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Athletes boosted by caffeine

Scientists at the University of Birmingham say that caffeine can help athletes by boosting the body's absorption of carbohydrates.

23 Jun 2005

Federal drug agents target pot dispensaries

More than 20 dispensaries were raided and two people were charged when Federal drug agents launched a crackdown on medical marijuana providers in California.

23 Jun 2005

Patients lose trust at U.S.hospital after hydraulic fluid incident

Officials at Duke Health Raleigh Hospital has sent letters this week to about 4,000 patients whose surgeons unknowingly used instruments washed in hydraulic fluid.

23 Jun 2005

Booze and autos don't mix - car crashes account for half of drinking injurie

Figures in a new survey, by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, show that car crashes account for more than half of severe alcohol-related injuries in Canada and nearly one-third of those hurt are under the age of 25.

23 Jun 2005

High-tech infertility treatment for men most common therapy to help couples conceive

According to recently released figures, a high tech treatment for male infertility has become the most common therapy in Europe to help couples conceive.

23 Jun 2005

Naturally produced 'cannabis' in the brain helps with pain relief

Researchers in the United States have found that a cannabis like chemical produced naturally in the brain helps with pain relief.

23 Jun 2005

Double whammy of chemo plus surgery extends life for lung cancer patients

Recent research which has shown that chemotherapy can significantly lengthen life in many patients with lung cancer, has meant that doctors, for the first time in decades, have begun making major changes in the treatment of the disease.

23 Jun 2005

New drug delays the onset of diabetes

New research has shown that an experimental drug, designed to reset the body's immune system, could delay the need for extra insulin in some people with recently diagnosed juvenile diabetes.

23 Jun 2005

Thank God, most doctors believe in God

According to a recent study most doctors believe in God and an afterlife. This conclusion apparently contradicts earlier research which showed that in general, people tend to become less religious as education and income levels rise.

23 Jun 2005

This years first reported case of West Nile in the U.S. in Kansas

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have reported this year's first human case of West Nile virus in the United States in Kansas, but has not released details on the patient.

23 Jun 2005

BMA calls for tough action to tackle childhood obesity in Scotland

School meals should adhere to strict guidelines on sugar and fat content, all unhealthy food and fizzy drinks vending machines in schools should be banned and there should be no junk food advertising or sponsorship. These are the some of the recommendations in the BMA’s report Preventing Childhood Obesity, launched yesterday [22 June 2005].

22 Jun 2005

New website and environmental history tools for pediatric health care providers

The National Environmental Education & Training Foundation (NEETF) has created a new website for pediatric health care providers. The site is an on-line resource portal with user-friendly tools, including a screening and a comprehensive environmental history form, and an environmental history taking primer.

22 Jun 2005

The CMS demonstration project in oncology

The PricewaterhouseCoopers study that the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) commissioned shows that an estimated $13 billion will be saved from Medicare spending for cancer care through 2013. This is $8.8 billion more than the original intent of Congress in passing the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA).

22 Jun 2005

Determining prognosis in patients with chest pain now easier and more accurate

A new, more precise test is available to improve the accuracy of detecting coronary artery disease and risk of heart attack, and can be done right at the bedside.

22 Jun 2005

Antibiotics not effective for many coughs

In a study of more than 500 patients who were suffering from acute bronchitis or pharyngitis it was found that whether or not antibiotics were prescribed, the irritating bouts of coughing still continued for an average of almost 12 days after the visit to the doctor.

22 Jun 2005

Polio still a threat but eradication possible

The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said this week that despite more than 500 new polio cases being reported worldwide this year, and the disease still posing a threat, the goal of totally eradicating it globally is still within reach.

22 Jun 2005

Special genes enable some women to give birth over the age of 45

A genetic advantage allows some women to give birth over the age of 45, say researchers.

22 Jun 2005

Folic acid improves memory and protects the brain from aging

According to scientists in Holland high doses of folic acid might help slow the cognitive decline of aging.

22 Jun 2005

Cordis patents infringed by Boston Scientific Stents

Cordis Corporation today announced that a U.S. District Court jury in Wilmington, Delaware found that Boston Scientific's Taxus drug-eluting stent and its Liberte and Express bare metal stents infringe Cordis' pioneering Palmaz patent for balloon expandable stents

21 Jun 2005

Some men with breast cancer may be having unnecessary radiotherapy

A study carried out at the British Columbia Cancer Agency in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, showed that men whose cancer had not spread beyond the breast were almost six times more likely to be given radiotherapy than were women with the equivalent stage of disease.

21 Jun 2005