National and International News
Research inflames price of olive oil - The Observer 04/09/05
The trading price for futures of extra-virgin olive oil rose 7 per cent to hit a new high of €3,440 (£2,340) a tonne last week following research showing it has similar anti-inflammatory properties to Ibuprofen.
Taking a chance with last orders - The Observer 04/09/05
As a nation, we have become so good at binge drinking that we apparently want to share our expertise with the rest of the world. According to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office: 'Seventy per cent of young Brits now prefer to travel abroad for stag and hen parties, some quarter of which end up in trouble.' Mostly, this is alcohol-related trouble: losing money, passports, consciousness, in a Friday night English city-centre kind of way. So, last Thursday, the FCO issued advice that seems sound, if obvious: 'Know your alcohol limit; it can impair judgment, lead to accidents and can increase the risk of you becoming a victim of crime.'
Why studying for a doctorate keeps the doctor away - The Observer 04/09/05
But the state is reluctant to hand student loans to anyone who's over 55
Official stress-busters stressed out - The Observer 04/09/05
The government department responsible for setting national 'stress management standards' is itself suffering an epidemic of stress-related absences costing tens of millions of pounds a year, it was revealed yesterday.
Leader: Good childcare requires proper funding - The Observer 04/09/05
Good childcare requires proper funding
Oliver James: Get off my cloud - The Observer 04/09/05
With more relationships in meltdown, partners are turning to couple therapy. But treating people as a pair is an unjust impediment, says Oliver James
Lord Winston in tirade on drink laws - The Observer 04/09/05
Top doctors say relaxing the licensing laws will result in more alcohol-related deaths, particularly among females
Dr John Briffa: Basking for it - The Observer 04/09/05
The link between over-exposure to the sun and skin cancer seems blindingly obvious. But, says Dr John Briffa, sunbathing may also cut the risk of cancer
'Too posh to push' births under fire - The Observer 04/09/05
Women should be barred from agreeing to elective caesareans for lifestyle rather than medical reasons, according to a survey of mothers' opinions for a leading pregnancy charity.
The big issue: complementary medicine - The Observer 04/09/05
Nick Cohen (Comment, last week) showed no knowledge of how it is thought that homeopathic remedies work, nor that they have been around for longer than conventional medicine.
Sick Chirac in hospital for a week - The Observer 04/09/05
President Jacques Chirac has been admitted to hospital for at least a week with a blood vessel problem in his eye that could have been caused by a stroke, it was revealed last night.
Chirac in hospital with eye problems - The Telegraph 04/09/05
Eye ailment puts Chirac in hospital - Daily Mail 03/09/05
Decay bites ever deeper into poor children's teeth - The Observer 04/09/05
Survey shows growing north-south gap in dental health
Pupils will be forced to give up junk food - The Observer 04/09/05
Children will be compelled to eat healthily under a new government blacklist banning fatty foods and phasing out the current cafeteria-style system that lets children ignore healthy options.
Chips to be rationed on school menus - The Times 04/09/05
School winners - The Independent 04/09/05
The Osbourne formula for losing weight: get high - The Observer 04/09/05
Ozzy's tubby son has joined the ranks of celebrity adrenaline junkies, addicted to extreme sports. And he has shed 60lb in the process. Ed Douglas reports
Alexander Chancellor's guide to age - The Guardian 03/09/05
Shortly before returning to England from Tuscany, I slipped and fell while getting out of a car in a thunderstorm. I know now, since being x-rayed in London, that I broke my collarbone; but at the time I thought I must have twisted my left shoulder in some unnatural way. It seemed slightly swollen, and I was in agony whenever I moved my arm.
Birt breaks silence over Whitehall role - The Guardian 03/09/05
John Birt, the prime minister's strategy adviser, has for the first time spoken publicly about his role in reforming the civil service.
How best laid plans went awry for Makosi - The Guardian 03/09/05
Big Brother's 'schemer' runs risk of deportation to Zimbabwe
Natural health therapist Emma Mitchell answers your questions - The Guardian 03/09/05
I am suffering slight incontinence: when I feel the urge to go, I start to dribble almost immediately which I cannot control. I am 75 and know that these muscles may start to lose tone. I am trying exercises but is there anything else I can do?
'Deck 'em' adviser made head of respect drive by Blair and Clarke - The Guardian 03/09/05
A government adviser who praised binge drinking and threatened to "deck" Downing Street officials will head a taskforce to promote respect, the Home Office said yesterday.
Blair orders Clarke to fund ‘anti-yob’ czar - The Times 04/09/05
Blair fights Cabinet for 90m to fund 'Respect' unit - The Telegraph 04/09/05
Encounter with yobs on street 'left minister intimidated and fearful' Home Secretary dismisses talk of ivory tower experience - The Independent 03/09/05
Need a little respect? I'll tell you where to go - The Times 03/09/05
Blair to introduce tough measures to punish parents of the Asbo generation - The Telegraph 03/09/05
Constituents force Clarke to fight extra time at the pub - The Times 03/09/05
She boasted about binge drinking and 'decking' officials in crude outburst. Now Blair promotes her - The Telegraph 03/09/05
Anger as experts claim dyslexia is a myth - The Guardian 03/09/05
Dyslexia, the learning disability thought to affect one in 10 Britons, does not exist and is no more than an emotional construct, education experts will claim in a television documentary to be aired next week.
Dyslexia is no more than a snobbish label, says professor - The Telegraph 03/09/05
Judge frees devoted husband who helped ill wife to die - The Guardian 03/09/05
A devoted husband who admitted killing his wife of 50 years after she contracted a terminal illness and begged him to stop her suffering, has been spared prison.
