March 2011 Briefing - Internal Medicine

Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Internal Medicine for March 2011. 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.

Skeletal Immaturity Does Not Affect Broken Bones' Healing

THURSDAY, March 31 (HealthDay News) -- People who break both the radius and ulna before reaching skeletal maturity heal just as well as those who are skeletally mature, and subjective measures of illness may be more predictive of degree of disability than objective measures of impairment, according to research published in the March 16 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.

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Visual Stimuli Linked to Itching in Atopic Dermatitis

THURSDAY, March 31 (HealthDay News) -- Atopic dermatitis patients report higher itch intensity and scratch more frequently upon watching itch videos, according to a study published online March 17 in the British Journal of Dermatology.

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Tetanus Cases Rare but Some Populations More Vulnerable

THURSDAY, March 31 (HealthDay News) -- Tetanus cases and fatalities in the United States have decreased by more than 95 percent and more than 99 percent, respectively, since the disease became reportable in 1947, but sporadic cases do still occur, and some populations are more at risk for contracting the potentially life-threatening disease, according to research published in the April 1 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

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Early Rehabilitation Post-Knee Arthroplasty Beneficial

THURSDAY, March 31 (HealthDay News) -- Starting rehabilitation within 24 hours of total knee arthroplasty for osteoarthritis reduces the average hospital stay and the requisite number of sessions to achieve autonomy and normal gait and balance, according to a study published online March 7 in Clinical Rehabilitation.

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Osteoarthritis Patients Show Increased Pain Sensitivity

THURSDAY, March 31 (HealthDay News) -- Patients suffering from osteoarthritis (OA) are more sensitive to experimental pain at multiple body sites compared to healthy controls, according to a study published in the March issue of Arthritis Care & Research.

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Areas With More Surgeons Have Fewer Car Crash Deaths

THURSDAY, March 31 (HealthDay News) -- Areas with more surgeons available have fewer deaths from motor vehicle crashes (MVCs), according to a study published online March 29 in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

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Suicide in Musculoskeletal Patients at Older Age

THURSDAY, March 31 (HealthDay News) -- Suicide victims who have back pain or other musculoskeletal diseases (MSD) are older than those without MSD, according to a study published in the April 1 issue of Spine.

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Growth Hormone Increases Adult Height in Turner's

THURSDAY, March 31 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment with growth hormone may result in greater adult height for girls with Turner's syndrome, and the addition of low-dose estrogen to the treatment regimen may further improve results, according to research published in the March 31 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Unmet Health Care Needs in Survivors of Childhood Cancer

WEDNESDAY, March 23 (HealthDay News) -- Double informant data indicate that a considerable percentage of adult survivors of childhood central nervous system tumors have long-term unmet health care needs (HCNs), according to a study published online March 8 in Cancer.

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Exercise Plus Dieting Superior in Older Obese Individuals

WEDNESDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- Dieting plus exercise may be better than either alone for improvement in physical function in older adults who are obese, according to research published in the March 31 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Negligence Litigation Against Nursing Homes Assessed

WEDNESDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- High-quality nursing homes are sued for negligence only marginally less than low-performing nursing homes, according to an article published in the March 31 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Boceprevir Nets Higher Virologic Response in Hep C

WEDNESDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- The addition of boceprevir to the standard treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection appears to result in a higher rate of sustained virologic response both in patients who have never been treated and those who have received prior treatment, according to two studies published in the March 31 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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FDA: Store Pradaxa Only in Original Containers

WEDNESDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- The anticoagulant dabigatran etexilate mesylate (Pradaxa), a direct thrombin inhibitor, should be dispensed and stored only in its original bottle or blister package because exposure to moisture may cause product breakdown and loss of potency, according to an alert issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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Two-Thirds of U.S. Residents Get Sufficient Vitamin D

WEDNESDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- About two-thirds of the U.S. population takes in sufficient amounts of vitamin D, but 8 percent may be at risk for vitamin D deficiency, according to a March data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics.

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Small Number of Second Cancers Linked to Radiotherapy

WEDNESDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- Only a small proportion of second cancers are attributable to radiotherapy for primary tumors in adults, according to a study published online March 30 in The Lancet Oncology.

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Changes Seen in Incidence of ESRD From Lupus Nephritis

WEDNESDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- For children with lupus nephritis (LN)-associated end-stage renal disease (ESRD), disparities in treatment and mortality exist by several demographic characteristics; also, incidence rates have increased in younger patients and in African-Americans since 1995, according to two articles published online March 28 in Arthritis & Rheumatism.

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Safflower Oil Improves Glycemia, Inflammation, Lipids

WEDNESDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- Supplementation with safflower (SAF) oil improves glycemia, inflammation, and blood lipids compared to treatment with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in postmenopausal obese women, according to a study published online Jan. 12 in Clinical Nutrition.

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Online Health Records Less Used by Minorities, Poor

WEDNESDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- Online personal health records (PHRs) are less frequently used by racial or ethnic minorities and patients with low annual income, according to a study published in the March 28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

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Discharge to Skilled Nursing Facilities Linked to Death

WEDNESDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with heart failure discharged to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) have an increased risk for rehospitalization and death, according to a study published online March 29 in Circulation: Heart Failure.

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High Number of 'Medalists' Free From Diabetes Complications

WEDNESDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- The relatively high proportion of patients with type 1 diabetes for 50 years or more without complications indicates the presence of protective factors, according to a study published in the April issue of Diabetes Care.

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Insulin Delivery System Recalled by Roche

TUESDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- ACCU-CHEK FlexLink Plus infusion sets are being recalled by their manufacturer, Roche, because the tube used for inserting the set may become kinked or bent, which could result in the under-delivery or no delivery of insulin, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced.

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Inadequacies Identified in HIV Health Care Provision

TUESDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- The health system is inadequately prepared for the challenges of addressing the health needs of HIV-positive individuals, according to the report "HIV Screening and Access to Care," published online March 17 by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

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Air Pollution May Compromise Lung Transplant Patients

TUESDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- Lung transplant patients who have high exposure to traffic-related air pollution may be at increased risk for bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) and death, according to research published online March 23 in Thorax.

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PSA Screening Predicted by Age, Life Expectancy

TUESDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- Age and life expectancy are strong predictors of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening, which appears to be administered excessively to older men with limited life expectancy, according to research published online March 28 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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Ethnicity Tied to Worry About Breast Cancer Recurrence

TUESDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- Race and ethnicity have a significant impact on the amount women with breast cancer worry about recurrence, with less acculturated Latina women being especially susceptible to high levels of worry, according to a study published online March 28 in Cancer.

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Cannabis Use Tied to Poor Cognitive Function in MS

TUESDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- Cannabis use among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients is associated with negative impacts on cognitive function, according to a study published in the March 29 issue of Neurology.

