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03/09/2010 |
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Daily Express |
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Hair shows if you risk a heart attack
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Measurements of the levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the hair could provide a more accurate indicator of a person's risk of suffering a heart attack than current methods. Cortisol is normally monitored in urine and saliva but those tests reveal stress levels only at the time the sample is taken, so cannot show long-term patterns. |
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31/08/2010 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Heart patients' lives at risk in switch to cheaper drugs
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New research has warned that the government's drive to switch patients to cheaper statins could put lives at risk. A study at the University of Melbourne has indicated that a third of patients who were switched from Lipitor to a cheaper generic version received a less powerful equivalent, and that those switched to the generic simvastatin would see their levels of dangerous "bad" cholesterol rise by between five and six per cent, which could increase their risk of suffering a heart attack or stoke by about three per cent. |
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30/08/2010 |
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The Times |
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Diet? Lifestyle? Or can a man's higher risk of heart attacks just be down to his genes?
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A British team found a cluster of genetic variants on the male sex chromosome that puts carriers at an increased risk of heart disease, which could explain why men are more likely than women to suffer heart attacks and strokes. The latest study, presented yesterday at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Stockholm, indicates that men who carry a set of genes - the I-haplogroup - on their Y chromosome - are at 55 per cent greater risk of heart disease. The finding also provides an explanation for why northern Europeans tend to be at greater risk of heart disease than their Mediterranean counterparts. The I-haplogroup is most prevalent in northern, central and eastern Europe, suggesting that genetics as well as a diet and lifestyle may play a role.
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25/08/2010 |
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Daily Express |
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Diseases linked to migraine
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According to a new study, people who suffer from the most severe type of migraine are more likely to die from a heart attack, stroke or cancer. Additionally, women who experience the violent headaches, known as migraine with aura, are at risk of other fatal diseases as well. The research assessing 18,725 people, conducted by a team at Reykjavik University in Iceland and published online in the British Medical Journal, is the first to suggest a connection between migraine and the other diseases as well as overall mortality.
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20/08/2010 |
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Daily Express |
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NHS and Health Sector News
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Police are investigating claims that the NHS has been covering up how staff repeatedly attacked patients at a hospital unit for people with profound learning disabilities. Separately, new figures show that more people have quit smoking than ever before with the help of the NHS. Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: "Smoking is still the biggest preventable cause of death in England." |
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13/08/2010 |
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The Guardian |
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'Statins with your burger?' Doctors want heart pill on menu
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Scientists at Imperial College London have suggested that fast food outlets offer free statins with their food. "Statins don't cut out all of the unhealthy effects of burgers and fries. It's better to avoid fatty food altogether," said Dr Darrel Francis who headed the research. "But we've worked out a statin can reduce your risk [of having a heart attack] to more or less the same degree as a fast food meal increases it." A low-dose statin pill that lowers cholesterol could offset the increased risk of a heart attack and cost just 5p a customer. However, Professor Steve Field, chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said: "This paper just amazes me. We should be encouraging healthy lifestyles, not pill popping."
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11/08/2010 |
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The Guardian |
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Study links heart attacks to cold weather
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Each fall of one degree Celsius at any time of year is associated with 200 extra people having a heart attack within the next 28 days, according to a study conducted by researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Krishnan Bhaskaran, who led the research, said the findings meant that the sustained cold experienced in the UK last winter must have claimed an unknown but significant number of lives, whilst the British Heart Foundation said those at risk of a heart attack during cold weather should take precautions, such as wrapping up warm and always wearing a hat to minimise body heat loss through the head.
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30/07/2010 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Calcium pills 'in heart attack link'
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Women who take calcium supplements to improve bone strength in middle age run a 30 per cent higher risk of heart attacks, according to researchers at Auckland and Aberdeen universities. A review of 11 trials suggests extra calcium can do more harm than good, even though broken bones account for thousands of deaths each year. Scientists believe the supplements can result in higher "serum calcium levels" in the blood, which can lead to hardened arteries. Hundreds of thousands of women take supplements either prescribed by their doctor for osteoporosis or bought over the counter as 'bone insurance'.
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15/07/2010 |
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The Independent |
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US regulator's panel declares GSK diabetes drug is safe
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GlaxoSmithKline's diabetes drug Avandia is safe enough to stay on the market, a panel of 33 medical experts decided last night at the conclusion of a contentious two-day hearing. With hundreds of millions of dollars of sales hanging in the balance, an advisory panel to the US pharmaceuticals regulator said that Avandia did not appear to increase patients' risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke, as its critics argued. By a close 12-to-7 margin, the panel found no death concern with Avandia compared with Takeda Pharmaceutical's Actos, a drug in the same class as Avandia.
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14/07/2010 |
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The Times |
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GSK settles claim that Avandia causes strokes and heart disease
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GlaxoSmithKline said yesterday that it had reached a settlement in a lawsuit alleging that the company's blockbuster Avandia diabetes drug can cause heart attacks and strokes. GSK refused to confirm a Bloomberg report that it had agreed to pay about $460 million (£303 million) to resolve about 10,000 suits, out of an estimated 13,000 it is facing. An advisory committee to America's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday began two days of deliberations over Avandia's safety in the wake of research suggesting it could be linked to heart problems. The panel will vote today on whether Avandia should stay on the market as it is, have its warning beefed up, or be pulled from the market altogether.
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30/06/2010 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Chocolate 'good for your heart'
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Researchers at the University of Adelaide found that eating chocolate could be as good for your heart as half an hour's exercise. Dark chocolate can reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke by up to 20 per cent, the study suggests. But the effect is only seen in people who already have high blood pressure.
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29/06/2010 |
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The Times |
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More studies highlight Avandia risks
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Two studies have reported serious heart risks with GSK's diabetes pill Avandia as US regulators decide whether the drug should stay on the market. An analysis of 56 clinical trials found Avandia increased the chances of a heart attack by 28 per cent to 39 per cent, researchers at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio reported in an update to a 2007 study that sparked debate about the drug. Dr Steven Nissen, the lead author, said the results from more than 35,000 patients gave a more complete picture that reinforced his earlier concerns.
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25/06/2010 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Mould linked to greater asthma risk
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Living in a home that has mould can increase the risk of suffering a serious asthma attack, new research suggests. An American Thoracic Society study found that people with certain variations in a particular type of gene - chitinase - were susceptible to high levels of fungus, which could expose them to greater attacks of the lung condition. Ann Wu, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, said mould was linked to some cases that required hospital treatment. |
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09/06/2010 |
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Daily Mail |
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Heart attacks fall after ban
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England's smoking ban prevented 1,200 emergency hospital admissions for heart attacks in the year after it was implemented, according to a study from Bath University's Centre for Tobacco Control Studies. The first study of the ban's short-term effect on public health analysed all hospital admissions for five years before and 15 months after July 2007, when it came into effect. |
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07/06/2010 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Brain can control cholesterol levels
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A study by the University of Cincinnati has found that cholesterol in the blood stream is partially regulated by the brain and not just controlled by what we eat. Researchers found that it is "remotely controlled" by the hunger hormone ghrelin - offering hope of new treatments to reduce levels of the fatty substance that can lead to heart attacks and strokes. When the team blocked the chemical, they found it increased cholesterol in the mice - suggesting it was the most important part of the "remote control" system.
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07/06/2010 |
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Daily Mail |
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New hope for millions of arthritis sufferers
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Scientists have found an antibody which treats the cause of the pain experienced by arthritis sufferers rather than just the symptoms. Researchers from the University of Lisbon in Portugal have shown that anti-CD4 antibodies attack the white blood cells that cause the debilitating disease without affecting other cells - an improvement on existing treatments which do not target the source of pain, but merely mask its symptoms.
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27/05/2010 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Health risk of nuts
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Eating nuts and olive oil to boost "good" cholesterol may be a health risk, say scientists. Heart attack patients most at risk of another had large amounts of the high-density lipoprotein, found the study in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology journal. |
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21/05/2010 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Statins 'raise risk of kidney failure'
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Cholesterol lowering drugs to cut the chance of a heart attack increase the risk of kidney failure and cataracts, a new study shows. Researchers at Nottingham University found that for every 10,000 women treated with statins for a year there would be 271 fewer cases of heart disease. At the same time, the study of two million patients over six years found there would be 74 extra cases of liver damage, 23 extra cases of kidney failure and 307 extra cases of cataracts. There would also be 39 extra cases of muscle wastage, another known side effect of statins.
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21/05/2010 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Pistachios help destroy bad cholesterol
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A handful of pistachio nuts a day can help destroy bad cholesterol, ward off heart disease and prevent cancer, according to scientists writing in the Journal of Nutrition. The nuts are full of antioxidants that protect cells from damage by harmful chemicals, called "free radicals". The findings follow previous research by the same team that discovered pistachios help destroy bad cholesterol that can lead to heart attacks and stroke. The team found pistachios were much richer in the main dietary antioxidants lutein, beta-carotene and gamma-tocopherol than other nuts.
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20/05/2010 |
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Wall Street Journal |
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Glaxo's Avandia study lags in recruiting
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GlaxoSmithKline is facing difficulties recruiting patients in the U.S. for a clinical trial of its diabetes drug Avandia in the wake of several studies linking the medicine to an increased risk of heart attack. Safety advocates and some regulators have said that the trial, called TIDE, is unethical because patients are being given a drug already linked to serious cardiovascular problems.
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18/05/2010 |
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The Independent |
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'Magic bullet' tested to cut risk of heart attack and stroke
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An International trial was launched yesterday to establish if a one-a-day pill can cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The "polypill" is a single tablet that combines drugs such as aspirin, a statin to lower cholesterol and blood pressure-lowering medicines. A trial in India in 2009 found that such low-cost "magic bullet" pills could halve rates of heart attacks and strokes. The latest trial involves testing a drug called the Red Heart Pill to see how it could be used in countries such as the UK, as well as in developing nations.
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14/05/2010 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Pay linked to heart attack survival
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Research published in the Journal of Political Economy has warned that a lack of experienced NHS nurses and high staff turnover in affluent areas is costing lives. The research suggests that around 400 lives a year are lost unnecessarily in England because nurses' wage levels are linked to heart attack survival rates. |
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12/05/2010 |
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Financial Times |
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Long hours "raise fatal heart attack risk"
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Working long hours dramatically increases the risk of suffering a fatal heart attack by up to 60 per cent, a study has found. People who regularly do overtime - shifts longer than a seven-hour day - are more prone to heart disease, angina and heart attacks. |
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07/05/2010 |
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Daily Express |
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Vaccine could slash heart attack deaths
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A jab that stops arteries "furring up" - cutting the risk of heart attacks and strokes - could be a reality, scientists have said. Swedish researchers say that their vaccine can block the immune system's response to a build-up of 'bad' cholesterol, and halt any inflammation. In animal testing, heart disease was reduced by more than 60 per cent.
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06/05/2010 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Trial raises hopes for MS treatment
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A controversial trial using bone marrow stem cell therapy for MS patients has helped stabilise the disease. Researchers at the University of Bristol and North Bristol NHS Trust claim that, one year on, there are early signs that patients receiving the therapy may be improving, and that the treatment is safe. The trial has shown the cells could halt or reverse symptoms by patching up brain damage. The trial looked at six patients, aged 30 to 60, suffering from multiple sclerosis, a condition in which the body's immune system attacks itself.
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30/04/2010 |
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The Guardian |
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Healthy genome used to predict disease risk
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An apparently healthy man has become the first person in the world to be prescribed a medicine based on an analysis of his genome, the entire set of genes that he inherited from his parents researchers have said. Stephen Quake, 40, a professor of bioengineering at the Stanford School of Medicine in California, has started treatment with a statin, the drug to reduce cholesterol, despite his relative youth, after researchers who assessed his chances of developing 55 conditions warned him he was at increased risk of a heart attack.
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26/04/2010 |
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Daily Mail |
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Stem cells could repair heart attack damage
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Scientists have discovered how blood vessels could be repaired using stem cells. Bristol University scientists used blood vessels left over from bypass operations to produce the stem cells. 'This very encouraging and important advance brings the possibility of cell therapy for damaged hearts one step closer,' said Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director of the British Heart Foundation.
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23/04/2010 |
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The Guardian |
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Modified viruses 'can destroy cancer cells'
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Dr John Chester, head of a Cancer Research UK-funded study, has concluded that viruses can be modified to attack and destroy cancerous cells. They could introduce "suicide" genes to cancer cells or replace the missing and defective genes which caused the cancer to develop, with an approach known as gene therapy. Chester said gene therapy had had limited success so far because its delivery had not been efficient or specific enough to target only tumour cells. This breakthrough should mean these re-targeting proteins could be combined with existing gene therapy viruses.
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22/04/2010 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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New drug to tackle migraine pain
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A drug which relieves the agony of migraine with fewer side effects is in the final stages of development, scientists claim. Manufacturer Merck is carrying out long-term clinical trials on Telcagepant, which could lead to the drug being licensed for acute attacks in two or three years' time. Writing in The Lancet medical journal, doctors from Sweden and Norway say trials so far suggest Telcagepant is 'promising'. Telcagepant works by blocking the actions of brain proteins thought to play a role in causing migraines. Scientists believe the attacks are set off by over-responsive brain cells which trigger nerves to release chemicals that irritate and cause blood vessels on the brain's surface to swell.
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19/04/2010 |
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Daily Express |
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NHS and Health Sector News
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A woman with severe back pain claims she was removed from an NHS waiting list because she had a private consultation. The patient, a breast cancer survivor from Haworth, West Yorkshire, said she only paid for the private consultation at Airedale Hospital because she faced a six-month wait to see the specialist after being referred last December. Separately, Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, will today warn political parties against making cuts in the NHS and pledged to build alliances to fight attacks on the service.
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16/04/2010 |
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Daily Mail |
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Banning fats "could save thousands"
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Health experts are calling for a ban on trans fats in food, claiming that this would prevent thousands of heart attacks and deaths. They predicted that cutting overall consumption in England alone by just 1 per cent would lead to 11,000 fewer heart attacks each year and 7,000 fewer deaths. A number of manufacturers and fast-food chains, including Mars, McVitie's and McDonald's, have already changed their recipes. |
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08/04/2010 |
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The Independent |
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How The Beatles' meditation technique could cure depression
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Transcendental meditation, the technique of achieving a state of "restful alertness", may be an effective treatment for depression in older people, scientists have found. Two studies of more than 100 patients at risk of heart disease showed that those who practised the technique experienced a reduction in depressive symptoms of up to 48 per cent. Depression increases the risk of a heart attack even at moderate levels. Gary Kaplan, associate professor of neurology at New York University, said: "Any technique not involving extra medication in this population is a welcome addition. I look forward to further research on the Transcendental Meditation technique and prevention of depression in other at-risk populations."
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05/04/2010 |
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Daily Express |
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Advice
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The Daily Express advises that "Gout is more likely to occur in people who have an inherited tendency to high uric acid levels but attacks are often triggered by a rise in the levels due to alcohol or eating foods high in the chemical purine, such as herrings or mussels. Sugar-sweetened soft drinks can also increase the risk of gout by as much as 85 per cent. There is some evidence that vitamin C supplements can prevent gout, so it may be worth taking 1,500mg a day." |
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29/03/2010 |
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Daily Express |
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Now blackcurrants help in battle against asthma
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Researchers have claimed that blackcurrants could help millions of people with asthma. New Zealand scientists have said that eating them could help sufferers breathe more easily by working with the body's immune system to reduce inflammation in the lungs. Chemicals in the berry work with natural defences to attack the causes of allergy-induced asthma, scientists at the Plant and Food Research laboratories found. One such compound, the antioxidant epigallocatechin, helps to suppress long-lasting inflammation and could even prevent allergic reactions.
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26/03/2010 |
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Financial Times |
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Self-repairing hearts studied
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US and European researchers will this week publish separate studies suggesting it may be possible to stimulate human hearts to repair themselves after a heart attack. Human heart muscle damaged by a coronary thrombosis is typically replaced by scar tissue leading, at worst, to death. However, the heart of the tiny zebrafish has the property of being able to regenerate itself - if a slice is surgically removed, it appears perfectly normal again after a month or so.
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16/03/2010 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Bone marrow transplants may reduce risk for asthma sufferers
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Researchers in Maryland have found that stem cells could be used to treat patients with severe asthma. A study, which was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that mice who developed the condition by being exposed to pollen were protected against attacks after the cells obtained from bone marrow were injected into them. The researchers believe the bone marrow stem cells reduce inflammation in the airways, the symptom of an asthma attack.
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10/03/2010 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Virus kills prostate cancer cells
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A Canadian study has injected trial subjects with reovirus in order to determine whether or not the organism is effective in attacking prostate cancer. Analysis of the prostate tissue showed the death of cancer cells in the treated tumours. However there was no sign of the virus replicating in non-cancerous areas of the prostate. The virus is already known to be capable of fighting cancer of the ovaries, breast, pancreas and brain. Dr Don Morris, of the Tom Baker Cancer Center in Alberta, said: "It's a stepping stone into future clinical trials." The findings were reported yesterday in the journal Cancer Research.
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03/03/2010 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Daily aspirin is a risk, say doctors
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Healthy people who take aspirin in the hope of preventing a heart attack or stroke are doing themselves more harm than good, medical experts have warned. Research carried out in Scotland and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that aspirin taken by people who have no outward symptoms of heart disease did not reduce the risk of a heart attack when compared with those on a dummy pill. |
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02/03/2010 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Atkins diet helps the heart
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Controversial diets aimed at rapid weight loss can reverse life-threatening artery damage in obese people, a study has shown. Tests revealed that patients who went on the diets lost moderate amounts of weight, lowered their blood pressure and developed healthier carotid arteries, which supply the brain with blood. Unhealthier, thicker, arteries - caused by fatty deposits - are associated with heart attacks and strokes. |
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25/02/2010 |
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The Independent |
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GSK issues rebuttal of Avandia worries
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GlaxoSmithKline issued a 30-page report last night in an attempt to rebut allegations made last weekend about the safety of its diabetes drug Avandia. The US Senate's finance committee said on Saturday that Avandia users face a greater risk of heart attacks, a move that led the US regulator to plan a public meeting on the issue in July. GSK said the report did not present "an accurate, balanced or complete view" of the drug. It also said that the report contained "glaring omissions".
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22/02/2010 |
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Financial Times |
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US Senate seeks explanation from regulators on Glaxo drug
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A US Senate inquiry has demanded that regulators explain by next week why they permitted GlaxoSmithKline to proceed with a clinical trial of its diabetes drug Avandia after allegedly being aware that it had a higher risk of causing heart attacks than a rival medicine. Senators Max Baucus and Charles Grassley said GSK executives 'attempted to intimidate independent physicians and focused on strategies to minimise or misrepresent findings that Avandia may increase cardiovascular risk'. Their action came at the end of a lengthy study of Avandia in which US researchers identified potential safety concerns, triggering a review and modified information to doctors on the use of GSK's blockbuster drug. The senators accused the FDA of being "too cozy" with drugmakers, and raised concerns about the fact that the regulatory officials charged with assessing the safety of medicines after launch were "under the thumb" of those who originally authorised new drug approvals. |
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19/02/2010 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Personalised treatment in fight against cancer
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Personalised blood tests for cancer have been developed by scientists and could transform the way the disease is treated. The tests, which could be available within five years, would screen for the "genetic fingerprint" that reveals how the illness attacks every patient differently. They could be used to spot early signs of the disease or to assess the effectiveness of treatments.
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27/01/2010 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Heart doctors' drug plea to Nice
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Campaigners want the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice) to allow a £2-a-day heart drug on the NHS, saying it could help 40,000 people with an abnormal heart beat. Experts say use of the drug Dronedarone would help tens of thousands of people who suffer from a condition called atrial fibrillation. Caused by an abnormal heartbeat, it puts patients at serious risk of suffering strokes and heart attacks. Existing drugs have proved ineffective for many of the million-plus sufferers in the UK and can also have horrendous side effects, including damage to the lungs, liver and kidneys. Dronedarone is the first new drug for the condition introduced to the market in more than 25 years and is widely available in Europe and the US. But in a provisional decision made before Christmas, NICE said the drug had not been shown to be cost effective.
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26/01/2010 |
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The Times |
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Online drug danger
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Slimmers were warned of the dangers of buying medicines from unregulated websites last night, after counterfeit versions of a leading weight-loss drug were discovered in the US. Fake versions of Alli have been found to contain dangerous levels of a prescription drug, sibutramine, the Medicines and Healthcare products regulatory agency said. A study suggested it could trigger heart attacks and strokes.
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22/01/2010 |
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Daily Express |
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Weight-loss pill shelved in heart scare
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One of the country's most commonly prescribed anti-obesity drugs has been banned across Europe after it was blamed for increasing patients' chances of suffering a heart attack or a stroke. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) ordered doctors across the continent to stop prescribing sibutramine and told pharmacists not to dispense the drug, which is marketed in the UK as Reductil. The watchdog's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) acted after a study of 9,800 patients said the risks of sibutramine outweighed its minimal benefits. |
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05/01/2010 |
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Daily Express |
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Drug shows promise
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An experimental drug being tested against breast and lung cancer could be used to fight brain cancer glioblastoma and prostate cancer, say researchers. Trials of the drug imetelstat, which has been tested on humans and mice, are encouraging because it attacks not only tumour cells but also the rare cancer stem cells believed to be responsible for most of a cancer's growth, according to study author Dr Jerry Shay of UT Southwestern Medical Center. The glioblastoma study appears in Clinical Cancer Research.
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29/12/2009 |
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The Times |
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Molecule fights cancer
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Researchers have discovered a molecule - known as F77 - which targets and destroys prostate cancer cells. The antibody attacks advanced tumours in patients who are incurable after becoming resistant to treatment. It could also be used for patients in the early stages of the disease. As well as attacking the disease directly, it helps the immune system to identify and destroy cancer cells. Dr Sarah Cant, head of policy and campaigns at The Prostate Cancer Charity, said it was 'potentially significant' that F77 could be used to treat early and late stages of the illness.
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17/12/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Cannabis could help protect against stomach diseases
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Chemicals found in cannabis could be used to treat crippling stomach conditions such as Crohn's and colitis, scientists believe. Laboratory tests carried out by Dr Karen Wright from Lancaster University show that two compounds found in cannabis appear to protect the stomach lining by fighting off cells which attack it.
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15/12/2009 |
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Daily Mail |
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How prostate cancer shock raises risk of heart attack
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The shock of being diagnosed with prostate cancer greatly increases the likelihood of a fatal heart attack, researchers have warned. Men are up to 11 times more likely to die from cardiac problems in the week after being told they have the disease, with younger men and those with no history of heart disease at particular risk. The threat stays high for the first year after diagnosis and the likelihood of suicide is also raised, a Swedish study involving more than four million men found.
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11/12/2009 |
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Daily Express |
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Swine flu is less deadly than feared
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New figures revealed yesterday that the chance of dying from swine flu is far lower than expected, with just 26 deaths for every 100,000 people who catch the bug, but the Department of Health said that the figures, which prove the H1N1 virus is "considerably less lethal" than previously thought, would not alter the mass vaccination programme. Sir Liam Donaldson said parents of under-fives should get their children vaccinated when the jab is offered in the coming weeks and he attacked the anti-vaccine sentiment that has built up following the MMR controversy. |
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11/12/2009 |
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The Independent |
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Warning on heart attack drugs
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Clot-busting drugs may pose a serious hazard to heart attack patients by increasing their bleeding risk, research has shown. A study of more than 40,000 heart attack patients found that some drug combinations tripled or quadrupled the chances of bleeding. Hospital admissions for bleeding episodes were associated with a three-fold increased risk of death or recurrent heart attacks. |
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09/12/2009 |
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Daily Express |
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Asthma trigger
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A runny nose and itching eyes may trigger an asthma attack, a new study suggests. Experts have found that most patients with asthma also suffer from hay fever-like symptoms known as allergic rhinitis, triggered by indoor allergens. New data published in the Primary Care Respiratory Journal suggests that diagnosing and treating allergic rhinitis in these patients is important. |
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07/12/2009 |
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Daily Express |
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New blood-clot drug will slash risk of strokes
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Patients at risk of heart attacks and strokes were offered new hope from a breakthrough blood-thinning treatment for the first time in 50 years. Boehringer Ingelheim, the drugs firm behind dabigatran, said it was applying for a licence so that it could be used to prevent stroke and to treat clots within a year. The pill, which has a brand name of Pradaxa, is already licensed for use in patients undergoing hip and knee replacement surgery. Now a study has shown it helps to treat patients who have already suffered clots, known as acute venous thromboembolism.
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24/11/2009 |
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The Independent |
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Company "knew Vioxx drug was dangerous"
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Evidence that the painkiller Vioxx might increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes emerged nearly four years before the drug was voluntarily withdrawn from the market, research has shown. Vioxx, the brand name for rofecoxib, was designed to fight the pain of arthritis. It was launched in May 1999 by Merck & Co Inc. In November 2004, Merck's then chief executive Raymond Gilmartin testified before a US Senate finance committee that until the halted trial, there was no suggestion from research data that patients taking Vioxx were at increased risk. Yesterday, experts from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York writing in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine produced evidence of clear concerns about Vioxx from December 2000 onwards, notes The Independent. |
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24/11/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Keeping work stress bottled up "raises the risk of heart attack"
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Men who failed to complain about unfair treatment at work had double the risk of heart attack or dying from heart disease, according to a study of more than 2,700 men. Keeping things bottled up greatly increased the chance of suffering poor health, concluded a team from the Stress Research Unit at Stockholm University. The research also included women but the number of heart attacks among this group was too low for any conclusions to be drawn. |
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19/11/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Can a bottle of wine a day keep heart attacks at bay?
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Men who drink more than a bottle of wine a night can halve their risk of coronary heart disease, a study has suggested. The Spanish research, published in the British Medical Journal's magazine Heart, found that the optimum amount to drink is less than two glasses of wine, or a couple of beers, a night. However, British experts warn the claims must not be a green light to over-indulge. Cathy Ross, of the British Heart Foundation, said: 'While alcohol could offer limited protection to one organ, abuse of it can damage the heart and other organs, such as the liver, pancreas and brain.'
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19/11/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Elderly worse hit by viruses as body 'fights too hard'
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A new study has suggested that elderly people succumb to viruses more often than the young because their natural immune systems tend to overreact. An overly aggressive reaction leaves cells inflamed and damaged, researchers said. Experts previously thought that our immune systems became worn out with age, and that was why older people were less able to resist viruses such as influenza and the common cold. "It is possible that heightened immune responses, rather than defective immunity, attack the body and lead to disease in these individuals," said Dr Daniel Goldstein, from the Yale School of Medicine, who led the research.
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18/11/2009 |
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The Times |
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Statins help hearts
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Women who take a statin can cut their risk of having a heart attack or stroke even if they do not have unhealthy cholesterol levels, research suggests. A new study shows healthy women who take statins slash their risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke. A brand of the cholesterol-lowering drug called Crestor was shown to reduce the risk of cardiac events by as much as 46 per cent. It is the first data to show that statins offer this protective effect in women. At present statins are usually prescribed to patients who already have cardiovascular disease or those at high risk of developing the condition.
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11/11/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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"No need" to fast before cholesterol test
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Fasting for hours before a cholesterol test is a waste of time, a new study suggests. Researchers found the tests were as accurate if patients had eaten beforehand as if they had fasted for up to 14 hours, as recommended. They believe the tests could be made easier for patients to undergo without putting them at risk of a misdiagnosis. The tests measure the amount of cholesterol, a fatty substance which can clog arteries and trigger a heart attack, in the blood. |
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05/11/2009 |
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The Times |
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New attack on cancer with nano-weapon
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A nanotechnology therapy that attacks cancer with a "stealth smart bomb" is to begin patient trials next year. BIND 014 is designed to solve three of the main challenges in drug delivery: how to ensure therapeutic molecules get to the right place in the body, how to release them slowly over several days and how to keep the body's immune system from recognising them as foreign and destroying them. "This should be the first targeted nanoparticle delivering a chemotherapeutic to enter clinical trials," Jeff Hrkach, the company's vice-president of pharmaceutical sciences, said. "We are then looking to develop this as a broad platform that could also be used to treat cardiovascular disease, inflammation, even infectious disease."
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04/11/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Heart drugs 'can cut blood clot risk'
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Cholesterol-busting drugs taken to prevent a heart attack can also cut the chance of suffering a potentially fatal blood clot, says a new study. In high-risk patients, statins reduced the risk of a clot in the lung or the deep veins of the leg by two-thirds, said the study, presented to the American College of Chest Physicians' annual conference.
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03/11/2009 |
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Daily Express |
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Now doctors say a daily aspirin can be bad for your health
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Doctors should stop prescribing aspirin to ward off heart attacks in people without heart disease, a leading doctor has said. Giving aspirin to these patients can do more harm than good, raising the risk of dangerous stomach bleeding while having a 'negligible' effect on curbing death rates, Dr Ike Iheanacho, editor of the respected Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, warned.
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28/10/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Severe migraine sufferers face higher stroke risk
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People who suffer from severe migraines are twice as likely to have a stroke as those who do not, a new study shows. Those who experienced blurred or difficult vision during the painful headaches were at a significantly increased risk, researchers found. Such attacks are known as a migraine "with aura". The findings add to growing evidence that severe migraines are linked to an increased risk of suffering a stroke. The latest research, by a team at Harvard University in America and published online by the British Medical Journal, brought together evidence from 25 studies into migraines. |
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28/10/2009 |
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Evening Standard |
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Women having more heart attacks, but are surviving them
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Heart attacks have become more common in middle-aged women over the past two decades, studies showed today. However, while the incidence of heart attacks has increased, all women have also experienced a greater increase than men in their chances of survival following a heart attack. Researchers wrote in the scientific journal Archives of Internal Medicine: "Although men in their mid-life years continue to have a higher prevalence of myocardial infarction (heart attack) than women of similar age, our study suggests that the risk is increasing in women, while decreasing in men." |
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27/10/2009 |
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Daily Mail |
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Heart attack rate rising for women
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Heart attacks are becoming more common in middle-aged women, researchers say. The traditional gender gap has narrowed over the past 20 years, with the risk in midlife rising in women and continuing to fall in men, it is claimed. Smoking rates among women are said to be partly to blame, as fewer are quitting and so are suffering ill effects at younger ages. Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director of the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said recent US findings probably also applied in the UK. |
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16/10/2009 |
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International Herald Tribune |
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Bans on lighting up help all, study finds
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Smoking bans in places like restaurants, offices and public buildings reduce cases of heart attacks and heart disease, according to a report released on Thursday by a panel of scientists commissioned by the US government. The report, issued by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, concluded that exposure to second-hand smoke significantly increased the risk of having a heart attack among both smokers and non-smokers. The panel also said that it found that a reduction in heart problems began to take effect fairly quickly after a smoking ban was instituted and that exposure to low or fleeting levels of second-hand smoke could cause cardiovascular problems. |
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09/10/2009 |
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The Sun |
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Rash risk of stroke
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Shingles can increase the risk of a stroke by a third, according to a study conducted by researchers in Taiwan. The chances of an attack are more than four times greater when the infection, caused by the chickenpox virus, develops around the eyes. Researchers said it was unclear why there was a connection between shingles and strokes. But it is the only virus capable of invading arteries in the brain. |
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07/10/2009 |
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The Times |
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Top inhaler could be failing 400,000 asthmatic children
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Hundreds of thousands of asthmatic children may get little or no benefit from the most popular inhaler because they carry a particular gene mutation, researchers say. One million children in Britain suffer from asthma but while most can control the condition by using a blue Ventolin inhaler, more than 130,000 youngsters have inherited a double copy of a gene that impairs the effects of the medicine. Research by the Brighton and Sussex Medical School and the University of Dundee found that children and young adults with two variant copies of the gene known as Arg16, inherited from each of their parents, are more than 30 per cent more likely to suffer asthma attacks if they use their inhaler daily compared with those without the gene. |
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07/10/2009 |
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The Guardian |
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Vaccine may help treatment for cocaine addiction, study finds
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Scientists in Texas who have completed early trials on a vaccine for cocaine dependence believe it shows promise in the treatment of addiction to the substance. The vaccine works by attaching itself to cocaine molecules. These larger combined units are easier for the body's immune system to recognise, and so help in the formation of antibodies which attack the cocaine molecules before they have a chance to enter the brain and cause euphoria. The researchers found 38% of the volunteers who were given the vaccine produced significantly higher levels of anti-cocaine antibodies, and in these cases there was a marked reduction in their cocaine use - of up to 50% compared with the group given a placebo. |
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02/10/2009 |
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Daily Express |
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Olive oil could hold key to defeating Alzheimer's
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An ingredient in olive oil may prove to be a vital weapon in the fight against dementia. The compound has been shown to slow down changes in the brain that lead to Alzheimer's, which is a growing burden on the NHS. Researchers believe the antioxidant - which gives olive oil its peppery "bite" - will become a key ingredient in new drugs created to treat the disease. The latest study looked at how dangerous chemicals in the brain attack nerve cells. Eventually, they stop one part of the brain communicating with the other, causing the brain cell death that signals dementia.
