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Delirium in ICU patients a predictor of mortality

Between 60 percent to 80 percent of these patients develop a brain dysfunction known as delirium, which according to a group of physicians at Vanderbilt Medical Center is an independent predictor of mortality.

16 Apr 2004

Evidence suggests cutting back on state-sponsored smoking prevention campaigns could increase smoking rates

New evidence indicates that cutting back on state-sponsored smoking prevention campaigns could result in a sharp increase in smoking rates, particularly among adolescents, and should convince all states to protect these programs, according to the American Heart Association.

16 Apr 2004

New gene presents a potent new target for breast cancer therapy

A gene known to promote longevity in animals has now been discovered to encode a tumor suppressor – a protein that helps prevent cancer, according to a study by a team of scientists from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. The new gene, which was inactivated in two-thirds of patients studied, presents a potent new target for breast cancer therapy, the researchers say.

16 Apr 2004

Citrus soda culprit in patient’s medical mystery

It took a team of medical sleuths at Vanderbilt University Medical Center to get to the bottom of what was causing the 35-year-old to have abnormal blood chemistries during a post-transplant check up.

16 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

Lung tumor therapies improved by combining scanning technologies

Physicians targeting lung tumors for radiation therapy can substantially improve their aim by combining data from two scanning techniques, according to Washington University researchers at Siteman Cancer Center and Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.

14 Apr 2004

Stong evidence for lower penicillin allergic reactions

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have concluded the world's largest analysis of penicillin allergy due to re-prescription of the popular antibiotic.

14 Apr 2004

Cancer rates have decreased in men and remained stable in women

Data newly compiled by the American Cancer Society finds death rates for most major cancers continue to decline, but a growing and aging population continues to produce a rise in the total number of cancer deaths.

14 Apr 2004

The amount of female smokers rose by 600% in the 20th century

American women who smoke rose dramatically during the 20th century, resulting in a 600 percent increase by the year 2003 in the number of women who died of lung cancer. In the same period, the number of lung cancer deaths in men declined.

14 Apr 2004

Lung cancer affects male and females differently

An article in the April 14 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reviews current information on the "epidemic" of lung cancer in U.S. women, and explores contributing factors and possible reasons for increased lung cancer deaths in women.

13 Apr 2004

Overall rise in lung cancer and death in women

In the past fifty years, there has been a 600 percent increase in the number of women who will be diagnosed with lung cancer and die of the disease. However, the death rate for men has decreased slightly over the same period.

13 Apr 2004

Estrogen-alone hormone therapy had no effect on coronary heart disease risk

A large, multi-center heart disease prevention study, part of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), found that estrogen-alone hormone therapy had no effect on coronary heart disease risk but increased the risk of stroke for postmenopausal women.

13 Apr 2004

New research into World Trade Center firefighter respiratory symptoms

Researchers from New York and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Ohio found that arrival time and length of exposure to the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster were significant predictors of respiratory symptoms and lung function decline among firefighters.

12 Apr 2004

New research into Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is the second-most prevalent cancer in women and, despite encouraging improvements in screening leading to earlier detection, cervical cancer still kills many women every year. The risk of cervical cancer is increased by infection with certain types of human papilloma virus (HPV).

12 Apr 2004

Vitamin E appears to cut in half people's risk of bladder cancer

Getting plenty of vitamin E by eating foods like nuts and olive oil appears to cut in half people's risk of bladder cancer, the fourth leading cancer killer among men, a new study suggests.

12 Apr 2004

Green tea helps kill cells of the most common leukemia

Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered that a component in green tea helps kill cells of the most common leukemia in the United States.

12 Apr 2004

Research shows that intense high dose cholesterol lowering drugs result in a major reduction in deaths and severe heart attacks

If you want to increase your chances of living longer, taking cholesterol drugs is an easy way to do it. That's the message from a Harvard study of 4,162 people hospitalized in 350 places in eight countries. It is the first research to show that intense lowering of cholesterol results in a major reduction in deaths and severe heart attacks.

7 Apr 2004

Women with a history of pre-eclampsia are at increased risk of cancer

Women with a history of pre-eclampsia are at increased risk of cancer, particularly cancers of the stomach, breast, ovary, lung and larynx, according to a Columbia University study recently published by the British Medical Journal. Researchers studied 37,000 women in western Jerusalem, Israel, who delivered babies in three large hospitals between 1964 and 1976.

7 Apr 2004

Oral sildenafil improved exercise tolerance, cardiac output and quality of life in 22 patients with primary pulmonary hypertension

Oral sildenafil (Viagra®) improved exercise tolerance, cardiac output and quality of life in 22 patients with primary pulmonary hypertension, according to the results of the first randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study, reported in the April 7, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

6 Apr 2004

British Asian cancer patients are not being met because of a lack of consideration for cultural differences

The study, carried out in Leicester, looked at the information preferences of British Asian patients – the majority of which were first generation and spoke English as well as their native language. It found that over half of English-speaking Asian patients would prefer to discuss their cancer and read health leaflets in their mother tongue.

6 Apr 2004