Medical Condition News

RSS

Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome difficult to diagnose

Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome can be difficult to diagnose and should have guidelines for diagnostic testing, according to a study in the July 26 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology. A second study found chemotherapy aggravated symptoms in one woman's case.

25 Jul 2005

Debate on autism link to vaccines fired up again

In a relatively unusual event, federal health officials called a news conference this week in an attempt to affirm the safety of vaccines.

21 Jul 2005

FDA approval for VNS Therapy will help people with epilepsy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recent approval of Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy for treatment of chronic depression provides a novel single-treatment option for two major symptoms suffered by people with epilepsy.

21 Jul 2005

Eighty-three percent of Medicare beneficiaries have at least one chronic condition

Eighty-three percent of Medicare beneficiaries have at least one chronic condition, such as congestive heart failure, Alzheimer's disease or diabetes. Two-thirds of Medicare spending is incurred by the 9.5 million beneficiaries with five or more chronic conditions. These percentages suggest that the Medicare program needs to address chronic conditions rather than the acute, episodic illnesses that have been the focus of the Medicare program since it began in 1966.

20 Jul 2005

Diagnosing diabetes early saves lives

Australian Medical Association (AMA) President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, said today that while 520,000 Australians have been diagnosed with diabetes, there are probably as many again who remain undiagnosed, exposing them to serious complications caused by the disease, including kidney disease, heart attacks and eye problems.

19 Jul 2005

Current recommendations for prescribing antidepressants should be reconsidered

Most people with depression are initially treated with antidepressants, and prescribing has risen by 253% in 10 years. Yet recent studies show that SSRIs have no clinically meaningful advantage over placebo, write Joanna Moncrieff and Irving Kirsch.

14 Jul 2005

Neurological complication may result from rapid withdrawal from pregabalin

A report in the July Annals of Neurology describes a serious adverse event experienced by a participant in a clinical trial that may raise a new caution about the use of antiepileptic drugs for conditions other than epilepsy.

6 Jul 2005

X-ray measurements help determine whether chronic problems with the hard-to-reach frontal sinuses can be corrected with surgery

"The frontal sinus is behind the forehead and it has a very tortuous drainage," says Dr. Stil E. Kountakis, vice chair of the Medical College of Georgia Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. "It's the most difficult sinus to work with."

6 Jul 2005

Help for osteoporosis sufferers in the primary care office

A primary care practitioner can help improve quality of life and mobility for those who suffer from pain resulting from osteoporosis-related fractures by referring a patient for two relatively new non-invasive procedures.

29 Jun 2005

Europe tackles pre-diabetes

Diabetes is the fourth leading global cause of death and, with over 60 million people in Europe already estimated to have pre-diabetes, the situation is set to escalate at an alarming rate unless urgent action is taken.

29 Jun 2005

Results of global bipolar disorder consumer survey

The World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) today announced results of a global bipolar disorder consumer survey, Thinking Ahead, at the World Congress of Biological Psychiatry.

29 Jun 2005

Guidelines for treatment of essential tremor

Imagine not being able to hold a glass, tie your shoelaces or write a check. For people with the common movement disorder known as essential tremor, simple tasks requiring fine motor coordination become increasingly difficult, sometimes even impossible.

27 Jun 2005

Should everyone over 50 be taking aspirin?

Experts go head to head in this week’s BMJ over whether everyone over 50 should take a daily aspirin to reduce their risk of heart attacks and strokes.

16 Jun 2005

National Service Framework for chronic heart failure is urgently needed

A new National Service Framework for chronic heart failure is urgently needed, because patients with heart failure are getting a raw deal, despite the availability of effective treatment, say leading cardiologists in Heart.

15 Jun 2005

New genetic test may detect risk of malignant hyperthermia (MH) from anesthesia

A rare but potentially life-threatening inherited condition called malignant hyperthermia (MH) may strike surgical patients who receive common drugs for general anesthesia.

14 Jun 2005

New genetic test may detect risk of rare complication from anesthesia

A rare but potentially life- threatening inherited condition called malignant hyperthermia (MH) may strike surgical patients who receive common drugs for general anesthesia.

14 Jun 2005

Patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes should be screened for retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy has been found in nearly 8 percent of pre-diabetic participants in the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), according to a report presented today at the American Diabetes Association's 65th Annual Scientific Sessions.

12 Jun 2005

Better care for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers

Doctors and nurses from Europe and America have been learning about an innovative way, pioneered in Bristol, to help rheumatoid arthritis sufferers.

6 Jun 2005

'Complicated Grief' far worse than depression and doctors want it recognised

Doctors in the U.S. are hoping that a condition they refer to as 'Complicated Grief' which goes far beyond depression, will soon be recognized by the American Psychiatric Association.

1 Jun 2005

Schizophrenia is more common in developed countries than poorer nations

The report debunks a popular textbook definition that schizophrenia will affect 10 in every 1000 people no matter where patients live. It says this rate is too high and more likely, between seven and eight in 1000 people, although this varied between sites.

31 May 2005