Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Internal Medicine for May 2012. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Insulin Receptor Substrate 1 Variant Linked to GFR
THURSDAY, May 31 (HealthDay News) -- A variant of the human insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) gene, which plays an important role in modulating tissue response to insulin, is significantly associated with glomerular filtration rate (GFR), according to a study published online May 22 in Diabetes.
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Phlebotomy Benefits Patients With Metabolic Syndrome
THURSDAY, May 31 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with metabolic syndrome, phlebotomy correlates with lower systolic blood pressure and improvements in cardiovascular risk markers and glycemic control, with the changes associated with a reduction in ferritin, according to research published online May 30 in BMC Medicine.
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Slow-Growing Melanomas Lose Structure, Vary Color With Time
THURSDAY, May 31 (HealthDay News) -- The diameter of most slow-growing melanomas (SGMs) changes very little over time, but the lesions can become more disorganized, less structured, and change or develop new colors, according to a study published in the June issue of the British Journal of Dermatology.
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M. Genitalium Ups Risk of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, Cervicitis
THURSDAY, May 31 (HealthDay News) -- Infection with Mycoplasma genitalium (M. genitalium) is an independent and strong risk factor for both cervicitis and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), according to a study published in the June issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Patient Goals for Presenting Internet Research to Docs Vary
THURSDAY, May 31 (HealthDay News) -- When cancer patients approach their doctors with Internet research regarding their disease, their goals for the conversation affect how they perceive their provider's responses (attributions), according to a study published online May 17 in the Journal of Applied Communication Research.
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Genetic Personality Traits May Play Role in Longevity
THURSDAY, May 31 (HealthDay News) -- Centenarians often have a positive outlook on life, are less likely to be neurotic, and are more likely to be conscientious, suggesting that genetically-based aspects of personality play a role in longevity, according to a study published online May 21 in Aging.
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Cardiovascular Risk Counseling Improves Statin Adherence
THURSDAY, May 31 (HealthDay News) -- For patients taking statins for prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), extended care with nurse-led cardiovascular risk-factor counseling improves statin adherence and reduces anxiety, with improvements seen in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol for primary prevention patients, according to a study published online May 24 in The American Journal of Cardiology.
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Intensive Glucose Control Helps Surrogate Renal End Points
THURSDAY, May 31 (HealthDay News) -- Intensive glucose therapy significantly reduces microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria in adults with type 2 diabetes, but does not improve clinical renal outcomes, according to a study published in the May 28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Repeat CT Scan Urged for Head Trauma Patients on Warfarin
WEDNESDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- Minor head trauma patients taking warfarin should have a repeat computed tomography (CT) scan prior to discharge to detect delayed hemorrhage, particularly in those with an initial international normalized ratio (INR) higher than 3, according to research published in the June issue of the Annals of Emergency Medicine.
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Pre-Op Chemoradiotherapy Ups Survival in Esophageal Cancer
WEDNESDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with esophageal or esophagogastric-junction cancer, treatment with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by surgical resection is associated with improved survival compared with surgery alone, according to a study published in the May 31 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Link Between Obesity and Lower-Extremity Lymphedema Explored
WEDNESDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- Lower-extremity lymphedema may be due to extreme obesity, as there appears to be a body mass index (BMI) threshold above which lymphatic flow becomes impaired, according to a letter to the editor published in the May 31 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Online Adderall May Contain Wrong Active Ingredients
WEDNESDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- Consumers purchasing the drug Adderall online may be buying a counterfeit version that could be ineffective, unsafe, and potentially harmful, according to a safety alert issued May 30 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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Working Night Shift May Increase Breast Cancer Risk
WEDNESDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- There may be an increased risk of developing breast cancer among women who work night shifts, according to a study published online May 29 in Occupational & Environmental Medicine.
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Pathologic Response Prediction of Survival Aided by Tumor Type
WEDNESDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- Pathologic complete response (pCR) is more highly predictive of recurrence-free survival (RFS) when specific breast cancer tumor type is factored in, according to a study published online May 29 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Mobile Technology Helps Improve Lifestyle Coaching
WEDNESDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- Coaching supported by mobile technology can help adults improve their lifestyle, most significantly through increasing their intake of fruits and vegetables and decreasing sedentary leisure time, according to a study published in the May 28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Glucose Levels at Admission Predict Death in Pneumonia
WEDNESDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with community-acquired pneumonia without preexisting diabetes, serum glucose levels at admission are predictive of death at 28 and 90 days, according to a study published online May 29 in BMJ.
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Post-Transplant, eGFR Impacts Cardio Risk Independently
WEDNESDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- In stable kidney transplant recipients, kidney function, as determined by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), is independently associated with cardiovascular (CVD) events and death, according to research published online May 17 in the American Journal of Transplantation.
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Acne Medication Isotretinoin Increases Risk of Eye Disorders
WEDNESDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- The acne medicine isotretinoin may be linked to a nearly two-fold increased risk of ocular adverse effects in users, according to a study published online April 16 in the Archives of Dermatology.
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Risk Models Only Slightly Up Prediction of Complex Diseases
WEDNESDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- Risk models that take gene-gene and gene-environment interactions into account only slightly improve the prediction of risk for three complex diseases, according to a study published online May 24 in the American Journal of Human Genetics.
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Protein Elevated in Stroke Patients With Microbleeds
WEDNESDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- Serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a marker of vascular permeability, are significantly higher in stroke patients with cerebral microbleeds, according to a study published online May 28 in the Archives of Neurology.