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Radiation Risk From Airport Full-Body Scanners Limited

TUESDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- Full-body scanners being deployed by the Transportation Security Administration in airports throughout the United States do not appear to increase risks related to radiation exposure, according to a special article published online March 28 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

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Conflicts of Interest Abound in Cardiology Guidelines

TUESDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- Conflicts of interest (COIs) are prevalent in cardiology clinical practice guidelines, but there is still a substantial number of experienced expert guideline writers and reviewers without COIs, according to a study published in the March 28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

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Ambulatory BP Helps Identify Resistant Hypertension

TUESDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is a useful prognosis tool to differentiate between true and white coat resistant hypertension, according to a study published online March 28 in Hypertension.

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Elevated Risk Factors Linked to Atrial Fibrillation

TUESDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- More than half the burden of atrial fibrillation (AF) results from having one or more elevated cardiovascular risk factors and is theoretically preventable, according to a study published online March 28 in Circulation.

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Bariatric Surgery Weight Loss Tied to Migraine Improvement

TUESDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- Severely obese people who suffer from migraines experience improvement in their headaches after losing a significant amount of weight following bariatric surgery, according to a study published in the March 29 issue of Neurology.

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Decline Seen in Global Youth Mortality Over Last 50 Years

TUESDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- Overall mortality declined substantially between 1955 and 2004 in children aged 14 years or younger and in females aged 15 to 24, but a smaller decline was evident for males aged 15 to 24 years, according to a study published online March 29 in The Lancet.

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Room Cleaning Linked to Lower Drug-Resistant Infections

TUESDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- Enhanced intensive care unit (ICU) cleaning may reduce methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) transmission, according to a study published in the March 28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

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Guidelines Provided for Deep Vein Thrombosis Management

MONDAY, March 28 (HealthDay News) -- Blood thinners should not be the only therapy considered for patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT), according to a scientific statement published online March 21 in Circulation.

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Cardiac Risk Management Improves After Calcium Scan

MONDAY, March 28 (HealthDay News) -- Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scanning provides better risk factor control in coronary artery disease (CAD) without increasing downstream medical costs, according to a study published online March 23 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

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ADHD Linked to Greater Creative Achievement

MONDAY, March 28 (HealthDay News) -- Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) attain more real-world creative achievement and have different creative styles compared to non-ADHD individuals, according to a study published in the April issue of Personality and Individual Differences.

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Almost Two-Thirds of Older Adults Have Hearing Loss

MONDAY, March 28 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly two-thirds of older Americans experience hearing loss, and it is most strongly associated with age, gender, and race, according to a study published online Feb. 27 in The Journals of Gerontology: Series A.

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Catechin-Caffeine and Caffeine Alone Increase Energy Use

MONDAY, March 28 (HealthDay News) -- Catechin-caffeine mixtures -- such as those found in green tea -- and caffeine-only supplementation increase daily energy expenditure, but only catechin-caffeine mixtures significantly increase daily fat oxidation, according to a meta-analysis published online March 2 in Obesity Reviews.

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Poorer Health Outcomes for Elderly in Public Housing

MONDAY, March 28 (HealthDay News) -- Elders residing in public housing have poor self-rated health status as well as increased prevalence of fatigue and comorbid conditions compared to those who live in the community, according to a study published in the Winter issue of Ethnicity & Disease.

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High Blood Pressure Tied to Rapid Gait Slowing in Elderly

MONDAY, March 28 (HealthDay News) -- High blood pressure in well-functioning older adults accelerates gait slowing over an extended period, even when hypertension is well controlled or develops later in life, according to a study published in the March issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

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Post-Stroke Brain Stimulation Helps With Swallowing

FRIDAY, March 25 (HealthDay News) -- The application of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tCDS) to the unaffected cortex in conjunction with swallowing maneuvers is associated with improved recovery of swallowing after stroke, according to a study published online March 24 in Stroke.

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Mild Psychological Distress Associated With Disability

FRIDAY, March 25 (HealthDay News) -- Even mild psychological distress can result in long-term disability, according to a population-based study published online March 21 in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

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ISICEM: Decompressive Craniectomy May Be Harmful

FRIDAY, March 25 (HealthDay News) -- The use of decompressive craniectomy in patients with severe diffuse traumatic brain injury and refractory intracranial hypertension appears to lower intracranial pressure and shorten intensive care unit (ICU) stays but is associated with more unfavorable outcomes, according to a study published online March 25 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with research presented at the 31st International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, held from March 22 to 25 in Brussels, Belgium.

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Depression Tied to Worse Arthritic Knee Pain in Elderly

FRIDAY, March 25 (HealthDay News) -- Older adults who have minimal to moderate radiographic evidence of knee osteoarthritis (OA) have an increased likelihood of having more severe symptoms if they have coexisting depression, according to a study published in the March 16 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.

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Surgeon Enthusiasm for Spinal Surgery Drives Rates

FRIDAY, March 25 (HealthDay News) -- Surgical rates for degenerative diseases of the lumbar spine (DDLS) are mainly affected by surgeon enthusiasm for surgery and not by disease prevalence or community resources, according to a study published in the March 15 issue of Spine.

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Use of Strategies to Reduce Risk of Opioid Misuse Is Low

FRIDAY, March 25 (HealthDay News) -- The use of opioid risk-reduction strategies by primary care physicians is limited, even among patients at particular risk of misuse, according to a study published online Feb. 24 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

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Fracture Rates Slightly Higher in HIV Patients

FRIDAY, March 25 (HealthDay News) -- People with HIV infection have a higher bone fracture rate compared to the general U.S. population, according to a study published online March 10 in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

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Imatinib Improves Survival in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

FRIDAY, March 25 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in complete cytogenetic remission (CCyR) for two years after starting imatinib have similar survival to that of the general population, according to a study published online March 21 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

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Heart Attack Risk Doubles After Transient Ischemic Attack

FRIDAY, March 25 (HealthDay News) -- The average annual incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) after transient ischemic attack (TIA) is approximately double that of the general population, according to a study published online 24 March in Stroke.

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U.S. Shingles Vaccine Approval Expanded

THURSDAY, March 24 (HealthDay News) -- The Zostavax shingles vaccine is now approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for people aged 50 and older.

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Tuberculosis Rates in United States at All-Time Low

THURSDAY, March 24 (HealthDay News) -- The rate of tuberculosis (TB) infection in the United States continues to decline, but the goal of elimination has not been met, and the infection disproportionately affects foreign-born individuals and ethnic minorities, according to a report published in the March 25 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

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Knee Replacement Improves Level of Physical Activity

THURSDAY, March 24 (HealthDay News) -- People who undergo total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for osteoarthritis experience substantial improvements in the level of physical activity within the first year after surgery, but their activity level is not correlated with clinical outcome, according to a study published in the March issue of Arthritis Care & Research.

