News: September 2005
Seven million children to be vaccinated as Afghanistan strives to eradicate polio
Activated Vitamin D and NSAIDs Form One-Two Punch Against Prostate Cancer Cells
Breakfast Consumption and Body Mass among U.S. Adults
Researchers have examined data from the fourth National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2000, to find out about relationships between breakfast consumption and body mass index in adul...
NHS Confederation calls for complete smoking ban in pubs and clubs
The NHS Confederation (UK) is calling for a complete ban on smoking in all pubs and clubs but warns that funding to help primary care trusts support smokers who quit the habit must be maintained.
Pomegranate fruit shown to slow cartilage deterioration in osteoarthritis
Pomegranate fruit extracts can block enzymes that contribute to osteoarthritis according to recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition. The study investigated the ability of an extract of p...
Gluten-Free Boom Presents Opportunities for Retailers
Research suggests that the need for a gluten-free diet is much higher than predicted. Experts about gluten-free diets are advising retailers to prepare to meet the needs of this growing niche.
Mental health service users praise their care, but gaps still exist
WHO announce global partnership to take immediate action to help women and children survive
The world’s leading maternal, newborn and child health professionals have joined forces to increase efforts to achieve the international development goals for child and maternal health. The new par...
UK student nurses to receive bursary payments throughout pregnancy and childbirth
Students of nursing and midwifery diplomas in England will continue to receive their NHS bursary payments throughout pregnancy and childbirth. Interim arrangements backdated to June 1st 2005 aim to...
Neurodegenerative disease targeted in UK government's drive for new medical treatments
Joint replacement cartilage to be grown in lab prior to surgery
Fish oils shown to be beneficial to dyspraxic children
Fish oil has been found to help dyspraxic children, in particular concerning their reading abilities and behaviour, according to a recent study by Oxford University researchers published in Pediatr...
Gaps in intestinal barrier could cause Crohn's Disease
The villi lining the human bowls are covered in epithelial cells that are constantly renewed. Researchers have found that this renewal process leaves small gaps in the lining of the bowel which, in...
Link Suggested Between Regions on Two Chromosomes and Manic Depression
An international research team investigating a possible link between bipolar disorder and two chromosomal regions in the human genome has found strong genetic signals on chromosomes 6 and 8. The te...
Hypnosis and pain, even for cystoscopy procedures
Medics can now use the power of thought to avoid the acute discomfort associated with a cystoscopy - a procedure in which a thin probe is inserted into a male urethra. Based on news from the Austra...
Acupuncture tackles heartburn
Acupuncture could be the answer for heartburn, but further research is needed. Two experiments explored how the traditional Eastern method of acupuncture might affect transient lower oesophageal sp...
Holistic mental health care trial at Wollongong University, Australia
A team of researchers in Australia is developing a treatment and training program that could revolutionise mental health care. Their method involves training mental health workers in a new approach...
Reverse shoulder replacement surgery helps patients with arthritis and rotator cuff tears
In standard replacement surgery, the ball on the humerus is removed and replaced with a metal implant that fits into a new plastic socket in the scapula. In the reverse shoulder replacement, the su...
UK Chief Medical Officer concludes British Pregnancy Advisory Service did not break the law
89% of people would want to know if they had dementia – but many people are still not told
Structural study will help develop new asthma and allergy treatments
Researchers have discovered the structure of a molecule that regulates levels of the key antibody involved in allergic reactions and asthma. IgE has been revealed by researchers in Oxford and Londo...
High exposure to motor oil increases chances of developing arthritis
Men who have been highly exposed to motor or hydraulic oil have a higher risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) than other men according to a recent study in Sweden. Exposure only increased t...
Findings explain aspirin-induced ulcers and other side-effects
High doses of aspirin can cause ulcers and temporary deafness but the biochemical mechanism responsible for these phenomena has never been deciphered. New research from Rice University in Texas off...
Baltimore woman gives birth to quintuplets
A Baltimore woman delivered quintuplets by Caesarean section on September 21 at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. At birth, the babies - four girls and one boy - ranged in wei...
Cholesterol drugs can prevent heart attacks and strokes regardless of presenting cholesterol levels
Statin drugs could help in a wider range of patients than currently considered for treatment. Doctors need to identify all patients at risk of a heart attack or stroke and prescribe a statin at a ...
OHSU and NASA work together to improve childbirth safety
A new study called Using Military and Aviation Simulation Experience to Improve Rural Obstetric Care aims to reduce errors in emergency, high-risk births by bringing the benefits of NASA's simulat...
Imaging tracer clarifies cause of chest pain up to 30 hours after pain stops
Research has shown that a radioactive compound can show images of heart damage up to 30 hours after a brief interruption of blood flow and oxygen. This might help physicians determine if a patient'...
Food Intolerances ? Chef Offers Creative Ways to Avoid Wheat, Dairy, and Eggs
As the incidence of food sensitivities increase, the demand for Dr Fenster’s culinary creativity also increases. NIH (USA) found that nearly three million people need to avoid wheat due to an autoi...
UK Junior Doctors' Leader warns that doctors' training is at risk in a market-led NHS
Increased competition in the NHS in the UK risks the quality of medical training according to the new leader of the UKs 49,000 junior doctors. Dr Jo Hilborne, who has been elected chairman of the B...
Mental Health Foundation (UK) says that latest government guidelines are helpful but insufficient
Newcastle researchers find that seaweed could make junk food healthier
Junk food could be made healthier by the addition of an extract of an exotic type of seaweed - according to recent research at Newcastle University, England.
Children at risk if their mothers had stressful pregnancy
Lifesaving drug for eclampsia and pre-eclampsia in pregnant women too cheap to be marketed
A life-saving drug to treat seriously-ill pregnant women in Africa is not widely available, in part because it's too cheap. Magnesium sulphate is a low-cost but effective treatment for eclampsia an...
Myelin Suppresses Plasticity in the Mature Brain
Researchers have reported genetic evidence for the idea that myelination, or formation of a protective sheath around a nerve fiber, consolidates neural circuitry by suppressing plasticity in the ma...
Ohio State University encourages increased awareness of women with epilepsy
The researchers reported that few of the physicians surveyed understood that hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle of women who have epilepsy can affect seizure frequency, and most were ...
