Monday, April 24, 2006

Contents

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National News

Infertile couples hit by big fall in sperm donors - The Guardian 24/04/06

Thousands of people seeking donor insemination are being put on permanent waiting lists and told they will have to pay up to 1,000 a time because sperm supplies have been severely reduced by a change in the law which has removed donors' right to anonymity.

Action to shield public after anthrax kills cows - The Guardian 24/04/06

Vets investigating the first cases of anthrax in cattle in Britain for four years said last night they had taken urgent steps to ensure the public was not at risk from the potentially fatal bacteria.

Anthrax kills cows in south Wales - The Independent 24/05/06

Trade secrets - The Guardian 24/04/06

Doctors earn their money as much for what they know as what they don't say

NHS cuts hit cancer care for children - The Guardian 24/04/06

Nurses warn patients are suffering but Hewitt says reforms must go on

Perks of an island GP: seals, scenery and 300,000 - The Observer 23/04/06

Britain's highest-paid family doctor was staggered by how much his practice in the Hebrides would earn - and wants a partner to split the cash

Health service pay: Rich doctors - The Independent 23/04/06
High Incomes Of GPs And Low Incomes Of Medical And Dentistry Students, UK - Medical News Today 22/04/06
Urban Worrier - The Times 24/04/06
'Why is the NHS paying me so much?' - The Telegraph 24/04/06

This much I know - The Observer 23/04/06

William Thomas, surgeon, 58, Sheffield

Thousand more NHS managers appointed as nurses face the axe - The Observer 23/04/06

Fresh questions about spending in the NHS will be raised tomorrow when new government figures are released showing more than 1,000 extra hospital managers were created last year.

Julian Dibbell reports on 'women's viagra' - The Observer 23/04/06

Billed as libido in an atomiser, PT-141 will finally offer women the chance to turn on their sexual desire as and when they need it. Or so the science says. But there are concerns. Will sex in a spray usher in an age of 'McNookie' - quick easy couplings low on emotional nutrition? Julian Dibbell reports

Chernobyl's generations of suffering - The Observer 23/04/06

It is 20 years this week since the world's worst nuclear accident shot huge amounts of radiation into the Ukraine sky. Now hospital wards there, in Belarus and in Russia are filled with sick youngsters who are the latest, but not the last, casualties of the disaster. Juliette Jowit reports from the region, where only the wildlife is still flourishing.

Junk Medicine: Uncertain about the fallout - The Times 22/04/06

Britain 'making a poor job' of nuclear waste - The Observer 23/04/06

A leading radiation expert yesterday attacked the unscientific approach being taken by a Government committee investigating the disposal of UK nuclear waste.

Simon Caulkin: How Labour turned the UK into a Soviet tractor - The Observer 23/04/06

Labour's best management decision was to eschew management when it made the Bank of England independent. Its worst has been to ignore this example everywhere else. Despite its professed dedication to market disciplines, New Labour is the most micromeddling administration in history, creating detailed specification and prescription for everything from school lesson planning to the way documents are processed or calls answered in local government offices.

Breakthrough in blood test ends risks to foetus - The Observer 23/04/06

A revolutionary system for testing unborn babies for life-threatening diseases has been launched by British scientists. The technique - which is far safer than present methods for detecting conditions such as Down's Syndrome - reveals the health of foetuses from tiny fragments of their DNA that have leaked into their mothers' bloodstream.

How can I prevent my son's allergies? - The Observer 23/04/06

As a baby he used to suffer from serious asthma attacks and a pet allergy. Now eight, the attacks have disappeared, but could a loved dog be a health threat? Our experts offer help

Tainted blood victims allege official cover-up - The Observer 23/04/06

Letters reveal that senior civil servants destroyed crucial documents

When in doubt, call yourself a doctor - The Guardian 22/04/06

So here's a tangled web, and frankly I don't think anybody comes out of it looking too good, including me. Yes We Can Cure ADHD, read the Daily Mail last week. Now I know what you're thinking. Like a magnificently drunk girlfriend, you're shouting: "Leave it, he's not worth it".

Child obesity has doubled in a decade - The Guardian 22/04/06

More than a quarter of children in English secondary schools are clinically obese, almost double the proportion a decade ago, and an official survey released yesterday also showed that girls were suffering more than boys from a crisp and chocolate-fuelled life of too much eating and too little exercise.

Massive increase in obesity means one-third of children are overweight - The Independent 22/04/06
Ever-fatter teenagers are health timebomb - The Times 22/04/06
Third of children are too fat - The Telegraph 22/04/06
One Quarter Of English Children Are Obese - Medical News Today 23/04/06
Child obesity has 'doubled in 10 years' - Daily Mail 21/04/06
Child obesity 'doubles in decade' - BBC Health News 21/04/06

My young lover broke my heart - The Guardian 22/04/06

I am David, a single, hard-working bus driver in Torquay. Always something of a lone wolf, I had many acquaintances, few close friends and no attachments. Although I was gay, it was not a large part of my life, and I had never experienced love in any form.

Man Utd is criticised over 30,000 lottery award to keep club's staff fit - The Guardian 22/04/06

Sales of national lottery tickets in the blue half of the city could be facing a slump after it emerged yesterday that Manchester United is to receive 30,000 of lottery funding to provide fitness classes for its staff.

Lottery cash for Man Utd - The Telegraph 22/04/06

Britain's fertility crisis - The Guardian 22/04/06

Felicity Lawrence is fascinated by Graham Harvey's study of the downsides of modern agriculture, We Want Real Food

Vintage drinkers - The Guardian 22/04/06

Zoe Williams rightly criticises the conclusions of the Mental Health Foundation's alcohol study (The glass is half empty, April 19). In particular, there should be no surprise at the spike in consumption by the over-55s. As one of this group, I would suggest some cogent reasons for this, none of which relate at all to anxiety or depression. My drinking is almost entirely restricted to wine with food. I do it because it gives me pleasure - and because I can. When I worked, I did not drink alcohol during working hours. And there were other financial priorities, such as a young family and mortgage.

Natural health therapist Emma Mitchell answers your questions - The Guardian 22/04/06

I am a 50-year-old man with arthritis. Although my fingers are not yet that painful, I have been prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs, which I don't want to take. Could you recommend any natural anti-inflammatory creams?

Work is a four letter word - The Guardian 22/04/06

It should come as no surprise that under a government of professionals, the professional classes will profit. The earnest bureaucrats of No 10 have quietly taken revenge on vile commerce by hiking the salaries of the bourgeois meddlers to new heights. I think I preferred the Tories with their naked greed and their Heseltines. At least they didn't coerce the taxpayer to line their own pockets.

Overseas doctors protest at change in immigration rules - The Guardian 22/04/06

Hundreds of overseas doctors yesterday demonstrated outside the Department of Health over an abrupt change in the immigration rules which will force many of them to quit the UK.

