National and International News
So which is the right diet for you? - The Observer 20/11/05
Books are flooding the shops for the post-Christmas slimmers' fever. Amelia Hill offers a guide
The superfood making its way on to everyone's dinner table - The Observer 20/11/05
It is a favourite of Jamie Oliver, Weight Watchers and champions of healthy eating. It was on the menu at Buckingham Palace earlier this month when the Queen entertained China's President at a state banquet.
Health watchdog warns on drink law - The Observer 20/11/05
Environmental health officers are warning that new licensing laws coming into effect this week will place such a huge strain on them that public health will suffer.
Business phenomenon of the century - The Observer 20/11/05
The Government wants social enterprises to run public services in an outsourced welfare state. But are they serious? If not, big business will get the cream and Tony Blair's planned legacy could be destroyed
Bird flu vaccine 'fast-tracked' - BBC Health News 18/11/05
International health ministers have agreed moves to speed up production of a pandemic flu vaccine.
Child deaths raise bird flu drug fears - The Times 19/11/05
Ministers agree bird flu moves - Daily Mail 18/11/05
European Medicines Agency update on the safety of Tamiflu - Medical News Today 20/11/05
Tamiflu, FDA panel gives it the all clear - Medical News Today 19/11/05
International Health Ministers Agree Action on Pandemic Flu - Medical News Today 20/11/05
FDA Advisory Committee Affirms Safety of Tamiflu in Children - Medical News Today 19/11/05
Bird flu, Indonesian President asks for international help - Medical News Today 19/11/05
Bird flu: if symptoms persist, consult your stockbroker... - The Observer 20/11/05
An exclusive report from the Westgate by David Rose - The Observer 20/11/05
It's a prison within a prison. A unit designed to treat the country's most dangerous men. An exclusive report from the Westgate by David Rose
The big cover-up - The Observer 20/11/05
Their own mothers did not wear the veil but in the post 9/11 era, many young Muslim women in Europe see covering themselves as an act not of self-erasure but of power and freedom. But how do others in the West feel about this sign of radical Islamic identity: does it raise uncomfortable questions for all of us?
Therapy for those seeking sicknotes - The Observer 20/11/05
People seeking sickness benefits will be sent for therapy under plans to tackle the stress and mental burnout fuelling Britain's sick-note culture.
The government will avoid controversy by outsourcing to socially aware business - The Observer 20/11/05
Baroness Thornton of the Social Enterprise Coalition reveals why the sector's profile is on the rise
Warning on rail crossings as toll soars - The Observer 20/11/05
Forty people have been killed on level crossings since Britain's last major fatal train accident at Ufton Nervet a year ago.
A bigger splash - The Observer 20/11/05
Greenwich Leisure Ltd is this year's enterprising solutions overall winner for achieving business and social goals renovating rundown sports centres
'We give 110 per cent to the business' - The Observer 20/11/05
A company formed seven years ago to provide meaningful employment to people with learning difficulties has flourished and diversified,yet remains faithful to its original remit
Reaching across the divide in Northern Ireland sparks an enterprise revolution - The Observer 20/11/05
Northern Ireland's pioneering Bryson House is redefining business practice with a self-help spirit
Meet the social entrepreneurs - The Observer 20/11/05
Three top leaders in the sector offer their take on what it means to be a social entrepreneur
Behind closed doors - The Observer 20/11/05
They won't record and they certainly won't tour, but for this band, music is a lifeline in a grim world. Martin Hodgson reports on a pioneering scheme inside one of Britain's most notorious jails
Work stress linked to ill health - The Guardian 19/11/05
Misery at work can make you mentally and physically ill, according to research involving more than a quarter of a million employees around the world. The analysis of 475 studies shows an overwhelmingly clear link between job dissatisfaction and burnout, lowered self-esteem, anxiety and depression.
A high price for NHS winter cuts - The Guardian 19/11/05
It is not NHS trusts that will "experience pain locally" (NHS ordered to make 700m winter cuts, November 17), but patients for whom the NHS exists when their community hospitals are closed and their acute hospital services are downgraded and merged to balance the accounts.
Stretched to breaking point? - The Guardian 19/11/05
The right to request flexible hours has proved hugely successful, and is set to be extended. But, finds Andrew Shanahan, dissenting voices from employers - and nine-to-fivers - are starting to be heard
There's no such thing as the European Union - The Guardian 19/11/05
Tales of mystery and imagination must be confronted. In a week that gave us the man who cured himself of HIV and the mobile phone with a brother-tracking option, nothing was as slippery as the EU's accounts. Imagine our surprise when we found they made no sense for the 11th year running and nobody was overly bothered. Were our accounts unverifiable to the tune of £62bn in a single tax year, we'd have had to surrender the house. And the telly.
Natural health therapist Emma Mitchell answers your questions - The Guardian 19/11/05
I have always had quite a lot of saliva (and been complimented on it by several dentists). Recently, however, possibly due to stress, I have found myself swallowing and gulping almost constantly to get rid of the excess. Can you suggest any natural remedies?
Capital letters - The Guardian 19/11/05
The bird flu panic advert that had you flying off the handle I was appalled by the Bird Flu Panic advert in Guardian Money last Saturday. This asserts that up to a quarter of the UK population could die within 18 months, that there are "easily available natural remedies that outperform anti-viral drugs in medical trials" and "you could make serious short-term money from the bird flu hype in the media". Who placed the advert
The rise and fall of 'Il nonno' - The Guardian 19/11/05
When a lonely old man advertised in an Italian newspaper for a family to adopt him as their grandad, offers flooded in from all over the world. So why, just one year later, has Giorgio Angelozzi died all alone in hospital? Sophie Arie reports
Your questions answered by fitness expert Joanna Hall - The Guardian 19/11/05
I am considering having liposuction to address my long-term weight problem: I have always wanted to be thinner, not just to look better but to be healthier, too. Will this help?
No proper toilets for third of the world's population - The Guardian 19/11/05
More than a third of the world's population lacks access to adequate sanitation, according to a survey by the British charity WaterAid. In a report marking World Toilet Day today, the organisation has compiled an international "bogroll of dishonour" designed to shame countries into improving facilities.
Link http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1646153,00.html
Poor sanitation 'fatal' - Daily Mail 18/11/05
So, you've got divorced. Now for the hard bit - The Guardian 19/11/05
Catherine Williamson on the four golden rules of parenting after family breakdown
Seven triggers to overeating - The Guardian 19/11/05
You may think you're hungry, but are you? Jacqui Ripley reports on the stimulants that can get your mouth watering
Questions behind the news - The Guardian 19/11/05
There is no evidence anyone with HIV has ever managed to get rid of the virus, but this week a man claimed to be the first to beat the infection.
A new way of raising pensions - The Guardian 19/11/05
This week's prediction that the national pension commission, due to report on November 30, will propose raising the age of retirement from 65 to 67 for everyone should come as no surprise. In its interim report last year, the commission set out the stark facts. Up to 40% of the workforce - about 12 million people - are not saving enough for old age. Add to that the remorseless retreat by both employers and successive governments from funding what was once a tripartite pension system, and the future looks even more dire. Unless a combination of three options - working longer, higher pension contributions and more tax - is applied, the next generation of pensioners is likely to suffer a worse plight than those currently retired. The commission estimated pensioners' income was set to fall by an average of 30% over the next 30 years.
