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National News
British company to market hand gel said to kill bird flu virus in 30 seconds - The Guardian 11/09/06
As the World Health Organisation confirms two new deaths from bird flu in Indonesia, a small London-based Aim-quoted company claims to have developed a hand gel that kills the H5N1 virus within 30 seconds.
NHS may have used stolen body parts - The Guardian 11/09/06
British patients may have received bone grafts from contaminated body parts stolen in the US, a government health agency said yesterday. An investigation by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency identified 77 pieces of bone that were imported into the UK last year from Biomedical Tissue Services.
Stolen body parts implanted in NHS patients - The Sunday Times 10/09/06
UK needs more Olympics doctors - The Guardian 11/09/06
The UK has too few specialist doctors in sports and exercise medicine to be able to cope with the injuries that could occur at the 2012 Olympics, leading physicians warn today.
'Too few' sports doctors for 2012 - BBC Health News 11/09/06
Give dads a chance - The Guardian 11/09/06
Services for children and families often exclude fathers, argues Barry Knight
Maureen Lipman: Why are local councils so heartless? - The Guardian 11/09/06
There is a dear Italian man whom I sometimes encounter leading a shuffling spaniel around the copse. He used to be the maître d' of the Talk of the Town. Now he's retired and is the sole carer for his wife, who has multiple myeloma. Since my husband died of the same bone-marrow cancer, we have much to talk about. Maria, fortunately, is not in too much pain, but she is weak from the chemotherapy tablets, they are at the mercy of the NHS, tests take a long time, drugs are rationed according to what can be afforded and they are not deemed badly off enough to require help at home.
Girl who received the heart of a 49-year-old - The Guardian 11/09/06
Outwardly Sally Slater has all the youthful ebullience of a carefree girl approaching her first teenage birthday. But that celebration on Friday has only been made possible by a remarkable stroke of luck. Beating inside her is what was once the heart of a 49-year-old woman.
New hope raised in battle against drug-resistant bacteria - The Guardian 11/09/06
Scientists have taken a big step towards a new generation of antibiotics by designing compounds that stop bacteria "talking to each other", thwarting their ability to spread infection. The revolutionary approach renders bacteria benign rather than killing them off, and comes as many antibiotics are losing their potency against pathogens which have developed drug resistance.
Sainsbury's backs drive over childhood obesity - The Guardian 11/09/06
Sainsbury's is to back a new initiative to tackle the increasing problem of childhood obesity.
Back to school is no fun for the obese - The Telegraph 09/09/08
Yes, we do need to know - The Guardian 11/09/06
Women are being bullied into having caesarean sections, despite the risks to mother and child.
Consciousness and conscience - The Guardian 11/09/06
Only "a living human being and what resembles ... a living human being" can sensibly be thought of as a person - so thought the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. It is the inability of those in Persistent Vegetative States (PVS) to respond like other humans that drives debates about who can decide whether they are kept alive. But remarkable brain scans of a woman stuck in this terrible condition last week revealed new ways in which some such patients do resemble other people. The 23 year-old had shown no awareness for over a year, yet when doctors asked her to imagine situations - such as walking around her house - her cerebral electrical activity mirrored that in healthy people having the same thoughts, suggesting she may have an active mental life.
NHS rations anti-obesity surgery - The Observer 10/09/06
Hospitals are being overwhelmed by large numbers of obese people asking for radical surgery to reduce their appetites, with doctors turning away patients because the queues are so long.
News in brief - The Observer 10/09/06
People aged or more are encountering difficulties in buying travel insurance, according to a report published by Holiday Which? magazine.
Woman sues for lost sex life 'nightmare' - The Observer 10/09/06
Patient claims a vaginal operation by a leading surgeon left her disfigured
HIV-infected blood victims condemn 'meagre' payout - The Observer 10/09/06
Victims of one of the worst medical disasters in the history of the NHS, the infection of thousands of haemophiliacs and others with blood carrying HIV, have been offered a new compensation package totalling £400,000 - a sum that represents just over £1,000 per victim.