Doctors protest at rules on jobs for non-EU staff - The Times 22/04/06
International doctors 'left in limbo' - Daily Mail 21/04/06

Industry lobbying 'derailed junk food ban' - The Guardian 22/04/06

The broadcasting regulator drew up its controversial proposals on the advertising of junk food for children after being lobbied on 29 occasions by the food and advertising industry, records show.

British woman 'too thin' for Australian citizenship - The Guardian 22/04/06

A British woman told she was too thin to become an Australian citizen has won her battle against the ruling.

British mother told she is too thin to be accepted as an Australian citizen - The Telegraph 22/04/06
British woman 'too thin' to become an Australian - Daily Mail 21/04/06

Is it ever acceptable to cry at work? - The Guardian 22/04/06

Crying is not generally considered to be a brilliant career move. Yet when primary school head John Illingworth broke down at a National Union of Teachers conference this week he was given a standing ovation by colleagues, understanding of the stresses he had been trying to describe.

Imagine my surprise - The Guardian 22/04/06

A fair reward for effort has never been easy to measure. The week only complicated matters with its upsetting notions of incentivisation and judgments of professional worth. What's the point, NHS doctors will be asking themselves, as they abandon their life's work and hit the road in the manner of 30-stone Steve Vaught, who has been tramping the byways of America seeking comfort in his skin. And who can blame them?

Once We Had A Daughter - The Guardian 22/04/06

Alice Duncan, a budding photographer, was a schoolgirl when depression struck. Her family assumed it would pass with her teenage years. It didn't. It turned out to be a life sentence with which she couldn't live. Her mother, Felicity Bryan, recalls good times and dark days
McDonald's defies critics with an even bigger Big Mac - The Independent 24/04/06

When McDonald's burgers fell unfavourably under the spotlight of a film crew in Super Size Me many assumed that the fast-food chain would avoid any further reference to the size of its portions, but the prospect of a hungry new audience has prompted the restaurant to throw caution to the wind.

Stuff the kids - The Guardian 24/04/06

Women find domestic chores are 'therapeutic' - The Independent 24/05/06

There was a time when the modern woman insisted her partner did 50 per cent of the housework - or iron his own shirts at least. But the postmodern female has more than made peace with doing the domestic chores, and has embraced housework as "mentally therapeutic", according to a survey.

The women who think housework is better than sex - The Times 24/04/06

Greg has to inject himself four times a day. An inhaler could treat his diabetes better. Why can't he have one? - The Independent 23/04/06

Because the NHS is denying him - and tens of thousands of patients with other diseases - treatments that are available in Europe

Botox by bike - The Independent 23/04/06

Claire Thrift often starts the weekend with a takeaway pizza or curry, but she had never phoned for a Botox injection. This weekend she became one of the first people to make use of the UK's first home-delivery medical cosmetic service.

Hospitals may have to close to pay for new drugs, says Hewitt - The Independent 23/04/06

Patricia Hewitt has told her cabinet colleagues that hospitals will have to close if Britain is to afford "hundreds" of expensive new drugs such as Herceptin.

The Asbo kids - The Independent 23/04/06

A generation of British children is being "demonised" because of misplaced hysteria over teenage crime, according to the Government's youth justice tsar.

Demonised: We lock them up. We give them Asbos. But is our fear of kids making them worse? -The Independent 23/04/06
Treatment for the NHS - The Times 24/04/06

In June 2005 the National Audit Office expressed concern that more than 100 NHS trusts and authorities were in deficit, despite substantial increase in funding. We now know that this was only the tip of the iceberg. A proper diagnosis was needed to establish what had gone wrong and strategic teamwork to put it right.

A simpler way to treat brittle bones? - The Times 24/04/06

Patients with osteoporosis often don’t take their medication. A new injection will reduce side-effects and encourage people to continue treatment
MMR injections - The Times 24/04/06

Sarah Ebner asks why the Government does not “swallow its pride” and offer three separate injections as an alternative to the MMR (Thunderer, April 21), even though she accepts that the case against the MMR injection has been discredited and says the issue is “emotional”.

Sign up to save lives - The Times 24/04/06

Young men hold the key to successful bone marrow transplants

Dentist gets 3m a year from NHS - The Sunday Times 23/04/06

A SOUTH coast dentist is receiving up to 3m a year from the NHS — and channelling payments to an offshore firm.

Dental practice gets 2m per year - The Telegraph 24/04/06

New labels send 'unhealthy' food into sales dive - The Sunday Times 23/04/06

SALES of “unhealthy” foods have fallen by up to 40% since supermarkets started revealing fat, salt and sugar content on labels.

Letters to the Editor: NHS targets the real waste - The Sunday Times 23/04/06

ONCE again the NHS is in crisis. Essential staff are sacked, beds closed, GPs are scolded for “over production” because they have exceeded their targets. When will the mandarins realise that patients are not widgets on a production line for which targets can be imposed and delivered? If a patient needs a half hour of a doctor’s time to help him/her come to terms with an unexpected cancer diagnosis, that is what the doctor will do because the professional ethos demands it.
Baby Charlotte ready to move from hospital - The Sunday Times 23/04/06

A SEVERELY handicapped infant whose parents have fought the medical establishment for two years to keep her alive is now well enough to be discharged from hospital.

'Nanny vouchers' plan to liberate trapped mothers - The Sunday Times 23/04/06

WOMEN are being held down by a “second glass ceiling” that prevents them making the same progress towards equality at home that they have achieved in the workplace, writes Claire Newell.

Bid to set up 'supernanny' units - The Sunday Times 23/04/06

Lusty planet - The Times 22/04/06

ALTHOUGH the world is awash with war, disease and famine, there is one thing that unites mankind — men everywhere care much more about sex than women do. Or so a global study, published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behaviour this week, suggests.

Tuning out pain - The Times 22/04/06

SCALPEL, forceps, iPod . . . music can indeed soothe a savaged breast, a highly respected worldwide review of clinical studies has concluded.

Well, well... - The Times 22/04/06

“Male fashion shops habitually make clothes for men with the dimensions of a mutant praying mantis — great long legs, tiny waists and cuffs round the knees”

The fine art of survival - The Times 22/04/06

Artist Sam Taylor-Wood has had cancer twice but refused potentially life-saving drugs. She tells John Haish how diet, yoga and acupuncture have helped her to bloom again

Dr Copperfield: Inside the mind of a GP - The Times 22/04/06

The patient finally says: “So, doctor, I’d like to see a specialist.” Fair enough. I’ve tried the “It’s probably a virus” line. You’ve taken some aspirin and called again in the morning. We’ve run some blood tests. In short, I’ve used what we doctors call the diagnostic and therapeutic use of time — and what you call fannying around.

Flaky science - The Times 22/04/06

Fortified foods such as cereals may not be all they are claimed

Baby, this is crazy - The Times 22/04/06

The Pill is 50 years old but, as Suzi Godson discovers, we're all still waiting for the foolproof contraceptive

Show him the silver lining - The Times 22/04/06

Brother-in-law Jeremiah is a gloom-and-doom merchant. His philosophy can be expressed as: all is for the worst in this, the worst of all possible worlds.

