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National News
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Over half of death certificates are inaccurate - The Observer 25/06/06

Questions were being raised over Britain's death certification system last night after experts estimated that more than half of all the certificates issued each year - around a quarter of a million - are inaccurate.

New calorie target will mean lean times ahead - The Observer 25/06/06

For those who find it hard enough to keep within the government's current recommended daily calorie levels, it's bad news: experts are looking to reduce the figure even further.

Patients' lives being left at mercy of abusive nurses - The Observer 25/06/06

175 carers are allowed to stay on the wards despite accusations of serious misconduct

Sexual harassment of men revealed - The Observer 25/06/06

A hidden world of sexual harassment, with female managers exploiting their power over men in the office, has been unveiled by a new government survey.

FSA to test bird-flu readiness with dummy run for disaster - The Observer 25/06/06

The Financial Services Authority is to carry out a six-week exercise this summer designed to test the City's preparedness for a bird-flu pandemic. Up to 50 firms and 2,000 workers will be involved in the project, which will attempt to identify essential services that can be kept up and running in the event of up to half the country's workforce being signed off sick.

Health Panel: How can I cure my long-term acne? - The Observer 25/06/06

He's been plagued by spots since he was a teenager. Now, at 35, he's worried by his dependence on daily antibiotics and more scarring on his skin. What are his alternatives?

Fears over faults in NHS patient records system - The Observer 25/06/06

The multi-billion pound computer system built to run NHS patient records is experiencing so many problems that there are concerns people could be put at ‘clinical risk’, with missed appointments and lost records meaning that some hospitals have pulled out of the scheme in despair.

Smaller is healthier for the NHS - The Observer 25/06/06

Tomorrow, MPs sitting on the public accounts committee will try to gauge the progress of Britain's largest IT project, Connecting for Health. This £12.4bn leviathan is the government's ambitious attempt to overhaul the National Health Service's ancient records system. The MPs will need to be on top form, for the issues are mind-bogglingly complex. The only simple fact that everyone can grasp is that there are problems which must be urgently addressed.

Jobs shortage for new doctors - The Observer 25/06/06

BMA chief warns that thousands trained in Britain may need to emigrate

Case study: Kirstin Schmidt - The Observer 25/06/06

Would-be London GPs Left Stranded - BMA Calls On Government To Intervene - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Food for thought - The Observer 25/06/06

Nutritionist Jane Clarke's daughter is a healthy three-year-old. But it was a different story when she adopted her in India. She tells Andrew Purvis how a combination of love and food transformed her child

The truth about school dinners: what happened when Jamie went home - The Observer 25/06/06

It's 16 months since the TV chef stormed through Britain's school kitchens and declared war on the Turkey Twizzler. So are our children now eating healthier foods? Report by Jay Rayner

Libertarian paternalism - The Guardian 24/06/06

What a stroke of genius it was to deliver an ode to the joys of fatherhood while at the same time weaning us on to a new kind of government paternalism. Tuesday's speech by David Cameron to the National Family and Parenting Institute told us that witnessing the birth of his children was a "magic moment", but reassured us that he "was not trying to force men into the delivery room". It was an apt microcosm of the rest of his message. The new Conservative party, he argued, should steer a course between amoral indifference and coercive social engineering - one that operates, he claimed, "by persuasion, not by power". Daddy knows best, in other words, even though he refuses to tell you how to run your life.

Seven ways to eat yourself out of depression - The Guardian 24/06/06

Feeling down in the dumps? Maybe it's your diet that needs a pick-up, says Michele Kirsch

Damage control - The Guardian 24/06/06

I have had a damaged right hip joint for 30 years, and have managed the discomfort with exercise and diet, but the pain is now increasing with age. Are there any supplements or foods I should take?

Food for thought on alternative therapy - The Guardian 24/06/06

It can sometimes seem like there are two competing ways to make a decision about any complex matter of evidence-based medicine. One is to purchase and digest How To Read A Paper by Professor Trisha Greenhalgh, and then find, read, and critically appraise every published academic study independently and in full for yourself. The other more common method is to rely on "experts", or what I like to call "prejudice".

Should smoking be banned outside offices? - The Guardian 24/06/06

Stub that out this minute! Not content with banishing smoking in public places, it now appears that the government's smoking ban could be extended (at some time in the future) to include employees busy with a crafty fag outside the office.

Ask Rise - The Guardian 24/06/06

Can a Master's in bioinformatics be turned into a career? | Will my history of addiction scupper my job prospects?

Witchcraft abuse of children 'is rife' in the UK - The Independent 25/06/06

Ministers are preparing to publish a "harrowing" report on abuse meted out to African children in Britain branded as witches.

‘Witch child’ abuse spreads in Britain - The Sunday Times 25/06/06

Doctors to vote on earlier and quicker abortions - The Independent 25/06/06

Women should have the right to ask for earlier and quicker abortions to save unnecessary distress and anxiety, Britain's doctors will be told this week.

Twin nation: the multiple birth boom - The Independent 25/06/06

There are more IVF twins than ever, but doctors want to end the boom. Here, Emma Mahony, a mother of twins and a twin herself, asks: is it because they're scared of us?

Future surgery: Body swapping - The Independent 25/06/06

Surgeons plan to replace a whole face. Is this the ultimate transplant, or is there still more they could do?

Revealed: how the British team plans to pioneer the operation - The Independent 25/06/06

The British team hoping to perform the first full-face transplant has been inundated with applications from would-be patients all over the world. The surgeons will not discuss their plans but The Independent on Sunday has learned several key details - including the fact that the person who does eventually have the operation will almost certainly be from Britain or Ireland.

A face fit for Jacqui: The extraordinary story of a woman hoping for the first full transplant - The Independent 25/06/06

Sarah was no 'Aids avenger' - The Independent 25/06/06

Friends of the woman jailed for deliberately infecting her partner with HIV say she is the victim of 'vindictive' police

Prozac for paedophiles - The Independent 25/06/06

Jailed sex offenders to get anti-depressants in controversial treatment approved by ministers. Home Secretary attacked by Met police chief over plans to move offenders out of hostels

Million chocolate bars withdrawn over salmonella - The Independent 24/06/06

Forty-five people, including babies and toddlers, have fallen violently ill in recent months from a strain of food poisoning found in Cadbury chocolate bars, according to public health officials.

Chocolate may have poisoned more than 40 - The Guardian 24/06/06

A million 'food bug' chocolate bars taken off shelves - The Times 24/06/06

Cadbury recall after health fears - BBC Health News 23/06/06

Cadbury salmonella scare probed - BBC Health News 24/06/06

Unwrapped: How a leaking pipe poisoned Britain's favourite chocolate - The Independent 25/06/06

Which way will the cookie crumble? - The Independent 26/06/06

Chocolate bug cases spread - The Sunday Times 25/06/06

Cadbury facing legal action - The Observer 25/06/06

Cadbury waited four months to act over salmonella - The Telegraph 25/06/06

Salmonella Contamination In Seven Cadbury Chocolate Brands - Medical News Today 24/06/06

'Beating heart' transplant patient hopes for long life - The Independent 24/06/06

The first patient in Britain to receive a "beating heart" transplant says he hopes the pioneering operation will give him another 30 years of life.

I feel brilliant, says beating heart transplant patient - Daily Mail 23/06/06

Letters: Nursing standards - The Independent 21/06/06

Nurses don't claim to be angels, just skilled professionals

Cancer patients face long delays - The Sunday Times 25/06/06

CANCER patients in Scotland are being denied potentially life-saving medical treatment for up to a year, it has emerged.

Parents use dyslexia rules to give children exam advantage - The Sunday Times 25/06/06

PARENTS are exploiting exam rules for pupils with disabilities to secure extra time for their

Mini-laser can remove flab in a lunch break - The Sunday Times 25/06/06

IT may be bthe answer to John Prescott’s double chin and Kate Moss’s cellulite. A new fat-busting laser treatment which is claimed to remove pockets of fat in a lunch hour will be launched in Britain tomorrow.