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Diabetes Linked to Lung Cancer in Postmenopausal Women
WEDNESDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- Postmenopausal women with diabetes are at a significantly higher risk of developing lung cancer, particularly if they require insulin therapy, according to research published online May 22 in Diabetes Care.
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NSAID Use Linked to Reduced Risk of Skin Cancer
TUESDAY, May 29 (HealthDay News) -- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including nonselective NSAIDs and older cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors, are associated with a decreased risk of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and malignant melanoma (MM), particularly among long-term and high-intensity NSAID users, according to a study published online May 29 in Cancer.
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AHA Recommends More Safeguards for Genetic Testing
TUESDAY, May 29 (HealthDay News) -- While genetics show promise for improving health, more safeguards are needed to protect patients and allow scientific and clinical research to continue, according to recommendations issued by the American Heart Association and published online May 29 in Circulation.
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Obesity, Overweight at Diagnosis Ups B-Cell Lymphoma Prognosis
TUESDAY, May 29 (HealthDay News) -- For U.S. veterans with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), being overweight or obese at time of diagnosis correlates with improved survival, according to a study published online May 29 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Evidence Updated for Impact of Menopausal Hormone Therapy
TUESDAY, May 29 (HealthDay News) -- An updated review clarifies the impact of menopausal hormone therapy on the risk of chronic conditions, according to research published online May 28 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Fever During Pregnancy Linked to Autism in Offspring
TUESDAY, May 29 (HealthDay News) -- Maternal influenza during pregnancy is not associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or developmental delay (DD), but the odds of ASD and DD are increased for children whose mothers had fever during pregnancy, according to a study published online May 5 in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
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Influenza Vaccine in Pregnancy May Improve Outcomes
TUESDAY, May 29 (HealthDay News) -- Pregnant women vaccinated for H1N1 influenza during their second or third trimesters were less likely to give birth before 32 weeks' gestation, have a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) baby, or have a stillbirth, compared with those who were not vaccinated, according to research published in the June issue of the American Journal of Public Health.
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Evidence for Prevention of HIV Transmission Reviewed
TUESDAY, May 29 (HealthDay News) -- Evidence-based pharmacologic strategies for prevention of HIV transmission include postexposure prophylaxis, pre-exposure prophylaxis, and early initiation of treatment, according to a review published online May 28 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
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Worse Survival for Recipients of Lungs From Smokers
TUESDAY, May 29 (HealthDay News) -- Recipients of lungs from donors with a positive smoking history have worse three-year survival, but their probability of survival is better than for those who remain on the waiting list, according to a study published online May 29 in The Lancet.
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Video Games Positively Impact Variety of Health Outcomes
MONDAY, May 28 (HealthDay News) -- Although additional rigorous clinical trials are warranted, the literature suggests that video games can be useful in improving a variety of health outcomes, particularly those in the areas of psychological and physical therapy, according to research published online in the June issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
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Family History of Alzheimer's Affects Functional Connectivity
FRIDAY, May 25 (HealthDay News) -- Cognitively normal individuals with a family history of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) may display lower resting state functional connectivity in the default mode network (DMN) of the brain, and this effect is detectable even in those who do not carry the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele, according to a study published online May 9 in the Annals of Neurology.
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Pancreatectomy OK Without Downstaging From Therapy
FRIDAY, May 25 (HealthDay News) -- Pancreatectomy improves median survival in pancreatic cancer patients even when presurgical neoadjuvant therapy does not lead to radiographic downstaging of tumors, according to a study published online May 17 in Cancer.
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Magnesium Not Recommended After Subarachnoid Bleed
FRIDAY, May 25 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, intravenous magnesium sulfate is no better than placebo for reduction of poor outcome, according to a study published online May 25 in The Lancet to coincide with presentation at the European Stroke Conference, held from May 22 to 25 in Lisbon, Portugal.
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Upping Dietary Calcium Buys No Big Cardiovascular Benefit
FRIDAY, May 25 (HealthDay News) -- Increasing dietary calcium intake might not offer significant cardiovascular benefits, but intake through calcium supplements might raise myocardial infarction (MI) risk, according to a study published online May 23 in Heart.
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Cognitive, Sound-Based Combo Therapy Reduces Tinnitus
FRIDAY, May 25 (HealthDay News) -- A multidisciplinary approach to treating tinnitus that combines cognitive behavior therapy with sound-based tinnitus retraining therapy is significantly more effective than currently available treatments for reducing symptoms in otherwise healthy subjects, according to a study published in the May 26 issue of The Lancet.
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Peritonitis Ups Odds of Mortality in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients
FRIDAY, May 25 (HealthDay News) -- Among patients who die while on peritoneal dialysis, peritonitis is associated with mortality, with the highest odds for peritonitis in the 30 days before death, according to a study published online May 24 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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Common Therapies for Basal Cell Carcinoma Offer Similar Survival
FRIDAY, May 25 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with superficial basal cell carcinoma (sBCC), treatment with imiquimod or photodynamic therapy (PDT) results in similar long-term tumor-free survival, according to a review published online May 21 in the British Journal of Dermatology.
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Low Vitamin D Intake Tied to Risk of Thromboembolic Stroke
THURSDAY, May 24 (HealthDay News) -- In Japanese-American men, low dietary vitamin D intake is associated with an increased risk of all stroke and thromboembolic stroke during a 34-year follow-up period, according to a study published online May 24 in Stroke.