Man who killed terminally ill wife 'as act of love' is spared jail - The Independent 03/09/05
Wife-killing husband shown mercy - The Times 03/09/05
Thai villagers join bird flu rapid reaction force - The Guardian 03/09/05
Farmers in frontline of fight to avert pandemic
Oi, you lousy lot! Gyms lose out to Army training clubs - The Independent 04/09/05
As military manoeuvres go, it is unprecedented. Army fitness trainers are moving in on the lucrative gym club business with an approach last seen in the days of National Service.
Obesity ops double as epidemic grows - The Independent 04/09/05
The number of Britons resorting to drastic weight-loss surgery will double in the next 12 months, say medical researchers, in a further sign of the growing obesity epidemic.
Smoking ban could cost 'thousands of jobs' - The Independent 04/09/05
A leading trade union has hit out at the Government, accusing it of ignoring the needs of tobacco workers and warning that thousands of jobs will be at risk if it bans smoking in public places.
Green tea (without the biscuits) can aid dieting - The Independent 03/09/05
Sales of green tea are soaring, fuelled by young women who are bored with bottled water as their tipple of choice.
Boy aged 14 'hanged himself after campaign of bullying' - The Independent 03/09/05
A 14-year-old boy died after being found hanged by his school tie, having fallen victim to a campaign of bullying, which included a so-called "happy slapping" incident, an inquest has heard.
Mobile phones: friend or foe? - The Guardian 03/09/05
'Happy slap' victim, 14, hanged in his wardrobe - The Times 03/09/05
Leadership contenders urged to quit controversial directorships - The Independent 03/09/05
The contenders for the Conservative leadership were under pressure last night to quit their jobs worth hundreds of thousands of pounds working for armed security, late-night drinking and tobacco firms.
Clarke pulls out of speech on tobacco - The Telegraph 03/09/05
Comment: Brenda Power: Adoption rules should obey family values - The Sunday Times 04/09/05
About 60 strangers gathered in a graveyard in Limerick last Wednesday for the funeral of an unknown baby boy. Named Aidan after the saint on whose feast day he was buried, the child’s body had been discovered in a plastic bag on a rubbish skip a month earlier. Last Wednesday he found a more dignified resting place than that chosen by the person who dumped his corpse. A garda sergeant’s gloved hands carried the boy’s coffin to his grave in the Calvary cemetery after a mass had been said for him in the chapel of a nearby hospital.
Scots wait longer for surgery - The Sunday Times 04/09/05
WAITING times for orthopaedic surgery have risen dramatically, forcing thousands of patients to endure waits longer than the government’s six-month target.
Cardinal says gay adoption will harm children - The Sunday Times 04/09/05
THE leader of Scotland’s Roman Catholics has described proposals to allow homosexual couples to adopt as a “distorted social experiment” which risks making children gay.
Patients denied new generation of drugs - The Sunday Times 04/09/05
THOUSANDS of patients are being denied life-saving medicines that the government promised would be universally available on the NHS.
Stay on the ball - The Times 03/09/05
Start having fun if you want to boost your brain power and live longer
Not just anybody: Hannah Stacey - The Times 03/09/05
The UK’s top female free diver Hannah Stacey, 28, aka ‘the atomic tadpole’, says plumbing the depths keeps her healthy, relaxed — and high
Smoke-free pubs have hit sales at bar chain - The Times 03/09/05
JD WETHERSPOON, the pub operator, yesterday suffered a setback to its plan to transform all of its pubs into smoke-free areas after revealing a 7 per cent decline in sales at the first of its pubs to introduce a ban.
At your table: honey - The Times 03/09/05
Cool, thick, Greek-style yoghurt drizzled with a spoonful of runny honey is one of my favourite comfort foods. And many of us will have brought back delicious local honey from our holiday, to be enjoyed when there’s a need to tap into happy summer memories.
Home remedies: barcarbonate for bee stings - The Times 03/09/05
Last week, we dealt with vinegar for wasp stings. So what about that other traditional summer-sting remedy — bicarbonate for bee stings?
Eco-worrier: out to lunch - The Times 03/09/05
I use lots of packaging in my children’s lunch boxes. What can I do to set them a better example?
Tired? Just drop your trousers - The Times 03/09/05
Thatcher swore by them, but will B12 jabs keep Damian Barr on his toes?
Over the counter: ibuprofen for pains and aches - The Times 03/09/05
Brands Nurofen, Cuprofen and others.
Ready for class action - The Times 03/09/05
My daughter is 4 and due to start school this month. Is it worth starting her on a vitamin supplement to help to keep her healthy? She has attended a small nursery but this is the first time that she will be in contact with large numbers of children.
Sex matters with Dr Thomas Stuttaford and Suzi Godson - The Times 03/09/05
My wife had a baby three months ago and she still won't have sex with me. I'm trying to be patient, but I'm getting desperate. Could something be wrong?
Lunchtime fix: oxygen facial - The Times 03/09/05
A facial used to be a pampering affair; really it was just a chance to lie down and be stroked for a while. Not anymore. There’s a new breed of superfacials which promise to remove fine lines, eradicate wrinkles and rejuvenate skin and they are far more medical in their approach.
A-Z of relationships: G is for guilt - The Times 03/09/05
The most distinctive feature of human guilt is that we feel it most strongly when we haven’t done anything to deserve it. How many holidaymakers going through customs this summer felt guilty without having any contraband in their luggage? What could the source be of this peculiar sensation? We can be guilty of thoughts rather than deeds. Sinful, lustful or selfish wishes can make us feel guilty. But any thoughts that we choose to keep to ourselves can generate guilt. However innocent they may be, the fact of keeping them private gives them a special value.
