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Balance abnormalities can exacerbate asthma symptoms

Asthma patients could be at a higher risk of worsening symptoms due to problems with their balance, according to new research.

1 Sep 2012

Water pipe smoking affects lung function and respiratory symptoms as cigarette smoking

A new study published in the journal Respirology reveals that water pipe smoking, such as hookah or bong smoking, affects lung function and respiratory symptoms as much as cigarette smoking.

1 Sep 2012

The safety of trainee surgeons: an interview with Prof Calvin Coffey

Surgical training begins at an undergraduate medical student level where students are involved in operations to a minor degree, and educated using a combination of didactic and problem-based approaches.

31 Aug 2012

Study reports flaws in design, analysis, and interpretation of Lyme disease

Most doctors treat Lyme disease with antibiotics for two to four weeks after diagnosis, but if symptoms persist after that, medical guidelines recommend against antibiotic retreatment. That recommendation may not be warranted. A newly published statistical review of the four studies upon which those guidelines are based reports flaws in design, analysis, and interpretation that call into question the strength of the evidence against retreatment.

31 Aug 2012

MDR-TB, XDR-TB more widespread than previously believed, study shows

In a study published on Wednesday in the Lancet, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that "[a]mong 1,278 patients who were resistant to two or more first-line tuberculosis drugs in Estonia, Latvia, Peru, Philippines, Russia, South Africa, South Korea and Thailand, 43.7 percent showed resistance to at least one second-line drug," which "suggest[s] the deadly disease may become 'virtually untreatable,'" according to the study, Bloomberg Businessweek reports.

31 Aug 2012

Doubt cast on LABA withdrawal in combination asthma therapy

Researchers have urged doctors to be cautious over withdrawal of long-acting beta-2 agonist therapy in patients with asthma controlled by this type of bronchodilator in combination with an inhaled corticosteroid, after finding the approach often results in destabilization of their condition.

31 Aug 2012

Mammographic density 'unrelated to breast cancer death risk'

Although high-density breast cancer high breast density on mammography is an established risk factor for developing breast cancer, it is not associated with an increased risk for death, say US investigators who suggest different factors may affect risk at different times.

31 Aug 2012

Promising results with SLIT for childhood grass pollen allergy

High-dose sublingual immunotherapy effectively reduces allergic symptoms and medication use in children with grass pollen–allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, show study results.

31 Aug 2012

Global tobacco use remains high

Results from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey suggest that almost 50% of men worldwide consume tobacco in one form or another.

31 Aug 2012

French data highlight women under 60 at risk for heart disease

An analysis of four French registries has shown a dramatic drop in ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction mortality from 1995 to 2010, accompanied by a significant change in patient characteristics.

31 Aug 2012

TNF inhibitors best cardiac option for psoriasis patients

Use of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors is associated with a significantly reduced risk for myocardial infarction in psoriasis patients compared with use of other medications, report researchers.

31 Aug 2012

Smoking rates increased in relatives of schizophrenia patients

The unaffected first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia are more likely to be smokers than individuals without a family history of the disorder, researchers report.

31 Aug 2012

Subsyndromal symptoms hasten relapse in BD

The presence of subsyndromal affective symptoms is associated with a significantly shorter time to relapse among euthymic patients with bipolar disorder, Spanish research shows.

31 Aug 2012

Excessive daytime sleepiness during pregnancy should raise the alarm

Excessive daytime sleepiness is a common occurrence in pregnant women, particularly during the third trimester, but researchers warn that it might not always be physiologically normal.

31 Aug 2012

Useful vision maintained long term after lens-sparing vitrectomy for ROP

Infants treated with lens-sparing vitrectomy for retinopathy of prematurity maintain a level of visual acuity necessary for useful vision into their eighth year of life, study results show.

31 Aug 2012

Quitting could cut SAH risk for some smokers

Stopping smoking may help to attenuate people’s risk for subarachnoid hemorrhage, say researchers.

31 Aug 2012

LCZ696 could be of PARAMOUNT importance in heart failure

The first-in-class angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor LCZ696 could improve treatment of heart failure, report researchers who conducted a phase II trial of the drug and found it had superior results to an alternative therapy already in use.

31 Aug 2012

Tunes and T-shirts for cardiac rehabilitation

Two studies presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Munich, Germany, showed how researchers are developing innovative approaches to help patients get the most out of cardiac rehabilitation.

31 Aug 2012

Sleep apnea’s contribution to diabetic nephropathy needs attention

The effect of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome on the development of diabetic nephropathy requires investigation, say researchers.

31 Aug 2012

Dark chocolate lovers can handle wide range of bitter tastes before rejection

Dark chocolate lovers can handle a wider range of bitter tastes before rejection compared to milk chocolate fans, according to Penn State food scientists.

31 Aug 2012