Third World Scouts to aid Glasgow poor - The Sunday Times 25/06/06

IT HAS traditionally been a chance for gap-year students and skilled people from affluent backgrounds to do a good deed in the world’s most destitute spots. Now it seems Britain itself is a suitable case for help from the developing world.

Hospital pays off surgeons in cash crisis - The Sunday Times 25/06/06

TWO doctors at a leading NHS hospital have become the first consultant surgeons to be made redundant as a result of the financial crisis in the health service.

MPs' support doubles for smacking ban - The Times 24/06/06

A motion to outlaw violence against children is being given record backing

Elite trainee GPs are left jobless by NHS funding cuts - The Times 24/06/06

A GROUP of junior doctors selected for a specialist course designed to train the next generation of GPs has been left jobless after offers were withdrawn because of NHS funding cuts.

HIV: honesty in an ideal world - The Times 24/06/06

Your report “HIV woman may have infected dozens” (June 20) raises a number of questions. In the context of this case it is legitimate to question a police investigation that started as the result of a complaint by a man against whom no crime was committed (he is HIV negative and there is no criminal liability in English law for merely exposing someone to the risk of transmission).

Blues period - The Times 24/06/06

Better mental health services are crucial for children’s wellbeing

Need a new package deal? - The Times 24/06/06

We are told that all that food wrapping is there to keep us healthy. Anna Shepard peels back the plastic cover

Addicted to ideas - The Times 24/06/06

I AM a sexy genius, you are witty, he is a smart-arse: science has discovered why we are addicted to trying to be clever — having bright ideas gives our brains a heroin-like fix.

I love you, but I'm not in love - The Times 24/06/06

When passion cools, does it mean that your relationship is over? In the first of two extracts from his new book, marital therapist Andrew G. Marshall says don’t despair, it’s part of the many stages of love

Michael Owen: without a leg to stand on - The Times 24/06/06

Knee injuries are on the rise among sporty types. It’s a basic design flaw

Inside story: delightful deliveries - The Times 24/06/06

Giving birth was an orgasmic experience for one woman, says Anastasia Stephens

Junk medicine: IVF treatment - The Times 24/06/06

The debate over whether IVF should be funded by the NHS is usually fought over its medical benefits. Some doctors and administrators argue that it is inappropriate for the state to pay for treatment of a disorder that threatens no lives. Others, including most gynaecologists and patient groups, regard infertility as an organic and deeply distressing illness no less deserving of free therapy than any other.

IVF Identity Fraud: A Phenomenon That Puts Patients, Children, And Clinics At Risk - Medical News Today 23/06/06

Dr Copperfield: DNA? It's a waste of time - The Times 24/06/06

“The young and affluent are most likely to waste doctors’ time,” said the headline earlier this week. And, yes, it’s not hard to think of the well-heeled, over-assertive, worried-well who have only to suffer an unscheduled burp before they’re insisting on an urgent MRI scan, and with whom the statutory ten minutes feels like a lifetime.

Granny's home truths: the promise-breaker - The Times 24/06/06

The truth about kids

Spas: mmm, I taste snake oil - The Times 24/06/06

Razzy treatment? More likely it’s a gimmick

Eyelash tinting - The Times 24/06/06

The first in a new DIY spa series

Agony and ecstasy: Damp squib in the bedroom - The Times 24/06/06

"Every time I orgasm with my partner, I wet myself a little. He finds this hilarious but I get embarrassed and have recently stopped climaxing. What can I do?

How can I help the medicine go down? - The Times 24/06/06

My two-year-old son was prescribed antibiotic medicine last week for an ear infection. He spat out the first mouthful and refused to take it again. Not surprisingly the infection hasn’t cleared up. Is it OK to mix the medicine with food or drink?

Eco-worrier: olive oil - The Times 24/06/06

My friend turned up for dinner with a bottle of olive oil from her own sponsored olive tree. How can I keep up?

Is it true that ... cracking your knuckles causes arthritis? - The Times 24/06/06

No, but it may cause other problems. Researchers have been unable to prove what actually causes joint cracking. Presumably this explains why they’ve diverted their energies into coming up with a pseudo-scientific name for the phenomenon, “articular release”. Theories to explain it include: atmospheric pressure correcting a vacuum produced by traction; the snapping of tendons across bony prominences; and the release of bubbles of nitrogen within the joint.

At your table: prawns - The Times 24/06/06

The Times nutritionist on the benefits of prawns

Menu mentor - The Times 24/06/06

The Times nutritionist's guide to nutritious but delicious eating out: Garfunkel's

Breathing space: tennis for kids - The Times 24/06/06

Anyone for Mini Tennis?

Not just anybody: how the fit and fabulous stay that way - The Times 24/06/06

Anorexia dogged supermodel Carrie Otis, 37, for years, now she has a good reason to pile on the pounds

Nish Joshi's Q & A - The Telegraph 25/06/06

In a recent article you mentioned that people who have had constant parental nagging about food, skin etc when they are growing up often eat when depressed in later life. I am one of those people: my mother made me feel guilty about eating when I was young, and now I am almost 40 I still turn to food for comfort. Please can you suggest how to break this pattern? I would be most grateful.

5,000 elderly 'killed each year' by lack of care beds - The Telegraph 25/06/06

Thousands of elderly National Health Service patients are dying because they are denied intensive care treatment after surgery, a study has found.

Mother goes online for free child care - The Telegraph 24/06/06

A single mother who could not find affordable child care has set up an internet service to help other parents in the same situation.

Jails 'reap harvest' of closed mental hospitals - The Telegraph 24/06/07

Jails are "reaping the harvest" of the closure of mental hospitals because thousands of psychiatric patients are being incarcerated rather than treated, the chief inspector of prisons says today.

New ager: Kinesiology - The Telegraph 24/06/07

Judith Woods on Kinesiology, a way of diagnosing imbalances in the body by assessing muscle tone and strength

Get a life: health and relaxation - The Telegraph 24/06/07

Part three of self-help guru Nina Grunfeld's eight-step guide to wellbeing

Fish blood the key to low-fat ice cream - Daily Mail 23/06/06

Wall's is planning to use a protein originally isolated from fish blood to create the world's first ice creams using genetically-modified technology.

Home births 'a risk to babies' - Daily Mail 23/06/06

Women who give birth at home may be putting their babies' lives in danger, the Government's health watchdog is set to warn.

NHS 'not offering enough choice' - BBC Health News 25/06/06

More than half of the public in England does not believe the NHS offers choice, a survey has suggested.

'Thalidomide took away my son's tumour' - BBC Health News 25/06/06

When Alex Cooper woke up feeling sick and with blinding headaches, his parents thought he had picked up a virus.

Depression risk with Parkinson's - BBC Health News 24/06/06

Over 80% of people with Parkinson's disease frequently experience depression, a European survey finds.

NHS chairwoman quits over reforms - BBC Health News 24/06/06

The chairwoman of an NHS trust has resigned in protest at government health reforms.

Fatigue syndrome ruling welcomed - BBC Health News 23/06/06

Campaigners have hailed a coroner's decision to record chronic fatigue syndrome as a cause of death.

Football fans heart risk warning - BBC Health News 23/06/06

Football fans are being warned to stay calm during England's World Cup clash with Ecuador or risk a heart attack.

BMA Northern Ireland Tells NHS Trusts To Improve Equality Awareness Training - Medical News Today 25/06/06

NHS trusts in Northern Ireland need to improve equality awareness training for medical staff. This is just one of the recommendations in a new British Medical Association (NI) report based on a recent survey of hospital doctors in NI.

