Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Internal Medicine for September 2008. 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.
Long-Term Psychotherapy Seen As Beneficial
TUESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- In the treatment of patients with complex mental disorders, long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy lasting at least a year is significantly more effective than short-term therapy, according to a review published in the Oct. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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News Media Under-Report Drug Company Funding of Research
TUESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Reports on medication research published in general news media often fail to disclose that the research received pharmaceutical company funding and frequently refer to drugs by brand name rather than using the generic name, according to an article published in the Oct. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Road Traffic Accidents High on Presidential Election Days
TUESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- There are more fatal road traffic accidents on the days of U.S. presidential elections than usual, and the increase is even greater than that of Super Bowl Sundays, according to a research letter published in the Oct. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Gene Variant Linked to Lower Colorectal Cancer Risk
TUESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- A variation of the adiponectin (ADIPOQ) gene is associated with a significantly decreased risk of colorectal cancer, according to a report published in the Oct. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Reduced Dosing Schedule Acceptable for Anthrax Vaccine
TUESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- A three-dose intramuscular (3-IM) regimen of anthrax vaccine adsorbed (AVA) achieves a similar serological response compared to a four-dose intramuscular (4-IM) or subcutaneous (4-SQ) regimen, and fewer injection site adverse effects are seen with IM administration, according to a report in the Oct. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association .
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Electrocardiogram Finding in Ventricular Fibrillation
TUESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- J-point elevation is more common in the electrocardiograms of patients with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation than healthy individuals and athletes, according to the results of a study in the Oct. 7 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Warfarin Use Linked to Larger Intracerebral Hemorrhage
TUESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with intracerebral hemorrhage who are using warfarin and have an international normalized ratio (INR) greater than 3.0 may be at risk of larger hemorrhage, according to research published in the Sept. 30 issue of Neurology.
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Time to Procedure After Heart Attack Should Be Increased
TUESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- The recommended time to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) should be increased from under 90 minutes to 90 to 120 minutes based on current evidence, according to a commentary in the Oct. 7 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Depression Screening Urged for Heart Patients
TUESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Because coronary heart disease is often accompanied by depression, clinicians should aggressively screen patients for symptoms of depression and provide appropriate treatment, according to an American Heart Association Science Advisory published online Sept. 29 in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
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Higher Doses of Hepatitis C Drugs Improve Outcomes
TUESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Higher doses of peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin can improve the virologic response and relapse rate in difficult-to-treat patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, although the higher doses are less well-tolerated by patients, according to study findings published in the October issue of Hepatology.
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Hyperuricemia Predicts Cardiac Risk in Surgical Patients
TUESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Hyperuricemia in patients undergoing vascular surgery is predictive of late mortality and major adverse cardiac events, but not 30-day mortality, researchers report in the Oct. 1 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology.
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Excess Prenatal Testosterone Negatively Impacts Males
TUESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Excess testosterone exposure during pregnancy reduces the reproductive health of male offspring in sheep, according to a report first released online July 31, in advance of publication in an upcoming issue of Endocrinology.
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Biventricular Assist Device Shows Promise in Children
TUESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- The use of biventricular assist devices may be an effective method for sustaining small children awaiting heart transplantation, according to research published Sept. 30 in a supplement issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
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Statins Don't Raise Risk of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
TUESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Using statins does not raise the risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to research conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and published online Sept. 29 in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety.
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Resident-Led Heart Surgeries Not Linked to Worse Outcomes
TUESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Cardiac surgeries performed by senior-level residents resulted in similar long-term event-free survival as procedures performed by staff surgeons, according to research published Sept. 30 in a supplement issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
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Catheter-Free Prostate Treatment Safe and Effective
MONDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- The catheter-free lithium triborate laser photoselective vaporization prostatectomy (PVP) is both safe and effective for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia, according to a report in the October issue of Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.
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Treatment Guidelines Exclude Some Hepatitis B Patients
MONDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Current guidelines for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection exclude many patients who develop serious liver-related complications, although this can be improved by including additional clinical and viral features, according to a report published in the October issue of Hepatology.
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Opioid Dependence Linked to Poorer Post-Rehab Outcomes
MONDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Prescription opioid dependence was found to be relatively common in patients with chronic disabling occupational spinal disorders beginning a functional rehabilitation program, according to research published in the Sept. 15 issue of Spine.
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Publication Bias Seen in Published Drug Trials
MONDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Trials supporting the applications for a variety of new drugs appear to be affected by publication bias, which may lead to an inappropriately favorable representation of the drug in the medical literature, according to research published in the September issue of PLoS Medicine.
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Gastric Bypass May Be Associated with Bone Loss
MONDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass may be at risk of subsequent bone loss, according to research published in the October issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
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Periodic Fasting May Decrease Cardiac Risk
MONDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Both the proscription of tobacco products and periodic fasting may lower the risk of coronary artery disease, according to the results of a study published in the Oct. 1 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology.
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Model Can Predict Survival in Breast Cancer Patients
MONDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- A model based on tumor characteristics after endocrine therapy can predict survival in women with breast cancer and help individualize treatment, according to a report published in the Oct. 1 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Incontinence Frequency High Among Female Athletes
MONDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Urinary stress incontinence is common among menstruating, recreational athletes and may lead to discontinuation or alteration of an enjoyed activity, according to the results of a study published online Sept. 26 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
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Psychotropic Drug Use in Youths Varies Across Countries
MONDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment patterns of psychotropic medication in children and adolescents vary widely between the United States, the Netherlands and Germany, according to an article in the Sept. 25 issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health.
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Gender Inequity Observed in Hematuria Referral
MONDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Women with an initial episode or first recurrence of hematuria are less likely to receive urological referral in comparison to men of the same age, which may lead to delays in evaluation and diagnosis for serious urological conditions, researchers report in the September issue of Urology.
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Flu Vaccination Rises in Adults But Still Low in Children
MONDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- During the 2006-2007 flu season, influenza vaccination coverage increased among adults, but only one in five children aged 6 months to 23 months were fully vaccinated, according to two reports from researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published in the Sept. 26 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Early Dietary Fish Introduction May Decrease Eczema Risk
MONDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Introducing fish to an infant's diet before 9 months of age reduces risk of eczema, while breast-feeding does not, according to a report published online Sept. 25 in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
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Early Warning About Increased Mortality in Epoetin Alfa Trial
MONDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning to researchers conducting clinical trials of epoetin alfa in the treatment of stroke patients, after a German trial of the drug to treat acute ischemic stroke reported increased mortality among the study group versus controls.
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Exercise Helps with Smoking Cessation in Pregnancy
MONDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- A physical activity intervention to help pregnant women stop smoking appears to be feasible and beneficial, according to study results published in the Sept. 23 issue of BMC Public Health.
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Joint Commission Issues Anticoagulant Event Alert
MONDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Specific risk reduction strategies can help prevent errors in the administration of anticoagulants that often result in harm or death, according to a Sentinel Event Alert published Sept. 24 by The Joint Commission, which accredits and certifies more than 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States.
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Candesartan Benefits Diabetes-Related Retinopathy
FRIDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with type 1 diabetes and no existing retinopathy are less likely to develop the condition if they are treated with candesartan, but the drug does not have a beneficial effect in patients who already have retinopathy, according to a report published online Sept. 26 in The Lancet. A second study indicates that candesartan can lead to improvement of retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes and mild to moderate retinopathy.
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Minimally Invasive Procedures Changing Spinal Surgery
FRIDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Minimally invasive surgery of the spine is an emerging neurosurgical field with multifaceted uses, according to a report in the August issue of Neurosurgical Focus.
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Platelet Reactivity Levels May Predict Coronary Risk
FRIDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- High residual platelet reactivity after clopidogrel administration prior to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with higher incidence of 30-day major adverse cardiac events, according to a report published in the Sept. 30 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Isoflavone Improves Endothelial Function
FRIDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Isoflavone supplementation reverses endothelial dysfunction and may prove efficacious in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases, according to a report published online Sept. 23 in the European Heart Journal.
