October 2014 Briefing - Cardiology

Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Cardiology for October 2014. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.

Brain Imaging Changes Precede Clinical Manifestation of CVD

FRIDAY, Oct. 31, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Brain imaging changes in association with vascular risk factors precede clinical manifestation of cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease, according to research published in the Oct. 1 issue of JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.

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Fewer Malpractice Claims Paid in the United States

THURSDAY, Oct. 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The number of medical malpractice payments in the United States has dropped sharply since 2002, according to a new study. And compensation payment amounts and liability insurance costs for many doctors declined in recent years. These findings were published online Oct. 30 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Would Alternative Payment Plan Cut Medical Bills?

THURSDAY, Oct. 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- New research supports replacing the traditional way of reimbursing doctors for care -- paying for each service provided -- with an alternative system that gives a set amount of money to health care organizations for patient care. The study was published in the Oct. 30 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Stroke Prevention Guidelines Re-Emphasize Healthy Lifestyle

THURSDAY, Oct. 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- New guidelines from the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association reinforce the idea that a healthy lifestyle is key to the primary prevention of stroke. The guidelines were published online Oct. 29 in Stroke.

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Higher HbA1c Without DM Linked to Advanced CAC Progression

THURSDAY, Oct. 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Among individuals without diabetes, a higher level of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is associated with advanced coronary artery calcification (CAC) progression, according to research published online Oct. 16 in Diabetes Care.

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Adrenal Sex Hormone Level May Predict Heart Disease Risk

THURSDAY, Oct. 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Blood levels of the adrenal sex hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate (DHEA-S) may predict an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in elderly men, according to a study published in the Oct. 28 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

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Pre-Angiography High-Dose Statins Cut Contrast-Induced AKI

THURSDAY, Oct. 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For patients undergoing coronary angiography, pretreatment with high-dose statins reduces the risk of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CIAKI), according to a meta-analysis published in the Nov. 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.

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AMA Code of Ethics Offers Guidance for Physicians

THURSDAY, Oct. 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The American Medical Association (AMA) Code of Ethics and other articles provide guidance for physicians in relation to public health emergencies, according to a report from the AMA.

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ADT May Up Heart-Related Deaths in Prostate Cancer Patients

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) may increase heart-related mortality in men with prostate cancer who also have certain heart conditions, according to research published online Oct. 29 in BJU International.

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Voters' Views on Affordable Care Act Split Along Party Lines

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Americans' opinions about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are sharply divided along political lines, according to research published online Oct. 29 in the New England Journal of Medicine. The findings come from 27 public opinion polls conducted by 14 organizations.

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Less Competition Among Docs = Higher Medical Costs

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Competition between medical practices helps keep health care costs lower, according to a study published in the Oct. 22/29 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Frequent Readmissions, High Costs After Cardiac Arrest

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Frequent readmissions and high inpatient costs are seen among older survivors of in-hospital cardiac arrest, according to a study published online Oct. 28 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

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Noneconomic Damages Caps Cut Malpractice Payments by 15%

TUESDAY, Oct. 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Adoption of noneconomic damages caps reduces average malpractice payments by 15 percent, according to research published in the October issue of Health Affairs.

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Better Outcomes for Stenting Versus CABG in Non-ST ACS

TUESDAY, Oct. 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with non-ST-segment acute coronary syndromes, stenting is associated with lower long-term mortality compared with surgical revascularization, according to a study published in the Oct. 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.

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CDC Issues Revised Interim U.S. Guidance on Ebola

MONDAY, Oct. 27, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Today, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a revision of their Ebola guideline document -- Interim Guidance for Monitoring and Movement of Persons with Ebola Virus Disease Exposure.

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New York, New Jersey Ease Ebola Quarantines

MONDAY, Oct. 27, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Faced with pressure from the White House and criticism from infectious disease experts, the governors of New York and New Jersey have eased their quarantine measures that required all medical workers returning from West Africa who had contact with Ebola patients to be forced into isolation.

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Healthy Lifestyle Independently Tied to Lower CHF Risk in Women

MONDAY, Oct. 27, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Living a healthy lifestyle may decrease the risk of heart failure among women, even in the absence of antecedent coronary heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes, according to research published in the Oct. 28 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

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Pharmacoinvasive STEMI Strategy Best for Smokers, Nonsmokers

FRIDAY, Oct. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, a pharmacoinvasive strategy after fibrinolysis is beneficial for smokers and nonsmokers, according to a study published in the Oct. 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.

