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Self-management education for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Self-management education programs for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) significantly decrease hospital admissions, researchers report in a new systematic review of studies.

17 Oct 2007

Home-based HIV voluntary counseling and testing in developing countries

A review of existing research suggests that people in two African countries prefer taking HIV tests at home, with the assistance of counselors, instead of at a clinic.

17 Oct 2007

Prebiotics in infants for prevention of allergic disease and food hypersensitivity

Many parents add prebiotics and probiotics to children's food to help treat health problems, and according to two new reviews, the supplements might also help prevent eczema in babies at high risk.

17 Oct 2007

Training for walking after stroke

Repetitive training that simulates everyday leg function can help people walk more easily after stroke, according to a new review of studies.

17 Oct 2007

Parenting interventions for the prevention of unintentional injuries in childhood

Teaching parenting skills could be an effective way to reduce childhood injuries, a new review of studies suggests, especially for disadvantaged families.

17 Oct 2007

New knowledge about basic cancer biology

Merging technological innovations and new knowledge about basic cancer biology, cancer researchers now target specific molecules involved in critical chemical pathways of cancerous cells.

17 Oct 2007

Mental disorders are disorders of the brain

Depression, anxiety disorders such as panic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorders, alcohol and drug dependence, dementia and Parkinson's disease are just a few examples of "disorders of the brain".

17 Oct 2007

Hands and knees posture in late pregnancy or labor for fetal malposition

Going through labor in the right posture can make it shorter, less intense and less prone to complication, according to many midwives, who say that when mothers use the posture known as “hands and knees,” it helps the baby shift into a position that eases delivery.

17 Oct 2007

Psychosocial and psychological interventions for treating postpartum depression

For the estimated 13 percent of new mothers who experience postpartum depression, counseling and peer support groups appear to offer symptom relief without medication, a new review of research suggests.

17 Oct 2007

FDA approves raltegravir new HIV drug

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved raltegravir tablets for treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-1 infection in combination with other antiretroviral agents in treatment-experienced adult patients who have evidence of viral replication and HIV-1 strains resistant to multiple antiretroviral agents.

17 Oct 2007

Water exercises for the treatment of knee and hip osteoarthritis

For patients suffering from osteoarthritis of the hip or knee, doing aerobic and stretching exercises in warm water can bring some relief from the pain and could improve daily function, a new review has found.

17 Oct 2007

Exercise for improving balance in older people

According to a new review of research, exercise helps people stay steady on their feet in later years, when diminished balance can put older adults at risk for falls.

17 Oct 2007

MRSA infection appears more widespread than previously thought

Infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) appears to be more prevalent than previously believed, affecting certain populations disproportionately and is being found more often outside of health care settings, according to a study in the October 17 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

17 Oct 2007

Dietary advice for reducing cardiovascular risk

Diet is an important part of coronary heart disease prevention, and a new review of studies finds that dietary advice leads to modest improvement in risk factors such as high cholesterol and blood pressure, especially in people at higher risk.

17 Oct 2007

Insoles for prevention and treatment of back pain

The advertisements are vague but alluring: Wear insoles and you will be relaxed and stand with proper posture.

17 Oct 2007

First colonoscopy a real lifesaver

The scientists from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's department of epidemiology and biostatistics in New York City, say this first clean out of precancerous polyps significantly reduces deaths from colon cancer even if there are no follow-up examinations.

17 Oct 2007

Surgical treatment of morbid obesity increases likelihood of patients returning to work

Obese Medicaid patients who undergo Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery may be more likely to return to work than obese Medicaid patients who do not undergo the surgery, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of Surgery, a theme issue on bariatric surgery.

16 Oct 2007

The costly business of depression in the work place

According to a new government report caregivers, waiters and social workers have the highest rates of depression among full-time workers in the United States.

16 Oct 2007

Gastrointestinal disorders and work-related absenteeism

Those who suffer from common functional gastrointestinal disorders face work productivity losses and impairments in daily activity that amount to the loss of at least one day of work in a 40-hour workweek, according to a new study presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology.

16 Oct 2007

Gastric bypass surgery may cause post-op nutrient deficiencies

Two studies by a group of researchers at Washington Hospital Center highlight potential postoperative nutritional deficiencies among patients who undergo gastric bypass surgery to treat obesity.

16 Oct 2007