Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Another 15 Minutes...Health News from Fade 22nd May 2007

Welcome to the Podcast of Another 15 Minutes, Health News from the Fade Library. Full links to the articles detailed can be found at www (dot) fade the blog 2 (dot) blogspot (dot)com


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Two of Britain's biggest and most profitable supermarkets are tonight accused of putting public health at risk after secret filming revealed members of staff deliberately extending sell-by and use-by dates on fresh food - and of selling food unfit for human consumption to unsuspecting customers.


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Supermarkets hit by sell-by date investigation - The Telegraph 22nd May 2007


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MS sufferer in court over cannabis plants - The Guardian 22nd May 2007


A woman with multiple sclerosis who was arrested after her private "dispensary" of cannabis plants was targeted by drug thieves was given a conditional discharge by magistrates yesterday. Karin Grevis, a grandmother and professional translator who smoked cannabis for pain relief, called for an official amnesty for other medical users after the hearing in Cambridge.


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I had a membership with Fitness First for more than a year before I decided to move to another gym that was more convenient for me. I telephoned them to ask how to cancel my membership and was told to write to the manager, stating my reasons for cancelling and giving a month's notice.


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Britvic, the firm behind Tango and Pepsi, believes health-conscious consumers are starting to accept carbonated drinks with no added sugar. Shares in the company slumped last year when a surprise 9% drop in the UK fizzy drinks market triggered profit warnings. Britvic, which this year spurned a takeover approach from private equity house Permira, yesterday said fizzy drink sales volumes had risen 8.1% for the 28 weeks to April 15, against a market up 1.7%. Just over half the gain came as the group moved for the first time onto the shelves at discount retailers such as Aldi and Lidl.


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I was always a big kid. By the time I was 12, I weighed 18 and a half stone. I can't remember a time I wasn't bullied about it. At first it was just name-calling, but around the time I started secondary school, it turned physical.


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More and more of us are taking food supplements to 'balance' our diets. But are they doing us more harm than good?


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Marc Leverton reports on the doctor who wants fellow medics to embrace happiness and the techniques by which it can be harnessed


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There may be a case to be made against folic-acid fortification of bread and flour, but the stream of misinformation in your article is not it (Give us our daily chemicals..., G2, May 18). You quote an estimate that spina bifida will be prevented in only 120 babies a year. In fact, if you base the estimate on the number of spina bifida conceptions a year, the figure has to be at least 230.


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How much of your day should you devote to exercise? According to the government, adults should spend 30 minutes performing moderate physical activity five days a week to stay healthy. But if that doesn't suit your lifestyle or body clock, there are other options. As little as 10 minutes of exercise a day has significant health benefits, from helping to whittle waistlines to controlling blood pressure. Indeed, a recent study in the International Journal of Cancer showed that just 10 minutes a week of exercise can reduce the risk of prostate cancer by 11%.


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Matthew James of Nuffield Hospitals (Letters, May 18) succeeds in perpetuating the same bogus logic as the government when he insists that patients "want" choice. To assert that patients want the choice to avoid dirty hospitals or long waiting lists is a disingenuous distortion of patients' views and the issues at hand.


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The chairwoman of an independent inquiry into the fashion industry's relationship with size-zero models warned yesterday that it was time for the industry to grow up. Baroness Kingsmill, a former deputy chairman of the Competition Commission, said stronger measures may have to be taken to protect young women aspiring to be top models.


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People who have recovered from cancer are being exploited by travel insurers who routinely charge them two or even three times the normal premium for a holiday, a study has found. Macmillan Cancer Support said that many insurers refused to offer cover or charged exorbitant rates in the hope that customers would look elsewhere.


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Cancer 'raises travel premiums' - BBC Health News 22nd May 2007


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Vitamin A skin creams really can reduce the wrinkles caused by ageing, scientists have shown. Many beauty products contain retinol – vitamin A – or “pro-retinol” compounds from which the vitamin is derived. All are said to fight the signs of ageing. But evidence is lacking, because manufacturers are reluctant to subject their products to independent testing.