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More Attention to CVD Risk Assessment in T1DM Urged

FRIDAY, Oct. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a long-term complication of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), and more attention toward management of its associated risk factors and modifiers is urged in a scientific statement published in the October issue of Diabetes Care.

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NT-proBNP Modestly Improves CVD Risk Prediction in Women

FRIDAY, Oct. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) modestly improves cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction for women, according to a study published in the Oct. 28 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

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Study Estimates Costs at 10 Years After Stroke

FRIDAY, Oct. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For stroke survivors, annual direct costs are comparable at 10 years and between three to five years for ischemic stroke but are higher at 10 years after hemorrhagic stroke, according to a study published online Oct. 23 in Stroke.

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Airborne Transmission of Ebola Highly Unlikely

FRIDAY, Oct. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- People face no threat of airborne transmission of Ebola, according to a panel of Ebola experts gathered by the New England Journal of Medicine for an issue briefing Wednesday.

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New York City Health Officials Confirm First Ebola Case

FRIDAY, Oct. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- New York City health officials said Thursday that a health care worker who recently returned from West Africa has tested positive for Ebola. The patient, identified as Craig Spencer, M.D., by city officials, had been working with Doctors Without Borders helping to treat Ebola patients in Guinea, one of three West Africa countries hit hard by the disease.

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Coworker Response 'Crucial' in Workplace Bullying Resolution

THURSDAY, Oct. 23, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Targets of workplace bullying can offer chaos, report, or quest narratives about their experiences, and coworker response plays a role in narrative development, according to a study published online Sept. 25 in Management Communication Quarterly.

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Mortality Declines for Aortic Dissection Patients

THURSDAY, Oct. 23, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Over the last decade, mortality rates for patients undergoing surgical repair for aortic dissection have improved, according to a study published online Oct. 21 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

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U.S. Ranks Last Among Wealthy Nations in Health Care Access

THURSDAY, Oct. 23, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. health care system ranks last compared to other industrialized nations when it comes to affordability and patient access, according to a new survey published in the Oct. 23 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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U.S. Diets Still Contain Too Many Trans, Saturated Fats

THURSDAY, Oct. 23, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Over the last three decades, Americans have cut their intake of saturated and trans fats -- but not enough, according to research published online Oct. 22 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

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Americans Report Distrust of Medical Profession

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Americans are less trusting of the medical profession than people in many other countries -- even though they often like their own doctor, according to a new report. The findings were published in the Oct. 23 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Team-Based Approach Can Improve Hypertension Control

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A team-based approach using evidence-based principles can be incorporated into practice workflow to improve hypertension control, according to a practice story published by the American Medical Association (AMA).

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Recalled Supplements Linger on U.S. Store Shelves

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Two-thirds of dietary supplements recalled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration because they contained banned ingredients remained on store shelves at least six months after they were recalled, according to a research letter published in the Oct. 22/29 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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U.S. Residents Back From Ebola-Affected Areas to Be Tracked

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Public health officials plan to actively monitor all U.S. residents returning home from one of the three Ebola-affected nations in West Africa, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday.

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APIC Provides Resources for Ebola Management

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Resources are available to increase protection against Ebola transmission, according to a report from the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

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Hospital Conversion to For-Profit Status Ups Financial Margins

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Hospital conversion to for-profit status is associated with improvements in financial margins, but has no effect on process quality metrics or mortality rates, according to a study published in the Oct. 22/29 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Drug Coupons Shrink Patients' Costs Considerably

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Drug coupons could reduce patients' out-of-pocket costs by 60 percent, according to a study published in the October issue of Health Affairs.

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Few With Diabetes + Normal Heart Imaging Have CAD Events

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- High-risk asymptomatic patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and normal myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (MPS) have a low rate of first manifestations of coronary artery disease (CAD); however, patients with DM and abnormal MPS have a seven-fold higher rate of progression to overt or silent CAD despite therapy. These findings were published in the Oct. 1 issue of JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.

