Air pollution and tobacco smoke contain oxidants that when inhaled can cause damage to the lungs and contribute to diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In a study that appears in the March issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, identify a new mechanism by which mice are protected against inhaled oxidants. [click link for full article]

Using morphine to end a person’s life is a myth, argues a senior doctor in a letter to this week’s BMJ.It follows the case of Kelly Taylor, a terminally ill woman who went to court earlier this month for the right to be sedated into unconsciousness by morphine, even though it will hasten her death. [click link for full article]

Insulating houses can significantly improve health and reduce days off work and school, according to a new study in this week’s BMJ.The state of housing has a real impact on health; cold houses place more physiological stress on people, and are more likely to be damp - leading to respiratory problems. Despite the fact we spend about three-quarters of our lives inside, little is known about the specific health effects of the indoor environment. [click link for full article]

Have you ever had itching of the mouth after biting into a fresh peach? How about tingling or swelling of the tongue after eating a banana? If so, you may…

Scientists and public health officials, wary that the H5N1 avian influenza virus could trigger an influenza pandemic, have looked to past pandemics, including the 1918 “Spanish Flu,” for insight into pandemic planning. However, in a Journal of Infectious Diseases review article now posted online, David M. Morens, M.D., and Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. [click link for full article]

Secondhand smoke is an “invisible killer”, according to a shockingnew advertising campaign, launched by Public Health Minister CarolineFlint today. Nearly 85 per cent of tobacco smoke is invisible andodourless, but it causes just as much harm to people’s health as thesmoke that is visible. [click link for full article]

Yale School of Medicine researchers have identified a rare defect in a single gene that poses a substantial risk for metabolic syndrome and early heart disease, the leading cause of death worldwide. The international study, led by Arya Mani, M.D., assistant professor of cardiology, and Richard Lifton, M.D. [click link for full article]

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is preparing to cut the vital food aid rations it currently provides to around 500,000 of the most vulnerable people in Zambia over the coming weeks - because of a critical shortage of funds.”WFP’s resources are rapidly running out. [click link for full article]

The Government of Japan has announced a major contribution of 20.8 million US dollars (JPY2.52 billion) to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) which will assist millions of vulnerable and chronically food insecure people in 13 countries spread throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America.The funds will be used to buy food including cereals, pulses, fortified blended food and canned tuna. [click link for full article]

Tragic events in the last two days have left people throughout the Midwest and the South reeling. Severe weather in the Midwest and the South and a devastating bus crash in Georgia are the latest events to which the American Red Cross is responding. Employees, volunteers and partners of the Red Cross are present in communities across the United States and are part of the response. [click link for full article]