Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Contents

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National News
NHS union threatens strikes to fight job cuts - The Guardian 25/04/06

The air of crisis surrounding the government's NHS reforms grew yesterday when health workers and nurses warned of industrial action in protest at threatened job cuts to tackle NHS deficits.

Hewitt heckled and jeered by health workers - The Independent 25/04/06
Nurses ready to consider withdrawal of unpaid overtime - The Guardian 25/04/06
Leader: NHS cuts - The Guardian 25/04/06
Angry nurses 'could be driven to strike' - The Independent 25/04/06
Nurses threaten to take action over job losses - The Times 25/04/06
Now Hewitt gets stuck without a chair when the music stops - The Times 25/04/06
Nurses threaten to strike as Blair warns of more job cuts - The Telegraph 25/04/06
True believer who backed both sides - The Telegraph 25/04/06
Can ailing NHS survive this financial cure? - The Telegraph 25/04/06
Unions threaten action over NHS job losses - The Telegraph 24/04/06

How food producers were forced to change their tastes - The Guardian 25/04/06

Manufacturers say they have cut fatty ingredients from products. But should we take the claims with a pinch of salt?

Lionel Shriver: Let me at that duster - The Guardian 25/04/06

Time, as it were, to come clean. For the new reality TV show Cleanaholics - in which we lucky viewers get to watch frenzied householders dig dark brown guck from the rims of their kitchen sinks - the Discovery Home and Health channel has commissioned a National Housework Survey. The results were stunning. The average British woman spends more than 16 hours a week cleaning. Almost half those surveyed believe they suffer from an "addiction" to cleaning and "wish they could cut down". A third confess they got more satisfaction from cleaning than sex. I thought it was only me.

Cleaning 'is the new therapy'- Daily Mail 24/04/06

Streets of London have something to make you change your mind - The Guardian 25/04/06

As the cries of "Never again!" gradually fade and the aches and pains are soothed by another day of recovery, the memories of the 2006 London Marathon will begin to be moulded into personal epics that will become more heroic in the telling. This year's race had a different twist for me as I've been coaching the participants in the Run For Glory TV documentary for the past six months, and working so closely with a bunch of people who were nearer the back than the front gave me a better insight into the rationale of the novice.

After his defence of the lottery hand-out to Man United, Richard Caborn deserves a Maradona prize for bare-faced cheek - The Guardian 25/04/06

It is of course wildly ill-advised to cast around in the waters of sporting metaphor when attempting to make a point to sport minister Richard Caborn.

Diary - The Guardian 25/04/06

How well is Scotland adapting to the smoking ban in pubs and restaurants, something the rest of us will soon have to come to terms with? Well, according to the Dundee-based Sunday Post, far from bringing health benefits, the ban will doom many to an early demise - and is already responsible for one.

Lights, camera, action on elderly care - The Guardian 25/04/06

Amanda Waring is spearheading a campaign for better care and respect for the elderly through her film What Do You See?

The NHS is in safe hands - Dr Tony says so - The Times 25/04/06

TONY BLAIR got bored with being a mere politician ages ago, but the great thing about being Prime Minister is that you can be what you want to be. So, for the Iraq war, he became General Tony. Then he morphed into Headmaster Tony to lead the education revolution. Then even that became a bit dull.

All in the mind of mystic at No 10 - The Guardian 25/04/06

New medical research - The Times 25/04/06

Older men are at least 20 per cent more likely to die as a result of moderate drinking if they have diseases such as ulcers and gout, or take medication for rheumatic pain, depression or insomnia. A 20-year study by the University of California, Los Angeles, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (May), shows that even restrained drinking can increase mortality risks significantly when combined with certain conditions.

I had a heart attack in my mid-forties and need a better diet - The Times 25/04/06

I recently experienced a minor heart attack, which came as a surprise because I am not overweight and thought myself reasonably healthy for someone in his mid-forties. I’m now on statins, but need to improve my diet (and reduce my “bad” cholesterol levels), and would like some advice.

Do nurses escape check-ups? - The Times 25/04/06

MOST professions have systems in place to ensure that their members maintain their professional development. Nursing is no exception. But Nursing Standard (April 19) suggests that little is being done to ensure that the system works.

Prescription for a fight - The Times 25/04/06

THERE’S nothing new about border disputes between England and Wales, and it seems that a fight over prescriptions means that the feuding is likely to continue.