Labour minister linked to potentially faulty vaccine - The Independent 20/11/05
A vaccine company run by multi-millionaire Labour donor turned minister Lord Drayson is reported to have risked the health of thousands of schoolchildren.
Women with a D-cup bra size are more likely to get breast cancer - The Independent 20/11/05
Women with a large bra size at a young age are more likely to develop premeno-pausal breast cancer, according to the results of a Harvard University study.
Late licences to fuel 500m alcohol boom - The Sunday Times 20/11/05
LATE-NIGHT drinking laws are predicted to fuel an estimated £500m increase in sales of beer, wine and spirits, undermining government promises to end Britain’s binge culture.
Twitches that indicate alcohol may hurt baby - The Sunday Times 20/11/05
SCIENTISTS have captured graphic images of the damage done to unborn babies as a result of women drinking during pregnancy.
Hospital cuts costs by moving cancer patients to hotels - The Sunday Times 20/11/05
UP TO a third of cancer patients at a leading NHS trust will be moved out of wards and put up in nearby hotels under plans to save tens of millions of pounds on hospital beds.
Women failed by ‘sham’ of free IVF - The Sunday Times 20/11/05
THOUSANDS of women in their late thirties are being denied fertility treatment on the National Health Service by trusts that have failed to meet a government deadline to offer in vitro fertilisation (IVF).
NHS mess - The Sunday Times 20/11/05
At last it is realised the fiasco that is Choose and Book (News, last week), one of the modernisation strategies of the government. The whole concept is farcical. The only choice is the date and time of the appointment. Although you can choose to go to another hospital miles away, you cannot specify which consultant.
Smoke ban attack on Reid - The Sunday Times 20/11/05
DUNCAN Bannatyne, the millionaire star of the Dragons’ Den television series, has accused John Reid, the UK defence secretary, of cowardice for watering down a ban on smoking in public places, writes Jason Allardyce.
More Scots left waiting to see NHS specialists - The Sunday Times 20/11/05
SEVEN times as many patients are waiting more than than a year to see a hospital specialist than when Labour came to power.
Comment: Doctors against euthanasia - The Sunday Times 20/11/05
WAS concerned by the views of Dr Gordon Peterkin, who was reported as supporting legalising euthanasia/assisted dying as suggested by MSP Jeremy Purvis (News, last week). While I have sympathy for those who have had a distressing experience at the time of a loved one’s death, in my experience people are not poorly cared for in their last days.
Ireland: Is it time to pop the biotech pill? - The Sunday Times 20/11/05
The biotechnology sector is becoming attractive to investors again, but the risks will always be huge, writes Joe Brennan
What do people do in coffee shops? - The Times 19/11/05
UNIVERSITY researchers who spent three years investigating the rise of the “cappuccino culture” in Britain, have concluded that high street cafés are convivial places where people go to enjoy others’ company.
Asthma drugs must carry tough warning - The Times 19/11/05
THE makers of three bestselling asthma drugs have been told by US regulators that they must carry new warnings.
Glaxo hit by asthma drug ruling - The Sunday Times 20/11/05
FDA calls for stronger warnings on asthma drugs - Reuters 20/11/05
FDA calls for stronger warnings on asthma drugs - Reuters 19/11/05
Pregnant women turn to Catholic Church for help in record numbers - The Times 19/11/05
THE number of pregnant women seeking financial and emotional support from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland has reached record levels.
Nursing alert over ageing workforce - The Times 19/11/05
NURSING leaders in Scotland have given warning that action must be taken to prevent a staffing crisis as the profession’s workforce gets older.
Nursing crisis looms, says RCN - The Observer 20/11/05
Benefits system ‘too complex’ - The Times 19/11/05
The benefits system is too complicated and is vulnerable to high levels of fraud and error, a National Audit Office report has said. The report says that years of changes in legislation have made the system too complex, and that an estimated 2.6 billion was lost in the past year because of fraud and human error. It said that complexity “is perhaps one of the most important issues” affecting the performance of the Department for Work and Pensions.
First time unlucky - The Times 19/11/05
BEWARE. Having the wrong attitude when losing your virginity can ruin your sex life — for life.
Dealt a bad hand - The Times 19/11/05
Casino deregulation plays straight to our brains’ blindspots
Tracking the smoking gene - The Times 19/11/05
A DNA test claims to identify the perfect quit-smoking strategy. Are there any butts?
Dr Copperfield: inside the mind of a GP - The Times 19/11/05
If you ask people to name “their doctor”, most will nominate their GP. On their many “patient journeys” they will meet a variety of medical staff, variously addressed as “Mister”, “Doctor” or, if things look serious, “Prof”.
Junk medicine: cancer reporting - The Times 19/11/05
Next week the University of Sheffield is hosting a conference on hype in cancer reporting. Under the title The Greatest Breakthrough since Lunchtime, experts will ruminate on how cancer research can be presented to the public in a more balanced and less excitable way.
Please, sir, I want more - The Times 19/11/05
Proof of the puddings: as Jamie Oliver prepares to dish out awards for improved school dinners, Janice Turner asks if his plan has been a success
Loved by the littler Britons - The Times 19/11/05
Little Britain is huge with kids but should we let them laugh at gay, fat and disabled people? Yes, says Emma Cook: studies show itâ??s crucial for their brains
The science behind a comfortable night's sleep - The Times 19/11/05
Tossing and turning into the wee hours? A new breed of bed can tell if you're awake or ill, give massages, kill parasites, control temperature and may even promote healthy slumber
Air-con for your mattress or another bedtime story? - The Times 19/11/05
You know the feeling. Fifteen minutes in bed and you’re boiling. So you kick off the covers and, seconds later, you’re feeling vulnerable. So you put them back on again and start to suffocate. So you put one leg under the covers and one leg over and you drift off — only to wake in the night with what feels like frostbite.
Inside story: head over heels for a better life - The Times 19/11/05
How cartwheels and swimming relieved the pain of a spine-fusing illness for Jacqueline Bealing
Agony aunt: Irma Kurtz: Wants it all, and right now - The Times 19/11/05
I recently split up with my boyfriend of two years. He has been hinting at getting back together. He is lovely, but I feel that he can’t commit. What should I do?
A-Z of relationships: p is for pity - The Times 19/11/05
Can we love someone we pity? From the fairytales of our childhood to the celebrity stories of today, the underling does have a habit of finding love.
Playing doctor and nurse - The Times 19/11/05
I have been married for 20 years and our sex life has become a little flat. My wife suggested we try role play. Do you have any ideas?'
Is his problem a write-off? - The Times 19/11/05
My son, who is nearly 9, has just had developmental co-ordination disorder diagnosed and he has problems writing. He writes slowly, gets letters the wrong way round and the result is often illegible. His teacher feels that it is too late to help him and that when he gets to secondary school he will probably do all his work on a computer. Should we just wait for this?
