A round-up of this week's other health stories in brief
Monitoring group announced: The Minister of State for Health and Children, Tim O'Malley, has announced the membership of the independent monitoring group that will monitor progress on implementation of A Vision for Change, the new national framework policy for the mental health services.
The framework policy, launched by Tánaiste and Minister for Health Mary Harney, in January, recommends how mental health services should be managed and organised.
Chief executive of the Health Research Board Dr Ruth Barrington will chair the group. Other members include: Dr Tony Bates, principal psychologist at St James's Hospital; Pat Brosnan, director of mental health services, HSE Mid-Western Area; Dr Teresa Carey, inspector of mental health services; Paul Flynn, service-user; Dr Terry Lynch, general practitioner and psychotherapist; and Bairbre Nic Aongusa, principal of mental health services, Department of Health and Children.
Vitamins study: Contrary to a widely promoted theory, B vitamins do not cut the risk of heart attacks or strokes, according to two large new studies.
The findings are the latest in a series of recent studies that have found vitamins and other dietary supplements fail to have the health benefits for which they are touted.
The new findings undermine a theory that taking B vitamins to reduce levels of an amino acid in the blood called homocysteine could protect against heart attacks and strokes.
Previous research had indicated people with high homocysteine levels were at greater risk. Although the new studies did show that the vitamins cut homocysteine levels, that failed to translate into a reduction in the risk for heart attacks or strokes.
The studies were carried out by McMaster University in Canada and the University of Tomsa in Norway.
Queen's researcher selected: Dr Karen Cairns from Queen's University, Belfast, was chosen by UK National Science Week 2006, to present her work on bringing defibrillation out of the hospital and into the community, at a prestigious event in the House of Commons yesterday.
Selected as one of the UK's outstanding young researchers, Dr Cairns, who works in the department of applied maths at Queen's, was due to explain her findings on the Northern Ireland Public Access Defibrillation (NIPAD) scheme which, to date, has trained more than 800 community first responders to safely use automated external defibrillators.
Arthritis meetings: Arthritis Ireland will be holding a series of public information meetings on rheumatoid arthritis throughout the State over the coming weeks .
The aim is to raise awareness of the condition, educate the general public on the treatment options available to them, and provide an opportunity for those attending the meetings to raise specific issues with the attending consultants and medical experts.
The meetings will take place in the following areas: in Dublin, at the Plaza Hotel, Tallaght, on Wednesday, March 22nd, at 7.30pm.
In Limerick, the venue is the South Court Hotel, on Tuesday, April 4th, at 7.30pm. A meeting will also be held in the Tullamore Court Hotel, Tullamore, on Tuesday, April 25th, at 7.30pm.
Each meeting will be attended by a leading consultant rheumatologist and a rheumatology nurse specialist.
For further information or to register for one of these meetings, telephone 01-7038 618.
Suicide forum: The National Office for Suicide Prevention is holding its first forum meeting on suicide prevention in the Burlington Hotel today at 9am.
This forum was recommended in Reach Out - A National Strategy for Action on Suicide Prevention, published in September 2005.
President Mary McAleese will address the forum, and there will be a presentation by Geoff Day, head of the National Office for Suicide Prevention, who will present findings of recent research in the field of suicide prevention, which will give an insight into what may work with regard to the Irish context.
Buddhist talk: Lama Lobsang will talk about Tibetan Buddhist practice for death and dying at 7.30pm, on Thursday in Ely House, Ely Place, Dublin. Admission is €10 and there will also other workshops on health-related matters.
For further information, contact Pauline Beegan 086-8058471 or e-mail beegan@gofree.indigo.ie
Raynaud's meeting: The Irish Raynaud's and Scleroderma Society meeting this evening will be held in St Andrew's Parish Centre, Malahide from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. There will be a demonstration of Nikken thermal clothing.
Further information from: 01-2020184 or info@irishraynauds.com