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Life expectancy in Europe

A 14-nation study found that in 2003 Portugal had the lowest life expectancy at birth for men, -almost 4 years less than the highest (Sweden).

9 Jul 2006

New aspect of prion disease - agent causes heart damage

Until now, prion disease has been thought of as a chronic neurological condition.

9 Jul 2006

Researchers use proteins to 'switch on' heart tissue repair system

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine are utilizing a protein to "switch on" the ability to repair damaged heart tissue.

9 Jul 2006

Older farmers are at high risk for injury when they stop taking prescribed pain medications

A case review of farmers aged 66 and older in Alberta, Canada, revealed some previously unknown relationships may exist between the use of pain medications and subsequent injury.

9 Jul 2006

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients using beta-agonist inhalers are at risk

A new analysis that compares two common inhalers for patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) finds that one reduces respiratory-related hospitalizations and respiratory deaths, but the other - which is prescribed in the majority of cases - increases respiratory deaths.

9 Jul 2006

TV studio may cause cancer

ABC staff in Brisbane Australia walked off the job last week over concerns over a cluster of breast cancer cases at their studio and are threatening further industrial action unless the national broadcaster relocates its studios.

9 Jul 2006

Birth of IVF baby to 62 year old mother causes controversy

The birth of a baby boy to a 62 year old mother following IVF treatment from Italian fertility expert Professor Severino Antinorihas has caused controversy in the UK.

9 Jul 2006

Study supports routine vaccination of children against flu

According to a new study childhood influenza is much more common in the USA than previously thought and more often than not doctors often fail to diagnose it in young children.

6 Jul 2006

Psychological torture used on Bulgarian nurses in Libya

At a hearing in Tripoli the defence team representing a Palestinian doctor and five Bulgarian nurses accused of deliberately infecting more than 400 Libyan children with HIV-tainted blood, have said psychological-torture measures were used against the nurses.

6 Jul 2006

The secret to a long active life is to eat less

According to Canadian scientists the secret to a long active life is to eat less.

6 Jul 2006

Hospitals can be harmful to your health

According to a report on the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK, 1 in 10 patients admitted to NHS hospitals is unintentionally harmed and almost a million safety incidents, more than 2,000 of which were fatal, were recorded last year.

6 Jul 2006

Discovery of gene mutation gives hope for Down syndrome and Alzheimer's victims

Researchers in the U.S. have discovered a gene mutation that shrivels brain cells which they suspect is responsible for the mental retardation seen in Down syndrome.

6 Jul 2006

Early menopause on the cards for childhood cancer survivors

In a new study researchers have found that girls who survive childhood cancer are more likely to experience an early menopause when they mature than other women.

6 Jul 2006

Obese women at greater risk of disease and death

Experts say that obesity is a disease that now affects nearly one-third of the adult American population, approximately 60 million people, and the latest study on the condition suggests that health risks to women who are obese may have been underestimated.

6 Jul 2006

Innovative diabetes research wins prestigious health award

A life-saving approach to controlling blood glucose levels in critical care developed at the University of Canterbury and Christchurch Hospital Department of Intensive Care Medicine has won the Supreme Award at the 2006 New Zealand Health Innovation Awards.

5 Jul 2006

Adopting multiple healthy habits may significantly lower risk of coronary heart disease in men

A prospective study of 42,847 middle-aged and older U.S. men participating in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study has found that a healthy lifestyle is associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), even among men taking antihypertensive or lipid-lowering medications.

5 Jul 2006

UK sexually transmitted infections on the rise

New figures released by the Health Protection Agency show that the number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and other conditions diagnosed in genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics in the UK increased by 3% between 2004 and 2005.

5 Jul 2006

Scientists identify overactive protein that plays a key role in cystic fibrosis

A team led by Johns Hopkins Children's Center scientists has identified and successfully tamed an overactive protein that plays a key role in cystic fibrosis (CF), a genetic disorder that interferes with the body's ability to transport chloride in and out of cells.

5 Jul 2006

Small towns share big-city obesity problems

A few years ago public health researchers linked big-city attributes - like safety concerns and too few recreational facilities - to obesity.

5 Jul 2006

Media coverage of obesity outweighs smoking cessation stories

Obesity is grabbing more headlines, but not necessarily crowding out media coverage of the dangers of tobacco use, according to a new study sponsored by a drug company. However obesity made more news while tobacco got less attention, based on an analysis of eight years of medical stories in the media.

5 Jul 2006