Over the counter: pholcodine for coughs - The Times 19/11/05
Brands Benylin Children’s Dry Coughs, Care Pholcodine Linctus, Pavacol-D
Lunchtime fix: teeth whitening - The Times 19/11/05
It’s hard to believe that, not so long ago, the only way to create a perfect smile was to replace your teeth with dentures. Zoom, the latest whitening technique, is a UV laser treatment that aims to make yellowing pegs six shades lighter.
It works for me: aromatherapy massage: making scents of pain - The Times 19/11/05
Critics dismiss aromatherapy as a cranks’ remedy. But one woman claims it cured severe period pain
Home remedies: yoghurt for thrush - The Times 19/11/05
Helen Bailey, a reader, writes in to say that she read years ago that the bacteria in live yoghurt combat all kinds of thrush. As it’s a cheap, readily available and eco-friendly remedy, she gave it a go and found that it really does work.
Just as sweet as a chestnut - The Times 19/11/05
High in fibre and vitamin C, these deserve to be stars, not just festive helpers
At your table: lentils - The Times 19/11/05
The Times nutritionist sets your pulses racing this winter
Menu mentor - The Times 19/11/05
Jane Clarke's weekly guide to nutritious but delicious eating out: Tiger Lil's
He goes with the floe - The Times 19/11/05
One man’s ability to raise his body temperature allows him to swim in icy seas
Not just anybody: Harry Hill - The Times 19/11/05
How the fit and fabulous stay that way. Comedian Harry Hill, 41, trained as a doctor before discovering that laughter is the best medicine
Why the au pair may be damaging children's speech - The Telegraph 20/11/05
Foreign au pairs left in sole charge of young children are fuelling language development problems, according to speech therapists.
Now let us hallucinate - The Telegraph 20/11/05
Colum Stapleton's initiation into an Amazonian religion and its exotic drugs rituals came in the most unlikely of surroundings - a community hall in rural Northern Ireland.
Doctors sidestep laws to import stem cell 'bank' - The Telegraph 20/11/05
A vast "bank" of human stem cells is to be brought to Britain, bringing hope of new cures for fatal genetic diseases but fuelling ethical concerns about embryo research.
Violent patient must pay NHS staff 1,600 - The Telegraph 19/11/05
A patient who attacked a nurse and security guard was ordered to pay them £1,600 yesterday after a rare private prosecution by the National Health Service.
Drug policy teacher had heroin in her car - The Telegraph 19/11/05
A teacher responsible for implementing her school's drugs policy has been banned from teaching for four years after police found heroin with a street value of £480 in her car.
New drinks law 'delays disorder for an hour' - The Telegraph 19/11/05
Changes to the licensing laws due to start next week will merely shift outbreaks of town centre violence and loutish behaviour back to between midnight and 1am, it was claimed yesterday.
Binge pubs can be closed within a week - The Telegraph 20/11/05
Labour doesn't understand the British drinker - The Telegraph 20/11/05
Comment: Alan Massie: Change drink culture, not law - The Sunday Times 20/11/05
Drink - What kind of drinker are you? - The Independent 20/11/05
24-hour licences: Coming soon to a pub near you... - The Independent 20/11/05
'I was ashamed, anguished, full of fear and self-loathing' - The Independent 20/11/05
2,000 years of binge drinking - The Independent 19/11/05
The IoS Questionnaire - The Independent 20/11/05
Women 'suffer menopause in silence' - Daily Mail 20/11/05
Women are suffering in silence as they struggle to cope with menopausal symptoms because they are too embarrassed to talk to their partners, research shows.
Public inquiry call over TB jabs - Daily Mail 20/11/05
A drugs firm owned by a Government minister stayed silent over thousands of faulty vaccinations, it has been revealed.
Women in cervical cancer study - Daily Mail 20/11/05
Young Scottish women have been given a vaccine designed to eradicate cervical cancer as part of a worldwide study.
'Climate change could hit health' - Daily Mail 20/11/05
Warm and stormy winters and hotter, drier summers in the future will have a significant impact on the nation's health, says a report.
Alarming health effects of global warming - Medical News Today 19/11/05
Depression gene discovered - Daily Mail 18/11/05
Researchers have hailed the discovery of a new gene linked to depression as a step towards unravelling the mystery of mental illness.
'Lack of care contributed to death' - Daily Mail 18/11/05
The lack of post-operative care provided by a private hospital contributed to the death of one of their employees, an inquest jury found.
Man sentenced over nurse attack - Daily Mail 18/11/05
A man escaped a jail sentence after being prosecuted by the NHS for carrying out an unprovoked attack on a nurse which left her cut, bruised and extremely distressed.
Supermarket applauds royal support - Daily Mail 18/11/05
Sales of foods used as natural remedies have soared since the launch of a report commissioned by the Prince of Wales, a supermarket has said.
Psychologist suspended over reports - Daily Mail 18/11/05
A psychologist who lacked the expertise to write a forensic report for a child rape case was found guilty of professional misconduct.
Gene controlling fear discovered - BBC Health News 20/11/05
Scientists have discovered a gene that appears to control whether fear reactions to impending danger are appropriate or not.
Scientists find fear gene - Reuters 17/11/05
Anti-malaria traits 'cancel out' - BBC Health News 20/11/05
Two genetic traits that give Africans natural protection against malaria appear to cancel each other out when they occur together.
Best hit with 'severe infection' - BBC Health News 19/11/05
Former Manchester United football star George Best is back in intensive care after suffering a "big setback".
George Best develops new lung infection - The Telegraph 19/11/05
Ailing George Best goes back on life support - The Sunday Times 20/11/05
Breastfeeding cuts gut disorder - BBC Health News 19/11/05
Breastfeeding may protect children against the gluten intolerance known as coeliac disease, research suggests.
'Fragile skin gene' killed baby - BBC Health News 19/11/05
Scientists have solved the mystery of a skin condition that killed a newborn boy five years ago in the Netherlands.
Placenta clues to heart disease - BBC Health News 18/11/05
Women who have problems of the placenta during pregnancy are at increased risk of early heart disease, a study shows.
Industry backs outright smoke ban - BBC Health News 18/11/05
The UK hospitality and leisure industry has called on MPs to implement a blanket ban on smoking in public.
'Tourists' harming India's health - BBC Health News 18/11/05
Health tourists are helping destabilise India's health system, doctors claim.
Indians suffer poor health services while private sector expands for foreigners - Medical News Today 20/11/05
Viagra may be useful for serious lung disease - Reuters 20/11/05
Treatment with Viagra (sildenafil) can improve exercise capacity and functional ability in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, a serious disease involving high pressure in the blood vessels that enter the lungs, new research suggests.
Heavy antibiotic use may raise lymphoma risk - Reuters 20/11/05
Using antibiotics more than 10 times in childhood increases the likelihood of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), a cancer that affects the body's lymphatic system, new research suggests.
Hormone levels may be increased in SIDS - Reuters 20/11/05
Higher levels of the hormone testosterone are found in victims of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) than in infants who have died suddenly from other causes, results of a multicenter study suggest.