Something for families to shout about - The Times 22/04/06

Angry arguments between parents can scar children but so can staying icily silent, says Michele Kirsch. She explains how to bicker blamelessly

Second opinion - The Times 22/04/06

Have your say - love it or hate it, we want to know what you think

Inside story: OCD - The Times 22/04/06

Life was hell for a boy with OCD who believed he was beset by dangers

Lunchtime fix: Powerdose hair treatment - The Times 22/04/06

Chemical treatments and general neglect can leave your hair closely resembling a bird’s nest. Before sparrows decide to move in you need to get some deep conditioning to restore shine and bounce, and get your hair in shape for summer.

Agony and ecstacy: sex advice - The Times 22/04/06

My traditional Asian parents have told me that masturbation is bad for me. Is this true? And can you masturbate too much? I'm 25, male, and very worried

Nail protection - The Times 22/04/06

Nail biting make your nail look awful and weakens them too. Lisa Oxenham finds three treatments that may help you stop nibbling

Inside David Baddiel - The Times 22/04/06

Though well-known for whingeing, the writer and comedian is not a hypochondriac. But he couldn’t say no to 2,750 worth of free medical screening

What's up doc? Getting you to say "Aaah" - The Times 22/04/06

Why bother? The doctor is trying to see into the recesses of your throat and the view is poor. Hence the Holy Trinity of throat examination: a pen torch, a wooden spatula to keep your tongue out of the way, and you saying “Aaaah”. The latter contracts the muscles in the far recesses of your mouth, lifting the soft palate and the uvula — the dangly bit — so your throat is revealed in all its glory.

Follow the course to getting well - The Times 22/04/06

My daughter is 4 and was recently prescribed penicillin for suspected bronchitis. Her cough disappeared within 48 hours but our GP stressed that it was important to finish the five-day course. What’s the reason for taking antibiotics once the problem has cleared up?

Eco-worrier: Green pair of heels - The Times 22/04/06

Until recently I had the perfect excuse to avoid joining the puffing masses on their early-morning jogs — the lack of ethical trainers. I assumed that this would guarantee a lifelong exemption from exercise. Little did I know that a new generation of conscientiously sourced sports shoes was about to emerge. Fortunately, for me at least, most of the shoes here are ill-suited to pounding the pavements; they are “fashion” trainers, ideal for looking sporty while loafing around. But there are others, such as New Balance’s vegan-friendly trainers, with cushioning and breathable fabric, that will get the most reluctant runner off the sofa.

Massaged by the Masai - The Times 22/04/06

Where can you soothe your body and salve your eco conscience?

He’s back to the sauce of all goodness - The Times 22/04/06

Meet the revolutionary chef who turned fresh vegetable juice into the cream of French cuisine

It’s a lean, green, cancer-fighting machine - The Times 22/04/06

Cabbage seems to have been given the culinary equivalent of the Trinny and Susannah treatment. Gone are the days when it was boiled for hours and turned into a tasteless grey sludge with little going for it nutritionally.

Menu mentor - The Times 22/04/06

Jane Clarke's weekly guide to nutritious but delicious eating out I like it that the restaurants in Harvey Nichols source a lot of ingredients locally and that their spring menu gives you the chance to choose from a range of light and healthy options. You can go for either two or three courses, 19.50 and 24.50 respectively.

Not just anybody: how the fit and fabulous stay that way - The Times 22/04/06

Actor Iain Glen, 44, takes a no-nonsense approach to health, and sailing helps to ground him

Saddle up and head for the hills - The Times 22/04/06

Dan Joyce, the editor of Cycle magazine, got on his bike and learnt how to ride the hard way

Proof that the over-50s just aren't wanted - The Telegraph 23/04/06

Here's a thought for cross employees of the BBC, who found out on Friday that their retirement age will be raised to 65 - at least, as they hobble to and from the Tube, they can console themselves that they are the envy of the elderly unemployed.

The patient comes a sorry second in the modern hospital - The Telegraph 24/04/06

The Government is to appoint a "dignity nurse" to ensure that elderly patients are respected rather than neglected in the NHS.

Patients? What patients? - The Telegraph 24/04/06

Despite reports that 13,000 NHS staff could lose their jobs, that 1,000 extra pen-pushers have been recruited by the health service, and that the deluge of cash meant to transform the NHS into a world-class institution has chiefly served to fatten GPs' pay packets, Patricia Hewitt has proudly announced that her department is enjoying its "best year ever".
Don't call us angels, says 'sickened' senior nurse - The Telegraph 24/04/06

Britain's senior nurse said she was sick of being called an angel last night as frustration at NHS cuts boiled over at the Royal College of Nursing's annual conference.

Daily Telegraph letters - The Telegraph 24/04/06

The Conservatives are leading the debate on the NHS and have repeatedly held the Government to account for its failures ("Tories must attack Labour's NHS disaster", Comment, April 20).

Never mind the patient, just tick the box - The Telegraph 23/04/06

The revelations about family doctors doing very well, thank you, to the tune of £100,000-plus a year, have elicited, predictably enough, adverse comments about "Dr Finlay's chequebook". It is certainly a good whack for a fairly humdrum occupation, especially when compared with teachers and lecturers on half as much. But the really impressive thing is how the GPs have engineered what is in effect a 25 per cent pay rise over two years while simultaneously shedding their more onerous obligations, such as being on call at night and weekends.

The money addicts: it's your cash they are gambling with - The Telegraph 23/04/06

The Government's spending habit has run out of control. The proportion of our earnings now being snatched away from us by the Chancellor is the highest in almost 20 years and still it is not enough to satisfy the cravings of Tony Blair and his ministers.

Nish Joshi's Q & A - The Telegraph 23/04/06

I am in my early thirties and have always had good strong, thick hair. About 18 months ago, though, I realised it was thinning, and breaking more easily. Is there anything I can do to stop this 'moulting'? My fear is bald patches. I don't feel under stress, which I understand can cause hair loss.

'I'm earning a mint. They waste so much money' - The Telegraph 23/04/06

David Hobbs's silver Ford Galaxy is becoming a regular sight in the hospital car parks of south-east England. Ferrying around NHS staff and patients has become a nice little earner for the 52-year-old divorcé who has had so many trips abroad recently that he says of himself: "I'm Mr Holiday, I am."

It's the great NHS spending party - patients not invited - The Telegraph 23/04/06

On Wednesday evening at 7pm, 600 GPs will gather beneath the waxworks of Nicole Kidman and Brad Pitt in the unfortunately named Blush Bar at Madame Tussauds for the National Practice Manager of the Year Awards.

Pay for nurses and surgeons doubles NHS overspend - The Telegraph 23/04/06

Overspending on NHS salaries is 610million - at least double the amount previously admitted to by ministers, The Sunday Telegraph reveals today.

