# Health news 19th-21st February 2011



## Northerner (Feb 21, 2011)

*Joe Pasquale on Geology*
As a boy I wanted to be a geologist and really ever since I can remember I have been interested in rocks, sand and fossils. I used to go mudlarking with my sister and although most of what we collected was rubbish it appealed to me. I loved finding clay pipes and have still got my childhood collection of fossils to this day. Diabetes UK mentioned.

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/230188

*Thousands are 'at risk of alcohol death' say doctors*
Poor alcohol regulation could cost up to 250,000 lives in England and Wales over the next 20 years, doctors warn. Writing in The Lancet, leading liver disease specialists say measures including a minimum price of 50p per unit are urgently needed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12506127

*Cholesterol 'does not predict stroke in women'*

High levels of cholesterol do not predict the risk of stroke in women, according to researchers in Denmark. They did detect an increased risk in men, but only when cholesterol was at almost twice the average level.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12505230

*Device 'could revolutionise blood pressure monitoring'*

A device which can be worn like a watch could revolutionise the way blood pressure is monitored in the next few years, scientists say. Researchers at the University of Leicester and in Singapore have developed a device to measure pressure in the largest artery in the body.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12518633

*Is this the cure for stammering? Found, the genetic flaws that can lead to a stutter*
A genetic link to stammering has been pinpointed by scientists, who believe they could one day develop a drug to cure the condition. They have identified three minor gene mutations that affect the way the brain processes speech and are far more common in people with stammers.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...mmering-Found-genetic-flaws-lead-stutter.html

*Scientist urges human papilloma virus jabs for boys to stem oral cancer rise*
Boys should be considered for routine vaccination against the human papilloma virus (HPV) to stem the rise of some oral cancers, according to a leading scientist working on the disease. The recommendation comes after studies which show that oral cancers in the young are more commonly caused by HPV than by more traditional factors such as tobacco and alcohol.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/feb/20/boys-human-papilloma-virus-jabs


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