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Health

These pages deal with the Royal Society's papers and links on health in all its aspects, including human and animal health.

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Below are health news headlines. Full articles are available from this site under the 'News, Events, Policy' heading for RSNZ members only. If you'd like to become a member or would like information on member benefits, click here.


4 July 2007:  Functional foods: are they safe to eat? - Lincoln University food biochemistry associate professor Dr Geoffrey Savage comments on the growing demand for food and food products that deliver health benefits

21 June 2007:  Study suggest being treated as eldest make kids smarter - Evidence that the relation between birth order and IQ score is dependent on the social rank in the family and not birth order

4 June 2007:  Cycling dangerous form of transport - Cycling might be good the environment but a new study shows it might not be so good for your health, with a third of cyclists involved in crashes in the past year

31 May 2007:  Chinese scientists shed new light on male infertility - The researchers have found a protein that is required for sperm activation

30 May 2007:  Stressed-out mums at risk of poor mental health - Mothers of small children are known to face a substantial risk of mental health problems and their mental health has a "strong influence" on their child's health and development

28 May 2007:  Herb enthusiasts often do not stick to indications - The researchers are urging health professionals to educate consumers on the appropriate use of herbs

4 April 2007:  News release: National childhood immunisation stats released - Latest statistics show more than 77 percent of children are fully immunised at age two, a figure that has increased by more than 17 percent over the last 15 years

12 March 2007: Infertile couples often use alternative medicine

25 January 2007:  Stroke leads to nicotine addiction discovery - Damage to a little known brain region called the insula stopped a stroke survivor's urge to smoke

23 January 2007:  Study finds mental stimulation combats Alzheimer's - Even modest amounts of stimulation proved effective in staving off the disease in mice - University of California-Irvine study

19 December 2006:  Cutting back on cigarettes may not cut risks - The problem seems to be that the former heavy smokers inhale more often and more deeply from each cigarette

11 December 2006: Fatty diets could be responsible for rise in asthma - Sydney researchers have found that a molecule that normally has a role in fat cells is playing a critical role in immune response.

12 November 2006:  Heart patients can waltz their way to better health: study - The dance has been shown to be just as effective as bicycle and treadmill training for improving exercise capacity in heart failure patients - Italian study

3 November 2006: 'Misleading' TV programme seen as part of anti-vaccine campaign -  Publicity had generated anecdotes of misleading science and dishonest statistics which scared people - raising the risk that parents would refuse vaccination and lead to a resurgence of the disease

25 October 2006:  Mothers who drank coffee may be harming unborn babies - Rat study shows caffeine can affect the region of the brain associated with memory and spatial navigation.

20 October 2006:  Going barefoot eases burden on arthritic knees - New research suggests that walking in shoes increases loads on knee and hip joints.

17 October 2006:  Doctors may be able to hear cancer's spread - US researchers have used a technique called photoacoustic detection to pick up the characteristic vibrations of melanoma cells in the blood.

5 October 2006:  Overweight kids sleep less and worse: study - Children regarded as overweight on the body mass index (BMI) had 45 minutes less sleep a night than their normal weight classmates

29 September 2006:  New tool helps online shoppers buy lower-fat food -An Internet-based system that provides online food shoppers with purchase-specific dietary advice helps them buy foods that are lower in saturated fat than the foods they initially set out to buy

27 September 2006:  Red wine slows Alzheimer's-like disease in mice - Further evidence linking moderate alcohol consumption to a lower dementia risk

21 September 2006: Don't egg on the egg-throwers, say eye doctors - Throwing a raw egg at someone may be considered a prank or a harmless political protest but in fact it carries a high risk of causing blindness - study

14 September 2006:  Mobile phones, how addictive are they? - Similar to symptoms associated with pathological gambling

11 September 2006:  HIV drugs best given to S. African cities - study - Drug programmes that favour Durban residents over their rural counterparts would be the most effective way of reducing the number of new infections, new data shows

15 August 2006: Yellow vegies may help fight against blindness - Pigments found in pumpkin, corn, egg yolks and some leafy green vegetables may protect women from developing age-related macular dengeneration (AMD), a preliminary US study has found

10 August 2006:  US study shows even some infants too fat - Even babies under 6 months old are more likely to be overweight today compared with those 20 years ago, a study of Massachusetts children found.

9 August 2006:  One fatty meal can damage arteries, study finds - A new study by the Heart Research Institute in Sydney.

8 August 2006: Breastfed infants may need vitamin D supplements - Results of a new US study sugggest the supplement may be needed for infants exposed to insufficient winter sunlight.