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Menthol Cigarette Smokers Have Lower Cancer Rates

THURSDAY, March 24 (HealthDay News) -- Menthol and non-menthol cigarette smokers have similar quitting rates, but menthol smokers have lower lung cancer incidence and mortality, according to a study published online March 23 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

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Safety Programs Boost Staff Perception of Safety Culture

THURSDAY, March 24 (HealthDay News) -- Obstetrics patient safety programs can improve staff perceptions of safety and the safety culture, according to a study published in the March issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

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Thromboembolism May Recur With Residual Vein Obstruction

THURSDAY, March 24 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with provoked or unprovoked deep vein thrombosis (DVT), residual vein obstruction (RVO) is associated with a slight increase in the risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) but does not seem to predict recurrent VTE in patients with unprovoked DVT following discontinuation of anticoagulation therapy, according to a meta-analysis published online March 7 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

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High Alcohol Intake Not Tied to Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

THURSDAY, March 24 (HealthDay News) -- Higher alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) but not with esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) or adjacent tumors of the esophagogastric junction (EGJA), according to research published online March 14 in Gut.

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Reduced Hours for Trainees Has Had Little Effect in U.S.

THURSDAY, March 24 (HealthDay News) -- Reducing work hours for doctors in training to less than 80 per week has had little impact on patient outcomes or postgraduate training in the United States, according to a literature review published online March 22 in BMJ.

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Drug Reduces Rate of Conversion to Type 2 Diabetes

WEDNESDAY, March 23 (HealthDay News) -- Pioglitazone effectively reduces conversion to type 2 diabetes in people with impaired glucose tolerance, though it may also lead to weight gain and edema, according to research published in the March 24 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Mercury Exposure and CVD Not Associated

WEDNESDAY, March 23 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to mercury does not appear to increase the risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, or total cardiovascular disease, according to research published in the March 24 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Tiotropium Shows Edge Over Salmeterol for COPD

WEDNESDAY, March 23 (HealthDay News) -- Tiotropium, an anticholinergic drug, appears to be more effective than salmeterol in preventing exacerbations in patients with moderate or worse chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to research published in the March 24 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Rheumatic Disease Patients Require Two Flu Vaccine Doses

WEDNESDAY, March 23 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases require two doses of flu vaccine to achieve the same antibody response as one dose elicits in controls, which may be due in part to the influence of specific disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), according to a study published online March 7 in Arthritis & Rheumatism.

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Qigong Comparable to Exercise for Treating Neck Pain

WEDNESDAY, March 23 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with chronic neck pain, Qigong is comparable to exercise therapy and superior to no treatment, according to a study published in the March 15 issue of Spine.

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Rapid Assessment Identifies Low-Risk Chest Pain Patients

WEDNESDAY, March 23 (HealthDay News) -- A novel two-hour accelerated diagnosis protocol (ADP) appears quite accurate in identifying patients with chest pains who are at low risk for a major adverse cardiac event and could probably be discharged early, according to research published online March 23 in The Lancet.

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Lower Troponin Assay Threshold Aids MI Diagnosis

WEDNESDAY, March 23 (HealthDay News) -- Lowering the diagnostic threshold of plasma troponin in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is associated with lower risk of death and recurrent myocardial infarction (MI), according to a study published in the March 23/30 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Fibrate Use Rises in U.S. but Remains Stable in Canada

TUESDAY, March 22 (HealthDay News) -- Fibrate use has increased steadily in the United States but remains stable in Canada, according to a study published in the March 23/30 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Hydrocortisone Lowers Risk of Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia

TUESDAY, March 22 (HealthDay News) -- Intravenous hydrocortisone decreases the risk of developing hospital-acquired pneumonia in intubated trauma patients, according to a study published in the March 23/30 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Episodic Physical or Sexual Activity Linked to MI

TUESDAY, March 22 (HealthDay News) -- Episodic physical and sexual activity is associated with an increased risk of acute cardiac events, especially myocardial infarction (MI), although the risk is attenuated by increased habitual activity, according to a meta-analysis published in the March 23/30 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Dalteparin Not Superior to Unfractionated Heparin

TUESDAY, March 22 (HealthDay News) -- Dalteparin, a low-molecular-weight heparin, does not appear any more effective in lowering the incidence of proximal deep-vein thrombosis than unfractionated heparin, according to research published online March 22 in The New England Journal of Medicine.

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Long-Term Weight Loss After Laparoscopic Gastric Banding

TUESDAY, March 22 (HealthDay News) -- Despite the success of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) for morbid obesity in terms of long-term weight loss, follow-up suggests poor outcomes, according to a study published online March 21 in the Archives of Surgery.

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Increased Melanoma Incidence Tied to Socioeconomic Status

TUESDAY, March 22 (HealthDay News) -- High socioeconomic status (SES) and exposure to ultraviolet-radiation (UV-R) are associated with increased malignant melanoma incidence among adolescent girls and young women, according to a study published online March 21 in the Archives of Dermatology.

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HIV Tropism Testing Guidelines Established

TUESDAY, March 22 (HealthDay News) -- The European Consensus Group on the clinical management of tropism testing has established guidelines for tropism testing prior to the initiation of maraviroc therapy for HIV; the guidelines have been published online March 22 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

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Multiple Sclerosis Slows After Stem Cell Transplant

TUESDAY, March 22 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) with active lesions who undergo hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) have improved progression-free survival compared to patients without active lesions, according to a study published in the March 22 issue of Neurology.

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Family-Mediated Therapy Improves Outcome of Stroke

MONDAY, March 21 (HealthDay News) -- In addition to routine physical therapy, family-mediated exercise (FAME) therapy significantly improves patient recovery after an acute stroke, according to a study published in the March 1 issue of Stroke.

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Combination Therapy Given to Elderly Without Indications

MONDAY, March 21 (HealthDay News) -- Combination therapy of angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin-receptor blockers is often prescribed without established indications, and is associated with an elevated risk of adverse renal outcomes compared to monotherapy, according to a study published online March 21 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.

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Chronic Widespread Pain Not Linked to Physical Trauma

MONDAY, March 21 (HealthDay News) -- Physically traumatic events are not associated with the development of chronic widespread pain (CWP), although being involved in a road accident may confer a modestly increased risk, according to a study published online March 21 in Arthritis Care & Research.

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Antibiotics Reduce Risk of ICU-Acquired Infection

MONDAY, March 21 (HealthDay News) -- Critically ill patients given prophylactic antibiotics may be significantly less likely to be infected by intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired, highly resistant microorganisms, according to research published online March 21 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

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Oral Vaccine May Prevent Half of Cholera Episodes

MONDAY, March 21 (HealthDay News) -- The currently available oral cholera vaccine may prevent 50 to 60 percent of cholera episodes in the first two years after vaccination, but its effectiveness is unlikely to last beyond three years, according to a review published in the Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews.

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Multifaceted Approach Reduces Pneumonia in ICU

MONDAY, March 21 (HealthDay News) -- Rates of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) can be significantly reduced with the implementation of multifaceted intervention aimed at increasing the use of evidence-based therapies in the intensive care unit (ICU), according to a study published in the April issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.

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Taiwanese With Diabetes at Higher Risk of Prostate Cancer

MONDAY, March 21 (HealthDay News) -- The incidence of prostate cancer among men in Taiwan is increasing, and men with diabetes are at an increased risk of prostate cancer, according to research published in the March issue of Diabetes Care.

