In brief

FDA issues warnings about Viagra: The US Food and Drug Administration has warned that patients should be careful about using sildenafil (Viagra) if they have a history of heart disease or problems controlling their blood pressure.

Coronary care standards proposed for UK: The Department of Health has proposed standards for treating heart disease. They include more rapid access to defibrillation as well as access to preventive measures, such as support for people who wish to stop smoking.

Vaccine wipes out Hib cases in the US: Vaccination has nearly eradicated cases of invasive Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. Until recently this was the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in children under 5.

NHS R and D funding increases: The Department of Health has announced that £430m ($688m) has been allocated for research and development funding in the NHS; 90% will be used to fund research by GPs and hospitals. The remainder will be used by the NHS research and development programme for projects investigating treatment of depression in primary care, falls in elderly people, and management of angina.

French asbestos victims can retire early: People in France who have developed diseases linked to exposure to asbestos while at work will be able to retire early. The French government will finance the costs next year; later costs may be covered by a special employers' contribution.

Sexually transmitted infections rise in UK: According to data from the Public Health Laboratory Service there are still approximately 2500 cases of newly diagnosed HIV infections each year, and diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections rose by 9% between 1996 and 1997. Diagnoses of chlamydia increased by 20%.