GP articles from July 2002

GP archives from July 2002

EXCLUSIVE: Ballot victory paves way to extra pounds 2.5bn.(NHS Alliance on new physicians contract, United Kingdom)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 22, 2002... Negotiators for the NHS Confederation are seeking a 30 per cent increase in GP funding after last week's ballot allowed the proposed GMS contract to go forward for pricing. GP representatives on the confederation's contract think tank...

No deal for under-65 flu jabs.(physician's fees, United Kingdom)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 22, 2002... GPs should not expect extra money for vaccinating under-65s in at-risk groups against flu this winter, the GPC has warned. Negotiators told GP they had started talks with the DoH about this winter's pay for administering the flu vaccine...

GPC welcomes 'clear signal' to price contract.(on National Health Service, United Kingdom)(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... GPC negotiators led by Dr John Chisholm have welcomed the three-to-one vote in favour of the new contract as 'a clear signal' to go forward to pricing. Announcing the ballot results last week, a buoyant Dr Chisholm called on the government to...

UK trial of HRT may continue.(United Kingdom hormone replacement therapy Prempo)(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... The Medical Research Council's WISDOM trial of combined HRT pill Prempro looks set to continue despite the premature ending of a US trial of the same product. Last week, the WISDOM trial steering committee decided to continue its trial....

EXCLUSIVE: Supply of single vaccines cut.(measles, United Kingdom)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 22, 2002... Opponents of MMR are struggling to find individual vaccines to cover increasing UK demand, as major manufacturers cease production. Glaxosmithkline (GSK) and Merck, now part of Aventis-Pasteur MSD, have stopped producing individual...

Spin doctors conjure up an extra 1,200 GPs.(general practitioners on United Kingdom Cabinet Office)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 22, 2002... The GPC believes a 'misleading' government report about reducing red tape to free the equivalent of more than 1,000 GPs will be used against the profession. Negotiators have condemned the Cabinet Office's report 'Making A Difference:...

Wind in her sails.(Dr. Margaret Morrison to sell Enigma)(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... After 10 years of racing her yacht Enigma, Dr Margaret Morrison is selling it to invest in a different class of boat. The Argyleshire GP has raced the 1985 36-foot Sigma all over the UK and France and picked up several trophies on the way. Dr...

Booked admissions to free-fall.(appointment scheduling software standard, United Kingdom)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 22, 2002... The first national evaluation of the booked admissions system for hospital appointments has cast doubts over the feasibility and timing of the airline-style booking system for patients. The NHS Plan pledged that the system would be in...

DoH's teenage strategy fails to cut pregnancies.(United Kingdom Department of Health)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 22, 2002... Government plans to improve teenagers' access to family planning and abortion services in a bid to reduce teenage pregnancies are failing and may actually increase conception rates. An unpublished paper by Dr David Paton, head of the...

DoH rejects protected funds for diabetes NSF.(United Kingdom Department of Health on National Science Foundation for Diabetes)(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... The beleaguered NSF for Diabetes was left in chaos as the long-awaited milestone document faced further delay, amid news that the government would not ring-fence funding. Despite a government promise at the beginning of the year that the...

GMS money 'routinely' raided for overspends.(general medical services)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 22, 2002... Primary care organisations (PCOs) are routinely using millions of pounds of GMS money to offset overspends in other areas. At last week's monthly GPC meeting, members heard that one group of PCTs had an end of year GMS underspend of...

Tony Blair asked to retract single handers criticism.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... The GPC has called upon prime minister Tony Blair to retract comments he made earlier this month in parliament that single-handed GPs provided inferior care. GPC chairman Dr John Chisholm wrote to Mr Blair asking him to clarify the...

Boost for ethnic community doctors.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... London GPs are improving their leadership skills by participating in programmes for professionals and managers from ethnic minority communities. The goal of the programme, organised by the King's Fund and the DoH, is to help such GPs...

Obesity in women can double risk of cancer.(colorectal cancer, pre-menopausal)(women)(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... Obesity can double the risk of colorectal cancer among pre-menopausal women, a US study has revealed. For the first time, researchers found women who were clinically obese (with a BMI of 30 or more) were almost twice as likely to develop...

