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Despite new doubts, ‘hotspotting’ help for heavy health care users marches on

A highly publicized approach to lowering health costs failed to pass rigorous study this month, but hospitals, insurers and government health programs don't intend to give up on the idea.

24 Jan 2020

Why yogurt consumption may help reduce breast cancer risk

One of the causes of breast cancer may be inflammation triggered by harmful bacteria say researchers.

24 Jan 2020

Scientists visualize diabetes-related proteins at high resolution

Scientists have examined a key receptor for the first time at high resolution - broadening understanding of how it might function, and opening the door to future improvements in treating conditions such as type 2 diabetes.

24 Jan 2020

Infectious disease expert explains about Wuhan coronavirus

A new coronavirus virus, likely first transmitted to people from animals at a market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, is making international headlines as disease detectives work to uncover what it is, how it's transmitted, and how deadly the virus actually is.

24 Jan 2020

NIAID officials describe steps to control coronavirus that recently originated in China

The new cluster of viral pneumonia cases originating in Wuhan, China, marks the third time in 20 years that a member of the large family of coronaviruses (CoVs) has jumped from animals to humans and sparked an outbreak.

24 Jan 2020

3D capillary system offers a new approach to investigate obstruction of microvessels

Engineered human capillaries are providing an astounding view of how red blood cells transit ultra-small blood vessels.

23 Jan 2020

Routine Zika vaccination could help prevent suffering and save money

Global climate change has raised concerns that mosquito-borne diseases could become increasingly prevalent in the United States as warmer temperatures lead to increased mosquito activity.

23 Jan 2020

Study highlights persistent unexplained gender differences in pay for physicians

When taking into account factors such as work-life balance, the pay difference between new male and female physicians is still largely unaccounted for, according to findings that were published Jan. 22 ahead of print and will also appear in the February issue of the journal Health Affairs.

23 Jan 2020

Diabetes-related proteins seen in high-res for the first time

A team of researchers have reported, in an exciting study published in the journal Nature Communications, that they were able to examine an important receptor at high definition for the first time. This detailed visualization has helped them greatly to understand its mechanism of functioning. This could help develop better ways to treat Type 2 diabetes mellitus as well as other conditions.

23 Jan 2020

Researchers identify liver fibrosis ‘off switch’ in mice

Chronic alcohol abuse and hepatitis can injure the liver, often leading to a buildup of collagen and scar tissue.

23 Jan 2020

Lung microbes could help predict outcomes in the seriously ill

A new study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine shows that recording the way the organisms living within the lungs change in type and numbers could reflect the response of the critically ill patient to medical care. Though changes in the lung microbiome have been known to exist even before this study, this research shows the clinical importance of this test.

23 Jan 2020

Implementation of combined pediatric observation unit improves patient outcomes, satisfaction

It's a quandary facing many busy emergency departments across the country: how to treat young patients who require emergency care and a brief stay while reserving limited inpatient beds for the most acute cases.

23 Jan 2020

Research shows benefits of Mediterranean, intermittent fasting and Paleo diets

There were some weight loss and health benefits for overweight adults who followed the Mediterranean, Intermittent Fasting and Paleo diets, though adherence to the diets dropped off considerably during the one-year study, new University of Otago research shows.

23 Jan 2020

New method could help doctors avoid ineffective or unnecessarily risky treatments

In a usual management setting, after a person has had a heart attack or stroke, algorithmic risk models are used to calculate the risk of death for the patient. These algorithms or models utilize various factors such as age of the patient, gender, previous history, family history, ethnicity etc.

23 Jan 2020

Elagolix drug suppresses ovarian hormone production, prevents heavy menstrual bleeding

About 50 % of women with uterine fibroids--non-cancerous muscle tumors that grow in the uterus--experience heavy menstrual bleeding and other symptoms. Surgery is commonly recommended when these symptoms are severe enough to prompt a woman to seek treatment.

23 Jan 2020

Quality of end-of-life care in ICUs higher than other hospital departments

Family caregivers of the deceased rated the quality of end-of-life care in the intensive care unit (ICU) higher than the end-of-life care in other hospital departments (also called wards), according to new, large Penn Medicine study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

23 Jan 2020

Emerging public health concern about Wuhan coronavirus

Since December, a new coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China, has killed at least 17 people and sickened close to 600. Cases continue to spread globally, with one identified in Washington state.

23 Jan 2020

Older refugees more likely to suffer from depression even decades after immigration

Most research on the mental health of refugees focuses on the first few years after resettlement in the host country, but little is known about their long-term mental health.

23 Jan 2020

Landmark study identifies 102 genes associated with autism risk

In the largest genetic sequencing study of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to date, researchers have identified 102 genes associated with risk for autism. The study also shows significant progress towards teasing apart the genes associated with ASD from those associated with intellectual disability and developmental delay, conditions which often overlap.

23 Jan 2020

New study to measure effects of environmental exposure on young women's breasts

A University of Massachusetts Amherst cancer epidemiologist has received a $462,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to expand her research into the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on the breast density of college-age women. High breast density is a strong risk factor for breast cancer.

23 Jan 2020