Monday, May 01, 2006

Contents

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National News


Health panel: How can I maintain my fertility through chemo? - The Observer 30/04/06

At just 26, she has Hodgkin's lymphoma and is facing four months of chemotherapy. Losing her fertility worries her more than anything else. What can she do to improve her chances?


What's in your basket? - The Observer 30/04/06

Film stunts take their toll, so the former 007, Roger Moore, tries to eat healthily. Dr John Briff a gives James Bond the all clear

Exactly what is it that you nurses are so angry about? - The Observer 30/04/06

Patricia Hewitt was shouted down last week when she addressed nurses. Jo Revill tracks down her loudest critic and hears what really enrages her


Cancer queue grows as treatment target is missed - The Observer 30/04/06

Thousands of cancer patients are waiting longer than two months before they can begin treatment, according to new figures that reveal a crucial health target has been missed.

Kerr 'must fix health board' - The Observer 30/04/06

Minister told to act as Western Isles Health is rocked by claims of bullying and big-spending bosses

Tainted blood victims 'were not informed' - The Observer 30/04/06

Concerns about Britain's contaminated blood scandal escalated yesterday after it emerged that thousands of people who were infected with hepatitis C have still not been informed.

Cases of mumps now 500 a week - The Observer 30/04/06

A mumps epidemic continues to sweep across universities, new figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) have revealed. The number of cases in a 12-month period has jumped 600-fold in a decade, from 94 to 56,390 last year.

Anne Karpf: Must I be an octogenarian bungee-jumper? - The Guardian 29/04/06

We sat, me and the other step-parents and parents, pleasantly sated, around a table at my stepson's wedding, and did what we so enjoy doing: discussed health and its absence. For over the past couple of years, almost without realising it, I've become a paid-up member of the ailment-swappers' club. Its delights are these: at the slightest provocation, you expatiate on your latest ache and are expatiated back at, in return. Mentioning Pilates at least once is obligatory.



Poultry worker gets eye infection from contact with bird flu - The Guardian 29/04/06

A poultry worker has contracted the H7 strain of bird flu in the form of conjunctivitis, the Health Protection Agency confirmed last night. The affected person is thought to have contracted the infection via close contact on a Norfolk farm.

Eye infection diagnosed in bird flu farm worker - The Times 29/04/06

Two farms in bird flu infection - BBC Health News 29/04/06
Tests to identify bird flu strain - BBC Health News 28/04/06
Test Results Positive For Avian Influenza In Two More Poultry Farms In Norfolk, Defra, England - Medical News 01/05/06
Two More Farms Have Bird Flu In England H7N3 Strain - Medical News 30/04/06 Conjunctivitis Caused By H7 Avian Influenza In Poultry Worker, UK - Medical News 29/04/06

Avian Influenza And Influenza Of Avian Origin In Mammals (England) Order 2006 - Medical News 29/04/06


Ask Emma: UV damage means I bruise easily - The Guardian 29/04/06

I am a fit man in my early 50s. I suffer from thin skin on the backs of my hands and lower forearm, which bruises very easily. I suspect this is caused by UV radiation damage. Are there any natural remedies?


Peta Bee on the hidden perils of your exercise regime - The Guardian 29/04/06

Did you know exercise can lead to ingrowing toenails, spinal injuries and saggy breasts? It's time to act, says Peta Bee


Joanna Hall: How do I know if I am obese? - The Guardian 29/04/06

Everyone talks about obesity and the health risks - how do I know if I am obese, fat or just a little excessive when it comes to love handles?

ISoft issues profits warning after losing NHS contract - The Guardian 29/04/06

ISoft, the health service software provider, has issued its second profits warning this year of 2006 - two days before its year-end and three weeks after issuing a stock market statement insisting rumours of financial difficulties were unfounded. It said the failure to win an NHS contract extension at the 11th hour could reduce full-year profits to as little as £17m, almost half of City expectations.

There's no accounting for the public's taste - The Guardian 29/04/06

In case we needed reminding, and I think some of us did, life isn't all froth and bubble. By drawing attention to the strawberry milkshake, the general election campaigns of the major parties and the washing machine manual as a novel, the week forced us to acknowledge properly the importance of substance over style.

Letters - The Guardian 29/04/06

If Felicity Lawrence is right ("Britain's fertility crisis", April 22) in her doom-laden diatribe about our diet, and the reduction in trace elements found in "some analyses" has happened and has indeed led to "impoverished food, sick animals, and a catalogue of degenerative diseases", why has longevity increased so much, and why are our much longer lives so much healthier than ever?

Interview: Raymond Tallis - The Guardian 29/04/06

GP, professor of gerontology, poet and playwright - Raymond Tallis has attacked everything from modern evolutionary philosophy to literary theory. Interview by Andrew Brown

Whatever happened to ... Kidderminster hospital? - The Guardian 29/04/06

A bad week for the government has been a good one for the headline writers. "Triple whammy Wednesday", declared the Guardian as foreign criminals went missing, nurses jeered the health secretary and John Prescott admitted that it is not only Jaguars he enjoys in duplicate. Of these three stories, however, it is the ongoing discontent in the NHS that looks set to run and run. A report published this week estimates a gross debt of £1.2bn. Staff cuts will exceed 8,000. Officials are beginning to talk of more hospitals being "Kidderminstered".

Chernobyl: a human catastrophe we should never forget - The Guardian 29/04/06

On April 26 1986, the Chernobyl explosion shocked the world and the date of this human-made catastrophe has been burnt into our collective memory. Its consequences, which may only be clearly seen in times to come, are a challenge for the entire world, not just Ukraine.

Zoe Williams on laughter in the geriatric wards - The Guardian 29/04/06

A couple of days before Patricia Hewitt started on about the NHS having the best year ever, and everyone got on to the serious business of ripping into her like a piñata in the hope that lots of lovely gifts would pour out, there was a quieter initiative going on.

Being a single parent and making both ends meet - The Guardian 29/04/06

Libby Brooks follows the fortunes of 11 families for one year. This week: The Evanses


Letters - The Guardian 29/04/06

What a sad story (Once We Had A Daughter, April 22). Saddest of all must be the assumption that Alice's illness was a genetic disorder for which there was no cure but a lifetime of medication. Perhaps it's easier for parents to believe this; it's certainly good for drug companies' business. It's probably also untrue: in October, you reported that Robert Plomin, "the world authority on genetic causes for human behaviour, revealed that, apart from Alzheimer's, not a single gene has been shown to play a critical role in any mental illness".

A Joyce from the past - The Guardian 29/04/06

Why does Patricia Hewitt attract such outrage? Other ministers get desultory receptions, some are heckled, and Tony Blair was slow-handclapped at the WI. But the health secretary seems to arouse a level of hatred that would make the average football hooligan resemble a Buddhist monk. My guess is that it's her voice. Raised in Australia, like many people we used to call colonials, she has a manner of speaking that disappeared in this country 40 or 50 years ago.

Broken dreams: the continuing curse of the metatarsel - The Independent 01/05/06

Broken dreams: the continuing curse of the metatarsel

Health tonics are big with the boys on the block - The Times 01/04/06

The intrigue of the popularity of nursery staples

I feel so bitter about a life spent caring for my alcoholic husband - The Times 01/04/06

My husband was a serious alcoholic for many years and his inability to hold down a job resulted in our losing two houses. He ruined our children’s teenage years. Many people, including our daughter, thought that I should leave him, but we were so heavily in debt that it didn’t seem an option.

