Other News

Great Potential For Swedish Medical Technology   Reported December 30, 2007 Medical technology is an industry for the future in Sweden. However, to exploit the potential that exists, the industrial, academic and healthcare sectors will have to collaborate more closely on areas such as education and clinical research. … [Read more...]

Cellphones may spread superbugs in hospitals-Turkish researchersReported April 04, 2009 Cell phones belonging to hospital staff were found to be tainted with bacteria, including the drug-resistant MRSA superbug, and may be a source of hospital-acquired infections, according to study released Friday. Researchers from the Ondokuz Mayis University in Turkey led by Fatma … [Read more...]

Patients to be given 'personal health budgets' Reported January 13, 2009 Patients with conditions like diabetes and Parkinson's are to be given personal "health budgets" from the NHS to buy their own treatments, under Government measures. The direct payments are part of a pilot scheme designed to give patients more control over their care. … [Read more...]

Children should be among first to get swine flu vaccine: study Reported September 10, 2009 CHICAGO — Children should be among the first people to be vaccinated against swine flu if health officials hope to temper the severity of the epidemic, a study published Thursday has found. That's because -- as every parent knows -- schools are prime breeding grounds for spreading … [Read more...]

First Symptomatic Human WNV Case Confirmed In LA County Reported August 10, 2009 The Los Angeles County Health Officer has confirmed the first symptomatic human case of West Nile Virus (WNV) infection in Los Angeles County for the 2009 season. The case is a teenager, with pre-existing medical conditions, from the Antelope Valley who became symptomatic in mid-July. The … [Read more...]

Urgent need to assess and treat babies suffering from chronic painReported June 30, 2009 TORONTO - Signs that an infant is experiencing chronic pain may be going unrecognized by doctors and other caregivers in hospitals due to a lack of consensus on what constitutes chronic pain in babies, according to a study led by a researcher at York University with collaborators … [Read more...]

Residents Say "Stop the Spraying!"July 13, 2007 BUENOS AIRES - Cultivation of genetically modified soybeans is expanding in Argentina, and with it, the use of herbicides. The "Paren de fumigar" (Stop the Fumigation) campaign warns against agro-chemical spraying in urban areas, as activists collect information about its impacts … [Read more...]

Adults, kids sought for H1N1 vaccine trials at IWKReported September 15, 2009 The IWK Health Centre in Halifax is seeking healthy adults and children for H1N1 vaccine trials. The IWK is one of several hospitals across Canada where the vaccine will be tested, likely in late September. The trials will be part of the process in getting the vaccine approved, an IWK spokesman … [Read more...]

Elderly not more anxious than young people, studies showReported August 11, 2008 The common notion that elderly people are more anxious than young ones is not supported by research, according to psychologists from the Berlin-based German Centre of Gerontology (DZA). Writing in the 4/2008 issue of the DZA periodical Informationsdienst … [Read more...]

Indian women live longer than menReported May 30, 2009 NEW DELHI: Women in India live longer than their male counterparts. But around 55 of 1,000 girls born every year don't live beyond their first birthday and 77 per 1,000 births don't live beyond the age of five. While a girl born in India today is expected to live for 65 years, the average life expectancy of a male child … [Read more...]

Spinal cord research shows promiseReported November 13, 2007 MONTREAL - Montreal researchers have identified what may be a pivotal first step toward regenerating injured spinal cords using the body's own stem cells. The repair mechanism that works well in a developing or embryonic nervous system seems to work in reverse in adults following injury, explained … [Read more...]

Areas in the brain size up competition Reported November 01, 2007 ATLANTA: Humans spend a lot of time sizing each other up a fact long known to social scientists. But a new study has pinpointed the brain areas that appear to be involved in this process of social comparison. The study, led by Caroline Zink, a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Mental Health, … [Read more...]

Brazil to distribute 19.5 million condoms during carnival Reported January 30, 2008 Health officials in Brazil on Sunday began distributing millions of condoms ahead of the country's five-day Carnival in an effort to reduce the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, the AP/San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The Ministry of … [Read more...]

More Canadians admit to drinking and driving: study Reported December 24, 2007 An increasing number of Canadians say they have driven their vehicles while they thought their blood alcohol level was over the legal limit and many did so multiple times, said the latest annual survey from the Traffic Injury Research Foundation. The percentage of respondents who reported … [Read more...]

Grassroots Efforts In India Fight Spread of HIV Reported June 19, 2008 After a prolonged back-and-forth between diverse agencies over actual HIV/AIDS statistics in India, the figure that India's National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) has settled on is an estimated 2.5 million people who are living with the virus in the country, accounting for … [Read more...]

