Minerva

In a randomised, double blind crossover trial in which 30 people who complained of unpleasant abdominal symptoms after ingesting small amounts of milk received 8 ounces of ordinary or lactose hydrolysed milk, symptoms were mild and not significantly different with the two regimens (New England Journal of Medicine 1995;333:1-4). Lactose intolerance, present in 21 of the 30 subjects studied, is, the authors claim, often incorrectly blamed as the cause of non-specific abdominal complaints.

Being a refugee or economic migrant should be considered to be a risk factor for ill health, concludes a study in the “Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care” (1995;13:128-34). Poor housing and material standards and high rates of reported ill health among Latin American refugees and Finnish migrants living in Sweden were compounded by feelings of insecurity and lack of opportunity for leisure activities, the latter being independent risk factors for poor health.

A prospective audit of 750 consecutive patients undergoing resection for large bowel cancer in Lothian suggests that the immediate outcome of surgery has improved …