Skin cancer screenings for England cricketers
England’s professional cricketers are to be screened for skin cancer this year for the first time. The Professional Cricketers’ Association has organised the programme, which will cover more than 300 players, after it found one in seven county players was being referred to specialists when potential melanomas were found during check-ups.
Immunity gender gap
A Canadian study has suggested men’s immune systems are not as strong as those of women. The female sex hormone oestrogen can give women’s immune systems a better chance of blocking inflammation, the study by academics from McGill University has concluded in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Men’s Health Week 2009
This month will see National Men’s Health Week running between 15-21 June, with the Men’s Health Forum issuing a series of challenges to improve their health. The forum is urging men to take simple measures such as ordering a soft drink at the pub, walking to work, or finding a friend to help them stop smoking.
Acupuncture can help to reduce chronic back pain
Acupuncture can help patients with chronic back pain, even if given in a non-traditional form, a study has argued. The research in the journal the Archives of Internal Medicine looked at 638 patients with chronic back pain, and found that 60% of those receiving acupuncture saw an improvement in their condition within eight weeks.
