Friday 28 August 2009

Is popcorn good for you?

NHS Choices
Popcorn and breakfast cereals may contain ‘surprisingly large’ servings of healthy antioxidants, reported The Guardian newspaper.

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School lunch 'fresh better than frozen' claim misconceived

Local Authority Caterers Association
A new scientific report on school lunches has debunked the common assumption that 'fresh' food has greater nutritional value than frozen.

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Key facts and trends in Mental Health

The NHS Confederation
This fact sheet outlines some of the key available data relating to mental health, including:
key trends in morbidity and behaviour; wider societal changes and challenges; NHS budget and spending trends; service activity; quality, safety and user experience; staffing levels and staff satisfaction.

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Assessing complementary practice: building consensus on appropriate research methods

The King's Fund
This report considers the difficulties of assessing the effectiveness of complementary practice. Despite the increasing popularity and use of complementary practice, the evidence base is small. Lack of research and lack of agreement on research methods has led to criticism from branches of conventional medicine.

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Poor cancer symptom awareness

Patient Information Forum
One in seven people cannot name a single symptom of cancer, according to a Cancer Research UK survey published this week. Of nearly 4,000 people questioned, 19 per cent of men and 10 per cent of women said they did not know any symptoms that could be a sign of the disease.

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Child leukemia genes found

NHS Evidence
A study has found particular gene mutations that put children at a higher risk of leukaemia, newspapers have reported.

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Chemotherapy services in England: ensuring quality and safety

Department of Health
The aim of this report is to bring about a step change in the quality and safety of chemotherapy services for adult patients with either solid cancers or haematological malignancies. The report sets out a framework for planning, implementing and monitoring services based on a care pathway model and the proposed actions that need to be taken by commissioners and providers to ensure high quality care.

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Chinese herb shows promise for arthritis

British Medical Journal Group
A herbal remedy used for centuries in China can improve the pain and inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis, according to a new study.

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Sudden infant deaths “tumbling”

BBC News
The number of unexplained infant deaths - or cot deaths - has been falling, provisional figures from the Office of National Statistics suggest.

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Legal highs set to be banned

BBC News
Two so-called "party" drugs and a man-made cannabis substitute will be banned by the end of the year, the Home Office has announced.

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Behind the Headlines - Spotting ovarian cancer

NHS Evidence
A study suggests that “women with ovarian cancer are dying because GPs are failing to detect the early signs of the disease”, The Times warned. It said that a study suggests family doctors may be overlooking a main symptom, a distended abdomen, because it is not included in the guidance for urgent investigation.

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Campaign for smarter drinking

Patient Information Forum
Britain’s drinks industry has announced a £100 million social marketing campaign aimed at encouraging more responsible drinking among young adults and shifting attitudes towards drunkenness

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'Nanobees' for cancer

NHS Evidence
It said that scientists have developed microscopic “bees” carrying melittin (the poison that causes the pain of stings) that can target cancer cells. The nanobees, which were tested in mice, slowed the growth of breast tumours and shrank skin cancer tumours.

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Cancer incidence and survival by major ethnic group

Cancer Research UK
The primary aim of this report was to identify cancers for which BME groups were at greater risk than the White ethnic group; and to determine if BME groups had poorer outcomes than the White ethnic group. The report covers patients diagnosed in England in the period 2002-2006.

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Food Route – a new lesson on food

Food Standards Agency
The Agency has published a new range of resources to enable young people to gain essential food-related skills and knowledge.
'Food route: a journey through food' is a range of colourful age-appropriate workbooks designed and developed to bring the Agency's food competences to life. The materials are supported by teachers' user guides and downloadable certificates, which can be awarded on completion of the various activities.

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Monday 10 August 2009

Depression in women may be in the genes

Mental Health Foundation
Women are twice as likely as men to develop depression, according to US researchers, who suggest that at least part of this increased susceptibility may be down to genetic differences.

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Wednesday 5 August 2009

We’re all in this together: improving the long-term health of the nation

Public Health Commission
This report is the shared vision of a diverse group of experts. It's chapers include: educate, improving what we eat and drink, eat and drink appropriate quantities and increase activity, maximise prevention while maintaining cure, evaluate for continuous improvement, build genuine partnerships, and specific response to the Responsibility Deal

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Mothers’ experiences of bottle-feeding: a systematic review of qualitative and quantitative studies

British Medical Journal
Most babies receive at least some formula milk. Variations in formula-feeding practices can have both short- and long-term health consequences. The literature on parents’ experiences of bottle-feeding was systematically reviewed to understand how formula-feeding decisions are made.

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