Memoirs of a survivor - The Observer 10/09/06
Polly Miller had been married just five weeks when, on holiday in Bali, a bomb killed her husband Dan and left her with horrific burns. She tells Craig McLean how she got her life back
Should cookery lessons be compulsory? - The Observer 10/09/06
From 2008, cookery classes will be offered to all secondary schoolchildren.
Whatever happened to ... the anthrax attacks? - The Guardian 09/09/06
The media is slowly cranking into gear for the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, but the anthrax scares that followed soon afterwards have largely been forgotten. Five years later, the crime still remains unsolved.
First class - The Guardian 09/09/06
Just when you thought you knew what it took to give a good interview - smart suit, smart hair, smart answers - oral health experts come along and give you something else to worry about: teeth. To coincide with Oral Hygiene month during September, Colgate are advising graduates attending their first job interviews to make their pearly whites sparkle.
Health-conscious Britons put fish back on the menu - The Independent 11/09/06
Unfairly maligned as smelly, difficult to cook and riddled with potentially throat-lacerating bones, at one time it seemed that Britons had fallen irrevocably out of love with fresh fish as a culinary staple.
Has your drink been spiked? DIY tests may not tell the truth - The Independent 10/09/06
Many positive results produced by the kits are false, says new report.
Street prices of cannabis, ecstasy and cocaine at an all-time low - The Independent 10/09/06
The price of cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis and other drugs is at an all-time low, clearly indicating that efforts to stem the spread of illegal drugs on Britain's streets are failing.
When cut-price dental work belongs to the ivory towers ... - The Independent 10/09/06
Nearly six months on from the introduction of major reforms to the dental system in England and Wales, the struggle to find NHS treatment has got harder.
Stress and the City: alcoholism soars in banking - The Independent 10/09/06
Mad honey disease is among the rarest afflictions in the world, but it appears to be on the increase.
Superbug strikes more children - The Times 11/09/06
A total of 147 babies and children suffered potentially fatal blood infections last year after contracting MRSA in NHS hospitals.
Hospital superbug 'out of control' as child MRSA cases rise to 150 - The Telegraph 10/09/08
Immigrants stretch Scots GPs - The Times 09/09/06
More doctors are needed in Scotland to cope with an influx of Eastern European immigrants, the British Medical Association has said.
Scottish mussels recalled after tests show potentially fatal toxin - The Times 09/09/06
An alert over poisonous Scottish mussels on sale at Asda, Morrisons and Tesco supermarkets was issued by the Food Standards Agency last night.
Cure for food allergies 'to be ready within ten years' - The Times 09/09/06
A CURE for food allergies is expected within the next decade, researchers studying allergens, the cause of the trouble, told a conference yesterday.
Food allergies 'gone in 10 years' - BBC Health News 08/09/06
Allergy cure just three years away - Daily Mail 08/09/06
Limp reception for salads as diners vote the burger king - The Times 09/09/06
Many restaurants bin more healthy food than they sell as customers choose chips over lettuce.
JAMES CLARKE No Hoff measures - The Times 09/09/06
Baywatch star David Hasselhoff, 54, says he’s given up the booze — but he’s still a workaholic.
SAFER SEATS - The Times 09/09/06
In recent Which? tests of car seats, the following came out on top:
BEST CAR SEATS - The Times 09/09/06
(for children under 3)
The new law - The Times 09/09/06
Shock horror - The Times 09/09/06
BEING prepared for a shock may only make things worse, say psychologists, who report that people who anticipate a disturbing event such as loss or violence are more likely to suffer post-traumatic stress disorder than those who have it come upon them suddenly.
Unions threaten winter of strikes - The Telegraph 11/09/06
The Government last night faced the threat of a winter of public sector strikes involving NHS staff and civil servants as unions demanded the reversal of New Labour policies.
