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Medical supervision for illicit drug injections could reduce syringe sharing

Facilities that provide medical supervision for illicit drug injections could reduce syringe sharing among users, concludes a Canadian study published online by The Lancet.

21 Mar 2005

Unique variant of HIV that is resistant to multiple classes of antiretroviral drugs

Researchers have identified a patient with a unique variant of HIV that is resistant to multiple classes of antiretroviral drugs and associated with the rapid development of AIDS, reporting their findings in this week’s issue of The Lancet.

21 Mar 2005

Discovery of a single mutation responsible for a number of blood disorders

Myeloproliferative disorders form a range of haematological malignant diseases, with three main members: polycythaemia vera, essential thrombocythaemia, and idiopathic myelofi- brosis. The disorders are characterised by overactive production of blood cells and can lead to thrombosis, haemorrhage or acute myeloid leukaemia.

21 Mar 2005

Eating seafood containing toxic substances can have serious neurological as well as gastrointestinal effects

In parts of the Pacific, the number of cases of marine poisoning exceeds 1200 per 100 000 people per year. Although most of the burden of marine poisoning is in rural coastal communities, many people who live outside these communities, or travel to them, are presenting to their doctors with acute or ongoing effects after eating seafood.

21 Mar 2005

Veterans more overweight than general population

More than two-thirds of women and almost three-quarters of men receiving care at Veterans Affairs outpatient facilities in 2000 were overweight – a higher percentage than among the general population – according to a new report in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

21 Mar 2005

Being physically active in middle age helps people maintain higher physical function later in life

“Participation in a physically active lifestyle appears to be critical to preserving high physical function in relatively fit, healthy, middle-aged men and women,” according to Dr. Melvyn Hillsdon of University College London and colleagues.

21 Mar 2005

African malaria comes to town

First, the bad news: urban malaria in Africa is becoming a major health problem and looks set to get worse.

17 Mar 2005

Major milestone in identifying and creating a register of genes involved in multiple sclerosis

For the first time in this disease area, researchers at the SGI have identified 80 genes involved in the inflammatory and neuro-degenerative pathways of MS, based on a 40% genome scan comparing the genetic profile of a total of 1,800 people with MS and healthy individuals in different populations.

17 Mar 2005

Relief for overactive bladder patients

New landmark data (the STAR Study), revealed today from the European Association of Urology in Istanbul, Turkey, show that patients suffering from Overactive Bladder (OAB) syndrome will see considerably better improvements in their symptoms when being treated with the new antimuscarinic drug solifenacin, than on tolterodine ER - an antimuscarinic drug that is widely used.

17 Mar 2005

10% of homosexual men diagnosed late died within a year

1 in 4 HIV-infected homosexual men in England and Wales were diagnosed late in 2001 and 10% died within a year compared to only 0.5% of those not diagnosed late - reports a recent AIDS journal article

17 Mar 2005

Salt back in the limelight

Gill Fine, Director of Consumer Choice and Dietary Health at the Food Standards Agency says consumers over the last five years are demanding more reliable and practical information on all aspects of nutrition and food and health following the trend towards healthier eating.

17 Mar 2005

X-Chromosome has the big story!!

The human genome is said by some to be the "book of life," and the X-chromosome a large part of the the plot. A team of genome researchers have described the nature of this mysterious "chapter" in the DNA story.

17 Mar 2005

UK grows stem cells free of animal products

Dr Paul de Souza and scientists at the Roslin Institute have successfully created human cells without using animal products.

17 Mar 2005

Smart tech at Pittsburgh hospital improves patient safety

Pittsburgh's Ohio Valley General Hospital, in an effort to improve patient safety, has implemented an automated system that uses barcoding and "smart" infusion system technology to ensure that patients receive the right intravenous (IV) medication at the appropriate dose and rate.

16 Mar 2005

Experts dispute new report on lifespan reductions from obesity

The Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) says obesity scaremongers, in a bid to again frighten the public with an alarmist claim on obesity and mortality, are using statistics that lack empirical scientific evidence to back up their claims.

16 Mar 2005

Ongoing specialist care can improve heart attack survival

When a good network of care involving access to specialists and family physicians is established, it can significantly improve the number of lives saved from heart disease, especially in rural areas, according to a University of Alberta two-year study.

16 Mar 2005

Now we know how Atkins diet works!

Researchers now know how the low-carb Atkins diet takes off the extra pounds and that knowledge is surprising!

16 Mar 2005

Anthrax scare due to lab mix up

A mistake at the laboratory that did the initial testing as a result of the anthrax scare at the Pentagon, has been blamed for the false alarms which saw hospitals alerted, 900 workers prescribed antibiotics, and closed three area mail facilities that handle Pentagon-bound mail.

16 Mar 2005

New set of standards to improve sexual health services in the NHS

A new set of clear recommended standards to improve sexual health services in the NHS have been jointly launched today by Public Health Minister Melanie Johnson and Ruth Lowbury of the Medical Foundation for AIDS and Sexual Health.

16 Mar 2005

U.S. Government says, exercise, exercise, exercise!

About two-thirds of Americans each year try to start regular exercise programs, according to a recent poll, but nothing like as many stay with it. The number of overweight and obese Americans is growing at an alarming rate.

16 Mar 2005