bitten off.

High on a hill - The Times 27/05/06

Rosie Millard discovers an Italian retreat that’s a breath of fresh air

Keeping ear bugs at bay - The Times 27/05/06

Last year my daughter, then aged 4, caught an ear infection while we were on holiday in Greece after swimming in a pool that was shared by several families. I am concerned that she may pick one up again, either from a pool or the sea. Have you any tips to prevent this?

What's up doc? Pressing on your ankles - The Times 27/05/06

Why bother? The doctor is testing you for “pitting oedema”. In other words, he is trying to establish whether any swelling of your ankles is due to an accumulation of fluid, or simply the result of your having fat legs.

Eco-worrier: shredded paper chase - The Times 27/05/06

I shred paper that contains personal information. How should I dispose of it?

Is it true that ... chocolate causes acne? - The Times 27/05/06

You’d think that some of these old chestnuts would have been researched to within an inch of their lives by now. And you’d be wrong. Traditional teaching is that the supposed adverse effects of diet on acne are a myth. But this, in itself, may be a myth. Because the evidence that there’s no connection between diet and spots is based on two poor quality studies over 30 years ago.

Bun full of goodness? - The Times 27/05/06

Gourmet” burgers are all the rage with the metropolitan middle-class, but how do they stack up in terms of health against their fast-food rivals?

Meaty treat - The Times 27/05/06

Much as I love vegetarian food, there are moments, usually when I’m feeling tired, when I crave red meat

Are you macho, Nacho? - The Times 27/05/06

Only when it comes to horses, says the Argentine polo player and model Nacho Figueras, 29

Is this heart drug too much of a good thing? - The Telegraph 29/05/06

Statins are taken by two million people in Britain - now, a new study says millions more of us should be prescribed them. But medication is no substitute for a healthy lifestyle, says Barbara Lantin

Life in a wheelchair didn't seem so bad... - The Telegraph 29/05/06

Some 20,000 worth of conventional medicine didn't cure 76-year-old Philip Knightley's back pain. Alternative therapies did, though

Trust me, I'm a junior doctor: as with many things, it's a matter of timing - The Telegraph 29/05/06

Large mental asylums have almost disappeared since closures in the 1990s - but not quite, writes Max Pemberton

Your best ever body with Team Telegraph: day 1 - The Telegraph 29/05/06

Our team of experts has devised a five-day guide to diet, fitness, fashion and beauty so you can feel fabulous this summer

Your best ever body day 1: exercise - The Telegraph 29/05/06
Your best ever body day 1: beauty - The Telegraph 29/05/06
Your best ever body day 1: fashion - The Telegraph 29/05/06
Your best ever body day 1: food - The Telegraph 29/05/06

NHS hospitals are getting dirtier despite promises, claim patients - The Telegraph 29/05/06

Standards of cleanliness in hospitals are falling despite Government promises to tackle dirty wards, a survey showed yesterday.

Third of final-year students visit GP - The Telegraph 29/05/06

One third of final-year degree students have visited their doctor and more than a fifth have sought help from a counsellor because of the stress of exams, according to a survey carried out last week.

'Silver surgery' takes off as over-61s have nip and tuck - The Telegraph 29/05/06

Nearly one person in 10 choosing to have cosmetic surgery in Britain is over 61 years of age, a leading private hospital group says today.

Silver surgery surges - Daily Mail 29/05/06

Hospitals cash in on ATM charges - The Telegraph 29/05/06

Sixty-three hospitals are making money whenever patients use on-site cash machines.

Nish Joshi's Q & A - The Telegraph 28/05/06

My 29-year-old son has just been diagnosed with Crohn's disease. His GP has started him on a course of steroids. He also has fissures. Please could you give me some advice I could pass on?

'Open wide...' Why big business is being invited to run GP surgeries - The Telegraph 28/05/06

Welcome to your new-look doctor's surgery. The one the Government says you deserve. The one without two-week waits for appointments, swamped phone lines, bored receptionists, greasy windows and broken furniture. In Dagenham, Essex, a run-down east London suburb, the future is unfolding.

Shortage of GPs set to turn chronic - The Sunday Times 28/05/06
Anger as NHS pays to recruit US medics - The Observer 28/05/06
NHS Agrees First Deal To Remedy Local GP Shortages - Medical News Today 28/05/06

Working 32 hours a week or more in pregnancy 'is as risky as smoking' - The Telegraph 28/05/06

Pregnant women who work more than 32 hours a week in stressful jobs risk the health of their unborn child, new research claims.

And, no joking, they're planning for a heatwave - The Telegraph 27/05/06

Plans for coping with a heatwave this summer have been announced by the Department of Health, just in case there is one.

New ager: Alexander Technique - The Telegraph 27/05/06

Judith Woods on relieving tension, boosting self-confidence and improving posture.

Get a life: tubes of toothpaste - The Telegraph 27/05/06

Part seven of self-help guru Nina Grunfeld's eight-step guide to better relationships.
Hospital was so scary I gave birth at home - Daily Mail 30/05/06

Actress Tamzin Malleson was determined that her baby would not be born in London, where she lives, but in her home Stroud.

Depressed or stressed? - Daily Mail 30/05/06

Judging by the statistics, you could be forgiven for thinking that we're a nation of depressives.

Fooled by fruit that's never out of season - Daily Mail 29/05/06

When it comes to fruit and vegetables, we are spoilt for choice.

Shouldn't we tax fatties? - Daily Mail 27/05/06

How many fat people have you seen today? Did the milkman waddle down your garden path on legs like giant kebabs?

Britons eating their way to a healthier lifestyle - Daily Mail 26/05/06

Britain's diet seems to be improving, with shoppers buying more fresh fruit and vegetables.

Joyrider crash boy's organs to be donated - Daily Mail 26/05/06

The mother of an eight-year-old boy who was knocked down and killed in a park by alleged joyriders made the heart-rending decision to donate his organs for transplant, she said today.
GPs dissatisfied with IT system - BBC Health News 30/05/06

A majority of doctors support a call for a review into the government's NHS computer project in England, a survey for BBC News suggests.

Child jab wait 'threatens lives' - BBC Health News 29/05/06

Children's lives will be put at risk because a vaccine for a potentially lethal disease is not being introduced this summer, campaigners have said.

Cancer children given Thalidomide - BBC Health News 29/05/06

Children suffering from brain tumours are being given Thalidomide, the morning sickness drug that caused birth defects in 10,000 babies 50 years ago.

Child cancer victims treated with thalidomide - Daily Mail 30/05/06

'My poor skin is ruining my wedding' - BBC Health News 27/05/06

Sally Eastland is hoping to get married next year - but is too scared to try on a dress.

Parents back child gene therapy - BBC Health News 27/05/06

The overwhelming majority of parents whose children have cystic fibrosis want gene therapy trials to go ahead, bypassing normal research guidelines.

Heart warning on African herb use - BBC Health News 27/05/06

Doctors have issued a warning about severe heart problems associated with chewing Khat leaves.

Khat Chewing Increases Risk Of Heart Attack, Warn Doctors - Medical News Today 27/05/06

Graphic images to deter smokers - BBC Health News 26/05/06

The public are being asked to choose a series of picture warnings to appear on cigarette packets from next year.

Graphic Warnings On Cigarette Labels Will Help Cut Tobacco Related Deaths - Medical News Today 27/05/06

Ease off NHS adviser, doctors say - BBC Health News 26/05/06

Campaigners, companies and politicians should stop pressurising the NHS advisory body, doctors say.

Kidney blunder surgeon suspended - BBC Health News 26/05/06

A surgeon who removed the wrong kidney from a woman has been suspended from the medical register for a year.

'Too many' women having Caesarean - BBC Health News 26/05/06

The number of women having Caesarean sections has not fallen, despite experts calling for rate to be cut.

Patients 'positive on hospitals' - BBC Health News 26/05/06

Hospital inpatients are broadly satisfied with their care, but do have concerns about cleanliness, lack of information and staffing, a poll says.

Britons report 'psychic powers' - BBC Health News 26/05/06

More than half of Britons believe in psychic powers such as mind-reading and premonitions, a survey suggests.
The SARS Virus Yields Up Its Secrets - Medical News Today 30/05/06

The SARS coronavirus that sparked a global panic three years ago uses a key coat protein, called S2, to gain entry into human host cells.

Decent NHS Care For Older People Still Too Patchy, UK - Medical News Today 30/05/06

Good, respectful NHS care for older people is still too patchy, argue senior members of the British Geriatrics Society in last week's BMJ.

Positive Influence Of Religion And Spirituality On Blood Pressure - Medical News Today 29/05/06

A study of more than five thousand African Americans found that individuals who were involved with or participated in religious activities had significantly lower blood pressure than those who were not, despite being more likely to be classified as hypertensive, having higher levels of body mass index (BMI), and lower levels of medication adherence.

UK Trained Mental Health Experts Create Resource Centre For Sri Lankan Tsunami Survivors In Columbo - Medical News Today 28/05/06

The King's College London Centre for Trauma, Resettlement and Mental Health in Sri Lanka, created by volunteers from the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London in collaboration with the UK-Sri Lanka Trauma Group and the Sri Lankan Forum for Research and Development is being officially opened this Friday, 26th May 2006 in Colombo. Most of the volunteers are Sri Lankan origin but trained in the UK.

BMA Supports Emergency Medicine Training As Tribute To 7 July Bomb Victims, UK - Medical News Today 28/05/06

The British Medical Association today (25 May 2006) announced two memorials to commemorate the events surrounding the bomb which exploded on a bus outside BMA's London Headquarters on 7 July last year.

Cancelled Operations Down This Winter, UK - Medical News Today 28/05/06

This winter saw a dramatic reduction in the number of NHS operations cancelled at the last minute, according to new statistics released today by the Department of Health.

Include Indigenous Communities In MDGs Or Watch Them Die A Slow Death, Experts Warn - Medical News Today 28/05/06

We are dangerously close to killing off the world's Indigenous populations, and losing forever the invaluable knowledge these communities have about medicines and the ecosystem.

Funding Boost For NHS Dentistry, UK - Medical News Today 26/05/06

NHS dental practices and their patients will benefit from a programme of capital investment of £100million over two years announced today by health minister Rosie Winterton, designed to improve and modernise dental practices across the country.

New Immigration Rules 'deleterious To Patient Care', UK - Medical News Today 26/05/06

The RCP (Royal College of Physicians) Trainees Committee has condemned the new immigration rules recently announced by the Home Office as unfair and potentially deleterious to patient care. The Committee discussed the issue on Thursday 11 April, their first meeting since the new rules were introduced. The Committee is also concerned that the changes will destabilise NHS Trusts already struggling to cope with the introduction of other health service changes, and will alter the image of the NHS as a place where postgraduate doctors compete for appointments in order for the best candidate to provide patient care.