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New Stem Cell Process May Sidestep Complication
FRIDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- A new method of creating induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells appears to avoid problems associated with the use of genome-integrating viruses, according to research published online Sept. 25 in Science.
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Hospital Infections Negatively Impact Pancreatitis
FRIDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Acute episodes of pancreatitis complicated by hospital-acquired infections result in increased mortality, length of hospital stay and hospital charges, according to a report in the September issue of Gastroenterology.
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Breast Cancer Incidence Increasing in China
FRIDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- China is on the verge of a breast cancer epidemic, with 2.5 million postmenopausal cases anticipated by the year 2021, according to the results of a study published in the Oct. 1 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Photodynamic Therapy Opens Blood-Brain Barrier
FRIDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Photodynamic therapy using 5-aminolevulinic acid is highly effective in disrupting the blood-brain barrier, according to the results of a study in rats, published in the October issue of Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.
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Glucose Watch in Pregnancy Cuts Risk of Complications
FRIDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Diabetic women whose blood sugar is continuously monitored during pregnancy are more likely to have better glycemic control in the third trimester, and their babies have a lower birth weight and reduced risk of macrosomia, according to research published Sept. 25 in BMJ Online First.
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No Easy Answer to How Much Should Be Spent on Health Care
FRIDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Although capping health care expenditure as a fixed proportion of gross domestic product (GDP) may control costs, it is not necessarily the best way to reflect the priority that a society places on health, according to two Head to Head articles published online Sept. 25 in BMJ.
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Community-Based Education Can Halve Neonatal Mortality
FRIDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- A community-based behavior modification program was able to reduce neonatal mortality by more than half in a rural setting in India, researchers report in the Sept. 27 issue of The Lancet.
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Hypnosis May Relieve Hot Flashes in Breast Cancer Survivors
THURSDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Hypnosis may be beneficial in reducing hot flashes in breast cancer survivors, according to research published online Sept. 22 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Race May Affect Labor Induction Rates
THURSDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Maternal race is associated with induction of labor, with rates increasing disproportionately among non-African American women, according to the results of a study published in the September issue of Medical Care.
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Panel Reviews Cryosurgery for Localized Prostate Cancer
THURSDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Cryosurgery is an appropriate primary treatment for certain men with organ-confined prostate cancer, and salvage cryosurgery can be a suitable option for men who have failed radiation therapy, according to a best practice statement published online Sept. 25 in the Journal of Urology.
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Liraglutide Is Safe, Effective Type 2 Diabetes Treatment
THURSDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, treatment with liraglutide produces better results than glimepiride in terms of reduced glycosylated hemoglobin, weight, hypoglycemia and blood pressure, according to the results of a study published online Sept. 25 in The Lancet.
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Cost/Benefit Analysis Can Justify Health Promotion Costs
THURSDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Using a return-on-investment model is a practical way to justify the cost of worksite-based health promotion programs, assuming risk reduction data is available, according to an article published in the September issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
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Adding Intervention Not Cost Effective in Coronary Disease
THURSDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with stable coronary artery disease, the addition of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to optimal medical therapy is not a cost-effective initial management strategy, and treating patients with established vascular disease is associated with a substantial economic burden, according to two studies published in the September issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
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High-Caffeine Drinks Pose Growing Health Hazard
THURSDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- The growing popularity of high-caffeine content energy drinks has resulted in an increasing number of reports of caffeine intoxication, and an increase in the combined use of caffeine and alcohol, according to a study published online Sept. 21 in Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
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Abortion Rate in America at 30-Year Low
THURSDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- The rate of women in America seeking abortion hit a 30-year low in 2004, but this trend masks disparities in abortion rates across various demographic groups, according to a report published in August by the Guttmacher Institute.
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Benefits and Risks Affect Cervical Cancer Screening
THURSDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Among women who regularly screen for cervical cancer, lifetime risk is similar among differing screening approaches, but differences in referral for invasive work-up are significant, researchers report in the Sept. 22 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators Re-Examined
THURSDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- There is a compelling rationale for clinicians to critically analyze evidence-based guidelines when using implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) for the prevention of sudden cardiac death, according to a report published in the Sept. 30 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Post-Surgical Risks Analyzed in Aortic Dissection
THURSDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with acute type B aortic dissection, a large maximal false lumen area and a higher branch-vessel involvement greatly increase the risk of in-hospital post-surgical complications, according to research published in the Sept. 30 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Drug-Eluting Stents May Cut Mortality After Heart Attack
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Two years after undergoing stenting for acute myocardial infarction, patients who received drug-eluting stents have significantly lower rates of death and repeat revascularization than those who received bare-metal stents, researchers report in the Sept. 25 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Bisphosphonate Infusion Linked to Ocular Complication
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Physicians should be aware that bisphosphonate infusions can result in a serious but rare complication: orbital inflammatory disease, according to a case study published in the Sept. 25 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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HIV Prevalence High Among Injection Drug Users
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Although the data is limited, injection drug use occurs in most countries and the prevalence of HIV among injection drug users is over 40 percent in some cases, according to a report published online Sept. 24 in The Lancet.
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Test Using AURKA Gene Points to Bladder Cancer
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- The Aurora kinase A (AURKA) gene -- which promotes progression in several tumors when overexpressed, including urothelial carcinoma -- may provide a novel biomarker for bladder cancer, according to research published in the Oct. 1 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Heart Treatment Delays More Common in Poor, Underinsured
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Disparities related to health insurance and socioeconomic status are associated with excessive time delays that may impede effective treatment for acute myocardial infarction, researchers report in the Sept. 22 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Insulin Resistance Varies in Liver, Skeletal Muscle
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- The rapid onset of insulin resistance following hemorrhage appears to involve glucocorticoids in skeletal muscle, but not the liver, according to research published online Sept. 18 in Endocrinology.
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Time Between Stent, Later Surgery Linked to Lower Risk
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- In patients who have undergone bare-metal stent implantation, the risk of major cardiac events with a subsequent non-cardiac surgery is lower if at least three months have passed after the stent intervention; for drug-eluting stents, rates of major cardiac events with subsequent surgeries showed a trend toward being lowest after a year, according to the results of two studies published in the October issue of Anesthesiology.
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Physical Activity Increases Exercise Efficiency
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Increases in physical activity lead to enhanced exercise efficiency in previously sedentary, overweight patients, while weight loss alone does not significantly improve exercise efficiency, according to research published in the September issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology.
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Monitoring Strategy Cost-Effective in HIV Treatment
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Monitoring CD4 counts in people with HIV in resource-limited countries can considerably improve life expectancy and reduce total costs compared to the usual symptom-based approaches, according to research published in the Sept. 22 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Gene Variant Linked to Increased Risk of Melanoma
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- A polymorphism in the vitamin D-receptor gene is associated with a significantly increased risk of melanoma, according to research published online Sept. 24 in the journal Cancer.
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Retinal Photography Feasible in Primary Care
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Primary care clinicians can achieve reasonable accuracy in screening for diabetic retinopathy utilizing images from a retinal camera, but additional training may be necessary to identify other abnormalities that ophthalmologists feel need referral, according to a report published in the September/October issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
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Hormone Therapy May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Among postmenopausal women who carry the BRCA1 mutation, hormone therapy is not associated with an increased risk of breast cancer and may be associated with a reduced risk, according to a report published online Sept. 23 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Inhaled Anticholinergics Increase Cardiovascular Risk
TUESDAY, Sept. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Use of inhaled anticholinergics raises the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack or stroke in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a meta-analysis published in the Sept. 24 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Racial Discrepancies Exist for Asymptomatic Colon Polyps
TUESDAY, Sept. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Black patients undergoing colonoscopy reveal a higher prevalence of polyps compared to white individuals, according to data reported in the Sept. 24 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Outcomes Differ
TUESDAY, Sept. 23 (HealthDay News) -- There were significant differences in survival of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases treated by emergency medical services (EMS) across North American cities, according to a study published in the Sept. 24 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The American Heart Association guidelines may enable identification of appropriate cases for increased cardiopulmonary resuscitative efforts, according to another study.
