Prostate cancer patients eating 'western' diet more likely to die from disease

Those men preferring red meats, fat and processed grains were two-and-a-half-times more likely to die from cancer-related cause, study finds

Men with prostate cancer significantly increase their chances of dying from the disease if they fail to eat healthily after being diagnosed, a study has found.

Those most wedded to a “western” diet containing a lot of red and processed meat, fat and refined grains were two-and-a-half-times more likely to die from a prostate cancer-related cause than men least likely to eat such foods.

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Nauru asylum seeker waited three months for tests after shadow found in throat scan

Poor standards of medical treatment are affecting wellbeing and mental health of asylum seekers, say submissions to senate inquiry

A female asylum seeker on Nauru who was unable to eat solid foods due to throat pain spent three months without receiving further health testing after a shadow was found in an ultrasound scan, a former detention worker has alleged.

New submissions lodged to a Senate inquiry that is investigating serious allegations and conditions at the Nauru detention facility by three unnamed workers on the island have detailed further concerns about medical treatment and sexual assaults.

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Drug duo 'shrinks 60% of melanomas'

A pair of cancer drugs can shrink tumours in nearly 60% of people with advanced melanoma, a trial suggests.

‘Paradigm shift’ hailed in treatment of lung cancer

Tests showed new generation of drug that frees immune system to attack devastating form of lung cancer doubled life expectancy of certain patients

A drug that frees the immune system to attack a devastating form of lung cancer has been shown to double the life expectancy of a targeted group of patients.

Nivolumab is one of new generation of immunotherapy drugs that release cancer-applied brakes on the immune system called “checkpoints”. The results, from an international trial involving patients who had already been treated for the most common form of lung cancer, were described by one expert as a “paradigm shift”.

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More than a third of UK adults would be willing to volunteer for the NHS

A survey has found that 40% of people would be prepared to give up their time to support the NHS, be it in a shop or cafe, carrying out visits or helping on wards

More than a third of British adults would be willing to volunteer to support the NHS, a survey has found.

The study, for the Royal Volunteer Service (RVS), found the role of most interest to people was volunteering in shops or cafes, with 40% saying they would consider such work.

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Targeted Radiation to Treat Brain Tumors May Be Best: Study

Damage to thinking and memory less than with radiation for entire brain, while survival is similar, study finds

New Drug a Weapon Against Advanced Melanoma: Study

Compared to Yervoy, nivolumab more than doubled time to disease progression, researchers found

Cancer study could change radiation treatment for hundreds of thousands

Treating whole brain with radiation found to harm cognitive skills without improving survival, study finds – meaning many could be spared such care

A major study could change care for many of the hundreds of thousands of people each year who have cancer that spreads to the brain from other sites, study leaders said on Sunday.

The study, one of three discussed at an American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago, found that contrary to conventional wisdom, radiation therapy to the whole brain did not improve survival, and harmed memory, speech and thinking skills.

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Christopher Eccleston: ‘Dementia dismantled my father’s personality’

As the devastating disease took over my father, I struggled to salvage a loving relationship, before finding a new way to enter his world – with crosswords, Shakespeare and humour

My father was a hard-working, passionate man. He was an alpha male, and captain of his sports teams: someone who stood up to be counted, and never hid away. Like everyone, he had flaws – but he loved me very deeply, and I loved him.

In 2000, he was diagnosed with vascular dementia – where blood supply to the brain becomes reduced. We are a stoical family, and that’s how we dealt with the news. As my mother would say, “You just have to get on with it.”

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Obesity is the 'new smoking' says NHS England's chief executive

Simon Steven calls on parents and teachers to discourage sugar consumption, which he says is cause of cancer, diabetes and heart disease

The chief executive of NHS England has said public health bodies and educators need to tackle overeating with the same ferocity as teen pregnancy and drink driving, labelling obesity “the new smoking”.

Simon Stevens told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show that obesity had become the key battle for public health, and that he hoped parents and teachers would do a similar amount to discourage consumption of sugar as was done with salt.

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Man's cross-country move inspires him to lose 166 pounds

In 2011, I moved from Ohio to Los Angeles. After being there for 18 months, I saw so many people in shape and I was envious.

Gene Therapy Shows Early Promise Against Deadly Brain Cancer

DNA-modified virus serves as decoy to help target and destroy glioblastoma cells, researchers say

NHS to target 'rip-off' temp agencies

The health service plans to "clamp down on some of the staffing agencies ripping off the NHS", the chief executive of NHS England says.

7 pregnancy apps for healthy moms and babies

Between doctor’s appointments, childbirth classes, eating healthy and exercising, pregnancy is a busy time. Then add in all of the questions that come up about your health and your baby’s development, what’s safe and what’s not, labor, delivery and beyond, and it’s enough to make any pregnant woman want to take a nap.

Western Australian nurses may get special police powers

The Western Australia government is proposing to allow nurses to stop and search someone, to help police who encounter people in a crisis

Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis will receive better treatment under proposed co-operative police and nursing teams, says the Western Australian government.

The government is proposing giving nurses special powers, such as being able to stop and search someone, to help police who encounter people in a crisis.

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Spinal cord injury cancer drug hope

A group of drugs being trialled for cancer could also be used to make nerves regrow and treat spinal cord injuries, a study in mice suggests.

Last cigarette: Beijing stubs out public smoking from Monday

Health activists have pushed for years for stronger restrictions on smoking in China, the world’s largest tobacco consumer

Beijing will ban smoking in restaurants, offices and on public transport from Monday, part of new curbs welcomed by anti-tobacco advocates, though how they will be enforced remains to be seen.

Health activists have pushed for years for stronger restrictions on smoking in China, the world’s largest tobacco consumer, which is considering further anti-smoking curbs nationwide.

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Melanoma Treatment May Not Always Require Extensive Lymph Node Removal

No survival difference seen for patients spared surgery, study says

New Drug Keeps Common Breast Cancer Under Control Longer: Study

Adding Ibrance to standard hormone therapy kept disease from progressing for nine months

The gross reason to rethink getting a full Brazilian wax

Forget the basic bikini wax. The Brazilian wax— which entails removing all of the hair down there (even between the cheeks!)— has become as standard a rite of summer for some women as spray tans and pedicures.  

Minister worked as spin doctor for tobacco giant that paid workers £15 a month

Priti Patel worked for PR firm Shandwick on improving BAT’s image over Burma factory, and also lobbied MEPs against EU tobacco regulations

The employment minister, Priti Patel, was part of a team of spin doctors paid hundreds of thousands of pounds to help a tobacco giant counter negative publicity, including that surrounding its joint venture with one of the world’s most brutal military regimes.

Documents unearthed by the Observer shine new light on Patel’s work for Shandwick, a lobbying and PR firm that worked for British American Tobacco (BAT) in the early years of this century.

