Medical News

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• Rapid flu diagnostic test may aid containment efforts
• Allergens identified for baker's asthma and wheat-induced food allergy
• Busy teens do not believe in asthma medication benefits
• Verbal hallucinations linked to defective monitoring of internal speech in schizophrenia
• Impaired conscious inhibitory processing present in recent onset schizophrenia
• Severely obese people undergoing operations need special evaluation, care
• Weight does not have lasting impact on childhood asthma-like symptoms
• Acupuncture does not reduce hot flushes in breast cancer patients
• Red yeast rice may provide alternative cholesterol-lowering option
• Direct thrombin inhibitors prevent mechanical heart valve thrombi
• Pre-admission warfarin improves short-term stroke outcome
• Overweight does not have lasting impact on asthma risk
• Systematic genome-wide analysis identifies ‘true’ asthma genes
• Natural history of COPD exacerbations scrutinized
• High frequency rTMS reduces auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia
• Executive dysfunction is a potential endophenotype for bipolar disorder
• Circulating tumor cells predict therapy response in metastatic breast cancer patients
• Breast cancer risk reduced by dietary carotenoids in premenopausal women
• Bone marrow protein expression points to high-risk prostate cancer
• Fenofibric acid plus rosuvastatin effective for treating diabetic dyslipidemia
• Statin treatment response unaffected by <i>APOE</i> genotype
• Red yeast rice reduces dyslipidemia in statin intolerant patients
• Fenofibric acid plus rosuvastatin effective for treating diabetic dyslipidemia
• Serum leptin responsible for weight gain that accompanies insulin therapy
• Left ventricular mass increase linked to elderly cognitive decline
• MDCT ‘useful option in chest pain assessment’
• Cannabis use affects early treatment of schizophrenia
• Cancer mortality rates significantly higher in men
• Childhood obesity increases heart disease risk
• Atypical depression linked to suicide risk in bipolar patients
• Platelet aggregation mechanism reconsidered
• Risk factors for aneurysmal SAH established
• Forced oscillation ‘well-suited’ for monitoring COPD
• Desirable neighbourhoods have lower childhood asthma burden
• Asthma more prevalent in areas with higher ozone concentrations
• Acupuncture ineffective treatment for hot flashes in breast cancer patients
• p53 expression improves prostate cancer outcome prediction
• Water channel inhibition improves cryotherapy effect on prostate cancer
• COC, IUD may be effective contraceptive option for women with GTD
• Differing vascular responses to HT may exist according to hot flash status
• High vasomotor symptom recurrence after HT discontinuation in postmenopausal women
• Endometrial cancer risk increased by high triglycerides, BMI
• Male HPV vaccine acceptability not influenced by benefit to women
• IUCD use over 5 years associated with tubo-ovarian abscess
• First trimester metoclopramide exposure ‘does not increase infant risk’
• Obese women should not gain weight during pregnancy
• Pramlintide plus metreleptin combination effective for weight loss
• Cholesterol ratios better measure of true lipid variation than individual measures
• Prior CABG linked to poor AMI survival
• Dendritic cell study offers H. pylori vaccine hope
• Acupuncture benefits for IBS in doubt
• Prior BE diagnosis predicts esophageal adenocarcinoma survival
• MONICA study confirms <i>FTO</i> polymorphisms association with Type 2 diabetes
• Type 2 diabetes prevention community intervention shows promise
• Asymptomatic troponin release during vascular surgery linked to increased mortality
• Prior CABG linked to poor AMI survival
• Smoking may cause insulin resistance
• Diabetes does not reduce risk of allergies in children
• Thromboembolic risk may guide OAT bridging therapy
• Schizophrenia patients have high-clarity emotion identification deficits
• Psychiatric patients account for 15% of hospital bed days
