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Clinical Times: July 2007

Call to eliminate special status for HIV testing

BMJ | 27 July 2007 | Infections & Immunology

HIV testing should not be accorded any special status because knowledge of the infection can be life-saving, according to a British GP. Dr Martin Brewster referred to the recent cases of two apparently healthy babies who presented later with established... Read more

Double contraception no better at HIV protection

The Lancet | 27 July 2007 | Genito-urinary

The use of diaphragms and lubricant gel in addition to condoms for HIV prevention is no more effective than condoms alone, a new study has found. In the study, researchers did a randomised trial of around 5,000 sexually active, HIV-negative... Read more

Dairy products shown to protect against metabolic syndrome

Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health | 27 July 2007 | Nutrition

A daily pint of milk or a helping of dairy foods protect against metabolic syndrome, according to a new study. The syndrome, which has been linked to an increased risk of diabetes, coronary artery disease, and premature death, was defined... Read more

HIV vaccine will cost more not to develop

BMJ | 27 July 2007 | Infections & Immunology

Policy makers should consider not the cost of developing a vaccine against HIV, but the cost to society if it fails to develop one, according to a public policy expert. Jeremiah Norris, Director of the Center for Science in Public... Read more

Tackling the diabetes dilemma requires sharing the burden

Dr Mary Ryan | 27 July 2007 | Diabetes

The Health Promotion and Care of Patients with Type II diabetes community pharmacy project was established by a Co-operation and Working Together (CAWT) cross-border working group with senior pharmaceutical services representatives from the Southern and Western Health and Social Services... Read more

Non-fasting triglyceride levels linked to risk of cardiovascular events

JAMA | 27 July 2007 | Cardiovascular

Results from two studies indicate that elevated non-fasting triglyceride levels are associated with cardiovascular events. In the first, doctors in a Danish-led study tested the hypothesis that very high levels of non-fasting triglycerides are associated with an increased risk of... Read more

Autism treatment should be tailored to suit each child

Prof Michael Fitzgerald | 20 July 2007 |

The intensity of the controversy in Ireland over Applied Behavioural Analysis– treatment for children with autism– is surprising to international researchers. One researcher visiting recently said to me, “the Irish tend to go to extremes”. One may say that there... Read more

Anti-malarial drug may reduce risk of diabetes in patients with arthritis

JAMA | 20 July 2007 | Diabetes, Musculoskeletal

Preliminary research suggests that use of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine may help reduce the risk of the development of diabetes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In the study, doctors examined the association between hydroxychloroquine therapy and risk of diabetes in... Read more

Visual impairment increases mortality risk in the over 50s

Archives of Ophthalmology | 20 July 2007 | Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat

Individuals aged 49 years or older with cataract and those aged 49 to 74 years with age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) appear to have higher mortality rates than those without such visual impairments, according to a new report. In the Australian... Read more

Risk of Parkinson's disease is lowered in tobacco smokers

Archives of Neurology | 20 July 2007 | Mental Health & CNS

A pooled analysis of data from previous studies suggests that cigarette smoking appears to be associated with a reduced risk for developing Parkinson’s disease, with long-term and current smokers at the lowest risk, according to a new report. In the... Read more

Study identifies the type of clinicians likely to give inappropriate PSA tests

Archives of Internal Medicine | 20 July 2007 | Genito-urinary, Men's Health

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests to screen for prostate cancer are frequently performed among patients for whom the PSA test is not shown to be beneficial, and clinicians with certain characteristics are more likely to order such inappropriate screening tests, according... Read more

One-third of adults report some form of alcohol abuse

Archives of General Psychiatry 2007;64:830-842 | 13 July 2007 | Mental Health & CNS

About 30 per cent of people have reported some form of alcohol use disorder at some point in their life, including 17.8 per cent who abuse alcohol and 12.5 per cent who are alcohol-dependent, according to a new US study.... Read more

Antidepressant warnings may reduce prescription rates among children

Archives of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine 2007;161:690-696 | 13 July 2007 | Mental Health & CNS

Regulatory warnings regarding the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours appear to be associated with reductions in the number of antidepressant medication prescriptions among children and adolescents, according to a new report. In December 2003, the UK Committee on Safety... Read more

Eating small amounts of dark chocolate is linked to a reduction in blood pressure

JAMA 2007;298:49-60 | 13 July 2007 | Cardiovascular

Eating about 30 calories a day of dark chocolate was associated with a lowering of blood pressure, without weight gain or other adverse effects, according to a new study. Previous research has indicated that consumption of high amounts of cocoa-containing... Read more

Difficulty identifying odours may predict cognitive decline

Archives of General Psychiatry 2007;64:802-808 | 13 July 2007 |

Older adults who have difficulty identifying common odours may have a greater risk of developing problems with thinking clearly, learning and memory, according to a new report. In the study, doctors investigated 589 older adults, with an average age of... Read more

Pharmacists help patients to manage Type II diabetes

Colin Kerr | 13 July 2007 | Diabetes

The Health Promotion and Care of Patients with Type II diabetes community pharmacy project was established by a Co-Operation and Working Together (CAWT) cross-border working group with senior pharmaceutical services representatives from the Southern and Western Health and Social Services... Read more

Pharmacotherapy to help ditch alcohol dependence

Dr John Lyne, Dr Colin O'Gara & Dr Conall Larkin | 06 July 2007 | Mental Health & CNS

Alcohol dependence is a major public health concern in Ireland today. Data from Health Statistics- Key Data on Health 2002, a report compiled by Eurostat, suggested that Ireland has the highest level of regular drinkers, with 51 per cent of... Read more

SARS survivors recover but suffer mental health decline

Archives of Internal Medicine 2007;167:1312-1320 | 06 July 2007 | Mental Health & CNS

Most patients who have survived severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) make a good physical recovery, but they or their caregivers often report a decline in mental health, according to a new report. Severe Acute Respiratory syndrome (SARS) reached global epidemic... Read more

Doctor advises caution on flu drug prescription

BMJ 2007; 334:1232-1233 | 06 July 2007 | Infections & Immunology

A leading doctor has warned colleagues to advise caution in prescribing the antiviral drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu) against influenza. His concern follows advice by the Japanese authorities in March 2007 against prescribing oseltamivir to adolescents after the separate suicides of two... Read more

Echinacea can reduce chance of catching colds by over half

The Lancet Infectious Diseases | 06 July 2007 | Infections & Immunology

Taking the herbal product echinacea could reduce the chances of catching a cold by 58 per cent, according to a new review. The review found that echinacea could reduce the duration of colds by an average of 1.4 days. For... Read more

Doubling the doses of vitamin A not shown to have beneficial effects

The Lancet 2007;369:2088-2096 | 06 July 2007 | Nutrition

Giving mothers and children in developing countries twice the WHO recommended doses of vitamin A, as suggested by an international vitamin group, does not have a beneficial effect, including protection against Helicobacter pylori infection. According to background information supplied with... Read more