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Government 'shocked' by report of Dignitas link to struck-off doctor

Daily Mail reports that unregistered psychiatrist is assessing patients who want to go to Swiss assisted dying clinic

The Department of Health has described claims an unregistered doctor is giving medical assessments to patients who want to go to Dignitas as shocking.

The Daily Mail reported that the Swiss assisted dying clinic was referring patients who wanted to end their lives to a British psychiatrist who was struck off nine years ago for serious professional misconduct.

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Cancer drugs rankings suggest many are of little benefit to patients

Leading experts call on pharmaceutical industry to focus on coming up with meaningful drugs and boost levels of effectiveness

Many modern cancer drugs are of very little benefit to patients, according to a group of leading European experts, who have devised a way to score them.

More and more medicines have been going on to the market with lower and lower levels of benefit

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Babies Prefer Sound of Other Babies Over Adults

Researcher says infants may be 'finding their voice'

Smokers May Need More Anesthesia, Painkillers for Surgery

Study finds effect seems to extend to people exposed to secondhand smoke, too

Lung cancer therapy is 'milestone'

A lung cancer therapy can more than double life expectancy in some patients, a major trial shows.

Australian Medical Association lambasts government over doctor rebates freeze

AMA president Brian Owler says “damaging” freeze could force GPs to pass costs on to patients, amounting to co-payment by stealth

The federal government could face another fierce campaign from one of the nation’s most powerful lobby groups if it does not lift its freeze on doctors’ rebates before the next election.

The Australian Medical Association has used its annual national conference in Brisbane to take another swipe at the government, in the group’s campaign against a four-year indexation freeze on the rebate Medicare pays doctors.

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Obesity 'causes one in five cancer deaths'

Heavier people are more at risk, warns cancer expert at Chicago conference

Tackling obesity is a major priority, the UK government has said, as a report warns that it is the cause of one in five cancer deaths.

At the world’s biggest conference on cancer, it was claimed that obesity was killing tens of thousands of people a year in Britain and it is about to replace tobacco as the leading preventable cause of cancer in the west, according to a report in the Times.

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Is your number of sex partners 'normal'? 5 ways to check

It's a most personal subject: the number of people you've slept with.

Health Tip: Don't Use Food as a Reward

Here are suggested alternatives

E. coli could be answer to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, scientists say

When most think of E. coli, they think of food poisoning, but what if the bacteria could be the key to fighting antibiotic resistance?

E. coli could be answer to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, scientists say

When most think of E. coli, they think of food poisoning, but what if the bacteria could be the key to fighting antibiotic resistance?

David Sackett obituary

Champion of evidence-based medicine who won over the medical establishment

The physician David Sackett, who has died aged 80, was a leading advocate of evidence-based medicine. Born in the US, he spent much of his life in Canada; there and in Britain he promoted a radical way of thinking about diagnosis and treatment that was based on a rigorous assessment of the relevant evidence from a patient’s symptoms and clinical signs, and from results of tests and published trials. This challenged the medical profession’s long-held reliance on subjective judgment, tradition and authority.

In putting the patient at the centre of every discussion about diagnosis and treatment, Sackett followed the lead of another pioneer of clinical epidemiology, Alvan Feinstein of Yale Uiversity. Evidence-based medicine, first termed as such by Sackett’s Canadian colleague Gordon Guyatt in 1990, depends on a belief in the value of systematic reviews of literature and critical assessment of the worth of diagnostic tests and treatments, allied to a consideration of the trade-offs of risks, benefits and costs, and, above all, the patient’s preferences.

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Germany 'hits global birth rate low'

A study says Germany's birth rate has slumped to the lowest in the world, prompting fears labour market shortages will damage the economy.

FDA Warns of Complications From Facial Fillers

When injections accidentally enter blood vessels, blockages and damage can occur

Woman goes blind after cat licks her eye

An Ohio woman has gone blind in her left eye after her cat licked her and transmitted an infection called cat scratch disease (CSD), fox8.com reported.

Nigeria's female genital mutilation ban is important precedent, say campaigners

As the outgoing president, Goodluck Jonathan, bans FGM in one of his final acts, groups look to the last African nations who have not yet made it illegal

The Nigerian government has taken the historic step of outlawing the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM), in a move campaigners describe as “hugely important”.

Nigeria – a cultural and political powerhouse in Africa – introduced a new federal law banning the practice, which involves removing part or all of a girl’s outer sexual organs.

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The obsession with ‘natural’ birth is just another way to judge a woman | Hadley Freeman

Judgments rain down on pregnant women – not least when they opt for a little medical assistance

Few things drive the British press quite so demented as the thought of a pregnant woman with a choice. Illegal immigrants eating swans? This week’s most dangerous woman in Britain? Mere side issues to the spectre of horror that is a pregnant woman making a decision about what suits her best as an individual. An individual! After all, we know that as soon as conception happens, a woman stops being her own person but is instead generic “mum”, and should be talked to accordingly.

But I’m getting ahead of myself here (typical bloody woman). “Mothers ‘risk losing ability to give birth’” screamed the front of the Sunday Times last weekend. Various other papers eagerly seized on the story, too, based on the latest book from French doctor Michel Odent, who claims that because childbirth has become so medicalised, women are no longer able to go through it without intervention. Odent writes that the use of synthetic drips of oxytocin means women will no longer be able to produce “the hormone of love” naturally. That’s right, women: not only are you foolishly allowing doctors to divest you of your ability to give birth, but you soon won’t even love the few kids you manage to produce. You disgust me, women.

Saying you’d opt for a c-section is like admitting you’d give your kids heroin to keep them quiet during EastEnders

Related: The cult of natural childbirth has gone too far | Eliane Glaser

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Teen dies after doctors allegedly dismiss stomach cancer symptoms as desire to be thin

A British teen whose stomach cancer symptoms were allegedly dismissed by doctors as a desire to be skinny died after it spread to her eye and ovaries, the Telegraph reported.

Georgia Hooters waitress donates kidney to longtime regular

A waitress at a Hooters in Georgia will donate her kidney to a longtime regular customer of the restaurant.

Transplant man meets donor's sister

A woman, whose brother was killed in a car accident, has met the man who was given his face in a pioneering transplant operation.

Wasting water is a luxury we can no longer afford | Alok Jha

Worrying about how much water to drink each day is misleading – our real problem is the growing shortage that threatens four billion people on Earth

How much water should you drink every day? Roughly two litres sound about right? Perhaps you keep a bottle next to your desk at work and swig from it all day in a bid to stave off all those problems you’ve been convinced will arise the moment your body’s hydration levels dip below “perfect”?

And perhaps you should worry. A poll of GPs this week, carried out by the Natural Hydration Council, found that one in five of their patients were coming into surgeries and clogging up their valuable time with ailments such as feeling tired, headaches or poor concentration, mostly caused by them not drinking enough water. Of course, it’s a not-so-small detail that the Natural Hydration Council is the trade body for the bottled water industry, and it’s in their interest to make you worry about how little water you’re drinking. But surely it’s hard to argue against the basic advice that drinking lots of water is good for you?