Alcohol rubs out hygiene - The Times 25/04/06

INFECTION control is a tricky issue, especially when healthcare staff cite religion as a reason not to wash their hands properly.

View from the surgery - The Telegraph 25/04/06

T: the 20th letter of the alphabet. Recent research by top-level American universities has revealed that T-shaped people tend to suffer more from aching arms.

The allergy epidemic - The Telegraph 24/04/06

While increasing numbers of Britons are suffering from allergies, more believe - falsely - that they are. Barbara Lantin investigates

British patients 'have least say in care' - Daily Mail 24/04/06

Patients in the UK are prevented from having an active role in their healthcare, a medical charity has found.

NHS 'fails to involve patients' - BBC Health News 24/04/06

Bill for NHS pay blunder tops 600m - Daily Mail 23/04/06

acknowledged it had underestimated the financial impact of the so-called Agenda for Change package for nurses' pay by 220 million, while the cost of new consultants' contracts was

Crisis? What NHS crisis? - Daily Mail 24/04/06

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt is facing a furious backlash after boasting that the NHS was enjoying its "best year ever". She's been described as 'Patricia in Wonderland' by opposition MPs.

Pigeons 'will not pose bird flu threat' - Daily Mail 24/04/06

Pigeons will not bring the deadly bird flu virus to cities, experts say.

Parkinson sufferers 'neglected in hospital' - Daily Mail 24/04/06

People with Parkinson's disease suffer more in hospital because they are not given their medication on time.

Measles warning after MMR decline - BBC Health News 24/04/06

Nursery school children's vulnerability to measles has risen sharply in Scotland since MMR vaccination scares in the late 1990s, a study has warned.

Vit D linked to baby birth weight - BBC Health News 25/04/06

Low vitamin D intake during pregnancy is associated with lower birth weights in babies, according to a study.

1.5m award to brain damage woman - BBC Health News 24/04/06

A teenager born with severe brain damage has received 1.5m agreed damages after a claim for negligence against a health authority.

Trust faces 250 hospital job cuts - BBC Health News 24/04/06

Up to 250 jobs could be axed by an NHS trust which runs two hospitals in East Sussex in a bid to cut workforce costs.

Nurse fear on community hospitals - BBC Health News 24/04/06

Community hospitals are still under threat despite government assurances that more money would be pumped into local services, nurses say.

Managers swell NHS staff increase - BBC Health News 24/04/06

The number of staff working in the NHS rose last year - but that included a hike in bureaucrat numbers.

'Highest paid' GP working alone - BBC Health News 24/04/06

An island doctor who is estimated to be the highest paid GP in the UK is using his salary to pay for locums until he gets a new partner, health bosses said.

Social Care Degree In The UK - Thomson Education Direct, Europe And University Of East London - Medical News Today 25/04/06

Thomson Education Direct, Europe, a part of the Thomson Corporation (TSX: TOC; NYSE: TOC), today announced the launch of the first full Honours degree program in social care available in the UK.

NHS Managers Offered The Opportunity To Develop Their Professional Skills, UK - Medical News Today 25/04/06

Members of the Institute of Healthcare Management (IHM) are being encouraged to develop their professional skills by applying for a grant from the Allan Brooking NHS Travel Fellowship.

Annual NHS Census Shows Steady Increase In Staff Numbers, UK - Medical News Today 25/04/06

The annual NHS census published today, shows a steady increase in the number of staff working in the NHS helping to bring about more improvements to patient care.

Non-EU Doctors Let Down By New Immigration Rules, UK - Medical News Today 24/04/06

For more years than I can remember, doctors from the Indian sub-continent and other Commonwealth nations have been the backbone of the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. A change in Britain's immigration system means many of these doctors will have to make way for European Union doctors who want to work in the UK.

Creative Public-health Approaches Needed To Improve Folic Acid Intake In Women Immediately Before And After Conception - Medical News Today 24/04/06

Creative public-health approaches need to be developed to improve folic acid intake in women and prevent neural tube defects, state the authors of a Review in this week's issue of The Lancet.

UK Measures Of Health Inequalities Are Misleading - Medical News Today 24/04/06

UK targets to reduce health inequalities could end up improving the health of the richest fastest, warn researchers in this week's BMJ.