The demon drink? - The Times 01/04/06

Fewer people are drinking milk, but is it for the wrong reasons?

A distaste for milk - The Times 01/04/06

The ticking time bomb of liver disease - The Times 01/04/06

A new form of treatment for hepatitis C promises a cure within 24 weeks

Urban Worrier - The Times 01/04/06

Stone me! There really is something wrong

Over 200 hurt or killed by botched radiation - The Sunday Times 30/04/06


MORE than 200 cancer sufferers have been seriously injured or killed by overdoses of radiation from botched treatment, confidential government figures have shown.


Health trusts hit by multi-million equal pay claim from women - The Sunday Times 30/04/06

TOWN halls and National Health Service trusts face having to pay out more than £1 billion as tens of thousands of women workers embark on equal pay claims.



GP care outside 9-to-5 ‘chaotic’ - The Sunday Times 30/04/06

PATRICIA HEWITT, the health secretary, faces a new blow this week when an official report is expected to criticise the quality of GP care.



Milk firms ‘are buying up medics’ - The Sunday Times 30/04/06

ONE of Scotland’s leading paediatricians has accused the medical profession of being in the pocket of the formula milk industry.



Under-18s to be banned from buying cigarettes - The Sunday Times 30/04/06

THE sale of cigarettes to people aged under 18 is set to be banned in Scotland.

Exiled smokers fan the flames of sectarianism - The Sunday Times 30/04/06


SCOTLAND’S smoking ban has fuelled a rise in sectarian and football-related violence because of the large numbers of young men gathered outside bars, publicans have claimed.

Is legalising drugs the only answer? - The Sunday Times 30/04/06

Some top police officers are now backing the idea that hard drugs should be decriminalised. Is this a brave but foolhardy idea, asks Tim Luckhurst

Shock of 6am alarm bell killed nurse - The Times 29/04/06

A treatable disorder that claims up to 4,000 lives each year went unnoticed

Herceptin awaits licence after EU go-ahead for early cancers - The Times 29/04/06


HERCEPTIN, the breast cancer drug that has triggered a series of rows over health rationing in the NHS, has been cleared for use by the European drug licensing body.

Herceptin one step closer to licence - Daily Mail 28/04/06

Hospital killer suspect found dead - The Times 29/04/06

Overdose of nurse accused of murdering patients leaves the families of the dead with no answers


A touchy subject - The Times 29/04/06

Spas need a set of national standards if they are to avoid scandal


Too many cooks? - The Times 29/04/06

DO TOO many cooks spoil the broth or are many heads better than one? Arguments have raged over this since the dawn of humanity, but now a study of 760 students claims to have the definitive answer.

Junk medicine: animal experiments - The Times 29/04/06

World Lab Animal Week, which ends tomorrow, is usually a festival of anti-vivisectionist propaganda. This year it was also the occasion of my first opportunity to see a working animal research facility laboratory for myself.

Little square heads - The Times 29/04/06

Baby car seats may be damaging the soft skulls of children. Leah Hardy investigates


Rhythm and the blues - The Times 29/04/06

Poet John Hegley tells Rosie Millard how t'ai chi beat his depression and kick-started a new anthology

Psoriasis: now he’s happy in his skin - The Times 29/04/06

After years of embarrassment, a new drug transformed one man’s life, says Kate Wighton

Living happily ever after - The Times 29/04/06

Granny's home truths. The needy divorcée

Dr Copperfield: inside the mind of a GP - The Times 29/04/06

After half an hour spent examining a wannabe mini-cab driver, I asked if he had any particular worries. “Only paying for this, Doc. Come on, nearly £20 for a check-up?” Growing up in the fluffy “free at the point of delivery” NHS had left him with no idea about the real cost of medical care. I hadn’t asked for £18 but £80 for this private healthcare check. Perhaps I should have tested his hearing more carefully.

Agony and ecstasy: sex advice - The Times 29/04/06

My boyfriend travels a lot and wants to have telephone sex. We tried once, but I just felt stupid. How can I keep my dignity and keep him happy?


What's up doc? Feeling your abdomen - The Times 29/04/06

Why bother? The doctor is feeling for tenderness or abnormal lumps.

Picturing my success - The Times 29/04/06

Can you learn how to change your luck? Rosemary Duffy went back to school to find out

Chilled, moi? - The Times 29/04/06

Revealing Speedos aside, Simon Crompton keeps a stiff upper lip in a French camp spa


Going digital for accuracy - The Times 29/04/06

My two children, aged 18 months and 3 months, were both ill over Easter and I wanted to check their temperatures. Our chemist recommended an expensive digital ear thermometer. Are these more accurate than the cheaper mercury thermometers or are they simply a gimmick?

She’s powering ahead - The Times 29/04/06

How do you find a winning combination for technology and the environment? Anna Shepard meets Juliet Davenport, the award-winning founder of an energy company that fits the bill

Lunchtime fix: Hypoxitherapy - The Times 29/04/06

It looks like something that will transport you to another dimension, but this is the latest cellulite-removing, weight-loss machine to arrive in British gyms. Hypoxitherapy is supposedly an “alternative to liposuction and tummy tucks”, which uses a combination of vacuum suction and gentle exercise to increase circulation to your hips and thighs, and to burn off fat.

The supermodel lambs - The Times 29/04/06

One rare breed, farmed organically, is beautiful and packed with goodness, says Jane Wheatley


For good results learn the science of swotting - The Times 29/04/06


On your marks. As crunch time for teenagers looms, John Naish says there’s no need to panic if you follow our stress survival guide

Food for deep thought - The Times 29/04/06

I hated exams and I still remember how my mind would go blank when faced with a question paper. I’d forget everything I’d revised, often dissolving into tears.

Menu mentor - The Times 29/04/06

Although I am a huge fan of Japanese food, I’m not sold on the Yo! Sushi chain as the conveyor-belt idea doesn’t appeal. I suffer an extreme anaphylactic reaction to salmon and tuna and can’t risk the fact that I could mistakenly eat something that’s been in contact with either of these two fish. And even if I could eat them, the quality isn’t high enough to warrant the prices, which can mount up like the plates you take off the conveyor belt.

Not just anybody. How the fit and fabulous stay that way - The Times 29/04/06

Actress Jessica Stevenson, 33 says doing 'baby-ups' keeps her from turning into a couch potato

Changing one thing: running the marathon - The Times 29/04/06

Blood, sweat and tears: the best day of my life. Just one year ago David Aaronovitch was an 18-stone weed; now he’s a marathon man

Change one thing: new year, new me - The Times 29/04/06


Trial offers hope of new breast cancer treatment - The Telegraph 01/05/06

The world's first clinical trial for women who have inherited breast cancer genes begins today in Britain and around the world.

Genetic breast cancer drug hope - BBC Health News 01/05/06

NHS pay deals add £7bn to black hole in public pensions - The Telegraph 01/05/06

Overspending on National Health Service pay settlements has deepened the black hole in the Government's public sector pension plans - by £7 billion.

Nurses forecast 13,000 NHS jobs to go - The Telegraph 01/05/06

Two more hospitals announced job cuts yesterday, as they struggled to balance their books.

