Monday, May 22, 2006

Contents

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National News

NHS seeks 1,000 non-execs - The Observer 21/05/06

Ambitious mass recruitment programme for primary care trusts will take away talent from the City, according to experts

What teens really think about sex - The Observer 21/05/06

Experts shocked as report reveals depths of ignorance that lead many to unsafe sex

Copies of lost 'blood row' papers found - The Observer 21/05/06

Families' delight as vital documents thought to have been destroyed turn up in solicitors' offices

Smoking can blind you, say doctors - The Observer 21/05/06

Cigarette packets should carry warnings that smoking causes blindness, doctors will argue this week as a new study shows that the habit can badly damage eyesight.

'More NHS beds must go' in boost for home care - The Observer 21/05/06

Proposal by hospital managers' leader will fuel doctors' anger over wards already shut down

Lack of PE teachers puts health drive in doubt - The Observer 21/05/06

The government's commitment to tackle childhood obesity has been thrown into doubt because Glasgow's primary schools have only a handful of PE teachers.

Charity worker's stab horror - The Observer 21/05/06

Graduate's death leads to calls for increased protection for mental health staff who visit patients in their own homes

Fighting for his life - The Observer 21/05/06

The BBC's security correspondent was a champion of the Arab world, but that didn't stop al-Qaeda gunmen pumping him with bullets and leaving him for dead on a Saudi street. Horrific injuries left him paralysed, but he was back at work within a year and now he's written an extraordinary book about his ordeal. Here Kate Kellaway listens to his humbling refusal to cast blame

All set for a baby.com revolution - The Observer 21/05/06

Babies assigned a personal website at birth; companies that store your 'digital assets' like a bank; search engines which find your perfect holiday with undreamt-of precision. These are some of the concepts on the agenda at the 15th International World Wide Web Conference, the first to be held in Britain.

Seven ways to cope with IBS - The Guardian 20/05/06

Have you been told to put up with your irritable bowel syndrome? Don't, says Andy Darling. There's help out there

Patients are a virtue - The Guardian 20/05/06

The NHS has become one of the most attractive places to work, as far as graduates are concerned. Liz Ford reveals Universum's annual survey of students' ideal employers

Why you should have a phone mast as close to your house as possible - The Guardian 20/05/06

I am routinely accused, in long and angry letters, of being in the pay of the pharmaceutical industry, the mobile phone industry and the government. Needless to say, I lap it up, and would never engage in similarly ad hominem attacks in return, since critiques of character and finance are a poor substitute for a sober analysis of the data.

Midwife-led birth centres threatened by cost cutting - The Guardian 20/05/06

More than a quarter of England's popular and successful midwife-led birth centres are being threatened with closure, in spite of government promises to give women more choice over how and where they have their babies.

If I had the time: Grasp some nettles - The Guardian 20/05/06

I've never been keen on nettles, particularly since I fell off a horse into a bed of them at a family gathering as a child, but there's more to nettles than just pain infliction, according to Caroline Ware of the Natural History Museum. She reckons nettles suffer from a bit of an image problem and, in an attempt to rectify the situation, environmentalists have declared this week Be Nice to Nettles Week with nettle-friendly events taking place around the country.

Interview: Karen Richardson of the Centre for Separated Families in York - The Guardian 20/05/06

Karen Richardson runs the small but visionary Centre for Separated Families in York - which is why this feminist single mother now finds herself campaigning to end discrimination against men

Case study: transforming people's health - The Guardian 20/05/06

Abdul Azad is an active member of Birmingham's Bangladeshi community and is involved in a variety of local initiatives both as an employee and volunteer, from anti-smoking organisations to interpreting services. He has a background in report writing and publishing.

Emma Mitchell: What can I do about chronic venous insufficiency? - The Guardian 20/05/06

When travelling in hot countries my ankles and feet often swell. My GP says it's chronic venous insufficiency, but doesn't have any suggestions. On long flights I wear support socks, take aspirin and have tried herbal remedies such as horse chestnut, but none of these strategies helps. I'm in my late 50s, and the problem has become apparent in the past four or five years.

Shorts: Eat Right update - The Guardian 20/05/06

It's time to check in with our two Eat Right competition winners. Emma Chaplin has made a fantastic start, losing a stone in just over a month. 'I've had some ups and downs,' she says, 'but despite the tricky bits - largely down to PMS giving me the appetite of a semi-starved bear - I have stuck to the programme. Small amounts of treats along with trying to eat enough of the right stuff not to get hungry seems to be working.' Trainee midwife Aine Gallagher isn't far behind, having lost 10lb. 'My motivation is high, because the plan is working,' she says. 'It's been a case of applying a different set of rules. Old rules = eat whatever I fancied whenever I fancied. New rules = eat three well-proportioned meals a day and a small snack. I haven't been hungry, or felt deprived - that's been the biggest surprise.' She's struggling to schedule in 'proper' exercise, but has incorporated more activity into her daily routine. 'Leaving for college a bit earlier and walking from the station to work makes a great start to my day,' she says. 'I'm looking forward to becoming fitter, stronger and leaner.'
Grief.com - The Independent 21/05/06

Tim died aged 29. But his mother keeps him alive on the web, and they are not alone

Men use Botox to keep cool at work - The Independent 21/05/06

One fifth of those having cosmetic injections are male, and do so to combat sweat and stress

Single minded: I want your baby (but not you) - The Independent 21/05/06

She really, really wanted a baby and now she's got one. Sarah Harris on the trend for single women to choose parenthood

MASH-style 'drunk tents' to treat town centre bingers - The Independent 21/05/06

Dozens of makeshift field hospitals will be set up in cities across Britain this summer as emergency services prepare for a surge in drink-related violence. Ambulance officials warned they may be unable to reach other people who dial 999 with life-threatening conditions in time because of the burden they face from drunks.

A culture in ferment: Why it's kill or cure for the world's pharmaceutical giants - The Independent 21/05/06

At GlaxoSmithKline's annual general meeting last week, chief executive Jean Paul Garnier at times sounded as much like a field general as he did the head of the UK's biggest pharmaceutical company.
Women able to take a tipple while pregnant - The Sunday Times 21/05/06

WOMEN can drink small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy without damaging their baby, one of Britain’s royal colleges of medicine has ruled.

Big Mac bites back as salad drive wilts - The Sunday Times 21/05/06

THE salad days are over at McDonald’s. The fast-food chain’s British outlets are to undergo a “back to burgers” relaunch after years of trying to promote sales of pasta, fresh fruit and salads, under pressure to encourage healthy eating.

Pupils to get obesity check - The Sunday Times 21/05/06

PARENTS are to be sent official warning letters if their children are found to be obese after ministers decided to bring back routine weighing of primary school children.

Obesity tests: The fat police - The Independent 21/05/06
Fat: How the national obsession is coming into the classroom - The Independent 21/05/06
Candida Crewe: The weigh-in could become a weapon in the war against fat - The Independent 21/05/06

Tory A-lister urges well-off to avoid burdening NHS Hospital refuses to take stem cells - The Sunday Times 21/05/06

THE most controversial character on the Conservative party’s new A-list of favoured prospective parliamentary candidates has urged the well-off not to use the NHS.

Parents urged to keep the junk out of lunchboxes - The Times 20/05/06

PARENTS got a double helping of new rules yesterday telling them how to keep their children out of trouble at school.

Packed lunches are 'nutritional disaster' - Daily Mail 19/05/06

Gascoigne maps his path from sporting stardom to despair - The Times 20/05/06

ON THE pitch Paul Gascoigne was the man who could do anything with a football at his feet.