That was the week that was - The Telegraph 23/04/06

After a difficult week for the NHS - dozens of hospitals facing cuts or closure; GPs accused of gobbling up extra funds with salaries of up to £250,000; Tony Blair pouring sweat as he insisted there was no "crisis" - there was at least one cockle-warming headline. The Government announced plans to install a "dignity nurse" in every hospital, to rescue elderly patients from mistreatment and neglect. The policy paper, A New Ambition for Old Age, also promised to end the prejudice against the elderly that means many get substandard care; to ensure that patients get help eating and drinking so that they don't become malnourished; and to prosecute care workers suspected of "elder abuse". There was, however, no pledge of new money, and no mention of scrapping the hated mixed-sex wards.

'Pill for under-16s' at Tesco - The Telegraph 22/04/06

Tesco warned yesterday that it may be forced by NHS trusts to hand out the morning-after pill to children.

New Ager: aromatherapy - The Telegraph 22/04/06

Aromatherapy is based on the idea that essential plant oils have therapeutic effects when massaged into the skin. There are more than 300 different oils, used alone or in combination. Lavender promotes relaxation, ylang-ylang eases depression and rosemary is good for sprained muscles and digestive problems.

Increase in premature births worries doctors - The Telegraph 21/04/06

The number of babies born prematurely has risen significantly in the last decade with worrying implications for the babies, their parents, doctors and health services, senior specialists said yesterday.

Fears over rise in premature births - Daily Mail 21/04/06

200,000 migrants not checked for TB - The Telegraph 21/04/06

Immigration services are failing to check nearly 200,000 migrants a year for tuberculosis when they arrive in this country, a report reveals.

Pay up if you want your teeth back - The Telegraph 21/04/06

A dental patient has been left with a toothless grin after the practice that removed six of his front teeth went private in the middle of his treatment.

Hospital deal delay costs NHS 50m - The Telegraph 21/04/06

The Government has secured 1bn of funding to redevelop two London hospitals through a private finance initiative, after a delay caused by the Health Secretary's decision to review the project at the end of last year.

NHS cash 'wasted by PFI delays' - BBC Health News 21/04/06
School report says: Must eat better - Daily Mail 23/04/06

There was a time when children just had to worry about how well they were doing in maths and English when they took home school reports.

The little squirt that gives an all-over tan - Daily Mail 23/04/06

It's the elusive look that millions of Britons spend hours of their time – and plenty of their money – struggling to achieve: the flawless all-over tan.

Families demand vCJD compensation inquiry - Daily Mail 21/04/06

Families of victims of the human form of mad cow disease are calling for an inquiry into the compensation system, after it was revealed 7million has been paid in legal costs and expenses.

Seven UK Cases Of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Associated With Transplanted Human Tissue - Medical News Today 22/04/06
Hewitt seeks to calm NHS 'unrest' - BBC Health News 23/04/06

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt will try to calm unrest over NHS deficits, as she speaks at three health conferences in a week.

Parkinson's 'worsens in hospital' - BBC Health News 23/04/06

Many patients with Parkinson's Disease get worse when they are admitted to hospital, research suggests.

Children's hospital to close ward - BBC Health News 23/04/06

Birmingham Children's Hospital is planning to close a ward in order to save 800,000.

Botched op doctor must retrain - BBC Health News 23/04/06

A Worcestershire gynaecologist who left a woman needing life-saving treatment after a botched abortion can practise again if he undergoes retraining.

Nurse cuts 'hit 50% of hospitals' - BBC Health News 23/04/06

Nearly half of senior nurses have seen cuts in nursing posts in hospitals in the past year, a survey claims.

NHS 'enjoying best year' - Hewitt - BBC Health News 22/04/06

Despite huge job losses and mounting financial problems, the NHS is enjoying "its best year ever" according to Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt.

'Best year for NHS' comment condemned - The Telegraph 23/04/06
Disbelief as Hewitt claims 'best year ever' for NHS - The Guardian 24/04/06
NHS staff deride Hewitt's 'best year ever' claim - The Independent 24/05/06
Fury over Hewitt's 'best year for NHS' boast - The Telegraph 24/04/06
Patients? What patients? - The Telegraph 24/04/06

Method to predict drug response - BBC Health News 22/04/06

Scientists are developing a method they hope to use to predict how individual patients will respond to medicines.

Scientists Develop New Concept With Potential To Help Predict How Individuals May Respond To Drugs - Medical News Today 22/04/06

Fine follows brain surgery death - BBC Health News 21/04/06

A hospital has been fined 40,000 after admitting breaching health and safety laws following the death of a 57-year-old brain surgery patient.

Stem cell research Kirk backing - BBC Health News 21/04/06

The limited use of surplus embryos from fertility treatments in stem cell therapy research has been backed by a Church of Scotland committee.

National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme Welcomed By British Society Of Gastroenterology - Medical News Today 22/04/06

The British Society of Gastroenterology welcomes the statement from the Department of Health, which confirms that the National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme will be rolled out nationally over the next three years.

Mental Health Charities Welcome New GP Incentives For Depression But Highlight Inadequate Emphasis On Long-Term Management, UK - Medical News Today 22/04/06

Two leading national mental health charities, Depression Alliance and SANE, have come together during National Depression Week to welcome the inclusion of depression indicators for the first time in the national Quality and Outcomes Framework (“QOF”) of the GMS (General Medical Services) contract. However, whilst marking an important step forward that could improve treatment for many people with risk factors for depression, there is a clear need to broaden these indicators if they are going to ensure appropriate and effective long-term management for one of the most common and debilitating medical conditions in Britain today.

JK Rowling And The MS Society Scotland Fund A New Multiple Sclerosis Research Centre In UK - Medical News Today 22/04/06

The University of Edinburgh is to form a Scottish Multiple Sclerosis research centre - the first of its kind in the UK - to build on previous work at the University into the devastating condition. Scientists in Edinburgh will strengthen links with other international and UK MS experts to push forward understanding of the disease.

Rare Form Of Alzheimer's Disease Found In Camelford Resident, UK - Medical News Today 22/04/06

A rare form of Alzheimer's disease has been discovered in a resident of Camelford, the town in south west England which bore the brunt of the accidental discharge of 20 tonnes of aluminium sulphate into the local water supply almost 20 years ago.

High blood pressure tied to hot weather in infancy - Reuters 21/04/06

People who were born during hot, dry years seem to have higher blood pressures, a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology indicates.

International News

Behind a facade of normality, Zimbabwe is visibly falling apart - The Guardian 24/04/06

In a rare dispatch from Robert Mugabe's tightly controlled country, the Guardian has found a land heading towards collapse

Darfur relief operation weeks away from collapse, warns UN - The Guardian 22/04/06

Many UN relief operations in the Darfur region of Sudan, which has been racked by conflict, are in danger of collapsing within the next few weeks or months, according to Jan Egeland, the UN's under-secretary for humanitarian affairs.

Race 'block' on Ireland's hospital jobs - The Sunday Times 23/04/06

OVERSEAS doctors are accusing Irish consultants of racism and say they are denied access to senior posts in hospitals.

