Malaria is spread by mosquito bites and is estimated to kill over half a million people every year.

Currently, the most effective drugs used to treat it involve Artemisinin, which is derived from a plant known as sweet wormwood.

The disease’s resistance to Artemisinin was seen in Cambodia in 2009 and has now spread to Thailand and Burma.

Over 3,000 patients were tested between 2001 and 2010. The researchers measured how long it took Artemisinin to clear the Malaria parasite from patients’ bloodstreams. During the period, the parasite became 20% more resistant to the drug.

Experts warn that Malaria’s resistance to the drug Artemisinin is growing and may spread even further. A similar scenario occurred in the 1970s, with another front line Malaria drug, Chloroquine, which led to a big increase in the number of child deaths when the resistant strains reached Africa.

The researchers also warn that the use of Artemisinin is widespread and that there isn’t a replacement drug for it yet. If the resistance was to spread, it could set the fight against Malaria back by 15 years and cause a resurgence of the disease in places where it has been largely eliminated.

One expert warned that if the resistance was to spread to Africa, “would be a public health disaster resulting in millions of deaths.”

The college have now called for the traditional rota system to be scrapped and for senior doctors to be present in hospitals for at least 12 hours a day, Monday through to Sunday.

The RCP surveyed 101 hospitals across England to establish death rates and consultant cover.

The results indicated that on hospital wards where the physicians practise acute medical care, a patient’s outcome was more likely to be improved if the consultants were on call for more than one day in a row and had no other duties whilst on call. The patients were also less likely to be re-admitted.

Mortality and re-admission rates were further reduced when consultants in the acute medical unit carried out two or more ward rounds per day and were present for over 4 hours a day, monday through to sunday. By being present for 12 hours a day, rather than 4, the RCP also believe that consultants will have more time to properly evaluate their patients.

A spokesperson for the RCP said: “Traditional rotas are neither safe for patients, nor good for clinicians. Now, patients are older, sicker and have more complex conditions, and they require dedicated consultants to be available on site seven days per week for at least 12 hours a day.”

The research has been welcomed by the NHS.

The researchers from Georgetown University in the US used genetically modified mice that had a mutation in the brain derived neurotrophic factor gene (BDNF).

The gene has previously been shown to have an impact on weight gain, although the reasons behind it were unknown.
It is thought that BDNF gene helps to facilitate communication between neurons and the mutation inhibits the natural signal from hormones such as insulin, which should tell the brain that the body is full and no longer needs food.

The genetically modified mice were shown to eat as much as 80% more food than normal mice.

The researchers showed the message to stop eating from the hormones in the blood of the mutate mice was not successfully transmitted to their brain.

Prof Sadaf Farooqi, from the University of Cambridge, said: “Genes have a surprisingly large role, it’s often underestimated. Between 40 and 70% of the difference in weight between two individuals is due to genetics.”

Prof Farooq also confirmed that completely disrupting the BDNF gene has also been shown to cause severe obesity. However, she also pointed out that this mutation rarely occurs in people and the study had only been conducted on mice.
However, the US researchers hope that the study could help to develop new weight control strategies and treatments. One suggested that a potential drug could be developed to ‘stimulate BDNF expression.’

Last year, the government launched a voluntary initiative to encourage improvements in the health standards of the food industry. The responsibility deal hoped to encourage actions such as reducing salt levels and trans-fat levels in food and improve food information.

The deal was initially criticised by health groups including the British Medical Association and Diabetes UK for not being tough enough on the industry.

Which? Have analysed the progress over the last year and found that only 2 of the top ten restaurants and pub groups and two of the top five coffee shops now provided calorie information in their menus, although many fast food outlets had joined.

Many big brand names haven’t yet committed to reducing salt and smaller take-aways were still using trans-fats in their food.

A spokesperson for Which? said: “The Government relies too much on voluntary deals with industry rather than showing real leadership. If food companies don’t agree to help people eat more healthily, then we must see legislation to force them to do so for the sake of the health of the nation.”

The Health Secretary argued that the current approach was making more progress than could be achieved through regulation. He also pointed out that the number of organisations involved had doubled to 370 since the beginning of the initiative and the government were working hard to sign up more businesses.

The study research team say that consumption of red meat should be limited, as should a diet high in processed meats.
A diet containing one portion of red meat per day was enough to shorten life expectancy, increasing the overall risk of death by 13%, the risk of cancer mortality by 10% and the risk of fatal cardiovascular illness by 18%. When figures related to processed meats were measured, the figures were 20% for overall death risk, 16% for cancer and 21% for cardiovascular or heart problems.

The sample group included well over 120,000 people studied over 28 years, and the primary culprits of the health risk issues are thought to be saturated fat in red meat and salt in processed meat. Salt is a key cause of high blood pressure.

It is suggested that red meat should not be eaten too often, and people who eat processed meats like sausage and bacon regularly should consider alternating with white meat, fish or other protein sources such as pulses. The British Heart Foundation issued a statement saying people should not feel they have to cut out red meat but simply eat less and take care to cook it in a certain way. Victoria Taylor, a dietitian for the BHF, said that red meat should always be
purchased lean and cooked on a grill

Stem cell technology has previously been able to change the skin cells into stem cells first, and then into brain cells, but the method has problems. The process can activate some cancer causing genes in the newly made skin cells.