NICE Draft Guideline On Care During Labour, UK - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Published on 23 June 2006, draft NICE guidelines set out recommendations on good quality care during labour. The guidelines support choice for women in deciding where to have their baby and set out the information they should be given to help them choose. They aim to make birth as normal as possible, by reducing unnecessary medical interventions, and as safe as possible for mother and baby, by making sure that all the risks are understood and properly managed

Toddlers Who Blow Bubbles Learn To Speak Earlier - Medical News Today 24/06/06

Toddlers who blow bubbles and lick their lips seem to learn how to acquire language earlier than babies who don't, say researchers from Lancaster University, UK. They found a clear link between a toddler's ability to carry out complex mouth movements with the ability to acquire and develop language.

IVF Identity Fraud: A Phenomenon That Puts Patients, Children, And Clinics At Risk - Medical News Today 23/06/06

Safeguards against identity fraud by IVF patients are needed in order to prevent impostors gaining access to treatment, a scientist told the 22nd annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Prague, Czech Republic, on Tuesday 20 June 2006. Dr.Luca Sabatini, from the Centre for Reproductive Medicine at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, UK, said that research had shown that many clinics in the UK felt they did not have sufficient safeguards to properly check patients’ identities, and that one in three of them could have already experienced attempts to gain treatment fraudulently.

CJD Incubation Period May Well Be Over 60 Years - Medical News Today 23/06/06

As the CJD incubation period may be over 60 years, we could be decades away from an epidemic, say researchers from University College London and scientists from Australia and Papua New Guinea. The researchers studied former cannibals in New Guinea where a disease called ‘Kuru' exists. Kuru has very similar symptoms to CJD, and like CJD, is caused by a prion.

Women should be given more birth choices - Reuters 24/06/06

Women should be given choice over where they give birth to allow labor to be as normal as possible, according to proposals from Britain’s health guidance watchdog on Friday.

International News

Court orders jail to give inmates Aids drugs - The Guardian 24/06/06

A group of prisoners with HIV/Aids in South Africa obtained a court ruling this week ordering their jail to supply anti-retroviral drugs. A high court in Durban gave Westville prison two weeks to come up with a treatment programme.

The land of the dead - The Guardian 24/06/06

How did two tiny islands off Australia's north coast come to have the highest suicide rate in the world? Cathy Scott-Clark and Adrian Levy investigate

Family vector for Sumatra bird flu - BBC Health News 23/06/06

The World Health Organisation has said it believes limited human-to-human transmission of the bird flu virus did occur in an Indonesian family in May.

Prebiotics 'cut baby's skin risk' - BBC Health News 23/06/06

Adding prebiotics to formula feed can help cut the risk of babies developing a form of eczema, research suggests.

DNA Vaccine Improves Chemotherapeutic Drug Uptake In Colon And Breast Cancer - Medical News Today 25/06/06

After the genetic events that initiate malignancy have occurred, tumor progression critically involves interactions between the malignant cells and the normal cells in the tumor environment. An example of such cells are tumor-associated fibroblasts that make collagen type I, which play a role in the poor uptake by tumors of some chemotherapeutic drugs.

The Protein That Makes You Mad - Medical News Today 25/06/06

In recent years our feeding habits have been the focus of ongoing polemics. Everybody will remember the mad cow crisis when the sales of veal plummeted for fear of contagion, thousands of animals were sacrificed and beef imports, especially from the United Kingdom - the focus of the epidemic - were curtailed.

Three Million Babies Born Using Assisted Reproductive Technologies - Medical News Today 25/06/06

More than three million babies have been born worldwide using assisted reproductive technologies (ART) since the first ART baby (Louise Brown) was born in the UK 28 years ago.

"To Eat Or Not To Eat?": How Neuronal Potassium Channel Activity Helps Us Determine The Answer - Medical News Today 25/06/06

To eat or not to eat: what inputs to the brain help us make this decision? In a study appearing online in June in advance of print publication in the July issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Jens Bruning and colleagues from the University of Cologne investigate the complex answer to this question.

ESF Sets Out Research Strategy To Push Rheumatic Diseases Up The Health Agenda - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Europe's experts in the field will hear the plan and discuss the recommendations at their annual meeting in Amsterdam this week. Brussels, June 2006 - The world's largest meeting of experts in rheumatic diseases will today hear and debate calls for a pan-European approach to prioritise and combine the efforts of many excellent scientific and clinical groups working at a national level, and accelerate research in the field.

Education Improves Understanding Of Risks Of Having Twins: But Does This Translate Into Action? - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Parents who wish for IVF twins are often unaware of the risks involved in twin pregnancy and in giving birth to more than one child at a time, a scientist told the 22nd annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Prague, Czech Republic, on Wednesday 21 June 2006. Dr. Ginny Ryan, from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA, said that educating potential parents in these risks was essential if problems were to be avoided.

New Mouse Model Of Kaposi Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus Infection - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Recent studies have implicated human herpesviruses as the causative agents of a number of illnesses in HIV-1-positive individuals or patients receiving medication that suppresses their immune system. Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), also known as human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8), is the cause of Kaposi sarcoma, the most common AIDS-associated malignancy.

Chromosomal Abnormalities In Sperm Higher After Vasectomy Reversal - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Men who have had a vasectomy reversed have a very much greater rate of chromosomal abnormalities in their sperm than do normal fertile men, a scientist told the 22nd annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Prague, Czech Republic on Wednesday 21 June 2006. Professor Nares Sukchareon, of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, said that doctors needed to be aware of this problem and monitor carefully children born as a result, particularly if ART was involved.

Viagra Improves High Altitude Exercise Performance Up To 45% For Some - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Sildenafil (Viagra) significantly improved the cardiovascular and exercise performance measures of trained cyclists at high altitude, mostly because the drug helped some participants improve a lot -- up to 45% -- while others showed little change. Sildenafil provided no benefit at sea level.

Nutrition A Major Factor In Rise In Twin Pregnancies - Medical News Today 25/06/06

The commonly held view that IVF is the only culprit in the steady increase in the numbers of twins born over the past thirty years was challenged by a scientist speaking at the 22nd annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Prague, Czech Republic, Wednesday 21 June 2006. Professor Robert Jansen, Medical Director of Sydney IVF, Sydney, Australia, said that his research had shown that improved nutrition, both maternal and in the lab in the case of IVF, had produced better and stronger embryos.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Can Benefit From Enbrel In Combination With Methotrexate - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Rheumatoid arthritis patients who are on standard methotrexate therapy may benefit from the addition of the biologic treatment, ENBREL* (etanercept), according to new data from a one-year, open-label extension of the international TEMPO trial. The study results, presented today at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology, also known as the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR), 2006, also showed that the safety profile and clinical efficacy of combination therapy of ENBREL and methotrexate were sustained at four years of treatment.

The Structure Of A Virus Infecting Bacteria Resembles A Human Virus - Medical News Today 25/06/06

New research has revealed that the structure of a bacteriophage, a virus infecting bacteria, resembles that of certain dangerous viruses that infect people. Studying this bacteriophage reveals various characteristics about viruses and their life cycle without having to study actual human viruses.

Pre-scan Warnings Would Have Caused Extra Distress Say Women With Problem Fetuses - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Warning pregnant mothers about fetal abnormalities before scans would only have caused additional distress, according to a study of women who were given bad news when they had an ultrasound to detect possible anomalies at 20 weeks.

Dopamine Agonist Can Prevent Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome In IVF Patients - Medical News Today 25/06/06

A class of drug widely used in a number of gynaecological conditions can prevent ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), an infrequent but serious complication of assisted reproduction treatments, a scientist told the 22nd annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Prague, Czech Republic, on Wednesday 21 June 2006. Dr. Claudio Alvarez, from the Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad, Valencia, Spain, said that his team's work, using the dopamine agonist cabergoline, was the first successful attempt to prevent this disorder.

