Pediatrics :: Pediatric specialists often far from home
Taking your child to a pediatric subspecialist may mean a big-time travel commitment, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Public Health have found.
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Disability :: Disability among older Americans continues significant decline
Chronic disability among older Americans has dropped dramatically, and the rate of decline has accelerated during the past two decades, according to a new analysis of data from the National Long-Term Care Survey (NLTCS). The study, published in this week?s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that the prevalence of chronic disability among people 65 and older fell from 26.5 percent in 1982 to 19 percent in 2004/2005.
Schizophrenia :: Older Drug More Cost-Effective for Patients with Schizophrenia
A new study analyzing the economic implications of the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) concludes that the older (first generation) antipsychotic medication perphenazine was less expensive and no less effective than the newer (second generation) medications used in the trial during initial treatment, suggesting that older antipsychotics still have a role in treating schizophrenia.
Osteoporosis :: Bone loss with Depo Provera declines after 2 years
A new study, published in Fertility and Sterility, conducted by Dr. M. Kathleen Clark from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, revealed that bone loss, after continued use of DMPA use, does not go on indefinitely.
Heart :: Magnets harmful to heart patients
Heart Rhythm journal reports that close contact with devices using neodymium magnet may destabilise the life-saving heart devices like pacemakers and other implanted heart devices. Noedymium magnets are very strong.
Autoimmune Disease :: Molecule linked to autoimmune disease relapses identified at Stanford
The ebb and flow of such autoimmune diseases as multiple sclerosis, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis has long been a perplexing mystery to scientists. But new findings from the Stanford University School of Medicine bring scientists closer to solving the puzzle, identifying a molecule that appears to play a central role in these relapses.
Eating Disorders :: New info on eating disorders in two Stanford, Packard children’s studies
One study, to be published in the December issue of Pediatrics, is the first to confirm that pro-eating disorder Web sites may promote dangerous behaviors in adolescents with eating disorders.
Obesity :: Treating obesity vital for public health
Physicians who once treated mainly elderly patients for health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke are seeing increasingly younger patients who have the same ailments.
Cancer :: Math model predicts cancer behavior
A team of Vanderbilt and University of Dundee scientists envisions a future when computer simulations will be used to predict a tumor’s clinical progression and formulate individualized treatment plans. The group has developed a mathematical model for cancer invasion powerful enough for this purpose. The result was published as an entirely theoretical paper in the journal Cell and represents a “sea change” in how biology is done.
Fertility :: Synthetic cannabinoid may aid fertility in smokers
A reproductive medicine specialist at the University at Buffalo has shown that a new compound may improve the fertility of tobacco smokers who have low sperm count and low percentage sperm motility.