You will never see or touch most of the water you are responsible for using

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Excess Weight Linked to Worse Prostate Cancer Prognosis

Radiation less effective for overweight, obese men, researchers say

7 ways your job may be affecting your waistline

If you’re an “average” American, there’s a good chance you’re overweight and overworked.

CDC says150 people possibly came into contact with man who died of Lassa fever

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Thursday that federal and state health officials have identified more than 150 people who may have came into contact with a New Jersey man who died of Lassa fever.

'There is still a shocking level of ignorance regarding dementia'

Our expert panel discussed the issues people with dementia face when accessing health and social care services

• Read the discussion in full

George McNamara, head of policy and public affairs, Alzheimer’s Society: Every day we hear about the struggle people with dementia have getting a timely diagnosis. While progress has been made in this area, many people with dementia are also at their wits end with the lack of timely and quality dementia care in their area.

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Asthma, pitbulls and education: a day in the life of a paediatric nurse

Croydon has second-highest hospital admission rate for asthma in London. My team aims to reduce that by 40% in the next year

I love being a paediatric nurse – it’s part of who I am. I’m back from maternity leave and have started a new role as a children’s asthma specialist nurse, for the Croydon children’s hospital at Home Community Team. It’s my 10th job since qualifying as a paediatric nurse. It was the 10-minute commute, team and culture of flexible working that sealed the deal. I received a call 15 minutes after leaving the interview to offer me the post. I’d only got to Tesco Express. They said they were bowled over by me. It’s the nicest thing that’s ever been said to me on being offered a job.

I wake up at 6.30am trying not to wake my two children till later; once they’re awake it’s all go, so I try and get a head start. I work flexibly, compressing my hours over three days. I arrive at the health centre I’m based at for 8.30am on the days I don’t do the nursery run.

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Tory plan for seven-day access to GPs branded 'cloud cuckoo land'

Dr Maureen Baker of the Royal College of GPs hits out at David Cameron’s NHS pledge and warns that many GP surgeries are already ‘teetering on the brink’

Plans for seven-day GP surgeries have been described as coming from “cloud cuckoo land” by one of the UK’s most senior doctors.

Dr Maureen Baker, chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), labelled the government’s pledge a “political imperative” and warned that many GP surgeries were already “teetering on the brink”.

Related: Seven-day NHS: healthcare professionals on whether it's possible

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150 people possibly came into contact with man who died of Lassa fever, CDC says

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that federal and state health officials identified more than 150 people who may have came into contact with a patient who died of Lassa fever.

Marriage Before College Graduation Tied to More Weight Gain

Study finds obesity much more likely in 20s, 30s

Amnesia researchers use light to restore 'lost' memories in mice

Study challenges understanding of how memory functions, with researchers finding past memories could simply be ‘lost’ rather than ‘erased’

Researchers have gained new understanding on the workings of amnesia through research that used light to revive lost memories in mice, a study published Thursday reported.

Amnesia remains a controversial subject in the field of neuroscience, with some researchers arguing that it occurs when cells are damaged and memory cannot be stored, while others believe that the memories are simply blocked and cannot be recalled.

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Woman comes face to face with her dead brother's transplanted face

Severely disfigured in a shooting accident, Richard Norris, 39, given the face of Joshua Aversano, who died aged 21 after being run over

A woman has met the man who received the face of her dead brother in a groundbreaking transplant.

Rebekah Aversano saw – and touched – the transplanted face for the first time in an emotional meeting with Richard Norris, who was severely disfigured in a shooting accident.

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Sleep training 'can reduce prejudice'

Levels of unconscious racist and sexist bias have been reduced by manipulating the way the brain learns during sleep.

On #IHMayDay15, Indigenous people take charge of the health discussion | IndigenousX

On Indigenous Health May Day, Matthew Cooke shares his views and knowledge on the issues affecting the health of Indigenous people. You can show your support by retweeting and listening at @IndigenousX

Aboriginal community-controlled health organisations are improving health outcomes for Aboriginal people. We need to continue to invest in, and expand, these services as they have proven time and time again to be the best model of primary health care for Aboriginal people.

In 2006, as a young 19-year-old, I was appointed chief executive officer of the fledgling Aboriginal community-controlled health service in Gladstone, Nhulundu Wooribah Indigenous Health Organisation.

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Pop star Demi Lovato gets vocal about mental illness with new campaign

Popstar Demi Lovato is no stranger to the struggles faced by millions of Americans who suffer from mental illness.

Smoking ban 'reduced annual rate of child respiratory problems by 11,000'

Researchers say introduction of UK’s smoke-free legislation in 2007 was followed by immediate 3.5% drop in admissions among under-15s, saving the health service £17m a year

Banning smoking in public places in England helped cut the number of children being admitted to hospital with respiratory infections by about 11,000 a year, researchers have said. The introduction of smoke-free legislation in 2007 was followed by an immediate 3.5% drop in admissions among under-15s. The biggest fall, of nearly 14%, was among those suffering chest infections, while there were smaller effects among admissions for nose, throat and sinus infections.

The researchers from Edinburgh, London, the Netherlands and the US estimated that the fall in admissions was saving the health service about £17m a year. Their work was published as the government’s Health and Social Care Information Centre prepared on Friday to release new figures on hospital admissions and deaths from diseases attributable to smoking.

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Popularity of 'hookup apps' blamed for surge in sexually transmitted infections

Health officials in Rhode Island and Utah attribute an uptick in STDS including syphilis, gonorrhea and HIV cases to use of apps like Grindr and Tinder

The surge in popularity of “hookup apps” has been blamed for an increase in the number of STD infections reported in Rhode Island.

The number of syphilis cases in the state rose by 79% from 2013 to 2014, while incidents of gonorrhea swelled by 30%. Newly infected HIV cases increased by 33% in the same time period.

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Two Drugs Approved for Irritable Bowel

Syndrome affects up to 15 percent of U.S. adults

American business body backs dangerous chemicals probe | Letter from AmCham EU

Your article (US lobbying led to EU shelving curb on dangerous pesticides, 23 May) implies the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (AmCham EU) has attempted to either shelve or delay EU regulation on endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). This could not be further from the truth. AmCham EU, a non-governmental industry body representing American business, has been participating in all EU stakeholder engagement on EDCs from its inception, and has been transparent in both its positioning (positions are published on its website) and outreach. We fully support and look forward to participating in the EU commission’s forthcoming science-based impact assessment process which will determine the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of proposed criteria for EDCs.
Anna McNally
Communications director, AmCham EU

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Tattoos May Pose Health Risks, Researchers Report

Rashes, itching, infections and swelling found in 6 percent of those 'inked'

Man struck by lightning in the head, survives

The odds of getting hit by lightning in the U.S. each year: one in 700,000.

1 in 20 people has hallucinated

About 1 in 20 people in the general population has experienced at least one hallucination in their lifetime that wasn't connected to drugs, alcohol or dreaming, according to a new study.