Clinical image of the week.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... This brightly-coloured scanning electron micrograph image shows the surface of a crystal of vitamin C, which is essential for the maintenance of bones, ligaments and blood vessels. This water-soluble antioxidant molecule is also involved in...

RESEARCH BRIEFS: Early risk assessment for heart disease.(American Heart Association)(recommendations)(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... The American Heart Association (AHA) has recommended that people should have their blood pressure, BMI, waist circumference and pulse-rate assessed every two years from the age of 20. The newly updated 'AHA Guidelines on Primary Prevention of...

RESEARCH BRIEFS: Folate supplements may cut bowel cancer risk.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... Taking folic acid supplements decreases the number of cells in the bowel that have the potential to form polyps and become cancerous, a study at Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital has found. Researchers gave a small group of patients with...

RESEARCH BRIEFS: Breastfeeding decreases breast cancer risk.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... Up to 25,000 cancers could be prevented in the Western world if women breastfed each of their children six months longer than they do now, according to UK research. An analysis of 47 studies involving more than 147,000 women from 30 countries...

RESEARCH BRIEFS: Cow urine boosts antibiotic drug.(India)(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... Adding cow urine to antibiotics and other antifungal agents boosts their effectiveness, according to Indian researchers. The antibiotic/urine treatment, which has just been granted a US patent, was born out of a combination of traditional...

One angry GP.(Dr. Steve Cottam; exemption from jury)(duty)(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... Government plans to remove doctors' exemption from jury service will exacerbate the GP shortage, according to Dr Steve Cottam. The Lancashire GP is calling on the BMA to oppose the plans. Dr Cottam told GP: 'Compelling them to serve on juries...

GP retention strategy greeted with derision.(employment of older physicians)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 22, 2002... Long-serving GPs have criticised the government's strategy for improving retention of those nearing retirement. Health minister John Hutton released details of the package for GPs in England (see box) at the BMA registrars' conference in...

Mental health awareness.(Art Works in Mental Health, exhibition)(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... An exhibition of art and creative writing produced by people who have been affected by mental illness started a UK tour in London this month. 'Art Works in Mental Health', the result of a partnership between mental health charities such as...

Part-timers on increase in Scotland.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 22, 2002... The number of Scottish GPs working part time has increased at twice last year's rate, according to Scottish Executive workforce statistics. The number of part-time principals rose from 532 to 585 GPs between 2000 and 2001. This 10...

Scottish workforce review neglects GPs.(general practice physicians)(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... The Scottish workforce review has not done enough to address the crisis facing general practice, according to the Scottish GPC (SGPC). SGPC joint chairman Dr David Love said he was concerned the report did not recommend increasing GP...

One in 10 asthma sufferers cannot tolerate aspirin.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... People with asthma are four times more likely to be aspirin intolerant than non-asthmatics, an Australian study has shown. Researchers found that the prevalence of respiratory symptoms triggered by aspirin or NSAIDs was 10-11 per cent...

NHS funding linked to performance targets.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 22, 2002... Doctors face stringent performance targets in return for big increases in NHS spending. Last week, chancellor Gordon Brown announced the result of his department's three-year Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) - a pounds 61 billion cash...

Cash boost for health.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 22, 2002... At last week's spending review, chancellor Gordon Brown said that spending on health would grow from the current level of 7.7 per cent to 9.4 per cent of national income by 2007/8. However, GPs are still waiting to hear what primary care's...

Attack sparks action call.(receptionists threatened by violent)(patient)(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... Derbyshire GPs are to use the recent case of a knife-wielding patient to put pressure on their PCT to implement proposals for secure premises for dealing with violent patients. They hope the incident at Dr John Grenville's surgery will...

'Fixed' rates for insurance reports fail to satisfy GPs.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 22, 2002... GPs are continuing to charge insurance companies more than the suggested rate agreed by the BMA and the Association of British Insurers (ABI). The deal on a pounds 54 fee from 1 July, rising to pounds 60 from next April, marked the end...

Backlog swamps GMC staff.(General Medical Council's investigations)(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... Complaints to the GMC are taking up to five years just to pass an initial administrative check that they fall within its remit. The delay means that complaints dating back as far back as 1997 are only now reaching the formal screening...