Women to act on youth disorder - The Times 20/05/06

Members of the Townswomen’s Guild are being asked to compile a dossier with the aim of persuading the Government to rewrite its policies on antisocial behaviour.

I've got the power - The Times 20/05/06

IT’S THE new generation game: a tiny implantable device could soon be transforming people into mini power stations.

Love is off the menu - The Times 20/05/06

If avoiding sex becomes an obsession you may be a sexual anorexic

The de Bono code - The Times 20/05/06

The man who invented lateral thinking tells John Naish why he is founding a new religion

Passing the label test - The Times 20/05/06

A new law will outlaw bogus health and nutrition claims. Kate Wighton reports on what it means for consumers

Take a good look at yourself - The Times 20/05/06

A remarkable new book charts the visualisation of the human body over 600 years. Nigel Hawkes reveals the inside story

Junk medicine: clinical trials - The Times 20/05/06

The results of medical research funded by the pharmaceutical industry often now meet with public suspicion. Controversy over drugs such as Vioxx and SSRI antidepressants, in which inconvenient safety data is alleged to have been covered up, has left many critics wondering how far profits influence the outcome of studies that big business pays for.

Dr Copperfield: inside the mind of a GP - The Times 20/05/06

Life on the wards just got tougher. It’s bad enough battling MRSA, bed shortages and arrogant consultants. Now, junior staff have to fight off gift-bearing patients and relatives. Because, according to news reports this week, managers at the Royal Cornwall Hospital NHS trust are performing a “chocolate audit”, the idea being that all presents given to staff must be logged as a proxy measure of patient satisfaction.

The perfectly awful idealist - The Times 20/05/06

It’s hard work living with an idealist, specially when she is a scornful teenager in whose eyes you can do no right.

Where kids can go wild - The Times 20/05/06

There aren’t many occasions when you would encourage your child to handle sharp knives, build fires or eat wild plants. But bushcraft courses not only get them outdoors and build confidence, but learning survival skills also helps to harness their rebellious instincts. We’ve tracked down the best courses for aspiring Ray Mears types.

Turn a darker shade of pale - The Times 20/05/06

Fake tan has come a long way from the mousses that left you with skin like a footballer’s wife. This year’s hot products are moisturisers with a hint of colour, which claim that you can build up a natural-looking glow without turning orange, staining clothes or getting streaky legs. Our guinea pigs put six of the best to the test and gave them marks (stars) out of five.

Agony and ecstasy: sex advice - The Times 20/05/06

I'm getting married this summer but sex with my fiancee has become dull and infrequent. Will it all be downhill with her from now on?

TB: spreading good news - The Times 20/05/06

In your reply to a letter from a reader concerned that routine BCG immunisations for children have been stopped (Body & Soul, April 1), you said: “TB is not very infectious.” If that is so, why did so many people die from it? Seventy years ago my husband’s mother and one of her sisters died from TB; 40 years later his stepmother and her brother developed TB but survived thanks to modern antibiotics. Are children really not at risk?

What's up doc? Asking you to poke your tongue out - The Times 20/05/06

Why bother? The doctor is, unsurprisingly, examining your tongue, checking its size, surface and movement.

Eco-worrier: planet-friendly taxis - The Times 20/05/06

Is it true that there are now green taxis?

Is it true that ... high blood pressure causes headaches? - The Times 20/05/06

Not unless you’re suffering from the vanishingly rare malignant hypertension, in which case, your blood pressure’s stratospherically high and you’re exhibiting other symptoms: you may have kidney problems or even suffer a stroke.

Going loco trying to keep the shopping local - The Times 20/05/06

How close to home can you buy fresh, locally-grown produce? Three urban foodies take up the challenge

At your table: bread - The Times 20/05/06

There’s nothing like a freshly made bread roll, still warm, with a smidgin of unsalted butter. You need only to look in supermarkets and delis to see that although what I call the plastic, tasteless, white sliced loaf can still be found, alongside it are wholemeal, wholegrain, sourdough, raisin and walnut, sun-dried tomato and potato breads, not to mention dark rye/pumpernickel-style varieties that taste almost treacly and are delicious thinly sliced and served with butter and wafer-thin ham or smoked salmon.

Menu mentor - The Times 20/05/06

Jane Clarke's weekly guide to nutricious but delicious eating out: Chinese takeaway

Getting satisfaction - The Times 20/05/06

Rolling Stones wife Jo Wood, 50, says an organic lifestyle keeps her fit for rock and roll
Harrison's parents chose his name when he was a 35-week foetus - then they were offered a termination - The Telegraph 21/05/06

Lisa Green could hardly wait to give birth to her second child. The images from her eight-month scans were showing a fully formed baby weighing more than 7lb. With the excitement and anticipation familiar to any expectant parent, she and her husband Tim had already chosen a name for their unborn son.

Legal nicety that kills babies - The Telegraph 21/05/06
Anti-abortionists bombard MP with hate mail and death threats - The Independent 21/05/06

A new hip resort for sun, sea and surgery - The Telegraph 21/05/06

'Hello, you're looking lovely and pale." "Thanks, I'm afraid the pallor will soon wear off. I've just got back from having an NHS operation abroad."

Honourable men - The Telegraph 21/05/06

Rebecca Tyrrel reviews Julius Caesar, Coriolanus, Enemies and NHS The Musical!

Nish Joshi's Q & A - The Telegraph 21/05/06

If I eat potato, pasta or bread, or drink lager, I feel bloated and uncomfortable. Could I be allergic to yeast or wheat? I'm at a loss to know what to eat, which is ruining my appetite.

Surgeon used eBay to buy equipment - The Telegraph 20/05/06

A surgeon has upset hospital bosses by ordering medical equipment through the auction website eBay.

Schools to follow Jamie Oliver's recipe - The Telegraph 20/05/06

Your view: Should schools or parents take the blame for childhood obesity?

Churches can play key role, says Williams - The Telegraph 20/05/06

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, said yesterday that churches could play a unique role in the inner cities because they were not perceived as having vested interests to defend.

Seaside gets cleaner bill of health - The Telegraph 20/05/06

A record 120 beaches in England and Wales have been awarded Blue Flag status for their cleanliness and water quality. Seventy-seven of them are in England (20 more than last year) and 43 in Wales (an increase of five).

Taxman kicks away pensioners' healthcare crutch - The Telegraph 20/05/06

The cost of cover is set to rise for some retirees. Nina Montagu-Smith examines the options

Patient's NHS victory - The Telegraph 20/05/06

Waiting lists on the National Health Service and rationing for older patients were in the news again this week.

Travelling hopefully - The Times 20/05/06

Keep an eye on the bills - The Telegraph 20/05/06

We all know that plumbers and mechanics may bump up prices when told "it's an insurance job" but many might be surprised to find doctors doing the same thing.

Savvy shopper: coconuts - The Telegraph 20/05/06

Don't be shy: get to know a coconut and reap the dividends. By Rose Prince

Prisoner and wife 'had sex at hospital' - The Telegraph 20/05/06

A prisoner under guard while he was treated at an NHS hospital sneaked his wife into a lavatory for sex, it was claimed yesterday.
Coroner issues baby death warning - BBC Health News 21/05/06

A coroner has warned that more than 300 babies may be dying each year in England and Wales after sharing a bed or sofa with their parents.

Hearing tests 'key for language' - BBC Health News 20/05/06

etecting hearing impairment in babies early can improve their language ability later, a study suggests.

Minister intervenes over Meadow - BBC Health News 19/05/06

The Attorney General is hoping to take part in an appeal arising out of the case of paediatrician Sir Roy Meadow.