Agony aunt: Irma Kurtz: More grandma time - The Times 03/09/05
I don’t see enough of my two granddaughters, my son and his wife. They live in London and have a busy life. Despite many attempts over the years to get an “appointment”, which is how it feels, I get “yes, of course” from my son, then nothing. My granny contemporaries say thatthis is normal with sons; that only mothers and daughters stay close. My daughter-in-law’s parents see them often, but they are just around the corner and have a tempting country home on the coast. I live outside London and always make the trip to them. My new granddaughter is 3 months old and I haven’t seen her since she was born. My other granddaughter is nearly 4 and I get to see her about four times a year, never Christmas or birthdays. I don’t want to be pushy or to alienate my son, but I am sad that I cannot see more of my granddaughters. I have tried to tell him, but he says, again, “yes, of course”, and that’s it. Is this the norm for the mother of the groom?
Inside story: misdiagnosis: a long path to health - The Times 03/09/05
It took £2,000 and seven years before Caroline Green finally had her arthritis diagnosed
A peace of his mind - The Times 03/09/05
Film director David Lynch on how meditation keeps him mentally fit and focused
Just add seasons - The Times 03/09/05
From knobbly potatoes to kinky courgettes, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall tells Rose Shepherd how to eat organic without getting an overdraft
Dr Copperfield: inside the mind of a GP - The Times 03/09/05
When I was a “medical student with an attitude” I’d roll up to microbiology classes in a T-shirt emblazoned with a gratuitously offensive image of a pile of steaming manure and the strapline: “Eat kak — fifteen million bluebottles can’t be wrong.”
Junk medicine: scientific medicine - The Times 03/09/05
Everyone understands the truism that you can’t believe everything you read in the newspapers. We usually expect more, though, of the learned journals that publish significant medical research. With rigorous standards for accepting papers and peer review by independent expert referees, we should surely anticipate errors to be rare.
‘I asked the midwife if I was going to die’ - The Times 03/09/05
For the first time since her twins were born, Gabby Logan looks back on a rollercoaster ride that she wouldn’t change for anything
New ratings open up trouble - The Times 03/09/05
Patients who act on a GP’s performance table are taking a risk
Follow your nose - The Times 03/09/05
TRUST your nose and you could transform yourself into a human bloodhound, say brain researchers, who claim to have solved a long-running riddle over whether we have evolved the ability to hunt down scents.
British GPs have healthy income - The Times 03/09/05
British GPs earn more than their European counterparts, the average taking home almost £50,000 after tax.
Ready, set, snip: it's a vasectomy marathon - The Times 03/09/05
THE first snip occured at 8.30am yesterday — and they kept coming all day long. Six surgeons, nicknamed the “Southampton snippers”, rattled through almost 100 vasectomies at a south coast hospital to clear a backlog.
That's one small snip for man, one giant leap for our performance targets - The Telegraph 04/09/05
Rock-bottom league score mystifies patients at 'high-quality' GP practice - The Telegraph 04/09/05
Just seven miles separate them but the two general practitioner surgeries are leagues apart in medical care.
Man shot in hospital grounds - The Telegraph 04/09/05
The body of a man has been found shot in the head head in the grounds of a hospital, police said.
Shooting victim found near hospital - Daily Mail 04/09/05
Labour's New Deal for young jobless to be scaled down after budget cuts - The Telegraph 03/09/05
Labour's flagship New Deal programme is to be scaled down for some new clients because of budget cuts.
Grieving daughter hanged herself - The Telegraph 03/09/05
A teenager left heartbroken by her father's death in a road accident killed herself on the second anniversary of the crash, an inquest was told.
London to host Aids conference - Daily Mail 04/09/05
More than 30 countries will meet in London to discuss the international fight against Aids.
Bird flu warning over poultry - Daily Mail 04/09/05
A leading animal charity urged British poultry farmers to be vigilant as deadly bird flu continues to spread from Asia.
Pregnant women quit - Daily Mail 03/08/05
The number of women who smoke during pregnancy has dropped dramatically in just a year, a survey has revealed.
Baby joy after seven IVF treatments - Daily Mail 02/08/05
A 50-year-old woman who suffered seven miscarriages and two ovarian tumours has finally given birth to a baby boy.
Government dismisses drugs reform - Daily Mail 02/08/05
The Government has been accused of missing an opportunity to reform drug regulation after a critical report by MPs.
'Early warning' software introduced - Daily Mail 02/08/05
Patients with long-term illnesses such as arthritis and diabetes are to be monitored by an "early warning" computer system in efforts to keep them out of hospital.
Modern drugs 'halve stroke risk' - BBC Health News 04/09/05
New classes of blood pressure-lowering drugs could save lives by preventing strokes and heart attacks even more effectively, a major trial says.
Modern drugs can halve stroke and heart attack risk - Reuters 04/09/05
Nurses push for full smoking ban - BBC Health News 03/09/05
Nurses are leading the way in piling the pressure on ministers to introduce a full smoking ban, saying they see the devastating effects of the habit.
Nurses press for full smoking ban - Daily Mail 04/09/05
UK HIV spending 'lacks clarity' - BBC Health News 03/09/05
The government lacks transparency and clarity over its international HIV/Aids spending, campaigners say.
Encephalitis kills 140 in Nepal - BBC Health News 02/09/05
The Nepalese authorities say that 140 people have died of Japanese encephalitis - or brain fever - over the past two months.
