News

How Superstition Improves Performance

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 09:20:49 +0400

Don't scoff at those lucky rabbit feet. New research shows that having some kind of lucky token can actually improve your performance - by increasing your self-confidence.�

Asthma UK Cymru Highlights Disabling Impact Of Severe Asthma

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 04:00:06 +0400

The serious and disabling impact of severe�asthma�is highlighted today as Asthma UK and the Severe Asthma National Network (SANN) launch a new report on the condition, called Fighting for Breath. The findings of the report are taken from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland and there are significant parallels with the situation in Wales, which are supported by testimonies from Welsh people with severe asthma.

Lifelong Doubling In Death Risk For Men Who Are Obese At Age 20 Years

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 03:58:10 +0400

Men who enter adult life obese face a life-long doubling of the risk of dying prematurely, new research has found.�

In a study presented at the International Congress on Obesity in Stockholm, researchers tracked more than 5,000 military conscripts starting at the age of 20 until up to the age of 80. They found that at any given age, an obese man was twice as likely to die as a man who was not obese and that�obesity�at age 20 years had a constant effect on death up to 60 years later. They also found that the chance of dying early increased by 10% for each BMI point above the threshold for a healthy weight and that this persisted throughout life, with the obese dying about eight years earlier than the non-obese.�

Sufferers Of Crohn's Disease May Benefit From Vitamin D Supplements

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:16:11 +0300

A new study has found that Vitamin D, readily available in supplements or cod liver oil, can counter the effects of Crohn's disease. John White, an endocrinologist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, led a team of scientists from McGill University and the Université de Montréal who present their findings about the inflammatory bowel disease in the latestJournal of Biological Chemistry.

Toilet Seat Dermatitis And How To Avoid It

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 03:01:54 +0300

A team of pediatricians writing in a leading journal this week suggest that a condition not seen for a long time in the US, toilet seat dermatitis, where skin irritations develop on the buttocks and posterior thighs from contact with toilet seats, could be making a comeback.

Quitting Smoking Doubles Chance Of Survival For Lung Cancer Patients

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 06:31:11 +0300

A study published on bmj.com today reports that people diagnosed with early stage lung cancer�can double their chances of survival over five years if they stop smoking compared with those who continue to smoke.

A Little Less Salt Would Save Many Lives, US

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:05:33 +0300

Even a small reduction in daily salt intake could mean fewer heart attacks,�strokes�and deaths said US researchers who estimated cutting back by as little as half a teaspoon a day could prevent 92,000 deaths and nearly 100,000 heart attacks in the US every year.

Link Between High Vitamin D Levels And Lower Risk Of Colorectal Cancer

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:25:37 +0300

A large European study published on bmj.com today reports that high blood levels of vitamin D�are associated with a lower risk of�colon cancer. The risk dropped by as much as 40 percent in people with the highest levels compared with those in the lowest.

H1N1: Proportion Of Children Infected With H1N1 Is Ten Times Higher Than Estimated (England)

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:56:31 +0300

An article published Online First and in an upcoming edition of�The Lancet�reports that blood samples taken as part of the UK Health Protection Agency's regular annual monitoring programme show that the proportion of children in high risk areas in England infected with�H1N1 influenza�during the first pandemic wave was ten times higher than estimated from clinical surveillance.

New Insights Into Deadly Brain Cancer

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:53:05 +0300

New findings by researchers at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center suggest that the most common form of malignant brain�cancer�in adults, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), is probably not a single disease but a set of diseases, each with a distinct underlying molecular disease process.�

Magnetic Biomarker For PTSD Discovered

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:49:21 +0300

Using magnetoencephalography (MEG), researchers in the US have identified a biological marker in the brains of people with symptoms of�post-traumatic stress disorder�(PTSD), introducing for the first time a way of diagnosing the condition objectively, something that conventional brain scans like X-ray, CT, or MRI have failed to do.

Patients With Sepsis Recover Faster With Fish Oil

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 05:19:27 +0300

A randomised controlled trial of fish oil given intravenously to patients in intensive care has found that it improves gas exchange, reduces inflammatory chemicals and results in a shorter length of hospital stay.

Cardiovascular Disease Targeted By New Nanoparticles

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 05:17:15 +0300

Researchers at MIT and Harvard Medical School have built targeted nanoparticles that can cling to artery walls and slowly release medicine, an advance that potentially provides an alternative to drug-releasing stents in some patients with cardiovascular disease.

Prolonged Immigration Detention Puts Detainees At Higher Risk Of Mental Illness

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:01:40 +0300

Asylum seekers and other detainees who are held in Australian immigration detention centres for long periods of time are more likely to require medical attention for mental health�problems than those detained for a shorter time, according to the results of research published in theMedical Journal of Australia

Treatment Of Symptoms In Children Dying Of Cancer Is Inadequate, Australia

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:57:43 +0300

Greater attention to palliative care for children with�cancer�is needed to prevent them from suffering unresolved symptoms at the end of life, according to the authors of a study published in the�Medical Journal of Australia.�

Do You Have Type 2 Diabetes And Self-Monitor Your Blood Glucose Levels? UK

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 01:07:03 +0300

Diabetes�UK is calling on people with Type 2 diabetes who self-monitor their blood glucose levels to complete a short online survey.�

Bariatric Surgery Can Break Obesity Cycle

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 01:03:10 +0300

Obesity�is a condition that often follows family lines, but bariatric surgery offers hope for breaking this generational pattern.�

NPA Responds To CHRE's Consultation For The General Pharmaceutical Council

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 13:13:27 +0300

The NPA has responded to the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE)'s "Setting Standards" proposals for the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).�

Study Reveals Predictors Of Long-term Opioid Use For Back Pain

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 08:43:11 +0300

Despite limited evidence of long-term success in using opioid pain medications for chronic low�back pain, opioid prescribing has increased in recent years for back pain and other non-cancer pain indications.

First Genetic Map Of Artemisia Annua Provides Malaria Treatment Hope

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 23:43:56 +0300

Scientists at the University of York, UK, have published the first genetic map of�Artemisia annua, a medicinal herb which is used for�malaria�treatment. The genetic map now makes it possible to speed up plant breeding of Artemisia; rapidly developing it into a high-yielding crop. This breakthrough is crucial if we want to meet the ever-growing demand for effective malaria treatments.