NHS trust to axe up to 150 posts - BBC Health News 19/05/06

Up to 150 jobs are to be cut by an NHS trust after it was told to balance its books by the Department of Health.

Private GP deal decision reserved - BBC Health News 19/05/06

The High Court has reserved judgment on a legal challenge to a private US company taking over the provision of GP services in Derbyshire.

PFI hospitals face huge overspend - BBC Health News 19/05/06

The government is attempting to rein in some of the biggest hospital building schemes as they threatened to run 4bn over budget.

Tourette's housemate 'exploited' - BBC Health News 19/05/06

Campaigners have accused Channel 4's Big Brother of exploiting a man with Tourette Syndrome by accepting him as one of this year's housemates.

Junk food banned in school meals - BBC Health News 19/05/06

School dinners in England will be free from chocolate, crisps, fizzy drinks and "low-quality" meat from the autumn, the government has announced.

Pharmacies to sell migraine drug - BBC Health News 19/05/06

A migraine drug is to be made available over-the-counter in the UK for the first time, the medicines watchdog has announced.

Watchdog body hits at hospitals - BBC Health News 19/05/06

Hospitals in NI should make more effort to recover their full costs from private patients, a report says.

Biggest UK hospital revamp begins - BBC Health News 19/05/06

Work has begun on the UK's biggest PFI hospital scheme, the 1.2bn revamp of St Bartholomew's and the Royal London.
Eyeballs Vs Footballs: The Final - Medical News Today 21/05/06

Professional goalkeepers fail to stop free kicks because of shortcomings in their visual system, according to new research by Cathy Craig and colleagues, from Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland. The projected trajectory of a ball following a curved flight path is more difficult to judge because our visual system is not sensitive enough to gauge a change of direction at speed, mid-flight. The research1 is published in Springer-Verlag's journal Naturwissenschaften.

Super Broccoli Takes Brassica Family To Chelsea Flower Show - Medical News Today 21/05/06

Super Broccoli takes brassica family to Chelsea Flower Show Warwick HRI, the University of Warwick's plant research Department, has created a stand at the world famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London this week. However the star exhibit in their garden won't be multicoloured flowers or a soothing water feature. The Warwick HRI stand will show how far scientists have reached in breeding a range of "Super Broccoli" and its wider brassica family which will: help us live longer, last longer on our shelves, and use much less pesticide and fertilizer.

Adolescents Behaving Badly, But Better Than Their Parents Did, UK - Medical News Today 21/05/06

Bournemouth University study reveals that today's girls are worse behaved than boys and children of smokers are even more likely to behave badly

New Study Assesses Impact Of Early Detection Of Hearing Impairment On Children's Language Skills - Medical News Today 21/05/06

The early detection of hearing impairment in babies significantly improves the language ability of affected children in later childhood, a new study led by Dr Colin Kennedy of the University of Southampton has revealed.

Health Services Should Borrow Marketing Ideas From Big Companies Like Nike And Coca-Cola To Improve People's Health - Medical News Today 20/05/06

Health services should borrow marketing ideas from big companies like Nike and Coca-Cola to improve people's health, say experts in this week's BMJ.

Study Suggests New Human Genotype May Be Prone To VCJD - Medical News Today 20/05/06

A small study in this week's BMJ suggests a new human genotype may be prone to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD).

Experts Urge Industry And International Donors To Prepare Pneumococcal Vaccines - Medical News Today 20/05/06

In today's online edition of The Lancet, a group of leading global health experts have come together to call for vaccine manufacturers and international donors to negotiate affordable pricing of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines and for governments of developing world countries and their partners to establish disease surveillance networks and begin preparations for pneumococcal vaccine introduction.

Independent Publishes Special Issue To Launch Partnership With Product RED - Medical News Today 19/05/06

London's Independent on Tuesday published a special issue -- including numerous articles on global HIV/AIDS issues -- to launch its partnership with Product RED, the Independent reports (Vallely, Independent, 5/15). The newspaper earlier this month announced that it would become the first media outlet to sign on as a partner in the project, which was launched in January by Irish musician Bono to donate a portion of profits from a range of branded products to the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. American Express, Converse, Giorgio Armani and Gap were the initial partners in the program and are distributing credit cards and selling tennis shoes, sunglasses and T-shirts, respectively, carrying the Product RED label.

Bigger Ambulance Trusts Will Mean A Better Service, UK - Medical News Today 19/05/06

Health Minister Lord Warner today confirmed details of a major reorganisation of the ambulance service in England.

International News
Nurse exodus leaves Kenya in crisis - The Observer 21/05/06

Poor pay and lack of jobs are forcing workers to abandon their country's health service to seek work in the UK, reports Tracy McVeigh in Nairobi

Top priest told to retire as Pope toughens stand on child abuse - The Guardian 20/05/06

Pope Benedict threw his authority behind a new and uncompromising approach to sex abuse in the Roman Catholic church yesterday when he ordered one of its most influential figures, who faces multiple allegations, to give up his ministry and retire to a life of "prayer and repentance".
Wallaby milk gives scientists the jump on deadly superbug Hospital refuses to take stem cells - The Sunday Times 21/05/06

IT’S a magical liquid 100 times stronger than penicillin in combating bacteria — and it comes ready-made in a pouch. Scientists have found that wallaby milk could be nature’s greatest elixir for fighting disease.

Hospital refuses to take stem cells - The Sunday Times 21/05/06

A PREGNANT woman has been refused permission by an Irish hospital to collect stem cells from the blood in her baby’s umbilical cord.

Burger giant on defensive against a Big Mac attack - The Telegraph 20/05/06

A British-produced drama attacking the junk food industry was premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last night, prompting McDonald's to prepare a new defence of its burgers.

Fast-food film leaves a nasty taste for big burger chains - The Independent 20/04/06
One in 50 teenagers 'wet the bed' - BBC Health News 20/05/06

As many as one in 50 teenagers still wet the bed, research has suggested.

Scan drug 'boosts cancer therapy' - BBC Health News 19/05/06

A drug used to help doctors interpret medical scans may also help to boost the potency of anti-cancer therapies, research suggests.

WHO urges drug trial registration - BBC Health News 19/05/06

The World Health Organization is calling for tighter registration of clinical drug trials so that negative findings cannot be kept secret.
China Must Produce Pediatric Antiretrovirals To Fill Shortage, Advocate Says - Medical News Today 21/05/06

China must produce HIV/AIDS medications for the tens of thousands of children living with the disease, Chung To, a Hong Kong-based HIV/AIDS advocate, said, Reuters Health reports. Although Chinese companies since 2002 have been manufacturing at least three generic antiretroviral drugs, they do not produce any such drugs for children. According to Chung, founder of the Chi Heng Foundation, which advocates for children affected by and living with HIV/AIDS, no pediatric antiretroviral drugs were available in China until last year when the Clinton Foundation donated antiretroviral drugs to 200 children. Chung said he hopes the Clinton Foundation's contribution will make the Chinese government aware of the need to care for HIV-positive children. There are about one million children in China either living with or affected by HIV/AIDS, Chung said (Tan, Reuters Health, 5/16).

