Health News

Some children are more resilient than others to post-traumatic stress

Date: Feb-24-2014
Children exhibit a range of responses to traumatic events such as natural disasters, with some suffering acute traumatic reactions that resolve over time and others experiencing long-term symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Identifying factors that may help predict which youths are at greater risk of more serious disorders and which are likely to be more resilient following a traumatic event can help determine the care and services needed, according to an article in Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology (JCAP), a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

'Lending a hand' in diabetes treatment

Date: Feb-24-2014
An editorial in a February issue of American Family Physician proposes a simple way for physicians to communicate with patients about the best treatments for diabetes. The "lending a hand" illustration reprioritizes treatment goals, based on research on mortality reduction, to convey that glycemic control is no longer the primary intervention.

Coping with stress in criminal justice careers

Date: Feb-24-2014
Conflicts between work and family life were the most significant issues that affect work stress and job satisfaction among correctional officers, a new study by the Correctional Management Institute of Texas at Sam Houston State University found.In a study of 441 correctional officers from adult prisons in the South, the most significant work-home issues experienced by correctional officers were demands and tensions from work that impact their home life; an incompatibility between the officer's role at work and at home; and family circumstances that place strain on work experiences.

Physicians in rural primary care are committed to professionalism, quality improvement

Date: Feb-24-2014
The increased demand for primary care services expected to result from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) may be felt strongly in rural areas. While studies have found that the quality of care delivered to rural patients is as good or better than that available in urban areas, the belief persists that top-quality primary care is only available in big cities.

Lower cancer incidence rate in patients with central nervous system disease explained

Date: Feb-24-2014
Epidemiological studies demonstrate that diseases of the central nervous system such as Alzheimer, Parkinson and schizophrenia protect against cancer. The most remarkable example is Alzheimer's disease, which can reduce the risk of suffering from cancer by up to 50%. Various theories have been put forward in an attempt to explain this relationship between diseases at a first glance seem to be so different from the pharmacological, genetic and environmental perspectives. However, the available results were not consistent enough to confirm these models.

Association between high cost of fruits, vegetables and higher body fat in young children

Date: Feb-24-2014
High prices for fresh fruits and vegetables are associated with higher Body Mass Index (BMI) in young children in low- and middle-income households, according to American University researchers in the journal Pediatrics."There is a small, but significant, association between the prices of fruit and vegetables and higher child BMI," said Taryn Morrissey, the study's lead author and assistant professor of public administration and policy at AU's School of Public Affairs (SPA).

Many kidney disease patients experience hazardous events related to their medical care

Date: Feb-24-2014
In addition to experiencing negative health effects from their disease, patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are also at risk of experiencing hazardous events potentially related to medical treatments they receive. A study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN) finds that low blood sugar and high blood potassium being common complications of their medical care.

Important step towards pharmaceutical-based therapies that regenerate heart muscle

Date: Feb-24-2014
The power of regenerative medicine appears to have turned science fiction into scientific reality - by allowing scientists to transform skin cells into cells that closely resemble beating heart cells. However, the methods required are complex, and the transformation is often incomplete. But now, scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have devised a new method that allows for the more efficient - and, importantly, more complete - reprogramming of skin cells into cells that are virtually indistinguishable from heart muscle cells.

Secondary thyroid cancer more deadly than primary malignancy in young individuals

Date: Feb-24-2014
A new analysis has found that adolescents and young adults who develop thyroid cancer as a secondary cancer have a significantly greater risk of dying than those with primary thyroid cancer. Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings stress the importance of screening young cancer survivors to detect early signs of a potentially life-threatening thyroid malignancy.Thyroid cancer is one of the five most common malignancies in adolescent and young adult patients (ages 15 to 39 years).

Dishonesty and creativity: 2 sides of the same coin?

Date: Feb-24-2014
New research shows that lying about performance on one task may increase creativity on a subsequent task by making people feel less bound by conventional rules.The findings are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science."The common saying that 'rules are meant to be broken' is at the root of both creative performance and dishonest behavior," says lead researcher Francesca Gino of Harvard Business School. "Both creativity and dishonesty, in fact, involve rule breaking.