Application of personalised medicine: opportunities and challenges Pharmacotherapy based on individual patient characteristics such as genetic makeup, offers many potential benefits towards more effective treatment of a patients’ disease.
Strict diet combats aging diseases Mice with a severe aging disease live three times longer if they eat thirty percent less. Moreover, they age much healthier than mice that eat as much as they want.
Improved protection against pertussis The international PERISCOPE project has been granted a 30 million Euro European subsidy in order to better map the immune response to pertussis infection and vaccination.
Eating less salt can prevent tens of thousands of heart attacks and strokes Lowering the amount of salt in processed foods or choosing low-salt alternatives can lead to substantial health benefits when it comes to cardiovascular disease.
Flu season in the winter of 2014 / 2015 more severe and longer than preceding years The flu epidemic in the winter of 2014 / 2015 lasted 21 weeks and as such was the longest epidemic ever recorded in the Netherlands. Nearly two million people suffered from flu-like symptoms.
Virus RNA can help to prevent the spread of infection Using information about the RNA (genetic material) of a virus in reconstructing an outbreak can help to map the extent of the outbreak, the infection source and the way in which the virus is transm
Warning labels on chicken products are well read and highly valued A warning label on the packaging of raw chicken products may result in improved kitchen hygiene among one quarter of the population.
Large differences in childhood obesity in Europe The percentage of overweight (including obesity) among 6-9-year-old children differs between European countries, ranging from 18 to 57%. Percentages are highest in southern European countries.
Teenage girl dies after measles infection Last weekend, a 17-year-old girl from the province of Zeeland (The Netherlands) has died of complications after a measles infection. She was not vaccinated against the disease.
Global Handwashing Day Each year, on October 15th, hundreds of millions of people from over 100 countries join together in a global effort to raise awareness about the importance of handwashing with soap to prevent disea