Rosie Winterton Announces Details Of National Resource Centre For Patient And Public Involvement, UK - Medical News Today 26/05/06

A further step towards making it easier for people to get involved in their local health services was announced by Health Minister Rosie Winterton today. A new national Patient and Public Involvement Resource Centre to develop and support NHS staff and organisations to involve people in local health services will open its doors on June 1st after a contract with successful bidders was signed yesterday.

Nine-year High For Sight-saving Cornea Transplant Operations, UK - Medical News Today 26/05/06

The number of people whose sight was saved by a cornea transplant last year was the highest for almost a decade.

International News
Viagra blamed for STDs in pensioners - The Guardian 30/05/06

By day, residents of The Villages enjoy all the respectable pursuits of a healthy old age - a hand of cards, a tea dance and perhaps a round of golf before happy hour.

China to ban smoking for duration of Olympics - The Guardian 30/05/06

It is going to come as a shock to tens of millions of lungs, but the Chinese government is planning a tobacco-free Olympics when the world's heaviest smoking nation hosts the event in 2008.

Aid pours in to Java as quake toll passes 4,300 - The Guardian 29/05/06

Relief supplies and aid workers yesterday poured into the earthquake-devastated areas of Java, Indonesia, as the death toll soared to more than 4,300 people.

Little time for ceremony in a devastated land - The Guardian 29/05/06
'People were just screaming' - The Guardian 29/05/06
Let this rescue improve on the last - The Guardian 29/05/06
Disaster returns to Indonesia from Guardian Unlimited: News blog - The Guardian 29/05/06
Quake rescue 'a race against clock' - The Guardian 29/03/06
USAID Provides Additional Assistance In Response To Indonesian Earthquake Tragedy - Medical News Today 29/05/06
World Vision Distributing Medical And Survival Items To Indonesia Quake Victims - Initial Response Focused In Hardest-Hit Bantul And Klaten Districts - Medical News Today 29/05/06
Emergency quake aid arrives in Indonesia - The Telegraph 29/05/06
UNICEF Responding To Indonesian Earthquake - Focus On Immediate Survival Of Victims - Approximately One Third Are Feared To Be Children - Medical News Today 29/05/06
Aid programmes should be tailored to local communities - The Guardian 30/05/06
Indonesia - Disaster Relief Aid In Action - Medical News Today 30/05/06
New medical research - The Times 30/05/06

Poor children in their late teens are 50 per cent more likely to be overweight than those above the poverty line, says a Johns Hopkins University study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (May 24). The survey of more than 10,000 children says there was no such difference in the 1980s, and suggests that it may be caused by inactivity, fizzy drink consumption and skipping breakfast.

Effects of child abuse exaggerated, says priest - The Sunday Times 28/05/06 THE Catholic church has defended a Northern Ireland priest who said the effects of child sex abuse were exaggerated.
Leaving home - The Telegraph 30/05/06

Readers who have already celebrated their fiftieth birthdays will be familiar with the reflections that inevitably attend this landmark in our lives: the pride or vain regret, the contentment or unease, the expectation or the fear.
The six billion letter man makes DNA breakthrough - The Telegraph 29/05/06

An american scientist has become the first person in history to gaze at his entire genetic makeup, the DNA recipe book that he inherited from his parents.

US scientists back autism link to MMR - The Telegraph 28/05/06

The measles virus has been found in the guts of children with a form of autism, renewing fears over the safety of the MMR jab.
Brush with danger - Daily Mail 30/05/06

Sitting innocuously in your bathroom is an essential tool for your pursuit of good dental you thought. For according to one American expert your toothbrush might be doing you more harm than good.

The safe way to kill pain - Daily Mail 30/05/06

Up to 30,000 British adults could be in danger from over-the-counter painkillers because they are not following the doseage instructions correctly. This week a study by Spanish researchers, published in the medical journal Heart, found that common painkillers, such as ibuprofen, may raise the risk of heart failure in older people.

Teen sex rate has quadrupled - Daily Mail 29/05/06

The number of teenage girls who are sexually active has quadrupled over the last 50 years, U.S. researchers have found.

Sexiness is 'Caused by by genes' - The Mirror 29/05/06

SEXY men and women may have a "randy" mutation in their genes, scientists have revealed.

Differences In Sexual Desire Can Be Attributed To Genetic Variances - Medical News Today 30/05/06
Plea for free Africa healthcare - BBC Health News 29/05/06

A British-based charity has called for international donors to give specific long-term support to African nations in providing free healthcare

Early stroke cause 'discovered' - BBC Health News 29/05/06

A rare genetic disorder is the cause of some strokes in young people, German researchers have said.
Racial And Gender Disparities In Development Of Hypertension In American Indians - Medical News Today 30/05/06

Data from the largest epidemiological study of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its risk factors in the American Indian community may indicate racial differences in the development of hypertension and that different risk factors are more predictive in men than in women.

Amitiza™ (lubiprostone) May Help Improve Symptoms Of Irritable Bowel Syndrome With Constipation - Medical News Today 30/05/06

A new study found that AMITIZA™ (lubiprostone) may help relieve the symptoms associated with constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C). IBS is a condition that affects nearly 30 million people in North America and accounts for 25-50 percent of referrals to gastroenterologists. The study was presented today at Digestive Disease Week, the largest annual meeting of digestive disease specialists.

Increasing Interest In Cholesterol-Lowering Treatment Drive Phytosterol Sales - Medical News Today 30/05/06

Heart diseases account for approximately 50 per cent of all mortalities in the industrialised world. With one of the major risk factors for heart disease being elevated cholesterol levels, particularly low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), there is an increasing demand for foods and beverages containing phytosterols or nutraceuticals that lower cholesterol levels.

Women With COPD Fare Worse Than Men With Same Level Of Disease - Medical News Today 30/05/06

disease (COPD) fare worse than men both in terms of the severity of their disease and their quality of life, according to a study to be presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference on May 22nd.

Coalition Of Cancer Cooperative Groups Features Lance Armstrong In Cancer Clinical Trials Newsweek Supplement - Medical News Today 30/05/06

As part of a national campaign to increase awareness of cancer clinical trials in the United States, the Coalition of Cooperative Cancer Groups has published "Knowledge is Power: Lance Armstrong Encourages Everyone to Learn about Cancer Clinical Trials" as a supplement to the June 5 national edition of Newsweek.

Steroidal Inhalers Do Not Halt Progression Of Asthma In Children - Medical News Today 30/05/06

A study in the May 12 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine reported that steroidal inhalers do not halt progression of asthma in children. “That isn't surprising,” said Lynn Gerald, Ph.D., assistant director of the UAB Lung Health Center. “However, patients should be aware that inhaled steroids are an extremely effective treatment for asthma symptoms.”

Scientists Reveal Structure Of A Key Tuberculosis Protein - Medical News Today 30/05/06

Tuberculosis remains one of the deadliest threats to public health. Every year two million people die of the disease, which is caused by the microorganism Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Roughly one third of the world's population is infected and more and more bacterial strains have developed resistance to drugs.

Pregnancies Lower Breast Cancer Risk In BRCA1 And BRCA2 Mutation Carriers - Medical News Today 30/05/06

Good news for women with inherited mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes: A woman's risk to develop breast cancer after age 40 is the lower, the more pregnancies she has had. This is the result of the International BRCA1/2 Carrier Cohort Study (IBCCS), in which the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) is involved.

Minimizing The Risk Of Melanoma - The Deadliest Skin Cancer - Medical News Today 30/05/06

The incidence of melanoma, the most serious and deadly type of skin cancer, is increasing. In the United States, the lifetime risk of developing melanoma is now about one in 70. It used to be less than one in 100.

Help - But No Miracle Cure - For Receding Hairlines - Medical News Today 30/05/06

It's undeniable. Your hair is thinning around the temples. One look at your older brother's receding hairline shows you what's likely ahead -- and you'd rather not go there. But is there any way to avoid a receding hairline?
Cancer Survivors Face Emotional Challenges After Successful Treatment - Medical News Today 30/05/06

Your bout with cancer - or maybe a battle royal - is over. You beat the disease, withstood the treatment. You're a survivor.

New Understanding Of COX-1 And COX-2 Enzymes Could Revise Classification Of Pain Meds - Medical News Today 30/05/06

COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes may be blocked by pain medications such as Advil and Vioxx in a more complex manner than was previously understood, a Queen's University study has found.

Researchers In Munich Discover A Cellular Mechanism That Can Protect Against Tumours - Medical News Today 30/05/06

Reinhard Fausser led a team which has published an article on this topic in the latest edition of Cell. A protein called Cyld controls Bcl-3 - and thus protects mice from tumour growth. The researchers were able to describe the cellular signalling path which causes uncontrolled growth when the Cyld gene is defective. Furthermore, there is evidence that such a defective Cyld gene may be the root cause of kidney, liver, uterus, and large intestine tumours. Cyld could possibly be one of Bcl-3's most important opponents - in mice and men (Cell, May 19 2006).

Complementary, Alternative Medicine Use High And Varied In Treating Middle Ear Infection In Israeli Children - Medical News Today 30/05/06

Israeli researchers have found that slightly more than half of children admitted to a major treatment facility for acute otitis media have received alternative and complementary therapy. The most common therapy received was various immune boosting national preparations containing Echinacea Purpurea, despite the fact that no evidence exists proving that this product is effective against this common pediatric medical disorder.

International Proteome Researchers Map The Entire Active Protein Inventory In Cells - Medical News Today 30/05/06

Working with colleagues from Denmark, Canada, China, and the U.S.A., the scientists have shown how cutting-edge methods can be used to catalogue the entire inventory of active proteins in cell organelles at a particular moment. Their work sheds considerable light on how cells use proteins. The work is published in the journal Cell (Cell 125, 1-13).

No Difference In Voice Quality After Comparing Different Treatments For Vocal Cord Cancer - Medical News Today 30/05/06

There is no significant difference in voice quality after external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) compared to endoscopic CO2 laser excision (CLE) in T1 glottic cancer. This is the conclusion of meta-analysis assessing voice outcomes after treatment for early glottic cancer.

PBS Stops Growing, Australia - Medical News Today 30/05/06

Newly released Federal Government figures have confirmed that spending on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is flat-lining.
Tonsil, Adenoid Removal Results In Better Sleep, Behavior For Children With Sleep Disordered Breathing - Medical News Today 30/05/06

An adenotonsillectomy, or surgical removal of the tonsils and adenoids, leads to an improvement in behavior and sleep for pediatric patients diagnosed with sleep disordered breathing has been revealed in a study from the University of Kansas Medical Center and School of medicine.

