Medical News

RSS

Remote Scottish isles may provide genetic clues to osteoporosis

A new study involving 2,000 people in Scotland will hopefully shed some light on why some people develop the bone-thinning condition osteoporosis.

28 Aug 2006

Scientists trick cancer cells into suicide

Scientists in the U.S. believe they have found a way to trick cancer cells into committing suicide.

28 Aug 2006

Australian girls lead the field in cervical cancer vaccination programme

Australian females will be one jump ahead of some of their counterparts elsewhere in the world with the first vaccinations against cervical cancer taking place in Brisbane today.

28 Aug 2006

Cervical cancer vaccine tipped for nine year olds

Health experts in the UK are considering vaccinating young girls of primary school age against the human papilloma virus.

28 Aug 2006

More children around the world now have allergies and asthma

Researchers in Auckland, New Zealand say that the number of children with allergies and asthma is increasing around the world and especially among the youngest.

28 Aug 2006

Brits challenge Americans in the obesity stakes

According to a new UK government report, if current trends continue, by the year 2010, 12 million adults plus 1 million children in England will be obese.

28 Aug 2006

Vietnam fights bird flu yet again

Animal health officials in Vietnam say they have detected the H5N1 bird flu virus on a small duck farm, this second case within a month, has sparked fears of a possible resurgence of the H5N1 virus in the country.

28 Aug 2006

Indonesian authorities slow to react to bird flu outbreak

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Indonesian authorities have confirmed another case of a human case of the H5N1 bird flu virus.

28 Aug 2006

Boosting enzyme may reverse Alzheimer's

New research by scientists at Columbia University suggests that boosting the function of a certain enzyme may provide a promising strategy for battling Alzheimer's disease, and possibly reversing its effects.

28 Aug 2006

Bird flu database to be established

A global initiative has been launched by some of the world's top scientists and health officials to encourage more openness when it comes to sharing data on bird flu.

28 Aug 2006

Abolish Asthma!

Asthma is unlikely to be a single disease, so we should abolish the term altogether, states an Editorial in this week's issue of The Lancet.

24 Aug 2006

Drug combo could reduce risk of severe asthma attacks

Giving asthma patients on regular preventive drugs the same drugs to relieve the symptoms of their condition, rather than conventional reliever drugs, could reduce their risk of severe attacks and hospitalisations.

24 Aug 2006

Wheezy kids more prone to asthma

Children who become sensitive to allergens, such as cat hair, and suffer from wheezing in their first three years of life are prone to developing asthma, according to an Article in this week's issue of The Lancet.

24 Aug 2006

Childhood allergies on the rise

The prevalence of childhood allergies, such as hayfever, have increased over the past decade in many countries of the world, especially among younger age groups, reveals an article in this week's issue of The Lancet.

24 Aug 2006

Historical records detailing past attitudes towards prostitution, homosexuality and gender issues

Experts will examine a range of sources such as the UK's first-ever sex survey from the 1940s and documents detailing the life of Josephine Butler, the Victorian feminist who campaigned for the welfare of prostitutes.

24 Aug 2006

Diverting nonemergency cases from EDs in Canada does little to improve care quality for other patients

Diverting nonemergency cases from emergency departments in Canada does not have much impact on the efficiency or timeliness of care given to sicker patients, according to a study published Wednesday on the Annals of Emergency Medicine Web site, the Houston Chronicle reports.

24 Aug 2006

West Virginia revisions to Medicaid programs examined

NPR's "Morning Edition" on Tuesday examined revisions to the Medicaid programs in Kentucky and West Virginia, which are the first two states to revise their programs under a new federal law that allows states increased flexibility in determining benefits and out-of-pocket costs (Rovner, "Morning Edition," NPR, 8/22).

24 Aug 2006

WellPoint to expand consumer-driven health plans to individuals, more companies

Officials for Indiana-based WellPoint, the largest U.S. health insurer in terms of membership, on Tuesday announced that the company on Jan. 1, 2007, will begin to offer consumer-driven health plans to individuals and companies of all sizes, the Indianapolis Star reports.

24 Aug 2006

Opponents of abortion rights launch initiatives to increase number of crisis pregnancy centers in Black, Latino inner cities

Heartbeat International and Care Net, both of which oppose abortion rights, have launched initiatives to increase the number of crisis pregnancy centers, which "seek to dissuade women with unplanned pregnancies from having abortions," in inner cities nationwide to help minority women, the AP/Washington Times reports.

24 Aug 2006