New Evidence Shows MabThera Inhibits Joint Damage In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis - Medical News Today 25/06/06

New data presented at the EULAR meeting (European League Against Rheumatism) show for the first time that MabThera (rituximab), a unique B cell targeted therapy, is able to significantly inhibit structural damage of joints caused by rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Fentanyl Laced Herion, Man Charged In Detroit - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Daren Reese, 45, a suspected key supplier of fentanyl spiked heroin which has killed more than two hundred people from Detroit, Chicago to Phladelphia, was arraigned on Saturday with possession of weapons and illegal drugs.

The Cytokine Diet: The Next Fad In Weight Loss? - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Might we be able to turn our immune system against another kind of foe besides infections and viruses? How about fat? Researchers from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) at the Pasteur Institute and the University of Lille, France, have evidence suggesting the possibility.

Older Blood Associated With Worse Outcomes After Repeat Heart Surgery - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Older stored blood transfused into patients undergoing repeat heart surgery is associated with a significant increased risk of death, both during a patient’s hospital stay and over the longer term following discharge, according to a new analysis by researchers from Duke University Medical Center and Columbia University.

Baby Girls Born To Mothers Burdened By Stress May Be At Risk For Fibromyalgia - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Stressful or traumatic events experienced during pregnancy can have long-lasting effects on the fetus, yet these effects may not become apparent until many years later, according to a study suggesting that girls born of such pregnancies may be at greater risk for developing a painful muscle condition called fibromyalgia as adults.

Refined Stem Cell Therapy Helps Paralyzed Rats Recover - Medical News Today 25/06/06

A therapy that combines differentiated stem cells with myelin inhibitors and a motor axon tropic factor helped paralyzed rats restore functional motor units and gain some physical recovery

Parkinson's Disease Mechanism Discovered - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers have pinpointed defects in a critical cellular pathway that can lead to the death of dopamine-producing nerve cells and ultimately Parkinson's symptoms. Their studies have also identified a new way to rescue dying neurons in several animal models of Parkinson's disease.

Social Factors Not Hormones Cause PMS, Post-natal Depression And Menopausal Stress - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Women are being sold the idea that their bodies are biologically faulty and they need medication for PMS, post-natal depression and menopausal outbursts when in fact the pressures of being 'superwoman' are more likely to blame, says a leading expert.

Device Effective In Zapping The Pain Out Of Migraines - Medical News Today 25/06/06

An electronic device designed to "zap" away migraine pain before it starts may be the next form of relief for millions of people who suffer from the debilitating disease.

Scientists Aim To Thwart Use Of Flu As Bioweapon - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Flu is already a big killer, responsible for more than 35,000 deaths in the United States alone each year. And wild birds infected with the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu are gradually broadening the scope of that disease. Last week in Rochester, scientists were discussing ways to better understand the flu and also how to prevent the possibility that terrorists could somehow modify flu as a bioweapon to make it even more lethal than it is already.

New Evidence Shows Rituximab Halts Damage To Joints - Medical News Today 25/06/06

New data, presented today at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology show for the first time that a rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment, rituximab, is able to significantly inhibit the structural damage to joints caused by RA in patients who have long-standing disease and an inadequate response to one or more TNF (Tumour Necrosis Factor) inhibitors.

Abstinence Messages Not Enough For HIV Prevention In Zambia - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Teaching young women to delay sex until marriage is a good start but is not enough to prevent the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, says Tulane international health researcher Sohail Agha. In fact, Agha's research showed that years of education was a stronger predictor of both delaying sex and using condoms.

Heart drug may help treat stroke - Medical News Today 25/06/06

US researchers have discovered a group of plant extracts that may have benefits in early treatment of stroke.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Benefit From Enbrel In Combination With Methotrexate - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Rheumatoid arthritis patients who are on standard methotrexate therapy may benefit from the addition of the biologic treatment, Enbrel* (etanercept), according to new data from a one-year, open-label extension of the international TEMPO trial. The study results, presented this week at the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR), 2006, also showed that the safety profile and clinical efficacy of Enbrel and methotrexate combination therapy were sustained at four years of treatment.1

Abatacept Treatment Yields Better Inhibition Of Radiographic Progression Over 2 Years In Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients, New Long-Term Data

New data from the long-term extension of the AIM (Abatacept in Inadequate responders to Methotrexte) trial, announced today at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology, suggests the selective T-cell co-stimulation modulator abatacept sustains inhibition of radiographic progression over 2 years in rheumatoid arthritis patients with an inadequate response to methotrexate.

Drug Laws Restricting Pain Medicines Set To Be Relaxed In Romania - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Overly restrictive national drug policies that hinder access to pain relief by patients with cancer, AIDS and other diseases are set to be revised in Romania. The changes are the result of an innovative and broad reaching initiative led by Romania and supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the University of Wisconsin.

Eprodisate (Fibrillextm) Data Presented At The Meeting Of The European League Against Rheumatism (Eular) - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Results from Neurochem's (NASDAQ: NRMX; TSX: NRM) two-year Phase II/III clinical trial for eprodisate (Fibrillex™), its investigational product candidate for the treatment of Amyloid A (AA) amyloidosis, will be presented this week during the annual meeting of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) by Bouke P.C. Hazenberg, MD, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University Hospital, Groningen, the Netherlands, and an investigator for the Phase II/III clinical trial.

Being Fired Near Retirement Doubles Risk Of Heart Attack And Stroke - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Involuntary job loss near retirement more than doubles the risk of heart attack and stroke, researchers at Yale School of Medicine report in a major national study published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

New Evidence Shows MabThera Inhibits Joint Damage In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Dutasteride Induces Apoptosis In Androgen Sensitive Prostate Cancer Cell Lines - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Dr. McCrohan as research colleagues from University College Dublin report that the dual 5 a-reductase inhibitor dutasteride induces apoptosis in androgen sensitive, but not androgen insensitive prostate cancer (CaP) cell lines and primary cultures. Their work appears in the epub version of Cancer.

Intermediate Results Of Laparoscopic Cryoablation In 59 Patients At The Medical College Of Wisconsin - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Among 81 renal tumors in 59 patients, laparoscopic cryoablation was successful in 97.5% at 2.3 years follow-up. The authors did the procedure under control with a laparoscopic ultrasound probe using 5 mm cryoprobes; average lesion size was 2.5 cm. If one limits results to only patients with proven renal cancer, then the success rate would be 94% among 34 patients. This is slightly worse than the 1.4% to 4% recurrence rate expected at 10 years after open partial nephrectomy.

High Surgeon Radical Prostatectomy Volume Is Linked To Lower Hospital Charges - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Increased procedure volume by both surgeon and hospital are associated with decreased mortality. In the on-line version of European Urology, 2006 Dr. Ramirez and colleagues report that increased surgeon radical prostatectomy (RP) volume is associated with decreased hospital charges.

Technique Of Corporeal Excavation For Penile Prosthesis Insertion In Cases Of Severe Corporeal Fibrosis Described - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Infection in penile prosthesis implantation is a significant complication, because the entire device often needs to be removed before the infection can be eradicated.

Growth Hormone Stimulators Improve Physical Function In Older Adults - Medical News Today 25/06/06

A compound that stimulates the secretion of growth hormone can help older adults improve their physical function and lower their body fat percentage, according to study results in June, presented at the International Congress of Neuroendocrinology in Pittsburgh.

Oregon Researchers Show How Resident Bacteria Shape Gut Development - Medical News Today 25/06/06

University of Oregon researchers have shown that bacteria residing in the intestine shape gut development by means of several distinct signaling mechanisms.

Adjuvant Mitomycin C Does Not Compensate For An Inadequate Resection In T1 Bladder Cancer: More Evidence In Favor Of A Repeat TUR - Medical News Today 25/06/06

Due to the measurable incidence of residual disease after TUR (approaching 35%) and pathologic understaging, repeat TUR is recommended for all patients with clinical stage T1 disease. Does using adjuvant intravesical mitomycin C obviate the need for a repeat TUR?

