National and International News
Lib Dem leader in Brussels calls for all hard drugs to be legalised - The Independent 15/08/05
All drugs, including heroin and crack cocaine should be legalised and sold publicly, a leading Liberal Democrats has said.
Majority of MPs 'support pub smoking ban - The Guardian 15/08/05
More than two-thirds of MPs want the government to go further than its planned anti-smoking legislation and ban smoking in all pubs, a survey found today.
Watchdog launches NHS service reviews - The Guardian 15/08/05
Health services for children and teenagers, smokers and drug addicts are to be targeted first by the healthcare watchdog under a new ratings system.
Lose weight and feel great - The Mirror 15/08/05
NUTRITION expert Gillian McKeith has become a cult success on TV, transforming tubbies into healthy, energetic people with a zest for life.
Love that gives me hope - The Mirror 15/08/05
Helen was three-months pregnant when she was gang-raped and given HIV. But one man's devotion helped her come to terms with the ordeal
Losing your hair isn't funny - The Telegraph 15/08/05
Alopecia is a miserable condition for women, but at last help is available on the NHS. Bryony Gordon reports
Under the knife: the facelift - The Telegraph 15/08/05
Cosmetic surgery for beginners. This week, Lesley Thomas investigates the original and ultimate facial cosmetic surgery
Does having children make you old? - The Telegraph 15/08/05
Any fashionable idea of yummy mummies is far from the reality of weight gain, back ache and frazzled nerves, says Eleanor Bailey
Does having children make you old? - The Telegraph 15/08/05
Any fashionable idea of yummy mummies is far from the reality of weight gain, back ache and frazzled nerves, says Eleanor Bailey
Did Granny really know best? - The Telegraph 15/08/05
How many health-related old wives' tales are actually true? Chloe Rhodes asks the experts
The shape I'm in: Sian Lloyd - The Telegraph 15/08/05
The ITV weather presenter talks to Isobel Shirlaw about sun sense, liposuction and being 'a chocolate slut'
Does it work? Curry - The Telegraph 15/08/05
Barbara Lantin finds out if Britons' favourite spicy dish can prevent cancer
Did Granny really know best? - The Telegraph 15/08/05
How many health-related old wives' tales are actually true? Chloe Rhodes asks the experts
Does it work? Curry - The Telegraph 15/08/05
Barbara Lantin finds out if Britons' favourite spicy dish can prevent cancer
Most MPs want workplace smoking ban - Daily Mail 15/08/05
More than two-thirds of MPs want new smokefree laws to cover all workplaces, without any exemptions, campaigners have said.
Efforts to improve nation's health - Daily Mail 15/08/05
NHS services for children, smokers and drug users are coming under the microscope as part of efforts to improve the nation's health.
Bugs contaminate chicken samples - Daily Mail 15/08/05
Food campaigners have called for Government monitoring of chicken after an investigation revealed samples on sale in the UK were contaminated by superbugs.
Reform fears as alcohol deaths soar - Daily Mail 15/08/05
Soaring numbers of deaths linked to alcohol abuse were branded "deeply worrying" as concern over the relaxation in licensing laws grew.
Damage caused by pregnancy drinking - Daily Mail 15/08/05
Mothers could be permanently damaging their babies by drinking even low levels of alcohol during pregnancy, researchers have warned.
Addiction warning for over-the-counter drugs - Daily Mail 15/08/05
Drugs companies have been urged to update the information on some over-the-counter products to warn patients about the risks of addiction.
Chickens contaminated by superbug, study reveals - Daily Mail 15/08/05
Food campaigners have called for Government monitoring of chicken after an investigation revealed half of the samples on sale in the UK were contaminated by superbugs.
No father required - Daily Mail 15/08/05
Lesbian couples and single women may soon be given the go-ahead to have IVF treatment.
Food chiefs back meat testing plan - Daily Mail 15/08/05
An anti-BSE measure which stops meat from older cattle entering the food chain has come a step closer to being lifted.
Probe surgeon sat on ethics panel - Daily Mail 15/08/05
A top neurosurgeon suspended over allegations that brain tissue was sent to an overseas drug company without proper patient consent sat on a special panel set up after the Alder Hey organs scandal, it has emerged.
Men splash out on the moisturisers - Daily Mail 15/08/05
Well-groomed British males are spending increasing amounts of money on toiletries, new research shows.
Alcohol deaths soar by 50 per cent - Daily Mail 15/08/05
Alcohol-related deaths in some parts of England have soared by almost 50 per cent in five years, figures showed today.
Antidepressants help brain patients - Daily Mail 15/08/05
Antidepressant drugs could be used to help patients with brain tumours live longer, researchers have said.