Another of the issues around using other types of stem cells in medicine is that the cells may be incompatible with the patient. By using the patients own skin to create the new types of cells, scientists hope to avoid these problems.

This is the first time scientists have been able to avoid the stem cell stage. They believe that it could lead to new medical treatments, but indicate further research is needed first.

Scientists introduced a virus to a sample of skin cells. The virus was able to change how the cells interpret the genetic code held in the skin cell. These cells were then transformed into three types of brain cell: neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.

The process took about three weeks and about one tenth of the cells were successfully transformed.

Professor Marius Wernig, who led the research, said: “We are thrilled about the prospects for potential medical use of these cells. We’ve shown the cells can integrate into a mouse brain and produce a missing protein important for the conduction of electrical signal by the neurons. More work needs to be done to generate similar cells from human skin cells and assess their safety and efficacy.”

The guidelines will first be introduced in five local authorities and then rolled out in 2012.

Two years ago, an independent panel of experts called for clearer guidance on food and nutrition for preschool services. The experts argued that some services had not taken on board the nutritional needs of young children. Some children had too much salt and sugar in their diets, others had not enough carbohydrate or fat and others had a lack of fruit, vegetables, dietary fibre and some essential minerals.

A recent report has also highlighted that over 20% of children are now obese before they start school and the School Food Trust hope that the new guidelines will help to address this issue.

The guidelines include advice on the types of food children should eat and provides some recipes. The guide also features advice on how to cope with fussy eaters and provides information on how to provide a varied and healthy diet, establishing good eating habits from an early age.

Sarah Tether, the Children’s Minister, said: “Healthy eating is at the heart of helping every child get the best start in life.

Nurseries play a vital role in getting children from all backgrounds to develop good eating habits, but many lack the expert knowledge of what is the best food to serve.”

The new guidelines have been welcomed by childcare providers, including the Pre-school Learning Alliance and the National Day Nurseries Association.

The French government have confirmed that they will cover the cost of the removal for the estimated 30,000 women in France who have received the implant. They will also pay for sixmonthly ultrasound scans for those who choose not to have them removed.

However, there is an estimated 40,000 women in the UK who have received the French made implant, and the UK government have stated that there is no evidence of a safety concern. As such, they have ruled out the need for routine removal.

The implants were made with non-medical grade silicone which means that they have a higher chance of splitting. In France the rupture rate for these implants is close to 5%, whilst in the UK it is around 1%. No other country has reported an increase in rupture rates.

Testing on the implants have not revealed an increased of risk of toxicity and there is no known link to an increase in the risk of breast cancer. However, the gel inside an implant can cause irritation and inflammation and is more difficult to remove if the implant ruptures.

Dame Sally Davies, the chief medical officer for the UK, pointed out that no other countries have taken similar steps to France and that women should not be ‘unduly worried.’ She added: “We have no evidence of a link to cancer or an increased risk of rupture. If women are concerned they should speak to their surgeon.”

SSE are one of the six main energy suppliers in the UK. They were doorstep cold calling after Guildford Crown Court found that their using misleading sales scripts.

The energy company have confirmed that they will write to 400,000 them between October 2009 and July 2011 and offer compensation they suffered as a result. There is also a helpline for customers they think that they have been affected by the practice (0845 070 SSE have earmarked £5 million to cover the costs of the compensation paying, although they have indicated that they will still be appealing starting with a hearing in February 2012.

The court ruled that SSE were guilty on two counts of unfair trading Doorstep sales staff had been telling people that they had been their energy with their existing supplier and this was not always indicated that they still believe that most people who agreed to However, SSE did agree to put an end to its doorstep sales practice, with the court decision. The move was subsequently followed by other main energy suppliers. Only E.On out of the major energy sales strategy.

Alistair Phillips-Davies from SSE argued that most of their energy fairly and in a professional manner. However, he did indicate that loss to customers who had received unfair treatment.

The offer of compensation by SSE has been welcomed by Consumer the director of energy at the governments official consumer watchdog, that they would be working with SSE to help work out the details.

Diabetes prevents the body from using glucose properly and can cause kidney failure or heart failure if it is not managed properly. It affects over 2 million people in the UK and it is estimated that a third of people who have the disease do not know that they have it.

The report indicated that there are approximately 75,000 deaths from diabetes every year, and out of these, approximately 24,000 are considered avoidable. The majority of the avoidable deaths occur in people over the age of 65.

Type 1 diabetes carries a greater risk of death than type 2 diabetes and although more deaths occur in people over the age of 65, the actual risk of dying from diabetes is much higher in younger people.

The report suggested that a third of the deaths could have been avoided if with better management of the patients conditions, including basic health checks from the patients doctors and patients maintaining a healthy diet and taking their medication.

Diabetes UK suggested that the figures were alarming and indicated that it was vital that diabetes sufferers had top quality care.

Barbara Young from Diabetes UK said: “It is imperative we take action now to stop even more lives being needlessly cut short. We will be holding the NHS to account wherever it fails to deliver high-quality care.”