News Headlines

'Third-hand smoke' risk warning

(BBC 09/02/2010)

Lingering residue from tobacco smoke which clings to upholstery, clothing and the skin releases cancer-causing agents, work in PNAS journal shows. Berkeley scientists in the US ran lab tests and found "substantial levels" of toxins on smoke-exposed material. They say while banishing smokers to outdoors cuts second-hand smoke, residues will follow them back inside and this "third-hand smoke" may harm. Opponents called it a laughable term designed to frighten people unduly.

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Drug shows promise against river blindness: study

(Reuters 09/02/2010)

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Closantel, an older drug used to treat a parasitic liver disease in animals, may prove effective at combating river blindness in humans, a major cause of infection-related blindness, U.S. researchers said on Monday. Transmitted by blackflies breeding along fast-flowing tropical waterways, river blindness is an eye and skin disease caused by the filaria worm, which infects more than 37 million people in Africa, Central and South America and Yemen.

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Baby opt-out

(BBC 08/02/2010)

Paying drug addicts to be sterilised is exploitative and wrong, say critics of just such a scheme that runs in the US. Jane Beresford talks to the woman behind Project Prevention. If you call Project Prevention's helpline it's likely that Barbara Harris, the founder of this US based organisation, will answer the phone... The deal? That they receive long term contraception or sterilisation to prevent them having children she believes they are unable or unwilling to care for.

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Problem gamblers

(BBC 08/02/2010)

The Royal College of GPs has told BBC Radio 5 live there is an "enormous issue" with doctors not realising their patients may have gambling problems. The vice-chair of the college, Dr Clare Gerada, says she thinks they miss "the vast majority of individuals with problems... and, in particular, when patients present with debt problems, no-one would ask 'do you have scratch cards, do you bet on the horses on a regular basis?'"

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Daily pill helped cure osteoporosis in mice, rats

(Reuters 08/02/2010)

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A once-a-day pill helped completely rebuild bone in rodents with severe osteoporosis, a finding that could lead to a new class of drugs to treat the brittle-bone disease in humans, U.S. researchers said. The team tested a compound that blocks the production of serotonin produced in the gut in mice and rats with a severe form of the disease and found they completely recovered their bone density.

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Study shows how Medicare rewards MDs for overuse

(Reuters 08/02/2010)

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Medicare's move in 2005 to pay doctors to do bladder cancer surgery in their offices rather than in hospitals dramatically raised the number of procedures and overall health costs, U.S. researchers said on Monday. The findings reflect the complexity of cutting health costs in the United States, showing how in some cases Medicare -- the insurance program for the elderly and disabled -- gives doctors incentives to provide too much care, they said.

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Study links sugary soft drinks to pancreas cancer

(Reuters 08/02/2010)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People who drink two or more sweetened soft drinks a week have a much higher risk of pancreatic cancer, an unusual but deadly cancer, researchers reported on Monday. People who drank mostly fruit juice instead of sodas did not have the same risk, the study of 60,000 people in Singapore found. Sugar may be to blame but people who drink sweetened sodas regularly often have other poor health habits, said Mark Pereira of the University of Minnesota, who led the study.

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Better child-diabetes care urged

(BBC 08/02/2010)

A "shocking" number of children are being rushed to hospital each year with potentially fatal complications of diabetes, according to a charity. Many of the 3,300 cases in England in 2008/9 could have been prevented by better care, says Diabetes UK. It said that families still found it hard to access specialist diabetes teams and that high admission rates had been linked to service cuts. There are an estimated 25,000 young people in the UK with type 1 diabetes.

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Genes reveal 'biological ageing'

(BBC 08/02/2010)

Gene variants that might show how fast people's bodies are actually ageing have been pinpointed by scientists. Researchers from the University of Leicester and Kings College London say the finding could help spot people at higher risk of age-related illnesses. People carrying the variant had differences in the "biological clock" within all their cells. The British Heart Foundation said the findings could offer a clue to ways of preventing heart disease.