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Celiac Disease Common in Family Members of Patients
TUESDAY, Sept. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Family members, particularly siblings, of patients with celiac disease are at higher risk of developing the disease than previously thought, researchers report in the September issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
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Post-Operative Delirium Increases with Statin Use
TUESDAY, Sept. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Post-operative delirium is significantly more common among patients using statins compared to patients using other cardiac and non-cardiac medications, according to a report in the Sept. 23 issue of CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
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Family History Increases Brain Cancer Risk
TUESDAY, Sept. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with a family history of astrocytoma or glioblastoma are at a significantly increased risk for developing primary brain cancer, researchers report in the Sept. 23 issue of Neurology.
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American Indians Have More Strokes Than US Whites, Blacks
TUESDAY, Sept. 23 (HealthDay News) -- American Indians have a higher incidence of stroke, as well as a higher case-fatality rate following a first stroke, than some other segments of the U.S. population, according to an article published online Sept. 22 in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
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Physicians May Lack Empathy with Lung Cancer Patients
TUESDAY, Sept. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Physicians miss many opportunities for empathic communication during consultations with lung cancer patients, according to a report published in the Sept. 22 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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No Racial or Gender Bias in Time to Electrocardiogram
TUESDAY, Sept. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Among chest pain cases presenting at hospital emergency departments, there are no racial or gender disparities in terms of time from admission to electrocardiogram (EKG), but patients over the age of 60 tend to be tested more promptly than their younger counterparts, according to a report published in the October issue of the Journal of Emergency Nursing.
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Passive Smoking Linked to Peripheral Arterial Disease
TUESDAY, Sept. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Secondhand smoke appears to be a risk factor for peripheral arterial disease in older Chinese women who have never smoked, according to research published online Sept. 22 in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
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Thyroid Dysfunction Linked to Heart Failure in Elderly
TUESDAY, Sept. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Elderly individuals with severe subclinical hypothyroidism have a higher incidence of heart failure, according to study findings published in the Sept. 30 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Bone Health Stable After Rapid Weight Loss in Young Adults
MONDAY, Sept. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Calorie restriction in overweight adults may lead to significant, favorable changes in body composition without affecting bone health over a six-month period, researchers report in the Sept. 22 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Parents Make Decisions Based on Hope, Not Science
MONDAY, Sept. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Parents of babies who die as a result of extreme prematurity or potentially lethal congenital abnormalities report that religion, spirituality and hope guided their decisions about resuscitation rather than the physician's predictions about morbidity and death, according to an article published in the September issue of Pediatrics.
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White Coat Hypertension Has Lower Mortality Risk
MONDAY, Sept. 22 (HealthDay News) -- The mortality rate associated with white coat hypertension is significantly lower than that associated with sustained hypertension, according to a report in the September/October issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
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No Change to 2009 Part B Medicare Premium
MONDAY, Sept. 22 (HealthDay News) -- There will be no change to the Part B Standard Medicare premium in 2009 compared with 2008. This is the first time since 2000 that the premium has not risen over the prior year, according to an announcement by the Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
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Vitamin C Can Protect Against Bone Loss in Elderly Men
MONDAY, Sept. 22 (HealthDay News) -- High vitamin C intake can protect against bone loss in some groups of elderly men but not elderly women, even after adjusting for fruit and vegetable intake, according to research published in the October issue of the Journal of Nutrition.
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Radiosurgery May Benefit Patients with Spinal Tumors
MONDAY, Sept. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Radiosurgery for spinal and paraspinal metastases is a relatively new treatment that provides a minimally invasive option for pain relief and tumor control, according to a review in the August issue of Neurosurgical Focus.
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Needle Core Biopsies of Renal Masses Are Accurate, Safe
MONDAY, Sept. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Needle core biopsies are safe and correctly identify benign versus malignant renal tumors in small, asymptomatic renal lesions, according to a report in the October issue of the Journal of Urology.
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Many Prostate Cancers Detected After Initial Biopsy
MONDAY, Sept. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Although prostate cancer diagnosed in an initial biopsy has higher volume, a significant number of cancers are detected on subsequent biopsies, researchers report in the October issue of the Journal of Urology.
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Stomach Treatment Reduces Ghrelin, Limits Weight in Pigs
MONDAY, Sept. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Embolization of gastric arteries in swine resulted in lower levels of ghrelin -- a hormone that can stimulate food intake -- and less weight gain in following weeks compared to control animals, according to research published in the October issue of Radiology.
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Uric Acid Levels Linked to Kidney Disease
MONDAY, Sept. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Elevated uric acid levels are associated with an increased risk of kidney disease, according to the results of a study published online Sept. 17 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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Childhood Paracetamol Use Linked to Later Asthma Symptoms
FRIDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- The use of paracetamol (acetaminophen), whether in the first year of life or later in childhood, is associated with higher risk of asthma symptoms at ages 6 and 7, according to research published in the Sept. 20 issue of The Lancet.
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Idea of 'Safe' Tan Rebutted in Series of Papers
FRIDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to ultraviolet radiation is an important risk factor for cancer in humans, and evidence does not support the safety of tanning bed use, according to three review articles published in the October Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research.
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Measuring Exhaled NO Adds Little to Asthma Treatment
FRIDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Regularly measuring fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (NO) didn't lead to improvement in asthma symptoms or lung function in young patients with asthma, according to research published in the Sept. 20 issue of The Lancet.
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Alendronate Boosts Bone Density in Prostate Cancer Therapy
FRIDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Alendronate (Fosamax) improves bone density in men receiving androgen-deprivation therapy for prostate cancer, but discontinuing the drug leads to bone loss and increased bone turnover, according to the results of a study published in the Sept. 20 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Physician's Office Hours Affect Time to Stroke Treatment
FRIDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- People who experience a transient ischemic attack or a minor stroke outside their primary physician's office hours wait longer before seeking treatment than those who have a stroke during general practice opening hours, according to a report published online Sept. 18 in BMJ.
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Folate, B6 Intake Linked to Colon Cancer Risk
FRIDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Reduced intake of folate and vitamin B6 is associated with an elevated risk of p53-overexpressing colon cancers but not wild-type tumors, according to research published in the September issue of Gastroenterology.
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Hepatitis B Screening Recommendations Expanded
FRIDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- New recommendations have been issued regarding screening for chronic hepatitis B, according to a report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published in the Sept. 19 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Cream and Light Therapy Effective for Actinic Keratoses
FRIDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- The precancerous skin growths known as actinic keratoses can be effectively treated with a topical cream and photodynamic therapy, researchers report in the October issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
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Several Risk Factors Linked to Adult-Onset Asthma
FRIDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Factors associated with asthma diagnosed in adulthood include persistent wheezing in early life, bronchial hyper-responsiveness at 6 years of age, and allergic or non-allergic rhinitis in adulthood, according to the results of two studies published in the Sept. 20 issue of The Lancet.
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Cranberry Juice May Prevent Urinary Symptoms in Pregnancy
FRIDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Cranberry juice may protect against asymptomatic bacteriuria and symptomatic urinary tract infections in pregnant women, although more research is needed to confirm the findings, according to a report in the October issue of the Journal of Urology.
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Antibiotic Resistance Has Become a Global Pandemic
FRIDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- A concerted international and national response, behavior change by consumers and providers, and the development of antibacterial agents are all urgently needed to tackle the global problem of rapidly increasing antibiotic resistance, according to an article published online Sept. 18 in BMJ.
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Limited Research Supports Non-Cancer Pain Surgeries
THURSDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Although the field of neurosurgery has long offered destructive surgical procedures for pain treatment, evidence supporting the efficacy of such procedures in non-malignant settings is limited, according to research published in the September issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery.
