Behind the Headlines

Combo therapy manages tinnitus

Friday May 25 2012

People with tinnitus have been “advised to listen to the sea to cure ringing in ears”, according to Metro, the free commuters’ newspaper. Its story, which may seem like comfort only to sailors and fishermen...

Male contraceptive pill still a pipe dream

Friday May 25 2012

“Scientists are a step close to developing a contraceptive pill for men,” says The Daily Telegraph. The newspaper says that new research has found a gene the controls the final stages of sperm development and could result in temporary infertility...

'Negligible risk' from UK rabies case

Thursday May 24 2012

The Health Protection Agency has confirmed a case of rabies in London. The patient became infected after being bitten by a dog in South Asia, but is now being treated in the UK. The HPA says the risk...

1 comment about ‘'Negligible risk' from UK rabies case’:

Calcium pill heart attack link unclear

Thursday May 24 2012

Calcium pills “do more harm than good' the Daily Mail has reported. By contrast, the Telegraph tells us there is “no need to panic over new calcium heart attack research”. So, which to believe? These headlines are...

Opioids 'key in palliative care'

Wednesday May 23 2012

Many patients with “advanced cancer and other debilitating conditions” aren’t being given strong enough pain relief, BBC News has reported. This is thought to be due to doctors being reluctant to prescribe strong opioids, such as morphine...

Superbugs curbed, but still more to do

Wednesday May 23 2012

Rates of MRSA in hospitals have fallen significantly in recent years, but over 6% of hospital patients in England still acquire some form of infection during their stay, according to the Health Protection Agency...

Health scare 'clouded views on HRT'

Tuesday May 22 2012

"Thousands of women have had a ‘wasted decade’ of suffering since the HRT scare, according to an international panel of experts,” the Daily Mail has reported. The news is based on a major re-evaluation of...

IVF overhaul proposed

Tuesday May 22 2012

Same-sex couples and women aged up to 42 may soon be eligible for IVF treatment, according to new draft guidelines published today. The proposals were issued by the National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and...

Snorers 'have higher cancer risk'

Monday May 21 2012

“Snoring 'can raise cancer risk five-fold'”, according to The Daily Telegraph. Its story reported that scientists believe low blood oxygen levels seen in some snorers may encourage the growth of tumours, and that stopping snoring could...

Dysentery drug shows early promise

Monday May 21 2012

A cheap drug already prescribed for arthritis “could fight amoebic dysentery”, reported the BBC. Amoebic dysentery is a parasitic infection that causes diarrhoea containing blood or mucus. Although...