Pancreas Bioengineering At The MUHC Receives Funding Boost - Medical News Today 24/06/06

A new research grant from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) is set to provide a significant boost to a collaborative diabetes research effort led by MUHC investigator Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg.

Long-term Changes In Experience Cause Neurons To Sprout New Long-lasting Connections - Medical News Today 24/06/06

Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers have discovered that neurons in the brains of mice sprout robust new connections when the animals are adjusting to new experiences. The new connections alter the circuitry of the brain by changing communication between neurons.

Improving The Standard Of Rheumatology Care In Europe - Medical News Today 24/06/06

The Annual European Congress of Rheumatology commenced today with a comprehensive set of recommendations which aim to clarify treatment options for a range of debilitating rheumatic conditions. Following a rigorous development process involving numerous multidisciplinary experts across Europe, recommendations for the management of hand osteoarthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and fibromyalgia have been proposed for endorsement by EULAR (The European League Against Rheumatism), along with recommendations for conducting clinical trials in SLE and systemic vasculitis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Could Be Prevented If The Timing Is Right - Medical News Today 24/06/06

Patients diagnosed with 'undifferentiated rheumatoid' arthritis could actually have their disease outlook changed significantly if treatment is given at the right time, according to the results of a study presented at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology on Wednesday 21 June, by Mrs. Henrike Van Dongen and her colleagues.

Functional Food Task Force Meets On Latest Nutrition Research - Medical News Today 24/06/06

Consumers, health professionals and educators are bombarded with research about the health benefits of certain foods. To help sort through the information, dairy industry experts recently gathered at the Functional Food Task Force meeting in San Francisco. Vitamin D, nutrient-dense foods and the health advantages of probiotics and prebiotics were among the top nutrition trends identified at the meeting, which was hosted by Dairy Council of California and attended by experts representing research, product development, marketing and education. "Interest in the added health benefits provided by functional foods to protect against certain diseases, mitigate medical conditions and promote optimal health is on the rise,"

Researchers Get To Heart Of Tropical Disease - Medical News Today 24/06/06

A new study found that mice lacking a gene crucial to the normal functioning of their immune systems didn't become ill when they were exposed to a pathogen that causes a horrendous infection in the liver and the spleen.

Forget The Label. Portion Size Is All In Your Mind - Medical News Today 24/06/06

An article published in the recent issue of Psychological Science investigates the psychology of consumption. The study's findings demonstrate that individuals have a strong tendency to eat only a single unit of food, regardless of the unit's size or caloric value.

MIT Sheds Light On How Tumor Cells Form - Medical New Today 24/06/06

MIT cancer researchers have discovered a process that may explain how some tumor cells form, a discovery that could one day lead to new therapies that prevent defective cells from growing and spreading.

"Broken Heart Syndrome" Can Result From Opioid Withdrawal, Cocaine Use Studies Find - Medical New Today 24/06/06

People who experience abrupt withdrawal from high-dose opioids or use cocaine increase their risk of cardiac event, according to two new studies published in the June issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. Phase II Study Shows Investigational Insomnia Agent VEC-162 Improved Key Sleep Measures - Medical News Today 24/06/06

Results from a phase II study presented this week demonstrated the effects of VEC-162 in a model of transient insomnia on the traditional measures of sleep onset and maintenance. VEC-162, an investigational agent under clinical development by Vanda Pharmaceuticals for the treatment of insomnia, is a novel melatonin agonist. The data were presented at the SLEEP 20th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS) by Dr. Shantha M.W. Rajaratnam, Division of Sleep Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School.

Reduced Antibiotic Prescribing Is Associated With Increased Hospital Admissions

New research indicates that efforts to reduce antibiotic resistance led to a decrease in the prescribing of antibiotics by doctors yet an increase in hospitalizations for respiratory infections like pneumonia.

Queen's-led Network Looks At FAS Aiming To Minimize Life-long Learning Problems - Medical News Today 24/06/06

For the first time researchers are testing to see whether fetal exposure to methanol, a contaminant found in many alcoholic beverages, plays an important role in causing the life-long learning and behavioural problems associated with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).

Where Do New Therapies Work Best? - Medical News Today 24/06/06

An observational study to investigate how new therapies for rheumatic diseases perform across different conditions has revealed that they may be more successful in certain conditions. The data is presented today at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. An increasing proportion of patients with rheumatic conditions such as ankylosing spondylitis (AS), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) now receive anti-TNF treatment - a newer group of drugs which are used to reduce inflammation and manage disease activity*.

Media Availability: Drug Found To Help Scleroderma Patients - Medical News Today 24/06/06

Scleroderma is a progressive condition in which fibrous tissue grows abnormally, causing the skin to thicken and harden, often disfiguring and disabling patients. In a life-threatening form of the disease known as systemic sclerosis, extra tissue also damages internal organs. Lung tissue is affected in about 80 percent of these patients, about half of whom die within 10 years as a result. Overall, scleroderma affects an estimated 300,000 Americans, most of them women.

FDA Approves Prezista For HIV Patients Who Are Resistant To Treatment - Medical News Today 24/06/06

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the anti-HIV drug Prezista (darunavir) in tablet form. It is a protease inhibitor, developed by Tibotec Pharmaceuticals Ltd. The compound was previously known as TMC114. It will be marketed in the USA by Johnson & Johnson.

Cherry Juice May Prevent Muscle Damage Pain - Medical News Today 24/06/06

The familiar "no pain, no gain" phrase usually associated with exercise may be a thing of the past if results from a study on cherry juice published June 21 in the online version of the British Journal of Sports Medicine prove true in future research.

Studies Of Married Couples, Soccer And Hockey Teams Focus On Brain's Response To Stress - Medical News Today 24/06/06

Men's World Cup Soccer: More than 700 players - their countries' heroes - representing 32 teams, each vying to claim one of sports most coveted titles. It may take more than good coaching and a strong squad to win. Who takes all may be decided by the team with the most testosterone.

A Neural Mosaic Of Tones - Medical News Today 24/06/06

Our brain decides what we hear. Even in loud environments - like a factory with rattling machines, or a party with music and a cacophony of people talking - we are able to pick out the voice of our conversational partner. Neurophysiologists still do not fully understand how we do this.

Why Men Are More Aggressive: What A Mother Should Know - Medical News Today 24/06/06

Aggression in men may be due to variations in one of two genes involved in the activity of the neurotransmitter serotonin, according to results of a study reported at the 6th International Congress of Neuroendocrinology (ICN 2006), which took place June 19 - 22 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh.

People Remember Prices More Easily If They Have Fewer Syllables - Medical News Today 24/06/06

In the first study to combine theories of working memory and numerical cognition, researchers find that every extra syllable in a product's price decreases its chances of being remembered by 20 percent. The researchers explain this effect by the fact that our phonological loop - an important regulator of memory - can only hold 1.5 to 2 seconds of spoken information.

Molecular "brake" Found For Neurofibromatosis 1 - Medical News Today 24/06/06

A team led by Duke University Medical Center researchers has identified in yeast a molecular "brake" that could inhibit the proliferation of cells that characterizes neurofibromatosis 1, a common hereditary disorder that causes potentially troublesome tumors along nerve fibers.

Neurons Grown From Embryonic Stem Cells Restore Function In Paralyzed Rats - Medical News Today 24/06/06

For the first time, researchers have enticed transplants of embryonic stem cell-derived motor neurons in the spinal cord to connect with muscles and partially restore function in paralyzed animals. The study suggests that similar techniques may be useful for treating such disorders as spinal cord injury, transverse myelitis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and spinal muscular atrophy. The study was funded in part by the NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

Smoking, Eating And Thinking: New Research On The Brain, Hormones, And Behavior - Medical News Today 24/06/06

Certain hormones may make it more difficult for some to quit smoking, according to results of a study presented at the 6th International Congress of Neuroendocrinology (ICN 2006) in Pittsburgh inJune at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Other research reported includes animal research indicating what may be responsible for that yen for sweets.