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25/09/2009 |
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Daily Express |
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New fears over heart pill taken by millions
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Fears over the side-effects of heart drugs used by four million Britons have sparked a two-year investigation. Statins have been hailed as a "wonder drug" for reducing cholesterol and preventing tens of thousands of heart attacks and strokes, but experts are becoming worried by the unpleasant reactions that some patients are experiencing. Packets warn patients of certain side-effects but last year manufacturers were forced to add new cautions, telling patients that statins can sometimes cause memory loss, sexual problems, depression and disturbed sleep. A research team at Nottingham University wants to discover why people are suffering such unpleasant reactions to the drugs and how widespread the problem is. |
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24/09/2009 |
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The Times |
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'Egg whisk' beats the blood flow problem in heart operations
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A miniature "egg whisk" that rotates faster than a high-speed food blender has been pioneered by a British doctor to help the heart to pump blood round the body during life-saving surgery. More than 100,000 patients undergo artery-clearing angioplasty annually, but many remain at high risk of serious complications because of their problems pumping blood. But now Professor Martin Rothman, a cardiologist based at the London Chest Hospital, has completed the first human trials of the revolutionary whisk, which is inserted via a catheter through the groin shortly before the angioplasty takes place. Professor Rothman said that the device effectively "unloaded the heart", reducing the risk of heart attack, kidney failure and cardiogenic shock, and that the device would bring benefits for thousands of patients every year. |
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23/09/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Prostate cancer treatment 'raises heart problems'
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Hormone therapy used to treat prostate cancer can increase the risk of suffering heart problems by more than a quarter, scientists have found. in a study of 30,000 patients, scientists discovered that the treatment could raise the risk of a non-fatal heart attack by 24 per cent and the risk of dying from heart disease by 21 per cent. However, one form of hormone treatment, which prevented testosterone from attaching to prostate cells rather than those that cut testosterone production, caused far fewer problems. Mieke Van Hemelrijck, a cancer epidemiologist at King's College, London, who led the study, said there was no question that most patients should be given the drugs. "Of course, we have to treat the prostate cancer, but what we want to do is raise awareness of the risks," he said. |
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22/09/2009 |
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The Times |
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Second wave of swine flu may trigger spate of heart attacks
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The swine flu pandemic could trigger a spate of heart attacks if rates of illness surge as predicted this autumn, doctors warned. Patients with heart disease are being advised to accept a vaccine against H1N1 swine flu as it becomes available next month in order to reduce the risk of fatal complications. Andrew Hayward, an epidemiologist at University College London, and colleagues at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said that more efforts were needed to encourage people with heart disease and diabetes to have the flu jab. They reviewed 39 studies carried out between 1932 and 2008 and found that people with heart disease made up between 35 to 50 per cent of excess flu deaths. |
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22/09/2009 |
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Daily Mirror |
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Smoke ban cuts heart attack rate
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Public smoking bans have reduced heart attacks by up to a third, two studies have shown. A health department report out today says the NHS has saved 70,000 lives by helping people to quit smoking. It was reported earlier this month that attacks fell by 10% in England after the ban was introduced in July 2007. But research in Europe and America suggest the figure was much more dramatic, with one study claiming that the fall over three years was 36%. |
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10/09/2009 |
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The Times |
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High risk of early fatal heart attack
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Britons have a higher chance of dying early from a heart attack than most other Europeans, a study indicates. Figures from 16 countries compiled by the European Heart Network show that Britain has the sixth-highest death rate for coronary heart disease among men under 65 and the fourth highest for women of the same age. Men under 65 in Britain have roughly double the risk of dying from coronary heart disease as those in the Netherlands, France or Italy, while women have up to three times the risk compared with those in Iceland or France. |
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10/09/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Traffic linked to high blood pressure
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Living near a busy road is more likely to cause stress and raised blood pressure because of traffic noise, according to a Swedish study. Young and middle-aged people suffered more, increasing the risk of strokes or heart attacks, while elderly people were the least affected, according to a study published in Environmental Health. |
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08/09/2009 |
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Daily Express |
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Heart patients at risk if depressed
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Heart attack patients are more likely to die if they suffer from severe depression after the attack, says research published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Depression is common during the first few weeks following any acute coronary syndrome. Experts said those who suffer deep depression for six months or more have double the risk of death over a seven-year period |
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07/09/2009 |
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The Sun |
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Heart programme "a waste"
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Screening people to identify heart attack victims is "a colossal waste of money", say doctors. The government plans to test everyone over the age of 40 for high cholesterol and blood pressure, but research presented to the European Society of Cardiology said tests would only identify one in four victims as being at risk. |
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01/09/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Drugs "fail to cut heart attack risk"
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New research has found that most people taking drugs to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol are still at risk, with "inadequate" control of their condition. A study, conducted in 12 European countries including Britain, involved 4,000 people under 80, who were at high risk of a heart attack or stroke but had not yet had one. The results, presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Barcelona, show one in four taking blood pressure tablets had reached the target level, one in three on cholesterol-lowering statins had achieved their goal level and around one half with diabetes had the condition under control.
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01/09/2009 |
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Daily Mail |
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Heart attack victims "are dying needlessly"
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Thousands of women and older people are dying unnecessarily because they are denied proper treatment after a heart attack, claim British researchers. Data was collated by the UK Myocardial Infarction National Audit Project which recorded the progress of 60,328 patients discharged from hospital after a heart attack between 2004 and 2005 in England and Wales. |
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31/08/2009 |
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The Independent |
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New pill cuts heart attack deaths
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AstraZeneca has announced that its trials of a new blood thinning pill produced a 16 per cent drop in heart attack and stoke deaths among patients. The group said the drug, Brilinta, worked better than Plavix, which is the world's second biggest selling drug, without increasing the risk of bleeding, a common side-effect of medication that reduces heart attacks by preventing blood clots. AstraZeneca now plans to apply for regulatory approval for Brilinta in the US and Europe during the final quarter of the year, with a view to making it available as soon as possible, possibly by the end of 2010. |
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31/08/2009 |
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The Times |
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Taking a daily dose of aspirin may do more harm than good
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Healthy people should not take aspirin to ward off a heart attack because the risks outweigh the benefits, researchers say. At the same time, scientists said that drinking more than ten alcoholic drinks a week can increase the risk of developing an irregular heartbeat. The claims were made in two studies presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Barcelona. |
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27/08/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Roche attacks health watchdog's decision on kidney cancer drugs
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Roche has hit out at a decision by the health watchdog to deny kidney cancer patients access to drugs that could extend their lives, saying it is "fundamentally flawed". This week the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence rejected appeals from Roche, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, the James Whale Fund for Kidney Cancer and a joint appeal from the Rarer Cancers Forum and Macmillan Cancer Support over the use of various drugs as first treatment options for advanced kidney cancer or cancer that has spread around the body. Roche, which manufactures one of the drugs, said that the decision reduces treatment access and options for those UK patients dying "whilst being available to other patients in comparable countries". |
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25/08/2009 |
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The Independent |
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Study finds low-carb diets damage arteries
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Low-carbohydrate diets may damage arteries and increase the risk of heart attacks, research suggests. Scientists believe cutting carbs on Atkins-style diets impairs the regrowth and repair of blood vessels. The discovery was made by a team whose leader was on a low-carb diet until he saw the results. |
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24/08/2009 |
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The Independent |
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NHS and Health Sector News
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Plans to provide follow-up care for heart attack victims have fallen drastically short of government targets, with two thirds of sufferers failing to receive proper treatment to help their rehabilitation. New figures accounting for 83,540 people found that only 34 per cent of heart attack sufferers were referred to a cardiac rehabilitation programme, despite government targets to have 85 per cent of heart patients referred to such programmes within two years. Separately, patients are suffering "extreme distress" and are even being admitted to hospital due to a shortage of certain medicines, say pharmacists. Difficulty in obtaining medicines, including Cipralex, Femara, Plavix and Aprovel, led to nearly a third of patients suffering, according to a survey of more than 150 community pharmacies. |
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12/08/2009 |
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The Guardian |
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'Evil and Orwellian' - America's right turns its fire on NHS
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The National Health Service has become the butt of increasingly harsh political attacks in the US as Republicans and conservative campaigners attempt to defeat healthcare legislation supported by the Obama legislation. To the dismay of British healthcare professionals, US critics have accused the service of putting an "Orwellian" financial cap on the value on human life, of allowing elderly people to die untreated and, in one case, for driving a despairing dental patient to mend his teeth with superglue. An email widely circulated among US voters, of uncertain origin, claims that any one over 59 in Britain is ineligible for treatment for heart disease. The British embassy in Washington is quietly trying to counter inaccuracies. A spokesman said: "We're keeping a close eye on things and where there's a factually wrong statement, we will take the opportunity to correct people in private. That said, we don't want to get involved in a domestic debate." |
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10/08/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Trauma of having a heart attack
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Many of those who have heart attacks experience symptoms more commonly associated with post-traumatic stress, researchers have found. Almost 16 per cent met the criteria for the condition, often characterised by agitation, nightmares and mood swings, a study in the British Journal of Health Psychology showed. Another 18 per cent had some symptoms. |
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07/08/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Angina heart attack risk worse in men
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Men with angina are twice as likely to suffer a heart attack as women with the same condition, researchers said yesterday. A five-year study of almost 2,000 patients found that men diagnosed with angina were also three times more likely than women to suffer a heart disease-related death. |
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04/08/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Take omega-3 oil every day, say doctors
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Fatty acids found in fish oils help protect against heart attacks and should be taken daily by everyone, according to doctors who say there is "compelling" evidence of their benefits. |
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24/07/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Daily injection "to reverse damage of heart attack"
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A daily injection could lead the heart to regenerate after a heart attack, scientists claim. Researchers have found that injection with a protein that stimulates cell growth - a growth factor known as NRG1 - could help reverse the harm. |
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23/07/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Milk helps fight heart disease, say scientists
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A pint of milk a day greatly reduces the risk of developing heart disease and suffering a stroke, a study has found. Researchers found that drinking more than half a litre of milk a day reduces the chances of suffering heart attacks and strokes by up to a fifth. It also reduces the chances of developing diabetes and colon cancer. The findings were announced by the University of Reading and University of Cardiff who analysed more than 324 studies from across the world.
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08/07/2009 |
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Financial Times |
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Slump affects the health, for good and ill
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Unemployment and recession add to the death toll from suicide, murder and heart attacks but cut the numbers killed in road accidents, according to the most comprehensive analysis so far of the health effects of economic downturn. Researchers at Oxford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine analysed the effect of economic changes on mortality rates in 26 European countries from 1970 to 2007. A 3 per cent increase in unemployment led to rises of about 4 per cent in suicide and 6 per cent in murders, but a 4 per cent fall in traffic fatalities. The biggest impact was on deaths from alcohol abuse, which rose by 28 per cent. Although heart disease as a whole did not vary much with economic conditions, there was a significant relationship between recession and heart attacks in men aged 30 to 44. |
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01/07/2009 |
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The Times |
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Prescribe statins to those at risk at 40, study says
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Statins, the cholesterol-lowering drugs, should be prescribed to millions of people over 40 even if they do not have heart disease, research suggests. A review of data on more than 70,000 patients found that the drugs could reduce the risk of heart attacks by 30 per cent. The study, published in the British Medical Journal, found that the drugs could reduce the risk of death by 12 per cent and a stroke by 19 per cent. Jasper Brugts, of the Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, who led the study, said that it was likely that a considerable number of people would benefit from long-term statin use at reasonable costs.
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26/06/2009 |
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Daily Mail |
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Peanuts could help fight heart disease
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Peanut butter sandwiches could be the secret to beating heart disease, according to another study. Snacking on peanuts or peanut butter at least five days a week can nearly halve the risk of having a heart attack, reports The Daily Mail. |
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24/06/2009 |
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The Guardian |
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Stem cell treatment gives hope to Crohn's disease sufferers
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Sufferers from debilitating bowel condition Crohn's disease may be cured using a ground-breaking stem cell treatment, according to a British doctor leading new research. Initial findings from the world's first controlled trial of the procedure have raised hopes that it could banish the disease's symptoms for many years in up to half of the patients who undergo it. The pioneering therapy involves "rebooting" the patient's immune system, by first destroying the cells that have attacked it to cause the Crohn's, and then replacing them. |
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24/06/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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NHS and Health Sector News
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A grandmother is suing the NHS after surgeons stitched her bowel closed during a routine hysterectomy, according to reports.
Separately, heart attack sufferers face a 'postcode lottery' in the standard of care they receive, new figures suggest. More than half of those who suffer a blocked artery as part of the attack do not receive the "gold standard" treatment, known as angioplasty.
Finally today, treasury officials repeatedly warned in private that the NHS information technology programme would run into major problems, according to freedom of information requests. The project is running four years late and its estimated cost has risen from £5 billion to £13 billion. |
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27/05/2009 |
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The Times |
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Mobile phones to be banned in primary schools amid fears of radiation danger
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Mobile telephones are to be banned from French primary schools, and operators must offer handsets that allow only text messages, under Government measures to reduce the health risk to children. The measures, which emerged from a six-week review of mobile phone and wi-fi radiation, have been attacked as inadequate by campaigners who accuse the State of playing down dangers from phones and transmitter masts.
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22/05/2009 |
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The Times |
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Heart risk reduced
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Diabetics can cut their risk of a heart attack by almost a fifth by driving down blood sugar levels, research has shown. A study at the University of Cambridge, which pooled information from five trials, showed that intensive treatment of type 2 diabetes led to fewer heart attacks and less heart disease. The study is reported in The Lancet medical journal.
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22/05/2009 |
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Daily Express |
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A cuppa's good for the heart
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A daily cup of tea can help ward off heart disease and boost the brain, a new investigation has found. Furthermore, the survey reveals that four cups a day significantly cuts the risk of a heart attack, keeps hydration at a healthy, optimal level and even improves alertness and mood. Tea was also found to have anti-cancer properties, according to the review commissioned by the Tea Advisory Panel and published in the journal Nutrition and Food Science. Alasdair Little, cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "This review of previous studies affirms the belief that there are beneficial antioxidants within tea. But drinking tea alone will not prevent heart disease. It needs to be part of a healthy, balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables, as these are also high in antioxidants and low in saturated fat and salt."
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20/05/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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'Everyone over 55 should take pills to reduce blood pressure'
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Everyone over 55 should be taking drugs to lower their blood pressure even if their current reading is normal, insists a top medical expert. According to Professor Malcolm Law - who reviewed almost 150 studies in the largest ever review of clinical trials involving blood pressure drugs - most of the drugs used had similar effects, cutting the risks of heart attacks and heart failure by around a quarter and the risk of stroke by about a third. Professor Law, of the Wolfson Institute at Barts, said: "Beyond a certain age, everyone would benefit from drugs to lower blood pressure."
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19/05/2009 |
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Daily Mail |
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For heart survivors, a big waistline could be a lifeline
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Overweight heart attack victims should stay fat as they are more likely to live longer, say researchers. Obese people are likely to outlive their leaner counterparts with the same severity of heart problems, data has shown. Evidence from a review in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests being fat can be useful for heart patients. The message is highly contentious as Britain grapples with an obesity epidemic, with more than half of Britons overweight and a further 20 per cent obese.
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15/05/2009 |
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Evening Standard |
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NHS and Health Sector News
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Health officials are recruiting an army of former midwives back into the profession to solve London's maternity crisis. A team of 30 women has already been signed up to work in hospitals and in the community assisting home births.
Separately, more nurses could be attacked on accident and emergency wards if they are forced to report victims of knife crime, a nursing conference heard yesterday. The Royal College of Nursing's annual conference in Harrogate was told that its members could face "violence and recrimination" as a result of proposals being considered by the Home Office and the police.
Finally today, about £120 million a year is being spent on NHS surgery that appears to offer little medical benefit, finds a survey of patient responses, which suggests that 29 per cent of those having groin hernia operations and 24 per cent of those given surgical treatment for varicose veins, report no improvement, or even a worsening, in their conditions. |
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12/05/2009 |
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Wall Street Journal |
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AstraZeneca drug scores in trial
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AstraZeneca said yesterday that its experimental heart drug Brilinta was more effective at preventing heart attacks and strokes than Plavix following a clinical trial. The company said the results from the study of 18,600 patients with acute coronary syndrome were statistically significant, or unlikely to have occurred by chance, but it didn't elaborate, except to say it plans to present full results at a cardiology conference in August. |
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08/05/2009 |
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The Guardian |
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Swine flu may be more infectious than we thought - health chief
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Swine flu may be more infectious than so far appears in the UK and the current guidance on catching it may have to be changed, the chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, warned yesterday. Although currently mild, the attack rate of the strain now affecting 23 countries is around 25-30%, Donaldson said, although he added that it was possible people over the age of 50 might have some immunity to the virus. The government has ordered 227 million face masks and 34 respirators for health workers and has spent between 400m and 500m on its stockpile of flu drugs, which is being expanded to cover 80% of the population from 50% now. 100 million has been committed in contracts to drug companies Baxter and GlaxoSmithKline to produce a vaccine once the strain is understood.
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08/05/2009 |
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Wall Street Journal |
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Heartburn pills used with Plavix found to pose risk
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A study by pharmacy-benefits company Medco Health Solutions Inc claims that the four most commonly used proton pump inhibitors boosted the risk of heart attacks and strokes by 50% amongst patients using Plavix. The warning by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions in Washington targets only patients simultaneously taking one of the heartburn drugs and Plavix, not those taking a heartburn drug alone.
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06/05/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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NHS failings left schizophrenic on the streets to kill
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Humber Mental Health Teaching NHS Trust has admitted to a catalogue of errors that allowed a schizophrenic law student to stab to death a heavily-pregnant woman, only months after he had threatened to kill his nurse. Tina Stevenson, 31, was almost eight months' pregnant with twin boys when she was stabbed in the back by Benjamin Holiday in a random attack in Hull in January 2005. David Snowdon, the trust's chief executive, said: "Benjamin Holiday in effect was 'under-treated'. His situation and condition could and should have been more assertively managed." |
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05/05/2009 |
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Daily Mail |
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Vital medicine rationed as chemists sell drugs abroad
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Hundreds of medicines have been rationed in Britain because pharmacies are selling drugs abroad to profit from the weakness of the pound. More specifically, 370 medicines have had their distribution restricted by pharmaceutical wholesalers. Stomach ulcer treatment Nexium and Plavix, for heart attacks and strokes are two of the 25 drugs that pharmacists are struggling to get hold of, according to the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee. AstraZeneca said there had been "isolated incidents of shortages [of Nexium], which have been dealt with easily". David Baker, of the Dispensing Doctors' Association, said: "This is a very, very serious problem and the result could be that somebody can't get the medicine that they need and dies.'' |
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30/04/2009 |
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The Guardian |
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"Wine may help drinkers outlive teetotallers"
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Men who drink less than half a glass of wine a day may live up to five years longer than teetotallers, 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 daily, is 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 or spirits. |
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21/04/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Women who breastfeed may cut heart disease risk
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A study has found women who breast-feed for more than a year are 10 per cent less likely to suffer heart attacks, stroke or heart disease in later life than women who have never breast-fed. The study, from the University of Pittsburgh in the US, asked women who had gone through menopause about their breast-feeding history. On average 35 years had passed since they had breast-fed suggesting the benefits last many years.
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02/04/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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"Brush your teeth, it could save your life" say scientists
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Research presented at the International Association of Dental Research in Miami has found a link between dental health and heart attack risk. The study, by the University of Buffalo, New York State, examined 386 people who had suffered a non-fatal heart attack and compared them with 840 healthy people, finding that if two specific bacteria are found in the mouth there is a greater chance of a heart attack. |
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31/03/2009 |
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Daily Mail |
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'Wonder' pill that cuts risk of stroke and heart attacks
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The number of heart attacks and strokes could be halved if the NHS makes polypills available to everyone over 50, according to The Daily Mail. Researchers from McMaster University in Canada tested a polypill variety called Polycap on more than 2,000 volunteers aged between 45 and 80 in India. None had cardiovascular disease but did have one risk factor, such as smoking or being obese. Some took Polycap pills, while others were given one or more of the individual components. The results showed that Polycap was just as effective as its components in lowering blood pressure and heart rate. |
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27/03/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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A broken heart can damage your health
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A broken heart really can be bad for your health because emotional loss can trigger symptoms similar to a heart attack, a report published in the American Journal of Cardiology suggests. Researchers at the the Miriam Hospital and Brown University, both in Rhode Island, identified 70 patients with the illness between 2004 and 2008. They found that two thirds had suffered extreme emotional or physical stress immediately before their symptoms appeared. These ranged from domestic disagreements to a car accident. All arrived at the hospital with symptoms similar to those of heart attack victims, including chest pain and shortness of breath. Experts believe the syndrome can be caused by a rush of stress hormones to the heart, causing it to weaken.
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11/03/2009 |
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The Times |
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Pregnancy stroke risk
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Women who have migraines during pregnancy are 15 times as likely to also have a stroke and twice as likely to have a heart attack as those who do not, according to a study in North Carolina, published in the British Medical Journal.
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10/03/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Angry people 'risk heart attack'
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Researchers suggest angry and hostile behaviour could be an early warning of a greater risk of heart disease. A review of studies found that anger and hostility predicted heart attacks in healthy people and in those already showing signs of coronary disease. Scientists said last night that healthy people who lose their temper are 19 per cent more likely to die of a heart attack than those who keep their emotions under control. And in those who already have heart disease the risk of dying from their condition rises to 24 per cent. Study leader Dr Yoichi Chida, of University College of London's public health department, said there was a 'harmful association of anger and hostility' with coronary problems.
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03/03/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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NHS and Health Sector News
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Confidential patient records could be passed from the NHS to government departments and private companies, leading to a "disastrous impact" on public health, medical organisations have warned. Under the proposals, patient information held by GPs, health centres, pharmacists and hospitals could be passed to insurance companies or research organisations without the consent of the patient. Separately, anti-bacterial wall plaster that kills harmful bugs could be used in hospitals to protect patients from infection. The plaster, developed in China, has proved effective at destroying several harmful organisms, including the 'superbugs' MRSA and E.coli. A convicted paedophile was arrested after being discovered working as a children's nurse in a London hospital, it was revealed today. Lars Gellner, 37, got the job in Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow, after arriving in Britain from Cambodia where he faced trial for attacks on boys aged between 12 and 19. In other news, three of London's most debt-ridden hospital trusts are to merge in a last effort to avoid financial collapse. Finances have spiralled out of control at Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust, Queen Mary's Sidcup and Queen Elizabeth Hospital Trust. Finally today, a new drug-resistant 'super-flu' has become increasingly common and may pose a serious risk to hospital patients, scientists have warned. Two research papers published in the Journal of the American Medical Association show that a drug-resistant mutation of the H1N1 influenza A virus, a strain that causes common seasonal outbreaks, has spread rapidly around the world. |
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19/02/2009 |
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Daily Mail |
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NHS and Health Sector News
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Patients with terminal illnesses should get "routine" offers of help to make living wills from doctors and nurses, say controversial guidelines. Separately, health bosses were criticised last night for spending hundreds of pounds on taking people around Asda to point out unhealthy food as part of an anti-obesity drive. A paramedic has been suspended after taking a detour to pick up her reading glasses while taking a suspected heart attack victim to hospital. Finally today, women undergoing routine breast cancer screening are not being warned of the risks, with many tests ending in unnecessary treatment, leading health professionals say today. Many healthy women are subjected to over-diagnosis of benign conditions and may undergo unnecessary surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. |
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16/02/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Body's cancer 'alarm' is found
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A protein that alerts the immune system to cancer cells has been discovered by scientists, according to a report in the journal Nature. Known as DNGR-1, it senses abnormal cell death and could help researchers harness the body's own defences to attack tumours. The discovery of the protein could also improve understanding of how immune cells work and help cancer drug discovery. Dr Lesley Walker, of Cancer Research UK which made the breakthrough, said: "These results are a step towards understanding how to manipulate the immune system to treat cancer in the future."
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10/02/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Millions of statins will go to low-risk over 40s
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Millions of healthy people with no obvious sign of illness could be put on cholesterol lowering drugs, Britain's heart "tsar" signalled yesterday, as new research showed that they cut the chance of heart attack by almost half. Prof Roger Boyle, the national director for heart disease and stroke, said the NHS rationing watchdog - the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) - would now review whether more patients, who show no signs of being unwell, should receive statins. There have been calls for everyone over the age of 50 to be given the drugs - which consist of a daily pill costing as little as 34p a month - to lower the risk of a heart attack, but this is controversial as many see it as needlessly "medicalising" healthy people.
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09/02/2009 |
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The Guardian |
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Act fast to save stroke victims, campaign urges
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Thousands of deaths could be averted and disability avoided if people recognised the symptoms of stroke and called an ambulance immediately, the government says today. A campaign, involving television and print adverts, is being launched to try to make stroke as recognisable to the public as a heart attack. Most people realise that somebody suffering chest pains must get to hospital quickly, but all too often the onset of a stroke is seen as a temporary illness which may get better overnight. That, says the government's heart tsar, Roger Boyle, is a disaster. |
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06/02/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Supplement can fight the worst effects of migraine
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Vitamin B and folate supplements are an effective treatment for fighting the debilitating symptoms of migraines, according to new research. They "significantly" reduced the frequency and severity of attacks in a clinical trial involving 50 migraine sufferers. The findings showed "a drastic improvement in headache frequency, pain severity and associated disability for those treated," Professor Lyn Griffiths, director of the Genomics Research Centre, which led the six-month study, said. |
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04/02/2009 |
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The Sun |
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Heart risk link found
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The speed of a woman's heartbeat could predict the chances of her having a heart attack, say researchers. Nearly 130,000 women were studied over eight years. Of these, 2,281 had heart attacks or died as a result of heart disease. Women with the highest resting heart rate were significantly more likely to have an attack. The link was stronger in those aged 50 to 64. |
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26/01/2009 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Virus can make you obese, say scientists
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Obesity can be caught in much the same way as a common cold, scientists have claimed. Researchers from Pennington Biomedical Research Centre in Louisiana believe that the highly-infectious adenovirus, which can be spread by coughs or through dirty hands, attacks tissue making fat cells multiply - causing weight gain. The research found that chickens and mice infected with the virus gained weight more quickly than uninfected animals - even when eating the same amount. |
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20/01/2009 |
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Evening Standard |
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A patient's bleeding heart pictured for the first time
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Scientists have produced the first images of a heart attack taken from inside a human heart. Dr Stuart Cook, from the Medical Research Council's Clinical Sciences Centre at Imperial College London, said: "The more we understand about what happens during and after a heart attack, the greater the chances are of scientists finding new ways to combat the damage that heart attacks cause." |
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20/01/2009 |
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Daily Mail |
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Gold-dust jabs can cut your cholesterol
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A man-made "good" cholesterol that can be injected into the body could slash the risk of heart disease. The artificial cholesterol is made from particles of gold dust coated in layers of fat. It is designed to mimic the effects of high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, the so-called good cholesterol that prevents the build-up of dangerous fat deposits in blood vessels. Scientists who developed the synthetic drug hope that a jab, which is likely to be given in the arm like a vaccine, will protect patients against heart attacks and strokes. |
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13/01/2009 |
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Daily Mail |
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Car noise can spark a heart attack
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Long-term exposure to even relatively low levels of noise, such as traffic outside the house, may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack and high blood pressure. Swedish researchers, who reported their findings in the journal Epidemiology last week, have found that low-level long-term road traffic noise is associated with an 38 per cent increased risk of a heart attack. In another study, by the Federal Environmental Agency in Berlin, men exposed to traffic noise levels of more than 70 decibels during the day were 30 per cent more likely to suffer a heart attack than those whose noise exposure did not exceed 60 decibels.
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23/12/2008 |
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The Times |
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Staff
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Mix-and-match cancer treatment will "personalise" drugs to attack tumours
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Scientists have begun a study of cancer that will "mix and match" tumours with drugs to develop personalised therapies for patients. Ted Bianco, director of technology transfer at the Wellcome Trust, which is funding the study, said: "This significant and strategic project is aimed squarely at providing the first step towards tailored cancer therapy." |
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23/12/2008 |
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Daily Express |
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Staff
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Heart danger of being a little bit podgy
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Being just a little bit overweight dramatically raises the risk of heart-attacks, experts warned last night. Dr Satish Kenchaiah, of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, who studied the effect of physical activity on heart failure risk, said: "The lean and active group had the lowest risk and the obese and inactive the highest." Overall, the risk of heart failure increased by 180 per cent in men who had a body mass index (BMI) of over 30 - clinically obese. But overweight men with a BMI of 25 to 30 still had a 49 per cent chance of suffering heart failure. |
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04/12/2008 |
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Daily Express |
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Fungus can cut risk of heart attack
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A vegetarian superfood made from fungus could slash the risk of having a heart attack, becoming obese and suffering from diabetes. A diet rich in mycoprotein can lower cholesterol and could help to reduce high levels of blood glucose and insulin. Research published in the British Nutrition Foundation's journal discovered reported cholesterol reductions of up to 14 per cent among people eating 190 grammes of mycoprotein a day for three weeks. A single serving of meat substitute mince contains 80 grammes of mycoprotein.
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27/11/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Four drinks can bring on heart attack
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Researchers have warned that consuming just four drinks could be enough to clog a woman's arteries and cause a heart attack or stroke. A study, published in the National Institutes of Health journal, found that acetaldehyde, a toxic by-product when alcohol is processed by the body, remains in the system for hours. In binge quantities, the enzyme causes one of the body's important immune cells, the monocyte, to become more "sticky". This makes it attach to blood vessels more readily, causing a blockage, which can trigger a heart attack or stroke. |
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25/11/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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GP's heart risk tests may not be foolproof
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A blood pressure reading in a GP's surgery may not be the most accurate way of predicting the chances of suffering a heart attack, a study released yesterday has found. Scientists found that taking an average blood pressure level across 24 hours substantially increased the likelihood of anticipating future problems in some patients. |
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24/11/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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What disease links all these people?
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The Daily Telegraph contains a feature article on venous thrombosis. According to the health select committee's inquiry into deaths from VT after hospitalisation, between 25,000 and 32,000 deaths in the UK can be blamed on it each year. Heart attacks and strokes account for close to 36 per cent of all deaths - and in about 80 per cent of cases, the underlying trigger event is an acute blood clot.
