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Swine flu policy shift expected

(BBC 02/07/2009)

The government is set to signal a shift in policy in its fight against swine flu, the BBC understands.

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Obesity on the rise in half of US states

(Telegraph 02/07/2009)

Obesity rates continued to climb in the past year with 23 US states reporting that their adult residents are fatter now than they were a year ago two advocacy groups said on Wednesday. Obesity rates did not decrease in a single state last year, and the groups warned that the US obesity epidemic must be addressed as President Barack Obama prepares to reform the nation's health system

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Sound waves offer prostate hope

(BBC 02/07/2009)

An experimental therapy using sound waves may offer people with early stage prostate cancer an alternative treatment option, doctors believe. The technique, called High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU), uses sound waves to heat and kill cancerous cells. The researchers from University College and Princess Grace hospitals in London used it on 172 men with high rates of success and low levels of side effects.

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Youngsters 'drinking dangerously'

(BBC 02/07/2009)

One in four young drinkers consume dangerous quantities of alcohol every week, but the number of underage drinkers is falling, a poll shows. A survey of 13,000 young people by the Trading Standards Institute found the number of teenagers who drink weekly fell from 50% in 2005 to 38% this year. But of these, a quarter are drinking more than 20 units a week - equivalent to about 10 pints of beer.

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Drink kills eight Scots a day

(The Scotsman 01/07/2009)

ALCOHOL is killing one Scot every three hours, figures showed yesterday as the leader of Scotland's doctors challenged MSPs to support plans to increase the price of cheap drinks. The new study found that one in 20 deaths in Scotland is linked to alcohol %u2013 twice the level previously estimated. Among those aged 35 to 44 the toll was even higher, with 26 per cent of deaths in men and 21 per cent in women associated with alcohol consumption.

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Problem pregnancy 'autism risk'

(BBC 01/07/2009)

Complications during pregnancy and giving birth later in life may increase the risk of having a child with autism, a review of dozens of studies suggests. Researchers found the bulk of studies into maternal age and autism suggest the risk increases with age, and that fathers' age may play a role too. The mothers of autistic children were also more likely to have suffered diabetes or bleeding during pregnancy.

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