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Genes that turn smokers into addicts - The Telegraph 11th July 2008

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 04:43:31 -0400

A particular set of genes can turn a teenager who experiments with tobacco into a life-long addicted smoker, research has shown. Around 40 per cent of people with European origins have "high risk" versions of the genes, which affect the brain's sensitivity to nicotine.

Genes that turn experimental smokers into addicts - The Telegraph 11th July 2008

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 04:43:27 -0400

Scientists uncover the genes that can lead to a life-long smoking addiction - Daily Mail 11th July 2008

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 04:36:05 -0400

A particular set of genes can turn a teenager who experiments with tobacco into a life-long addicted smoker, research shows. Around 40 per cent of people with European origins have 'high-risk' versions of the genes, which affect the brain's sensitivity to nicotine. They are in danger of getting hooked if they start smoking before 17, scientists found.

Retinal transplant boosts vision - BBC Health News 12th July 2008

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 04:11:15 -0400

An experimental transplant of cells into the eyes of patients with failing sight improved vision in most of them, US researchers say. The retinal cells, taken from aborted foetuses, were implanted into 10 people with retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration.

Pioneering US heart surgeon dies - BBC Health News 12th July 2008

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 04:10:50 -0400

Dr Michael DeBakey, the pioneering heart surgeon who gained fame for his procedures developing bypass surgery, has died at the age of 99. The surgeon died on Friday night from natural causes at Houston's Methodist Hospital, officials said.

Cave warning on Uganda bat virus - BBC Health News 11th July 2008

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 04:07:39 -0400

The World Health Organization has warned people not to go into Ugandan caves with bats, after a Dutch tourist contracted the deadly Marburg virus. The woman, aged 40, died after being taken to hospital following her return to the Netherlands, health authorities there said.

Virus helps show cancer spread - BBC Health News 11th July 2008

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 04:02:48 -0400

Scientists have used a common cold virus to "light up" prostate cancer tumours in different parts of the body. It could make it easier for doctors to track the spread of the disease, and check the effectiveness of treatment.

Kenyan wins landmark HIV ruling - BBC Health News 10th July 2008

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 03:59:55 -0400

A HIV-positive Kenyan woman has won $35,000 in a landmark ruling against her employer for unfair dismissal. Jacqueline Adhiambo Ongur, a 45-year-old waitress, also sued her doctor for revealing her HIV status without her consent.

Muscle stem cell advance hailed - BBC Health News 10th July 2008

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 03:57:36 -0400

Transplanting adult stem cells into mice with an illness like muscular dystrophy (MD) helped rebuild muscle structure and strength, a study says. The work by Harvard University, published in the journal Cell, boosts the prospect of similar treatments for people with the condition one day.

'New CJD type' discovered in US - BBC Health News 9th July 2008

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 07:35:33 -0400

A new form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) may have been uncovered in a handful of patients in the US. Ten people have so far died from a fast-advancing form of fatal dementia called PSPr, New Scientist reports.

US backs statin use for children - BBC Health News 9th July 2008

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 07:34:29 -0400

Many more obese children, including some as young as eight, should receive cholesterol-lowering drugs, say leading US doctors. Children in the UK with a rare gene fault can get statins, but the American Academy of Pediatrics is going further.

New quality test for embryos boosts chance of pregnancy, say fertility doctors - The Guardian 9th July 2008

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:30:14 -0400

Fertility doctors have developed a fitness test for embryos which they claim could substantially improve the chances of pregnancy. The one-minute test is to be carried out alongside standard IVF treatment and could be approved for use in fertility clinics from late next year.

Heart disease: US doctors back statins for 8-year-olds - The Guardian 8th July 2008

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:29:21 -0400

Children as young as eight with high cholesterol levels should be put on statins to reduce their risk of heart disease, doctors in the United States have recommended. The move by the American Academy of Paediatrics has triggered a furore, because there is little long-term data on the risks and benefits of statins in children and, as yet, no evidence that the drugs can prevent heart attacks when they are adults.

Ultrasound at centre of US state-level abortion debate - The Guardian 8th July 2008

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:27:27 -0400

Since the 1980s, doctors have used so-called ultrasound imaging to monitor the foetus during pregnancy - checking for possible abnormalities or problems in delivery. The images - also called sonograms - have become so widespread that abortion foes say the technology has fundamentally changed the way people think about abortion.

IVF twins not as risky as thought, say doctors - The Guardian 8th July 2008

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:25:11 -0400

Fertility clinics were yesterday accused of misleading patients and encouraging them to pay for unnecessary treatment by overstating the health risks of having twins. In a controversial attack, senior doctors said infertile couples should not be put off from having IVF twins, adding that the treatment was cheaper and no more risky than having two single babies.

Virginia Ironside: Why not go on forever, if you want - The Independent 9th July 2008

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:13:13 -0400

Sexual liberation after 70 does seem logical. The sexual revolution started in the late Fifties so it's understandable that the hedonists of the Sixties should still be swinging now. When I was young it was natural for people to move into separate beds at 40. But now, with greater openness – and, no doubt, with the help of the odd pill – why not go on forever, if you can and if you want to?