International News

World Bank accused of deception over malaria funding - The Guardian 25/04/06

The World Bank, a leader in the global effort to control malaria, has been accused of deception and medical malpractice by a group of public health doctors for failing to carry out its funding promises and wrongly claiming its programmes have been successful at cutting the death toll from the disease.

World Bank faces malaria claims - BBC Health News 24/04/06
World Bank criticized over anti-malaria efforts - Reuters 25/04/06

US interest in MS drug boosts GW - The Independent 25/04/06

US investors piled into GW Pharmaceuticals yesterday amid excitement over the prospects for an American launch of its revolutionary cannabis-based treatment for multiple sclerosis.

Milk 'essential in pregnancy' - The Times 25/04/06

Health guidance issued after concerns that expectant mothers may be stunting the growth of babies

Pregnant women 'need to drink milk' - The Telegraph 25/04/06

Chinese army marches into modern era with ban on tattoos and snoring - The Telegraph 25/04/06

Snoring, tattoos and drugs are to be banned from China's military colleges as the People's Liberation Army attempts to meet the country's demand to build a "harmonious society".

Vaccines at birth a possibility - BBC Health News 25/04/06

A study has shown that vaccinating newborn babies might be possible.

Vatican 'may relax condom rules' - BBC Health News 24/04/06

The Vatican is preparing to publish a statement on the use of condoms by people who have Aids, a senior Roman Catholic official has said.

Vatican preparing statement on condoms and AIDS - Reuters 24/04/06

Baby growth charts to be revised - BBC Health News 24/04/06

The World Health Organization is to issue new guidelines on measuring the growth rates of babies.

Probiotics may ease gut disorders - BBC Health News 24/04/06

Probiotics may help ease gut disorders linked to long-term stress such as Crohn's disease, research suggests.

Genetic And Environmental Factors Impact Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients - Medical News Today 25/04/06

People who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) have a genetic make up that affects the body's ability to adapt to change, according to a series of papers released last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These papers, which analyze the most detailed and comprehensive clinical study on CFS to date, are published in the April issue of Pharmacogenomics.

Malaria Clinical Trials Alliance Supported By New $17 Million Gates Foundation Grant - Medical News Today 25/04/06

The international INDEPTH Network announced today the establishment of a new initiative, the Malaria Clinical Trials Alliance (MCTA), that will help conduct clinical trials of new drugs and vaccines to fight malaria, a disease that kills 2,000 African children every day.

Africa Malaria Day - All Partners In Malaria Fight Urged To Get Their ‘Act' Together - Medical News Today 25/04/06

Representatives of the African Union Permanent Delegation, African ambassadors and other Roll Back Malaria partners meeting in Geneva to commemorate Africa Malaria Day (25 April 2006), called for accelerated action to make sure that life-saving Artemisinin-based Combination Treatments (ACT) get to those who urgently need them - especially in Africa. With a child dying from malaria every 30 seconds, they urged the entire malaria community to support countries to roll out ACTs as quickly as possible.

In Utero Exposure To Urban Air Pollutants Can Increase Risk Of Developmental Delay In Children, New Study Reveals - Medical News Today 25/04/06

Prenatal exposure to air pollutants in New York City can adversely affect child development, according to the results of a study released today by the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. Previous studies have shown that the same air pollutants can reduce fetal growth (both weight and head circumference at birth), but this study, which examined a group of the same children at three years of age, is the first to reveal that those pollutants can also affect cognitive development during childhood.

Health Care Chaos: Is It A Trend We Want To Continue? Pennsylvania - Medical News Today 25/04/06

Healthcare services play such an important role in the Pennsylvania economy, and amongst its residents: the elderly and the young, as well as everyone in between. The healthcare industry provides for the well being of the healthy and protects, cares for, and hopefully cures the infirmed. And, it also produces many jobs - in fact, 14 percent of all non-governmental jobs in the state. In other words, everyone has a stake in a healthy health care system.

Micro-RNA Plays Important Role In Mechanisms Of Human Brain Development And Emergence Of Some Mental Diseases - Medical News Today 25/04/06

Micro-RNA, a special type of RNA found in brain cells, plays an important role in the mechanisms of human brain development and in the emergence of certain mental diseases. This hypothesis was put forward by Evgeny Rogaev, a Russian neuroscientist. It is based on the data from publications and his own research conducted in Russia and the USA.

