Health News

Earlier depression treatment prevents heart attacks and strokes

Date: Feb-05-2014
Research led by Jesse C. Stewart, Ph.D., of the School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, is the first to find that treatment of depression before any apparent signs of cardiovascular disease can decrease the risk of future heart attacks and strokes by almost half."Previous studies we and others have conducted indicate that depression is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. But past depression treatment studies involving cardiac patients have not shown the anticipated cardiovascular benefits.

A return to crime after paroled more likely for murderers who killed during robberies

Date: Feb-05-2014
Murderers who committed homicide during robberies are more likely to commit crimes again when they are paroled, compared to murderers who committed homicide under other circumstances, according to research from North Carolina State University and Harvard University."We wanted to know what determines whether former homicide offenders commit crime when released from prison," says Dr. Margaret Zahn, a professor of sociology at NC State and co-author of a paper describing the research. "We found that the motivation for murder was a significant predictor.

Gene associated with cerebral palsy and death in very preterm babies

Date: Feb-05-2014
In a study to be presented on Feb. 6 at 2:45 p.m. CST, at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting™, in New Orleans, researchers will report that a variant in SERPINE1, a gene involved in inflammation and blood clotting, is associated with cerebral palsy and death in very preterm babies. This gene has been associated with increased risk of cerebral palsy in one previous study of preterm babies.

Experts publish recommendations for managing and preventing drug shortages

Date: Feb-05-2014
A group of prominent healthcare experts including bioethicists, pharmacists, policymakers and cancer specialists have proposed concrete steps for preventing and managing a nightmare scenario that is becoming all too common: shortages of life-saving drugs.In a consensus statement published in the journal Pediatrics, the experts say they sought to move away from the current strategy of reaction to shortages once they have occurred and focus instead on prevention.

Mother's illness during pregnancy, allergen exposure may predict child's risk of asthma and allergy

Date: Feb-05-2014
Women that are pregnant may want to take extra precaution around those that are sniffling and sneezing this winter. According to a newly published study, the more common colds and viral infections a woman has during pregnancy, the higher the risk her baby will have asthma.The study, published in the February issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, found a mother's infections and bacterial exposure during pregnancy affect the in utero environment, thus increasing a baby's risk of developing allergy and asthma in childhood.

Mortality risk at low education levels reduced by perceived control

Date: Feb-05-2014
The less education you have, the more your attitude counts when it comes to staying alive and well.That's the finding of a new study conducted by personality researchers from the University of Rochester and Brandeis University. They found that adults without college degrees live longer if they feel like they're in control of their lives. Those who feel little control are three times as likely to die.

Intervention leads to reduction in C-sections and neonatal morbidities

Date: Feb-05-2014
In a study to be presented on Feb. 6 in an oral plenary session at 8 a.m. CST, at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting™, in New Orleans, researchers will report that Cesarean deliveries reviews and best practices implementation are effective to provide optimal care by an appropriate management of medical interventions, leading to a significant reduction of cesarean deliveries and neonatal morbidity.

Cervicovaginal microbiota found to be different in women destined to have preterm birth

Date: Feb-05-2014
In a study to be presented on Feb. 6 at 3:15 p.m. CST, at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting ™, in New Orleans, researchers will report that cervicovaginal (CV) microbiota differs in the late second and early third trimester in women destined to have a preterm birth.The study tested vaginal swabs from pregnant women in the late second trimester (20-24 weeks) and early third trimester (24-28) weeks of pregnancy, and compared the CV biospecimens of women who ultimately had a preterm birth to those who had a term birth.

Complication rates reduced by new method to restore skull after brain surgery

Date: Feb-05-2014
Johns Hopkins surgeons report they have devised a better, safer method to replace bone removed from the skull after lifesaving brain surgery. The new technique, they say, appears to result in fewer complications than standard restoration, which has changed little since its development in the 1890s.Patients who have a piece of the skull removed to accommodate a swelling brain caused by brain injury, infection, tumor or stroke typically undergo a second operation - a cranioplasty - a few months later to restore the protective covering.

Expectant monitoring encouraged over immediate delivery for women with hypertensive disorders

Date: Feb-05-2014
In a study to be presented on Feb. 6 at 8:15 a.m. CST, at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting ™, in New Orleans, researchers will report findings that recommend expectant monitoring instead of immediate delivery for women with gestational hypertension or preeclampsia between 34 and 37 weeks of pregnancy.There are two strategies to manage hypertensive disorders for pregnant women between 34 and 37 weeks. The first is immediate delivery, which will cure the mother and thereby prevent complications.