# Health news 24th November 2010



## Northerner (Nov 24, 2010)

*Cocktail of cheap drugs 'can prevent Alzheimer's' and keep the brain healthy into old age*
A cheap diabetes drug taken with a red wine ?miracle pill? could prevent millions from suffering the agony of Alzheimer?s. Costing only pennies a day, the two-in-one cocktail could keep the brain healthy into old age, stopping dementia developing in some cases and halting it in others, British doctors believe.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...ap-drugs-including-metformin-resveratrol.html

*Many women 'unaware they have a weight problem'*

When a woman asks: "Does my bum look big in this?" she has some insight that her derriere may appear larger than desireable. But ask a woman if she thinks she is overweight and you may be surprised by the answer you get.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11811304

*Binge drinking 'doubles heart risk'*

Binge drinkers have a risk of heart disease twice that of people who consume the same amount of alcohol but more steadily, researchers say. The study compared 10,000 male drinkers from "booze-bingeing" Belfast and "moderate" France over 10 years.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11824018

*Sex hormones 'make brain younger'*

Sex hormones taken by women after the menopause may make their brains "younger", researchers claim. A small study of post-menopausal women found those on HRT performed better in tests measuring how the left and right hand sides of the brain work together.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11821557

*Drug 'can greatly reduce risk of HIV infection'*

A drug used to treat HIV-positive patients may offer gay and bisexual men some protection against contracting the virus, the authors of a new study say. Trials of the combination drug Truvada among nearly 2,500 men suggested it could reduce the chances of male-to-male HIV infection by 44%.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11820963

*Early retirement 'is good for us', research shows*

Taking early retirement is beneficial, at least for your mental health, say researchers. Their study of over 14,000 employees for France's national grid shows giving up work at 55 comes as a great relief to most, cutting stress and fatigue.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11820660


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