A Life Without Pain - A Congenital Disease Caused By A Newly Discovered Mutation - Medical News Today 25/04/06

Norrbottnian congenital insensitivity to pain, a disease that brings complete insensitivity even to injuries that cause severe pain in healthy people, is caused by a mutation in a gene on chromosome 1. This has been shown in a dissertation by Jan Minde at Umeå University in Sweden.

Testes To Incubate Stem Cells - Medical News Today 25/04/06

Men may cringe at the idea, but sperm-producing stem cells found in testicles could be extracted, grown in the lab, and frozen for future use. A team in the Netherlands has successfully harvested spermatogonial stem cells from cows and cultured them inside mouse testes. The hope is that the same thing could be done for men. “This is a very promising route to help young cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy,” Dirk de Rooij of Utrecht University, Netherlands, told participants gathered at the first EuroSTELLS conference in Venice recently. EuroSTELLS is a European Collaborative Research (EUROCORES) Programme organised by the European Science Foundation (ESF).

Clues To Breast Cancer Hidden Inside Stem Cells - Medical News Today 25/04/06

Stem cells and how to boost them is hot on the research agenda. But stopping them could be critical too, as evidence implicating stem cells in cancer is mounting.

Obesity Spreading All Over The Globe - Medical News Today 25/04/06

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 75% of women over the age of 30 are now overweight in countries as diverse as Egypt, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey. Estimates are similar for men, with over 75% now overweight in Argentina, India, China, Kuwait and Greece.

Cialis Is Effective In The Treatment Of Men With Erectile Dysfunction Regardless Of Previous Effective Viagra Use - Medical News Today 25/04/06

The phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors have revolutionized the pharmacologic management of erectile dysfunction (ED). Viagra‚ (sildenafil citrate) was the first of the class to be introduced in 1998 and later followed by Levitra‚ (Vardenafil) and Cialis‚ (Tadalafil) in 2003. Therefore, men currently taking Cialis‚ may have had previous experience with Viagra‚. Because of the unique properties of each drug, many patients will try more than one of these agents.

Updated Statistics On The American Obesity Epidemic: Data From The CDC - Medical News Today 25/04/06

The success of the fast food and soft drink industries has translated into an unprecedented rise in childhood and adult obesity. This epidemic has had a direct impact on our (urologists) practice due to its association with carcinogenesis in the prostate and kidney.

European Lawmakers Echo Consortium's Call For New Effort To End ‘morally Unacceptable' Malaria Deaths - Medical News Today 25/04/06

As leading figures in the global fight against the disease gathered in Brussels to mark Africa Malaria Day, the London-based Malaria Consortium has called for Europe to take a lead in international efforts to fight the disease. The consortium, linking donor governments, international agencies such as WHO and Unicef, major companies and Non-Governmental Organisations, said that good progress in recent years showed that malaria could be beaten.

Cholesterol Plays A Role In Digit Development - Medical News Today 25/04/06

When a new mother counts her newborn's fingers and toes, she probably doesn't realize that cholesterol may be to thank for baby's complete set of 20 digits.

Bullying Keeps Overweight Kids Off The Field - Medical News Today 25/04/06

Playground taunts may seem like harmless child's play, but bullying may keep overweight children on the sidelines, making it more difficult for them to shed pounds, University of Florida researchers say.

Researchers Discover Link Between Expectancy, Visual Cues And The Desire To Smoke - Medical News Today 24/04/06

In a study recently published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) and the Department of Psychology at McGill University found that when people expect to smoke in the near future, external cues such as watching someone smoke affects their brain more than their level of craving or how long they have gone without a cigarette.

Viral Protein Helps Infected T Cells Stick To Uninfected Cells - Medical News Today 24/04/06

New research shows that a protein made by a cancer virus causes infected immune cells to cling to other immune cells, enabling the virus to spread.

Mapping The Foundation Of Human Development - Medical News Today 24/04/06

Embryonic stem cells may one day provide a means to treat disease, but according to two new reports, they are already revealing remarkable insights into the mysteries of human biology. How humans manage to develop from a single fertilized egg into the trillions of cells that make up a mature adult remains a poorly understood process. Now, using both human and mouse embryonic stem cells, researchers in the Whitehead Institute labs of Richard Young and Rudolf Jaenisch, in collaboration with Harvard University's Douglas Melton and MIT's David Gifford, have mapped how a key developmental ingredient controls the genome.

