- Antihistamine hope for Alzheimer's
A hay fever drug could ease the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, US research shows. Patients with Alzheimer's taking Dimebon - an antihistamine used in Russia - had improved memory, behaviour and ability to conduct simple activities. Lancet 2008; 372: 207-215

- Catheter improves fertility
Inserting a catheter into the groin could improve fertility rates in infertile men who have problems with blood circulation in the scrotum, US research suggests. Six months after treatment 26 per cent of men in the study were able to father a child. Radiology Online 2008

- Oversleeping 'boosts stroke risk'
Sleeping for nine or more hours a night could increase the risk of ischaemic stroke by 70 per cent among postmenopausal women, US research suggests. But sleeping less than six hours a night was also linked to a modest increase in stroke risk. Stroke Online 2008

- Diary aids weight loss
Keeping a food diary while dieting can double the amount of weight lost, a US study has found. Of 1,700 volunteers those who recorded their eating habits for six months lost 18 pounds on average, compared with nine pounds for those who did not keep a diary. Am J Prev Med Online 2008.