Women Exposed To Violence From Partner Have Higher Rates Of Depression, Adverse Health, Study Says - Medical News Today 21/05/06

Women who have been exposed to intimate partner violence, or IPV, have significantly higher rates of depression, social isolation and physical health symptoms than other women, according to a study published in the June issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, United Press International reports (United Press International, 5/16). Amy Bonomi, senior research associate at the health system Group Health Cooperative's Center for Health Studies, from 2003 to 2004 interviewed a random sample of 3,429 18- to 64-year-old women who were members of Group Health (King, Seattle Times, 5/16). The study finds that women who have been exposed to IPV within the last five years are four times as likely as other women to have symptoms of severe depression and three times as likely to describe their health as fair or poor, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. Robert Thompson, senior investigator for the Center for Health Studies, and colleagues in another AJPM study of the same women found that 44% said they had been sexually, physically or psychologically assaulted by a partner at some point in their life (Davidow, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 5/16). About 8% said they had been abused in the last year, according to the study. "It's an enormous problem that's buried in our society," Thompson said, adding, "It's across the population and has major effects" (Seattle Times, 5/16). Bonomi said, "We need billboards that say, 'Being called names by a partner is hazardous to your health'" (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 5/16).

How Accommodating Is Our Society To Women Who Choose To Breastfeed Their Babies? - Medical News Today 21/05/06

Although the act of breastfeeding is not "illegal," women in various parts of the U.S. can be arrested for "public indecency" when breastfeeding their baby in public. As of November 2005, 12 states and Washington, DC had not enacted at least some kind of law regarding breastfeeding.

Researchers Make Vitamin E Offshoot A Potent Cancer Killer - Medical News Today 21/05/06

Researchers here have learned how a derivative of vitamin E causes the death of cancer cells. The researchers then used that knowledge to make the agent an even more potent cancer killer.

Computerized Atlas Highlights 'plethora' Of Changes In Brain Disorder - Medical News Today 21/05/06

A computerized atlas has brought unprecedented sensitivity to the search for brain structure changes in a genetic condition known as Williams syndrome, revealing 33 abnormalities in the folding of the brain's surface. The disorder, which occurs in 1 in every 20,000 births, impairs visual and spatial skills but preserves musical ability and sociability.

Researchers Link Two More Genes To Sudden Infant Death Syndrome - Medical News Today 21/05/06

Recent discoveries at Mayo Clinic added two more cardiac genes to the list of potential links to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), increasing the possibility that genetic defects of the heart may cause up to 15 percent of SIDS cases. This research will be presented Friday at Heart Rhythm 2006, the 27th Annual Scientific Sessions of the Heart Rhythm Society in Boston.

Millions Squandered In Unnecessary Tests Ordered In Routine Doctor Visits - Medical News Today 21/05/06

Unnecessary medical tests are costing the U.S. health care system millions--and potentially billions-- of dollars per year, and add unnecessary patient stress, say researchers from Georgetown University Medical Center and Johns Hopkins University in the June issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

New Study Finds Key Role For VEGF In Onset Of Sepsis - Medical News Today 21/05/06

A study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has found that the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein is a key biomarker for sepsis, a severe inflammatory response that develops following a bacterial infection. The findings, which will be published in the June 12, 2006, issue of The Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM) and currently appear on-line, offer a promising new target for the development of drug therapies to treat this overwhelming - and often fatal -- condition.

The Public Library Of Science Launches The New Open-access Journal PLoS Clinical Trials - Medical News Today 21/05/06

The Public Library of Science announces PLoS Clinical Trials: A new open-access journal advancing the reporting of trial results

The University Of Jaen Uses Virtual Reality Techniques For Hallucinations Treatments - Medical News Today 21/05/06

Scientists of the University of Jaen are working in a project, pioneer in the world, to improve the treatment of hallucinations, by means of acting in the attention processes using virtual reality techniques. It is a project funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology, carried out by the ‘Evaluación Psicológica' group, focused on the development of psychological methods that complement pharmacological treatments in order to try to control psychotic symptoms.

Granada-born Researcher Warns That Female University Students Have The Profile Of Women Prone To Develop Breast Cancer - Medical News Today 21/05/06

The risks of suffering from breast cancer are mostly linked to reproductive habits. This is not goods news for female university students today, as they have the profile of potential ill breast cancer patients. The research coordinator of the Hospital Clinico of Granada, Dr. Nicolás Olea, reasserts this idea with a study he carried out with over 500 women who were admitted to that hospital between 1996 and 1998 to have a breast cancer-related operation. Approximately half of them had a breast tumour removed, whereas the rest was due to other medical reasons.

SequenceBase Corporation And FIZ Karlsruhe Announce Introduction Of The USPTO Genetic Sequence Database - USGENE On STN International - Medical News Today 21/05/06

SequenceBase Corporation and FIZ Karlsruhe are pleased to announce that a preview of The USPTO Genetic Sequence Database, USGENE will be shown for the first time to attendees at the Patent Information Users Group Meeting (PIUG) in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 21, 2006. This database, USGENE, will be available on STN International (The Scientific & Technical Information Network) in the summer of 2006. This comprehensive database, USGENE, is an entirely new resource for freedom-to-operate, prior-art, validity and patent infringement searches. The database has been loaded for worldwide access at FIZ Karlsruhe, the European Service Center of STN.

Nexa Orthopedics Receives FDA Clearance To Market Pyrolytic Carbon Implant - Medical News Today 21/05/06

Nexa Orthopedics Inc. ("Nexa"), the technology leader in products for reconstructive surgery of the extremities, announced today that it has received 510(k) clearance to market from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its pyrolytic carbon Carpometacarpal Implant (CMI). The Nexa CMI is designed to relieve basal thumb joint pain associated with arthritis while improving the thumb's range of motion and biomechanical function.

Diovan(R) (valsartan) Trial To Lower C-Reactive Protein, An Important Marker Of Inflammation - Medical News Today 21/05/06

Diovan lowered the level of the inflammatory marker high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), independently of its established efficacy in lowering blood pressure, according to findings presented at the American Society of Hypertension, Inc. (ASH) Annual Scientific Meeting and Exposition (ASH 2006) and published online in Hypertension later today. The study also showed that Diovan and Diovan HCT helped a significant number of hard-to-treat patients with a severe form of high blood pressure -- called "stage 2" -- quickly achieve blood pressure goals.

Spine Surgeons Dr. Adelt And Dr. Bertagnoli Present Follow Up Data On Patients Receiving The Coflex(TM) Interspinous Implant - Medical News Today 21/05/06

Prominent German spine surgeons, Dieter Adelt, MD and Rudolf Bertagnoli, MD announced encouraging results in separate studies of a total 246 stenosis patients receiving Paradigm Spine's coflex(TM) spinal implant. The surgeons spoke to more than 1,500 colleagues attending the sixth annual Spine Arthroplasty Society (SAS) meeting in Montreal last week.

Boston Scientific Launches Two Large-Scale Studies Of Wireless Home Monitoring System For Heart Failure Patients - Medical News Today 21/05/06

Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) today announced the launch of two large-scale clinical studies to evaluate the benefits of the LATITUDE(R) Patient Management system in managing heart failure patients. The system includes the Cardiac Rhythm Management industry's first and only wireless weight scale, wireless blood pressure cuff and monitoring of patient symptoms. It is also the industry's only system that provides automatic alerting to physicians of heart failure conditions using a wireless weight scale. An abrupt change in weight could indicate worsening heart failure. Close management of weight and other parameters is recommended by the recently issued American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association Class I guidelines for managing heart failure patients.

Gene First Linked To Rare Disease May Trigger Skin Cancer, Other Tumors - Medical News Today 20/05/06

A gene first identified in connection with a rare disease in which patients develop multiple, benign skin tumors may be a more general player in cancers found throughout the body, according to a report in the May 19, 2006 Cel

How Humans Represent Themselves And Others As Physical Responses In Their Brains - Medical News Today 20/05/06

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) have mapped not only where trust forms in the brain but have also uncovered clues as to how humans represent themselves and others as physical responses in their brains. Results are reported in this week's issue of the journal Science.

