(January 31, 2008 - Insidermedicine) From Vancouver - Drinking sweetened soft drinks can raise the risk of gout - a disease of the joints which frequently affects the toes. In a study of over 46,000 subjects, those who drank 2 or more sweetened soft drinks per day were 85% more likely to develop gout than those who consumed less than one serving per month. The effect was not seen in those who consumed sugar-free drinks.

From Helsinki - Challenging widespread wisdom, a new study shows that training workers on how to properly lift equipment does not lower the risk of back pain or disability among workers.  The researchers reviewed the literature in a systematic method and performed a meta-analysis which included 11 studies. Overall, the training programs had little effect on preventing low back pain.

And finally, from London - In a surprise finding, some strains of influenza virus are not susceptible to the anti-viral agent Tamiflu. In a study evaluating 148 influenza A virus samples, 13% of samples were resistant to Tamiflu. This rate is much higher than the 1% resistance rate that was previously shown and is concerning because many countries are now stockpiling the medicine in case of a global epidemic. 

For Insidermedicine in 60, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.