Researchers Open Door To Potential Treatments For Type 2 Diabetes - Medical News Today 30/05/06

Researchers funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA) have identified an unsuspected role of a protein named SHP-1 that could constitute a new therapeutic path against Type 2 Diabetes. Under the direction of professor André Marette (Laval University), Nicole Beauchemin (McGill University), Martin Oliver (McGill University Health Centre) and Katherine Siminovitch (University of Toronto) were part of a Canadian and American team which published an article in the May issue of Nature Medicine that explains the role of SHP-1 in the control of blood glucose.

Surgical Plugs In Ear's Bone Stops Strange Form Of Severe Dizziness - Medical News Today 30/05/06

Rapid, uncontrollable eye movements that swish and thump as the eyes roll and blink. Bones that creak as the body moves. Sudden dizziness, loss of balance. Falling down after a loud noise, such as the sound of your own voice, a cough or even laughter. These are hallmarks of a debilitating and relatively rare syndrome known as superior canal dehiscence that has stumped clinicians for a long time.

Progression From Adolescent Prehypertension To High Blood Pressure - Medical News Today 30/05/06

A study of more than eight thousand adolescents indicates that, without pharmacological treatment or life-style changes, young people with prehypertension or high blood pressure appear more likely to become hypertensive young adults, and consequently be at risk for the damaging consequences of hypertension, as their lives progress.

Many Physicians Do Not View Cardiovascular Risks As Reason To Change Treatment - Medical News Today 30/05/06

A study of patients with uncontrolled hypertension found that although nearly two-thirds had high or very high cardiovascular risks and risk factors, nearly one-third of their primary care physicians did not consider that those patients required a change in any hypertension treatment they were taking.

High Blood Pressure Linked To Female Sexual Dysfunction - Medical News Today 30/05/06

A study presented today at the 21st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hypertension in New York City found that female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is more prevalent in women with hypertension compared to those with normal blood pressure, and that age and duration of hypertension appear to be significant predictors of FSD.

Potential Benefits Of Treating Prehypertension - Medical News Today 30/05/06

The lead author of a recently-published study of treating prehypertension says the positive findings of his research offer the prospect that early intervention may be able to prevent the emergence of high blood pressure.

Online Liver Transplant Group Offers Support Regardless Of Health, Schedule Or Distance - Medical News Today 29/05/06

Lori Dunn, who received a transplanted liver on July 24, 2005, attends weekly support group meetings at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center as often as possible to share her experiences and offer encouragement to other patients. But because distance and schedules don't always cooperate, she often turns to an online offshoot of the group, which enables everyone to participate, no matter how far away they live or what their physical limitations may be from week to week.

Number Of C-Sections In Developing Countries Increasing, Linked To Higher Risk Of Death, Health Complications, Study Says - Medical News Today 29/05/06

The number of caesarean sections performed annually in developing countries is increasing and might be linked to a higher risk of health complications and death among women and infants, according to a study published in the May 23 online edition of the journal Lancet, VOA News reports (McAlary, VOA News, 5/22). World Health Organization researcher Jose Villar and colleagues studied data from 97,065 deliveries that took place over three months in 120 public, private and social-security hospitals in Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay and Peru.

How To Protect Yourself From Bird Flu - Harvard Health Letter - Medical News Today 29/05/06

News media are full of scary headlines about the H5N1 bird flu virus and the possibility that it might spread among the human population. Yet researchers note that no human flu pandemic has ever involved a flu virus of the H5 subtype. On the other hand, the H5N1 virus has already jumped from birds to pigs and cats, as well as infecting some people, suggesting it might have the capacity to develop into a flu that passes directly from one human to another. So should we be afraid-or cynical?

Report Shows QIOs Reducing Disparities In Quality Of Care, USA - Medical News Today 29/05/06

A new report shows Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) making significant progress reducing disparities, or variations, in the quality of health care received by underserved groups - principally African-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and rural residents. Noting the positive results of QIO initiatives, the report calls on Medicare to launch a coordinated national campaign to address health care disparities.

For Infants With Swallowing Troubles, Treatment Of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease May Help - Medical News Today 29/05/06

A new study from the University of Chicago establishes that Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) may contribute to pediatric swallowing dysfunction. The study further suggests that GERD treatment may improve the swallowing function in distress.

Shingles: Painful Return Of Chickenpox Virus - Medical News Today 29/05/06

If you've had chickenpox, you may be at risk of shingles -- a painful skin disease that can lead to serious health complications

Mayo Clinic Study Finds Patients With Pancreatic Cancer Could Be Treated - Medical News Today 29/05/06

A new Mayo Clinic study reviewed CT scans of pancreatic cancer patients done before their cancer diagnosis and found that the cancer rapidly progresses from early to advanced stage in the six months prior to traditional clinical diagnosis. The study also found that in one-half of the diabetic patients, their new-onset diabetes predated clinical diagnosis of cancer by more than six months, giving researchers one more clue for earlier detection of pancreatic cancer. Results of the study will be presented Tuesday, May 23, in Los Angeles at Digestive Disease Week® 2006.

Stool Testing Novel Technique For Detecting Colon Cancer - Medical News Today 29/05/06

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that an improved version of the non-invasive fecal DNA (fDNA) test to screen for colon cancer (CRC) demonstrates a higher sensitivity for detecting cancers of the colon. This data will be presented at the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) conference on May 21, 2006 in Los Angeles.

Beating Bad Breath - Medical News Today 29/05/06

If you're bothered by bad breath, simple measures often can help. Bad breath often stems from food particles in the mouth, from dry mouth, or from a health problem.

Combined Effects Of Air Transport, Intubation Leads To Increased Rate Of Vocal Cord Paralysis - Medical News Today 29/05/06

Intubation and decreased barometric pressures encountered during high altitude transport may lead to an increased rate of vocal cord paralysis of military burn victims. This is a finding of a retrospective study conducted by otolaryngologist - head and neck surgeons at the Brook Army Medical Center in Texas.

Combined Effects Of Air Transport, Intubation Leads To Increased Rate Of Vocal Cord Paralysis Of Military Burn Victims - Medical News Today 29/05/06

Intubation and decreased barometric pressures encountered during high altitude transport may lead to an increased rate of vocal cord paralysis of military burn victims. This is a finding of a retrospective study conducted by otolaryngologist - head and neck surgeons at the Brook Army Medical Center in Texas.

Research Looks To Prevent Facial Paralysis From Chronic Ear Disease - Medical News Today 29/05/06

A new study sets out to describe an unusual anatomic variant found during ear surgery. The authors of “Incidence of Dehiscence of the Facial Nerve in 416 Cases of Cholesteatoma,” are Marcus W. Moody MD, and Paul R. Lambert MD, both from the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC. Their findings are being presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Otological Society, being held May 20-21, 2006, at the Hyatt-Regency Hotel, Chicago, IL.

Music 'can reduce chronic pain' - BBC Health News 28/05/06

Research has confirmed listening to music can have a significant positive impact on perception of chronic pain

Music eases perception of chrnic pain - Medical News Today 29/05/06

Tumours 'sabotage immune system' - BBC Health News 28/05/06

Scientists have shown how tumours can manipulate the immune system to stop it attacking cancer cells.

Prozac effect on brain pinpointed - BBC Health News 26/05/06
Researchers have discovered how the widely prescribed drug Prozac acts on the brain to counter depression.

Lower Literacy Means Poor Health And Poor Health Care Access For Older People - Medical News Today 29/03/06

People aged 70 years and older with limited literacy skills are one and one half to two times as likely to have poor health and poor health care access as people with adequate or higher reading ability, according to a study led by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco.

Herceptin Plus Arimidex Extends Lives Of Breast Cancer Patients - Medical News Today 29/03/06

Herceptin combined with Arimidex extends the lives of patients with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer, says Swiss pharmaceutical company, Roche. The company announced that the combination had a significant impact on patients' progressions-free survival.

It's Not Bird Flu, It's Black Magic, Say Indonesian Villagers - Medical News Today 29/03/06

In the village where seven family members became infected with bird flu, locals are convinced the infections and six deaths were cause by black magic, not bird flu. Locals are afraid to go anywhere near the house where the seven family members lived.

First American With Diabetes To Climb Everest Is First In World To Complete Global Peaks And Poles Challenge - Medical News Today 29/03/06

Will Cross became the first American with diabetes to summit Mount Everest, the highest point on earth on which a human can walk without supplemental oxygen.1 With this achievement, Cross, a 39-year-old father of six from Pittsburgh sponsored by NovoLog® (insulin aspart [rDNA origin] injection), became the first in the world with diabetes to climb the highest mountain on each of the seven continents and trek to the North and South Poles, a multi-year odyssey known as the NovoLog® Peaks and Poles Challenge. He reached the summit at approximately 5:10 a.m. local time.

Mice Lacking Key Immune Component Still Control Chronic Viral Infections - Medical News Today 29/05/06

Despite lack of a key component of the immune system, a line of genetically engineered mice can control chronic herpes virus infections, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found.

Firearms Present 'triple Threat' To Battered Women - Medical News Today 29/05/06

Study results reported in SAGE Publication's Evaluation Review Women are more likely to be killed by an intimate partner than to die at the hands of a stranger according to "Intimate Partner Violence and Firearms," a new set of studies published in the June issue of SAGE Publications' Evaluation Review.

Establishing Trust Between Physicians And Patients With Rheumatic Diseases - Relationships Can Be Improved By Using Patient-centered Approach - Medical News Today 29/05/06

Trust between a patient and doctor is a key factor in promoting improved quality of life, compliance with treatment, and better health outcomes. Without trust, the patient-doctor relationship may not become firmly established, thus potentially hindering physicians' ability to help patients. This is of special concern in the setting of rheumatic diseases, which are chronic and involve patient-doctor relationships that need to be established over a lifetime of disease; yet few studies have been conducted to identify the components of establishing trust in these patients. A new study published in the June 2006 issue of Arthritis Care & Research (interscience.wiley.com/journal/arthritiscare) examined ethnically diverse patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) to determine the elements of the patient-doctor relationship associated with trust in physicians.

Naltrexone Offers Relief For Crohn's Sufferers - Medical News Today 29/05/06

A Penn State College of Medicine pilot study suggests that a drug used to ease symptoms of alcohol and drug addiction may also bring relief to people with Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory disorder of the intestine that affects an estimated 500,000 Americans.

How Do Children Understand The Phenomenon Of War? - Medical News Today 29/05/06

All over the world children are exposed to war, some first-hand, others through media images. However, little is known about how children understand the phenomenon of war, and many parents are unsure how to approach the subjects of war and terrorism with their children.