Puffing on a hookah may lead to gum disease - Reuters 18/11/05
Though water pipes are widely viewed as a "safer" way to smoke, they may be as damaging to the teeth and gums as cigarettes are, a new study suggests.
Folk remedy oils can cause infant pneumonia - Reuters 18/11/05
The traditional practice of using vegetable or other oils to soothe infants' stomachs and stuffy noses can put them at risk of a form of pneumonia, according to doctors.
Malaria may boost mother-child HIV infection -study - Reuters 18/11/05
Women who are HIV positive may be more likely to pass the virus to their children during pregnancy if they are also infected with malaria, scientists in Cameroon said on Friday.
Pregnancy problem linked to heart disease risk - Reuters 18/11/05
Women who suffer certain complications during pregnancy are more likely to develop premature cardiovascular disease, according to a study published on Friday.
One third of cancer deaths avoidable - Reuters 18/11/05
If people avoided major risk factors for cancer, more than a third of the 7 million annual deaths from the disease could be prevented, scientists said on Friday.
British HIV patients show increasing drug resistance - Reuters 18/11/05
People infected with the HIV virus in Britain have one of the highest levels of drug resistance in the world, and the rate is increasing, researchers said on Friday.
Birth defects a concern with fertility technique - Reuters 17/11/05
Children conceived by an assisted reproduction technique called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) do not have delayed or abnormal development, a study shows. However, they do appear to be at higher risk for birth defects.
Problem-solving abilities taxed by stress - Reuters 17/11/05
Stressful situations interfere with mental agility, according to findings presented this week at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Washington, DC.
Care outside hospitals - BMA proposals for White Paper, UK - Medical News Today 20/11/05
A future picture of care outside hospitals where, alongside normal GP surgeries, patients have access to a new-style community-based resource equipped with diagnostic facilities, outreach specialist services and social services staff, is painted in the British Medical Association's (BMA's) submission to the Government's White Paper consultation YOUR HEALTH YOUR CARE YOUR SAY.
Twins' lower IQ levels than single-born children not down to social factors - Medical News Today 20/11/05
Social and economic circumstances do not explain why twins have significantly lower IQ in childhood than single-born children, according to a study in this week's BMJ.
Symbicort Maintenance and Reliever Therapy is Highly Effective Compared with Any Dose of Seretide - Medical News Today 20/11/05
New clinical trial data, published today in the European Respiratory Journal (ERJ)1, reveals that AstraZeneca's novel treatment concept - SYMBICORT® Maintenance And Reliever TherapyTM - is highly effective compared with SeretideTM (fluticasone/ salmeterol). The study also provides further evidence that a treatment regimen using just one inhaler for patients day-to-day needs, maintenance and relief, is at least as effective in a real world setting to multiple inhaler therapy with Seretide plus Ventolin. The study was performed over a one-year period during which clinicians could increase or decrease patients' maintenance therapy to maintain asthma control.
New labelling on foods still not clear enough for allergy sufferers - Medical News Today 20/11/05
Safety for people with food allergies will be boosted later this month when new European laws will force manufacturers to label their food more accurately, but the laws do not offer full protection, says an editorial in this week's BMJ.
Postural stability is a more valid measure of stability than equilibrium stability - Medical News Today 20/11/05
Postural Stability Index (PSI), a newly proposed measure of stability, is a more valid measure of stability than equilibrium score (ES) traditionally used by researchers, therapists, and physicians for assessing stability in individuals with balance problems.
Clinical coding excellence recognised in industry awards, UK - Medical News Today 20/11/05
CHKS Ltd, the leading provider of analytical benchmarking to the NHS, has presented awards to ten clinical coders for obtaining a Distinction in the ACC (Accredited Clinical Coder) Exams. Developed in partnership with the Institute of Health Record Information and Management (IHRIM), the qualification is based on standards set by Connecting for Health and promotes the importance of clinical coding in today's NHS.
Ischemia training and low-resistance exercise increase muscle endurance - Medical News Today 20/11/05
A new study demonstrates that a combination of ischemic training and low-resistance exercise increases leg extension exercise endurance.
New European HIV Treatment Guidelines Recommend Boosted Invirase® As A First Choice Treatment For Patients Starting Therapy - Medical News Today 20/11
New European Guidelines for the Clinical Management and Treatment of HIV Infected Adults published today recommend boosted Invirase® (saquinavir mesylate) as a first choice protease inhibitor for patients starting antiretroviral treatment.1 A twice daily dose of saquinavir/ritonavir 1000/100 mg in combination with other antiretrovirals offers physicians and patients proven effective control of the HIV virus.2,3 Furthermore, Invirase is now available in a more convenient dosing schedule as the recently approved 500 mg formulation reduces the daily Invirase pill count from ten to four tablets.
Roll Back Malaria Partners Challenged To Look At Malaria from a Gender Perspective as 5th Forum Kicks Off - Medical News Today 20/11/05
Ministers of Health, lead UN agencies, AIDS and malaria activists, non-governmental organizations, private sector and key malaria stakeholders, who gathered today at Forum V opening ceremony, were urged by Yvonne Chaka-Chaka, UNICEF Ambassador for malaria, to ensure that preventive and control measures reach women adequately to achieve sustainable impact in the fight against malaria.
ReNeuron announces first results from key pre-clinical safety studies with its lead ReN001 stem cell line for stroke - Medical News Today 20/11/05
ReNeuron Group plc (LSE: RENE.L) today announced that it has generated provisional pre-clinical data indicating that its lead ReN001 cell line for stroke does not form tumors following implantation. The ability to demonstrate a lack of tumorigenicity in vivo is one of the principal safety hurdles that must be overcome before regulatory authorities will allow commencement of human clinical trials using stem cell-based therapies.
Which cells are important in mounting an antibody response to invading microbes, Yale School of Medicine - Medical News Today 20/11/05
A report in Nature November 17 by Yale School of Medicine researchers emphasizes which cells are important in mounting an antibody response to invading microbes.
Improving the Transition to End-of-Life Care - Medical News Today 20/11/05
New Book by NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell's Dr. Joseph Fins Helps Clinicians, Patients, and Family Members Make the Transition.
Cancer's Passive and Aggressive Nature Protects it From The Immune System - Medical News Today 20/11/05
Researchers at City of Hope Cancer Center - in work initiated at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute - have found that a protein believed to play a major role in the development of cancer by promoting tumor growth, and by "cloaking" malignant cells, also disables the immune system. The study is published in the Nov. 20, 2005, online edition of the scientific journal Nature Medicine: www.nature.com/nm. This finding is significant because it adds to the understanding of the development of cancer and could lead to new strategies to prevent or treat the disease.
Benefits of Inovio's Selective Electrochemical Tumor Ablation Therapy as Head and Neck Cancer Treatment Option - Medical News Today 20/11/05
Inovio Biomedical Corporation announced today that the European Journal of Surgical Oncology published an article, entitled "The role of intratumour therapy with electroporation and bleomycin in the management of advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck." Co-authors of the article were Dr. David Bloom, now at the Department of Otolaryngology/ Head and Neck Surgery, Portsmouth Naval Hospital, Portsmouth, Virginia and Dr. Paul Goldfarb, Consulting Medical Director at Inovio Biomedical and Clinical Professor of Surgery at University of California, San Diego, California.
