A round-up of today's other health news in brief ...
Eating chicken can reduce cancer risk
Chicken may be a recipe for longer life, according to new research on the health effects of meat consumption.
Scientists found eating white meat slightly reduced the overall risk of dying from cancer.
In contrast, consuming too much red or processed meat produced a “modest” increase in death risk from all causes. It also increased the risk of dying specifically from heart disease or cancer.
The study, one of the largest of its kind ever undertaken, was conducted among more than half a million people in the US.
Eczema rises by 40% in England
The number of eczema cases in England rose more than 40 per cent in four years, researchers said yesterday.
An estimated 5.8 million people were affected by the condition in 2005, an increase of 42 per cent from 2001, the study, published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, showed.
Researchers, led by Prof Aziz Sheikh at the University of Edinburgh, said the figures were expected to continue rising. “Eczema is now one of the most chronic conditions to affect the English population,” he said.
Environmental factors, including the “frequency of bathing and use of soaps and detergents”, may have contributed to the rise, along with better awareness and diagnosis, he said.
Harney makes two appointments
Minister for Health Mary Harney has appointed Dr John Hillery and Kate Mulvenna to the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI), the pharmacy regulator.
Dr Hillery, who was appointed as a public interest nominee, is a consultant psychiatrist and former president of the Medical Council of Ireland.
Kate Mulvenna is a community pharmacy adviser with the Primary, Community and Continuing Care pillar within the HSE. A community pharmacist of 18 years’ experience she has also worked in hospitals.