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Quality of care in U.S. hospitals

Ashish Jha, assistant professor of health policy and management at the Harvard School of Public Health and colleagues from Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Boston Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, have for the first time assessed the quality of care in U.S. hospitals.

20 Jul 2005

Study questions benefits of breast cancer screenings as practiced in the real world

A new study calls into question the actual benefits of breast cancer screenings as practiced in the real world, as opposed to the well-controlled situations of previous screening trials. The study appears in the July 20 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

20 Jul 2005

University of Florida researcher finds way to explore role of microRNAs in specific tissue

University of Florida researchers have learned how to selectively shut down a flyweight-sized genetic molecule that packs a heavyweight punch, a discovery that may help doctors better understand cancer, birth defects and other health problems.

20 Jul 2005

Research examines the effect of visual impairment on Alzheimer's disease patients in nursing homes

One in three nursing home residents who have Alzheimer’s disease are not getting their vision corrected so they can see clearly, according to new Saint Louis University research in the July issue of the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association.

20 Jul 2005

Doctors showed the lowest compliance levels and the smallest improvement in hand washing study

Hand washing among healthcare staff working in a large urban hospital improved by an average of 32 per cent after a six-week hygiene programme, according to a paper in the latest Journal of Advanced Nursing.

20 Jul 2005

Floating their idea - students conduct experiments in zero gravity

Students from Imperial College London join teams from across Europe this month to test experiments while floating in zero gravity.

20 Jul 2005

SIRT1 gene suppresses longevity

Researchers have determined that a gene present in mouse cells limits the number of times that a cell can divide. The gene is involved in a process, called senescence, which is thought to ensure that aging cells do not pass on harmful mutations.

20 Jul 2005

Study: Orientation congruency effects for familiar objects

A rose by any other name may smell just as sweet, but tilt it at an unexpected angle and it may still be easy to smell, just not recognize. That is, unless you saw another object - even an unrelated one - presented at the same angle.

20 Jul 2005

Metformin should be in the first line of defense against type 2 diabetes

A new review of studies confirms that the drug metformin should be in the first line of defense against type 2 diabetes. Using metformin alone can improve control of blood glucose, while also reducing risk factors for heart disease such as excess body weight, cholesterol levels and hypertension, the review found.

20 Jul 2005

America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being 2005

The adolescent birth rate has reached another record low, the death rate for children between ages 1 and 4 is the lowest ever, young children are more likely to receive their recommended immunizations, and fourth graders are scoring better in math, according to a yearly compendium of statistics from federal agencies concerned with children.

20 Jul 2005

National network for diabetes research launched by two leading British universities

Research into future treatments for people with diabetes has been given a major boost with the launch of a new national network for diabetes research, launched today.

20 Jul 2005

Reliable research about the benefits and harms of treatments for malaria in pregnant women is scarce

Few studies compare the effects of different drug regimes in pregnant women, and many of the best studies were conducted in Southeast Asia, where malaria transmission rates are low, says researcher Lois Orton of the University of York in England.

20 Jul 2005

Single dose of antibiotics may be just as effective as multiple doses in preventing infections after an appendectomy

The review found that antibiotic injections do work no matter how diseased the appendix was or whether it was diseased at all. This is significant, because some surgeons contend that antibiotics should be used only when the appendix is at a more advanced stage of disease.

20 Jul 2005

Antibiotics should not be prescribed to patients with the common cold

Antibiotics should not be prescribed to patients with the common cold because there is scant evidence they stop other infections, and the benefits do not outweigh the risks, according to a new systematic review of current evidence.

19 Jul 2005

Older-style antidepressants, as well as anticonvulsant drugs, can help ease the disabling pain caused by nerve tissue damage

For many years antidepressants, which are believed to work by dampening pain signals, have been the first-line drugs for neuropathic pain. "It is usual to start with an antidepressant like amitriptyline, and if this fails then try an anticonvulsant," says Phil Wiffen, a researcher at Churchill Hospital in Oxford, England. "The results of these meta-analyses suggest this is probably still the best approach to take."

19 Jul 2005

Camera-guided surgery through small incisions works better than conventional surgery for colon cancer

Camera-guided surgery through small incisions works better than conventional surgery for colon cancer and related diseases, at least in the short term recovery, a new review of previous studies confirms. In the long term, researchers found no difference between the two.

19 Jul 2005

UK deaths from volatile substance abuse in 2003 fell to the lowest annual total since 1980

A report released today by the Division of Community Health Sciences at St George's, University of London, reveals that in 2003 there were 51 deaths in the UK associated with volatile substance abuse. This is the lowest annual total recorded since 1983.

19 Jul 2005

Children enrolled in kid-oriented diet and exercise programs are likely to adopt healthier eating and activity patterns

...according to an updated systematic review. Although the youngsters did not experience significant weight loss during the studies, most of which lasted a year or less, the reviewers note promising trends.

19 Jul 2005

Study warns against global use of old asthma medicines for kids' coughs

An asthma medicine widely used around the world to stop children's coughs has no provable benefit for that purpose and may cause harm, a new review of existing studies reports.

19 Jul 2005

$New protective drugs called bisphosphonates reduce pain and fractures in metastatic breast cancer$

New protective drugs called bisphosphonates reduce pain and fractures in metastatic breast cancer

When breast cancer spreads to bones, relatively new protective drugs called bisphosphonates can reduce skeletal damage, says a new systematic review of previous studies. While the new treatment approach does not improve survival rates, it can minimize disabling fractures, spinal cord compression and pain.

19 Jul 2005

Medical News

Quality of care in U.S. hospitals

Study questions benefits of breast cancer screenings as practiced in the real world

University of Florida researcher finds way to explore role of microRNAs in specific tissue

Research examines the effect of visual impairment on Alzheimer's disease patients in nursing homes

Doctors showed the lowest compliance levels and the smallest improvement in hand washing study

Floating their idea - students conduct experiments in zero gravity

SIRT1 gene suppresses longevity

Study: Orientation congruency effects for familiar objects

Metformin should be in the first line of defense against type 2 diabetes

America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being 2005

National network for diabetes research launched by two leading British universities

Reliable research about the benefits and harms of treatments for malaria in pregnant women is scarce

Single dose of antibiotics may be just as effective as multiple doses in preventing infections after an appendectomy

Antibiotics should not be prescribed to patients with the common cold

Older-style antidepressants, as well as anticonvulsant drugs, can help ease the disabling pain caused by nerve tissue damage

Camera-guided surgery through small incisions works better than conventional surgery for colon cancer

UK deaths from volatile substance abuse in 2003 fell to the lowest annual total since 1980

Children enrolled in kid-oriented diet and exercise programs are likely to adopt healthier eating and activity patterns

Study warns against global use of old asthma medicines for kids' coughs

New protective drugs called bisphosphonates reduce pain and fractures in metastatic breast cancer

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

Global and Local Efforts to Take Action Against Hepatitis

Addressing Important Cardiac Biology Questions with Shotgun Top-Down Proteomics

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