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Price Transparency Platform Linked to Lower Claims Payments

TUESDAY, Oct. 21, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Access to an employer-sponsored private price transparency platform is associated with reduced total claims payments, according to research published in the Oct. 22/29 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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CDC: 'Think Ebola' and 'Care Carefully'

TUESDAY, Oct. 21, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued updated guidelines for the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) by health care workers when caring for patients with Ebola, along with a reminder to health care workers to "Think Ebola" and to "Care Carefully."

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Twice-Yearly Doctor Visits Help Control Hypertension

TUESDAY, Oct. 21, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Twice-yearly visits to the doctor can help keep hypertension under control better than only seeing the doctor once a year, according to a study published online Oct. 20 in Circulation.

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Law Requiring Release of Health Information Upheld

TUESDAY, Oct. 21, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A state law that requires plaintiffs to release relevant protected health information before proceeding with allegations of medical liability has been upheld by a federal appeals court, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).

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High-Intensity Statins Cut Diabetic Atherosclerosis

TUESDAY, Oct. 21, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- High-intensity statin therapy can alter the progressive nature of diabetic atherosclerosis, according to a study published online Sept. 4 in Diabetes Care.

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Medication Errors Occur Every 8 Minutes in U.S. Children

MONDAY, Oct. 20, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A child receives the wrong medication or the wrong dosage every 8 minutes in the United States, according to a study published online Oct. 20 in Pediatrics.

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Viewpoint: Getting United States Prepared for Ebola Outbreak

MONDAY, Oct. 20, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A case of delayed Ebola diagnosis in Dallas and subsequent infection of health care workers has highlighted the lack of preparedness for a U.S. outbreak of the disease, according to a viewpoint piece published online Oct. 17 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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New MCAT Shifts Focus, Will Include Humanities

MONDAY, Oct. 20, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) has been revised, and the latest changes, including more humanities such as social sciences, are due to be implemented next April, according to a report from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).

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Is 'Slow and Steady' Weight Loss Really the Best Approach?

FRIDAY, Oct. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- An Australian study casts doubt on the notion that a more gradual approach to weight loss is always the most effective route to take. The findings were published online Oct. 16 in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

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Volume of Patient-to-Doc E-mails Up From 2001 to 2010

FRIDAY, Oct. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- From 2001 to 2010 the volume of patient-to-physician electronic messages increased, but the rate per-capita stabilized, according to research published in the October issue of Health Affairs.

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Patient Resources for Ventricular Assist Devices Info Suboptimal

FRIDAY, Oct. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Materials related to left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) discuss benefits, but less often discuss risks and rarely present alternate treatment options, according to a study published online Oct. 14 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality & Outcomes.

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Obama Appoints Ron Klain As 'Ebola Czar'

FRIDAY, Oct. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- President Barack Obama on Friday appointed Ron Klain, a former chief of staff to Vice President Joe Biden, as Ebola "czar" to oversee the federal government's response to the presence of virus in the United States.

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Low Testosterone May Up Risk of Atherosclerosis in Diabetes

FRIDAY, Oct. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Low testosterone may exacerbate the risk of atherosclerotic complications in men with type 2 diabetes, according to research published online Oct. 16 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

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Specialized Care Centers May Be Needed to Contain Ebola

FRIDAY, Oct. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Specialized medical centers may be necessary to adequately treat and contain the Ebola virus in the United States, according to an ideas and opinions piece published online Oct. 16 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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Many Docs Believe Mobile Health Apps Can Improve Patient Care

FRIDAY, Oct. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A Manhattan Research survey recently found that many physicians believe digital communication technologies, including mobile apps, can be used to improve patient outcomes, according to an article published Oct. 8 in Medical Economics.

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Years of Endurance Exercise May Raise A-Fib/Flutter Risk

FRIDAY, Oct. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Cumulative years of regular endurance exercise are associated with an increased risk for atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter, according to a study published in the Oct. 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.

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Polyunsaturated Fats Mitigate Damage Tied to Weight Gain

THURSDAY, Oct. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- When gaining weight, polyunsaturated fats appear to be less detrimental to cardiovascular health than saturated fats, according to research published online Oct. 15 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

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Limiting Malpractice Claims May Not Curb Costly Medical Tests

THURSDAY, Oct. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Malpractice reform may not keep physicians from ordering unnecessary and expensive tests, according to a study published in the Oct. 16 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Psoriasis Tied to Raised Risk of Uncontrolled Hypertension

THURSDAY, Oct. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- People with more severe cases of psoriasis may be at increased risk of uncontrolled hypertension, according to a study published online Oct. 15 in JAMA Dermatology.