• Prognostic factors in intracranial stenting identified
• RSV infection linked to asthma predisposition
• Schizophrenia patients have high-clarity emotion identification deficits
• Psychiatric patients account for 15% of hospital bed days
• Urinary nitrate shows potential for psoriasis oxidative stress assessment
• Fumaric acid esters effective for moderate psoriasis
• AAD issues new guidelines for systemic medication use in psoriasis
• Mometasone improves cutaneous microcirculation of psoriatic plaques
• Psoriasis patients’ folate levels unaffected by nbUVB therapy
• Prostate cancer follow-up guidelines ‘inconsistent’
• Thermal ablation may offer surgery alternative for early breast cancer
• SN biopsy reduces breast cancer surgery arm morbidity
• Prostate cancer follow-up guidelines ‘inconsistent’
• ApoB and apoA-I best predictors of MI risk
• <i>PCSK9</i> variants linked to lower LDL cholesterol
• RSV infection linked to asthma predisposition
• More effort required to control BP in Type 2 diabetes
• Anemia worsens outcome after AMI complicated by heart failure
• Meta-analysis finds no excess mortality with drug-eluting stents
• DPP-4 inhibitors remain viable option for add-on treatment
• More effort required to control BP in Type 2 diabetes
• Anemia worsens outcome after AMI complicated by heart failure
• Meta-analysis finds no excess mortality with drug-eluting stents
• Thermal ablation may offer surgery alternative for early breast cancer
• SN biopsy reduces breast cancer surgery arm morbidity
• Early DVT bandaging fails to reduce PTS incidence
• Schizophrenia residential outcomes differ between cultures
• ICH case-fatality has fallen dramatically since 1973
• Schizophrenia residential outcomes differ between cultures
• SNPs linked to lithium response in bipolar disorder
• CRP gene variants linked to PSA levels and metastatic prostate cancer
• QoL impact of localized prostate cancer treatment explored
• QoL impact of localized prostate cancer treatment explored
• Lipid metabolism gene variants explain moderate lipid subpopulation changes
• Fatty acids elevated in dental disease
• Promising results from SYNCHRONY for aleglitazar
• Rosiglitazone improves nitrosative stress in Type 2 diabetes
• Simple techniques reduce CT angiography radiation doses without compromising image quality
• NT-proBNP could indicate women’s long-term risk for SCD
• Novel molecular target offers hope for triple-negative breast cancer
• SNPs linked to lithium response in bipolar disorder
• CAPRA score predicts localized prostate cancer outcomes at diagnosis
• Genetically high Lp(a) linked to increased risk for MI
• Diabetes biomarkers can indicate risk for diabetes years before diagnosis
• Performance-based indicator may miss diabetes patients with suboptimal care
• Promising long-term results reported for stem cell therapy in AMI
• Paclitaxel-eluting stents outcomes positive in elderly
• Missed cancer diagnoses rare at ‘one-stop’ breast clinics
• Non-SN status predictive models for breast cancer vary in usefulness
• Lithium-related thyroid inhibition linked to depression in bipolar patients
• Functional recovery suboptimal in many bipolar patients
• Reward feedback altered in umedicated schizophrenia patients
• Prostate Gleason score concordance higher in higher volume labs
• Good localized hormone-refractory prostate cancer control with EBRT
• Shorter sleep linked to increased risk for hypertension
• Lymphatic and blood vessel density predict intraductal breast cancer patient outcome
• White matter hyperintensities independent of age common in BD patients
• IL-6 levels linked to prostate cancer development and progress
• Metastasis suppressor 1 predicts outcome in breast cancer patients
• Dynamic tumor bed volume in breast cancer patients after lumpectomy
• Pre-operative testing disputed for all ambulatory surgery
• 'Extremely encouraging' BPH results with 2-µm continuous-wave laser
• Middle-aged Americans less healthy than English
• Epileptics need warning over death risk

