Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Contents

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National News

NHS trusts pay millions in fines to suppliers of delayed IT system - The Guardian 06/06/06

NHS trusts are being made to pay multimillion-pound penalties to computer suppliers because of a clause in contracts for the health service's 20bn IT scheme.

Brown calls for public sector pay freeze - The Guardian 06/06/06

Chancellor says two more years of low settlements are necessary

Key to future stem cell production may lie inside the testicles - The Guardian 06/06/06

British scientists have been granted permission to investigate whether stem cells found deep inside testicles can be used to repair damaged tissues and organs.

Brothers spurn veg for 42 years - The Guardian 06/06/06

Children: next time parents order you to eat your broccoli so that you will have a long and healthy life, don't believe them

Have we become a nation of accidental drunks? - The Guardian 06/06/06

Campaigners say that super-size wine glasses help create 'unwitting alcoholics'. Can it be true? Patrick Barkham spends a lunch hour knocking a few back

Large wine glasses 'turn people into alcoholics' - Daily Mail 06/06/06

Is it OK ... to drink cow's milk? - The Guardian 06/06/06

First, I don't buy this stuff about cow's milk not being designed for us. I can't stand being told, "It's for calves to drink until they're weaned and not for humans so it's unnatural, wrong and unhealthy." Unless you are a fan of Intelligent Design, there is no food apart from breast milk that is specifically for the human species: we have just guessed, sampled and mixed and somehow gone from nuts and berries to marinated pork served with truffled potatoes.

The power in Rooney's foot - The Guardian 06/06/06

The secret of how muscles work at such speed may finally be revealed

Workers buy life-saving scan for colleague - The Guardian 06/06/06

A delivery driver's life was saved after workmates had a whip-round to help him jump the NHS queue and buy a brain scan which revealed a life-threatening tumour.

700 whipround saved workmate's life - Daily Mail 05/06/06
Whip-round saves workmate's life - BBC Health News 05/06/06

Blair sets out stall on public services to regain authority - The Independent 06/06/06

Tony Blair will admit today that the public will not tolerate Labour's decision to pump billions of pounds into public services unless they improve their performance.

July 7 bombings: a story of individual heroism and official incompetence - The Independent 06/06/06

The courage shown by hundreds of workers and ordinary people who risked their lives to help the victims of the London bombings was matched by "unacceptable" failures by the emergency authorities, an official inquiry into the attacks reported yesterday.

Failings in emergency planning dominate 7/7 report - The Times 06/06/06
Radio failure damaged July 7 rescue efforts - The Telegraph 06/06/06
Masked woman's helper attacks 999 response - The Telegraph 06/06/06

Doctors to be graded for quality of service - The Times 06/06/06

EVERY doctors’ surgery is to be inspected and awarded Michelin-style stars so that patients can tell the quality of care offered by their GP at a glance, The Times has learnt.

Cancer drug they wanted to ban has proved worth - The Times 06/06/06

A CANCER drug that the Government value-for-money watchdog wanted to deny to NHS patients has celebrated five years of use with stunning results.

My sons are allergic to nuts. How can I give them a balanced diet? - The Times 06/06/06

My sons, aged 12 and 10, are allergic to tree nuts and peanuts. My older son is also allergic to sesame, coconut and chickpeas. But when we cut these foods from their diet they are missing out on many nutrients. And replacing chocolate in school vending machines with healthy alternatives that often include nuts is unfair on those with allergies.

New medical research - The Times 06/06/06

Two thirds of women who see a doctor because they suffer regular migraines do not have their condition properly identified, researchers told the European Neurological Society in Lausanne last week. The scientists, from Charité University Hospital, Berlin, say that migraines are seriously underdiagnosed and that only 42 per cent of sufferers see a doctor about their headaches.

The key to...NHS productivity - The Times 06/06/06

WE ARE all expected to work harder, faster and better, even in the health service — so get those patients in to theatre gowns, at the double.

Poor not helped by crisis cash - The Times 06/06/06

CRISIS payments that are meant to help people on low incomes are increasing poverty levels in some cases, a report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation reveals.

A companion to help the aged - The Times 06/06/06

“We have carried out trials and arthritic people and frail people can do it. Anything you can do on a PC you can do with this

Trusts have central reservation - The Times 06/06/06

HIGHLY centralist and overtly prescriptive do not sound like the building blocks of the Government’s “modern” NHS. But the body that represents foundation trusts is concerned that local accountability is being “crowded out of the agenda”.

Foundation status hospitals owed 24m by trusts - The Telegraph 06/06/06

Foundation hospitals incurred debts of about £24 million last year but the deficit could have been wiped out if primary care trusts had paid the money they owed, according to figures released yesterday.

Great North Run victims' families criticise first-aiders - The Telegraph 06/06/06

St John Ambulance volunteers were "out of their depth" as one of four men who died in last year's Bupa Great North Run collapsed, an inquest heard yesterday.

One pill a day keeps cancer at bay - The Telegraph 06/06/06

A drug prescribed for one of the commonest forms of leukaemia has reduced the deadly cancer to a chronic illness that can be managed with a single pill a day, specialists said yesterday.

60pc of teenage girls want to lose weight. Only 15pc need to - The Telegraph 06/06/06

The lives of thousands of teenage school girls are being blighted by unfounded worries about their weight, according to the most comprehensive health education survey, published yesterday.

