By Louisa Taylor, Ottawa Citizen OTTAWA — A new hotline and website launched Wednesday aims to help Ottawa residents find information and services about palliative care in the region. The hotline and website, created by the new Champlain Regional Hospice Palliative Care Program, are expected to make it faster and easier to navigate the maze of services for people with progressive, incurable or life-threatening illnesses. The website explains palliative care, describes the types of care available — whether in the home, in a hospice or at hospitals in the region — and provides links to outreach...

Babies who cry excessively and have problems feeding and sleeping have a greater risk of serious behavioural problems later in life, say scientists. One in five babies has symptoms that could lead to conditions such as ADHD, according to research published in Archives of Disease in Childhood. The review of previous studies looked at nearly 17,000 children. A child-health expert said it would be wrong for parents to be “overly alarmed” by the results. Crying in babies is normal, but some cry “excessively” after the age of three months for reasons other than colic. An international...

By Michelle Roberts – Health reporter, BBC News A part of the eye that is essential for vision has been created in the laboratory from animal stem cells, offering hope to the blind and partially sighted. One day it might be possible to make an eye in a dish, Nature journal reports. The Japanese team used mouse stem cells – immature cells that have the ability to turn into many types of body tissue. With the right mix of nutrients, the cells changed and began to grow to make a synthetic retina. Ultimately, scientists hope they can use this approach to make endless supplies of retinal...

In a randomized trial of 160 post-menopausal women, it was found that regular consumption of apples lowered unhealthy LDL cholesterol, raised beneficial HDL cholesterol and diminished the presence of inflammatory and damaging compounds, according to Florida State University researchers. Every day for a year, half of the women ate 75 grams of dried apples and the remainder consumed the same amount of prunes. Their blood was tested at three intervals over the trial period. The women who ate apples experienced an average 23 percent decrease in LDL cholesterol after six months, and raised beneficial...

For those who believe their twitchy legs are an illness — there’s another pill for that. Restless legs syndrome — in which creeping and tugging sensations make moving your legs an irresistible urge — can now officially be treated with a seizure drug. The FDA approved gabapentin, or Horizant, on Thursday after two 12-week clinical trials showed it relieves the symptoms of restless legs syndrome, compared to a placebo. People with restless legs syndrome get the overwhelming urge to move their legs, especially after lying down. The condition is worst at night, and sufferers...

By Daily Mail Reporter British women could put motherhood on hold for decades thanks to new medical development which allows eggs to be frozen for years. An updated method of freezing eggs could transform fertility treatments and boosts the hopes of women who fear they could become infertile due to disease. However, the discovery could also come in for criticism as it would allow women to become mothers well into their 50s. Read more….

Scientists have created genetically modified cattle that produce “human” milk in a bid to make cows’ milk more nutritious. The scientists have successfully introduced human genes into 300 dairy cows to produce milk with the same properties as human breast milk. Human milk contains high quantities of key nutrients that can help to boost the immune system of babies and reduce the risk of infections. The scientists behind the research believe milk from herds of genetically modified cows could provide an alternative to human breast milk and formula milk for babies, which is often...

Life expectancy in Europe is continuing to increase despite an obesity epidemic, with people in Britain reaching an older age than those living in the United States, according to study of trends over the last 40 years. In a report in International Journal of Epidemiology, population health expert David Leon of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said the findings counteract concerns that the rising life expectancy trend in wealthy nations may be coming to an end in the face of health problems caused by widespread levels of obesity. They also suggest that simple factors like how rich...

By James Gallagher Treating Parkinson’s disease with gene therapy has been shown to be successful in clinical trials for the first time, say US researchers. The illness causes uncontrolled shaking, stiffness and slow movement as part of the brain dies. The small study in The Lancet Neurology used a virus to add genes to brain cells, which resulted in reduced symptoms for half of patients. Parkinson’s UK welcomed the study, but said further research was needed. The disease affects 120,000 people in the UK, mostly in the over-50s. There is no cure, although drugs and deep brain stimulation...

Retroviral link to debilitating illness looking shaky, but critics still bank on anti-HIV drugs “Very clearly something is going on in the majority of people being treated,” she said. “Most don’t notice they are taking them.” Physicians who work with HIV patients say antiretroviral drugs can cause significant side effects and that efficacy cannot be determined through anecdotes. The chasm between the WPI and its supporters and many in the scientific community is emblematic of a new, modern-day dynamic in which patients keep close tabs on the work of researchers and...