Rapid flu diagnostic test may aid containment efforts Posted: 16 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT A simple, reliable, and cost-effective diagnostic test for both seasonal influenza A virus and the emerging H1N1 swine-derived influenza A virus has been developed by an Anglo-French team of scientists.

Allergens identified for baker's asthma and wheat-induced food allergy Posted: 16 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Recombinant wheat seed and grass pollen allergens can aid in the differential diagnosis of baker's asthma, wheat-induced food allergy, and grass pollen allergy, research shows.

Busy teens do not believe in asthma medication benefits Posted: 16 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Teenagers with asthma are "too busy" to use their medications and often do not believe in their benefits, say researchers who assessed health beliefs in young people with asthma.

Verbal hallucinations linked to defective monitoring of internal speech in schizophrenia Posted: 16 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Study results suggest that verbal hallucinations are linked to defective monitoring of internal speech, and that errors in context processing are involved in hallucinations and delusions in schizophrenia.

Impaired conscious inhibitory processing present in recent onset schizophrenia Posted: 16 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Study results suggest that unconscious inhibitory motor processing is intact in schizophrenia and does not contribute to the slowing of activated volitional motor inhibitory responses.

Severely obese people undergoing operations need special evaluation, care Posted: 15 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Doctors need to consider specific risks faced by severely obese people undergoing surgery, particularly the potential for heart-related problems, experts say.

Weight does not have lasting impact on childhood asthma-like symptoms Posted: 15 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Overweight children are at an increased risk of suffering from asthma-like symptoms such as shortness of breath and increased airway sensitivity at the age of 8 years, research shows.

Acupuncture does not reduce hot flushes in breast cancer patients Posted: 15 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT A review of published studies has found no conclusive evidence to suggest that acupuncture is an effective treatment for hot flushes in patients with breast cancer.

Red yeast rice may provide alternative cholesterol-lowering option Posted: 15 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Red yeast rice supplements, together with lifestyle changes, can help reduce cholesterol levels in people who cannot tolerate treatment with statin drugs, research suggests.

Direct thrombin inhibitors prevent mechanical heart valve thrombi Posted: 15 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Direct thrombin inhibitors are as good as unfractionated heparin at preventing thrombus formation on mechanical heart valves in vitro when they are administered continuously, a German study has found.

Pre-admission warfarin improves short-term stroke outcome Posted: 15 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Pre-admission use of warfarin is not linked to milder stroke on admission, but is associated with a significantly better short-term outcome, Norwegian research suggests.

Overweight does not have lasting impact on asthma risk Posted: 15 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Overweight children are at an increased risk for developing dyspnea and bronchial hyperresponsiveness at 8 years of age, research shows.

Systematic genome-wide analysis identifies ‘true’ asthma genes Posted: 15 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Researchers who carried out a genome-wide study of 39 genes previously reported to be associated with asthma risk say their work has identified several 'true' asthma genes.

Natural history of COPD exacerbations scrutinized Posted: 15 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT A study published this week offers a valuable insight into the clinical, functional, and biochemical changes that occur during the course of recovery from acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

High frequency rTMS reduces auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia Posted: 15 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT High frequency repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation significantly reduces the severity of auditory verbal hallucinations in patients with schizophrenia, French research shows.

Executive dysfunction is a potential endophenotype for bipolar disorder Posted: 15 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Impaired psychomotor processing speed and executive function may represent vulnerability markers for bipolar I disorder irrespective of psychopathology in the family, Finnish researchers report.

Circulating tumor cells predict therapy response in metastatic breast cancer patients Posted: 15 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Molecular profiles of circulating tumor cells in patients with metastatic breast cancer can predict treatment outcome, study results suggest.

Breast cancer risk reduced by dietary carotenoids in premenopausal women Posted: 15 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT High consumption of dietary carotenoids reduces the risk for breast cancer in premenopausal but not postmenopausal women, a large US study suggests.

Bone marrow protein expression points to high-risk prostate cancer Posted: 15 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Increased bone marrow expression of urokinase plasminogen-activator receptor is linked to increased Gleason score and high-risk disease in localized prostate cancer, say German scientists.

Fenofibric acid plus rosuvastatin effective for treating diabetic dyslipidemia Posted: 15 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Fenofibric acid plus rosuvastatin enables significantly more diabetic patients to achieve American Diabetes Association recommended targets for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides than either treatment alone, report researchers.

Statin treatment response unaffected by <i>APOE</i> genotype Posted: 15 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Apolipoprotein E genotype does not significantly influence response to statin treatment in individuals with dyslipidemia, show results from a meta-analysis.

Red yeast rice reduces dyslipidemia in statin intolerant patients Posted: 15 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Red yeast rice supplementation is effective for reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol levels in dyslipidemic individuals with previous statin-associated myalgias, report investigators.

Fenofibric acid plus rosuvastatin effective for treating diabetic dyslipidemia Posted: 15 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Fenofibric acid plus rosuvastatin enables significantly more diabetic patients to achieve American Diabetes Association recommended targets for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides than either treatment alone, report researchers.

