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Scots get serious about childhood obesity

Childhood obesity in Scotland has been a growing problem in recent years and research last year revealed that 21 per cent of all Primary 1 children were overweight: 8.8 per cent were classed as obese and 4.3 per cent as severely obese and the figures were were higher still in deprived areas.

15 Apr 2008

Traffic pollution linked to thousands of deaths from pneumonia

British researchers are suggesting that high levels of pollution may have contributed to the deaths in recent years of thousands of people in England from pneumonia.

15 Apr 2008

Popular painkiller Nurofen Plus in danger of becoming a prescription only drug

Australia's National Drugs and Poisons Scheduling Committee (NDPSC) is apparently considering making one of the most commonly used over-the-counter (OTC) drugs available only with a prescription.

15 Apr 2008

Team of health blitz ENT specialists on the ground in Alice

A health blitz which has begun to tackle some of the health issues suffered by Aboriginal children in remote communities, is already proving to be effective.

15 Apr 2008

Too much lead in rain water tanks prompts scientists to discourage drinking from them

New research by scientists from Monash University and the CSIRO has raised concern over the use of rainwater tanks.

15 Apr 2008

Sydneysiders consider class action over radiation poisoning

A class action against the New South Wales (NSW) government over alleged radiation poisoning is being considered by the relatives of a number of Sydney residents who died of cancer in the 1970s.

14 Apr 2008

Children suffering because of repeated delays in heart operations

Reports that the number of children in Victoria on waiting lists for heart operations is increasing, is a cause for concern.

14 Apr 2008

Another bird flu death in Egypt - death toll now 22

This current outbreak comes six-month after the last one in December and has occurred in the Cairo suburb of Matareya and is the 49th case of the disease among humans in Egypt.

14 Apr 2008

Low birth weight linked to heart disease

According to new research from Britain, being small at birth along with an excessive weight gain during adolescence and young adulthood are indicators for future heart disease risk.

14 Apr 2008

Trans-fats linked to breast cancer

Scientists at the national scientific research center at the University of Paris in France, discovered the link between trans-fats and breast cancer after carrying out a study of women taking part in a large European cancer trial.

14 Apr 2008

Mental health services in the bush failing

Figures released by the Australian government show that a Medicare scheme aimed at improving mental health services appears to be failing to meet its original objective.

14 Apr 2008

Aussie blokes in denial about beer guts

Scientists from the Queensland University of Technology say when it comes to being overweight and obese, Australian men are in denial.

14 Apr 2008

Cancer cluster at a fire station in Queensland leads to statewide investigation

The investigation into a suspected cancer cluster at a fire station in north Queensland has failed to establish a link between the building and an increased rate of cancer.

14 Apr 2008

New hope for blood disorder anaemia

A new understanding of how red blood cell production is controlled could lead to improvements in the treatment of the blood disorder anaemia, according to West Australian medical researchers.

13 Apr 2008

Stopping unwanted cell death: novel avenue for drug development

Research published in Nature Chemical Biology reveals that three specific inhibitors of a cell death pathway, termed necroptosis, all target and inhibit RIP1 kinase, a protein that can direct cells into necrosis.

13 Apr 2008

Bone stem cells offer cartilage repair hope for arthritis sufferers

Research being presented at the UK National Stem Cell Network Annual Science Meeting in Edinburgh could offer hope that bone stem cells may be harnessed to repair the damaged cartilage that is one of the main symptoms of osteoarthritis.

13 Apr 2008

Stem cells and their role in malignant brain tumours

Speaking at the UK National Stem Cell Network Annual Science Meeting in Edinburgh, Professor Silvia Marino shows how the mechanisms normally involved in balancing different functions of stem cells may also contribute to cancer.

13 Apr 2008

Researchers study Rituximab's action on cancer stem cells

Preliminary data from one of the first clinical trials to test a stem cell-targeting drug in cancer patients shows that while the drug did not prolong survival, its suppressing effect on patients' stem cells was impressive enough to send investigators looking for a better drug to try.

13 Apr 2008

Targeted therapy combo overcomes treatment resistance in liver cancer

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Abramson Cancer Center reported at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research that combining two targeted therapies overcomes treatment resistance in liver cancer cell lines.

13 Apr 2008

Radiation beneficial for older breast cancer patients

A breast cancer patient's age alone should not determine whether or not she receives standard breast-conservation treatments, including a lumpectomy and radiation therapy; however, if additional health problems (comorbidities) are present, treatments should be individualized based on age and the type of comorbidities, according to a study in the April 1 edition of the International Journal for Radiation Oncology-Biology-Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.

13 Apr 2008