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Heart failure patients are "a country" in Europe, there are so many

The number of hospitalizations for heart failure is about the same as for acute myocardial infarction. Our knowledge over acute heart failure patients treated at hospitals for heart failure is based on surveys. In Europe the information is still scarce but emerging especially through the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Euroheart survey program.

5 Sep 2005

Double standards in British Government anti-smoking campaign

The British Medical Association has warned that the Government's anti-smoking campaign launched today (5/9/05) smacks of double standards if it doesn't take action to protect the health of all workers from second-hand smoke.

5 Sep 2005

Researchers to test whether cannabinoids can help chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients

Researchers from Imperial College London are looking for volunteers to test whether cannabinoids, the active ingredient of cannabis, can be used to alleviate the sensation of breathlessness caused by illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

4 Sep 2005

Legs For Life free national screening program can save legs

The screening is essential for diabetics in order to prevent amputation, heart attack and stroke, because one-third have PAD, but most do not present classic symptoms.

1 Sep 2005

Human Y chromosome stays intact while chimp Y loses genes

The human and the chimpanzee Y chromosomes went their separate ways approximately 6 million years ago. But ever since this evolutionary parting, these two chromosomes have experienced different fates, new research indicates.

1 Sep 2005

Women may not be accurately reporting how many cigarettes they smoke daily during pregnancy

Studies that report lower smoking rates during pregnancy may be flawed by the social stigma attached to mothers-to-be who light up but don’t admit it, suggests a new analysis.

1 Sep 2005

Smokers are significantly less likely to seek dental care than nonsmokers

...according to data from a nationally representative sample of 15,250 American adults. The finding holds true regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, location and insurance coverage.

1 Sep 2005

Study results counters the popular belief that nicotine exposure curbs appetite

A new study by Yale researchers shows that prior nicotine exposure in mice can increase their motivation to respond work for food, weeks after their last exposure to nicotine, a finding that runs counter to the popular belief that nicotine exposure curbs appetite.

31 Aug 2005

Genetic makeup may detemine likely success of quit smoking therapies

A study by researchers at the Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center (TTURC) of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine indicates that a smoker's genetic make-up may affect whether they quit or not while using either bupropion (Zyban) or nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) such as the nicotine patch or nasal spray.

30 Aug 2005

Neurotransmitter orexin influences reward processing - associated with pleasure and reward pathways in the brain

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered that the recently identified neurotransmitter orexin (also known as hypocretin) influences reward processing by activating neurons in the lateral hypothalamus region of the brain.

28 Aug 2005

Campaign for tougher anti-smoking laws stepped up

The British Medical Association (BMA) has stepped up it's campaign for tougher anti-smoking laws with a blunt warning to the health secretary, Patricia Hewitt, that her current plans are a virtual death sentence for some bar staff.

25 Aug 2005

Study continues to support margarine's use in heart-healthy diets

A new study gives the "thumbs up" to soft, trans fat-free margarines in terms of foods that can help reduce the risk of heart disease.

25 Aug 2005

What possible argument is there for NOT implementing a total ban?

In its response to the Government’s proposals for tobacco legislation in England and Wales, the British Medical Association - BMA has said there is no justification for pubs and restaurants to have a longer lead-in time to go smokefree than other businesses or for there to be any exemptions for non-food pubs.

25 Aug 2005

Argument smoulders on while groups argue about total smoking ban

A new survey in the UK is suggesting that the majority of people in England and Wales would support a complete ban on smoking in workplaces.

22 Aug 2005

Mom and Dad's disapproval a greater deterrant than the law when it comes to drugs and alcohol

Latest survey shows steep rise in students attending schools with access to drugs.

21 Aug 2005

Tobacco control and healthier diets are key to cutting heart deaths

Encouraging everyone to stop smoking and eat healthier is four times more effective at reducing heart deaths than current government initiatives that target patients who already have heart problems, finds a study published online by the BMJ today

16 Aug 2005

Nicotine patch dosage can be adjusted to provide more effective treatment for smokers with a history of alcoholism

Tobacco-caused disease is the leading cause of death for patients with alcoholism, but a study led by The Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center brings hope to non-depressed, recovering alcoholics who also smoke - individualized nicotine patch therapy. The findings were published in the July issue of Journal of Studies on Alcohol.

15 Aug 2005

People who drink alcohol have a lower risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

People who drink alcohol have a lower risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) than non-drinkers, researchers at Yale's Department of Epidemiology and Public Health (EPH) write in an article published in Lancet Oncology.

15 Aug 2005

Lung cancer cure possible with early screening

Recent reports in the media of the deaths of well known people from lung cancer and the surprising news that Dana Reeve, the non-smoking wife of the late Christopher Reeve has the disease, has re-ignited concerns about the so-called 'silent killer', lung cancer.

15 Aug 2005

Key toxin could provide for world's first treatment for Alzheimer's

Dr Karen Cullen at Sydney University’s Institute for Biomedical Research is part of a collaborative team which has identified a key component in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, a finding which may produce the world’s first effective treatment to combat the debilitating effects of the disease.

15 Aug 2005