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HIV/AIDS
 Advice columns in South Africa's print media are giving advice that puts people's lives at risk, according to new research conducted by Soul City. These research findings were presented at a workshop on Tuesday, 18 August 2009, which was attended by a number of advice columnists. Read more >>Medical
It's even worse than being told you have a brain tumour: having a tumour so large, it's in a category all its own. Giant pituitary adenoma is a so-called “benign” tumour that can cause visual loss and impair many of the body's most basic functions. But fortunately, even the largest of these giant tumours—which can grow to the size of an egg and invade nearby structures- can be treated effectively using a multimodality approach starting with minimally invasive surgery through the nose, according to a new study at the John Wayne Cancer Institute at Saint John's Health Centre. Read more >>Chronic diseases
Research has shown that swimming aids asthma symptoms in children. The activity has been proven to be an effective non-pharmacological intervention for children and adolescents, according to a study in Respirology published by Wiley-Blackwell. Read more >> The GVI Oncology Group hosted the 10th Annual Cancer Survivor's Day at His Peoples Church, N1 City, Cape Town on 15 August 2009. The event was one of a number of events, marking August as Cancer Awareness Month in South Africa. Read more >>Dental disease
A new policy urging dentists to check for tell-tale signs of neglect when treating children with severe oral disease has been published. Read more >>Ear, nose & throat
Discovery of a deafness-causing gene defect in mice has helped identify a new protein that protects sensory cells in the ear, according to a study by University of Iowa and Kansas State University researchers. The findings appear in the August 21 issue of the open-access journal PLoS Genetics. Read more >>Generic Medicines
The WHO has warned that people with conditions such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria should not rely on homeopathic treatments, the BBC reports. The agency was responding to a June letter (full text available here), in which researchers from the Voice of Young Science Network called on the agency "to condemn the promotion of homeopathy for treating TB, infant diarrhoea, influenza, malaria and HIV." Read more >>Infectious diseases
A specific protein on the surface of a common bacterial pathogen allows the bacteria to leave the bloodstream and enter the brain, initiating the deadly infection known as meningitis. The new finding, which may guide development of improved vaccines to protect those most vulnerable, including young infants and the elderly, is now available online in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. Read more >>Prevention of H1N1 influenza virus through vaccination must be our top priority if disease patterns in the northern hemisphere follow those in the southern hemisphere this fall, writes Paul Hébert, editor-in-chief of CMAJ ( Canadian Medical Association Journal) in an editorial. Read more >>Medical Research
Exciting research into Brown adipose tissue (BAT) — brown fat, which is found in abundance in hibernating animals and newborn babies — could lead to new ways of preventing obesity. Read more >>Active chemicals in cannabis have been shown to halt prostate cancer cell growth according to research published in the latest issue of the British Journal of Cancer. Read more >>In most transplant centres, the kidneys of very young deceased donors are transplanted together into one patient. According to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology ( CJASN), a single kidney from a very young deceased donor maintains the health of an adult with kidney failure. Read more >> A recent survey conducted by nicorette, a brand marketed by Johnson & Johnson, has shed light on the smoking habits of South Africans as well as on the attitudes of non-smokers towards the habit. The nicorette South African Smoking Survey 2009 revealed that the allure of smoking has become less popular as disposable income has decreased. Read more >>As a new mother herself, Brenda Lohman admits to being shocked by the results of a new study she co-authored. It found that among nearly 1000 low-income families in three major cities, one in four children between the ages of 11 and 16 reported having sex, with their first sexual intercourse experience occurring at the average age of 12.77. Read more >>While video gaming is generally perceived as a pastime for children and young adults, research shows that the average age of players in the United States is 35. Read more >>Nutrition
Scientists at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and the University of Ottawa have discovered what may be an important clue to the cause of type 1 diabetes. Dr. Fraser Scott and his team tested 42 people with type 1 diabetes and found that nearly half had an abnormal immune response to wheat proteins. The study is published in the August 2009 issue of the journal Diabetes. Read more >>Both being more physically active and adhering to a Mediterranean-type diet appears to be associated with reduced Alzheimer's risk, according to a new report in the August 12, 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association ( JAMA). Read more >>Paediatrics
Toy manufacturers need to urgently review their safety tests say scientists, after showing that children as young as three can have the bite force of the average dog. Read more >>Tuberculosis
 New research showing that the tuberculosis vaccine Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) can be deadly to HIV-positive infants means Kenya's health ministry will have to redouble its efforts to test pregnant mothers and their infants for HIV, senior health officials say. Read more >>Women's health
Researchers at Duke University Medical Centre may have a new way to stop and even prevent the urinary tract infections (UTIs) that plague more than a third of all adults, some of them repeatedly. Read more >>
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