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18/11/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Cancer drug 'helps diabetics'
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A drug designed to treat leukaemia could also offer hope to people with diabetes. Researchers at the University of California found that Imatinib, branded as Gleevec, which damps down parts of the immune system to stop it attacking the body, could be used to prevent and reverse type 1 diabetes. Treating mice with imatinib for seven weeks before the onset of diabetes, prevented development of the disease long after the treatment stopped. |
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11/11/2008 |
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Evening Standard |
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MPs call for happy hour ban as pub runs £10 deal
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A pub with a £10 "all you can drink" night was attacked by health campaigners for encouraging binge drinking, as MPs called for a total ban on happy hours. The home affairs select committee urged ministers to clamp down on irresponsible bars and pubs. They found the "whole focus" of police resources was in targeting drink-fuelled and football violence, meaning officers were "hitting their targets but missing the point". |
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11/11/2008 |
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Daily Mail |
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Why lack of sleep could put your heart at risk
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Sleeping for less than seven and a half hours a night can raise the risk of heart disease by up to four times, say scientists. They blamed the modern trend towards shorter nights' sleep for increasing the risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke. The average Briton gets seven hours' sleep, but a third regularly have five hours or less. The researchers identified the problem among those with high blood pressure. |
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03/11/2008 |
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The Times |
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GM bean could help prevent heart attacks
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The first genetically modified foods with direct benefits for human health should be available within four years after successful experiments in the United States. A GM soya bean that can help to prevent heart attacks has passed the first phase of trials, clearing the way for its use in foods such as spreads, yoghurts, cereal bars and salad dressings. The research, at the University of South Dakota, has shown that oil from the GM soya can raise blood concentrations of long-chain omega-3 acids, which are found chiefly in oily fish such as salmon, trout and fresh tuna. |
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30/10/2008 |
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Daily Express |
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Staff
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"Grapes make you live longer"
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Scientists have discovered that grapes can lower high blood pressure, a condition that can lead to heart attacks and strokes. A study on laboratory rats found that a grape-enriched diet lowered their blood pressure, gave them stronger hearts, reduced inflammation throughout their bodies and left them with fewer signs of heart muscle damage. Now US researchers believe this could be used to help humans with high blood pressure. |
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23/10/2008 |
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The Times |
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'Landmark drug' raises hope of reversing multiple sclerosis in early stages of the disease
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A step change in the treatment of multiple sclerosis is heralded today by the first study to suggest that a drug can stop the disease in its tracks and even reverse its progress. The drug reduced the number of MS attacks by 74 per cent, and the progression of disability by 71 per cent, when compared with beta interferon. Patients on alemtuzumab also showed recovery of brain function, so that they were less disabled at the end of the three-year study than at the beginning, while those on beta interferon continued to decline. Patients who were given the new drug were 74% less likely to relapse and had a 71% lower risk of being disabled within three years. "For the first time we've shown definitely that treating people early on with this aggressive immunosuppression is a good thing and we can say people's disability improves", said Alasdair Coles, a member of the Cambridge team, whose study appears in the New England Journal of Medicine. |
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22/10/2008 |
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The Independent |
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Erectile problem may signal risk of heart attack
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A hospital consultant has blasted fellow medics for not identifying impotence as a way of spotting those at risk of a heart attack. Writing in the British Medical Journal online, Dr Geoffrey Hackett, a consultant in urology at Birmingham's Good Hope hospital, said that men suffering impotence have a 50 per cent increased risk of heart attack. Studies have shown that impotence is a particularly good indicator of heart attack risk in those with type 2 diabetes. |
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21/10/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Western diets cause a third of all heart attacks
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People who eat a typically Western diet make up almost a third of the world's potential heart attack victims. Those eating a lot of fried food, salty snacks and meat are also at a 35 per cent greater risk of heart stoppages than people who eat little or none of the unhealthy foods, a study by the Population Health Research Institute in Ontario, Canada found. As part of the research, scores for heart attack risk were assigned to different diets based on 19 food groups. |
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17/10/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Kate Devlin
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New migraine drugs will attack pain faster
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A new generation of migraine drugs relieves sufferers' pain twice as effectively as previous treatments such as rizatriptan, scientists say. Clinical trials suggest that the new drugs can double the number of patients who are still pain-free after 24 hours, from almost 20 per cent to around 40 per cent. The new drugs also appear to offer relief to greater numbers of patients within two hours of symptoms starting and to have fewer side effects. The new drugs, known as calcitonin gene-related peptides, work by changing reactions in the brain that can trigger migraines. They target an amino acid which is created during an attack, limiting its effect. |
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15/10/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Richard Alleyne
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Wine news
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White wine may be as good for your heart as red varieties, scientists have found. One or two glasses of white wine protect the heart and lessen the damage caused by a heart attack, research published in New Scientist has found. The study, by scientists at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, found that rats fed white wine as part of their diet suffered less heart damage during cardiac arrest, compared with animals fed only water or grain alcohol, a result similar to that seen in tests with red wine. |
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14/10/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Rebecca Smith
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Painkillers double risk of heart attack and stroke
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New research published in The Lancet has confirmed a previous study which linked Cox-2 inhibitors such as Vioxx with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. The study, funded by Merck, followed patients for up to a year and found that the risk of a non-fatal heart attack or stroke was doubled in patients on Vioxx and the risk of dying was raised by 31 per cent compared to those on a placebo. |
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01/10/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Kate Devlin
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HRT could raise heart attack risk by 25 per cent
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Hormone replacement therapy increases the chance of some women suffering a heart attack by almost a quarter, according to a study published in the European Heart Journal. Taking the hormones for more than four years can raise the risk even further among women in their early 50s. However, researchers say giving different hormones at different times could cut the heart attack risk of all women. |
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30/09/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Jessica Salter
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Four-in-one heart pill
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Trials will start this week on a four-in-one pill that could halve deaths from heart attacks and strokes. The polypill has aspirin to thin the blood; a statin to lower cholesterol; an ACE inhibitor to treat blood pressure and a thiazide, to reduce blood pressure. Anthony Rodgers, of the clinical trial unit at the University of Auckland, said the pill contained established medicines that halved cardiovascular risk and could be available for £20 a year. |
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26/09/2008 |
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Daily Express |
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Just one bite of chocolate a day can help save your life
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The results of a study conducted at the National Cancer Institute of Milan and the Catholic University in Campobasso, southern Italy, suggest that eating a quarter of an ounce of dark chocolate on a daily basis could reduce the risk of a heart attack in men by 25 per cent, and by a third for women. More specifically, the study, involving nearly 5,000 people - one of the biggest of its kind - showed eating dark chocolate dramatically slowed the hardening of arteries, which is a major cause of heart attacks. |
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24/09/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Inhalers' heart risk
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A study of 15,000 patients by Norwich's University of East Anglia has warned that two inhalers used to fight lung disease, Atrovent and Spiriva, can increase the risk of a heart attack by 58 per cent. The two inhalers were prescribed to two million people in Britain with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease last year. Patients who used the drugs in inhalers for more than 30 days were 53 per cent more likely to suffer a heart attack. |
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19/09/2008 |
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Financial Times |
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NHS and Health Sector News
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A national electronic record of patients' health looks finally on the cards after the NHS IT programme yesterday changed the way patients will give their consent to the system. Separately, elderly dementia sufferers should be allowed to end their lives because they are a burden on the NHS and their families, according to Baroness Warnock, the influential medical ethics expert. She insisted there was nothing wrong with the elderly being helped to die for the sake of their loved ones or society. A coroner has asked for three deaths following surgery at a leading hospital to be investigated by the National Patient Safety Agency. Three patients died after operations between February and late June this year at University College London Hospitals Foundation Trust in London, one of the biggest trusts in the country. Finally today, forcing GPs to open from 8am to 8pm would prevent more than 500 strokes a year in England, an Oxford University study shows. Patients who suffer symptoms of a minor stroke outside normal GP opening hours are more likely to wait until their surgery opens than go to A&E, say researchers. However, acting quickly to provide blood-thinning drugs in such cases can prevent a more serious attack in 80 per cent of cases. |
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12/09/2008 |
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Financial Times |
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Enzyme helps to protect hearts
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A group of scientists at Stanford and Indiana Universities' schools of medicine have discovered a compound that could lead to new treatments for heart attacks as well as innovative ways of protecting hearts during open-heart surgery and other instances in which blood flow to the organ is interrupted. The researchers found that by jump-starting a certain enzyme they were able to sharply reduce the amount of cell death caused by lack of blood flow to the heart. |
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09/09/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Brushing teeth 'cuts heart problems'
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Brushing teeth can reduce the risk of heart disease, according to a study by New Zealand scientists which explains the link with gum problems. The link is to do with the immune system, which may learn to attack its own proteins - causing heart disease - during the process of developing gum disease. |
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03/09/2008 |
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Daily Mirror |
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Staff
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Women will lose 14 years to smoking
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Women who smoke risk dying from heart attacks 14 years earlier than those who do not, researchers claimed yesterday. Dr Morten Grundtvig, who led a study of 700 patients aged 27 to 103, told the European Society of Cardiology congress in Munich that twice as many years were lost by women smokers as by men. Dr Jeremy Pearson, of the British Heart Foundation, said: "This shows it's even more important for women not to smoke." |
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03/09/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Rebecca Smith
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Cancer fears over cholesterol treatment
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New research has found that the cholesterol-lowering drug Inegy may increase patients' risk of developing cancer by half. The research, led by Professor Terje Pedersen, of Ulleval University Hospital, found there were 105 cases of cancer in people taking Inegy compared with 70 in those on a dummy drug over a four-year period. The study also suggested that Inegy, which combines a statin called simvastatin and another drug called ezetimibe, has little effect in reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. A spokesman for Merck and Schering-Plough, the makers of Inegy, said: "We do believe that the cancer findings in the study are likely to be an anomaly and that in light of all the available data do not support an association with Inegy". |
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01/09/2008 |
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Daily Mail |
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Angina drug 'can cut heart attacks'
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A drug used to slow high heart rates in angina patients can cut the risk of heart attacks by a third according to new research. Professor Kim Fox of the Royal Brompton Hospital, London, chairman of the trial committee, said the findings suggest a too-fast heart rate is independently responsible for causing heart attacks. There were no side effects from using Procorolan, according to data presented at the European Society of Cardiology and published in the Lancet medical journal yesterday. |
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29/08/2008 |
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The Times |
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Stroke recovery
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Using a treadmill for forty minutes three times a week can help stroke victims to improve their mobility long after their attack, researchers said. Daniel Hanley, of the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, said that scans also found increased activity in brain areas associated with controlling gait and walking. |
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28/08/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Warning on minor heart attack care
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Patients who suffer a minor heart attack should receive more aggressive treatment because they are more likely to die within six months than those who have major attacks, research from the University of Edinburgh has found. A study looking at data from patients in 115 hospitals across 14 counties showed that those who suffered a minor heart attack were more likely to die or have a second attack between two weeks and six months after being discharged from hospital than those who had a major episode. |
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28/08/2008 |
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The Sun |
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Choc's a life-saver
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Eating dark chocolate every day for just two weeks can significantly reduce blood pressure and the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Italian and US researchers gave volunteers 100 grams of dark chocolate over 15 days, an average of just over six grams a day. Average blood pressure readings among the volunteers dropped - but a group eating white chocolate had no health benefits at all. |
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27/08/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Children aged 10 to be screened for cholesterol
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Relatives of people with a medical condition that causes heart attacks will be screened for it, health watchdog Nice revealed yesterday. Experts hope to identify up to 100,000 people with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) - a treatable genetic defect which causes artery-narrowing levels of cholesterol. |
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25/08/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Joanna Corrigan
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Healthy people urged to take daily aspirin
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New research conducted by Nottingham and Sheffield universities has found that men as young as 48 and women from the age of 57 could benefit from taking aspirin every day to help prevent heart attacks and strokes. The research, which analysed 12,000 patients, suggested that it would be easier to have a specific age threshold as a catch-all to ensure everyone is treated. It found that by the time men and women reach the above ages, the risk of coronary heart disease was 10 per cent, which it deemed a proportion worth tackling. Only if the patient were at risk of dangerous side effects, for example a stomach ulcer, diabetes or were prone to bleeding, should they be exempt, it concluded. |
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19/08/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Rebecca Smith
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100,000 have undiagnosed heart attack condition
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One hundred thousand Britons do not realise they have a condition that can cause a fatal heart attack at any time, experts warn. Dr Alan Rees, the chairman of the charity Heart UK , said it was a disgrace that the NHS had diagnosed so few, claiming that other countries put Britain to shame. Only 15,000 people in Britain have been diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), leaving an estimated further 100,000 unaware that they have the condition. Next week the National Institute for Health and Clinical
Excellence will publish guidelines for the disease, which will call for genetic
screening in order to identify patients with the disorder. |
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12/08/2008 |
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The Guardian |
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New drug based on RNA 'can halve cholesterol'
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Doctors at the University of Texas claim to have invented a drug that lowers the risk of heart attacks and strokes by cutting cholesterol levels by more than half. The drug uses RNA strands to counteract a gene that produces a protein called PCSK9, which raises cholesterol levels. The technique, known as RNA interference, has been lauded as one that will bring about the next revolution in medical science. In time it may be possible to use it to switch genes on and off at will. |
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04/08/2008 |
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The Times |
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Heart attack victims 'should not give up taking statins'
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Heart attack victims who give up taking statins afterwards double their risk of dying in the next year, according to scientists from Canada and America. The results of an investigation using British data show that, even though the pills may appear to have failed to prevent a heart attack, it is much better to go on taking them anyway. The researchers found that the minority of patients who gave up statins after a heart attack were 88 per cent more likely to die in the next year than patients who had never used statins. Those who had taken statins before the heart attack, and continued to take them afterwards, were 16 per cent less likely to die than those who had never used them.
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04/08/2008 |
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Daily Mail |
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Hollywood heart attack myth
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Four out of ten people in the UK are putting their lives on the line by taking advice on heart attacks from TV and movies, according to a British Heart Foundation survey. 38 per cent believe the signs of a heart attack will always be crippling chest pains based on the Hollywood myth, says the heart charity. Not only are the symptoms of a heart attack often less dramatic than full-blown chest pain, they may be differently experienced by men and women. Men more often suffer a 'tight band of pain in the chest' while women are more likely to develop breathlessness and an 'indigestion-type' pain. |
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30/07/2008 |
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Financial Times |
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Alzheimer's drug offers fresh hope
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A new drug could prove at least twice as effective in treating Alzheimer's disease as current medications and significantly slow the progression of dementia, researchers say. The research team at the University of Aberdeen concluded that the drug, rember, slows progression of the disease by up to 81 per cent. Sufferers taking the drug three times a day for 50 weeks showed a slower decline in blood flow to the parts of the brain that are vital to the memory. The drug is the first medication to directly attack the tangles that develop in the brains of those affected, the researchers said. |
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23/07/2008 |
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Daily Mail |
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Heart disease "raises the risk of dementia"
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Those who suffer from angina or heart attacks are more likely to develop dementia in old age, a study shows. Dr Archana Singh-Manoux, who led a team at University College London, said that switching to a healthier lifestyle can reduce the risk of both problems. |
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17/07/2008 |
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The Sun |
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10-min test could save thousands
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A damning new report warns many could suffer heart attacks, strokes and even amputations unless GPs are encouraged to carry out routine checks to spot the symptoms. The condition, called Peripheral Arterial Disease, is caused by narrowing of the arteries in the limbs, usually the legs. |
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09/07/2008 |
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The Guardian |
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Sarah Boseley
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US doctors back statins for 8-year-olds
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Children as young as eight with high cholesterol levels should be put on statins to reduce their risk of heart disease, doctors in the United States have recommended. The move by the American Academy of Paediatrics has triggered a furore, because there is little long-term data on the risks and benefits of statins in children and, as yet, no evidence that the drugs can prevent heart attacks when they are adults. |
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08/07/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Staff
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Pregnancy link to heart attacks
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Pregnant women could be up to four times more likely to have a heart attack than those who are not pregnant, a new study suggests. A review in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests that the risk of a heart attack could be one in 16,000 among pregnant women, compared with one in 64,000 for the general population, and that by delaying the age at which they conceive, women could potentially be increasing the risk of suffering heart problems. |
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01/07/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Roger Highfield
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Coffee may hold back onset of s MS
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Drinking several cups of coffee a day could halt the development of multiple sclerosis, a study suggests. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, followed the progress of mice who normally developed an MS-like condition after being injected with a vaccine that provoked an immune attack which damages nerves, and found that when the rodents consumed the equivalent of six to eight cups of coffee a day, they did not develop the condition. Professor Linda Thompson, who led the research, the caffeine prevented white blood cells that play a role in immune responses from reaching the central nervous system and triggering the cascade of events that lead to the animal version of MS. |
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19/06/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Cancer patient recovers after injection of cells
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A patient whose skin cancer had spread throughout his body has been given the all-clear after being injected with billions of his own immune cells. Cassian Yee at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle extracted immune cells from the patient and found that a small proportion of them, called CD4 T cells, naturally attacked a protein found on nearly three-quarters of the cancer cells. Using cloning techniques, Yee's team replicated these cells until they had more than 5bn of them. When the cells were injected into the patient they immediately began attacking the cancer. Intriguingly, the patient's immune system gradually began a wider offensive, attacking all the cancer cells in the body, according to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine. |
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16/06/2008 |
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The Guardian |
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John Carvel
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NHS and Health Sector News
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More than a quarter of NHS trusts in England are at risk of losing their licences to treat patients because of failure to comply with hygiene regulations, the government's health watchdog revealed today. The Healthcare Commission said 41 hospitals and 62 other NHS organisations have admitted failing to observe one or more parts of the hygiene code. Separately, GPs are being pressured to move into proposed new "super-surgeries" with claims that their current practices are not up to health and safety standards, doctors' leaders claim today. In other news, more than half of hospital trusts are treating fewer heart attacks since the ban on smoking in public places came in last year. Nearly six in ten NHS trusts are reporting a dramatic fall in the number of heart attack patients being admitted to emergency wards. Finally, the NHS' new IT system is in a state of chaos, an influential group of MPs will warn. The Public Accounts Committee will use a key hearing to question leading figures in the NHS as they attempt to quantify the problems confronting Connecting for Health, the project to electronically link every GP's surgery and hospital in England and provide online records for up to 50 million patients. |
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12/06/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Roger Highfield
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New drugs offer Alzheimer's hope
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An experimental class of drugs could offer hope to hundreds of thousands of Alzheimer's sufferers, scientists believe. The medicines, called gamma-secretase modulators (GSM), could provide a more effective way to combat the disease, with scientists discovering that they attack clumps of protein in the brain that attach themselves to brain cells and are believed to cause the damage that leads to Alzheimer's. The drugs, highlighted in the journal Nature, are still in the trial stage, but the results from a large clinical trial of the drugs, involving 1,600 patients in America, are expected to be announced in the summer. |
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11/06/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Tom Peterkin
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Three cups of tea may cut heart attack risk
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Drinking more than three cups of tea a day cuts the risk of a heart attack, according to research to be published next month in the British Nutrition Foundation's Nutrition Bulletin. Clinical studies show that natural plant antioxidants found in tea, called polyphenols, have beneficial effects on many biochemical processes in the body. The study also found that tea, with or without milk, may help strengthen bones. |
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09/06/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Extract used in Chinese meals may be good for the heart
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Chinese takeaways may contain a chemical that is good for the heart, according to a study by Jefferson's Myrna Brind Centre of Integrative Medicine in Philadelphia. The substance that gives Peking duck its red colour could become a treatment for heart attack patients after it was found to reduce significantly the chances of a repeat attack and cut the chance of dying from heart disease. A study was carried out on almost 5,000 Chinese people aged from 18 to 70 who had suffered a heart attack. One in 10 of the group on dummy pills had another attack or died from heart disease compared with one in 17 on the extract. Deaths from cancer were also reduced by two thirds in those taking the extract.
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05/06/2008 |
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Daily Mail |
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Adult asthma linked to heart problems
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Women who develop asthma as adults are twice as likely to suffer strokes and heart attacks than those who have had asthma since children or who are not asthmatic at all, according to a study of 15,000 men and women by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. |
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31/05/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Rebecca Smith
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Don't bother with foods that lower cholesterol, patients told
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The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has said in guidance that there is no evidence that food products which claim to lower cholesterol, such as Flora pro.activ and Benecol, are good for the heart. It says that GPs should not recommend patients at increased risk of having a heart attack or stroke use the foods to lower their cholesterol, but instead should prescribe statins, which are proven to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. |
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28/05/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Rebecca Smith
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Statins to be given to million more over-40s
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More than a million people will be put on statins on the NHS to lower their cholesterol levels and prevent heart attacks, under guidelines published today. NICE is recommending that GPs check the records of everyone aged between 40 and 75 to flag those at high risk of heart disease and consider prescribing 40mg of simvastatin. The move could prove controversial, as it will put healthy people on medication that will have to be taken for the rest of a patient's life. |
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19/05/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Staff
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Smoke alarm
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As little as half an hour of passive smoking causes enough damage in a non-smoker's arteries to increase the risk of a heart attack, according to research carried out at the Washington University of St Louis. |
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14/05/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Laura Clout
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800,000 deaths after surgery 'due to beta blockers'
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At least 800,000 deaths worldwide have been caused by drugs used to cut the risk of a heart attack after surgery, experts claimed yesterday. Dr PJ Devereaux, a cardiologist and epidemiologist at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, who led the research, said that patients taking beta blockers are a third more likely to die within a month of surgery and twice as likely to suffer a stroke. The research, which involved 8,351 patients who were undergoing major non-cardiac surgery, gave half of the patients the beta blocker metoprolol, with the rest given a placebo, with those given the drug seeing their risk of dying increasing from 2.3 per cent to 3.1 per cent. |
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14/05/2008 |
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Daily Mail |
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Jenny Hope
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Take an aspirin at night to cut risk of heart attacks
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A small dose of aspirin may cut the risk of heart attack or stroke in those with rising blood pressure - but only if it is taken at night. Doctors have discovered that the aspirin lowers blood pressure to normal for up to 24 hours. |
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01/05/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Staff
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NHS and Health Sector News
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Alan Johnson, the health secretary, yesterday promised to abolish mixed-sex accommodation in NHS hospitals throughout England within the next 12 months. Speaking at the annual conference of the Royal College of Nursing, Johnson was given a standing ovation as he set out a timetable for honouring a long-standing commitment to stop the sexes having to share toilets, bathrooms and sleeping accommodation. Around 1,000 British medical graduates will not get training jobs this year because of a House of Lords decision that an attempt to give them posts ahead of foreign doctors was illegal. The Department of Health tried to implement guidance that doctors qualifying from British or EU medical schools should be given priority over doctors from outside Europe. But the guidance was challenged by the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin and ended up before the law lords. They decided by four to one yesterday that the guidance was illegal. A hospital is refusing to provide anything other than basic treatment for "health tourists" unless they pay first. West Middlesex University Hospital, which is near Heathrow airport, has started taking action - such as discharging heart attack patients after as little as 48 hours and taking credit card details - and hopes to save up to £500,000 a year. Finally, The Guardian reports that five years into the world's largest civil computerisation programme, the NHS is waking up to the danger of computers creating fast lanes for hospital infections. IT agency NHS Connecting for Health has just spent £1 million on custom-designed PC keyboards that are not only cleanable, but encourages users to clean them. The snag is that the deal covers only 1 per cent of the NHS' keyboards. |
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25/04/2008 |
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The Independent |
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Angina sufferers 'denied X-rays'
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A study published in the BMJ indicates that seven out of 10 people with suspected angina are not receiving appropriate X-rays, putting them at risk of heart attacks. The research by Barts and The London NHS Trust and University College London Medical School found that women, the elderly and those of south Asian descent are particularly unlikely to be given the test. |
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24/04/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Stem cell surgery gives hope to heart patients
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Two heart attack victims have become the first patients in Britain to be treated with their own stem cells in a pioneering bid to heal damaged tissue. The stem cells were injected in conjunction with angioplasty, the procedure in which blocked arteries in heart attack patients are opened with a balloon. The men had stem cells taken from bone marrow in their hip and injected into their hearts within a critical five hours of the attack in an attempt to improve their quality of life and delay or prevent the onset of heart failure. |
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22/04/2008 |
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Daily Mail |
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Cancer drug 'can destroy brain cells'
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5-fluorouracil, a chemotherapy drug used to treat thousands of cancer patients could cause serious brain damage with effects that are felt for years, according to recently conducted research from the University of Rochester Medical Centre. Results of tests in mice indicated that the drug attacks the cells in the brain that play a crucial role in the central nervous system. Dr Mark Noble, who was involved in the study, said: "It is clear that, in some patients, chemotherapy appears to trigger a degenerative condition in the central nervous system." |
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21/04/2008 |
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Financial Times |
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Staff
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NHS and Health Sector News
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The Tories will today position themselves as champions of the GP surgery by attacking plans for a national network of "polyclinics". David Cameron will say in a speech at the King's Fund in London that the programme will see 1,000 GP surgeries close in London as well as 600 elsewhere. John Prescott is to support a National Health Service campaign to raise awareness of eating disorders after the former deputy prime minister admitted suffering bulimia for decades. Finally, "We accept inequality in many areas of life, but when it comes to the National Health Service, inequality spells unfairness at times of greatest need. We pay our taxes at the same rate wherever we live in the country, yet the service from the tax-funded NHS varies widely" says a column in The Daily Mail. |
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16/04/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Kate Devlin
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Pill offers hope to MS patients
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Scientists have developed a pill to treat Multiple Sclerosis which works by stopping the onset of the debilitating attacks which characterise the condition, including balance problems, bladder complaints and memory loss. In clinical trials more than 67 per cent of participants who took the drug had no relapses over the three years. The drug works by binding itself to immune calls in the body, preventing them from causing damage to the nerves surrounding the central nervous system, which leads to MS. |
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27/03/2008 |
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The Times |
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Calcium levels can show up likelihood of cardiac attack
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Measuring calcium deposits in the arteries of the heart is a good predictor of future heart disease, regardless of racial origin, according to a new study, which was led by Dr Robert Detrano, of the University of California at Irvine. "The team showed that the relationship holds true for whites, blacks, Hispanics and Chinese. This is a very practical and effective method for cardiac disease and heart attack prevention, said Dr Detrano." |
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26/03/2008 |
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Financial Times |
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Plastic surgeons attack laser plans
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Government plans to drop the regulation of lasers used by beauty salons for cosmetic treatments, such as the removal of wrinkles, hair and tattoos, would pose a serious risk to patients' health, doctors said yesterday. Leading cosmetic surgeons said that the proposals, set out by the Department of Health, would allow anyone without qualifications to start using lasers and other light techniques. The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons reacted angrily yesterday, saying that deregulation was being driven not by clinicians but by people who knew nothing about it. |
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26/03/2008 |
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The Times |
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MPs to get free vote on embryo research
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Gordon Brown has bowed to pressure from the Roman Catholic Church to offer Labour MPs free votes on legal changes for embryo and fertility research. Faced with mounting attacks from Catholic bishops, threats of resignation from several ministers and taunts from David Cameron, he announced that ministers and backbenchers could vote against the three most controversial measures. The free votes will apply to the creation of human and mixed embryos containing both human and animal material, for studying serious diseases. They will also cover saviour siblings, which are screened as embryos to ensure their suitability to donate umbilical cord cells to sick children. |
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19/03/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Kate Devlin
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Owning a cat "cuts stroke risk by third"
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Owning a cat can reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes by more than a third, researchers have found. The study, which looked at 4,435 adults aged between 30 and 75, found that having a cat helped to relieve stress and anxiety, which is known to help protect against heart disease by lowering blood pressure and reducing the heart rate. The findings, presented at a stroke conference in America, showed that 3.4 per cent of the cat owners died from a heart attack over 10 years. Among the group who had never owned a cat the rate was 5.8 per cent. |
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18/03/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Staff
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Arthritis diet help
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Turning vegan would allow arthritis sufferers to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes to which their condition leaves them vulnerable, a Swedish study has said. |
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17/03/2008 |
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The Times |
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Three new obesity genes discovered
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Scientists in Seattle have discovered three further crucial genes behind the obesity epidemic. Last year researchers found the first obesity gene, which increases the chance of becoming dangerously overweight by 70 per cent. The three genes, known as Lpl, Lactb and Ppm1l, all appear to promote weight gain, meaning doctors could attack them with drugs. The team - led by Eric Schadt, of Rosetta Pharmaceuticals in Seattle - was also able to discover how the genes are switched on and off. The genes were found to promote inflammation in mice which in turn encouraged obesity. If these genes have similar effects in humans, it would add to the number of genes known to affect obesity. |
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07/03/2008 |
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The Guardian |
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Ian Sample
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Vaccine could offer protection against high blood pressure
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A vaccine that protects against high blood pressure by mopping up a hormone that makes blood vessels constrict has been developed by a team of scientists. A trial of the jab showed it significantly reduced blood pressure in 72 people with mild to moderate hypertension, and was particularly effective in the early hours of the morning, when people are most at risk of strokes and heart attacks. |
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06/03/2008 |
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The Times |
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Staff
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Diabetics' heart risks
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The number of heart attacks suffered by people with diabetes has doubled in the past decade according to figures revealed at Diabetes U.K.'s conference. |
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05/03/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Kate Devlin
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Stopping H.R.T. "increases cancer risk"
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A million British women who stopped taking hormone replacement therapy after a series of health scares could have placed themselves at greater risk of developing cancer. The women stopped taking H.R.T. in 2002 after two studies found that it increased the risk of heart attack, stroke, breast and womb cancer. However, a follow-up study has found that three years later the women had a 25 per cent greater risk of developing all types of cancer than before they stopped the treatment. |
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03/03/2008 |
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The Times |
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NHS and Health Sector News
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The Times reports that almost one in three British nurses suffers frequent violent attacks at work, according to a study based on a survey of 39,894 nurses. The report suggested that violence had wide-reaching effects, including problems with recruitment and nurses leaving the profession, increased amounts of sick leave and burnout. The Daily Telegraph reports that a GP surgery housed inside a branch of Sainsbury's is due to open today. The "Doctors In Store" pilot scheme in Heaton Park, Greater Manchester, will offer all the usual GP services at evenings and weekends and be manned by three local doctors. Separately, Ruth Harrison, the former hospital chief executive who was at the centre of a superbug outbreak which left 33 people dead is working for the NHS again, despite receiving a £140,000 pay-off just over a year ago. She is being paid £52,000 on a short-term contract to head a review into maternity and children's services at Epsom and St Helier Hospital in Surrey, which could lead to the closure of wards. |
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28/02/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Eye condition doubles chance of heart attacks
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Scientists have said that sufferers of age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in Britain, are more than twice as likely to die from a heart attack or stroke. Researchers carried out retinal scans and assessed risks of cardiovascular disease in 1,952 Australian men and women aged 49 or over in 1994. They found 10 years later that those aged under 75 who had shown early signs of AMD were 2.3 times as likely to have died of heart attacks or strokes as those who did not. |
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27/02/2008 |
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Daily Mail |
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Simple test that can spot an unhealthy heart
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A study claims that a simple genetic test could help hundreds of thousands of apparently healthy men to find out if they have heart disease. The test can pinpoint which middle aged men are at high risk of cardiac problems, including heart attacks, which could not be detected by normal tests. |
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26/02/2008 |
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Financial Times |
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Bank crises kill, says study
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A global banking crisis would kill tens of thousands of people through heart attacks brought on by stress and anxiety, Cambridge university researchers will warn today. Commenting on the study, June Davison of the British Heart Foundation said: "Intense emotional stress has long been associated with triggering heart attacks in those people with existing coronary heart disease. However, we still need to further understand the mechanisms of how this may happen". |
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20/02/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Kate Devlin
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Heart attacks more likely to kill at weekends
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Researchers in the U.S. have found that people whose hearts stopped at night and at weekends were more likely to die than those who went into cardiac arrest during weekdays. Those whose hearts went into arrest during a weekday had a 35.4 per cent chance of surviving for 24 hours and a 19.8 per cent chance of living until they were discharged, researchers found. However, for those who suffered cardiac arrest at night, between 11pm and 7am, those rates fell to 28.9 per cent and 14.7 per cent. |
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15/02/2008 |
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The Times |
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HIV expert sees 'no hopeful route' to the discovery of a vaccine
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An Aids vaccine might never be found, claims one of the world's leading experts on the disease. David Baltimore, a Nobel laureate, said the complexity of the disease means scientists are no closer to a cure than they were 25 years ago. In his address to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, of which he is president, he also attacked President Bush's record on science. "There has been an attempt to suppress government scientists from speaking out, there has been control of what scientists can go to scientific meetings and give talks about - something totally unknown to us in previous years. That kind of attempt to control scientific information will, I hope, end with the Bush administration," he said. |
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31/01/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Exciting games of football 'bad for your heart
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Men are three times more likely to have heart attacks on days when their national football team is playing in a major match, researchers report today. A study during the 2006 World Cup in Germany discovered that there were massive increases in the number of heart attacks and other coronary problems on days when the host nation was playing. Researchers suggested that patients with a known history of heart disease should be given medication before watching big football matches because the effect was so significant. |
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22/01/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Eat broccoli to reduce risk of a heart attack
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Consuming steamed broccoli reduces the risk of a heart attack by boosting the body's ability to fight off cell damage, researchers have found. |
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18/01/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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People resistant to aspirin risk heart attack
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A quarter of patients who take aspirin do not respond to the drug, leaving them at greater risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke, scientists claim today in the British Medical Journal. A review has found patients who are resistant to the painkiller are four times more likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or blood clot and are almost six times as likely to die from such an attack. |
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17/01/2008 |
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Daily Mail |
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Twentysomethings aren't as healthy as their parents
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Britain's young people are more likely to be ill than their grandparents - and it's all down to their poor lifestyle. Binge-boozing, ready meals and a lack of exercise are taking their toll on people in their 20s and 30s. They are now more likely to suffer from headaches, anxiety attacks and flu than the over-55s. New research for Florida Grapefruit's Zest For Life campaign shows that people aged 18 to 34 are three times more likely to have a cold or flu than those over 55. |
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16/01/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Calcium tablets 'raise risk of heart attack and strokes'
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Calcium supplements taken by about a million women could increase their risk of suffering heart attacks and strokes, scientists said yesterday in a new study new study published on the British Medical Journal website. Researchers found that women aged 55 and over who took the tablets to combat osteoporosis were almost 50 per cent more likely to have a heart attack than those given placebos. Their chances of having a stroke during the five years of the study were elevated by more than a third. |
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08/01/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Shy and anxious men 'more at risk of a heart attack'
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Men who are socially awkward or have irrational phobias are at significantly greater risk of suffering a heart attack, according to research from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Scientists found that men who displayed high levels of shyness, excessive tension under stress, fear of animals, objects or situations, or had irrational compulsions were 30 to 40 per cent more likely to have heart disease leading to an attack. |
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07/01/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Clinics attacked over hard-sell techniques
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Clinics are using marketing tactics to pressure potential customers into having cosmetic treatments, a report out today warns. Undercover researchers for a survey by Which?, the consumer group, found unqualified sales people giving out inaccurate information. Tactics included offering time-sensitive discounts and encouraging customers to book early to get money off their surgery. In some cases, staff either did not mention or played down the risks of having treatment and the possible side effects. The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, which represents leading specialists, said it had 'deep concerns' about the selling methods used by non-medical staff in some clinics. |
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03/01/2008 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Protein guards against breast disease
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Scientists have identified a naturally-occurring compound that plays a crucial role in fighting breast cancer, leading to hopes of new treatments. Researchers in Milan discovered a "body guard" chemical, called Numb, that prevents attacks on the body's natural defences against several types of cancer. |
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12/12/2007 |
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Financial Times |
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Avandia heart risk identified
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A study carried out by Canadian researchers at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, has found that GSK's diabetes drug Avandia can increase the risk of heart failure by 60 per cent in older patients, the likelihood of having a heart attack by 40 per cent and the possibility of death by 29 per cent. |
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06/12/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Flu bug doubles the risk of heart attack
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A bout of flu doubles the immediate risk of having a heart attack or stroke, a groundbreaking study from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has found. Sufferers are four times more likely to be affected within three days of falling ill with the flu and are at double the risk for up to a week, according to the study of two million people. Flu dislodges fatty deposits that build up in the arteries, leaving them free to move around the body and get stuck in the brain or heart, where they block the blood flow. The risks also apply to other serious respiratory infections, such as bronchitis and pneumonia. |
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06/12/2007 |
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Daily Mail |
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GM jab could be a lifesaver for heart patients
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Injections of genetically-engineered cells could prevent the most common cause of sudden death following a heart attack. In tests on mice, treatment more than halved the risk of ventricular tachycardia. Adapting the treatment could prove a lifesaver for many of the 230,000 Britons who have a heart attack each year. Ventricular tachycardia, an abnormally fast heart rhythm caused by scarring to the cardiac tissue, can occur weeks, months or even years after a heart attack. |
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06/12/2007 |
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Daily Mail |
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Ketchup can cut your cholesterol
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A dash of tomato ketchup three times a day can help cut cholesterol, research has revealed. The sauce helps lower the level of LDL or 'bad' cholesterol which clogs the arteries, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The researchers, from the University of Oulu in Finland, said tomato products could provide an inexpensive route to heart health. |
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03/12/2007 |
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Daily Mail |
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Diabetes drug can raise the risk of brittle-bone disease
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The Mail today reports that GlaxoSmithKline's diabetes drug has now been associated with a higher risk of osteoporosis. GSK has already had to defend the drug against claims it increases the risk of heart attack. |
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28/11/2007 |
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Daily Mail |
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The cancer-proof mice
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Gene scientists have bred animals with natural defences that kill off disease, and it is hoped that a protein produced by the creatures, which attacks tumour cells but does not harm healthy tissue in the body, may hold the key to a future therapy. Scientists hope it can one day be adapted for use in humans saving them the pain, nausea and hair loss usually associated with cancer treatments. |
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23/11/2007 |
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The Independent |
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Flu pandemic could kill 750,000, chief medical officer warns
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Sir Liam Donaldson, the chief medical officer, has warned that up to 30 million people in the United Kingdom could fall ill in the next flu pandemic. Health secretary Alan Johnson yesterday announced plans to combat a flu pandemic, with preparations for an "attack rate" of 50 per cent - double the proportion infected in the great Spanish flu pandemic 1918. |
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16/11/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Heart risk over lack of omega-3
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Scientists have warned that young people are at risk of heart attacks because they consume less than a quarter of the recommended intake of omega-3 fish oils. Researchers are now working on ways to feed hens genetically modified crops containing fish oil to boost the health of humans eating chicken and eggs. They predict that genetically modified crops would be the only sustainable way of solving Britain's dietary shortcomings. |
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16/11/2007 |
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The Independent |
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Homeopathic treatment of Aids attacked by medics
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A plan by practitioners of alternative medicine to promote the role of homeopathy in the treatment of HIV and Aids has been criticised by senior doctors. |
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15/11/2007 |
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Financial Times |
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US tells GSK to toughen risk warning on its diabetes drug
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US regulators yesterday imposed a tougher warning on GlaxoSmithKline 's diabetes drug Avandia, but said the data on whether it resulted in a higher risk of heart attack remained inconclusive. The FDA said it was requiring other oral diabetes medicines, including the nearest equivalent, Actos, made by Takeda of Japan, to add wording that none had been shown conclusively to reduce cardiovascular risk, cutting the scope for GSK 's rivals to exploit differences in safety in their marketing. |
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15/11/2007 |
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Financial Times |
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NHS and health sector news
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A handful of incidents at hospitals interest the press today. The Financial Times reports that prosecutions of Maidstone and Tonbridge Wells NHS Trust managers are unlikely, despite 90 patient deaths caused by hospital-acquired infections. The HSE is to publish the results of its investigation into fatal infections at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. The Mail reports that a throat cancer patient at Wythenshaw Hospital, Manchester, died after being accidentally given an overdose of chemotherapy. The Express carries two reports, one depicting the last days of a pensioner at Newham General Hospital in Third World terms as flies crawled over the dying man. The other report states that nurses at Derriford Hospital, Devon, wrote patient notes on paper towels and Post-it notes, in the resulting confusion, crucial anti-clotting agents were not given, resulting in death. The FT also reports that the cost of buying private care for NHS patients has started to rise again as hospitals revert to the habit of making last-minute purchases of services from private treatment centres. The creation of such centres was intended to provide a resource priced just slightly above NHS rates, however late purchasing has effectively created a 'spot market' for care. The Times today reports that as part of the national project to improve access, patients could be allowed to register at accident and emergency departments and pharmacies instead of with a doctor in areas with the worst access to GP services. GPs who fail to provide out-of-hours services could be penalised if their patients seek treatment elsewhere. Nigel Griffin QC, a barrister, has suggested that English people could access Scotland's more generous health service by acquiring property in the country. The SNP minority government in Scotland has just made a new round pledges on health which may well intensify criticism that England is paying for Scots to receive better access to services and new drugs. The Conservatives have attacked changes which will mean junior doctors entering training no longer have their accommodation paid for. The Mail today reports a government admission that British trainee doctors will find it harder to find jobs because of the increasing number of foreign doctors arriving as economic migrants. |
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07/11/2007 |
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Daily Mail |
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Energy drinks 'make heart race'
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Experts have warned that energy drinks like Red Bull can cause heart attacks and strokes by boosting blood pressure. Most energy drinks contain caffeine and taurine, an amino acid found in protein-rich foods like meat and fish thought to make people alert. Just two cans a day of drinks with caffeine and taurine were shown to have an impact, causing blood pressure to rise significantly, even in healthy people. |
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07/11/2007 |
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Daily Mail |
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Car fumes 'raise heart attack risk'
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Air pollution caused by diesel exhaust fumes could cause heart attacks and strokes, researchers have warned. High-level exposure to the fumes in tests led to harmful changes in blood vessels and clotting. Experts are advising people to exercise away from traffic to cut the risk, especially if they have known heart conditions. |
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05/11/2007 |
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Daily Express |
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New hope for heart sufferers
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A study published today indicates that a new drug, prasugral, could lead to almost a 20 per cent drop in deaths from heart attacks or strokes. |
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02/11/2007 |
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The Times |
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Cancer experiment
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A new approach to treating cancer by attacking the blood vessels that feed tumours has demonstrated promising efficacy in animal tests, scientists have announced. |
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24/10/2007 |
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Daily Mail |
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Raise a glass to a diet of fruit and veg
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New research from Sweden suggests that a diet based on fruit and vegetables accompanied by the odd glass of wine cuts the risk of heart attack by more than half. A study of almost 25,000 women showed that those who followed the diet were 60 per cent less likely to suffer heart problems. |
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16/10/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Afternoon nap can combat heart attacks
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British researchers have found that an afternoon nap can help drive down blood pressure and stave off heart attacks. Researchers at the John Moores University in Liverpool are planning more experiments to discover if Britons should be following in the footsteps of those in Mediterranean countries, who take an afternoon nap to escape the fierce sun. |
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16/10/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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NHS and Health Sector News
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An overview of developments in the NHS and health sector leads today with the news that Dr Colin Waine, the chairman of the National Obesity Forum, has claimed that the financial implications of the 'obesity epidemic' for the NHS are huge, and warned that the government will have to confront the food industry to tackle the problem. Gordon Brown last night pledged to address the issue. Relatedly, it is claimed today that an official target to halt the rise in childhood obesity within three years has been quietly shelved. Many health professionals believed the government's aim of stopping the year-on-year rise in obesity among the under-11s by 2010 was unachievable. Elsewhere, the chairman of the hospital trust responsible for the Clostridium difficile scandal resigned last night after delivering a stinging criticism of the way the NHS is run. James Lee's devastating attack on ministers will add to the pressure on the Department of Health over the outbreaks, which claimed at least 90 lives. His resignation from the post of chairman of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Hospitals NHS Trust was accepted by Alan Johnson, the health secretary. Finally, Debra Phillips, a nurse, was struck off yesterday after she urged an assistant to put a brown paper bag over a dementia patient's head and then took a photo with her mobile phone. |
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15/10/2007 |
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Financial Times |
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Tories attack cut in public health
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Andrew Lansley, the Shadow Health Secretary, yesterday claimed that the number of public health staff working in the NHS has fallen by 57 per cent since the Labour government was elected in 1997. "When Gordon Brown pledged to increase spending on the NHS, he signed up to a plan which called for a greater priority for public health - but then he failed to implement it," he said. "At a time when obesity rates, sexually transmitted infections and levels of substance misuse are all rising, this lack of priority given to public health is unforgivable and misguided." |
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12/10/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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£100 test that could spot people at risk of heart attack
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A £100 medical test, which could reveal whether or not a patient has a major genetic risk of suffering from an early heart attack, is being launched today. The laboratory test can be ordered over the internet by any licensed physician from an Icelandic company, deCODE Genetics. |
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11/10/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Cholesterol drugs 'protect you 10 years after treatment stops'
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Statins can prevent heart attacks at least a decade after people stop taking them according to new research published today in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Glasgow, involved 6,500 men and found that those who took statins were still showing benefits of the drugs ten years after they had finished taking them, with the chances of the patients suffering from a fatal heart attack dropping by 25 percent. |
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11/10/2007 |
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International Herald Tribune |
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Post-menopausal risk
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Post-menopausal women who have panic attacks appear to be at a higher risk of suffering cardiovascular disease and death, according to the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study, which is investigating the potential risk factors for heart disease, and which is partly financed by GSK.