8 August 2006: News release: Meningococcal B Immunisation Programme effectiveness shown - Unimmunised five times more likely to catch it

6 August 2006: New Zealand drug trial 'elephant man' speaks out about ordeal - David Oakley, one of six volunteers injected with the experimental drug TGN1412, has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

1 August 2006: DDT returns to battle malaria in Africa - New WHO guidelines to recommend the pesticide be used for indoor spraying, lifting a ban imposed at the beginning of the 70s.

27 July 2006: Vegan diet reverses diabetes symptoms, study finds - Lowered their blood sugar more and lost more weight than people on a standard American Diabetes Association diet.

23 July 2006: Baking industry critical of folic acid plan - Calls for Annette King and her Australian counterparts to instead adopt a combination of education and voluntary fortification across a wider range of foods

28 June 2006: Researchers gather for symposium on pharmacogenomics - to mark the first anniversary of Otago University's Christchurch-based Carney Centre for Pharmacogenomics, a research centre that aims to clarify how drugs work and how they can be more effectively used.

28 June 2006: Counselling better than drug treatment for insomnia - study that compared the depressant zopiclone to cognitive behavioural therapy, an education programme designed to change lifestyle factors to overcome chronic insomnia.

26 June 2006: New test could help answer questions about Alzheimer's - test that monitors deposits of the protein amyloid beta in the brain could be the breakthrough needed for an earlier diagnosis of the disease, researchers say.

25 June 2006: Pharmac accused of 'public deceit' by cardiologists - Chris Ellis and Harvey White slam the Government's approach to funding statins over the past 20 years in a report published in the latest New Zealand Medical Journal.

24 June 2006:  Insulin may up blood pressure in type 2 diabetes - study shows a 46 percent increased risk of high blood pressure after 10 years of insulin use.

24 June 2006: Vegetables, antioxidants may lower lymphoma risk - leafy greens like spinach and kale, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower are a good source of lutein and zeaxanthin, known to reduce the risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

23 June 2006: More men than women get best care for heart attack - an initiative by the American College of Cardiology has increased the number of heart attack patients who get guidelines-based care, but women are still less likely to benefit than men.

23 June 2006:  Magnetic device may prevent migraine - transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS as the technique is called, prevents or reduces the severity of migraines.

23 June 2006:  Tattoos blamed in US superbug infections.

22 June 2006: New agents linked to 'medication overuse headache'.  Triptans, NSAIDS now the most common cause of medication overuse headache - specialists.

22 June 2006: Cholesterol-lowering drugs may cut cateract risk - researchers of a study on age-related eye disease were surprised to find a 45 percent reduced risk of developing the common eye disorder in people who took statins.

22 June 2006:  UK surgeon waits for approval to perform full face transplant - not likely to happen in the near future even if the hospital ethics committee approves the procedure, says surgeon's spokesperson.

21 June 2006: One in 10 UK children has mental health disorder - a major increase in alcohol abuse may be adding to mental health problems in children below the age of 15 in Britain - BMA report.

20 June 2006:  Vegetables may help arteries stay clear - a comparison study of mice given a diet full of broccoli, carrots, green beans, corn and peas with those reared on a veggie-free diet.

16 June 2006:  Excess pounds may raise ovarian cancer risk - relationship between weight and ovarian cancer was strongest among women who'd never given birth.

16 June 2006:  Migraine associated with high-normal sex drive as well as other commonly associated symptoms, such as sleep abnormalities and a higher risk of depression.

16 June 2006: Most believe myth that happiness declines with age, new research shows, even though numerous studies have demonstrated that we actually get happier as we get older.

16 June 2006:  Sugar monitor gets kids involved in diabetes care.

15 June 2006:  Firms appeal UK Alzeheimer drugs ruling:  National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence says anti-cholinesterase drugs not value for money.

14 June 2006:  Heavy wrinkles could be sign of lung disease - a UK study is the first to link chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with heavy facial wrinkling in smokers.

14 June 2006:  American Medical Association seeks curbs on dietary salt - wants the FDA to consider removing salt as a safe food from dietary guidelines; to halve the amount of salt in processed and restaurant food over the next decade.

14 June 2006:  Attitudes to mental illness must change.  Professor Ian Hickie, director of the Brain and Mind Insitute in Sydney, is critical of the way society treats people with psychiatric disorders.

