Premature birth may increase the risk for serious mental illness in adolescence and young adulthood, a recent study reports.Researchers reviewed birth and hospital admissions records of more than 1.3 million Swedes born from 1973 to 1985. They found that compared with those born at term, young adult

Taking an eighth of a developing embryo during IVF treatment to test for genetic diseases is “completely safe”, according to the largest study of babies born following the technique.Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) can help doctors spot diseases like cystic fibrosis before deciding whether to

The Food and Drug Administration has agreed to give priority status to its review of three new uses for the anticlotting drug Xarelto, Johnson & Johnson announced Monday.The company is asking the agency to approve the drug to treat deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, and to prevent recu

(Reuters) – At an ill-fated press conference in 1984, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Margaret Heckler boldly predicted an effective AIDS vaccine would be available within just two years.But a string of failed attempts – punctuated by a 2007 trial in which a Merck vaccine appeared to make p

“polypill” combining a statin with blood pressure drugs could prevent thousands of heart attacks and strokes every year, according to researchers.A UK study of 84 over-50s, published in the journal PLoS One, showed the pill could cut blood pressure and levels of “bad” cholesterol.They called for the

PMAC 2016 Side Event (SE 014): Advanced Workshop in Methods for HTAThe methods of HTA have developed rapidly in the last decade. This is particularly the case in assessing the cost-effectiveness of interventions using modelling methods and in undertaking uncertainty analysis to guide decisions. Deci

A drug which can extend the lives of men with incurable prostate cancer has been approved for use in Scotland.Scotland was the only part of the UK where abiraterone was not yet available on the NHS.But the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has now given doctors the green light to prescribe it.The

A drug user has died in a Lancashire hospital after being infected with anthrax, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) has said.It is understood the victim is a man from north-west England. The HPA said the death happened in Blackpool and the person had injected drugs.It is the eighth case recently rep

Coconut oil attacks the bacteria behind tooth decay and could be used in dental care products, according to research.Scientists found that coconut oil which had been treated with enzymes stopped the growth of Streptococcus bacteria – a major cause of tooth decay.Tooth decay affects 60% to 90% of chi

(Reuters Health) – People who smoke or drink heavily may develop pancreatic cancer at an earlier age than folks who avoid those habits, a new study suggests.It’s long been known that smoking is a risk factor for developing pancreatic cancer – a disease that is rarely caught early and has a grim prog