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MRI Can Detect Carotid Plaque Hemorrhage
THURSDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- MRI offers a non-invasive method of assessing intraplaque hemorrhage in carotid arteries to identify patients at greater risk of atherosclerotic disease, according to a report in the October issue of Radiology.
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Vaccine Against H. pylori Shows Promise in Phase I Study
THURSDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- An intramuscular vaccine against Helicobacter pylori offers promising immunogenicity and appears safe, according to research published in the September issue of Gastroenterology.
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Early Viral Loads Predict Response to HBV Treatment
THURSDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Patients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) treated with peginterferon and lamivudine are more likely to have a sustained virologic response if their HBV DNA levels are below 10,000 copies/mL after eight weeks of treatment, according to research published in the September issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
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History, Physical Exam Provide Accurate Cardiac Estimates
THURSDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Estimates of hemodynamic parameters from a history and physical exam are largely accurate and can predict death or rehospitalization in patients with advanced heart failure, according to study findings published in the September issue of Circulation: Heart Failure.
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Spanish Speakers in America Face Barriers to Health Care
THURSDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Spanish-speaking Hispanics in America have less access to health care, while immigrant children are increasingly uninsured and disparities along the border with Mexico are a persistent problem, according to three studies published online Sept. 17 in the American Journal of Public Health.
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Ambulatory Surgery Center Development Is a Complex Task
THURSDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Profit, flexibility and attractiveness to both surgeons and patients are the keys to a well-designed ambulatory surgery center, according to an article published in the September issue of AORN Journal.
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Cardiac Ultrasound Identifies Low-Risk Patients
THURSDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Despite the cost of performing myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) in all patients with suspected cardiac chest pain and a non-diagnostic electrocardiogram (ECG), MCE can identify low-risk patients with non-cardiac chest pain that can safely be discharged and potentially reduce unnecessary hospitalizations and costs, according to the results of a study published in the Sept. 15 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology.
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Infectious Gastroenteritis Linked to Bowel Disease
THURSDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Both a prior episode of infectious gastroenteritis and a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome increase the risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), researchers report in the September issue of Gastroenterology.
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Antibiotics Questioned in Spontaneous Preterm Labor
THURSDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Women who go into spontaneous preterm labor without ruptured membranes and no obvious signs of infection should not receive antibiotics because it may increase their children's subsequent risk of functional impairments and cerebral palsy, according to a study published online Sept. 18 in The Lancet.
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Lifestyle Changes Increase Telomerase Activity
THURSDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Significant increases in telomerase activity and telomere maintenance capacity were found in patients following a comprehensive lifestyle intervention, according to an article published online Sept. 16 in The Lancet Oncology.
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Sarcoidosis Patients at Risk of Mental Illness
THURSDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Sarcoidosis patients are at risk of developing depression, anxiety and other mental disorders, and many should be referred for psychiatric or psychological evaluation, according to a report published in the September issue of General Hospital Psychiatry.
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Interleukin-20 May Be Important in Disc Herniation
THURSDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- The cytokine interleukin (IL)-20 -- which is involved in inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis -- was found in herniated intervertebral disc tissue and may be involved in the pathogenesis of disc herniation, according to research published in the Sept. 1 issue of Spine.
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Medical Home Concept Needs Wide Support to Succeed
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- The 'medical home' model, whereby patients can enjoy coordinated primary care within a patient-centered practice model, must overcome several obstacles in order to succeed, according to an article published in the Sept. 18 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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CT Colonography Sensitive for Large Adenomas
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Computed tomographic (CT) colonography is a sensitive method for detecting large adenomas and cancers in asymptomatic adults, while individuals negative for adenomas are at low risk of developing cancers five years later, according to two studies published in the Sept. 18 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Screening May Point to Lung Cancer Before Symptoms Arise
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Diagnosing lung cancer before symptoms become evident may be possible by screening for autoantibodies to particular antigens, according to research published online Sept. 15 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Healthy Middle-Age Lifestyle Halves Women's Risk of Death
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Middle-aged women who avoid smoking, maintain a healthy body weight, get regular exercise and eat a diet low in red meat and trans-fats can reduce their risk of premature death by more than half, according to study findings published online Sept. 16 in BMJ.
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Beta-Blockers Reduce Risk of Heart Failure in Hypertension
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Although beta-blockers are effective in lowering blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart failure in patients with hypertension, they do not have incremental benefit compared with other antihypertensive drugs and increase the risk of stroke in the elderly, researchers report in the Sept. 23 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Factors Associated with Plavix Response Identified
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Obesity, diabetes mellitus and elevated plasma fibrinogen are associated with reduced platelet inhibition in patients with cardiovascular disease treated with clopidogrel (Plavix), according to the results of a study published in the Sept. 23 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Six Genetic Loci Linked to Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- The CD40 signaling pathway appears to be important in rheumatoid arthritis, and five other gene loci may be associated with the disease, according to research published online Sept. 14 in Nature Genetics.
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Assessment Tool Helps Predict Head and Neck Cancer Survival
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- In the first year after a head and neck cancer diagnosis, the trend for the subjective physical component of the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey score is predictive of long-term cancer survival, according to a report in the September issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery.
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Obesity and Prostate-Specific Antigen Inversely Related
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- An inverse relationship between obesity and serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels exists even among populations with a low prevalence of obesity, and may need to be taken into account when screening men for prostate cancer, researchers report in the September issue of Urology.
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Absent Nasal Bone Helps Predict Down Syndrome
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- While absent nasal bone and increased nuchal folds are both markers for Down syndrome, nasal bone hypoplasia is a more efficient test, according to a report in the September issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Massage Helpful for Immediate Pain Relief in Cancer
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Massage may offer short-term pain relief for patients with advanced cancer, according to research published in the Sept. 16 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Bicuspid Aortic Valve Linked to Primary Cardiac Events
TUESDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Young adults with bicuspid aortic valve -- the most common congenital cardiac anomaly in the adult population -- may have an increased risk of primary cardiac events. But their survival rate is similar to that of the general population, researchers report in the Sept. 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Pelvic Floor Disorders Common Among US Women
TUESDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Pelvic floor disorders such as urinary and fecal incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse affect nearly 25 percent of U.S. women, and are even more prevalent in older and obese women, according to a report published in the Sept. 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Bisphenol A Concentrations Linked to Chronic Diseases
TUESDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- People with higher urinary levels of Bisphenol A (BPA) -- a chemical compound widely used in epoxy resins lining food and beverage containers -- may have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and liver-enzyme abnormalities, researchers report in the Sept. 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Premixed Insulin Analogues Compare Well with Other Meds
TUESDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Premixed insulin analogues may offer tighter glycemic control than long-acting insulin analogues or non-insulin agents in adults with type 2 diabetes, according to research published online Sept. 16 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Human Adult Stem Cells Benefit Mice After Stroke
TUESDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Injection of human adult stem cells from the bone marrow into the brains of mice after a stroke can improve neurologic function, evidently due to modulation of inflammatory and immune responses, according to study findings published online Sept. 15 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.
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Pulmonary Medications May Affect Death Risk
TUESDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- In patients newly diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), medication use may affect the risk of death. Inhaled corticosteroids appear to reduce the risk of death while ipratropium appears to increase it, according to a report published in the Sept. 16 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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DNA Vaccine Developed for Drug-Resistant Breast Cancer
TUESDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Drug-resistant breast cancer, especially due to overexpression of Her-2/neu, can now be safely and effectively controlled with targeted DNA vaccines, according to research published in the Sept. 15 issue of Cancer Research.
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Link Between Migraine and Atherosclerosis Is Debunked
TUESDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Migraine patients do not have a higher risk of atherosclerosis than other patients, but they appear to have a higher risk of venous thromboembolism, according to research published in the Sept. 16 issue of Neurology.
