Chronic Disease News and Research

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Being elderly and illiterate means a significantly higher mortality rate

Researchers in the U.S. have found that being elderly and being unable to read and understand basic health information is a bad combination.

24 Jul 2007

Analysis of diabetes drugs

Most oral medications prescribed for type 2 diabetes are similarly effective for reducing blood glucose, but the drug metformin is less likely to cause weight gain and may be more likely than other treatments to decrease so-called bad cholesterol, according to a report funded by HHS Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

17 Jul 2007

Selenium and type 2 diabetes

Selenium, an antioxidant included in multivitamin tablets thought to have a possible protective effect against the development of type 2 diabetes, may actually increase the risk of developing the disease, an analysis by researchers at the University at Buffalo has shown.

16 Jul 2007

Importance of starting pregnancy at a healthy weight

Smoking and drinking don't mix with pregnancy, but not so with excess weight before and during pregnancy.

13 Jul 2007

Researchers measure effect of hepatitis B on patients' quality of life

"Am I going to die? I have no future." "I feel depressed at times, fearful I may not see my children marry or be a grandparent." Such heart-rending statements from patients with chronic hepatitis B reveal the social and mental impact of this disease, which affects 350 million worldwide.

11 Jul 2007

Electronic health records not associated with improved quality of outpatient health care

Electronic health records have been hailed as a key element in making U.S. medical care more effective and efficient, but a new study led by a researcher at the Stanford University School of Medicine shows that electronic records were not associated with improved quality of outpatient health care in 2003 and 2004.

10 Jul 2007

Asthma gene found

A gene that is strongly associated with a risk of developing childhood onset asthma was identified by an international team of scientists, whose findings are published in the journal Nature.

4 Jul 2007

Rheumatologists overestimate physical disability of rheumatoid arthritis patients

Rheumatologists substantially overestimate the physical disability of patients with rheumatoid arthritis which may lead to inaccurate evaluations of the patient's ability to work and need for lifestyle modifications, a new study found.

29 Jun 2007

Prospective predictors of long-term abstinence versus relapse among smokers who quit as young adults

A non-smoking spouse and smoke-free workplace play key roles in long-term success for young adults who quit smoking, according to Indiana University research, which found environmental factors to be more influential than individual behaviors and beliefs when it comes to kicking the habit.

29 Jun 2007

How medical homes promote equity in health care

Providing minority patients a medical home in which they have a regular doctor or health professional who oversees and coordinates their care would help eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities and promote more health care equity, says a new report from the Commonwealth Fund.

28 Jun 2007

New approach for tackling allergies

Allergies, like the common cold and asthma, have basically defied the best efforts of modern medicine to cure them.

28 Jun 2007

Pediatric chronic disease poses future health and welfare challenges

The increased incidence of chronic conditions among American children predicts serious strains on health care and social welfare systems in the future, caution investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH).

27 Jun 2007

Women need to start thinking about heart disease prevention before menopause

Studies in female monkeys helped raise important questions about hormone therapy that were addressed in a Women's Health Initiative study reported last week in the New England Journal of Medicine .

26 Jun 2007

Light activity associated with lower blood glucose levels

This is according to new research undertaken by The University of Queensland and Melbourne's International Diabetes Institute.

14 Jun 2007

Low levels of testosterone may increase the long-term risk of death in men over 50 years old

"The new study is only the second report linking deficiency of this sex hormone with increased death from all causes, over time, and the first to do so in relatively healthy men who are living in the community," said Gail Laughlin, Ph.D., assistant professor and study author.

8 Jun 2007

Obese women can lose weight and it won't hurt the baby

Most women who are obese can safely exercise and diet to lose weight during pregnancy, according to a small pilot study conducted by Saint Louis University researchers.

8 Jun 2007

Weight regain in U.S. adults who experienced substantial weight loss

Every so often, another study comes out depicting the average American as an incorrigible yo-yo dieter and committed couch potato; however, nearly six in 10 people maintained their weight loss to within 5 percent over a year's time in a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

8 Jun 2007

Low testosterone means men may die young

A new study suggests that men with low levels of testosterone are more likely to die young; they apparently have a 33% increased risk of death over an 18-year period than those with higher levels.

6 Jun 2007

Revlimid may change the way physicians treat multiple myeloma

Findings from a Phase III study by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG 4A03) were presented yesterday at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in Chicago and demonstrate the benefits of using Revlimid (lenalidomide) with reduced doses of the steroid dexamethasone.

5 Jun 2007