Coil can cut aneurysm death risk - BBC Health News 02/09/05
Treating burst aneurysms by blocking them with platinum coils could offer patients better long-term survival than major brain surgery, researchers say.
Coil treatment better than brain surgery for burst aneurysms - Medical News Today 04/09/05
Asians 'risk fatal liver disease' - BBC Health News 02/09/05
Tens of thousands of Asian people living in the UK risk dying from liver disease, researchers fear.
Women losing out in heart care to men - Reuters 04/09/05
A perception that cardiovascular illness is mostly a male problem has led to poorer treatment for women with heart disease, leading doctors said on Sunday.
Plavix before artery procedure saves lives -study - Reuters 04/09/05
Giving patients the anti-clotting drug Plavix before commencing a procedure to clear clogged arteries can save lives, researchers said on Sunday.
ACE drug prevents heart deterioration in aged - study - Reuters 04/09/05
A widely used blood pressure pill can reduce the risk of death in elderly heart attack survivors by preventing their hearts deteriorating in a process known as "remodelling," researchers said on Sunday.
Anti-terror teams switch gears, help with Katrina - Reuters 04/09/05
A special medical unit set up to move fast in case of a terrorist attack is being put to its first test in caring for victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Heart checks could avoid 1 in 10 cot deaths -study - Reuters 04/09/05
As many as one in 10 cases of sudden infant death syndrome could be avoided by early screening for a heart problem and proper treatment, researchers said on Sunday.
Delaware scientists make significant advance in study of small RNAs - Medical News Today 04/09/05
Scientists from the University of Delaware have made a significant advance in the study of small ribonucleic acids (RNAs), discovering 10 times more small RNAs in the plant Arabidopsis than previously had been identified. The advance is reported in the Sept. 2 issue of Science magazine.
Protein Design heart drug works well in trial - Reuters 04/09/05
An experimental drug from U.S. biotechnology firm Protein Design Labs Inc. can relieve symptoms and cut mortality in patients with advanced heart failure, researchers said on Sunday.
ACE drug prevents heart deterioration in aged-study - Reuters 04/09/05
A widely used blood pressure pill can reduce the risk of death in elderly heart attack survivors by preventing their hearts deteriorating in a process known as "remodelling," researchers said on Sunday.
Vitamin D, painkillers battle prostate cancer - Reuters 02/08/05
Special, high-dose formulations of vitamin D and common, over-the-counter painkillers can greatly slow the growth of prostate cancer tumors, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.
Health crisis grips New Orleans even as help lands - Reuters 02/08/05
Lethornia J. Whiticar was lying all alone in the end zone of New Orleans' famed Superdome stadium, very sick and in great need of help.
British teacher sparks row on dyslexia - Reuters 02/08/05
A British professor sparked a row on Friday by saying that dyslexia - a condition that affects millions of people worldwide -- was overdiagnosed.
C-section may avert later pelvic surgery - Reuters 02/08/05
Women with a first pregnancy who deliver by cesarean section seem to be protected against pelvic surgery later in life, according to results of a study conducted in the UK.
Did human remains from India cause BSE? - study - Reuters 02/08/05
Mad cow disease may have originated from animal feed contaminated with human remains washed ashore after being floated downriver in Indian funerals, British scientists said on Friday.
Eight percent of U.S kids have ADHD - survey - Reuters 02/08/05
Just under 8 percent of U.S. children ages 4 to 17 had ever been diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in 2003, and more than half of them are being treated with drugs, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Thursday.
Eating Disorders and Personality Disorders - Medical News Today 04/09/05
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Patients suffering from eating disorders either binge on food or refrain from eating and sometimes are both anorectic and bulimic. This is an impulsive behaviour as defined by the DSM and is sometimes comorbid with Cluster B personality disorder, particularly with the Borderline Personality Disorder.
U of T Research Uncovers Genetic Instructions to Build Life - Medical News Today 04/09/05
Life at its most basic level - millions of chemical building blocks holding hereditary information - is controlled by genetic instructions, or genes, responsible for healthy development and protection against disease. By feeding biological data into an artificial intelligence program, University of Toronto researchers have uncovered these instructions to build mammalian life.
Nanotechnology Presents Possibility of Implantable Artificial Kidney - Medical News Today 04/09/05
Researchers have developed a human nephron filter (HNF) that would eventually make possible a continuously functioning, wearable or implantable artificial kidney. This study is published in the latest issue of Hemodialysis International.
Nanobiotechnology Under Pressure to Justify the Enormous Private and Public Funding it Has Received - Medical News Today 04/09/05
Nanotechnology has received as much media attention than any other science sector since the space race of the 1960s. This hype has attracted large sums of ‘reactionary' public and venture capital funding, and has brought in its wake tremendous pressure on market participants to deliver results.
UCSF study points to link to neurodegenerative disease target - Medical News Today 04/09/05
A UCSF study has found that a specific signaling link between neurons and muscles in the fruit fly is essential for keeping the insect's nervous system stable.
New bacterial gene provides meningitis mechanism - Medical News Today 04/09/05
Bacterial meningitis is the most common nervous system infection and a major cause of childhood death. In a new study appearing in the September 1 print issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation, Kelly Doran and colleagues from UCSD investigate the mechanisms responsible for the penetration of the human blood-brain barrier (BBB) by Group B Streptococcus (GBS), the bacteria that causes meningitis in newborn infants.
Researchers identify molecular anchor that allows bacterial invasion of central nervous system - Medical News Today 04/09/05
Could be target to block CNS infection - A single molecular anchor that allows bacteria to invade the nervous system may hold the key to treating many types of bacterial meningitis, a University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine study has found.