MS sufferer hails stem-cell 'cure' - The Sunday Times 23/04/06

A Scottish man with multiple sclerosis (MS) claims to be pain-free for the first time in 12 years after a controversial stem-cell procedure in a Co Cork clinic, which is at the centre of an investigation.

Cardinal supports use of condoms - The Times 22/04/06

One of the Roman Catholic Church’s most prominent cardinals has backed calls for the Vatican to condone the use of condoms by people with Aids.

Cardinal backs limited condom use - BBC Health News 21/04/06

Main hospital in New Orleans is a tent - The Telegraph 23/04/06

Rose Lee was standing outside the New Orleans Charity Hospital, mouth agape, eyes wide with astonishment. She had recently returned to her native city from Texas and had come to see an emergency doctor about the "head-to-toe" mess of health problems she had suffered since losing everything she owned to the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina.

Experts examine 'anti-Aids gel' - BBC Health News 24/04/06

An international conference opening on Sunday in South Africa aims to develop a revolutionary technology to curb the spread of HIV and Aids.

Hope for tropical disease vaccine - BBC Health News 23/04/06

Scientists hope they can create a new vaccine for a tropical disease which kills about 60,000 people a year.

Breast implants 'not cancer risk' - BBC Health News 21/04/06

Cosmetic breast implants do not increase the overall risk of getting cancer, a long-term study suggests.

Russia warned as Aids marches on - BBC Health News 21/04/06

HIV/Aids is progressing dangerously in Russia, with more than 30,000 new infections registered in the past year, medical officials have reported.
How Embryonic Stem Cells Maintain Their Identity - Medical News Today 23/04/06

Two studies in the April 2006 Cell report new details of the "genetic program" that affords embryonic stem cells the flexibility to give rise to any cell type in the body. Both groups identified mechanisms by which the embryonic stem cells of mice or humans keep from going down any one particular developmental path--that of muscle or nervous tissue, for example--while remaining "poised for activation."

IL-4 Expression By Mast Cells Modifies The Immune Response In Multiple Sclerosis - Medical News Today 23/04/06

IL-4 is expressed by many types of immune cells and it can act on a variety of other immune as well as non-immune cells to modulate the immune response. This broad range of effects necessitates strict control of IL-4 expression as inappropriate IL-4 expression is associated with allergic disease, autoimmunity, and an inability to clear some infections.

Cooperation Killed The Kidney: Pairs Of Genes Interact In Renal Disease - Medical News Today 23/04/06

Within the kidney, thousands of structures known as glomeruli filter harmful or unnecessary substances out of blood and into the urine. During the condition known as focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), scar tissue forms in segments of some of the glomeruli. This results in the persistent release of protein from the urine and progression to renal failure. Despite a growing understanding of the genes involved in FSGS, a clear genetic diagnosis cannot be made in the vast majority of patients. In a study appearing online in April, in advance of print publication in the May issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Andrey Shaw and colleagues from Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri tested whether combinations of genetic heterozygosity of genes that alone do not result in clinical kidney disease could function together to cause FSGS.

Failed Wound Healing Promotes Psoriasis - Medical News Today 23/04/06

Inflammatory skin disorders result in many changes to the skin surface, one of which is an impairment of the epidermal barrier that protects the body from an often hostile environment. Now, in a study appearing online in April, in advance of print publication in the May issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Julia Segre and colleagues from the National Human Genome Research Institute in Bethesda, Maryland report that the converse is also true: that damage to the skin surface actually promotes development of the chronic inflammatory condition psoriasis, and that the protein connexin 26 is involved in this process.

Lactic Acid Not Athlete's Poison, But An Energy Source - If You Know How To Use It - Medical News Today 23/04/06

In the lore of marathoners and extreme athletes, lactic acid is poison, a waste product that builds up in the muscles and leads to muscle fatigue, reduced performance and pain.

Novel Molecular "signature" Marks DNA Of Embryonic Stem Cells - Medical News Today 23/04/06

A team of scientists announced today a critical step on the path of realizing the promise of embryonic stem (ES) cells for medicine. As described in the April issue of Cell, the researchers have discovered unique molecular imprints coupled to DNA in mouse ES cells that help explain the cells' rare ability to form almost any body cell type. These imprints, or "signatures," appear near the master genes that control embryonic development and probably coordinate their activity in the early stages of cell differentiation. Not only do these findings help to unlock the basis for ES cells' seemingly unlimited potential, they also suggest ways to understand why ordinary cells are so limited in their abilities to repair or replace damaged cells.

Even At Small Scales, The Big Decisions Are Made In One-on-one Conversations - Medical News Today 23/04/06

When a group of people tries to decide how to carry out an important task, it is sometimes said that the pivotal discussions do not happen in large, well-attended meetings, but in one-on-one conversations around the water cooler.

Economic Benefit Of NINDS-supported Clinical Trials Estimated At More Than $15 Billion - Medical News Today 23/04/06

A comprehensive review of all phase III clinical trials supported by one Federal agency finds that, estimated conservatively, the economic benefit in the United States from just eight of these trials exceeded $15 billion over the course of 10 years. The study also found that new discoveries from the trials were responsible for an estimated additional 470,000 healthy years of life. The clinical trials were sponsored by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

Latest Issue Of Alzheimer's & Dementia Explores New Ideas For Cause, Screening And Risk Factors - Medical News Today 23/04/06

Though publishing only its fourth issue, Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association continues to feature valuable new data, and stimulate thought and discussion with provocative perspectives on key issues, such as alternative theories for the cause of Alzheimer's.

New Tool Taps Drool For Clues To Childhood Stress - Medical News Today 23/04/06

In four separate studies of mothers and their infants, preschoolers, kids and teens, a multi-university research team has shown, for the first time, that a simple test of a little drool can provide new insight into the role of social stressors, including relationships with parents and teachers, in child development.

Gender Equality Leads To Better Sex Lives Among People 40 And Over - Medical News Today 23/04/06

Older couples who live in Western countries and who enjoy more equality between men and women are most likely to report being satisfied with their sex lives, according to a new study on sexual well-being, aging and health that was conducted in 29 countries by a University of Chicago research team.

Injuries From Lawn Mowing Increase Nationwide In US - Medical News Today 23/04/06

Mowing the lawn can be a weekly ritual of the spring and summer months for many Americans. However each year, nearly 80,000 Americans require hospital treatment from injuries caused by lawn mowers, according to a study conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The researchers also concluded that the number of injuries from lawn mowers is increasing, with the majority of injuries occurring in children under age 15 and adults age 60 and older. The most common injuries were caused by strikes from debris, such as rocks and branches, propelled by the mower's spinning blades. The study, published in the April 2006 online edition of the Annals of Emergency Medicine, is the first to examine the extent and mechanisms of lawn mower injuries nationwide.