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10/10/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Unfounded HRT scares 'have caused suffering for millions'
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Millions of women are suffering the effects of the menopause unnecessarily because of unfounded health scares, experts said yesterday. Following two studies in 2003 and 2004 linking HRT with risks of heart attack, strokes and cancer one million women in the UK abandoned the therapy. According to experts at the International Menopause Society, while those studies have since been shown to be flawed many GPs still remain concerned and so deny patients the treatment. |
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09/10/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Hope of new drug to treat leukaemia
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Scientists have developed a drug which is a far more effective treatment of leukaemia than chemotherapy. The drug, which is due to go on clinical trial after investigation for nearly five years, appears to attack the roots of the blood cancer and consists of a daisy like plant. |
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13/09/2007 |
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The Independent |
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Diesel fumes trigger heart attacks and strokes, researchers find
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New research shows how diesel fumes cause heart attacks and increase the risk of death from heart-related problems. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh found that inhaling diesel fumes caused a three-fold increase in stress on the heart by altering its electrical activity. The results of the study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, show that air pollution reduces the amount of oxygen available to the heart during exercise. |
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11/09/2007 |
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Financial Times |
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Scotland smoking ban cuts heart attacks
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Scotland's smoking ban has produced significant public health benefits in its first year, with 17 per cent fewer hospital admissions for heart attacks. The figure was revealed yesterday at an Edinburgh conference on the impact of last March's ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces such as pubs. Before the ban came into effect, the annual reduction in heart attacks over the preceding decade had been just 3 per cent. |
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11/09/2007 |
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Daily Mail |
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Early warning sensor for asthma attacks
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A sensor 100,000 times smaller than a human hair could give asthma patients an early warning of an attack. The tiny device can detect chemical changes that occur early in the development of an attack, several days before symptoms appear. The new device, which is being developed by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, detects nitric oxide gas in breath, levels of which gradually rise, as early as one to three weeks before an attack, as the airways become inflamed. |
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07/09/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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NHS screening of heart attack relatives 'would save thousands'
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A study has found that that thousands of lives would be saved every year if relatives of premature heart attack victims were routinely screened by the NHS. Up to 6,500 premature heart attacks could be prevented annually if those found to be in high-risk groups were given preventive drugs to lower cholesterol, researchers believe. |
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06/09/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Heart attack risks of cheap drugs
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Researchers claimed yesterday that the government's drive to switch patients to cheaper cholesterol-lowering drugs, from a branded statin, could put them at greater risk of heart attacks and stroke. More than 83 per cent of drugs prescribed in Britain are generic medications, the highest rate in Europe. |
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05/09/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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'Don't lose weight after heart attack'
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Professor Stefan Anker, of the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, warned yesterday that obese patients who have had a heart attack should not lose try to lose weight. The idea is set to divide the medical community because heart patients are routinely told to lose weight and lead a healthier lifestyle. |
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04/09/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Gum infections 'cause heart disease'
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Brushing and flossing your teeth could save you from a heart attack, according to experts. Doctors found those with the worst blockages in their arteries had the most severe gum disease. Chronic gum disease is called periodontitis, which occurs when waste material or plaque collects around the teeth and irritates the gums. Elsewhere, other research has found that being depressed can hinder recovery from a heart attack and raises the risk of having another one. They claim antidepressants may not only help heart attack patients' mental wellbeing but improve their long-term survival chances. |
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04/09/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Major study to examine if daily aspirin can prevent heart attack
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Scientists will today begin a major study, involving more than 12,000 people in five countries including Britain, to determine whether five million Britons should take a daily aspirin to prevent them from having their first heart attack or stroke. The study is being co-ordinated by Bayer to research the health benefits of aspirin. |
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23/08/2007 |
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Daily Mail |
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'Good cholesterol' can raise your risk of a heart attack
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A type of cholesterol believed to protect the body against heart disease can make it worse too, scientists warned last night. A study has shown HDL - known as 'good cholesterol' and credited with helping to remove blockages in arteries - is not always as good as it seems. It exists in defective forms that can increase the risk of a heart attack. |
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17/08/2007 |
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The Guardian |
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Blood technique could cut heart damage
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Specialists from University College London have reported that a remarkably simple technique in bypass surgery could be used by paramedics to help reduce permanent damage in heart attack victims. They have discovered that temporarily restricting the blood supply in the arm of a patient before heart bypass surgery can significantly improve the chances of a full recovery. |
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16/08/2007 |
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The Guardian |
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Doctors warned over arthritis drug after two die in Australia
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UK and European drug regulators are reviewing Novartis' painkiller Prexige, after eight cases of serious liver damage were reported in Australia. It is in the same class of drug as Vioxx, which was withdrawn after being linked to heart attacks and strokes. The UK medicines watchdog said that it had received 16 reports of adverse reactions in people taking the drug since March 2006, but stressed that the daily dose prescribed to most of the patients in Australia was double the 100mg dose routinely prescribed in the UK. In the UK, approximately 5,400 patients have received one or more prescriptions for Prexige in the last year. |
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15/08/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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New breast cancer link to HRT
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Researchers have claimed that a fall in breast cancer cases has been triggered by women giving up HRT. Millions worldwide have abandoned hormone replacement therapy to treat menopausal symptoms since safety scares five years ago concerning an increased risk of heart attacks and various cancers. Scientists at the University of California found that between 2000-03 there was a drop in the use of HRT by 41 per cent, with the biggest drop in the period happening in 2002-03. The number of new breast cancer cases dropped by five per cent annually over the same time and, between 2001-03 there was a drop in oestrogen-positive cancer of 13 per cent in women attending routine screening. |
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13/08/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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NHS and Health Sector News
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An overview of developments in the NHS and health sector leads today with the news that patients are paying less for some private dental treatment than they do on the NHS because of some changes introduced by the government. The price for a filling on the NHS is now £43.60 but some private surgeries charge just £35. Elsewhere, doctors have been accused of using rip-off telephone lines to cash in on their patients. More than 1,000 medical practices now use profitable 0844 numbers. Calls made from a mobile cost 40p a minute and landline calls are 4p more a minute than ringing standard numbers. Doctors claim the system saves time and people redialling. Finally, it has emerged that there were almost 100,000 attacks on public sector workers in 2006, with NHS staff bearing the brunt of the violence. Research commissioned by the Conservative party showed an assault takes place every five minutes. |
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08/08/2007 |
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Daily Mail |
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NICE was 'nobbled' over heart treatment
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A senior MP and doctors yesterday attacked the perceived bias behind a decision by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) to stop recommending the use of drugcoated stents. In 2006, 40,000 patients had stents inserted to prevent arteries narrowing. |
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07/08/2007 |
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The Times |
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Statins for children
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Doctors in the Netherlands have recommended that children as young as eight should be given the cholesterol-lowering drugs statins to reduce their risk of heart disease. They recommend the treatment only for those children with a genetic condition called familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), which causes very high levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol, commonly called bad cholesterol, from birth onwards. Children of a person who has the condition have a 50 per cent risk of inheriting the disease, meaning a much higher risk of having a heart attack or stroke. The research was published in the journal Circulation. |
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02/08/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Massage 'prevents heart attack'
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Scientists at the University of Leeds have found that links between neck muscles and the brain play a role in controlling blood pressure and that manipulating the muscles can lower it without using drugs. The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, identified neck cells that are connected to an area of the brain called the nucleus tractus solitarius, an area that helps to control blood pressure, heart rate and breathing. |
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01/08/2007 |
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Financial Times |
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Cancer care for children criticised
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Children with cancer are treated as a "low priority" by the NHS, meaning their chances of surviving the disease are amongst the worst in Europe, experts warn today. Until recently, child cancer victims received poorer care than adults with the disease, according to a leading comment article in the medical journal Lancet Oncology. The authors, Alan Craft, of the Institute of Child Health at Newcastle University, and Kathy Pritchard-Jones, of the Institute of Cancer Research in Sutton, southwest London, attacked the standards of children's healthcare in general in the UK, saying diabetes care and infant mortality rates were also below European standards. |
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26/07/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Pollution adds to risk of heart attacks, say scientists
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Scientists have claimed that exposure to air pollution multiplies the increased risk of heart attacks and strokes caused by high cholesterol. Dr Andre Nel, a medical expert at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and lead author of the study, asserted: "The combination of diesel particles and cholesterol fats creates a dangerous synergy that wreaks cardiovascular havoc far beyond what's caused by the diesel or cholesterol alone." Dr Nel and his colleagues, whose work is published in the journal Genome Biology, exposed cells taken from the inner lining of human blood vessels to exhaust particles and fatty acids found in LDL cholesterol. |
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24/07/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Cholesterol drugs may raise cancer risk
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According to scientists, drugs taken by millions of people to reduce the danger of suffering a heart attack or stroke could increase the risk of developing cancer. Researchers led by Richard Karas, professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, in Boston, found that patients taking statins to lower their cholesterol levels had a slightly elevated chance of contracting cancer. The findings, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, demonstrated that the degree of damage to the liver increases with greater statin doses, but that there was no such dose-dependent effect in muscle wastage. |
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19/07/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Gene test for heart attack risk 'within two years'
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Scientists have said that a simple test to identify those most at risk of a heart attack could be widely available within two years, after researchers identified a clutch of genes which raise the risk of heart disease. Up to three-quarters of the population carry at least one of the six genes, raising the risk of having a heart attack by up to 40 per cent. The discovery will help save tens of thousands of lives by allowing doctors to calculate more accurately the risks faced by patients and to direct treatment more precisely. |
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11/07/2007 |
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The Times |
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Are you the shy, retiring type? Watch your heart
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A 30-year study of 2,100 men has indicated that withdrawn introverts who engage in social avoidance have a higher risk of death from heart attacks, strokes and other forms of cardiovascular disease, when compared with other men of similar age and social class. The findings are the latest to show that character traits can have a profound effect on men's health, probably due to stress. In the study, published in the journal Annals of Epidemiology, a team from Northwestern University in Chicago led by Jarett Berry and Philip Greenland evaluated data from a cohort of men recruited in 1957. All were aged between 40 and 55 when they began being monitored. Of the 2,080 participants, 404 had died of coronary heart disease 30 years after the study had begun, and 541 had died of other kinds of cardiovascular disease. A further 412 had died of other causes. Men who scored highly for social avoidance were around 40 per cent more likely to die of a cardiovascular cause than those who found to be more outgoing. Higher levels of stress are believed to be involved in the findings. |
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10/07/2007 |
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Financial Times |
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NHS and Health Sector News
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An overview of developments in the NHS and health sector leads today with the news that local government could be given greater control of the National Health Service, despite pledges from Alan Johnson, the new health secretary, that the NHS would face no further structural upheavals "for the foreseeable future". The suggestion of a bigger role for councils, or for local democracy, in the health service has now come from three senior ministers within a week. Elsewhere, the former boss of the NHS's controversial £12 billion computer project has admitted he is "ashamed" of some of the IT systems being put into hospitals. Richard Granger claimed some of the technology being placed in hospitals under the ambitious scheme to create the health service's first national computer system was appalling. Finally, tens of thousands of stroke patients could have faster access to life-saving treatment after a radical shake-up of NHS care. A stroke will be treated as an emergency equal to a heart attack after the condition was made a Category A priority. |
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04/07/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Eyes give clue to heart disease risk
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A study has shown that eyes can play a vital role in warning about the possible heart attack. A photographic image of the tiny arteries at the back of the eye could be used to predict how likely a person is to suffer from cardiovascular disease. |
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04/07/2007 |
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Financial Times |
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NHS and Health Sector News
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A National Audit Office (NAO) report says urgent action is needed to tackle shortcomings in NHS services for those suffering from dementia, a condition that costs the country £14.3 billion a year - more than £25,000 for every man, woman and child - including £1.2 billion spent by the NHS.A study commissioned by the NHS commercial directorate has claimed that private sector hopes of a sustainable role in delivering National Health Service care are receding. A review of the private sector's role is set to be undertaken by Alan Johnson, health secretary. It is expected that he might cancel perhaps the bulk of the second wave of contracts that have yet to be signed for further independent surgical treatment centres. Medicins Du Monde, a medical charity, claims that pregnant women are being denied antenatal care by the NHS because of their immigration status, endangering mother and baby. Doctors' organisations yesterday praised overseas doctors for making an invaluable contribution to the NHS over the years amid the backlash against Muslim medics working in the UK as a result of the health service's connection to those alleged to be behind the foiled terror attacks in London and Glasgow. The Daily Telegraph reports that hospitals have been told to follow new guidelines for carrying out police checks on overseas doctors. The NHS Employers' Organisation said that due to the constant movement of junior doctors around the country, regular police checks were essential. |
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03/07/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Early warning of heart attack risk found
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Healthy people could soon be warned that they are at risk of a heart attack following the discovery of an enzyme that damages the cardiovascular system. Myeloperoxidase (MPO), a protein released by white blood cells, gives off a bleach-like substance that harms blood vessels. Researchers said that although MPO kills dangerous bacteria, it may also inflame arteries and cripple protective substances in the blood. |
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26/06/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Tree bark may lead to cancer cure
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A study in the United States has claimed that a substance prepared from the bark of the South American lapacho tree kills cancer cells. The compound, beta-lapachone, has demonstrated promising anti-cancer properties and is being used in a trial to explore its efficacy against pancreatic cancer. Professor David Boothman, of the Harold C Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Dallas, and his research team found that it attacks only cancerous tissues by binding with an enzyme known as NQ01, present at high levels in lung cancer. |
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22/06/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Scientists offer hope to heart attack victims in stem cell trial
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Heart attack victims are to be injected with stem cells from their own bone marrow in a groundbreaking trial that could improve patient survival rates. This approach ensures no risk of rejection or infection and also gets around the ethical issues that would result from use of stem cells from embryonic or foetal tissue. Current techniques, such as coronary bypass surgery or angioplasty can improve blood flow around the heart, reducing the risk of further attacks, but they cannot return the scarred tissue back to its pre-heart attack condition. |
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20/06/2007 |
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The Times |
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Fat people 'live longer after heart attack'
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A study has found that obesity may increase the risk of a heart attack, but it also increases the chances of long-term survival afterwards. The study, carried out by German and Swiss doctors, followed 1,676 patients admitted to hospitals in Bad Krozingen and Basle for unstable angina or a heart attack between 1996 and 1999, and monitored them for three years. Among patients of normal weight, 9.9 per cent had died by the end of the study, compared with 7.7 per cent of overweight patients. |
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13/06/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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How cod liver oil can beat the depths of depression
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New research has indicated that a daily dose of cod liver oil is healthy for the mind as well as the body. A study of 22,000 people aged 40 or over has found that those who rarely or never consumed cod liver oil had higher rates of depression, stress or anxiety, while just one spoonful a day cuts the risk of developing the condition by 30 per cent. Up to one person in five is affected by depression at some stage and the prescription of antidepressants pills on the NHS has reached record levels. A recent study showed GPs in England alone issued 31 million prescriptions for antidepressants last year, a rise of six per cent on 2005. The research is the latest evidence of the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, which are a major constituent of cod liver oil. Omega-3s are believed to boost children's brains, reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack and protect against cancer. |
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07/06/2007 |
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Daily Mail |
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Statins are safe and they really work, major study finds
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A study of thousands of patients has confirmed that statins are extremely effective and have few side effects. Statins such as fluvastatin and atorvastatin are routinely prescribed to survivors of heart attacks and strokes and those whose cholesterol is much higher than normal. The latest research by Oxford University, which was published in the Lancet, found that the drugs were both safe and effective, lowering cholesterol by between 30 and 45 per cent. |
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04/06/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Staff
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Snoring may bring on Alzhimer's, say scientists
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According to scientists heavy snoring may make people more vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease. A team at the University of Leeds found that reduced oxygen to the brain, which can be cause by a stroke or heart attack as well, can result in a gradual build-up of toxic chemicals that cause the brain disorder. Professor Chris Peers, who led the study said: "Even though the patient may outwardly recover, the hidden cell damage may be
irreversible. It could even be an issue for people who snore heavily". |
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23/05/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Fish oil capsules help heart attack victims
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Thousands of heart-attack victims every year may be prescribed fish oil supplements under guidelines published by the health watchdog today. Doctors are being urged to issue one-a-day pills to patients who have had a heart attack in the previous three months and who are not already eating two to four portions of oily fish a week. The purified concentration of omega-3 acid ethylesters has been shown in clinical trials to cut sudden cardiac deaths by 43 per cent. Up to 40,000 people a year could be eligible for the treatment at a cost of £7 million. |
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23/05/2007 |
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Daily Mail |
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Too much salt 'gives you ulcers'
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Research by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in America suggests that eating too much salt can give people ulcers. Salt, which is already blamed for raising the risk of heart attacks, nurtures the bacteria behind most stomach ulcers. As well as increasing the chance of heart attacks, excessive intake has been linked to stroke, stomach cancer, osteoporosis and kidney problems. |
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18/05/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Cancer drug offers new hope to young women
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Young women with breast cancer who fear that chemotherapy will make them infertile have been offered new hope. Researchers have found that a hormone treatment designed for fighting prostate cancer in men can also help tackle breast cancer in pre-menopausal women. Zoladex hormone therapy attacks prostate cancer, which thrives on the male hormone in its early stages, by turning off the testosterone supply. A review of the cancer treatment regimes of thousands of women, carried out by researchers led by Professor Jack Cuzick, from the Cancer Research UK Centre for Epidemiology at the Wolfson Institute, London, and published in the Lancet today, led to the recommendation that luteinising hormone should be offered to all 5,500 premenopausal women diagnosed each year with hormone-receptive breast cancer. |
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16/05/2007 |
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Daily Mail |
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Jab that has 100 times the power to fight allergies
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A study has indicated that a revolutionary anti-allergy vaccine can make sufferers up to 100 times more resistant to possible attacks. It claims that allergies which blight the lives of millions could be wiped out in three years with a single vaccine that wards off asthma, eczema and hay fever. In trials conducted by Zurich-base Cytos Biotechnology, a vaccine containing synthetic DNA similar to that found in the bug that causes tuberculosis was given in weekly doses to members of a group comprising 40 men and women allergic to household dust. Some received a dummy dose. The DNA fools the immune system into producing more white blood cells. |
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08/05/2007 |
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Daily Mail |
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Migraines may spell trouble for your heart
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Men who suffer migraines may be at increased risk of having a heart attack, according to a study. New research suggests that men who get migraines are 25 per cent more likely to have heart problems, including heart attacks, than those who do not. |
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04/05/2007 |
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Financial Times |
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Studies find clue to heart attacks
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A test that determines whether people have an inherited vulnerability to heart attacks is to be developed after scientists discovered a genetic variant that can double the risk of having one at an early age. The DNA test, which is being developed by an Icelandic company, has been assisted by two separate studies that identified a genetic profile that increases a person's susceptibility to heart attacks and coronary heart disease. The high-risk stretch of genes is common among Caucasian populations, with up to a quarter carrying copies that boost the risk of heart disease by 40 per cent and increase the lifetime risk of a heart attack by 60 per cent. The findings are published in the journal Science, and come weeks after British scientists claimed to have identified an obesity gene. |
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02/05/2007 |
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The Times |
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Heart deaths fall
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Better treatment for patients who have heart attacks or unstable angina have cut death rates sharply in the past six years. In the largest study of its kind, Edinburgh University analysed hospital treatment and outcomes for 44,372 patients admitted to 113 hospitals in 14 countries. They found that between 1999 and 2006 the number who died in hospital almost halved, and there was also a significant fall in heart failure - a progressive disorder when damage to the heart weakens the system. Wider use of drugs and angioplasty are the main changes that took place. |
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20/04/2007 |
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The Times |
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Scientists prove that salty diet costs lives
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Eating less salt reduces the chances of suffering a heart attack or stroke, the first long-term study of salt's impact on health confirms today. The findings, from a 15-year study published in the British Medical Journal, offer the clearest evidence yet that reducing salt consumption saves lives by lowering the risk of premature death. People who ate less salty food were found to have a 25 per cent lower risk of cardiac arrest or stroke, and a 20 per cent lower risk of premature death. The new findings stem from work conducted by a team of researchers led by Nancy Cook, of Harvard Medical School, which has followed up two trials conducted in the late 1980s and early 1990s. |
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18/04/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Flu jabs 'could stop thousands of heart deaths'
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Flu can trigger a potentially fatal heart attack in those with heart disease and thousands of lives could be saved if all those at risk were vaccinated every winter, scientists have warned. Researchers led by Professor Mohammad Madjid, from the University of Texas, found that the risk of dying from a heart attack rose by one third during influenza outbreaks, because the virus can inflame arteries and lead to fatal blood clots, and they are now urging doctors to ensure that anybody with risk factors for heart disease has a flu jab each winter. One in three people with heart disease does not realise flu is potentially dangerous to them and fails to go for vaccination. The findings of the Texas study are published in the European Heart Journal. |
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17/04/2007 |
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Daily Mail |
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Aspirin could stave off cancer and help victims to survive
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A regular dose of aspirin could keep cancer at bay and boost survival rates for those who contract the disease, a new study has revealed. Research carried out by a team at the Mayo Clinic, in Minnesota, and presented at the annual conference of the American Association for Cancer Research, indicated that those who take the painkiller are 16 per cent less likely to develop cancer that those who do not. They were also 13 per cent less likely to die of the disease. The study, which tracked 22,500 post-menopausal women for 12 years, adds to the existing evidence that aspirin, already used to prevent heart attacks and strokes, could be a powerful weapon against cancer. The risk of breast, ovarian, prostate and lung cancer are all slashed by taking aspirin several times a week, according to the researchers. |
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17/04/2007 |
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Daily Mail |
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Jab to help your body kill cancer
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A vaccine that 'teaches' the immune system to attack tumours is being used as new therapy for patients with pancreatic cancer. More than 1,000 patients are taking part in a trial run by Cancer Research UK's Liverpool Cancer Trials Unit to test the efficacy of the new vaccine, known as GV1001. It targets a compound called telomerase, a protein occurring naturally in the body that is seldom found in healthy cells, but is in most cancer cells. GV1001 activates the immune system so it recognises and kills such cells. Professor John Neoptolemos, of the University of Liverpool and a consultant surgeon, declared that "The National Cancer Research Institute is focusing a great deal of energy on recruiting patients to take part in this trial". Research has indicated that just 15 per cent of patients with pancreatic cancer are alive a year after being diagnosed. |
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16/04/2007 |
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The Guardian |
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NHS and Health Sector News
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The Guardian reports that the Royal College of Nursing was last night heading for the first national industrial action in its 91-year history in protest at the government's decision to hold back part of the pay increase nurses were due this month. The Daily Telegraph reports that the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has warned that Britain is facing an abortion crisis because an unprecedented number of doctors are refusing to be involved in carrying out the procedure. The Times reports that changes to the way GPs work have left "considerable gaps" in the care of patients who suffer from depression, a report by mental health charities Depression Alliance and SANE declares today. Separately, Gazprom, the Kremlin-controlled gas monopoly, wants to become a big supplier of gas to the NHS, but its plans have been attacked by health campaigners who assert that the Kremlin's track record of withholding gas supplies during political disputes raised serious questions about patient welfare. |
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12/04/2007 |
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The Times |
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Heart patient risk
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Patients are getting invasive heart treatments that do them no more good than drugs, a study suggests. A trial comparing the use of angioplasty with stents and the use of drugs for opening the arteries found essentially no difference in the risk of heart attacks. |
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10/04/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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More ups than downs for yo yo dieters
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American scientists from the University of California have claimed that dieting can lead to long term weight gain. They report that more than two-thirds of dieters put the weight straight back on, raising the danger of heart attack, strokes and diabetes. The researchers analysed the results of more than 30 studies involving thousands of slimmers, finding that most dieters end up weighing more than they did to begin with. |
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10/04/2007 |
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The Times |
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Cup of cocoa may help to lower risk of heart attack
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Drinking a cup of cocoa at bedtime can help to lower blood pressure as effectively as prescription medications, researchers have claimed. Foods rich in cocoa, such as dark chocolate, also appear to improve circulation and reduce the risks of heart attacks, but drinking tea may not, according to research conducted by the University Hospital of Cologne, Germany. |
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05/04/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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High doses of ibuprofen increase heart attack risk
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The common pain killer ibuprofen has been found to increase an existing risk of having a heart attack or a stroke in people who suffer from arthritis, according to research published today. Researchers at the cardiovascular unit, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, led by Dr Michael E Farkouh, studied more than 18,000 patients who took one of three painkillers for their arthritis - ibuprofen, naproxen and lumiracoxib - and found that one patient in 10 was at risk of heart attack or stroke. For high risk patients taking both aspirin and ibuprofen the danger was increased ninefold. The research, published in the journal Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, is believed to be the first demonstration of the effect in arthritis patients. |
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02/04/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Why getting dirty could be uplifting for depression
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A study has found evidence that bacteria common in soil and dirt could improve people's spirits. According to the research, the action of Mycobacterium vaccae (M vaccae) on the brain is similar to that of some commonly used antidepressants. The bacterium, which is related to the microbe that causes tuberculosis, appears to work by stimulating the body's immune system. Research has found that without exposure to a wide range of common microbes in early life, the immune system seems more likely to mistake the body's own cells as invaders and launch attacks on them. This could be one of the mechanisms underlying the surge in conditions such as asthma and eczema. |
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29/03/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Asthma breakthrough is a breath of hot air
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The first new treatment for asthma that removes the need to take drugs was revealed yesterday by scientists from Britain and Canada and hailed as a breakthrough for millions of sufferers. The heat therapy known as bronchial thermoplasty, uses tiny probes on wires placed inside the lungs which emit radio waves- which 'burns away' lung tissue blocking the airways, and is said to offer significant improvements in severe cases. Over a year, repeated treatments by bronchial thermoplasty resulted in patients having fewer attacks, a reduction in the amount of medicine they needed and more days with no symptoms at all. |
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29/03/2007 |
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Daily Mail |
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Proof at last that organic apples can be better for you
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Evidence that organic crops contain higher levels of important nutrients was published in a study by scientists from Britain, France and Poland. They said analysis of organic tomatoes, apples and peaches revealed greater concentrations of vitamin C, polyphenols, betacarotene and flavonoids. The nutrients are said to protect the body against heart attacks and cancer-causing chemicals. Industry figures show sales of organic food increased by 30 per cent in 2006 to £1.6 billion. |
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23/03/2007 |
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The Times |
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Doubt cast on remedy for diseased arteries
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Three papers published in the British Medical Journal have questioned whether stenting, a procedure that props open the arteries with fine mesh grids, is as effective or cost-effective as surgery. Rather than having a heart bypass to replace diseased arteries, more patients now undergo the procedure, which is popular because it is less invasive than bypass surgery. A team led by Omar Aziz, a surgeon at Imperial College, London, assessed comparative evidence on the outcomes of keyhole surgery versus stenting. The findings of 12 studies, involving 1,952 patients, were pooled and indicated no difference in the risk of heart attack, stroke or death. But patients with stents were shown to be almost three times more likely to experience renewed pain from angina, or have non-fatal heart attacks or strokes, or to require repeat stenting. |
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20/03/2007 |
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Daily Mail |
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Crystals could save children from diabetes
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A new treatment designed to delay or even prevent type 1 diabetes is about to start clinical trials. A research team led by Professor Polly Bingley of Bristol University will measure the efficacy of insulin crystals specifically in patients who are at risk of developing the disease, which has shown a sharp increase in recent years in children under the age of five. Prof Bingley noted that, "The idea of the treatment is that it dampens down the immune system's response to insulin-making cells in the pancreas", in effect 're-educating' the immune system not to perceive the presence of insulin in the intestine as a threat. It is hoped that this in turn will mean the immune system will cease to attack the patient's own insulin-producing cells. People aged between three and 45 will take part in the trials in six countries, including the United Kingdom. |
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05/03/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Oxygen boost 'may harm' heart patients
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The routine use of oxygen treatment for heart attacks could harm patients, an expert warned today. Professor Richard Beasley, from New Zealand's Medical Research Institute, said "clinical dogma" over the issue needed to be challenged as studies showed that giving pure oxygen could damage the heart. Writing in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, Professor Beasley said that the only controlled trial of oxygen therapy in the first 24 hours of a heart attack, carried out in 1976, showed that patients receiving it ended up with greater heart damage than those receiving normal room air. |
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05/03/2007 |
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Daily Express |
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Smoking harms unborn for ever
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For the first time, researchers have proved that smoking is harmful to the long-term health of an unborn baby. Women who smoke through pregnancy are damaging their baby's blood vessels and putting them at increased risk of dying from heart attack or stroke. Researchers from the Netherlands identified permanent damage in the arteries and blood vessels of the hearts of young adults whose mothers smoked during pregnancy, finding that the lining of the arteries was damaged and that the arteries were thicker and narrower than in the children of non-smokers. |
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01/03/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Some bread still has too much salt, finds study
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Reducing the amount of salt in sliced bread could save at least 7,000 lives a year, health campaigners claimed yesterday. Despite industry moves to cut levels over the last few years, the Consensus Action on Salt and Health (Cash) has said that some brands are still made with excessive amounts of salt. Research has shown that a population cut of 1g of salt per day would equate to 7,000 lives saved each year from strokes and heart attacks due to the drop in blood pressure that would occur. |
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27/02/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Leading headache pills 'put strain on the heart'
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Regularly taking some of the most popular painkillers on the market is linked to a much greater risk of stroke and heart attack from higher blood pressure, according to research by Harvard Medical School in Boston. The study of 16,000 male volunteers found that those who took paracetamol, aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen six or seven days per week over a two-year period were between a quarter and a third more likely to be diagnosed with high blood pressure. Compared with men who took no pain relief medication, participants who took 15 or more pills each week, irrespective of type, had a 48 per cent higher risk of higher blood pressure. |
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26/02/2007 |
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The Guardian |
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NHS and Health Sector News
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An overview of developments in the NHS and health sector leads today with the news that a leading architect of Tony Blair's health reforms has warned in the Guardian today that the NHS will not survive as a universal tax-funded service without a change of policy. Chris Ham, professor of health policy at Birmingham University, claims a fundamental weakness in the design of the reforms made it impossible for the NHS to deliver the improvements in efficiency that will be needed when growth in its budget slows next year. Elsewhere, it has emerged that violent attacks on NHS doctors and nurses have reached unprecedented levels, and are costing an estimated £100 million a year in lost staff hours and investigations. Finally, the Sunday Telegraph yesterday carried an extensive interview with the health secretary, Patricia Hewitt, who recently described 2006 as "the best year in NHS history". She defends herself against the allegation that NHS operations are “being deliberately delayed” to save her political skin. |
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15/02/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Breastfeeding can be good for heart
