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11/10/2010

Claudia Hammond discusses a new hope for Parkinson's Disease sufferers, whether we should change the way we give aid, and why the drug Ketamine is so popular in Hong Kong.

There is a breakthrough in the treatment for those with Parkinson's Disease. Dr Haydeh Payami has identified genes that can reduce the symptoms of the disease when stimulated by caffeine, smoking or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen. This means a future drug treatment could be identified that could help about 40% of sufferers alleviate symptoms.

Also, following our recent discussions, we ask whether changing the way we give aid would help us reach the Millennium Development Goals sooner.

Ketamine is a horse tranquilizer, but is also a very popular recreational drug, particularly with young people in Hong Kong. However, regular use can shrink your bladder and the more you use it, the more the the damage becomes irreversible. We speak to doctors working on how to improve the situation for drug users in Hong Kong.

There is a good news story for child-bearing women: a drug used in car accidents to stop bleeding could also be useful to stop haemorrhage after childbirth and thus help reduce the number of deaths of new mothers around the world.

Available now

28 minutes

Last on

Sun 17 Oct 2010 21:32GMT

Chapters

  • Drug hope for Parkinson鈥檚 Disease sufferers

    Scientists have made a breakthrough in Parkinson鈥檚 Disease by identifying genes that when stimulated by caffeine, smoking or certain drugs can reduce symptoms, giving hope for new drug therapies

    Duration: 04:01

  • Should we change the way we deliver aid?

    Next in our series of discussions around the MDGs, we ask whether changing the way we give aid would help us reach the Millennium Development Goals sooner.

    Duration: 10:44

  • Ketamine use in Hong Kong

    Ketamine is a horse tranquilizer, and an increasingly popular drug with young people in Hong Kong. We speak to doctors treating the side-effects which include shrinkage of the bladder.

    Duration: 05:47

  • New drug to reduce bleeding after childbirth

    Good news for child-bearing women: a drug used in car accidents to stop bleeding could also help to stop haemorrhage after childbirth and reduce maternal mortality around the world.

    Duration: 04:31

Broadcasts

  • Mon 11 Oct 2010 09:32GMT
  • Mon 11 Oct 2010 14:32GMT
  • Mon 11 Oct 2010 19:32GMT
  • Tue 12 Oct 2010 00:32GMT
  • Sun 17 Oct 2010 21:32GMT

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