St. Jude Unlocks Mystery Of Very Aggressive Leukemia - Medical News Today 23/04/06

Investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have used mouse models to determine why some forms of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are extremely aggressive and resist a drug that is effective in treating a different type of leukemia

Why Nerve Cells Work Faster Than The Theory Allows - Medical News Today 23/04/06

With accuracy unknown until now, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization and the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience in Göttingen together with the neurophysiologist Maxim Volgushev from the Ruhr-Universität Bochum have analyzed, by which rules, the nerve cells in the cerebral cortex decide to send out impulses. They surprisingly found, that the high flexibility and speed with which these cells work cannot be explained using the present, central model of neurophysiology, the Hodgkin-Huxley model. Their findings suggest that the sodium channels, which open in the cell membranes during a nerve impulse, do not work independently of each other, as assumed so far, but support each other during the opening process. This new type of mechanism appears to help the cells transmit fast changing signals and suppress slow signals.

Cancer Therapy Based On Anatomical Location May Soon Be Obsolete - Medical News Today 23/04/06

The results of a new study at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis could eventually have oncologists removing their specialties from their shingles by making therapy based on a tumor's anatomical location obsolete.

Mayo Clinic Finding May Double Genetic Screening Effectiveness For Sudden Death Heart Condition - Medical News Today 23/04/06

Currently that genetic test correctly detects HCM only 40 percent of the time. But coupled with imaging information, the detection power of the test nearly doubles, to 79 percent, says Steve Ommen, M.D., director of Mayo's HCM Clinic and co-lead investigator of the Mayo Clinic research team.

Interdisciplinary Team Develops Guidelines For Treating Severely Injured Patients - Medical News Today 23/04/06

If someone is injured in an automobile collision or is severely burned, emergency room physicians across the country would probably take similar steps to stabilize each condition. But subsequent treatment in the intensive care unit or operating room is less well established and may vary significantly.

Egypt Confirms Fourth Human Bird Flu Death - Medical News Today 23/04/06

The Ministry of Health in Egypt has informed WHO of the country's fourth death from H5N1 avian influenza. The death occurred in a previously announced patient, an 18-year-old girl from the northern governorate of Minufiyah. She developed symptoms on 5 April and died on 14 April.

How Vegetables Affect Human Health - Delica Foods, Mie University To Conduct Joint Research On Zebrafish - Medical News Today 23/04/06

Delica Foods announced on April 19 that, in a joint project with Mie University, it will begin research on zebrafish in May.

Preventing Premature Ovulation - Shionogi, Nippon Kayaku Receive Approval For Cetrotide - Medical News Today 23/04/06

Shionogi and Nippon Kayaku jointly announced on April 20 that they have received approval for Cetrotide, an agent for preventing premature ovulation, from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

Novartis Pharma Obtains Additional Approval For Osteoclastic Inhibitor Zometa - Medical News Today 23/04/06

Novartis Pharma announced on April 20 that it had obtained additional approval for Zometa Injection 4mg, its proprietary osteoclastic inhibitor, from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

Chugai Files NDA For An Anti-Tumor Agent, Bevacizumab For Advanced Or Recurrent Colorectal Cancer - Medical News Today 23/04/06

Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. announced today that Chugai has filed a new drug application (NDA) for bevacizumab for advanced or recurrent colorectal cancer with the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW).

European Commission Grants Orphan Medicinal Product Designation To Nexavar For The Treatment Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma - Medical News Today 23/04/06

Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NYSE: BAY) and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ONXX) announced today that Nexavar® (sorafenib) tablets has been granted orphan medicinal product status for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), or liver cancer, by the European Commission. This designation is based on a recommendation from the Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA).

What Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) - Medical News Today 23/04/06

CFS is a complex and debilitating disorder. The patient experiences profound fatigue (extreme tiredness). Sleep, bed rest and relaxing do not help the patient feel better. Physical or mental activity often make the patient feel worse.

Findings Released On Real-world Driver Behavior, Distraction, Crash Factors - Medical News Today 22/04/06

Driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes, according to a landmark research report released today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI).

Researchers Believe They Have Found A Way To Change The Action Of 60 Percent Of Currently Available Medications - Medical News Today 22/04/06

Researchers believe they have found a way to change the action of 60 percent of currently available medications, in some cases making them many times more effective, according to an article published in the April edition of the journal Science. The discovery has the potential to improve treatments for diseases including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, depression and arthritis. The study describes a new way to manipulate perhaps the most important signaling mechanism in human cells: G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs).

Simplified Dermoscopy Techniques Improve Detection Of Malignant Skin Lesions In Primary Care - Medical News Today 22/04/06

Primary care physicians (PCP) care for basic health problems of the population and facilitate the referral to specialists, the second level of health care. That is to say, PCPs identify pathologies and help establishing a connection with the health system network. Dermatology is one of the public health areas where the ability of PCPs could contribute with more benefits. A study promoted by researchers of the Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), in collaboration with several Catalan and Italian Primary Care Centres, demonstrates that dermoscopy could increase sensitivity in 25% for the detection of malignant lesions. Three simple dermoscopy classification criteria help PCPs make decisions. Results will be published in Journal of Clinical Oncology, in an article signed by several researchers of the IDIBAPS Genetic Factors and Treatment of Malignant Melanoma Group. Previous research works emphasized the benefits of dermoscopy, but its real usefulness had never been demonstrated in the framework of a real health system until now.

The Diabetes Epidemic - Obesity A Major Factor - Medical News Today 22/04/06

More and more Americans are being diagnosed with diabetes. Is this rise in cases due to better testing, a change in diagnostic criteria, a true rise in incidence, or some combination of these and other factors? In a study in the May issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention examine some of the reasons for this increase. They conclude that obesity is a major factor in this recent increase of newly diagnosed diabetes. Lifestyle interventions that reduce or prevent the prevalence of obesity among persons at risk for diabetes are needed to halt the increasing incidence of this disease.

Buddhism Helping Westerners Find Respite From A Greedy, Violent And Stressed-out World - Medical News Today 22/04/06

Madonna made those little red Kabbalah bracelets cool for five minutes, and Tom Cruise talked up Scientology, but Buddhism firmly remains the religion du jour for Westerners looking for respite from a greedy, violent and stressed out world, according to a University of Western Sydney expert.

Hormone Therapy May Prevent Heart Attacks For Women In Their 50s - Medical News Today 22/04/06

For the last few years, women have heard conflicting reports about the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). A new study that analyzes many trials together concludes that HRT can reduce heart attacks by about one-third in women under age 60 but has mixed results for older women.

Honeybee Decision-making Ability Rivals Any Department Committee - Medical News Today 22/04/06

When 10,000 honeybees fly the coop to hunt for a new home, usually a tree cavity, they have a unique method of deciding which site is right: With great efficiency they narrow down the options and minimize their bad decisions.

Preconception Health Care Can Improve The Lives Of Mothers And Babies - Medical News Today 22/04/06

Every visit to the doctor for women of childbearing age should be considered an opportunity to discuss reproductive health - especially since more than half of all pregnancies are unintended, according to a report published today in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Recommendations and Reports.