'I don't want to cut myself any more' - The Telegraph 01/05/06

Should nurses and hospitals be more understanding towards 'self-harmers'? Lisa Reich, who started hurting herself at 14 with a pin, before moving on to shards of glass, thinks they should

Flip seats may cut risk of DVT for airline passengers - The Telegraph 01/05/06

Cinema-style "flip seats" could be introduced on aircraft to speed boarding and help cut the risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT).

Where have all the donors gone? - The Telegraph 01/05/06

A nationwide shortage of male volunteers has driven many childless couples to choose unregulated internet 'sperm banks' as a seemingly fast, trouble-free and cheap route to parenthood

Pylon cancer fears put £7bn blight on house prices - The Telegraph 01/05/06

Up to £7 billion will be wiped off property values if the Government accepts the advice of experts that homes should no longer be built near overhead power lines because of possible links with childhood leukaemia.

Questions remain over pylon dangers - The Telegraph 29/04/06

Care home fees 'have risen 50pc in five years' - The Telegraph 01/05/06

Some elderly and frail people face a rise of up to 25 per cent in care home fees this month, says new research which warns that the cost of living in a home has already escalated by more than 50 per cent in five years.

Neglect your bones and you'll regret it - The Telegraph 01/05/06

A new study stresses the importance of feeding babies' bones, but adults should look after their scaffolding too, says Christine Doyle

Salary hikes for health trust chiefs - The Telegraph 30/04/06

Chief executives at debt-ridden NHS trusts have been awarded pay rises up to 12 times the rate of inflation, writes Beezy Marsh.

An ashtray... my kingdom for an ashtray - The Telegraph 30/04/06

The Government may allow actors to avoid a smoking ban and light up on stage when it is "integral" to the plot.

New Ager: reflexology - The Telegraph 29/04/06

Judith Woods selects some of the best alternative therapies

A better alternative - The Telegraph 29/04/06

It is easy to dismiss healers, but Alice Hart-Davis meets one practitioner who has impressed even conventional doctors

Doctors must 'rethink depression attitude' - Daily Mail 28/04/06

Doctors need to change their attitude to treating patients with depression if they are to give effective treatment, experts say.

Patients unsure where to turn without their doctor - Daily Mail 28/04/06

Patients in England are confused about where they should turn for medical care when GP surgeries are closed, new research shows.

Drug-trial horror firm 'looking for new recruits' - Daily Mail 28/04/06

The company behind a drugs trial that made six men seriously ill has begun advertising for new recruits.

Warning over bird flu drugs - Daily Mail 28/04/06

Drugs to combat bird flu should be given to sufferers twice as quickly as ministers are planning to, experts warn.

Boring dinners 'boost chip shops' - BBC Health News 01/05/06

Healthy but boring school dinners could be encouraging children to buy their lunch from chip shops instead, a head teachers' leader has warned.

Drug 'to cut heart attack damage' - BBC Health News 29/04/06

Scientists are designing a drug they hope will reduce tissue damage after a heart attack.

Nurse drug prescribing extended - BBC Health News 29/04/06

Nurses and pharmacists are to be given greater powers to prescribe drugs, in a move which ministers say will give patients quicker access to medicine.

Rally to fight hospital jobs cuts - BBC Health News 28/04/06

Thousands of campaigners have taken to Stoke-on-Trent's streets to protest at plans to axe 1,000 hospital jobs.


Care homes fees increase by 50% - BBC Health News 28/04/06

Care home fees have increased by more than 50% over the last five years, a charity has found.

NHS deficits 'hit mental health' - BBC Health News 28/04/06

Mental health services are being unfairly hit by the deficits problem gripping the NHS, MPs say.

Murder charge nurse took overdose - BBC Health News 28/04/06

A nurse charged with murdering three patients accidentally overdosed on anti-depressants, an inquest has heard.

Secret Herb In Tests To Stop Breast Cancer Patients' Hot Flushes And Night Sweats - Medical News 01/05/06

Researchers at the University of Manchester are testing a secret herb in a bid to stop the severe hot flushes that besiege breast cancer patients on hormone treatment.

Patient Choice Stops At Inhaled Insulin - Medical News 01/05/06

An editorial In this week's Issue of THE LANCET calls for physicians and patients to decide on whether It Is appropriate to use Inhaled Insulin for diabetes, even though last week the UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) released its appraisal document on inhaled insulin, open for consultation until May 10, which concluded that the treatment should not be offered to patients. The editorial states: 'NICE supported its conclusion with three main arguments: that the data on quality of life and patient preferences are insufficient and not generalisable; expert views that "using injected insulin is not usually a concern for the majority of people with diabetes"; and, in a rather curious conclusion, NICE claims that the effect that patients might move on to inhaled insulin earlier and therefore avoid or delay long-term diabetic complications, is "insufficient to provide support for a cost-effective use of this technology".

Blood Clots May Hold Key To Treating Dementia - Medical News 01/05/06

Spontaneous blood clots or debris from arterial disease in the brain (known as cerebral emboli) may hold the key to preventing or treating dementia, say researchers from the University of Manchester in this week's BMJ.

Should We Screen People For Depression? - Medical News 01/05/06

Screening for depression is unlikely to be an effective way to improve the mental wellbeing of the population, say researchers in this week's BMJ.

MHRA Approves DepoDur™ For Pain Following Surgery, SkyePharma - Medical News 01/05/06

MHRA approves DepoDur™ for pain following surgery, SkyePharma SkyePharma PLC (LSE: SKP, Nasdaq: SKYE)) announces today that the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency ("MHRA") has approved SkyePharma's DepoDur(TM) for the treatment of pain following major surgery. Previously referred to as DepoMorphine(TM), DepoDur(TM) is a novel single dose sustained-release injectable formulation of morphine.

British Public Supports Use Of Personal Data For Health Research - Medical News 01/05/06

The British public supports the use of personal medical data, without consent, for public health research, finds a study published on bmj.com. Most people also think that cancer registration should be required by law.

Britain Must Embrace Psychological Therapy For Mental Health Problems - Medical News 01/05/06

Britain must embrace psychological therapies on a large scale if we are to tackle our mental health problems effectively, argues a leading economist in this week's BMJ.


A Prescription For Patient Satisfaction, UK - Medical News 01/05/06

Health Secretary announces expanded prescribing powers. Patients will now have quicker access to their medicines and more choice in how they obtain them, thanks to legislative changes to expand nurse prescribing and introduce pharmacist independent prescribing.


Hospitals Failing Parkinson's Patients Over Timing, UK - Medical News 30/04/06

People with Parkinson's are having to stay in hospital longer and are getting physically worse because of not getting their medication on time, according to specialist nurses across the UK. The survey carried out by the Parkinson's Disease Society (PDS) among Parkinson's Disease Nurse Specialists (PDNS) released today blamed a number of factors, including inflexible drug rounds and a lack of understanding amongst ward staff for the situation.

Rooney Breaks Fourth Metatarsal On Right Foot - Medical News 30/04/06

Wayne Rooney, England's young star in the World Cup squad, broke the fourth metatarsal on his right foot yesterday following a tackle during a match between his team, Manchester United, and Chelsea.


New Drug Could Reduce Tissue Damage After Heart Attack - Medical News 30/04/06

A study led by UCL (University College London) scientists has designed a new drug that inhibits the adverse effects of C reactive protein (CRP), a protein that contributes to tissue damage in heart attacks and strokes. The findings, published in the journal Nature, suggest that targeting CRP may produce both immediate and long-term clinical benefits following a heart attack.