Serum leptin responsible for weight gain that accompanies insulin therapy Posted: 15 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Weight gain associated with chronic insulin therapy in patients with Type 2 diabetes correlates with an increase in serum leptin levels, research shows.

Left ventricular mass increase linked to elderly cognitive decline Posted: 15 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Left ventricular mass increase is linked to progressive cognitive decline in elderly individuals, regardless of blood pressure levels or degree of arterial stiffness, Italian study findings indicate.

MDCT ‘useful option in chest pain assessment’ Posted: 15 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Multidetector computed tomography may serve as a useful alternative to other noninvasive techniques in the assessment of acute chest pain, although not for all patients, conclude Israeli scientists.

Cannabis use affects early treatment of schizophrenia Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Schizophrenia patients who use cannabis are more likely to drop out of treatment and fail to take their medications on time and in the correct doses than those who do not use the drug, research shows.

Cancer mortality rates significantly higher in men Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Men are significantly more likely than women to develop cancer and die from the disease, a UK report shows.

Childhood obesity increases heart disease risk Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Obesity in childhood, even in the absence of high blood pressure and other risk factors, increases a child's risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke in later life, researchers have found.

Atypical depression linked to suicide risk in bipolar patients Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Atypical depression is associated with an increased risk of suicide attempts in patients with bipolar disorder, say researchers in findings that may help identify bipolar disorder patients who are at risk of taking their own lives.

Platelet aggregation mechanism reconsidered Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Shear microgradients play a central role in initiating the formation of stabilized discoid platelet aggregates during the early phases of thrombus development in vivo, Australian researchers report.

Risk factors for aneurysmal SAH established Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT The major risk factors for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage are female gender, raised blood pressure, and smoking, an analysis of population-based data has established.

Forced oscillation ‘well-suited’ for monitoring COPD Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Measuring expiratory flow limitation using forced-oscillation methodology is valuable for monitoring treatment response in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, new research suggests.

Desirable neighbourhoods have lower childhood asthma burden Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Positive socio-environmental factors such as community vitality and economic potential explain over 20% of variation in asthma incidence, US investigators say.

Asthma more prevalent in areas with higher ozone concentrations Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Children living in geographic areas with high ozone concentrations are at an increased risk for developing asthma, research shows.

Acupuncture ineffective treatment for hot flashes in breast cancer patients Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT There is no conclusive evidence that acupuncture is an effective treatment for hot flashes in patients with breast cancer, meta-analysis suggests.

p53 expression improves prostate cancer outcome prediction Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Expression of the tumor suppressor gene p53 adds significantly to the current prognostic model for newly diagnosed prostate cancer, study findings indicate.

Water channel inhibition improves cryotherapy effect on prostate cancer Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT The sensitivity of prostate cancer cells to cryotherapy is increased by inhibition of the aquaporin 3 water channel, UK scientists have discovered in findings that may improve the efficacy of the treatment.

COC, IUD may be effective contraceptive option for women with GTD Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Study results suggest that combined oral contraceptives and intrauterine devices are an effective contraceptive option for women diagnosed with gestational trophoblastic disease.

Differing vascular responses to HT may exist according to hot flash status Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Menopausal women with severe vasomotor hot flashes have a more receptive vasculature than women without hot flashes, suggest study results.

High vasomotor symptom recurrence after HT discontinuation in postmenopausal women Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Swedish researchers have found that 87 percent of women who experience vasomotor symptoms before initiation of hormone therapy report recurrence of symptoms after treatment cessation.

Endometrial cancer risk increased by high triglycerides, BMI Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Researchers have found a positive association between serum triglycerides and endometrial cancer risk, which may be attributable to obesity.

Male HPV vaccine acceptability not influenced by benefit to women Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Informing men about the benefits of male human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for reducing cervical cancer risk in women does not increase their interest in getting vaccinated, US researchers have found.

IUCD use over 5 years associated with tubo-ovarian abscess Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Women using the same intrauterine contraceptive device for more than 5 years may be at risk for tubo-ovarian abscess, study results suggest.

First trimester metoclopramide exposure ‘does not increase infant risk’ Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Exposure of infants to the anti-emetic drug metoclopramide during the first trimester is not associated with an increased risk for adverse outcomes, conclude researchers.

Obese women should not gain weight during pregnancy Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Contrary to prior advice, obese women should not gain weight during pregnancy but follow a healthy, well-balanced diet, say US researchers who found that such a move is not linked to increases in adverse outcomes.