Studies Suggest New Brain Protein May Help In Treating Schizophrenia, Insomnia And Anxiety - Medical News Today 24/06/06

A small protein in the brain that has only recently been discovered and, paradoxically, induces both profound wakefulness and a less anxious state, may represent a novel target for the treatment of psychotic behavior and schizophrenia, according to new research presented at the 6th International Congress of Neuroendocrinology (ICN 2006). ICN 2006 is being held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh June 19 - 22.

New "Nicotine Vaccine" Treatment To Be Tested In Madison - Medical News Today 24/06/06

An innovative new approach to treating tobacco addiction - an experimental nicotine vaccine - will be tested in Madison starting this month.

Iconix Study Drives Methods For Discovering And Validating Predictive Toxicology Biomarkers - Medical News Today 24/06/06

Iconix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that a study by Iconix scientists on the use of genomic data to find biomarkers to predict adverse effects of drug candidates has received the "Best Paper of 2005" award from the well known industry journal Toxicologic Pathology. The paper describes the discovery of a key biomarker that predicts kidney toxicity weeks in advance of its occurrence, something that is not possible with current toxicological methods. By providing all the information required to enable other laboratories to further validate the biomarker, the paper also addresses issues about the use of genomic biomarkers that were raised in the FDA's "Guidance for Industry: Pharmacogenomic Data Submissions," issued last year.

American Diabetes Association Launches New Theme For America's Walk For Diabetes - Medical News Today 24/06/06

Every 21 seconds someone is diagnosed with diabetes. Every 21 seconds there is a new reason to walk. Who's your reason? The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has launched a new theme designed to bring the reality of the diabetes epidemic into perspective. The "Every 21 Seconds" message will be the main theme at America's Walk for Diabetes events across the country. Every 21 seconds a white and red bandana will be handed out to participants, accompanied by the sounding of a horn or drum, which signifies another person who is diagnosed with diabetes in this country. At the conclusion of the event, the vast array of bandanas will create a strong visual representation of the devastation of diabetes in America.

Body I.Q. Helps Make Your RealAge(R) Younger - Medical News Today 24/06/06

Are you as knowledgeable about your body as you are about your cell phone? Are you able to e-mail and download attachments on your BlackBerry faster than you can climb two flights of stairs? In today's society, where the Internet has put an abundance of information at your fingertips, why is your body -- your temple -- still a mystery and often on the bottom of your priority list? And will this soon be changing?

Medical Services Begins Testing In Europe - Medical News Today 24/06/06

Medical Services International Inc. (OTC: MSITF) has shipped VScan HIV test kits to Germany to begin additional testing related to the CE approval of its VScan HIV test kits. While the Company has substantial testing of its VScan HIV test kit from all over the world that has shown that the VScan HIV test kit is accurate (greater than 99%), easy to use, requires no refrigeration, and does not need medical facilities we are required to conduct several tests in Europe. The initial testing will be done in Germany in regulatory approved laboratories. It is anticipated that this testing will take approximately 30 days. The Company is very confident that the VScan HIV test kit will demonstrate its usual outstanding results. Obtaining CE status will allow the Company to market its HIV test kit in an additional 26 countries. All of the necessary applications for CE status have been completed.

Women At Greatest Risk For HIV Feel Powerless To Protect Themselves From Infection - Medical News Today 24/06/06

A new report by the not-for-profit National Women's Health Resource Center (NWHRC) finds that although women account for nearly half of all AIDS cases worldwide, those at greatest risk still do not feel empowered to protect themselves against the deadly virus. According to "Women & HIV," the la, HIV, News, Internet, test issue of the National Women's Health Report, U.S. women often are powerless to protect themselves. Some don't insist that their partners wear condoms during intercourse, while others don't take the antiviral medication known to dramatically increase survival rates.

Six Respirator Manufacturers Warn President Bush Of Imminent Shortage Of Masks Necessary For Avian Flu Pandemic Response - Medical News Today 24/06/06

The leaders of six respirator manufacturers representing approximately half the respirator production capacity of the United States urged President Bush in a letter delivered today to the White House to back federal legislation ensuring the supply and availability of disposable respirator masks (N-95 respirators) for healthcare workers and other first responders. The letter from the industry echoes a letter sent to the Administration in May by a bipartisan group of 86 Members of Congress calling for the National Strategy for Pandemic Flu Influenza to stockpile N-95 respirator masks instead of surgical masks.

Authors Cite Vaccines' Potential To Break Poverty Cycle - Medical News Today 24/06/06

In "The antipoverty vaccines," an article soon to be published in Volume 24, Numbers 31-32 of the Elsevier journal Vaccine, Peter Hotez, MD, PhD and Meghan T. Ferris, MD explain how a group of parasitic and bacterial illnesses are not only caused by poverty, but also perpetuate it. The impact of neglected tropical diseases on child and adolescent development, maternal and prenatal conditions, and worker productivity holds populations in a persistent state of underdevelopment. The article describes the effects and the scope of 11 neglected tropical diseases and the status of clinical trials for vaccines for three of these diseases: hookworm, leishmaniasis, and schistosomiasis. The article will be published online July 10 and the in print July 26.

12th Annual National HIV Testing Day Kicks Off On June 26, 2006 - Medical News Today 24/06/06

The National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA-US) kicks off the 12th annual National HIV Testing Day this Monday, June 26, 2006 from 9 am to 11 am at the National Press Club's 1st Amendment Room. Along with HIV-positive speakers and significant leaders in the AIDS movement today, NAPWA will launch public service announcements profiling four HIV-Positive young people, targeting urban youth, especially young Black women, produced in collaboration with Black Entertainment Television (BET) and the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), under the Rap It Up Campaign.

Endo Receives FDA Approval For Opana(R) ER (oxymorphone HCl) Extended-Release And Opana(R) (oxymorphone HCl) Immediate Release Tablets CII - Medical News Today 24/06/06

Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Endo Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: ENDP), today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted final approval of the company's New Drug Applications (NDAs) for its extended- release and immediate-release formulations of oxymorphone hydrochloride. These products are now known under the trade names Opana(R) ER tablets and Opana(R) tablets.

MultiVu Video Feed: Endo Receives FDA Approval For Extended-Release And Immediate-Release OPANA(R) Tablets (oxymorphone HCl) CII - Medical News Today 24/06/06

Chronic Pain is a Public Health Issue. It's estimated that pain costs the U.S. more than $100 billion annually in healthcare expenditures and lost productivity. In fact, research shows pain contributes to more than 50 million lost workdays each year. Although data suggest that pain is often undertreated, experts agree that chronic pain patients need around-the-clock coverage with an analgesic agent to sustain pain relief

Music Thought To Enhance Intelligence, Mental Health And Immune System - Medical News Today 24/06/06

A recent volume of the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences takes a closer look at how music evolved and how we respond to it. Contributors to the volume believe that animals such as birds, dolphins and whales make sounds analogous to music out of a desire to imitate each other. This ability to learn and imitate sounds is a trait necessary to acquire language and scientists feel that many of the sounds animals make may be precursors to human music.

Ranbaxy Receives FDA Approval To Market Simvastatin 80mg Tablets With 180-Day Exclusivity - Medical News Today 24/06/06

Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Inc. (RPI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited (RLL), announced today that the company has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to manufacture and market Simvastatin Tablets USP, 80mg with 180-day exclusivity in the U.S. The FDA's Office of Generic Drugs has determined Ranbaxy's 80mg Simvastatin Tablets USP, to be bioequivalent, therefore, therapeutically equivalent to the listed drug Zocor(R) Tablets, 80mg, of Merck Research Laboratories. Total annualized market sales for Simvastatin were $ 4.6 billion, out of which the 80mg strength accounted for $513 million (IMS - MAT: March 2006).