13 June 2006:  Alcohol may cut alcohol liver damage - study shows further evidence that caffeine plays a role in reducing the risk of cirrhosis of the liver.

9 June 2006:  Sick New Zealanders may be better off in Australia. Pharmac needs to boost spending on new medicines - Researched Medicines Industry.

8 June 2006:  Young adult blacks in US hit hard by HIV infection: 20 times more likely to be infected than other young adults.

7 June 2006: 3-D man aids early detection of melanoma spread.  Biotechnology researcher Hayley Reynolds has won a Young Scientist's prize for software that accurately models the skin for early signs of the cancer in the lymph nodes.

5 June 2006:  Calcium pills no help against breast cancer - an earlier study suggested vitamin D and calcium supplements may protect women from breast cancer.

5 June 2006:  Yoga study shows some benefits for cancer patients.

2 June 2006:  Hot cocoa for healthy skin?  A small German study has found flavonol-rich cocoa increases blood circulation and hydration in the skin, and makes it less vulnerable to sunburn.


1 June 2006:  Significant increase in diabetes prevalence - affects one out of every three individuals in the US according to new data.

31 May 2006:  Teenage girls in Britain have overtaken boys as binge drinkers for the first time and are now second only behind Irish girls in Europe.

31 May 2006: Obesity campaign could save thousands of lives.  Between 1,500 and 3,000 lives could be saved in just five years if the government moves rapidly to step up NZ's work to fight obesity - Minister.

30 May 2006:  Flu vaccine safe in healthy infants - trivalent influenza vaccine for children 6 to 24 months of age has been found to be highly protective, study concludes.

29 May 2006:  Study into effect of home heating on asthma sufferers - Wellington School of Medicine study to assess the effects of the indoor environment on asthmatic children and their families.

4 April 2006: Celebrex cuts pre-cancerous colon growths in study; more study needed due to concerns about the drug's heart risks.

3 April 2006: World trial may lead to vaccine for child asthma - Perth children to participate in world-first human trials of a vaccine dispensed by drops under the tongue.

3 April 2006: Gates foundation gives $US75 million for pneumonia vaccine research

1 April 2006: Marijuana use affects fertility treatment outcomes; study a first to report marijuana use by the father can lower infant birth weight.

1 April 2006 Long mobile phone use raises brain tumour risk - Swedish study; figures released Friday show heavy users had a 240 percent increased risk of a malignant tumour on the side of the head the phone is used

31 March 2006: Study shows sharp fall in HIV infections in India; new infections in four southern states most affected by the virus fell by 35 percent between 2000-2004.

31 March 2006:  Women with urinary incontinence have close to double the risk of major depression as women without incontinence and tend to be younger, results of a new study suggest.

31 March 2006: Vitamin D deficiency common in diabetics - researchers say more study is needed to see whether the deficiency predicts the occurrence of cardiovascular disease.

31 March 2006: Why stress exacerbates asthma in kids - Canadian scientists have discovered how stress diminishes proteins on the surface of cells that regulate airway responses and inflammation

28 March 2006: Preschool diet linked to later breast cancer risk - more studies needed to confirm findings, say Harvard researchers.

27 March 2006:  Looking younger doesn't mean more fertile; IVF Australia undertakes comparison study of pregnancy rates between Asian immigrants and Caucasians.

25 March 2006: Aspirin equally heart-protective in men and women - new Johns Hopkins study shows lower efficacy in women not due to reduced platelet clumping.

24 March 2006:  Call for mandatory reporting of medicine mistakes - Green MP Sue Kedgley is calling for mandatory reporting of adverse reactions to medicines after it was revealed that more than 20,000 patients suffered such reactions last year.

21 March 2006: Lincoln company Karatec Ltd to launch a soluble, digestable form of the wool protein, keratin, at US expo.

21 March 2006: Findings of the largest and longest study to date on smoking habits and consequences have been published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

17 March 2006: New test spots drug-resistant malaria in travellers - the researchers developed a real-time assay based on detecting DNA from the malaria parasite.

17 March 2006: Older adults may have to work harder than young people to perform the same physical activity, but regular exercise may close that age gap.

16 March 2006:  'Glycemic index' questioned as diet tool; seen as a complicated way to judge a food's value; many factors sway blood sugar levels after a meal, new study suggests

8 March 2006:  Gene determines heart attack risk from coffee - study; the gene that determines how fast caffeine is metabolised can be good news or bad, depending on whether one has the fast or slow version.