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Exercise Cuts Later CV Risk in Hodgkin's Lymphoma Survivors

THURSDAY, Oct. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Exercise may lower the risk of treatment-related cardiovascular events in adult survivors of childhood Hodgkin's lymphoma, according to research published online Oct. 13 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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Ebola Workshop Scheduled for Nov. 3 in Washington, D.C.

THURSDAY, Oct. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- At the request of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council will host a workshop to discuss research needed to prepare for handling the occurrence of Ebola virus disease in the United States, according to a press release from the National Academies.

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IBD Linked to Worse Prognosis After Myocardial Infarction

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For patients after first-time myocardial infarction (MI), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with worse prognosis, according to a study published online Oct. 14 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

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Change in Doc, Public Attitudes Needed to Cut Overtreatment

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Reform of malpractice laws as well as inclusion of patients in medical decision making may help reduce overdiagnosis and overtreatment, according to an article published online Oct. 14 in The BMJ.

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Second Health Care Worker in Dallas Tests Positive for Ebola

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A second health care worker who helped treat a patient who died of Ebola last week at a Dallas hospital has tested positive for the disease, health officials said Wednesday morning.

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CDC Takes Steps Toward Hospital Preparedness for Ebola

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has sent new resources to Dallas to support the highest standard of infection control, according to a news release issued by the organization Tuesday.

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Mediterranean Diet Again Linked to Better Heart Health

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Following the Mediterranean diet may help reverse metabolic syndrome, according to a study published online Oct. 14 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.

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Resident Proficiency in High-Value Care Is Hard to Test

TUESDAY, Oct. 14, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The high-value care (HVC) subscore on the Internal Medicine In-Training Examination (IM-ITE) helps assess resident knowledge of HVC, but additional tools are needed to measure proficiency in practice, according to research published online Oct. 14 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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Mental Stress Affects Heart Differently in Men, Women

TUESDAY, Oct. 14, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- There are clear, measurable physical differences from mental stress in men and women, according to a study published in the Oct. 21 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

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Sudden Cardiac Death a Risk for Women Living Near Major Roads

TUESDAY, Oct. 14, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Women who live near major roads may be at increased risk for sudden cardiac death, according to a new study published online Oct. 13 in Circulation.

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Health Officials Reviewing Ebola Procedures at Dallas Hospital

MONDAY, Oct. 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Federal and local health officials said Monday that they were re-examining infection-control efforts at the Dallas hospital where a nurse contracted Ebola while caring for America's first diagnosed victim of the deadly disease.

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FDA Approves Drug-Coated Angioplasty Balloon Catheter

MONDAY, Oct. 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The first drug-coated balloon catheter designed to clear narrowed or blocked arteries in the thigh and knee has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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Calm, Positive Family Meals May Help Ward Off Child Obesity

MONDAY, Oct. 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Positive, calm, and friendly family meals might help a child avoid becoming overweight or obese, a new study suggests. The findings were published online Oct. 13 in Pediatrics.

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Texas Hospital Worker Tests Positive for Ebola

MONDAY, Oct. 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A health care worker who helped treat the Liberian man who died of Ebola in a Dallas hospital last week has tested positive for the virus, public health officials reported Sunday.

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Anticoagulation Use in Urology Patients Requires Pre-Planning

FRIDAY, Oct. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Perioperative planning is needed for decisions of timing of anticoagulation therapy in patients undergoing urological procedures, according to a review published in the October issue of The Journal of Urology.

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Alternative Beats Conventional ABI Method for Predicting PAD

FRIDAY, Oct. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Ankle-brachial index (ABI) detected by an alternative method involving the lower of two systolic ankle pressures (LABI) is more sensitive and better for predicting peripheral artery disease (PAD), according to a study published in the Oct. 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.

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Specialty Drugs May Be Worth the Higher Costs

FRIDAY, Oct. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Despite high costs, specialty drugs may provide value that balances the price difference compared with traditional drugs, according to research published in the October issue of Health Affairs.