Pocket optician 'good as eye charts'

A smartphone app is as effective at testing eyesight as an optician's clinic, a trial suggests.

James Payne obituary

My father, James Payne, who has died aged 93, was a professor of anaesthetics, a research scientist and a medical politician. His work on the distribution of alcohol in blood, breath and urine led to the introduction of the breathalyser in Britain. He also did research into hypoxia that changed pre- and post-operative practices. Much of his work focused on the safety and effectiveness of anaesthetic agents and on the development of accurate, non-invasive monitoring equipment, now part and parcel of medical care.

He wrote papers on ethics and education and was an expert witness in many legal cases. He was also a prominent member of the British Medical Association. His feet were firmly planted on the ground, he had a strong notion of support for ordinary people and he was a great raconteur.

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Ex-ham stress: students cuddle piglets to relieve revision-related anxiety

Nottingham Trent University sets up ‘micropig’ room giving students some pet therapy before exams

The claims for pet therapy are well established – if not firmly proved – and this week university students taking exams have been given an opportunity to cuddle up to piglets to relieve their stress.

Nottingham Trent students’ union (NTSU) organised a “micropig” room over two days, allowing students to interact with the animals to relieve revision-related anxiety.

Look who's at the City SU today! Looking super cute and raising money for @TrentRAG @guidedogs #PigletRoom pic.twitter.com/JNPug223Yg

All the fun of the farm again tomorrow! @petpiggies will be at Clifton and we'll have @WhitePostFarm at City! 10-3 pic.twitter.com/6N385GeDr8

Piggy procrastination ! @Trentstudents @petpiggies pic.twitter.com/jsmbcnC0Vi

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Australian man says fall during bachelor party saved his life

An Australian man who fell up the stairs after spending the night out for his bachelor party wound up hitting his head and requiring a trip to the hospital the next day, which may have saved his life.

Man chronicles dying dog’s 35-city bucket list trip on Instagram

In February, vets told Thomas Neil Rodriguez that his 15-year-old mixed-breed dog, Poh, had multiple health issues and that his days were numbered, news.com.au reported.

Health services should have identified risk of double murderer reoffending

Report says there were ‘many deficiencies and missed opportunities’ in the treatment of James Allen, who murdered two people in 2012

Health services that dealt with a man later convicted of murdering two people should have identified the “significant probability that he would reoffend”, a report has found.

James Allen attacked 81-year-old Colin Dunford in his Middlesbrough terrace home, then three days later stabbed to death Julie Davison, 50, at her flat in Whitby, North Yorkshire.

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Tackling obesity for 'the body of Christ': a Mississippi pastor's healthy mission

Healthcare professionals have learned that weight loss efforts can be much more effective when led by a trusted guide – and that person may not be a doctor

Pastor Joe Wilcots knew it was time to lose weight when he glanced at a photo of himself at a church function and thought: “Who is that fat little man?”

He’d already noticed some members of his flock, at Disciples of Christ church about an hour from Jackson, Mississippi, were unhealthily heavy; one man weighed nearly 450 pounds. And that was hard to see. “As a pastor when you look out over the congregation and see people overweight, then you want to help them,” said Wilcots.

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'Give HIV drugs at diagnosis'

HIV drugs should be given at the moment of diagnosis, according to a major trial that could change the way the disease is treated.

Tattoos can cause serious adverse reactions, study finds

Getting inked may have long-term consequences beyond just having to live with your ex-girlfriend's name on your bicep for decades.

Health Tip: Exercising Despite Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Start slowly so you don't overdo it

For service users who rely on benefits, the Queen's speech brought no relief

It is not just the lack of funding for social care in comparison with the NHS that makes things seem bleak

If the Queen’s speech is anything to go by, the prospects for social care and its service users are bleak. But they may be even worse than expected, because we have been looking in the wrong direction.

Attention has so far focused on how social care will fare under this government’s proposals for the NHS. Fears have been raised that it would stay the poor relation in the partnership, lacking the protection afforded the NHS by its public popularity. These are justified concerns. However, for social care service users, there may be even greater reason for concern. These arise out of the government’s continuing commitment to far-reaching welfare reform.

Related: The Queen's speech must not treat social care as the poor cousin of the NHS

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FBI investigating hysterectomy device linked with uterine cancer

The FBI is investigating a surgical device that was found to spread cancer in women, including looking into what the largest manufacturer of it, Johnson & Johnson, knew about the tool’s hazards before pulling it off the market last year, according to people who have been interviewed by the agency.

Don't make a meal out of care home catering

The lack of training and qualifications for caterers in care homes can lead to a poor or even unsafe service

Caterers in care homes are an important part of the adult social care workforce, but historically they have not been required to hold formal qualifications at all, let alone any care credentials. As a result, cooks and chefs often try to relate their experiences of different working environments to the new context of care home catering. Catering can become focused on carrying and clearing plates, rather than taking time to understand the food being provided and what the residents’ needs are.

Increased scrutiny, both from the media and from specialist Care Quality Commission inspectors, are challenging the sector to improve, and there are positive signs that social care catering is rapidly developing. However, the sector is still being undermined by the twin challenges of training and qualifications.

Related: My career from French patisserie to care home cookery

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Empty promises mean African mothers are dying of preventable diseases | Dr Joachim Osur

As governments fail to make good on healthcare funding promises, women in sub-Saharan Africa have a one in 16 chance of dying in pregnancy or childbirth

At a dispensary in Nyaluoyo village in western Kenya, there is just one midwife on duty. There are three women in labour, about 40 children waiting to be vaccinated, and another 15 people with other ailments.

It is 3pm and the lone midwife has yet to take lunch. She does not earn enough to buy school books for her own child, and she cannot meet other basic monthly needs. She has participated in health worker strikes in the past to push for higher salaries, but to no avail.

Related: 'My mother did everything but she was left to bleed to death after giving birth' | Alon Mwesigwa

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Vegan Diet Might Ease Diabetic Nerve Pain

Study found those who followed it lost average of 15 pounds, had improved blood flow to feet

Breast cancer 'alters bone to spread'

Breast cancers can change the structure of bone to make it easier to spread there, a study finds.

Breast cancer could be 'stopped in its tracks' by new technique, say scientists

Discovery of method for blocking enzyme that spreads cancer cells to bones is described as ‘important progress’ in prevention of secondary stage of disease

Certain breast cancers spread to the bones using an enzyme that drills “seed holes” for planting new tumours, research has shown.

The discovery could lead to treatments aimed at preventing secondary breast cancers in patients with non-hormone sensitive disease.

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Chronic Gambling Linked to Depression, Impulsivity

Both should be treated at the same time, researchers say

UK's cancer death rates blamed on delays in sending patients for tests

Researchers say GPs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland less likely than other countries to refer possible cancer patients immediately

Delays in testing for cancer at GPs’ surgeries may be the reason why patients in the UK are more likely to die of the disease than those in comparable countries, according to authoritative new research.