Be careful with this brave new world - The Telegraph 05/06/06

In our extract from his new book, Ian Wilmut considers the moral and ethical implications that the cloning of Dolly the sheep raises for mankind

Trust me, I'm a junior doctor: modern voyeurism - The Telegraph 05/06/06

Max Pemberton on why Big Brother recalls the freak shows of Hogarth's age

'No, I haven't been dieting - I've been ill' - The Telegraph 05/06/06

After serious heart problems, fashion guru Elizabeth Walker was amazed at her colleagues' reaction
'My back was so bent it was slowly killing me' - Daily Mail 06/06/06

Surita Jhumat, 22, is a successful model - but when she was 14 she was diagnosed with scoliosis, a life-threatening and disfiguring condition causing curvature of the spine. Here, Surita, who lives in Wolverhampton, tells ANGELA EPSTEIN how it took extensive back surgery to make her catwalk dreams come true:

'Why I had my breasts removed at 24' - Daily Mail 06/06/06

At the age of 38, Wendy Watson was the first woman in Britain to have a pre-emptive double mastectomy to avoid the breast cancer which has stalked her family. Now, 13 years later, her daughter has made the same stark choice.

Self-made millionaires' success could lie in their genes - Daily Mail 05/06/06

Self-made millionaires such as Sir Alan Sugar may owe much of their success to their genes, new research has shown.

Genes key to entrepreneurs' drive - BBC Health News 06/06/06

Consultants face 'vacancy freeze' due to NHS debts - Daily Mail 05/06/06

Scores of newly-qualified consultants are stuck without jobs because of mounting NHS debts, Britain's most senior surgeon has warned.

Obese pregnant women 'risk baby's health' - Daily Mail 06/06/06

Overweight mothers-to-be are risking the health of their unborn child, scientists have said.

Overweight mothers' 'health risk' - BBC Health News 05/06/06

Exposed: The unhealthy lifestyles of teenage girls - Daily Mail 05/06/06

The unhealthy lifestyles of teenage girls who routinely skip meals, take drugs and drink and smoke too much have been exposed by an alarming new survey.

Ambulance crisis 'costing lives' - BBC Health News 06/06/06

The Welsh Ambulance Service is in crisis and lives are being lost because of failures, claims its former head.

Elderly abuse 'becoming common' - BBC Health News 05/06/06

Abuse and neglect of elderly people in Britain has become widespread, according to a survey.

Consultant quits over op delays - BBC Health News 05/06/06

A gynaecologist who spoke out over claims he was left with nothing to do because his hospital delayed non-urgent surgery has resigned.

Key to healthy old age explored - BBC Health News 05/06/06

Hundreds of people are being recruited for a major study into how people stay healthy into old age.

Police back heroin clinic trials - BBC Health News 05/06/06

Scotland's largest police force has come out in favour of calls to give the worst addicts heroin on the NHS.

Who Are We Up Against? Local Vs. Global Competition Influences Cooperative Behavior In Humans - Medical News Today 06/06/06

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh have shown that humans behave less cooperatively when they think they are in direct "local" competition with each other, and more cooperatively under circumstances of "global"-scale competition. The findings hold implications for our understanding of the evolution of social animals, as well as our understanding of factors that influence the cooperative (and cheating) behavior of individuals and groups in business, government, and academia. The research is reported by Stuart West and collegues at the University of Edinburgh, and appears in the June 6th issue of Current Biology.

Beating Heart Transplanted Into Patient, A UK First - Medical News Today 05/05/06

Surgeons have managed to transplant a beating heart into a patient for the first time in the UK. Surgeons removed the heart from the donor in one hospital, kept it pumping for five hours, during which time it was transported to another hospital where it was placed into a patient who was critically ill. The procedure was carried out a week ago and was a success, said Professor Bruce Rosenguard, head of the medical team. The patient is doing well.

International News

Premature babies 'more likely to be hyperactive children' - Daily Mail 05/06/06

Premature or low birth weight babies are much more likely to become hyperactive children than babies born at full-term, researchers claim.

Premature Babies Much More Likely To Have ADHD - Medical News Today 05/05/06

Three-armed boy surgery 'success' - BBC Health News 06/06/06

A two-month old boy born with two left arms has successfully undergone surgery to remove one of them, doctors in Shanghai say.

Operation for three-armed boy - BBC Health News 05/06/06

Anger syndrome 'under-diagnosed' - BBC Health News 05/06/06

A condition which makes people lash out violently for no reason is vastly under-diagnosed, say US researchers.

Results Good For HER-2 Positive Breast Cancer Patients Using Trastuzumab - Medical News Today 06/06/06

Researchers in the North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) have shown that patients who receive trastuzumab at the same time as post-chemotherapy radiation treatments for HER-2 positive breast cancer have no more risk for major side effects or complications than those who do not receive the drug. Mayo Clinic's Michele Halyard, M.D., presented these findings today, June 5, at the 2006 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Atlanta.

Clinical Trial Confirms Novel EGFR Antibody Targets Tumors But Not Normal Tissues - Medical News Today 06/06/06

The Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR) and Life Science Pharmaceuticals (LSP) today announced the results of the first clinical trial of monoclonal antibody (mAb) 806, which demonstrate that 806 specifically targets epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on a wide range of tumor types but has no uptake by normal tissues. This result is markedly different to other mAbs, which target wild-type (wt) EGFR on normal tissues.

