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FRIDAY Books with healthy eating ideas	Grapefruit hope to beat diabetes January 30 - Grapefruit may be the key to a new generation of healthy diets, researchers have reported. Adding half a grapefruit to every meal massively increased the loss of weight of overweight patients, researchers have reported. The 12-week long grapefruit diet led dieters to lose an average of 3.6 lb in weight - and some lost as much as 10 lbs, equivalent to more than 4kg. The study, involving some 100 people, found that those who had no grapefruit lost a mere half a pound. The research, reported in Chemistry and Industry Magazine, showed that grapefruit eaters also enjoyed reduced levels of insulin and glucose. Doctors who conducted the research at the Scripps Institute, San Diego, California, USA, do not know whether the benefits of grapefruit come simply because they reduce appetite - or whether it is something to do with their unique chemistry. Researcher Ken Fujioka said: "This is the first study linking grapefruit with reduced insulin levels." A spokesman for Diabetes UK said: "This could be a potentially exciting discovery. We'll be following any further research in this area closely."
THURSDAY Books on women's health	More at risk of lung disease January 29 - An international survey has found one in nine young adults in the industrial world risk chronic lung disease, mainly because of smoking. Professor Roberto de Marco from Italy's University of Verona used new criteria to classify the disease to the European Community Respiratory Health Survey, which includes 18,000 people. Professor de Marco said the high prevalence of symptoms showed the beginnings of chronic lung disease started much earlier than previously thought. The criteria rated the severity of chronic lung disease from zero to four; zero the 'at risk' category and stage four the worst. The study found almost four per cent of participants had stages on to three of the disease but a further 12 per cent were in the 'at risk' category. The prevalence of stage zero ranged from seven per cent in Australia to almost 24 per cent in Spain. Those with a more serious rating were moderate to heavy smokers, exposed to noxious fumes or dust at work, had more respiratory infections during childhood, or were poorer. The study, 'An international survey of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in young adults according to GOLD stages 2004' is in 'Thorax'; 59: pp 120-5. Ends
THURSDAY	Players hamstrung January 29 - Fifteen matches and 90 training days each season are lost due to hamstring injuries among professional football players in the UK, researchers reported today. A study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found hamstring injuries accounted for 12 per cent of all injuries over two seasons. More than half the injuries happened while players were running - usually at the end of the match halves. The re-injury rate was also high, suggesting some players could be returning the field too early, said study author Alan Hodson from The Football Association, Newport, UK. "Hamstring strains are among the most common sporting injuries, but although various causes have been suggested, including fatigue, inadequate warm up ad muscle weakness, there is little corroborating evidence," Mr Hodson said. The study, 'The Football Association Medical Research Programme: an audit of injuries in professional football - analysis of hamstring injuries 2004' is in the British Journal of Sports Medicine; 38: pp 36-41.
WEDNESDAY	Bird flu threat plea January 28 - Global organisations appealed for cash backing yesterday to fight the epidemic of bird flu that is ravaging eastern Asia. The World Health Organisation warned that the flu could evolve into an "efficient and dangerous" human virus. WHO director general Dr Lee Jong-Wook said the global threat was "serious". The virus has killed several people in Thailand and Vietnam. All the victims are thought to have contracted it from poultry. He said: "With SARS, we learned that only by working together can we control emerging global public health threats. Now, we confront another threat to human health and we must reaffirm existing collaboration and form new ones." He added: "This time, we face something we can possibly control before it reaches global proportions if we work cooperatively and share needed resources." The United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation said that proper compensation packages were needed to persuade poor farmers to give up their stock for slaughter. The UK Health Protection Agency said Britain had already conducted human clinical trials on vaccines "similar" to those needed to combat avian flu. A spokesman said: "There are considerable technical difficulties in making vaccines against avian influenza, and although development could take a few months, the HPA along with other UK institutions is committed to finding solutions to these problems."
