More going for laser eye surgery
• Eye / Vision Problems • Oct 25 04
Singaporeans, who hold the dubious distinction of being the most short-sighted people on earth, are flocking to eye centers for corrective laser surgery after…
Mental health is losing out in Scotland
• Psychiatry / Psychology • Oct 25 04
The government says it is prioritising mental health. But Richard Norris says that in Scotland less money is being spent on mental health than…
Want help? Then let me film inside psychiatric wards
• Psychiatry / Psychology • Oct 25 04
Nearly two years ago, a high-profile strategy was launched to reduce the stigma of mental illness. The ‘see me’ campaign is funded by…
U.S. looks north for vaccine system
• Public Health • Oct 25 04
When it comes to getting flu shots for its citizens, the United States may someday soon look like a giant version of Canada,…
Scientists: Biological weapons pose major threat
• Public Health • Oct 25 04
Biological weapons that can wipe out whole populations pose one of the biggest threats to the world today yet remain almost completely uncontrolled,…
Teens, parents alerted to possibility of pertussis
• Infections • Oct 25 04
The Society for Adolescent Medicine is urging parents to be aware that their teen’s runny nose, watery eyes, and nagging cough may signal whooping…
Illinois Gov. wants to import European flu vaccine
• Public Health • Oct 25 04
Illinois authorities asked on Monday for federal approval to import from Europe thousands of doses of flu vaccine that the state located through its…
Arthritis drugs may help fight cancer - study
• Cancer • Oct 25 04
Arthritis drugs like Celebrex and the recently withdrawn Vioxx may boost the immune system’s ability to attack brain tumors, and possibly other types…
State negotiating purchase of flu vaccine in Europe
• Drug News • Oct 25 04
Blagojevich’s office says a letter would be sent to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration today requesting its approval of the deal. Approval would…
Height treatment impairs women’s fertility
• Fertility and pregnancy • Oct 25 04
An Australian study has confirmed fears that the use of a sex hormone to reduce the adult height of tall girls impairs their ability…
Transatlantic live brain surgery to be beamed to UK
• Brain • Oct 25 04
It’s not for the squeamish, but Britons with a strong constitution will get a rare opportunity to view brain surgery as it happens, in…
U.S. works to deliver flu shots, some don’t wait
• Flu • Oct 25 04
U.S. health officials worked to redistribute flu vaccine to the neediest as worried Americans took matters into their own hands, heading across borders to…
Open Enrollment Begins for State Health Insurance Plan
• Public Health • Oct 25 04
Today is the first day for state employees, teachers and retirees to enroll in the new health insurance plan.
Research confirms alcohol risk during pregnancy
• Pregnancy • Oct 25 04
New research has shown that even small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy can be unsafe for babies.
A British-based study looked at a condition…
For doctors, a difficult election year
• Public Health • Oct 25 04
New Hampshire doctors say the nation’s health care system is in desperate need of attention. But they don’t necessarily agree on who has the…
Drug for diabetes nerve damage ‘on the horizon’
• Diabetes • Oct 25 04
An experimental drug has been shown to combat the underlying cause of nerve damage that occurs in people with diabetes.
“An effective disease-modifying treatment…
Mixed signals to blame for restless legs syndrome
• Brain • Oct 25 04
Iron-deficient cells in the brain are mixing up central nervous system signals to the legs and arms causing the irresistible urges to move and…
S. Africa AIDS group drops legal case on drug delays
• AIDS/HIV • Oct 25 04
South Africa’s main AIDS treatment lobby group has dropped a court case against the government demanding it reveal target dates for the rollout of…
Exercise Helps Slow Parkinson’s Disease
• Neurology • Oct 25 04
Exercise may slow the onset of Parkinson’s disease, a new animal study shows. A pilot study is under way to test this theory…
Bush signs law banning certain steroid-like drugs
• Drug News • Oct 25 04
President Bush signed a law on Friday banning certain steroid-like drugs, used by some athletes as performance enhancers.
The new law adds 18 substances…
Onyx Shares Fall on Cancer Drug Filing
• Drug News • Oct 25 04
Shares of Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. plunged after it and partner Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corp. said Monday they will use ongoing late-stage clinical trial data to…
Chief Justice Rehnquist Has Thyroid Cancer
• Cancer • Oct 25 04
U.S. Chief Justice William Rehnquist (news - web sites), 80, the leader of the Supreme Court’s conservative majority, was recently diagnosed with thyroid cancer…
Arafat does have flu, confirm doctors from Tunisia and Egypt
• Infections • Oct 24 04
Yasser Arafat, 75, has flu and is recuperating, said Ahmed Tibi, an Israeli MP who used to be Arafat’s adisor. He said Tunisian doctors…
Early detection ‘best means’ of tackling breast cancer
• Cancer: Breast • Oct 24 04
A new study claims many women are unaware of breast cancer symptoms and do not see their doctors after noticing changes.
The findings come…
Patients fear closure of mental health program
• Public Health • Oct 24 04
Probable closure of a Napa County program serving about 60 patients with mental problems has many of those clients fearful they’ll wind up…