Health News

Anti-coagulant treatment for atrial fibrillation does not worsen outcomes for patients with kidney disease

Date: Mar-04-2014
Although some research has suggested that the use of the anticoagulant warfarin for atrial fibrillation among patients with chronic kidney disease would increase the risk of death or stroke, a study that included more than 24,000 patients found a lower l-year risk of the combined outcomes of death, heart attack or stroke without a higher risk of bleeding, according to a study in JAMA. Juan Jesus Carrero, Ph.D.

Opening or expanding a casino associated with lower rate of overweight children in that community

Date: Mar-04-2014
The opening or expansion of a casino in a community is associated with increased family income, decreased poverty rates and a decreased risk of childhood overweight or obesity, according to a study in JAMA. Obesity disproportionately affects children with low economic resources at the family and community levels. Few studies have evaluated whether this association is a direct effect of economic resources.

Yoga 'improves quality of life' for breast cancer patients

Date: Mar-04-2014
Radiation therapy is one of the main treatments for cancer, and one of the most common side effects of the treatment is fatigue. But new research from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center suggests that for breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy, yoga may combat this side effect by regulating stress hormones, improving quality of life beyond treatment.The research team, led by Prof. Lorenzo Cohen, recently published the study findings in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.Yoga is an ancient exercise that originated in India around 5,000 years ago.

Female doctors do more housekeeping and parenting than male doctors

Date: Mar-04-2014
Researchers who studied a group of motivated physician-academics have uncovered gender differences in the amount of time spent on parenting and household tasks, suggesting a reason for why female academic physicians overall do not have the same career success as their male counterparts.The researchers, led by Dr. Reshma Jagsi of the University of Michigan Health System, have published their results in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

Rising suicide rates in the Army are analyzed in a new initiative

Date: Mar-04-2014
Three new studies published simultaneously in JAMA Psychiatry investigate mental health issues within the Army. The studies look at mental disorders among non-deployed soldiers, suicidal behavior among soldiers and predictors of suicide among soldiers.The new studies were conducted by members of the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS) initiative. Army STARRS was launched in 2009 to address the Army's concern over the rising suicide rate among soldiers.

Gut microbes may play a role in colorectal cancer

Date: Mar-04-2014
New research from the US suggests an individual's particular mix of gut microbes may help the development of colorectal cancer tumors by interacting with genes and inflammatory responses.Colorectal cancer happens because healthy cells in the gut start to behave oddly following changes or mutations in their genes. These changes cause the cells to become progressively cancerous, forming polyps that can eventually become malignant tumors.

Heart attack risk rises after anger outbursts

Date: Mar-04-2014
Harvard researchers who analyzed decades of evidence on links between anger and cardiovascular events, concluded that in the 2 hours following an outburst of anger, there is a higher risk of heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular event.The systematic review and meta-analysis - thought to be the first to examine links between anger and cardiovascular outcomes - is published in the European Heart Journal.First author Dr.

New constipation treatment under study for Parkinson's patients

Date: Mar-04-2014
Constipation can be another uncomfortable problem for patients with Parkinson's disease that standard treatment won't relieve, researchers say. "Constipation in Parkinson's is very prevalent," said Dr. John C. Morgan, neurologist at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University and Director of the National Parkinson's Foundation Center of Excellence at Georgia Regents Medical Center.

A division and a decision in the first moments of infection

Date: Mar-04-2014
Using technologies and computational modeling that trace the destiny of single cells, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine describe for the first time the earliest stages of fate determination among white blood cells called T lymphocytes, providing new insights that may help drug developers create more effective, longer-lasting vaccines against microbial pathogens or cancer.The findings are published in the March 2, 2014 online issue of Nature Immunology.

Physicians are a leading source of prescription opioids for the highest-risk users

Date: Mar-04-2014
Most people who abuse prescription opioid drugs get them for free from a friend or relative - but those at highest risk of overdose are as likely to get them from a doctor's prescription, CDC researchers reported in a research letter, "Sources of Prescription Opioid Pain Relievers by Frequency of Past-Year Nonmedical Use: United States, 2008-2011," in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine (JAMA Internal Medicine). This finding underscores the need for prevention efforts that focus on physicians' prescribing behaviors and patients at highest risk for overdose.