BSE may have originated from a human form of the disease, new theory - Medical News Today 04/09/05
Animal feed contaminated with human remains may have caused the first cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, suggests a hypothesis published in this week's issue of THE LANCET.
Immune cells known as macrophages linked to growth of lymph vessels in eyes, scientists discover - Medical News Today 04/09/05
Holds promise for treating eye disease and cancer and for healing injuries - Scientists at Schepens Eye Research Institute have discovered that a particular immune cell contributes to the growth of new lymph vessels, which aid in healing. This cell, known as a macrophage, is called in by the body during the wound healing process. The discovery of this new role for the macrophage, published in the September 2005 Journal of Clinical Investigation, may ultimately inspire innovative treatments for blinding eye disease, as well as for other diseases, such as cancer, that rely on the lymph vessels to spread abnormal cells throughout the body.
Cochlear implants' performance not affected by amount of hearing loss in the implanted ear - Medical News Today 04/09/05
Hearing-impaired individuals with severe to profound hearing loss and poor speech understanding who possess some residual hearing in one ear may experience significant communication benefit from a cochlear implant even if it is placed in the worse-hearing ear, a Johns Hopkins study suggests.
Patients treated with respect more likely to follow medical advice - Medical News Today 04/09/05
Attention doctors: Want patients to follow your advice? Treat them with dignity, a Johns Hopkins study has found.
Reducing antibiotic use lowers rates of drug-resistant bacteria - Medical News Today 04/09/05
Fewer antibiotic prescriptions leads to fewer "superbugs." That's the take-home message behind a new study in the Oct. 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, now available online. The study found that reducing antibiotic use for pediatric respiratory tract infections resulted in lower rates of carriage of drug-resistant bacteria.
Scrub or be sorry - Medical News Today 04/09/05
When you spread out your Labor Day weekend barbeque, will you be confident that there are no harmful bacteria lurking on the lunchmeat or mingling in the potato salad?
New Approach for Targeting Patients with Brittle Bones, Australian Scientists Suggest - Medical News Today 04/09/05
Scientists from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney, Australia, are suggesting a new approach to determining the risk of fracture in individuals with the brittle bone disease, osteoporosis, which could have treatment implications.
Developing Immunotherapy For Alzheimer's Disease, Eisai Announces Strategic Alliance With BioArctic Neuroscience - Medical News Today 04/09/05
Eisai Co, Ltd and BioArctic Neuroscience Inc announced that on August 24, they signed a strategic alliance agreement to develop an immunotherapy for Alzheimer's disease. Based on this agreement, Eisai will obtain first right of refusal for drug candidates developed resulting from the research.
New Addiction Treatment and Drug Rehab Referrals Web Site Launched - Medical News Today 04/09/05
After months of hard work and dedication from a team of healthcare and addiction treatment specialists,... www.recoveryconnection.org has been officially launched. www.recoveryconnection.org provides extensive information about addiction - a complicated and tragic disease affecting about 20 million people and their families. Visitors to the web site can learn about addiction, addiction treatment options and several types of drugs. Most importantly, visitors can get immediate help: the site features live help online, a 24-hr helpline (1-800-993-3869) and local access numbers in several states. http://www.recoveryconnection.org has a team of ethical professionals who have worked in different addiction treatment centers around the United States. The web project was conceived years ago when these addiction professionals realized they shared the same opinion about the reality of treatment: “There are many substance abuse programs out there; more than ten thousand, but just a small percentage work better than the rest because of their clinical approach, treatment philosophy and the people who run them.” www.recoveryconnection.org helps people find the treatment that is most suitable for them or their loved ones, using a unique treatment model focused on each patient's well-being and recovery. RecoveryConnection.org employs recovering addicts and alcoholics, who are trained to answer the hotline and guide callers through the process of becoming admitted to a substance abuse program or to finding alternative assistance. http://www.recoveryconnection.org features a special section to motivate the general public to learn about addiction. “Addiction is a disease that attacks the core of our humanity so deeply that it actually changes the way we think, act and react with the world around us and the people we love”, says Gean Pierre Biffulco, Web Project Manager. According to him, research indicates that “one out of four people are affected by addiction”. “If you pay attention to the news, movies, shows and television ads, you will see that our society is constantly medicated with different substances or behaviors. You can read about these addictions on our website. It could be alcohol or drugs just as shopping, sex, gambling, coffee, food or nicotine. We become addicts by escaping our reality, instead of dealing with our issues”, he adds. For more information on addiction treatment and drug rehab, please visit http://www.recoveryconnection.org. If you or someone you know need immediate assistance, please call their helpline at (800) 993-3869. About http://www.recoveryconnection.org Recovery Connection is owned and operated by Corporate Response, LLC. Corporate Response is a subsidiary from Lakeview Health Systems, LLC, a healthcare corporation whose mission is to improve the quality of life by providing quality health services. http://www.recoveryconnection.org
Massive public ignorance about heart failure, survey - European Heart Journal - Medical News Today 04/09/05
An international survey of the public's awareness of heart failure has revealed a woeful and worrying level of ignorance, according to the lead author of the research, which is published today (Wednesday 31 August) in Europe's leading cardiology journal European Heart Journal[1].
Combating Skin Conditions with Phototherapy Treatment - Medical News Today 04/09/05
At any age skin conditions disrupt sleep, dictate your dress code and can negatively impact one's self esteem. UVBioTek and dermatologists around the USA offer patients suffering from skin conditions tips on achieving relief and the benefits of phototherapy treatment.