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Suppressive Therapy Manages Clopidogrel Hypersensitivity

MONDAY, March 21 (HealthDay News) -- Clopidogrel hypersensitivity, which affects up to 6 percent of patients, may be successfully managed using corticosteroids and antihistamines, without interrupting drug therapy, according to a study published in the March 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.

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Neck Disability Index Estimates SF-6D Utility Scores

FRIDAY, March 18 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with cervical degenerative disorders, Short Form-6D (SF-6D) utilities can be estimated using a Neck Disability Index (NDI) regression model, according to a study published online March 15 in Spine.

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Mental Health Negatively Affected by Poor-Quality Jobs

FRIDAY, March 18 (HealthDay News) -- Gaining employment improves mental health only for jobs of good psychosocial quality; whereas, jobs with poor psychosocial quality may detrimentally affect mental health, according to a study published online March 14 in Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

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Diabetes Drug Linked to Increased Cardiovascular Risk

FRIDAY, March 18 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with type 2 diabetes who take rosiglitazone are at greater risk of congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction (MI), and death, compared to those who take pioglitazone, according to a meta-analysis published online March 17 in BMJ.

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Once-Daily Sildenafil Reduces Raynaud's Attack Frequency

FRIDAY, March 18 (HealthDay News) -- Modified-release sildenafil reduces frequency of attacks in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) secondary to limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (lcSSc), and is generally well tolerated, according to a study published in the March issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.

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Artesunate Provides Superior Treatment for Severe Malaria

FRIDAY, March 18 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment of severe malaria with artesunate is superior to quinine for both adults and children, according to a review published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

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Inflammatory Marker Tied to Colorectal Cancer Risk

FRIDAY, March 18 (HealthDay News) -- Higher plasma levels of the soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (sTNFR-2) appear to be associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) among women, with anti-inflammatory drugs reducing the risk of CRC among women with high baseline sTNFR-2 levels, according to a study published in the March issue of Gastroenterology.

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Antiepileptic Drugs Tied to Folate and Vitamin B12 Levels

FRIDAY, March 18 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment with many commonly used antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) is associated with reduced serum folate or vitamin B12 levels, according to a study published in the February issue of the Annals of Neurology.

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Stem Cells Linked to Functional Recovery of Heart Post MI

FRIDAY, March 18 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction due to remote myocardial infarction, injections of autologous bone marrow progenitor cells reduce heart size and scar tissue size, and improve regional contractility, according to a study published online March 17 in Circulation Research.

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Bulking Agent Injections Effective in Fecal Incontinence

FRIDAY, March 18 (HealthDay News) -- A transanal submucosal injection of dextranomer in stabilized hyaluronic acid (NASHA Dx) is an effective treatment for fecal incontinence, according to a study published in the March 19 issue of The Lancet.

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Low-Dose Imaging Effective for Ruling Out CAD

THURSDAY, March 17 (HealthDay News) -- Low-dose coronary computed tomography (CT) appears as sensitive as catheter-based angiography and may provide a non-invasive alternative to the latter for ruling out coronary artery disease (CAD) in symptomatic patients, according to a meta-analysis published in the March 15 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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Heart Failure Belt Identified in Southeastern United States

THURSDAY, March 17 (HealthDay News) -- A "heart failure belt" with higher heart failure mortality compared to the rest of the country has been identified in the southeastern United States, which follows a similar geographic pattern to the recognized "stroke belt," according to a study published in the March 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.

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5α-Reductase Inhibitors Tied to Adverse Male Sexual Health

THURSDAY, March 17 (HealthDay News) -- 5α-reductase inhibitors (5α-RIs), used to treat symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and hair loss in men, may cause persistent erectile dysfunction, depression, and loss of libido, even after discontinuing the medication, according to a review published in the March issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine.

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Bunions Impact General Quality of Life

THURSDAY, March 17 (HealthDay News) -- Increasing severity of hallux valgus is associated with a progressive decrease in general and foot-specific health-related quality of life, according to a study published in the March issue of Arthritis Care & Research.

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Professional Values of U.S. and U.K. Doctors Examined

THURSDAY, March 17 (HealthDay News) -- A core of professional values exists among doctors in the United States and the United Kingdom, though significant differences exist in how these values are expressed and prioritized, according to a study published online March 7 in BMJ Quality & Safety.

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Depression in Blacks Varies With Socioeconomic Status

THURSDAY, March 17 (HealthDay News) -- African-American men at both extremes of the socioeconomic spectrum are more likely to suffer from a major depressive episode (MDE); whereas African-American women with the lowest incomes are at greater risk of MDE, according to a study published online Feb. 4 in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology.

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Diabetes Patients Fare Better With Empathetic Doctors

THURSDAY, March 17 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with diabetes whose physicians are more empathetic are more likely to have improved clinical outcomes, according to a study published in the March issue of Academic Medicine.

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Novel Virus May Be Cause of Severe Febrile Illness in China

THURSDAY, March 17 (HealthDay News) -- Chinese researchers have identified a novel bunyavirus that may be the cause of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS); their research has been published online March 16 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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CABG Ups Quality of Life More Than Drug-Eluting Stents

THURSDAY, March 17 (HealthDay News) -- Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) still has slightly better outcomes than percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in terms of relief from angina and improved quality of life when the latter involves drug-eluting stents rather than bare-metal stents, according to research published in the March 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Hepatitis A Virus Antigenic Variants Identified

THURSDAY, March 17 (HealthDay News) -- An outbreak of hepatitis A in men who have sex with men (MSM) revealed several antigenic variants of the hepatitis A virus, which may have escaped the protective effect of vaccination, reinforcing the importance of completing vaccination schedules, especially among the immunocompromised, according to a study published online March 16 in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

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Short Nurse Staffing Linked to Higher Patient Mortality

WEDNESDAY, March 16 (HealthDay News) -- Patient mortality appears to be higher when nurse staffing falls eight or more hours below target level and during nursing shifts when patient turnover is high, according to research published in the March 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Adding Omalizumab Improves Asthma Control in Youth

WEDNESDAY, March 16 (HealthDay News) -- The addition of omalizumab to a regimen of guidelines-based therapy among youth with persistent asthma appears to improve asthma control and reduce the need for other medications to control the condition, according to a study published in the March 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Fever Not Tied to Influenza Virus Shedding Duration

WEDNESDAY, March 16 (HealthDay News) -- Health care personnel (HCP) infected with influenza (H1N1) 2009 virus who return to work 24 hours after defervescence may still be shedding virus, according to a study published online March 16 in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

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U.S. Death Rate Reaches All-Time Low

WEDNESDAY, March 16 (HealthDay News) -- The age-adjusted death rate for the United States has fallen for 10 straight years and has reached an all-time low of 741 per 100,000, or 2,436,682 deaths, in 2009, down 2.3 percent from 2008, according to a new report issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics.