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Low-Glucose Suspend Function in Insulin Pumps Deemed Safe
THURSDAY, May 24 (HealthDay News) -- Sensor-augmented pump therapy with a low-glucose suspend (LGS) function appears to be safe for patients with type 1 diabetes, according to a study published online May 14 in Diabetes Care.
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U.S. Stroke Prevalence Little Changed in Recent Years
THURSDAY, May 24 (HealthDay News) -- The prevalence of stroke in the United States has changed little over the past seven years, and disparities by race/ethnicity, education level, and geographic location still persist, according to a study published in the May 25 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report.
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One-Fifth of Healthy Middle-Aged Men Have Low-Grade Murmur
THURSDAY, May 24 (HealthDay News) -- More than one-fifth of healthy middle-aged men have a low-grade systolic heart murmur that confers a nearly five-fold higher risk of future aortic valve replacement (AVR), according to a study published in the June issue of the Journal of Internal Medicine.
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Diabetes-Linked Cardio, All-Cause Mortality Decreasing
WEDNESDAY, May 23 (HealthDay News) -- From 1997 to 2006, there was a significant decrease in the cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality rates for U.S. men and women with diabetes, according to research published in the June issue of Diabetes Care.
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Aspirin Effective in Preventing Thromboembolism Recurrence
WEDNESDAY, May 23 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with unprovoked venous thromboembolism who have completed oral anticoagulant treatment, aspirin effectively prevents recurrence, with no apparent increase in the risk of major bleeding, according to a study published in the May 24 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Treatment With rt-PA Within Six Hours of Stroke Beneficial
WEDNESDAY, May 23 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with acute ischemic stroke, treatment with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) within six hours is associated with improved outcomes, according to two studies published online May 23 in The Lancet to coincide with presentation at the European Stroke Conference, held from May 22 to 25 in Lisbon, Portugal.
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New Estimates Up Dementia Rates in Mid-Income Countries
WEDNESDAY, May 23 (HealthDay News) -- Use of 10/66 dementia diagnosis criteria (10/66) results in an increase in the estimated incidence of dementia in middle-income countries, according to a study published online May 23 in The Lancet.
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Genetic Testing Doesn't Up Post-Test Health Care Use
WEDNESDAY, May 23 (HealthDay News) -- Receiving genetic susceptibility testing is associated with an increase in physician visits before testing, but does not impact subsequent health care utilization, according to a study published online May 17 in Genetics in Medicine.
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Characteristics of STEMI Reperfusion Systems Identified
WEDNESDAY, May 23 (HealthDay News) -- Successful ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) reperfusion systems share common characteristics, and these characteristics can be used to set standards for coordinated care, according to research published online May 22 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
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Patients Can Minimize Injection Pain by Looking Away
WEDNESDAY, May 23 (HealthDay News) -- The intensity of pain and unpleasantness associated with a needle prick is affected not only by previous experiences with needle pricks but also by information given prior to an injection, according to research published in the May issue of Pain.
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Hunter-Gatherer Lifestyle Tied to Low Atherosclerosis Risk
TUESDAY, May 22 (HealthDay News) -- Traditional hunter-gatherers have a lower risk of atherosclerosis, lower age-related increases in blood pressure, and reduced prevalence of hypertension, according to two studies published online May 21 in Hypertension.
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CPAP Use May Reduce Risk of Hypertension in Apnea Patients
TUESDAY, May 22 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) without daytime sleepiness, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) does not significantly affect the incidence of hypertension or cardiovascular events; however, regular use of CPAP may reduce the increased risk of incident hypertension seen among patients with OSA, according to two studies published in the May 23/30 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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For Older Women, Saturated Fats Linked to Worse Cognition
TUESDAY, May 22 (HealthDay News) -- For older women, higher saturated fatty acid (SFA) intake correlates with worse global cognition and verbal memory trajectories, while higher intake of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) correlates with improved trajectories, according to a study published online May 17 in the Annals of Neurology.
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Post-Stroke Inpatient Statins Improve Discharge Outcomes
TUESDAY, May 22 (HealthDay News) -- Statin use during hospitalization for ischemic stroke significantly improves the likelihood of being discharged to home or institution, according to a study published in the May 22 issue of Neurology.
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Chemoradiotherapy Improves Survival for Elderly With NSCLC
TUESDAY, May 22 (HealthDay News) -- For elderly patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), treatment with radiotherapy plus carboplatin improves overall survival versus radiotherapy alone, according to a study published May 22 in The Lancet Oncology.
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QRS Duration Independently Tied to Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death
TUESDAY, May 22 (HealthDay News) -- Prolonged QRS duration is associated with an increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD), according to a study published online May 21 in Circulation.
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Vigorous Physical Activity Tied to Reduced Psoriasis Risk
TUESDAY, May 22 (HealthDay News) -- Vigorous physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of psoriasis in women, according to a study published online May 21 in the Archives of Dermatology.
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U.S. Task Force Recommends Against PSA-Based Screening
MONDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends against the use of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based screening for men in the general U.S. population, according to new guidelines published online May 21 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Dabrafenib Safe, Active Against Some Metastatic Melanomas
MONDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- Dabrafenib, the mutant BRAF-selective inhibitor of BRAF kinase, is safe for treating solid tumors and shows antitumor activity against Val600-mutant BRAF melanomas and other solid tumors, including melanomas that have metastasized to the brain, according to a study published in the May 19 issue of The Lancet.
