The American College of Physicians (ACP) has released a new clinical practice guideline for screening mammography for women 40 to 49 years of age. The guideline, a background article, an editorial, and a patient summary appear in a recent issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, published by ACP. [click link for full article]

Institutes of Health has awarded the University of Georgia a $7.4 million contract to collaborate with Emory University through its new Regional Center for Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance. Emory and UGA will receive a total of $32.8 million over seven years from the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to establish one of six new national influenza centers. [click link for full article]

A new study shows that recent declines in breast cancer mortality rates have been most significant among women with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive tumors and women younger than 70. The results of the study are being published online in April in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO).Approximately 75% of breast cancers are ER-positive. The average age of breast cancer diagnosis is 62.Between 1990 and 2003, breast cancer mortality rates declined by 24%. [click link for full article]

Hayfever is a major irritation for up to 20% of the population in most economically developed countries. Pollen is the cause of this allergic reaction but what causes it and why?Dr Jo Bright and Dr John Hancock of the University of the West of England have found evidence that nitric oxide (NO) and nitrite is released by pollen grains, and they suggest that this could be what triggers the allergic response in the nose. [click link for full article]

This time of year, also known as allergy season, many people find themselves wondering, “Do I have a cold, or am I having allergy symptoms?”

Many of the symptoms of a…

Since the introduction of the PCV7 pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, which began in 2000 in the USA, there has been a significant fall in the number of hospital admissions for pneumonia, according to a new report by researchers from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, USA. The largest drop in hospitalizations was seen among babies under the age of two. According to Dr. Carlos Grijalva, team leader, a large number of pneumonia can be prevented with PCV7. [click link for full article]

If you want to lower your child’s risk of having hay fever you should seriously consider giving him/her a Mediterranean diet, say researchers. Scientists found that children who followed a Mediterranean diet had a 30% lower risk of developing hay fever. It seems, say the researchers, that the diet is not only good for adults, but also for kids. [click link for full article]

The Los Angeles Times on Monday examined the lack of private health insurers offering brand-name prescription drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries during the so-called “doughnut hole” coverage gap. Under the doughnut hole, beneficiaries are responsible for 100% of total prescription drug costs between $2,400 and $5,450. [click link for full article]

While ANZ mental health researchers have an outstanding record of collaboration and publishing internationally, most of this activity relates to rich countries in North America and Europe. “Less than five per cent of Australasian research articles on mental health published in high-impact journals had relevance to the wider international community, most notably to low and middle income countries” said Professor Helen Herrman, author of the research. [click link for full article]

The issues raised about the risks and benefits of routine mammograms for women ages 40 to 49 have “long been known,” but giving women more reasons not to undergo the screening “isn’t helpful,” a USA Today editorial says (USA Today, 4/5). The [click link for full article]