Foundation Trust Network Responds To New Wave Of FT Authorisations, UK - Medical News 30/04/06

Sue Slipman, Director of the Foundation Trust Network said: “The authorisation of the first wave of mental health foundation trusts is great news.

RCN Response To Dignity In Dying Statement On Assisted Dying - Medical News 30/04/06

Dr Beverly Malone, General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said: “As the world's largest professional nursing union, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has always listened to and learned from our members, spoken out for nurses and stood up for patients - and we will continue to do so. That's why we find Dignity in Dying's slur that we ignored the views of our members deeply offensive and wholly inaccurate.

Nurses Awarded Highest Honours, UK - Medical News 29/04/06

The Royal College of Nursing will award four outstanding individuals the RCN Fellowship and Honorary Fellowship at the RCN annual Congress in Bournemouth on Sunday 23 April 2006.

Recruitment Bottle Neck Of Overseas Nurses, UK - Medical News 29/04/06

Tens of thousands of nurses recruited from overseas to work in the UK are finding themselves unable to complete the training required to allow them to practise because of insufficient funds as NHS deficits begin to bite. This is one of the findings highlighted in the Royal College of Nursing's (RCN) interim labour market review, released at its annual Congress in Bournemouth today. (Monday 24th April).

Senior Nurses Struggling Under Pressure Of NHS Deficits And Pace Of Reforms, UK - Medical News 29/04/06

Nearly a half (45%) of all hospital based senior nurses say that there have been redundancies or a reduction in nursing posts where they work in the last twelve months. Nearly 60% said that they did not have enough staff to give their patients the standards of care they would like, a new survey commissioned by the RCN reveals today.

RCN Response To Secretary Of State For Health's Address To RCN Congress 2006, UK - Medical News 29/04/06

Dr Beverly Malone, General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), says: “As nurses we are always ready to listen to and hear from the Secretary of State for Health, particularly at a time when the NHS is in the grip of a deficits crisis. We hope she has listened carefully and taken note of the anger and frustration nurses are feeling.

National Farmers' Union Calls For Poultry Price Rise, UK - Medical News 29/04/06

A price rise for poultry is being called for by the NFU (National Farmers' Union) to help farmers facing losses due to rising energy costs.

International News


Outpost of hope in the war on Aids in Africa - The Observer 30/04/06

In a town struggling to cope with HIV, a project founded by a local doctor is offering people new hope


Cruel cost of the human egg trade - The Observer 30/04/06

British women who desperately want to have babies are being sent to eastern Europe and Cyprus. There, clinics are thriving on the profits of fertility tourism. But donors in this egg harvest run hidden health risks. Report by Antony Barnett in Kiev and Helena Smith in Larnaca, Cyprus

Fast Food: The people vs McDonald's - The Independent 30/04/06

The golden arches are under fire again, this time in a book for kids. Johnny Davis talks to its author, Eric Schlosser, about fatty food and even fatter children

Lung cancer drug may fight breast tumour in women - The Times 01/05/06

WOMEN who develop breast cancer because of two common genetic mutations could have their treatment transformed by an existing chemotherapy drug.

Bra chain supports a good cause - The Times 01/05/06

A group of women created the world’s longest chain of bras, linking together about 115,000 across 111km (69 miles).

State pathologist has history of disputed calls - The Sunday Times 30/04/06

THE state pathologist whose difference of opinion with John Harbison, her predecessor, led to last week’s collapse of Dermot Laide’s retrial for manslaughter, has been involved in a number of similar disagreements with colleagues over the past decade.

Stem cell trials will use heart patients - The Sunday Times 30/04/06

THE first human trial of stem cells on heart patients is to be carried out in Galway within two years.

Hope for new brain tumour vaccine - BBC Health News 30/05/06

A vaccine has been developed which may be able to fight the most aggressive form of brain tumour, scientists say.

Vaccine hope for deadly disease - BBC Health News 28/05/06

Scientists are hopeful a vaccine against the deadly tropical disease Marburg virus could be developed.

Europe heart care 'fails adults' - BBC Health News 28/05/06

The care available for adults in Europe with heart disease is inadequate, an expert analysis has concluded.

Gilead, Bristol-Myers Squibb Submit Once-a-Day Combination Antiretroviral Pill For FDA Approval - Medical News Today 01/05/06

Gilead and Bristol-Myers Squibb on Thursday announced they have submitted for FDA approval an application to sell and market a "one pill", once daily antiretroviral treatment regimen that combines BMS' Sustiva and Gilead's Truvada, Reuters reports (Reuters, 4/27). The two companies in December 2004 announced that they would collaborate with the aim of developing the single daily combination antiretroviral drug. Currently, antiretroviral treatment requires patients to take several pills a day, sometimes at specific times and under certain conditions (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 12/21/04). If approved, the once daily combination pill would be the first highly active antiretroviral treatment regimen available in a single, daily pill (King, Dow Jones, 4/27). The pill submitted for approval includes 200 milligrams of emticitabine and 300 milligrams of tenofovir -- the two generic antiretrovirals included in Truvada -- as well as 600 milligrams of Sustiva, known generically as efavirenz (BMS release, 4/27). The application asks that the combination be approved to treat HIV-1 infection in adults, according to the companies (Trenton Times, 4/28).

Patients At Greater Risk If Mother Has Coronary Heart Disease - Medical News Today 01/05/06

If your mother has coronary heart disease (CHD), you may want to make an extra effort to combat your personal risk, according to a study in the June issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Findings indicate maternal transmission of CHD is stronger than paternal transmission and transmission is even stronger if both parents have the disease.

African American Men Are More Likely To Die From Cardiovascular Disease But Have Fewer, Less Severe Coronary Obstructions Than White Males - Medical News Today 01/05/06

While African American men are more likely to die from cardiovascular disease, they paradoxically have fewer cases of coronary obstruction than clinically similar white men, according to a new national study led by a Medical College of Wisconsin researcher. The study results, to appear in the May 16 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, will be presented on April 27 at the American Medical Association's science news briefing in New York.

Hormonal Male Contraception Reversible After Few Months For All Men - Medical News Today 01/05/06

With hormonal male contraception likely to be available in the near future, results of a study in this week's issue of THE LANCET highlight how such contraception is reversible within a few months.

Early Diagnosis Key To Melanoma Cure - Medical News Today 01/05/06

A combined strategy of public education and early diagnosis currently offers the only hope of cure for people with melanoma, warn senior doctors in this week's BMJ.

Celera To Announce Test For Cirrhosis In Hepatitis C Patients - Medical News Today 01/05/06

Maryland-based Celera Genomics on Wednesday was expected to announce a genetic test that it says could predict if a patient with hepatitis C is likely to develop cirrhosis of the liver, the New York Times reports.

Clinical Decision Support Tool Improves Doctors' Diagnostic Skills In Just One Minute - Medical News Today 01/05/06

Isabel, a web-based clinical decision support system, prevents diagnostic errors and improves the quality of treatment decisions made by clinicians. A study published today in the open access journal BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making reveals that consulting Isabel prompted pediatricians to make an important change to their diagnosis in 12.5% of cases analysed. Consulting Isabel added only one minute to the time taken to diagnose, and improved diagnostic accuracy for both easy and difficult cases.