FRIDAY Books on women's health	IVF babies at risk By Leigh Parry January 23 - Test-tube babies have a much higher risk of birth problems and death during delivery than naturally conceived children, a British research team warned today. A study in this week's British Medical Journal found single IVF babies were linked to lower birth weight, high rates of Caesarean section and intensive care admissions. They also had double the risk of premature birth and death rates were significantly higher. IVF twins had similar problems, although differences were far less marked than between groups of single babies. Mortality rates were much lower for twins conceived with medical help. The article said women undergoing IVF should be made aware of the risks and more work done to reduce problems. The study was led by Dr Frans Helmerhorst from Leiden University Medical Center, Netherlands.
WEDNESDAY	Herbs hinder cancer treatment January 21 - Many cancer patients are risking their health by taking potentially dangerous complementary medicines while undergoing cancer treatment. A study of more than 300 patients at London's Royal Marsden Hospital found more than half took herbal remedies or food supplements during standard cancer treatments. But fewer than half the patients had discussed this with their doctor and 11 per cent were taking more than the recommended dose. Garlic, cod liver oil and St John's Wort are common supplements that could interfere with standard cancer treatment. Study author Dr Ursula Werneke from Homerton Hospital's psychiatric unit in London said the research stressed the importance of doctors and patients to talk about complementary medicine and for doctors to ensure they understood how health remedies interact with standard treatments. "The real problem is that doctors may not have the expert knowledge needed to deal with so many potential risks when patients are mixing conventional treatment with alternative remedies," Dr Werneke said. Garlic and cod liver oil may exaggerate the effect of blood thinning drugs. The herb echinacea is also thought to affect the immune system and may compromise some cancer treatments for lymphoma and leukaemia. The study is published in the British Journal of Cancer.
FRIDAY Books on family health	How to avoid cot death - Euro-study reveals all January 16 - Women who smoke should not share a bed with their babies, researchers warned today. A major new analysis of cot deaths in Europe confirms that sleeping positions, bed sharing and bedding types all play a role in baby deaths. Researchers said 60 per cent of cot deaths were linked to the baby sleeping on the front or side. They found mothers were safe to share a bed with their babies after eight weeks - provided they were non-smokers. Some 77 per cent of bed-sharing baby deaths involved women who smoked, according to the study from 20 European centres reported in the Lancet today. Researchers warned against putting babies to sleep under duvets. Young mothers, small babies and smoking households were also at risk. Researchers compared some 745 cases of cot death with 2,400 other babies. Researcher Professor Robert Carpenter, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: "Our analysis shows that the risk of cot death may be substantially reduced by taking a number of simple steps, most crucially ensuring the infant is put to sleep on its back, with no bedding other than a jumpsuit or 'babygro', or in a well-fitting cotton or acrylic sleeping bag of not more than 2 to 3 tog. "Use of a sleeping bag avoids the risks associated with using a duvet, and may also reduce the risk of a child overheating or sweating, and by restricting a child's movement ensure their head does not become covered. It is safest if a baby sleeps in a cot, in the parents' room."
WEDNESDAY Books on women's health	New alarm over caesareans January 14 - New evidence is reported today of the long-term effects of caesarean deliveries on women. As many as 19 per cent of women who had surgical delivery of babies reported difficulties in conceiving again, according to Scottish researchers. Nearly 300 women took part in the study reported on-line today by the British Medical Journal. The proportion of women who had difficulty conceiving after going through labour was just five per cent, the researchers said. Professor Deirdre Murphy, of Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, Scotland, argues that women and their doctors need to return to using instruments to support difficult deliveries - rather than switching to caesarean operations. Professor Murphy said women who had their first baby by caesarean section tended to get caught in a cycle of having all births by that means. But those whose delivery was performed with the aid of instruments were more likely to have subsequent babies through normal delivery. Professor Murphy said: "Instrumental vaginal delivery offers advantages over caesarean section for future pregnancies. "The increasing use of caesarean section rather than instrumental vaginal delivery when difficulties arise during labour will have far reaching consequences."
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