Tumor Response May Not Be Best Measure Of Efficacy In Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment - Medical News Today 06/06/06

Researchers typically evaluate the effectiveness of a new cancer treatment by looking at how tumors respond to it. But in the case of advanced non-small cell lung cancer, there may be a better way to assess effectiveness.

Blacks Hit Hardest By HIV Infection Among Nation's Young Adults - Medical News Today 06/06/06

HIV infection is significantly more common among non-Hispanic blacks than it is among any other young adult racial or ethnic group in the United States, according to the first study drawn from the nation's general youth population

Cancer-reducing Benefits Of Preventive Surgery May Be Specific To Gene Mutation - Medical News Today 06/06/06

A new multicenter study is the first to suggest that the prophylactic removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes may provide a different benefit for women who carry a genetic mutation in the BRCA2 gene than for those who have a BRCA1 genetic mutation. The results of the study, which are being presented today at the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting, also provide the strongest evidence to date that this surgery significantly reduces the overall risk of BRCA-associated breast and ovarian cancers.

New Data At ASCO Show CAMPTOSAR Is Key To Treating 1st Line Metastatic Colorectal Cancer - Medical News Today 06/06/06

Data presented today at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) demonstrated that CAMPTOSAR® (irinotecan HCL injection), when given in the infusional regimen FOLFIRI , provided statistically significant longer progression free survival (PFS) compared to bolus mIFL and CapeIRI , two alternative chemotherapeutic regimens containing CAMPTOSAR used to treat metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The study also demonstrated a statistically significant benefit in overall survival (OS) for patients treated with FOLFIRI plus bevacizumab when compared with those who received mIFL plus bevacizumab. These new data highlight the central role of FOLFIRI in the first line setting of mCRC to maximize patient benefit with CAMPTOSAR.

Health Risks Continue Well After The Surgery Is Over - Medical News Today 06/06/06

Even when all goes well, surgery patients may carry an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and possibly cancer for weeks or even years, say physician-scientists studying the unintended effects of surgery.

Researchers Announce New Predictor For Lung Cancer Treatment And Survival - Medical News Today 06/06/06

Research from the Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals of Cleveland has found a promising, novel biomarker that may be used to predict the survival of patients with advanced lung cancer and their response to treatment. Afshin Dowlati, MD, hematologist/ oncologist at the Ireland Cancer Center, presented this study June 5 at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

Study Evaluates Benefits And Risks Of Tamoxifen And Raloxifene For Reducing Risk Of Breast Cancer - Medical News Today 06/06/06

Raloxifene and tamoxifen are both effective in reducing the risk of invasive breast cancer, but each has potential disease and quality of life side effects that women and their physicians will need to consider, according to two reports and an editorial published online June 5 by JAMA. The papers are being published online to coincide with the scientific presentation of this information at the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Atlanta. The papers will be published in the June 21 issue of JAMA.

A Step Toward Halting Alzheimer's: Using FDDNP PET To Detect Disease Progression, MCI - Medical News Today 06/06/06

By using positron emission tomography (PET) with the radiotracer 18F-FDDNP, UCLA scientists were able to detect increases in the brain pathology (of beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles) associated with the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Their results were presented during SNM's 53rd Annual Meeting June 3-7 in San Diego.

When It Counts: Shortening Imaging Time For Individuals With Suspected Heart Problems - Medical News Today 06/06/06

Researchers discovered that the time spent on a myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging study--also called a cardiac stress/rest test--can be cut in half using a trademarked, innovative reconstruction technology. These results--from researchers at Cardiac Imaging of Augusta and the Medical College of Georgia--were presented at SNM's 53rd Annual Meeting June 3-7 in San Diego.

A New Way To Build Bone - Medical News Today 06/06/06

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) researchers at Stanford University have found that they can increase bone mass in mice by tweaking the shape of a regulatory protein.

Re-examine The Approach To Treatment Decisions Of The Frail Elderly In Hospitals - Medical News Today 06/06/06

Frail elderly persons are a growing section of emergency and hospital care, and the traditional rules around consent and care may not be meeting this group's needs.

Beta-blockers For High Blood Pressure - Ongoing Debate - Medical News Today 06/06/06

In this meta-analysis, Khan and McAlister question the findings of a recently published meta-analysis by Lindholm and colleagues, which reported an increased stroke risk with the use of beta-blockers (a class of drugs commonly used to treat high blood pressure) compared with other blood pressure medications.