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Bleeding Profile with Contraceptive Ring Use Is Acceptable
TUESDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- In most women who use a transvaginal contraceptive ring, continuous use is associated with an acceptable bleeding profile, reductions in flow and pelvic pain, and a high continuation rate, according to study findings published in the Sept. 1 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Drug-Eluting Stents Linked to Lower Death Risk
TUESDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- The use of drug-eluting stents is associated with a lower risk of death compared with bare-metal stents in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, according to the results of a study published in the Sept. 23 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Brain Natriuretic Peptide Predicts Valvular Disease Outcome
TUESDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Both the calculated logistic EuroSCORE (logES) and an elevated brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) predict mortality in patients with symptomatic aortic stenosis, researchers report in the September issue of the American Journal of Cardiology.
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Phone Counseling Improved Diet During Prostate Cancer
TUESDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Telephone-based dietary counseling is effective in increasing vegetable consumption and lowering fat intake in men with prostate cancer, according to research published in the September issue of Urology.
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Methylprednisolone Shows Benefits After Disc Surgery
TUESDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- The use of epidural methylprednisolone immediately after lumbar discectomy may improve patients' recovery from the procedure, according to research published in the Sept. 1 issue of Spine.
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New Osteoporosis Clinical Practice Guideline Released
TUESDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Among all patients with osteoporosis or a history of fragility fractures, pharmacologic treatment should be offered to reduce fracture risk, according to a new Clinical Practice Guideline published in the Sept. 16 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Auricular Prostheses Help with Speech Recognition
MONDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Auricular prostheses may offer users an acoustic gain, which in turn helps to improve speech recognition in noisy environments, according to research published in the September/October issue of the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery.
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Diabetes and Pouch Size Affect Efficacy of Gastric Bypass
MONDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Although gastric bypass surgery patients are usually successful in losing weight, those with diabetes or a larger pouch size are more likely than other patients to have disappointing weight loss after surgery, according to a report published in the September issue of the Archives of Surgery.
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Estradiol Boosts Collagen Production in Aged Skin
MONDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- In older patients, topical estradiol application appears to stimulate collagen production in sun-protected skin but not in sun-damaged skin, researchers report in the September issue of the Archives of Dermatology.
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Pathogens May Play Role in Sudden Infant Deaths
MONDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus found in normally sterile sites in cases of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) may be a contributor that should be considered in determining the cause of death, according to research published online Sept. 15 in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
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Exercise and Special Shoes Aid Osteoarthritis Patients
MONDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Exercise programs focusing on muscle strengthening, and specialized shoes designed to decrease dynamic loads at the knee are promising therapies for osteoarthritis, according to two studies published in the Sept. 15 issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
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Brain Stimulation May Help in Dystonia, Torticollis
MONDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Deep brain stimulation may be beneficial for patients with secondary dystonia and primary torticollis, according to research published in the September issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery.
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Newer Schizophrenia Drugs May Have Metabolic Side Effects
MONDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Second-generation, or atypical, antipsychotic drugs used to treat children and adolescents with early-onset schizophrenia or schizo-affective disorder are not necessarily superior to first-generation drugs, according to an article published online Sept. 15 in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
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Alteplase Still Safe Treatment Up to 4.5 Hours
MONDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Although intravenous alteplase has been approved for use in stroke patients within three hours of onset, it can be safely and effectively used up to 4.5 hours after onset, according to the results of a study published online Sept. 15 in The Lancet.
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Protein Important in Colorectal Cancer Development
MONDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- A protein that controls the activity of another protein is important in colorectal cancer development, and two gene variants are associated with bladder cancer, according to two letters published online Sept. 14 in Nature and Nature Genetics.
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Drug Activates Protective Cardiac Enzyme in Rats
MONDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- A small molecule can activate a cardioprotective enzyme in rats and reduce infarct size after cardiac ischemia, which could be useful during coronary bypass surgery, according to research published in the Sept. 12 issue of Science.
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Day of Discharge Doesn't Affect Guideline Compliance
MONDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Staff adherence to guideline recommendations when treating patients hospitalized with acute coronary syndrome is not affected by day of discharge (weekday versus weekend), researchers report in the Sept. 15 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology.
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Lab Test Ratio Predicts Risk Among Coronary Patients
MONDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- The neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a comparatively inexpensive marker of inflammation that identifies high-risk patients and may allow for risk stratification of patients with acute coronary syndromes, according to a report in the Sept. 15 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology.
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Hysterectomy Incidence Declines in California
FRIDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Since 1991, the incidence of hysterectomy for benign gynecologic conditions has dramatically declined in California, according to a report published in the September issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Models for BRCA1/2 Mutation Prediction Miss Mark in Asians
FRIDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Two common prediction models for BRCA1/2 mutations -- BRCAPRO and Myriad II -- underestimated the number of mutation carriers in a sample of Asian Americans, compared to their accurate prediction of mutation carriers in whites, according to research published online Sept. 8 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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3-T MRI Holds Advantage in Epilepsy Assessment
FRIDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- MRI at 3 T was associated with better rates of lesion detection and accurate assessment of lesions than 1.5-T MRI in evaluating epilepsy, according to research published in the September issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.
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Normal Liver Enzymes Should Not Exclude Biopsy
FRIDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Because more than 50 percent of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients with normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels may have a potentially progressive liver disease, normal ALT should not be a contraindication for biopsy. Histological assessment may be especially warranted in patients with diabetes or insulin resistance who have normal ALT levels, according to research published in the September issue of Hepatology.
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Maternal Factors Linked to Likelihood of Spanking
FRIDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Mothers with depression or exposure to partner violence are more likely to spank their children, according to research published online Sept. 11 in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
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Knee Injury and Obesity Increase Osteoarthritis Risk
FRIDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Osteoarthritis represents a significant public health burden that might be lessened with weight loss and management interventions aimed at decreasing lifetime risk of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis, according to a report in the Sept. 15 issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
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Topical Gabapentin Effective in Vulvodynia
FRIDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- In women with vulvodynia, treatment with topical gabapentin may lead to significant pain relief, according to study findings published in the September issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Gay Men Account for 72 Percent of New HIV Infections
FRIDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Men who have sex with men accounted for 72 percent of new HIV infections in the United States in 2006, and blacks and Hispanics were disproportionately represented, according to study findings published in the Sept. 12 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Detoxifying Protein Levels Lower in COPD Lungs
FRIDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Levels of a protein involved in detoxifying oxidants are lower in the lungs of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to lower levels of a stabilizing protein, researchers report in the Sept. 15 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Community Participation Key to Maternal and Child Health
FRIDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Community participation is vital for the successful delivery of maternal, newborn and child health, according to three articles published in the Sept. 13 issue of The Lancet, which has a special focus on the legacy of the 1978 International Conference on Primary Health Care in Alma-Ata.
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Living Donor Transplantation Feasible for Acute Liver Failure
FRIDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- In selected patients with acute liver failure, living donor liver transplantation may be a safe treatment option, according to the results of a small study published in the September issue of Liver Transplantation.
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Chronic Disease Is Heavy Burden in Developing World
FRIDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Although many countries have made significant progress in reducing mortality, the burden of chronic and non-communicable disease remains heavy and requires integrated strategies to tackle it, according to three papers published in the Sept. 13 issue of The Lancet, which has a special focus on the legacy of the 1978 International Conference on Primary Health Care in Alma-Ata.
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Primary Care Offers Lifeline to Global Health
FRIDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Achieving the Millennium Development Goals requires a renewed commitment to primary health care, while training health care workers and developing meaningful measures of progress are of key importance, according to three papers published in the Sept. 13 issue of The Lancet, which has a special focus on the legacy of the 1978 International Conference on Primary Health Care in Alma-Ata.
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Mediterranean Diet Lowers Risk of Death and Cancer
FRIDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Adherence to a Mediterranean diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals and fish, and involving a moderate intake of red wine with meals is associated with a lower risk of death, cancer and Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, according to research published online Sept. 11 in BMJ.
