Cholesterol-lowering medication may help to prevent breast cancer in older women, according to researchers in the US.
They found that older women who took statins and other lipid-lowering drugs were 60 to 70 per cent less likely to develop the diseases over about seven years. Scientists have long known that lowering cholesterol inhibits the growth of tumour cells, but this is the first study to look specifically at the relationship between lipid-lowering drugs and the development of breast cancer.
Mental health
Up to 300,000 Irish people suffer from depression. Prof Patricia Casey of Mater Misericordiae University Hospital in Dublin and Dr John Connolly of St Mary's Hospital in Castlebar will speak at a public mental- health seminar at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Gresham Hotel in Dublin. Call 01-6690181 for a free ticket.
Stuck in the middle
Children from cross-community families in Northern Ireland face more health and social problems than those in segregated communities. Children whose parents cross the Catholic-Protestant divide can face rejection, isolation, discrimination and intimidation, according to a report from Britain's National Children's Bureau. It says social workers need training to ensure the needs of the children and their families are met. See www.ncb.org.uk.
Don't tease, please US researchers have found that 30 per cent of girls and 25 per cent of boys are teased about their weight. Teenagers were unsatisfied with their bodies, had low self-esteem and often thought about suicide. The symptoms were so common that the authors suggest young people should be taught how to cope with hurtful comments.
Germ warfare
We could eliminate more than 30 per cent of infectious diseases if we washed our hands properly, yet up to half of men
and a quarter of women do not wash their hands after using the toilet. Bacterial infections spread far more in public and staff toilets than in the home, due to poorer hygiene and the number of people using them.
Med Day
Medical students at Trinity College in Dublin are holding their annual Med Day on Thursday. It aims to raise funds for the department of medicine for the elderly at St James's Hospital and for an access scholarship programme to encourage the study of medicine. Events will include street collections, a clinical-skills demonstration at a medical open day, football matches and other sporting events. It concludes with a fund-raising night out. You can get more details by e-mailing medday@tcd.ie.
Health show
Your Health 2003, this year's showcase of new products for health stores, which also features speakers on food supplements, alternative therapies and health and beauty treatments, is on this weekend at the RDS in Dublin. It's open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Admission is €8.
Compiled by Dr Muiris Houston and Sylvia Thompson
lifelines@irish-times.ie