This is European Drug Prevention week - aimed at raising awareness of the problems of drug abuse and to highlight the support available. An information helpline, with trained counsellors, will operate until Friday, November 27th: tel 1850505070.
Each year in Ireland, almost 1,100 men are told they have prostate cancer. To help these men and their families cope with the trauma of diagnosis and treatment, the Irish Cancer Society has published a booklet entitled Understanding Prostate Cancer. As well as providing detailed information on diagnosis and treatment options, it covers practical matters such as health cover, benefits and allowances. The difficult areas of a man's feelings about the diagnosis and his relationships with family and friends are also explored. For a free copy call the Cancer Helpline, freefone 1800-200700.
Scientists at the Common Cold Centre in Cardiff have cracked the structure of one of the viruses which cause the common cold - the rhinovirus - so medication can now be developed. However, the bad news is there are more than 200 viruses responsible for our sniffles and a cure for the common cold may be 10 or 20 years away. An average person suffers from 200 bouts of the common cold in a lifetime. What do the scientific experts at the Common Cold Centre recommend for sufferers? Hot drinks, soup and spicy food. (BBC)
A daily dose of aspirin should be considered as a way of preventing heart attack in people over 50 with just a single risk of heart disease, according to a statement from the American College of Chest Physicians. Risk factors include obesity, diabetes, a sedentary lifestyle, a smoking habit or a family history of heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends people should consult a doctor before beginning to take a daily aspirin and also states that a maintenance dose is usually a baby aspirin, which is 81 milligrams.
As if the weather wasn't depressing enough, French scientists have found evidence that weather may play a role in triggering heart attacks. They discovered extremes of atmospheric pressure and below-normal temperature are associated with an increased danger of heart attack among people already at risk - a drop of 10 degrees in average temperature raised the chances of having a first heart attack that day by 13 per cent. The weather danger is significantly greater (38 per cent) for men who had previously suffered a heart attack. (BBC)
A new, preventative drug treatment, now available in Ireland, offers post-menopausal women a non-hormonal therapy to protect against bone fractures and help lower cholesterol levels. Evista has also been found to reduce the risk of breast cancer. In 1996, 4,931 women suffered an osteoporotic hip fracture and 650 women over 50 died from breast cancer. The treatment, in the form of one daily tablet, is intended for long-term use and is included under the medical card scheme.
An international conference focusing on social disabilities and mental health will take place on November 26th and 27th, promoted by the Asperger Syndrome Association of Ireland (ASPIRE). The conference, at Jury's Hotel, Dublin, is targeted at professionals providing services for adults with mental illness. For further information, contact 01-6671711.
Sex can trigger amnesia in elderly men, US researchers report in The Lancet. After sex with his wife, one healthy 72-year-old man thought Jimmy Carter was still president of the US and suffered from general amnesia for more than 12 hours. Another healthy 75-year-old had amnesia for 15 hours after sex. The researchers suggest doctors should bear this in mind when elderly men appear confused, disoriented and show signs of amnesia.