27 January 2006: Five servings of fruit and vegetables a day can reduce the risk of a stroke by 26 percent, an international review of studies on dietary habits and health suggests

27 January 2006: Black smokers more susceptible to lung cancer. The racial difference was particularly evident among those who smoked 10 or fewer cigarettes a day, but essentially disappeared with high levels of smoking

26 January 2006: Pre-eclampsia linked with later kidney problems. Norwegian study claims to be the first to show a strong relationship between pre-eclampsia and low birth weight offspring and later clinical kidney disease in the mother

26 January 2006: Scientists ask WHO to boost 'neglected' disease R&D. Call for a move away from profit-driven research to develop affordable drugs to treat third-world diseases

26 January 2006: New test gives women a status report on body clock. Developed at the University of Sheffield, Life Ahead assesses the number of eggs in the woman's ovaries compared with levels expected for women of the same age by measuring three hormone levels in the blood

26 January 2006: Health Minister, Pete Hodgson calls for improved maternity information. Better data needed on every birth and every perinatal death in NZ

26 January 2006: Australia choking on bad air: report. Ranked 94th out of 133 countries for air quality on the Pilot Environmental Performance Index; NZ ranked first

26 January 2006: Fish oil offers no cancer protection: scientists. Findings of a review of 38 studies involving more than 700,000 patients that examined the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on 11 kinds of cancer

26 January 2006: Dope and unhappy homelife risk factors for unsafe Maori teen s*x. 30 percent of s*xually active Maori high school students risking pregnancy and STDs, new research shows

26 January 2006: Heart disease and rise in testing don't match up. Heart disease on the increase despite increased stress tests and increased angioplasty - new US study

26 January 2006: Dental rinse could lead to painless gum checkups. The rinse, with salt or baking soda, is analysed for levels of white blood cells in the mouth, an indicator of infection and inflammation of the gums

25 January 2006: Australian of the Year on a mission to eliminate cervical cancer. Founder of the University of Queensland's Centre for Immunology and Cancer Research, Professor Ian Frazer, has spent two decades developing a vaccine against human papilloma virus

25 January 2006: Vibrating shoes aid stroke and diabetic patients. The insoles work by stimulating the nerves in the feet necessary for balance

24 January 2006: Chimps may provide safer smallpox vaccine – study. A vaccine made by splicing chimp and human antibodies was both safer and more effective than the current vaccine, which uses a live virus and has a high rate of side effects, researchers report

24 January 2006: US study shows stress results in stronger boys. Populations of boys born in stressful times enjoy an advantage their whole lives, living longer, on average, than males born in times of peace and prosperity, researchers report

23 January 2006: Early HRT helps memory, study finds. Women who begin hormone replacement therapy within five years of the onset of menopause suffer less memory loss later in life than non-users, an Australian study suggests

23 January 2006:New Zealand leads the world in environmental performance – study. One of only six nations to measure up on environment factors including low ozone levels, clean drinking water, low greenhouse gas emissions and sustainable fisheries

20 January 2006: Novel faeces analysis may help detect colon cancer. To isolate the colon cells from faecal samples, the researchers used magnetic beads covered with antibodies that latch on to proteins on the surface of the cells

20 January 2006:Early kidney transplant may benefit some diabetics. Researchers examined US national data on more than 23,000 patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes

20 January 2006: Injuries common among U.S. cross-country runners. Rate of injury was generally higher for girls than for boys

20 January 2006: Five embryos optimal for IVF in older women. With more than five, you increase the number of multiple pregnancies, but you don't increase the likelihood of a delivery

20 January 2006: No raised cancer risk from mobile phones - British study. No link between regular, long-term use of cell phones and glioma

19 January 2006: Statins may slightly raise aging eye disease risk. May increase the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) - US Cardiovascular Health Study

19 January 2006: US halts international study on drug-conserving AIDS therapy. Researchers concluded that those who took their medicine only when their immune systems waned were more than twice as likely to get more sick or die as people who took the drugs every day

18 January 2006: Airborne legionnaires bug can travel miles. New research points to the bug that thrives in cooling towers and water systems spreading up to 6kms from its source, far further than past studies suggested

18 January 2006: Cough syrups could harm kids' teeth. Study shows long-term use of cold medications - especially at bedtime - can cause tooth decay

18 January 2006: Cigarette smoke worse than car fumes. Produces twice the levels of ultra fine sooty particles when compared to passing a bus or traffic - Imperial College study

