A combination of antiviral drugs should be stockpiled for use in an influenza pandemic, say researchers in this week’s BMJ.We currently have two classes of drugs that are effective against influenza viruses: the ion channel inhibitors (amantadine and rimantadine) and the neuraminidase inhibitors (oseltamivir and zanamivir). [click link for full article]

Last month, the BMJ reported a fall in the number of young women attending smear tests. Now, two senior doctors warn that a new policy not to screen women aged 20-24 may be a factor in falling coverage and could increase the risk of cancer developing in young women.Prevalence of carcinoma in situ (a precursor to cancer known as CIN3) has increased in women aged 20-24, write consultants Amanda Herbert and John Smith. [click link for full article]

The 40th anniversary in October this year of the passing of the UK Abortion Act is certain to be marked by attempts to reopen the debate about lowering the upper limit for legal terminations. In a special report in this week’s BMJ, journalist Jonathan Gornall examines current arguments for reform. [click link for full article]

Workers who lift for a living need to take longer or more frequent breaks than they now do to avoid back injury, according to a new study at Ohio State University .The study also suggests that people who are new on the job need to take breaks even more often than experienced workers, and that the risk of injury is higher at the end of a work shift. [click link for full article]

People who receive implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) as a preventative measure don’t need the same driving restrictions as people who get an ICD after surviving a life-threatening heart rhythm disturbance, according to an updated scientific statement.The statement, issued by the American Heart Association and the Heart Rhythm Society, is an addendum to “Personal and Public Safety Issues Related to Arrhythmias that May Affect Consciousness. [click link for full article]

Since last year, it has become possible to vaccinate against the human papillomavirus (HPV) that causes most cases of cervical cancer, but countries face tough decisions before making the vaccine widely available. The excitement surrounding the HPV vaccine is not surprising given that half a million women a year develop cervical cancer and half of those die as a result. [click link for full article]

A new study to be published in an upcoming edition of the journal Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice reveals that French maritime pine tree extract known as Pycnogenol® (pic-noj-en-all) delays the uptake of glucose from a meal 190 times more than prescription medications, preventing the typical high-glucose peak in the blood stream after a meal. [click link for full article]

An international consortium has been launched to tackle coronary artery disease using the latest scientific tools. Funded by the European Commission, the initiative will build on recent advances in genomic science and the understanding of our genes to develop effective strategies for preventing and treating the disease.Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common form of heart disease in Europe and the US. [click link for full article]

A lot of research has examined the effect of a family’s income on children’s readiness to start school. A new study suggests that adopting a “one size fits all” approach - that is, measuring material hardship, parenting, and school readiness in the same way for white, black, and Hispanic children - may obscure the toll that lower income takes on ethnic minority children as well as the strengths that some families show in coping with poverty-related disadvantages. [click link for full article]

Children’s conduct problems–skipping school, sneaking out of the house, lying to parents, shoplifting, or bullying other children–are a major source of concern for parents and teachers. As a potential cause of these problems, parents’ marital conflict has received a lot of research attention. Now a new study finds that parents’ fighting may not be to blame but rather that parents who argue a lot may pass on genes for disruptive behavior to their children. [click link for full article]