New Phase III Data Demonstrate That Abbott's HUMIRA(R) (Adalimumab) Sustained Reduction In Signs And Symptoms In Patients With Ankylosing Spondylitis - Medical News Today 24/06/06

Abbott announced today new results of two analyses from a major Phase III study of HUMIRA(R) (adalimumab) in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The first analysis demonstrates the ability of HUMIRA to maintain the reduction of signs and symptoms in AS patients at 12 weeks through 52 weeks of treatment. A second analysis demonstrates that HUMIRA rapidly and significantly reduced pain and fatigue in patients with AS, an inflammatory disease of the spine and spinal joints, as early as two weeks compared with placebo and that the improvement was maintained for at least 24 weeks.

Encysive Pharmaceuticals Announces Presentation Of New STRIDE-2X Data At EULAR Congress - Medical News Today 24/06/06

Encysive Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ENCY) today announced the presentation of new STRIDE-2X data evaluating Thelin(TM) (sitaxsentan sodium) in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) at the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Annual European Congress of Rheumatology in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. STRIDE-2X is the open-label, one-year extension study for the Company's 18-week placebo- controlled Phase III pivotal trial, STRIDE-2.

ADVENTRX Presents Broad Antiviral Activity For Thiovir - Medical News Today 24/06/06

ADVENTRX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Amex: ANX) announced today that it gave an oral presentation describing broad antiviral activity for Thiovir(TM) at the 14th International Symposium on HIV and Emerging Infectious Diseases (ISHEID) program. The presentation entitled "Thiovir exhibits broad-spectrum antiviral activity against human and avian influenza, human immunodeficiency, and herpes simplex viruses" was delivered by Shani Waninger, Ph.D., associate director for research and development for ADVENTRX on Thursday, June 22 in the "new antiretroviral drugs" plenary session. The conference takes place at the International Convention Center in Toulon, France, June 21-23, 2006.

New Study Supports Long-Term Use Of Anti-TNF Therapy To Control Ankylosing Spondylitis - Medical News Today 24/06/06

Data presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Annual European Congress of Rheumatology showed that use of the anti-TNF therapy infliximab over a five- year period offered effective and safe control of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a chronic debilitating inflammatory disease. The study aimed to assess whether an anti-TNF therapy could be safely used in AS over a prolonged period of time and maintain its clinical benefit.

From Basic Science To The Bedside: APS Conference Takes Stock Of Lung Disease - Medical News Today 24/06/06

When researchers completed the human genome map in 2000, they still faced a complex puzzle: What role does each of the 24,000 human genes and the thousands more proteins they produce, play in various illnesses?

Over-use Of Antibiotics In Fish-for-food Industry Encourages Bacterial Resistance And Disease - Medical News Today 23/06/06

The heavy use of antibiotics in the rearing of fish could be detrimental to the health of the fish, but also that of animals and humans, a recent report says. This practice encourages bacterial resistance and could lead to the evolution of resistant strains of bacteria in animals and humans as well as the fish themselves. A more judicious approach to the use of prophylactic (preventative) antibiotics is necessary.

Buckyballs Boost Antibody's Chemotherapy Payload - Medical News Today 23/06/06

In the ongoing search for better ways to target anticancer drugs to kill tumors without making people sick, researchers find that nanoparticles called buckyballs might be used to significantly boost the payload of drugs carried by tumor-targeting antibodies.

Few Young Competitive Athletes Survive Sudden Cardiac Arrest - Medical News Today 23/06/06

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillators (AED's) had surprisingly little effect on the survival rates for young athletes who experience sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), according to a new study published in the July 2006 edition of Heart Rhythm. Of the nine intercollegiate athletes the study examined between 1999 and 2005, eight did not survive.

Preventing Spinal Cord Injury During Aortic Surgery - Medical News Today 23/06/06

Surgery to repair aortic aneurysms often comes with a high price: neurological deficits, but new research points to a possible defense against spinal cord injury during aortic surgery. The paper by Roseborough et al., "The mitochondrial K-ATP channel opener, diazoxide, prevents ischemia-reperfusion injury in the rabbit spinal cord," appears in the May issue of The American Journal of Pathology.

For Diseases, When It Comes To Sharing A Home, Only Close Relatives Will Do - Medical News Today 23/06/06

Being more generous to close relatives is a common theme in both our daily interactions and our understanding of how organisms resolve conflicts in nature. In a paper from July issue of The American Naturalist, biologists Britt Koskella (Indiana University), Tatiana Giraud (Universite Paris-Sud), and Michael Hood (University of Virginia) asked whether similar rules apply to disease-causing microbes.

Injection May Prevent Infertility In Men Receiving Cancer Chemotherapy - Medical News Today 23/06/06

It may be possible to protect the testes of cancer patients against the loss of fertility caused by chemotherapy, a scientist told the 22nd annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Prague, Czech Republic on Tuesday 20 June 2006. Mr. Alon Carmely from Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel, said that his work showed for the first time that the injection of a drug that enhances the immune system could protect the testis from the effects of paclitaxel (Taxol), a widely used chemotherapy drug.

Providing Health Coverage To All Will Relieve Overcrowding In Emergency Departments - Medical News Today 23/06/06

The "most important change" that will help resolve overcrowding in U.S. emergency departments "would be to stop diverting seriously ill ambulance patients and divert instead the poor patients who clog emergency rooms seeking routine care," a New York Times editorial states. ED overcrowding -- which was detailed in reports last week by the Institute of Medicine -- "has many causes," and "none of them [are] easily or cheaply resolved," according to the Times editorial.

Slow-frozen People? Latest Research Supports Possibility Of Cyropreservation - Medical News Today 23/06/06

The latest research on water - still one of the least understood of all liquids despite a century of intensive study - seems to support the possibility that cells, tissues and even the entire human body could be cyropreserved without formation of damaging ice crystals, according to University of Helsinki researcher Anatoli Bogdan, Ph.D.

U.S. Should Do More To Address Increasing HIV/AIDS Among Blacks, Opinion Piece Says - Medical News Today 23/06/06

Twenty-five years after the first AIDS case was diagnosed, the "epidemic's face" in the U.S. is "becoming blacker and poorer," Kai Wright, a freelance journalist, writes in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution opinion piece. According to Wright, it is "long past time" that the U.S. public health system faces the fact that more than half of the estimated 40,000 newly diagnosed HIV-positive people each year in the U.S. are black.

Can You Hear Me Now? Scientists Find Previously Unknown Receptors On Adult Stem Cells - Medical News Today 23/06/06

For many years, researchers believed that stem cells in the bone marrow spent most of their existence in a slumber-like state, unaware of -- and unaffected by -- the daily battles fought by the body's immune system.

Warm Blanket Lessens Chances Of False-positives In Cancer Scans - Medical News Today 23/06/06

Placing a warm blanket on patients undergoing PET/CT scans to detect cancer makes the test more accurate, new Saint Louis University research finds.

U. Of Colorado Team Solves Mystery Of Carcinogenic Mothballs - Medical News Today 23/06/06

Chemical compounds in household products like mothballs and air fresheners can cause cancer by blocking the normal process of "cell suicide" in living organisms, according to a new study spearheaded by the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Most Americans Support More Information About, Access To Birth Control, Poll Says - Medical News Today 23/06/06

Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive poll: The majority of U.S. adults believe information and access to birth control should be more available, according to an online survey conducted by the Wall Street Journal and Harris Interactive. The poll, which surveyed 2,689 U.S. adults between June 9 and June 13, finds that 89% of the adults surveyed believe that information about birth control should be more accessible; 81% believe that providing access to birth control is a good way to prevent abortions; 73% believe that a person's access to birth control should not be limited by someone's ability to pay for it; and 58% believe that emergency contraception -- which can prevent pregnancy if taken up to 72 hours after sexual intercourse -- should be easily available in all pharmacies.