Posters to warn against sexual complacency.(in Northern Ireland)(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... 'Peace of mind' is the theme of a safe sex campaign launched in Northern Ireland. The Health Promotion Agency initiative encourages 18-30-year-olds not to be complacent about sexual health. Posters, such as the one pictured below,...

GP NEWS FOCUS: Overseas GPs still prop up the NHS - The DoH must tread carefully in its latest bid to recruit overseas doctors, says Nick Smith.
July 22, 2002... Just half of last year's doctors gaining full GMC registration were trained in the UK, health minister John Hutton announced this month. The dependency on overseas recruitment is set to continue, with health secretary Alan Milburn...

GP OPINION: Specialists at being generalists.(Brief Article)(Column)
July 22, 2002... Do you understand Ehlers-Danlos syndrome? Do you know absolutely everything about autism? Or Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease? There are those who think you should. Every week spokespeople for pressure groups appear in the media saying how...

GP OPINION: Say it loud: I'm a GP and I'm proud.(general practice physician)(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it, so I have the greatest regard for our academic colleagues. Quite how they can make a respectable science out of a job that consists largely of writing sick notes, desperately pretending to look...

GP OPINION: Leader - 'Yes' vote is worthless without real progress.(physicians' contracts)(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... The GPC negotiators looked very pleased with themselves when announcing the result of the contract ballot last week. One of them went so far as to wear an amusing tie. They were right to be pleased. A three-to-one majority was well...

GP OPINION: Leader - Golden handcuffs will not work.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... If you were a teenager who suffered all the classic symptoms of being misunderstood, then you will undoubtedly be revisiting those feelings when you read the latest package of workforce retention measures announced by the DoH. The...

GP BUSINESS: IN PRACTICE WITH... Dr Mannan Shaikh, Sheffield - Every week we travel the UK to profile GPs and their practices. Debbie Andalo visits Sheffield.(Brief Article)(Interview)
July 22, 2002... How did you start in general practice? I thought I was going to be a surgeon. A GP friend of mine in Liverpool asked me to do some locum work for him as he was going on holiday and I really enjoyed it. I liked the idea of being my own...

GP BUSINESS: Adverse incident reports aided by simple template - An embarrassing prescribing error prompted Dr Peter Standing to design a quick template for use in adverse event reporting.
July 22, 2002... The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) was launched in July 2001 to promote the reporting of adverse clinical incidents and 'near misses'. Its purpose is to develop a blame-free culture where NHS staff share and learn from each...

GP BUSINESS: A health system built on mistrust - A study tour of the healthcare system in Russia showed more efficiency than expected.
July 22, 2002... Legend has it that when the Russian queen Catherine the Great went to inspect the Crimea at the end of the 18th century, she was deliberately fooled into thinking that everything was in excellent order. The province's governor, and...

GP BUSINESS: ASK THE EXPERTS - The new flexibility on capital gains tax - GPs should find the taper relief scheme less restrictive than its predecessor, according to Stuart Singer.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... For those GPs who own their premises and have benefited from the significant capital growth in property value over the past few years, the issue of capital gains tax on the eventual sale or partial transfer to an incoming partner will be at...

GP BUSINESS: GPs help victims of torture - Two GPs took study leave to learn about the medical needs of asylum-seekers. Sue Laird tells their story.
July 22, 2002... When two south London GPs took sabbatical leave from their busy, inner-city practices, experiencing prison life first-hand was not on their 'to do' list. But last month Dr Brian Fine and Dr Carol Cheal had a taste of life behind bars...

GP BUSINESS: GP Registrar - Self-help is often the best - Encouraging patients to help themselves is also good news for GPs says Dr Linda Miller.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... The main problems in a GP consultation are limitations on time and resources, so effective use of self-help measures can be invaluable. For example, explaining the aetiology of viral respiratory infections is time-consuming but...

GP BUSINESS: GP Registrar - PASS NOTES - Obesity - part one.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 22, 2002... Obesity is rapidly becoming a major threat to health. The prevalence of obesity (defined as a body mass index more than 30kg/m2) in the UK is increasing. By 2005 it is estimated that 18 per cent of men and 25 per cent of women will be obese....

