Medical News

RSS

Eating fish lowers risk of dementia

Consuming fish at least once a week was associated with a 10 percent per year slower rate of cognitive decline in elderly people, according to a new study from the Archives of Neurology.

10 Oct 2005

Electron-beam computed tomography - a more accurate replacement for coronary catheterizations

Electron-beam computed tomography (EBCT) is more accurate than conventional catheter angiography for detecting a dangerous congenital heart abnormality that could cause sudden death, according to research by a Saint Louis University radiologist published last month in Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions: Journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions.

10 Oct 2005

Frequency and cause of errors in cancer diagnosis

Procedures used to obtain and examine tissue for cancer diagnosis are prone to error that frequently results in harm, according to a new study published in the November 15, 2005 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

10 Oct 2005

Eyes reveal risk of stroke

Looking into our eyes may help doctors predict who is at risk for stroke. A new study found that people with changes in the small blood vessels in their eyes are more likely to later suffer a stroke than people without these signs.

10 Oct 2005

High fat foods can soothe inflammation

"Take two cheeseburgers and call me in the morning," may sound like far-fetched medical advice. After all, high fat foods can worsen blockages in blood vessels.

10 Oct 2005

Real dangers from environmental toxins most likely occur early in life

Exposure of developing fetuses and newborns to low levels of environmental toxins such as lead, mercury and dioxin, as well as nicotine and ethanol, could be behind the recent sharp rises in asthma, allergies and autoimmune disorders like lupus, says a Cornell University researcher.

10 Oct 2005

Changes in health care services related to changes in PLI premiums

Florida physicians reportedly continued to decrease or eliminate important health services in 2004 in response to difficulties in finding or paying for professional liability insurance, according to a study in the October 10 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

10 Oct 2005

Colorectal cancer screening rates are too low

An intervention program designed to promote screening for colorectal cancer – and thereby decrease the number of cancers diagnosed - failed to increase screening rates in the managed care setting, a University of California - Los Angeles study has found.

10 Oct 2005

Actos reduces the combined risk of non-fatal heart attacks, strokes in patients with type-2 diabetes

A study published in The Lancet shows that Takeda's Actos (pioglitazone HCl), an oral glucose lowering medication, significantly reduces the combined risk of non-fatal heart attacks, strokes and deaths by an additional 16% on top of standard medication

10 Oct 2005

Babies should not be asleep in the same bed that their parents are sleeping in

Revised American Academy of Pediatrics' guidelines on preventing sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) recommend putting babies to sleep in their own cribs instead of in their parents' beds.

10 Oct 2005

Amount of exercise more important than the intensity of the exercise

A study in the October issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), shows that adults who participate in mild exercise, such as walking briskly for 12 miles or exercising for 125 to 200 minutes a week at moderate intensity can significantly improve their aerobic fitness and reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease.

10 Oct 2005

Screening for cardiovascular risk by measuring blood levels of C-reactive protein should not be advocated

C-reactive protein (CRP) is released by the liver in response to inflammation related to an infection, injury, or conditions such as arthritis. Inflammation also has been associated with the cause and progression of cardiovascular disease, particularly in the build up of fatty deposits in the lining of arteries.

10 Oct 2005

Association between long-term smoking and diminished mental proficiency

Smokers often say that smoking a cigarette helps them concentrate and feel more alert. But years of tobacco use may have the opposite effect, dimming the speed and accuracy of a person’s thinking ability and bringing down their IQ, according to a new study led by University of Michigan researchers.

10 Oct 2005

People living in predominantly minority areas face significant barriers to accessing pain medication

Chronic pain is a condition that affects one in five Americans without regard for their race or finances. But a new study finds that minorities and people with low incomes have less access than high-income white people to the medications that will help them endure their pain.

10 Oct 2005

Depression both increases the risk for developing epilepsy and is also common among people with epilepsy who experience many seizures

Researchers have found provocative evidence that the brain dysfunction that underlies epilepsy may also determine whether people are at risk for suicide. The study, published online October 10, 2005 in the Annals of Neurology, also suggests that depression and suicide may have different brain mechanisms.

10 Oct 2005

How heat affects people with heart failure

Reduced blood flow to the skin’s surface may be a key cause of heat-related illnesses in patients with congestive heart failure, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found.

10 Oct 2005

Significant new research centre - the Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre

The centre, based at the UCL (University College London) Department of Human Communication Science, will see ESRC inject £4.5 million over an initial 5 year period into a study of deafness, linguistic systems and communication that will run over a 10 year programme.

10 Oct 2005