[2012 trends] Focused, proactive, involved healthcare

[Shelley Harris] Healthcare is a subject that's close to everyone's heart, and both the healthcare sector and consumers alike are always alert to new developments and trends. In recent years, these have included a greater focus on the impact of non-communicable diseases, as well as a clear indication that patients across the board want to be more involved in their treatment. Read more >>

Peninsula School Feeding Association gets Tuffy support

Tuffy is partnering with the Peninsula School Feeding Association (PFSA), which aims to combat short-term hunger in schoolchildren and in doing so promote their learning and potential. The organisation was established in 1958 and over the past 53 years has provided 1.3-billion meals to children in need. Read more >>

Higher food prices to stabilise

[Shannon Sherry] Though food prices are high and seem likely to stabilise at current levels, finding value in the food sector from a stock investment point of view is not easy. Read more >>

Court ruling may spell end of generic giant's product

Aspen registered its Andosept trademark in 2005 and launched a pharyngeal product under that name in 2008, in direct competition with the market-leading product Andolex. The Andosept product was placed on pharmacy shelves in packaging similar to that used for Andolex. Read more >>

Capitalising on customer loyalty schemes

[Eugene Yiga: @eugeneyiga] Customer loyalty programmes are a game and who wins depends on how much time and effort you take to play. It is as Warren Buffet said, "If you've been playing poker for half an hour and you still don't know who the patsy is, you're the patsy." In other words, unless your cash rewards exceed the premiums or fees you pay, you are losing out. (I do not count the miles on programmes you can never redeem, they are just as bad as nonexchangeable gift certificates from stores you do not use.) Read more >>

Hotter homes produce smarter babies

A hotter home appears to produce babies with better cognitive abilities - but before you turn up the home heater to make your baby brainier, the research was conducted on the Australian lizard Bassiana duperreyi by researchers from the University of Sydney. Read more >>

For crying out loud!: Baby cries get a speedy response

The sound of babies crying is uniquely able to get adults to react at speed, Oxford University researchers have found. Read more >>

Nicotine could ward off memory loss

WASHINGTON, USA: Older adults who are starting to have problems with memory may benefit from small amounts of nicotine therapy, according to a US study. Read more >>

Hormone helps obese shed weight

PARIS, FRANCE: An appetite-curbing hormone found in the gut may help overweight and obese people shed weight, lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol levels, according to a study released on Wednesday, 11 January. Read more >>

Food company computer games increase junk food consumption

[Megan Orciari] Despite food company pledges to reduce marketing of unhealthy products to children, a Yale University study finds that children are disproportionately targeted by food company websites using branded computer games, known as advergames. Researchers also found that playing these games increases children's consumption of junk food. The study is published online in the Journal of Children and Media. Read more >>

New research finds ideal number of embryos to implant during assisted conception

Controversy exists over how many embryos should be implanted during assisted conception (in-vitro fertilisation/IVF) therapy. New research by the University of Bristol and published in the The Lancet shows that, while discretion can be applied in whether to implant one or two embryos, three or more should never be implanted into women of any age. Read more >>

Processed meat may increase pancreatic cancer risk

Eating too much processed meat may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer, new research published in the British Journal of Cancer reported Friday, 13 January. Read more >>

Fluorescent dye pinpoints tiniest signs of oesophageal cancer

A fluorescent dye that can be sprayed onto the oesophagus - the food pipe - could be used to detect oesophageal cancer earlier and spare patients unnecessary treatment, according to research published yesterday, 15 January, in Nature Medicine. Read more >>

First step towards treatment for painful flat feet

New research has made an advance in understanding the causes of adult-acquired flat feet - a painful condition particularly affecting middle-aged women. The findings could eventually lead to new drug therapy for this and other common conditions affecting tendons, such as Achilles tendonitis. Read more >>

Cholesterol meds raise diabetes risk in women

WASHINGTON, USA: Post-menopausal women who take medication to lower their cholesterol face a higher risk of getting diabetes than women who do not take the popular drugs, known as statins, said a US study. Read more >>

Festive season death toll declines

Preliminary figures for the 2011/2012 festive season road death toll report show a decrease in road fatalities compared to the previous festive season's report. Read more >>