Schizophrenia Limits Understanding Of Body Language, Study - Medical News Today 20/05/06

Understanding the meaning behind a person's posture or body movement comes easily to many people and helps guide how we react to others socially.

Observing For The First Time How DNA Damage Is Identified, Hebrew University - Medical News Today 20/05/06

For the first time anywhere, researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have succeeded in observing and describing how damaged DNA is naturally identified.

Safe Sex Messages In Schools Don't Change Behaviour - Medical News Today 20/05/06

Current efforts to combat sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancy in schools do not change sexual risk behaviour, concludes a study in this week's BMJ.

MSF Backs R&D Project To Develop Needed AIDS Test For Patients - Medical News Today 20/05/06

As health ministers meet in Geneva at the World Health Assembly (WHA) next week, the medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is calling on governments to overhaul the way medical research and development (R&D) is prioritised and financed. Because the current R&D system continues to fail people in developing countries, MSF is collaborating on a project underway at the University of Cambridge to develop a much-needed AIDS test for use in resource-poor settings.

FDA Should Approve Emergency Contraceptive Plan B Quickly To Demonstrate Its Independence - Medical News Today 20/05/06

Andrew von Eschenbach, acting US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner, should move quickly to approve emergency contraceptive Plan B to show he has the independence needed to head the organisation, states an editorial in this week's issue of The Lancet.

Automated External Defibrillator Recalls Common, Study - Medical News Today 20/05/06

Data presented today at the Heart Rhythm Society's 27th Annual Scientific Sessions finds that during a 10-year study period more than one in five automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) were recalled due to potential malfunction. The findings represent some of the first data available on safety and reliability of the devices, which are used to resuscitate victims of cardiac arrest.

Aspirin + Dipyridamole Better Than Aspirin Alone To Prevent Circulatory Problems After Minor Stroke - Medical News Today 20/05/06

A combination of aspirin and the antiplatelet drug dipyridamole is better than aspirin alone for the prevention of new circulatory events after a minor, non-disabling stroke, according to a paper published in this week's issue of The Lancet.

Heart Attack Survivors Lacking Variability In Their Heart Rate Are At A Greater Risk Of Death - Medical News Today 20/05/06

Heart attack survivors who lack variability in their heart rate are at a greater risk of death, according to a paper in this week's issue of The Lancet. The study found that measuring the ability of the heart rate to slow down (heart rate deceleration capacity) was a better predictor of mortality after heart attack than current measures.

Journal Of Gastrointestinal Surgery Added To Springer's Growing Medical Program - Medical News Today 20/05/06

The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT) has chosen Springer as the publisher of the Society's journal Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery. Springer will begin publishing this monthly journal both online and in print in January 2007, with Volume 11, Issue 1. It was previously published by Elsevier.

Knocking The SOCS Off Rheumatoid Arthritis - Medical News Today 20/05/06

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints and occurs when the body's tissues are mistakenly attacked by its own immune system. A study by Ian Wicks and colleagues from the Walter and Eliza Hall Research Institute, Australia, appearing online on May 18 in advance of print publication in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, is the first analysis of the function of the SOCS-3 molecule in a mouse model of inflammatory arthritis.

Mouse Model Reveals Secrets Of Lung Injury That Can Follow Blood Transfusions - Medical News Today 20/05/06

Approximately 1 in every 600 persons who receive a transfusion of a plasma-containing blood product develops transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) within 6 hours of the transfusion. As such, TRALI has emerged as the leading cause of death from a blood transfusion. The mechanisms underlying this condition are poorly understood by researchers, primarily because of the absence of a clinically relevant animal model for study. In a study appearing online on May 18 in advance of print publication in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Mark Looney and colleagues from the University of California, San Francisco, describe a new in vivo mouse model of TRALI and provide novel insights into the role of neutrophils and Fc gammna receptors in the pathogenesis of lung injury.

Caffeine Therapy Helps Premature Babies Breathe Better - Medical News Today 20/05/06

Premature babies commonly suffer from ‘Apnea of Prematurity' - as their lungs have not developed completely and their nervous systems are immature, babies literally forget to breathe. A new study has found that caffeine therapy can help these babies breather better.

Mast Cells Regulate Adverse Effects In The Lung In Asthma - Medical News Today 20/05/06

In a study appearing online on May 18 in advance of print publication in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Stephen Galli and colleagues from Stanford University developed a mouse model of asthma that more closely mimics human disease than standard asthma models, in order to demonstrate that mast cells are key drivers of the most important inflammatory, structural, and functional changes observed within the lungs in chronic asthma.

Advocates, Health Experts Meet In Moscow For First Conference On HIV/AIDS In Region - Medical News Today 20/05/06

HIV/AIDS advocates and health experts from 50 Eastern European and Central Asian countries gathered on Monday in Moscow for the first joint conference aimed at dealing with HIV/AIDS in the region, Russian Centre TV reports. At the three day conference, delegates plan to discuss ways to promote effective HIV prevention methods and increase access to treatment. Delegates also plan to discuss how to increase tolerance and reduce the stigma surrounding the disease (Russian Centre TV, 5/15). UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot in his keynote address at the conference called on delegates to tackle stigma and discrimination "head-on" in order to control the spread of HIV. "Fear and stigma are truly the best friends of HIV," Piot said (UzReport.com, 5/15). According to the U.N., 1.6 million HIV-positive people were living in Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the end of 2005, a figure that has increased tenfold in less than a decade (BBC News, 5/15).

High Benzene Levels Found In Some Soft Drinks - Medical News Today 20/05/06
Rated 3 in Health; News; National and International News on May 20, 2006 at 16:46:00 GMT.
According to a sample of 100 drinks, the FDA found that 5 had benzene levels over the 5 parts per billion limit set for drinking water. In fact, one of them, Safeway Select Diet Orange, had 79 parts per billion. Human consumption of benzene is linked to a higher risk of developing leukaemia.

PAR-1 Proves Integral In Acute Lung Injury - Medical News Today 20/05/06

It has been previously shown that activation of TGF-beta by the alphavbeta6 integrin plays a central role in animal models of several common diseases, including pulmonary fibrosis, emphysema, and acute lung injury.

Organ Development: A Place For Everything And Everything In Its Place - Medical News Today 20/05/06

During development, organ formation is controlled by a strictly coordinated developmental program. Yet at times, these mechanisms do not function properly and can result in an organ of other structure being positioned abnormally within the body (a condition known as ectopia). In a study appearing online on May 18 in advance of print publication in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Yoshiya Kawaguchi and colleagues from Kyoto University, Japan, present insights into the molecular mechanisms that control organ development, particularly of the pancreas, in the fore-midgut area.

Epimorphin: Epithelial Master Regulator - Medical News Today 20/05/06

The normal development (morphogenesis) and maintenance of many organs and tissues, including intestine, skin, mammary gland, lung, gallbladder, and liver, are dependent on interaction between mesenchymal and epithelial cells.

Gene Expression Signature Acts As A Prognostic Indicator For Liver Cancer - Medical News Today 20/05/06

The identification of cancer-specific gene expression patterns or "signatures" is a fast growing area of cancer research. Aberrant activation of the Met signaling pathway is frequently associated with tumor growth and tumor spread to other organs. In order to define the Met-dependent gene expression signature, Snorri Thorgeirsson and colleagues from the National Cancer Institute examined the gene expression signatures from healthy as well as Met-deficient mouse liver cells.