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Study links estrogen hormone therapy to asthma

(Reuters 08/02/2010)

LONDON (Reuters) - Estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may increase the risk of developing asthma after the menopause, scientists said on Monday. The findings, from a major study involving almost 58,000 women in France over 12 years, add to a growing body of evidence suggesting a link between some female hormones and asthma. French and Mexican researchers found that compared with women who had never used any form of HRT, those who did use it were 21% more likely to develop asthma...

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GPs warn about 'population rise'

(BBC 08/02/2010)

New GP practices should be set up in areas of Scotland which are likely to see population increases, the British Medical Association (BMA) has said. The organisation said the country's population was predicted to rise by 7% within the next 23 years. It warned this would make it harder for people to make appointments with GPs, many of whose lists have already grown considerably in recent years. The BMA said many small but growing practices were not financially viable.

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GP practices 'must keep up with population growth'

(The Scotsman 08/02/2010)

DOCTORS are calling on the Scottish Government to create measures to support the development of new GP practices in growing communities. Scotland's population is expected to rise by 7 per cent to 5.54 million by 2033. GPs are calling for action to ensure town planners have a duty to consider the impact of new housing developments on local health services. They also want measures to be put in place to provide support for the creation of new practices where there is significant population growth.

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Beer's a bone-builder, say experts

(The Scotsman 08/02/2010)

BEER is a rich source of a nutrient that can help prevent weak bones - but it depends what type you drink. As one of the nation's favourite tipples, dietary silicon in beer can help cut the chance of developing diseases such as osteoporosis, researchers say. However, health experts are warning against using beer as a source of the nutrient. And not all beers are the same, with those containing malted barley and hops having higher silicon content than beers made from wheat.

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Cancer trial opens way to easier treatment

(The Scotsman 08/02/2010)

WOMEN with breast cancer could be spared unnecessary treatments after experts discovered fewer, larger, doses were just as effective in battling the disease. A lower overall course of radiotherapy delivered as fewer, larger, doses also resulted in fewer skin changes in a clinical trial. Other side effects - such as hardness, swelling, sensitivity and pain and stiffness - were similar among women given the new treatment regime or the standard dose.

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Card carriers

(BBC 07/02/2010)

Colin Corker has experienced the life and death decisions surrounding organ donation from both sides - his wife's organs helped four people after her sudden death and five years later his daughter needed her own transplant. When Christine Corker died aged 43 in 2001 her husband Colin had no hesitation in releasing her organs for transplant and her kidneys, liver and lungs were donated to four strangers. Christine had a donor card.

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Astra, UK charity hunt new kind of cancer drug

(Reuters 07/02/2010)

LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca has struck a deal with the commercial arm of a British charity to try and develop a new class of a "cancer metabolism" drugs. The aim is to exploit the fact cancer cells use energy differently to normal cells, by creating new drugs that control cell metabolism in order to attack tumors whilst sparing normal tissues, the two partners said Sunday. The three-year alliance will work on a portfolio of projects.

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No happy ever after for Scots men in old age

(The Scotsman 07/02/2010)

MOST Scottish men are unlikely to enjoy a healthy retirement, according to new government figures. The average Scots male will enjoy just 66.3 years of good health, new NHS statistics reveal. As a result, most of those collecting their pension when the retirement age rises to 67 in 2034 will have ill-health. In contrast, Scottish women, are enjoying a much healthier lifestyle, according to healthy life expectancies projected for babies born in 1999-2003.

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Labour drinks ban to target Buckfast wine

(The Scotsman 07/02/2010)

A BAN on Buckfast, the controversial tonic wine blamed for violent behaviour, is being proposed by Labour as part of plans to tackle Scotland's troubled relationship with drink. The party's new Alcohol Commission, due to be launched tomorrow, will consider following the lead of some European countries by imposing a legal limit of 150 milligrams of caffeine per litre of alcohol. The tonic wine, which contains 15 per cent alcohol... has a caffeine level of 375 mg/l, putting it way above the limit.

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