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Rain forest tree gives new hope for psoriasis sufferers

A team of scientists at University of Newcastle upon Tyne have discovered that an ointment, dithranol, used to soothe psoriasis actually kills the cells that cause the problem.

29 Jun 2005

Leader of Scotland's doctors address to annual conference of BMA

Speaking as Scotland’s politicians prepared to debate the final stages of a smoking ban, the leader of Scotland’s doctors congratulated Ministers for their commitment to the public health agenda. In his address to the Annual Conference of the BMA in Manchester today (Wednesday 29 June 2005), Dr Peter Terry, chairman of the BMA in Scotland said:

29 Jun 2005

Raising the dead no longer just a fright movie!

It is almost unbelievable, but scientists have apparently say they have discovered a way to bring dead dogs back to life.

29 Jun 2005

BMA says Health Minister Gibbons has better understanding of NHS

According to Dr Tony Calland, the British Medical Association's (BMA) chairman in Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government's understanding of the NHS is better under Health Minister Dr Brian Gibbons.

29 Jun 2005

Relationship between weight loss and health needs closer inspection

Although it seems obvious that when overweight people lose weight their health should improve, the relationship between weight loss and health may not be as simple as that, suggests previous studies from Finland and Denmark.

29 Jun 2005

Results of global bipolar disorder consumer survey

The World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) today announced results of a global bipolar disorder consumer survey, Thinking Ahead, at the World Congress of Biological Psychiatry.

29 Jun 2005

Changes in economy and healthcare accompany Poland’s accession to the European Union

The European Union (EU) is in a state of flux following the recent accession of several Central and Eastern European countries. Their membership has further complicated the already complex economic, social and cultural dynamics at work within the EU.

28 Jun 2005

The British Medical Association in Northern Ireland says Minister must introduce a complete ban on second-hand tobacco smoke

The British Medical Association in Northern Ireland, which has energetically campaigned for a ban on smoking in all enclosed public places and workplaces, said that the Minister’s decision not to introduce an immediate total ban in Northern Ireland was very disappointing.

28 Jun 2005

fMRI enables noninvasive evaluation of epilepsy patients

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the brain reduces the need for invasive testing of seizure disorder patients being considered for surgical treatment, according to a study published in the July issue of the journal Radiology.

28 Jun 2005

Greater use of evidence-based medicine needed in US outpatient care

Although the quality of outpatient care in the United States has improved over the last decade, greater use of evidence-based medicine is needed, however, and quality of care is not significantly associated with the patient's racial or ethnic background, according to a study in the June 27 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

27 Jun 2005

Adult, or post-natal, stem cells have the same ability as embryonic stem cells to multiply

In a ground-breaking study, scientists at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh have discovered that adult, or post-natal, stem cells have the same ability as embryonic stem cells to multiply, a previously unknown characteristic indicating that post-natal stem cells may play an important therapeutic role.

27 Jun 2005

Pregnancy and birth factors may determine likelihood of polycystic ovarian syndrome

New research suggests that the way baby girls develop in the womb may affect whether or not they develop polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) as adults and the severity of the symptoms if they do.

27 Jun 2005

Infertility may be becoming more of a man's problem than a woman's problem

Until now, approximately 40% of infertility cases have been linked to medical problems in men and 40% to medical problems in women, with the remaining 20% due to joint problems.

27 Jun 2005

Researchers successfully treat laboratory model of a lysosomal storage disease called GM1

Physicians might one day be able to treat a disease that destroys brain cells in children using genetically modified cells to transport a "drug" to the site of the dying neural cells (cells that transmit impulses).

27 Jun 2005

The potential benefit that IVF children bring to society far outweighs the cost of 'producing' them

Dr. Maria Granberg, from the Fertilitetscentrum, Göteborg, Sweden, told the conference that, although the total cost of IVF financed by health care systems in Nordic countries had increased over the last few years, it was still highly profitable to society.

27 Jun 2005

Triplet pregnancies cost more than eight times as much as singleton pregnancies

Research in France has revealed that triplet pregnancies cost more than eight times as much as singleton pregnancies, and twin pregnancies cost more than three times as much, the 21st annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology heard.

27 Jun 2005

This is not live aid, it's reverse aid

In a message setting a "very clear moral and ethical priority for the new Government as it chairs the G8 summit", the leader of the UK’s doctors, BMA Chairman James Johnson yesterday (Monday 27 June) criticised developed countries for draining skilled health professionals from some of the world’s poorest countries. The "rape of the poorest countries must stop" he said.

27 Jun 2005

$5.1 billion could save 6 million children

Six million children could be saved if $5.1 billion in new resources for preventive and therapeutic interventions were provided each year, according to researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and other institutions.

27 Jun 2005

Simple analysis of a bone marrow transplant patient's oral rinse indicates whether infection will develop

Simple analysis of a bone marrow transplant patient's oral rinse can give medical personnel a quick indication of the transplant's effectiveness and predict whether an infection will develop, says a University of Toronto researcher.

27 Jun 2005

Modernising Care for Patients Undergoing Major Surgery

Hospitals could improve survival rates following major surgery by streamlining their critical care units, according to a new report launched recently at a London conference. As well as saving lives, hospitals could save an estimated £2 million each by implementing some of the report's key recommendations to help reduce hospital stay times.

27 Jun 2005