Pituitary Hormone Implicated In Bone Loss After Menopause - Medical News Today 24/04/06

New evidence in the April, 2006 Cell challenges the long-standing notion that declining estrogen levels alone lead to osteoporosis after women go through menopause. The researchers rather found that high levels of pituitary-derived follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) cause bone loss in mice. The pituitary is a master gland found at the base of the brain.

Protein's Potential As A Regulator Of Brain Activity Discovered - Medical News Today 24/04/06

UC Irvine researchers have found that a protein best known for building connections between nerve cells and muscle also plays a role in controlling brain cell activity. The finding points to possible therapeutic applications in the development of new drugs for treatment of epilepsy and neurodegenerative disorders.

New Insights Into Enhancing The Function Of Protein SOCS3, Which Regulates The Response Of Cells To External Stimuli - Medical News Today 24/04/06

A discovery made at The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute provides new insights into enhancing the function of the protein SOCS3, which regulates the response of cells to external stimuli.

A Broken Stress Response System Can Contribute To Gleevec Resistance - Medical News Today 24/04/06

New clues to why some kinds of leukemia are more aggressive and deadly than others are coming from research examining the types of genetic damage that allow some blood cells to grow out of control, scientists report.

Researchers Solve Mystery Of How Nuclear Pores Duplicate Before Cell Division - Medical News Today 24/04/06

Researchers have long wondered how nuclear pores - the all-important channels that control the flow of information in and out of a cell's nucleus - double in number to prepare for the split to come when a cell divides. Now, for the first time, scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies watched as new funnel-like pore structures formed from scratch, and inserted themselves into the nuclear membrane.

FDA Announces New Prescription Drug Guidelines On Computer-Coded Information, US - Medical News Today 24/04/06

FDA announced on Wednesday that it will require drug makers to provide information on approved uses and side effects of their products in transferable computer codes by this summer, the Baltimore Sun reports. The new guidelines will go into effect June 30 and serve as part of an effort to reduce the estimated 300,000 medical errors made annually, according to the Sun. The computer-coded information will be presented in a standardized electronic format that can be sent to physicians' computers and hand-held devices. Randy Levin, FDA's director for health and regulatory standards, said, "We want that information more accessible." In January, FDA instructed pharmaceutical companies to simplify wording and organization of drug package inserts (Rockoff, Baltimore Sun, 4/20).

Inhibition Of Iron-metabolizing Enzyme Reduces Tumor Growth - Medical News Today 24/04/06

A report in the Journal of Biological Chemistry shows that inhibition of heme oxygenase-1, an enzyme involved in iron metabolism, reduces Kaposi sarcoma tumor growth. This discovery could result in the production of new drugs to treat this and other viral cancers.

Georgia Tech Computer Program Designed To Halt Pandemics Installed In Georgia - Medical News Today 24/04/06

Your city has 48 hours to vaccinate every man, woman and child to prevent a dangerous pandemic. Where do you put the clinics, how many health care workers will you need and how do you get 2 million people to a finite number of emergency clinics?

Blood Pressure Readings Inaccurate For Many Patients - Medical News Today 24/04/06

After rushing to make your appointment, your name is called to be seen by the doctor. You are escorted to a room, where you sit on a table wrapped in crinkly white paper to have your temperature and blood pressure measured. Although a familiar scene, nurses at the University of Virginia Health System have confirmed a major problem with this scenario.

NCI Study Indicates Need For Comparative Trials, Editorial Says - Medical News Today 24/04/06

The federal government and pharmaceutical companies "ought to sponsor more ... comparative studies" of treatments, such as the recent "head-to-head clinical comparison" of the bone thinner raloxifene and the breast cancer medication tamoxifen, a New York Times editorial says (New York Times, 4/19). Initial results of the study, released on Monday by the National Cancer Institute, indicate that raloxifene is as effective as tamoxifen in the reduction of breast cancer risk for postmenopausal women at an increased risk for the disease and is less likely to cause serious complications (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 4/18). "Typically in this country, a drug is approved for marketing based on comparison with a placebo in clinical trials," but the NCI study "reinforces accumulating evidence that the most meaningful data [are] derived from comparing one drug with another," the editorial says. The results of the NCI study have "been hailed by some experts as a major advance in the war against cancer and by other experts as a more mixed result whose value is not yet clear," the editorial says, adding, "Either way, it is good news that women may soon have two drugs to choose from" (New York Times, 4/19).