Arsenic Inhibits DNA Repair - Medical News Today 29/05/06

Dartmouth researchers, working with scientists at the University of Arizona and at the Department of Natural Resources in Sonora, Mexico, have published a study on the impact of arsenic exposure on DNA damage. They have determined that arsenic in drinking water is associated with a decrease in the body's ability to repair its DNA.

High Expression Survivin Protein Levels Independent Poor Outcome Predictor For Patients Treated Surgically For Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma - Medical News Today 29/05/06

AUA 2006 - Gene array data was utilized to demonstrate that survivin mRNA expression was associated with a worse outcome in conventional RCC. In this analysis, protein expression detected through immunohistochemistry was correlated with outcome.

Globe And Mail Examines Problem Of Obstetric Fistulas - Medical News Today 29/05/06

Toronto's Globe and Mail on Tuesday examined the problem of obstetric fistulas, which "affect the poorest women in the most isolated places" (Nolen, Globe and Mail, 5/23). Obstetric fistulas develop when a fetus becomes lodged during labor in the narrow birth canal of a girl or young woman, causing pressure that blocks the flow of blood to vital tissues and tearing holes in the bowel, urethra or both, causing incontinence. Physicians can repair a small fistula surgically in fewer than two hours, but to repair a larger fistula and restore a woman's continence might require more than one surgery (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 3/7). Obstetric fistulas can be prevented with caesarean-section deliveries, but fewer than half of African women give birth in medical settings or under trained supervision, the Globe and Mail reports. Because of the population fistulas affect, the issue "attracts little attention and even fewer resources," but campaigns aimed at drawing attention to this "unglamorous" health care issue have been successful in the past few years, according to the Globe and Mail. "We're seeing a lot of positive changes, of facilities being able to handle more cases - increased awareness and prioritization of the issue," Kate Ramsey, a technical specialist at the U.N. Population Fund's Campaign To End Fistula, said (Globe and Mail, 5/23).

One-third Of Adults With Diabetes Still Don't Know They Have It - Medical News Today 29/05/06

The prevalence of diagnosed diabetes in U.S. adults age 20 and older has risen from about 5.1 percent to 6.5 percent, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), who analyzed national survey data from two periods--1988 to 1994 and 1999 to 2002. However, the percentage of adults with undiagnosed diabetes did not change significantly over the years studied. About 2.8 percent of U.S. adult--one-third of those with diabete--still don't know they have it. The study, published in the June 2006 issue of Diabetes Care, notes that type 2 diabetes accounts for up to 95 percent of all diabetes cases and virtually all undiagnosed diabetes cases. Diabetes is a group of diseases marked by high levels of blood glucose resulting from defects in insulin production, insulin action, or both. It is the most common cause of blindness, kidney failure, and amputations in adults and a major cause of heart disease and stroke.

New Technology Detects Risks Of Drugs To Heart Sooner - Medical News Today 29/05/06

A new technology to enable pharmaceutical companies to determine more effectively, and earlier on in clinical trials, whether an experimental drug is toxic to the heart has taken an important step toward the marketplace.

Kellogg's Corn Flakes Taint Advice, Europe - Medical News Today 29/05/06

Kellogg Europe Trading Ltd has issued advice about a taint affecting a small number of packs within certain batches of Kellogg's Corn Flakes.

New Pathways For Autoimmune Treatment Identified - Medical News Today 29/05/06

A rare genetic defect that can trigger a host of diseases from type 1 diabetes to alopecia has helped explain the imbalance of immune regulator and killer cells in autoimmune disease.

Myth Of Chiropractic-Caused Strokes Debunked By Medical Researchers - Medical News Today 29/05/06

A recent billboard advertisement, carried on the side of a bus in Bridgeport, Conn., is the latest in a series of attacks on chiropractic that use scare tactics and misinformation to undermine the growth of the profession, according to the World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA).

AstraZeneca Announces $100 Million R&D Investment In China - New Innovation Centre To Focus Initially On Oncology Research - Medical News Today 29/05/06

AstraZeneca announced its intention to invest $100 million in R&D in China over the next three years, focusing on the benefit and value of innovative medicines for Chinese patients.

Antitrust Authorities Approve Bayer's Acquisition Of Schering - Medical News Today 29/05/06

The European Commission approved without conditions Bayer's planned acquisition of Schering AG. This leaves the Leverkusen group free to complete the deal as far as antitrust law is concerned, since clearance in the United States was already obtained on April 21, 2006. Bayer had made its cash offer to Schering stockholders conditional upon regulatory approval by the E.U. and U.S. authorities.

Hemophilia - Promising Early Clinical Trials For Longer Acting Kogenate® Product - Medical News Today 29/05/06

Data from two early-stage clinical trials presented today at the World Federation of Hemophilia conference offer promising results and support further development for a new experimental factor VIII replacement product, BAY 79-4980. The findings suggest that this new product may offer people with hemophilia A (factor VIII deficiency) prolonged protection from bleeding with once-weekly infusions.

Acute Bacterial Sinusitis - New Study Data Confirm Excellent Speed Of Eradication By Avelox® (moxifloxacin HCl) - Medical News Today 29/05/06

A recently published study in the peer-reviewed online journal BMC Ear, Nose and Throat disorders found that Avelox® (moxifloxacin HCl) eradicated all pathogens in patients suffering from acute bacterial sinusitis (ABS) within only three days.

Global Incidence Of Constipation - Sufferers Are Not Using The Most Effective Treatments - Medical News Today 29/05/06

New omnibus data from the largest global survey to be published, conducted on the epidemiology of constipation, were presented at the Digestive Disease Week congress in Los Angeles. The survey, sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim, offers new insights into the incidence of constipation and shows that sufferers are not using the most effective treatments.

Spiriva® Consistently Reduces Exacerbations And Associated Hospitalisations In Patients With COPD - Meta-Analysis Of Clinical Studies Shows - Medical News Today 29/05/06

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treated with Spiriva® (tiotropium) for 6-12 months experienced significantly fewer exacerbations and hospitalisations compared with patients receiving placebo according to an analysis of pooled studies presented today at the International Conference of the American Thoracic Society (ATS).1 Spiriva® is the first and only once-daily, inhaled anticholinergic medication for maintenance treatment of COPD.

6-Month Study Evaluated Effectiveness Of Aripiprazole And Standard Of Care In Management Of Community-Treated Patients With Schizophrenia - Medical News Today 29/05/06

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. atypical antipsychotic medicine, aripiprazole, demonstrated significantly greater improvement on the Investigator's Assessment Questionnaire (IAQ) versus standard-of-care in a six-month, randomized, open-label, multicenter trial of more than 500 adults living with schizophrenia conducted in Europe.1 The IAQ is a validated instrument that is a combined measure of efficacy, safety and tolerability, and is composed of 10 items.2 Standard-of-care included treatment with one of the following atypical antipsychotics: olanzapine, quetiapine or risperidone.

GlaxoSmithKline Demonstrates Progress Of Oncology Portfolio - Medical News Today 29/05/06

GlaxoSmithKline will present new data across a broad, innovative portfolio of experimental cancer medicines and vaccines at the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in Atlantastarting Friday 2nd June.

FDA Approves ZOSTAVAX®, Merck's New Vaccine For Prevention Of Shingles In Adults Age 60 And Older - Medical News Today 29/05/06

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Merck's new vaccine ZOSTAVAX® [Zoster Vaccine Live (Oka/Merck)] for prevention of herpes zoster (shingles) in individuals 60 years of age and older.

Phase II Trial Of Trovax® In Prostate Cancer Commences - Oxford BioMedica - Medical News Today 29/05/06

Oxford BioMedica (LSE: OXB), a leading gene therapy company, announced today that a Phase II trial of TroVax in patients with prostate cancer that is unresponsive to hormone therapy is open for recruitment. This is the first clinical trial of TroVax in this cancer type.

Avastin Filed With FDA In US For Treatment Of Women With Advanced Breast Cancer - Doubles The Time Women Live Without Their Breast Cancer Progressing - Medical News Today 29/05/06

Roche and Genentech announced today that they have filed Avastin (bevacizumab) in the US for the first line treatment of women with metastatic (advanced) breast cancer. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide in women.

Results Of Clipping And Coiling Of Aneurysms Are Similar Over Time - Medical News Today 28/05/06

A study led by UCSF neurologist S. Claiborne Johnston, MD, has shown that coiling of ruptured brain aneurysms is very effective during long-term follow-up, similar to outcomes with surgical clipping.

FSU Research Produces Images Of AIDS Virus That May Shape Vaccine - Medical News Today 28/05/06

As the world marks the 25th year since the first diagnosed case of AIDS, groundbreaking research by scientists at Florida State University has produced remarkable three-dimensional images of the virus and the protein spikes on its surface that allow it to bind and fuse with human immune cells.

Two Surgical Interventions For Preemies Have Same Effectiveness - Medical News Today 28/05/06

Neither of the two emergency surgical interventions used to correct perforated necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a common and dangerous complication of prematurity, appears to significantly improve an infant's survival and later health, according to a study by UAB researchers and colleagues in the May 25 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

Technique Speeds Up Detecting, Treating Wound Bacteria - Medical News Today 28/05/06

For Dr. Sydney Finegold, research is like reading a really good mystery or detective story.

AAAS Condemns British Group's Proposed Academic Boycott Of Israel - Medical News Today 28/05/06

The American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world's largest general science society, today urged a British teachers association to withdraw a motion calling on its members to boycott Israeli scholars and academic institutions that do not publicly declare their opposition to Israel's policies in the territories.

Drinking Daily Cuts Heart Disease Risk For Men, But Not For Women - Medical News Today 28/05/06

Men who drink alcohol every day have a lower risk of heart disease than those who drink less frequently, suggests research in this week's BMJ. But the same is not true for women.

Alcohol study has good news for men - Daily Mail 26/05/06

Medical Students And Doctors Continue Strike In India - Medical News Today 28/05/06

Despite appeals from India's Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, thousands of doctors and medical students have continued to strike in protest at university quotas for lower castes. Upper caste junior doctors locked out-patient departments of hospitals in Kokata. Medical services in many parts of India have been disrupted as the strikes enter their third week.

Caritas Christi Head Resigns Amid Sexual Harassment Allegations - Medical News Today 28/05/06

Dr. Robert Haddad, Caritas Christi Head, allegedly hugged and kissed women inappropriately, leered at women and in some cases phoned their homes late at night. He was eventually given the choice of either resigning or being fired. He opted for the resignation, which included benefits, plus ten-months' pay - a golden handshake of $830,000.