Washington Post Examines South African Catholic Bishop's Advocacy For Condom Access - Medical News Today 01/05/06

The Washington Post on Wednesday examined how South African Catholic Bishop Kevin Dowling's support of condom access to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS differs from the Catholic Church's official stance on the subject (Boustany, Washington Post, 4/26). Pope Benedict XVI in a June 2005 speech to African bishops said that contraception is one of many trends contributing to a "breakdown of sexual morality," adding that abstinence and fidelity are the only "fail-safe" ways to prevent the spread of HIV (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 4/24). Dowling, who is the only one of the 30-member South African Council of Bishops to favor condom access, works in the "slums" of Rustenberg, South Africa, the Post reports. "I don't underestimate the veracity of abstinence before marriage and loyalty among couples," Dowling said, asking, "But what about the vulnerable women who don't have that option? What about realizing that the official church in circumstances of human living does not respond to that reality?"

Epilepsy Association Sarajevo Urgent Appeal - Medical News Today 01/05/06

Our Association is a non-governmental humanitarian organization established in 2001 with the aim of providing assistance and education to persons who suffer from epilepsy, as well as to those who are either in direct or indirect contact with them.

World Health Organization Releases New Child Growth Standards - Medical News Today 01/05/06

New international Child Growth Standards for infants and young children released today by the World Health Organization (WHO) provide evidence and guidance for the first time about how every child in the world should grow.

Minority And Multiracial Children Experience Disparities In Medical Health Status And Access To Health Care - Medical News Today 01/05/06

Minority and multiracial children experience many disparities in medical and oral health status, access to care, and use of services, according to a new national study by researchers at the Center for Advancement of Underserved Children at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.

Many Mothers Think Their Overweight Child Is Not Overweight - Medical News Today 01/05/06

Latina mothers of preschool-aged children frequently have inaccurate perceptions of their children's body mass index and believe they are healthy when they are overweight, according to a new study from the University of California, San Francisco.

Pediatricians Should Recognize Signs Of Aggression And Report This To Appropriate Community Organizations - Medical News Today 01/05/06

Training pediatricians to recognize the signs of aggression and make a referral to an appropriate community organization may help prevent future violence. However, providers don't often do this, according to a new study by a pediatrician at Brenner Children's Hospital, part of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

School-based Quality Initiative Improves Childhood Asthma Outcomes - Medical News Today 01/05/06

A quality improvement initiative at four school-based health centers in Cincinnati has resulted in significant improvements in outcomes for children with asthma.

Verbal Medical Order Errors Reduced To Zero With Simple Change, Cincinnati Children's Study - Medical News Today 01/05/06

Hospitals have spent millions of dollars on computerized physician order entry systems to reduce medical errors, but a simple change in the way verbal orders are entered in the system -- so simple that it cost nothing to implement -- has reduced errors to zero, according to a new Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center study.

World Experts Gather To Reduce Burden Of Premature Birth - Medical News Today 01/05/06

World leaders in the management of preterm labour meet today to discuss the key issues relating to premature birth that face clinicians today at the Ferring-sponsored 3rd International Preterm Labour Congress.

European Commission On Track To Mobilize €100 Million To Combat Bird Flu Around The World - Medical News Today 01/05/06

The European Commission is well on track to fully mobilize €100 million pledged at the Beijing conference to combat Avian Influenza around the world, ahead of the target date. Funds pledged will help poorer countries tackle Bird flu in the animal population, and increase preparedness for a possible human pandemic. The Commission aimed to deploy the whole amount pledged before the Senior Officials Meeting that will bring together donors and beneficiary countries in Vienna on 6/7 June, and is set to achieve that goal well within the deadline.

FDA Approves First Treatment For Pompe Disease - Medical News Today 01/05/06

The Food and Drug Administration today approved a biologics license application (BLA) for Myozyme (alglucosidase alfa, rhGAA), the first treatment for patients with Pompe disease, a rare but severely debilitating disease. Pompe disease, which affects one in 40,000-300,000 individuals, drastically reduces a person's muscle and respiratory function. Myozyme had been granted FDA Orphan Drug designation and was approved under a priority review. Orphan products are developed to treat rare diseases or conditions that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S. The Orphan Drug Act provides a seven-year period of exclusive marketing to the first sponsor who obtains marketing approval for a designated orphan drug.

Depression Screening Campaign, New York - Medical News Today 01/05/06

In a new public awareness campaign, New Yorkers are encouraged to ask their doctor about a simple test for depression. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) is also visiting over 1500 primary care providers and their clinical staff to encourage them to make depression screening routine and provide them with a screening tool called the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) - a simple test to determine whether someone may be experiencing depression.

Technique Makes It Easier To See Mouse Embryo In All Its Glory - Medical News Today 01/05/06

A fast, high-resolution, 3D mouse embryo visualization technique developed by collaborators at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and the University of Utah will revolutionize the way birth defects and cancer genes are studied in animal models. That's the prediction of the researchers in an article to be published online in PLoS Genetics in April, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal from the Public Library of Science.

Wyeth Renews Request For FDA To Address So-Called"Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapies" - Medical News Today 01/05/06

Wyeth on Tuesday renewed a request for FDA to address "so-called bio-identical hormone replacement therapies" prepared by compounding pharmacies, Reuters reports (Reuters, 5/25). Compounding pharmacies can revise the dosages of HRT, prepare the medications in creams or liquids or eliminate preservatives and other inactive ingredients that might cause allergies, but FDA has not approved the practice. Wyeth last October filed a petition that asked FDA for increased regulation of compounding pharmacies that prepare HRT, which the company maintains can pose serious health risks. Many women began to use HRT prepared by compounding pharmacies after a 2002 study, part of the Women's Health Initiative, found that such medications manufactured by Wyeth and other pharmaceutical companies increased the risk for heart attack, breast cancer and stroke. Wyeth and other critics maintain that HRT prepared by compounding pharmacies is not more effective or safer than medications manufactured by pharmaceutical companies (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 4/24).

Neurons Find Their Place In The Developing Nervous System With The Help Of A Sticky Molecule - Medical News Today 30/04/06

The brain, that exquisite network of billions of communicating cells, starts to take form with the genesis of nerve cells. Most newborn nerve cells, also called neurons, must travel from their birthplace to the position they will occupy in the adult brain. Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have identified a molecule expressed on the surface of certain migrating neurons that helps them find their correct position along on the way.

Rising Numbers Of Uninsured In Moderate And Middle Income American Families Leading To Downward Spiral Of Debt, Forgone Care And Poorer Health - Medical News Today 30/04/06

Two of five (41%) working-age Americans with incomes between $20,000 and $40,000 a year were uninsured for at least part of the past year--a dramatic and rapid increase from 2001 when just over one-quarter (28%) of those with moderate incomes were uninsured, according to a new report from The Commonwealth Fund, Gaps in Health Insurance: An All-American Problem, prepared for the Fund's Commission on a High Performance Health System.

The European Starling Can Learn Syntactic Patterns Formerly Thought To Be The Exclusive Province Of Humans - Medical News Today 30/04/06

The European starling - long known as a virtuoso songbird and as an expert mimic too - may also soon gain a reputation as something of a "grammar-marm."

Training On Virtual PTient Improves Angiography Care - Medical News Today 30/04/06

Cardiologists can learn to perform risky catheter procedures such as carotid angiography on a virtual patient simulator, rather than on real patients, according to a new study in the May 2, 2006, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Better Model Of Deadly Brain Cancer - Medical News Today 30/04/06

Researchers have created a mouse model that closely mimics human medulloblastoma, the most common type of childhood brain tumor. The new model, which was created by knocking out a key component of the DNA repair machinery, will aid in exploring the genetic roots of this deadly brain cancer.