How The Body Recognizes A Fungus Among Us - Medical News Today 20/05/06

The fungus Candida albicans can cause a wide variety of infections, ranging from mucosal infections in generally healthy individuals to life-threatening infections in persons with impaired immunity. Beating this infection requires mononuclear immune cells such as neutrophils and macrophages to recognize the fungus, ingest it, and kill it by releasing proinflammatory cytokines that activate the immune response. In a study appearing online on May 18 in advance of print publication in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Mihai Netea and colleagues from Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, The Netherlands, show how mononuclear cells recognize the cell surface of C. albicans. They reveal that this process involves multiple recognition systems that recognize various components within the layers of the fungal cell wall.

Testing The Efficacy Of Targeted Therapies Against Human Lung Cancer - Medical News Today 20/05/06

As reported in the June 1 issue of G&D, Drs. Katerina Politi, Harold Varmus and colleagues at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York have developed a novel animal model of lung adenocarcinoma that will be of great use in testing the efficacy of targeted therapies against human lung cancer.

Role Of Partial Nephrectomy In The Treatment Of Upper Tract Transitional Cell Carcinoma - Medical News Today 20/05/06

Traditionally, upper tract transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is managed with nephroureterectomy with excision of a bladder cuff. In cases of locally advanced or regionally advanced disease, neoadjuvant systemic chemotherapy may be offered prior to surgery. There exists a subset of patients that are not optimal candidates for nephroureterectomy, particularly those with solitary kidneys, those with baseline insufficiency, and those with bilateral synchronous tumors. For these patients, novel, creative approaches are required to establish cancer control while attempting to maintain enough functioning renal mass to avoid renal replacement therapy. While many cases can be managed with endoscopic tumor resection/ablation, some patients are not candidates for or refuse these minimally invasive therapies. In this study, Goel and colleagues, out of the Cleveland Clinic, examine their experience with partial nephrectomy as a surgical therapy for upper tract TCC.

Comparative Study Of Ileocecal Vs. Ileal Neobladders In Radical Cystectomy Patients - Medical News Today 20/05/06

The use of orthotopic urinary diversion has gained increasing popularity in the past 20 years. Intestinal options for neobladders include ileocecal and ileal segments. The choice of intestinal segment has both functional and metabolic implications. In the April issue of the BJU International, Dr. Khafagy and associates from the National Cancer Institute, Cairo, Egypt report a comparative study using either ileocecal or ileal neobladders.

Effect Of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Use On The Incidence Of Erectile Dysfunction - Medical News Today 20/05/06

Arthritis and erectile dysfunction (ED) affect men more as they age. In this article, R. Shiri and colleagues of the Tampere School of Public Health of Tampere Finland first list several prior articles that show that the occurrence of these two diseases correlates well.

Comparison Of The Effectiveness And Side-Effects Of Tolterodine And Oxybutynin In Children With Detrusor Instability - Medical News Today 20/05/06

Anticholinergic therapy remains the first line treatment for detrusor instability (DI), which is typically characterized by urinary urge incontinence. The aim of this study by Kilic et al was to assess the effectiveness and tolerability of tolterodine and oxybutynin in children with DI. They had a total of 60 children with DI enrolled prospectively and followed for 6 months. Thirty (14 male, 16 female, mean age 7.97 ± 2.71 years) were in the tolterodine group and 30 (12 male, 18 female, mean age 7.33 ± 2.23 years) in the oxybutynin group. All of the patients in the study population had a history of dysfunctional voiding. Urodynamic investigations were conducted in all of the patients before and after anticholinergic treatment. Episodes of urge urinary incontinence and side effects were also evaluated.

How Cells Avoid Becoming Cancerous - Medical News Today 20/05/06

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego and three other institutions have described for the first time a web of inter-related responses that cells use to avoid becoming diseased or cancerous after being exposed to a powerful chemical mutagen. The group led by UCSD bioengineering professor Trey Ideker describe in the May 19 issue of Science an elaborate system of gene control that is triggered by chemical damage to DNA.

ESMO International Symposium On Sarcoma And GIST - Medical News Today 20/05/06

Medical science could soon yield improved therapies for a group of rare and hard to treat cancers known as soft tissue sarcomas, European doctors will hear this month at a highly innovative type of meeting organized by the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO).

Blood Test Predicts Success Of Quitting Smoking Using The Nicotine Patch - Medical News Today 20/05/06

A blood test may enable doctors to predict which smokers using the nicotine patch are likely to experience the least amount of cravings and have the highest probability of success in quitting cigarettes, according to the results of a study in the June issus of the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Potential New Treatment Strategy For Alzheimer's Disease And Other Brain And Spinal Cord Damage - Medical News Today 20/05/06

A study led by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill has identified several new compounds that could play a role in preventing or treating Alzheimer's disease and other degenerative conditions of the nervous system.

Positive Results For ACRUX's Lead Product In US Phase 3 Trial Bedsores And Bald Hides: Novel Roles Revealed For A 'scaffolding' Protein - Medical News Today 20/05/06

Acrux (ASX: ACR), the pharmaceutical company with unique technology for delivering drugs through the skin, today announced positive results in a US Phase 3 clinical trial of Evamist, its daily skin spray for prevention of symptoms associated with menopause. The trial was conducted by its US commercial partner VIVUS Inc. (NASDAQ: VVUS), which will now proceed to file a marketing application with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the second half of 2006.

Bedsores And Bald Hides: Novel Roles Revealed For A 'scaffolding' Protein - Medical News Today 20/05/06

A protein long thought to provide only mechanical support for keeping cells and tissues from literally falling apart turns out to have much wider utility. In a pair of reports, the protein K17 has been found to also influence wound healing and maintain the structural integrity of hair follicles, according to Johns Hopkins researchers.

Length Of Deprivation In Infants Affects Intellectual Development For Years - Medical News Today 20/05/06

Following the fall of the Ceau_escu regime in Romania, the world became aware of the dreadful plight of children who had been raised in profound deprivation in institutions. In response, many American and European families adopted these children. When these children left their institutions, most were severely malnourished and severely physically and psychologically delayed. Now a new study published in the May/June issue of the journal Child Development finds that despite having spent at least seven-and-a-half years in their adoptive homes and having had six years of schooling, the early experiences of profound institutional deprivation continue to exert marked adverse effects on the children's IQ even at age 11.

Some Maternal Stress May Enhance Fetal Maturation - Medical News Today 20/05/06

Contrary to popular belief, mild to moderate levels of maternal psychological stress during pregnancy may actually enhance fetal maturation, according to researchers from the Johns Hopkins University and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The findings are contrary to expectations, generated primarily by animal studies, which have reported that stress during pregnancy interferes with normal development. The Hopkins study found that the opposite was true in a study of pregnant women and during a follow-up of their 2-year-old children. The study is published in the May/June 2006 edition of the journal Child Development.

Broccoli, Cauliflower And Genetic Cancer - Medical News Today 20/05/06

Need another reason to eat vegetables? A new study at Rutgers shows that certain vegetables - broccoli and cauliflower, in particular - have natural ingredients that may reduce the risk of developing hereditary cancers.

Autism Topic Of Upcoming Conference For Families, Professionals - Medical News Today 20/05/06

The daily transitions most of us negotiate with ease are particularly difficult for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Parents and professionals play an important role in helping individuals with ASD make these transitions, whether they are working with children newly diagnosed with ASD, or advising the parents of young adults moving into independent living and work environments.

The Brain's Executive Is An 'event Planner' - Medical News Today 20/05/06

Studies in which monkeys were asked to manipulate computer cursors for fruit juice rewards have revealed that the brain's "executive" center plans behaviors not by specifying movements required for given actions, but rather the events that will result from those actions.

