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One in seven hospital patients experience adverse drug reactions (ADRs), according to new research.

A recent study conducted at the University of Liverpool analysed more than 3,000 patients and monitored their reactions to hospital drugs over a six month period.

The research indicated that some 15 per cent of patients experienced reactions including constipation, confusion, renal problems and bleeding.

Furthermore, such incidents extended the length of a patient’s hospital stay by an average of 0.25 days.

Professor Munir Pirmohamed, from the University of Liverpool , said: "We previously found that approximately a quarter of a million people are admitted to hospital in the UK each year following ADRs to a variety of commonly prescribed drugs, but we had very little data on ADRs experienced as a result of hospital treatment."

He added that "new methods of intervention" are required to address the issue.

A recent study suggested that taking aspirin could significantly cut the risk of developing some types of stomach cancer.

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Liver services at district general hospitals are struggling to meet the increasing demand for treatment, according to a new report.

According to a study in the journal Clinical Medicine - published by the Royal College of Physicians - most hospitals are working with half the number of specialist physicians required to manage estimated workloads.

Furthermore, the research indicated that, while there are many different ways to manage common liver diseases, staff do not keep databases of their patients.

Professor Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: "Liver disease stands out starkly as an increasingly common cause of death at a time when improvements in health are being seen in other areas."

He added that many deaths associated with the disease are avoidable, but hospitals have not kept pace with the "rising tide" of the illness.

It has recently been claimed that women who drink heavily during early pregnancy may be increasing the risk of premature birth.

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The government’s National Dementia Strategy for England has been roundly criticised by the UK’s leading dementia research charity.

Backed by £150 million for the first two years, the new scheme aims to provide more dementia advisers, better training for GPs and the establishment of memory services to provide early diagnosis and treatment.

However, Rebecca Wood, the chief executive of Alzheimer’s Research Trust, has said there is still much missing from the strategy.

"It is astonishing that dementia research is not a fundamental component of this strategy, and disappointing that the review of antipsychotic drugs has been delayed yet again," Ms Wood said.

She also criticised the amount of money allocated to dementia research, given that the condition costs the UK economy £17 billion a year.

In related news, recent research published in the journal Diabetes indicated that those suffering with the condition are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

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Brain stimulation techniques to treat Parkinson’s disease are to be investigated by scientists at the University of St Andrews.

Professor Philip Winn - who was awarded a grant from the Medical Research Council for the study - said the research will seek to understand the physiological mechanisms of deep brain stimulation.

"If we can understand the physiological mechanisms of deep brain stimulation and identify specific brain targets for the different symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, it opens the possibility of being able to match treatments to individual patients’ particular profile of symptoms," he explained.

During the study, patients can turn electrodes surgically implanted in their brains on or off in order to obtain relief from symptoms.

According to scientists, the main aim of the study is to examine what happens to brain physiology when the electrodes are switched on.

Meanwhile, a recent study in the US suggested that two molecules that change the expression in the brain could be used in the treatment of the condition.

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Two molecules that change the expression in the brain could be used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

A recent study in the US experimented on animals with L-DOPA-induced dyskinesias, which is a side-effect of therapy for the condition.

It revealed that CalDAG-GEFI and CalDAG-GEFII genes behaved in an opposite way when rats were treated with the L-DOPA drug.

The former gene indicated decreased expression in the brain, while the latter was found to cause an increase.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology institute professor Ann Graybiel said: "L-DOPA-induced dyskinesias are a major problem for patients and there is a great need to help with these drug side effects."

According to statistics from the Parkinson’s Disease Society, around 120,000 people have the condition in the UK, with 10,000 new cases diagnosed every year.

Elsewhere, it was recently reported that people suffering from diabetes are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

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A new development which tests the quality of sperm could improve infertility treatment, it has been claimed.

The new technique can determine the quality of donated sperm and only samples good enough will then be used to fertilise an egg prior to implantation in the woman’s womb.

According to the researchers, this should significantly improve conception rates, which are currently around one in four in IVF treatment.

Lead scientist Dr Alistair Elfick revealed: "In natural conception the fittest and healthiest sperm are positively selected by the arduous journey they make to the egg.

He added that that the new technology replaces the current selection process with a DNA-based "quality score".

Dr Elfick stressed that the new technology has been developed only to test the strength of sperm and not to try and create "designer babies".

According to NHS figures, around one in seven couples has difficulty conceiving.

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Women who drink heavily during early pregnancy may be increasing the risk of premature birth, doctors have claimed.

Recent research published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology looked at the drinking habits of 4,719 Australian women while they were pregnant.

It found there was an almost 80 per cent higher risk for women who drank heavily in the first third of their term.

However, the study also found that there was little risk for women who drank moderate levels throughout pregnancy.

Dr Colleen O’Leary, from the University of Western Australia, who led the study, said the risk of early birth is significantly more for women who drink at binge level.

"Women should be advised that during pregnancy, drinking alcohol above low levels increases the risk to the baby and that the safest choice is not to drink alcohol during pregnancy," she remarked.

Meanwhile, union Unite recently claimed that there are not enough health visitors to adequately deal with new mothers suffering from postnatal depression.

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People with schizophrenia are being discriminated against in many countries across the globe, according to a new study

Recent research published in the Lancet gauged people’s attitudes to the condition across 27 countries.

According to the findings, 43 per cent of sufferers said they had experienced discrimination from family members, while 47 per cent said they had problems making or keeping friends due to the illness.

Furthermore, 64 per cent of participants expect discrimination when applying for work, training or education.

The authors of today’s report said levels of discrimination were "consistently high" across the countries involved in the study.

"If confirmed by further studies, this finding might guide mental health services to promote social inclusion and to rely less upon compulsory treatment in the future," it said.

Meanwhile, some medical experts have recently claimed that depression can be beneficial and is an integral part of an individual’s biological make-up.

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Symptoms of depression are prevalent among medical students due to their long hours and high-stress job, it has been claimed.

Research from the ABC Regional Medical School in Brazil showed that almost 40 per cent of students at one medical school and had symptoms of depression including insomnia, social withdrawals and suicidal thoughts.

Other signs included weight loss and tiredness.

These feelings were found to intensify as trainees prepared to enter hospital work for the first time.

Some 481 students were involved in the study, details of which are published in the journal BMC Medical Education.

The authors warned that universities and hospitals should be more aware of the signs of stress shown by junior doctors .

Researchers at University College London recently developed a universal test which they claim can help predict people’s risk of developing depression.

The PredictD is an online tool which is based on risk indices for heart disease.

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Those people who underestimate the severity of flu could be putting their lives at risk, according to an expert.

Professor David Salisbury is in charge of the vaccinations in the UK and is urging at-risk groups to visit their GP for a flu jab.

According to a survey of more than 1,000 people, around a third of respondents thought flu was no worse than a heavy cold.

However, professor Salisbury notes that vulnerable groups – such as the elderly – need to be vaccinated every 12 months due to the changing nature of flu viruses.

"The research shows that common colds are frequently confused with flu, but for some the flu virus can be potentially life-threatening," he said.

"We are urging those at greater risk - including people suffering serious heart problems, asthma and diabetes - to get their flu jab from their GP. The flu jab can literally save lives."

Diabetes UK, Asthma UK and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) all support the vaccination.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with medical conditions