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Obesity Linked to Poor Asthma Outcomes
THURSDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Obese individuals with asthma are more likely to have poor asthma outcomes and more asthma-related hospitalizations than normal-weight individuals, according to a study published online in September in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
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Many Pain Relievers Not Linked to Heart Risks
THURSDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Many coxibs and non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) don't appear to raise the risk of cardiovascular disease events, according to research published in the Aug. 15 issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
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Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia Costly
THURSDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- The economic impact on hospitals -- primarily increased length of stay and acute care cost -- associated with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) may need to be taken into account when making formulary decisions regarding parenteral anticoagulants, according to a report in the September issue of Chest.
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Clinical Breast Exams in India Offer Cost-Effective Benefits
THURSDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- The potential cost-effectiveness of clinical breast examination screening for cancer in India appears at least comparable to the cost-effectiveness of mammography in developed countries, but still may be challenging to implement, researchers report in the Sept. 17 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Chronic Kidney Disease Increases Adverse Event Risk
THURSDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Hospitalized patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) experience an increase in both surgical and medical adverse events compared to patients without CKD, according to a report published online Sept. 5 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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Antiangiogenic Drugs' Role in Cancer Explored
THURSDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Circulating endothelial progenitors (CEPs) from bone marrow can contribute to the regrowth of chemotherapy-treated tumors, but combining chemotherapy with antiangiogenic drugs may inhibit this recovery, according to research published in the Sept. 9 issue of Cancer Cell.
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Intensive Diabetes Intervention Successful in Community
THURSDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) is adaptable and can be successfully implemented into a community-based organization with sustainable outcomes, according to a report published online Sept. 9 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
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Liver Tumor Down-Staging Feasible for Some Patients
THURSDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- In selected patients with liver cancer, successful tumor down-staging can usually be achieved and is associated with excellent outcomes after liver transplantation, according to study findings published in the September issue of Hepatology.
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Drugs Block Bone Loss But Not Bone Formation
THURSDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- A new class of compounds blocks bone loss without affecting parathyroid hormone-induced bone formation, unlike the bisphosphonate class of drugs used to treat osteoporosis, according to a report published online Sept. 4 in Endocrinology.
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Test Improves Sensitivity of Cervical Cancer Detection
THURSDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Overexpression of a protein associated with viral infection and cell growth in women positive for human papillomavirus (HPV) can improve the sensitivity of cervical cancer detection compared with conventional cytology, according to the results of a study published online Sept. 9 in The Lancet Oncology.
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Spinal Surgery Appears to Be Cost-Effective Choice
THURSDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Surgical treatment of lumbar disc herniation was more costly than non-operative care but offered better health outcomes in subsequent years, making it a moderately cost-effective choice, according to research published in the Sept. 1 issue of Spine.
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Age Affects Dopamine Response to Oxycodone in Mouse Study
THURSDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Levels of dopamine in adult and adolescent mice differ in response to oxycodone infusions, indicating that understanding behavioral and neurobiological changes produced by oxycodone may be important in discovering mechanisms related to oxycodone addiction, according to a report published online Sept. 10 in Neuropsychopharmacology.
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Knee Surgery Does Not Improve Arthritis Outcomes
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Arthroscopic surgery does not improve outcomes in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, and meniscal damage in the knee is not necessarily correlated with arthritis or joint problems, according to two studies published in the Sept. 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Drug Improves Survival in Head and Neck Cancer
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- The addition of cetuximab to platinum-based chemotherapy improves survival in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer, according to a study in the Sept. 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Glucose Control Benefits Long-Lasting for Diabetics
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with type 2 diabetes, the benefits of blood pressure control are lost unless blood pressure control is maintained, while intensive glucose control has long-lasting benefits, according to two studies published online Sept. 10 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Education May Help Improve Surgeon-Patient Discussions
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- During office visits in which orthopedic surgeons and patients discuss surgery, opportunities exist to improve informed decision-making, but informed decision-making can be accomplished in a time-efficient manner, according to an article published in the September issue of the Journal of Bone & Surgery Surgery.
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Race-Specific Model Better Predicts Lung Cancer in Blacks
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Risk models of lung cancer developed in white populations may not accurately predict risk in black populations, researchers report in the September issue of Cancer Prevention Research.
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Painkillers Affect Prostate-Specific Antigen Levels
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels may be reduced by regular use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), according to research published online Sept. 8 in Cancer.
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Many Hospitals Still Not Doing Exam of 12 Lymph Nodes
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Most hospitals weren't compliant in recent years with a recommendation to examine at least 12 regional lymph nodes in patients with colon cancer, according to research published online Sept. 9 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Lung Cancer in Lifelong Non-Smokers Found to Be 'Rare'
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Among people who have never smoked, the death rate from lung cancer is higher in men than women, but the risk of the disease doesn't appear to have increased over time in this group, according to research published online Sept. 9 in PLoS Medicine.
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No Reduction in Deaths After Flu Vaccine in Elderly
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Influenza vaccination in the elderly does not reduce the likelihood of death outside flu season once other factors are taken into account, researchers report in the Sept. 1 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Diastolic Function Worse in Hypertensive Blacks
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with hypertension, diastolic function is significantly worse in African-Caribbeans than in white Europeans, according to the results of a study published in the Sept. 16 issue of Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Low Sweat Production Linked to Exercise-Induced Asthma
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Decreased sweat secretion rates are associated with positive response to methacholine challenge testing among patients with suspected exercise-induced asthma, according to a report in the September issue of Chest.
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Ethnic Diversity in Med School Helps Prepare Students
TUESDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Increasing ethnic and racial diversity among students enrolled in U.S. medical schools is positively associated with self-reported preparedness to care for an ethnically diverse patient population, and affects attitudes regarding access to health care, but not the decision to practice in a medically underserved community, according to a report in the Sept. 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Internet-Based Health Profession Education Not Superior
TUESDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Internet-based education significantly improves outcomes in comparison to no intervention, but results are inconsistent when comparing Internet-based education to non-Internet educational programs, according to a report in the Sept. 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Long Hours Tied to Declining Interest in Internal Medicine
TUESDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- While internal medicine interns work long hours, are often sleep deprived and miss educational activities, medical students cite favorable educational experiences, lifestyle factors and positive feelings towards caring for internal medicine patients as affecting their decision to choose internal medicine as a career, according to two reports published in the Sept. 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Continuous Oxygen Use Linked to Increased Mortality
TUESDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Continuous oxygen use in non-hypoxic patients with severe emphysema is common and identifies a high-risk cohort of emphysema patients, researchers report in the September issue of Chest.
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Increasing Weight Raises Risk of Premature Heart Attack
TUESDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Increasing adiposity decreases the age at which patients experience a first non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Also, in obese diabetics, a very-low-calorie diet may decrease myocardial triglyceride content and improve diastolic function, according to two studies published in the Sept. 16 issue of Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Postmenopausal Hormone Use Raises Risk of Reflux
TUESDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Postmenopausal women who take estrogens, selective estrogen receptor modulators or over-the-counter hormone preparations are more likely to have symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux, according to the results of a study published in the Sept. 8 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Heparin, Enoxaparin Bridging Linked to Serious Bleeding
TUESDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- In the management of cardioembolic stroke patients, the use of heparin or enoxaparin bridging may increase the risk for serious bleeding, according to an article published in the September issue of the Archives of Neurology.
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Exercise Thwarts Genetic Predisposition Toward Obesity
TUESDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Although many people have a genetic predisposition to develop obesity, their risk of obesity can be almost entirely eliminated by high levels of physical activity, according to a report published in the Sept. 8 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Poor Sleep Linked to Risk of Falls in Elderly Women
TUESDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- In elderly women, short sleep and sleep fragmentation are independently associated with an increased risk of falls, according to study findings published in the Sept. 8 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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New Parkinson's Disease Patients Report More Pain
TUESDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- During or after the clinical onset of Parkinson's disease, pain should be considered a non-motor feature of the disease, researchers report in the September issue of the Archives of Neurology.
