The Department of Health, in its Plan for Women's Health 1997-1999, estimated 60 per cent of deaths from cervical cancer would be prevented by mass screening for women aged 25 to 60. However, the Republic does not have a mass screening programme. Senator Helen Keogh, chairperson of the Dublin Well Woman Centres, is concerned that the lack of sufficiently qualified cytologists has delayed the launch of the National Cervical Screening Programme, which has also been affected by difficulties in establishing an accurate population register on which to base the programme. An additional issue is that, if a cervical smear test proves positive, women in Dublin have to wait 12 weeks for an appointment for a colposcopy. "Action is required now," says Keogh, "rather than costly medical attention and, tragically, lives lost, at a later date."
IMPROVING male hormone replacement therapy could improve the health of thousands of men, according to experts. Evidence strongly suggests the de- crease in testosterone after 60 can lead to osteoporosis, loss of weight and strength, mood disorders, loss of memory and cognitive ability. However, there are fears that the current methods of delivery of testosterone replacement (orally, by injection or by using skin patches) may increase the risk of liver damage or prostate cancer. UK experts are calling for an improvement in the delivery methods if an ageing population is to benefit from male HRT. (BBC Health)
TWO one-day seminars on health for the over-50s and menopausal women will take place in Dublin this summer. In "The Natural Alternatives to Dieting and HRT", UK nutritionist and author of Natural Alternatives to Dieting and Natural Alternatives to HRT, Dr Marilyn Glenville will talk on how to stay healthy through the menopause, prevent osteoporosis and lose weight naturally at Jury's Hotel, Ballsbridge on July 2nd. The broadcaster Gloria Hunniford and complementary medicine expert, Jan de Vries, authors of Feel Fabulous Over Fifty, will talk on "Staying Healthy and Feeling Young" at the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire on September 10th. Both seminars cost £45 (book before July 14th for a £6 discount on September seminar). Booking: 01-4911711.
CANCER patients can significantly and safely reduce the side-effects of chemotherapy by taking an ancient Indian herbal remedy called amrit, according to a study conducted by scientists at the All India Institute of Medical Science in New Delhi. Patients reported that amrit improved their well-being during chemotherapy by reducing instances of nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, insomnia and anorexia, and boosting energy levels. Amrit, an antioxidant which contains 44 herbs and minerals, has been used in India as an anti-ageing treatment for many generations, but little research on its medicinal qualities has been carried out. --(AP)
"AN apple a day keeps the doctor away," could be more than an old wives tale, according to researchers at Cornell University in New York. They found that eating one apple had the antioxidant effect of taking 1,500 mg of vitamin C - more than 15 times the recommended daily allowance of the vitamin. The scientists speculate that the phenolic acids and flavonoids in apples are behind the fruit's possible cancer-inhibiting effects, and advise that antioxidants, which are thought to protect from cancer, be obtained from fruit and vegetables, not pills. (Reuters Health)
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