Cancer patients in the UK have a lower chance of survival than in Australia, Canada, Norway and Sweden – four of the five countries that have been compared with the UK in a series of investigations over the past six years. Only in Denmark, the fifth country, are the survival rates as low as in the UK.

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Poorer Blacks May Face Higher Odds of Heart Disease

For black women, study finds risk is doubled among those with lowest income

Dr. Manny: The problem with one Central Florida college’s sonography training

Who really monitors the quality of some of these health care professional training colleges?

Five espressos worth of caffeine could be damaging to health, warns EU

EFSA study suggests up to 400mg of caffeine a day should have no health consequences for healthy adults, but more than that could be harmful

Consuming more than five espressos worth of caffeine a day could be damaging to your health, according to European food safety experts.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said single doses of up to 200mg of caffeine from a range of sources – such as tea, coffee, chocolate and energy drinks – should be a safe level for most healthy adults.

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Five espressos a day? EU food agency says stop there

Drinking up to five espressos a day, or the equivalent, poses no risk to the general population, according to a European review into the safety of caffeine.

Don't Give Heart-Healthy Patients Blood Pressure Drugs Before Surgery: Study

But those with three or four heart risk factors may benefit from getting beta-blockers

Peru lawmakers reject bill to allow abortions for pregnant rape victims

Women who become pregnant after being raped will have no option but to keep the unwanted pregnancy, after a vote on an issue that has divided Peru

Peruvian women who become pregnant after they are raped will have no legal option but to keep the unwanted pregnancy, after congress voted against a bill to legalise abortion in such cases, an issue that has divided ordinary Peruvians.

Related: Pregnant 10-year-old rape victim denied abortion by Paraguayan authorities

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Newer contraceptive pills may further raise risk of blood clots

Newer versions of the Pill may raise a woman’s risk of dangerous blood clots even more than older versions, a large U.K. study suggests.

Blindness finally revealed the hidden cause of my fatigue: MS | Penny Anderson

Multiple sclerosis is difficult to diagnose, but a less-than-caring response from healthcare professionals made the job even harder

It all began when I couldn’t wake up one morning. As a freelance music journalist in the early 1990s, torpor seemed an unavoidable consequence of fun times (too many gigs, too many indulgent late nights). But this was different: I could never wake up, and I slept into the early afternoon for weeks, then months on end. Walking along the street became onerous: I lacked both strength and energy.

Related: MS: four in five multiple sclerosis sufferers in UK are misdiagnosed

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Police issue warning over paracetamol challenge

Young people daring each other to take excessive amounts of drug, resulting in at least one hospitalisation

Police and schools have issued a warning to parents about the “paracetamol challenge”, a potentially lethal social media craze that encourages young people to abuse over-the-counter painkillers.

The challenge, shared via Facebook and Instagram, has already resulted in the hospitalisation of one schoolboy in Ayrshire, Scotland. “We’ve heard about the #paracetamolchallenge. DONT get involved in this. It causes liver & kidney failure... and death,” Coatbridge police tweeted after the incident.

We've heard about the #paracetamolchallenge. DONT get involved in this. It causes liver & kidney failure...and death pic.twitter.com/lTsM13vaYM

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Siri Lowe obituary

In 1995, my friend Siri Lowe, who has died of cancer aged 68, was afflicted with the auto-immune skin disease pemphigus vulgaris, which forced her to take early retirement and changed the course of her life. Siri assiduously studied the disease, its symptoms and the immuno-suppressant drugs that were customarily prescribed to put the blistering it caused into remission, and set up a pemphigus support network.

She collected, collated, wrote and edited material for the support group’s website and also offered information over the phone every weekday morning. Overturning initial scepticism from medical experts, she won professional recognition, including the praise of the British Association of Dermatologists, for her accuracy and thoroughness. Anthony du Vivier, her consultant at the dermatology clinic of King’s College hospital, in south-east London, became one of her greatest supporters. Siri attended meetings of the parliamentary all-party skin care committee and the British Association of Dermatologists. Her greatest triumph came in organising a conference in London in 2000 for pemphigus patients, bringing together sufferers of this very rare, debilitating and potentially fatal disease, and thus ending their isolation.

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Friends, teammates call for support of softball player who suffered brain aneurysm

Friends and teammates of a California softball player who has been on life support since suffering a brain aneurysm on the field Saturday continue to spread awareness by using the hashtag #PrayforDana on social media.

Scientists to study whether Ecstasy may relieve social anxiety in autistic patients

Ecstasy has been researched for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as behavior linked to autism, but now scientists are preparing to study how the drug, also known as MDMA, may relieve social anxiety in high-functioning autistic adults, The Independent reported.

Could a Noisy Neighborhood Make You Fat?

Constant exposure to traffic, trains and planes may add inches to your waist, researchers report

How summertime can increase the risk for kidney stones

Summer is a big season for kidney stones.

Health Tip: How Loud is Too Loud?

Signs you may be damaging your hearing

How to choose the right sunscreen

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the U.S. In fact, it is probably more common than you think. Did you know that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer at some point in their lives?

Pharmacy Guild shelves protest plans after compromise deal with government

Pharmacies will now enjoy a five-year extension of location rules that protect existing businesses from competition under $3.2bn agreement

The Pharmacy Guild has shelved plans to launch a major campaign against a Coalition plan to allow pharmacists to offer a $1 discount on prescription medicine, after the government tied it to a five-year extension of location rules that protect existing pharmacies.

The health minister, Sussan Ley, signed a deal with the guild to increase remuneration and funding to the community pharmacy sector and wholesale distributors by $3.2bn over five years.

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Virotherapy: skin cancer successfully treated with herpes-based drug

‘Virotherapy’ uses modified herpes virus to attack melanoma cells and has potential to overcome cancer even when disease has spread throughout the body

Patients with aggressive skin cancer have been treated successfully using a drug based on the herpes virus, in a trial that could pave the way for a new generation of cancer treatments.

The findings mark the first positive phase 3 trial results for cancer “virotherapy”, where one disease is harnessed and used to attack another. If approved, the drug, called T-VEC, could be more widely available for cancer patients by next year, scientists predicted.

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Ohio man advertises need for kidney across his car

An Ohio man in need of a kidney has taken an unusual route in trying to getting a one by advertising it in bright yellow letters across his car.

Illinois couple celebrates birth of 100th grandchild

An Illinois couple recently celebrated the birth of their 100^th grandchild.

David Koch resigns from organ donation authority, telling minister to 'get a backbone' – video

Sunrise host David Koch tells assistant health minister Fiona Nash to 'get a backbone' as he resigns on air as the chairman of the Organ and Tissue Authority advisory council, over an impending government review. The TV host said he was not consulted on the move and had no choice to but step down and counter 'the tripe dished out by a bunch of rich lobbyists that just talk and do nothing' Continue reading...

