Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Radiology for August 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.
Lancet Supports WHO Report on Health Inequality
FRIDAY, Aug. 29 (HealthDay News) -- The final report by the World Health Organization's Commission on Social Determinants of Health contains a strong mandate for reducing global inequalities in health care, according to an editorial published in the Aug. 30 issue of The Lancet.
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Low-Dose Radiation Seen As Possible Heart Risk
FRIDAY, Aug. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Low-dose radiation may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, but further study is needed to determine whether or not the risk is significant, according to a comment published in the Aug. 30 issue of The Lancet.
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Protein Leads to Defects in Bone Formation in Mice
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Mice overproducing connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), a protein critical for skeletal development, have impaired bone formation and develop osteopenia, researchers report in the September issue of Endocrinology.
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Lumbar, Cervical X-Ray Radiation Exposure Studied
MONDAY, Aug. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Patients who undergo routine
anteroposterior and lateral radiographs of the lumbar spine are exposed to radiation doses that are a magnitude of order greater than patients who undergo comparable radiographs of the cervical spine, according to research published in the August issue of the Journal of Spinal Disorders & Techniques.
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Damage to Unirradiated Parts of Body Can Cause Cancer
FRIDAY, Aug. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Radiation damage can spread to unirradiated parts of the body and cause cancer in mice via a bystander effect that induces cellular damage and death, according to a report published online Aug. 18 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.
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Outlook Mixed on US Presidential Candidates' Health Plans
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 20 (HealthDay News) -- The health care plans proposed by John McCain and Barack Obama would have uncertain effects on health care coverage in America, but potential problems with each plan are evident, according to a perspective piece in the Aug. 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Carotid Ultrasound May Identify Cardiac Risk
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Carotid artery lesions identified by ultrasound and demonstrating increasing echolucency may indicate increased risk for major adverse cardiovascular events, and repeat testing may identify patients at particularly high risk for near-future events, according to an article published in the September issue of Radiology.
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Imaging Characterizes Airway Inflammation in Mice
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Proton MRI was useful in assessing allergen-induced airway inflammation in mice, which was characterized by an early edematous response, followed by a later response featuring mucus, according to research published in the September issue of Radiology.
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Conformal Radiation Therapy Improves Cognitive Outcomes
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Among children with ependymoma, conformal radiation therapy leads to better long-term academic results compared to conventional radiation therapy approaches, according to a report in the Aug. 20 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Seniors Likely to Find Medicare Health Web Site Unusable
TUESDAY, Aug. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Even older adults with computer skills may have difficulty using the Medicare.gov Web site to determine eligibility for services and enroll in a drug plan, according to a research letter published in the Aug. 20 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Arteriovenous Malformation Size Affects Treatment Outcome
MONDAY, Aug. 11 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with cerebral
arteriovenous malformations who are treated with a reduced dose of radiation during gamma knife surgery, outcomes differ according to malformation size, according to the results of a study published in the August issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery.
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Over 1 Billion U.S. Doctor, Hospital Visits Logged in 2006
THURSDAY, Aug. 7 (HealthDay News) -- In 2006, patients made an estimated 1.1 billion visits to physician offices and hospital emergency and outpatient departments in the United States, which was an average of four visits per person, according to health care statistics released Aug. 6 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Region and Hospital Type Affect Prostate Cancer Care
MONDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- While there are significant differences in quality indicators related to prostate cancer care based on hospital type and U.S. region, there are no apparent racial differences, researchers report in the Aug. 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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International Issue of Torture Complicity Analyzed
FRIDAY, Aug. 1 (HealthDay News) -- More than 100 countries condone the use of torture and have often recruited the medical community as participants without consequence, according to an editorial published online July 31 in BMJ.
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