D1, GAD, And Working Memory - Medical News Today 22/04/06

Kobori and Dash examined deficits in working memory after a mild concussive brain injury that did not cause overt neuronal loss. The authors targeted the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), known to be important for working memory (WM).

Help For Bleeding Hearts: New Research Links A Third Protein To Blood-clotting Disorders - Medical News Today 22/04/06

Studying receptors on the surface of blood platelets, sticky cells that cause blood to clot, has given one Rockefeller researcher new insight into potential causes and treatments for certain cardiovascular diseases. Barry Coller, David Rockefeller Professor and the university's physician-in-chief, has been focusing on a rare disorder known as Glanzmann thrombasthenia, in which platelets lack one of two proteins. Together, the two proteins -- IIb and 3 -- create a cellular receptor that's involved in aggregating blood cells for coagulation; analyzing patients with the disorder previously led Coller to develop a novel therapy for heart-attack and stroke victims that targets this receptor.

FDA Advances Federal E-Health Effort - Medical News Today 22/04/06

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today advanced the federal effort to create electronic health records for Americans within the next decade by making it easier to share drug information electronically. FDA is moving the effort forward by adopting the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED) as the standard computerized medical vocabulary system to be used to electronically code important terms in the Highlights section of prescription drug labeling. This move will allow healthcare professionals nationwide electronically to access and share critical health and treatment information more easily and efficiently.

Faster, More Efficient Searching Of Medical Images Using Advanced Mathematics - Medical News Today 22/04/06

A Danish-led research project has made encouraging progress toward using advanced mathematics as the basis of an improved method for indexing and searching medical images in the huge digital databases of clinics and hospitals.

New Formation Of Nerve Cells And Blood Vessels Earlier Than Expected After Stroke - Medical News Today 22/04/06

As early as one or two days after a stroke, that is, far earlier than was previously thought, the formation of new nerve cells and blood vessels gets underway in the affected area. This is indicated by findings in a dissertation by Wei Juang at Umeå University in Sweden.

Antiplatelets Recommended For Prevention Of Recurrent Stroke Or Death - Medical News Today 22/04/06

Results of the Warfarin-Aspirin Recurrent Stroke Study published in the journal "Cerebrovascular Diseases" show no benefit of warfarin over aspirin for the prevention of recurrent stroke or death. Therefore, pending future clinical trial evidence to the contrary, antiplatelets are recommended for survivors of noncardioembolic stroke.

New Drug Poised To Radically Change The Treatment Of Severe Anemias - Medical News Today 22/04/06

Those with severe chronic anemias need frequent blood transfusions to remain healthy, but such frequent transfusions can cause a potentially deadly buildup of iron in the body, leading to heart and liver failure. The traditional treatment to remove excess iron is so onerous that many patients choose to forgo it, putting their own lives at risk. The results of an international study on deferasirox, a new drug that may revolutionize the way chronic iron overload is treated, will be published in the May 1, 2006, issue of Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.

Boston Scientific Completes Combination With Guidant - Medical News Today 22/04/06

Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) today announced that it has completed its combination with Guidant Corporation (NYSE: GDT), creating a global leader in cardiovascular devices and one of the largest medical technology companies in the world.

Newly Introduced Gene Chip For Detecting The ‘Boy In The Bubble Disease' (SCID) In Newborns - Medical News Today 22/04/06

The first gene chip ever to be developed for detecting SCID (primary immunodeficiency) in newborns will be presented to researchers for the first time at the New York Academy of Sciences' and Jeffrey Modell Foundation's one-day conference, Primary Immunodeficiencies: Past, Present, Future. The meeting will take place on April 25 at Rockefeller University, Caspary Auditorium, 1230 York Avenue, NY, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thirty of the world's leading immunology investigators will present their findings and more than 350 scientists and physicians are expected to attend.

Do Symptoms Correlate With Cystoscopic Findings In Newly Diagnosed PBS/IC? - Medical News Today 22/04/06

In patients with untreated and newly diagnosed PBS/IC, can one find a correlation between symptoms and cystoscopic findings? In the Interstitial Cystitis Database Study (ICDB) which looked at a combination of previously diagnosed and treated and new patients, not much of a relationship was noted. Pain was not significantly related to any cystoscopic findings, except for a weak association with Hunner's patch, whose presence was related to increased urethral tenderness. No correlation between pain and maximal cystometric capacity was noted.

Staying In Touch With Close Friends Reduces Damaging Effects Of Alzheimer's Disease - Medical News Today 22/04/06

Having close friends and staying in contact with family members offers a protective effect against the damaging effects of Alzheimer's disease according to research by physicians at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. The study, which is currently posted online in The Lancet Neurology, will be published in the May print edition of the journal.

Hypnotherapy Helps Relieve Chest Pain - Medical News Today 22/04/06

Hypnotherapy seems to relieve severe chest pain that is not caused by a heart condition, known as non-cardiac chest pain, suggests a small study published ahead of print in Gut.

Front-line Immune Cells Mature In Four Stages, Study Shows - Medical News Today 22/04/06

Researchers here have cracked the site and the stages of development for the last major set of human immune cells.

Watching The Brain Switch Off "Self" - Medical News Today 22/04/06

Everybody has experienced a sense of "losing oneself" in an activity--whether a movie, sport, sex, or meditation. Now, researchers have caught the brain in the act of losing "self" as it shuts down introspection during a demanding sensory task. The researchers--led by Rafael Malach and Ilan Goldberg of the Weizmann Institute of Science reporting in the April 2006, issue of Neuron--say their findings show that self-related function actually shuts down during such intense sensory tasks. Thus, an "observer" function in the brain does not appear to play an active part of in the production of our vivid sensory experiences. These findings go against common models of sensory experience that assume that there is some kind of "homunculus", or observer function in the brain that "looks at" sensory brain areas. Thus the finding, they said, has significance for understanding the basic nature of consciousness and perception.

"Word-vision" Brain Area Confirmed - Medical News Today 22/04/06

Humans have an uncanny ability to skim through text, instantly recognizing words by their shape--even though writing developed only about 6000 years ago--long after humans evolved. Thus, neuroscientists have hotly debated whether an area of the cortex called the Visual Word Form Area (VWFA) is truly a specific and necessary area for recognizing words.

New Genetic Cause Of Alzheimer's Disease Discovered - Medical News Today 20/04/06

Researchers from the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) connected to the University of Antwerp are the first to show that the quantity of amyloid protein in brain cells is a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Amyloid protein has already been known to be the primary component of the senile plaques in the brains of patients. The new discovery demonstrates that the greater the quantity of the protein that is produced, the younger the dementia patient is.

Steroids Do Not Prolong Survival In Intensive Care Patients With ARDS On Life Support - Medical News Today 20/04/06

Corticosteroids do not improve survival in patients with late-stage acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), according to new results from the ARDS Clinical Research Network of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health. The study is the first multi-center randomized clinical trial to evaluate the effects of moderate doses of steroids in ARDS patients when treatment is started 7 days or more after the onset of the condition.