Increasing Adoption of Computational Biology Tools in Drug Discovery Industry - Medical News Today 04/09/05
In a move aimed at augmenting shrinking product pipelines, the drug discovery industry is employing high-level computational biology tools. The industry also expects to reduce the duration of the drug discovery process, especially in toxicology and drug efficacy studies.
Fifteen-fold increase in prosecutions boosts staff safety, UK - Medical News Today 03/09/05
Figures released today show a fifteen-fold increase in the number of prosecutions against those who physically assault NHS staff. During 2004/05 there were 759 prosecutions compared to 51 cases identified in 2002/03.
Review of General Opthalmic Services, UK - Medical News Today 03/09/05
Patients could have recurring eye problems monitored at their local optician rather than their hospital, under plans announced by UK Health Minister Rosie Winterton today.
Spending on cancer services reaches record levels, UK - Medical News Today 03/09/05
639 million spent on cancer services - 69 million more than NHS Cancer Plan commitment -
NHS staff earnings survey August 2004, UK - Medical News Today 03/09/05
The 2004 earnings survey is based on a one month sample (August) of 51% of NHS trusts that use a specific common payroll system. The system includes information for each individual directly employed by the trust.
World's biggest health database goes live, UK - Medical News Today 03/09/05
New system makes it easier to monitor patients with long-term conditions - The world's most comprehensive database on the prevalence and management of common chronic diseases went live today. This database, made up of results from a new GP payment system, makes NHS GPs world leaders in the management of common chronic diseases. Over time this will help the NHS to tackle health inequalities by targeting those at risk and focusing resources appropriately.
New 'early warning system' to improve patient care, UK - Medical News Today 03/09/05
BMA comments on C Difficile and GRE infection rates published today, UK - Medical News Today 03/09/05
Commenting on today's figures (26/08/05) on Clostridium Difficile and GRE infections, Dr Paul Grime, Deputy Chair of the BMA's Occupational Health Committee said: “It's useful to see cases of C Difficile and GRE infections in hospitals now being recorded - the more information we have the better. But many other infections which put patients at risk also need monitoring if we're to get a true picture of the health of our hospitals.
Joint pain and estrogen deprivation - Medical News Today 03/09/05
Recent evidence suggests caution in prescribing hormone therapy for breast cancer and sheds new light on “menopausal arthritis”
Mayo Clinic research shows promise for myeloma patients - Medical News Today 03/09/05
Mayo Clinic Cancer Center investigators report that combination therapy with lenalidomide (RevlimidTM) and dexamethasone (combination is called Rev/Dex) looks like a breakthrough treatment for multiple myeloma. Results of a Phase II clinical trial were published online Aug. 23 in Blood.
Cancer drug target Chk1 may also be source of drug resistance - Medical News Today 03/09/05
A study published by The Burnham Institute in the September edition of Molecular Cell reports that a cell-cycle checkpoint protein, known to be activated by an important class of anticancer drugs, may play crucial roles in both the hampering of therapeutic actions and aiding cancer cells to "recover" and start dividing again after treatment with these drugs. The study is expected to help academic researchers and biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies design drugs that combat cancer using this checkpoint protein, but with fewer side effects.
K-State researchers study insects' immune system - Medical News Today 03/09/05
How insects avoid getting diseases they can carry and spread to humans is the focus of research at Kansas State University.
K-State researchers designing better drug to treat cystic fibrosis - Medical News Today 03/09/05
John Tomich, a Kansas State University professor of biochemistry, spends much of his day thinking about how to design a better drug to treat cystic fibrosis.
Discovery will aid identification of misregulated genes in Rett Syndrome - Medical News Today 03/09/05
Adrian Bird of the University of Edinburgh and colleagues report today in the online issue of Molecular Cell that the "Rett Syndrome protein", MeCP2, only binds to genes with a specific sequence of nucleotide bases. This knowledge will aid in the identification of the genes that are regulated by the gene MECP2. This work was supported, in part, by the Rett Syndrome Research Foundation (RSRF).
Connections between Breakfast and Girls' Health - Medical News Today 03/09/05
A multi-center study led by researchers at Maryland Medical Research Institute indicates eating cereal at breakfast "as part of an overall eating pattern that promotes maintenance of healthy body weights" may help adolescent girls maintain a healthy body mass index and adequate nutrient intake.
Breakfast Consumption and Body Mass among U.S. Adults - Medical News Today 03/09/05
Researchers from Michigan State University and Kellogg Co. looked at data from the fourth National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2000, to study relationships between breakfast consumption and body mass index in adult men and women.
New insights into the software of life - Medical News Today 03/09/05
A series of discoveries by an international consortium of scientists, including a team from The University of Queensland's Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), will transform our understanding of how our genome works to produce a complex organism like a human being.
Losing sleep over heartburn? Treating nighttime heartburn improves sleep and boosts quality of life - Medical News Today 03/09/05
The first major multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial addressing therapy for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) related sleep disorders is published in the September issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology. This study demonstrated that effective acid suppression therapy with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), either 20 mgs or 40 mgs of esomeprazole, relieved nighttime heartburn symptoms and GERD-related sleep disturbances, which significantly improved sleep quality and thereby improved work productivity.
Mouse genome much more complex than expected - Medical News Today 03/09/05
More than 100 scientists from Australia, Asia, Europe and the US have been probing the genome of the mouse in a joint study lasting several years. Their results in some aspects have completely overturned geneticists' traditional assumptions. The findings are available in the prestigious journal Science on 2nd September. The general conclusion of the study is that the genome of mammals is much more complex than was hitherto supposed.
Drug can reduce hot flashes for women with breast cancer - Medical News Today 03/09/05
A drug called gabapentin could reduce the incidence of hot flashes in women with breast cancer by 46%, according to a randomised trial published in this week's issue of THE LANCET.
