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Sun exposure advice recommended for anti-TNF users

Rheumatology patients using antitumor necrosis factor treatment should be given sun exposure education to reduce their risk for skin cancer, say Irish researchers.

2 Jul 2012

Fighting the physical consequences of jet lag in elite athletes

Research suggests that having a good understanding of preflight, in-flight, and postflight management options helps clinicians, athletes, and coaches minimize the adverse consequences of travel fatigue and jet lag on elite athletic performance.

2 Jul 2012

Gene vital to flu severity discovered

Researchers have discovered that a protein known as PA-X, produced from a ribosomal frameshift mutation in a gene in the influenza A genome, has a substantial impact on host response to the virus.

2 Jul 2012

More reason to take folic acid while pregnant

Taking folic acid supplements during pregnancy can significantly reduce the likelihood for babies being born with cleft lip and palate, researchers say.

2 Jul 2012

Puberty age pitches testicular cancer risk

Males who start puberty later than their peers may have a decreased risk for testicular cancer, show study findings.

2 Jul 2012

Obese women draw the hypertension short straw

The associations of obesity with prehypertension and hypertension are stronger in women than men, a study suggests.

2 Jul 2012

DKK1 boosts liver cancer diagnostic options

Measurement of the protein Dickkopf-1 in serum could be used to diagnose hepatocellular carcinoma, especially early disease, Chinese researchers report.

2 Jul 2012

Routine use of pelvic CT scans in Wilms tumor questioned

Omitting pelvic computed tomography scans from the routine surveillance of off-therapy patients with Wilms tumor could reduce radiation exposure without compromising relapse detection rates, researchers report.

2 Jul 2012

Platelet activation linked to osteoporosis

Elderly, postmenopausal women with osteoporosis have elevated platelet volumes, report researchers.

2 Jul 2012

Sling device a good shot for vaginal prolapse repair

A midurethral sling device added during surgery for vaginal prolapse repair reduces the risk for postoperative urinary incontinence, research shows.

2 Jul 2012

Hay fever symptom severity plateau identified

Study findings suggest that individuals sensitized to Poaceae, a family of land grasses, experience increasing severity in hay fever symptoms in line with daily levels, up to a saturation point.

2 Jul 2012

Site of care linked to racial imaging disparities in stroke

Patients with stroke are less likely to undergo carotid artery imaging if they are treated at a hospital that serves a population with a high proportion of minority ethnicities, say researchers.

2 Jul 2012

Three-step clinical pathway for CAP reduces length of hospital stay

A three-step pathway helps to reduce the duration of intravenous antibiotic treatment in hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia, show study findings published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

2 Jul 2012

Procoagulant–fibrinolytic balance may predict hepatectomy thrombosis

An imbalance in procoagulant/fibrinolytic blood factors may point to an increased risk for thrombosis following liver surgery, research suggests.

2 Jul 2012

Vitamin D–calcium combo reduces mortality in elderly

The results of a meta-analysis of individual patient data show that vitamin D supplementation with calcium reduces mortality rates in the elderly.

2 Jul 2012

Hospitalists’ professionalism depends on job characteristics

Hospitalists’ participation in unprofessional behavior is uncommon, report researchers in the USA who found that job characteristics are associated with patterns of such behavior in this field.

2 Jul 2012

Folic acid ‘may benefit diabetics’

Folic acid supplementation can significantly reduce homocysteine levels and may therefore offer an approach for lowering cardiovascular risk among patients with Type 2 diabetes, report researchers.

2 Jul 2012

Shots to the heart ‘not risky’

Taser deployments to the chest are no more dangerous than those to other body parts, say researchers.

2 Jul 2012

Hearing loss linked to Alzheimer's, heart disease, chronic kidney diseases and diabetes

Ear plug retailer, All Ear Plugs, urges Brits to take more care in protecting their ears following the release of data from the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) in the US linking hearing loss to chronic diseases.

2 Jul 2012

Current diagnosis and treatment approaches for rheumatoid arthritis

In the realm of deadly and disabling diseases, conditions such as cancer and Alzheimer's seem to attract the most media attention. But there are others that take a similarly high toll, and rheumatoid arthritis is one of them, Mayo Clinic researchers say. It is a common cause of disability: 1 of every 5 rheumatoid arthritis patients is unable to work two years after diagnosis, and within five years, that rises to one-third. Life expectancy drops by up to five years.

2 Jul 2012