Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Minister upholds Hazardous Products Act by announcing Board of Review for baby walkers

Tony Clement, Canadian Minister of Health, today named the three Board of Review members who will inquire into the April 2004 decision to ban the sale, importation, and advertisement of baby walkers.

5 Jun 2006

New insights into how working memory works

Memory tests performed with amnesiacs have enabled researchers to refute a long-held belief in an essential difference between long-and short-term memories.

1 Jun 2006

Epidemic of domestic violence affecting women physically and mentally

The results of a newly published study has confirmed how widespread domestic violence is and its pervasive impact on women's physical and mental health.

31 May 2006

Music can help patients cope with chronic pain

Researchers in the U.S. have confirmed that listening to music can have a significant positive impact on the perception of chronic pain.

29 May 2006

Music can alleviate chronic pain and depression

Listening to music can reduce chronic pain by up to 21 per cent and depression by up to 25 per cent, according to a paper in the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

24 May 2006

Largest U.S. hepatitis C trial yields treatment insights

Community-Based WIN-R Study Shows Significantly Better Outcomes with Weight-Based Dosing

24 May 2006

Little evidence multivitamins prevent chronic diseases

There is little scientific evidence to suggest that taking a multivitamin supplement helps Americans ward off chronic diseases, including most cancers and cardiovascular disease.

23 May 2006

Women with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease fare worse than men

Women with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) fare worse than men both in terms of the severity of their disease and their quality of life, according to a study presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference on May 22nd.

23 May 2006

Patients more satisfied if they have more contact with pharmacist

Getting hospital-based pharmacists out from "behind the counter" to work directly with inpatients and health care teams reduces medication errors and problems, according to a University of Iowa and Department of Veterans Affairs review of previously published studies.

23 May 2006

Commonwealth Ministers discuss human resources for health

Commonwealth Ministers of Health held their 2006 Meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, on Sunday, 21 May. The theme of the Meeting was 'Human Resources for Health'.

22 May 2006

New on the web: Independent, updated health information for the general public

The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care challenges the language barriers in health and launches Europe's first bilingual evidence-based health information website.

22 May 2006

Panel calls for expanded oversight of vitamin and mineral supplements

An independent panel convened this week by the NIH Office of Medical Applications of Research and the Office of Dietary Supplements assessed the available evidence on the safety and effectiveness of multivitamin/minerals (MVMs).

17 May 2006

Culture plays a significant role in how women perceive obesity

Culture plays a significant role in how women perceive obesity in terms of both appearance and health, according to a study by Yale School of Nursing researchers in the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

17 May 2006

Too many teens abusing the family medicine cabinet to get high

According to new research teenagers in the U.S. are using the family medicine cabinets in their search for drugs to get high on.

16 May 2006

EU court says Brits who seek treatment abroad should be reimbursed by NHS

A European Court has ruled that National Health Service (NHS) patients who seek treatment abroad because they face "undue delay" in Britain, must be reimbursed by the NHS.

16 May 2006

Cardiovascular disease costs the UK economy £29 billion a year

Cardiovascular disease costs the UK economy £29 billion a year in healthcare expenditure and lost productivity, reveals research published ahead of print in Heart.

16 May 2006

FDA warns of suicide risk with Paxil

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S., has notified healthcare professionals in the States and the UK that the antidepressant Paxil produced by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), appears to raise the risk of suicide in young adults.

15 May 2006

Seniors should be last in line when it comes to bird flu jabs

According to two U.S. medical ethicists, because stocks of bird flu vaccine are likely to be in short supply, in the event of a bird flu pandemic, the young should have priority over the elderly, ill and disabled.

14 May 2006

Lilly to extend patient assistance programs for Medicare patients

Eli Lilly and Company has announced that it will be extending its existing patient assistance program, LillyAnswers, through the end of this year to qualifying patients currently participating in the program, to help bridge the gap in coverage for people who need Lilly medicines, but are not yet enrolled in Medicare Part D.

11 May 2006

Help for elderly people to spark new research ideas

New technologies and services can help elderly and disabled people live longer at home. The Ambient Assisted Living programme will focus on this vision but can only begin after agreement on how to combine national and European initiatives. Political accord is the key, notes a project preparing the groundwork.

10 May 2006