Health News

Risk calculator developed to predict survival in heart failure patients

Date: Jan-24-2014
A UCLA team has developed an easy-to-use "risk calculator" that helps predict heart failure patients' chances of survival for up to five years and assists doctors in determining whether more or less aggressive treatment is appropriate.Given that heart failure impacts more than 5 million Americans and numerous variables affect patient outcomes, this type of risk-assessment tool can be very helpful to physicians and patients in assessing prognosis over time and guiding medical decision-making, the researchers say.

Pregnancy complications in lupus patients may be prevented by malaria drug combo

Date: Jan-24-2014
An anti-malaria drug combination might be useful in helping to prevent pregnancy complications in women with lupus and the related disorder antiphospholipid syndrome, Yale School of Medicine researchers have found in a new study published in the American Journal of Reproductive Immunology.Circulating antibodies called antiphospholipid antibodies are normally produced by the body to recognize and attack bacteria and other microbe.

New research underscores the genetic complexity in schizophrenia

Date: Jan-24-2014
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has announced the publication of two papers in the journal Nature that reveal new information about the genetic complexity underpinning schizophrenia. These collaborative studies represent the largest exome sequencing efforts to date to elucidate this mental illness, and together found that the disorder is likely caused by far more rare genetic mutations than previously suspected.

Care managers in patient centered medical homes increase improvements in diabetes patients

Date: Jan-24-2014
Patient centered medical homes (PCMHs) have been found to be an effective way to help care for patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes. Dr. Robert Gabbay, M.D., Ph.D., FACP, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President at Joslin Diabetes Center, and his team conducted a study that shows the strategic placement of care managers in PCMHs can further improve patient outcomes for high-risk diabetes patients.

'Liquid biopsy' a potential test for bladder cancer

Date: Jan-24-2014
Findings from a Loyola University Medical Center study ultimately could lead to tests to screen for and diagnose bladder cancer.Bladder cancer is the fourth most common non-skin cancer. But there is no good screening test for it, and there has been limited progress in characterizing how aggressive an individual's bladder cancer will be.Loyola researchers studied microscopic droplets, called exosomes, that are shed by cancer cells and are found in urine.

Study questions health benefits of vitamin D supplementation

Date: Jan-24-2014
Various studies have suggested vitamin D supplementation yields certain health benefits. But new research published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology suggests that evidence to back up these claims is lacking and that future studies are unlikely to change this outlook.Vitamin D is important for regulating the absorption of calcium and phosphorous in our bones.The main source of vitamin D comes from sunlight. However, foods such as oily fish, eggs, fortified fat spreads and powdered milk are good sources of the vitamin. It can also be taken in the form of supplements.

Would criminalising healthcare professionals for wilful neglect improve patient care?

Date: Jan-24-2014
The UK government is considering whether to adopt a recommendation to introduce a new criminal sanction in cases where healthcare workers are "unequivocally guilty of wilful or reckless neglect or mistreatment of patients". A discussion on bmj.com asks whether this will improve patient care.Jo Bibby, Director of Strategy at the Health Foundation says it will deter poor care that results in severe harm, but not death. She says that the proposal, made in response to the Francis inquiry, will close a gap in the law and is one of many important steps to improving patient care.

Real-time insight into how fast a living body metabolizes drugs, opening the door to highly personalized medicine

Date: Jan-24-2014
A device that can monitor the levels of specific drugs as they flow through the bloodstream may soon take the guesswork out of drug dosing and allow physicians to tailor prescriptions to their patients' specific biology. Developed by UC Santa Barbara researchers Tom Soh, Kevin Plaxco and Scott Ferguson, the biosensor combines engineering and biochemistry and has far-reaching potential.Doctors and pharmaceutical companies can generally determine reasonable drug doses for most patients through batteries of tests and trials.

How drugs that limit the damage caused by disease could affect how infections spread and evolve

Date: Jan-24-2014
New types of drug intended for use in place of antibiotics have been given a cautious welcome by scientists.Researchers have been probing the long-term effectiveness of drugs currently being developed by the pharmaceutical industry. These work by limiting the symptoms caused by a bug or virus in the body, rather than killing it outright.These treatments are designed to avoid the problem of infections becoming resistant to treatment, which has become widespread with antibiotics.

Does your spouse have type 2 diabetes? You could also be at risk

Date: Jan-24-2014
Although we learn to share many things when living with a partner, type 2 diabetes is not usually on the list. But new research from McGill University Health Centre in Canada suggests that if a person has type 2 diabetes, their partner is more likely to have or develop it.This is according to a study published in the journal BMC Medicine.Type 2 diabetes - the most common form of diabetes - occurs when the body develops insulin resistance. This is when the body is unable to use insulin properly.