SA doctors' strike far from over

Getting tough: Provincial doctors, under the banner of SA Doctors United, have vowed to continue their strike if their pay dispute is not dealt with to their satisfaction. Read more >>

Homeopathy at risk of being lost in translation

Homeopathy risks being subsumed by modern medicine, argues a historian of science. Not only does this means that homeopathy's heroes have become mere footnotes in history, but it could limit homeopathy's potential to contribute to the treatment of today's pressing medical problems, she says. Read more >>

Surgeons warn: Skateboarding tough on feet, ankles

Children and young adults love the thrill of skateboarding. They learn to master their skills of "riding the rail" and "catching air." But according to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS), such tricks, while fun, can be physically demanding and cause serious foot and ankle injuries. Read more >>

Protect your biggest asset - your employees' eyes

What do all modern office workers have in common? All of them strain their eyes on a daily basis for the benefit of the company. Read more >>

Swine flu cases increase to seven

[Gabi Khumalo] PRETORIA: The Department of Health has confirmed three more cases of the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, in the country, bringing the total number of cases to seven. Read more >>

South African X-ray machine scans body in seconds

A digital X-ray system that was originally designed to check South African diamond miners for stolen gems will now be used for the first time in a US hospital to carry out full-body scans of patients in seconds. Read more >>

Warnings about ‘over-use' of paracetamol

A panel of experts in the United States has raised new concerns about the popular painkiller paracetamol and are calling for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reduce the maximum dose of paracetamol allowed because they say 'over-use' can cause serious liver damage. Read more >>

Poor sleep may be more dangerous for women than men

Women who get less than the recommended eight hours sleep a night are at higher risk of heart disease and heart-related problems than men with the same sleeping patterns. Read more >>

Randomised clinical trials - can you trust them?

There are some question marks on the credibility of some published clinical trials. Read more >>

Newly discovered gene regulates balance of 'bad' cholesterol

In an article in Science, Noam Zelcer from the LACDR describes a previously unknown mechanism for regulating the amount of LDL cholesterol. This offers opportunities for supplementing and improving the effect of so-called statins: medicines that remove 'bad' cholesterol from the bloodstream. Read more >>

Vegetarian diet leads to lower bone density

Even though there has been for some time concern on the part of experts that a vegetarian diet may have negative impact on bone health, until now that opinion has largely been based on anecdotal evidence and a range of contradictory findings which have often relied on studies which experts say are too small to be biologically relevant. Read more >>

Survivors of childhood cancer at greater risk of birth complications when pregnant

Survivors of childhood cancer run particular risks when pregnant and should be closely monitored, the 25th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology heard this week, 29 June 2009. Read more >>

Vegetarians less likely to develop cancer than meat eaters

Vegetarians are 12% less likely to develop cancer than meat eaters, according to new research published in the British Journal of Cancer. Read more >>

Researchers using microRNA to identify aggressive melanoma

Research at the University of Leicester will be breaking new ground in the search for a simple blood test that could tell whether a patient with melanoma has the condition in an aggressive form. Read more >>

Weight-loss surgery cuts cancer rate

Weight-loss surgery that curbs food intake by stitching up parts of the stomach or small intestine reduces the risk of cancer in obese women by more than 40%, according to a study released on Thursday. Read more >>

Acoustics help blind people see the world

The EU-funded CASBLiP project was conceived to integrate the image processing and acoustic mapping technologies into a single, portable device that could be worn by blind people and help them to navigate outdoors. Read more >>

Breast milk ingredient protects babies' intestines

Scientists at Queen Mary, University of London have discovered that an ingredient in human breast milk protects and repairs the delicate intestines of newborn babies. Read more >>

Survey: SA teens' use of alcohol, smoking and drugs raises concerns

TNS Research Surveys*, a leading South African marketing and social insights company, has recently conducted a survey of South African teenagers. The study was conducted amongst a sample of 1 000 South African teenagers, aged 13 to 19 years of age, from the seven major metropolitan areas of South Africa, interviewing them face-to-face in their homes, and has a margin of error of under 3.5%. Read more >>

Alcohol damages lives in Gauteng

[Namhla Tshisela] Alcohol is the drug of choice for people in Gauteng with almost half of the patients at treatment centres in the province being treated for alcohol abuse. Read more >>

E-Cape health dept seeks 18 TB patients

[Vuyolwethu Sangotsha] PORT ELIZABETH: The Eastern Cape Health Department has dispatched officials to round up 18 tuberculosis (TB) patients, who urgently need to continue with their treatment in hospital. Read more >>

Have doctors been handed a blank cheque? - Cape Medical Plan

There has been much concern expressed by both medical aids and medical service providers over the Health Professions Council of South Africa's decision to scrap its system of “ethical tariffs”. Read more >>

Road Accident Fund and third-party liability claims - Cape Medical Plan

For anyone who is not a member of a medical aid, handling a third-party liability claim can be confusing, intimidating, and incredibly frustrating. And that's not even taking into account the medical expenses you will incur while waiting for your claim to be processed and paid out. Read more >>