End NHS reforms or my members may vote Tory, warns union chief - The Telegraph 10/09/08
TUC ready for battle over NHS and schools - The Guardian 11/09/06
TUC voices health reforms fears - BBC Health News 09/09/06
Unions vow public services fight - BBC Health News 11/09/06
Ministers could force NHS to tackle spread of drug-resistant TB - The Telegraph 10/09/08
Lung specialists have given a warning that a "super strain" of tuberculosis could take hold in Britain unless the National Health Service is compelled to increase funding of TB clinics.
Nish Joshi's Q &A - The Telegraph 10/09/08
I am 21 and have suffered migraines for nine years. They began with puberty. I don't drink alcohol often, nor eat a lot of red meat. I also cut out dairy for six months - at first this helped, but no longer. I stick to the rules yet still get them, with tight, knotted shoulders and neck, and severe pain behind the left eye. What can be causing them?
Asbos 'badly used' - The Telegraph 09/09/08
The National Association for the Care and Rehabilitation of Offenders (Nacro) will this week call on police and councils to show "realistic understanding" when dealing with care-in-the-community patients.
Scientists reveal how H5N1 kills - BBC Health News 11/09/06
Scientists have discovered a potential reason to explain why the H5N1 strain of bird flu is so much more deadly to people than standard human flus.
Hospital reform plans may stall - BBC Health News 11/09/06
Plans to reorganise hospital services across mid and west Wales may be stalled because of fierce opposition from the public.
Pubs 'healthier' after smoke ban - BBC Health News 11/09/06
The vast majority of bar staff in Scotland believe their workplaces are healthier since the introduction of the smoking ban, according to a new survey.
Doctors warning over NHS reform - BBC Health News 11/09/06
The move to treat more people outside hospitals will be under threat if a key NHS reform is expanded, doctors say.
Mother angry at diagnosis delay - BBC Health News 10/09/06
Hospital bosses in Wakefield are to meet a grieving mother who alleges doctors failed diagnose a tumour growing down her son's spine.
Alzheimer's 'self-defence found' - BBC Health News 10/09/06
Researchers believe that they have found how the body protects itself against diseases like Alzheimer's.
Call to ban pro-suicide websites - BBC Health News 09/09/06
The government should make it illegal for internet sites to incite or advise people on how to commit suicide, a charity says.
Elderly 'at risk of drug errors' - BBC Health News 08/09/06
The elderly are at risk of accidentally harming themselves by taking potentially lethal mixtures of medicines, an expert says.
Surgeon in court over man's death - BBC Health News 08/09/06
A senior surgeon at a County Durham hospital has appeared in court charged with the manslaughter of a patient who had attempted suicide.
Schools set for £30m health kick - BBC Health News 08/09/06
Pupils in Scotland are set to benefit from a £30m investment drive to provide a healthier environment in schools.
Feelings Matter Less To Teenagers, New Research Suggests - Medical News Today 09/09/06
Teenagers take less account than adults of people's feelings and, often, even fail to think about their own, according to a UCL neuroscientist. The results, presented at the BA Festival of Science today, show that teenagers hardly use the area of the brain that is involved in thinking about other people's emotions and thoughts, when considering a course of action.
GPs Show Improved Confidence In Managing COPD Patients, UK - Medical News Today 09/09/06
Over 75% of GPs are more confident in managing COPD now than they were two years ago, potentially due to NICE guidelines and the QOF. However, disappointingly 40% only feel they can stabilise rather than improve the health of their patient, according to a survey of 400 GPs throughout the UK.(1)
'Expert Pharmacists' Get the Go-ahead in the UK - Medical News Today 09/09/06
Patients with long-term conditions will soon be able to manage their diabetes or heart disease when they pop to the shops thanks to a new breed of 'expert pharmacists', Health Minister Andy Burnham announced today.