David Koch resigns from organ donation authority, telling minister to 'get a backbone' - video

Sunrise host David Koch tells assistant health minister Fiona Nash to 'get a backbone' as he resigns on air as the chairman of the Organ and Tissue Authority advisory council, over an impending government review. The TV host said he was not consulted on the move and had no choice to but step down and counter 'the tripe dished out by a bunch of rich lobbyists that just talk and do nothing' Continue reading...

Cold sore virus 'treats skin cancer'

A genetically engineered version of a virus that normally causes cold sores shows real promise for treating skin cancer, say researchers.

Four in five multiple sclerosis sufferers in UK are misdiagnosed

Poll finds more than a quarter are told incorrectly they have a trapped nerve, with 39% of people with MS waiting over a year for correct diagnosis

Four in five people with multiple sclerosis in the UK are misdiagnosed, with more than a quarter told incorrectly that they have a trapped nerve, a survey suggests.

The poll found that 39% of people with MS waited more than a year for a correct diagnosis, prompting the MS Society to warn that too many people are suffering needlessly as a result of the delays.

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Dr. Manny: Keep the #CharlieCharlieChallenge and other social media crazes out of your homes

This social media frenzy is driving me crazy. Every day it seems there is a new “challenge” for young people to partake in. A few weeks ago it was the #KylieJennerChallenge, which resulted in plenty of #KylieJennerChallengeFails, and left kids in need of medical attention with damage to their faces.

Immune-Based Therapy Uses Virus to Fight Advanced Melanoma

Study shows it helped a minority of patients, and experts say this approach has promise

Skin cancer patients successfully treated with herpes-based drug

“Virotherapy” uses modified herpes virus to attack melanoma cells and has potential to overcome cancer even when disease has spread throughout the body

Patients with aggressive skin cancer have been treated successfully using a drug based on the herpes virus, in a trial that could pave the way for a new generation of cancer treatments.

The findings mark the first positive phase 3 trial results for cancer “virotherapy”, where one disease is harnessed and used to attack another. If approved, the drug, called T-VEC, could be more widely available for cancer patients by next year, scientists predicted.

Continue reading...

New Jersey boy, 6, battling leukemia has robot attend class for him

A New Jersey boy battling leukemia hasn’t been to school since late January, but he has kept up with his classwork thanks to a robot that attends class for him, NJ.com reported.

Star softball player suffers brain aneurysm, collapses on field

A California high school softball player is on life support after suffering a brain aneurysm that caused her to suddenly collapse on the field Saturday.

Australia looks to scrap tampon tax after student protest

The Australian government on Tuesday bowed to pressure and took the first step to end a controversial sales tax on women's sanitary products, a day after a student carrying a giant tampon confronted the treasurer on television with a petition demanding change.

Dawn of the cyborgs: how humans will turn themselves into gods

Historian Yuval Harari says humanity is heading for an upgrade – via biological manipulation or the creation of a race of cyborgs

Name: Cyborg.

Age: Infinite.

Related: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari – review

Related: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind - podcast

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British woman, 21, dies of blood clots 3 weeks after starting the pill

The parents of a British woman whose contraceptive medication caused health complications are raising awareness about the potential dangers of taking the pill while grieving their daughter’s death, news.com.au reported.

Residents blame Durban oil refineries for health problems

Bill Gates funds ground-breaking sanitation research in Durban, but in the communities living under pollution from oil refineries just a short drive away – run by companies in which Gates is invested – asthma and cancer rates are high

It was standing room only in the darkened hall when Cyril Ramaphosa, a former miners’ union leader-turned-mining magnate and South African deputy president, walked to the podium at Durban’s deluxe International Convention Centre. He was to address a “National Sanitation Indaba”, a conference dealing with the outrage that more than one in 10 of South African households still lack adequate sanitation in the 21st century.

“It is a tale of daily humiliation for many of our people,” Ramaphosa told delegates. “The lack of adequate sanitation encourages the transmission of many infectious diseases, including cholera, typhoid, hepatitis, polio, cryptosporidiosis and ascariasis. Diarrhea – a disease directly related to poor sanitation – it is said, kills one child every 20 seconds. This is more than 4,000 children every day worldwide. This amounts to more deaths than Aids, malaria and measles combined. This is a tale of diseases that are easily spread and young lives that are needlessly lost.”

Diarrhea kills more than 4,000 children every day worldwide .. more deaths than Aids, malaria and measles combined

“Bill Gates is throwing money at the symptoms. It’s no good mopping up constantly when you don’t fix the tap.

It would be such a good thing if Bill Gates himself came here to see what has happened to the people.

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The Queen's speech must not treat social care as the poor cousin of the NHS

The dedication of social workers has helped patch over underfunding and rising demand, but social care cannot afford five more years of the same

Adult social care has become the poor cousin of the NHS. Those of us in the sector may not feel comfortable with this assessment, but few would disagree with it. While the NHS was the key issue in the general election campaigns, social care was pushed into the background. And while the health budget was ringfenced throughout the last parliament, social care funding fell by more than a third in some places.

Related: 'Stop punishing the poor': what social care wants from the government

Related: 'What price in human suffering?' How austerity has affected social care

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How does salmonella get into sushi?

Raw tuna is the suspected source of a new outbreak of Salmonella, but how does tuna become contaminated with the bacteria in the first place?

Health Tip: Be Safe Around Lawn Mowers

Don't let kids play nearby while mowing

Will Jeremy Hunt be able to join up health and social care? | Anne Perkins

The health secretary is not new to his brief, but that won’t make it any easier to bridge the damaging culture gap between health and social care and successfully integrate services

When the Queen delivers her speech from the throne today, the one thing there won’t be is new legislation on health or social care. The word in Richmond House is Carry on Quietly, or as quietly as possible, while trying to navigate through a potentially catastrophic debt crisis among NHS foundation trusts that only adds to the familiar pressures of demography and the need to reform.

But Jeremy Hunt starts with some advantages, not least that for him this is of course not a start, merely a return to business. Not since Norman Fowler back in the 1980s has a health secretary stayed in post through an election. And although he has yet to clock up three full years in the post, Hunt has already served longer than anyone since Alan Milburn set off with reforming zeal in 1999. So at least he knows what he has to do.

Once again the professionals are nervously circling the utopian future of integrated health and social care

Much hangs on the success of the pioneering project to devolve the health budget in Manchester

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Do your genes influence your financial decisions?

Your genes don’t just determine your hair color and skin tone.

General practice may seem like a circus act but the show must go on

GPs are the ringmasters in the greatest show on earth but these days no one wants to run away and join the circus

“LADIES-S-S-S-S AND GENTLEMEN-N-N-N! Ten-n-n-n minutes till we open! Just ten-n-n-n minutes!”

The ringmaster looks out of the upstairs window as she imagines calling to the crowd. It’s 7.30am, and the queue is winding around the corner already. The surgery glows like a ghostly coliseum in the dark. The crowd stamp their feet and blow into their hands in bitter protest against the relentless wind.

