FOCUS: THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES
Insurer's attack medical regulator's 'brutal violation of constitutional rights'
January 15th, 2020 The out-of-the blue decision to end private-sector primary healthcare cover in March 2021 was “a brutal violation” of constitutional rights and, should medical insurers attempts to engage with the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) be ignored,...
Petition to drop 'premature' criminal charges against Beale and Munshi
January 15th, 2020 Almost 50,000 people have signed a petition for authorities to drop the criminal case against paediatric surgeon Professor Peter Beale and anaesthetist Dr Abdulhay Munshi, says a Post report. They believe the culpable homicide charges against the...
Wealth adds 8-9 healthy years to life expectancy
January 15th, 2020 The wealthiest men and women can expect to live an additional eight to nine years free from disability compared to people in the poorest groups, according to University College London (UCL)-led research. The study analysed data from 10,754 and...WEEKLY ROUNDUP
Flu deaths in US already up 65% with unseasonal presence of influenza B virus
Flu deaths in the US are up more than 65% so far in 2020, with the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that 4,800 people... January 15th, 2020WHO warns of possible wider outbreak of mystery strain of coronavirus
There may have been limited human-to-human transmission of a new coronavirus in China within families, and it is possible there could be a wider... January 15th, 2020FDA approves Merck’s Ketruda — first new treatment for bladder cancer in 20 years
The US Food and Drug Administration has announced it approved Merck & Co Inc’s Keytruda for a hard-to-treat form of bladder cancer, making it... January 15th, 2020UK licences radical ketamine-like drug to treat depression
A radical ketamine-like drug has been licensed for use in the UK for severe depression, a decision that offers hope to the millions of patients...
January 15th, 2020
800 Aids community health workers jobless after Tshwane terminates contracts
About 800 Tshwane Aids community health workers have been left in the lurch without jobs after the city terminated their contracts and appointed new... January 15th, 2020Eastern Cape Health official arrested for ARV theft
Free State police arrested two suspects for the possession of boxes and bags full of antiretroviral tablets at Bloemfontein Railway Station on... January 15th, 2020Computer theft closes down Khayelitsha clinic
A Cape Town clinic which treats 400 patients daily has been closed after the theft of eight computers, reports The Times. Burglars broke into Kuyasa... January 15th, 2020NEWS RELEASE
Know your medical benefits, avoid costly co-payments — Ophthalmological Society of SA
Medical Scheme premiums are about to increase by CPI + 5% in January for most medical schemes. These increases are a result of an ageing, sicker... January 15th, 2020Positive results in Phase 3 study for Allegra/Telfast in patients with allergic rhinitis
The results of the Phase III, single centre, sequential and parallel-group, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled FEXPOLSAR study evaluating... January 15th, 2020CARDIO-THORACIC SURGERY
Simple cardiac blood test before surgery can predict adverse outcomes
A common cardiac blood test done before surgery can predict who will experience adverse outcomes after most types of surgery, says an international...
January 15th, 2020
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
Anxiety, depression and suicide risk linked to air pollution — first meta-analysis
The first systematic review and meta-analysis of evidence connecting air pollution reviewed study data from 16 countries and found support for the... January 15th, 2020Study finds link between air pollution and bone health in India
Some of the effects of air pollution on health are well documented – lung cancer, stroke, respiratory diseases, and a long etcetera – but for... January 15th, 2020EPIDEMIOLOGY
5 healthy habits at middle age may mean up to 9 extra years free of chronic disease
Maintaining five healthy habits – eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, keeping a healthy body weight, not drinking too much alcohol, and... January 15th, 2020GYNAECOLOGY
More frequent sex reduces early risk of early menopause
Women who engage in sexual activity weekly or monthly have a lower risk of entering menopause early relative to those who report having some form of... January 15th, 2020HIV/AIDS
Study sheds light on HIV raising risk of sudden cardiac death
The success of antiretroviral therapies has extended the lives of people living with HIV, long enough for other chronic health conditions to emerge,... January 15th, 2020Services must be strengthened to encourage PrEP users
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) – taking antiretroviral drugs to protect people from acquiring HIV infection – is revolutionising the prevention... January 15th, 2020Prevalence of neural tube defects in HIV-exposed pregnancies
The prevalence of neural tube defects (NTDs) is 7.0 per 10,000 live births in HIV-exposed pregnancies, which is similar to the prevalence in the... January 15th, 2020MEDICAL PRACTICE
Female GPs in UK earn 35% less than male colleagues
Female GPs in the UK earn an average of £40 000 ($52 000) a year less than their male colleagues, an analysis of official National Health...
January 15th, 2020
REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE
Human sperm rapidly affected by diet — small Swedish study
Sperm are influenced by diet and the effects arise rapidly. This is the conclusion of a study by researchers at Linköping University, in which...
January 15th, 2020