Many Authors Of Mental Health Diagnosis Guidelines Have Financial Ties To Drug Makers, Study Says - Medical News Today 24/04/06

The majority of psychiatrists who worked on the most recent edition of the American Psychiatric Association's widely influential diagnostic manual had financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry before, during or after the manual was published, according to a study published Thursday in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, the New York Times reports. Researchers from Tufts University and the University of Massachusetts studied financial records and conflict-of-interest statements in medical journals from 1989 to 2004. They found that 95 of 170 psychiatrists who worked on the 1994 edition -- the most recent -- of APA's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual had financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry during that period (Carey, New York Times, 4/20). The DSM often is "described as the psychiatrist's bible," and although the manual does not "contain specific recommendations for treating patients ... psychiatrists regularly refer to the diagnostic criteria for understanding mental disorders," the Newark Star-Ledger reports (Silverman, Newark Star-Ledger, 4/20). In addition, FDA will not approve a drug to treat a mental condition that is not listed in the DSM, making it of "enormous importance to pharmaceutical firms," the Chicago Tribune reports (Graham, Chicago Tribune, 4/20).

HIV/HCV Coinfection Increases Rate Of Liver Disease, Mortality, Study Says - Medical News Today 24/04/06

People living with both HIV and hepatitis C are more likely to develop liver disease and have a higher mortality rate than those living with HIV or HCV, according to a study published in the April issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology, Reuters Health reports. Kyong-Mi Chang of the University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center and colleagues analyzed the study participants' HIV and HCV status, their race and their outcomes. The researchers analyzed three groups of participants -- 265 people with HCV and HIV coinfection, 251 people with HCV alone, and 227 people with HIV alone -- over a period of three years. The report finds that participants living with HCV or HIV were about one-third as likely to die as those living with HIV and HCV (Boggs, Reuters Health, 4/18). In addition, 31% of coinfected white people compared with 15% of coinfected black people died during the study period (Chang et al., American Journal of Gastroenterology, April 2006). The difference between black participants' and white participants' average age of death also was significant, with white participants dying at an average age of 46 and black people dying at an average age of 52 (Reuters Health, 4/18). The researchers conclude, "HCV [and] HIV coinfection is associated with worsened liver disease and higher mortality than HCV or HIV monoinfection" (American Journal of Gastroenterology, April 2006).

Fertility Drug Letrozole Given "All Clear" in New Study - Medical News Today 24/04/06

Concerns about the use of letrozole, an easy-to-use and inexpensive drug for the treatment of infertility, appear to be unfounded, according to a major study co-authored by Dr. Togas Tulandi, Director of Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Jewish General Hospital, and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at McGill University. Their findings, which are currently available in an early online edition of Fertility and Sterility, showed that babies whose mothers were treated with letrozole had the same rate of birth defects as those whose mothers were treated with clomiphene citrate - the low-risk, first-line treatment for infertility for more than 40 years.

Women Who Oppose Abortion Rights After Having Had Procedure Say Their Numbers Are Increasing, Washington Times Reports - Medical News Today 24/04/06

Women who have undergone abortion but oppose its legality say their numbers are increasing, especially after some of them advocated for approval of a South Dakota law (HB 1215) that bans the procedure except to save the life of the woman, the Washington Times reports. The South Dakota Abortion Task Force before the ban was approved collected statements from thousands of women who had undergone the procedure and said it caused them emotional pain and physical damage and should not be legal, according to the Times. According to some women who have undergone abortions, their voice has been largely underrepresented in the abortion-rights debate until recently. "The women are coming forward," Leslee Unruh, president of the South Dakota-based Abstinence Clearinghouse and advocate of the South Dakota law, said, adding, "They're feeling like there's hope." However, Jan Nicolay, spokesperson for the South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families, which is leading the ballot effort to strike the law, said, "On any issue, there can be people who say it has effected them negatively. ... We can line people up on both sides" (Fagan, Washington Times, 4/19).