Four Human Bird Flu Infections In Indonesia Confirmed - Medical News Today 28/05/06

A Hong Kong laboratory, which is recognized by WHO, has confirmed four cases of bird flu infection among humans in Indonesia. These include a 10-year-old girl from Bandung, an 18-year-old male shuttlecock maker from Surabaya, East Java, a 39-year-old person from Jakarta, and a 43-year-old person from Jakarta.

Are Small Renal Tumors Harmless? Analysis Of Histopathological Features According To Tumor Size In Tumors Up To 4 Cm In Diameter - AUA 2006 - Medical News Today 28/05/06

In this study, the authors examined 287 nephrectomy specimens to correlate tumor size with biological potential. They found that 19.5% of lesions were benign but this could not be correlated with tumor size. Furthermore, they found that in tumors 3-4 cm in size, 26% were grade 3 or 4, 36% were stage T3a, and 8.4% were M1.

Washington Times Examines 'Holistic' Approaches To Preventing Teen Pregnancy - Medical News Today 28/05/06

The Washington Times on Thursday examined two "holistic" approaches to preventing teen pregnancy in the U.S. The first approach -- detailed in a recent report by the National Campaign To Prevent Teen Pregnancy -- seeks to add "relationship skills" to sex-education programs. Marline Pearson, co-author of a report for NCPTP, said, "[W]e need to look beyond the goal of managing the health risks of sex to the goal of building healthy relationships." The report says that developing healthy relationships "has been the missing ingredient" in teen pregnancy prevention programs. "Teens hear about biology and body parts" but need to learn "how to achieve responsible and respectful relationships." The second holistic approach, developed by psychologist Michael Carrera and the Children's Aid Society, integrates sex education programs into a variety of social services provided to low-income students from fifth grade through high school. The approach, known as the CAS-Carrera model, provides daily services in education, employment, family life, sexuality education, art, sports and mental, physical, reproductive and dental health care, according to the Times. Carrera said that the best way to prevent teen pregnancy is to "move from fragmentation (of services) to wholeness," adding that if teens are prepared for college and the job market, have good "sexual literacy" and are in good health, they will make better decisions "because there's something at stake." According to preliminary data from the National Center for Health Statistics, teen birth rates have dropped annually, from 62 births per 1,000 teenage girls in 1991 to 41 births per 1,000 teenage girls in 2005. However, there was only a 1% decrease in the teen birth rate from 2003 to 2004 (Wetzstein, Washington Times, 3/25).

New Clinical Trial To Examine Ways To Improve Treatment Of Uterine Fibroids, University Of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine - Medical News Today 28/05/06

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine are working on ways to improve the results of a non-surgical method to treat fibroids. They are examining the overall effectiveness of different agents used to destroy uterine fibroids - a discovery that could lead to more answers about the durability of a procedure called Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE). It' s already been established throughout the medical community that, after a decade, UFE works to relieve the symptoms of fibroids. Now, in this new study, investigators want to learn how to optimize the procedure, by running a comparison of materials used during it.

Nobel Laureate Nüsslein-Volhard To Discuss Mysteries Of Genetics - Medical News Today 28/05/06

Why do children look like their parents? How does an embryonic cell know how to become an eye rather than an eyelash? How do simple egg cells develop into so many different life forms?

Central African Republic - Funding Urged As Humanitarian Crisis Deepens - Medical News Today 28/05/06

As insecurity in Chad continues to make international headlines, the United Nations World Food Programme urged the international community not to lose sight of the suffering of as many as 50,000 displaced people in the troubled northwest region of neighbouring Central African Republic.

Malaria, Potato Famine Pathogen Share Surprising Trait - Medical News Today 28/05/06

Two wildly different pathogens - one that infects vegetables, the other infecting humans - essentially use the same protein code to get their disease-causing proteins into the cells of their respective hosts.

Turning The Tables On Drug Discovery - Medical News Today 28/05/06

EUREKA project E! 2314 O'SCREEN reverses the traditional screening process used to discover potentially active new pharmaceutical compounds. Testing single, targeted molecules rather than tens of thousands it promises vastly increased efficiency in drug discovery.

Innovations Needed To Monitor Kidney Health - Medical News Today 28/05/06

Doctor Harry Holthöfer, M.D., Ph.D, at the University of Helsinki, Finland, coordinates a new EU-funded project, which aims to develop new diagnostic approaches for early identification of patients at high risk of rapid loss of kidney function. The project links together researchers from Finland, the Netherlands and Switzerland and four SMEs from Finland, the Netherlands and Italy. The EU has granted 4.4 million euro funding for this project.

Radiesse(TM) Injectable Filler Provides 12-Month Improvement Of Vocal Fold Insufficiency In Multicenter Clinical Voice Study - Medical News Today 28/05/06

BioForm Medical, Inc. a leading medical device company that develops and commercializes injectable implant products for soft tissue augmentation announced the results of a rigorous clinical study confirming the long-term efficacy of Radiesse for the treatment of Vocal Fold Insufficiency. This common voice-altering condition is a serious form of voice loss in which one or both vocal folds (and cords) lack the physical capacity to vibrate properly. Radiesse treatment has demonstrated success in improving the voice of patients for 12 months without surgery.

Antipodean Pharmaceuticals Initiates Phase 2 Trial In Parkinson's Disease - Medical News Today 28/05/06

Antipodean Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced it has initiated Phase 2 clinical trials to test the efficacy of its lead compound MitoQ (mitoquinone) in patients with Parkinson's Disease in New Zealand and Australia. The trial will be led by Barry Snow, MD, FRACP, FRCP, Head of the Department of Neurology, Auckland Hospital and involve 10 consultant neurologists at the country's main regional hospitals who will assess and advise potential participants. Parkinsons New Zealand, a non-profit patient information and support group will also be involved to help patients.

Johns Hopkins Researchers Present Advances In Prostate Cancer Program At The Annual Meeting Of The American Urological Association - Medical News Today 28/05/06

Ciphergen Biosystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CIPH) announced the discovery of two biomarkers that may aid in the management of prostate cancer, including for the detection, staging, and prediction of recurrence. These markers, a fragment of protein C inhibitor (PCI) and complement factor 4 (C4a), were identified in two separate studies, a multi-institutional study encompassing over 400 men and a five-year longitudinal study following 104 patients after radical prostatectomy. These studies demonstrated that PCI provides information useful for the detection and staging of prostate cancer, and the combined use of pre-surgery PCI, PSA, and C4a is predictive of prostate cancer recurrence. The work was performed by Dr. Daniel Chan and Dr. Zhen Zhang of the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions as part of our research collaboration.

Genentech Submits Supplemental Biologics License Application For Avastin With Chemotherapy In First-Line Metastatic Breast Cancer - Medical News Today 28/05/06

Genentech, Inc. (NYSE: DNA) today announced that the company submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Avastin(R) (bevacizumab) in combination with taxane chemotherapy for patients who have not previously received chemotherapy for their locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer. Genentech has requested Priority Review of the application, which means that if accepted, the FDA would make its decision on the application within six months of the agency's receipt of the submission, or in November 2006. Avastin is currently approved as a first-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer in combination with intravenous 5-FU-based chemotherapy.

Six-Month Study Evaluated Effectiveness Of Aripiprazole And Standard Of Care In Management Of Community-Treated Patients With Schizophrenia - Medical News Today 28/05/06

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. atypical antipsychotic medicine, aripiprazole, demonstrated significantly greater improvement on the Investigator's Assessment Questionnaire (IAQ) versus standard-of-care in a six-month, randomized, open-label, multicenter trial of more than 500 adults living with schizophrenia conducted in Europe.(1) The IAQ is a validated instrument that is a combined measure of efficacy, safety and tolerability, and is composed of 10 items.(2) Standard-of-care included treatment with one of the following atypical antipsychotics: olanzapine, quetiapine or risperidone.

Immune Mediated Survival Advantage And Primary Tumor Control Of Cryoablation Compared To Nephrectomy In A Murine Model Of Advanced Renal Cancer - Medical News Today 28/05/06

An interesting study by Hedican and colleagues suggests that energy ablative therapies such as cryoablation may offer more than just local tumor control, by augmenting host immune function, to improve survival. Tumors were implanted orthotopically in both immunocompetent and nude (T-suppressor cell deficient) mice.

Barr Laboratories Receives FDA Approval For Extended-Cycle Contraceptive Seasonique - Medical News Today 27/05/06

Barr Laboratories on Thursday announced it has received approval from FDA for its extended-cycle oral contraceptive Seasonique, according to spokesperson Susan Cruzan, the AP/New Bedford Standard Times reports (AP/New Bedford Standard Times, 5/25). Seasonique is similar to Barr's Seasonale, which was approved in September 2003, and allows users to reduce their number of annual menstrual periods from 13 to four. Unlike Seasonale, with which women take 84 active pills consecutively and then take seven placebo pills, Seasonique uses pills containing a 0.01 milligram dose of estrogen in place of the placebo pills (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 4/7). Barr has said that using the low-dose estrogen pills instead of the placebo pills for seven days limits bloating, hormonal fluctuations and breakthrough bleeding, the Standard Times reports. Seasonique is expected to be available for prescription sales in July and is projected to cost about one dollar per pill (AP/New Bedford Standard Times, 5/25).

Kenya Improving Access To Vertical HIV Transmission-Prevention Services, Official Says - Medical News Today 27/05/06

Although the Kenyan government has not met its goal for increased access to prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission services set at the 2001 U.N. General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS, it has improved access to such services, a government official said recently, IRIN News reports. World leaders in 2001 pledged to ensure that 80% of pregnant women worldwide would have access to PMTCT services. Robert Ayisi, vertical HIV transmission-prevention coordinator for Kenya's National AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections Control Programme, said, "We now have between 40% and 50% of all HIV-positive expectant mothers accessing PMTCT and have trained thousands of health workers." The government ahead of the UNGASS review next month has asked that donor countries make their programs more "Afro-centric" and consider local cultural traditions and practices, according to IRIN News. In Kenya, traditional birth attendants are present at more births than trained medical workers, and Ayisi said the government is training such attendants in how to prevent vertical HIV transmission. The government also is encouraging traditional birth attendants to help reduce the stigma surrounding the virus, in part because many women do not follow guidelines to prevent vertical transmission -- such as not breast-feeding -- because of stigma. An infant has a 15% to 30% chance of contracting HIV through breast-feeding, IRIN News reports. According to IRIN News, lack of participation among men in the health of women and infants also hinders PMTCT efforts in the country. In an effort to increase participation among men, Machakos District Hospital in Machakos, Kenya, began a program called "Men As Partners" as part of its overall PMTCT program (IRIN News, 5/24).