Medibank Private Sale To Boost Medical Research For All Australians - Medical News Today 30/04/06

All Australians will benefit from the Federal Government's commitment to boost health and medical research funding as a result of the sale Medibank Private, according to Research Australia, the nation's leading health and medical research advocacy body.

Molecular Variation In One Gene Affects The Growth Of Natural Populations - Medical News Today 30/04/06

For the first time, ecologists have been able to show that molecular variation in one gene may affect the growth of a population in its natural habitat. Research Professor Ilkka Hanski, University of Helsinki, and Dr Ilik Saccheri, University of Liverpool, UK, discovered that the population growth of the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia) is affected by the allelic composition of the phosphoglucose isomerase (Pgi) enzyme. The result challenges previous views according to which allelic variation in populations, and possible consequent differences in individual performance, would be of no significance for population growth.

How Organisms Manage To Create Self-medications Discovered By MIT Chemist - Medical News Today 30/04/06

MIT scientists have just learned another lesson from nature.

Sludge Recycling Sends Antiseptic Soap Ingredient To Agriculture - Medical News Today 30/04/06

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health measured levels of an antibacterial hand soap ingredient, triclocarban, as it passed through a wastewater treatment facility. They determined that approximately 75 percent of the ingredient washed down the drain by consumers persists during wastewater treatment and accumulates in municipal sludge, which later is used as fertilizer for crops. Their findings are presented in a study appearing in the online and print editions of the journal Environmental Science & Technology. More studies are underway to determine if triclocarban, which is toxic when ingested, can migrate from sludge into foods, thereby potentially posing a human health risk.

Ex-FDA Head Under Criminal Investigation Regarding Alleged Financial Improprieties And False Statements - Medical News Today 30/04/06

According to his lawyer, Ex-FDA Head, Dr. Lester Crawford is under criminal investigation regarding alleged financial improprieties and false statements to Congress.

Bioportfolio: Life-long Persistence Of Erythrovirus DNA Genomes In Human Tissue - Medical News Today 30/04/06

The researchers at the University of Helsinki, Finland, and University Hospital of Bonn, Germany, have coined the novel term "Bioportfolio" to describe viral genomic material remaining in the human body after infection. Using human erythrovirus as the example, the authors have demonstrated that viral genomic material persisting in the human body yields valuable information on viral phylogeny and on molecular epidemiology of infection.

X-SCID Gene Therapy Poses Substantial Cancer Risk - Medical News Today 30/04/06

New animal studies conducted at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies show that the only human gene therapy treatment to date considered to be largely successful, is, in fact, riskier than realized.

Stanford Scientists Identify Protein Involved In Fast-spreading Cancers - Medical News Today 30/04/06

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found a protein that may explain why tumors in a low-oxygen environment are more deadly.

Baylor Human Genome Sequencing Center Marks End Of Sequencing Effort With Chromosome 3 - Medical News Today 30/04/06

The sequencing of human chromosome 3 announced in the current issue of the journal Nature represents a milestone for the Baylor College of Medicine Human Genome Sequencing Center - the final stage of its multi-year project to sequence the human genome.

Ultrasounds Show Mothers' Drinking Shrinks Fetal Brain - Medical News Today 30/04/06

Routine ultrasounds show that heavy drinkers who continue to imbibe after learning they are pregnant may carry fetuses with reduced skull and brain growth compared to those of abstainers or quitters, says a new study.

Topamax® Reduces Number Of Monthly Migraine Days In Chronic Migraine Patients - Medical News Today 30/04/06

A study presented today at the annual meeting of the 8th European Headache Federation (EHF) demonstrated that chronic migraine sufferers treated preventively with TOPAMAX® (topiramate) experienced fewer migraine-related days per month than those treated with placebo.

Herb Tested To Stop Breast Cancer Patients' Hot Flushes And Night Sweats - Medical News Today 30/04/06

Researchers at the University of Manchester, UK, are testing a secret herb in a bid to stop the severe hot flushes that besiege breast cancer patients on hormone treatment.

Commission Welcomes Changes To EU Law To Allow Export Of Patented Medicine To Countries In Need - Medical News Today 30/04/06

The European Commission today welcomes the adoption by the European Council of a regulation allowing companies to produce copies of patented medicines under license for export to “countries in need” without sufficient capacity to produce them. The regulation implements within the EU the necessary conditions to meet a WTO Agreement of December 2005, under which national authorities can grant compulsory licences for such production if certain conditions are fulfilled. Yesterday, the European Commission formally recommended that Member States approve EU ratification of the historic changes to WTO law. Today's move is a clear signal of their intention to do so. The compulsory licensing regulation represents a crucial measure for some of the poorest countries in the world, which will gain improved access to affordable medicines which are safe and effective.

Canadian Health Minister Clement Notes Progress At G8 Health Ministers Meeting - Medical News Today 30/04/06

Canadian Health Minister Tony Clement was pleased with the outcome of discussions at the first-ever meeting of G8 Health Ministers in Moscow.

1,000 New York City Doctors Will Get Electronic Health Records Systems - Medical News Today 30/04/06

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) Commissioner Thomas R. Frieden today fulfilled a pledge from the Mayor's campaign and State of the City by announcing that the City has appropriated $27 million to help provide 1,000 New York City Doctors with electronic health records (EHR) systems by 2008.

Positive Phase II Results With Orally Active GnRH Receptor Antagonist In Endometriosis - Neurocrine Biosciences Inc - Medical News Today 30/04/06

Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: NBIX) today announced positive results of its 'proof of concept', safety, efficacy and dose-finding Phase II clinical trial using its proprietary, orally-active small molecule Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) receptor antagonist (NBI-56418).

Clinical Utility Of Two Novel Genes That Can Identify Patients At Higher Risk For Early Breast Cancer Recurrence - Medical News Today 30/04/06

AviaraDx, Inc., formerly known as Arcturus Bioscience, Inc., a leader in molecular cancer profiling, announced today that a study, conducted in collaboration with Mayo Clinic, demonstrated the clinical utility of two novel genes that can identify patients at higher risk for early breast cancer recurrence and has been published in the April 2006 issue of Clinical Cancer Research.

Pharmacokinetic Data For Nastech's Intranasal Parathyroid Hormone (PTH1-34) Demonstrated Similar Profile To Approved Injectable Product - Medical News Today 30/04/06

Nastech Pharmaceutical Company Inc. (Nasdaq: NSTK) presents data today from a Phase I pharmacokinetic study of Parathyroid Hormone (PTH1-34) nasal spray demonstrating a similar pharmacokinetic profile to the approved subcutaneous product, Forteo(R) (teriparatide). The data are being presented at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists Annual Meeting in Chicago.

Abbott's HUMIRA(R) (Adalimumab) Receives Positive Opinion From European Medicines Agency For The Treatment Of Ankylosing Spondylitis - Medical News Today 30/04/06

Abbott today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), the scientific committee of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA), granted a positive opinion recommending approval of HUMIRA(R) (adalimumab) for the treatment of severe active ankylosing spondylitis. The positive opinion is based on results from the Adalimumab Trial Evaluating Long-Term Efficacy and Safety in AS (ATLAS) Phase III clinical trial. In October 2005, Abbott submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval to market HUMIRA as a treatment for AS.