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Early-Onset Diabetes Tied to Raised Cardiac Disease Risk

WEDNESDAY, March 16 (HealthDay News) -- Early- and late-onset diabetes are associated with an increased risk of major coronary heart disease (CHD) events and mortality, with early-onset diabetes equivalent in risk to a prior myocardial infarction (MI), according to a study published in the March 14 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

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Worse Outcomes in Patients With Low Socioeconomic Status

WEDNESDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Among patients with epilepsy who receive regular care, those with a low socioeconomic status (SES) make greater use of health care facilities but have worse outcomes than their higher SES peers, according to a study published online Feb. 14 in Epilepsia.

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Raised Triglyceride Levels Do Not Cause Type 2 Diabetes

WEDNESDAY, March 16 (HealthDay News) -- Genetically raised circulating triglyceride levels do not increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, or raise fasting glucose or insulin levels, according to a study published in the March issue of Diabetes.

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Smokers Advised to Stop Even Just Before Surgery

WEDNESDAY, March 16 (HealthDay News) -- There is no evidence to suggest that quitting smoking within eight weeks prior to surgery increases postoperative complications, according to a meta-analysis published online March 14 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

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High-Dose Clopidogrel Does Not Reduce Mortality Incidence

WEDNESDAY, March 16 (HealthDay News) -- A higher dose of clopidogrel does not reduce the incidence of death from cardiovascular causes, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), or stent thrombosis in patients with high platelet reactivity after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug eluting stents, according to a study published in the March 16 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Retinal Vein Occlusion Tied to Cerebrovascular Event Risk

WEDNESDAY, March 16 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO) have an almost two-fold higher event risk rate for cerebrovascular accident (CVA) compared to controls, but similar rates of myocardial infarction (MI) events, according to a study published in the March issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology.

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More Cholera Cases and Deaths Expected in Haiti

WEDNESDAY, March 16 (HealthDay News) -- Mathematical modeling estimates that more cases of cholera than expected will occur in the coming months in Haiti, but many could be averted by the provision of clean water, vaccinations, and increased antibiotic distribution, according to a study published online March 16 in The Lancet.

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Alzheimer's Disease Preceded by Cognitive Decline

WEDNESDAY, March 16 (HealthDay News) -- Dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease is preceded by five or six years of rapid cognitive decline in multiple functions, according to a study published in the March issue of the Archives of Neurology.

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Heavy Smoking Prevalence Decline Greatest in California

TUESDAY, March 15 (HealthDay News) -- Between 1965 and 2007, the prevalence of high-intensity smoking declined in California and in the remaining states, according to a study published in the March 16 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Regional Variation in Chronic Disease Case Fatality Rates

TUESDAY, March 15 (HealthDay News) -- There is an inverse relationship between the regional frequency of diagnoses for chronic conditions and the case-fatality rate among fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries, according to a study published in the March 16 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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High Phosphorus Level Tied to Kidney Disease Mortality

TUESDAY, March 15 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with chronic kidney disease, evidence suggests that there is an association between higher serum levels of phosphorus and mortality, but there is a lack of strong and consistent evidence associating serum calcium and parathyroid hormone levels with risk of death or cardiovascular events, according to a meta-analysis published in the March 16 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Sodium Phenylbutyrate Improves Insulin Resistance

TUESDAY, March 15 (HealthDay News) -- Sodium phenylbutyrate (PBA) may improve insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction caused by prolonged elevation of free fatty acids (FFA) in obese or overweight individuals, according to research published in the March issue of Diabetes.

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Preventive Services Underused by Older Adults in U.S.

TUESDAY, March 15 (HealthDay News) -- The aging population is growing steadily, but many older adults do not receive the preventive services they need, according to a new report issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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Metformin Ranks Highest As Diabetes Treatment

TUESDAY, March 15 (HealthDay News) -- Metformin may be the best choice for a first-line agent to treat patients with type 2 diabetes, according to research published online March 14 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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Alzheimer's Care Primarily Provided by Unpaid Caregivers

TUESDAY, March 15 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias receive unpaid care worth more than $200 billion from nearly 15 million caregivers in the United States, according to "2011 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures," a report published March 15 by the Alzheimer's Association.

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Weight Loss Counseling Rate Rises for Adults With Arthritis

TUESDAY, March 15 (HealthDay News) -- In the United States, significant national progress has been made toward achieving the Healthy People 2010 (HP2010) target for weight counseling in adults with doctor-diagnosed arthritis, according to a study published in the March/April issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.

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Post-Stroke Depression Severity Increases Dependency

TUESDAY, March 15 (HealthDay News) -- People who suffer from depression after a stroke are more likely to be dependent if they have more comorbidities, had a more severe stroke, or had increased baseline depression severity, according to a study published in the March 15 issue of Neurology.

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Bariatric Surgery Viable Option for Severely Obese

TUESDAY, March 15 (HealthDay News) -- Bariatric surgery is a viable option that often leads to long-term weight loss and reductions in cardiac and other risk factors in severely obese patients who have failed other weight-loss therapies, according to an American Heart Association (AHA) scientific statement published online March 14 in Circulation.

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Drinking Liquor Linked to Pancreatic Cancer Mortality

TUESDAY, March 15 (HealthDay News) -- Alcohol consumption of three or more drinks per day, specifically liquor, is associated with increased pancreatic cancer mortality independent of smoking, according to a study published in the March 14 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

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Lower Macular Degeneration Risk for Women Who Eat Fish

TUESDAY, March 15 (HealthDay News) -- Regular consumption of ω-3 fatty acids and fish is associated with a significant decrease in the risk of incident age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a study published online March 14 in the Archives of Ophthalmology.

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Nonadherence to Medications Common in Lupus Patients

MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), intentional and unintentional nonadherence are commonly reported, according to a study published in the March issue of Arthritis Care & Research.

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Presence of Biomarker May Indicate Early Emphysema

MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Otherwise healthy smokers with low DLCO have elevated levels of endothelial microparticles (EMPs) in their blood, which may help clinicians diagnose early stage emphysema, according to research published online March 11 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

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Fathers' Negative Parenting Behavior Linked to Depression

MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Depressed fathers are less likely to demonstrate positive parental behavior toward their 1-year-old children, and more likely to display negative parenting behavior, according to a study published online March 14 in Pediatrics.

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Majority of Drugs Tolerated After Negative Re-Challenge

MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Patients who suffer from cutaneous adverse drug reactions (CADR) and have a negative re-challenge under hospital surveillance (RCH) show good tolerance when re-challenged with the same drug, according to a study published online Feb. 9 in Allergy.

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Drug-Related Poisonings Highest in Young Children

MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Emergency department visits for unintentional drug-related poisonings in the United States are highest among children age 0 to 5 and more prominent in rural areas, and young women have the highest rate of drug-related poisonings with suicidal intent, according to research published online March 3 in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine.

