January 2008
News Archive
News articles from January 2008
New research confirms that cranberry juice helps prevent cystitis (25/01/2008)
Drinking cranberry juice or taking cranberry capsules can reduce attacks of cystitis by about a third, a large review of studies has found. It seems to work best in women who get cystitis a lot and is less helpful in older people...
How can I get rid of unwanted facial hair? (25/01/2008)
All women have hair on their faces. But some women find their facial hair is more noticeable than they would like. If you find facial hair is a problem, there are lots of treatments that may help...
Hawthorn extract may help the symptoms of heart failure (23/01/2008)
Hawthorn extract can help the heart beat more strongly and may reduce breathlessness and tiredness in people with heart failure, a review of studies has found. But don't take this herbal medicine without speaking to your doctor first. Heart failure is a serious condition and hawthorn might react with some of the medicines prescribed by your doctor...
Children's cough and cold medicines: advice for parents (21/01/2008)
Parents and other carers have been reminded to be careful how they use cough and cold medicines in children. Always follow the instructions with care, never exceed the maximum recommended dose and use only in the age groups specified on the packaging, say UK drug safety experts...
Could a salt water spray help cold symptoms? (21/01/2008)
A nasal salt water spray may help children recover faster from cold symptoms and avoid catching so many colds, new research suggests. But there are problems with the study, which means it may not be completely reliable. Ask your pharmacist if you're interested in this treatment; you shouldn't make up a salt water solution yourself as it wouldn't be sterile...
Caffeine increases miscarriage risk (18/01/2008)
Pregnant women may want to cut down the amount of caffeine they take in through caffeinated drinks, after research has showed just two cups of coffee a day may increase the risk of miscarriage...
Earlier cancer risk for black British women (17/01/2008)
Black women in Britain may be at risk of getting breast cancer at a much younger age than white women, new research suggests. The study of breast cancer and ethnic origin is the first of its kind in the UK...
Norovirus: stay at home to stop the spread of winter vomiting, say doctors (15/01/2008)
Doctors have advised that some simple precautions could help to stop the spread of the winter vomiting bug in the UK. If anyone in your family has been struck down by a bout of vomiting and diarrhoea, it's important they stay at home for two days once their symptoms have stopped. Everyone in the household should wash their hands frequently...
Could depression in mothers be linked to asthma in their children? (15/01/2008)
Children may have may have a slightly higher risk of asthma if their mother suffers from long-term depression or anxiety, according to a new study. But there's no increased risk if a mother is depressed only for a short time, such as with postnatal depression...
Mediterranean diet in pregnancy may protect against asthma (15/01/2008)
Pregnant women who eat a Mediterranean-style diet, rich in fruit, vegetables and fish, may reduce the chances of their child developing asthma symptoms in later life...
Can calcium supplements increase risk of heart attacks in older women? (15/01/2008)
Older women who take calcium supplements may be at increased risk of having a heart attack, a study suggests. However the researchers stress that the findings, although important, are not definite and that more research is needed...
Minor injuries linked to dangerous blood clots (14/01/2008)
Minor injuries, such as those you might get playing tennis, could increase the risk of getting a blood clot in your leg, researchers have found. They say many people with these blood clots might have got them because of a torn muscle in the weeks beforehand...
A new screening test for men, which could help save lives (11/01/2008)
The government is planning to introduce a new screening test for men, to look for a condition called abdominal aortic aneurysm. We look in more detail at this serious disorder and explain the benefits of screening...
Hope for new Alzheimer's drug on the horizon? (11/01/2008)
Very early research suggests that an arthritis drug called etanercept could help people with Alzheimer's disease. Only a few people have had this treatment so far, but some of them saw an improvement within minutes. These results are exciting, but etanercept is still an experimental treatment for Alzheimer's, and we're a long way from knowing whether it really works...
Study confirms that screening reduces deaths from breast cancer (11/01/2008)
Being screened for breast cancer reduces a woman's chances of dying from the disease by nearly half, shows a study from the national screening programme in East Anglia...
Knowing when to trust an online pharmacy (10/01/2008)
More than 2 million people in Britain now buy medicines on the internet. But how do you know you can trust an online site? Now you can check whether a website comes from a registered pharmacy, with a new logo scheme...
Family meals help teenage girls form healthy eating habits (07/01/2008)
Regular family meals may protect teenage girls from unhealthy and extreme weight loss tactics in later years, a new study says. But teenage boys don't seem to get the same benefit...
Long fingers link to increased risk of arthritis (04/01/2008)
The length of your fingers could predict your chances of getting arthritis in later life, researchers have found. In women especially, if your ring finger is longer than your index finger, you have a bigger chance of getting osteoarthritis of the knee...
Pregnant women told to consider vitamin D (03/01/2008)
Doctors are advising pregnant and breastfeeding women to consider taking vitamin D supplements, especially during the winter, to protect their babies from rickets and seizures (fits)...
This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.
