Health News

New Report Finds Mental Health-Substance Use Services In Hospitals Up After Parity Law

Date: Feb-28-2013
The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 ("Parity Act") increased access to mental health and substance use services in hospitals, yet consumers continued to pay more out-of-pocket for substance use admissions than for other types of hospital admissions, finds a new Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) report...

Same-Sex Cohabitors Less Healthy Than Those In Heterosexual Marriages

Date: Feb-28-2013
Same-sex cohabitors report worse health than people of the same socioeconomic status who are in heterosexual marriages, according to a new study, which may provide fuel for gay marriage proponents. "Past research has shown that married people are generally healthier than unmarried people," said Hui Liu, lead author of the study and an assistant professor of sociology at Michigan State University...

Genetic Variation Behind Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment Success Identified

Date: Feb-28-2013
Researchers from the College of Pharmacy and Medical School working within the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, have partnered to identify genetic variations that may help signal which acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients will benefit or not benefit from one of the newest antileukemic agents. Their study is published in Clinical Cancer Research...

Sex After Childbirth - Most Mothers Wait At Least 6 Weeks, Some Considerably Longer

Date: Feb-28-2013
Most first-time mothers wait until after 6 weeks postpartum to resume vaginal sex following childbirth and women who have an operative vaginal birth, caesarean section, perineal tear or episiotomy appear to wait longer, suggests a new study published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The study, conducted by the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Australia, used data from the Maternal Health Study, a large prospective pregnancy cohort in which data were collected from self-administered questionnaires in early pregnancy and at 3, 6 and 12 months postpartum...

Glioblastoma Tumor Cells Killed By Novel Combination Therapy That Shuts Down Escape Route

Date: Feb-28-2013
Glioblastoma, the most common and lethal form of brain tumor in adults, is challenging to treat because the tumors rapidly become resistant to therapy. As cancer researchers are learning more about the causes of tumor cell growth and drug resistance, they are discovering molecular pathways that might lead to new targeted therapies to potentially treat this deadly cancer. Scientists at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in San Diego worked collaboratively across the laboratories of Drs...

Genes May Increase Risk For Surgical Site Infections

Date: Feb-28-2013
An estimated 300,000 U.S. patients get surgical site infections every year, and while the causes are varied, a new University of Utah study suggests that some who get an infection can blame it partly on their genes. In the Feb. 19, 2013, online edition of the journal Wound Repair and Regeneration, researchers from the University's School of Medicine show through a study of families in the Utah Population Database (UPD) that surgical site infections (SSI) appear to have a significant genetic connection, even in extended relatives...

For Women With Lynch Syndrome, Study Revises Colorectal Cancer Risk Down And Other Cancer Risks Up

Date: Feb-28-2013
Lynch Syndrome is a heritable genetic mutation that causes colorectal, endometrial and other cancers. A cooperative study that included the University of Colorado Cancer Center, published in this month's issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, revises the risk of colorectal cancer down but other cancers up for women with Lynch Syndrome who have had endometrial cancer. "This new information helps patient care in two important ways...

Traumatic Events Can Lead To Increased Risk For Mental Disorders In Police And Firefighters

Date: Feb-28-2013
Police, firefighters and other protective services workers who are repeatedly exposed to traumatic events and are new to their profession are at greater risk of developing a psychiatric disorder, according to a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The researchers also found that protective services workers do not appear to have a higher prevalence of mental health problems than workers in other occupations. The study results are featured in the February 2013 issue of Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness...

Venom From The Viper Responsible For Most Snake Attacks On Humans May Save Lives

Date: Feb-28-2013
The powerful venom of the saw-scaled viper Echis carinatus contains both anticoagulants and coagulants finds a study published in the launch edition of BioMed Central's open access journal Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases (JVATiTD). These may be a source of potent drugs to treat human disease. The saw-scaled viper family Echis, responsible for most snake attacks on humans, are recognizable by the 'sizzling' noise they make, produced by rubbing together special serrated scales, when threatened...

The Good Behavior Game Helps Improve Behavior In Elementary School Classrooms, Reduce Substance Abuse

Date: Feb-28-2013
Afterschool programs seem to be most effective when their organization and implementation is supported by both organizational and community resources, according to Penn State human development researchers. Using a tool to help bridge the gap between research and real life, the researchers evaluated an afterschool program called the Good Behavior Game...