Manager stole from NHS to buy iPod - Daily Mail 15/08/05
A GP practice manager who siphoned off £11,188 of NHS money to pay his mortgage and buy an iPod and digital camera was jailed for six months.
Over-the-counter medicines warning - Daily Mail 15/08/05
Drugs companies have been urged to update the information on some over-the-counter products to warn patients about the risks of addiction.
Superbugs found in chicken survey - BBC Health News 15/08/05
Significant numbers of chickens on sale in UK shops are contaminated with superbugs, a scientific survey commissioned by BBC One's Real Story suggests.
Folic acid 'cuts dementia risk' - BBC Health News 15/08/05
Eating plenty of folic acid - found in oranges, lemons and green vegetables - can halve the risk of Alzheimer's disease, a study has suggested.
Bird flu reaches Russia's Urals - BBC Health News 15/08/05
Bird flu has spread west to a sixth region in Russia, triggering the slaughter of hundreds more birds.
Surge in alcohol-related deaths - BBC Health News 15/08/05
The number of alcohol-related deaths has increased by nearly a fifth in four years, figures show.
Addiction warning for painkillers - BBC Health News 15/08/05
Painkillers available to buy in chemists are to carry stronger warnings about the risk of addiction and side effects.
Minister will hear care concerns - BBC Health News 15/08/05
Scotland's deputy health minister has promised to listen to concerns that elderly care home residents are being sent to casualty departments to die.
Sperm Web sites face curbs in UK legal review - Reuters 15/08/05
Internet Web sites supplying sperm to single women and lesbian couples face regulation under proposals to be unveiled by the government on Tuesday.
Sunscreen does not encourage more sunbathing-study - Reuters 15/08/05
Using a strong sunscreen does not lead people to spend more time sunbathing in the belief they can do so safely, researchers said on Monday.
Painkillers raise blood pressure in women-U.S. study - Reuters 15/08/05
Women who take higher doses of common, over-the-counter painkillers such as ibuprofen and even Tylenol have higher blood pressure than women who do not, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.
Rectal bacteria may lower vaginal infection risk - Reuters 15/08/05
The presence of a specific type of bacteria in the rectum appears to reduce the risk of vaginal infections, researchers report.
Risks of hormone replacement not surprising: report - Reuters 15/08/05
The risks of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) have made headlines only in recent years, but there had long been warning signs that supplemental estrogen might be more hazardous than healthful, a new report contends.
High blood pressure linked to higher glaucoma risk - Reuters 15/08/05
The results of a study involving more that 27,000 people with glaucoma suggest that high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is significantly more common in this group than in those who do not have hypertension, UK researchers report. They also found that treating hypertension with beta-blocker drugs, but not other types of antihypertensive drugs, lowered the risk of glaucoma.
Lance Armstrong says U.S. should focus on cancer war - Reuters 15/08/05
Seven-time Tour de France winner and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong on Sunday said the United States, which is embroiled in a costly war in Iraq, should focus more effort on a war facing many Americans -- the one against cancer.
South Africa sees shortages of Nestle baby AIDS formula - Reuters 15/08/05
Swiss food maker Nestle on Monday warned South Africa of possible shortages of a special infant formula which the government has selected to help fight mother-to-child transmission of the AIDS virus.
Tanning trendy for young despite skin cancer rise - Reuters 15/08/05
Avid tanner Brandi Donaldson was 25 when she first noticed a new mole right above her navel. She didn't worry until it started to change.
Many Women With Stress Urinary Incontinence Symptoms Receive Off-Label Medications or None at All - Medical News Today 15/08/05
The landmark PURE (Prospective Urinary Incontinence REsearch) study data at baseline, presented today at IUGA (International Urogynecological Association), show that many women with symptoms of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) are receiving off-label medications or no pharmaceutical treatment at all.1 This may leave women afraid to participate in normal daily activities for fear of accidental leakages or may be unlikely to re-visit their healthcare professional because they have lost all confidence.
Multiple Sclerosis - TYSABRI(R) Safety Evaluation Update - Medical News Today 15/08/05
Biogen Idec and Elan Corporation, plc announced today that findings from their safety evaluation of TYSABRI(R) (natalizumab) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) resulted in no new confirmed cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). The companies have previously reported three confirmed cases of PML, two of which were fatal. The ongoing safety evaluation in Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis is on track to be completed by the end of the summer. The companies anticipate making submissions to regulatory authorities in early fall of 2005. The companies are taking preliminary steps to restart clinical trials in MS.