Frozen embryos 'make healthier babies than fresh ones' - The Times 8th July 2008

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:57:32 -0400

IVF babies born from embryos that are frozen and thawed are less likely to be underweight or premature than those conceived during fresh treatment cycles, research has shown. The findings show that the use of frozen embryos could soon be accepted as completely safe, doctors said.

Risks of IVF twins exaggerated says US doctor Norbert Gleicher - The Times 8th July 2008

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:56:29 -0400

Infertile couples who want more than one child should be encouraged to try for IVF twins in spite of the medical consensus that multiple pregnancies should be avoided, a senior American doctor said. The health risks of conceiving twins by IVF have been exaggerated by the medical profession, and a British initiative to cut the number of such pregnancies is “categorically wrong”, according to Norbert Gleicher, of the Centre for Human Reproduction in New York.

Two cycles of fertility treatment significantly increase chances of pregnancy - The Telegraph 8th July 2008

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:49:05 -0400

Receiving two cycles of fertility treatment can substantially increase a woman's chances of becoming pregnant, a new study shows. The research will add to increasing pressure for women to receive more cycles of IVF on the NHS. Most women in Britain are offered only one cycle by their local Primary Care Trust, despite a call from Patricia Hewitt, when she was Health Secretary, for all women to be offered three.

Extra sleep boosts fitness because it sharpens your reaction speed - Daily Mail 7th July 2008

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:25:16 -0400

Getting some extra shut-eye could improve your fitness and athletic performance, according to a study at Stanford University, California. Researchers asked swimmers to stick to their normal sleep patterns of five to seven hours a night for two weeks and then to extend their sleep to ten hours a night for a further six weeks.

More over 70s 'are enjoying sex' - BBC Health 9th July 2008

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:22:10 -0400

More couples over 70 are having sex - and finding it satisfing - than in previous generations, a British Medical Journal survey suggests. Swedish researchers asked 1,500 older people across a 30-year period about their sex lives.

Frozen embryos 'better for IVF' - BBC Health News 8th July 2008

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:18:40 -0400

Frozen is better than fresh when it comes to transplanting embryos in IVF treatment, a study shows. Danish scientists found babies born after a frozen embryo was thawed and implanted had higher birth weights than those born from fresh embryos.

EU launches school fruit campaign - BBC Health News 8th July 2008

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:17:36 -0400

The European Commission has launched a scheme to provide free fruit and vegetables to schools across Europe in a drive to curb child obesity. The commission aims to spend 90m euros (£71m; $141m) annually on the scheme - a sum to be matched by participating governments, who are yet to approve it.

IVF twins risk 'over-estimated' - BBC Health News 8th July 2008

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:17:01 -0400

A US doctor has sparked controversy by arguing couples undergoing IVF are being "misled" about the increased risks of twin pregnancies. Dr Norbert Gleicher, from New York's Center for Human Reproduction, told a European fertility conference the risks had been over-stated.

One in four Chinese 'overweight' - BBC Health News 8th July 2008

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:15:33 -0400

More than 25% of adults in China are now considered overweight or obese, according to new research. The findings, in the journal Health Affairs, blame declining physical activity and a more Western diet. The report warns that obesity rates will double by 2028 if the Chinese government fails to take action.

Coffee 'worsens poor fertility' - BBC Health News 8th July 2008

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:15:11 -0400

Too much coffee can reduce the chances of a woman with fertility problems getting pregnant, a study suggests. Dutch researchers followed 9,000 women who had received IVF to see if they fell pregnant naturally.

Code on embryo screening planned - BBC Health News 8th July 2008

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:14:46 -0400

A code of practice to regulate the use of electronic chips to screen embryos is to be drawn up by the European Fertility Society's ethics task force. Doctors already screen DNA for lethal diseases, but in principle so-called gene chips could also test for less serious conditions.

Test to pick out viable embryos - BBC Health News 8th July 2008

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:13:40 -0400

A new test checks the chemical "fingerprint" of the fluid which surrounds IVF embryos to identify those most likely to implant successfully. The US developers told a European fertility conference it may improve IVF pregnancy rates by up to 15%.

Scientists warn that biological clock affects male fertility - The Guardian 7th July 2008

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:09:41 -0400

The biological clock ticks for men as well as women, doctors warn today, after research found that male fertility begins to decline when they reach their mid-30s. Doctors said men who wait until their 40s before starting a family face a greater chance of their partner having a miscarriage, because of the poorer quality of their sperm.

Men, your biological clock is ticking too - The Times 7th July 2008

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:29:25 -0400

The male biological clock can reduce chances of fatherhood as early as a man’s late thirties or early forties, research has suggested. Miscarriage rates start to climb when the prospective father is older than 35, and rise sharply after 40. Pregnancy rates also fall when men are in their forties, a French study of more than 12,000 couples has found.