Pramlintide plus metreleptin combination effective for weight loss Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Results from a randomized controlled trial suggest that combination therapy with pramlintide and metreleptin produces effective weight loss in humans.

Cholesterol ratios better measure of true lipid variation than individual measures Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Cholesterol ratios give a more accurate measurement of change in lipid levels over time than individual lipid measures, report researchers in the journal Heart.

Prior CABG linked to poor AMI survival Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Patients with acute myocardial infarction who have a history of coronary artery bypass graft surgery have worse clinical outcome than those without prior CABG, a subanalysis of the VALIANT trial shows.

Dendritic cell study offers H. pylori vaccine hope Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT European researchers have found that extracellular and intracellular pattern recognition receptors co-operate in Helicobacter pylori recognition, which could help lead to novel vaccines against the bacterium.

Acupuncture benefits for IBS in doubt Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Acupuncture does not lead to greater relief from irritable bowel disease (IBS) symptoms than sham treatment, suggests the largest trial in the area to date.

Prior BE diagnosis predicts esophageal adenocarcinoma survival Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT A prior diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus can predict early-stage adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and the survival of patients, population-based research has revealed.

MONICA study confirms <i>FTO</i> polymorphisms association with Type 2 diabetes Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Individuals who are homozygous for the A allele of the common fat mass and obesity-associated gene variant rs9939609 have a higher risk for Type 2 diabetes, report researchers from the French Multinational MONItoring of Trends and Determinants in CArdiovascular Disease study.

Type 2 diabetes prevention community intervention shows promise Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Two-year results from a community intervention designed to reduce the incidence of Type 2 diabetes show marked reductions in rates of insulin resistance and glucose metabolism disorders, especially among those with highest participation.

Asymptomatic troponin release during vascular surgery linked to increased mortality Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Asymptomatic cardiac damage signaled by release of cardiac Troponin T during vascular surgery is associated with increased long-term mortality, researchers reported at the annual meeting of the Society for Vascular Surgery.

Prior CABG linked to poor AMI survival Posted: 14 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Patients with acute myocardial infarction who have a history of coronary artery bypass graft surgery have worse clinical outcome than those without prior CABG, a subanalysis of the VALIANT trial shows.

Smoking may cause insulin resistance Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Nicotine may contribute to the increased risk of heart disease in smokers by promoting the development of a pre-diabetic condition called insulin resistance, study results suggest.

Diabetes does not reduce risk of allergies in children Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Children with Type 1 diabetes do not have a lower risk of developing allergies than other children, but they may experience less frequent or severe allergy symptoms, results of an Italian study suggest.

Thromboembolic risk may guide OAT bridging therapy Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Low molecular weight heparin bridging therapy for oral anticoagulation therapy outpatients undergoing surgery can be tailored using individual risk for thromboembolism, Italian researchers say.

Schizophrenia patients have high-clarity emotion identification deficits Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Schizophrenia patients have deficits in identifying high-clarity emotional cues, supporting the notion that the disease is characterized by high noise in internal representations and increased cerebral network fluctuations, say Swiss scientists.

Psychiatric patients account for 15% of hospital bed days Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Patients with psychiatric disorders account for around 15% of National Health Service hospital bed days in England, study results show.

Prognostic factors in intracranial stenting identified Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT US experts have identified several factors associated with adverse events after intracranial angioplasty and stenting, which they say will need to be monitored in future trials of intracranial stenting.

RSV infection linked to asthma predisposition Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Respiratory syncytial virus infection severe enough to require hospitalization is positively associated with asthma, research shows.

Schizophrenia patients have high-clarity emotion identification deficits Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Schizophrenia patients have deficits in identifying high-clarity emotional cues, supporting the notion that the disease is characterized by high noise in internal representations and increased cerebral network fluctuations, say Swiss scientists.

Psychiatric patients account for 15% of hospital bed days Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Patients with psychiatric disorders account for around 15% of National Health Service hospital bed days in England, study results show.

Urinary nitrate shows potential for psoriasis oxidative stress assessment Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Measuring urinary nitrate may be a simple, non-invasive way of assessing oxidative stress in patients with psoriasis or atopic dermatitis, study findings indicate.