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White Matter of Abstinent Alcoholics Recovers Over Time
MONDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- Based on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), the microstructural changes seen in the genu and body of the corpus callosum in recently detoxified alcohol-dependent patients are found to improve after one year of abstinence, according to research published online May 2 in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
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Higher Pain Tolerance for Athletes Than Active Controls
MONDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- Athletes seem to have significantly higher pain tolerance than normally-active people, according to research published in the June issue of Pain.
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Phylogenomic Analysis Reveals Origin, Spread of MRSA Clone
MONDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- Phylogenomic analysis has revealed details about the emergence and transmission of a major methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clone, EMRSA-16, according to research published online May 14 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Altered Amino Acid Metabolism Precedes Hyperglycemia
MONDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- In a population of middle-aged men and women, branched-chain and aromatic amino acid metabolism alterations precede the development of hyperglycemia, and alanine, lactate, tyrosine, and pyruvate predict postchallenge glucose, according to a study published online May 4 in Diabetes Care.
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Palpitations Predict Future Atrial Fibrillation
FRIDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- Palpitations, hypertension, and body mass index (BMI) are predictive of future atrial fibrillation (AF) in both men and women, according to a study published online May 15 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
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Inadequate Pain Meds in ER for Patients With Long-Bone Fx
FRIDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- The majority of patients with long-bone fractures receive inadequate pain medication in the emergency department, and disparities in management exist, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of Emergency Nursing.
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Workplace Inspections Reduce Job Injuries and Related Costs
FRIDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- Government mandated workplace inspections, such as those carried out by California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) reduce on-the-job injuries and their associated costs without harming the companies' performance or profits, according to a study published in the May 18 issue of Science.
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Increase in Physical Activity in Men Optimizes Peak Bone Mass
FRIDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- For young men, increasing physical activity over a five-year period is associated with improvements in bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD), according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
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Short-Term Smoke Exposure Impairs Endothelial Function
FRIDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- Short-term exposure to low levels of secondhand smoke (SHS) results in a concentration-dependent decrease in endothelial function, according to a study published in the May 22 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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'Pedicure Fish' May Harbor Pathogens for Zoonotic Disease
FRIDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- Garra rufa (G. rufa), or doctor fish -- widely used in the health and beauty industries around the world, although currently banned in many U.S. states -- may harbor zoonotic disease pathogens, according to a letter to the editor published online May 16 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emerging Infectious Diseases.
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Gender, High DAS28-P Index Predictive of Pain in Early RA
FRIDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), female gender and having a high proportion of disease activity score (DAS28) attributable to patient-reported components (joint tenderness and visual analog score) (DAS28-P) at baseline are predictive of less improvement in pain at one year, according to a study published online May 3 in Arthritis Care & Research.
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Adjuvant Radiochemotherapy Has Lasting Benefit in Gastric Cancer
FRIDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- Ten-year data from the Southwestern Oncology Group-directed Intergroup Study 0116 confirm the benefits of adjuvant radiochemotherapy after gastric cancer resection in terms of overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS), according to research published online May 14 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Generic Versions of Plavix Approved
THURSDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) -- The first generic versions of Plavix (clopidogrel bisulfate) have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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PEG Tubes Linked to Increased Risk of New Pressure Ulcers
THURSDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) -- Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding tubes significantly increase the risk of new pressure ulcers and do not promote the healing of existing pressure ulcers in nursing home residents with advanced cognitive impairment, according to a study published in the May 14 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Retinal Vessel Diameter Linked to Heart Disease, Hypertension
THURSDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) -- Baseline retinal vessel diameter is an independent predictor of incident hypertension, lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD), and any cardiovascular disease (CVD) at six years in African-American patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, according to a study published in the May issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology.
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Causality Link Between HDL Cholesterol, MI Challenged
THURSDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) -- Genetic mechanisms that are associated with high plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol do not reduce the risk of myocardial infarction (MI), adding question to causality of link, according to a study published online May 17 in The Lancet.
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Predictors of Length of Hospital Stay After Spine Surgery ID'd
THURSDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) -- A variety of pre-, intra-, and postoperative factors contribute to increased length of stay (LOS) for patients who undergo level 1 minimally invasive (MIS) transforaminal interbody fusions (TLIF) spine surgery, according to a study published online May 8 in Spine.
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Statins Benefit Those at Low Risk for Vascular Events
THURSDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) -- Reduction of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol with statins is associated with a decrease in major vascular events, even for individuals with a five-year risk of less than 10 percent, according to research published online May 17 in The Lancet.
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For Contact Sport Athletes, Head Impact Impairs Learning
WEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- For contact sport athletes, repetitive head impact during a single season is associated with poorer measures of new learning and poorer performance on cognitive measures, according to a study published online May 16 in Neurology.