Participation In Clinical Trials Does Not Appear To Affect Physician's Adherence To Guidelines - Medical News Today 23/06/06

Physicians who participated in a pharmaceutical-sponsored clinical trial involving asthma medications maintained adherence to treatment guidelines but were more likely to prescribe the sponsor's drugs, according to a study in the June 21 issue of JAMA.

Lightning Can Zap Mobile Phone Users - Medical News Today 23/06/06

According to a new report, using a mobile phone while you are out in a storm could increase your chances of being hit by lightning. A report in the British Medical Journal suggests that as lightning chooses the easiest route the ground, your standing out in the open using your wet telephone could easily be the path of least resistance for the lightning bolt.

H5N1 Has Mutated Slightly, But Pandemic Threat Is No Greater - Medical News Today 23/06/06

Researchers from the World Health Organization (WHO) say that the H5N1 bird flu virus strain has mutated a bit after samples from a family cluster in Sumatra, Indonesia, were studied. However, WHO stresses that the mutation has not increased the chances of a human pandemic threat at all.

Urologist Plays Key Role In Determining Use Of Hormone Therapy In Prostate Cancer - Medical News Today 23/06/06

The urologist a patient sees may be a more important factor than the tumor characteristics or the patient's other characteristics in determining the use of hormonal therapy for prostate cancer, a new study reports in the June 21 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

CJD Incubation Period May Well Be Over 60 Years - Medical News Today 23/06/06

New Tumor Suppressor Identified By Study - Medical News Today 23/06/06

A protein called HLJ1 may work as a novel tumor suppressor in non-small-cell lung carcinoma, according to a study in the June 21 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

KGF And FGFR2b Are Players In Cancer And Cancer Therapy - Medical News Today 23/06/06

Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) is used to limit epithelial tissue damage from radiation and chemotherapy in patients with blood cancers. However, concerns arise over whether KGF's use in patients with epithelial tumors could lead to tumor growth or protect the tumor cells from the killing effect of radiation and chemotherapy.

Tolfenamic Acid Works Against Compounds That Cause Pancreatic Cancer - Medical News Today 23/06/06

Tolfenamic acid, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), fights pancreatic cancer by reducing the levels of some cellular proteins that contribute to tumor growth and metastasis. Stephen Safe, Ph.D., of Texas A&M University in College Station, and colleagues at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Tx., used a mouse model of pancreatic cancer to investigate the anticancer activities of tolfenamic acid and related compounds.

Drug From Milk Thistle Prevents Lung Cancer In A Mouse Model - Medical News Today 23/06/06

Silibinin, a compound from the milk thistle, inhibits lung tumor blood vessel formation in mice and may help prevent the growth and development of lung tumors, a study reports.

Study Links High Cadmium Levels With Breast Cancer - Medical News Today 23/06/06

High levels of cadmium may be tied to an increased risk of breast cancer, according to a new study. However, whether increased cadmium actually causes breast cancer or whether cadmium levels increase in response to treatment or the disease itself remains unknown.

Reuters Examines Efforts To Increase HIV/AIDS Awareness Among Married Indian Women - Medical News Today 23/06/06

Reuters on Monday examined efforts to increase HIV/AIDS awareness among married women in India. According to some HIV/AIDS advocates, most HIV/AIDS awareness programs in the country have focused on "targeted high-risk populations," including injection drug users and commercial sex workers, Reuters reports. According to a recent study of 3,357 women in India conducted by the Y.R. Gaitonde Centre for AIDS Research and Education, more than 85% of the women who tested HIV-positive said they had a single sexual partner.

Canadian Sales Of Plan B Since Nonprescription Access Granted Have Almost Doubled, Figures Say - Medical News Today 23/06/06

Canadian sales of Barr Laboratories subsidiary Duramed Pharmaceuticals' emergency contraceptive Plan B -- which can prevent pregnancy if taken up to 72 hours after sexual intercourse -- have increased since nonprescription sales of the drug were approved in the country, according to figures released on Monday by DoctorSolve Healthcare Solutions, a company that sells drugs through its Web site, the Boston Globe reports (Henderson, Boston Globe, 6/21).

New HIV drug for resistant patients - Reuters 24/06/06

U.S. health officials on Friday approved the use of a new HIV drug, made by Johnson & Johnson, in combination with related therapies to help treat patients who do not first improve with other treatment.

UV irradiation in the home improves kids' asthma - Reuters 23/06/06

The use of centrally installed ultraviolet (UV) irradiation units in the homes of asthmatic children who are sensitized to mold can improve their symptoms, according to a new report.

Low-carb diet benefits obese type 2 diabetics - Reuters 23/03/06

In motivated people who are overweight and have type 2 diabetes, a low-carbohydrate diet with some caloric restriction has lasting benefits on body weight and blood sugar control, Swedish researchers report.

New imaging technology improves cancer detection - Reuters 23/06/06

New imaging technology that combines the power of CAT scans with the finesse of a PET scan can catch cancer and other diseases earlier, potentially boosting survival rates and cutting costs, researchers said on Wednesday.

Obese kids suffer more disabling headaches - Reuters 23/06/06

Children who have migraines are more likely to be overweight than the general population, while overweight kids suffer more disabling migraines than their normal-weight peers, a new study shows.

Key to long life may be mom's age at birth - Reuters 23/06/06

People are more likely to see their 100th birthday, research hints, if they were born to young mothers.

Americans' circle of close friends shrinking - Reuters 23/06/06

Americans are more socially isolated than they were 20 years ago, separated by work, commuting and the single life, researchers reported on Friday.

Americans’ visit docor, hospital more often: study - Reuters 23/06/06

Americans are seeking medical care in greater numbers than ever before with the number of visits growing at three times the rate of population growth, according to government statistics published on Friday.

Cheshire and Merseyside News

Creamfields: Extra staff to be drafted in at hospital - Warrington Guardian 23/06/06

EXTRA staff will be drafted into Warrington Hospital to cater for Creamfields.

'Unfair' mental health service cuts blasted - Chester Chronicle 23/06/06

A HEALTH watchdog says cuts in mental health services pose a danger to patients and the public.

Maternity care to be merged? - Birkenhead News 21/06/06

SOME maternity services are at risk of leaving Wirral within five years, health chiefs confirmed this week.

Give me the drug to save my life - Liverpool Echo 22/06/06

A YOUNG cancer sufferer who has raised thousands of pounds for fellow victims is being denied a life-saving new wonder drug.

Cumbria and Lancashire News

Glass Hostel Gets Goahead - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 24/06/06

CONTROVERSIAL plans for a glass-walled homeless hostel in Darwen have been given the go-ahead.

Hospital Horror For Oap - Blackpool Citizen 22/06/06

A Blackpool woman's elderly relative was left shocked and distressed after an 85-year-old man jumped from the second floor window of the ward she was in at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

Toddlers Who Blow Bubbles Learn To Speak Earlier - Medical News Today 24/06/06

Diabetes help for teenagers - Carlisle News & Star 24/06/06

DIABETES UK is inviting Cumbrian sufferers to book now for a teenage support holiday at the Oasis Whinfell holiday park, near Penrith.

Blast for NHS as health expert quits - Lancashire Evening Telegraph 23/06/06

ONE of the North West's leading health experts has quit his Government job with a stinging attack on the "bureaucratic" NHS.

Greater Manchester News

NHS Trust chairwoman quits over reforms - Manchester Evening News 24/06/06

THE chairwoman of an NHS trust has resigned in protest at Government health reforms, she said today.

NHS chairwoman quits over reforms - BBC Health News 24/06/06