Body landmarks identify spinal alignment of person seated in wheelchair - Medical News Today 20/11/05
The spinal alignment of a wheelchair-seated person using front-body landmarks is identified in this study. Ten volunteers without spinal problems assumed 16 sitting positions while the thoracic and lumbar spines were examined.
Wide Angle Mobility Lamp improves nightime mobility in persons with night blindness - Medical News Today 20/11/05
The Wide Angle Mobility Lamp (WAML), a low-vision mobility device used by people experiencing night blindness but few daytime travel problems, provides travel assistance more similar to that of daytime travel than the ITT Night Viewer (ITT), according to a new study.
Early life stress linked to teenage mental problems - Medical News Today 20/11/05
Research conducted at the Oregon National Primate Research Center at Oregon Health & Science University and at the University of Pittsburgh suggests a strong link between significant stress early in life and the increased incidence of mental health problems during adolescence. The research strengthens the case for proactive treatment or counseling of children who undergo a significant early-life stress. The research is being presented during the Society for Neuroscience meeting in Washington, D.C., Nov. 12-16. The meeting is one of the largest and most respected gatherings of neuroscientists in the world.
HIV/AIDS Review Journal To Launch in January 2006 - Medical News Today 20/11/05
"Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS," Current Opinion: The journal, the 25th title in the review-journal series published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, will debut in January 2006 and include six editions annually. The journal will present analysis and examination by leading experts of significant research developments involving HIV/AIDS within the past year (LWW release, 11/16).
China Denies Reports of Plans To Build Prisons for HIV-Positive Inmates - Medical News Today 20/11/05
China on Thursday denied reports that Guangdong province has plans to build prisons to house its HIV-positive inmates, saying the government will improve existing facilities, AFP/Yahoo! News reports (AFP/Yahoo! News, 11/17). Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Liu Jianchao said, "China will increase facilities in the present prisons to provide free examinations and treatment for AIDS prisoners in order to give them better medical care" (Reuters, 11/17). Officials in the Guangdong Bureau of Justice earlier this month said that the provincial government within the next two years plans to build at least two prisons to house its HIV-positive inmates. The unnamed sources said government agencies were selecting sites for the construction of the prisons but did not provide any further details. Since the province identified its first HIV-positive inmate in 2000, officials have reported about 1,000 HIV cases among prisoners, according to the justice bureau (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 11/15).
Many Physicians, Patients Do Not Comply With Black Box Warning Labels on Medications - Medical News Today 20/11/05
Patients and physician often do not comply with black box warnings -- the strongest warning that FDA can issue -- on prescription drugs, according to a study published on Friday in the journal Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety, the Wall Street Journal reports. For the study, researchers from Harvard Medical School and several hospitals and health plans examined claims data for almost one million patients enrolled in 10 health plans nationwide. Researchers also examined black box warning compliance for a smaller group of patients who received one of 19 medications. The study found that black box warning compliance ranged "from extremely good for certain drugs that can't be taken during pregnancy to poor for others that should be followed with regular diagnostic tests," the Journal reports. For example, valproic acid -- a treatment for epileptic seizures, migraines and bipolar disorder -- includes a black box warning about liver toxicity that recommends physicians conduct liver tests on patients "prior to therapy and at frequent intervals thereafter." The study found that physicians issued 48.6% of valproic acid prescriptions without an initial liver test and that physicians did not conduct ongoing tests 29.5% of the time. Anita Wagner, the lead author of the study and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, said that pharmacists and regulators "need to find out how we can communicate the content of the warning clearly to clinicians and patients" (Forelle, Wall Street Journal, 11/18).
Using email for health research, moral and ethical issues - Medical News Today 20/11/05
Email provides exciting new opportunities for health researchers but also raises a wide range of moral and ethical issues, according to a paper in the latest Journal of Advanced Nursing.
Human embryonic stem cells converted into cartilage cells, Imperial College London - Medical News Today 20/11/05
Scientists from Imperial College London have successfully converted human embryonic stem cells into cartilage cells, offering encouragement that replacement cartilage could one day be grown for transplantation.
Global signaling study suggests cancer link to protein promiscuity - Medical News Today 20/11/05
When found at abnormally high concentrations, two proteins implicated in many human cancers have the potential to spur indiscriminate biochemical signaling inside cells, chemists at Harvard University have found. Their finding may expand scientists' current understanding of oncogenesis -- that cancer arises when an oncoprotein becomes overactive, ramping up the biochemical pathways that it normally activates -- suggesting that an important additional mechanism could be the inappropriate activation of numerous secondary pathways.
Apo A-I Milano gene transfer and antibody therapy cut atherosclerotic plaque, studies show - Medical News Today 20/11/05
Cardiology researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have found that a single injection of a harmless virus engineered to carry a beneficial, mutant gene enabled animals to manufacture their own supply of the gene's protein product that protects against plaque buildup in blood vessels. As a result, the amount of plaque was significantly reduced, as was an immune reaction that can lead to plaque buildup and rupture, which can cause a blocked artery and heart attack or stroke.
UCLA scientists report promising new molecular approach to fighting schizophrenia - Medical News Today 20/11/05
In new research that helps to reveal the nature of schizophrenia at the cellular level, UCLA scientists report the discovery of unique DNA sequence variations associated with increased risk for schizophrenia, impairments in short- and long-term memory, and other cognitive deficits.
Drug may fight lupus and atherosclerosis at the same time - Medical News Today 20/11/05
People with lupus are prone to premature accelerated atherosclerosis. Now scientists at Wake Forest University School of Medicine think they have a way to prevent or decrease this atherosclerosis and prevent heart attacks.
Statins may stimulate stem cells for heart repair - Medical News Today 20/11/05
The drug pravastatin, which is used widely to decrease high cholesterol, may provide a previously unknown cardiovascular benefit in addition to lowering lipids.
Pregnant women need HIV testing to protect themselves and their babies - Medical News Today 20/11/05
All pregnant women need to know their HIV status to help protect themselves and their unborn babies, says a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at the Medical College of Georgia.
Illegal drug use could account for 1 million visits a year to emergency care in England - Medical News Today 20/11/05
Illegal drug use could account for up to 1 million visits a year to emergency care departments and 400,000 admissions to hospital in England, suggests research in Emergency Medicine Journal.
In vivo Evaluation of Radioprotection by the Fullerene CD60_DF1 Using a Zebrafish Model - Medical News Today 20/11/05
As beneficial as chemotherapy and radiotherapy are in managing cancer, these treatments can cause harm to normal tissue by producing stress on cells. One particularly harmful result is the production of hydroxyl radicals, in which water atoms in a cell exposed to radiation split apart, creating high reactive oxygen free radicals capable of damaging cellular molecules. Radiation can damage epithelial cells and lead to permanent hair loss, among other effects, and certain types of systemic chemotherapy can produce hearing loss and damage to a number of organs, including the heart and kidneys.