Commenting on the announcement today by the Department of Health 'Government moves to curb number of ineffective treatments in the NHS', Professor Mayur Lakhani, RCGP Chairman, said: "This move is new and uncharted territory for NICE but one which we believe is very necessary for the NHS. It is essential that money is used for treatments that work and that scarce resources are not used to fund ineffective treatments.
International News
Cocky docs - The Times 09/09/06
WATCH out if your doctor has great confidence in his or her abilities. The higher they rank themselves — particularly in specialised areas — the worse they are likely to perform, reports a survey of more than 2,000 physicians by Toronto University in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Shirt circuit: the fashion for healthy hearts - The Times 09/09/06
HEART on your sleeve? Now you can get the whole shirt, thanks to European scientists who have created a top that monitors your cardiac activity.
Quick march - The Times 09/09/06
THREE or four short, quick walks a day may offer a much better way to keep your blood pressure healthy than going to the gym, claims a study by Indiana University.
New premature ejaculation drug 'effective for all' - Daily Mail 08/09/06
A new drug to treat premature ejaculation is safe and effective, even for men worst affected by the condition, experts said today.
Non-Invasive Treatment For Vascular Disorders And Tumors In The Brain, With Gamma Knife - Medical News Today 10/09/06
A week after graduating from high school, Katherine Coit had brain surgery to remove an abnormal tangle of blood vessels that were bleeding in her brain.
HIV Dependence On A Human Protein, Mayo Researchers Discover - Medical News Today 10/09/06
Mayo Clinic virologists have discovered that a specific human protein is essential for HIV to integrate into the human genome. Their findings show that when HIV inserts itself into a chromosome, a key step that enables it to establish a "safe haven," it requires a specific protein -- LEDGF/p75 (p75). This protein forms a molecular tether between chromosomes and HIV's integrating protein (integrase). If the connection can be disrupted in the future, it might lead to new therapy for HIV or safer methods of gene therapy. The details appear today in the journal Science.
New Insights Into The Cause Of Alzheimer's Disease - Possible Starting Points For Developing Causative Therapies - Medical News Today 10/09/06
“Alzheimer's is a disease of old age,” Dr. Christian Haass, Professor at the Ludwig Maximilian University Munich said at the Berlin conference. In 1992, he succeeded in showing that the insoluble protein fragments that are deposited in the brains of Alzheimer's patients, the so-called amyloid beta, are continually formed in the brain throughout life and are part of the normal aging process. The scientist is convinced that all people, if they lived long enough, would fall ill with this severe degenerative disorder of the brain.
Millions Of People Worldwide Suffer From Alzheimer's - Number Of Cases Feared To Double In Coming Years - Medical News Today 10/09/06
A hundred years ago, the psychiatrist and brain researcher described the first patient with a severe dementia accompanied by the massive loss of nerve cells (neurons). At that time, the disease later named after him was still rare. Alzheimer saw only two cases in his research career, as Dr. Christian Haass, Professor at the Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, Germany, said during the International Conference on Neurodegenerative Diseases held in the Max Delbrück Communications Center (MDC.C) in Berlin.
Permanent Renal Parenchymal Defects After Febrile UTI Are Closely Associated With Vesicoureteric Reflux - Medical News Today 10/09/06
This study from Italy investigated the association of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) and renal scarring. It has been shown that children with a febrile urinary tract infection (UTI) and no VUR may have evidence of renal defects when imaged with scintigraphic studies. Therefore, it has been postulated that VUR is a weak predictor of renal defects.
Venacavoscopy Assisted Inferior Vena Cava Thrombus Resection For T3b/c Renal Cell Carcinoma - Medical News Today 10/09/06
Resection of intrahepatic and suprahepatic inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombi associated with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) can be surgically demanding procedures that can involve multidisciplinary surgical teams. One aspect of the procedure that is approached with trepidation is the actual removal of the vena cava tumor thrombus, which is often done as a “blind” element of the operation. Here, Lowentritt and colleagues describe a very useful surgical adjunct to vena cava thrombectomy, using a flexible cystoscope to perform venacavoscopy, to assist in ensuring complete tumor removal.