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Azithromycin Tied to Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Mortality
WEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- Azithromycin treatment is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, according to a study published in the May 16 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Leukoencephalopathy Risk Factors ID'd for MS Drug
WEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- Multiple sclerosis patients taking natalizumab are at higher risk of developing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) if they are positive for the anti-JC virus antibodies, have been treated with immunosuppressants, and have been treated with natalizumab for longer periods, according to a study published in the May 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Coffee Drinking Linked to Lower Mortality Risk
WEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- Coffee drinking is associated with a lower risk of death from most major causes except cancer, according to a study published in the May 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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CDC: 35th Report on the Health of the Nation Published
WEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- The 35th report on the health status of the United States in 2011 has been published online May 16 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
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Repeated Revascularization Doesn't Aid High-Risk Patients
WEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- For asymptomatic patients who are identified as high-risk by exercise echocardiography (ExE) after coronary revascularization, repeated revascularization is not associated with improved outcomes, according to a study published online May 14 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Increased Sudden Cardiac Death Rate Among HIV Patients
WEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with HIV/AIDS have a significantly increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD), according to a study published in the May 22 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Many People With Dementia Die at Home
WEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- Individuals with dementia often live and die at home, and most transitions to a nursing home follow hospitalization, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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Outcomes Good for Status Asthmaticus Patients in ICU
WEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- Although the majority of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with status asthmaticus (SA) require mechanical ventilation, the rates of mortality and complications are very low, according to a study published in the March issue of Respiratory Medicine.
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Diagonal Ear Lobe Crease Tied to Coronary Artery Disease
WEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- Diagonal ear lobe crease (DELC) is independently and significantly associated with the prevalence, extent, and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD), according to a study published in the May 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
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Pazopanib Active in Metastatic Soft-Tissue Sarcoma
WEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with metastatic non-adipocytic soft-tissue sarcoma, progressing in spite of previous chemotherapy, pazopanib improves progression-free survival, according to the results of a phase 3 study published online May 16 in The Lancet.
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Air Pollution Linked to Cardiovascular Disease Markers
TUESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- Changes in air pollution levels during the Beijing Olympics were associated with changes in biomarkers linked to cardiovascular disease in healthy young people, according to a study published in the May 16 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a theme issue on global health.
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More Education Linked to Lower Mortality in Over 40s
TUESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- Additional schooling is associated with a small reduction in mortality, but only after 40 years of age, according to a study published online May 14 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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AIDS Relief Assistance Linked to Greater Decline in Mortality
TUESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- All-cause adult mortality declined more substantially in African countries in which the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program operated more intensively between 2004 and 2008, according to a study published in the May 16 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a theme issue on global health.
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Acupuncture Tied to Improved Dyspnea on Exertion in COPD
TUESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), acupuncture appears to improve dyspnea on exertion, according to a study published online May 14 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Low Back Pain Improves Soon After Treatment, but Still Lingers
TUESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with acute or persistent low back pain, pain and disability improve in the first six weeks of treatment, but low-to-moderate pain and disability tend to persist at one year, according to a review published online May 14 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
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Better Outcomes at High-Volume Stroke Centers
TUESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- High-volume endovascular stroke centers provide faster times to treatment, and patients are more likely to have good clinical outcomes and successful reperfusion, according to a study published online May 13 in the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery.
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Lack of Post-MI Discharge Advice Hinders Sexual Activity
TUESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- Less than half of patients who suffer an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) receive instruction regarding resuming sexual activity on hospital discharge, with those who do not receive instruction more likely to report loss of sexual activity, according to a study published in the May 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
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Peptide Level Ups Diagnosis of Heart Failure in Primary Care
TUESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- For patients presenting with dyspnea, the additional measurement of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels increases the certainty of diagnosis of heart failure and accelerates initiation of appropriate treatment, but does not reduce medical costs, according to a study published online May 2 in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
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U.S. Lifetime Prevalence of Sleep Walking ~30 Percent
TUESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- The lifetime prevalence of nocturnal wandering with abnormal state of consciousness (NW) is approximately 30 percent in the U.S. general population, according to a study published in the May 15 issue of Neurology.
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Trail Making Test Performance Predicts Post-Stroke Mortality
TUESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- Poor executive performance, as measured with the Trail Making Test (TMT)-A and -B, can identify elderly men who are at higher risk of death after a first-ever stroke, according to a study published online May 9 in BMJ Open.
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Small Benefit of Inhaled Corticosteroids for Sinusitis
TUESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with acute sinusitis, inhaled corticosteroids provide a small benefit over placebo but only after several weeks, according to a study published in the May/June issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
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Screening for Retinopathy Every Two Years Deemed Safe
TUESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with type 2 diabetes without evidence of retinopathy, increasing the screening interval to every two years yields no increased risk of retinopathy-mediated vision loss and reduces screening costs, according to a study published online May 7 in Diabetes Care.
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Being Fit Lowers HTN Risk in Those With Parental History
MONDAY, May 14 (HealthDay News) -- Having a moderate or high level of fitness can attenuate the increased risk of developing hypertension due to parental history, according to a study published online May 14 in Hypertension.
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Patients on Gilenya for MS May Require Extended Monitoring
MONDAY, May 14 (HealthDay News) -- Based on the report of a patient who died after taking one dose of the multiple sclerosis (MS) drug Gilenya (fingolimod) and on clinical trial data, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is recommending extended monitoring for certain patients taking this drug, according to a May 14 Drug Safety Communication issued by the agency.
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CT Colonography Accurate for 10 mm Adenomas
MONDAY, May 14 (HealthDay News) -- For patients at average-to-moderate risk of colon cancer, computed tomographic colonography (CTC) accurately detects adenomas 10 mm or larger, but not smaller lesions, according to a study published in the May 15 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Smoking Cannabis Reduces Spasticity in Multiple Sclerosis
MONDAY, May 14 (HealthDay News) -- Smoking cannabis is associated with a reduction in spasticity for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study published online May 14 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
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Psychiatric Patients Wait Average of 11.5 Hours in ER
MONDAY, May 14 (HealthDay News) -- Average emergency department wait times for adult patients with psychiatric emergencies is 11.5 hours, and can be even longer for those who are older, uninsured, or intoxicated, according to research published online May 4 in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.