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Maxim Vengerov is considered by many to be the best violinist in the world and commands upwards of £20,000 a performance – but few are as rewarding as the one he gave for nothing at a hospital for those with severe neurological conditions and traumatic brain injuries. Richard Morrison reports


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Just as scientific-sounding words such as cholesterol and trans fats have become part of everyday language, so has the word probiotic. Thanks to consistent and high-profile advertising, it has worked its way into our subconscious as seamlessly as the bacteria itself has worked itself into our daily diet. We consume them via everything from fortified yoghurts and “shot”-style drinks such as Yakult to breakfast cereals, juices, supplements and even probiotic-impregnated straws. But do these “friendly probiotics” do us any good? Broadly speaking, the answer is yes.


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The Department of Health has breached the Data Protection Act by refusing to reveal to junior doctors the scores they achieved in the failed Medical Training Application System (MTAS). Many young doctors unable to get interviews in the first round of the MTAS system have applied to the department or its subsidiary bodies seeking details of the scores they were awarded to understand why they failed to be interviewed.


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Time runs out to find jobs for junior doctors - The Times 22nd May 2007


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Doctors - a profession on the edge - BBC Health News 21st May 2007


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Pfizer, the world’s largest drugs company, yesterday announced the departure of two of its most senior executives, John LaMattina, its research and development president, and Alan Levin, its chief financial officer. The departures come as Jeffrey Kindler, Pfizer’s new chief executive, seeks to transform the company with 10,000 job cuts and a drive to reinvigorate its weak pipeline of new pharmaceuticals.


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Thousands of elderly people are losing their sight because of the postcode lottery for drugs to treat the leading cause of blindness. A survey of eye specialists found less than half are able to obtain treatments which have been shown to either stabilise or improve the eyesight of nine out of 10 patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD).


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A device that predicts the onset of labour could save the NHS millions of pounds, scientists said yesterday. The invention works by measuring electrical signals in the womb to determine the date of childbirth up to two weeks in advance.


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The case for fortnightly rubbish collections was thrown into disarray last night after waste experts hinted that they were potentially a health risk. The experts admitted to MPs that food waste should be collected every week to guard against smells.


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New X-Ray scanners at British airports could be exposing passengers to potentially dangerous levels of radiation, according to one senior radiologist. The machines are designed to "strip search" passengers by using low-level X-Rays, which produce an image of their bodies, revealing whether they are secretly carrying weapons, explosives or illegal drugs.


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Doctors may be jeopardising patients' health by giving out 'quick fix' anti-obesity drugs. The treatments - which are prescribed up to a million times a year - have been linked to increased blood pressure and diarrhoea.


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A nine-year-old British girl suffering from a rare premature ageing disease is to undergo a pioneering drug trial in the United States next week in a bid to prolong her life expectancy. Hayley Okines ages eight times faster than she should because she suffers from Progeria, a progressive terminal condition which afflicts about 45 people worldwide.


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Having a glass of wine could do more than enhance your food - it may preserve your memory for longer, say doctors. New research shows just one drink a day may delay dementia in those at risk from the disease because they are already having memory problems.


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Like most people, James Ferguson never worried about chemicals in his body, until he became a dad. Then, he and his wife were tested for toxins, with alarming results. My wife was less than impressed when I first put it to her. "Now let me get this straight," she said. "I've been a mother for exactly a month - and you want me to take a pesticides test?"


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Eight million people in the UK suffer from eczema, with many struggling to find an effective treatment. Here, TV actress Julie Graham - best known for her roles in The Bill and At Home With The Braithwaites - tells how she used homeopathy to overcome the condition. Julie, 39, lives in Brighton with husband Joe Bennett, 38, also an actor, and their daughters Edie May, three, and Cyd, one.


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A cancer treatment that is less invasive and gruelling than conventional procedures - and cheaper - is the Holy Grail of oncology research. So imagine if that treatment already existed. The fact is, it does - but few people know about it and few hospitals offer it.