Research Looks For Sunburn Treatment - Medical News Today 10/09/06
Researchers are giving people a tan in a bid to find a treatment for sunburn.
New Genetic Risk Factor Linked To Schizophrenia, Particularly In Females - Medical News Today 10/09/06
UCLA scientists have discovered that infants who possess a specific immune gene that too closely resembles their mothers' are more likely to develop schizophrenia later in life. Reported in the October issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics, the study suggests that the genetic match may increase fetal susceptibility to schizophrenia, particularly in females.
Improved Treatment For Infants With Misshapen Heads - Medical News Today 10/09/06
One child in 2,000 in the United States has a misshapen head resulting from a birth defect in which the bones of the skull prematurely close. The condition, called craniosynostosis, can constrict growth of the child's brain and lead to vision problems. An improved treatment option at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian gives surgeons greater control in reshaping the skull.
New Report Suggests Will Power Alone Not Effective In Helping Smokers Quit - Medical News Today 10/09/06
People who wish to stop smoking can significantly increase their chances of success by using medications such as bupropion, nicotine patch, gum, or an inhaler, according to a new report by researchers at the RTI International-University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Evidence-based Practice Center.
Tips To Prevent Hearing Loss - Medical News Today 10/09/06
It's a noisy world. And exposure to loud noises is one of the most common causes of hearing loss. An estimated one-third of Americans older than age 60 have some degree of hearing loss.
Seek Relief For Persistent Toe Pain - Medical News Today 10/09/06
If your big toe is a big pain, a visit to the doctor may be in order.
Incontinence - Taking Charge Of A Common Problem - Medical News Today 10/09/06
If you think you are the only one who experiences involuntary urine loss, think again. It's one of the most common problems, particularly in the menopausal years. Overall, it's twice as common in women as in men.
Budesonide/Formoterol Maintenance And Reliever Therapy Reduces Asthma Exacerbations - Medical News Today 09/09/06
New data published today at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress show that a new treatment approach for asthma, budesonide/formoterol Maintenance And Reliever Therapy (Symbicort SMART™), is more effective than fixed doses of either budesonide/formoterol or salmeterol/fluticasone (Seretide™) plus reliever medication in reducing all forms of exacerbations.(1)
Antibiotic-resistant Bacteria Responsible For Increase In Muscle Infections, Study Shows - Medical News Today 09/09/06
Researchers in Houston, Texas have found two bacterial muscle infections common in tropical countries becoming more frequent occurrences along with the emergence of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA), according to a study published in the Oct. 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, now available online.
Genome Code Cracked For Breast And Colon Cancers - Medical News Today 09/09/06
Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center scientists have completed the first draft of the genetic code for breast and colon cancers. Their report, published online in the September 7 issue of Science Express, identifies close to 200 mutated genes, now linked to these cancers, most of which were not previously recognized as associated with tumor initiation, growth, spread or control.
Environmental Toxins May Cause Body's Defenses To Worsen Lung Disease - Medical News Today 09/09/06
The University of Cincinnati (UC) has received $2.4 million to study whether environmental toxicants can stimulate the body's natural defense system to cause additional damage in people with chronic lung diseases.
Violence And Persecution Causing Insecurity And Precarious Living Conditions For 33 Million People Globally - Medical News Today 09/09/06
MSF launches national tour of interactive exhibit to raise awareness of plight of refugees and internally displaced persons.