Abbott's New Tablet Formulation Of Kaletra(R) (Lopinavir/Ritonavir) Receives Positive Opinion From The European Medicines Agency - Medical News Today 30/04/06

Abbott announced today that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), the scientific committee of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA), has issued a positive opinion recommending approval of a new, more convenient tablet formulation of its protease inhibitor (PI) Kaletra(R) (lopinavir/ritonavir). The European Commission decision regarding marketing authorization is expected within 90 days. The anticipated marketing authorization from the European Commission also will enable Abbott to move forward with registration filings and seek approvals in developing countries.

Technique That Makes Brain Tumours Fluoresce Improves Surgical Outcome - Medical News Today 30/04/06

A new technique that causes brain tumours to fluoresce results in more complete removal of the tumour and in improved progression-free survival, report German researchers in the May issue of The Lancet Oncology. "This technique is an advance over older, traditional methods, because it is simple, cheap, can be performed in real-time, and has now been put to a truly prospective test", claims coordinating investigator Dr Walter Stummer.

Heart Rhythm Society Issues Draft Recommendations On Performance Policies For Pacemakers And ICDs - Medical News Today 29/04/06

The Heart Rhythm Society today released the first comprehensive recommendations for the surveillance, analysis and performance reporting of pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). The draft guidelines offer detailed recommendations to physicians, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Congress about performance issues and advisories for implanted cardiac devices.

Keeping Amyloid - And Alzheimer's - In Check - Medical News Today 29/04/06

Researchers have identified a protein that reins in the rogue activity of the molecules that make the amyloid-beta protein--which may prevent normal brain function in people with Alzheimer's disease. Their findings reveal a potentially powerful tool for designing novel Alzheimer's treatments.

Einstein's Susan Band Horwitz, PhD Wins Bristol-Myers Squibb Cancer Research Award - Medical News Today 29/04/06

Susan Band Horwitz, Ph.D., the Falkenstein Professor of Cancer Research and co-chair of the Department of Molecular Pharmacology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in New York, has been selected to receive the 29th annual Bristol-Myers Squibb Freedom to Discover Award for Distinguished Achievement in Cancer Research. She was recognized for her pioneering work over many decades in developing an understanding of the mechanisms of action of anti-tumor agents, especially complex natural products, as well as the mechanisms at the molecular level that cause resistance to these compounds. Her pivotal research in the 1980's eventually led to the development of paclitaxel (Taxol®), one of the most important anti-cancer agents ever developed.

Neurons Find Their Place In The Developing Nervous System With The Help Of A Sticky Molecule - Medical News Today 29/04/06

The brain, that exquisite network of billions of communicating cells, starts to take form with the genesis of nerve cells. Most newborn nerve cells, also called neurons, must travel from their birthplace to the position they will occupy in the adult brain. Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have identified a molecule expressed on the surface of certain migrating neurons that helps them find their correct position along on the way.

Cultural Approach Holds The Key To Tackling Obesity, Says Yale Research - Medical News Today 29/04/06

Health professionals need to use more than tape measures and scales to define and tackle obesity, according to a paper in the latest Journal of Advanced Nursing.

Hormone Found To Decrease Appetite And Increase Activity - Medical News Today 29/04/06

New research shows how topping up the levels of a hormone found in the gut could help reduce the appetite and increase activity in overweight and obese people.

Marijuana-like Compounds Suppress The Immune Response - Medical News Today 29/04/06

A group of Japanese scientists has discovered that cannabinoids can cause some white blood cells to lose their ability to migrate to the sites of infection and inflammation. These findings, which appear in the May 5 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, could have potential use in the development of novel anti-inflammatory drugs.

Cure For Cancer Worth $50 Trillion - Medical News Today 29/04/06

A new study, to be published in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Political Economy, calculates the prospective gains that could be obtained from further progress against major diseases. Kevin M. Murphy and Robert H. Topel, two University of Chicago researchers, estimate that even modest advancements against major diseases would have a significant impact - a 1 percent reduction in mortality from cancer has a value to Americans of nearly $500 billion. A cure for cancer would be worth about $50 trillion.

Why Exercise Helps Heart Failure Patients - Medical News Today 29/04/06

Aerobic training is associated with a reversal of abnormal hormonal patterns that underlie many of the debilitating symptoms of heart failure, according to a new study in the May 2, 2006, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Reversible Male Contraceptive Pill, Androgen Or Androgen-progestagen Treatment Combinations - Medical News Today 29/04/06

According to a study carried out at the ANZAC Research Institute, Sydney, Australia, a hormonal contraceptive pill that stops men from producing sperm, allows normal sperm production three to four months after treatment is ceased.

Pompe Disease Drug Myozyme Gets FDA Approval - Medical News Today 29/04/06

A biologics licence application has been approved by the FDA for Myozyme (alglucosidase alfa, rhGAA), this is the first treatment for Pompe disease, a rare, but serious disease which drastically reduces a person's muscle and respiratory function.

28-site Trial Studying Chinese Herb As Alzheimer's Treatment - Medical News Today 29/04/06

Researchers from Georgetown University Medical Center's Memory Disorders Program are directing the first U.S. study to determine whether huperzine A, derived from the Chinese club moss plant Huperzia serrata, improves cognitive function in people with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The study, which is recruiting participants at 28 sites across the country, is jointly funded by the National Institutes of Health and Neuro-Hitech Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Aspirin Shows Promise In Combating A Common, Antibiotic-induced Hearing Loss - Medical News Today 29/04/06

Around the world, inexpensive antibiotics known as aminoglycosides have been used for the past 60 years in the battles against acute infections and tuberculosis as antibacterial prophylaxis in cystic fibrosis patients and in other conditions. But for all of the good they do, the drugs also have been widely linked to irreversible hearing loss.

Experimental Vaccine Protects Nonhuman Primates When Given After Exposure To Marburg Virus - Medical News Today 29/04/06

A team of U.S. and Canadian scientists has demonstrated the effectiveness of a vaccine in preventing the development of hemorrhagic fever in an animal model after exposure to the deadly Marburg virus. Their findings, published in the April online edition of the British medical journal The Lancet, could have implications for human use.

High Polyunsaturated Fat And Vitamin E Intake May Significantly Reduce Motor Neurone Disease Risk - Medical News Today 29/04/06

A high dietary intake of polyunsaturated fat and vitamin E seems to halve the risk of developing motor neurone disease, suggests research published ahead of print in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

Gene Variations Linked To Brain Aneurysms - Medical News Today 29/04/06

Variations in a gene seem to be linked to brain (cerebral) aneurysms, suggests research published ahead of print in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

Final Phase 2b Survival Results Of Stimuvax® Trial In Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer - Biomira Inc - Medical News Today 29/04/06

Biomira Inc. (Nasdaq:BIOM) (TSX:BRA) today announced final survival results from an exploratory analysis of the Phase 2b clinical trial data. The randomized, open-label trial tested the clinical potential of Stimuvax® in patients with Stage IIIB and IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The analysis confirms a median survival in Stage IIIB patients on vaccine being 30.6 months, while Stage IIIB patients on the control had a median survival of 13.3 months.

