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Study: Automatic reporting of estimated GFR may result in unnecessary referrals by physicians

With a concern that the automatic reporting of estimated glomerular filtration rate (the flow rate of filtered fluid through the kidney, which is used to define the stage and severity of chronic kidney disease) may result in unnecessary referrals by physicians, new research indicates that automated laboratory reporting was associated with a significant increase in first-time visits to a kidney specialist, particularly among those at increased risk of late detection of kidney disease (such as older or female patients), according to a study in the March 24/31 issue of JAMA.

27 Mar 2010

New report urges government to ban smoking in cars to limit children's exposure to passive smoke

A new report released by the Tobacco Advisory Group of the Royal College of Physicians urges the government to ban smoking in cars and other public vehicles to limit children's exposure to passive smoke.

26 Mar 2010

300,000 extra GP visits for children due to passive smoking - time to make cars and homes smoke free

Doctors have urged an immediate review of the anti-smoking laws in light of such alarming facts. They want a ban on smoking in public places and cars.

25 Mar 2010

More awareness and earlier diagnosis of brain cancer needed

One of the UK’s largest surveys of brain cancer sufferers and carers, conducted by the Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust, suggests that GPs and the general public need better guidance on spotting the key symptoms to aid earlier diagnosis and improve survival.

23 Mar 2010

Risk of hereditary form of bowel cancer: New preparation of omega-3 holds hope

A new preparation of an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid found naturally in fish, offers hope for thousands of patients at risk of developing an inherited form of bowel cancer, a new study shows.

18 Mar 2010

Beneficial impact of vitamin D could alleviate symptoms and treat MS

Glasgow GP Dr Tom Gilhooly is at the forefront of an exciting new treatment for sufferers of MS. He comments ‘Scotland has the greatest incidence of Multiple Sclerosis in the world – and has more to gain than any other country from new developments such as CCSVI.’

18 Mar 2010

Adam 3XL addresses young people with weight problem

Adam 3XL (published by Trafford) by Dr. Martin Noelke is a novel about basketball, love, friendship ... and some nutritional guidelines for weight reduction in the long run. It's the story of a one-time high school basketball all-star who stops exercising and packs on the pounds after losing both of his parents. Dr. Noelke infuses his expertise as a general practitioner and nutrition specialist into the story to send a message to today's youth about health.

16 Mar 2010

Over 250 institutions adopt Best Practice: Latest product for healthcare professionals at point of care

Over 100,000 practitioners now have access to Best Practice, the latest product from the BMJ Evidence Centre, which provides information for healthcare professionals at the point of care. It has been adopted by over 250 institutions in 25 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific.

11 Mar 2010

New guidance produced to help GPs identify symptoms of cervical cancer in young women

New guidance has been produced to help GPs identify symptoms of cervical cancer and facilitate early diagnosis of the disease in young women.

6 Mar 2010

Older women with suspected ovarian cancer 'face referral delays'

Older women with suspected ovarian cancer are often not referred for investigation as quickly as younger women, new research suggests.

4 Mar 2010

Combination therapies effective for treating depression

Even after she left her alcoholic, abusive husband behind, Patrice, a nurse in Florida, couldn't summon the energy to keep her house straight, couldn't sleep.

24 Feb 2010

Accessing out of hours care: Challenging for UK palliative care patients

Accessing out of hours care is still a challenge for UK palliative care patients, even several years after the introduction of phone help line services like NHS24 and NHS Direct. Scottish researchers have specific recommendations for a more detailed and regular communication strategy to improve patients' care, which are published by SAGE in the journal Palliative Medicine.

19 Feb 2010

Researchers develop technology to preserve vaccines in tropical temperatures

A team of British researchers have developed a simple, low-cost method to preserve vaccines in tropical climates, which they say could help to revolutionalize vaccination campaigns in developing countries, Reuters reports.

19 Feb 2010

People living with IBD are at high risk of blood clots

People living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) are known to be at high risk of blood clots when admitted to hospital during a flare-up of their disease but now new research by scientists at The University of Nottingham has shown that those who are not admitted to hospital during flare-ups are also at risk.

10 Feb 2010

Doctors do not follow evidence-based guidelines for treating low back pain, says report

Australian general practitioners often treat patients with low back pain in a manner that does not appear to match the care endorsed by international clinical guidelines, according to a report in the February 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

9 Feb 2010

Florida surgeon receives '2009 Country Doctor of the Year' award

For most of the last 30 years, a 90-mile strip of the Florida Keys was covered by one surgeon and one surgeon alone, Dr. Steven J. Smith, of Marathon, Florida. For two and a half decades, Dr. Smith covered two hospitals located over 40 miles apart, often making the drive between facilities three times daily, while being on call around the clock, 365 days a year.

3 Feb 2010

Breast cancer: 1 in 9 women affected, early detection vital

Kylie, Sheryl Crow, Cynthia Nixon star of Sex in the City and now the fictional character Sally from Coronation Street, what do all these women have in common? They have all faced real or portrayed public battles with breast cancer, highlighting one of the most common of the female cancers.

2 Feb 2010

People with higher levels of vitamin D less likely to develop bowel cancer

People with higher levels of vitamin D appear to be significantly less likely to develop bowel cancer, a new European study has found.

27 Jan 2010

IMUC’s ICT-107 vaccine product candidate targets cancer stem cells

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics today announced the results of a study in which it was shown that certain specific antigens are highly expressed on cancer stem cells (CSCs). This suggests that IMUC’s lead cancer vaccine product candidate ICT-107, which targets those antigens, may effectively target not only the cells that make up the bulk of certain cancerous tumors, but also the CSCs that are widely believed to give rise to them and cause their recurrence.

21 Jan 2010

Patients Medical offers prevention tips for patients during heart health month

Patients Medical, a leading integrative medical center in New York, offers prevention tips for patients during heart health month. William Lee, MD, PhD, FACC, a Metabolic Cardiologist and Director of Cardiology at Patients Medical, has a unique approach to medicine which incorporates both traditional and alternative practices to provide patients complete care. He believes good health starts with good heart health.

20 Jan 2010