Hormone-replacement Therapy Causes Hearing Loss, Study Finds - Medical News Today 09/09/06
The largest study ever to analyze the hearing of women on hormone-replacement therapy has found that women who take the most common form of HRT have a hearing loss of 10 to 30 percent more compared to similar women who have not had the therapy. The results are being published on-line this week by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
A Second Dimension To Alzheimer's Disease Suggested By StudyF
The genes responsible for an inherited form of Alzheimer's disease play a direct role within cells that has largely been overlooked, according to a report in the September 8, 2006 issue of the journal Cell, published by Cell Press. The findings suggest that there may be an additional dimension to the irreversible neurodegenerative disorder, which potentially suggests a new avenue for the pursuit of therapies, the researchers said.
Key Step In Cocaine-Induced Heart Enlargement, Sudden Death Identified By Researchers - Medical News Today 08/09/06
Cocaine, in concentrations commonly sold on the street, causes the abnormal buildup of primitive proteins in heart muscle - a process causing heart enlargement that can ultimately lead to sudden death, report researchers at the University of South Florida College of Medicine and James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital.
Study Illuminates How The Plague Bacteria Causes Disease - Medical News Today 08/09/06
The bacteria responsible for the plague and some forms of food poisoning "paralyze" the immune system of their hosts in an unexpected way, according to a new study in the September 8, 2006 issue of the journal Cell, published by Cell Press.
Sinovac Announces Its Clinical Trial Results Of A Pandemic Influenza (H5N1) Vaccine Are Published By The Lancet - Medical News Today 08/09/06
Sinovac Biotech Ltd. (Sinovac) (Amex: SVA) announced that its paper of clinical trial results, named 'Safety and immunogenicity of an inactivated adjuvanted whole-virion influenza A (H5N1) vaccine: a phase I randomized controlled trail", was published as an online article for The Lancet today.
Low-Dose Orlistat Provides Significant Weight Loss And Multiple Health Benefits - Medical News Today 08/09/06
Low-dose orlistat (60 mg) along with a reduced-calorie diet provides meaningful weight loss and improves cholesterol and blood pressure levels in overweight and obese individuals, according to findings presented today at the 2006 International Congress on Obesity (ICO) in Sydney, Australia.
Improved Treatment Raises Medulloblastoma Survival Rate - Medical News Today 08/09/06
A team of investigators led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital announces that improvements in the treatment of the childhood brain cancer medulloblastoma have significantly increased the rate of survival of children with this disease.
Exposure To Light Can Help Reduce Medical Errors And Improve Patient Outcomes In Hospitals; Linked To Depression And Stress - Medical News Today 08/09/06
Research evidence shows that appropriate exposure to natural and artificial light in hospitals and clinics is critical to the health and well-being of patients and staff.
Cheshire and Merseyside News
Why did it take NINE months to tell us why our dad died - Liverpool Echo 08/09/09
A GRIEVING family are waiting for a report into a father's death, nine months after he died following a care home fall
Health fair will show off range of PCT services - Runcorn World 08/09/06
HALTON'S Primary Care Trust (PCT) holds its annual general meeting this month.
Campaigning for cancer research - Runcorn World 08/09/06
PLAN for our future! That's the plea to politicians this week from Halton cancer campaigners as the NHS Cancer Plan for England runs out in 2010.
Greater Manchester News
Pensioner takes NHS protest to High Court - Manchester Evening News 09/09/06
A PENSIONER fighting to save wards at her local hospital will today discover if the pressure group she leads has won its case - or whether she will face a crippling legal bill.
Two held over hospital theft - Manchester Evening News 09/09/06
FRAUD officers swooped on two catering workers suspected of stealing from Manchester Royal Infirmary.
MPs back cancer patients ID scheme - Bolton Evening News 08/09/06
TWO local MPs are backing a scheme led by young patients at Christie Hospital, known as "The Christie Crew" to end discrimination by pubs and clubs against young cancer patients.
Support for ‘shop a smoker’ line - Bolton Evening News 08/09/06
HEALTH chiefs in Bolton have welcomed plans to launch a "shop a smoker" hotline when the national smoking ban is introduced next summer.
