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50 years of smoking research by Professor Richard Doll

Smokers die ten years younger than non-smokers, according to a 50-year-long study of smoking and death among British doctors. Smokers who quit, even up to the age of 50 can still halve their risk of dying.

22 Jun 2004

Erectile dysfunction and type 2 diabetes could mean heart disease

Men who had silent, or symptomless, coronary artery disease (CAD) and type 2 diabetes were nine times as likely to have erectile dysfunction (ED) as were diabetic men who did not have silent heart disease.

22 Jun 2004

Report shows the health of Australians continues to improve

A comprehensive report shows the health of Australians continues to improve and as a nation we are healthier than we’ve ever been.

21 Jun 2004

Cutting down on cigarettes may actually increase consumption of smoke, carbon monoxide and nicotine

Smokers who pride themselves on successfully cutting back as a step toward quitting tobacco altogether may be caught in a haze of self-deception.

21 Jun 2004

Cooking with gas increases risk of respiratory illness in young children

Cooking with gas seems to increase the risk of respiratory illness, indicates research in Archives of Disease in Childhood.

21 Jun 2004

Heart attack patients are discharged without evidenced-based, guideline recommended, life-prolonging therapies

Heart attack care is more likely to match recommended guidelines when health care providers use standardized forms and other reminders, and institutional systems reinforce goals for treatment and patient lifestyles, according to a new study in the June 16, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

16 Jun 2004

Joint initiative to tackle cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke

Three of the nation’s leading not-for-profit health agencies today announced a joint initiative to empower Americans to help lower their risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke by following a single set of recommendations.

16 Jun 2004

Geneticists determine the lack of chromosomes

A healthy person’s genome contains 46 chromosomes, but an individual cell can contain less. Contemporary methods allow to determine the value of losses rather accurately. The Tomsk researchers’ effort has been supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research.

15 Jun 2004

Canadian smoking survey finds kids still ignoring warnings

Between 1994 and 2002, the rate of smoking among Canadian youths in Grades 5 to 9 declined by more than half, according to new data from the Youth Smoking Survey.

15 Jun 2004

Education improves health situation in Puerto Rico

The health situation of people in Puerto Rico is improving markedly as a result of better promotion and education efforts, according to Dr. Johnny V. Rullán, secretary of health of Puerto Rico.

15 Jun 2004

New report outlines New Yorkers health problems

New York City residents are living longer than ever, but our city still faces significant health problems. In a new report, the leading causes of preventable illness and death in New York City are outlined.

15 Jun 2004

Mercy & Unity Hospitals to become completely tobacco free

Beginning July 1, Mercy & Unity Hospitals will be tobacco free. This means that smoking or the use of tobacco products will not be allowed in the buildings, on the grounds or in parking areas of the hospitals or its owned and leased facilities.

14 Jun 2004

Canadians advised of stronger warnings for selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors and other newer anti-depressants

Health Canada is advising Canadians that Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and other newer anti-depressants, now carry stronger warnings. These new warnings indicate that patients of all ages taking these drugs may experience behavioural and/or emotional changes that may put them at increased risk of self-harm or harm to others.

11 Jun 2004

Stigma attached to lung cancer can have serious consequences on people's lives

The stigma attached to patients with lung cancer can have serious consequences on people's lives, finds new research on www.bmj.com. Anti-smoking campaigns can often add to this stigma by reinforcing the view that patients are to blame for their disease.

11 Jun 2004

UK pharmacists to become more hands on

Pharmacists already help in areas such as stopping smoking, sexual health advice and substance misuse. The government would like them to do even more and get involved in aspects of care such as checking people's blood pressure and even measuring blood glucose.

11 Jun 2004

AMA urges government to scrap Parental Access To Information Bill

The Bill would allow parents and guardians access to HIC information about children under 16 years of age [currently access is allowed for children under 14] – even if the children have their own Medicare cards.

10 Jun 2004

Epilepsy drugs can increase the rate of bone loss in older women

Epilepsy drugs can increase the rate of bone loss in older women, according to a study published in the June 8 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

9 Jun 2004

Junk food manufacturers should be banned from targeting unhealthy products at children

The BMA's Annual Conference of Public Health Medicine called on the government to ban television advertising of junk foods before the watershed, and on all channels aimed at children.

7 Jun 2004

BMA Scotland response to launch of consultation on smoking in public places

Responding to the launch of the Scottish Executive's public consultation on smoking in public places, Dr Bill O'Neill, Scottish Secretary of the BMA said: "I am pleased that the Scottish Executive has finally succumbed to public pressure and launched a consultation into the creation of more smoke free public areas.

7 Jun 2004

British people unaware that cervical cancer is linked to human papillomavirus (HPV)

Most people in the UK do not know that cervical cancer is linked to a common sexually transmitted virus, according to a Cancer Research UK study published on (Monday).

7 Jun 2004