British scientists have identified biological markers in the blood which should help doctors match patients to the best type of treatment for depression. The aim is to end the "trial and error" prescription of antidepressants, which is often the only way depressed patients can find the most effective treatment, said researchers regarding what they described as a small but promising study. "The study shows that we could use a blood-based "test" to personalize the treatment of depression," said Carmine Pariante of King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, who led the study. She and colleagues found that high levels of inflammation - which show up in biological markers in the blood - are part of the mechanism leading to depression, especially to particular forms of the condition that do not respond well to mild or low-dose antidepressants. "If a patient had high levels of inflammation, they could immediately begin with a more intensive treatment program, such as combining antidepressants or stepping up the doses," Pariante said. More»

European countries need to rethink strategies for end of life care due to the ageing population, according to researchers in the Netherlands. They said deaths from cancer and long-term diseases were a "considerable burden" on society and accounted for 42% of all deaths. They warned that many would face pain, depression and anxiety before dying. The findings were published in the medical journal BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care. The team from Radboud University Medical Centre looked at death certificates from 4.8 million people from 27 EU countries in 2007. Two million died of cancer, heart failure, diabetes, chronic liver failure, dementia, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes, neurological diseases and HIV/AIDS. They said hundreds of thousands of people would face pain, depression, anxiety, confusion, fatigue and breathlessness before they died. Policy makers need to develop long and short-term palliative care strategies to cope with the burden of these diseases, the authors said. Tes Smith, social care programme manager of Macmillan Cancer Support, added: "A shift in the way end of life care is provided is vital. "With the right support, 73% of people with cancer would prefer to die at home. Currently only 27% are able to do so. "Free social care at the end of life and 24/7 community nursing for people in the last weeks and months of their lives would go a long way to making this choice a reality." More»

A therapy program focused on improving quality of life can help people being treated for advanced cancer, researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, have found. Patients who attended the sessions - a combination of physical and talk therapy, along with relaxation techniques and spiritual discussions - reported a stable quality of life during treatment, while cancer patients who didn't get the extra help declined on those measures. Researchers said that although such comprehensive programs might not be available at smaller cancer centers, doctors can still help patients seek out spiritual or emotional help, or encourage them to be more physically active. "Dealing with a cancer diagnosis is a big stressor for lots of people. It's still a really scary health diagnosis," said psychologist Matthew Clark, the lead author on the new study. What's more, he said, patients are dealing with the side effects of treatment, and many with the additional stress of being away from their families and friends if they don't live near a cancer center. His team's study involved 131 patients with advanced colon, brain and lung cancers, all of whom were diagnosed within the last year and being treated with radiation therapy. More»

Having a highly demanding job, but little control over it, could be a deadly combination, UK researchers say. They analysed 13 existing European studies covering nearly 200,000 people and found "job strain" was linked to a 23% increased risk of heart attacks and deaths from coronary heart disease. The risk to the heart was much smaller than for smoking or not exercising, the Lancet medical journal report said. The British Heart Foundation said how people reacted to work stress was key. Job strain is a type of stress. The research team at University College London said working in any profession could lead to strain, but it was more common in lower skilled workers. Doctors who have a lot of decision-making in their jobs would be less likely to have job strain than someone working on a busy factory production line. Freedom There has previously been conflicting evidence on the effect of job strain on the heart. More»

Hilton Hotels & Resorts in Egypt joined forces recently with the International Youth Foundation to mark International Youth Week, a celebration and acknowledgement of the contributions, achievements and talents of today’s youth. Team members across Egypt organised a wide range of activity designed to build strong relations between local youth from all walks of life and their communities.  Activities included:Hilton Cairo World Trade Center participated in the Ain Shams University Job Fair. Over 100 young people were introduced to the company and learned more about a wide range of full and part time job opportunities available at the hotel. . Hilton Pyramids Golf Resort launched a partnership with Resala Charity Organization to provide their youth with vocational training programmes. Resala’s sector is responsible for providing shelter and stability to youth is called Ad El Haya or (Children Capable of Living). A three-month programme has now been launched for three candidates from Ad El Haya. Hilton Taba Resort Nelson Village staff celebrated with guests by organising fun competitions between the young guests at the property during the whole week. Events included volleyball and talent shows for singing and dancing. More»

The origins of a crudely made anti-Muslim movie that sparked violent protests in Egypt and Libya began to slowly emerge on Wednesday, with an actress in the California production saying she was duped and was unaware it was about the Prophet Mohammad. Cindy Lee Garcia of Bakersfield, California, who appears briefly in clips of the film posted online, said she answered a casting call last year to appear in a movie titled "Desert Warrior." "It looks so unreal to me, it's like nothing that we even filmed was there. There was all this weird stuff there," Garcia told Reuters in a phone interview. Clips of the movie, posted on YouTube under several titles including "Innocence of Muslims," portrayed the Muslim prophet engaged in crude and offensive behavior. Many Muslims consider any depiction of the prophet as blasphemous. Clips had been posted online for weeks before apparently triggering violent demonstrations on Tuesday at the U.S. embassy in Cairo and consulate in Benghazi, Libya, in which U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed. More»

Viral infections in newborns "cripple" part of the immune system and increase the risk of asthma later in life, US researchers studying mice have said. They showed infections by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) stripped immune cells of their ability to calm down inflammation in the lung's airways. They say their findings, published in the journal Nature Medicine, will help develop ways of preventing asthma. The charity Asthma UK said the study had "really exciting" potential. When something irritates the airways of a patient with asthma, the airways become tightened, inflamed and produce too much sticky mucus. All of this can make breathing difficult. Previous studies have shown a link between repeated lung infections with RSV and developing asthma later in life. More»

New study conducted by Swedish researchers suggests eating chocolate can improve the health of brain and protect the organ against stroke. The researchers from the Karolinska Institute studied the chocolate eating habits of 37,000 Swedish men while observing their health status of for a decade. The participants were divided into four groups based on the amount of chocolate they consumed, with the bottom group eating, on average, no chocolate per week and the top group having 63g/week, considered slightly more than an average bar. After comparing the top and bottom groups, the findings demonstrated those eating the most chocolate were 17% less likely to have a stroke during the study period. "The beneficial effect of chocolate consumption on stroke may be related to the flavonoids in chocolate,” said Professor Susanna Larsson from the Karolinska Institute. More»

Kids hospitalized with the flu are more likely to need intensive care and a longer stay if they've been exposed to second-hand smoke at home, a small new study finds. Analyzing the records of more than 100 kids hospitalized with flu in New York state, researchers found those exposed to second-hand smoke were five times more likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit and required a 70 percent longer stay in the hospital, compared to the kids not exposed to smoke. "People are being a bit complacent and thinking that because they don't see smoking as often…that it's not a problem anymore," said Dr. Karen Wilson, of Children's Hospital Colorado, in Aurora, who led the study. "But we still need to be vigilant about protecting kids from second-hand smoke." According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, passive smoking causes ear infection, breathing problems and lung infections in children, and leads to the hospitalization of up to 15,000 children under the age of 18 months every year. More»

A Chicago-area woman wanted to return an overdue copy of "The Picture of Dorian Gray" to the Chicago Public Library, but first she wanted to be sure she wouldn't go to jail. That's because the book, a rare limited edition of the Oscar Wilde novel, was checked out in 1934. Harlean Hoffman Vision found it in her late mother's possessions, with a Chicago Public Library stamp. The library is conducting a rare three-week amnesty program for overdue items, and Vision figured this was her chance to return the book, said Ruth Lednicer, the library's marketing director. The books was returned Thursday. More»