Child Safety Seats Reduce Risk Of Death In Crashes More Than Seat Belts Alone - Medical News Today 06/06/06

Young children involved in car crashes may have a greater chance of survival if secured in a child restraint system, such as a safety seat than if buckled only in a seat belt, according to an article in the June issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Unwanted Sex Appears Common In Some Teen Relationships - Medical News Today 06/06/06

Many adolescent girls report being threatened or pressured by their partners into having sex, potentially increasing their risk for sexually transmitted infections and pregnancies, according to an article in the June issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Hispanic 3-year-olds More Likely To Be Obese Than Black Or White Children, USA - Medical News Today 06/06/06

A study of more than 2,400 children in 20 U.S. cities suggests that Hispanic 3-year-olds have a higher prevalence of obesity than black or white 3-year-olds, a disparity that does not seem to be explained by socioeconomic factors typically linked to childhood obesity, according to an article in the June issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Physical Activity Linked To Improved Glucose Control In Children With Type 1 Diabetes - Medical News Today 06/06/06

Children with type 1 diabetes who exercise regularly may have improved blood glucose levels compared with those who do not, and regular physical activity does not appear to increase the risk of severe hypoglycemia (low blood glucose levels), according to a report in the June issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Most Children Diagnosed With Autism At Age 2 Years Also Diagnosed With The Condition At Age 9 Years - Medical News Today 06/06/06

About three-fourths of children who are diagnosed with autism at age 2 years appear to have the condition at age 9 years, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Number Of Children And Teens Treated With Antipsychotics Increases Sharply - Medical News Today 06/06/06

A steadily increasing number of patients younger than age 20 received prescriptions for antipsychotic medications between 1993 and 2002, according to a report published in the June issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Intermittent Explosive Disorder Affects Up To 16 Million Americans - Medical News Today 06/06/06

A little-known mental disorder marked by episodes of unwarranted anger is more common than previously thought, a study funded by the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has found. Depending upon how broadly it's defined, intermittent explosive disorder (IED) affects as many as 7.3 percent of adults - 11.5-16 million Americans - in their lifetimes. The study is based on data from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, a nationally representative, face-to-face household survey of 9,282 U.S. adults, conducted in 2001-2003.

New Combination Treatment Induces Regression Of Prostate Cancer - Medical News Today 06/06/06

A new treatment for prostate cancer may provide a distinct advantage over other conventional protocols and induce actual regression of the disease--not just relief from bone pain or a limited control of the disease, according to a study by Italian researchers released at SNM's 53rd Annual Meeting June 3-7 in San Diego.

OHSU Cancer Institute Scientists Report More Accurate Prognosis Of Colon Cancer Survival - Medical News Today 06/06/06

Scientists at Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute and five other institutions have found a more accurate way to report and predict the survival of colon cancer patients by calculating a statistic called conditional survival. Conditional survival takes into account the time already survived since diagnosis.

Do Angry Men Get Noticed? - Medical News Today 06/06/06

By comparing how quickly human facial expressions of different types are detected in a crowd of neutral faces, researchers have demonstrated that male angry faces are a priority for visual processing - particularly for male observers. The findings are reported by Mark Williams of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Jason Mattingley of the University of Melbourne, Australia, and appear in the June 6th issue of Current Biology.

The Appearance Of Your Hands Can Reveal Your Age, Study Finds - Medical News Today 06/06/06

Want to know a person's real age? Just look at their hands, reports a study in the June issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). According to the study, most people can accurately tell a person's age by viewing only their hands.

Osteoporosis - Weighing In On Aging Bones: Excessive Weight Loss And Age-related Structural Change May Contribute To Fracture Risk - Medical News Today 06/06/06

It is well established that post-menopausal women are at increased risk for developing osteoporosis, but could that be related to subtle pre-menopausal changes in bone structure? That may very well be, according to two new sets of data presented at the IOF World Congress on Osteoporosis this week. The findings were made possible by the use of a new sophisticated X-ray scanner that can measure tiny, three-dimensional changes in bone architecture.

Obese children prone to fractures - BBC Health News 05/06/06

The Strength Of Strontium Ranelate - Protects Bones For At Least Five Years, Remodels Bone Architecture - Medical News Today 06/06/06

In previous clinical trials strontium ranelate has proven effective in preventing fractures for up to three years. But according to new data presented today at the IOF World Congress on Osteoporosis in Toronto, Canada that window of opportunity can now be extended to at least five years.

Female Nursing Home Residents At Lesser Risk Of Osteoporotic Fractures - Medical News Today 06/06/06

New research presented at the IOF World Congress on Osteoporosis in Toronto, Canada suggests female nursing home residents have fewer skeletal fractures and are older when those fractures occur than are women who live at home (conference abstract OC5). The findings come from a study of men and women aged 60 or older who were diagnosed with hip fracture at Geneva University Hospital from 1991 to 2000. Geneva University Hospital diagnoses 95% of all hip fractures occurring in Switzerland.

5 Years Of Treatment With Arimidex(R) Didn't Cause Osteoporosis In Early Breast Cancer Patients With Normal Bone Mineral Density At Outset - Medical News Today 06/06/06
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New data reported today from a five-year update from the bone sub protocol of the ATAC (Arimidex, Tamoxifen, Alone or in Combination) trial (Abstract # 511) confirm that women who have a normal bone mineral density (BMD) at the outset of treatment may be able to undergo a five-year course of therapy with ARIMIDEX (anastrozole) without the risk of developing osteoporosis. These trial results, a subset of data from one of the world's longest running and largest studies of breast cancer treatment after surgery, were presented today at the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. ARIMIDEX is approved for adjuvant treatment (treatment following surgery with or without radiation) of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer.

PAHO Director: Success In AIDS Response Due To Clear Political Will And United Front - Medical News Today 05/06/06

The director of the Pan American Health Organization, Dr. Mirta Roses, said the response to HIV/Aids in Latin America and the Caribbean is "notable and evident" but further steps and stronger commitments against the epidemic are needed, with initiatives focused on equity, gender and equality to reduce stigma and discrimination toward people living with Aids in the region.

