A selection of health news snippets
The best policy?
We may think we want GPs to be frank, but we dislike it when it makes them seem uncertain, according to a London survey. Patients said they particularly disliked comments such as "I don't know" and "Let's see what happens". They did not react as negatively when a GP used a book or computer to check something, however.
Hair today . . .
A Danish teacher has developed a gadget that could revolutionise treatment of nits. Concerned that head lice were increasingly resistant to insecticide shampoos, Carsten Hoegholm invented a comb that links to a vacuum cleaner. The lice and eggs are left in a special filter.
Fruitful research
Grapes have long been a sickbed favourite. Now it seems they may protect against the side effects of cancer treatment. Researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research in London believe their antioxidants may protect against radiation fibrosis, a complication of breast cancer.
Card carriers
Arthritis Action Ireland (AAI), which aims to improve the understanding and management of rheumatic conditions, has launched the Arthritis Combined Care Card, which helps sufferers monitor their condition and document treatment and medication. Available from GPs and the Arthritis Foundation of Ireland, the card is just one of the educational materials AAI plans for people with chronic pain.
Seafood diet
New research indicates that eating fish regularly reduces the risk of heart disease in women with type 2 diabetes. The risk was cut by 30 per cent for women who ate fish up to three times a month and by 64 per cent for those who ate it more than five times a week.
Happy days
A new facility for older people is opening at Peamount Hospital, Co Dublin. Raniskey Day Care Centre, which aims to promote social contact and stimulation, will offer physiotherapy, chiropody and hairdressing - and a midday meal - for about 100 locals, including the mobility-impaired.
Lifelines is compiled by Dr Muiris Houston and Sylvia Thompson