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Breastfeeding may be good for the mother as well as her baby, research published yesterday suggests. In a study of 96,648 nurses who gave birth between 1986 and 2002, those who had spent at least two years of their lives breastfeeding were 19 per cent less likely to suffer a heart attack than those who had not breastfed. |
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13/02/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Siesta 'cuts risk of heart attack'
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New research has found that men who take 'siestas' can lower their risk of death from coronary heart disease by as much as 64 percent, even when other factors such as diet, age and exercise are taken into account. The research, published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that those who took naps of any frequency and duration had a 34 per cent lower risk of dying from heart disease than those who did not take midday naps. |
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13/02/2007 |
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Financial Times |
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Restart of poultry plant attacked as 'hasty'
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Bernard Matthews was last night facing allegations that it had failed to reveal the likely route by which bird flu entered the country after it emerged that inspectors only discovered suspect imports of Hungarian poultry by accident. Ministers were yesterday attacked for acting too hastily after announcing that the Bernard Matthews poultry processing plant at the heart of the bird flu outbreak will resume full operations from today, just 10 days after the infection was confirmed. |
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06/02/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Depression linked to risk of heart disease
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New research has indicated that physical signs of depression, such as fatigue and appetite loss, increase the risk of early heart disease. Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, writing in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry, found a significant association between depressive symptoms and the "furring up" of arteries that can lead to heart attacks and strokes. It is hoped the findings may aid the development of new treatments aimed at reducing the risk of heart disease in people prone to negative feelings. However, no link was found between emotional problems and artery disease, a standpoint which contrasts with previous research that associated negative emotional states, such as anger and pessimism, with a higher risk of suffering a heart attack or sudden death. |
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01/02/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Heart deaths are blamed on pollution
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People who live in heavily-polluted cities are substantially more likely to die from a heart attack or stroke than those whose homes are in the countryside, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. American researchers found the higher the concentration of fine sooty particles produced by vehicles and factories in the air around women's homes, the greater the risk of both developing and dying from a cardiovascular illness. |
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30/01/2007 |
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Daily Mail |
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New relief for MS sufferers
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Multiple sclerosis sufferers may soon have access to an oral drug designed to prevent the immune system from attacking healthy tissue. The drug, known as BG-12, has been shown to reduce the number of active brain lesions, or scars, on patients in the early stages of MS. |
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23/01/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Stem cells passed by mother to foetus may defeat diabetes
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Cells passed from pregnant women to the foetus could hold the key to treating childhood diabetes, according to a new study. Scientists at Bristol University, in collaboration with colleagues at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre, Seattle, have discovered that stem cells are passed from mothers to unborn children with type 1 diabetes and may help repair the damage caused by immune attacks on insulin-producing cells thought responsible for the development of the disease. The phenomenon by which stem cells exchanged between mother and foetus are tolerated by the child for many years - known as microchimerism - was already well documented, but the new research indicates that around 20 per cent of these children have unusually high levels of maternal DNA in their circulation. Some maternal cells were shown to have entered the child's pancreas and grown into insulin-producing beta cells. |
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23/01/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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'Safe' Alzheimer's vaccine triggers attack of protein build-up in brain
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A prototype vaccine for Alzheimer's disease has proved effective and safe at clearing build-ups of proteins in the brain that are a factor in dementia. It was developed using a mouse model of the disease and can be delivered without the need for injections. A team at the University of Florida, led by Dr Jun Tan, found that "something as simple and non-invasive as a skin patch could potentially be a promising therapy for Alzheimer's disease". The vaccine works by triggering the immune system to recognise and attack a protein that abnormally builds up in the brain, and the transdermal approach was shown not to cause toxicity. Previous research into injectable vaccines was suspended following patient deaths. The paper, co-authored with Terrence Town, is published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. |
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19/01/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Deadly new strain of MRSA stalking healthy youngsters
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Scientists have unravelled the workings of a deadly superbug that attacks healthy young people and can kill within 24 hours. PVL-producing MRSA, a highly-virulent strain of the drug-resistant superbug, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, has spread around the world and caused deaths in the UK, Europe, the US and Australia. CA-MRSA throws out a toxin called PVL - Panton-Valentine leukocidin - that destroys the white blood cells that the body uses to defend itself. On the skin it is harmless, but CA-MRSA can be deadly if it gets into the bloodstream through a cut. Because it can infect young people who are not expected to get ill, the infection is often not identified quickly enough to treat. |
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15/01/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Scientist raises fears over statins and Parkinson's
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Scientists are to investigate why people with low cholesterol levels appear to be more likely to develop Parkinson's disease, following concerns that statins, given to control cholesterol, could cause an increase in the numbers of people with the illness. The move follows a warning from Dr Xue Mei Huang, an assistant professor of neurology at the University of North Carolina's School of Medicine, who carried out a study which found that patients with low levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) - or so-called 'bad cholesterol' - were three times more likely to have Parkinson's than those with high levels. Dr Huang claimed she was "very concerned" about the implications of her study's findings, and now intends to conduct a 16,000-patient study to examine the possible role of statins, which actively lower levels of LDL to reduce the risk of heart attacks and stroke. Around 2.7 million people in England take statins such as pravastatin, atorvastatin and simvastatin, and the British Heart Foundation yesterday maintained that the drugs saved lives and nobody should stop taking them on the basis of the study's findings. |
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10/01/2007 |
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The Times |
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Blood test will predict level of risk for heart patients
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According to a study published today, a simple blood test might accurately predict the risk run by patients with heart disease of becoming seriously ill or dying. High levels of a certain protein can make them up to eight times more likely to die or suffer a heart attack, heart failure or a stroke. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, found that the amount of the protein, NT-proBNP, indicates levels of a hormone known as brain-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), which increased when the heart is under stress. The three-year study, published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association, involved 987 men and women with stable coronary heart disease, and found that patients in the top quartile for levels of the protein had almost an eight-fold chance of cardiovascular events or death compared with those in the bottom quartile. |
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02/01/2007 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Legal age for smoking will rise from 16 to 18
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New Year's Day saw the UK national press report the news that the government plans an increase in the legal age for buying tobacco from 16 to 18. The move is part of a wider attack on smoking which also includes the smoking plan in bars and restaurants which will come into force in July 2007. The rise in the minimum age for buying tobacco will take place in October 2007. |
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28/12/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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A pot belly raises heart risk by 40pc
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A 12-year study of more than 100,000 men and women has reinforced the suspicion of strong links between waist size and cardiac health, indicating that a pot belly increases the risk of heart attacks by up to 44 per cent. A team of researchers from the Kaiser Permanente health charity in the United States, led by Dr Carlos Iribarren, found that waist size outranked Body Mass Index (BMI) measurements as an indicative factor in heart disease, adding to the school of thought which suggests BMI - calculated by dividing weight in kilogrammes by height in metres squared - fails to accurately predict heart disease risk factors as it cannot discriminate between fat and muscle. The study concluded that "obesity in the abdomen matters even more than obesity overall" since abdominal fat is believed to be more metabolically active that fats stored in other parts of the body. |
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22/12/2006 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Study will take a new look at HRT
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Scientists are to re-evaluate the impact of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) despite earlier studies suggesting that it could put women at increased risk of breast cancer, heart attacks and stroke. Attitudes to HRT changed in 2002 when a study of more than 16,000 older women taking different combinations of oestrogen and progesterone was halted. The Women's Health Initiative project, a controversial 15-year study involving more than 160,000 women, ended three years early after it showed women had increased risk of heart disease if they were on HRT. |
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18/12/2006 |
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The Times |
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NHS and Health Sector News
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An overview of developments in the NHS and health sector leads today with the news that a nurse and a patient died from a deadly new strain of MRSA after a superbug outbreak at a hospital in the West Midlands earlier this year. Three other workers at the same hospital also contracted the Panton-Valentine Leukocidin-positive (PVL) MRSA bacterium. A spokesman for the Health Protection Agency claimed that PVL-MRSA was more toxic than other strains of MRSA, but it could still be treated with antibiotics. The strain attacks healthy young people and can cause symptoms ranging from minor infections in the skin and soft tissue to a form or pneumonia that can kill in 24 hours. Angela Kearns, an MRSA expert, added: "When people contract PVL-producing strains of MRSA, they usually experience a skin infection such as a boil or abscess." Britain has the worst record for tackling superbug infection among big European nations, according to a new study from the European Commission. |
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07/12/2006 |
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The Times |
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Half give up preventive drugs
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Half of all people prescribed statins to protect against heart attacks have given up taking them within two years, a Dutch study has revealed. The Dutch scientists, writing in European Heart Journal, followed the prescription records of 60,000 patients over 14 years. The research suggests that in the Netherlands there are 300 to 400 heart attacks a year that would have been prevented if patients kept taking the drugs, and across Europe the number would be up to 9,000 a year. Patients prescribed drugs often give up taking them through boredom or dislike of side-effects, but in the case of statins, which have no perceptible effects on improving health or well-being to encourage compliance, the drop-out rate is high. |
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04/12/2006 |
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Financial Times |
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Pfizer scraps key drug
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Pfizer, the world's largest drug company, has abruptly halted clinical trials of its leading experimental medicine, the cholesterol drug torcetrapib, after the deaths of eighty-two people during testing. Evidence from the trials, which involved 15,000 patients worldwide - some of them in the United Kingdom - revealed increased death rates from heart attacks and strokes. In the 7,500 people taking a combination of torcetrapib and atorvastatin (Lipitor) there had been 82 deaths from heart attack and stroke, whereas in a similar number taking atorvastatin alone there had been 51 deaths. The abandonment of such a key pipeline drug treatment is a blow for Pfizer, which revealed that an independent safety board had recommended the measures after the trial had shown what was referred to as "an imbalance of mortality and cardiovascular events." |
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24/11/2006 |
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The Times |
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A daily dose of folic acid could help to prevent heart attacks and strokes
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Taking folic acid can reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes, according to research. British scientists have discovered that raised levels of the amino acid homocysteine in the blood is one of the causes of cardiovascular disease. Since folic acid helps to lower homocysteine, it is believed that increasing the intake of the vitamin could help to reduce the risk of disease. |
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24/11/2006 |
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The Sun |
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'Quack' attack
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Cancer victims should be protected from ‘vile exploitation’ by alternative medicine practitioners, according to Professor Jonathan Waxman of Imperial College London. He said that complementary therapies should be better regulated by the Government, as ‘the alternative medicine industry is full of snake oil salesmen that exploit the desperate’. Alternative remedies are currently not subject to the same tests that face mainstream drugs as they are classed as food supplements. |
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20/11/2006 |
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The Times |
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Britons 'dying from a stiff upper lip'
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According to a study from the British Heart Foundation (BHF), almost half the population would ignore chest pains that could be heart attack symptoms, preferring to wait and see if they improved before calling for medical help. The charity's findings are published on the eve of its "Doubt Kills" campaign to raise awareness of the need for people to call the emergency services if they experience the symptoms associated with a heart attack, and indicated that 40 per cent of people would wait and see if the symptoms went away before calling for medical assistance. Anyone with chest pain should call the emergency services immediately, the charity declared, as prompt treatment improves greatly the chances of surviving a cardiac arrest. |
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16/11/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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How cells can make the heart heal itself
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British scientists have discovered that the heart may be able to heal itself following a heart attack after a fully-grown heart was coaxed into growing new blood vessels. Researchers at University College London's Institute of Child Health have shown that a protein, called thymosin beta 4, can make cells found on the outside of the heart move deeper into the organ, where they form cells capable of making blood vessels. Similar in nature to stem cells, these cells lie dormant until triggered by high levels of the protein, and can create the blood vessels which are vital to survival after a heart attack has taken place. Dr Paul Riley, a researcher on the project, claimed that the new approach would "bypass the risk of immune system rejection" which comes with a stem cell transplant from an outside source. It is believed that within a decade some of the 300,000 people who suffer heart attacks each year could benefit from the new treatment. |
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15/11/2006 |
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The Guardian |
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Dark chocolate for a healthy heart - study
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What is believed to be the first biochemical analysis of the chemical in cocoa beans has shown that it has a similar effect to aspirin and can reduce the likelihood of blood clotting. A study carried out by scientists at the John Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health in the United States found that eating a small amount of dark chocolate each day can almost halve the risk of heart attack death in some men and women. The findings came after 139 participants in a trial to investigate the effect of aspirin on blood platelets were disqualified due to their ingestion of dark chocolate - a contraband substance during the trial. The biochemical impact of the chocolate was then shown to reduce platelet clumping, which can be fatal if a clot forms. |
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10/11/2006 |
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The Independent |
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'Widen use of cholesterol drug'
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Millions of patients as young as 35 should be put on cholesterol-lowering drugs to cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes, doctors have reported, saying that patients with only a one per cent chance of suffering the illnesses should consider long-term use of the drugs. A study involving more than 20,000 people concluded that the drug simvastatin would benefit people even with a 1 per cent risk of heart disease or stroke. The drugs reduce blood levels of cholesterol, the substance like waxy fat which can build up inside arteries, damaging them and raising the risk of heart disease and stroke. The study, reported in the British Medical Journal, said that the preventative care would also be cheaper than hospital treatment. |
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08/11/2006 |
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The Times |
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Heart attack victims to be given own stem cells
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Heart attack victims will be given a revolutionary new treatment involving an injection of their own stem cells to repair the organ damage that they have suffered. New clinical trials are to start at two London hospitals into the use of the therapy, which is carried out within hours of a cardiac arrest. Patients will be given injections of stem cells extracted from bone marrow taken from the hip to delay or prevent the onset of heart failure. It is hoped that the cells will turn into muscle cells, repairing the damage of a heart attack, or preventing it from occurring. |
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03/11/2006 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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China completes face transplant
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Chinese doctors were believed yesterday to have completed what is believed to be only the second face transplant ever performed. New pictures taken of the 30-year-old patient, Li Guoxing, during surgery emerged yesterday after a second operation completed corrective work on his face. Mr Li received a new cheek, upper lip, nose, and an eyebrow during the first procedure, while skin tissue was removed from a brain dead patient for grafting in the same procedure. The second surgery corrected the unnatural shape of Mr Li's lips and right eye, which had been disfigured in a bear attack in 2004. |
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03/11/2006 |
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The Times |
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NHS and Health Sector News
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An overview of developments in the NHS and health sector leads today with the news that the government yesterday announced it has pledged £30 million to increase the safety of women at risk of sexual attacks on mental health wards. Mental health charities welcomed the move. |
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25/10/2006 |
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The Times |
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Painkiller link to heart risks
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High doses of a class of painkillers which includes ibuprofen can increase the risk of heart attacks if taken over long periods, doctors were warned yesterday. The Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) has written to every doctor in the UK warning them that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) - which are routinely taken by arthritis and back pain sufferers - may be associated with a small risk of heart attack or stroke when used for long-term treatment. The latest warning came after the European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Uses formally acknowledged the risk. Its advice is to ‘use the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible duration’. |
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24/10/2006 |
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Daily Express |
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Are you a victim of the secret heart epidemic?
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Many Britons could be suffering from a serious heart condition without knowing it, doctors have warned. Atrial fibrillation, which causes an irregular heart beat, has reached 'epidemic' proportions in Britain, affecting up to 2 per cent of the population. Up to a fifth of those who have the problem have no idea because they have no symptoms or their tell-tale signs are being missed by GPs, putting them at a much greater risk of suffering a stroke or heart attack. Common symptoms of dizziness, fainting or shortness of breath are often ignored by sufferers. |
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24/10/2006 |
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The Guardian |
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Alcohol lowers heart attack risk
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Doctors should not encourage men in good health who drink moderately to give up alcohol, according to researchers. A 16-year study of nearly 9,000 men in the US by the Beth Israel Medical Centre in Boston found that a regular drink lowered their risk of heart attacks. Overall, the lowest risk of heart attack was for the group that drank between 15 and 29 grams of alcohol a day, while men who never drank had the greatest chance of having an attack. |
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17/10/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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Antibiotics could slow Alzheimer's symptoms
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A three-year clinical trial into the effects of various drugs on the progress of Alzheimer’s, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, is to involve 500 patients being given various combinations of doxycycline, rifampin and a placebo. The trial follows a smaller study which registered a possible benefit relating to the use of antibiotics in treating the disease, the theory behind which derived from the post mortem discovery of traces of the Chlamydia pneumonia bacteria in the brains of men and women with Alzheimer’s. While it is possible that the infection may be involved in triggering the disease, and so antibiotics which attack the bacterium may help, there is a second theory which suggests that the antibiotics interfere with the build-up of amyloid plaques around the neurons of the brain. |
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10/10/2006 |
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The Guardian |
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Research offers hope of repairing damage suffered in heart attacks
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A cocktail of drugs that can repair potentially fatal tissue damage suffered during heart attacks has been developed by scientists based at Children's hospital Boston. Tests in rats show that an injection of two drugs can encourage heart tissues to regenerate themselves after an attack, and further tests are being conducted to see if the treatment is effective when the drugs are administered many hours after a heart attack. The research is reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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28/09/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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Ibuprofen in safety check over heart attack risks
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The safety of ibuprofen and other common painkillers is to be investigated after studies found that they may raise the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The safety of the drugs is to be reviewed by the European Medicines Agency following a recommendation last year by a committee that changes should be made to the way that everyday drugs are prescribed, to ensure consistency across the EU. In June, studies showed that ibuprofen and diclofenac could almost double the risk of heart problems if taken in high doses. |
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28/09/2006 |
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The Times |
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Scientists find a dirty way to fight hay fever
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Allergies could soon be treated using new drugs that trick the immune system into thinking that it is under attack, as Cytos Biotechnology has developed an experimental drug that makes the immune system think that it is under threat from a germ called mycobacteria, found in dirt. Early results suggest a benefit for hay fever. The injection, which wipes out all symptoms including sneezes and itchy eyes, has been developed by scientists in Switzerland. |
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06/09/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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How a handful of nuts could save you from a heart attack
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Just two portions of nuts a week cuts the risk of dying from a heart attack by 11 per cent, according to a study carried out as part of the European Prospective Investigation into cancer and nutrition - EPIC - which involved almost 400,000 people from ten countries, including 90,000 from Norfolk and Oxford. Professor Elio Riboli, one of the United Kingdom researchers who participate in the study, noted that all nuts were counted in the assessment, which studied nut consumption in 1,200 people who died of a heart attack and compared the findings with people who are still alive. Earlier analysis of EPIC data also indicated that eating nuts could be linked to a lower risk of bowel cancer. |
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04/09/2006 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Fast-track treatment 'can slash heart attack death toll'
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Deaths from heart attacks could be cut ten-fold if patients are given almost immediate treatment to unblock their arteries, according to new research from a London trial involving 400 patients. The study, presented at the World Congress of Cardiology in Barcelona, also found that in patients over the age of 75 there was a five-fold cut in deaths when the new method - primary angioplasty - was offered. Dr Kenneth Morgan, who took part in the study at Hammersmith Hospital, asserted that there was growing evidence that rapid intervention led to less damage to the heart. More than 47,000 angioplasty procedures are performed each year, leading to an increase in interest from the Department of Health, which has made up to £1 million available to set up pilot schemes. |
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04/09/2006 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Diabetes pill 'halves risk of having a stroke'
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A pill for diabetes has been found almost to halve the rates of strokes in high risk patients. Actos, one of several in its class, is primarily used to improve the control of blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, and after an international trial involving 5,000 patients was shown to bring about a 47 per cent reduction in the risk of having a second stroke. The figures, released yesterday by the World Congress of Cardiology, showed that Actos could also cut the risk of a first stroke, a heart attack and the combined risk of death by 28 per cent. |
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01/09/2006 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Gene therapy cures dying cancer men for first time
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Gene therapy has eradicated cancer from two dying men using genetically modified versions of their own cells. The two men were saved after their white blood cells were engineered genetically to become tumour-hunters. Both were suffering from advanced melanoma but the technique could be customised to attack other common cancers. |
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31/08/2006 |
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Daily Mirror |
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Monitor blood pressure
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Nearly half of the UK population have no idea what their blood pressure generally is, according to a new survey. The research, conducted by Lloydspharmacy, revealed that two in five adults aged 55-plus have no idea what their blood pressure is. High blood pressure affects one in three adults and is a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes and kidney or heart failure. |
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30/08/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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Sunscreen can harm your skin from the inside, scientists warn
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The Daily Mail is the only national newspaper to report the news that sunscreen may do more harm than good if it is not used properly, according to researchers. Scientists at the University of California have reported that once it soaks into the skin, sunscreen can react with sunlight to cause damage below the surface, as filters contained in sunscreen that keep out ultraviolet radiation can generate harmful compounds that attack skin cells. The study investigated the production of reactive oxygen species by the use of sunscreens. ROS is naturally produced by exposure to UV rays, leading to skin damage and visible signs of ageing. Three UV filters in sunscreens generate ROS in skin when exposed to UV - adding to the natural level. However, the trait can be prevented by continually applying new layers of sunscreen to stop sunlight from penetrating the skin. Senior research scientist Dr Kerry Hanson, said: 'our data shows that if coverage at the skin surface is low, the UV filters in sunscreens that have penetrated the epidermis can potentially do more harm than good', and that 'more advanced sunscreens that ensure that the UV filters stay on the skin surface are needed'. The new study, published in the journal Free Radical Biology & Medicine, comes a month after warnings by British scientists that rubbing in suncream can reduce its effectiveness. |
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29/08/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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'Fivefold risk of a heart attack for snorers'
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The Daily Mail today reports that millions of people with obstructive sleep apnoea, a common snoring condition, are five times more likely to have a heart attack. At least three million Britons have the condition, which causes frequent interruptions to breathing and appears to increase blood pressure and heart problems. A report in the European Respiratory Journal revealed that a seven-year study by Swedish scientists which looked at 300 patients diagnosed in 1991 with snoring or related problems after excluding anyone with heart disease or heart failure, found that those with OSA had a fivefold higher risk of coronary heart disease. The report said that OSA could be as dangerous as smoking and high cholesterol for triggering heart attacks, and Dr Yuksel Peker, who worked on the study, said 'OSA now needs to be included in the risk factors for coronary artery disease and for heart attacks in particular'. |
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18/08/2006 |
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The Times |
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Heart attack danger in passive smoking
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In a widely-featured story in today's papers it is reported that people exposed to cigarette smoke for as little as an hour a day increase their risk of a heart attack by almost a quarter, a study has indicated. The Interheart study, published in The Lancet, found that those exposed to three hours of passive smoke daily increased their risk by more than 60%. The research looked at the experience of 27,000 people in 52 countries, measuring tobacco exposure, active and passive, and found that all increase the risk of cardiac arrest. Heart attacks were three times as common in smokers than in people who had never smoked. Every cigarette smoked per day added 5.6% to the risk, rising 1.63 times for people smoking one to nine cigarettes a day, increasing to 9.16 times for those who smoked 40 or more. The number of people around the world who die from tobacco-related diseases is expected to increase to one billion during this century. Separately, it is also reported that light smokers who quit are no more likely to suffer heart attacks than non smokers after about three years of abstinence. |
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18/08/2006 |
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Daily Mirror |
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Heart risk is in waist not weight
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The Daily Mirror and the Daily Mail both report that waist size, and not general obesity is the proper indicator of heart trouble, according to new research. Experts are querying the use of the Body Mass Index to measure coronary risk after overweight patients were found to have higher survival rates than people of normal weight. Weight experts want waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio, which indicates levels of abdominal fat, adopted as a more accurate guide, as the BMI fails to identify if excess weight is muscle rather than fat. Research from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester pooled data from 40 studies involving 250,000 victims of heart disease, finding that severely obese patients had a higher risk of heart-related death, but also that overweight patients, as defined by BMI scores, had better survival and fewer heart problems than those with a normal BMI. An international study in 52 countries found that waist-to-hip ratio was the most reliable predictor of heart attack risk. As a rough guide to healthy waist circumference, doctors regard over 40 inches for a man and 35 for a woman as danger signs. Judy O'Sullivan of the British Heart Foundation, said: 'The most important thing to consider is your body shape and weight. Eating less and being more active is an effective way of improving your heart health'. |
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17/08/2006 |
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The Times |
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NHS and health sector news
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The Times today reports that nurses' leaders have stepped up their campaign against cuts in the NHS after publishing figures which showed that more than 18,000 health service jobs had been lost or were threatened in the current round of savings. Meanwhile, the Daily Star reports that a survey of 34 hospitals by London and Buckinghamshire medical experts found many were inadequately prepared for dealing with victims of terror attacks. |
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16/08/2006 |
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Daily Express |
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Drinking just one cup of coffee can kill you
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The Daily Express and the Daily Mirror both feature the news that drinking just one cup of coffee could kill you within an hour, according to scientists. A study by the Harvard School of Public Health and Brown University has found that people at risk of heart disease who drink only the odd cup of coffee can quadruple their chances of suffering an attack, and researchers have said that even moderate drinkers of coffee are at risk, with just one cup of coffee increasing their risk of a heart attack by 60%. The researchers studied 503 men and women in Costa Rica who had already suffered a heart attack, asking them how much coffee they had drunk in the hours before their attack. The research also took into account the social status of the participants, including their lifestyle and medical history. The conclusion was that those most at risk had a sedentary lifestyle and drank between one and three cups a day. However, heavy coffee drinkers who consumed more than four cups a day did not increase their risk of a fatal heart attack at all. Ana Baylin, assistant professor of medical science at Brown University, said 'People at high risk of a heart attack who are occasional or regular coffee drinkers might consider quitting coffee altogether'. The scientists believe that caffeine causes a sudden rise in blood pressure which makes drinkers more prone to an attack. However, experts last night said that the study only involved a small number of people and should not be taken too seriously. Dr Mike Knapton of the British Heart Foundation, said 'We can reassure coffee lovers that there is no evidence that coffee causes heart attacks'. |
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14/08/2006 |
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The Times |
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Asthma hopes
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Scientists have discovered why people with asthma suffer severe attacks when they catch colds: their lungs do not produce enough of the anti-viral proteins needed to fight the infection. Research published in the journal Nature Medicine shows asthmatics only produce half the number of anti-viral proteins that non-sufferers do when suffering a cold. Consequently they are far more likely to suffer a severe attack during a cold - and even end up in hospital. A radical asthma treatment that promises to transform the lives of millions and could help to prevent colds is being developed by British scientists. |
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03/08/2006 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Inquiry into death risk of asthma drug
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The Daily Telegraph is the only national newspaper to report that an asthma drug used by thousands of people is to be investigated over concerns that it may increase the risk of death if wrongly prescribed. About 10% of Britain's 5.2 million asthma sufferers have hard-to-control asthma but it is not known how many are given the class of drugs called long-acting beta-agonists, or Labas. A Government advisory body called for the inquiry into the risks and benefits of Labas drugs because of safety worries and fears that not all doctors prescribe them correctly. Labas drugs have been linked to heart attacks and deaths when used alone, and British guidelines state that they should be used in combination with inhaled steroids. Figures obtained by doctors' magazine Pulse suggest that 40% of patients using Labas drugs do not also have a prescription, as they should, for an inhaled steroid. Labas drugs are prescribed to those whose severe asthma is not adequately controlled by inhaled steroids. The Commission on Human Medicines has asked the MHRA to establish whether the drugs are being used appropriately. The MHRA will next month reinforce guidance to doctors on the safe use of Labas. Professor Martyn Partridge, the chief medical adviser at Asthma UK, said: 'Inhaled steroids remain the most effective medicine available for those with asthma. The addition of long acting inhaled beta-agonist has been shown to improve control. The report of adverse effects is nothing new'. |
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03/08/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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Vitamin tablets 'may do more harm than good'
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Fiona MacRae in the Daily Mail today reports that vitamin supplements do not work and may do more harm than good, according to research by experts. A report in this week's New Scientist magazine has warned that the tablets, taken by millions of Britons each day, do nothing to stave off illness. The report follows a warning from American scientists that multivitamins could be of little benefit and that there is a danger of overdosing on some. Anti-oxidants, which occur naturally in plants, mop-up free radicals - toxins produced by the body that damage cells and are linked with a host of illnesses, but the report said: 'True, they knock the wind out of free-radicals in a test-tube. But once inside the human body they seem strangely powerless'. Recent studies have failed to make the link, claimed in the 1990s, that users of vitamin E are less at risk of heart attacks and strokes, while a recent American study has suggested that vitamin C may speed up atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, in diabetics. Biochemist Barry Halliwell of the University of Singapore, said that supplements simply cannot mimic the effects of a healthy diet, saying: 'Don't start taking high-dose supplements or heavily fortified foods until we know more'. The industry-backed Health Supplements Information Service has accused New Scientist of being selective in the research it had chosen to illustrate its point. |
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31/07/2006 |
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The Times |
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Britain gets cancer 'wonder drug'
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A new "smart" drug that attacks tumours on two fronts is launched in the United Kingdom today, offering hope for thousands of cancer patients. Sutent has been licensed to treat two deadly cancers affecting the kidneys and gut. Early trials suggest that it may also be effective against breast, lung and pancreatic cancers. The smart drug aims to build on the huge success of Glivec, which acts by inhibiting a key enzyme that signals cells to multiply and which is overactive in some cancers. |
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26/07/2006 |
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The Sun |
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Mums in diet fear
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Children whose mothers diet during pregnancy are more prone to heart attacks in later life, a study claimed yesterday. Researchers at Southampton University measured the artery wall thickness of 200 nine-year-olds, and found that the children were at greater risk of developing hardened arteries. |
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25/07/2006 |
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The Times |
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Bio-terror jabs 'too dangerous'
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Mass vaccination would not be needed to contain a smallpox outbreak started by bioterrorists in Britain and could cost more lives than it saved, according to research. A study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, indicated that an attack could be brought under control using quarantine and targeted inoculation. |
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25/07/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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A tipple a day keeps the doctor away...
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An alcoholic drink every day is the perfect antidote to old age, scientists have shown. Researchers who studied more than 2,400 adults in their seventies found "those who consumed one to seven drinks a week were likely to live longer and have fewer heart attacks." Over five years, 397 volunteers died and 383 had cardiac trouble, such as a heart attack or heart failure. Compared with 'never or occasional' drinkers, those who drank lightly to moderately had a 26 per cent lower risk of death and an almost 30 per cent reduced risk of cardiac trouble. |
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21/07/2006 |
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Financial Times |
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Low doses of oestrogen 'safe'
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The Financial Times contains a short article reporting that two years after a report raised doubts about whether older women should be taking oestrogen to relieve menopausal symptoms and preserve bone density, a new study has shown that extremely low doses of the hormone caused no ill effects. Scientists at the San Francisco VA Medical Centre gave a group of 417 post-menopausal women either a daily .014 milligram dose of estradiol, a form of oestrogen, or a placebo through a skin patch for two years. At the end of the study there was no difference between the two groups. In 2004, a study sponsored by the US National Institutes of Health suggested that oestrogen was associated with an increased risk of dementia, heart attack and stroke among women aged 65 and older. |
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13/07/2006 |
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The Times |
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Heart attacks 'triggered by humidity'
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The elderly are more at risk of suffering heart attacks when levels of humidity are high, even if they live in relatively mild climates, research by Greek scientists has suggested. Meanwhile a study, published today in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, suggests that two of the strongest indicators for acute coronary syndrome - which includes severe angina, heart attacks and sudden cardiac death - are age and living alone.