AIDS-Related Illnesses Leading Cause Of Death In Caribbean, UNAIDS Report Says - Medical News Today 05/06/06

At UNGASS, Countries Debate Draft Of Final Declaration - Medical News Today 05/06/06

U.N. member states attending the U.N. General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS in New York City on Thursday had a "heated" debate over the draft of a declaration to address the HIV/AIDS pandemic, AFP/Yahoo! News reports (Hewitt, AFP/Yahoo! News, 6/1). The meeting aims to update a 2001 declaration that "provided the momentum for a worldwide campaign" to fight HIV/AIDS, according to London's Guardian (MacAskill, Guardian, 6/2).

HIV Prevalence Higher Among Women Than General Population In Ethiopia - Medical News Today 05/05/06

HIV prevalence among women is higher than among the general population in Ethiopia, Health Minister Kebede Worku said Thursday at the annual conference of the Ethiopian Medical Association, SAPA/Mail & Guardian reports. According to the national surveillance report, 5% of women in the country are living with HIV, compared with 4.4% of the general population, Worku said. According to Worku, women are at an increased risk of contracting HIV because of their low socio-economic status, as well as biological factors. He added that of the 35,000 HIV-positive people receiving antiretroviral drugs from the government since January 2005, 46% are women and 4% are children. Government statistics estimate that about 1.6 million people in Ethiopia are living with HIV/AIDS, but some local and international nongovernmental organizations put the figure at about three million (SAPA/Mail & Guardian, 6/1).

HIV Prevalence In Tijuana Rising Rapidly, Researcher Says - Medical News Today 05/05/06

HIV prevalence in Tijuana, Mexico, might be as high as one in every 125 residents between ages 15 and 49, KPBS reports. Steffanie Strathdee, head of the University of California-San Diego's Division of International Health, said Tijuana's HIV prevalence is approaching about 1% of the population, which would be triple the national HIV prevalence. Strathdee said new research indicates that HIV prevalence in Tijuana among injection drug users has tripled since the 1990s, and the prevalence among female commercial sex workers has increased nearly tenfold. "We've got a situation where Tijuana is situated on a major drug-trafficking route, [and] prostitution is quasi-legal. We've got a very highly transient population that's very poor, that's marginalized and many of whom are very desperate," Strathdee said. UCSD has donated a customized van that serves as a mobile HIV prevention clinic, KPBS reports. The clinic is open twice weekly in Zona Norte -- a neighborhood with high levels of drug use and sex work -- and provides HIV testing and prevention materials. In addition, public hospitals and clinics in Tijuana now test all pregnant women for the virus. Romedios Lozada, coordinator of sexually transmitted infection programs for the city of Tijuana, said the government is trying to improve the situation with limited resources. Lozada added, "[T]his information must begin at home. ... [W]e at the health department are doing our part. But all of the responsibility shouldn't fall on health officials or the government" (Goldberg, KPBS, 5/31).

NBA Joins UNICEF To Support 'Unite For Children, Unite Against AIDS' Campaign - Medical News Today 05/05/06

UNICEF and the National Basketball Association's NBA Cares community outreach initiative on Wednesday announced a partnership to support the "Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS" campaign, which aims to increase funding and support for children affected by HIV/AIDS worldwide, Japan's Kyodo News reports (Weston, Kyodo News, 5/31). The campaign -- which is a partnership between UNICEF, UNAIDS and other organizations and agencies -- aims to reduce the incidence of mother-to-child HIV transmission, curb the spread of the virus among young people and provide protection as well as emotional and financial support to children who have lost parents to AIDS-related causes (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 11/10/05). Under the partnership, NBA Cares and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF have produced 30-second public service announcements that will air in 215 countries in five languages. The PSAs feature 10 players from the NBA and the WNBA talking about statistics on the impact of HIV/AIDS among children worldwide (UNCEF release, 5/31). The PSAs will air during international broadcasts of the NBA finals this month. "Partnering with the NBA Cares can help us make the world understand that AIDS is not just affecting adults, but it is also having a devastating impact on children," Ann Veneman, UNICEF executive director, said (U.N. News Service, 5/31). The PSAs could potentially reach 750 million viewers (Kyodo News, 5/31).

Increased Global HIV/AIDS Funding Has Not Produced Corresponding Results, Editorial Says - Medical News Today 05/05/06

"The generals" in the "global battle" against HIV/AIDS, including those at the U.N. General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS in New York City this week, have met their "target of mobilizing $7 billion to $10 billion per year" in international funding, "[b]ut that money has bought less than expected," according to a Washington Post editorial. Despite successful prevention efforts in many countries -- which have "driv[en] down" the number of new HIV cases among young adults -- "[t]he plague is still advancing," the editorial says. The effect of further funding increases, such as the one called for by the U.N. at the UNGASS meeting, also will be "limited," unless the world makes a commitment to "other development efforts," including an increase in "general health investment," according to the editorial. In addition, the global community should "work to improve" pre-existing institutions that are responsible for HIV/AIDS funds management and distribution, including the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the editorial says. Such changes will better serve the "intensified push" against the HIV/AIDS "crisis," according to the editorial (Washington Post, 6/2).