Environmental Tobacco Smoke Linked To Allergic Rhinitis,hay Fever, In Infants - Medical News Today 19/05/06

University of Cincinnati (UC) epidemiologists say it's environmental tobacco smoke--not the suspected visible mold--that drastically increases an infant's risk for developing allergic rhinitis by age 1.

Newly Discovered Protein, MCPIP, Could Hold Key To Preventing Heart Disease - Medical News Today 19/05/06

A newly discovered gene known as MCPIP could provide scientists with the key to developing treatments for preventing inflammation that can cause heart disease, University of Central Florida researchers have discovered.

Industry-Sponsored Research Produces More Favorable Results For Experimental Treatments, Study Finds - Medical News Today 19/05/06

Industry-sponsored medical research generated results favorable to experimental heart drugs or medical devices two-thirds of the time, according to a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Bloomberg/Arizona Daily Star reports. For the study, researchers from Harvard Medical School examined 324 comparison studies of cardiovascular treatments published between Jan. 1, 2000, and July 30, 2005, in JAMA, the New England Journal of Medicine and the Lancet. In trials funded by not-for-profit sources, 49% were favorable to new products, and studies that combined funding produced favorable results 57% of the time. Researchers found that tests of cardiovascular devices supported the experimental treatments 82% of the time when funded by for-profit companies, 50% when funded by not-for-profits and 69% of the time when funded jointly. For drugs, industry-funded research produced favorable results 66% of the time, 40% of the time in not-for-profit studies, and 54% when funded jointly. According to Bloomberg/Daily Star, the findings "are the latest to indicate funding bias in medical journal articles" (Bloomberg/Arizona Daily Star, 5/17). An abstract of the study is available online.

UC Davis Researchers Reveal Apples' Protective Ways - Molecular Mechanism Of Flavonoid-rich Fruit Discovered - Medical News Today 19/05/06

Doctors have long been encouraging Americans to add more fruits and vegetables to their daily diets. Now, UC Davis researchers have discovered one way in which flavonoid-rich apples inhibit the kinds of cellular activity that leads to the development of chronic diseases, including heart disease and age-related cancers.

'Pinball Protons' Created By Ultraviolet Rays And Other Causes Can Lead To DNA Damage - Medical News Today 19/05/06

Researchers have known for years that damaged DNA can lead to human diseases such as cancer, but how damage occurs--and what causes it--has remained less clear.

New Vaccines To Prevent Cervical Cancer- A Web-based News Conference, Tuesday, May 23, From 1 To 2 Pm EDT - Medical News Today 19/05/06

The National Network for Immunization Information and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston will co-host a telebriefing about genital human papillomavirus infections and the HPV vaccines, expected to be approved by the FDA soon. Certain HPVs cause cervical as well as other cancers. Reporters may participate in the teleconference from their office or home computers and either email or phone their questions to experts. Experts on all aspects of the vaccine, including one of the inventors, will be available for Q&A.

Do Holes In The Heart Lead To Stroke? More Data Needed - Medical News Today 19/05/06

Broad interpretations exist on data related to patent foramen ovales (PFOs) and whether they cause stroke, writes a physician in the May issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Lacking, he says, are good estimates of overall risks or variables that could affect prognosis.

Johns Hopkins University To Launch Global Health Center To Fight HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Other Diseases - Medical News Today 19/05/06

Johns Hopkins University on Monday announced plans to launch a new Center for Global Health, which will coordinate efforts to fight diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, avian flu and heart disease, the Baltimore Sun reports (Kohn, Baltimore Sun, 5/15). The Center for Global Health will integrate the work of the university's medical school, nursing school and the Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHU release, 5/15). Thomas Quinn -- an infectious disease expert who has been studying HIV/AIDS in Africa, Asia and Latin America for 20 years -- will lead the center.

Polycystic Kidney Disease: MRI Provides An Early Alert To Progression - Medical News Today 19/05/06

A new method using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) accurately tracks structural changes that predict functional changes earlier than standard blood and urine tests in people with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (PKD), according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). PKD is a common inherited condition characterized by cysts that grossly distort the kidneys and liver and by high blood pressure and brain aneurysms (bulges in arteries). Findings are in the May 18 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Newborn Hearing Screening Programs May Benefit From The Standardization Of Testing Protocols - Medical News Today 19/05/06

Researchers have identified several changes that could be made to existing newborn screening tests for hearing defects that could advance the standard of care in detecting deaf infants, according to an article in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Drug And Alcohol Addiction Treatment Should Take Front Seat, Australian Medical Association - Medical News Today 19/05/06

The treatment of people with drug and alcohol problems should not take a back seat to the enforcement of anti-drug laws, AMA President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, said today.

FDA Statement On Preliminary Bausch & Lomb Inspection Findings - Medical News Today 19/05/06

Yesterday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued Bausch & Lomb a report detailing its observations at the conclusion of the inspection of the Greenville, SC plant and a related facility as part of an investigation into a recent increase in Fusarium keratitis infections associated with contact lens wearers using the ReNu with MoistureLoc contact lens cleaning solution. Inspectional Observations (FDA 483) issued by the agency details the investigator's observations that were found to deviate from FDA quality system regulation.

Vioxx Starts Adversely Affecting Patients After 4 Months, Not 18 Months - Medical News Today 19/05/06

Merck had initially claimed that Vioxx begins to have adverse effects on the cardiovascular system after 18 months' use, but data the company submitted to the FDA last week shows this starts to happen after just 4 months, according to the Wall Street Journal.

2% Of Teens Wet The Bed At Night - Medical News Today 19/05/06

One in 50 teenagers still wet the bed and almost half of 19 year-olds who have a problem are wetting the bed every night, according to research published in the May issue of the urology journal BJUI International.

How Did Seven Family Members Get Infected With Bird Flu? - Medical News Today 19/05/06

We still don't know how seven members of the same family in Indonesia became infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus strain. Six of them have died. It is vital to know whether some of them infected each other. If they did, this would mean that the virus might be changing.

FDA Advisory Committee Recommends Cervical Cancer Vaccine - Medical News Today 19/05/06

The FDA Advisory Committee unanimously recommended that Gardasil, a vaccine that protects women against 70% of cervical cancers, should be approved. The FDA usually goes along with what the Advisory Committee recommends. The vote, in favour, was 13-0. The FDA is expected to make a final decision regarding approval on June 8.

‘Royalty Free Medical' Image Collection - Medical News Today 19/05/06

The world's leading niche stock photo agency specializing in biotech, medicine, science and healthcare imagery, Custom Medical Stock Photo announces the launch of a new collection of ROYALTY FREE stock images called “Royalty Free Medical.”

DMAA Initiative Produces First Definition Of Obesity With Co-Morbidities - Medical News Today 19/05/06

A new definition of obesity with co-morbid conditions--the first of its kind in the disease management community--provides the foundation for a developing Disease Management Association of America (DMAA) project that responds to the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity in America.

Witnessing Intimate Partner Violence As Children Does Not Increase Risk Of Victimization As Adults - Medical News Today 19/05/06

There has been some evidence that witnessing Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) as a child might make someone more likely to be victimized as an adult. In a paper presented at the 2006 Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Annual Meeting, May 18-21, 2006 in San Francisco, researchers reported on the results of testing this hypothesis.
Vegan diet lowers odds of having twins - Reuters 21/05/06

Women who eat a vegan diet -- a strict vegetarian diet that excludes all animal products including milk -- are one-fifth as likely as other women to have twins, a U.S. researcher reported on Saturday.