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Potassium Level Tied to African-American Diabetes Risk

MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Low serum potassium concentrations found in African-Americans may be a contributing factor to their increased risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online March 2 in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

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U.S. Has Higher Rates of Chronic Disease Than England

MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Americans experience higher rates of chronic disease and markers of disease than their English counterparts at all ages, according to a study published online March 9 in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

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Long-Term Increase in Death Rates After Head Injury

FRIDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- Head injury is associated with increased susceptibility to death for at least 13 years after hospital admission, according to a study published online Jan. 31 in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

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Risk of Infection, Malignancy With Anti-TNF Therapy Unclear

FRIDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with early rheumatoid arthritis taking anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy without prior use of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARD)/methotrexate do not have an increased risk of serious infections or malignancies, according to a meta-analysis published online Feb. 25 in Arthritis & Rheumatism.

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Daytime Sleep Offers Cardiovascular Benefits

FRIDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- Daytime sleep may have cardiovascular benefits, including accelerated cardiovascular recovery from psychological stress, according to research published online Feb. 26 in the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine.

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Heart Rate Turbulence Risk Factor for Cardiac Mortality

FRIDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- Abnormal heart rate turbulence (HRT) is independently associated with increased cardiac mortality risk for low-, intermediate-, and high-risk individuals, while C-reactive protein (CRP) is associated with an increased cardiac mortality risk only in those who are low risk, according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology.

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Many Hepatitis C-Positive Patients Are Uninsured

FRIDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) are more likely to be uninsured, and the rate of insurance coverage is even lower in those who are eligible for treatment, according to a study in the March issue of Hepatology.

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Washing Before Self-Monitoring Yields Best Glucose Results

FRIDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- Washing hands with soap and water and then using the first drop of blood is best for self-monitoring blood glucose, according to a study published in the March issue of Diabetes Care.

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Depression Linked to Adverse Renal Disease Outcomes

FRIDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- Symptoms of depression are associated with subsequent adverse outcomes in patients with renal disease, according to a study published online March 10 in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

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Coffee Consumption Linked to Lower Stroke Risk in Women

FRIDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- Women who consume one or more cups of coffee daily have a lower risk of stroke than those who consume less than one cup of coffee a day, according to a study published online March 10 in Stroke.

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Impact of Adiposity Measures on Heart Disease Risk Alike

FRIDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio all have a similar strength of association with cardiovascular disease, but do not significantly improve risk prediction when information on blood pressure, diabetes, and lipid levels is available, according to a study published online March 11 in The Lancet.

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Non-Infectious Problems Lower Dialysis Catheter Survival

THURSDAY, March 10 (HealthDay News) -- The failure of peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheters is associated with catheter-related non-infectious problems, and other risk factors need not hinder the selection of patients for PD catheter initiation, according to a study published in the October-December 2010 issue of The Journal of Vascular Access.

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Increased Insulin May Be Needed Over 5,000 Meters

THURSDAY, March 10 (HealthDay News) -- For individuals with complication-free type 1 diabetes, there is an association between acute mountain sickness (AMS) and increased insulin requirement when trekking at very high altitudes, according to a study published in the March issue of Diabetes Care.

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Number of Cancer Survivors in U.S. Reaches 11.7 Million

THURSDAY, March 10 (HealthDay News) -- The number of cancer survivors in the United States had increased to nearly 12 million by 2007, according to a report in the March 11 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

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Benlysta Approved for Lupus

THURSDAY, March 10 (HealthDay News) -- Benlysta (belimumab) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat lupus, the first medication sanctioned for the condition in the United States since 1955.

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Socioeconomic Factors Predict Risk of Amputation

THURSDAY, March 10 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) are more likely to be treated in a low-volume hospital and to undergo amputation rather than limb salvage procedures if they are of a minority race, a lower socioeconomic status, or on Medicaid, according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery.

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Statins May Lower Markers of Immune Activation in HIV

THURSDAY, March 10 (HealthDay News) -- Atorvastatin use decreases cellular markers of immune activation and inflammation in patients infected with HIV type 1 (HIV-1), though it does not affect plasma HIV-1 RNA levels, according to a study published online Feb. 15 in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.

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MicroRNA Expression Tied to Prostate Cancer Recurrence

THURSDAY, March 10 (HealthDay News) -- Biochemical recurrence of localized prostate cancer in patients treated with radical prostatectomy is linked to high levels of microRNAs (miRNAs), according to a study published in the March issue of The Journal of Urology.

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Diabeo Smartphone Improves HbA1c Level in Type 1 Diabetes

THURSDAY, March 10 (HealthDay News) -- The Diabeo smartphone system improves HbA1c levels in patients with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes, according to a study published in the March issue of Diabetes Care.

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Coding of Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis Delayed

THURSDAY, March 10 (HealthDay News) -- Free text contains extra information relating to the diagnosis of ovarian cancer, and in some cases indicates a time lag between the diagnosis and coding in the medical record, according to a study published online Feb. 23 in BMJ Open.

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Depression Care in Hospital May Improve Cardiac Outcomes

THURSDAY, March 10 (HealthDay News) -- Among patients with depression and cardiac illness, managing depression during hospitalization improves mental health outcomes and may also improve medical outcomes after intervention, according to a study published online March 8 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

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Insulin Degludec Effective Alternative to Insulin Glargine

THURSDAY, March 10 (HealthDay News) -- Insulin degludec appears to provide comparable glycemic control to insulin glargine, without increased adverse events, and may reduce dosing frequency from once per day to three times weekly, according to a study published online March 10 in The Lancet.

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Irbesartan Does Not Prevent Cardiovascular Events in A-Fib

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- The angiotensin-receptor blocker irbesartan fails to lower the rate of cardiovascular events in patients with atrial fibrillation, according to research published in the March 10 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Drug Delays Microalbuminuria in Type 2 Diabetes

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Olmesartan, an angiotensin-receptor blocker, delays the onset of microalbuminuria in people with type 2 diabetes, but it also appears to be associated with an increased risk of fatal cardiovascular events, according to research published in the March 10 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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HealthGrades Finds Rates of Patient Safety Events Vary

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Patients treated at hospitals rated with a HealthGrades Patient Safety Excellence Award have, on average, a 46 percent lower risk of experiencing a patient safety incident compared to those treated at the lowest-ranked hospitals, according to the eighth annual HealthGrades Patient Safety in American Hospitals Study published online March 9.

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Ethnic Differences Seen in Academic Measures for U.K. Docs

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- United Kingdom-trained physicians and medical students with ethnic minority backgrounds tend to underperform academically compared to their white peers, according to a meta-analysis published online March 8 in BMJ.

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Blacks, Hispanics Face Breast Cancer Treatment Delays

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Black and Hispanic women newly diagnosed with breast cancer are more likely than white women to experience treatment delays of over a month, according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved.

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Distal Radial Fractures Indicative of Osteoporosis

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Osteoporosis prevalence is high in both male and female patients with distal radial fractures, compared to controls, according to a study published in the Feb. 16 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.