Mutant Gene Causes Muscles, Ligaments And Tendons To Turn Into Bones - Medical News Today 24/04/06

According to recent research carried out at the University of Pennsylvania, USA, a mutant gene causes Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP), a rare incurable disorder which gradually turns muscles, ligaments and tendons into bone. A patient with FOP eventually becomes enveloped in a second skeleton and cannot move. The disorder usually begins in childhood.

Combination Therapy Reverses Type 1 Diabetes - Medical News Today 24/04/06

Researchers have now carefully crafted a combination therapy that reverses recent-onset type 1 diabetes in 2 animal models of disease. By combining an oral with an intranasal therapy for type 1 diabetes that have individually shown beneficial, but limited, effects in previous studies, Matthias von Herrath and colleagues at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology deliver a one-two punch, and prove that, in this case, 2 treatments work together better than one. The study appears online in advance of print publication in the May issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Too Many Breast Cancer Survivors Missing Follow-Up Screenings - Medical News Today 24/04/06

According to a new study, too many breast cancer survivors, over 67% of them, are not getting the recommended annual mammogram for the five years after their first diagnosis. Breast cancer survivors have triple the risk of cancer recurrence in the other breast.

LIAI Scientists Make Major Finding On Potential Cure For Type 1 Diabetes - Medical News Today 24/04/06

A major finding, which represents an important step toward a potential cure for type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes, has been made by a research team at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology (LIAI). The team, led by Matthias von Herrath, M.D., an internationally recognized expert on the molecular basis of type 1 diabetes, used a combinatorial treatment approach in laboratory mice and found it reversed recent onset type 1 diabetes in the majority of animals tested.

Stem Cell Study For Patients With Heart Attack Damage Seeks To Regenerate Heart Muscle - Medical News Today 24/04/06

Rush cardiologists are hoping that transplanted stem cells can regenerate damaged heart muscle in those who experience a first heart attack. The study involves an intravenous infusion of adult mesenchymal stem cells from healthy donor bone marrow that might possibly reverse damage to heart tissue.

Chembio Diagnostics Receives FDA - Medical News Today 24/04/06

FDA has issued an "approvable" letter to Medford, N.Y.-based Chembio Diagnostics for its rapid HIV tests SURE CHECK HIV 1/2 and HIV 1/2 STAT-PAK as long as certain conditions are met, the company announced Wednesday, the United Press International reports (United Press International, 4/19). The products detect HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies and give results in about 15 minutes. According to the letter, the agency must review the package inserts for each test before granting final approval, Long Island Newsday reports. If the products are approved, Chembio will be allowed to sell the tests to clinical laboratories and hospitals nationwide (Kerr, Long Island Newsday, 4/19). Javan Esfandiari, Chembio's vice president of research and development, said, "Rapid tests allow greater access to testing, which results in more people being diagnosed earlier, when treatment is most effective" (Chembio release, 4/19).

Blood Tests May Be Better Than Standard Skin Test For Diagnosing Latent Tuberculosis - Medical News Today 24/04/06

Two blood tests for diagnosing latent tuberculosis (TB) infection can individually produce fewer false-positive results than the standard tuberculin skin test, according to a study in this week's issue of The Lancet.

Concern Over Rising Preterm Births - Medical News Today 24/04/06

Doctors in this week's BMJ express concern over the apparent increase in preterm births.

Virus Replication Discovery Helps Predict Epidemics - Medical News Today 24/04/06

Replikins, Ltd. has discovered of a group of virus peptides that predict whether a virus is rapidly replicating and whether it is likely to spread. The company has designed software which can now detect and count these proteins which may allow scientists to better predict viral epidemics, such as the H5N1 (avian) flu.
Drug pacts keep some generics off market - FTC - Reuters 24/04/06

Brand-name drug makers are striking more deals with generic rivals to restrict the introduction of cheaper generic drugs, antitrust authorities said on Monday.

Drinking lots of coffee doesn't harm hear - study - Reuters 24/04/06

Go ahead and have that second cup of coffee -- or third, or fourth. A study published on Monday shows heavy, long-term coffee drinking does not raise the risk of heart disease for most people.

Calcium pills help women, if they take them: study - Reuters 24/04/06

Older women who took calcium supplements twice a day reduced their risk of breaking a bone, but getting them to take the pills proved to be a problem, researchers said on Monday.

