Ultrasound News and Research

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Ultrasound is a procedure in which high-energy sound waves are bounced off internal tissues or organs and make echoes. The echo patterns are shown on the screen of an ultrasound machine, forming a picture of body tissues called a sonogram. Also called ultrasonography.

Fibroid tumors lack crucial structural protein

Fibroid tumors-the sometimes painful uterine growths affecting many American women-lack a key protein that plays a role in holding tissues together, according to a study by researchers from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health

3 Jun 2004

Fibroid tumors affecting many American women lack a key protein helps hold tissues together

Fibroid tumors — the sometimes painful uterine growths affecting many American women — lack a key protein that plays a role in holding tissues together, according to a study by researchers from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health.

2 Jun 2004

Chocolate is good for your heart

UCSF scientists are publishing sweet results of a study examining chocolate's effects on blood vessel function in healthy people. The team reports that small daily doses of flavonoid-rich dark chocolate consumed over a two-week period improved blood vessels' ability to dilate, or expand.

1 Jun 2004

Prostate Robotic System that will improve the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer

The Singapore General Hospital and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have jointly developed a Prostate Robotic System that will improve the diagnosis and treatment of prostrate cancer, the fifth most common cancer in Singaporean men.

21 May 2004

Obese women more likely to have pregnancy complications and caesarean sections than women of average weight

The controlled study is one of the largest ever to look at obesity in pregnancy, following more than 16,000 pregnant women at 14 medical centers across the country.

20 May 2004

About one in 35 adult Americans is at high risk of coronary heart disease

About one in 35 adult Americans is at high risk of coronary heart disease, meaning they have a greater than 20 percent chance of developing heart disease within 10 years, and about one in six has a 10-year risk that is greater than 10 percent, according to a new study in the May 19, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

19 May 2004

Interventional radiologists now are able to treat using minimally invasive procedures

Interventional radiologists at Temple University Hospital now are able to treat many patients with minimally invasive procedures not available only a few years ago. “Conditions that used to require extensive surgery now take an hour or less, and patients leave with a bandaid and walk home,” says Gary Cohen, M.D., Section Chief of Interventional Radiology and Vice Chairman of Radiology. “How can you beat that?”

17 May 2004

Risk of artery plaques increased by use of HIV drugs

An Italian study has provided evidence that HIV drugs called protease inhibitors may increase the risk of artery "plaques."

15 May 2004

National effort to detect life-threatening non-cardiac vascular diseases

The University of Arizona Medical Center for the first time will be part of a national effort to detect life-threatening non-cardiac vascular diseases. UMC is partnering with the American Vascular Association to offer free screenings for people at high risk: 60 years or older with a history of hypertension, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol, or known cardiovascular disease.

14 May 2004

Aortic screening programme in the UK could save lives at reasonable cost

Every year in England and Wales about 6,000 men die from a ruptured aortic aneurysm (caused by ballooning of the artery wall) yet aortic aneurysms can be detected with a simple ultrasound scan.

6 May 2004

New screening helps to determine risk for having a baby with Down syndrome

Obstetricians at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, are offering a new, quicker, option for pregnant women who choose to undergo first trimester screening. The screening helps to determine whether the woman is at increased risk for having a baby with Down syndrome.

5 May 2004

Swedish Medical Center has unveiled the world's most advanced mobile mammography center

Swedish Medical Center today unveiled the world's most advanced mobile mammography center. Known as the "Swedish Breast Care Express," the 64-foot self-contained coach features the latest full-field digital mammography equipment. And it will be the first unit to incorporate a complete rooftop satellite system for transmitting images remotely.

5 May 2004

Warning to parents-to-be that non-medical ultrasounds are unapproved, inappropriate, and possibly even risky

For many expectant parents, ultrasounds offer a window into the world of their growing unborn baby. Unlike most standard prenatal tests that involve nothing more than a urine cup or a needle

1 May 2004

How flexing of blood vessels during a heartbeat might contribute to heart disease

Duke biomedical engineers have received more than $2.2 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue their explorations of how the complex moving and flexing of blood vessels during a heartbeat might contribute to heart disease.

28 Apr 2004

Study is first to see such changes in women without high blood pressure or other diseases

Young obese women who are otherwise healthy have hearts that exhibit changes in structure and function similar to those of hypertensive patients, which may help explain links between obesity and heart failure risk, according to a new study in the April 21, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

20 Apr 2004

Metabolic syndrome may make arteries thicker and stiffer

A cluster of cardiovascular disease risk factors, known as the metabolic syndrome, may “age” arteries, according to a new study in the April 21, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

20 Apr 2004

Patient uses inorganic blood substitute

A patient who is losing large amounts of blood presents a medical emergency, requiring proper blood-typing and immediate access to multiple units of compatible blood.

16 Apr 2004

Ultrasound therapy does nothing to help an injured skeletal muscle heal any faster

Although ultrasound is one of the most frequently prescribed treatments for one of the most common sport and athletic injuries – skeletal muscle contusions – there's really no good scientific evidence showing that it treats injured muscles effectively, said Steven Devor, the study's lead author and an assistant professor of sport and exercise sciences at Ohio State University.

14 Apr 2004

Small uterine fibroids are associated with an increased risk of miscarriage

Early results from a pioneering study at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill indicate that small uterine fibroids are associated with an increased risk of miscarriage.

13 Apr 2004

NZ Research helps difficult pregnancies

Before the 1960's knowledge of the intrauterine environment was like a black box, limiting clinical understanding, and monitoring of the fetus during pregnancy. Little was known about the fetus until after birth happened. Now that has changed dramatically, and there have been revolutionary advances, particularly in the last 20 years enabling clinicians to diagnose and treat problems which develop in the womb.