Related: I faced burnout working as a GP in the NHS – I had to stop

She is humbled by the patient's grit and stoicism, and can only listen with a lump in her throat.

Another 14 acts pile in one after the other before lunch

Sometimes it's her that feels like the performer, trying not to get caught up in the political circus outside.

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Dust, TB and HIV: the ugly face of mining in South Africa

The Wellcome Trust and Gates Foundation fund health centres in the country, but remain invested in fossil fuel companies whose mining operations, it is claimed, have a profound impact on the health of local communities

Worried that his eyes and urine were turning a deep yellow, Gednezar Dladla made his way to a local clinic and was referred to a district hospital, where he was x-rayed, diagnosed with gallstones, and admitted for the night. Both institutions receive funding from the Wellcome Trust and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

A day later, Dladla set off through the hills and valleys of rural Zululand to a village near his childhood home, where a group of men played cards in the shade of a tree. The environmental activist listened to their grievances about dust pollution, water shortages and lack of assistance from a local mine owned by Rio Tinto – whose investors include the Wellcome Trust and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

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Health officials investigating after New Jersey man dies of Lassa fever following Liberia trip

A New Jersey man died Monday evening after been diagnosed with Lassa fever — a frightening infectious disease from West Africa that is rarely seen in the United States, a federal health official said.

I wasn't surprised by Four Corners. Bullying in medicine is as old as the profession | Ranjana Srivastava

Finally, a light is shining on harassment and bullying in medicine. But the profession has a lot of soul-searching to do before anything changes

Last night’s Four Corners again laid bare the fraught issue of bullying and harassment in medicine, demonstrating the service that surgeon Gabrielle McMullin did to the profession by highlighting it earlier this year. Her blunt comments that trainee Caroline Tan would have been better off giving a surgeon who sexually assaulted her a blow job rather than filing a complaint were decried at the time but her detractors have been sorely disproven as witnessed by the growing calls to shine a light on what is really an open secret in medicine.

Related: Australian senior surgeon attacked for remarks on sexual harassment

Related: How doctors treat doctors may be medicine's secret shame | Ranjana Srivastava

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Living at Higher Elevations Linked to SIDS Risk

Study found odds were doubled, though still very rare even at greater altitudes

Teen obesity 'link to bowel cancer'

Being overweight or obese in adolescence is linked to a greater risk of bowel cancer later in life, a study suggests.

Obese teenage boys could have higher risk of bowel cancer, study says

Researchers find men who were overweight or obese when they were 16-20 are more likely to develop disease in their 50s

Teenage boys who become very obese may double their risk of getting bowel cancer by the time they are in their 50s, research suggests.

Past studies have shown that obesity in adults increases the risk of bowel cancer, but little work has been done on whether weight is a risk in adolescents. Scientists from Harvard University and from Sweden investigated a large group of young Swedish men who were conscripted into military service aged 16-20 to see whether their body mass index (BMI, a relationship between weight and height) in their youth was related to their chances of getting bowel cancer 35 years later.

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Sure, robots might kill us. They also could rescue us from land mines, natural disasters and collapsing buildings

As debate builds over the anticipated arrival of lethal autonomous robots, a growing number of robotic applications are being directed at enhancing humans’ existence and saving their lives

Aerial drones can be used to locate disaster survivors – or to pepper-spray protestors. Their earthbound robotic cousins can help rescue victims of events like a building’s collapse – or make fresh victims on the battlefield.

Robots’ duality – their ability to help or harm people – isn’t lost on their evangelists. Debates are building over the anticipated arrival of lethal autonomous robots, for example, and unmanned armed vehicles.

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Uncomfortably numb: The people who feel no pain

Researchers have identified a third gene that causes congenital insensitivity to pain when mutated

Being unable to feel pain may sound appealing, but it would be extremely hazardous to your health. Pain is, for most of us, a very unpleasant feeling, but it serves the important evolutionary purpose of alerting us to potentially life-threatening injuries. Without it, people are more prone hurting themselves, and are usually oblivious to serious injuries, so a life without pain is often cut short.

Take 16-year-old Ashlyn Blocker from Patterson, Georgia, who has been completely unable to sense any kind of physical pain since the day she was born. As a newborn, she barely made a sound, and when her milk teeth started coming out, she nearly chewed off part of her tongue. Growing up, she burnt the skin off the palm of her hands on a pressure washer that her father had left running, and once ran around on a broken ankle for two whole days before her parents noticed the injury. She was once swarmed and bitten by hundreds of fire ants, has dipped her hands into boiling water, and injured herself in countless other ways, without ever feeling a thing.

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Health Tip: Keep Your Child at a Healthy Weight

Promote healthier eating and activity

How diet and lifestyle can impact your family’s genetic disease risk

While you may have a family history of obesity, diabetes, heart disease or even cancer, studies on how environmental factors influence and regulate gene activity— epigenetics— suggest day-to-day choices can defy supposed genetic predispositions and fight disease.

Surgeons amputated man's leg 'with saw found in cupboard'

Doctors in Ayr reportedly tried to buy a saw at B&Q after discovering metal plate in patient’s leg during operation but store was closed

A health board is investigating claims that surgeons used a saw found in a cupboard to amputate a man’s leg.

The incident at Ayr hospital started when a metal plate was unexpectedly discovered in the man’s leg during the operation. It was reported that staff could not find the equipment to remove the plate, so a member of the surgical team was sent to B&Q to buy a saw – but the DIY shop was closed.

This episode has all the finesse of improvised surgery on Nelson’s flagship during Trafalgar

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Fire authority neglected Fiskville facility, cancer survivor tells inquiry

A forestry lecturer who taught at Fiskville in the 1970s and 80s has described how he was exposed to toxic chemicals in the air and water at the training centre

The Country Fire Authority neglected its responsibility to reduce the amount of contaminants it released into the air and water at its Fiskville training facility, a cancer survivor has told a parliamentary inquiry in Melbourne.

The CFA’s training facility in Fiskville, Victoria, was closed in March after a cancer cluster was discovered among firefighters who had lived and trained there.

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Dyslexia 'not linked to eyesight'

There are no differences in the eyesight of dyslexics and non-dyslexics, say researchers

Doctors' association demands end to the 'inhumane' treatment of asylum seekers

Woeful healthcare standards have prompted the release of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians’ first position statement on asylum-seeker health

The inhumane treatment of refugees and asylum seekers by successive Australian governments must end, and doctors should not feel afraid to speak out about their treatment, the president of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) has said.

Nicholas Talley said woeful healthcare standards for asylum seekers had prompted the release of the college’s first position statement on refugee and asylum–seeker health.

My colleague and I who went to Nauru had nightmares for a week or two afterwards

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Company knew risk of thalidomide six months before it was pulled, says book

A new book by the lawyer for Australian victims says that executives sat on warnings by doctors that the drug was connected to deformities in babies

The British company that distributed and sold the drug thalidomide knew almost six months before it was pulled from the market that there were credible claims it caused terrible deformities and the deaths of infants, a new book reveals.