Scientists Confirm That HIV Originated In Wild Chimpanzees, Study Says - Medical News Today 27/05/06

Scientists on Thursday in a study published in the online edition of the journal Science confirmed that HIV originated in wild chimpanzees and likely crossed over into humans in Cameroon, the New York Times reports (Altman, New York Times, 5/26). Scientists for many years believed that HIV evolved from a similar virus called simian immunodeficiency virus that is found in chimpanzees, but until now that virus had been found only in chimpanzees in captivity (Xinhuanet, 5/26). Beatrice Hahn, a virologist at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, and researchers from the University of Montpellier and the University of Nottingham over seven years collected 599 samples of chimpanzee feces from 10 forest sites in the southern region of Cameroon and tested them for SIV. The scientists were able to trace individual chimpanzees by genetically analyzing the feces. The researchers found evidence of SIV infection in samples that came from five of the 10 forest sites. The researchers recorded an SIV prevalence of about 35% in three chimpanzee communities and a prevalence of 4% and 5% in the two other communities (New York Times, 5/26). All infected chimpanzees had a shared base genetic pattern that suggested a common progenitor of the virus, Hahn said. SIV does not appear to cause illness in chimpanzees, Hahn said (Neergard, AP/WJLA, 5/25).


Resection Of Nodal Disease In Patients With Metastatic Conventional Renal Cell Carcinoma Improves Survival - AUA 2006 - Medical News Today 27/05/06
Aggressive surgical resection of nodal disease in the setting of cytoreductive surgery for metastatic RCC was evaluated in this study out of M. D. Anderson.

Demand For Primary Care Providers Outpaces Demand For Specialists, Study Says, USA - Medical News Today 27/05/06

Recruitment of primary care physicians outpaced demand for specialists and other types of doctors last year, marking the first time since the 1990s that primary care has been the most in-demand practice area, according to a recent report by physician recruiting firm Merritt, Hawkins & Associates, the AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. From March 2005 to April 1, the most common recruitment search performed by Merritt Hawkins was for internists, with family practitioners ranking second, according to the report. During the study period, demand for internists increased 46%, and demand for family practitioners rose 55%, the report says. Merritt Hawkins said demand for primary care physicians is increasing as the population grows and ages, but fewer medical school graduates are specializing in general medicine. Average annual salary offers were $162,000 for an internist and $145,000 for a family practitioner, compared with $351,000 for a radiologist and $342,000 for a cardiologist, the report finds. However, salary offers for internists have increased 10% to 15% in the last few months, Kurt Mosley, senior vice president for business development at Merritt Hawkins, said. Internists can increase their recruitment potential by subspecializing in cardiology, gastroenterology or other areas, he added (Agovino, AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 5/24).

Ten Lawsuits Filed Over Tentative Settlement To Delay Generic Version Of Plavix - Medical News Today 27/05/06

Health plans, unions and businesses have filed ten lawsuits over a tentative settlement that would delay the sale of a generic version of the blood thinner Plavix, the AP/Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports (Agovino, AP/Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5/26). The settlement, announced in March, would resolve a patent infringement lawsuit filed against generic pharmaceutical company Apotex by Sanofi-Aventis and Bristol-Myers Squibb, which co-market Plavix. BMS and Sanofi had filed the lawsuit against Apotex in federal court over allegations that the generic version of Plavix manufactured by the company violated a U.S. patent on the medication. Under the settlement, BMS and Sanofi would pay an undisclosed amount to Apotex, which could begin to sell the generic version of Plavix in September 2011, eight months before the U.S. patent expires (Saul, New York Times, 3/22). The settlement requires Federal Trade Commission approval. According to the ten lawsuits, the settlement would violate federal antitrust laws. FTC Commissioner Jon Leibowitz last month said his staff would examine the settlement and raised concerns about the increased number of similar agreements. BMS and Sanofi representatives declined to comment on the ten lawsuits, and Apotex did not return a call.

WHO Puts Tamiflu Maker On Alert After Suspected Human-to-Human Transmission - Medical News Today 27/05/06

Roche, the makers of Tamiflu, have been put on alert by the World Health Organization (WHO) after human-to-human transmission of bird flu was suspected among seven family members in Indonesia. This is the first time Roche has been put on this kind of alert.

Cambodia Launches Media Guide To Increase Publicity, Awareness Of Country's HIV/AIDS Epidemic - Medical News Today 27/05/06

The Cambodian government on Monday launched a media guide on HIV/AIDS to increase publicity and raise awareness of the epidemic among people in the country, Xinhua/People's Daily reports. The 186-page guide has 21 sections that feature facts and data about HIV/AIDS in Cambodia and around the world; HIV/AIDS and the media; the effect of the virus on children and adolescents; HIV screening, counseling, treatment and care; and the country's goals to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS over the coming decade, Xinhua/People's Daily reports. "Media plays [a] significant role in the HIV/AIDS program and is also a key player in disseminating true information about HIV/AIDS and changing attitude[s] of the community toward the most vulnerable victims," Hong Sun Huot, president of the National AIDS Authority, said, adding, "We need to expand media coverage rather than to cause restrain to the effort." Hong urged national and international journalists to join the fight against HIV/AIDS. According to Xinhua/People's Daily, Cambodia diagnosed the first case of HIV in 1993, and HIV prevalence in the country peaked at 3.7% in 1997 (Xinhua/People's Daily, 5/22). Cambodia's current estimated HIV prevalence of 1.9% is the highest in Asia (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/3).

Mononuclear Cell Infiltration In Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcionma Independently Predicts Patient Survival - AUA 2006 - Medical News Today 27/05/06

In this study of 306 patients, primary tumor specimens were characterized for the presence and extent of lymphocyte infiltration as a function of cancer specific survival (CSS).

IVF Might Increase Risk Of Pregnancy Complication Placenta Previa, Study Says - Medical News Today 27/05/06

Women who undergo in vitro fertilization are about six times as likely as women who conceive naturally to experience a pregnancy complication called placenta previa, in which the placenta partially or completely covers the cervix, obstructing the fetus' delivery through the birth canal, according to a study published in the current issue of Human Reproduction, BBC News reports (BBC News, 5/24). Placenta previa, which occurs in about 12,000 to 15,000 deliveries annually in the U.S., is the leading cause of hemorrhaging in the second and third trimesters and raises the risk of preterm delivery, according to USA Today. For the study, Liv Bente Romundstad and colleagues at St. Olav's University Hospital in Trondheim, Norway, examined about 845,000 single-fetus pregnancies reported to the Norwegian Medical Birth Registry from 1988 to 2002, about 7,600 of which were a result of IVF. By identifying 1,349 women who had conceived both naturally and using IVF, researchers were able to adjust for risk factors, such as whether the women were older than age 30, smokers or previously had delivered several infants (Rubin, USA Today, 5/25). Conceiving through IVF -- whether before or after naturally conceiving -- raises the risk of developing placenta previa from three in 1,000 deliveries to 16 per 1,000 deliveries, according to the study (Reaney, Reuters, 5/24). Bente Romundstad said that the complication might occur because the embryo often is positioned low in the uterus when it is transferred through the cervix during the IVF process. "The procedure may induce uterine contractions due to the release of prostaglandins [hormone-like substances] after stimulation of the cervix, leading to more embryos implanting low-down in the uterus," she wrote (Martin, Daily Telegraph, 5/25). Previous research has shown that positioning the embryo lower in the uterus can increase implantation rates, so fertility clinics might intentionally do so, Reuters reports.

FDA Approves Duramed's SEASONIQUE(TM) Extended-Cycle Oral Contraceptive Company's Second Proprietary Extended-Cycle OC To Be Available In July - Medical News Today 27/05/06

Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: BRL) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its Duramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s New Drug Application (NDA) for SEASONIQUE(TM) (levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol tablets 0.15 mg/0.03 mg and ethinyl estradiol tablets 0.01 mg) extended-cycle oral contraceptive for the prevention of pregnancy. SEASONIQUE represents the next generation of extended-cycle oral contraceptives in a category the Company created with the launch of the SEASONALE(R) extended-cycle oral contraceptive in 2003.

FDA Advisory Committee To Consider Navy's Proposed 'RESUS' Trauma Trial At July 2006 Meeting - Medical News Today 27/05/06
Biopure Corporation (Nasdaq: BPUR) announced today that it has been notified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the FDA's Blood Products Advisory Committee will meet on July 14, 2006 to discuss the Navy's proposed RESUS clinical trial of the company's investigational oxygen therapeutic Hemopure(R) [hemoglobin glutamer - 250 (bovine)] for out-of-hospital treatment of hemorrhagic shock resulting from traumatic injury. FDA has invited the Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) and Biopure to present at the meeting. As previously announced, NMRC's investigational new drug application (IND) for RESUS is on clinical hold at FDA.

Desvenlafaxine Succinate (DVS-233) Phase 3 Data Show Significant Improvement In Symptoms Of Depression In Adult Patients Versus Placebo - Medical News Today 27/05/06
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth (NYSE: WYE), this week presented for the first time phase 3 data and results from other studies concerning its investigational drug for major depressive disorder (MDD), desvenlafaxine succinate (DVS-233), a novel serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) at the 2006 American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting in Toronto.

Data From Sangamo BioSciences' Diabetic Neuropathy Program Published In Diabetes - Medical News Today 27/05/06

Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGMO) announced today publication in Diabetes, a journal of the American Diabetes Association, of preclinical animal data demonstrating the efficacy of the Company's ZFP Therapeutic(TM), SB-509, for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy. The positive data reported in the peer-reviewed article, suggest that SB-509 may provide a promising, new approach to treating this condition, one of the most common complications of diabetes. The data also support Sangamo's ongoing clinical program in diabetic neuropathy. The Company has announced that it expects to initiate a Phase 2 study of SB-509 in the second half of 2006. The Diabetes article entitled, "Gene Transfer of an Engineered Transcription Factor Promoting Expression of VEGF-A Protects Against Experimental Diabetic Neuropathy" is available on line at http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/.

Prostate Cancer Detection And Screening Session I - AUA 2006 - Medical News Today 27/05/06
A Podium Session on Prostate Cancer Detection and Screening took place on Sunday May 21, 2006 at the annual AUA meeting in Atlanta. Some highlights from the 12 papers presented are as follows.

Researchers Identify Genetic Defects That Cause Main Types Of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, Paving The Way For Potential New Targeted Therapies - Medical News Today 27/06/05

Researchers will report on the discovery of genetic defects that cause particular types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), making these genes rational targets for new anti-lymphoma treatments, in the next issue of Blood.

