Medicine | Page 240 of 378 | SpiritIndia.com

Kidney Transplant :: Make kidney transplant allocation more equitable

Stefanos A. Zenios, a professor at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, renowned for his application of Operations Research to tackle some of modern medicine’s thorniest problems, has completed new research that could revolutionize kidney allocation for transplant waiting list candidates. The paper, “Recipient Choice Can Address the Efficiency-Equity Trade-Off in Kidney Transplantation: A Mechanism Design Model,” was recently published in the journal Management Science.

Insomnia :: Doctors neglect insomnia in older patients

The sleep problems of older people are often not addressed by their doctors, even though treatment of those sleep disorders could improve their physical and mental health and enhance their quality of life. A new study from Northwestern University found when patients 60 years and older visited their doctors, physicians did not note sleep problems in the patients’ charts. This was significant because many of those patients suffered from insomnia and were not being treated.

Cancer :: Teens overlooked in cancer research

McMaster University pediatric cancer specialist Dr. Ronald Barr says the teen gap in cancer care has been overlooked for far too long. Statistics show that gains in survival rates for teenagers and young adults (age 15-29) with cancer are dismal when compared to those for youngsters and older adults with the disease.Barr is one of the editors of the recently released and first definitive document on the incidence, survival and mortality of 15-29 year-olds.

Alzheimer’s Disease :: Cold sore virus might play role in Alzheimer’s disease

A gene known to be a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease puts out the welcome mat for the virus that causes cold sores, allowing the virus to be more active in the brain compared to other forms of the gene. The new findings, published online in the journal Neurobiology of Aging, add some scientific heft to the idea, long suspected by some scientists, that herpes somehow plays a role in bringing about Alzheimer’s disease.

Heart :: Costly implanted heart devices unnecessary

This year, tens of thousands of heart patients will have high-tech devices implanted in their chests. Called ICDs or implantable cardioverter defibrillators, the expensive devices are designed to shock damaged hearts back into rhythm and save patients from sudden cardiac death. But a new study finds that while many of these patients will benefit from their ICDs, a large number won’t — and a simple heart-rhythm test can tell who’s who.

Healthcare :: Race impacts professional lives of physicians of African descent

A new study by researchers at Yale School of Medicine offers a unique and detailed view of race and discrimination in the health-care workplace and the negative impact on job satisfaction, career advancement and minority physician retention.

Counseling :: Counseling reduces risk for binge drinking, unplanned pregnancies

A University of Virginia Health System researcher and colleagues have just published findings showing that just a few targeted counseling sessions had a notably positive impact on women at high risk for binge drinking, unplanned pregnancy and exposure to alcohol during pregnancy. The counseling technique, called motivational interviewing (MI), has proven effective after just four counseling sessions.

Prostate Cancer :: Prostate cancer – speeding development of novel tracer

The collaborative work being performed by professionals across medical disciplines in the promising area of molecular imaging — from research scientists to nuclear medicine physicians, urologists, radiochemists and even veterinarians — provides encouraging news in fighting prostate cancer. This type of progressive — or translational — research can be seen in two papers published in the January issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

Hypertension :: Moderate drinking cuts heart attack risk in hypertensive men

Men with high blood pressure who have a drink or two per day may be at lower risk for heart attack than men who don’t drink at all, new research suggests.

Colorectal Cancer :: Statin use not associated with colorectal cancer risk

Regular use of cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins is not associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer, according to a population-based case-control study.