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11/07/2006 |
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The Times |
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550 dying needlessly of strokes every year
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Parliament's Public Accounts Committee has warned that hundreds of people are dying unnecessarily in England each year and many more are left disabled because the National Health Service and Department of Health fail to give sufficient priority to victims of strokes. The PAC has called for greater use of specialist and acute services, with stroke treated with the same priority as heart attack. The UK has seen heart attack mortality fall by 1.5 per cent a year whilst the risk of death from stroke has remained unchanged. |
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29/06/2006 |
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The Sun |
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Tomato Aids fight
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Tomatoes are being used in the fight to find a cure for Aids. The fruits are being genetically engineered to develop proteins which can attack the HIV and hepatitis B viruses. The proteins are then developed into pills which can potentially be used to prompt the body to create antibodies effective against both HIV and hepatitis B. |
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28/06/2006 |
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The Guardian |
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Beta-blockers no longer best for blood pressure, say experts
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Up to 2 million people with high blood pressure should switch from beta-blockers to a more modern drug, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence has announced. The group advised that the vast majority of patients should switch to a marginally more expensive drug to cut their risk of diabetes and halve their risk of a stroke. Research recently revealed that switching from beta-blockers to newer drugs, such as ACE inhibitors or Calcium Channel Blockers, not only reduced the risk of a heart attack by 20 per cent, but also halved the risk of a stroke. |
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27/06/2006 |
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The Times |
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NHS and health sector news
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The Government's reform agenda for the National Health Service came under sustained attack yesterday at the annual conference of the British Medical Association. Delegates made plain their opposition to a whole range of reforms in a series of debates that discomfited the BMA 's leadership - including what amounted to a vote of no confidence. The UK healthcare system relies on public funding to a greater degree than almost any other advanced country and rapid public health spending increases have squeezed private sector expenditure further since 1998, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said yesterday. |
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27/06/2006 |
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The Guardian |
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Pacemaker may avert epileptic seizures, say US researchers
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Scientists in America have developed a treatment for epilepsy which they say could help millions of people with the condition. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology hope to try out the neurological pacemaker, which detects and treats seizures before they happen, this summer. By using electronics attached to a cap, the system can monitor neurological activity and determine when an episode is likely. A message is then sent to the VNS implant, which sends a specific shock to prevent the attack, rather than the scatter-gun of electric shocks currently used. |
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23/06/2006 |
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Financial Times |
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Vegetable diet protects arteries
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The Financial Times today contains a short article reporting that researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine have discovered that mice eating a mixture of five common vegetables have significantly reduced hardening of the arteries compared to mice that ate a vegetable free diet. The study used specially-bred mice that rapidly develop atherosclerosis, the development on blood vessel walls of fatty plaques that eventually jut into the vessel's opening and can reduce blood flow. Half the mice in the study got nearly a third of their calories from a combination of vegetables, while the other half were not fed any vegetables at all. After 16 weeks, researchers measured two forms of cholesterol to estimate the extent of atherosclerosis. Mice that were fed the vegetable diet had plaques in the vessels that were 38% smaller than those in the mice fed vegetable-free diets. The findings, published in the Journal of Nutrition, suggest that a diet rich in vegetables may help prevent heart attacks and strokes. |
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21/06/2006 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Losing your job could be fatal if you are over 50
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Many papers contain a short article reporting that a study published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine has found that among a sample of 4,301 people aged between 51 and 61, the incidence of heart attacks and strokes among those who had been sacked was more than double than in those who still worked. Scientists said the 'exceptional stress' of losing a job could take a marked toll on health and added that doctors and policy makers should be aware of the effects. William Gallo, the leader of the study at Yale University, said 'Late-career job loss is an exceptionally stressful experience, with the potential for provoking numerous undesirable outcomes'. |
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20/06/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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Cholesterol drug could beat multiple sclerosis
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The Daily Mail reports briefly on research undertaken at the University of Montreal, which suggests that statins could prevent or reduce the damage to myelin associated with multiple sclerosis. The research suggested that the treatment may reduce the number of inflammatory immune cells reaching the brain and attacking the nerve cells' myelin coating, and may be particularly effective in the early stages of the disease. |
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16/06/2006 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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NHS and health sector news
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Dr Hamish Meldrum, chairman of the GPs' committee of the British Medical Association, has attacked Labour's health policies for lack of coherence and detail and for causing the NHS to stagger from one crisis to another. The doctor appealed to ministers to slow down the pace of reform as he judged the recent Primary Care White Paper to be 'wonderful' in theory. The government's ₤20bn investment in new IT systems for the NHS in England could turn into a white elephant unless ministers work harder to involve doctors in developing it, National Audit Office will warn today. |
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13/06/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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Animal vaccine may fight off skin cancer
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A new vaccine for skin cancer, which uses an animal gene to trick the immune system into attacking the tumour, is undergoing trials. The vaccine is given in a series of 12 injections, and takes advantage of the body's natural rejection of animal tissue. The first patients are being recruited for clinical trials of the HyperAcute therapy, which are expected to be completed over the next two years. |
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13/06/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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Heart jab to save thousands
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An anti-clotting drug, Enoxaparin, given within hours of a heart attack could cut the death toll from cardiovascular disease, according to a new study. Scientists led by Prof Keith Fox of the University of Edinburgh, who conducted a trial of 20,000 patients in 48 countries, revealed that a blood-thinning jab reduced the number of second heart attacks by 33 per cent and brought down the mortality rate by 17 per cent. |
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12/06/2006 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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NHS and health sector news
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The Financial Times reports that reforms designed to prevent a repeat of the Harold Shipman killings are to be rejected by the Government today in a draft Coroner Reform Bill. Dame Janet Smith had recommended in 2003 that there should be an independent coroner service at arm's length from the Government, however, today's Bill will see local authorities remaining responsible for appointing and funding coroners in England and Wales. The Times reports that the cost of hiring management consultants to advise on cutting NHS budgets was condemned yesterday by Amicus, which said that some consultancy contracts were now reaching ₤150,000. Finally, the Daily Express reports that some GPs have attacked Government moves to get patients treated by nurses instead of GPs, arguing that ministers are cutting corners to save money and that the moves will put patients at risk. |
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07/06/2006 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Study raises awareness of prevalence of IED
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The Daily Telegraph reports on research from the US, announced in the June issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, which assessed the prevalence of intermittent explosive disorder (IED). IED is a psychiatric condition which can trigger outbursts of road rage, tantrums that lead to violent or destructive acts and domestic abuse. IED involves multiple outbursts that are out of proportion to the situation and is linked to the inadequate production or functioning of mood and behaviour regulating chemical serotonin in the brain. The study was conducted jointly by the Harvard Medical School and the University of Chicago, and it found that an estimated 7.3% of Americans have IED, with the disorder appearing in adolescence and sufferers having an average of 43 attacks during their lifetime. The study offers the first reliable indication of the disorder's prevalence, with Dr Emil Coccaro, co-author on the study, commenting: "If people think these explosive outbursts are just bad behaviour, they are not thinking of it as a serious problem that can be treated." |
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02/06/2006 |
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The Guardian |
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Study spells out heart attack risk posed by painkillers
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Common painkillers such as ibuprofen and diclofenac can double the risk of heart attack, according to a new study published today in the British Medical Journal. The increased risk only occurs with high doses and leads to attacks in an extra three people per thousand compared with those not taking the drugs. Though it is known that anti-inflammatories have caused heart problems in the past, scientists conducting new studies combined the results of 138 separate trials which compared COX-2 inhibitors with a placebo or a COX-2 with NSAIDs, and confirmed that COX-2 drugs doubled the risk of an attack, and that NSAIDs had a similar effect. |
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31/05/2006 |
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The Sun |
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Pills 'slash heart risk'
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Scientists at Oxford University plan to conduct new trials in combining the vitamin Niacin with statins to ascertain their effectiveness against cholesterol. It is hoped the pills will bring a breakthrough in the prevention of heart attacks and strokes.
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31/05/2006 |
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The Sun |
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'DIY jabs beat cancer and gave me a baby'
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Mother-to-be Helen Mayoh discusses her pioneering treatment for kidney cancer in today's Sun. Ms Mayoh had surgery to remove the infected organ, followed by a new treatment involving the self-injection of antibodies to boost her immune system and attack cancer cells. She needed no radiotherapy or chemotherapy, which would have stopped her from conceiving another infant.
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30/05/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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MRSA gets dirt kicked in its face
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Scientists are developing a powerful new antibiotic from soil that could combat drug-resistant bacteria such as MRSA. The natural compound platensimycin, discovered while testing a sample of earth from South Africa, attacks bacteria in a completely different way from conventional antibiotics.
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22/05/2006 |
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The Guardian |
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Greater use of statins urged to fight heart disease
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Virtually all middle-aged men and older women should be taking statins, the cholesterol-lowering drugs, if Britain is to have any real success in preventing heart attacks and strokes, experts at the Manchester Royal Infirmary are to say today. Writing in the medical journal Heart today, Prof Paul Durrington and colleagues say they have compared the effectiveness of the policies on statins of the British, European and US health authorities in preventing cardiovascular disease - which leads to heart attacks and stroke . They say the current UK policy is the worst of all of them at preventing heart disease in the population.
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16/05/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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Lifesaver tomatoes
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Scientists have found a substance in tomatoes that can help prevent heart attacks and strokes. It works by helping to stop blood becoming sticky and forming clots that can cause blockages in arteries and veins. The lycopene which gives tomatoes their red colour is known to protect against various cancers. The anti-clotting properties are found in the yellow fluid surrounding the seeds. In clinical trials published in the journal Platelet, it was found that the stickiness of platelets was reduced by 70 per cent when 220 volunteers had a drink containing the tomato extract.
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15/05/2006 |
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Daily Star |
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Beer can protect against cancer, heart disease and strokes
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The Daily Star reports that new research shows drinking beer in moderation helps protect against Britain's biggest killers - heart disease, cancer and strokes. Professor Jonathan Powell, who chaired a Brussels conference on the health benefits of ale, said that it was wrong just to focus on the health benefits of wine, as 'real benefits appear to be related to the alcohol itself, and so the positive story also relates to other drinks such as beer'. The benefits of drinking beer include keeping blood pressure down, improving the immune system, decreasing the risk of dementia and protecting against diabetes. Research in Germany has found that people who drank beer in moderation were less likely to develop heart disease, and a study of beer drinkers in the Czech Republic showed that those men with the lowest risk of a heart attack drank between seven and 15 pints a week.
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10/05/2006 |
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The Guardian |
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Success of heart drugs fails to address the causes of disease
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The Guardian is the only national newspaper to report the news that figures from the British Heart Foundation show that Britain is becoming a nation of pill takers, increasingly reliant on drugs to counter heart disease but neglecting to address the lifestyle problems that cause it. Thirty million prescriptions for cholesterol-lowering statins were written in 2004, according to the British Heart Foundation's annual statistical compendium - 17 times the level ten years ago. Despite the figures, 105,842 people still died of heart-related disease in 2004, and a third of those were premature deaths under the age of 75. While those at risk of heart disease seem happy to take their medicines, there is little evidence that they are motivated to tackle the unhealthy lifestyle that is the cause of their life-threatening disease. Only a third of men and a quarter of women take the recommended level of exercise - at least 30 minutes - five days a week. Professor Weissberg, the medical director of the British Heart Foundation, said 'The fact is that we still end up with people with heart attacks on statins. The best way to avoid heart attacks is not to get the heart disease that causes it in the first place'.
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09/05/2006 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Assisted death Bill attacked by doctors
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Senior doctors have joined the opposition to Lord Joffe's Bill that would allow them to help terminally ill patients to die. Twenty-four consultants who specialise in palliative care, have written to the Daily Telegraph, arguing that the attempt to legalise assisted suicide is a "bad solution to a difficult problem". Dr Steve Dyer, a palliative care consultant in West Sussex who organised the letter, said: "This Bill is at variance with the well-received principles of the care of the dying." Meanwhile, a survey conducted for the Care Not Killing Alliance, a group of charities and health experts, found that three out of four people felt that the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill could potentially be used by rogue GPs to kill patients. Half of the survey's respondents felt that it was not part of a doctor's job to help patients kill themselves.
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03/05/2006 |
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The Independent |
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Canadian alert adds to Merck's Vioxx woes
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A new study looks set to pile the pressure on Merck as it fights to limit the financial damage from the withdrawal of its best-selling painkiller, Vioxx. Canadian scientists are claiming that using Vioxx immediately increased the risk of heart attacks for elderly patients, undermining a key plank of Merck's defence in a slew of lawsuits from users and their families. In a paper published yesterday, McGill University Health Centre in Montreal found that a quarter of heart attacks suffered by Vioxx users occurred within two weeks of them starting to take the drug. The study examined the health records of 125,000 senior citizens in the Quebec region over a three-year period.
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28/04/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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Mothers can 'pass on heart disease'
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The Daily Mail today contains the news that people whose mothers have heart disease face a higher chance of getting the condition themselves, according to a study in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. The reason is that children spend more time with their mother than their father and pick up any bad habits she may have. Having a father with heart problems can also raise the risk - but not to the same extent - contradicting the traditionally held belief that heart disease is a male problem which passes down from fathers to sons. A research team from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that men whose mothers had heart disease had a 55% greater risk of getting the condition than those who had no family history of it. Having a father with heart disease raised the risk by 41%. If both parents had the disease however, the risk to their child more than doubled. Ellen Mason of the British Heart Foundation said 'your own lifestyle habits - exercise, eating and smoking - are things you can change to reduce your risk of a heart attack'. Coronary heart disease is the single biggest killer of British women, claiming 54,000 lives a year - four times more than breast cancer.
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27/04/2006 |
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The Times |
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Drug cuts heart attack damage
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Mark Henderson for the Times reports on a study at University College, London, published in Nature, which has identified a compound that limits the destructive effects of a protein that worsens tissue damage following heart attacks. It is hoped that the findings could result in the production of a drug to reduce the damage and scarring of cardiac arrest within five years. Following a heart attack, the body experiences a sharp increase in levels of Creactive protein (CRP), with previous research showing that this increases the severity of damage to the heart tissue. However, the new research, led by Dr Mark Pepys, has found that the molecule bis(phosphocholine)-hexane may neutralise the effects of CRP.
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27/04/2006 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Vaccine to help combat hay fever
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A small report in the Daily Telegraph says that a vaccine has been developed that can offer protection against hay fever and related asthma attacks. A small study was conducted by Swiss company Cytos on 20 patients and it was found that they had all developed high tolerance levels eight months after they had been vaccinated. Their sensitivity to dust mites linked to various allergies was reduced by a factor of 100 and as a consequence they exhibited far fewer symptoms. Moreover, Cytos reported that the patients experienced a "significant and lasting improvement".
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26/04/2006 |
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The Times |
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New hay fever jab to protect against respiratory allergies
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The Times is the only national newspaper to report that Cytos, the Swiss biotechnology firm, has announced results of new vaccine trials which suggest that a new long-lasting treatment to combat symptoms of sneezing, wheezing and itchy eyes may soon be available. The dustmite vaccines trial consisted of 20 volunteers aged between 18 and 56 who had mild asthma and mild to moderate rhinitis. Eight months after being vaccinated against the allergen produced by house dust mites, the majority showed excellent levels of protection. The participants' sensitivity to the dust mites was reduced by a factor of more than 100, their symptoms were reduced by a third, and asthma attacks were eliminated by the vaccine. The vaccine does not prevent the disease developing, but is designed to treat those who already have it. Cytos is currently developing a vaccine for hayfever caused by grass pollen, and allergies triggered by cat hair and tree pollen.
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26/04/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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Coffee is in the clear over links to heart disease
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The Daily Mail is the only paper to feature the news that a study from the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid published yesterday shows that heavy, long-term coffee drinking does not raise the risk of heart disease for most people. The research project, which followed 128,000 men and women for as long as 20 years, showed that drinking filtered coffee - not percolated or French-style brews - did not raise the risk of heart disease. The researchers found that more than half the women and 30% of men who drank six or more cups of coffee a day were also more likely to smoke, drink and use aspirin. However, once these factors were accounted for, there was no difference in heart attack risks between the very light and heavy coffee drinkers.
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26/04/2006 |
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The Times |
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New hay fever jab to protect against respiratory allergies
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The Times is the only national newspaper to report that Cytos, the Swiss biotechnology firm, has announced results of new vaccine trials which suggest that a new long-lasting treatment to combat symptoms of sneezing, wheezing and itchy eyes may soon be available. The dustmite vaccines trial consisted of 20 volunteers aged between 18 and 56 who had mild asthma and mild to moderate rhinitis. Eight months after being vaccinated against the allergen produced by house dust mites, the majority showed excellent levels of protection. The participants' sensitivity to the dust mites was reduced by a factor of more than 100, their symptoms were reduced by a third, and asthma attacks were eliminated by the vaccine. The vaccine does not prevent the disease developing, but is designed to treat those who already have it. Cytos is currently developing a vaccine for hayfever caused by grass pollen, and allergies triggered by cat hair and tree pollen.
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26/04/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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Coffee is in the clear over links to heart disease
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The Daily Mail is the only paper to feature the news that a study from the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid published yesterday shows that heavy, long-term coffee drinking does not raise the risk of heart disease for most people. The research project, which followed 128,000 men and women for as long as 20 years, showed that drinking filtered coffee - not percolated or French-style brews - did not raise the risk of heart disease. The researchers found that more than half the women and 30% of men who drank six or more cups of coffee a day were also more likely to smoke, drink and use aspirin. However, once these factors were accounted for, there was no difference in heart attack risks between the very light and heavy coffee drinkers.
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21/04/2006 |
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The Times |
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TB screening failures attacked
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The Health Protection Agency said yesterday that screening for tuberculosis at Britain's ports and airports is ineffective, with only about 73,000 of the 270,000 people entering Britain each year from high risk companies being screened.
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21/04/2006 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Spare the 'chemical cosh'
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The over-prescribing of the drug Ritalin to children diagnosed with alleged behavioural problems is a growing scandal, a leading scientist said yesterday. Baroness Greenfield, a neuroscientist and president of the Royal Society, said the overuse of the drug should be addressed as a matter of urgency. Meanwhile, US experts believe that Ritalin should carry a warning that it increases the risk of fatal heart attacks, sparked by 51 deaths amongst adults and children who had been taking the drugs for ADHD since 1999.
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18/04/2006 |
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The Guardian |
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Ginger raises new hope in fight against ovarian cancer
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Research carried out at the University of Michigan medical school has found that research-grade ginger can stop cancer cell growth in Petri dishes as effectively as platininum-based chemotherapies. The US scientists are particularly excited on findings that suggest ginger may offer a two-pronged attack on cancer cells, making them commit apoptosis and autophagy.
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18/04/2006 |
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The Guardian |
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Ginger raises new hope in fight against ovarian cancer
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Research carried out at the University of Michigan medical school has found that research-grade ginger can stop cancer cell growth in Petri dishes as effectively as platininum-based chemotherapies. The US scientists are particularly excited on findings that suggest ginger may offer a two-pronged attack on cancer cells, making them commit apoptosis and autophagy.
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13/04/2006 |
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The Guardian |
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Antibiotic trial offers hope for asthma therapy
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Polly Curtis in the Guardian today reports that scientists have opened up the possibility of a new treatment for asthma after trials showed that the antibiotic Telithromycin could shorten the recovery time in the wake of a serious attack from eight days to five. In a study of 278 people with asthma in which half were given the antibiotic Telithromycin and the other half a placebo, those on the drug recovered in five days compared with the placebo group's eight days. The improvements in symptoms and lung function were twice as great in those on the antibiotic. The researchers said that the apparent success of the antibiotic could arise from its impact on the bacteria Chlamydophila pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. The drug is not yet licensed for use in the UK for asthma. There are 72,000 emergency admissions to hospital a year following attacks in the UK.
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12/04/2006 |
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The Sun |
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Common antibiotic found to improve asthma
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The Sun reports on a study conducted at 70 centres across the world, led by Professor Sebastian Johnston of Imperial College London, which suggests that telithromycin, a common antibiotic, can be used to treat severe asthma. In studies it was found that the drug, used to ease bronchitis and pneumonia, both speeded the recovery of patients after asthma attacks and improved the lung function. Prof Johnston said: "This could open up a whole new area of research in the treatment of asthma."
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04/04/2006 |
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The Independent |
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Bacteria linked to heart attacks
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A team from the University of Washington, Seattle, have discovered a link between a common bacteria that causes sore throats and heart attacks. Chlamydia pneumoniae is linked to the build up of plaque in the artery walls. The group are due to hold a conference today at Warwick University to explain how they discovered that the plaque stopped cells in the artery walls from functioning properly, leading to possible heart attacks and strokes.
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30/03/2006 |
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The Times |
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NHS and health sector news
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Most of the days papers report on proposals by Sir Derek Wanless, published today in the King's Fund, would see the number of people required to sell their homes to pay for long-term care being cut as the state would pay a guaranteed two thirds of all social care costs for all older people. The report, titled 'Securing Good Care for Older People', suggests that spending on personal care for older people in England would need to treble to £30bn a year by 2026 as the baby-boomers generation ages. The Daily Telegraph reports that the latest figures for job losses in the health service announced this month have risen to 4,870. While the Daily Mail covers a report by the Health Service Journal, which says the £2bn NHS shortfall may leave hospitals unable to cope with a major bird flu outbreak or major terrorist attacks. The Daily Express claims that NHS cuts will endanger the lives of children as vaccinations for pneuococcal meningitis and the new Hib booster may be placed under threat. Lastly it is reported in the Times that the Court of Appeal has rejected a Government challenge to a legal victory won by trainee midwives whose busary payments were suspended when they took time off to have children.
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28/03/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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Myoblast cells from leg muscle help treat heart attack sufferers
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The Daily Mail reports that a technique whereby heart attack victims are treated with injections of muscle cells from their legs, called myoblasts, is to be tested in Britain at St Mary's Hospital, Imperial College, London. It is hoped that if it is found to be successful then it could be in use within 18 months. The treatment has been developed by US biotech company Bioheart, and involves the immature muscle cells being cultured for two weeks in isolation, before being loaded into a catheter that has been inserted to the heart from the groin, and injected into damaged heart tissue. So far 40 patients worldwide have been treated with the technique, of which a third have shown improvements. Nicholas Peters, professor of cardiology at St Mary's, said: "It is an exciting and very promising treatment, though we still have a lot to learn about it."
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28/03/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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Diabetics hit by insulin shortage
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Wockhardt UK, the only British firm producing animal insulin, has experienced production problems recently resulting in many chemists running out of stock. Wockhardt say that the problem would last for a fortnight at most. The Daily Mail reports that around 30,000 of the 800,000 insulin users in Britain use animal insulin, and those users coming to the end of their stocks may have to switch to alternative brands. However, according to the Insulin Dependent Diabetics Trust, such a switch is not always easy and may leave users at a greater risk of suffering a hypoglycaemic attack.
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20/03/2006 |
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The Guardian |
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Doctors' concern over stem cell multiple sclerosis treatment
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The Guardian is the only national newspaper to report that stem cell 'miracle cures' are being offered to Britons using cord blood supplied by Advanced Cell Therapeutics in a £12,000 treatment that is illegal in the UK. Doctors are increasingly concerned about the unproven therapy that is attracting so many of their patients, with Neil Scolding of Bristol University saying 'the stories that one hears of patients in a wheelchair who are walking 10 minutes after receiving the treatment could not be explained by any stem cell therapy mechanism'. Dr Robert Trossell of the Preventative Medicine Clinic in Rotterdam claims to have found a way of adding RNA to frozen cord blood cells that he receives from Switzerland to 'instruct' them where to go to mend damage in the human body. However, Dr Trossell said 'even if you repair all the nerve damage it doesn't mean that patients wont have another attack'.
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17/03/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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Heart disease risk for those with fat around the stomach
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The Daily Mail is the only newspaper to report that a new Canadian study suggests that it is not how fat a person is that determines their risk of suffering a heart attack, but where the fat is located. Excess fat around the stomach is thought to be an indicator of a likely heart attack. Researchers have said that the body mass index does not take into account of the distribution of fat in the body, and that excess fat round the middle is more harmful than weight gain on the legs and hips. The study of 168,000 men and women found that in men the risk of heart disease increased by between 21% and 40% for every 5.5 inches extra that they put on their waist size. For women, the same increase in heart disease risk occurred for every 5.75 inches growth in waistline. Adult obesity levels in Britain have almost quadrupled in the last 25 years while the rate of child obesity has trebled in the past two decades.
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17/03/2006 |
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The Independent |
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Food and Drug Administration slaps new warning on ADHD drugs
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The Independent today reports that the US medicines regulatory body the Food and Drugs Administration has put a warning on drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) including Shire Pharmaceuticals' anti-ADHD treatment Adderall XR, saying that such drugs should carry stronger warnings about the risk of side effects such as hallucinations and paranoia. Last month the FDA's Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee highlighted the heart risks of ADHD drugs, with the panel voting 8-7 that such medicines including Adderall and Ritalin should carry 'black box' warnings highlighting the risk of heart attacks.
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14/03/2006 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Heart drug is found to turn clock back on furred arteries
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Most of the day's papers report on an international study that published its results yesterday at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology in Atlanta, Georgia, showing that cholesterol reducing drug rosuvastatin, when given in high doses to patients with mild heart disease, reduced the build up of fatty deposits in the arteries by up to 9%. Reducing these deposits, the build-up of which is known as Atheroma, was described as being the "Holy Grail" of the fight against heart disease. Dr Neal Uren, a consultant cardiologist at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, who worked on the study said: "For the first time we have shown that it is possible essentially to turn the clock back in the arteries of people with heart disease." He went on to suggest that GPs may need to be encouraged to prescribe higher doses of statins as the study involved daily doses of around 40mg. Rosuvastatin is produced by AstraZeneca with the trade name Crestor, and currently is only licensed as a cholesterol lowering drug - not for the treatment of atherosclerosis. Peter Weissberg, the medical director of the British Heart Foundation, was cautious in his response to the findings, saying of the study: "It uses a very aggressive approach, with the highest dose of what is the most potent statin on the market...This study was not designed to test whether this treatment actually saves lives." He went on to call for further studies into whether this would translate into fewer heart attacks.
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13/03/2006 |
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The Times |
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Drug setback
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It has been briefly reported that pharmaceutical groups Sanofi-Aventis and Bristol Myers Squibb have learned following a new study that the drug Plavix when used in combination with aspirin failed to produce any benefit in preventing heart attacks above aspirin alone.
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13/03/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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Heart patients who take Vitamin B 'at risk of more attacks'
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Heart patients were warned last night that taking B vitamins to help their condition may not work, and may be harmful., according to a study by the University of Trims, Norway, reported at a American College of Cardiology conference. The Norwegian study found no clear benefit in the taking of vitamin B after a three-year study, and in fact found that volunteers who took all three 'B' supplements faced a considerably higher risk of further heart attacks and strokes. The research will appear in the 'New England Journal of Medicine' later this week.
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09/03/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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The jab that could ease MS misery
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Scientists at the Texan group PharmaFrontiers in the United States have unveiled a new jab which could improve the lives of thousands of multiple sclerosis sufferers. The treatment, called the Tovaxin jab, was developed from the use of MS sufferers' own white blood cells to halt the progress of the incurable condition. The jab works by reining in and then destroying renegade blood cells that attack the nerves. However, the jab may not become available for at least three years.
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08/03/2006 |
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The Times |
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Gene that could make your next coffee your last
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Canadian researchers have identified a genetic variation which impairs the ability to process caffeine, disposing a person to a 64 per cent greater chance of suffering a heart attack because of excessive coffee consumption. The increased risk was most pronounced in younger coffee drinkers. Those with the genetic variation can halve their risk of a caffeine-associated event by reducing their intake to just one cup a day.
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07/03/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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Vitamin D prevents asthma attacks
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Vitamin D could be used to prevent thousands life-threatening asthma attacks in the event that steroid treatments do not work, after it was found that vitamin D3 could substantially improve a patient's responsiveness to steroid treatments.
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06/03/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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Thin people 'still at risk from cholesterol'
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The Daily Mail and the Daily Mirror both report that research at Brunel University in London has shown that being thin is not enough to ward off unhealthily high levels of cholesterol in the blood. A study found that levels of 'bad' LDL cholesterol were almost identically high in lean and obese people who did not exercise, whereas slim people who exercised had almost ideal levels. LDL cholesterol is associated with coronary heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. If the research finds low levels in those who are overweight but fit, it would suggest that regular exercise lowers the risk of heart disease, independent of how thin a person is. Dr Gary O' Donovan, the leader of the study said 'our study suggests that slim people need to exercise as much as others'.
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06/03/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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Vitamin E 'may be a health hazard'
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The Daily Mail contains a short article reporting that a new study from Ohio State University has found that one form of vitamin E has certain cell-destroying effects on animal cells. The gamma-tocopherol form of the vitamin has damaged mouse brain cells in laboratory experiments, causing a cellular response seen in many human diseases including diabetes and Parkinson's. Dr Jiyan Ma, of the University, said 'we think that large doses of gamma-tocopherol may have this kind of damaging effect on nearly every type of cell in the body'. Large doses of vitamin E are also thought to increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
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03/03/2006 |
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The Times |
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NHS and health sector news
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The Daily Telegraph reports on a new pilot scheme from East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust that will allow pregnant women to go for routine check-ups at their local Sainsbury's. Meanwhile the Times reports that the NHS Trauma Response Team has estimated that more than 1,000 people caught up in the July 7 bombings in London are likely to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The Times also includes a letter from Lord Warner, the Health Minister, in which he argues that patient choice in the NHS will create a virtuous circle of healthcare improvement. The Independent reports that the High Court is to rule on whether doctors should be forced to keep alive a severely disabled 17 month old boy, who has spinal muscular atrophy, which will eventually cause total paralysis. Also in the Independent, Dr Jonathan Fielden, the deputy chairman of the consultants' committee at the British Medical Association, argues in a letter that consultants only get paid for the work they do - no more and no less. The Daily Mirror reports that NHS manager Neil Goodwin launched a scathing attack on politicians who complain about hospital closures, in the Health Service Journal. And lastly the Sun reports that Doncaster Royal Infirmary has paid out a total of £16m to negligence claimants in the past four years, paying out £6.8m in 2003 alone.
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02/03/2006 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Rose hip treatment may help treat arthritis
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Celia Hall in the Daily Telegraph today reports that a small trial in Denmark by Dr Kaj Winther of the department of clinical biochemistry at Copenhagen Country Hospital has found that a painkiller made from rose hips can benefit elderly arthritis sufferers. Patients in the trial involving 94 arthritis sufferers with an average age of 66 were given either a placebo or five grams daily of LitoZin, a powder made from the seeds and shells of wild rose hips. 82% said that pain had reduced compared with 49% of those taking the placebo. The study also found that after three months, patients also noticed a significant decrease in stiffness of the joints and disability. The development comes after recent news suggesting that use of the leading mainstream arthritis drug Celebrex more than doubles the risk of a heart attack.
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01/03/2006 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Painkiller 'may double risk of heart attacks'
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Several of the day's papers report on an analysis published today in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, which suggests that Celebrex, a drug used to treat chronic pain, may double the risk of heart attacks. The finding, disputed by manufacturers Pfizer, continues the controversy surrounding Cox-2 inhibitors which were initially hailed as a breakthrough in pain relief. The Daily Telegraph reports that the study, undertaken by the Wellington School of Medicine, New Zealand, looked at evidence from four existing studies comparing Celebrex with a placebo and involved a total of 4,422 patients who had taken the drug for at least six weeks. It was found that Celebrex was associated with a 2.26-fold increase in heart attacks. A further analysis of six other studies, involving 12,780 patients, suggested a 1.88-fold increase when compared with other pain killers. About 2.5 million people used Celebrex in 2004, however since initial concerns were raised the number has been falling. Prof Richard Beasley, of the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, said: "Drug regulatory authorities need to urgently re-examine the assessment of the drug in light of these findings."
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28/02/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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Iron and aluminium poisoning link to Multiple Sclerosis
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The Daily Mail today reports that researchers at Keele University have found that iron and aluminium poisoning could be linked to multiple sclerosis. Scientists believe that the build up of metals - which are absorbed through food and drink, but would normally be flushed out of the body through the kidneys - could be responsible for the nerve damage that causes MS. The study compared levels of the metals in the urine of people with MS and those without the condition, finding that raised levels of the metals were found in two groups of MS patients, with levels found to be low in non-sufferers. Doctors believe the metals attack the myelin sheath around nerves in the spinal cord, causing electrical impulses to muscles to misfire, resulting in the paralysis and weakness found in MS.
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28/02/2006 |
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Daily Mail |
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A pill to cure the common cold is undergoing clinical trials
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The Daily Mail is the only newspaper to report that an experimental drug designed to treat the common cold, known as BTA-798, is being tested on a group of British patients. Laboratory experiments suggest that the drug can attack and destroy the human rhinovirus before it gets a chance to infect the body's cells. Biota Holdings Ltd, the Australian drug development firm which invented anti-flu drug Relenza, has been working on BTA798 since the late nineties. It sees the pill mainly being used by chronically ill patients whose conditions are made worse by colds. Human Rhinovirus is one of the main reasons why asthmatics and sufferers of other chronic lung diseases end up in hospital after catching a cold. Professor Ron Eccles of the Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University, said that huge obstacles remain before the drug can be used on patients in Britain, such as potential side-effects.
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28/02/2006 |
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Financial Times |
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NHS and health sector news
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The Financial Times today reports that the latest returns from hospitals and health authorities have suggested that the NHS is heading for a record overspend at a time of record growth, with a projected £790m overspend at the end of January - up from the £620m that was forecast six months into the financial year. The Department of Health has refused to confirm the figure. Separately, the Office of National Statistics has reported that different measuring techniques could show that NHS productivity rose by 1.6% a year between 1999 and 2004 or instead that it fell by 1.5% a year. Figures based on traditional measures showed that the decline in NHS productivity had worsened, falling by 1.3% a year since 1999 rather than 1% as first thought. The difference in figures relates to the inclusion of quality improvements in NHS output measures and whether any account should be taken of the changing value of the NHS to society. Meanwhile, Sir Nigel Crisp, the chief executive of the National Health Service, appears to have lost much of the confidence of health ministers and many of the 28 chief executives of the strategic health authorities as the health service heads towards a record overspend. David Hunter, of Durham University has said that Sir Nigel's position is becoming 'increasingly untenable'. Celia Hall in the Daily Telegraph reports that more than a quarter of British nurses claim to have been attacked at work, with the figure rising to 79 per cent for accident department staff. The figures come from a Royal College of Nursing poll of 3,000 nurses.
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14/02/2006 |
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The Times |
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'Magic pill' would save many lives but at huge cost to NHS
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A study by Dutch researchers into the possibility of prescribing the "polypill", which combines aspirin, a statin, three agents to lower blood pressure and folic acid, has found that despite the fact that thousands of lives could be saved in the UK if it was prescribed to everyone on the NHS, the cost of administrating such a move would be as great as any savings made by improved health. Writing in the Times Sam Lister reports that the daily pill, formulated in 2003 and yet to be tested on a large number of people, is viewed by some as a potential means of combating Britain's biggest killer, cardiovascular disease. Using data from the Framingham heart study, the team of researchers at the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam estimated that if everyone over the age of 60 were to be given the polypill then between 76 and 179 heart attacks per thousand people would be prevented and between 11 and 33 strokes per thousand people. However they also said that such an exercise "...would also imply the medicalisation of a large section of the population and the exposure of otherwise healthy subjects to unwanted adverse effects."