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A tiny steel device that vibrates inside arteries at 20,000 times a second may be an alternative to bypass surgery. At less than 1mm wide, the device breaks through solid blockages in arteries, flushing them out and helping to restore blood flow, which eases pain and other symptoms.


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A knee implant designed specifically to fit women is now available in the UK. Surgeons believe it could help reduce the pain suffered by some women after the operation, and improve mobility.


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Criminal record checks have not been carried out on tens of thousands of NHS staff, including those working with children and vulnerable adults. BBC Radio Five Live found 68% of health trusts in the UK do not routinely run checks on staff who began work before the Criminal Records Bureau was set up.


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Three years ago an official inquiry into the treatment of black people within Britain's mental health services concluded that the system was riddled with institutional racism and blamed the Department of Health for ignoring what it called "this festering abscess... a blot upon the good name of the NHS".


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Operating theatre nurses at Barnsley hospital are staging a 24-hour strike over changes to their jobs. Managers want to reduce cover at night and plan to downgrade some theatre staff as they seek to cut the annual wages bill by £1.5m.


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Police say they are investigating a number of lines of inquiry into how three hospital oxygen cylinders were deliberately tampered with. Tubes on one cylinder at Sandwell Hospital, West Bromwich, were found to have been blocked, restricting the flow of oxygen to a patient.


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Phone diagnosis for ill prisoners - BBC Health News 21st May 2007


Suspected heart attack victims at a high-security jail are being diagnosed over the phone instead of in hospital. Managers at Wakefield Prison, which houses some of England's most notorious criminals, say the move has improved public safety and cut costs.


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Families caring for disabled children are to receive £340m to help improve their lives, Economic Secretary to the Treasury Ed Balls has announced. Over the next three years, money will be spent on improving childcare and support for parents struggling to cope.


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Allergy fear on 'green' laundry - BBC Health News 20th May 2007


Low-temperature cycles in washing machines don't get rid of some of the most common causes of allergy attacks, say scientists. "Green" energy-efficient 30 or 40 degree celsius washes only killed 6% of house dust mites compared with 100% at 60 degrees, Korean researchers found.

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International News

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GlaxoSmithKline's shares suffered their biggest one-day fall in four years yesterday as a safety scare engulfed the drug company's blockbuster diabetes treatment, Avandia. The US food and drug administration issued a formal alert on Avandia last night, warning doctors to be aware of a study suggesting that the medicine could increase patients' risk of heart attacks.


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Health alert over diabetes drug linked to heart risks - The Guardian 22nd May 2007


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Leading diabetes drug 'raises risk of heart attack' - The Independent 22nd May 2007


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Glaxo shares drop on drug worries - BBC Health News 21st May 2007


Joanna Moorhead's report on infant-formula marketing in Bangladesh failed to highlight a single violation by Nestlé of the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes (Milking it, G2, May 15). Indeed, she herself doesn't believe that we are in breach. Instead, by presenting contacts with health professionals - permitted under the code - as "aggressive" marketing, the article claimed that Nestlé is exploiting grey areas.


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Foul air, filthy water and contaminated soil have led to a surge of tumours in China, where cancer is the main cause of death, the state media reported yesterday. Raising fears that breakneck economic growth is having a dire impact on the nation's health, a government survey blamed pollution for a sharp rise in cancer cases.


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A gel made from a patient's own blood cells has been used to make skin wounds heal faster, according to research published yesterday. The pioneering treatment is expected to help patients recover more quickly from surgery, allowing them to leave hospital earlier, and may also reduce complications among people whose skin heals slowly.


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Scientists are a step closer to developing a Star Trek-style scanner which can pick up signs of disease and give a diagnosis with no more than a wave over the body. They found that x-rays of cancer patients contain patterns which can reveal the genetic profile of their tumours. These genetic fingerprints can then be used to tailor a patient's treatment.


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Travellers flying across the Atlantic could beat jet lag by taking Viagra, research on hamsters has suggested. Scientists have discovered that the impotence drug helped the animals to cope when their body clocks were disrupted in a similar fashion to jet lag.


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Viagra may lift effects of jet lag and shift work - The Telegraph 22nd May 2007


Malaysian health officials are looking into claims that a premature baby was pronounced dead while it was still alive. Government doctors at Jitra hospital declared the girl dead on Sunday morning after failing to detect a heartbeat two hours after the birth. Her parents took her home for burial but rushed back to the hospital the same day after claiming that the 11.6oz baby was moving. The baby was put into an incubator and doctors said that she seemed to be “gasping”, but no heartbeat was detected, said Hasnah Ismail, health department director in northern Kedah state. The girl was confirmed dead later that night.


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An afternoon nap can help slim your waist and improve your sex life, health and work performance. That's the suggestion being made in a new book by Harvard University scientist and sleep expert Dr Sara Mednick, who now works at the Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California.

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Cheshire and Merseyside News

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MORE than one member of staff is being violently assaulted every week at a hospital trust which will not bring in security guards. Over the past year 68 physical assaults were reported on staff at Southport and Ormskirk hospitals.


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A MAJOR two million pound overhaul has started at the accident and emergency department at Leighton Hospital, Crewe. The project will modernise the site, which serves Northwich, Winsford and Middlewich,with drastic improvements being made to the existing facilities.


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Vote on plans for GPs' surgeries - Knutsford Guardian 21st May 2007


DO you want GPs' surgeries to be moved under one roof without you having your say? Knutsford's three practices in Toft Road, Manchester Road and Annandale could be transferred to a new medical centre.

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Cumbria and Lancashire News

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Pensioner dumped by his GP - Carlisle News & Star 21st May 2007


A CARLISLE pensioner claims he has been struck off by his GP because his daily visits have become too much of a burden. Seventy-year-old Jim Hewitson, of Moorhouse Road, has been attending the Warwick Road practice five days a week for almost a year to have his dressings changed.


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WEST Cumbria’s new smoking wardens start today to educate businesses on becoming smoke-free zones. Dianne Richardson and Tracey Martin will be working for Copeland and Allerdale councils to raise awareness of how to meet the new legislation, which comes into force on July 1.


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A HOSPITAL that draws its patients from towns including Gretna and Annan is at the centre of a tuberculosis scare. Letters have been sent out to anyone who may have come into contact with a member of staff at Dumfries Infirmary who tested positive for the disease in April.


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A FREE mini-bus service is set to be launched running between the Royal Blackburn Hospital and Burnley General Hospital - to allay fears over transport between the two sprawling sites. The issue of how staff, patients and visitors were going to travel between the hospitals as part of a major services shake-up by East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, has been hotly debated.


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Rovers cough up for nurses - Lancashire Telegraph 21st May 2007


BLACKBURN Rovers stars are putting their money where their mouths are in aid of East Lancashire nurses. Not one of Rovers first-team squad failed to heed a plea by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) to donate a day's pay to benefit hard-up nurses.

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Greater Manchester News

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A PSYCHIATRIST who lied about his qualifications worked in a top Manchester hospital for 16 months. Dr Kelvin Chatoor DID tell Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust that he was under investigation by the General Medical Council over irregularities on his CV when they hired him - but no effort was made to find out any more details.


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THE Christie Hospital in Manchester has been ranked the best in the north for treating patients with respect and dignity. The specialist cancer hospital, which treats patients from Bolton, was also ranked third nationally for admitting patients within a month.


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Ditch bottles to save teeth of youngsters - The Bolton News 21st May 2007


TODDLERS who drink from a baby's bottle are at far greater risk of tooth decay than when using a cup, health bosses in Bolton are warning. Even healthy drinks like milk and fruit juice can damage teeth.


Full links to the articles detailed can be found at www(dot) fade the blog 2 (dot)blogspot (dot)com, This has been a Podcast of Another 15 Minutes ... Health News from the Fade Library.

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