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Medicines Are Biggest Culprit in Fatal Allergic Reactions

FRIDAY, Oct. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Over half of allergy-related deaths are caused by medications, while less than 7 percent are caused by food allergies, according to research published online Sept. 30 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

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Americans Increasingly Anxious About Ebola

FRIDAY, Oct. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- One-quarter of Americans now view Ebola as a major public health threat to the United States, with many saying they'd change their travel plans due to Ebola fears, a new Harris Poll/HealthDay survey reveals.

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Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Early Schizophrenia ID'd

THURSDAY, Oct. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Factors showing increased risk for cardiometabolic disorders are often present in patients with first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorders (FES), according to research published online on Oct. 8 in JAMA Psychiatry.

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Five Healthy Lifestyle Choices Cut Women's Stroke Risk

THURSDAY, Oct. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Women who follow five healthy habits can cut their stroke risk in half, new research suggests. The study was published online Oct. 8 in Neurology.

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Five Major U.S. Airports to Screen Travelers for Ebola

THURSDAY, Oct. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Five major U.S. airports will begin screening travelers entering the country from the three West African nations hit hardest by the ongoing Ebola epidemic, federal health officials announced Wednesday.

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Reducing Residency Work Hours Doesn't Affect Patient Outcomes

THURSDAY, Oct. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Duty-hour reforms have not adversely affected hospital mortality or length-of-stay of patients cared for by new attending physicians who were partly or fully exposed to reduced duty hours during residency, according to research published in the October issue of Health Affairs.

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Androgen Receptor Signaling Tied to Insulin Resistance

THURSDAY, Oct. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Mouse models show tissue-specific androgen receptor (AR) signaling is involved in regulation of metabolism, which may explain the link between androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and the development of metabolic syndrome in men, according to research published in the October issue of Diabetes.

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Dallas Ebola Patient Has Died, Hospital Officials Confirm

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 8, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian national who was the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the United States, died Wednesday morning at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas.

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CDC: U.S. Life Expectancy Hits Record High of Nearly 79 Years

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 8, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Average life expectancy in the United States reached an all-time high of 78.8 years in 2012, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday. For people 65 years old in 2012, life expectancy was an additional 19.3 years, up slightly from the year before. Women age 65 and older in 2012 can expect to live another 20.5 years, while men may get around an additional 18 years.

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Women Have Greater Atheroma Regression With Statins

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 8, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with coronary atheroma, high-intensity statin treatment is associated with greater regression in women than men, according to a study published online Sept. 17 in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.

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AAFP Urges Docs to Check Accuracy of Open Payments Data

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 8, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) urges family doctors to check the accuracy of the first set of data published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments transparency program.

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Tips Provided for Maximizing Use of Patient Portals

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 8, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Patient portals should be designed to meet patient priorities and promoted in order to maximize their use and boost practice efficiency, according to an article published Oct. 1 in Medical Economics.

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Obama Considers Tighter Ebola Screening for Travelers

TUESDAY, Oct. 7, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- President Barack Obama said Monday that his administration is preparing additional screening measures to prevent the Ebola epidemic in West Africa from gaining a foothold in the United States.

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Undiagnosed Hypertension More Likely in Rheumatoid Arthritis

TUESDAY, Oct. 7, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Among patients meeting guideline-based criteria for hypertension, those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are less likely to receive a diagnosis of hypertension, according to a study published in the September issue of Arthritis Care & Research.

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Handheld U/S Beats Physical Exam for Heart Abnormalities

TUESDAY, Oct. 7, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with suspected cardiac abnormalities, handheld ultrasound (HHU) is more accurate for diagnosis than physical examination, according to a study published online Sept. 17 in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.

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CDC Team Assisting Ebola Response in Dallas

MONDAY, Oct. 6, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Experts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have arrived in Texas and are working closely with Texas state and local health departments to investigate the first Ebola case in the United States, according to a news release issued by the agency.

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Chasm Exists Between Cultural, Medical Definitions of Obesity

MONDAY, Oct. 6, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Cultural definitions of body size terms differ from a participant's actual body size, according to a study published in the September-October issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.

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Heart Bypass Patients May Not Need Tight Glucose Control

MONDAY, Oct. 6, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients might not need to follow strict glucose control after their surgery, according to a study published in the October issue of the Annals of Thoracic Surgery. Some previous research suggested that high glucose after CABG and other types of heart surgery was associated with increased risk of health problems and death, but more recent research has found that might not be the case.