Leaders Must Have Financial Commitment, Ethical Courage In Fight Against HIV/AIDS, Opinion Piece Says - Medical News Today 05/05/06

The "continued ambivalence" to HIV/AIDS demonstrated by leaders of the world's wealthiest nations "reflects both the enormity of the task ahead and the political and ethical sensitivities that underpin it," Andrew Jack, a columnist for London's Financial Times, writes in a Financial Times opinion piece. Despite statistics from the UNAIDS report released on Tuesday that show 1.3 million HIV-positive people in low- and middle-income countries are receiving antiretroviral drugs, "it is far too soon to claim victory," according to Jack. "[T]here is no doubt that more money is required" in the fight against HIV/AIDS, and "[b]usiness could do much more," Jack writes. However, it is not solely financial commitments that must be addressed by leaders; policies also must be examined, Jack writes. Thus far, the United Nations, the World Health Organization and leaders from the Group of Eight industrialized nations have been "far less vocal about prevention and HIV-testing programs" than they have about treatment programs because prevention "lack[s] the dramatic appeal of 'saving lives now,'" Jack writes. Even more neglected than testing and treatment has been "research into what works" to fight the spread of HIV, according to Jack. The world's political leaders must dedicate "not only the financial resources" to fight HIV/AIDS in developing nations, but also the "moral courage to defend controversial policies at home," Jack concludes (Jack, Financial Times, 5/31).

Health Canada Warns Consumers Not To Use Triaminic Vapour Patch Due To Potential Health Risks - Medical News Today 05/05/06

Health Canada is warning consumers not to use Triaminic Vapour Patch due to the serious adverse health effects that could result if the product is accidentally ingested by children.

EU Commissioner Kyprianou Welcomes Agreement On Revision Of Food Additives And Sweeteners Legislation - Medical News Today 05/05/06

Markos Kyprianou, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, has welcomed the agreement at today's Health Council to amend 2 EU Directives on food additives and sweeteners. The proposed amendments include stricter requirements for nitrites and nitrates in meat, in line with a Court of Justice ruling[1] and a European Food Safety Authority opinion on the levels of these substances which can be considered safe in meat. The proposal agreed today also allows the use of seven new food additives and extends the permitted uses of certain other additives. These changes to the current legislation for food additives and sweeteners will ensure the better functioning of the internal market, and maintain a high level of food safety and consumer protection.

Indonesia Earthquake, 46,000 Wounded, 30,000 With Serious Trauma - Médecins Sans Frontières - Medical News Today 05/05/06

Six days after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit the island of Java in Indonesia, the latest official figures for the number of wounded has doubled to just over 46,000, with more than 30,000 people suffering from serious trauma. National emergency services have been able to mobilize rapidly as they were already on standby with the recent threat of a volcanic eruption in the region, and local health workers have been able to efficiently treat the urgent cases. However, patients are in need of proper post-operative care and follow up, and many are still housed outside hospitals due to lack of space and fear of further aftershocks.

No Logic In Substituting Nurses For Doctors In Hospitals, Australian Medical Association - Medical News Today 05/05/06

Pillaging the ranks of the nation's nurses to plug gaps left by a doctor shortage would simply exacerbate the nurse shortage, AMA Vice President, Dr Choong-Siew Yong, said today.

Students No Substitute For Doctors, Australian Medical Association - Medical News Today 05/05/06
Rated 3 in International Health News on Jun 6, 2006 at 06:52:27 GMT.
Hospitals should immediately stop employing medical students as substitute doctors, AMA Vice President, Dr Choong-Siew Yong, said today.

American Lung Association Deplores Recent Marketing Tactics By The Tobacco Industry - Medical News Today 05/05/06

A new American Lung Association report, Alcohol-Flavored Cigarettes - Continuing the Flavored Cigarette Trend, shows that the tobacco industry continues to target the nation's youth and young adults with their deadly products using underhanded marketing tactics. With the world prepared to celebrate World No Tobacco Day tomorrow the American Lung Association is calling for stronger regulation of the tobacco industry for the sake of public health.

Keystone Forum Report Offers Needed And Achievable Recommendations For Nutrition And Health, Says American Dietetic Association - Medical News Today 05/06/06

The final report of the Keystone Forum on Away-From-Home Foods, "Opportunities for Preventing Weight Gain and Obesity," released Friday, June 2, contains recommendations that should be adopted by consumers, the food industry and government alike, according to the American Dietetic Association.

ADA's Position Statement On An Evidence-Based Analysis Of Individual, Family, School And Community-Based Interventions - Medical News Today 05/05/06

Excess weight in children is a national problem requiring prevention and treatment efforts in virtually every aspect of a child's life, according to a new position statement of the American Dietetic Association.

Ethnic Disparities In Teen Exercise: Do Schools Play A Role? School-based Obesity Interventions May Need To Be Tailored By Gender - USA - Medical News Today 05/06/06

A study of 17,000 U.S. adolescents finds that black and Hispanic girls are less physically active than white girls, but that this difference is attributable to the schools they attend: black, white and Hispanic girls attending the same school have no difference in physical activity. In contrast, among boys, blacks and Hispanics were more physically active than whites attending the same schools. The researchers, led by Tracy Richmond, MD, in the Division of Adolescent Medicine at Children's Hospital Boston, report and discuss their findings in the June issue of Pediatrics.

