TRIAL INQUEST: A 69-year-old woman developed severe mental health problems after taking part in trials of a cannabis-based treatment and died five months later, an inquest heard yesterday.
Diabetic Rene Anderson began to become "confused and intoxicated" just three days after starting to take the drug Sativex, which is derived from cannabis.
A coroner was told how Mrs Anderson of Sheffield was admitted to hospital after her mental state had deteriorated so much "she was not the same person". The inquest, which could have far-ranging implications for the use of drugs derived from the cannabis plant, heard how Mrs Anderson's physical condition declined in hospital until she died on March 3rd last year from acute kidney failure.
She had been taking part in a trial supervised by diabetes expert Dr Solomon Tesfaye, who told the court he wanted to investigate whether cannabis could provide useful relief from the severe pain experienced by diabetic neuropathy sufferers.
NEVER TOO LATE: For people with cancer of the larynx or lower pharynx, continuing to smoke or drink alcohol make it less likely that they'll survive, while eating a diet rich in vegetables and vitamin C improves their survival, a new study shows.
"One might think, now that I have cancer, what's the point of stopping smoking? But there is clearly a benefit in doing that; it will improve your survival," Dr Rajesh P. Dikshit said.
Tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking and diet have all been linked to the development of cancer in the larynx, or voicebox, and the area immediately above it at the back of the throat, the hypopharynx. However, little was known about the role of these risk factors on the survival of patients with these cancers.
SYMPTOMS OF STRESS: Two DVDs which address mental and emotional health issues among Travellers have been launched in Galway in response to the high levels of stress and depression which members of that community experience in their daily lives. The DVDs, entitled Am I Stressed? and Am I Depressed?, were produced by The Galway Traveller Support Group Primary Health Care for Travellers Project.
In the DVDs, three Traveller women share their experience of stress and depression with the aim of helping others to recognise symptoms and seek help.
Am I stressed? and Am I Depressed? are available in both video and DVD formats at a cost of 15 each through the Galway Traveller Support Group.
WALK TO FIGHT CANCER: The Mayor of Sligo has attributed the "extraordinary" response to a unique fundraising walk along Sligo's newest road to people's anger at the lack of breast screening facilities in the region as well as their desire to help fight cancer, writes Marese McDonagh.
Last September Councillor Rosaleen O'Grady invited the people of Sligo to join her on a walk of the newly constructed inner relief road on the eve of its official opening by Transport Minister Martin Cullen.
Almost 5,000 people took part in the walk, which was to raise funds for the upgrading of breast screening equipment at Sligo General Hospital. Close to €20,000 was raised on the day but since then the figure has swelled to over €72,000 as money pledged continues to flow in.
Cllr O'Grady said the sum raised was a reflection of the fact that probably everyone on the walk knew someone who had been touched by cancer. She said it also reflected people's anger at the lack of breast screening facilities in the northwest.
TEA BENEFITS: Drinking just two cups of tea a day could reduce the risk of ovarian cancer,research suggested yesterday. A study in Sweden involving more than 60,000 women found that women who drank two or more cups of tea a day had an almost 50 per cent lower risk of ovarian cancer compared with non-tea drinkers.
The research follows various studies which have indicated that green and black tea may provide protection from several types of cancer. But the team from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm said that few epidemiological studies had examined the relationship specifically between tea consumption and the risk of ovarian cancer.
NHS DEFICIT: Britain's NHS faces a deficit of nearly £7 billion by 2010 unless a "productivity miracle" is achieved, a new study has claimed. Think-tank Reform warned that cost pressures such as extra staffing, large building programmes and more expensive drugs would produce a funding gap. Researchers said that an extra £18.2 billion of funding would be needed, but only £11.4 billion was available - a shortfall of £6.8 billion.
Report author Pro Nick Bosanquet, of Imperial College London, said: "The NHS has two options; either radical reform to improve productivity or local rationing, rising waiting lists and failing staff morale."