18 January 2006: Japanese lab has successfully induced mad cow infection. BSE experiment could lead to the development of a method of early detection for the fatal disease

18 January 2006: Big demand expected for hi-tech cancer scan service. Wellington's Pacific Radiology will start providing the scans - with isotopes flown in from Australia - at Wakefield Hospital from the end of this month

17 January 2006: Using exercise to counteract depression in older people. The potential benefits of regular activity for nearly 200 older people with depression are to be tested in a University of Auckland study that begins this month

17 January 2006: Study into whether exercise can stave off depression in aged. The Auckland University study will evaluate the benefits of a home-based activity programme including goal-setting, progressive resistance training and walking to counteract depression in the elderly

17 January 2006: Bird flu conference opens in Beijing. Conference hopes to raise $US1.2 billion to improve health and veterinary services in developing countries, and strengthen surveillance programmes in areas not yet affected

16 January 2006: Study could help beat breast cancer side-effect. A new Australian study aims to discover if exercise helps women overcome lymphoedema in the arms following breast cancer treatment

16 January 2006: Gene linked to type-2 diabetes discovered. The discovery could be a major breakthrough in developing both diagnostic and therapeutic products to better prevent and treat the disease

16 January 2006: Tomato juice can prevent lung disease, scientists say. Mice trial shows emphysema can be prevented

15 January 2006: Regular activity recommended for heart patients. New guidelines outlined in the latest Medical Journal of Australia

13 January 2006: Dogs may be able to sniff out cancer. Trained ordinary household dogs can detect early-stage lung and breast cancers by merely sniffing the breath samples of patients

13 January 2006: Doctors urge change in child supplement guidelines. Researchers from the United States and Tanzania called for the rethink after discovering that the supplements can cause severe illness and death if they are given to children in areas with high rates of malaria

13 January 2006: Trusted neck injury prevention technique debunked. Neck muscle resistance training doesn't reduce head movement upon impact

13 January 2006: Stomach bacteria linked to iron deficiency. Link between H. pylori infection, iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anaemia

13 January 2006: "Gamma knife" treatment can extend cancer survival. Radiosurgery of metastases can extend survival to 13 months or longer

13 January 2006: Roche to help developing world's HIV drug makers. Will lend technical expertise to copycat drug makers in the world's least developed countries in a bid to increase local output of saquinavir

13 January 2006: US FDA moves to improve early testing of new drugs. Issued new guidance on how to conduct small, early human tests of experimental medicines

13 January 2006: Lead levels in breast milk invariably low. Not affected by a relatively high cumulative lifetime exposure, Harvard study suggests

13 January 2006: Scientists detect genetic change in Turkish victim’s bird flu sample. Too early to tell whether mutation is important - WHO

12 January 2006: Whole grains may reduce heart risk in elderly. Less likely to develop a group of risk factors known as metabolic syndrome or to die of cardiovascular disease over the next 12 to 15 years

12 January 2006: Insect spray may lower testosterone levels in men. Exposure to chlorpyrifos or its metabolite blamed

12 January 2006: Low alcohol beer may not be the answer, researcher says. Massey University sport science researcher Dr Stephen Stannard said today data available on security incidents at sports venues showed there were other factors involved aside from the amount of alcohol consumed

12 January 2006: Experts warn of bird flu risks with Lunar New Year. The jump in demand and the way live chickens are packed densely in crates, moved across borders and slaughtered is a sure recipe for trouble

12 January 2006: No joke: laughter may well be the best medicine. Geneticist Kazuo Murakami has teamed up on the study with an unlikely research partner: stand-up comedians

11 January 2006: Interim methadone program can help heroin addicts. For heroin addicts waiting to get in to a comprehensive treatment programme, an interim methadone maintenance programme reduces heroin use and criminal activity

11 January 2006: Breastfed babies may become leaner kids. Each 4-month increase in breastfeeding was linked to a 6 percent dip in the risk of becoming overweight by adolescence

11 January 2006: Obesity linked to Alzheimer's disease protein. As body fat increases, so do blood levels of a protein fragment linked to Alzheimer's disease

11 January 2006: Scientists identify early signs of meningitis. Leg pain, cold hands and feet and abnormal skin colour develop within 12 hours after infection

11 January 2006: Midlife obesity raises later risk of death – study. Researchers sought to dispel the notion that overweight people need not worry as long their blood pressure and cholesterol levels were normal