First Human Phase I Trial of Plasmid IL-12 Electro Gene Therapy in Patients with Malignant Melanoma - Medical News Today 20/11/05
In a bid to turn the human immune system against cancer, researchers have tried a number of different strategies to deliver the powerful immune system stimulant interleukin 12 (IL-12) to tumor cells. But an optimal anti-tumor effect has not been achieved. When injected as a recombinant protein, IL-12 produced toxic side effects, and varied attempts at gene therapy have show only limited success.
Two genetic traits giving Africans malaria protection lose effectiveness when they occur together - Medical News Today 20/11/05
Two genetic conditions--sickle cell trait and a mild version of the blood disorder known as thalassemia--that by themselves give millions of Africans natural protection against malaria, can be rendered essentially useless when they occur together, according to a new study of Kenyan children that is to be discussed today at the Fourth Multilateral Initiative on Malaria Pan-African Malaria Conference in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Diabetes Associated With Increased Risk of Colorectal Cancer, Meta-Analysis Finds - Medical News Today 20/11/05
Most, but not all, studies of diabetes and colorectal cancer risk have found a positive association between the conditions. The findings have also been inconclusive with regard to sex and colorectal subsite. To resolve these inconsistencies, Susanna C. Larsson, M.Sc., of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis of published data on the association between diabetes and the incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer.
Alzheimer's disease, brain imaging studies reveal clues to its progression - Medical News Today 20/11/05
A novel imaging agent heralded for its potential to diagnose Alzheimer's disease during life is now giving researchers information never before available about how and where the disease progresses in the brain. Results of this new research involving Pittsburgh Compound-B (PIB) - which binds to the telltale beta-amyloid deposits in the brain of Alzheimer's patients - were presented by University of Pittsburgh researchers today at Neuroscience 2005, the 35th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, being held Nov. 12-16 in Washington, D.C.
Treating kids with heart rhythm problems more successfully and with less risk - Medical News Today 20/11/05
A University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center team today is reporting high levels of success, and lowered risk and radiation dose, from a new approach to treating children with rapid heartbeats and other heart rhythm conditions.
Some heart failure patients on beta blockers should no be on them - Medical News Today 20/11/05
A Johns Hopkins study has raised doubts about a long-accepted notion of what's going on in many cases of heart failure, suggesting that nearly half of patients with the disorder may be getting the wrong treatment for their disease.
Doctors often fail to give heart-protecting drugs to people with severe leg blood vessel blockages - Medical News Today 20/11/05
Despite the fact that clogged arteries in the legs usually mean clogged arteries near the heart, doctors often fail to give heart-protecting drugs to people with severe leg blood vessel blockages, a new University of Michigan-led study finds.
Australian Health Minister Upholds Ban on Mifepristone - Medical News Today 20/11/05
Australian Health Minister Tony Abbott on Tuesday upheld a ban on mifepristone after advice provided by the Department of Health and Ageing raised "serious" concerns about the drug's risks, the Australian reports (Maiden, Australian, 11/16). The ban -- which was initiated by Brian Harradine, a former Tasmanian senator and abortion-rights opponent, and passed in 1996 -- requires that women apply to the federal health minister for approval to use mifepristone (Stafford, Australian Financial Review, 11/16). Chief Medical Officer John Horvarth in his advice to Abbott said approximately eight of 100 women taking mifepristone would require urgent post-abortion care or dilation and curettage, according to the Australian. Horvarth also cited a warning issued in the U.S. over a risk of septicemia among women who use the drug (Australian, 11/16). FDA in July issued a public health advisory warning physicians to watch for any signs of sepsis or other infections among women taking Danco Laboratories' Mifeprex, which FDA approved in 2000 for the termination of pregnancies of 49 days or less (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 8/15). However, Horvath noted that the role of mifepristone in cases of sepsis is not known. Australian medical groups and members of opposition parties accused Abbott of using antiabortion ideology and not science to make his decision. Australian Medical Association Senior Obstetrician Andrew Pesce said the advice released by Abbott is "skewed to the risk in a specific situation," adding that "the worst-case scenario is not a fair way to present the reality of the risks and benefits" of mifepristone. Democrat and Labor party lawmakers have called for a conscience vote on Abbott's decision. Democrats leader Lyn Allison also asked Prime Minister John Howard to overrule Abbott's decision and lift the ban on mifepristone (Australian Financial Review, 11/16).
Report on Using HIV Viral Load as Measure of Quality of Care; AIDS Epidemic Among Black Americans; Coalition To Secure CARE Act Reauthorization - Medical News Today 20/11/05
"The Role of the Viral Load as a Measure of the Quality of Care for People Living With HIV: The Expert Meeting Report," New York State Health Department's Health AIDS Institute: The report -- written by a panel of HIV clinicians from New York -- discusses proposals made by some experts to use viral load suppression rates to gauge quality of care, thereby providing a process for accountability. It also addresses concerns about whether to use viral load to measure quality-of-care monitoring practices despite a lack of published resources. The report includes a review of the resources pertaining to the topic, a summary of presentations and discussions of panel members and the group's recommendations (Hirschhorn et al., "The Expert Meeting Report," 9/9).
Sweet snacks could be best medicine for stress - Medical News Today 20/11/05
Researchers from the University of Cincinnati (UC) have found that eating or drinking sweets may decrease the production of the stress-related hormone glucocorticoid--which has been linked to obesity and decreased immune response.
Kidney failure, hypertension in children, topics of findings from nephrologists at Texas Children's Hospital - Medical News Today 20/11/05
Two studies just released by physicians at Texas Children's Hospital are addressing new findings in patients with pediatric kidney failure, and on the growing prevalence of high blood pressure in children. The findings of both studies were released during a press conference at Renal Week 2005, the 38th annual conference of the American Society of Nephrology.
New generation of insulin pump - Starbridge secures global diabetes contract - Medical News Today 19/11/05
Starbridge Systems Limited today announced that it had signed a binding term sheet agreement with Medical House Products Ltd, a subsidiary of The Medical House plc. (AIM:MLH) the drug delivery and orthopaedic devices company. The two companies have agreed to collaborate in the development and commercialisation of Starbridge Systems' STARLET insulin delivery product for people with diabetes. The terms of the agreement also provides TMH with exclusive, worldwide marketing and distribution rights for the product once the appropriate regulatory approvals have been achieved.
Teenage pregnancy - the reason why confidentiality law must be upheld - Medical News Today 19/11/05
Jenny Billings, Research Fellow in the Centre for Health Services Studies at the University of Kent, has responded to the current controversy surrounding the legal challenge to a law that allows young girls to have abortions without parental knowledge by saying, ‘Confidentiality is at the forefront of teenagers' minds when they are using sexual health services.'
Novel pancreatic cancer vaccine nudging survival rates higher - Medical News Today 19/11/05
A novel vaccine for pancreatic cancer appears to be nudging survival rates higher, say researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Their study, the first reported phase II study of a vaccine to treat this often lethal disease following surgery, has found in an early analysis that 88 percent of 56 patients tested are alive a year after treatment, and that two year survival is 76 percent. Researchers say that represents a significant bump over historical survival statistics, which are approximately 60 and 40 percent, respectively.
