News In Brief 30 April 2009

Hospital Clashes With NHS Over Stroke Care Centres

A London hospital is in dispute with NHS officials over reforms inc are for stroke patients in the capital.

Officials at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital have criticised health executives over their choice of sites for pioneering stroke units.

NHS Reminder Over Data Losses

The National Health Services was yesterday given a stark reminder of the need to protect patient records after hospitals in Cambridge, North West London and Hull, as well as Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust, were sanctioned for losing unencrypted computers and memory sticks containing data on thousands of patients.

Any Big Vaccine Drive Carries Its Own Risks

The World Health Organisation has raised its alert for swine flu to Phase 5, meaning a pandemic is ‘imminent’ and governments need to balance the risks between stopping the spread of the disease and the risks associated with moving too quickly.

One concern is that any potential vaccine could take months to be ready, and the efforts to force drug companies to cut back in other areas or cut back on production of regular flu vaccines needed for the winter.

A rush to produce a swine flu vaccine could see the human trials needed to assess such drugs reduces, with Andrin Oswald of Novartis saying: ‘The more sever the infection and the higher the disease burden, you would make the compromise and say let us not wait another six months’.

Wine May Help Drinkers Outlive Teetotallers

Men who drink less than half a glass of wine a day may live up to five years longer than teetotalers, and could have less chance of having a heart attack, a study has found.

An analysis of the impact of alcohol on men’s health by a team at Wageningen University in the Netherlands found that long-term light consumption, less than 20 grams a day, was more beneficial than being teetotal.

Although the findings are not the first to link a moderate intake of alcohol with certain health benefits, the study is the first to examine the effects of different drinks, claiming that wine is much healthier than beer of spirits.

Sexist Claims

Telling pregnant women not to drink is ‘sexist’ and ‘ethically dubious’, according to a medical legal expert.

In 2007 the government changed its stance on drinking in pregnancy.  Despite a lack of new evidence, it recommended total abstinence.  The British Medical Association issued similar advice, but a year later the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence said there was no evidence of harm, provided women drank just one or two units a week.

Cancer Drug Halves The Risk Of MS Relapse

New research has found that leukaemia drug cladribine can halve the chances of multiple sclerosis symptoms returning.

More than 1,300 multiple sclerosis patients took the tablets for between 8 and 20 days a year.  Compared with patients taking a placebo, they were more than 55 per cent less likely to suffer a relapse over the next two years of the study and 30 per cent less likely to suffer worsening in their disability.  If cladribine became commonly used it would be the first treatment for multiple sclerosis patients that did not involve regular injections.

The MS Society welcomed the study results, describing them as ‘remarkable’

Struggling In When Ill Risks Long-Term Harm

Researches at the Department of Occupational Medicine at Herning Hospital in Denmark have warned that workers should take time off when they are sick rather than dragging themselves into the office. They found that staff who repeatedly went to work when they were ill were much more likely to on to take long term sick leave.

The study of almost 12,000 workers found that people who failed to stay at home when they were ill were 53 per cent more likely to end up taking two weeks sick leave, and 74 per cent more likely to need tow months off than workers who took sick days.

Four More Sacked In Baby P Case

A further four people have been sacked from the social services department involved in the Baby P scandal, Haringey council said last night.

Celia Hitchen, deputy director of children and families, Maria Ward, social worker, Gillies Christou, team manager and Clive Preece, head of safeguarding services, were all dismissed.

Haringey said Ms Hitchen was sacked for ‘loss of trust and confidence’ after a damning Ofsted report in December.

Cancer Risk In Having Nails Done

Women who regularly visit beauty salons to get their fake nails done could be increasing their risk of developing cancer, according to researchers in the US.

They raised the alarm after two women developed tumours on their hands from exposure to ultra-violet used to attach artificial nails.

Autism Report

Scientists have pinpointed rogue genes that could unlock the ‘riddle of autism’, according to the popular press.

The breakthrough has been hailed as a ‘monumental achievement’ that could revolutionise understanding and treatment of the condition.

Professor Tony Monaco from Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics at Oxford said that this new knowledge allowed scientist to focus studies on developing new treatments and intervention therapies.

Kitchen that Keeps Eye On Alzheimer’s Patients

A feature on a kitchen designed by British scientists and filled with an array of hidden sensors, projectors and electronics that can help Alzheimer’s patients to live independently was included in the press yesterday.

The sensors, hidden away in every cupboard door, appliance and utensil, tell a central computer exactly what task a dementia patient is doing at any time.  It the kitchen thinks the individual has become confused, it projects written reminders of what to do next on the closest wall.

Aspirin Reduces Cancer Risks

People in their forties could reduce their risk of developing cancer later in life with a regular dose of aspirin., it was claimed yesterday.

Taking aspirin for at least ten years before cancers normally develop would maximise the drug’s effects, scientists from the charity, Cancer Research UK, said after reviewing evidence from several dozen studies involving more than 50,000 participants.

Hayfever Affects Majority Of Britains

Almost three quarters of Britons struggle at work because of hay fever, research has shown.

A study by One Poll on behalf of Nelsons revealed that 72 per cent of respondents felt their concentration was hurt by their pollen allergies, with 60 per cent relying on antihistamines to get them through the day.

Hay fever affects one in every five Britons and a separate study claims that the economy takes a £7.1 billion hit due to lost productivity, according to Jean Emberlin, director of the National Pollen and Aeriobiology Research Unit.

A third study from Mavern Researhc showed that just under two thirds of Britons felt udnr pressure at work because of hay fever.

The One Poll survey also revealed that 72 per cent of people preferred a natural alternative to conventional hay fever medicine.

Anti-Ageing Skin Cream Reduces Wrinkles

A clinical trial has provided evidence that a high street cosmetic anti-ageing product does indeed reduce wrinkles and improve the appearance of sun-damaged skin.

Scientists at the University of Manchester recruited 60 volunteer, some of whom were treated with No 7 Protect and Perfect Intense Beauty Serum while others received a placebo.

Their findings, which appear in the British Journal of Dermatology, showed that 70 per cent of those using the anti-ageing product has significantly fewer wrinkles than those using the placebo after 12 months of daily use.

The study followed the team’s previous discovery that the product stimulated the production of a protein called fibrillin-1, which promotes skin elasticity.

The findings demonstrated that a commercially-available cosmetic could product significant improvement in the appearance of facial wrinkles following long-term use.