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Beta Blocker Use Is Not Linked to Reduced Colon Cancer Risk
MONDAY, May 14 (HealthDay News) -- The use of beta blockers is not associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), according to a study published online May 14 in Cancer.
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Thrombus Aspiration in Primary PCI Has No Effect on Outcomes
MONDAY, May 14 (HealthDay News) -- The use of manual or mechanical thrombus aspiration (TA) in adjunct to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) does not affect the two-year incidence of major adverse cardiac events in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), according to a study published in the May 1 issue of Catheterization & Cardiovascular Interventions.
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New Technique Removes Inoperable Abdominal Tumors
FRIDAY, May 11 (HealthDay News) -- Multivisceral ex vivo surgery can successfully remove invasive abdominal tumors previously deemed unresectable due to location and vascular involvement, according to a case report published in the May issue of the American Journal of Transplantation.
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Post-SES Implantation, Statins Prevent Late Revascularization
FRIDAY, May 11 (HealthDay News) -- For patients who undergo sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) implantation, use of statin therapy is associated with a reduced risk of late target lesion revascularization (TLR), according to a study published in the May 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
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African-Americans Have More Severe Sclerosis Complications
FRIDAY, May 11 (HealthDay News) -- African-American patients with systemic sclerosis have more severe complications than Caucasian patients, and these complications are related to the type of autoantibody and severity of lung disease, according to a study published online May 10 in Arthritis & Rheumatism.
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Blood Clot Risk Elevated in Patch and Vaginal Ring Users
FRIDAY, May 11 (HealthDay News) -- Compared to nonusers of hormonal contraception, women who use combined contraceptive transdermal patches are at an eight-fold increased risk of venous thrombosis, and vaginal ring users are at a more than six-fold increased risk, according to a study published online May 10 in BMJ.
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Sun Protective Behavior on the Rise in U.S. Adults
THURSDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- Adults in the United States may be taking more precautions to avoid sunburn outdoors, but many are still getting burned, and a substantial proportion are utilizing indoor tanning, according to research published in the May 11 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report.
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Mid- and Late-Life Depression Tied to Dementia Risk
THURSDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with depressive symptoms either in midlife or late in life are at increased risk of developing dementia, according to a study published in the May issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
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Team-Centered Multicondition Care Deemed Cost-Effective
THURSDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- For adults with depression and poorly controlled diabetes and/or coronary heart disease (CHD), a collaborative care intervention is cost-effective, according to a study published in the May issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
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Substantial Survival for Older Adults With Diabetes
THURSDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- Middle-aged and older adults with diabetes have substantial five-year survival, with survival exceeding 50 percent for almost all age and clinical groups, according to a study published online April 6 in The Journals of Gerontology: Series A.
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Review: Physical Activity Cuts Mortality for Cancer Survivors
WEDNESDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- Physical activity correlates with reduced all-cause and breast and colon cancer-specific mortality, according to a study published online May 8 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Lenalidomide Maintenance Beneficial in Multiple Myeloma
WEDNESDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with multiple myeloma, maintenance treatment with lenalidomide is associated with improved progression-free survival (PFS) for newly-diagnosed patients ineligible for transplantation and for those who have undergone stem-cell transplantation, according to three phase 3 studies published in the May 10 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Epilepsy Treatment Response Patterns Usually Constant
WEDNESDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- The response that newly-diagnosed epilepsy patients have to their first drug treatment may indicate their likelihood of achieving seizure freedom, according to a study published online May 9 in Neurology.
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Infectious Agents Cause About One in Six Cancers Worldwide
WEDNESDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- Globally, nearly two million new cancer cases are caused by infectious agents each year, according to a study published online May 9 in The Lancet Oncology.
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Metformin May Have Dual Effect in Breast Cancer
WEDNESDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- For women without diabetes and with operable breast cancer, administration of metformin prior to surgery does not significantly affect the proliferative marker Ki-67 overall, but drug effects are observed according to homeostasis model assessment (HOMA), particularly in luminal B tumors, according to a study published online May 7 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Long Auto Commutes Found to Be Hazardous to Health
WEDNESDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- Commuting distance is negatively associated with physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and positively associated with obesity and metabolic risk indicators, according to a study published online May 8 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
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Poor Health Status Indicators ID'd for Patients With ICDs
TUESDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) shock status and Type D personality are indicators of post-implantation health status at one-year follow-up, according to a study published online May 8 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
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Probiotics Helpful in Reducing Antibiotic-Related Diarrhea
TUESDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Probiotics seem to be effective in preventing and treating antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD), but more research is needed to know which probiotics are most effective for specific antibiotics, according to research published in the May 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Older Women With A-Fib at Greater Stroke Risk Than Men
TUESDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- The risk of stroke following a recent diagnosis of atrial fibrillation (AF) in older patients is higher in women than men, regardless of warfarin use, according to a study published in the May 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Newer Model Better Identifies eGFR-Related Risks
TUESDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- The Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation more accurately identifies the risk implications of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) than the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) Study equation, according to research published in the May 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Sun/Skin Cancer Counseling Recommended for Youth
TUESDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that physicians counsel children, adolescents, and young adults who have fair skin about ultraviolet radiation exposure and skin cancer prevention, according to new recommendations published online May 7 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Living Close to Major Roadway at Time of MI Ups Mortality
TUESDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- For survivors of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), residential proximity to a major roadway at the time of AMI is linked to an increased risk of 10-year mortality, according to a study published in the May 8 issue of Circulation.