New drugs in the pipeline for public health diseases - Medical News Today 19/11/05
Swedish chemists synthesizing substances for blood clots, malaria, and hepatitis C.
World first test of sun-damaged skin launched - Medical News Today 19/11/05
A world-first test that assesses the damage people have done to their skin through sun exposure is being launched to the public at clinics throughout the UK.
Patients more willing to consider self-injectable HIV therapy than many physicians anticipate, study - Medical News Today 19/11/05
Initial results from the OpenMind study, the largest behavioural study to look at both patients' and physicians' perceptions of HIV care in treatment-experienced patients, were revealed today at EACS. The study's findings are anticipated to help physicians implement improved care to HIV patients and help pave the way for better acceptance and integration of other new innovative drugs such as monoclonal antibodies that are increasingly being developed for the management of HIV and other diseases.
New Code of practice for pharmaceutical industry revealed, UK - Medical News Today 19/11/05
Details of the revised and updated ABPI Code of Practice that governs the UK-based pharmaceutical industry's relations with healthcare professionals and other stakeholders were published today. The new code comes into effect on January 1, 2006.
Bonviva intravenous injection for postmenopausal osteoporosis confirmed effective over 2 years - Medical News Today 19/11/05
An intravenous (I.V.) injection of the new osteoporosis drug called Bonviva (ibandronate), administered every two or three months, has been shown to be highly effective and well- tolerated over two years1. These results, from the DIVA study, were presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in San Diego, USA and suggest that the I.V. formulation of ibandronate may offer an effective alternative for a select group of women with postmenopausal osteoporosis who are unable to take oral bisphosphonates.
Actemra monotherapy significantly slows down damage to joints in patients with early aggressive rheumatoid arthritis - Medical News Today 19/11/05
Roche announced the results of the first Phase III study in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) conducted by Chugai in Japan which are being presented at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Annual Scientific Meeting in San Diego, USA. These data conclude for the first time that Actemra in monotherapy shows superiority to conventional disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in inhibiting radiographic progression of joint destruction. The data also show Actemra dramatically improves the painful and disabling symptoms of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
2nd Phase II Trial with Trovax® in Renal Cell Carcinoma, Oxford BioMedica - Medical News Today 19/11/05
Oxford BioMedica announced today that the first patient has been treated in a second Phase II trial with TroVax in combination with interleukin-2 (IL-2) in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). There are now five Phase II trials ongoing with TroVax in RCC and colorectal cancer.
FDA approves updated labeling for GSK's LEXIVA - Medical News Today 19/11/05
GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved GSK's application to add clinical data to the prescribing information for LEXIVA® (fosamprenavir calcium), an HIV protease inhibitor (PI). The newly added information shows that simultaneous administration of LEXIVA in combination with esomeprazole (Nexium®) does not result in lowering of blood levels for LEXIVA. This update is based on a study showing that blood levels of LEXIVA remained unchanged when patients took LEXIVA and 20 mg once-daily esomeprazole simultaneously. Drug interactions that result in lower PI blood levels may increase the risk for virologic failure in patients treated with HIV protease inhibitors.
GSK statement on FDA proposed labeling change for Serevent and Advair - Medical News Today 19/11/05
GlaxoSmithKline disagrees with the FDA's proposed product labeling changes for Serevent and Advair, because they are inconsistent with established NIH treatment guidelines and the standard of care for asthma treatment, which could put many patients at risk of uncontrolled asthma.
Nogo Receptor Could Play Role in Progression of Parkinson's Disease - Medical News Today 19/11/05
Biogen Idec announced that scientists have discovered that a receptor in the central nervous system (CNS) may have a specific function in the neurons that degenerate during the progression of Parkinson's disease.
Multiple sclerosis, FDA acceptance of supplemental biologics license application and priority review designation for Tysabri® - Medical News Today 19/11/05
Biogen Idec and Elan Corporation, plc announced that the supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for TYSABRI® (natalizumab) for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) has been accepted and designated for Priority Review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
FDA asks for new warnings on 3 asthma drugs, long-acting beta 2-adrenergic agonists - Medical News Today 19/11/05
The FDA has asked that a new warning be placed on labels of Serevent and Advair (GSK) and Foradil (Novartis). The warning should advise patients that they may face increased risk of severe, possibly fatal, asthma attacks. The drugs, known as long-acting beta 2-adrenergic agonists, are used to prevent asthma attacks; they relax the bronchial muscles.
Active psoriatic arthritis patients on REMICADE® achieve major clinical response in arthritis - Medical News Today 19/11/05
Long-term data show inhibition of structural damage and sustained improvement in functional status and quality of life.
Walking speed predicts health status and hospital costs for frail elderly patients - Medical News Today 19/11/05
Walking speed screening during hospital admission could help clinicians identify patients who will need the most care in the first year post-hospitalization.
Word-recognition assessment in noisy background, hearing loss - Medical News Today 19/11/05
Research shows that digit pairs or digit triplets can be used to assess the ability of older listeners with hearing loss to understand conversations in background noise.
Readers with low vision prefer hybrid-diffractive lenses - Medical News Today 19/11/05
More readers with macular loss prefer hybrid-diffractive lenses for prescription, according to a new study.
Smart wheelchairs offer independent mobility to people with severe disabilities - Medical News Today 19/11/05
A summary of the state-of-the-science and future directions for research on Smart wheelchairs is presented in this study.
Centocor & Schering-Plough next generation biologic promising in Phase 2 rheumatoid arthritis trial - Medical News Today 19/11/05
Results from a Phase 2 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) study assessing the safety and efficacy of golimumab (CNTO 148), a fully-human anti-TNF-alpha therapy, showed that it achieved the primary endpoint of the study. In this dose-ranging trial, more than 60 percent of patients with moderately to severely active RA treated with golimumab and methotrexate (MTX) experienced at least 20 percent improvement in arthritis symptoms at week 16. Additionally, one-quarter of patients receiving golimumab and MTX achieved remission as evaluated by Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28). These findings will be presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology 2005 Annual Scientific Meeting.
Antidepressants potentially misused in treating adolescents, Stanford study finds - Medical News Today 19/11/05
When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declared in 2004 that certain antidepressants are linked to an increased risk of suicide in adolescents, there was surprisingly little data about how depression was being treated in young patients. Now new research from the Stanford University School of Medicine provides critical documentation of the potential misuse of these medications in the years leading up to the FDA's decision to issue the so-called "black-box" warnings.
Decaffeinated coffee may be harmful to heart health - Medical News Today 19/11/05
Decaffeinated - not caffeinated - coffee may cause an increase in harmful LDL cholesterol by increasing a specific type of blood fat linked to the metabolic syndrome, hints a new study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2005.
CBS' '60 Minutes' To Profile Bono's Efforts to Involve Conservative Christians in Global HIV/AIDS Fight - Medical News Today 19/11/05
CBS' "60 Minutes" on Sunday is scheduled to air a segment profiling Irish musician Bono -- who co-founded the AIDS, debt relief and trade advocacy group DATA -- and his efforts to involve conservative Christians in his work to fight HIV/AIDS worldwide. In the interview, Bono says he was "very angry" that conservative Christians were "not involved more in the AIDS emergency," and told them they were "ignoring" the situation. According to Bono, his strategy worked and "they said, 'Well, you're right, actually ... and we're sorry. We'll get involved.' And they did" (Bradley, "60 Minutes," CBS, 11/20). A partial transcript and video preview of the segment in RealPlayer are available online.