Malaria treatment still elusive to most - Reuters 24/04/06

Most of the world's millions of malaria sufferers are not getting life-saving drugs nearly five years after the World Health Organization urged their widespread use, despite a huge boost in aid, health experts said on Monday.

Racial difference in breast cancer multifactorial - Reuters 24/04/06

African American women, regardless of their socioeconomic status, have a significant and independent risk of having a worse breast cancer outcome compared with white women, according to a combined analysis of several clinical trials. This suggests that socioeconomic disparities alone do not explain the higher breast cancer mortality among African American women, and that other factors, such as genetics, tumor biology and cultural effects, need to be investigated.

Blacks mistrust health care system: study - Reuters 24/04/06

Black Americans are more likely than whites to distrust the health care system, in part because a lack of insurance forces them into emergency rooms or clinics where they build up no rapport with doctors and nurses, researchers said on Monday.

Hope for HIV microbicide breakthrough: scientists - Reuters 24/04/06

Researchers are closing in on a breakthrough microbicide gel to help prevent HIV infection in women, scientists said on Monday, but a lack of funding by major pharmaceutical companies is hampering research.

Microbicides Offer Women Independent Protection From HIV Infection - Medical News Today 24/04/06

Lethal injection may cause agony: rights group - Reuters 24/04/06

Execution by lethal injection may cause excruciating pain, contradicting its reputation as a humane and thus publicly acceptable way to impose the death penalty, Human Rights Watch said.

Breast cancer survivors often forgo mammography - Reuters 24/04/06

After surviving breast cancer, the percentage of women who undergo annual mammograms declines steadily with each passing year, new research shows. This is a concerning trend because these women have an increased risk of disease recurrence or the development of a second cancer in the other breast.

Congress should strengthen FDA, US report finds - Reuters 24/04/06

U.S. lawmakers should give the Food and Drug Administration the power to require additional studies from drugmakers after their products hit the market, according to a report released on Monday that found lingering safety problems at the agency.

Fewer teens realize dangers of "huffing" - Reuters 24/04/06

About 20 percent of U.S. teenagers admit they have gotten high by inhaling common household products, and fewer understand the dangers of this practice compared with teenagers five years ago, according to a report released Monday.

Gaza patients turned back as health crisis worsens - Reuters 24/04/06

Confined to a wheel-chair, Amena Ghaith complains bitterly inside the Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip after doctors told her to find medicine elsewhere.

Cheshire and Merseyside News

Hundreds of region's youngsters addicted - Daily Post 24/04/06

MORE than 900 children in Merseyside and Cheshire received treatment for drug and alcohol addictions last year.

Cannabis cafe man jailed for a year - Liverpool Echo 24/04/06

THE owner of a Liverpool cannabis cafe, who ignored police demands to close down, was today jailed.

What is dementia? - Warrington Guardian 24/04/06

Dementia is a term used to describe various different brain disorders that have in common a loss of brain function that is usually progressive and eventually severe. There are more than100 different types of dementia. The most common are Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies.

Cumbria and Lancashire News

Drink and Drugs Adviser Reveals Her Own Families Heartache With Teenage Drug Taking - Carlisle News & Star 24/04/06

A WOMAN who helps families of people with drug and alcohol problems has told how she replaced whisky with cold tea in a bottle her own daughter had hidden.

It's Edin-bra Here We Come for Charity - Carlisle News & Star 24/04/06

FIVE intrepid women from a Carlisle dental practice are preparing to walk around Edinburgh in their bras to raise money for breast cancer charities.

NDA Won't Be Secretive - Carlisle News & Star 24/04/06

A SENIOR figure from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has promised it will be open with the general public.

MPs Protest - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 24/04/06

Chorley MP Lindsay Hoyle has condemned the county council over proposals to close a respite care centre that helps the parents of disabled children from all over Lancashire.

Greater Manchester News

Smoking Nearly Made Me Blind - Bolton Evening News 24/04/06

A CHAIN smoker who worked her way through more than 300,000 cigarettes over 30 years has told how she nearly went blind because of her addiction.

Please Wear Your Seatbelt Every Time - Bolton Evening News 24/04/06

A MOTHER whose son died in a car crash has made an emotional appeal for all young people to use their seatbelts.

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