Concerta® (methylphenidate HCl) Approved for the Treatment of ADHD in Adolescents, Canada - Medical News Today 15/08/05
Health Canada has approved CONCERTA® (methylphenidate HCl) Extended-release Tablets for use in adolescents (aged 13 to 18) with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).1 Until now CONCERTA® was approved for the treatment of ADHD in children aged six to 12 years.
Scientists link vascular gene to Alzheimer's disease - Medical News Today 15/08/05
Scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center have discovered a link between a prominent developmental gene and neurovascular dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease.
Tadpole soon to help in the fight against cancer and lymphedema - Medical News Today 15/08/05
Lymph circulates in our bodies through a complex network of lymphatic vessels, of which little is known. This network is, however, of major importance for the support of the immune system and the fluid in our body. Researchers from the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) connected with the Catholic University of Leuven, are the first to indicate that this network can be studied with the help of tadpoles. This accelerates research of the lymphatic vessel network. With tadpoles one can now very quickly identify new genes that play a part in the development and functioning of the lymphatic vessel network. This is a first step in the search for solutions for illnesses related to the lymphatic vessel network, such as cancer and lymphedema.
Gradient guides nerve growth down spinal cord - Medical News Today 15/08/05
The same family of chemical signals that attracts developing sensory nerves up the spinal cord toward the brain serves to repel motor nerves, sending them in the opposite direction, down the cord and away from the brain, report researchers at the University of Chicago in the September 2005 issue of Nature Neuroscience (available online August 14). The finding may help physicians restore function to people with paralyzing spinal cord injuries.
Prenatal alcohol exposure can lead to lasting changes in cognitive processing - Medical News Today 15/08/05
Decades of research have left little doubt that prenatal alcohol exposure has adverse effects on intellectual and neurobehavioral development. A recent study of the effects of moderate to heavy prenatal alcohol exposure on cognitive function confirms earlier findings of slower processing speed and efficiency, particularly when cognitive tasks involve working memory. Results are published in the August issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
Personality traits and craving among pathological gamblers and alcoholics - Medical News Today 15/08/05
There are two types of addiction-related craving: one is physical, which is related to withdrawal; and the other is memory-based, consisting of a desire that persists long after withdrawal has been subdued. A study in the August issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research compares craving between pathological gamblers and alcoholics, correlating craving with personality. Results indicate that gamblers and alcoholics have distinctive personality traits that affect their cravings.
Procrit® (Epoetin Alfa) Maintenance Treatment For Patients With Anemia From Chronic Kidney Disease - Medical News Today 15/08/05
A new study published in the August 2005 issue of Clinical Nephrology suggests that less frequent dosing of PROCRIT® (Epoetin alfa) may result in a similar response to that of weekly dosing for maintaining hemoglobin - or red blood cell - levels in patients with anemia related to chronic kidney disease who are not on dialysis. More than 20 million Americans - or one in nine adults - are estimated to have chronic kidney disease, and as many as two-thirds of these patients develop anemia.
Anxiety disorders can compromise success of alcohol-dependence treatment - Medical News Today 15/08/05
Anxiety disorders and alcohol dependence co-occur at an alarming rate. A study in the August issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research examines what effects a co-existing anxiety disorder may have on relapse following treatment for alcoholism. Results indicate that two of the most common anxiety disorders found among alcoholics - social phobia and panic disorder - are more strongly associated with alcohol relapse than other anxiety disorders.
Roots of epilepsy may lie in oft-ignored brain cells - Medical News Today 15/08/05
Star-shaped brain cells that are often overlooked by doctors and scientists as mere support cells appear to play a key role in the development of epilepsy, researchers say in a study published on-line August 14 in Nature Medicine. It's one of the first times scientists have produced firm evidence implicating the cells, known as astrocytes, in a common human disease.
Diabetics fare worse after ankle fracture surgery - Medical News Today 15/08/05
In the largest analysis of its kind, Duke University Medical Center researchers have found that patients with diabetes who require surgery for ankle fractures have significantly higher rates of complications and higher hospital costs compared to non-diabetic patients.
The body's biological clock: alcohol may lead to physiological anarchy - Medical News Today 15/08/05
Circadian rhythms refer to biological phenomena that oscillate within a 24-hour cycle, in keeping with the earth's rotation. A review in the August issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research summarizes new findings on interactions between alcohol and the "clock genes" that underlie circadian rhythmicity.
Diabetics fare worse after ankle fracture surgery - Medical News Today 15/08/05
In the largest analysis of its kind, Duke University Medical Center researchers have found that patients with diabetes who require surgery for ankle fractures have significantly higher rates of complications and higher hospital costs compared to non-diabetic patients.