New Clinical Data For ADVEXIN Recurrent Head And Neck Cancer Therapy - Medical News Today 27/05/06
Introgen Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: INGN) will present data and update the results of clinical trials from ADVEXIN p53 therapy used in recurrent head and neck cancer. The data will be concurrently presented at the annual meetings of the American Society of Gene Therapy and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Additionally, the Company will present data from its Li-Fraumeni Cancer program in which ADVEXIN is used to successfully treat inherited cancer. Introgen recently announced it will provide ADVEXIN p53 therapy for compassionate use to treat qualified cancer patients suffering from Li- Fraumeni Syndrome. The American Society of Gene Therapy (ASGT) meeting is being held May 31 - June 4 in Baltimore, MD, and The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting is being held June 2-6 in Atlanta, GA.

Prostate Cancer Basic Research Session II - AUA 2006 - Medical News Today 27/05/06
A Discussed Poster Session on Prostate Cancer Basic Research took place on Sunday May 21, 2006 at the annual AUA meeting in Atlanta. A few of the many interesting posters on basic and potential translation science are described herein.

Agent Orange Exposure May Be Associated With An Increased Risk Of Biochemical Progression In Prostate Cancer - Medical News Today 27/05/06
Abstract 131: Of 869 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy at 3 VA Medical Centers, a history of Agent Orange exposure was identified in 10% of patients.


Prostate Cancer Detection And Screening Session II - AUA 2006 - Medical News Today 27/05/06

A Moderated Poster Session on Prostate Cancer Detection and Screening took place on Sunday May 21, 2006 at the annual AUA meeting in Atlanta. Some highlights from the posters presented are as follows.


Prostate Cancer Basic Research Session I - AUA 2006 - Medical News Today 27/05/06

A Discussed Poster Session on Prostate Cancer Basic Research took place on Sunday May 21, 2006 at the annual AUA meeting in Atlanta. Many interesting posters on basic and potential translation science were presented. A few of these are described herein.


An Update On Prenatal Diagnosis And Treatment Of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia - AUA 2006 - Medical News Today 27/05/06

The first lecture of the day by Maria I. New, MD from the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City was entitled, “An Update on Prenatal Diagnosis and Treatment of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia.” The lecture focused on the prenatal treatment of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) and some of the physiology and phenotypes of the disease.


Report Analyzes U.S. Response To Domestic HIV/AIDS Challenges - Medical News Today 26/05/06

"HIV/AIDS Policy in the United States: Monitoring the UNGASS Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS," Open Society Institute's Public Health Watch HIV/AIDS Monitoring project: The report finds that the U.S. has fallen short of meeting goals on controlling HIV/AIDS domestically, set at the 2001 U.N. General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS. According to the report, the number of new HIV cases each year has not decreased in the last decade; half of all HIV-positive people who need treatment are not receiving it; efforts against HIV/AIDS are "uncoordinated"; and the disease continues to disproportionately affect low income communities, communities of color, men who have sex with men and injection drug users (OSI release, 5/23).


Report Analyzes U.S. Response To Domestic HIV/AIDS Challenges - Medical News Today 26/05/06

"HIV/AIDS Policy in the United States: Monitoring the UNGASS Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS," Open Society Institute's Public Health Watch HIV/AIDS Monitoring project: The report finds that the U.S. has fallen short of meeting goals on controlling HIV/AIDS domestically, set at the 2001 U.N. General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS. According to the report, the number of new HIV cases each year has not decreased in the last decade; half of all HIV-positive people who need treatment are not receiving it; efforts against HIV/AIDS are "uncoordinated"; and the disease continues to disproportionately affect low income communities, communities of color, men who have sex with men and injection drug users (OSI release, 5/23).


WHO Needs To Restructure Its HIV/AIDS Policies, Efforts, Opinion Piece Says - Medical News Today 26/05/06

The "greatest tribute" to World Health Organization Director-General Lee Jong-wook -- who died in Geneva on Monday after undergoing emergency surgery for a blood clot in his brain -- "would be a new commitment to implementing policies that work," Carol Adelman, director of the Center for Science in Public Policy at the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C., writes in an International Herald Tribune opinion piece. After WHO failed to achieve the 3 by 5 program goal, which aimed to have three million HIV-positive people in the developing world receiving antiretroviral drugs by 2005, the agency now must "reach out beyond its normal circles of consultants and government health ministries in order to work with local doctors, clinics, hospitals and businesses in fighting [HIV/]AIDS and other diseases," Adelman writes. "Sound medical and public health policies, not publicity and exaggerated numbers, should be WHO's priority," she says. "The world's global health authority must ... focus on testing and evaluation, responsible treatment and monitoring of [HIV/]AIDS patients" in order to "achieve the desired ... outcome" of "break[ing] down the real obstacles to [HIV/]AIDS treatments," Adelman writes. "It is time for WHO to rethink its strategies and modus operandi," Adelman says, concluding, "Good intentions are not good enough" (Adelman, International Herald Tribune, 5/23).


New Research Links Placenta Praevia Directly To Assisted Reproductive Techniques - Medical News Today 26/05/06

Norwegian researchers have found the first evidence that techniques used in assisted reproduction (ART) may be directly linked to an increase in placenta praevia - a potentially dangerous condition in which the placenta covers, or partially covers the cervix, blocking the baby's passage into the birth canal.


Can Placebo Make You Run Faster? Apparently It Can - Medical News Today 26/05/06

Can the placebo effect make a person run faster? Yes, it can. The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America's nonprofit fitness advocate, is pleased to announce the results of exclusive research that measured what happens when athletes think they're getting an extra boost in the form of “super-oxygenated” water.


Thailand's HIV/AIDS Prevention Program Absent, Endangering Country, Advocates Say - Medical News Today 26/05/06

Thailand's HIV prevention program has all but disappeared, putting the country's population at increased risk of contracting the virus, according to some HIV/AIDS advocates, Thailand's Nation reports. Several HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment measures -- including HIV/AIDS education for injection drug users; universal access to antiretroviral drugs; and "merit based" access to HIV/AIDS treatment for migrant workers -- which the government in 2004 at the XVI International AIDS Conference in Bangkok said it would introduce, have not yet been implemented, Mechai Viravaidya, founder and chair of the Population & Community Development Association, said. According to Petchsri Sirinirund, an HIV/AIDS expert for the Ministry of Public Health's Disease Control Department, the high mobility of migrant workers, of whom there are about two million in the country, helps to spread HIV. Mechai added that without prevention programs targeted at migrant workers, HIV will continue to spread among the general population. "Thailand's acclaimed achievements in HIV prevention are history," Mechai said, adding, "In the past three years, people working in the field have realized the epidemic is back." According to the Nation, condom use among young people has decreased while the rate of sexually transmitted infections has increased. Petchsri said the 2007 national AIDS plan will focus on HIV prevention (Arthit, Nation, 5/24).


Many Barriers To HIV/AIDS Treatment Delivery Remain Worldwide, Report Says - Medical News Today 26/05/06

Although access to treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS around the world has increased over the past six months, there still are significant barriers to achieving universal access to treatment, according to a report released Wednesday by the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition, a group of 700 HIV/AIDS treatment advocates from more than 100 countries, the AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports (Lederer, AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 5/25). The report, titled "Missing the Target -- Off Target for 2010: How to Avoid Breaking the Promise of Universal Access," is the first semi-annual update to a report released in November 2005 that aimed to identify challenges to treatment access worldwide and provide solutions to overcome them. According to the November report, the World Health Organization missed its 3 by 5 Initiative target of treating three million HIV-positive people in developing countries with antiretroviral drugs by the end of 2005 because of a lack of international cooperation and coordination, as well as a lack of national leadership. The latest report says a pledge made by leaders of the Group of Eight industrialized nations to provide universal HIV/AIDS treatment access by 2010 will not be reached unless government ministers meeting next week at the U.N. General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS reaffirm their commitment to the goal (ITPC release, 5/24).


FDA Grants Tentative Approval For Aurobindo's Antiretroviral Drug Abacavir - Medical News Today 26/05/06

Indian drug manufacturer Aurobindo Pharma has received tentative approval from FDA to produce 300 mg tablets of abacavir sulfate, which is used in combination with other antiretroviral drugs to treat HIV-1 infection, the company announced on Tuesday, the Hindu Business Line reports. Abacavir is the generic version of GlaxoSmithKline's Ziagen. The product will be eligible for consideration under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, according to a press release from the company (Hindu Business Line, 5/24).

Most Americans Completely Unprepared For Disasters - Medical News Today 26/05/06

Although the vast majority of Americans think they are prepared for a hurricane or other disaster, a new poll released today by the American Red Cross showed that most have not taken even the basic steps needed to prepare for a disaster or emergency situation.

Continuing Commitment Needed In Fight Against HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS Executive Director Piot Says In Reuters - Medical News Today 26/05/06

UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot in a Reuters interview published Tuesday said that a "long-term commitment" is needed in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic. "We need to move from crisis management ... to a long-term commitment," Piot said, adding, "We are in this for the long haul. Not as an institution but as an issue." According to Piot, one of the major achievements of the past decade has been putting HIV/AIDS on the "mainstream" agenda. Redefining the issue of HIV/AIDS as a threat to economic and social development and not solely as a disease has played an important role in moving forward, according to Piot. "We are moving into a new era in the response to [HIV/]AIDS," Piot said, adding, "We have political momentum, financial momentum and a momentum of results." Piot said addressing sexual violence, inequality between the sexes and homophobia -- issues that have fueled the pandemic -- also is essential to curbing HIV/AIDS in the long term (Reaney, Reuters, 5/23).

HIV-Positive Cambodians Call For End To Discrimination, Better Access To Treatment - Medical News Today 26/05/06
About 100 HIV-positive people living in Cambodia recently gathered to call on the government to provide better treatment for HIV/AIDS and on the public not to discriminate against people living with the virus, AFP/Yahoo! News reports. According to the Cambodian Alliance for Combating HIV/AIDS, only about 14,300 of the estimated 123,000 HIV-positive people in the country have access to treatment for the virus. In addition, the group said many HIV-positive people face discrimination, including being evicted from their homes, deserted by their families, fired from their jobs and being improperly treated in drug trials. Cambodia's HIV prevalence of 1.9% is the highest in the region (AFP/Yahoo! News, 5/24).