ICASO Releases Report On Government Progress Toward 2001 UNGASS Commitments - Medical News Today 05/05/06

"Community Monitoring and Evaluation: Implementation of the UNGASS Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS," International Council of AIDS Service Organizations: ICASO on Wednesday released a report on the progress of governments on the 2001 UNGASS Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS. The report -- which is a summary of studies from Cameroon, Canada, El Salvador, Honduras, Indonesia, Ireland, Jamaica, Morocco, Nepal, Nigeria, Peru, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro and South Africa -- finds that human rights abuses continue to fuel the spread of HIV, country-level leadership often is lacking, and "key populations" that most need HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention services lack access to them. The report includes 24 recommendations for UNAIDS, civil society organizations and governments to improve progress toward the goals set forth in the 2001 declaration (ICASO release, 5/31).

U.S. Lags Behind Other Nations In Embryonic Stem Cell Research, U.S. Congressional Delegation Says - Medical News Today 05/05/06

A lack of federal funding for embryonic stem cell research in the U.S. has caused the country to fall behind other nations in such research, according to a U.S. congressional delegation that was in the United Kingdom to learn more about stem cell research, London's Guardian reports. Although human embryonic stem cell lines are being made in the private sector and in private universities that use private funding, U.S. federal funding currently is restricted to 22 cell lines that were made on or before Aug. 9, 2001 (Guardian, 6/1). Rep. Michael Castle (D-Del.), a member of the bipartisan delegation, has introduced a bill (HR 810) that would expand federal funding for embryonic stem cell research (BBC News, 6/1). The bill, which was approved by the House last year, would allow federal funding for research using stem cells derived from embryos originally created for fertility treatments and willingly donated by patients. President Bush has said he would veto the bill if it were passed by the Senate. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), sponsor of the Senate version of the bill, in October 2005 said that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) agreed to make consideration of the bill a priority when Congress reconvened in January 2006. Frist last month said the Senate will debate three separate bills on stem cell research, but he did not stipulate which measures would be discussed (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 5/25).

Female Genital Cutting Leads To Childbirth Complications, Increased Maternal Mortality, Study Says - Medical News Today 05/05/06

Women who have undergone extreme forms of genital cutting -- a practice sometimes referred to as female circumcision or female genital mutilation in which there is a partial or full removal of the labia, clitoris or both -- and their infants are more likely to die during or soon after pregnancy than women who have not undergone the procedure, according to a World Health Organization study published in the June 2 issue of the journal Lancet, the New York Times reports (Rosenthal, New York Times, 6/2). For the study, researchers, members of the WHO Study Group on Female Genital Mutilation and Obstetrical Outcome, from 2001 to 2003 examined 28,393 pregnant women in obstetric centers in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan (Lancet, 6/2). The study finds an association between the extensiveness of genital cutting and maternal and infant death rates during childbirth. The more extensive procedures cause an increase of more than 50% in death rates, while less extensive forms of genital cutting cause about a 20% increase, according to researchers. Women who have undergone the procedure also experience greater blood loss during childbirth, had longer hospital stays and were more likely to need a Caesarean section, the study finds (New York Times, 6/2). WHO said that about 20 of every 1,000 infants in Africa die as a result of female genital mutilation and about 100 million women worldwide have undergone some form of genital cutting, Reuters UK reports. While the procedure is most prevalent in African countries, it also takes place in areas of Asia, the Middle East and among immigrant communities in North America and Europe (MacInnis, Reuters UK, 6/1).

Chinese Province Closes 201 Medical Facilities For Performing Sex-Selective Abortions - Medical News Today 05/05/06

Authorities in the northern Chinese province of Hebei have shut 201 medical clinics that were involved in identifying and aborting female fetuses since 2004, Xinhua/People's Daily reports. Authorities discovered 848 cases of gender selection in 745 health facilities, after which 374 facilities were fined, 104 medical workers had their licenses revoked and 201 clinics were closed, according to Zhao Xin, director of the Hebei Provincial Commission for Population and Family Planning (Xinhua/People's Daily, 6/1). It is illegal in China to abort a fetus at more than 14 weeks' gestation. However, the procedure is widespread because of China's one-child-per-family policy, which has led to a gender imbalance (Bodeen, AP/Contra Costa Times, 6/1). China recorded a boy-to-girl ratio of 116.9 to 100 in a 2000 census compared with 108.5 to 100 in a 1982 census. The ratio in some parts of Hebei is 134 boys to 100 girls (Xinhua/People's Daily, 6/1).

Breast Cancer Patients Benefit From Yoga - Medical News Today 05/05/06

Breast cancer patients who do yoga tend to enjoy better health, less fatigue and experience less daytime sleepiness - this applies to women who are undergoing radiotherapy for their breast cancer, say scientists from the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, USA.

AIDS Outlook Not Good 25 Years On - Medical News Today 05/05/06

25 years after AIDS was first recognised, the outlook still does not look good. We know more about HIV than any other virus, research on HIV/AIDS has been carried out all over the globe - but we are still battling with a disease that remains a serious, growing health threat in many parts of the world.

Canadian Minister Clement Upholds Hazardous Products Act By Announcing Board Of Review For Baby Walkers - Medical News Today 05/05/06

The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Health, today named the three Board of Review members who will inquire into the April 2004 decision to ban the sale, importation, and advertisement of baby walkers. Under the Hazardous Products Act (HPA), the government is obliged to establish a Board of Review in response to a request from a manufacturer or distributor of the product.