Teaching Anatomy In A More Efficient Way - Medical News Today 29/04/06

Yale School of Medicine faculty are pilot testing an anatomy course for medical students that teaches the students more in less time by focusing on how they think, reason and learn, according to a report published this month in Medical Teacher

Media Accused Of Causing Food Scares Or Crises - Medical News Today 29/04/06

European food safety experts accuse the media of being solely culpable for producing a food scare or crises. Consumers on the other hand appear less negative about media influences and motives.

Breastfeeding More Than Three Months Helps Prevent Obesity In Kids - Medical News Today 29/04/06

Breastfeeding longer than three months can cut a child's risk of later becoming overweight or obese by more than 40 percent, if the child was born to an overweight mother diagnosed with diabetes during her pregnancy, according to a study published in the May issue of Diabetes Care.

FDA Signs Arrangement With Sweden's Medical Products Agency - Medical News Today 29/04/06

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Medical Products Agency (MPA) of Sweden have signed a mutual Confidentiality Arrangement effective as of April 2006. The Arrangement allows the two Agencies to share certain non-public information, including law enforcement information and internal pre-decisional information.

New Guidelines For Handling Bodies After Disasters - Medical News Today 29/04/06

A new field manual for first responders offers step-by-step guidance on how to recover and identify victims killed in disasters while respecting the needs and rights of survivors. The manual was published today by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO, the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

ISIS 301012 Reduces Atherosclerotic Plaques In Animal Models - Medical News Today 29/04/06

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ISIS) today announced results of a study showing that ISIS 301012 reduced atherosclerotic plaques, apoB-100, and circulating inflammatory cytokines in an animal model of atherosclerosis. These data support a growing body of evidence demonstrating that ISIS 301012 has the potential to treat patients with coronary artery disease. Isis recently reported in a Phase 2 trial that ISIS 301012 produced rapid, dose-dependent and prolonged reductions of its target, apoB-100, with concomitant reductions in low density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad" cholesterol), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in patients with high cholesterol. ISIS 301012 is a second-generation antisense drug that inhibits the expression of apoB-100, a protein critical to the formation and transport of the "bad" cholesterol particles involved in heart disease -- LDL and VLDL. Rosanne Crooke, Ph.D., Director of Cardiovascular Research of Isis Pharmaceuticals, presented these data at the Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (ATVB) meeting in Denver, Colorado.

Exercise Before And After Heart Disease - Medical News Today 29/04/06

Exercise remains an essential strategy to help individuals stave off heart disease and help cardiac patients avoid a second episode. In an address today at the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) 10th-annual Health & Fitness Summit & Exposition in Orlando, Steven J. Keteyian, Ph.D., FACSM focused on the important role exercise plays in the primary and secondary prevention of heart disease.

Benefits And Risks Of Exercise - Medical News Today 29/04/06

‘Vigorous physical activity both protects against and provokes acute cardiac events,' a prominent authority told health and fitness professionals in Orlando for the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) 10th-annual Health & Fitness Summit & Exposition.

Chernobyl - UNICEF Says Iodine Could Have Helped To Spare Many Children From Thyroid Cancer - Medical News Today 29/04/06

As the 20th anniversary of Chernobyl approaches, UNICEF says that the numbers of children who developed thyroid cancer could have been significantly lower if they had been consuming iodized salt in their daily diet at the time of the accident.

Heart Disease Deaths Continue To Decline, New Zealand - Medical News Today 29/04/06

New Zealand is continuing to experience a decline in the risks of death from ischaemic heart disease (heart attacks and related conditions) since a peak in the late 1960s. This decline is occurring across almost all age groups in both men and women.

Update On Advice For Prevention Of Fungal Corneal Infections, Hong Kong Department Of Health - Medical News Today 29/04/06

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (April 24) provides updates on cases of fungal corneal infections and advice on prevention.

Novel Stem Cell Technology Develops A New Cell For Repairing Spinal Cord Injuries - Medical News Today 29/04/06

Researchers have identified a new way to promote recovery after spinal cord injury with an advance in stem-cell technology. A study conducted by members of the New York State Center of Research Excellence in Spinal Cord Injury and published today in the open access journal Journal of Biology reveals that rats recover from spinal cord injury following transplantation with immature support cells of the central nervous system generated from stem cells. Transplanting immature support cells called astrocytes, which were first generated in tissue culture from stem cell-like cells called glial restricted precursors, resulted in much better outcomes for spinal cord repair than just transplanting stem cells alone. This result challenges current ideas of how to use stem cells to promote tissue repair.

Cheshire and Merseyside News

Hospital wait for murder suspect - Daily Post 28/04/06

THE treatment of a psychiatric patient arrested for murder hours after leaving a Wirral hospital is to be the subject of an urgent review.

'NHS failed mentally ill son held for killing' - Liverpool Echo 28/04/06


Trust admits to wheelchair crisis - Southport Visiter 28/04/06

SOUTHPORT Hospital does not have enough wheelchairs for patients who need them, the Southport Visiter can reveal.

New NHS system - Southport Visiter 28/04/06

MORE than 500 patients in Formby and Southport have chosen and booked their own hospital out-patient appointments since the new NHS Choose and Book system was introduced.

My tooth agony - Southport Visiter 28/04/06

THE WIDOW of wrestling legend 'Big Daddy' was forced to carry out emergency dentistry on herself after failing to find treatment locally.

PCT blames payment system for cash crisis - Chester Chronicle 28/04/06

CRISIS-HIT NHS funding bodies say no one is to blame for a financial black hole which could cost hundreds of jobs in the local health economy.

Health chairman's 'hatchet-man' tag - Chester Chronicle 28/04/06

A HEALTH watchdog is concerned a chairman appointed to a crisis-hit NHS body is intended to be 'a hatchet man'.

No smoking ban being ignored - Warrington Guardian 28/04/06

OFFICIALS at Warrington Wolves say that fans who continue to flout the new no smoking rule face banning orders.

Could £4m site be waste of time for developers? - warrington Guardian 28/04/06

THE fight against plans to build a multi-million pound health waste treatment plant has been dealt a blow.

Cumbria and Lancashire News

70,000 reasons to keep cottage hospitals open - Carlisle News & Star 29/04/06

COTTAGE hospital bosses have assured Cumbrian campaigners that they are listening after receiving four boxes of petitions yesterday


Family Doctor Quits Over Tide Of Red Tape - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 01/05/06

A GP has quit after 30 years at a Blackburn practice because he said he can no longer cope with a mounting tide of NHS red tape.

MP In Diabetes Drug Plea - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 29/04/06

RIBBLE Valley MP Nigel Evans has urged the government to allow doctors to prescribe a new inhalable form of insulin on the NHS to tackle diabetes.

Patient Kicked TV Off Its Stand - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 28/04/06

A hospital patient who kicked a television off its stand, was given an 18 month conditional discharge.

Woman Died In Hospital - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 28/04/06

AN inquest was opened and adjourned in to the death of 83-year-old Edith May Moorhouse, of Chatburn Road, Clitheroe.

IT Delay Costs Hospital Cash - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 28/04/06

PUBLIC money is being wasted at East Lancashire's cash- strapped hospital authority because of repeated delays with a Government IT programme, claim angry health chiefs.

Greater Manchester News

999 Water Warning For Children - Prestwich and Whitefield Guide 28/04/06

Water Watch posters are to be displayed at most of the borough's 160 main water sources, including Heaton Park reservoir.


Be An Expert On Your Health - Prestwich and Whitefield Guide 28/04/06

BURY Primary Care Trust is inviting people to become an expert on their own ailments by taking part in a six-week course.

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