Health Sector In Northern Cote D'Ivoire Destroyed By Civil War, HIV/AIDS Prevention, Treatment Efforts Undermined - Medical News Today 26/05/06

The health sector in Cote d'Ivoire's rebel-controlled northern region has been "all but wiped out" by civil war, which began in 2002, driving out medical workers and undermining HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment efforts, according to a study released on Friday that was financed by the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, IRIN News reports. For the study, Swiss and Ivorian researchers looked at the situation in health facilities and human resources in the public and private sectors before the war began and in March 2004, 19 months after rebels seized the country's northern region. According to the study, the number of physicians in the central part of the country decreased by 98%. The number of physicians in the west declined by 91%, and the number of physicians in the north declined by 95%. Almost 80% of health facilities in rebel-held areas were looted or ravaged and the facilities that remained lacked equipment, antiretroviral drugs and testing kits for sexually transmitted infections. Researchers found that condom use among adults in northern and central areas of the country also decreased, while the number of STIs increased significantly in the west. In addition, the study finds that the number of nongovernmental organizations working to address HIV/AIDS had almost doubled since before the war in rebel-held areas, but most NGOs were local organizations that had no means to implement HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs. In Bouake, the central rebel capital, several international NGOs and U.N. organizations were working to increase awareness and educate people, the study finds. According to UNAIDS, Cote d'Ivoire in 2003 had an HIV prevalence of slightly higher than 7%, but some experts estimate the figure could be higher than 10% in northern regions (IRIN News, 5/23).

German Star Footballer Michael Ballack Accepts Appointment As UNAIDS Special Representative - Medical News Today 26/05/06

Michael Ballack has accepted the appointment as a Special Representative for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). As UNAIDS Special Representative, Michael Ballack will raise awareness on HIV and AIDS with an emphasis on youth and sport.

Manipulating Robots Using Human Brain Activity - Medical News Today 26/05/06

Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International ("ATR") and Honda Research Institute Japan Co., Ltd. ("HRI") have collaboratively developed a new "Brain Machine Interface" ("BMI") for manipulating robots using brain activity signals. This new BMI technology has enabled the decoding of natural brain activity and the use of the extracted data for the near real-time operation of a robot without an invasive incision of the head and brain. This breakthrough facilitates greater possibilities for new types of interface between machines and the human brain.

Suntory, Kyoto Prefectural University Of Medicine Discover That Whiskey Congeners May Prevent Diabetes - Medical News Today 26/05/06

Suntory has discovered unique properties of whiskey in collaboration with the Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine.

Shingles Vaccine, Zostavax Approved In USA And Europe - Medical News Today 26/05/06

The first vaccine to prevent shingles, Merck's Zostavax, has been approved in both the USA and Europe for adults aged 60 or more. Shingles develops when the virus that causes chickenpox, varicella-zoster, is reactivated. After a childhood bout of chicken pox, the virus lays dormant for many years, ready to come into action when the carrier's immune system weakens, either through age or illness.

Suntory Finds That Oolong Tea-derived Polymerized Polyphenol Has Anti-obesity Effect - Medical News Today 26/05/06

Suntory announced on May 22 that it has found a unique property of polymerized polyphenol derived from oolong tea.

Lactobacillus Fermented Foods Made Of Sesame, Soybean And Konbu May Enhance Resistance To Harmful Bacterial Infection - Medical News Today 26/05/06

Suntory delivered a presentation on Gozugon, a food made of sesame, soybean and konbu (dried kelp) and fermented by plant-derived Lactobacillus pentosus S-PT84, at the 60th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Nutrition and Food Science.

Sitaxsentan Improves Quality Of Life In Pulmonary Hypertension - Medical News Today 26/05/06

Researchers have documented an improved quality of life in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) who are treated with the investigational agent sitaxsentan.

Brother And Sister Die Of Bird Flu In Indonesia - Medical News Today 26/05/06

Preliminary test results indicate that an 18-year-old male and his 10-year-old sister, from West Java, Indonesia, were infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus strain. They both died within hours of each other last Tuesday, one day after being admitted to hospital in Bandung.

Need for extensive pregnancy benefits questioned - Reuters 29/05/06

For pregnant women who work outside the home, rest -- provided in some countries by the combination of taking time off from work and government-supported social benefits -- does not appear to lead to bigger, and, therefore, perhaps healthier babies, according to a study conducted in Sweden.

Cutting carbs can lower cholesterol - Reuters 29/05/06

Trimming carbohydrate intake results in healthy improvements in blood fat levels, even if a person doesn't lose an ounce, a new study shows.

Multi-pronged approach curbs risky sex in the HIV+ - Reuters 29/05/06

Programs intended to help individuals infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, to reduce their sexual risk work best if they include training on skills like how to use a condom, as well as motivational training designed to boost social support or otherwise improve overall quality of life, a review of studies suggests.

Early deprivation has long-lasting effects: study - Reuters 29/05/06

Severe malnourishment and other forms of deprivation for sustained periods during a child's early years may have lasting consequences on his or her intellectual development in later childhood, results of a new study show.

Children called "missing face" of AIDS pandemic - Reuters 27/05/06
Some 2.3 million children under 15 years of age are living with HIV, with little access to treatment, according to a report by child advocacy groups.

Thyroid cancer raises risk of second cancer - Reuters 27/05/06

After surviving cancer of the thyroid, the risk of a second different cancer is elevated by about 30 percent, according to results of a new study. Conversely, many cancers are associated with increased risk of subsequent thyroid cancer.

Tobacco use by teens common: worldwide survey - Reuters 26/05/06
Nearly one in five 13- to 15-year-old students worldwide use tobacco products, according to findings of a new survey released Friday.

Sedentary arthritis patients risk disability - Reuters 26/05/06
Few women with arthritis of the hip may be getting the exercise they need to prevent disability, researchers from Japan report.

US FDA approves Merck vaccine to prevent shingles - Reuters 26/05/06

U.S. health officials on Friday approved the first vaccine to prevent shingles, a painful disease characterized by a blistering rash that affects nearly 1 million, mostly older adults every year.

Study questions need for iron in pregnancy - Reuters 26/05/06
Children whose mothers take iron supplements while pregnant don't have higher IQs than those whose mothers didn't take iron pills, a study from Australia shows.

Poverty fuels HIV among black heterosexuals - Reuters 26/05/06

Poverty is a key reason why African-American heterosexuals have a far higher rate of infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, than other racial groups, a new study suggests.

Avoid ADHD drugs, Canada tells heart patients - Reuters 26/05/06

Canada's health ministry on Friday warned people with high blood pressure, heart disease and a number of other medical ailments not to take drugs used to manage Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

AIDS, malaria offset health gains in Africa: report - Reuters 26/05/06

Fewer children in sub-Saharan Africa are dying from measles, diarrhea and respiratory infections but improvements have been offset by HIV/AIDS and malaria, researchers said on Friday.

Cheshire and Merseyside News
Coleen's joy over aid for children's hospices - Daily Post 30/05/06

WAYNE ROONEY'S fiancee, Coleen McLoughlin, yesterday welcomed a £27m funding package for children's hospices announced by the Department of Health.

Water giant in sewage blunder - Daily Post 30/05/06

WATER giant United Utilities has been ordered to pay £10,000 for discharging over 56,000 cubic metres - equivalent to 22 Olympic sized swimming pools - of untreated sewage into the River Mersey.

Town Hall to ban smoking - Daily Post 30/05/06

CHESTER City Council has given the go ahead for a complete smoking ban at Chester Town Hall.

Nurses go in bid to save 5m - Liverpool Echo 26/05/06

HEALTH chiefs are scrapping up to 75 jobs in Wirral - including specialist nurses - and 32 beds as they struggle to save £5m

Nightingale nostalgia - Southport Visiter 26/05/06

A SPECIAL nursing service has taken place at Holy Trinity Church on Hoghton Street.

SatNav sends mercy calls wrong way - Chester Chronicle 26/05/06

AMBULANCES have been getting stuck on a private road after drivers were given the wrong directions by satellite navigation systems.

NHS Direct staff fear for the future - Chester Chronicle 26/05/06

ABOUT 50 employees facing redundancy at an NHS Direct call centre in Chester say a three-month consultation over job losses is 'meaningless'.

Delight at further blow to waste incinerator - Chester Chronicle 26/05/06

PROTESTERS are delighted at the latest setback to plans for a massive incinerator at Ince Marshes.

Run to raise probe cash - Chester Chronicle 26/05/06

HUSBANDS of Chester singers picked up their handbags and ran to raise money for a much needed piece of medical equipment at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Learn how to save a life - Warrington Guardian 27/05/06

GET the chance to learn essential first aid for less as part of Adult Learners Week.

Struck off nurse is allowed to return to work - Warrington Guardian 26/05/06

A NURSE who was struck off for faking university results has been fully restored to the nursing register.

Warrington needs Halton - Warrington Guardian 29/05/06

WE can't survive without you. That's the message health chiefs gave Halton Hospital patients this week as they hold their first public meetings about radical plans to close five wards and transfer acute medical services to Warrington.

Disabled football tourney is a hit - Crewe Guardian 26/05/06

YOUNG disability footballers from Crewe and Nantwich took part in the Cheshire Academy's first soccer competition last week.

Cumbria and Lancashire News

War Veteran Rescues Wife From Nursing Home - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 27/05/06

AN 80-year-old war veteran 'rescued' his wife of 55 years from a nursing home because he could no longer stand to be without her.

Petitions in the hands of our health bosses - Carlisle News & Star 27/05/06

TWO major petitions to save health services in north and west Cumbria are now in the hands of top executives.

Probe After Rehab Patient Is Found Dead - Blackburn Citizen 27/05/06

POLICE are investigating the death of a 21-year-old found hanging in his room at a privately-run rehabilitation hospital.

Support To Kick Addiction - Blackpool Citizen 26/07/05

Youngsters whose lives are blighted by drink and drugs now have a new shoulder to lean on after Blackpool Council launched their latest support service.

Drop In Day At Drug Unit - Preston Citizen 26/07/06

The nerve centre of Preston's drugs operations threw open its doors on Tuesday to give visitors a rare insight into its services.

Greater Manchester News

Chained to his hospital bed - Manchester Evening News 29/05/06

PRISON officers handcuffed a man to his hospital bed to stop him escaping - even though one of his legs had just been amputated.

Prisoner handcuffed to hospital bed after losing leg - The Guardian 30/05/06

Dye worker wins historic cancer case - Manchester Evening News 29/05/06

A FORMER production worker has won a landmark four-year legal battle to get compensation for being exposed to chemicals which he says caused his cancer.

Attacks Rise On Hospital Staff - Bolton Evening News 27/05/06

A RECORD number of staff at the Royal Bolton Hospital are being attacked by patients and their families.

Duckling Is New Arrival At Maternity Unit - Bolton Evening News 27/05/06

MIDWIVES at the Royal Bolton Hospital are celebrating a new arrival with a difference a duckling.

Cancer Centre For Hospital - Bolton Evening News 26/05/06

BOLTON is set to become one of a handful of specialist bowel cancer centres in the country.

Health Plans Feedback Breaks All The Records - Bury Times 26/05/06

HEALTH chiefs have admitted they were "surprised" at the record-breaking level of response to controversial proposals to close Fairfield Hospital's maternity department.

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