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Self-Disclosure Linked to Activation of Reward in Brain
TUESDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Self-disclosure is associated with increased activation in regions of the brain linked with reward, according to research published online May 7 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Doesn't Impact Fetal Growth
TUESDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Maternal use of the anti-HIV drug tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) does not affect fetal growth but may lead to a delayed effect on infant growth in the first year, according to a study published online Feb. 29 in AIDS.
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Zinc May Shorten Duration of Common Cold in Adults
MONDAY, May 7 (HealthDay News) -- Oral zinc may shorten the duration of symptoms associated with the common cold in adults, but adverse effects are common, according to a review published online May 7 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
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Screening for Intimate Partner Violence Proves Beneficial
MONDAY, May 7 (HealthDay News) -- Screening instruments can be used in the health care setting to accurately identify women who are experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV), with minimal adverse effects, according to a review published online May 7 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Exercise Training Reduces Muscle Proteolysis in CHF
MONDAY, May 7 (HealthDay News) -- Increased expression of MuRF-1, a component of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, is associated with chronic heart failure, and exercise training reduces MuRF-1 levels, according to a study published online May 7 in Circulation.
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Computer Use + Exercise Lower Mild Cognitive Impairment Risk
FRIDAY, May 4 (HealthDay News) -- The combination of engaging in moderate exercise and using a computer significantly reduces the likelihood of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among the elderly, according to a study published in the May issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
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Hospitals Procure More Alcohol Rub, Soap During Campaign
FRIDAY, May 4 (HealthDay News) -- The implementation of the Cleanyourhands campaign increased procurement of alcohol rub and soap, which is associated with decreased rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia and Clostridium difficile ( C. difficile) infection, according to a study published online May 3 in BMJ.
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Lupus Nephritis Screening and Management Guidelines Issued
FRIDAY, May 4 (HealthDay News) -- The American College of Rheumatology has produced new guidelines for the screening, treatment, and management of lupus nephritis; the guidelines have been published in the June issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
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Complementary Medicine Not Tied to Prostate Cancer Outcome
FRIDAY, May 4 (HealthDay News) -- Although widely used, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) does not impact patient satisfaction with treatment or patient-reported outcomes after treatment for localized prostate cancer, according to a study published in the May issue of Urology.
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Many COPD Comorbidities Independently Tied to Mortality
FRIDAY, May 4 (HealthDay News) -- Twelve comorbidities that include cancer and cardiovascular problems are associated with a higher risk of death in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study published online May 3 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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CMS Policy Helping Hospitals to Prevent Targeted Infections
FRIDAY, May 4 (HealthDay News) -- Hospitals seem to be paying greater attention to preventing targeted health care-associated infections (HAIs) as a result of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) nonpayment policy, according to a study published in the May issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.
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Antipsychotic Maintenance Rx Aids Schizophrenia Patients
THURSDAY, May 3 (HealthDay News) -- Maintenance therapy with antipsychotic drugs is associated with a reduction in the relapse rate in schizophrenia, but benefits must be weighed against risks of adverse side effects, according to a review published online May 3 in The Lancet.
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New Guidelines for Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Bleeds Issued
THURSDAY, May 3 (HealthDay News) -- The latest evidence emphasizes early and aggressive care for emergency room patients diagnosed with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), according to revised treatment guidelines issued by the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Stroke Association and published online May 3 in Stroke.
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Office Evaluation Comparable to Pre-Op Urodynamic Testing
THURSDAY, May 3 (HealthDay News) -- For women with uncomplicated stress incontinence, preoperative office evaluation alone is noninferior to urodynamic testing with respect to success of treatment at one year, according to a study published online May 2 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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TAVI Is a Reasonable Option for High-Risk Elderly Patients
THURSDAY, May 3 (HealthDay News) -- For high-risk elderly patients with aortic stenosis, transcatheter aortic-valve implantation (TAVI) is a reasonable option, according to a study published in the May 3 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Low Vitamin D Linked to Poorer Outcomes in Lung Recipients
THURSDAY, May 3 (HealthDay News) -- For lung transplant recipients, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) deficiency is associated with increased incidence of acute rejection and infection, and deficiency at one year after transplant is linked with increased mortality, according to a study published online March 5 in The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation.
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Recent Improvement in 3D ECHO Accuracy for LV Mass
THURSDAY, May 3 (HealthDay News) -- In the past decade there has been an improvement in the accuracy of three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) for measurement of left ventricular (LV) mass, according to a meta-analysis published online April 30 in The American Journal of Cardiology.
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Odor Receptor Genotype May Be Cause of Meat Aversion
THURSDAY, May 3 (HealthDay News) -- Having two copies of a functional odor receptor gene variant (OR7D4 RT) is associated with increased sensitivity to androstenone, and androstenone-containing meat, according to a study published online May 2 in PLoS One.
