Smitha Nambiar

Smokers facing mental disorders cost the UK government approximately £2.5 billion a year, according to a research published online in Tobacco Control.

Junior athletes, as young as 12, are reportedly using performance-enhancing drugs.

Researchers at Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital have come up with a Black Box, to be used in operation theatres, similar to the one used in the airline industry. This, the researchers claim, will help identify the errors being made by the surgeons in the operation theatre (OT) and assist in teaching them how to avoid them.

Two questions in the preliminary screening are all required to determine alcohol abuse, according to study, published in the British Journal of General Practice (GP). Along with the CAGE questionnaire, which includes an additional four questions, the approach to find out hidden substance abuse achieved an accuracy of 90.9 per cent.

British scientists at the Oxford University and Kings College London have developed a blood test to detect people with failing memories, who might in future develop Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

An inappropriate advice by a midwife to a pregnant woman about her unborn baby led to the birth of a stillborn baby boy in New Zealand.

Two oyster growers have temporarily stopped harvesting the molluscs after initial tests confirmed high level of toxins in the shellfish on Tasmania's east coast.

Low levels of coliform bacteria, found in the drinking water of residents in the township of Langley, B.C Aldergrove has led the Fraser Heath Authority to issue a boil water advisory.

Virgin coconut oil, prepared using the wet-milling method and heat, can cure acute arthritis, sid researchers in India. A few researchers in India have conducted a study to prove that the antioxidants in virgin coconut oil reduces inflammation causing arthritis more effectively than pharmaceutical drugs and medicines.

Blood donation reduces the risk of heart disease, say scientists. Donating blood is especially beneficial to shift workers, who are known to suffer from various heart diseases due to jetlag.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the US to help eliminate the deadly tuberculosis completely by the year 2050.

Dementia sufferers and their care takers in Southland can now heave a sigh of relief as new dementia respite care has been set up in the city. People with dementia in New Zealand is 50, 000 and the number is expected to rise to 150,000 by the year 2050.

Dr Arthur W. Perry, MD, FACS, who is also a member of the Medical Advisory Board for The Dr. Oz Show, is of the opinion that chemical sunscreens can cause low sperm counts and infertility apart from contributing to the development of breast and ovarian cancers in women. As per Dr Perry, certain chemicals found in chemical sunscreen can also cause early puberty and premature breast development among girls.

People becoming affected by measles have reached an alarming 100 in the Waikato area of New Zealand. This, in turn, has led to a huge demand for measles vaccine in the Waikato and Auckland regions.

People dealing with high stress at work have 23 per cent more risk of a heart attack, according to an authoritative research put down in the Lancet medical journal. A healthy lifestyle, which includes eating healthy food, exercising and meditating, is being advised by doctors to avoid office stress.

Cancer, one of the deadliest and chronic illnesses kills nearly 8 million people worldwide. Breast cancer in Australia is on the rise and is the most common type of cancer found among women here. According to researchers, there are few things one can do to reduce risks of breast cancer.

Researchers have found that people suffering from overweight problems and obesity are more likely to get asthma attacks. Apart from drugs and regular exercise, a healthy diet rich in vitamins and proteins can help prevent asthma and reduce weight.