Activated Stat5 protein in prostate cancer can predict outcome - Medical News Today 15/08/05
Researchers from Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University found that testing for an activated Stat5 protein in prostate tumor tissue effectively predicts which men have a form of prostate cancer that may become more aggressive and life threatening.
Disasters do not necessarily affect minorities disproportionately - Medical News Today 15/08/05
While it has long been assumed in the disaster research community that individuals with fewer resources are more likely to suffer in a disaster--and it is true that non-whites, the poor, and females often suffer more than their counterparts--the race-class-and-gender trinity of variables does not capture the entire spectrum in which disaster affects society. At the 2005 American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, Lee Clarke, Rutgers University, discusses the reality that calamity is with us as never before and yet we are poorly prepared.
Researchers find that combined gene therapy eliminates glioblastoma multiforme in lab studies - Medical News Today 15/08/05
Despite aggressive treatment, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) - the most common and deadly of brain cancers - usually claims the lives of its victims within six to 12 months of diagnosis. Because GBM is so aggressive, the disease has been the target of a number of laboratory and clinical studies investigating the effectiveness of gene therapy to deliver novel therapies to the brain. In laboratory studies, this type of gene therapy has proved almost completely effective. But in clinical trials, it has had limited effectiveness.
First paper battery that generates electricity from urine - Medical News Today 15/08/05
Physicists in Singapore have succeeded in creating the first paper battery that generates electricity from urine. This new battery will be the perfect power source for cheap, disposable healthcare test-kits for diseases such as diabetes. This research is published today in the Institute of Physics' Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering.
In-Depth Look at How Osteoporosis Treatments Function Within Bone - Medical News Today 15/08/05
A new study comparing the head-to-head effects of teriparatide [rDNA origin] injection, (20 mcg), marketed in the US as FORTEO, the first and only FDA approved bone formation agent that actually forms new bone in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture, and Fosamax (10 mg alendronate sodium(1)), an inhibitor of bone resorption, gives new information on how the two osteoporosis therapies affect bone cell activity. These data were published in the August 2005 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
Acute Bacterial Sinusitis - Levaquin® (levofloxacin) FDA Approved for Short-Course Treatment - Medical News Today 15/08/05
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new five-day, 750 mg once-daily regimen for LEVAQUIN® (levofloxacin) tablets to treat acute bacterial sinusitis. This regimen is available in the convenient Leva-pak and is the first and only short course fluoroquinolone regimen approved for the treatment of acute bacterial sinusitis. The approval is based on a clinical study that found this shorter treatment regimen as effective as a traditional regimen of LEVAQUIN® 500 mg for 10 days.
Spliceosomal fidelity - Medical News Today 15/08/05
Pre-messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) splicing is an integral step in gene expression, removing introns that would otherwise disrupt the coding potential of gene transcripts. As published in the August 15th issue of G&D, Drs. Tommaso Villa and Christine Guthrie at UCSF have identified a novel splicing fidelity factor, as well as provide additional evidence for a two-step model of pre-mRNA splicing.
RCGP welcomes delegates from China, UK - Medical News Today 15/08/05
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) together with Barts and The London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry will host 18 delegates from the Zhejiang Province Health Bureau in China between 15 - 19 August 2005.
Adolescent Alcohol Abuse, 10.4 Million Drinkers, USA - Medical News Today 15/08/05
Year after year, more money is spent promoting the use of alcohol than that of any other product. Perhaps through its elaborate and creative marketing, the most basic, yet important fact about alcohol is often overlooked - alcohol is a drug - the most commonly used and widely abused drug in the world.
New Study on Echinacea is Faulty, says Canadian-Based Company - Medical News Today 15/08/05
A new study which claims that Echinacea products work no better than a placebo on cold symptoms has been called faulty and inaccurate by the Canadian-based Company that produces a number of well known Echinacea-based products for consumers around the world.
Long Term Care Information on Web Site - Medical News Today 15/08/05
In an effort to provide consumers with the essential information on long term care, the American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the National Center For Assisted Living (NCAL) have redesigned their consumer Web site. LongTermCareLiving.com. Established apart from the organizations' member sites, the consumer site was expressly created for ease of use by the average consumer, allowing ready access to specific information on aspects of nursing facilities and assisted living residences.
Covert cancer drugs 'fast tracked' to tumours - Medical News Today 15/08/05
Cancer Research UK funded scientists have developed a series of powerful stealth anti-cancer drugs that can sneak into tumours and destroy them, without causing damage to surrounding healthy cells, a study published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry reveals today*.
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