PRI's 'The World' Interviews Surgeon General Carmona on Efforts To Raise U.S. Awareness of Global Health Threats - Medical News Today 19/11/05
The global impact of HIV/AIDS "encircles" the U.S. and its "ramifications are rippling," Surgeon General Richard Carmona said on Thursday in an interview on "The World" -- a co-production of BBC World Service, PRI and WGBH Boston. Carmona spoke about his efforts to raise U.S. awareness of global health threats. According to Carmona, the average U.S. resident has a stake in preventing HIV/AIDS worldwide because "civilizations are wiped out, futures are lost, economic catastrophe ensues [and] whole continents are devastated" as the virus spreads. According to Carmona, his role "truly is a global position" and he anticipates presenting this year the "first-ever Surgeon General's call to action on global health," a document that will describe to U.S. residents the importance of global health and emerging infections worldwide. Carmona said that even if diseases, such as tuberculosis and malaria, are not represented within U.S. borders, they have economic, social and health implications and U.S. residents should be concerned about their spread for humanitarian, moral and ethical reasons, as well as for self-preservation (Mullins, "The World," PRI, 11/17).
Weight loss for obese adults, lifestyle change plus medication better than medication alone - Medical News Today 19/11/05
A new study shows that treatment with a lifestyle modification program of diet, exercise and behavioral therapy when used in combination with the weight loss medication sibutramine (Meridia®) resulted in significantly greater weight loss among obese adults than treatment with the medication alone. The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, appears in the November 17, 2005 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine and was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Accurate and rapid method of diagnosing bacterial meningitis - Medical News Today 19/11/05
University of Sydney researchers at Westmead Millennium Institute develop an accurate and rapid method of diagnosing bacterial meningitis.
Battle to beat superbugs wins bio-firm top honour - Medical News Today 19/11/05
A fledgling bio-business developing products to combat deadly hospital infections like MRSA has won a prestigious industry award.
High ozone levels and underweight births - Medical News Today 19/11/05
Babies born to women exposed to high ozone levels during pregnancy are at heightened risk for being significantly underweight, according to researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.
Alzheimer's disease, cholesterol treatment, including statins may slow progression - Medical News Today 19/11/05
Cholesterol lowering drugs, including statins, may slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease, concludes a study in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
Malaria, RTS,S vaccine candidate protects children for at least 18 months - Medical News Today 19/11/05
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Biologicals, the Hospital Clínic of the University of Barcelona, the Manhiça Health Research Centre (CISM), and the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI) today released new data on the duration of efficacy of GSK Biologicals' malaria vaccine candidate, RTS,S/AS02A, in children. A follow-up to the landmark six-month efficacy study results published by The Lancet in 2004, today's findings show that RTS,S/AS02A remained efficacious over an 18-month observation period.
Denosumab, shows increased bone mineral density, Amgen - Medical News Today 19/11/05
Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN), the world's largest biotechnology company, today announced that twice-yearly subcutaneous injections of denosumab (60 mg), (previously referred to as AMG 162), increased bone mineral density (BMD) in the lumbar spine, total hip, distal 1/3 radius and total body compared to placebo at 24 months. The study also included an open label Fosamax®* (alendronate) arm. Investigators reported on a pre-planned exploratory analysis at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in San Diego, California.
Association Between Colorectal Cancer Risk and Levels of Fat Cell Hormone - Medical News Today 19/11/05
High plasma levels of adiponectin, an insulin-sensitizing hormone secreted by fat cells, are associated with a decreased risk of colorectal cancer, a new study has found.
Multiple Sclerosis, COPAXONE® may repair nerve damage - Medical News Today 19/11/05
Clinical research data published in the December issue of Multiple Sclerosis provided evidence that COPAXONE® (glatiramer acetate injection) may offer protection from axonal injury and induced neuronal metabolic recovery in patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).
Lower calorie consumption may reverse early-stage Parkinson's disease - Medical News Today 19/11/05
A new Oregon Health & Science University and Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center study suggests that early-stage Parkinson's disease patients who lower their calorie intake may boost levels of an essential brain chemical lost from the neurodegenerative disorder.
People with, without autism use brain to process faces in similar way - Medical News Today 19/11/05
New brain imaging research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill indicates that when people with autism look at a face, activity in the brain area that responds is similar to that of people without autism.
Synaptic connections need nurturing to retain their structure and keep outsiders at bay - Medical News Today 19/11/05
The role of Cbln1 offers a new vision for how the adult brain retains its correct circuitry and how lack of such proteins might contribute to nervous system diseases.
Cambodian Boat Racing Festival Includes Crew Comprising Primarily HIV-Positive Members - Medical News Today 19/11/05
Cambodia's annual three-day water festival, which began on Tuesday in the capital city of Phnom Penh, this year includes the first-ever boat-racing crew comprising mainly HIV-positive people, BBC News reports. Forty-five people on the 55-member team are HIV-positive. The team -- whose boat is called "Fighting HIV/AIDS" and whose uniforms say, "Turn discrimination into action" -- aims to reduce HIV/AIDS-related stigma by showing their racing abilities. The crew is competing along with about 400 other boats from around the country. However, the team will provide the only HIV/AIDS awareness messages at the festival, as the government has asked television networks not to air awareness advertisements during this year's events. Although HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns have been "highly visible" at previous water festivals, the organizing committee this year believed such messages would "give the wrong impression of Cambodia to foreign tourists," according to BBC News (De Launey, BBC News, 11/16).
How you feel is partly down to genetics - Medical News Today 19/11/05
You can blame your parents for your hair that frizzes in high humidity and for your short stature. And now researchers at Saint Louis University School of Public Health say your genetic makeup partly dictates how physically and mentally healthy you feel.
Cause of Ronald Reagan's and Margaret Thatcher's hand disease - Medical News Today 19/11/05
A crippling condition that can result in sufferers losing their fingers is to be investigated by scientists in one of the most detailed studies into the genetic causes of the disease ever carried out.
Brain scan, cerebrospinal fluid analysis may help predict Alzheimer's disease - Medical News Today 19/11/05
A combination of brain scanning with a new imaging agent and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis has left neuroscientists encouraged that they may finally be moving toward techniques for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease before its clinical symptoms become apparent. "When clinical symptoms start, the disease process has already been at work in the patient for many years and possibly even decades," explains Anne Fagan Niven, Ph.D., research associate professor of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "Up to 30 percent of neurons in vulnerable areas are already dead, and you can't get them back. So finding markers that can help us identify patients prior to symptoms is really our big push now."
Aspirin can significantly reduce the risk of stroke in women, not men - Medical News Today 19/11/05
A meta-analysis of more than 95,000 patients has shown that aspirin can significantly reduce the risk of stroke in women, but it appears to have no protective effect in men, according to a new analysis by Duke University Medical Center cardiologists.
