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Robotically assisted PCI could be viable alternative to manual procedure

A first-of-its kind study using robotic technology to remotely control coronary guidewires and stents reported on the feasibility of performing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on patients with complex coronary lesions. Similar clinical outcomes compared to the PCI procedure performed manually were reported.

5 May 2016

Use of cosmetics during pregnancy can have adverse effects on newborn’s health

A study led by SUNY Downstate Medical Center's School of Public Health presents evidence linking personal care products used during pregnancy to adverse reproductive effects in newborns.

5 May 2016

Older adults become more sensitive to pain, study shows

When older relatives complain about their pains, show a little empathy, because new research suggests that as we age, we may all become more sensitive to pain. A small, preliminary University of Florida Health study has suggested for the first time that inflammation may occur more quickly and at a higher magnitude -- and stays around longer -- when older adults experience pain versus when younger adults experience pain.

5 May 2016

Caution urged with add-on DPP-4 inhibitors

Physicians should be aware of the need to reduce the dose of sulphonylureas when adding dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor treatment in patients with Type 2 diabetes, say the authors of a meta-analysis.

5 May 2016

Scientists discover how immune system molecule hijacks brain circuit to reduce appetite during illness

Loss of appetite during illness is a common and potentially debilitating phenomenon--in cancer patients, especially, it can even shorten lifespan.

5 May 2016

Study shows short-term statin treatment does not benefit heart surgery patients

Giving daily doses of statins for a few days before and after heart surgery does not prevent heart muscle damage or the development of atrial fibrillation (AF), according to an international clinical trial led by the University of Oxford and funded by the British Heart Foundation.

5 May 2016

Simple 20-second upper arm extension test can identify frailty in older adults

A simple arm test that employs a novel wearable technology can rapidly and accurately identify physiological frailty in older adults, according to study results published online in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons in advance of print publication.

5 May 2016

Saliva fingerprints could be useful in searching for signs of disease

Testing for health conditions usually involves needles, X-rays and other invasive or uncomfortable measures. To make diagnostics less burdensome for patients, scientists are developing alternatives, looking for disease markers in urine -- and even spit.

5 May 2016

Perfect nano-capsules for targeted drug delivery may become possible in future

By now, the research is quite fundamental. However, one of the authors, Igor Potemkin argues that the creation of the perfect nano-capsules for targeted drug deliverywould be possibleon the basis of the reported system in the nearest years, and the production will be relatively cheap.

5 May 2016

Patient-physician communication helps improve quality of life for prostate cancer survivors

For prostate cancer patients who had their prostates surgically removed, patient-physician communication was key for helping them cope with their disease and for improving their health-related quality of life.

5 May 2016

ITJ researchers develop new hydrating beverage for athletes

Jiquiquilpan's Institute of Technology in Mexico developed a hydrating beverage for athletes that is based on agave's fructans, that not only supplies the adequate water levels to the organisms, but also offers other benefits such as dietetic fiber.

5 May 2016

Enzyme previously thought beneficial could pose threat to developing embryos

A pair of Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientists have discovered that an enzyme previously thought only to be beneficial could, in fact, pose significant danger to developing embryos. The new research could have implications not only for prenatal development but also for treating lymphedema and liver damage resulting from acetaminophen overdose.

5 May 2016

Blueberry component PS may protect against dry eye disease

Pterostilbene (PS), a component of blueberries, have been found to protect against dry eye disease according to a new study.

5 May 2016

Historical and modern perspectives in management of basilar invagination

Winner of the Vesalius Award Award, Abhidha Harshad Shah, MS, MD, presented her research, Management of Basilar Invagination: A Historical Perspective, during the 2016 American Association of Neurological Surgeons Annual Scientific Meeting.

5 May 2016

Formal mental health therapies offer little relief from postpartum depression for low-income mothers of color

Health care providers and human service agencies often manage postpartum depression with formal mental health treatments and antidepressant therapies, but for new, low-income mothers of color these interventions often provide little relief from the mood disorder that sometimes follows childbirth, according to a new study led by a University at Buffalo researcher.

5 May 2016

New study finds genetic overlap between bipolar disorder and autism

A new study suggests there may be an overlap between rare genetic variations linked to bipolar disorder (BD) and those implicated in schizophrenia and autism.

5 May 2016

Study reveals glioblastoma subtypes tend to develop in different regions of the brain

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have demonstrated that distinct types of glioblastoma, the most common form of brain cancer in adults, tend to develop in different regions of the brain. This finding provides an explanation for how the same cancer-causing mutation can give rise to different types of brain malignancies.

5 May 2016

Human brains constantly make statistical computations to estimate confidence

The directions, which came via cell phone, were a little garbled, but as you understood them: "Turn left at the 3rd light and go straight; the restaurant will be on your right side." Ten minutes ago you made the turn. Still no restaurant in sight. How far will you be willing to drive in the same direction?

5 May 2016

New research shows molecular, cellular processes in human embroyo development

Despite significant biomedical advances in recent decades, the very earliest events of human development¬--those that occur during a critical window just after fertilization--have remained an unobservable mystery, until now.

5 May 2016

EPFL neuroscientists find that the brain can filter out cardiac sensations

Our heart is constantly beating yet we normally do not feel it. It turns out that our brain is capable of filtering out the cardiac sensation so that it doesn't interfere with the brain's ability to perceive external sensations. For the first time, researchers from the Center for Neuroprosthetics at EPFL have identified this mechanism. They discovered that a certain region in the brain determines where internal and external sensations interact. Their work appears in the Journal of Neuroscience.

5 May 2016