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New treatments for migraines and chronic headaches

Twelve percent of the population, three quarters of them women, suffer at least occasionally from migraines and about 5 percent from chronic headaches.

20 Jun 2007

High rate of misdiagnosis in patients in an acute vegetative state

New studies underline the importance of extreme caution in any decision to limit the life chances of patients during the acute phase of a vegetative state.

20 Jun 2007

Obesity and wrist shape correlate with a higher prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome

Weight loss in obese patients, however, does not bring relief of the syndrome. Experts suggest a genetic link between the two conditions, or a genetic profile that pre-disposes a patient to both conditions.

20 Jun 2007

Gene test not needed if cancer drug irinotecan given in low dose

Investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have shown that when the cancer drug irinotecan is given in low doses for multiple days, it eliminates the need to delay treatment to perform costly genetic testing that determines if the patient is at risk for serious treatment side effects, such as neutropenia.

20 Jun 2007

Men are 12 times more likely than women to sustain severe human bite injuries

The researchers reviewed the 92 patients requiring assessment for human bite wounds by the plastic surgery service at St James Hospital Dublin, Ireland, between January 2003 and December 2005. Eight five of them (92%) were men and the 92 patients had a total of 96 bites.

20 Jun 2007

Obese heart attack patients more likely to survive after treatment than normal weight patients

Obese and very obese patients have a lower risk of dying after they have been treated for heart attacks than do normal weight patients, according to research published in the European Heart Journal today (Wednesday 20 June).

20 Jun 2007

Calcium from food best for protecting bone health

Women who get most of their daily calcium from food have healthier bones than women whose calcium comes mainly from supplemental tablets, say researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

20 Jun 2007

Coffee protects against involuntary eye spasm

People who drink coffee are less likely to develop an involuntary eye spasm called primary late onset blepharospasm, which makes them blink uncontrollably and can leave them effectively ‘blind', according to a study published online ahead of print in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry .

20 Jun 2007

Two complementary commanders in charge of the brain

A probe of the upper echelons of the human brain's chain-of-command has found strong evidence that there are not one but two complementary commanders in charge of the brain, according to neuroscientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

20 Jun 2007

Intraoperative radiation therapy for breast cancer

Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) breast cancer specialists are using a new way to treat patients by delivering a one-time dose of radiation during surgery.

20 Jun 2007

Six medics back in court in Tripoli amid hopes for compensation deal

The Palestinian doctor sentenced to death along with five Bulgarian nurses for allegedly infecting 426 Libyan children with the HIV virus has been Bulgarian citizenship.

20 Jun 2007

Women can avoid breast reduction surgery by being fitted for their bras

Doctors in Britain are calling for women to be offered free bra-fittings on the National Health Service (NHS) in an effort to reduce unnecessary breast reductions.

20 Jun 2007

Simple video-based awareness programme could reduce rapidly increasing hospital infection rates

A simple video-based awareness programme significantly improved hand washing among family members visiting sick children in a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, according to research in the June issue of the UK-based Journal of Clinical Nursing.

19 Jun 2007

Environmental and genetic risk factors in the development of rheumatoid arthritis

Two new studies by a team in Sweden have identified smoking, a low formal level of education and certain metabolic indicators as important risk factors in the development of RA.

19 Jun 2007

Restricting hospital-based services during SARS outbreak had modest impact

Restrictions on the non-urgent use of hospital-based services that were imposed when a provincial health emergency was declared during the 2003 SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak in Toronto, Ontario, resulted in only modest reductions in overall admissions.

19 Jun 2007

Safe blood for safe motherhood

On the occasion of World Blood Donor Day, the theme of which this year is "Safe blood for safe motherhood", WHO is launching a new initiative to improve the availability and use of safe blood to save the lives of women during and after childbirth.

19 Jun 2007

Multidisciplinary approach to treatment of heart attacks a success

Acute heart attacks can be successfully treated through a multidisciplinary team approach involving Emergency Medical Services, emergency physicians, cardiologists and specialty centres, according to a study conducted by Dr. Jacobus S. de Villiers and colleagues in Calgary.

19 Jun 2007

Breast feeding for thirteen months or more reduces mother's risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis

In the study, the longer the breast feeding period, the lower the mother's risk of developing RA in later life.

19 Jun 2007

Elevator-related injuries in children

In the first large-scale epidemiological study evaluating elevator-related injuries in children throughout the United States, researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine and a colleague from Ohio State University report on the large number of these preventable injuries.

19 Jun 2007