A round-up of other stories in brief
LIVING WITH PSORIASIS:More than half of people suffering psoriasis in Ireland believe the illness has had a serious "life impact", with a quarter saying the impact has been "severe", according to a new study.
It found that the biggest restriction for psoriasis sufferers was not having the freedom to wear what they want, the impact on their appearance and inhibitions about participating in swimming and other sports.
The study, conducted by Behaviour and Attitudes, was commissioned by the Psoriasis Association of Ireland to coincide with the fourth annual World Psoriasis Day taking place today.
The study featured interviews with 81 people, the majority having direct personal experience of living with psoriasis while a small number (4 per cent) look after a parent or child with psoriasis.
Commenting on the survey, Caroline Irwin, chairwoman of the Psoriasis Association of Ireland, said; "Psoriasis is a painful and very visible condition - red, scaly, bleeding and burning skin as well as itching is common. It is not pleasant to look at and, in an age when we are judged by how we look and there are very unrealistic expectations placed on us to be perfect, living with psoriasis can be very traumatic and very lonely," she said.
In Ireland it is estimated that 100,000 people suffer annually with psoriasis.
LUNG CANCER IN THE NORTH:Lung cancer rates in the most deprived areas in the North are far outstripping the average, the British Department of Health said yesterday.
With levels 71 per cent higher, the official bulletin on health and social care inequalities also found poverty-stricken men living almost four years less and admission rates to hospital for self-harm at twice the norm.
A historic lack of support services has been partly blamed by the Ulster Cancer Foundation for the prevalence of lung cancer, which affects about 900 every year and kills most.
Gerry McElwee, head of cancer prevention at the charity, said: "For too long the tobacco industry has been able to sell its products with very few controls. We need new comprehensive tobacco control policies in place."
CERVICAL CANCER VACCINE:All girls aged 12 to 13 in England will be vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus that causes most cervical cancer cases, the British government has said.
From next autumn, girls will receive three injections at school over six months in a move that could save up to 400 lives each year, the British Department of Health said.
Teenagers up to the age 18 will also be vaccinated during a one-off programme lasting two years. The scheme is also expected to be adopted in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Cervical cancer kills about 800 women each year in England and up to 300,000 globally, mostly in developing countries. Women must still take regular smear tests to detect early signs of the cancer, which has a good cure rate if it is diagnosed early.
AMPUTEE CHARITY:Dr Jimmy Devins, Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, will launch Amputee Disability Federation Ireland (Amputee.ie) in Dublin tomorrow.
The newly established charity, representing an estimated 6,000 amputees in Ireland, will unveil its strategic plan for the next three-four years at a reception in Buswells Hotel at 11am.
The organisers say the charity is becoming "the voice" of a largely hidden disability to highlight the case of amputees and their carers.
CHILDREN'S SLEEP PATTERNS:Children tend to vary widely in their sleep habits, with some being naturally "short sleepers" and others needing more time in bed, a study suggests.
Swiss researchers found that among the 305 children they followed from ages one to 10, there was significant variability in how much sleep they typically got each night. However, most children - 90 per cent -- remained fairly steady in their sleep habits throughout childhood.
That is, children who were "short sleepers" or "long sleepers" as toddlers tended to be so later in childhood as well.
This suggests that biological makeup plays a large role in the amount of sleep any one child needs, the study authors report in the journal Pediatrics.