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International Similarities Reported in Bipolar Disorders

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Severity, impact, and comorbidity patterns of bipolar spectrum disorders (BPS) are similar internationally, according to a study published in the March issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

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High HDL Cholesterol Tied to Decreased Colon Cancer Risk

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Higher concentrations of serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol are associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer, according to a study published online March 7 in Gut.

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Brief CPR Education of Laypersons Proves Beneficial

WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Laypersons who have been exposed to short American Heart Association (AHA) Hands-Only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) videos are more likely to attempt CPR, and demonstrate better CPR technique than untrained individuals, according to a study published in the March issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

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Pharmacological Meta-Analyses Rarely Report Disclosures

TUESDAY, March 8 (HealthDay News) -- Meta-analyses of pharmacological treatments rarely include information addressing primary study funding and conflicts of interest (COIs) of the authors for the included randomized control trials (RCTs), according to a study published in the March 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Post-Hospitalization Mortality High in Trauma Patients

TUESDAY, March 8 (HealthDay News) -- The three-year cumulative mortality rate for trauma patients after being discharged from Washington state hospitals is relatively high, particularly in those discharged to skilled nursing facilities, according to research published in the March 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Diabetes Belt Identified in Southern United States

TUESDAY, March 8 (HealthDay News) -- A geographically congruent "diabetes belt" with high prevalence of diabetes exists in the United States, according to a study published online March 8 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

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Fatty Liver Independently Linked to Type 2 Diabetes

TUESDAY, March 8 (HealthDay News) -- Ultrasound-diagnosed fatty liver is independently associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), according to a study published online Jan. 20 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

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Mediterranean Diet Tied to Lower Metabolic Syndrome Risk

TUESDAY, March 8 (HealthDay News) -- Adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and has beneficial effects on its individual components, according to a meta-analysis published in the March 15 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

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Link Found Between Cognitive Function, Neighborhood

TUESDAY, March 8 (HealthDay News) -- Growing old in a psychosocially hazardous neighborhood may have a diminishing effect on cognitive functioning in people with the ε4 variant of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene, according to research published in the March issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

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Atrial Fibrillation Tied to Higher Incidence of Dementia

TUESDAY, March 8 (HealthDay News) -- Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with an increased incidence of dementia, and this association is strongest in patients with stroke, according to a meta-analysis published in the March 8 issue of Neurology.

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Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Increases

MONDAY, March 7 (HealthDay News) -- Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use increased significantly between 2002 and 2007, and is more likely when access to conventional care is restricted in some way, according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved.

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Cancer Patients Willing to Undergo Pre-Trial Testing

MONDAY, March 7 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with advanced malignancies appear to be quite willing to undergo pharmacodynamic (PD) and pharmacokinetic (PK) tests in order to be enrolled in clinical trials, according to research published online Jan. 18 in Cancer.

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Widespread Communication Technology Use Before Sleep

MONDAY, March 7 (HealthDay News) -- There is widespread use of communication devices, especially laptops and cell phones, in the hour before going to bed, according to the 2011 Sleep in America® Poll released by the National Sleep Foundation.

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Risk Factors Identified for Catheter-Related Thrombosis

MONDAY, March 7 (HealthDay News) -- The risk of catheter-related thrombosis (CRT) is decreased by use of implanted ports and increased by previous history of deep vein thrombosis, insertion into the subclavian vein, and improper catheter tip position, according to a review published in the February issue of the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

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Majority of Locked-In Syndrome Patients Happy

MONDAY, March 7 (HealthDay News) -- The majority of self-assessed patients with locked-in syndrome (LIS) say they are happy, according to a study published online Feb. 23 in BMJ Open.

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Smoking Hurts Head-and-Neck Cancer Outcomes

FRIDAY, March 4 (HealthDay News) -- Cigarette smoking during radiation therapy for head-and-neck cancer is associated with a worse clinical outcome, according to a study published in the February issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics.

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Social Activity in Older Adults May Prevent Disability

FRIDAY, March 4 (HealthDay News) -- The more socially active older people are, the less likely they are to become disabled, according to a study published online Feb. 7 in The Journals of Gerontology: Series A.

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Physical Activity Tied to Mortality in Kidney Recipients

FRIDAY, March 4 (HealthDay News) -- Low physical activity (PA) in renal transplant recipients (RTRs) is independently associated with increased risk for cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, according to a study published online March 3 in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

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Nonmilitary Personnel Have More Non-War-Related Injuries

FRIDAY, March 4 (HealthDay News) -- Nonmilitary personnel are more likely than military personnel to be medically evacuated for non-war-related injuries, but they are also more likely to return to duty after recovering from non-war-related injuries, according to research published online Feb. 14 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.

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Drugs Reach the Foci in Non-Sclerotic Tuberculosis

FRIDAY, March 4 (HealthDay News) -- Effective bactericidal concentrations (EBCs) of three antitubercular drugs are found in osseous tissues around spinal tuberculosis foci, except for an area of osseous tissues 4 mm surrounding the sclerotic wall, according to a study published online Feb. 9 in Spine.

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Inflammatory Bowel Disease Tied to Thromboembolism Risk

FRIDAY, March 4 (HealthDay News) -- Patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have twice the risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE) compared to the general population, according to a study published online Feb. 21 in Gut.

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Majority Identify Need for an Ambulance in an Emergency

FRIDAY, March 4 (HealthDay News) -- The majority of people are able to identify emergency situations that require an ambulance to be called, but there is a high level of inappropriate response in nonemergency situations, according to a study published online Feb. 22 in the Emergency Medicine Journal.

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Racial Disparity in Deceased Donor Kidney Transplant Rate

FRIDAY, March 4 (HealthDay News) -- There are discrepancies in the waiting times and rates of deceased donor kidney transplantation for whites and ethnic racial minorities in the United States, according to a study published online March 3 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

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Rule Predicts Ability to Walk After Spinal Cord Injury

FRIDAY, March 4 (HealthDay News) -- A new clinical prediction rule, which accounts for age and four neurological variables, can predict independent walking one year following traumatic spinal cord injury, according to a study published online March 4 in The Lancet.

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CDC: More Than One-Third of Americans Lack Sleep

THURSDAY, March 3 (HealthDay News) -- More than one-third of Americans do not get adequate sleep on a daily basis, which affects activities of daily living -- particularly resulting in an inability to concentrate on actions, according to two reports in the March 4 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

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Sexual Behavior in U.S. Adults Little Changed Since 2002

THURSDAY, March 3 (HealthDay News) -- Most adults in the United States have experienced vaginal sex, but the number of younger adults reporting no sexual contact has increased since 2002, according to the March issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Health Statistics Report.

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Ibuprofen Use Tied to Lower Risk of Parkinson's Disease

THURSDAY, March 3 (HealthDay News) -- Use of ibuprofen may be associated with a reduced risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD), according to a study published online March 2 in Neurology.