11 January 2006: Elderly anxious about driving and walking – research. Research to develop a psychometric test for mental health workers to measure anxiety in the elderly

10 January 2006: Many obese people in denial on weight issues. Nearly 80 percent of the overweight and obese people questioned in the poll did not understand the importance of having a healthy body weight

10 January 2006: US: anti-depression pills do not raise suicide risk – report. Goes against 2004 FDA advisory

10 January 2006: Fatigue may persist after breast cancer treatment. Approximately one third of women treated for breast cancer experience fatigue for the first five years after treatment

10 January 2006: Foundation says COPD making alarming impact on nation's health. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is thought to affect over 200,000 NZers

10 January 2006: Study suggests bird flu more common than thought. A survey of Vietnamese residents shows that people who handled or cared for sick chickens were more likely to report some sort of flu-like illness in 2004

9 January 2006: Accept psychological pain as part of life, experts say. A radical new psychological therapy, called acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), will be the focus of a four-day conference for professional psychologists and advanced post-graduate students starting tomorrow in Wellington

9 January 2006: Selective abortion blamed for India's missing girls. Half a million fewer girls born in 1997 than expected

8 January 2006: Popular CSIRO diet referred to PM amid meat concerns. Concerns that the diet recommends high amounts of red meat - contrary to the government's own advice

7 January 2006: Menstrual cycle characteristics tied to fertility. Investigation of whether the length of a woman's cycle and her menstrual bleed are related to fertility and pregnancy outcome

6 January 2006: Cell phones tied to family tension. Study suggests they break down distinctions between work and home life

6 January 2006: US report: Down syndrome more common than once thought. New government report containing what are regarded as the most reliable estimates yet on the prevalence of 18 types of birth defects

6 January 2006: New bird flu deaths not start of pandemic – experts. Despite the virus being endemic in poultry in some Asian countries, the number of human infections has been relatively small

6 January 2006: Exercise before diagnosis boosts bowel cancer survival. 14 percent survival advantage

6 January 2006: Scientists in uphill battle to fight bird flu. Have only just begun experimenting how best to use Tamiflu in fighting the H5N1 virus

5 January 2006: Soy diet worsens heart disease in male mice – study. Heart conditions became worse in male mice carrying a genetic mutation for heart disease when they were fed a soy diet

5 January 2006: Witnessing abuse harms children's mental health. Adds to evidence that witnessing violence in the home can have serious consequences for children's mental health

5 January 2006:Scientists make a breakthrough in cause of breast cancer. Team used mice to identify breast stem cells that form breast tissue

4 January 2006: Study could lead to legal challenge to abortion. An anti-abortion group says 98 percent of abortions performed in NZ could be legally challenged as a result of a Christchurch study

4 January 2006: Low-fat, high-carb diet led to only moderate weight loss. Refutes claims by promoters of the Atkins and Zone diets that low-fat diets are partly behind America's obesity epidemic - lead researcher

4 January 2006: Free booze makes Canada's homeless healthier – study. Seventeen homeless adults, all with long and chronic histories of alcohol abuse, were allowed up to 15 glasses of wine or sherry a day

4 January 2006: Abortion debate 'flawed and illiterate' says researcher. Interview with David Fergusson about his abortion and mental health study. Meanwhile Mental Health Foundation says caution needed over research results as other studies produced varying findings

4 January 2006: Treating gum disease reduces heart attack, stroke risk. First trial to use a treatment intervention model of this kind to study the link between gum disease and cardiovascular risk

4 January 2006: Radiation improves survival after mastectomy: study finds. Reviewed survival rates of more than 13,000 mastectomy patients in 36 trials

3 January 2006: Crohn's disease ups risk of intestinal cancer. Increased risk of both colorectal cancer and small bowel cancer

3 January 2006: Abortion link to mental problems: study. A Christchurch study suggests that young women who have had an abortion may be at increased risk of developing mental health problems

3 January 2006: Three-dimensional brain scans help doctors. Modelling is an experiment funded by the National Institutes of Health

3 January 2006: Study links obesity to kidney failure. Strong relationship between obesity and end-stage renal disease, or kidney failure

3 January 2006: Visualisation may help some smokers quit. A study of 71 smokers found that those who went through guided-imagery therapy had more than twice the abstinence rate 2 years later as their peers who received only standard counselling

2 January 2006: Mururoa nuclear testing report due this month. A commission of inquiry into claims French nuclear testing on Mururoa Atoll in French Polynesia caused deaths and severe long-term health problems

2005 news

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