Fumaric acid esters effective for moderate psoriasis Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Fumaric acid esters are effective for the long-term treatment of patients with moderate as well as severe psoriasis, say German researchers.

AAD issues new guidelines for systemic medication use in psoriasis Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT The American Academy of Dermatology has issued new guidelines on the use of systemic therapies in managing psoriasis.

Mometasone improves cutaneous microcirculation of psoriatic plaques Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Mometasone furoate cream reduces the capillaroscopic alterations of psoriatic plaques in addition to providing clinical improvement, researchers report.

Psoriasis patients’ folate levels unaffected by nbUVB therapy Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT A standard course of narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy does not affect serum or red cell folate levels in patients with psoriasis, study results show.

Prostate cancer follow-up guidelines ‘inconsistent’ Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Guidelines for the follow-up of patients with prostate cancer provide inconsistent recommendations that underscore the lack of relevant primary research, conclude UK researchers in a systematic review.

Thermal ablation may offer surgery alternative for early breast cancer Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Preliminary study findings suggest that thermal ablation therapy may be a feasible alternative to breast-conserving surgery in patients with early breast cancer.

SN biopsy reduces breast cancer surgery arm morbidity Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Breast cancer patients are more likely to experience arm or shoulder problems if they undergo axillary lymph node dissection than if they have sentinel node biopsy, German researchers confirm.

Prostate cancer follow-up guidelines ‘inconsistent’ Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Guidelines for the follow-up of patients with prostate cancer provide inconsistent recommendations that underscore the lack of relevant primary research, conclude UK researchers in a systematic review.

ApoB and apoA-I best predictors of MI risk Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Apolipoprotein B and apoA-I are better predictors of myocardial infarction risk than low-density lipoprotein cholesterol or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, report researchers.

<i>PCSK9</i> variants linked to lower LDL cholesterol Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Results from the CARDIA study show that genetic variation in the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 gene is responsible for persistently lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and a reduced subclinical atherosclerosis burden in some individuals.

RSV infection linked to asthma predisposition Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Respiratory syncytial virus infection severe enough to require hospitalization is positively associated with asthma, research shows.

More effort required to control BP in Type 2 diabetes Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT The proportion of diabetic patients with controlled blood pressure nearly doubled between 1988 and 2004, but was still only around 30% in 2004, a US population based study has revealed.

Anemia worsens outcome after AMI complicated by heart failure Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Low baseline hemoglobin and a fall in hemoglobin during follow-up appear to be independently associated with an adverse outcome in post-myocardial infarction heart failure patients, a large multicenter study has shown.

Meta-analysis finds no excess mortality with drug-eluting stents Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Drug-eluting stents do not cause excess mortality compared with bare-metal stents, a meta-analysis of more than 10,000 patients suggests.

DPP-4 inhibitors remain viable option for add-on treatment Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT An updated meta-analysis of available data for the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors indicates that they improve glycemic control slightly less than sulfonylureas, but to a similar extent to the thiazolidinediones, without causing weight gain and with a relatively low risk for hypoglycemia.

More effort required to control BP in Type 2 diabetes Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT The proportion of diabetic patients with controlled blood pressure nearly doubled between 1988 and 2004, but was still only around 30% in 2004, a US population based study has revealed.

Anemia worsens outcome after AMI complicated by heart failure Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Low baseline hemoglobin and a fall in hemoglobin during follow-up appear to be independently associated with an adverse outcome in post-myocardial infarction heart failure patients, a large multicenter study has shown.

Meta-analysis finds no excess mortality with drug-eluting stents Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Drug-eluting stents do not cause excess mortality compared with bare-metal stents, a meta-analysis of more than 10,000 patients suggests.

Thermal ablation may offer surgery alternative for early breast cancer Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Preliminary study findings suggest that thermal ablation therapy may be a feasible alternative to breast-conserving surgery in patients with early breast cancer.

SN biopsy reduces breast cancer surgery arm morbidity Posted: 11 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Breast cancer patients are more likely to experience arm or shoulder problems if they undergo axillary lymph node dissection than if they have sentinel node biopsy, German researchers confirm.

Early DVT bandaging fails to reduce PTS incidence Posted: 10 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Immediate compression bandaging does not reduce the risk for post-thrombotic syndrome in patients with deep vein thrombosis, Dutch researchers have found.

