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Hospital comparison web sites can be misleading

A review of six publicly available hospital comparison Web sites suggests that they display inconsistent results and use inappropriate or incomplete standards to measure quality, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

18 Sep 2007

Genetic lab test for Warfarin sensitivity approved by FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today cleared for marketing a new genetic test that will help physicians assess whether a patient may be especially sensitive to the blood-thinning drug warfarin (Coumadin), which is used to prevent potentially fatal clots in blood vessels.

18 Sep 2007

Impact of health messages in entertainment

A new study by researchers at the University of Southern California suggests that some TV may be good for you. Researchers found that a storyline on the primetime NBC network drama ER that dealt with teen obesity, hypertension and healthy eating habits had a positive impact on the attitudes and behaviors of viewers, particularly among men.

18 Sep 2007

Comparison of dental splints over breathing mask to alleviate snoring

The noisy sounds of snoring occur during sleep when there is an obstruction to the free flow of air through the passages at the back of the mouth and nose. Forty-five percent of adults snore at least occasionally and 25 percent are habitual snorers.

18 Sep 2007

Circulating fats kill transplanted pancreas cells

New findings by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers show that a byproduct of cholesterol metabolism interferes with the beneficial effects estrogen has on the cardiovascular system, providing a better understanding of the interplay between cholesterol and estrogen in heart disease.

18 Sep 2007

Combined aerobic and resistance training best for people with diabetes

In a new randomized controlled trial, both aerobic and resistance exercise improved glycemic/blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes.

18 Sep 2007

How can a medical center foster a culture of ethics in research?

An article published in the September issue of Academic Medicine, titled "Developing a Research Ethics Consultation Service to Foster Responsive and Responsible Clinical Research," argues for the importance of collaboration between researchers and ethicists and describes the establishment of a new Research Ethics Consultation Service at Weill Cornell Medical College.

17 Sep 2007

New understandings of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of COPD

The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) has released new standards for the diagnosis, management and prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

17 Sep 2007

Breast reductions of less than 500 grams per breast greatly ease women's pain

Smaller-framed women reap significant health and quality-of-life benefits from breast reductions that involve the removal of under 500 grams of tissue per breast, according to a first-of-its-kind study from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and the New York University School of Medicine.

17 Sep 2007