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For Thyroid Cancer, Thyrotropin + Low-Dose Radioiodine Effective
THURSDAY, May 3 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with thyroid cancer who undergo complete surgical resection, low-dose radioiodine plus thyrotropin is as effective as high-dose radioiodine, according to two studies published in the May 3 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Endotoxemia Influenced by Diet Type
THURSDAY, May 3 (HealthDay News) -- A Western-style diet is associated with increased levels of endotoxin activity (endotoxemia), and a prudent-style diet (containing moderately greater amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, and vitamin E than the Western-style diet) is linked to reduced endotoxemia, according to a study published in the May issue of Gastroenterology.
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Mitotane + Chemo Combo May Benefit Adrenocortical Cancer
WEDNESDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with advanced adrenocortical cancer, mitotane plus a combination of etoposide, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (EDP) is superior to streptozocin-mitotane for rates of response and progression-free survival, but does not improve overall survival, according to a study published online May 2 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Warfarin, Aspirin Comparable in Patients With Heart Failure
WEDNESDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- For heart failure patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) who are in sinus rhythm, there is no significant overall difference in the primary outcome between treatment with warfarin and treatment with aspirin, according to a study published online May 2 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Mechanism of Red Wine's Effect on Mitochondria Clarified
WEDNESDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- Moderate doses of resveratrol, a component of red wine, which is associated with increased lifespan, boosts mitochondrial function via the SIRT1 gene in mice, according to an experimental study in the May 2 issue of Cell Metabolism.
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Body Fat Linked to Reduced Fracture Risk for Women
WEDNESDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- Higher body fat mass is associated with a reduced risk of fracture among women, but not men, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of Internal Medicine.
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No Adverse Effect of Weekend, Nighttime Liver Transplants
WEDNESDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- Performing liver transplantation procedures at night or on weekends does not appear to affect patient or liver graft survival, according to research published in the May issue of Liver Transplantation.
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Mechanism ID'd for Benefit of Stem Cells in Autoimmunity
WEDNESDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) activate a mechanism involving coupling of FAS/FAS ligand to induce T cell apoptosis and immune tolerance, according to an experimental study published online April 26 in Cell Stem Cell.
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Lower All-Cause, Cardio Mortality in Obese With RA
WEDNESDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- Overweight and obese patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have lower all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, but have substantially increased risks of comorbidities, medical costs, and reduced quality of life compared with normal-weight RA patients, according to a study published online April 18 in Arthritis Care & Research.
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Asthma Has Adverse Effect on Physical Health in Elderly
WEDNESDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- Older adults with asthma have decreased lung function, increased rates of allergic sensitization, and worse quality of life than healthy controls, according to a study published in the May issue of the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
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Causal Link ID'd Between BMI, Ischemic Heart Disease
WEDNESDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- The positive association between body mass index (BMI) and ischemic heart disease (IHD) is likely to be causal, according to a study published online May 1 in PLoS Medicine.
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Elelyso Approved for Type 1 Gaucher Disease
TUESDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) -- Elelyso (taliglucerase alfa) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a long-term enzyme replacement therapy for people with Type 1 Gaucher disease.
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In CKD, Fish Oil Doesn't Up Hemodialysis Graft Patency
TUESDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease, fish oil does not improve synthetic hemodialysis graft patency, according to a study published in the May 2 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Methodological Heterogeneity Seen in Clinical Trials
TUESDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) -- Clinical studies registered with ClinicalTrials.gov from 2007 and 2010 are predominately small, single-center trials and contain significant heterogeneity in methodology, according to a study published in the May 2 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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A Third of Adults With Arthritis Have Anxiety, Depression
TUESDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) -- One-third of U.S. adults with physician-diagnosed arthritis report having anxiety or depression, with anxiety more prevalent than depression, according to a study published online May 1 in Arthritis Care & Research.
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Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy Offers Benefits
TUESDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) -- Compared with open transthoracic esophagectomy, minimally invasive transthoracic esophagectomy is associated with significantly fewer pulmonary infections and with other short-term benefits in patients with resectable cancer of the esophagus, according to research published online May 1 in The Lancet.
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Obesity, Increased Incidence of Rheumatoid Arthritis Linked
TUESDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) -- Obesity is linked with the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and seems to have contributed to the recent increase in incidence of the condition, according to a study published online April 18 in Arthritis Care & Research.
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Indirect Link ID'd Between Pain Catastrophizing, Severity
TUESDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) -- Pain catastrophizing, in particular ruminating about pain, has an indirect effect on clinical pain severity and pain-related interference, through sleep disturbance, according to a study published online March 14 in Pain.
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Index Identifies Clot Risk in Outpatient Surgery Patients
TUESDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) -- Using a weighted risk index, the highest-risk outpatient surgery patients have an almost 20-fold increase in risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) requiring therapy, according to a study published online April 13 in the Annals of Surgery.
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Electronic Records Show Variation in Blood Usage
TUESDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) -- Electronic information systems can be used to generate detailed information about blood component use by individual providers and surgical services, and they reveal significant variation in utilization, according to research published online April 23 in Anesthesiology.
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Caloric Restriction Linked to Reduced Inflammation Markers
TUESDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) -- Implementation of a caloric restriction weight-loss diet, with or without exercise, is associated with measurable reductions in markers of inflammation for obese or overweight postmenopausal women, according to a study published in the May 1 issue of Cancer Research.
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Hospital Strategies Linked to Lower Mortality After Acute MI
TUESDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) -- Five specific hospital performance strategies have been identified that result in lower 30-day risk-standardized mortality rates (RSMRs) for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), according to a study published in the May 1 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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