FOCUS: THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES
Switch from red meat to cut mortality risk — 8-year Harvard study
June 19th, 2019 Increased red meat intake, particularly processed red meat, is associated with a heightened risk of death, suggests a large, eight-year US study led by Frank Hu, at the department of nutrition, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. However,...
DNA-evidence shows link between gingivitis and Alzheimer's
June 19th, 2019 DNA-evidence shows that gingivitis plays a substantial role in increasing Alzheimer's disease risk, found a small US study. You don't only avoid holes in your teeth by keeping good oral hygiene, researchers at the University of Bergen have...WEEKLY ROUNDUP
JHB clinic staff held hostage by two demanding treatment
Two Soweto residents held Johannesburg City Health officials hostage last week at the Protea South Clinic in Soweto, demanding to be treated. The... June 19th, 2019Limpopo Health struggles with ARV stockouts
The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) says it has found stockouts of Aids medicines, antiretrovirals, at Limpopo health facilities. Groundup reports... June 19th, 2019Review of NHS food after more deaths take listeriosis toll to 5
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock has ordered a “root and branch” review of National Health Service (NHS) food after two more patient deaths were... June 19th, 2019TAC activists call for scrapping of drug patent laws
Activists from the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) have called for the government to scrap patent laws that prevent generics of lifesaving drugs from... June 19th, 2019UK investigation into unsafe stolen medicines allegations
Medical authorities in Britain have launched an internal inquiry after unsafe medicines for common conditions were stolen from Italian hospitals,... June 19th, 2019Hepatitis B vaccine meets main goals in late-stage study
VBI Vaccines has announced that a late-stage study testing its hepatitis B vaccine against GlaxoSmithKline’s Engerix-B met its main goals, reports... June 19th, 2019Free State ready for a safe circumcision season
Health NGO Right to Care, which performed 1m medical circumcisions in five years, is prepared for the winter school holidays when many young men will... June 19th, 2019DERMATOLOGY
Topical cream effective in reversing effects of vitiligo
A nationwide phase II clinical trial, coordinated out of Tufts Medical Centre in Boston, has found that a topical cream was extremely effective in...
June 19th, 2019
ENDOCRINOLOGY
Undetected diabetes link to heart attack risk and periodontitis
People with undetected glucose disorders run a higher risk of both myocardial infarction and periodontitis, according to a study by researchers at... June 19th, 2019HAEMATOLOGY
Type A blood converted to universal donor with bacterial enzymes
On any given day, hospitals across the US burn through some 16,500 litres of donated blood for emergency surgeries, scheduled operations, and routine... June 19th, 2019HIV/AIDS
Injectable contraceptive does not raise HIV risk — large trial
A large clinical research study conducted in four African countries found no significant difference in risk of HIV infection among women using one of... June 19th, 2019HIV/AIDS CONTINUED
Mapping intervention strategies to improving men's HIV testing
HIV testing serves as a critical gateway for linkage and retention to care services. This is also key to improving the health and well-being of... June 19th, 20199TH SA AIDS CONFERENCE
KZN project reaches UN target a year ahead of schedule
The international medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders MSF) has released findings from a follow-up... June 19th, 2019SA’s HIV epidemic still requires an emergency response
The 9th SA National Aids Conference in Durban ended on Friday of last week with the eThekwini Declaration: "A Radical Call to Action –... June 19th, 2019Link confirmed between gender-based violence and HIV
Research conducted in collaboration with the University of Cape Town’s gender, health and justice unit has confirmed the link between gender-based... June 19th, 2019NUTRITION
Red and white meat have equal effect on cholesterol levels
Contrary to popular belief, consuming red meat and white meat such as poultry, have equal effects on blood cholesterol levels, according to research....
June 19th, 2019
ONCOLOGY
Link between poor oral health and hepatobiliary cancer
A study, by researchers at Queen's University Belfast, analysed a large cohort of over 469,000 people in the UK, investigated the association between... June 19th, 2019PUBLIC HEALTH
Chickenpox vaccine reduces incidence of paediatric shingles
Children who receive the chickenpox (varicella) vaccine are significantly less likely to contract shingles, according to a study led by researchers... June 19th, 2019RHEUMATOLOGY
Stimulation of vagus nerve to treat rheumatoid arthritis pain
Electro-stimulation of one of the nerves connecting the brain to the body, the vagus nerve, could provide a novel treatment approach for patients...
June 19th, 2019
SLEEP MEDICINE
Sleep-disordered breathing linked to accelerated ageing
Increasing severity of sleep-disordered breathing and sleep disruption are associated with epigenetic age acceleration, according to preliminary...
June 19th, 2019