Avian flu less lethal than thought

Coffee may be associated with a lower risk of breast cancer in women, an international study indicates. The case-control study, reported in The International Journal of Cancer and reproduced in the British Medical Journal, assessed the association between coffee consumption and breast cancer risk over 1,690 women in four countries8212; Canada, Poland, the United States, and Israel. It looked at 845 mutation carriers who had breast cancer and a control group of 845 mutation carriers who did not.

Heart risks greater for diabetic women

Women with diabetes are more at risk of fatal coronary heart disease than men. A study published in the British Medical Journal says Type 2 diabetes increases the risk of dying from coronary heart disease by up to 50 per cent more for women than for men. The researchers suggest that this may be a consequence of diabetes inducing a more adverse cardiovascular risk profile in women, combined with possible disparities in treating cardiovascular disease that favour men.

8212;compiled by TOUFIQ RASHID