Health News

BI-RADS 3 breast lesions found to have low cancer rate in multicenter trial

Date: Aug-21-2013
Based on data from a multi-site imaging trial involving more than 2,600 women, researchers say breast lesions categorized as 'probably benign' on supplemental screening ultrasound could be re-evaluated with imaging in 12 months, reducing patient anxiety, follow-up exams and unnecessary biopsies. Results of the study are published online in the journal Radiology...

Spinal cord injury outcomes in rats improved by novel Chinese herbal medicine

Date: Aug-21-2013
A new study published in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience demonstrates that Chinese herbal medicine Ji-Sui-Kang (JSK), given systemically for three weeks after injury in rats, improved locomotor function, reduced tissue damage, and preserved the structure of neural cells compared to control rats. The report also includes data showing that JSK may first act to reduce inflammation and cell apoptosis and death, and boost local oxygen supply while, later on, it appears to restore function and promote tissue regeneration...

BPA exposure increases risk of childhood obesity and abnormal waist circumference

Date: Aug-21-2013
Children who have higher levels of Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical previously used in many products for kids, like baby bottle and plastic toys, had a higher odds of obesity and adverse levels of body fat, according to a new study from University of Michigan researchers. The U-M team studied the levels of BPA found in children's urine and then measured body fat, waist circumference, and cardiovascular and diabetes risk factors, in a study published in Pediatrics...

Ice baths for athletes: research questions any benefit

Date: Aug-21-2013
What awaits you in the locker room may be one of the downsides to finishing a long run. Professional and amateur runners alike will be familiar with the cringe-inducing post-run ice bath, but a group of researchers at the University of New Hampshire have found that it may not be as helpful as previously thought. A study, published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, had 20 active college men running downhill for 40 minutes at a grade of -10%. Afterwards, researchers had half of them stand in a recycling bin filled with ice water up to their thighs for 20 minutes...

New techniques help in the construction of brain implants that stand the test of time

Date: Aug-21-2013
JoVE, the Journal of Visualized Experiments has published a technique from the Capadona Lab at Case Western Reserve University to accommodate two challenges inherent in brain-implantation technology, gauging the property changes that occur during implantation and measuring on a micro-scale. These new techniques open the doors for solving a great challenge for bioengineers - crafting a device that can withstand the physiological conditions in the brain for the long-term...

BMJ: stop smoking service saved 25,000 years of life

Date: Aug-21-2013
Researchers have analyzed the benefit of government-led "stop smoking" services to encourage people to quit cigarettes for good. The study, published in the BMJ, analyzed the performance of English stop smoking services between April 2001 and March 2011. In 1998, the UK government decided to establish a network of stop smoking services. All smokers in England have free access to local National Health Service (NHS) stop smoking services. This means smokers can visit a local health center for free support, receive a free stop smoking kit, and access to a stop smoking helpline...

Concerns about child health vary among races and ethnicities

Date: Aug-21-2013
Whites, Hispanics rate obesity as top concern, but blacks rate it sixth and give top rank to smoking, according to U-M's National Poll on Children's Health Adults across the U.S. rate childhood obesity as the top health concern for children in 2013, but priorities vary based on racial and ethnic backgrounds, according to a new University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health. In the poll's annual top 10 list, a nationwide sample of adults were asked to identify the top 10 biggest health concerns for kids in their communities...

Superantigens produced by staph bacteria cause deadly heart disease

Date: Aug-21-2013
University of Iowa researchers have discovered what causes the lethal effects of staphylococcal infective endocarditis - a serious bacterial infection of heart valves that kills approximately 20,000 Americans each year. According to the UI study, the culprits are superantigens - toxins produced in large quantities by Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bacteria - which disrupt the immune system, turning it from friend to foe. "The function of a superantigen is to 'mess' with the immune system," says Patrick Schlievert, Ph.D...

Older patients' needs not being met by emergency departments

Date: Aug-21-2013
Emergency departments are not meeting the needs of senior citizens, according to a new international study published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine. The study, which looked at patients over the age of 75 in emergency departments in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Iceland, India and Sweden, found that seniors have very different needs than the general population - needs that are not being addressed well by current clinical practices or emergency department designs. "The majority of older patients attending emergency departments are frail and dependent on others for help...

Implementation of multifaceted hypertension quality improvement program associated with increase in blood pressure control rates

Date: Aug-20-2013
Implementation of a large-scale hypertension program that included evidence-based guidelines and development and sharing of performance metrics was associated with a near-doubling of hypertension control between 2001 and 2009, compared to only modest improvements in state and national control rates, according to a study in the August 21 issue of JAMA.  "Hypertension affects 65 million adults in the United States (29 percent) and is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease...