By: Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor, The Independent
Wednesday, 26 November 2008

The number of people infected with HIV acquired through heterosexual contact in the UK has almost doubled in four years, figures issued yesterday show. There were 960 new diagnoses in 2007 compared with 540 in 2003, the Health Protection Agency said.

Although the bulk of the 4,260 new infections diagnosed in this country last year were acquired abroad, the sharp increase contracted in the UK has taken them from one in 10 to almost one in four of all heterosexual cases.

A spokesman for the HPA said the UK heterosexual cases were concentrated in the African community, and most were infected by partners infected abroad. “They are quite small numbers and although they were acquired in the UK they are linked with people who have travelled,” he said.

By: Martha Linden, PA, The Independent
Tuesday, 4 November 2008

Nearly 4,000 new cases of mental health disorder were diagnosed last year among armed services personnel, according to figures published today.

Mental health statistics released by the Ministry of Defence showed 3,917 new cases of armed services personnel assessed to have a mental disorder in 2007 by the MoD’s department of community mental health.

A breakdown of the statistics showed that, in line with the first nine months of last year, there were no statistically significant differences in the rates of overall mental disorder between those who had deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan and those who had not deployed during the last quarter of 2007.

But the figures showed a significantly higher rate of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among those who had deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan compared with those who had not deployed to these countries.

By: Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor, The Independent
Thursday, 23 October 2008

Scientists have made a dramatic leap forward in the treatment of multiple sclerosis with the discovery of a drug that not only halts the disease but can also reverse it.

The discovery is being hailed as the biggest advance against the debilitating neurological condition for more than a decade and could prove effective against other, similar diseases. The MS Society said it was “delighted” by the results.

Scientists believe the drug, alemtuzumab, may also be effective in other conditions. Further studies are under way into its use in autoimmune conditions such as rhemumatoid arthritis, in which the immune system attacks itself, and in transplant surgery.

Research; BMJ 13 October 2008.
By: Joakim Dillner, professor, Lund University, Medical Microbiology, University Hospital MAS, 205 02 Malmö, Sweden et al.

This joint analysis of studies across western Europe concludes that, for women with negative cytology and negative HPV testing, such combined screening every six years would be safe.

By: Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor, The Independent
Friday, 3 October 2008

Energy saving light bulbs can emit levels of ultraviolet radiation sufficient to damage the skin, the Government’s public health safety watchdog warned.
‘Open’ bulbs can be harmful if used close to skin, but closed bulbs are safe.

By: Laura May, PA, The Independent
Tuesday, 30 September 2008

Black men in England are three times more likely than whites to get prostate cancer and tend to be diagnosed five years younger, researchers have found.

Researchers at the University of Bristol found no evidence that black men get poorer access to health care.

They said the differences between races could not be explained by differences in the tests, screening or information black or white men had about the condition.

Reporting in the the British Journal of Cancer, scientists said black men were more likely to be referred to hospital for further investigation by their GP.

By: PA, The Independent
Monday, 29 September 2008

Men will be able to get Viagra online without having to visit their GP, in what a pharmacy claims is the first reputable joint venture with a health website.

Lloydspharmacy and the website DrThom have teamed up to offer the service to men who fill in a questionnaire.

A GP from the DrThom website will analyse the questionnaire and diagnose any erectile problem before issuing an electronic prescription straight to Lloydspharmacy.

By: Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor, The Independent
Friday, 26 September 2008

Almost one in five health trusts are delivering poor quality care outside normal office hours, the most comprehensive investigation into urgent and emergency services has concluded.

The Healthcare Commission also found that proportion of out-of-hours calls categorised as “urgent” varied from under 4 per cent to more than 32 per cent between services, “raising questions” over consistency.

By: Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor, The Independent
Wednesday, 24 September 2008

The controversial drug Ritalin is being over-prescribed to children to control their unruly behaviour and should be avoided in those aged under five, the Government’s drugs watchdog said yesterday.

Instead of reaching for the prescription pad when confronted with a child who is inattentive, undisciplined and constantly on the move, doctors should refer parents for training in how to handle their children and alert teachers to provide support.

An estimated 3 per cent of children and 2 per cent of adults are affected by the condition. The guidance issued by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice) says children suspected of having ADHD should be assessed by specialist teams to determine the most appropriate treatment.

The guidelines say parent training and education programmes should be offered first for ADHD – not drugs.

By: Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor, The Independent
Thursday, 18 September 2008

A warning about the indiscriminate prescribing of antibiotics to pregnant women to delay premature labour was issued to all doctors yesterday after research unexpectedly revealed that the practice may cause long-term harm to their babies.

The Government’s chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, wrote to GPs, obstetricians and other medical staff following publication of the first study of the subject. The findings show an increased risk of cerebral palsy in the children of one group of women. There was also a small increase in problems such as poor eyesight or hearing. The results add to the growing evidence that what happens in the womb has a huge impact on the baby not only at birth but for decades beyond.

Sir Liam said in the letter that antibiotics should continue to be given to women in premature labour where there was evidence of infection, or risk of it because their waters had broken.