Schizophrenia residential outcomes differ between cultures Posted: 10 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Real-world residential outcomes are widely different among schizophrenia patients from different cultures, despite similar scores on performance-based measures of everyday living, international study findings indicate.

ICH case-fatality has fallen dramatically since 1973 Posted: 10 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT The likelihood of dying from aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage fell dramatically by 17% between 1973 and 2002, say researchers, who attribute the change to improvements in diagnosis and treatment.

Schizophrenia residential outcomes differ between cultures Posted: 10 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Real-world residential outcomes are widely different among schizophrenia patients from different cultures, despite similar scores on performance-based measures of everyday living, international study findings indicate.

SNPs linked to lithium response in bipolar disorder Posted: 10 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Several single nucleotide polymorphisms are linked to response to lithium for the prevention of recurrence in bipolar disorder, including in a region spanning a gene regulated by lithium, say scientists.

CRP gene variants linked to PSA levels and metastatic prostate cancer Posted: 10 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Variants in the gene for C-reactive protein are associated with prostate-specific antigen levels, with certain alleles linked to metastatic disease, Finnish study findings indicate.

QoL impact of localized prostate cancer treatment explored Posted: 10 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Radical prostatectomy, brachytherapy, and external beam radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer have significant, but different, impacts on health-related quality of life, say US investigators.

QoL impact of localized prostate cancer treatment explored Posted: 10 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Radical prostatectomy, brachytherapy, and external beam radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer have significant, but different, impacts on health-related quality of life, say US investigators.

Lipid metabolism gene variants explain moderate lipid subpopulation changes Posted: 10 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Variants in several genes involved in lipid metabolism impact on subpopulations of triglycerides and high-density lipoproteins, a study of postmenopausal women suggests.

Fatty acids elevated in dental disease Posted: 10 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT European research has found a link between dental disease and altered plasma levels of fatty acids and cardiovascular risk markers.

Promising results from SYNCHRONY for aleglitazar Posted: 10 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Results from the phase II SYNCHRONY study show that the dual peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor -α/γ agonist aleglitazar reduces glycated hemoglobin and improves lipid levels and is generally well tolerated short-term.

Rosiglitazone improves nitrosative stress in Type 2 diabetes Posted: 10 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Rosiglitazone, but not glyburide, improves markers of nitrosative stress and inflammation in people with Type 2 diabetes without impairing myocardial perfusion, report researchers in the journal Metabolism Clinical and Experimental.

Simple techniques reduce CT angiography radiation doses without compromising image quality Posted: 10 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Applying simple and currently available dose-reduction techniques in cardiac computed tomography angiography markedly reduces the radiation dose patients receive without compromising image quality, results of a statewide registry in the USA show.

NT-proBNP could indicate women’s long-term risk for SCD Posted: 10 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Plasma concentrations of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide may predict the long-term risk for sudden cardiac death among women in the general population, US research suggests.

Novel molecular target offers hope for triple-negative breast cancer Posted: 10 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT UK scientists have identified a novel molecular target for breast cancer that could lead to treatments suitable for patients regardless of hormone status.

SNPs linked to lithium response in bipolar disorder Posted: 10 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Several single nucleotide polymorphisms are linked to response to lithium for the prevention of recurrence in bipolar disorder, including in a region spanning a gene regulated by lithium, say scientists.

CAPRA score predicts localized prostate cancer outcomes at diagnosis Posted: 09 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Bone metastasis and mortality can be accurately predicted at the time localized prostate cancer is diagnosed using the Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment score, conclude US researchers.

Genetically high Lp(a) linked to increased risk for MI Posted: 09 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Genetically elevated lipoprotein (Lp)(a) is associated with an increased risk for myocardial infarction, show results published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Diabetes biomarkers can indicate risk for diabetes years before diagnosis Posted: 09 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Changes in glucose concentration, insulin sensitivity, and insulin secretion can predict a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes as much as 3 to 6 years prior to the event, show results presented at the American Diabetes Association annual Scientific Sessions in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Performance-based indicator may miss diabetes patients with suboptimal care Posted: 09 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT The UK quality and outcomes framework has increased the number of people with Type 2 diabetes with glycated hemoglobin levels of less than or equal to 7.5%, but failed to reduce the number with HbA1c levels greater than 10%, report researchers in the British Medical Journal.