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Height May Affect Risk of High-Grade Prostate Cancer
TUESDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Childhood environmental exposure as measured by height has only limited impact on men's overall risk of prostate cancer, but may be associated with risk of high-grade tumors with a poor prognosis, according to the results of a study published in the September issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
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Vitamin B12 Status Predicts Brain Atrophy in Elderly
TUESDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- In older community-dwelling adults, plasma vitamin B12 status may be an early marker of brain atrophy, according to a study published in the Sept. 9 issue of Neurology.
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Cardiac Patients Vulnerable to Effects of Air Pollution
TUESDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Cardiac patients, particularly those who have been hospitalized within the past month due to a cardiac event, are vulnerable to the effects of air pollution, according to research published in the Sept. 23 issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
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Respect for Spiritual Beliefs Aids Doctor-Patient Trust
TUESDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Religious and spiritual beliefs are frequently important to ophthalmology patients, as they are for other medical patient populations, and respecting the patient's religion and value system helps build the doctor-patient relationship, according to a report published in the September issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology.
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Researchers Evaluate Possibility of Cure for Human Aging
MONDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Recent aging research indicates that life span models in organisms such as yeast, nematodes, flies and mice can be manipulated by genetic, nutritional or pharmacological interventions, but more research is needed before application to human senescence is possible, according to an article in the Aug. 28 issue of Nature.
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Continuous Monitoring Helps Glycemic Control in Diabetics
MONDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Adults with type 1 diabetes whose glucose levels are continuously monitored achieve better glycemic control than those who do not, but there are still barriers to overcome in continuously monitoring children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes, according to a report published online Sept. 8 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Rheumatoid Arthritis Linked to Higher Stroke Risk
MONDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with an elevated risk of ischemic strokes and other strokes, and measures of arthritis severity help predict stroke, according to research published Aug. 15 in Arthritis Care & Research.
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Migraines Commonly Affect Military Members, Impair Duties
MONDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Studies demonstrate that migraine headaches are common among returning active duty military and officer trainees, and significantly inhibit work duties, according to two reports published in the June issue of Headache.
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Genetic Mutations Found in Deadly Cancers
MONDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Comprehensive genomic analyses have uncovered genetic alterations in pancreatic and brain cancer that may point the way toward treatments for the diseases, according to research from a pair of articles published online Sept. 4 in Science, and another published online Sept. 4 in Nature.
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Daytime Sleeping Slows Recovery in Rehab Inpatients
MONDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Sleep disturbance is common among patients treated in acute rehabilitation units and increased daytime sleeping may be associated with less functional recovery, according to an article in the September issue of Sleep.
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Total Ankle Replacement Options Increase
MONDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- While several implant options exist for total ankle replacement, there is little evidence to guide indications for total ankle replacement or choosing a total ankle replacement device, according to a report in the September issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
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Calcium Supplement Effects Studied in Older Women
MONDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Supplementation with calcium and vitamin D doesn't appear to protect older women from declines in physical functioning, according to research published in the September issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
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Return Visits Unlikely in Joint Replacement Patients
MONDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- In patients who undergo total joint arthroplasty, compliance with recommendations to return for periodic clinical and radiographic evaluation is poor, researchers report in the September issue of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
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Long-Acting Form of Exenatide Found Effective
MONDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with diabetes, treatment with a once-weekly form of exenatide may result in better glycemic control than twice-a-day exenatide, according to the results of a study published online Sept. 8 in The Lancet.
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Stenting and Endarterectomy Have Similar Results
MONDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Carotid endarterectomy and stent-protected angioplasty produce similar results at the two-year mark when used to treat severe symptomatic carotid artery stenosis, according to research published online Sept. 6 in The Lancet Neurology.
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Removing Samples Increases Generic Prescriptions
MONDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Uninsured patients are three times more likely to be prescribed generic drugs when drug samples are removed from their physician's office, according to a report published in the September issue of the Southern Medical Journal.
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Shortage of Nuclear Imaging Agents May Delay Scans
MONDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Heart imaging, bone scans and some cancer detection tests may be subject to delays or even cancellation due to a global shortage of medical isotopes, according to a letter and article published online Sept. 5 in BMJ.
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Hip Surgery Outcomes Poor in the Very Elderly
MONDAY Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- In very elderly patients who undergo either surgery for hip fracture or total hip replacement, survival and other outcomes are relatively poor, according to two studies published in the September issue of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
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Herniation Level Affects Operative Treatment Outcomes
FRIDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with lumbar disc herniations, the herniation level has a significant effect on the outcomes of operative and non-operative care, according to research published in the September issue of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
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Heavy Snoring Linked to Carotid Atherosclerosis
FRIDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Heavy snoring is associated with a more than 10-fold higher risk of carotid atherosclerosis but not with femoral atherosclerosis, researchers report in the Sept. 1 issue of Sleep.
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HIV Infection Linked to More Fractures
FRIDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- HIV-infected patients have a higher prevalence of fracture at multiple sites compared with non-infected individuals, according to research published in the September issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
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Gastric Bypass Increases Intestinal Glucose Production
FRIDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- A version of gastric bypass surgery in mice is more effective than gastric lap-banding surgery at reducing food intake and increasing insulin sensitivity due to increased intestinal production of glucose, according to study findings published in the Sept. 3 issue of Cell Metabolism.
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Stress Incontinence Paper Retracted by The Lancet
FRIDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- An article on stress urinary incontinence published in The Lancet in June 2007 has been retracted by the journal due to a report by the Austrian Government's Agency for Health and Food Safety, which pinpointed many irregularities in the research.
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Nurse-Led Primary Care Remains Controversial
FRIDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Nurse-led primary health care is the logical conclusion to a trend already well under way, according to a Head to Head article published online Sept. 4 in BMJ, while a companion article argues that nurse-led primary care would restrict patients' choice and would be a backward step.
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Twin Study Highlights Breast Cancer Risk Over Time
FRIDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- In the twin of a sister with breast cancer, risk of disease is not affected by time since the occurrence, researchers report in the Sept. 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Review Finds No Link Between Montelukast, Suicide
FRIDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Although media reports have questioned a link between montelukast use and suicide, three randomized trials didn't find that reduced emotional well-being is an adverse effect of the drug, according to a review published online Aug. 29 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
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Guidelines Set for Management of Primary Aldosteronism
FRIDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Diagnosis of primary aldosteronism, a group of disorders where aldosterone levels are inappropriately high, should be targeted to high-risk groups and treated by mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists or surgery, according to guidelines published in the September issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
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Patterns of Non-Family Infant Abductions Are Changing
FRIDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- The profile of non-family infant abductions is changing, with fewer babies being taken from hospitals and more from homes and public places, according to a report published in the September issue of the American Journal of Nursing.
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High Serum Calcium Linked to Prostate Cancer
THURSDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Men with high levels of serum calcium are at greater risk of developing prostate cancer and dying from the disease, researchers report in the September issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.
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Prenatal Cigarette Smoke Leads to Breathing Difficulties
THURSDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Preterm infants born to smoking mothers, which increases their risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), have defects in oxygen saturation and recovery after breathing pauses during hypoxia, according to study findings published in the Sept. 1 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Episodic HIV Antiretroviral Therapy Seen As Hazardous
THURSDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Because HIV-positive patients who are placed on episodic antiretroviral therapy still have an excess risk of opportunistic disease or death after continuous therapy is reinstated, episodic therapy should be avoided, according to research published in the Sept. 2 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Structure of Protein Involved in Aging and Cancer Solved
THURSDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- The three-dimensional structure of the telomerase enzyme, which is necessary to maintain proper chromosome length and is implicated in cancer and aging, has been solved and resembles some viral enzymes, according to the results of a study published online Aug. 31 in Nature.
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Study Analyzes Atorvastatin Use in Elderly Post-Stroke
THURSDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Age does not affect efficacy in patients treated with atorvastatin for stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), according to a report published online Sept. 3 in Neurology.
