RECENT NEWS

A recently study published has identified a genetic mutation in the calmodulin protein as being a possible cause of sudden cardiac death. A healthy and steady heartbeat is maintained by the controlled release of calcium into heart muscle by two key proteins: calmodulin and ryanodine receptor.

Provisional figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) show that 344,000 patients had a recorded diagnosis of dementia in 2013-14, a rise from 319,000 in 2012-13 and from 213,000 in 2006-07, when the data was first collected.

A series of annual checks to monitor and improve the health of people with diabetes are among measures proposed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for its latest Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) indicator menu.

An additional £5 million is being provided to help health boards in Scotland improve the flow of patients through the health and social care services.

The Chief Inspector of Hospitals has said that he has seen significant patient improvements in ten out of the 11 Trusts since they were placed into special measures.

The relationship between saturated fat and type 2 diabetes may be more complex than previously thought, according to the results of a large international study. It found that saturated fatty acids can be associated with both an increased and decreased risk of developing the disease, depending on the type of fatty acids in the blood.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine found a genetically-engineered protein – APT102 – was more effective than clopidogrel at preventing blood clots from reforming in dogs after a heart attack and reduced the risk of bleeding.

A new study from Public Health England (PHE) published in the British Medical Journal found that Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine may protect against M. tuberculosis (TB) infection, in addition to decreasing progression of TB from infection to disease.

Experts say that women should be offered screening tests to pick up serious genetic problems earlier in pregnancy.

The world’s largest medical trade show, MEDICA 2014 will take place from 12-15 November in Düsseldorf, Germany. The event organisers are expecting more than 4,500 exhibitors from 65 nations to participate.

Cancer Research UK scientists at the Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute and the University of Glasgow, have found a new use for an old drug by showing that it shrinks a particular type of pancreatic cancer tumour and stops it spreading.

Annual NHS national sickness absence rates in England are at their lowest point since 2009-10, when they first started being recorded by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC).

Britain’s first testing laboratory to be UKAS accredited for endoscope surrogate device analysis has reported arise in the number of NHS Trusts commissioning services related to the CFPP 01-06 endoscopy compliance standard.

The National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) is funding a study to determine the effectiveness of Photodynamic surgery in the treatment of bladder cancer.

The UK is set to become a world leader in genetic research into cancer and rare diseases, with the help of an investment worth more than £300 million.

A survey of over 2,700 patients, conducted for NHS England and the health regulator Monitor, has looked at the number of patients being offered a choice by their GPs.

The Department of Health has launched an independent review into whistleblowing in the NHS.

The Science and Technology Committee has warned that more action is needed to ensure that Variant CJD (vCJD) is not inadvertently transmitted from person-to-person through medical procedures.

An experimental treatment that uses nanoparticles could be used to target cancer cells within bones.

The Scottish Government has announced steps to reduce the pressures and long working hours experienced by junior doctors.