Promising long-term results reported for stem cell therapy in AMI Posted: 09 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Treatment of acute myocardial infarction patients with autologous bone marrow stem cell transfer results in long-term improvement in left ventricular performance, 5-year follow-up from the BALANCE trial indicates.

Paclitaxel-eluting stents outcomes positive in elderly Posted: 09 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Age should not be a reason to deny elderly patients percutaneous coronary intervention using a paclitaxel-eluting stent, researchers say after conducting a meta-analysis involving several thousand patients.

Missed cancer diagnoses rare at ‘one-stop’ breast clinics Posted: 09 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Missed breast cancer diagnoses are very rare among UK women discharged from one-stop symptomatic breast clinics, indicate reassuring findings published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Non-SN status predictive models for breast cancer vary in usefulness Posted: 09 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Various models are available to determine non-sentinal node status in breast cancer patients with metastic SNs but not all perform equally, a French study shows.

Lithium-related thyroid inhibition linked to depression in bipolar patients Posted: 09 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT US researchers have found thyroid function is inhibited in bipolar I disorder patients taking maintenance lithium monotherapy, which may exacerbate the illness, particularly in the depressive pole.

Functional recovery suboptimal in many bipolar patients Posted: 09 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT People with bipolar disorder commonly exhibit functional impairment despite being euthymic and clinically "in remission", say the authors of a new study.

Reward feedback altered in umedicated schizophrenia patients Posted: 08 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT German study results suggest that drug-free schizophrenia patients process reward and loss-avoidance differently to others due to impairments in the medial prefrontal cortex and the ventral striatum.

Prostate Gleason score concordance higher in higher volume labs Posted: 08 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Pathology departments that regularly evaluate radical prostatectomy specimens have the highest concordance between biopsy and prostatectomy Gleason scores, Norwegian study findings indicate.

Good localized hormone-refractory prostate cancer control with EBRT Posted: 08 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT For clinically localized hormone-refractory prostate cancer, external beam radiotherapy has a good local control rates, with nadir prostate-specific antigen levels predicting outcomes, say Japanese scientists.

Shorter sleep linked to increased risk for hypertension Posted: 08 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Sleeping fewer hours is associated with higher blood pressure levels and an increased risk for developing hypertension, a US study suggests.

Lymphatic and blood vessel density predict intraductal breast cancer patient outcome Posted: 08 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT D2-40, a marker of lymphatic microvessel density, and CD31, a marker of blood microvessel density, are independent predictors of prognosis in women with intraductal carcinoma of the breast, study results suggest.

White matter hyperintensities independent of age common in BD patients Posted: 08 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT A study has found that bipolar disorder patients have more severe frontal deep white matter lesions that are independent of age than those seen in healthy individuals.

IL-6 levels linked to prostate cancer development and progress Posted: 07 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Circulating interleukin -6 levels are associated with the development and progression of prostate cancer, but only among normal-weight men, US investigators have discovered.

Metastasis suppressor 1 predicts outcome in breast cancer patients Posted: 07 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Metastasis suppressor 1 is a useful indicator of disease-free survival in breast cancer patients, as a result of its role in controlling the metastatic potential of breast tumor cells, study results suggest.

Dynamic tumor bed volume in breast cancer patients after lumpectomy Posted: 07 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Patients who undergo breast-conserving surgery and radiotherapy continue to show changes in tumor bed volume after surgery and throughout radiation treatment, a study shows.

Pre-operative testing disputed for all ambulatory surgery Posted: 02 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT A randomized pilot study suggests that indicated pre-operative testing may not alter peri-operative adverse events in selected patients undergoing ambulatory surgery.

'Extremely encouraging' BPH results with 2-µm continuous-wave laser Posted: 02 Oct 2008 05:00 PM PDT Vaporesection using a 2-µm continuous-wave laser is effective for the treatment of obstructive benign prostatic hyperplasia, Chinese researchers claim.

Middle-aged Americans less healthy than English Posted: 02 May 2006 05:00 PM PDT The health of middle-aged people in England is much better than that of their counterparts in the USA, say investigators, who remain uncertain as to why this is the case.

Epileptics need warning over death risk Posted: 02 May 2006 05:00 PM PDT Neurologists should tell epilepsy patients of the increased risk of mortality associated with seizures, UK experts warned today.

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