GP BUSINESS: GP Registrar - What they forgot to tell you.. Gleno-Humeral joint injection.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... This procedure can help adhesive capsulitis. Most patients prefer to sit. Getting into this joint is not always easy, and supervision from an experienced practitioner is advised initially. With the arm internally rotated, identify the...

GP NET: INTERNET ACCESS - Encourage your staff to go online - GP staff can add to practice efficiency and effectiveness by using the internet, says Dr Fiona McCrimmon.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... NHSnet allows practice staff access to the internet in their working lives, and by encouraging the whole team to make the most of this opportunity, GPs can bring benefits to the whole practice. Apart from the resources available to other...

GP NET: Tip of the week - Data transfer - Data transfer can be a nightmare when you switch computer systems, but a simple tip could help.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... It is never possible to get perfect data transfer from an old to a new system, and occasional reference to the old system is necessary for several months (if not years). The usual solution is to have a single stand-alone PC running the...

GP NET: GP time saver - Loading XP - If you are fed up waiting for Windows XP to load, a simple utility could help.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... Although Windows XP starts faster than previous versions of Windows, it can still be a drag waiting for it to load. But luckily you can now download a Microsoft utility to help reduce this time. Go to...

GP NET: MEDICINE ON THE WEB - Ear pain in children - This week's Clinical Review on page 51 discusses ear pain in children. Here, Dr Keith Barnard recommends some relevant websites. You can go directly to these sites at www.gponline.com.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... OTITIS MEDIA www.dphpc.ox.ac.uk/primary care/teaching/tutorials/ earache.htm I thought it might be difficult to find some useful information about otitis media (OM) for doctors, simply because it is a common condition and not...

GP NET: Three points on successful coding - A structured approach to coding is essential to produce complete and accurate electronic patient records, says Dr Paul Bromley.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... 1 Consistency Everyone in the practice must use consistent codes to describe the disease entity. Unless you develop a dictionary of codes to use, different team members will use different ones from each other. Read codes are a...

GP NET: Farewell mouse, hello slick stylus - Dr Trefor Roscoe gave up his mouse to try a smart pen and screen. He will not revert now.(Wacom Cintiq)(moveable screen)(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... GPs are not known for their love of keyboards, nor for their skills with the mouse. And computer screen positioning in consultations is a delicate balance between openness and security (GPnet, 8 July). So, a moveable LCD screen that can...

GP LIFE: Food - A touch of spice to your ice cream - Chef Dr Chris Duckham turns alchemist with that most precious of spices, saffron.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... As one of the most expensive and treasured of spices, saffron is also one of the most versatile. I cannot get enough of it. At the restaurant I've used it in starters, main courses and desserts, and it's always fantastic. I've served a...

GP LIFE: Drink - That's the last of the summer wine - Food, occasion and, importantly, the weather, affect Dr Idango Adoki's choice of summer tipple.(wines)(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... Not even mad dogs would do what I found myself doing the other day: playing in a cricket match in the pouring rain. What madness. There we were, soaking wet in our whites and jerseys, chasing a small red leather ball - so wet and heavy it...

GP LIFE: Stop being so well behaved - Take a leaf out of the book of star chef behaviour and watch your value soar, says Dr Margaret McCartney.(Column)
July 22, 2002... I don't know about you, but the fuss over the introduction of psychometric testing for would-be and practising doctors worries me. For a start, had psychometric testing been around when I pitched up for medical school interview, I...

GP LIFE: More to Pollock than first meets the eye - A film on Jackson Pollock explodes the cliched 'tortured artist' theory. Dr James Curran is intrigued.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... Pollock explores the life and art of Jackson Pollock, who produced some of the most significant paintings of the last century. Thinking about this film, it is easy to come up with two cliches. The first is the 'tortured artist': Pollock...

GP RESOURCES: EQUIPMENT REVIEW - Spirobank vs Spirolab 2: the result - Dr Colin Lewis takes a look at two state-of-the-art spirometers and finds that small is beautiful.(Brief Article)
July 22, 2002... My first ever spirometer required the patient to blow through tubing the size of an elephant's trunk into expanding bellows that would not be out of place in a foundry. Modern electronics have changed the face of spirometry, and the latest...