Menopause More Kind To Japanese Women 3 November, 2007 Japanese women experience far fewer difficulties with menopause than their North American counterparts, reports the Center for the Advancement of Health. Most notably, reports of symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats are significantly lower among a … [Read more...]

Concept 1010 for daily fitnessReported June 13, 2008 A new fitness facility, Concept 1010, has no entertainment system or mirrors. Yet it promises results by eliminating distractions and maximising intensity. Stephen Snowball reports. "Cardio is a waste of time at best, and fitness clubs are more club than fitness. If you want strength and fitness, but don't have the time … [Read more...]

Sleep Apnea Patients May Suffer Memory Loss Reported June 12, 2008 People with sleep apnea are more likely to suffer brain injury and disrupted memory and thinking, new research by the University of California, Los Angeles reveals. Sleep apnea is caused by a blockage of the airways, usually when the tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep. … [Read more...]

Study says artificial blood may carry risksReported November 07, 2007 A national two-year study of an experimental blood substitute in critically injured patients, including 19 in San Antonio, found that those transfused with the artificial blood were more likely to die, and more likely to suffer a nonfatal heart attack, than those who received saline solution instead, … [Read more...]

High blood sugar can hamper memory   Reported February 01, 2008 In the journal Diabetes a research team from Umeå University and Stockholm University in Sweden presents findings that indicate that elevated levels of blood sugar may have a negative impact on the memory function. It was previously known that patients … [Read more...]

First lung transplant operation raises hopesReported March 27, 2009 ISTANBUL - Simge Nur Etci, 13, died in a traffic accident in Konya and her family decided to donate her organs, giving life to five different people, including her lung, which is expected to save the life of Eyüp Üstün, father of two children. Just a few hours after the organ-transplant team at Süreyya … [Read more...]

UK prepares for swine flu threatReported April 29, 2009 UK preparations for the possibility of a swine flu pandemic are covered in Wednesday's papers. The Daily Express reports growing fears that "Britain is ill-prepared", with the government reportedly struggling to order sufficient protective face-masks. "32 million flu masks please," says the Sun's front page headline. … [Read more...]

H1N1 flu virus spreads to prison in California Reported May 04, 2009 LOS ANGELES, May 3 (Xinhua) -- California health authorities confirmed the first case of influenza A/H1N1 at a state prison on Sunday, indicating the continuing spread of the virus. As a result, visiting hours and other activities at the Centinela State Prison, some 130 miles (about 200 km) southeast of … [Read more...]

Breastfeeding Recommended to Protect Infants During Swine Flu OutbreakReported May 01, 2009 (HealthNewsDigest.com) - Washington, DC - As the nation monitors the intensifying "swine flu" outbreak, the United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) recommends breastfeeding as a critical strategy to prevent infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued … [Read more...]

Alcohol brain injury 'crisis' looms August 06, 2007 MORE than 200,000 Australians are living with undiagnosed permanent brain damage caused by drinking alcohol. And a further two million people - one in eight adults - are at serious risk of joining them due to the amounts they consume, health experts warn. Yet the country is … [Read more...]

Canada's swine flu cases jump to 13, all mildReported April 29, 2009 VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - The number of confirmed cases of swine flu in Canada increased to 13 on Tuesday, as Canadians were urged to avoid unnecessary travel to Mexico and tour operators postponed flights between the countries. Ontario, the country's most populous province, confirmed its … [Read more...]

Third Canadian Influenza A (H1N1) Victim DiesReported June 02, 2009 Toronto, Ontario (AHN) - Influenza A (H1N1) claimed a third Canadian victim over the weekend. According to Ontario Ministry of Health spokesman Andrew Morrison the third fatality to have died of swine flu is an Ontario man who has been confined at a hospital for quite some time and has other medical … [Read more...]

Persistent cough could be a sign of COPD November 11, 2007 BANGALORE: Smokers beware! You may be aware that smoking leads to lung cancer and heart disease. But do you know it also leads to serious respiratory condition in which the airways get blocked? More than 13 million Indians are victims of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), … [Read more...]

Japan premier says government responsible for hepatitis from tainted blood December 24, 2007 TOKYO - The Japanese government bears the ultimate responsibility for hepatitis C infections caused by tainted blood products, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said Monday. "Pharmaceutical matters are the responsibility of … [Read more...]

CDC: Tests Prove Stomach Flu Can KillReported August 23, 2007 ATLANTA (AP) -- A 90-year-old nursing home patient died from the stomach flu last year, marking the first time U.S. health officials confirmed that the highly contagious bug is sometimes fatal. The North Carolina woman so far is the only person for whom lab tests confirmed norovirus as the killer, but health … [Read more...]