Mozart Music Improves Peripheral Vision Of Glaucoma Patients - Medical News Today 05/05/06

A Brazilian study has found that Mozart music improved patients' performance in a sight test aimed at checking peripheral vision of people with glaucoma. You can read about this study in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

Tysabri FDA Approval Under Special Distribution Program For Multiple Sclerosis - Medical News Today 05/05/06

The FDA has approved the resumption of Tysabri (natalizumab), a drug for patients with a relapsing form of multiple sclerosis, under a special restricted distribution program. Tysabri, a monoclonal antibody, helps reduce the number of flare-ups for MS patients.

Heart Failure Treatment ‘Gold Standard' May Need To Be Set At A Different Standard Level For Woman Than For Men - Medical News Today 05/05/06

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine -- in the largest study to date of female heart failure patients who underwent a specialized stress test called oxygen uptake or VO2 -- concluded that women tend to have lower maximum exercise VO2 levels than men, yet their survival is significantly better than men. The results suggest that instead of one standard cut-off level in VO2 test results for both men and women, perhaps there should be a lower cut-off level for women. This would allow physicians to avoid more advanced therapies in some female heart failure patients. The study results are published in the June 6th issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Serum HER-2/neu Change Predicts Clinical Outcome To Trastuzumab-Based Therapy - Medical News Today 05/05/06

Bayer HealthCare, a member of the Bayer Group (NYSE: BAY), today announced findings from a study using Bayer Diagnostics' Serum HER-2/neu Test that demonstrated metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients whose serum HER-2/neu levels decreased by less than 20 percent experienced decreased benefit from trastuzumab-based therapy. The data, from a pooled analysis of seven clinical trials in the United States and Western Europe of MBC patients who received trastuzumab (with or without chemotherapy), were presented today at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Atlanta, GA by Suhail Ali, M.D., Associate Professor, Division of Hematology Oncology, Penn State College of Medicine, the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. The Serum HER-2/neu Test from Bayer Diagnostics is the only blood test cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for ongoing monitoring of changes in serum levels of HER-2/neu. HER-2/neu is a protein that helps control cell growth.

2006 Proves To Be Another Successful Year For The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation National Race For The Cure(R) - Medical News today 05/05/06

Today was a day to be celebrated in the fight against breast cancer. This morning, more than 40,000 runners and walkers gathered on the National Mall for the 17th annual Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation National Race for the Cure(R). The 5K event was successful in raising $2.3 million to provide funding for breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment programs.

Glaxo HPV vaccine shows promise for women 26-55 - Reuters 05/06/06

An experimental cervical cancer vaccine made by GlaxoSmithKline Plc produced immune responses in all women ages 15 to 55 in a clinical study, the first evidence that a cervical cancer vaccine may work in women ages 26 and older, the company said on Monday.

Runners join crowd of GPS users - Reuters 05/06/06

The Global Positioning System, already indispensable for soldiers, pilots and truck drivers, is now also useful for a run around the park.

Disciplinarian parents have fat kids: study - Reuters 05/06/06

Parents who are strict disciplinarians are far more likely to wind up with children who are fat by age six, perhaps because the youngsters over-eat as a reaction to stress, a study said on Monday.

Chronic fatigue traced to mothers: study - Reuters 05/06/06

Mothers of teenagers with chronic fatigue syndrome are also more likely to have the mysterious ailment, or display psychological stresses that may play a role in the child's illness, a study said on Monday.

Cheshire and Merseyside News
Hospital plan 'on budget' - Liverpool Echo 05/06/06

THE 350m rebuild of Alder Hey children's hospital will come in on budget, health chiefs have pledged.

Why do Lily, 75, and her brother have to crawl? - Liverpool Echo 05/06/06

DISABLED people in Liverpool are being short-changed over government grants to modernise their homes, it was claimed today.

'City is centre of trade in kids' - Liverpool Echo 05/06/06

HOME Secretary John Reid is to be quizzed on evidence that Liverpool is the UK centre of the international child sex and slave trade.

Cumbria and Lancashire News

Care Site May Go To Appeal - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 05/06/06

HEALTH chiefs are planning to appeal over a council decision blocking plans to extend a mental health care site in Rossendale.

NHS Call Centre Cuts Will Hit The Vulnerable - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 05/06/06

PENSIONERS and vulnerable patients across East Lancashire face longer telephone waits when jobs at an NHS call centre are axed, one of its nurses has warned.

Operations Hit By Overtime Ban - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 05/06/06

HOSPITAL doctors have been banned from driving down operation waiting lists by doing overtime because bosses say they can't afford it.

Pioneering medicine scheme to be expanded - Carlisle News & Star 05/06/06

A PIONEERING scheme to help patients get the best from their medicines is to be expanded across north Cumbria.

Greater Manchester News

Gala Night To Help Muscle Weakness Victims - Bolton Evening News 05/06/06

VICTIMS of a muscle weakness disease among them ex-world snooker champion John Spencer are to benefit from a fund-raising event at the Reebok Stadium.

Planners Cant Stop Phone Masts - Bolton Evening News 05/06/06

PLANNING chiefs say they are powerless to stop mobile phone masts being erected in Bolton.

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