Syndrome News and Research

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Patients at risk of adverse events within 3 months after stopping certain ACS therapy

Patients who receive the anti-platelet medication clopidogrel following an acute coronary syndrome (such as heart attack) appear to be at greater risk of a heart attack or death in the first 90 days after stopping clopidogrel treatment, according to a study in the February 6 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

7 Feb 2008

New approach to genetic diagnosis in autism

A practical, stepwise approach to diagnosing genetic causes of autism and related disorders is proposed in the January issue of Genetics in Medicine, official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG), published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

7 Feb 2008

Novel small molecule therapy shows benefit for anemic patients via hydration of red blood cells

Researchers are identifying innovative therapeutics for sickle cell anemia that focus on specific factors in the disease's progression, such as the important role of hydration of the red blood cells.

7 Feb 2008

Eye blinks may help to identify children prenatally exposed to alcohol

While children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) have identifiable craniofacial abnormalities, children with alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) can have significant cognitive impairments without facial anomalies. An important new study has found that a deficit in eyeblink conditioning (EBC) can identify children with probable FAS, and may also serve to identify alcohol-exposed children who lack distinctive FAS features.

5 Feb 2008

Black people die more frequently of severe sepsis that either whites or Hispanics

Blacks have almost double the rate of severe sepsis an overwhelming infection of the bloodstream accompanied by acute organ dysfunction as whites, according to recent research.

5 Feb 2008

Participants recruited for VCU study on premenstrual dysphoric disorder

The Virginia Commonwealth University Mood Disorders Institute is recruiting participants for a national study of a new treatment method for premenstrual dysphoric disorder, a severe and debilitating form of premenstrual syndrome, or PMS.

4 Feb 2008

Risk factors for severe RSV infection in immunocompromised children

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators and collaborators have shown how to predict if a child who is infected with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) while being treated for cancer or another catastrophic disease is at high risk for developing severe infection. The finding will help clinicians improve guidelines for managing these infected children.

4 Feb 2008

Novel treatment for blood clots in the legs appears to be safe and effective

The study found that injecting or “lacing” the clot with a fiber-binding thrombolytic agent effectively treats deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and reduces the risk of subsequent recurrence or bleeding.

4 Feb 2008

Nausea from chemotherapy explained

A new study from the Monell Center increases understanding of the biological mechanisms responsible for the nausea and vomiting that often afflict patients undergoing chemotherapy.

4 Feb 2008

Allergies linked to irritable bowel syndrome

Adults with allergy symptoms report a high incidence of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), suggesting a link between atopic disorders and IBS according to a study published on January in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American Collegeof Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

31 Jan 2008

New therapy for blood clots in the legs appears to be safe and effective

A novel treatment for blood clots in the legs appears to be safe and effective, according to a pilot study published in the February issue of Radiology.

30 Jan 2008

Evidence strongly supports diuretics as initial metabolic syndrome therapy, especially in black patients

New research shows that in people with high blood pressure as part of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that increases the risk for heart disease, diuretics offer greater protection against cardiovascular disease, including heart failure, and are at least as effective for lowering blood pressure as newer, more expensive medications.

28 Jan 2008

Quitting marijuana as hard as quitting cigarettes

Research by a group of scientists studying the effects of heavy marijuana use suggests that withdrawal from the use of marijuana is similar to what is experienced by people when they quit smoking cigarettes.

25 Jan 2008

Seasonal weight changes linked to metabolic syndrome

Seasonal changes in weight increase the risk for metabolic syndrome, a group of scientists from National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland, reports in a study published in the January 23 issue of the online, open-access journal PLoS ONE.

24 Jan 2008

Red meat and diet sodas - a recipe for metabolic syndrome

The latest research from the U.S. has found that people who eat two or more servings of red meat a day and drink diet sodas, are at risk of developing conditions leading to heart disease and diabetes.

23 Jan 2008

Fast-food consumption increases metabolic syndrome risk

Healthy adults who eat two or more servings of meat a day the equivalent of two burger patties increase their risk of developing metabolic syndrome by 25 percent compared with those who eat meat twice a week, according to research published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

23 Jan 2008

Change in trauma level designation associated with improved patient survival

Death rates among patients admitted to a Colorado trauma center appeared to decrease after the center's designation was upgraded, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

22 Jan 2008

Surgeons remove 11-pound desmoid tumor, transplant bowel back into patient

Surgeons at the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago removed an 11-pound desmoid tumor from the abdominal cavity of an Arkansas man and performed a transplant using a segment of his own small intestine rescued during surgery, preserving his ability to eat and digest food.

21 Jan 2008

FDA approves etravirine tablets for HIV

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved etravirine tablets for the treatment of HIV infection in adults who have failed treatment with other antiretrovirals.

21 Jan 2008

Disability living allowance falls short for ethnic minorities

A study carried out by researchers at the Peninsula Medical School and the Institute of Child Health (UCL) has revealed that families from an ethnic, non-English speaking background with a child with Down's syndrome do worse from the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) system than families facing the same issues who come from a white, English-speaking background.

21 Jan 2008