PLAIN TALES FROM THE SURGERY.
July 22, 2002... A night to remember While going through the patient's obstetric history at her first antenatal clinic appointment with me, I asked if she was induced in her previous pregnancy. 'No,' she replied, 'my husband came home late and drunk...

We name this condition..(Column)
July 22, 2002... The new contract is coming and it's time for everyone to decide what we're worth. I met a man the other day who told me he had had beriberi in a Japanese internment camp in Java. He was proud of this interesting condition, and thought the...

GP CLINICAL: BEHIND THE HEADLINES: 'Asthma gene' could improve care - The discovery of a new gene could eventually lead to new treatments for asthma.
July 22, 2002... Asthma carries a heavy burden, both for people who suffer from it and for the NHS. An estimated eight million people in the UK have been diagnosed with asthma at some point in their lives and over five million are receiving treatment. In...

GP CLINICAL: Eyelid disorders.
July 22, 2002... Blepharitis Blepharitis is more common in people with seborrhoeic dermatitis and rosacea. Treatment can be difficult and it has three elements - lid cleaning, tear supplements, and the application of topical antibiotics and steroids if...

GP CLINICAL: At a Glance.
July 22, 2002... Endometriosis. Definition - Endometrial tissue located outside the uterine cavity. Epidemiology - Affects up to 10 per cent of menstruating women. - More common in women with a family history. - More common in...

GP CLINICAL: Clinical Review - Ear pain in children.
July 22, 2002... The essentials - Sometimes identifying the source of ear pain can be challenging. - Injury to the middle ear can be from direct or indirect trauma. - Even trivial trauma from a cotton bud can precipitate otitis externa. -...

GP CLINICAL: Big smiles, sex and safety down under - Journals Watch - Too busy to read all those medical journals? Dr Bryan Palmer summarises the latest findings.
July 22, 2002... The value of herbs Evid Based Nurs 2002; 5: 80 Evidence-based medicine and nursing were, until recently, concepts that were mutually exclusive in my mind. I was therefore very glad to see a new journal devoted to evidence-based...

GP CLINICAL: MEDIA MEDICINE - Each week we check the lay press for stories that might send patients rushing to see their GP.
July 22, 2002... What's the story? B magazine is a glossy aimed at younger women. A special report in the July issue highlights the dangers of 'speed dieting' using amphetamines to suppress appetite and control weight. Dr Hilary Klee, a psychologist at...

GPs face harsh test from CHI inspectors.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2002... GPs have been warned that CHI's first review of a PCT has gone beyond the realms of clinical governance. CHI's pilot review of North Peterborough PCT raised concerns over handling of non-clinical statutory requirements and performance...

EXCLUSIVE: Now UK trials of HRT threatened.(trials of Prempo drug)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2002... Around 5,000 UK women are taking the HRT pill Prempro which was at the centre of a media health scare last week. The women are volunteers in a UK trial of the drug which is almost identical to the US study stopped last week, three years...

GP's TV robot put in a spin.(Tim Harlow participates in Robot Wars)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2002... A robot dreamt up by a Devon GP crashed out of the BBC TV show Robot Wars. Dr Tim Harlow's creation Spin Doctor, which took 12 months to construct, lost in round one of the show. Dr Harlow took part with his children Alastair, 18, and Jenny,...

Read the ballot results first at GPonline.com.(continuation of contract framework negotiations)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2002... Early indications are that GPs have voted two-to-one in favour of continuing contract framework negotiations. Check GP's website at www. gponline.com from 11am on Tuesday to see the results as they are announced. Devon GP Dr David...

Patients reject GP report card plan as 'worthless'.
July 15, 2002... A government plan to publish report cards detailing the performance of individual practices would be unpopular with patients, research has shown. The NHS Plan promised that details, such as performance against NSFs, accessibility, list...

New hurdle for The St Paul GPs.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2002... Former medical indemnity supplier The St Paul has warned that GPs seeking compensation after the company's withdrawal from the market last year face an uphill struggle. The St Paul is arguing that the return of the Medical Insurance...

Anger over prime minister's attack on single handers.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2002... GP representatives are set to denounce prime minister Tony Blair at this week's GPC meeting following his criticism of single-handed GPs. An emergency motion is likely to 'deplore' Mr Blair's recent parliamentary comment that there has...