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14/02/2006 |
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The Guardian |
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Four out of 10 heart attacks go unrecognised
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Many of the papers report on research published today in the European Heart Journal, which suggests that 4 out of ten people who experience a heart attack are unaware that they are having one. The research was carried out in the 90s by the Erasmus Medical Centre, and involved conducting electrocardiograms (ECGs) on more than 4,000 people aged over 55. It was estimated that 43% of heart attacks were not clinically recognised as a result of people being unaware of some of the less typical symptoms. It was also found that women were more likely than men to unknowingly suffer a heart attack. Co-author of the study, Eric Boersma, explained: "MIs (myocardial infarction) can occur without typical symptoms in women, also in people with diabetes and the elderly. They may sense shoulder pain instead of chest pain, may think they have severe flu, and may complain of stomach pain." Another possible reason for the high rate of missed-diagnosis is the fact that women were found to be more concerned about cancer than heart disease.
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08/02/2006 |
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The Times |
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Fruit, vegetables and low-fat diet have little impact on cancer risk
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Three studies, which form part of the Women's Health Initiative study in the US, have questioned the effectiveness of a diet high in fruit and vegetables and low in fat in tackling some of the deadliest disease in women, including heart attack, strokes and cancer. The study found that the expected impact on rates of breast and bowel cancer did not materialise, and overall rates of colorectal or bowel cancer were not lowered by a healthier diet, though it did reveal a 9 per cent decrease in colon polyps, which can lead to colon cancer.
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07/02/2006 |
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Financial Times |
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Health-sector and NHS news
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Ann Marie Rogers has become the first breast cancer victim to bring a legal challenge in London's High Court over the refusal of Swindon Primary Care Trust to pay for treatment with the Herceptin drug. The ruling has widespread implications for other women who find themselves in a similar position. A pioneering move by the East Elmbridge and Mid-Surrey Primary Care trust to let up to 700 staff leave its employment and contract out their services back to the NHS has been attacked by the private sector because the multimillionaire pond deal is not going out to tender. In addition, nursing and therapy staff will be allowed to remain part of the NHS's final salary pension scheme. The latest figures for MRSA reveal that half of all hospitals are failing to control the superbug despite moves to improve awareness and ward hygiene. 'Hit squads' funded by the Department of Health are to be deployed at the three health trusts with the worst records, before moving onto another 17 trusts with high infection rates. Figures showing mortality rates among heart bypass patients of individual Scottish cardiac surgeons have been made available by the NHS after a request by journalists, but Scotland's chief medical officer, Dr Harry Burns, has said that the bare statistics were meaningless and open to misinterpretation.
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06/02/2006 |
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Daily Mirror |
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Stroke survivors who cut aspirin intake risk another attack
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Alexandra Williams in the Daily Mirror today reports in a short article that new research from Lausanne University has found that stroke survivors who stop taking their daily dose of aspirin triple their risk of another attack within days. Aspirin cuts the risk of heart problems or a stroke by inhibiting enzymes that make blood sticky, or thicker. Each year more than 130,000 people in England and Wales have a stroke. The findings may worry patients about to have minor operations, as they are routinely advised to stop taking aspirin as it inhibits clotting and increases the risk of bleeding during surgery.
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18/01/2006 |
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Daily Express |
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New study links aspirin with a reduced chance of stroke and heart attacks
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The Daily Mail and Daily Express both report on a new study at Duke University Chicago, which has shown that aspirin can cut the risk of heart attacks by 32% in men, and can reduce the chance of stroke by seventeen per cent in women. Victoria Fletcher, the health editor in the Daily Express, writes that the study reviewed the use of aspirin in over 100,000 people who had had no previous heart problems. At present aspirin is most commonly used for treating headaches, with most people using up to 300mg in one dose. Dr Jeffrey Berger led the study, which stopped short of calling for doctors to prescribe aspirin to all patients as it can increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding by up to 70 per cent. Belinda Linden of the British Heart Foundation welcomed the study but warned that more research was required, saying: "It should be noted that aspirin can occasionally lead to bleeding or an allergic reaction and therefore can only be prescribed when its benefits clearly outweigh the risks".
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17/01/2006 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Viagra can damage heart patients' vision
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The Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph both prominently feature the news that men who take drugs for impotency such as Viagra or Cialis and have previously had a heart attack may have a 10 fold increased risk of damaging their eyesight. An American study published today in the British Journal of Ophthalmology warns that increasing use of the drugs could produce an increase in a rare condition that can cause irreversible loss of vision. The condition, called non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy, or naion, brings loss of vision caused by damage to the optic nerve, often suddenly in one eye. There was no increased risk for men taking Viagra or Cialis who had no history of heart attacks. Pfizer, which makes Viagra, said 'there is no evidence showing naion occurred more often in men taking Viagra than men of similar age and health who did not'.
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05/01/2006 |
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The Times |
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Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening recommended
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The Times and the Daily Telegraph both feature the news that medical newspaper Pulse has reported that the National Screening Committee has recommended routine screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms in men, which causes an insidious ballooning of the main blood vessel in the abdomen, which kills as many as 10,000 people every year in the UK. The condition is almost symptomless but can be detected by ultrasound and repaired surgically. If the aneurysm ruptures, survival chances are no more than about one in five. Most deaths occur in men over 70, but there is uncertainty over precise numbers in the absence of a post-mortem examination, as such deaths are often attributed to heart attacks.
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23/12/2005 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Research suggests there is no reliable cure for a hangover
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Research, led by Dr Max Pittler of the Peninsular Medical School in Exeter, and published in the British Medical Journal, contends that all suggested cures for hangovers on the market, both conventional and alternative, have little effect on the symptoms of the after effect of drinking alcohol. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Celia Hall reports that hangovers in the UK account for roughly £2bn in lost wages each year, and at Christmas higher alcohol consumption leads to a 0.4 per cent increase in fatal poisonings for every one per cent increase in spirits sales. Despite its findings, the study did suggest three medicines that showed some promise and could potentially be at the centre of further research, they were the herb borage, a yeast based supplement and tolfenamic acid - usually prescribed under the trade name Clotam for the treatment of acute migraine attacks. Dr Pittler however concluded that the best treatment was prevention by not overdrinking in the first place.
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21/12/2005 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Prevention guidelines call for the testing of over-40s in order to halve heart deaths
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The Daily Telegraph, the Daily Express and the Daily Mirror all report on new prevention guidelines to be published today, which if followed by doctors and patients, could potentially cut fatal and non-fatal strokes and heart attacks by half. The new Joint British Societies' Guidelines on the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease are published in the journal Heart by a combination of six heart and stroke societies, led by David Wood, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Imperial College London. They call for all adults over the age of 40 to be considered for screening, along with those under-40 if there is a family history of cardiovascular problems. There are currently 114,000 deaths from heart disease a year and 260,000 heart attacks in the UK. Meanwhile, strokes affect over 250,000 people at any one time and are responsible for 67,000 deaths a year. Prof Wood commented: "With professional lifestyle intervention and appropriate use of proven drug treatments, it is now possible to have a major impact on the commonest cause of death in the country".
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15/12/2005 |
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The Sun |
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Vitamin D3 can overcome steroid resistance in asthma
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Researchers at King's College London have found that vitamin D3, produced by sunlight in its natural form, could slash the risk of asthma deaths for steroid-resistant sufferers. Steroids are used to trigger production of the IL-10 molecule which helps to stop an asthma attack. In resistant sufferers this action does not take place, but vitamin D3 supplements have been shown to promote IL-10 production when a steroid is administered.
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14/12/2005 |
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The Independent |
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NHS and health sector news
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The Health Secretary, Patricia Hewitt, has been accused by the Lib-Dems of unfairly attacking NHS staff after she commented that the service 'fails far too many people' during a speech at the London School of Economics last night. Ms Hewitt has rejected claims by the Reform think-tank that the NHS requires a "productivity miracle" to avoid a further increase in its budget deficit. The Health Secretary is expected today to announce the plan by which GPs will offer patients a choice between four treatment centres. This policy is intended to speed up access to treatment for those prepared to travel beyond their local hospital or clinic. The issue of whether the NHS should treat diseases which are lifestyle- or self-inflicted is debated in the letters pages of both The Mirror and The Guardian.
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12/12/2005 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Threat posed by mini-strokes not to be ignored
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The Daily Telegraph reports that the Stroke Association has warned that a 'mini stroke', the effects of which mostly fade within hours, should not be ignored, as in some cases they are the prelude to another, usually more severe, attack. These transient ischaemic attacks have symptoms similar to a full blown stroke, and people should be aware of any weakness or numbness in an arm, facial droopiness, dizziness, slurred speech, or difficulty searching for a word. Studies show that after one, the chances of a further, more serious occurrence during the following week is as high as 30%. The Association says that swift reactions could save as many as 5,000 lives a year.
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09/12/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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Vitamin could reduce asthma attack deaths
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The Daily Mail and the Times both report on research from King's College London, which has found that taking vitamin D3 improves asthma sufferers responses to steroid treatment. The research, to be published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, found that in laboratory experiments D3 could reverse resistance to steroid treatments. Researchers then carried out a pilot study involving people with asthma who were unresponsive to steroids and found that after a week of daily D3 supplements, patients' immune systems were more responsive. Repeat asthma attacks hospitalise 75,000 a year, killing 1,400. It is hoped the work will lead to new ways of treating these people.
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08/12/2005 |
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Financial Times |
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NHS and health sector summary
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The Financial Times today reports that a new Mori poll of 985 adults suggests that 53% of the electorate do not believe that the current government will produce improvements in public services. 35% of voters do expect improvements, but the 18-point difference represents a sharp deterioration in voter sentiment since the May general election, when there was only a 2-point difference. The poll found that 41% of voters expect the NHS to get worse over the next two years, while 25% of respondents believe that the health service will improve. The decline in voter expectations for the NHS may be due in part to the recent reporting of budget problems and the suspension of certain surgical procedures by certain health authorities. However, Mark Gill, head of political research at Ipsos-Mori, also suggests that low morale amongst NHS staff may mean that they are conveying negative messages to the general public. A pilot scheme has been set up to ask patients how well they feel before and after an operation. It is hoped that measuring the patient experience will provide a more holistic view of NHS productivity, which by strict operational criteria has fallen despite the doubling of UK health spending since 1997. The pilot scheme will be used by the Office for National Statistics to introduce quality measures into the NHS productivity equation. The Department of Health has also started to include quality as a component of NHS productivity by granting a productivity value to the gains made by the introduction of new pharmaceuticals. Statins are reckoned to save 177,000 lives a year and have greatly improved blood pressure control services. The Department contends that statin therapy has contributed to a 2.68% growth in NHS productivity because of the reduction in more serious events such as stroke and heart attack achieved by more effective management of hypertension.
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05/12/2005 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Asthma inhalers 'can lead to attack'
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Research produced jointly by the University Children's Hospital of Berne and Boston University suggests that long-term use of asthma inhalers intended for short-term relief can actually increase the risk of an asthma attack. The study investigated airway obstruction fluctuations in eighty asthma patients over an 18 month period. It was observed that patients who used a short-acting beta-agonist bronchodilator, such as salbutamol, for long-term management actually faced a higher risk of asthma attack as airway function became more random. Use of a formoterol-based, long-acting bronchodilator reduced the risk. Professor Urs Frey of the UCHB comments that short-acting asthma drugs remain important as a first-line treatment for acute attacks, but long-acting bronchodilators are more effective at stabilising airway function. Over 5.2mn Britons suffer from asthma attacks, the disease effects one in ten children and one in twelve adults.
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24/11/2005 |
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The Times |
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Noise link to danger of heart attacks
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Some of the day's newspapers report on a study by the Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics at the Charite University Medical Centre, Berlin, which has found that people who work in noisy offices or live near busy roads, railways or airports may run a higher risk of heart attacks. In research published in the online edition of the European Heart Journal, a study of more than 4,000 men and women found associations between long-term exposure to higher decibels and susceptibility to heart attacks. Stefan Wilch, the study leader, said that the workplace noise limit should be brought down to between 65 and 75 decibels.
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18/11/2005 |
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The Independent |
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US reviews risks of Tamiflu after children's deaths
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The Independent also reports today on new claims surrounding the much-hoped for Tamiflu treatment. In a report posted online, the US Food and Drug Administration has claimed it was reviewing the psychological effects of the Tamiflu treatment, after it was linked to the suicides of two Japanese teenagers. It was later reported that 12 children in Japan had died from causes including heart attack, suicide, pneumonia and acute pancreatitis, all of whom had taken Tamiflu.
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14/11/2005 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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The blood pressure test that could cut strokes by thousands
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In a story only reported by Celia Hall in the Daily Telegraph, doctors have said that a different way of measuring blood pressure has the potential to spare thousands of people from strokes or disability. Bryan Williams, a professor of medicine at the department of cardiovascular sciences, Leicester University Medical School, told the meeting of the American Heart Association that measuring blood pressure in the vessels near the heart was more predictive of strokes and heart attacks than taking the usual measurement with a cuff around the upper arm. The research also showed that a newer type of drug, the calcium channel blocker amlodipine, was better than beta blocker atenolol in reducing central blood pressure. Both the National Institute of Clinical Excellence and the British Hypertension Society are working on new guidelines for doctors for the treatment of high blood pressure. Separately, the Times reports that people at risk of dying after suffering a stroke could be saved by disrupting a specific signal in the brain which triggers cell destruction.
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11/11/2005 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Life saving cholesterol drug to reach 3m more patients
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Newspapers today report that the National Institute for Clinical Excellence has recommended that the number of people being given statins, drugs that reduce cholesterol, should be trebled. Nice believed that an estimated 3.3 million more people at risk of heart attacks or strokes should be prescribed the drugs after its analysis of extensive research showed that deaths can be cut by 21 per cent. It is estimated that making statins more widely available would cost between £55 million and £82 million a year, a cost that would put further strains on primary care trust budgets. The proposal is subject to appeal, however if there are no delays then the guidance would be issued by the end of January.
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08/11/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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Epilepsy drug that prevents migraine attacks
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The Daily Mail is the only newspaper to feature the news that the epilepsy treatment Topamax can now be prescribed to patients who suffer migraines, after trials showed it can help reduce the frequency of attacks by as much as half. Topamax is not intended to be used at the time of an attack, but is taken daily as a preventative. Levels of the drug build up in sufferers' systems and reduce the chance of an attack, as the drug is an anti-convulsant. The drug also has an effect on calcium levels, which, if they fall low, can trigger a migraine. Dr Brendan Davies, of North Staffordshire Hospital, said 'the reason why Topamax works so well for migraines is because there appears to be a link between the chemical pathways in the brain involved in epilepsy and those that cause migraines'. Around three to four million people in the UK suffer from migraines.
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07/11/2005 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Vaccine to beef up body's attack on prostate cancer
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The Telegraph today features a look at a new vaccine that could be used to augment the body's protection against prostate cancer. The pharmaceutical group Onyvax has developed a vaccine that consists of a combination of three types of prostate cancer cell that are representative of different of the stages disease. In trials of the vaccine, called Onyvax-P, on 28 patients at St George's Hospital Medical School in London, it was revealed that it delayed the progression of the illness in patients who are resistant to hormone therapy. On a second group of patients, with more advanced cancer which has spread to the bone, it was found that the rate at which disease developed seemed to be halved, from nine to 23 weeks.
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07/11/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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The £250 jab that halves the risk of an asthma attack / It has changed my life
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The Daily Mail today looks at the success of clinical trials of Xolair, a much hoped for asthma drug. Clinical trials have proved very successful, after they revealed that in those who took the drug, attacks in severe asthma sufferers were reduced by 55 per cent and hospital admissions due to asthma cut by 47 per cent. Xoliar prevent the allergic reaction which can trigger an asthma attack. When the body detects the presence of an antigen, it produces huge amounts of immunoglobulin E, an antibody which then locks itself onto "mast cells" which release histamine into the blood. Xolair has successfully prevented antibodies from doing so.
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04/11/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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£1-a-day 'super-aspirin' to save heart victims
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It has been widely reported today that doctors are very hopeful that the clot-busting drug Plavix may be useful in extending the survival rates of heart attack victims. Studies were conducted by researchers at Oxford University and in China on some 46,000 people, which so far is the world's biggest study of emergency heart attack treatment. Participants were treated for severe heart attacks with low-dose aspirin to disperse clots. Half were given Plavix and the other half given a placebo. It was found that in those who Plavix, the drug reduced the total risk of death, repeat heart attacks and stroke by 9 per cent, when compared with the other group. Patients given Plavix also saw the risk of repeat heart attacks fall by 14 per cent.
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02/11/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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The 'search and destroy' injection
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The Mail today also highlights a new and very exciting nanotechnology-based therapy which could be applied in the treatment of cancer tumours. A new technique which uses bead-shaped particles developed from nanotechnology could be used to target cancer. These are then injected into a patient's bloodstream, which attach themselves to molecule on the surface of cancerous cells. Drugs are then released, causing the tumours to shrink. The treatment has been tested on mice bred with prostate cancer, but Prof Omid Farokhzhad, of Harvard Medical School, who is developing the drug therapy at the MIT in Boston, believes that the treatment could readily applied to attack any cancer.
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31/10/2005 |
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The Sun |
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Medics blamed for 60,000 DVT deaths
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In a story covered only in the Times and The Sun, it is documented that a report by Dr Anders Cohen of Kings College Hospital claims that 60,000 people die from DVT every year because doctors are failing to give enough blood thinning treatment to patients. Health Department figures put the number at only 20,000, but Dr Cohen says that the number is much higher, as many deaths are reported as heart attacks. Dr Cohen said 'Anyone lying down and not getting up much for several days is at risk of blood thickening. They should all be considered for anti-clotting drugs'.
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25/10/2005 |
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Daily Mirror |
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Now Viagra lifts your heart too
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In a widely-covered story in today's papers it is reported that researchers from the John Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore have discovered that taking the impotence drug Viagra could halve the chances of suffering a heart attack. Tests have shown that the blue pills reduce the harmful effect of stress on the heart. The researchers measured the strength of heartbeats in a group of 35 adult volunteer patients in whom stress was induced by the drug dobutamine. The men and women were randomly assigned to two groups, either to be treated with Viagra or a placebo. In those given Viagra, the strength of the heart's contractions was reduced by half, from 150 per cent to 75 per cent. The British Heart Foundation has said that people with heart conditions should check with their doctor before taking the drug.
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24/10/2005 |
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The Sun |
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Viagra 'is good for the heart'
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The Sun today reports very briefly on new findings concerning the impotence drug Viagra. Cardiologist Prof David Kass of Baltimore's John Hopkins University found that Viagra "blunted" the effect of adrenaline on the heart, and could be potentially used to prevent a heart attack. Trials for this outcome are to begin next year, according to the Prof Kass.
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10/10/2005 |
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Daily Star |
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Frog is key to a cure for Aids
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And finally, in a very brief item reported today in the Daily Star, American scientists have claimed that a tropical frog could be used to develop a drug to fight AIDS. The red-eye Australian tree frog is known to produce an infection-fighting chemical when attacked or frightened, and after tests it was found that the chemical killed HIV cells but left immune cells alone, suggesting that people in very early stages of infection could be saved. However, an AIDS vaccine remains a long way off, according to lead scientists Dr Rowena Johnston.
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07/10/2005 |
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The Independent |
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US public health group attacks safety of GSK's asthma drug
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In other news today, the Independent reports on disturbing new claims in the US on the safety of the popular GlaxoSmithKline asthma drug Serevent (or Advair). In a letter to the 'Lancet' magazine, US consumer group Public Citizen has claimed that GSK "manipulated the data it submitted to the Food and Drug Administration...to convince the agency that the drug's risks were smaller" out of study of 26,000 patients. The company has been forced to put extra health warnings on the labels of the drugs, amid claims of heightened risks of asthma-related deaths, particularly amongst African Americans.
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29/09/2005 |
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The Times |
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Fears that hand-held games could trigger fits
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Sam Lister, writing in the Times, reports on warnings from Graham Harding, emeritus professor in clinical neurophysiology at Aston University, that the improper use of hand held computer consoles by children could trigger fits similar to epilepsy. In Britain, 1 case per 100,000 people of photosensitive attacks is reported every year, but in people aged 7 to 20 the frequency rises to 5.7 cases per 100,000. Professor Harding explained that: "Any computer game has flashing images, but it's the proximity to the screen which can induce seizures...The most likely seizure will be photosensitive, basically the same as an epileptic attack". He also reported that photosensitive attacks were twice as likely to occur in girls than boys, however the majority of recorded cases were boys as they tend to play more video games.
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27/09/2005 |
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The Independent |
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Wider use of statins could save thousands of lives
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A study led by Colin Baigent of the University of Oxford, published in the online edition of The Lancet, claims that thousands of people are dying of heart attacks and strokes because cholesterol lowering drugs are being inefficiently prescribed. The Times, the Independent, the Daily Mail and the Daily Express all report on the findings which suggest that statins are being wrongly restricted to patients in the UK who suffer from high cholesterol levels when, other patients who suffer from diseased arteries but who do not necessarily have high initial cholesterol levels would also find a lowering of their cholesterol beneficial. In the first comprehensive review of statins, it was found that, if administered in a sufficient dosage, they can reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke by one third. In addition there was no evidence that statins increased the incidence of cancer or led to depression. The review involved a meta-analysis of 14 randomised trials of 90,000 patients .
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27/09/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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How stress takes a toll on the heart
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According to research undertaken at Harvard Medical School, stress is as likely to cause a heart attack as being overweight, smoking, or having high cholesterol. The study found that when a person feels anxious, hostile, or depressed the stress hormones released can result in inflammation, promoting heart disease. Childhood trauma was also linked to heart problems in later life. Conversly, it was also found that feelings of friendship, optimism and the action of laughing appeared to have healing effects. Professor Edward Suarez commented on the results saying: "Hostile and depressed people respond to the world in a chemically different way. Fifty per cent of those who have heart attacks do not have high cholesterol".
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21/09/2005 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Scientists tick off benefits of Evolutec hay fever drug
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The Telegraph reports today on a new anti-allergy drug which offers much hope for those with problematic allergies. The drug development company Evolutec said yesterday its hayfever drug, rEV131, based on tick saliva, seemed to have "significant advantages" over current treatments for the condition, after Phase II results showed that the drug worked 45 minutes more quickly than nasal steroids. The drug works by binding histamine, the agent in the body which causes allergic symptoms, such as itching and swelling. Evolutec believes that its new drug may even be used to treat everything from bronchitis to heart attack. However, it is likely to take around four years before the treatment goes on the market.
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19/09/2005 |
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The Times |
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Oral drug a boost for sufferers
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The Times reports that research presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes suggests that a drug treatment called pioglitazone for patients with type 2 diabetes could reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and death. The study found that the drug reduced the risk of a cardiovascular event by 16% in a trial involving more than 5,200 diabetics, half of whom were put on the new medication. The findings suggest that up to 40,000 cardiovascular events among diabetics could be prevented annually once patients have been on the drug for three years.
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08/09/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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Early heart ops could save 5,000 lives a year
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The Mail reports today on a five year study of patients in England and Scotland, which has revealed that rapid surgery on the verge of a heart attack could save up to 5000 lives a year. The study found that rapid treatment using angiograms followed by a heart bypass or 'balloon treatment' to widen the artery showed that deaths could be reduced significantly. It concluded that the more aggressive treatment prevented three to four of every 100 patients suffering from a heart attack from dying. The findings could lead to changes within the NHS which treats 155,000 patients each year with acute coronary symptoms.
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07/09/2005 |
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The Times |
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Heart drug increases risk to patients
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In a brief item reported in The Times today, also gleaned from the latest discussions at the British Association's annual science festival, it has been warned that heart attack patients who are given clot buster drugs shortly before an angioplasty are at a greater risk of dying. A study was conducted by the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, which found that 6 per cent of people who had the drug before an operation died within a month, whilst 3.8 per cent of those who only had the surgery died.
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07/09/2005 |
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The Sun |
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Hot dog salt cure for heart
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In a very brief item reported today in The Sun, US National Institutes of Health has claimed that the salt used in the preservation of hot dogs could help treat heart attack patients. In a trial it was found that when healthy people were injected with the chemical sodium nitrate, their blood flow almost tripled. The National Institutes of Health is now looking for drug company to develop a treatment from the chemical.
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07/09/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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The robot resuscitator
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The Mail reports today on a new automated resuscitator, the LUCAS CPR system, as well as exciting though briefly discussed new drugs findings from GlaxoSmithKline. Staffordshire Ambulance NHS Trust has become the first service to use LUCAS CPR resuscitator, which delivers consistent and sustained chest compressions that will be a life saver for heart attack victims. The robot resuscitator has been praised by resuscitation specialist Prof Douglas Chamberlain of Cardiff University. Meanwhile, GlaxoSmithKline hopes its new clot-dissolving drug Fondaparinux may be approved soon, the drug lowers the number of bleeds that may occur in a heart attack victim.
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06/09/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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What you need to know about the new wonder drug cocktail for high blood pressure
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The Daily Mail today features a special question and answer guide and a detailed look at the drugs cocktail of Coversyl and amlodipine, after a report by the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial claimed that prescribing of the drug to patients with high blood-pressure could be saved from death by heart disease. It is believed that there would be almost 40,000 fewer strokes, and 100,000 fewer cardiovascular incidents such as angina and heart attacks if the drugs were prescribed.
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05/09/2005 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Heart attacks could be cut by half
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A widely-covered story in today's papers reports that according to results given to the European Society of Cardiology's annual conference in Stockholm, thousands of lives could be saved and tens of thousands of heart attacks and strokes prevented each year by using a combination of newer drugs for high blood pressure and a drug that cuts cholesterol. In Britain, the modern drug combination would prevent 100,000 heart 'events' and the procedures needed to treat them. Organisers of the trial, involving 19,000 patients at moderate risk of heart attack and stroke in Britain and Scandinavia, revealed that the traditional combination of beta blockers and diuretics had been outperformed in the five year study by newer drugs - one a calcium antagonist and the other an ACE-inhibitor.
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30/08/2005 |
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The Times |
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Lifesaving drugs
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A short article in the Times reports on research undertaken at the University of California that found that statin treatment within 24 hours of a heart attack reduced deaths by over 50%. The study concluded that the drugs that save the lives of people at risk of a heart attack, also benefit patients post-attack.
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23/08/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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Ten-minute test for heart attacks
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In a brief item, the Mail also looks at new developments in testing kits for heart attacks. A new ten-minute kit measures a special type of heart pressure through the artery in front of the elbow, which makes it possible to easily identify a heart attack. Doctors have tested advice and believe that it's use would also mean that almost half of chest-pain patients would not longer need to be admitted to hospital for monitoring. No date is yet available for the launch of the kit in the UK.
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10/08/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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Private patients get the cancer drug NHS denies
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The daily Mail today reports angrily on claims that private patients with bowel cancer are to be able to access a new drug, Xeloda, made by Roche, which is not available to NHS patients. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence had this week been attacked for delays to approval of the drug for use on the health service in the UK, despite it's availability in other European countries. However, BUPA has claimed that it administered the drug on a case-by-case basis.
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09/08/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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Blocked: a better, cheaper cure for cancer
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Today's summary begins with a special report in the Daily Mail on the much-hoped for drug Xeloda. It has emerged that the government's healthcare watchdog, the National Institute of Clinical Excellence, will not approve the use of a new cancer treatment, Xeloda, until next year, despite the treatment being provided to bowel cancer sufferers in Scotland already. The treatment is a "smart pill that only takes effect when it reaches the site of tumour, and unlike chemotherapy it attacks only abnormal cells, leaving healthy tissue alone. It is feared that the delay could see up to 7000 patients undergo protracted treatment which already costs the NHS £22 million.
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03/08/2005 |
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The Times |
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Safe to keep taking the painkillers
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The Times and the Guardian both report on yesterday's announcement by the European Medicines Agency, which said patients should continue to use common painkillers such as ibuprofen as prescribed by their doctors. Following a review of the research on the cardiovascular safety of non-selective NSAIDs, as requested by the European Commission in June, the agency found that there was insufficient evidence to suggest risks of heart attack or stroke outweighed the drugs benefits. The agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use said it "does not recommend any changes to the advice to patients and prescribers". It did however suggest that "all patients should take the lowest effective dose of non-selective NSAIDs for the shortest time necessary to control symptoms."
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26/07/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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Broken heart healer
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In the first of a selection of stories from the Mail, it has been reported that a cure for damaged heart cells using stem cell technology could be close, after the treatment was successfully carried out on pigs. Two human trial patients have been chosen at John Hopkins University, with a further 46 to be recruited to test the safety of the procedure, previously and successfully conducted using stem cells from a pig to another animal which was injured by a heart attack.
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15/07/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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Reprieve for GSK's big seller
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In a very brief item, also from the Mail, America's Food and Drug Administration have concluded that the benefits of Glaxo's biggest selling drug, Advair, in controlling asthma symptoms, outweighed the small possibility of a life-threatening asthma attack. The FDA is likely to adopt the panel of experts' recommendations that the products carry "black box warnings" of the potential side-effects, referring to a previous Glaxo study, which reported 13 deaths in 13,000 patients.
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07/07/2005 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Girl, 11, found dead in bed, still holding aerosol can
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The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian both report on the news that an eleven year-old girl from Cambridgeshire has died after accidentally inhaling the fumes from a deodorant can. Lesley Johnson died after suffering a heart attack brought on by the effects of inhaling butane from the aerosol canister. The coroner in the case has recorded a verdict of accidental death.
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07/07/2005 |
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The Sun |
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The miracle liquid that cuts heart disease, helps us lose weight and beats
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A special feature in The Sun today reports on the many health benefits of drinking water, with the news that it is essential for the functioning of the human body. A study in America has found that people who drank four or more glasses of water a day were less likely to contract colon cancer than those who drank a glass or less. Drinking water has been linked with a lower risk of heart disease, and is said help people to lose weight. The British Dietetic Association has said that adults should drink 2.5 litres of fluids a day to stay healthy. Studies have shown that people who are even moderately dehydrated do worse in tests of short-term memory, concentration and maths. An American study involving more than 20,000 people found that drinking five glasses of water a day also cut the risk of a fatal heart attack by 40%.
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24/06/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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We're far too keen to call the healthy ill, say GPs
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The Daily Mail's Health correspondent, Jenny Hope, reports that GPs have attacked the trend of 'medicalising' patients - labelling healthy patients sick or at risk. Dr Iona Heath and Dr Steinar Westin write in the BMJ on the dangers of using lower thresholds to diagnose conditions, which sometimes results in individuals being told to take drugs for the rest of their lives on the basis of dubious evidence. Under the current guidelines, they found that half of Norway's population would be at risk by the age of 24, rising to 90 per cent by the age of 49. Dr Heath said: "We have far too little understanding of the psychological impact and the wider health consequences of being labelled at risk".
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21/06/2005 |
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Daily Express |
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A nation of pill-poppers
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The Daily Express today contains a large feature on the potential health problems one can experience when using commonly available drugs to treat minor ailments. The British Medical Association recently warned that the public needs to be more aware of the dangers of over-the-counter drugs sold without prescription. More than 80 per cent of common ailments such as headaches, heartburn and colds are now treated with a range of OTC medicines such as St John's Wort and aspirin. Doctors at Nottingham University recently linked Ibuprofen to an increased risk of heart attack. Dr Jim Kennedy, prescribing spokesman for the Royal College of GPs said 'the problem is that patients don't think of OTC drugs as medicine so don't bother telling their GPs. There is also little research about what effect these have on prescription drugs'.
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20/06/2005 |
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Financial Times |
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Scientist defends his approval of Vioxx
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The Times today carries an interesting feature on the continued controversy surrounding Merck's Vioxx drug. Edward Scolnick, the former chief scientist at Merck, who was responsible for the development of Viox, has mounted detailed defence of the steps he took to assure himself that the drug was safe. The controversial anti-inflammatory medication was later withdrawn amid fears in increased the risk of heart attack.
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17/06/2005 |
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Financial Times |
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Cancer trial drug may fight cells on a few fronts
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Our first story today, reported in all newspapers, discusses a new and very exciting experimental cancer drug. Trials for the experimental treatment - currently called 17AAG - which have been conducted at the Royal Marsden in London have given very promising results. The drug attacks cancer cells on several fronts at the same time, and may be able to fight a number of different cancers. There were also encouraging signs that in some patients, the 17AAG treatment would be effective for advanced tumours. Prof John Toy of Cancer Research UK, which is funding the trial, has pointed out that much more work needs to be done to assess the efficacy of the treatment.
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17/06/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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Doctor's order: an aspirin a day for all over-50s
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The Mail highlights a new and important finding on the use of aspirin, the common and much-used pain-killer. A team of doctors at Cardiff University's College of Medicine, led by Professor Peter Ellwood, has posited that over-50-year olds could benefit greatly from taking a single aspirin pill a day. The team found that doing this could prevent a quarter of all heart attacks and strokes, whilst recent studies suggest it can help against Alzheimer's. However, Dr Colin Baigent of the Clinical Trial Service Unit of Oxford Radcliffe Infirmary has warned however that the case must be proven that older patients will derive a benefit from the daily consumption of aspirins.
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13/06/2005 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Kill or cure? - Ibuprofen
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Chloe Rhodes of The Daily Telegraph gives an overview of the recent safety fears surrounding pain-killing drug Ibuprofen, and looks at the safety risks of using Ibuprofen in light of research by Nottingham University, which suggests that the painkiller may increase the risk of a heart attack. Professor Stuart Bevan, a pain expert at University College London, has said that 'people using the drug appropriately should continue to do so without anxiety'. According to the study, for every 1,005 long-term users of the drug, one additional patient will suffer a first-time heart attack.
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10/06/2005 |
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The Times |
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Alert after everyday painkillers linked to danger of heart attack
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A major story today details the results of a study by Julia Hippisley-Cox and Carol Coupland from Nottingham University. The study suggests that common painkillers, taken daily by hundreds of thousands of arthritis sufferers, significantly increase the risk of having a heart attack. A trial using data from across the UK indicates that all drugs classed as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increase the risk of heart attack by at least 20%, and some by as much as 50%. This class includes ibuprofen, the prescription drugs diclofenac and naproxen, as well as Celebrex. The study was published in the British Medical Journal and calls for drug regulators to disclose all confidential safety data on painkillers. The BMJ's editorial stresses caution in interpreting the latest results, but said it highlighted the need for full disclosure by the US Food and Drug Adminstration of the safety data, much of which remains classified as commerical secret. Neil Betteridge, the chief executive of Arthritis Care, called on the medical profession to "...take a lead in helping people with arthritis decide what treatment is right for them."