Benadryl edges Clarinex for hay fever - Reuters 20/05/06

Diphenhydramine hydrochloride -- more familiarly known as Benadryl -- appears to be more effective than desloratadine, a.k.a. Clarinex, in relieving symptoms of moderate to severe hay fever, according to researchers.

WHO backs dual antiviral therapy for some bird flu cases - Reuters 20/05/06

Bird flu patients should receive Tamiflu as a frontline treatment, but doctors may also consider combining it with an older class of effective flu drugs, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

Light shed on fatigue after breast cancer - Reuters 20/05/06

Breast cancer survivors often suffer from persistent fatigue, and now researchers think they may have a handle on what causes it.

Benzene found in some soft drinks, FDA says - Reuters 20/05/06

Government testing found the cancer-causing chemical benzene in some soft drinks but not at high enough levels to cause harm, U.S. regulators said on Friday.

High Benzene Levels Found In Some Soft Drinks - Medical News Today 20/05/06

Statins may help people with low cholesterol: trial - Reuters 20/05/06

Cholesterol-reducing statin drugs such as Lipitor and Zocor could benefit patients with a certain type of heart disease even if they don't have high cholesterol, according to newly analyzed data from a previously reported trial.

Ablation better than drugs for arrhythmia: trial - Reuters 20/05/06

A technique to treat irregular heart beats using a method known as ablation was substantially more effective than anti-arrhythmic drugs in a clinical trial.

J&J drug for Crohn's disease approved - Reuters 19/05/06

U.S. regulators approved wider use of Johnson & Johnson's drug Remicade on Friday but also said a new warning was being added about reports of an often-fatal lymphoma in a small number of users.

CDC report supports Bausch & Lomb recall - Reuters 19/05/06

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a report on Friday that backed Bausch & Lomb Inc.'s decision to recall its ReNu with MoistureLoc contact lens solution, which has been linked to cases of a serious eye infection.

G8 leaders urged to take lead in TB battle - Reuters 19/05/06

Leaders of the G8 group of rich countries should take the lead and fill a funding gap in the global battle against tuberculosis, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said on Friday.

Migraine drug eases severe face pain - Reuters 19/05/06

One of the severest pains that can be experienced is trigeminal neuralgia, affecting nerves in the face, and few medications relieve the condition. Now, for people with treatment-resistant trigeminal neuralgia, a migraine medicine may provide some relief.

Few young cancer survivors get best follow-up - Reuters 19/05/06

Many survivors of childhood cancer are not getting the optimal follow-up care recommended for detecting the long-term consequences of cancer treatment, according to a study of Canadian patients.

Cheshire and Merseyside News
Centre 'to halve waiting times' - Warrington Guardian 20/05/06

A 10 MILLION state-of-the-art NHS orthopaedic treatment centre opening soon in Runcorn will halve waiting times.

Speak out - Warrington Guardian 20/05/06

RADICAL plans to close five wards at Halton Hospital and transfer acute medical services to Warrington are available for public consultation.

City hospitals in walk-out threat - Liverpool Echo 19/05/06

HOSPITALS in Merseyside could grind to a halt within three weeks if workers decide to strike over pay.

Ward to close in hospital shake-up - Chester Chronicle 19/05/06

CUTBACKS at the Countess of Chester Hospital have started to bite with the announcement of bed reductions and a ward closure.

Research the best way forward - Chester Chronicle 19/05/06

CHESHIRE County Council's Adult and Older People Social Care Services have signed up to a research organisation whose findings can help the way care is delivered to vulnerable people.

Report highlights rise in homelessness - Chester Chronicle 19/05/06

CHESTER district is facing a 25 per cent increase in homeless-ness, according to a report to city councillors.

European ruling will not 'open floodgates' - Chester Chronicle 19/05/06

A HEALTH watchdog believes a European decision allowing patients to be refunded for treatment abroad is not in the best interests of the NHS.

Caring for the carers is aim of the Trust - Chester Chronicle 19/05/06

A CHESTER woman was given the royal seal of approval when The Princess Royal attended Cheshire Carers Centre day at Tarporley's Portal Golf Club.

Shop sold diet pills to children - Southport Visiter 19/05/06

A MOTHER is furious that her 13-year-old daughter was sold diet pills.

NHS shake-up to go ahead - Southport Visiter 19/05/06

SOUTHPORT and Formby and South Sefton Primary Care Trusts are being scrapped and replaced with a single Trust which will cover the whole of Sefton.

Festival promotes equality - Southport Visiter 19/05/06

MERSEYSIDE will host a range of activities next month when the North West celebrates equality and diversity.

NHS Direct may be axed - Southport Visiter 19/05/06

SOUTHPORT'S NHS Direct call centre could be axed.

NHS call centre staff are sacrificed with cuts - Chester Chronicle 19/05/06

Distress over ward closure - Southport Visiter 19/05/06

PATIENTS have spoken of their distress at the closure of the Bob Martin Ward for mental health patients.

Community drug centre opens its doors - Runcorn World 19/05/06

DRUG awareness events are being held across Halton this Tuesday.

Mum's bid to help Holly reach her full potential - Middlewich Guradian 19/05/06

THE mum of a Middlewich girl battling a complex form of epilepsy has spoken of her daughter's educational struggles in the hope of helping other sufferers.

Cumbria and Lancashire News
Miracle for horse kick mum - Carlisle News & Star 20/05/06

CLAIRE Halliday gently cradles the baby son she feared she may never see.

NHS Dentists: One check up a year claim - Carlisle News & Star 19/05/06

New NHS dental contracts provide for no more than one check up a year for each patient, the Liberal Democrats said today.

Escape From Health Merger Excellent - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 19/05/06

THE boss of an East Lancashire health authority says its escape from controversial merger plans is "excellent news".

Laura Is Regions Top Drug Worker - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 19/05/06

A BURNLEY mum-of-two who works to tackle drugs and alcohol misuse was today named as the best in the North West.

Nurses Shunt After Drinks - Blackburn Citizen 19/05/06

A 56-year-old nurse crashed into a neighbour's van and shunted it into his BMW as she returned from the shops.

View Plans For Health Centre - Chorley Citizen 17/05/06

Plans for a new health centre next to Friday Street, Chorley, are to go on view to patients and members of the public from 3pm-7pm on Wednesday, June 7.

Greater Manchester News
Hospital misses A&E waiting times target - Bolton Evening News 20/05/06

WAITING times at the Royal Bolton Hospital's Accident and Emergency department are among the worst in the country, according to new figures.

Children will go on the scales at school - Bolton Evening News 20/05/06

CHILDREN are to be weighed in a bid to tackle obesity in Bolton under plans announced by health bosses.

New bid to put fluoride into our water - Manchester Evening News 20/05/06

HEALTH chiefs have ordered United Utilities to work out the cost of adding fluoride to tap water in Greater Manchester.

Dentist is 'forced into going private' - Manchester Evening News 20/05/06

A DENTIST whose NHS clinic opened to huge queues in a glare of publicity claims a lack of funding has forced him to turn private after just five months.

Our baby died after hospital delays - Manchester Evening News 19/05/06

SHOCKING medical notes reveal how an unborn baby died and her twin suffered multiple organ failure.

Downing Street Mums Breastfeed Shock - Prestwich and Whitefield Guide 19/05/06

THIS was the moment Stella Onions was asked to stop breastfeeding her son by an armed policeman as she sat on the Prime Minister's doorstep.

Memorial Stone For Former Patients - Prestwich and Whitefield Guide 19/05/06

FORMER patients of Prestwich Hospital can finally be laid to rest on Sunday with the installation of a memorial stone.

Posted by Kieran at 5:50 am

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