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High Hepatitis B Immunity in U.S. Children, Adolescents

THURSDAY, March 3 (HealthDay News) -- Children and adolescents in the United States have high rates of immunity against hepatitis B virus (HBV), although adults have much lower rates, according to a study published in the March 1 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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Exposure to Insecticides May Up Autoimmune Disease Risk

THURSDAY, March 3 (HealthDay News) -- Women who are exposed to insecticides at home or in the workplace have an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), according to a study published in the February issue of Arthritis Care & Research.

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Proxy Decision Makers May Have Lasting Emotional Burden

THURSDAY, March 3 (HealthDay News) -- Surrogates who make treatment decisions for incapacitated adults often suffer a negative emotional effect that may last months, or sometimes even years, according to a literature review published in the March 1 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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Cannabis Use in Youth Ups Incident Psychosis Risk

THURSDAY, March 3 (HealthDay News) -- Cannabis use among youth is associated with an increased risk of later incident psychotic symptoms, with continued cannabis use increasing the risk for persistent psychotic symptoms, according to a study published online March 1 in BMJ.

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Diuretic Has Similar Effect Regardless of Method or Dose

THURSDAY, March 3 (HealthDay News) -- The responses of patients with acute decompensated heart failure to loop diuretics don't appear to differ between groups administered the agent by bolus or continuous infusion, or at a high or low dose, according to research published in the March 3 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Role of Diabetes in Premature Death Is Substantial

WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- Diabetes is substantially associated with premature mortality from cancers, infectious diseases, external causes, intentional self-harm, and degenerative disorders, according to research published in the March 3 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Intensive Glucose Therapy May Not Be Best in Type 2 Diabetes

WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- Therapy designed to intensively lower glucose in people with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors appears to lower the risk of nonfatal heart attack but is associated with an increased risk for all-cause mortality, according to research published in the March 3 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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FDA: Proton Pump Inhibitors Tied to Hypomagnesemia

WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has notified health care providers and consumers that taking prescription proton pump inhibitor (PPI) drugs for prolonged periods of time, particularly for longer than one year, may be associated with low serum magnesium levels (hypomagnesemia).

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FDA Cracking Down on Unapproved Prescription Drugs

WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration intends to remove select unapproved prescription cough, cold, and allergy medications from the U.S. market, the agency has announced.

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Obesity Rate in Canada Not As High As in United States

WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- More North Americans are obese today than were 20 years ago, and the prevalence of obesity in Canada is about 10 percentage points lower than it is in the United States, according to a data report issued March 2 by the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics.

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Current and Former Smokers at Higher Breast Cancer Risk

WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- Postmenopausal women who used to smoke or who currently smoke appear to be at a higher risk of invasive breast cancer than postmenopausal women who never smoked, according to a study published online March 1 in BMJ.

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Fish Oil May Help Cancer Patients Maintain Weight

WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- Supplementation with fish oil (FO) may help non-small-cell lung cancer patients maintain weight and muscle mass during chemotherapy, according to research published online Feb. 28 in Cancer.

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Increased Dietary Potassium Tied to Lower Stroke Risk

WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- Higher dietary potassium intake is correlated with reduced rates of stroke and may also lower the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and total cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to a meta-analysis published in the March 8 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

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Higher Spending Does Not Improve Sepsis Outcomes

WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- There is substantial variation in both hospital spending and mortality rates for patients with sepsis among hospitals, but higher levels of spending are not associated with improved survival, according to a study published in the Feb. 28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

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Women Underrepresented in Cardiovascular Device Trials

WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- There is a lack of sex-specific data relating to the safety and effectiveness of high-risk cardiovascular devices prior to U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, according to a review published online March 1 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

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Obesity Associated With Risk of Dissimilar Breast Cancers

WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- High body mass index (BMI) and low levels of physical activity are associated with increased risk of triple-negative and estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancers in postmenopausal women, according to a study published online March 1 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

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Risk of Adverse Effects Lessens Drug Acceptance in Elderly

WEDNESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- The willingness to take medication for primary cardiovascular disease prevention in older persons is highly sensitive to its adverse effects and relatively insensitive to its benefits, according to a study published online Feb. 28 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

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Antihypertensives Beneficial in Absence of Hypertension

TUESDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with a clinical history of cardiovascular disease (CVD), but without hypertension, may benefit from antihypertensive treatment to reduce CVD morbidity and mortality, according to a literature review published in the March 2 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Type of Health Care-Associated Infections Is Falling

TUESDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- The incidence of central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSIs) in intensive care units (ICUs) has decreased by more than half since 2001, but the infections continue to occur in substantial numbers in inpatient wards and outpatient hemodialysis centers, according to research published in the March 1 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

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Risk of Death From Heart Attacks Not Linked to Gender

TUESDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- The association between female gender and increased mortality among patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) does not persist after adjusting for age and comorbidities, according to a study published in the January issue of the American Heart Journal.

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Roflumilast Approved for Form of COPD

TUESDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- Roflumilast has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat flares of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) involving chronic bronchitis.

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U.S. Breast Cancer Incidence Rates Stabilized After 2003

TUESDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- Breast cancer incidence rates among non-Hispanic (NH) white women in the United States stabilized between 2003 and 2007 after a sharp decline between 2002 and 2003 that followed a drop in the use of postmenopausal hormone therapy, according to a study published online Feb. 28 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

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Doctors, NPs Equally Effective in Helping Patients Lose Weight

TUESDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- Health care professionals can play a big role in helping overweight patients lose weight and maintain weight loss, starting with acknowledging their overweight status in the first place, according to two studies published in the Feb. 28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

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Oral Steroid Therapy Improves Chronic Rhinosinusitis Symptoms

TUESDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and nasal polyposis with oral steroids followed by topical steroids is more effective than topical steroids alone, according to a study in the March 1 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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Maternal History of Alzheimer's Tied to Brain Atrophy

TUESDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- Cognitively intact older people with a maternal family history of Alzheimer's disease (AD) show progressive brain atrophy in areas associated with the condition, according to a study published in the March 1 issue of Neurology.

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Opioid Treatment Associated With Cognitive Dysfunction

TUESDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- One-third of opioid-treated patients with cancer have possible or definite cognitive dysfunction, according to a study published online Feb. 28 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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HPV Incidence, Clearance in Men Linked to Sexual Behavior

TUESDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- Incidence and clearance of genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in men are strongly associated with sexual behavior, according to a study published online March 1 in The Lancet.

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Helmets Protect Motorcyclists From Cervical Spine Injury

TUESDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- Motorcyclists who wear helmets are less likely to suffer a cervical spine injury after a collision, according to a study published in the March issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

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Many Patients Do Not Consolidate Drugs Efficiently

TUESDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- Many patients, especially those with low literacy, do not consolidate prescription regimens efficiently, according to a study published in the Feb. 28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

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Sugary Drinks Linked to Higher Blood Pressure

TUESDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- Sugar-sweetened drinks are associated with higher blood pressure (BP) levels in adults, especially among those who consume more sodium, according to a study published online Feb. 28 in Hypertension.

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