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09/06/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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Anger over 'blacks only' heart drug
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The Daily Mirror and the Daily Mail report on the news that America's Food and Drug Administration is considering whether to deem BiDil, a heart drug that cuts the death rate from heart attacks among black people by 43%, fit for sale. The drug will be specifically marketed at black people, as it is much less effective in white people because of a difference in the way they suffer the condition. Critics in the US have said that the decision to conduct trials involving only African Americans was wrong, and that approving a drug for use in just one race would set a dangerous precedent. NitroMed, the drug's makers, say that heart failure in blacks tends to be due to long-term raised blood pressure, but critics say that a patient's medical history - not their race - is the best guide in deciding whether they would benefit from the drug. The drug would be licenced for use only in black patients, although doctors would still be able to prescribe it to whites on an 'off label' basis.
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07/06/2005 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Gene attack on arthritis 'a success'
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The Daily Telegraph contains a story detailing the results from a study at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Scientists have said that the first use of gene transplants to treat arthritis have been a success. The trials saw nine women with advanced rheumatoid arthritis receive genetically modified cells injected into their knuckles, with no clinical side-effects being reported up to five years after the successful transplant. The positive results could lead to the development of improved gene-based therapies for both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, which jointly affect about 9 million people in the UK.
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06/06/2005 |
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The Times |
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GPs accused of 'Luddism' over drugs
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The Times reports that GPs have come under attack for "Luddism" over drugs. Vincent Lawton, president of the Association for the British Pharmaceutical Industry has criticised the reluctance of GPs to switch to new medicines when they are approved for use in the NHS. The ABPI has called for the introduction of new rules to force doctors to prescribe new treatments at the earliest opportunity. "At times, the conservatism of British doctors borders on Luddism," Mr Lawton said.
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31/05/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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Asthma jab is a 'breath of fresh air'
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The Mail today features an interview in its regular health section with Martin Duplock, who has had new and exciting treatment for his asthma condition with the drug Xolair. The treatment works to prevent the antibody immunoglobin E (IgE) from becoming attached to 'mast cells' which release histamines into the bloodstream, thus preventing an asthma attack.
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24/05/2005 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Milk 'can combat heart disease'
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It has been reported in many papers that a diet rich in milk may protect people from heart disease and strokes, despite the widespread perception that drinking lots of milk can raise cholesterol levels. The study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, found that people who drink lots of milk have a 12% lower risk of heart attack. Researchers who studied the diets and health of 665 men aged between 45 and 59 over a 20-year period as part of the Caerphilly Cohort Study saw that cholesterol readings were similar in those who consumed a pint or more of milk a day and those who had less than half a pint. Men who consumed the most milk every day had a higher energy intake, suggesting that they were more active.
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24/05/2005 |
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Daily Express |
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Male hormone surprise
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A joint study from the University of Turku and Imperial College London has found that testosterone can help protect against heart disease and strokes, in news that will be a surprise to many scientists as previous research suggested that testosterone encouraged the build-up of plaque in the arteries. Researchers in the study compared 99 middle-aged men whose testosterone levels had declined, with 140 people in a controlled group who had normal testosterone levels. They discovered that the wall of the neck's carotid artery was significantly thicker in men with low testosterone. Suggestions have since been made that some men could reduce their heart attack risk by taking testosterone supplements.
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20/05/2005 |
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The Sun |
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Tomato a day keeps doc away
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It is reported briefly over a number of publications today that tomatoes may be able to slash the risk of heart attacks and cancer in people. Canadian scientists believe that a key component of tomatoes - lycopene, which is an antioxidant - may also work to regulate gene functions and metabolism, as well as improve communication between cells, hormone and immune responses. The findings were published in the medical journal 'Trends in Food Science & technology'.
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20/05/2005 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Doubts over aspirin benefits
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The Telegraph reports today on new findings concerning the popular and much-used pain killer aspirin. A new study in the British Medical Journal online edition suggests that the prescribing of low doses of aspirin to older people to prevent heart attacks and strokes could do as much harm as good. Dr mark Nelson, chair of the general practice division at the University of Tasmania in Hobart, has now warned that blindly advocating aspirin use should be avoided until further information was known.
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16/05/2005 |
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The Times |
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Vaccine demonstrates potential to transform addiction treatment
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A story that has appeared in the weekend papers and is continuing to gain coverage reports on a vaccine against nicotine, developed by Cytos Biotechnology. A large-scale human trial of the vaccine has produced impressive results. Almost 60% of the smokers who participated in the trial who responded best to the vaccine succeeded in giving up smoking for at least 16 weeks. Those who did not succeed in giving up smoked significantly less. If phase-three trials prove a success and the vaccine receives approval from health authorities it could be available by 2010. The vaccine is based on a protein taken from bacteriophage, a type of virus that attacks bacteria, which has been altered to provoke an antibody response. The results of the trial were announced at the meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Florida on Saturday.
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19/04/2005 |
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The Times |
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Safety fears for heart medicine
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A team of German researchers have warned that patients lives are being put at risk due to substandard doses of the heart drug streptokinase, used to treat heart attack victims. The researchers tested 21 samples of streptokinase, and found that only three samples matched the requirements set by the European Pharmacopoeia for clot-busting treatments.
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18/04/2005 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Stop snoring if you want to improve your sex life
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Fiona Govan, in the Telegraph, reports that The British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association has found that people who snore have sexual intercourse less than others. More than a quarter hardly ever have sex and 60 per cent are said to be regularly told to sleep in the spare room. The BSSAA study confirms many widely-held assumptions about snoring and says the problem causes rows and can lead to divorce. Snoring can occur as a result of sleep apnoea, when the muscles of the throat go floppy at night causing the airways to narrow and become blocked. It is linked to an increased risk of strokes, heart attacks and high blood pressure. The study comes at the start of National Stop Snoring Week.
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13/04/2005 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Over-50s urged to take aspirin a day
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The Mail, Express, telegraph and Times all carry the news that Professor Peter Elwood of the College of Medicine at Cardiff University has said that everyone over 50 should take a mini-aspirin daily to reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes. Additionally this action may also protect against cancer and Alzheimer's disease. The researchers believe that this could prevent a quarter of heart attacks and strokes, saving tens of thousands of lives every year - at a cost of less than 1p per tablet. A 25 year study of 2500 men found the risk of heart attacks across the now middle aged group was so large that all 50 year olds, including women, should be taking aspirin. Prof. Elwood was speaking at a London conference organised by the Aspirin Foundation. A research paper calling for a debate on the use of aspirin in older people has been accepted for publication by the British Medical Journal.
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12/04/2005 |
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Daily Express |
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Protein may help asthma
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The Express reports that researchers from Imperial College London believe that by giving the protein interferon beta to asthma sufferers who are suffering from viruses, it could help prevent asthma attacks. The importance of interferon beta was discovered after examining cells taken from the lungs of asthmatic and healthy volunteers.
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12/04/2005 |
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Daily Express |
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Pine extract can combat your children's asthma
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The Express reports that a pill made from pine extract called Pycnogenol could reduce the severity of asthma attacks in children. Asthma Research UK believe that a primary study into the pill is promising. The trial, at the Lorna Linda University in California, studied 60 six to 18 year olds with mild to moderate symptoms. After three months, all 30 of the children taking Pycnogenol had less severe attacks compared with 16 of the 30 children taking a dummy pill.
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12/04/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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Scan that predicts heart attacks 10 years in advance
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Roger Dobson, in the Mail, reports on a new scan is being trialled which claims to be able to predict which patients will suffer from heart attacks in the future. A quarter of people scanned so far at one UK centre were found to have significant heart disease, despite having no symptoms. The scan which detects furring up of the arteries at its earliest stages allows preventative treatment to be taken before any damage has been done to the heart. The electron beam computed tomography scan, or EBCT, is a sophisticated X-ray that detects coronary calcification, which is the first sign of heart disease. The scan is currently only available at a handful of UK centres.
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11/04/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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Gene that can carry a death sentence
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Scientists in Stockholm have discovered a gene that increases the risk of heart failure, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Professor Fredrik Piehl of the Karolinska Institute of Stockholm claimed that the discovery has centred on a gene called MHC2TA, first discovered in rats, that reduces the production of a number of proteins that back up the immune system. After comparing 387 heart attack victims, 548 MS sufferers and 1,288 rheumatoid arthritis patients, it was found that all three group had a significantly increased chance of carrying the mutated gene. The news may now lead to the further development of appropriate treatments.
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07/04/2005 |
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The Times |
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Cannabis can slow narrowing of arteries
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The Times today reports on new findings concerning the chemical THC, found most commonly in the drug cannabis. Scientists led by Francois Mach of Geneva University Hospital found after tests that the active ingredient in cannabis, THC, can protect one's arteries from narrowing, thus lessening the risk of strokes and heart attacks. In a study of mice, the scientists found that the compound THC blocked the inflammation, which causes arteries to narrow. However, American critical-care expert Michael Roth has urged caution in considering the drug as a viable heart disease treatment.
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31/03/2005 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Aspirin 'does cut heart risk'
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According to research conducted by Harvard Medical School, regular low doses of aspirin reduce significantly the risks of strokes and heart attacks in women aged over 65. Health correspondent, Nic Fleming, discusses the 10 year study which found that women in this age group who took the drug were 26 per cent less likely to have suffered a non-fatal heart attack or stroke, or to have died of cardiovascular disease.
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22/03/2005 |
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The Guardian |
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Cancer drug blow for Novartis
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Today we begin with The Guardian, which has reported on disappointing new clinical trial results from Novartis. Following clinical trials of Novartis' PTK-787, the much-hoped for colorectal cancer treatment, it was found that the drug did not halt the development of the disease. The treatment was the first of Novartis' "smart" cancer treatments that attacks tumours at the molecular level. The news may be good for Roche, whose Avastin treatment is already regarded as effective in the fight against colorectal cancer.
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11/03/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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Astra's fatbuster pill attacked in US
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The final story of interest today is a very brief snippet featured in the Daily Mail, concerning new claims in the US over AstraZeneca's cholesterol pill Crestor. The US pressure group Public Citizen is now calling for the ban on the drug to be renewed, as the organisation believes that Crestor is more likely than other rival treatments to cause rhabdomyolysis.
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10/03/2005 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Breast cancer vaccine ready for tests soon
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It is a quiet day for relevant news, though three stories stand out. The first, from the Telegraph, concerns exciting information from the continued tests of a new breast cancer vaccine. Scientists at Washington University and the Siteman Cancer Centre in St Louis have announced that tests on animals for the treatment have produced very positive results. The scientists used the mammaglobin-A DNA to "flag up" its presence in the immune system as a foreign molecule. T-cells would then multiply and attack tumour cells which displayed mammaglobin-A. It is hoped these tests on animals will now lead to the development of a vaccine over the next few years.
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10/03/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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£1-a-day lifesaver
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Today's second story concerns a new type of aspirin-related pill that could benefit thousand of heart attack victims. A study by researchers from Oxford University and China has found that treatment with blood-thinning agent Plavix, combined with standard clot care, can cut the risk of death, stroke or further heart failure among heart disease sufferers by a third. Dr Marc Sabatine, lead researcher at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston has claimed that "Plavix is the first drug in 12 years to show clear survival benefit in patients with big heart attacks and could therefore become a standard of care for these patients".
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21/02/2005 |
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The Times |
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End of Sars as a deadly threat
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Mark Henderson writes in The Times that scientists yesterday said that the killer Sars virus has been effectively eradicated outside laboratory conditions, due to stringent efforts to contain it. The disease killed 774 people between November 2002 and June 2003 but new research shows that it is no longer circulating in humans or animals. For Sars to return as a threat it would have to mutate again from scratch or be released in a laboratory accident or terrorist attack, the American Association for the Advancement of Science was told. Kathryn Holmes, Professor of Microbiology at the University of Colorado, said that even if the virus were to return the world would be well-prepared to deal with it. Several vaccines against the disease have now been developed, and quarantine measures to contain it are well understood.
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18/02/2005 |
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The Times |
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Watchdog warns of painkiller risk for 1.4m patients
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Many of the papers report on further guidelines for Cox-2 inhibitors. Sam Lister, health correspondent in The Times, reports that the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) yesterday said that patients on Cox-2 inhibitors, anti-inflammatories used by more than a million Britons, should observe urgent safety restrictions after a comprehensive review. Under the regulatory action, patients are ordered to stop taking their medication if they suffer from heart disease or stroke. Those patients on Arcoxia who have high blood pressure should also have their treatment changed, reflecting the concerns over increased risks of heart attacks and strokes.
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16/02/2005 |
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Daily Mirror |
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Alert on drug for arthritis
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The Daily Mirror reports that Cox-2 inhibitors, which have already been linked to heart attacks and strokes, also raise blood pressure more than other painkillers, a new study warns. The Australian report looked at 45,000 people and found that the Cox-2 inhibitors raised blood pressure to a worrying level. The authors of the report said: "The drugs' potential effect on blood pressure elevation requires caution in their use and warrants further investigation". The European Medicines Agency is due to report soon on Cox-2 inhibitors following their withdrawal in America.
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08/02/2005 |
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The Independent |
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Brushing teeth may protect the heart
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It is reported in the Independent, and very briefly elsewhere, that scientists at the Columbia University Medical Centre have discovered that brushing one's teeth may help reduce the risk of stroke or heart attacks. The scientists found that people with gum diseases had a higher risk of suffering from atherosclerosis, a condition of the narrowing of the blood vessels which can result in a stroke or heart attack. Thus, regular dental care may help reduce such a risk.
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08/02/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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Viagra latest: it treats heart attacks too
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The Mail reports today on new claims about the impotence drug Viagra. Scientists at the Virginia Commonwealth University in the US have conducted tests on the drug to ascertain its other benefits, to discover that it may help protect the heart against muscle damage or apoptosis, a condition that is a big cause of heart attacks. The drug slows the progressive loss of heart cells during chronic heart failure, according to scientists Dr Rakesh Kukreja, and may even reverse this process. The British Heart Foundation have called for further studies into these claims.
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08/02/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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Magic gel ends monthly migraine agony
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A trial by doctors at Barts Hospital and the City of London Migraine Clinic have claimed that a new hormone gel could be used to treat women with chronic migraines. In tests, half of the women who used the gel were able to reduce the severity of the attack, with one in five suffering fewer attacks. It is believed that use of hormones in the gel may be beneficial to women who have migraine attacks that may be linked to their menstrual cycles.
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01/02/2005 |
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The Times |
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Test could detect start of Alzheimer's
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Mark Henderson, health correspondent in the Times, reports that a team of researchers has discovered a way of detecting a biological marker of Alzheimer's disease in living people for the first time. Professor William Klein, from Northwestern University, Illinois, led the research, which is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. These biological markers of Alzheimer's are proteins known as amyloid beta-derived diffusible ligands, or ADDLs, which attack the synapses and contribute to the build-up of sticky plaques of amyloid-beta protein that are found in the brains of those suffering from Alzheimer's. The breakthrough could lead to the development of a test for Alzheimer's before its symptoms become obvious and could boost the search for ways to prevent and cure the condition.
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31/01/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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How Mondays strain the heart
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In a brief report today, reported widely but with small coverage, scientists at the Tokyo Women's Medical Unit have found that blood pressure tends to peak at the start of the working week. The stress of the week ahead putting the cardiovascular system under pressure, the scientists have warned, thus increasing the risk of heart attacks. The findings might now explain why there are 20 per cent more heart attacks on Monday morning than at any other time.
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24/01/2005 |
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The Guardian |
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Flu feared more than terror attack
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Sarah Hall and Ian Sample report in The Guardian that the threat of a flu pandemic has ministers more concerned than the possibility of a terrorist threat, as Government statisticians believe that a worldwide outbreak of flu is overdue. A main fear is that the avian flu which is sweeping through south-east Asia could infect someone suffering with regular flu, causing the strain to mutate. The Department of Health is assessing how many antivirals it should stockpile. Research from the Harvard School of Public Health shows that giving antiviral treatments to between 50% and 75% of the population would stop a virus along the lines of the 1918-19 outbreak, when 280,000 died in the UK and 40 million worldwide.
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19/01/2005 |
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Daily Express |
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Women face new danger over HRT pill
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Lianne Kolirin, health correspondent in The Daily Express, reports that new research shows that hormone replacement therapy pills dramatically increase the risk of gall stones in post-menopausal women. The new research is the latest to come out of the Women's Health Initiative study in the US. The scientists, led by Dominic Cirillo of the University of Iowa, presented their findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association. They found that women using the combined HRT pill were 68 per cent more likely to have gall stones than non-users. A previous study, called Hers, discovered a 38 per cent increase over a four-year period in hospitalisations for gall bladder disease among women with heart disease taking HRT. HRT has been linked with an increased risk of breast cancer, and the Women's Health Initiative study was halted in 2002 after the discovery that HRT was linked to higher rates of heart attack and stroke.
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18/01/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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Vaccine that stops superbug
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Pat Hagan, health correspondent in The Daily Mail, reports that British scientists have developed a vaccine which may be able to stop the MRSA superbug by prompting the immune system to produce antibodies capable of warding off dangerous organisms. Dr Afshan Ahmad, from Vaccine Research International, the company which has developed the vaccine, says that laboratory results have been very encouraging. The vaccine it has developed, called SA75, is based on an inactivated form of Staphylococcus aureus. The immune system recognises the inactivated bug as a foreign body and starts to produce antibodies to attack it. Trials on the vaccine will begin next week, and the hope is that eventually patients who are undergoing elective surgery will be able to be vaccinated.
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18/01/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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Can a heart operation really cure a migraine?
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Roger Dobson, health correspondent in The Daily Mail, takes a look at a new operation which could help thousands of migraine sufferers beat the condition, after experts found that the procedure to fix a hole in the heart also served to prevent migraines. Scientists now believe that a third to 40% of migraines with aura are associated with a hole in the heart. Dr Mark Reisman, director of cardiovascular research at the Swedish Medical Center in Washington, found that for patients who had the hole in their heart fixed, the frequency of attacks was significantly reduced. Doctors are now getting ready for clinical trials of the procedure.
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14/01/2005 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Binmen at the ready to treat heart attacks
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In a very brief and light-hearted piece in the Telegraph, it is reported that Staffordshire Moorlands district council is to equip its bin-men with defibrilators in their dustcarts, if funding can be obtained. It is hoped that such an innovative approach can ease fears in rural areas where ambulances may take a long time to reach. Council leader Ron Locker believes that the plan will dramatically increase survival rates of cardiac arrest victims. The plan comes as the Department of Health launches its own scheme to equip public areas, such as airports, railway stations and shopping malls with the defibrilators.
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14/01/2005 |
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The Guardian |
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Flying doctor - Vampire bat saliva will help stroke victims
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The Guardian reports today on new findings in the search for effective stroke treatments. A new product by the German company Paison, Desmoteplase, is currently on trial, and the firm is seeking around €70 million to fund continued trials. The drug helps stroke victims just after they have suffered from an attack, and uses the saliva of vampire bats, though genetic engineering, which contains a substance that prevents blood from clotting. The firm is also developing another drug, called Enecadin, which could be used to reduce the damage caused by strokes, and also Solulin, which could be used to reduce blood clotting, but has yet to go to human trials.
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10/01/2005 |
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Daily Mail |
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The pill that could end heart attacks
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The Daily Mail reports that Professor John Martin of University College London is leading a research team of scientists who are developing a pill which could stop people suffering from heart attacks and strokes. The research is based on a naturally-occurring substance called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) which stops the build-up of cholesterol. The team is developing a drug which encourages the body to make more VEGF, and which could therefore prevent arteries from clogging up. Professor Martin said that studies on animals have been successful and that human trials are now under way. However, he revealed that the drug would not be available for 10 years.
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07/01/2005 |
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The Times |
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HRT causes alarming rise in fatal stroke risk
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Nigel Hawkes, health editor in The Times, reports that a review of clinical trials published in the online version of the British Medical Journal shows that hormone replacement therapy increased the risk of stroke by 29 per cent, and the risk of fatal or disabling stroke by 56 per cent. The effect is seen in ischaemic strokes, caused by blockages of blood flow to the brain, rather than the less common form of haemorrhagic stroke, caused by bleeding within the brain. The researchers at the University of Nottingham, led by Professor Philip Bath, said it was not clear why HRT should increase the risk of stroke and its severity. Professor John Stevenson of the British Menopause Society said: "The extra risk is absolutely minimal, amounting to less than one stroke in 1,000 women using HRT during their lifetime". The latest review included evidence from the US study from the Women's Health Initiative, which in 2002 linked HRT with higher risks of breast cancer, heart attack and stroke. A Department of Health spokesman said that women on HRT should discuss the risks with their doctor and have regular health check-ups.
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31/12/2004 |
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The Times |
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How facelift drug knocks migraines on the head
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The Times and others today report on new findings on the distressing condition of migraines. Plastic surgeon Bahman Guyuron has argued that migraines are triggered by muscles in the face and neck, and he has now developed a new technique which identifies these muscles and removes them surgically. The doctor used Botox injections to paralyse the pertinent muscles, and found that 92 per cent of the 89 patients he studied noted a reduction in attacks, with total elimination of attacks for 35 per cent. However, some critics have argued that such studies remain inconclusive. Meanwhile, the Financial Times reports that a study by the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill has found people who suffer from migraines are also more likely to experience angina than the general population, though not as likely to develop heart disease. The findings have been published in this week's 'Neurology' journal.
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24/12/2004 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Cancer patients hit by shortage of drugs
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Celia Hall, medical editor in The Daily Telegraph, reports that the Department of Health has said that stocks of diamorphine, used to control severe pain, could hit critically-low levels within weeks. Doctors are being asked by the Chief Medical Officer to save diamorphine for people who are dying, and to consider different forms of pain relief, such as morphine for heart attack victims and Entonox in acute injuries, for other patients. The supply of morphine in the UK comes from Chiron and Wockhardt. Chiron has warned the Department of Health that it has limited supplies and cannot manufacture more until April. Wockhardt also has limited stocks, but hopes to manufacture more by the end of January. The Department of Health said that patients concerned about the problem should discuss treatment options with their doctor or phone NHS Direct on 0845 4647.
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22/12/2004 |
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The Times |
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Heart and stroke fears for millions on painkillers
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Sam Lister, health correspondent in The Times, reports that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency yesterday advised patients on cox-2 inhibitors, the class of drugs that includes the recently-withdrawn Vioxx, to have their medication reassessed. The agency added that patients with high blood pressure or heart disease should switch to other treatments as soon as convenient. The three drugs in question are Celebrex, Bextra and Arcoxia. The latest advice follows the publication on Friday of a 33-month trial of Celebrex, conducted by the National Cancer Institute in America and posted on Pfizer's website, which found that patients on 400mg or 800mg of Celebrex suffered an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. Those on a high dose of Celebrex were 3.4 times more likely to have a heart attack or stroke, with those on a lower dose 2.5 times more likely. The problem of prescribing an alternative treatment for patients has been exacerbated by the suspension of a clinical trial involving naproxen. The latest US National Institutes of Health clinical trial highlighted a higher risk of heart disease with the use of naproxen.
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22/12/2004 |
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Daily Express |
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Cholesterol vaccine to fight off heart disease
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David Pilditch, health correspondent in The Daily Express, reports on research carried out in Sweden to develop a way of using the body's immune system to prevent clogged arteries. The process involves using a protein in cholesterol to prepare the immune system to attack fatty deposits known as plaques. The research, carried out by Professor Goran Hansson at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and Jan Nilsson from Lund University, and presented at a meeting of the European Vascular Genomics Network in Cambridge last week, was carried out on mice and achieved a reduction in the number of plaques of as much as 70 per cent. The Swedish team hope to start clinical trials within two years.
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20/12/2004 |
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Financial Times |
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To take or not to take cox-2 drugs
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Today's news begins with the continuing fears and regulatory worries concerning Cox-2 drugs. In the Financial Times, Christopher Bowe and Andrew Jack take a look at the class of drugs, less than three months after Merck withdrew its Vioxx treatment amid concerns about side-effects. It is asserted that, whilst the drugs were celebrated as a giant leap forward for painkilling treatments when they emerged in the 1990s, fears about their safety have now cast doubt on not only Merck, but Pfizer's Celebrex and Bextra, which studies have found doubled the risk of a heart attack. The two journalists suggest that "the new concerns have to be balanced with the benefits of the drugs." Meanwhile, in the Financial Times, it has been reported that a new ruling is set to be issued by the Food and Drugs Administration in the next few days on the entire cox-2 class of best-selling painkillers, which could go as far as demanding their withdrawal from the market
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16/12/2004 |
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Daily Mail |
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Heart attack season
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As the Xmas season begins in earnest, the first item today of interest comes from the Mail, where it reports on a new and worrying claim in the New England Journal of Medicine. A study featuring Prof Patrick Vallance and his team at the University College London has claimed that winter illnesses, such as pneumonia and bronchitis, could increase the risk of a heart attack by as much as five times. Researchers examined the medical records of more than 40,000 people to discover that the risk of a heart attack after the first three days of a respiratory tract infection was five times higher than normal, with the stroke equally as high. However, it conceded that the risk was reduced in the following weeks after an infection. The British Heart Foundation is now warning those at risk to be extra vigilant about catching a respiratory disease by staying warm, receiving flu jabs and eating correctly.
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13/12/2004 |
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Daily Express |
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Fingerprint test that could save us from having a heart attack
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Julie Wheldon, health editor in The Daily Express, discusses a simple test, in which patients place their finger tips on a sensor which uses radio waves to measure the flow and pressure of blood, and which could help to show if there are any problems with blood vessels and therefore indicate heart disease or potential strokes. Researchers, led by Amir Lerman from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, announced the results of their study into the test in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. June Davison, from the British Heart Foundation, said that in the future patients may be able to visit their doctor to take the test.
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07/12/2004 |
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Daily Mail |
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Cholesterol drug fights cancer too
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Roger Dobson, in the Mail, reports on how research teams have found that patients taking statins to lower levels of cholesterol may also be reducing their risks of developing cancer. They have also been found to lower the risk of stroke and heart attack and may help sufferers of multiple sclerosis and Alzheimers. The reports does not specify where the research took place but states that researchers who compared cancer in men and women who took statins and those who did not, found that users had a 14 per cent lower risk.
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03/12/2004 |
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Financial Times |
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Citrus fruit attacks childhood cancers
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In her regular health and science column, the Ft's Victoria Griffith highlights new findings by the Texas A&M University on treating childhood cancers. Scientists at the institution found that compounds of limonoids - which are present only in citrus fruits - could be used to kill neuroblastoma cells, which are considered responsible for around 10 per cent of all childhood cancers. The scientists have now praised the possibilities of this discovery, since using limonoids instead of anti-cancer drugs - many of which are toxic - could reduce the severity of side-effects on the victim.
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30/11/2004 |
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Daily Mail |
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Pump the size of a straw that saves heart victims
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Pat Hagan, in the Mail, takes a look at the Impeller Pump, a tiny device no thicker than a straw, that could help save the lives of hundreds of heart attack victims. The device, which has been used at Hammersmith Hospital, London, takes on the job of pumping blood to the rest of the heart while it recovers from its seizure. However, it biggest advantage over current treatments is that it can be placed inside the heart without the need for an operation.
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25/11/2004 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Protein injection to treat heart attacks
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The Telegraph carries a report on how researchers suspect that the heart does retain the capacity for some degree of recovery from injury. A new way to unlock the capacity is reported in the journal Nature by Professor Deepak Srivastava and hi colleagues at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre, Dallas. The team found that a protein that the heart produces during its development could be redeployed to help the organ to repair itself.
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24/11/2004 |
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Daily Mail |
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Stress link to asthma proved
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An unauthored report in the Mail says that children with asthma are four times more at risk of a life threatening attack when they have stressful experiences. Researchers at University College London who studied 60 asthma sufferers between the ages of 6 and 13 found that those under stress were at four times more risk of suffering an acute bout within 48 hours.
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23/11/2004 |
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Daily Mail |
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Vaccine for heart attacks
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Pat Hagan in the Mail looks at new vaccine which could prevent heart attacks. Developed by Leiden University, Netherlands, the vaccine is said to radically reduces fatty deposit build-ups which lead to heart attacks.
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16/11/2004 |
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The Independent |
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Sick nation?
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The front page of The Independent reveals various statistics about the health of British people, referring to obesity, smoking, sexual disease, advertising of junk food and alcohol today as part of the run-up to the government's Health White Paper. The White Paper is expected to propose a number of new health initiatives, though the recent plan to ban junk food advertising on pre-watershed television has been attacked by a number of columnists and figures.
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12/11/2004 |
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Daily Mail |
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Back in good heart
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A man who suffered a major heart attack at 32, which destroyed 30% of his heart and left him bedridden, has undergone revolutionary stem cell treatment in Frankfurt, enabling the man to walk again. The surgery involved taking stem cells from his bone marrow and injecting them into his heart. Doctors say the therapy could benefit 650,000 patients suffering the degenerative heart disease. The Heart Cells Foundation has launched an appeal to fund more research.
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11/11/2004 |
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Financial Times |
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Pfizer's Bextra 'may carry heart risk'
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Pooled analysis of data presented to the American Heart Association from 5,000 patients in 12 clinical trials on Bextra have found the risk of heart attack or stroke was 2.14 times higher than for patients on placebos. The study, headed by Dr Garret FitzGerald, a leading critic of cox-2 inhibitors, comes two weeks after Merck withdrew its cox-2 inhibitor, Vioxx. Pfizer have warned that Bextra showed an increased risk of "cardiovascular events" in a second short clinical study with heart bypass patients.
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10/11/2004 |
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Evening Standard |
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Eat pizza - it's good for you
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Research in Milan that questioned 1,000 people between the ages of 25 and 80 about their health, lifestyle and diet, have found that those who eat pizza twice a week half their risk of heart attack. Researchers believe it is related to lycopene, an antioxidant found in tomatoes.
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05/11/2004 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Late - Survey casts doubt on benefits of beta blocker drug
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The Telegraph has reported on a new study, published in The Lancet and conducted by Dr Bo Carlberg of the Umea University in Sweden, which has cast doubt on the effectiveness of the popular and most commonly prescribed blood pressure treatment, Atenolol. A study by the team found that it whilst it remained effective in treating high blood pressure, it had little or no effect in preventing heart attacks than inactive "dummy" drugs. The treatment, manufactured under several brand names, has been prescribed to thousands of British people, and the study concluded that it only slightly reduced the risk of stroke. AstraZeneca claims that the study is "inconclusive", however.
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02/11/2004 |
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The Guardian |
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Painkiller firm 'hid heart risk'
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The Guardian today reports on the US newspaper The Wall Street Journal, which yesterday claimed that pharmaceutical group Merck had deliberately concealed evidence of a link between its painkiller Vioxx with heart attacks and strokes since the mid-1990s. The information was gleaned from a series of emails and internal documents uncovered during investigations at the group. Merck has remained silent on the ongoing litigation that the Vioxx scandal has provoked, despite claims by chief executive Raymond Gilmartin that the findings on the dangers of Vioxx were "unexpected".
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01/11/2004 |
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Daily Express |
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Body's own cancer cure
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A team of scientists from Bristol University have discovered a protein in the human body that can be used to attack deadly cancer tumours. It is hoped the discovery will lead to the development of new drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells. They also hope it can help prevent blindness caused by diabetes, treat arthritis, and stop narrowing of the arteries. Team leader Dr Dave Bates says: "What we need to do now is find the best way of administering it". The study will be published today in the American scientific journal Cancer Research.
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22/10/2004 |
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The Independent |
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Safety review ordered into popular painkillers
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The Independent reports today that the European Medicines Evaluation Agency is to conduct a review of Cox-2 inhibitors, the popular and extremely powerful painkillers treatments which are used to treat arthritis and other conditions. Richard Horton of the The Lancet, which provoked the review, has claimed that from studies, the treatment was found to have increased the risk of heart attacks and strokes and has claimed that the news was a "public health emergency". The Independent article also discusses the continued ramifications of recently scandalised medications Vioxx and Celebrex in connection to medical regulation.
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22/10/2004 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Blocked artery device can cause heart attack
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Today we begin with the Daily Telegraph, which has reported on a new study in the Lancet on the cutting-edge stent treatment for heart disease sufferers. A study published in The Lancet and gleaned from studies at the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam has suggested that the coated stents, which have been approved for use by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence in the USA, may in fact provoke heart attacks in patients who have been taken off other drugs. Four patients in the study were found to have had heart attacks when anti-platelet drugs - which prevent blood from going sticky - were withdrawn. The Lancet article concluded that the research helped to "underline the need for further, in-depth research in this area".
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19/10/2004 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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HRT saves young lives but risks may outweigh benefits for over-60s
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The most recent research on the effects of hormone replacement therapy, led by Dr Shelley Salpeter at Santa Clara Valley Medical Centre, San Jose, California, has found that its results differ significantly from the previous study on the subject, by the Women's Health Initiative, which linked HRT treatment to heart attacks. Meanwhile, the Independent reports that a study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that HRT did not affect mortality rates amongst older women and may actually increase life expectancy among younger women. The study has also concluded that HRT can prevent diabetes and osteoporosis.
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12/10/2004 |
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Daily Mail |
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Pineapple eases asthma
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New research shows that a compound found in pineapple, bromelain, may serve as an anti-inflammatory, easing conditions such as asthma, and as a natural thinner of blood. Studies found that the compound significantly reduced the white blood cell count, which increases during an asthma attack, and halved the level of inflammation of the linings of airways.
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07/10/2004 |
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Daily Telegraph |
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Vioxx faces heart attacks claims
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According to a study by the US pharmaceuticals regulator, The Food & Drug Administration, Merck's arthritis treatment, Vioxx, which was withdrawn from the market last week, may have caused nearly 28,000 heart attacks. There are now claims that Pfizer's Celebrex, the rival treatment for Vioxx, would not have caused such a chronic reaction.
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04/10/2004 |
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Daily Express |
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Brush with danger
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The American Dental Hygienists' Association has warned against families storing their toothbrushes next to each other risk, after a study found that contact between toothbrushes is a major cause of colds and flu. Research showed that the bristles harbour a number of different germs, including the coliform bacteria which causes E-coli. Evidence has also suggested that bacteria involved in chronic oral infections may play a role in heart attacks, diabetes and premature births. Experts are warning people to store toothbrushes separately and to clean them regularly.
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