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States Encouraged to Use Physician Assistant Workforce

MONDAY, Oct. 6, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Physician assistants (PAs) have an important role in the provision of health care and their role should be encouraged by appropriate state legislation, according to a report from the National Governors Association.

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Impact of Physician Payments Sunshine Act Discussed

MONDAY, Oct. 6, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The Physician Payments Sunshine Act is causing concern for manufacturers and providers, as well as physicians, according to a health policy brief published online Oct. 2 in Health Affairs.

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Research Suggests Stroke Risk Up With β-Blockers in Select Patients

MONDAY, Oct. 6, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For patients without prior myocardial infarction (MI) with no heart failure, β-blocker use is not associated with lower cardiovascular events, and there may be an increased risk of stroke for patients without previous events but with multiple cardiovascular risk factors, according to a study published online Sept. 30 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

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CHD Risk in Diabetes Correlates With BMI Seven Years Earlier

MONDAY, Oct. 6, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) over seven years increases with higher body mass index (BMI) at baseline among patients with diabetes, with a U-shaped association between BMI at the last visit and the risk of CHD among women, according to a study published online Sept. 23 in Diabetes Care.

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Physician Payments Found Not to Favor Procedures

FRIDAY, Oct. 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Physician Fee Schedule does not systematically provide higher valuation of physician work per unit time for procedure/test codes than for evaluation and management (E/M) codes, according to a study published online Sept. 18 in the Annals of Surgery.

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Major Bleeds Found to Be Rare for Patients With Stable CAD

FRIDAY, Oct. 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Major bleeding events are rare in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD); however, concomitant antiplatelet therapy (APT) when oral anticoagulation is required increases bleeding risk -- an independent predictor of mortality -- and should be reconsidered in select patients, according to research published in the Oct. 7 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

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Only DM Duration Independently Tied to Microvascular Events

FRIDAY, Oct. 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with type 2 diabetes, age or age at diabetes diagnosis and diabetes duration are independently associated with macrovascular events and death, but only duration of disease is independently associated with microvascular events, according to a study published online Sept. 17 in Diabetologia.

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Transient Ischemic Attacks May Lead to PTSD

FRIDAY, Oct. 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) may not cause lasting physical damage but they may increase the risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a study published online Oct. 2 in Stroke.

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Bioprosthetic and Mechanical Aortic Valves Compared

THURSDAY, Oct. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A new study compares two leading types of aortic valve replacements and finds they have similar performance in terms of long-term risk of stroke and death for patients. The findings were published in the Oct. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Medical Errors Should Be Used to Improve Patient Care

THURSDAY, Oct. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Medical errors occur and should be used to help improve medical processes, according to a report from the American Medical Association.

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Evolocumab Seems Promising for Familial Hypercholesterolemia

THURSDAY, Oct. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Evolocumab shows promise for patients with heterozygous or homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, according to two studies published online Oct. 1 in The Lancet.

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Providers Received Billions From Drug/Device Companies

THURSDAY, Oct. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- About 546,000 doctors and 1,360 teaching hospitals in the United States received billions of dollars from drug and medical device makers in the second half of 2013, according to data released Tuesday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The financial benefits ranged from research grants to trips, and totaled nearly $3.5 billion from August through December last year, the Associated Press reported.

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Appropriate Use Criteria Established for Pediatric ECHO

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Appropriate use criteria have been developed for the initial use of transthoracic echocardiography in outpatient pediatric cardiology. The guidelines were published online Sept. 29 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

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Social Support May Be Key to Heart Attack Recovery

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Young and middle-aged heart attack survivors are more likely to have poor health and low quality of life if they have fewer family and friends to support them in their recovery, according to a study published online Sept. 30 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

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CDC Confirms First Patient Diagnosed With Ebola in U.S.

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The first confirmed case of Ebola has surfaced in the United States, involving a man who recently flew here from Liberia, federal health officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced late Tuesday.

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Burnout on the Job Isn't Just About the Work

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Work, non-work, and individual factors explain a considerable part of psychological distress, depression, and emotional exhaustion, according to a study published online July 24 in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology.

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