Health News

Drug, Alcohol Problems Associated With Mortality In Younger Veterans With PTSD, Including Those From Iraq, Afghanistan

Date: Sep-20-2012
Veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder who are also battling drug or alcohol problems face a higher risk of death, according to new research from the University of Michigan Health System and the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System. The new study is the first to examine the association between drug or alcohol use disorders and death in veterans with PTSD, and also includes data from the nation's youngest veterans who have returned from conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan. Kipling Bohnert, Ph.D...

Patients With Open-Angle Glaucoma Account For A Large Part Of Costs

Date: Sep-20-2012
A small subset of patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) account for a large proportion of all glaucoma-related charges in the United States, according to new data published by researchers at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center and Washington University, St. Louis. These findings have importance for future evaluations of the cost-effectiveness of screening and treatment for glaucoma. "We've identified risk factors associated with patients who are the costliest recipients of glaucoma-related eye care," says Joshua D. Stein, M.D., M.S., glaucoma specialist at Kellogg...

Powerful Chemotherapy For Prostate Cancer Treatment's Underlying Mechanism Revealed

Date: Sep-20-2012
Study Suggests Role of Taxane-Based Chemotherapy Drugs May Be Underestimated and Should Be Re-examined to Improve the Drug's Effectiveness The power of taxane-based chemotherapy drugs are misunderstood and potentially underestimated, according to researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in the September 15 issue of the journal Cancer Research...

Multi-Site Blinded Study Puts To Rest The Notion That Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Is Linked To Suspect Viruses

Date: Sep-20-2012
The causes of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) have long eluded scientists. In 2009, a paper in the journal Science linked the syndrome - sometimes called myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) - to infection with a mouse retrovirus called XMRV (xenotropic murine leukemia virus (MLV)-related virus). Given that affected patients often have symptoms consistent with a chronic infection, this viral connection seemed plausible, and the findings were celebrated as a major achievement for a complex disease that afflicts nearly 1 million in the U.S...

Snake Venom Could Unlock Drug Discoveries For Cancer, Diabetes

Date: Sep-20-2012
A new revelation has been discovered, claiming that toxins in snake venom could potentially open doors to cutting-edge drugs being able to treat severe medical conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer. Venom generally contains an assortment of fatal molecules known as toxins, however, these toxins have changed from harmless compounds that previously did other jobs in the body. They seek out normal biological processes in snakes' prey, including nerve cell signaling or blood clotting, causing them to cease functioning...

Infection Data May Not Be Comparable Across Hospitals - But "Gaming" Is Not The Explanation, Study Shows

Date: Sep-20-2012
Research highlights differing methods of reporting central line infections in hospitals A new study has found that some kinds of infection data may not be comparable across hospitals, and may not be suitable for use as a performance measure. Published in the leading US policy journal Milbank Quarterly, the research found huge variability in how English hospitals collected, recorded and reported their rates of central line infections to a patient safety programme. The study was funded by the Health Foundation, a major UK charitable foundation aiming to improve quality of care...

Cerebral Palsy Surgery Patients' Recovery Time Can Be Halved By New Brace

Date: Sep-20-2012
A surgeon based at Southampton's teaching hospitals has pioneered the use of a removable brace which can halve hip surgery recovery time for children with cerebral palsy. Developed by Caroline Edwards, a consultant paediatric orthopaedic surgeon at Southampton General Hospital, the accelerated rehabilitation programme can see patients walking within six weeks. Conventionally, patients are placed in plaster shorts - known as a spica - for six to eight weeks...

Rat Model Reveals Lack Of Sleep Affects Bone Health And Bone Marrow Activity

Date: Sep-20-2012
Scientists at the Medical College of Wisconsin, in a team led by Carol Everson, Ph.D., professor of neurology, cell biology, neurobiology and anatomy, have discovered abnormalities in bone and bone marrow in rats undergoing chronic lack of sleep. They discovered abnormalities in serum markers of bone metabolism in sleep-deprived rats, which led them to conduct direct measurements of bone parameters; this time in rats experiencing recurrent sleep restriction during a large portion of their young adulthood...

Disability Caused By Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury May Persist And Stop Improving After 2 Years

Date: Sep-20-2012
A child who suffers a moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) may still have substantial functional disabilities and reduced quality of life 2 years after the injury. After those first 2 years, further improvement may be minimal. Better interventions are needed to prevent long-lasting consequences of TBI in children conclude the authors of a study published in Journal of Neurotrauma, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Journal of Neurotrauma website...

Obesity Epidemic Not Due To High Fructose Corn Syrup

Date: Sep-20-2012
A new article published in International Journal of Obesity found there is no evidence to suggest the current obesity epidemic in the United States can be specifically blamed on consumption of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). The commentary concludes that after an extensive review of all available HFCS research, there is overwhelming evidence showing HFCS is nutritionally equivalent to sugar. This opinion is in-line with the American Medical Association and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, both of which concluded that HFCS is not a unique cause of obesity...