Latest Health News

GPs have indicated that they want more educational support in regards to managing cardiorespiratory resuscitation (CPR) in general practice, which has prompted the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) to develop two new online learning activities with a focus on CPR. Dr Ronald McCoy, RACGP spokesperson, said that completing the CPR Theory Online activity and Accredited Basic CPR 2010 activity would enable GPs to refresh both their theory and skills in CPR through its blended learning format...

The RACGP welcomes the Labor Party into government, and urges the new government to maintain a strong focus on issues affecting the healthcare sector, especially in relation to general practice. RACGP President Dr Chris Mitchell said that the College was looking forward to working with the new government to improve access to high quality healthcare for everyone and calls on the government to keep investing directly into general practice...

Today, The Endocrine Society released a new clinical practice guideline on the diagnosis and treatment of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). The guideline features a series of evidence-based clinical recommendations developed by an expert task force...

In the first human study of its kind to be published in more than 35 years, researchers found psilocybin, an hallucinogen which occurs naturally in "magic mushrooms," can safely improve the moods of patients with advanced-stage cancer and anxiety, according to an article published online in the Archives of General Psychiatry...

Following extensive consultation with the pest control industry, RSPH is pleased to announce that the following qualifications have received their accreditation from Ofqual, the regulatory body for qualifications, and can now be offered by approved centres: Level 2 Award in Pest Management Level 2 Certificate in Pest Management Level 3 Diploma in Pest Management The RSPH has amended and developed its pest control qualification portfolio in response to changes in the government regulations regarding accredited qualifications...

One of the most ambitious large-scale projects in Human Genetics has been launched: Epitwin will capture the subtle epigenetic signatures that mark the differences between 5,000 twins on a scale and depth never before attempted, providing key therapeutic targets for the development of drug treatments. The project is a collaboration between TwinsUK, a leading twin research group based at King's College London, and BGI, one of the world's largest genomic organisations headquartered in Shenzhen, China...

A new accreditation programme is launched, by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), which is designed specifically for smaller enterprises in the Third Sector which offer training to their staff, supporters or the general public. As the health and well being sector enters a period of tremendous change, it is vital that all the participants are able to identify high quality training that is relevant to their needs...

A new study in the September 6 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology helps define the role of an important ciliary protein, CEP290. The results could be applied toward targeted gene therapy in cilia-related diseases. Mutations in human CEP290 cause cilia-related disorders that range in severity from isolated blindness to perinatal death. CEP290 mutations are known to cause Meckel syndrome, Joubert syndrome, and NPHP - the most common syndromic form of cystic kidney disease in childhood - among others...

Only one in ten people know that radiotherapy helps cure forty per cent of cancer patients according to new figures* published by Cancer Research UK today (Tuesday). The survey of more than 2,000 people from across the UK also reveals just 14 per cent are aware that half of all cancer patients could benefit from radiotherapy as part of their treatment. Cancer Research UK believes lack of public awareness about radiotherapy's importance in treating cancer is having a serious impact on providing world class treatment for the UK...

The Australian Psychological Society (APS) congratulates Julia Gillard on her re-appointment as Prime Minister of Australia and looks forward to working productively with the Gillard government to address pressing community issues including health reform. "This government is coming in at a time when the community is facing major challenges," APS president Professor Bob Montgomery said. "The APS is calling on this new government to address those challenges including inclusive health reform, improving access to mental health care and addressing the impact of climate change on the community...

Urgent action is needed to tackle the worsening problems UK patients are facing when trying to receive their medicine prescriptions. In response to the results of a medicine stock survey of pharmacists conducted by Chemist & DruggistMagazine, the ABPI has expressed serious concerns about the risks for patients and is calling for urgent Government action to tackle the root cause of the problem - those who are selling medicines intended for UK patients overseas to take advantage of exchange rates for profit...

A new study shows that mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may affect more men than women. The research is published in the September 7, 2010, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Mild cognitive impairment is a condition in which people have problems with memory or thinking beyond that explained by the normal rate of aging. The study found that MCI was 1.5 times higher in men compared to women. MCI often leads to Alzheimer's disease...

Using eye-tracking methods, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have shown that toddlers with autism spend significantly more time visually examining dynamic geometric patterns than they do looking at social images - a viewing pattern not found in either typical or developmentally delayed toddlers. The results of the study suggest that a preference for geometric patterns early in life may be a signature behavior in infants who are at-risk for autism. This preference was found in infants at-risk for autism as young as 14 months of age...

1. A Low-carb Diet Based on Animal Protein May Increase Death Risk Evidence shows that a low-carbohydrate diet produces weight loss and improves some cardiovascular risk factors. However, health effects of a low-carbohydrate diet may depend on the type of protein and fat consumed. Researchers followed 85,168 women and 44,548 men on a low-carbohydrate diet for 26 and 20 years respectively. The patients ate either an animal-based (emphasizing animal sources of fat and protein) low-carbohydrate diet, or a vegetable-based low-carbohydrate diet...

About 17 percent of all visits to hospital emergency departments across the United States could be treated at retail medical clinics or urgent care centers, potentially saving $4.4 billion annually in health care costs, according to a new RAND Corporation study. Conditions that could be treated safely outside hospitals include minor infections, strains, fractures and lacerations, according to findings published in the September edition of the journal Health Affairs...

The United States must focus on conserving the use of antibacterial drugs, or face a public health crisis from rapidly rising rates of antibiotic-resistant infections, according to an analysis just released. Evidence indicates that our nation's supply of antibiotics is being depleted by resistance, which occurs when infection-causing microbes mutate or change so that they no longer respond to widely-used treatments. Most proposals to solve this problem focus on giving pharmaceutical companies financial incentives to develop new drugs that could replace those that are no longer working...

The management of persistent pain requires a different approach to that of acute pain. Whereas the initial problem can be addressed with acute pain, persistent pain requires restoration of physical, psychological and social function with minimisation of distress, decreasing the pain to a tolerable level rather than a cure and addressing the whole person in the rehabilitative process. Rehabilitation physician Dr Stephen de Graaff says adjustment and compensation in terms of skills and lifestyle are necessary, and a patient needs to participate in their wellbeing...

Food manufacturers advertise a variety of foods on grocery store shelves by using nutrient claims on the front of packaging. A study in the September/October issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior evaluates how consumers are interpreting certain carbohydrate-related content claims and the effects of claims on consumer perceptions of food products. Findings from this study reveal that consumers misinterpret low carbohydrate claims to have health benefits and weight loss qualities beyond their nutrition facts...

Work has started on Phase Two of what has already been hailed as the UK's most advanced new dementia care facility, Birch Abbey , Southport. Just weeks after the "new" £5 million Birch Abbey opened in Alexandra Road, Southport, Dan Lingard, chief executive of the centre's owner, iPersonally, gave the go-ahead to demolish the original building which will be replaced by a further extension. "The response and level of interest locally has been phenomenal - we are having to ramp up and bring forward our recruitment campaign because Phase One has been so successful," said Dan Lingard...

Using ultrasound and a minimally-invasive procedure, radiologists can identify and treat patients who engage in a disturbing self-injury behavior known as self-embedding, according to a new study published in the online edition and October print issue of the journal Radiology. "This is a new way for radiologists to impact public and mental health," said the study's senior author, William E. Shiels II, D.O., chairman of the Department of Radiology at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and president of The Children's Radiological Institute...