Breast cancer gene increases risk of several cancers in men - Medical News Today 03/09/05
A genetic mutation implicated in an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancers also significantly increases the risk of pancreatic and prostate cancers in men, finds research in the Journal of Medical Genetics.
Coronary heart disease is under-diagnosed and under-treated in women - Medical News Today 03/09/05
Coronary heart disease is under-diagnosed, under-treated, and under-researched in women, says a senior doctor in this week's BMJ.
Chinese Government, Merck Sponsor Program Recruiting HIV/AIDS Specialists to Rural Southwest China Region - Medical News Today 03/09/05
The Chinese government and the pharmaceutical company... Merck Sharp & Dohme are sponsoring a program to recruit domestic and foreign health care workers who are HIV/AIDS specialists to work for at least four months in Liangshan Prefecture, a rural region in Southwest China's Sichuan province, the China Daily reports. The specialists -- who will have their expenses covered by the program -- will be responsible for training local health workers, launching and enhancing HIV/AIDS treatment programs and evaluating overall strategies to fight the disease. According to China's Ministry of Health, the specialists should have at least five years of experience working at inpatient or infectious disease departments at hospitals, universities or other medical institutions and should be able to speak English and Chinese. "We urgently feel the need for professionals to help our work here," Xie Nianzhi -- deputy director of the Infectious Disease Prevention Centre in Xichang, Liangshan's capital -- said, adding, "Because many villages are hard to access owing to their remoteness and backward transport facilities, our education program has difficulty reaching out to local residents. ... It's not uncommon to see drug users in these villages, and the disease is spreading quickly." Experts said that the majority of China's small number of HIV/AIDS specialists are working at big hospitals and disease control centers in large cities (Zhenghua/Feng, China Daily, 8/31). The Chinese government estimates that there are 840,000 HIV-positive people in the country and that 80,000 of those people have AIDS. However, international experts and advocates say that the actual number of HIV-positive people in China probably is between one million and 1.5 million. UNAIDS has said that the number of HIV-positive people living in China could increase to 10 million by 2010 unless steps are taken to address the epidemic (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 8/30).
Avoid animals when visiting developing countries, warn experts - Medical News Today 03/09/05
In this week's BMJ, experts warn travellers to get vaccinated and avoid animals when visiting areas such as Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, where rabies is common. They should also seek urgent help if they are bitten or scratched.
Pricey new versions of old drugs fuelling huge rise in drug spending - Medical News Today 03/09/05
'Breakthrough' drugs and growth in expenditure on prescription drugs in Canada BMJ Online First - Newly patented versions of old drugs are driving the rapid growth in expenditure on prescription drugs in most developed countries, without offering substantial improvements over existing products, finds a study published online by the BMJ today.
Chirac Announces France Will Begin Airline Tax To Provide Funding for HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria Next Year - Medical News Today 03/09/05
The French government next year plans to implement a tax on airline tickets to help fund the global fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, President Jacques Chirac said on Monday, the... AP/USA Today reports (AP/USA Today, 8/30). Chirac in July sent a letter to about 145 world leaders asking for support on his proposal that would require an international airline tax to help fund the fight against the diseases. He first announced the idea in January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The airline tax would be a surcharge on tickets issued to passengers departing from airports in countries participating in the program. In the letter, Chirac said the tax would be simple to impose and economically neutral and would take countries' economic status into account (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 7/29). French officials said a tax of about $6 per passenger internationally, with a $25 surcharge for business class, would generate about $12 billion annually worldwide, including $3 billion in Europe (AP/USA Today, 8/30).
Chinese Province To Offer Reproductive Health Check-Ups With Birth Control Surveillance in Rural Areas - Medical News Today 03/09/05
The family planning commission of China's Hebei province has launched a program to offer reproductive health check-ups at no cost to the approximately nine million women living in rural areas of the province,... Xinhuanet reports. The care will be combined with routine birth control surveillance that monitors and enforces the country's one-child-per-family policy. Married women ages 48 and younger will be included in the program, which will check for common breast and gynecological diseases. If a woman were diagnosed with a problem, she would be advised to seek treatment. Very poor couples are eligible for no-cost medical care under the program, according to Zhao Xin, head of the Hebei Commission of Population and Family Planning. Many Chinese women in rural areas do not receive reproductive health care because they cannot afford it or are not educated about it, Hu Dianzhen, director of Fengning County's family planning service station, said (Xinhuanet, 8/30).
ACOG Publishes Guidelines for Physicians Caring for Obese Pregnant Women, USA - Medical News Today 02/09/05
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists on Wednesday released guidelines for physicians caring for obese pregnant women, which are expected to be published in the September issue of the journal... Obstetrics & Gynecology, Toronto's Globe and Mail reports (Picard, Globe and Mail, 9/1). The guidance -- which details possible health and childbirth-related complications for obese pregnant women and their infants -- represents the group's first committee opinion on obesity during pregnancy. About one-third of adult U.S. women are obese, according to an ACOG release (ACOG release, 8/31). Obese women and women who gain excessive weight during pregnancy face additional increased risks during pregnancy, including diabetes, hypertension, preeclampsia, blood clots and complications during labor and are more likely to have fetuses with neural tube defects, experience birth trauma and miscarry late in pregnancy (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 8/22). "A lot of OB/GYNs don't bring up weight with patients," Laura Riley, immediate past chair of ACOG's Committee on Obstetric Practice, said, adding, "We're hoping to open the dialogue between patient and physician, so that patients come to understand that maintaining a healthy weight isn't just about how you look, but that it also has real medical implications" (ACOG release, 8/31).
