With the Easter break firmly now in the rear view mirror, it's time to put away what's left of the chocolate treats, even more so for diabetics, as the BBC reports that half of those who sufferer from the condition are failing to keep control of their blood pressure, risking "damaging" complications.

Unfortunately, it's the same story for those who suffer with asthma, as the Telegraph reports that many people are putting their lives at risk because they are failing to manage their condition properly. A survey has found that a third of asthma sufferers end up in A&E unnecessarily because of the problem.

And keeping control of such conditions couldn't be more important for women, as researchers in the US suggest that both obesity and diabetes could be linked to childhood disorders. The Paediatrics study has suggested that high glucose levels during pregnancy could affect brain development in the foetus and lead to disorders such as autism.

Meanwhile, antibiotics could be a better alternative to surgery when it comes to treating appendicitis, the BBC reports. An analysis of data from four trials of antibiotics in a total of 900 patients with the health risk found that after one year nearly two thirds of patients did not need surgery.

In other news, you might spot an increase in smoking cessation figures over the next few months after a ban on tobacco displays came into force in England. Supermarkets and large shops will now be keeping cigarettes out of site from customers in an effort to drive down smoking rates, the BBC writes.

And from one bad habit to another, councils are demanding cash to fight the war against binge drinking, the Independent reports. Local authorities are entitles to a greater share of a new £18 million levy designed to force pubs and clubs to pay the social cost of late night opening, council leaders claim. 

Meanwhile, scientists have found new evidence to suggest that resistance to the front-line treatments of malaria is increasing, the BBC reports. Researchers have warned that this rise in resistance has seriously compromised the effort to eliminate the disease spread by mosquitoes.

In pharmacy news, the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) has launched. The CPRD aims to provide roviding an e-health secure research service to help improve public health, develop new treatments for patients faster and attract investment in the UK's life sciences sector and economy. The CPRD is a part of the government's Plan for Growth and aims to enable health researchers to have better access to anonymised NHS data from patients suffering with different health conditions like cancer and diabetes.

The National Pharmacy Association has updated its information database, providing members with immediate access to more information resources.

Finally, men who eat flavonoid-rich foods such as berries, tea, apples and red wine significantly reduce their risk of developing Parkinson's disease, according to research by Harvard University and the University of East Anglia.