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Endometrial Cancer Risk Declines with Raloxifene Use
THURSDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Raloxifene significantly lowers the odds of developing endometrial cancer and is associated with a more favorable histologic type in patients who do develop cancer, according to an article published in the Sept. 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Obesity Not Linked to Colon Cancer Survival
THURSDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Increased body mass index (BMI) wasn't associated with a higher risk of cancer recurrence or death in individuals with colon cancer, according to research published in the Sept. 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Perceived Harm of Prescription Meds Affects Non-Medical Use
THURSDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- College students who perceive the non-medical use of prescription drugs as harmful are less likely to use them, although this does not deter students with high sensation-seeking behavior, researchers report in the September issue of Prevention Science.
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PET Scans May Help Explain Seasonal Mood Change
THURSDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Serotonin transporter binding was higher in individuals during the fall and winter than in the spring and summer in multiple brain regions, a finding that may help explain seasonal mood changes, according to research published in the September issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
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Defribrillator Improves Quality of Life in Heart Failure
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Heart failure patients who receive an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) have reduced mortality and report a good quality of life a year later compared with medical therapy, although patients who receive shocks also have a higher risk of death, according to two studies in the Sept. 4 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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New Factor May Affect Waitlisted Liver Transplant Patients
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Adding an additional factor to the score currently used to determine allocation for liver transplants better predicts survival at three months for patients on the waiting list, according to a report in the Sept. 4 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Anastrozole Does Not Impair Cognitive Performance
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Postmenopausal women at high risk for breast cancer given anastrozole as a chemopreventive do not suffer cognitive performance impairment, according to study findings published online Sept. 2 in The Lancet Oncology.
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Birth Weight Linked to Blood Pressure in Adulthood
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Birth weight is associated with systolic blood pressure and rate of growth is associated with both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in adulthood, according to the results of a study of young adults published online Sept. 2 in Hypertension.
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Study Probes Genetic Role in Papillary Thyroid Cancer
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- In survivors of the Nagasaki and Hiroshima atomic bombings, rearrangements of RET/PTC, rather than BRAFV600E mutation, appear to be closely linked to radiation-associated adult-onset papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), according to research published in the Sept. 1 issue of Cancer Research.
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ACOG: Clinicians Must Address Non-Coital Sex Risks
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Because non-coital sex including mutual masturbation, oral sex and anal sex can increase the high risk of sexually transmitted diseases, it is important that clinicians ask direct questions about their patients' non-coital sexual activity and provide risk reduction counseling, according to an American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee Opinion published in the September issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Financial Incentives May Reduce Health Inequalities
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Financial incentive schemes may substantially contribute to the reduction of health care delivery inequalities related to area deprivation, researchers report in the Aug. 30 issue of The Lancet.
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Three Questions Can Screen for Postnatal Depression
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Postpartum depression can be reliably diagnosed using just three questions in a primary care setting, according to the results of a study published online Sept. 1 in Pediatrics.
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Temperature Changes May Improve Elderly Sleep
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- While changes in temperature affect sleep of young and old patients similarly, elderly patients may not perceive these temperature changes, which may contribute to sleep complaints, researchers report in the September issue of Sleep.
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Education Not Associated with Lung Cancer Survival
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Education level is associated with performance status, but is not associated with survival in small-cell or non-small-cell lung cancer patients enrolled in clinical trials, according to research published in the September issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Recommended Treatments Issued for Cerumen Impaction
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Health care providers should treat symptomatic cerumen impactions or impactions that inhibit a clinical exam of the ear, according to the clinical practice guideline issued by the American Academy of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, published in the September issue of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery.
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Many Parents Unaware of California Family Leave Program
TUESDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Despite the documented need to support families with chronically ill children, California's Paid Family Leave Insurance Program has been ineffective in providing such support, possibly because many families are unaware of the program, according to a report published in the Sept. 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Sodium Bicarbonate Not a Superior Hydration Strategy
TUESDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease who are undergoing coronary angiography, hydration with sodium bicarbonate is not superior to hydration with sodium chloride in preventing contrast medium-induced nephropathy, according to an article published in the Sept. 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Exercise Improves Cognition in At-Risk Older Adults
TUESDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- In older adults with subjective memory impairment, a six-month program of physical activity may lead to modest improvements in cognition, suggesting that exercise may help prevent Alzheimer's disease, according to research published in the Sept. 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Mental Distress Common Among Medical Students
TUESDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- During medical school, about half of students experience burnout and one in 10 experience suicidal ideation, researchers report in the Sept. 2 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Whistleblowers Play Major Role in Curbing Health Fraud
TUESDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Between 1996 and 2005, federal prosecutions for health fraud initiated by whistleblowers with inside knowledge of allegedly illegal schemes resulted in the recovery of more than $9 billion in the United States, according to a report published in the Sept. 2 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Intervention Beneficial in Stable Coronary Disease
TUESDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with stable coronary artery disease generally have better outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) than medical treatment, although PCI should only be performed under certain conditions in these patients, according to a study and a review in the Sept. 9 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Intensive Statins Beneficial Based on Baseline Cholesterol
TUESDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Intensive statin treatment is more beneficial in patients with an acute coronary syndrome whose baseline low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is above 66 mg/dL, according to a report in the Sept. 9 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Imaging Often Changes Colorectal Cancer Management
TUESDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- The results of positron emission tomography (PET) scanning often changes disease management in patients with suspected colorectal cancer recurrence and can identify those whose disease is more likely to progress, researchers report in the September issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
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Vytorin May Increase Cancer Risk
TUESDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Ezetimibe plus simvastatin (Vytorin) may be associated with an increased risk of cancer, according to two studies published online Sept. 2 in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress held Aug. 30-Sept. 3 in Munich, Germany.
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Biolimus-Eluting Stent Offers Safe, Effective Alternative
TUESDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with chronic stable coronary artery disease or acute coronary syndromes, the use of a stent eluting biolimus from a biodegradable polymer may be a safe and effective alternative to a stent eluting sirolimus from a durable polymer, according to the results of a study published early online Sept. 1 in The Lancet and presented at the European Society of Cardiology Meeting held Aug. 30 to Sept. 3 in Munich, Germany.
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ACOG: Bone Loss Fears Should Not Limit Contraceptive Use
TUESDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- A possible adverse effect of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) contraceptive injections -- bone mineral density loss -- should not prevent clinicians from either prescribing DMPA to appropriate patients or limiting its use to two consecutive years, according to an American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee Opinion published in the September issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Telmisartan Shows Modest Cardiovascular Benefit
MONDAY, Sept. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Telmisartan, an angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB), is a potential option for patients intolerant of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, although the cardiovascular benefits appear less robust, according to a study and editorial published online Aug. 31 in The Lancet and presented at the European Society of Cardiology Meeting held Aug. 30 to Sept. 3 in Munich, Germany.
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Omega-3 Fatty Acids Reduce Heart Failure Mortality
MONDAY, Sept. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have beneficial effects on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality while treatment with rosuvastatin does not affect clinical outcomes in patients with chronic heart failure, according to two studies published online Aug. 31 in The Lancet and also presented at the European Society of Cardiology Meeting held Aug. 30 to Sept. 3 in Munich, Germany.
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Ivabradine Improves Outcomes in Some Heart Patients
MONDAY, Sept. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Use of ivabradine, a heart-rate lowering drug, may improve outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease and a high heart rate, according to a study published online Aug. 31 in The Lancet and also presented at the European Society of Cardiology Meeting held Aug. 30 to Sept. 3 in Munich, Germany. A second study indicates that a higher resting heart rate in patients with heart disease is a strong, independent risk factor for death.
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Alcohol Tied to Lower Heart Failure Risk in Hypertensives
MONDAY, Sept. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Light to moderate alcohol intake was associated with a lower risk of heart failure in men with hypertension, according to research published in the September issue of the American Journal of Cardiology.
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