If Distillers had heeded warnings it received in June and July 1961, as many as 1,000 babies would not have been born with severe injuries such as missing limbs, and another 1,000 would not have died shortly after birth, the book says.

Related: Thalidomide: how men who blighted lives of thousands evaded justice

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Florida teen who took NFL player to prom dies

The Florida teen whose dream came true when an NFL player escorted her to the prom has died, hospital officials announced Friday.

Do You Need a Doctor for Bug Bites and Bee Stings?

Most can be treated at home, but learn signs of emergency, expert advises

Distillers knew risk of thalidomide six months before it was pulled, says book

A new book by the lawyer for Australian victims says that executives sat on warnings by doctors that the drug was connected to deformities in babies

The British company that distributed and sold the drug thalidomide knew almost six months before it was pulled from the market that there were credible claims it caused terrible deformities and the deaths of infants, a new book reveals.

If Distillers had heeded warnings it received in June and July 1961, as many as 1,000 babies would not have been born with severe injuries such as missing limbs, and another 1,000 would not have died shortly after birth, the book says.

Related: Thalidomide: how men who blighted lives of thousands evaded justice

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Why some moms are asking doctors to delay cutting their baby’s umbilical cord

As more pregnant women are becoming educated about the many childbirth choices they have, experts agree they’re adding one more preference to their birth plans: delayed cord clamping.

The best gluten-free foods for your Memorial Day BBQ

Just because you're eating gluten free this Memorial Day doesn't mean you have to miss out on all the great BBQ choices. Here are some great buys to help you spice it up this holiday weekend: 

New pharmacy rules 'to cut errors'

The government hopes a new "no-fault" airline-style error reporting system for chemists will help identify and reduce dispensing mistakes.

Sterile mosquitoes released in China to fight dengue fever

Scientists carry out trial in southern province of Guangdong aimed at reducing population of insects that carry the disease

This spring, a team of scientists has been driving around a small island in Guangzhou, southern China, releasing more than half a million mosquitoes from plastic pots on board trucks.

Rather than chasing the researchers away, families have welcomed their incursion: “Some residents have even asked to get mosquitoes from us to release in their own home,” said Xi Zhiyong of Michigan State University, who heads the project.

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Depression Linked to Death of Many Heart Failure Patients

Researcher recommends counseling as first step

German woman aged 65 gives birth to quadruplets after IVF treatment

Three boys and one girl are born prematurely at 26 weeks but chances of survival are good, says TV channel following Annegret Raunigk’s pregnancy

A 65-year-old German woman has given birth to quadruplets after undergoing an artificial insemination procedure in Ukraine, it was revealed on Saturday. The woman, Annegret Raunigk, already has 13 children.

The quadruplets – three boys and a girl – were born prematurely at 26 weeks in a Berlin hospital but have “good chances of surviving”, according to the entertainment channel RTL, which has negotiated exclusive rights to the woman’s story.

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Go Take a Hike -- Safely

Proper footwear, first-aid kit and extra food are must-haves, experts say

3 things people get completely wrong about vitamin supplements

You may have seen a concerning headline recently about dietary supplements.

5 simple ways to fiber up

What if someone told you there was something naturally occurring in your food that could help you improve your gut health, lose weight, and live longer? 

Fertility treatments give birth to dilemma for parents

Unexpectedly tricky ethical decisions arise over unused frozen sperm, eggs and embryos

Brenda Loblein never wanted to be in this position. She didn’t want to be faced with a decision about what to do with an extra embryo – a potential child – sitting on ice in a sterilised storage facility.

Loblein was 35 when she walked down the aisle for the second time, and she was already a mother to three children from her first marriage. But the meteorological satellite operator knew that she wanted a child with her new husband, and in vitro fertilisation was necessary.

A 2005 study found that of 58 couples with leftover embryos, 72% hadn’t decided what to do with them

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Depression makes heart failure worse

People with heart failure must be screened for signs of depression and offered counselling, scientists say.

Young Athletes With ACL Injuries Often Need Repeat Surgery: Study

Starting athletics early, focusing on just one sport contribute to risks

Public-sector redundancy payoffs to be capped under Tories' enterprise bill

Conservatives will ban six-figure ‘golden parachute’ packages for staff made redundant by public-sector employers such as the NHS, BBC and civil service

Public sector workers in the NHS, BBC and civil service will be banned from getting six-figure redundancy packages under a law to be brought forward in the Queen’s speech next week.

The proposal to outlaw large “golden parachutes” for public sector workers was a manifesto pledge made by the Conservatives, following repeated cases of senior officials getting payoffs in the hundreds of thousands of pounds.

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Heart rate can indicate risk of diabetes, finds large-scale study

Faster resting heart rates are associated with increased risk of developing diabetes, finds study published in International Journal of Epidemiology

Measuring heart rate could help identify people at risk of diabetes, research has shown.

Scientists found that faster resting heart rates were associated with an increased risk of developing the disease.

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NHS needs emergency cash boost or care could suffer, ministers told

Growing demands on England’s care providers cause £821m deficit – with the shortfall seven times higher than the year before

Ministers are under pressure to give the NHS an emergency cash injection after official figures showed hospitals overspent by £1bn last year.

NHS providers of care in England – hospitals as well as mental health, ambulance and community services – ended 2014-15 with £821.6m in deficit. That was a more than seven times higher than the previous year’s £107m shortfall.

Related: Biggest NHS trust is failing on safety and quality of care, says watchdog

Related: NHS lacks money and staff for seven-day operation, David Cameron told

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Not even helmets help pro bull riders stave off concussions

Kasey Hayes hopped on the bovine beast trapped in the narrow holding pen like he'd done hundreds of times.

Seven common myths about meditation | Catherine Wikholm

There’s no scientific proof that meditation can cure your mind, body or soul and it may even harm you

Meditation is becoming increasingly popular, and in recent years there have been calls for mindfulness (a meditative practice with Buddhist roots) to be more widely available on the NHS. Often promoted as a sure-fire way to reduce stress, it’s also being increasingly offered in schools, universities and businesses.

For the secularised mind, meditation fills a spiritual vacuum; it brings the hope of becoming a better, happier individual in a more peaceful world. However, the fact that meditation was primarily designed not to make us happier, but to destroy our sense of individual self – who we feel and think we are most of the time – is often overlooked in the science and media stories about it, which focus almost exclusively on the benefits practitioners can expect.

One man's meat is another man's poison

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Guinea families transport bodies on public buses

Relatives of Ebola victims are transporting their bodies on public transportation in Guinea, seating the corpses upright between other passengers to skirt health controls and contributing to the spread of the deadly disease here, authorities said.

NHS trusts' deficit rises to £822m

NHS trusts in England report a total deficit of £822m for last financial year, compared with £115m the previous year

Well: The Weekly Health Quiz: Probiotics, Belly Fat and Pot Edibles

Test your knowledge of this week’s health news.