Easy To Use Emergency Mobile Device For People At Risk - Medical News Today 20/04/06

Validated for commercial use in the MobilAlarm project with funding from the European Commission's eTEN Programme, the small and simple mobile device allows users to place a call to a service centre in the event of an emergency, while satellite positioning via GPS provides information about their location with an accuracy of 50 metres or less. Weighing less than a hundred grams and as small as a mobile phone but with four large and clearly discernible buttons, the device is easy to handle and above all straightforward to use.

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

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

China's army bans snorers, tattoo-wearers - Reuters 24/04/06

China's army recruits can look forward to a better night's sleep thanks to a new regulation banning chronic snorers from joining up.

Scientists find brain cells linked to choice - Reuters 22/04/06

If choosing the right outfit or whether to invest in stocks or bonds is difficult, it may not be just indecisiveness but how brain cells assign values to different items, scientists said on Sunday

Groups question US plan to detain sick travelers - Reuters 22/04/06

Infectious disease experts and the American Civil Liberties Union raised concerns on Friday about an agreement that would allow U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and customs agents to detain anyone who looked sick with bird flu.

Texas jury awards 32 million in Vioxx case - Reuters 21/04/06

A Texas jury on Friday found that the painkiller Vioxx caused the death of a 71-year-old man who had taken the drug for less than a month, and awarded his family damages of $32 million, which will be greatly reduced by state law.

Merck To Pay 32 Million Damages In Texas Vioxx Case - Medical News Today 22/04/06

FDA still testing Bausch & Lomb solution plants - Reuters 21/04/06

The Food and Drug Administration said on Friday it was continuing inspections of Bausch & Lomb facilities where the company makes a contact lens solution that was recalled after reports of serious eye infections in some users.

Home exercise may aid heavy heart failure patients - Reuters 21/04/06

A home-based exercise program for overweight or obese patients with advanced heart failure results in significant weight loss after six months, researchers in California report.

Probiotic yogurt aids in eliminating ulcer bug - Reuters 21/04/06

The stomach bug Helicobacter pylori is the cause of most stomach ulcers, so doctors often try to eradicate the trouble-maker with antibiotic therapy. When this doesn't work, as is the case 10-23 percent of the time, a yogurt may help, according to a study conducted in Taiwan.

Cheshire and Merseyside News

Health vision has turned into first class tonic for the whole community - Liverpool Echo 21/04/06

TOWER Hill's health centre once looked like an industrial compound.

New clinic for Ella and Sam - Liverpool Echo 21/04/06

A CAMPAIGN to save the lives of two poorly youngsters is spreading nationwide.

Thousands join race to save tots - Midweek Visiter 19/04/06

He's not naughty, he's my brilliant son - Chester Chronicle 21/04/06

Many parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) struggle to prove their child isn't just naughty. As she prepares to take 12-year-old Luke to Disneyland Paris with Chronicle-backed charity Miles of Smiles, Deborah Ferguson talks to SELENA O'DONNELL about his fight to be accepted.

NHS patients offered an illusion of choice - Chester Chronicle 21/04/06

A HEALTH campaigner says patients are being offered an illusion of choice within a deteriorating NHS.

Alder Hey fury as Blair says 'live within your means' - Daily Post 20/04/06

TONY BLAIR sparked anger yesterday when he said Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital - facing an £11m funding cut - had to learn to "live within their means".

Surgeon highlights patient care cuts - Ellesmere Port Pioneer 20/04/06

A LEADING surgeon at the Countess of Chester Hospital says NHS bureaucrats will have a fight on their hands if they attempt to slash 42m from the local health budget.

Doctor plans for Ugandan mission - Ellesmere Port Pioneer 20/04/06

AN ELLESMERE Port doctor plans to take part in an expedition to help a poverty-stricken area of central Africa.

Be prepared for vomiting virus - Ellesmere Port Pioneeer 20/04/06

HEALTH chiefs have advised people of the steps to take if they are hit by the winter vomiting virus.

Agency issues warning over winter bugs -Runcorn Weekly News 20/04/06

Injured swan sparks bird flu panic - Runcorn Weekly News 20/04/06

GUN-TOTING thugs sparked a bird flu panic when they shot a swan in West Bank.

Helping hospital 'turnaround' its debts - Ormskirk Advertiser 20/04/06

A RESCUE team looking to help Ormskirk Hospital overcome its financial problems began its work this week.

Heartfelt thanks - Ormskirk Advertiser 20/04/06

THE Ormskirk and District Cardiac Support Group has finally stopped beating after 16 years' activity, having raised more than £ 70,000 for healthcare-related equipment for Ormskirk Hospital and the community.

Friends don their bras for charity trek - Ormskirk Advertiser 20/04/06

TWO nurses from Ormskirk will be walking around London at night in their bras!

Stubbed out - Midweek Visiter 19/04/06

SEFTON is stubbing out underage cigarette sales following a recent high profile test purchasing exercise.

Quicker road to recovery for hip and knee patients - Village Visiter 19/04/06

LISTENING to patients who were anxious to return home as soon as possible has meant a reduction in the length of stay in hospital for those having hip or knee replacement surgery.

Walton hospital set to close - Liverpool Echo 19/04/06

WALTON hospital will be closed by the end of the year.

MP attacks government after blaming trust debt on huge rise in consultants' pay - Daily Post 19/04/06

A STRUGGLING Merseyside hospital trust has had to increase senior doctors' wages by 50%% in five years.

Cumbria and Lancashire News

Woman will apologise for pushing nurse - Carlisle News & Star 22/04/06

WORKINGTON woman who assaulted a staff nurse at Dumfries Infirmary has had her sentence deferred by a sheriff to allow her to write a letter of apology.

Chief says decision was not an easy one - Midweek Advertiser 19/04/06

PEARSE Butler, chief executive of the Strategic Health Authority, was delighted with the response to the consultation but said coming to a decision had not been easy.

Board opts for 'six of the best' - Midweek Advertiser 19/04/06

Greater Manchester News

Doctor cleared of failure in baby meningitis death - Manchester Evening News 22/04/06

A DOCTOR accused of failing to properly treat a baby who died from acute meningitis has been fully exonerated of any blame.

Cheshire diabetic cycles home - from China - Manchester Evening News 22/04/06

A CHESHIRE diabetic adventurer revealed how he hid his insulin needles from border guards while completing a 10,000-mile journey from China to England by bicycle.

New Life For Sherri After 18year Wait - Bolton Evening News 21/04/06

A KIDNEY patient has undergone a vital transplant after being on the waiting list for 18 years.

Hospitals 9m Debt Wiped Out - Bolton Evening News 21/04/06

BOLTON'S cash-strapped hospital is to have its 9m debt wiped out.

Health Changes Meeting Invite - Prestwich and Whitefield Guide 20/04/06

MEMBERS of the public are invited to attend a Bury Primary Care Trust (PCT) presentation later this month at the United Reformed Church in Blackford Bridge, Bury.

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