Several controversial findings presented in the course of the American College of Cardiology meeting last week has almost certainly left a lot of heart patients wondering which method of treatment is best for their particular cardiovascular disorder.

Specialists claim that the answer has never been simple, and what is effective for one heart patient might not work for another.

According to the statement of the director of the International Agency for Research on Cancer issued on Tuesday, the number of diagnosed cancer cases will increase by over hundred per cent between 2000 and 2030, predominantly in poor countries.

Dr Peter Boyle explained that the most important the reasons for the rise include: population growth, amplified life expectancies and the relocation from the developed world to the developing world of cancer risk factors such as smoking together with the existing risks in poor countries including communicable illnesses and no proper health care.

According to the latest research, blueberries, already advertised as a wonderful fruit due t the fact that they may protect against memory loss and heart disease, could also help prevent the development of colon cancer.

The research indicated that a natural compound known as pterostilbene – that can be found in blueberries and other fruits - helped prevent pre-cancerous colon lesions in rats.

A gene engaged in the process of regulating circadian rhythms - daily rhythms, including the wake/sleep cycle - may also play an essential role in the manic phase of bipolar disorder.

Mice having a specific mutation in the CLOCK gene, which is fundamental in regulating circadian rhythms, demonstrated behavior very analogous to manic behavior in humans. Given lithium, a medication that is used for the treatment of bipolar disorder, the mice came back to many of their normal behaviors.

According to one of the studies completed after a few decades, women taking low to moderate doses of aspirin each day had a decreased rate of death, particularly caused by heart disease.

The study based on data gathered from a main trial that has tracked nearly 80 000 women since 1976. The researchers discovered that women who reported using aspirin regularly had a 25 per cent reduced risk of death of any cause than women who didn’t take this medication.

According to the latest research, patients suffering bipolar disorder will not receive treatment benefit by adding an antidepressant medication to a typical mood stabilizer such as lithium.

The findings of this study indicate that treating patients with a mood stabilizer alone is preferable, a recommendation that goes against common practice.

Japanese officials inform that they are going to start new investigation concerning a potential association between the anti-flu medication Tamiflu and reports of abnormal behavior and deaths among the users.

Formerly, the Ministry of Health in Japan informed that there was no apparent evidence of a causal connection between Tamiflu and the incidents. Now, the ministry wants specialists to evaluate past cases once more, Agence France Presse informed.

According to the latest American research, emotions play an essential role in teen condom use. Due to this, helping teenagers control their emotions may be as relevant as practical information in promoting safe sex.

The research of 222 young people between 13 and 18 years old discovered that lack of self-efficacy (the belief that one could successfully engage in a particular behavior) in confrontation with the stress of using condoms is the most important barrier to their use.

According to the suggestions of British scientists, infants who experience meningitis may have to work much harder during their school years. The findings of the study were published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Meningitis, an infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord, may result in severe disability or even death.

According to the reports of the Chinese surgeons, they have achieved long-term success with the first use of transplanted spinal discs in order to alleviate back pain.

According to the information released by the doctors at the University of Hong Kong and the Naval General Hospital in Bejing, five years ago, spinal discs from human donors were transplanted into five individuals suffering chronic back pain resulting from disc degeneration.