GP has a new chef.(Dr Chris Duckham)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2002... Dr Chris Duckham is a full-time GP in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, who owns 'Rungis', a bistro in nearby Alford. At weekends he is also the chef. In 1992, Dr Duckham appeared in Masterchef and was a finalist in the Sunday Times cookery...

Details revealed of plans to ease workforce crisis. (general practitioners).(Brief Article)
July 15, 2002... Details of schemes to improve GP recruitment and retention were revealed by health minister John Hutton last week. Speaking at the BMA's GP registrars' conference in Stratford-upon-Avon, Mr Hutton gave more detail about two initiatives...

EXCLUSIVE: GPs launch health insurance. (general practitioners, On-call insurance policy).(Brief Article)
July 15, 2002... GPs have developed a cut-price private health insurance policy to help their patients beat NHS waiting times. The policy, called On-call, combines NHS treatment with the private sector. Patients covered will continue to use the NHS when...

Company responds in celecoxib debate. (Pharmacia on osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis treatment).(Brief Article)
July 15, 2002... The debate over the GI profile of celecoxib, compared to NSAIDs, continued this week. Pharmacia, the manufacturer of Celebrex, responded to criticism in the BMJ of the CLASS study (Celecoxib Long-term Arthritis Safety Study). This...

Patients have their say.(on physician health care leaflet, United Kingdom)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2002... GPs in Bristol are learning what information patients want in practice leaflets from colleagues at Merrywood practice who involved more than 300 patients in designing a new leaflet. Bristol and District Community Health Council wrote a report...

DoH warned over GP recruitment target.(United Kingdom Department of Health and general practitioner quota)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 15, 2002... The Audit Commission has warned that the government will fall short of its GP recruitment target in the light of the worsening workforce crisis, which has seen vacancy rates double. In a 114-page report, 'A Focus On General Practice in...

Take your breath away.(BBC's Tomorrow's World live roadshow)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2002... People can experience what happens inside the lungs and airways of a teenager about to have an asthma attack, as part of the BBC's Tomorrow's World live roadshow. 'Journey to the Centre of the Lungs' couples the motion of a simulator pod with...

MPs criticise NHS Direct performance.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2002... NHS Direct must improve response times and cope better with increasing demand, a House of Commons inquiry has said. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report 'NHS Direct in England' said the service was too slow but had the potential to...

HRT study terminated in US over adverse effects.(hormone replacement therapy)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 15, 2002... A large US study examining the effects of long-term hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been terminated three years early, following evidence that it increased the risk of breast cancer, CHD and stroke. The study, part of the Women's...

Clinical image of the week.(Cannabis was downgraded from a class B to a class C drug )(Brief Article)
July 15, 2002... Cannabis was downgraded from a class B to a class C drug last week, meaning possession of the drug will now lead to a caution rather than arrest. The powdered form of the drug, prepared from the dried leaves and flowering parts of the...

RESEARCH BRIEFS: Excess work is bad for the heart.(can double risk of heart attack)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 15, 2002... Working long hours and regularly not getting enough sleep can double the risk of an MI, according to Japanese research. The study found that men who worked over 60 hours a week were twice as likely to have an MI as those working 40 or fewer...

RESEARCH BRIEFS: Endoscopy services are a safe success.(Brief Article)(Panel Discussion)(Statistical Data Included)
July 15, 2002... Researchers surveyed 27 primary-care-based units providing endoscopy and found there was no mortality and only three reported complications out of about 24,000 oesophagogastro-duodenoscopies. Among 12,000 lower bowel procedures, there was one...

RESEARCH BRIEFS: Triple cancer risk for smokers with faulty gene.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 15, 2002... German researchers have discovered that one quarter of patients who have the most common form of lung cancer and were or had been smokers, carry a particular gene variant that is involved in keeping airways clear. By contrast, only 9 per cent...

RESEARCH BRIEFS: Dogs may cause food poisoning.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2002... A UK government food safety adviser believes pet dogs could be responsible for the surge in campylobacter food poisoning cases, which have more than doubled since 1986. Professor Hugh Pennington, a professor of bacteriology at Aberdeen...