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G8 must focus on healthcare to save millions of lives

Millions of people are dying in the developing world because of poor access to cheap medicines and basic healthcare, the BMA says today (Wednesday, 6 July, 2005) ahead of the G8 summit.

6 Jul 2005

Vitamin E supplements do not protect healthy women against heart attacks and stroke

Vitamin E supplements do not protect healthy women against heart attacks and stroke, according to new results from the Women's Health Study, a long-term clinical trial of the effect of vitamin E and aspirin on both the prevention of cardiovascular disease and of cancer.

5 Jul 2005

Television in the bedroom bad for kids, computer good

A study of elementary school students found that children who had television sets in their bedrooms scored significantly lower on school achievement tests than children without TVs in their bedrooms.

5 Jul 2005

Disruption of a single gene, Nrf2, plays a critical role in determining the susceptibility to asthma

A research team led by Shyam Biswal , PhD, at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found the absence of Nrf2 exacerbated allergen-mediated asthma in mice models.

5 Jul 2005

HIV testing of all pregnant women recommended

In an update of its 1996 guidelines for HIV screening, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is now recommending that all pregnant women be tested for the virus.

5 Jul 2005

It's the truth - pain hurts women more than men

Researchers at Bath University are disputing the common belief that women are able to tolerate pain better than men; they claim that in fact the opposite is true.

5 Jul 2005

Withdrawn experimental drug found to reverse Parkinson's brain damage

Neuroscientists at Frenchay hospital in Bristol have discovered that an experimental drug for Parkinson's disease has been shown to trigger new nerve growth in the brain, the first time any treatment has been found to reverse the brain damage caused by the condition.

5 Jul 2005

Anti-cancer claims for green tea 'unlikely', says FDA

In what will come as a surprise, and a disappointment to many advcates, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said last week that drinking green tea is highly unlikely to help prevent breast, prostate or any other type of cancer.

5 Jul 2005

Product claiming to protect against anthrax lacks credentials or approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says Bio-Germ, a lotion being promoted by a Texas businessman lacks federal approval and could face scrutiny for claims made on its Web site.

5 Jul 2005

Quebec wants delay in ban on private medical insurance

The Supreme Court of Canada is considering a request from Quebec for an 18-month delay of its landmark judgment banning private medical insurance.

5 Jul 2005

General Medical Council wrong place to deal with medicine and the law

According to an article in the current edition of the prestigious medical journal The Lancet, Professor Roy Meadow should not be found guilty of serious professional misconduct.

4 Jul 2005

Changes to prenatal genetic testing could mean more babies born with abnornalities

A study in the UK suggests that a proposed change to the type of prenatal genetic testing offered to couples in the UK, could possibly result in certain chromosome abnormalities being missed.

4 Jul 2005

HIV epidemic in Moscow needs urgent measures

U.S. researchers say that HIV infection rates in vulnerable groups in Moscow could be between 30-120 times higher than those found in the general population.

4 Jul 2005

Progress on prison health prevented by political prejudice

An article in the Lancet says that measures to improve the health of prisoners should be based on evidence and not on political prejudice.

4 Jul 2005

British men refuse to recognise they are fat

A new survey by Cancer Research UK, released to launch their Man Alive Campaign, is suggesting that 25% of British men are "in denial" about their waist measurement, and most men, when questioned were unaware that being overweight, obese, or inactive, increases the risk of cancer.

4 Jul 2005

Mass vaccination of poultry needed to prevent bird flu pandemic

At the start of a three-day UN conference in Kuala Lumpur on the bird flu virus, health and animal experts have called for mass vaccination of poultry to prevent bird flu from becoming a human pandemic

4 Jul 2005

Young children who snore more likely to be hyperactive later on

A new study has found that young children who snore could possibly be at greater risk of becoming hyperactive later, than those who sleep quietly.

4 Jul 2005

Antipsychotic drug risperidone effective in treating autistic children

In a study sponsored by the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, and conducted over a number of sites, it has been found that the antipsychotic drug risperidone is a safe, effective treatment for children with autism who display tantrums, aggression and often self-injure.

4 Jul 2005

After four years, Angola reports its first case of polio

After four years, Angola has reported its first case of polio. The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday that the crippling disease polio has also spread within Indonesia to Sumatra island.

4 Jul 2005

No surprise - teens in the UK need more sunshine!

A British scientist suggests that some adolescents in Britain might not be getting enough sunlight to satisfy their body's requirement for vitamin D throughout the year.

4 Jul 2005