Oral Contraceptive Yaz About as Effective as Antidepressants in Treating Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, Study Says - Medical News Today 02/09/05
Yaz - an oral contraceptive made by the German pharmaceutical company... Schering -- is about as effective as antidepressants in treating symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder, a severe form of premenstrual syndrome, according to a study scheduled to be published in the September issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, AFX/Forbes reports. Kimberly Yonkers, an associate professor at the Yale University School of Medicine, and colleagues conducted a double-blind clinical trial involving 450 women with symptoms of PMDD at 64 U.S. medical centers. The researchers found that 48.8% of women taking Yaz showed improvement in symptoms, compared with 36.1% of women taking a placebo. Researchers said Yaz was about as effective at reducing PMDD symptoms as serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which are commonly used as antidepressants (AFX/Forbes, 8/31). However, Yaz might be more efficient than serotonin reuptake inhibitors for women seeking contraception in addition to control of PMDD because they would only have to take one treatment, Yonkers said (Yale release, 8/30). Yaz, which is a low-dose version of Schering's FDA-approved contraceptive pill Yasmin, contains ethinyl estradiol and drospirenone and is taken once a day for 24 days followed by four days of placebo to induce a menstrual period. Most oral contraceptives are taken for 21 consecutive days followed by seven days of placebos (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 11/19/04). GlaxoSmithKline's Paxil, Pfizer's Zoloft, and Eli Lilly's Prozac and Sarafem -- all antidepressants -- are the only drugs approved by the FDA to treat PMDD (Fay Cortez, Bloomberg, 8/31). FDA in November 2004 sent an "approvable letter" to Schering subsidiary Berlex for Yaz. To receive FDA approval, Berlex must supply the agency with additional data to support the clinical benefit of the pill's dosing regimen (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 11/19/04). NIH estimates that between 3% and 8% of women suffer from PMDD during their reproductive years (Bloomberg, 8/31).
Cheshire and Mersey News
Widnes builders get hospital job - Widnes World 02/09/05
A WIDNES building firm is constructing a 1.2 million extension to the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.
United front against binge drinking rise - Chester Chronicle 02/09/05
A MULTI-AGENCY workshop conference will explore ways of tackling the growing binge-drinking problem in Chester city centre.
Countess jobs are safe, say hospital chiefs - Chester Chronicle 02/09/05
HOSPITAL staff have been reassured they are unlikely to face redundancies - despite just 12 employees retiring early in a cost-cutting exercise.
Binge drink 'timebomb' - Chester Chronicle 02/09/05
BINGE drinking among Chester children is a 'timebomb', a leading hospital consultant has warned.
Chiron gets clean bill of health for vaccines - Daily Post 02/09/05
CHIRON yesterday took another step towards supplying millions of flu vaccines to the US after regulators said its Liverpool plant had made "acceptable" efforts to correct contamination problems.
Free taxi to vital unit - Maghull & Aintree Star 01/09/05
WOMEN in Maghull and Lydiate are urged to take up a free taxi service to attend their breast screening appointment.
Cumbria and Lancashire News
Pub profits hit by smoking ban - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 03/09/05
JD Wetherspoon announced a further fall in profits and revealed that trade had been tough at those pubs where it had banned smoking.
Christmas do helps MS sufferers - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 03/09/05
BUSINSSES are invited to start celebrating Christmas early, raise money for a worthy cause and have a fantastic night out.
Deadly dosage killed patient - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 02/09/05
A PENSIONER died when nurses accidentally injected him with a massive overdose of morphine, an inquest was told.
Bid to halt waste plant access fails - Lancashire Evening Post 02/09/05
Attempts to stop Lancashire County Council gaining access to the site of Preston's planned waste plant have been thwarted.
Greater Manchester News
Green light for all new licences - Wigan Evening Post 03/09/05
Wigan Metro has granted every application from pubs and clubs for a new drinks licence – despite huge opposition.
Licence to booze until you drop - Wigan Evening Post 03/09/05
Pervert doc is struck off - Manchester Evening News 03/09/05
A DISGRACED psychiatrist with a "deviant sexual interest in children" has been struck off the medical register.
Swoop on fake booze factory - Manchester Evening News 03/09/05
AN illegal booze factory believed to have cheated the taxman of several million pounds has been shut down by Customs officers and police.
Moonshine factory found on estate - Bolton Evening News 03/09/05
Health centre plan approved - Bury Times 03/09/05
OUTLINE planning permission has been renewed to build a new clinic and health centre on land at the corner of Church Street West and Bridgefield Street in Radcliffe.
Dentist 'Not surprised' by town's dental health rating - Bolton Evening News 03/09/05
ONE OF Bolton's leading dentists says he is not surprised the borough's teeth have been rated as the third worst in England.
1m for GPs after survey success - Bolton Evening News 03/09/05
DOCTORS' surgeries in Bolton will be given an extra £1 million after their success in a Government survey.
A healthy future for new centres - Bury Times 02/09/05
THIS is a glimpse at what the future could hold for Bury's health centres if new proposals get the go-ahead.
'Help us with hot meals' - Bolton Evening News 02/09/05
CARING volunteers who could help elderly people right across the Bolton area enjoy a hot meal and company are being sought by the town's Age Concern.
Hospital to deliver maternity excellence - Bolton Evening News 02/09/05
THE public can help Bolton Hospital in its bid to become a super maternity centre.
Expert finds cancer gene breakthrough - Bolton Evening News 02/09/05
A major breakthrough in the prevention and cure of cancer has been made by a Bolton-born expert.
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