Two thousand people from across Orkney have agreed to take part in a major study into osteoporosis. The bone thinning condition affects about three million people across Britain.

{mosimage}Hundreds of social care workers in Glasgow are taking strike action in a dispute over pay. The action by almost 600 staff was called when talks between Glasgow City Council

Four women who were recalled to a breast cancer clinic amid concerns over the quality of its screening have now been diagnosed with the disease.

Hempriggs Residential Care Home near Wick has closed after nearly 18 years of operation due to a steady decline in referrals over the past few years.

A major overhaul of Scotland’s war on drugs will be unveiled this week as a report reveals a shocking rise in the number of addicts being ‘parked’ on heroin replacement drugs.

Detectives are shutting down at least one cannabis factory a week in their battle to contain an illegal industry created by reclassification of the drug, one of Scotland’s leading police officers have revealed.

A social care boss in charge of finding children foster homes has been running a stolen car factory from her mansion. Jackie McIlhargey, 42, raked in a fortune by stripping the vehicles of their parts and selling them on.

A group of scientists believe they have moved closer to finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. St Andrews University biologists claim to have developed a compound which has successfully prevented the disease killing brain cells.

{mosimage}It also appeared to improve memory and learning ability that had already been damaged. Working with US researchers they developed man-made compounds capable of blocking a nerve cell interaction known to lead to the symptoms of the disease.

The results of the study – carried out in the laboratory using a model of the disease – have prompted the Alzheimer’s Research Trust to help fund a further three years research.

Trust chief executive Rebecca Wood described the findings as “exciting”. “A drug that can stop Alzheimer’s disease from killing brain cells is a holy grail for researchers working to overcome the devastating condition which affects more than 500,000 people in the UK,” she said.

The number of sufferers is expected to double to more than one million with the general ageing of the population over the next generation. Alzheimer’s is linked to the build-up of amyloid protein, which eventually forms “senile plaques”.

The amyloid protein inflicts damage by interacting with an enzyme called amyloid beta alcohol dehydrogenase (ABAD) and releasing toxic substances which kill brain cells. Researchers at St Andrews University initially focused on developing the three-dimensional shape of ABAD and understanding how amyloid attaches itself to the structure.

Scotland’s drugs minister has said he is “sympathetic” to UK Government plans to upgrade cannabis to a class B drug.

Major health problems including binge drinking and bad eating habits are more common in the west of Scotland – even among the middle classes.