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Neurological assessment of older adults: A crystal ball to the future

Standard neurological exams of older adults are good predictors of future brain health and quality of life. These tests should become part of the physician's routine examination of older adults say faculty from the Indiana University Center for Aging Research in an editorial in the June 23, 2008 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

24 Jun 2008

Subtle but detectable neurological abnormalities appear to predict risk of death in older individuals

Subtle but clinically detectable neurological abnormalities, such as reduced reflexes and an unstable posture, may be associated with the risk of death and stroke in otherwise healthy older adults, according to a report in the June 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

24 Jun 2008

Neurological assessment of older adults should become routine examinations

24 Jun 2008

Neglected infections of poverty in the U.S. are disabling hundreds of thousands of Americans every year

An analysis published June 25th in the open-access journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases highlights that diseases very similar to those plaguing Africa, Asia, and Latin America are also occurring frequently among the poorest people in the United States, especially women and children. These diseases - the "neglected infections of poverty" - are caused by chronic and debilitating parasitic, bacterial, and congenital infections.

24 Jun 2008

Medicines derived from cannabis: A review of adverse events

Researchers at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), McGill University and the University of British Columbia (UBC) determined that medical use of cannabinoids do not cause an increase in serious adverse events, but are associated with an increase in some non-serious adverse events.

16 Jun 2008

New treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

A new treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) pioneered at the University of Sydney is having great success by targeting the beliefs behind the obsessive behaviour rather than the behaviour itself.

15 Jun 2008

"HiCy" drug regimen reverses multiple sclerosis symptoms in selected patients

A short-term, very-high dose regimen of the immune-suppressing drug cyclophosphamide seems to slow progression of multiple sclerosis (MS) in most of a small group of patients studied and may even restore neurological function lost to the disease, Johns Hopkins researchers report. The findings in nine people, most of whom had failed all other treatments, suggest new ways to treat a disease that tends to progress relentlessly.

10 Jun 2008

Number blindness more common than word blindness

According to new research number blindness is more common than word blindness.

9 Jun 2008

Complex synapses drove brain evolution

One of the great scientific challenges is to understand the design principles and origins of the human brain. New research has shed light on the evolutionary origins of the brain and how it evolved into the remarkably complex structure found in humans.

8 Jun 2008

How best to treat chronic pain? The jury is still out

How best to alleviate chronic pain, a leading cause of disability and employee absenteeism, continues to perplex both patients and their doctors.

5 Jun 2008

Incidence of melanoma and other malignancies among rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with Methotrexate

A chronic, inflammatory disease of unknown origin, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects about 1 percent of adults worldwide. Marked by joint destruction, RA often leads to disability and diminished quality of life. It can also lead to an early death from cancer.

3 Jun 2008

Vigorous exercise helps seniors avoid disability

Healthy seniors who are physically active and exercise for more than 60 minutes each week can lessen their chances of disability as they age, finds a new long-term study.

3 Jun 2008

Preventable adverse events in hospitals occur 3 times more among patients with deafness, blindness or psychiatric disorders

Preventable adverse events in hospitals occur 3 times more often among patients with communication problems, such as deafness, blindness, psychiatric disorders and multiple health issues or comorbidities, found researchers in this study of nearly 2,400 patient records from 20 hospitals in Quebec.

2 Jun 2008

Gulf Coast area children who lived in trailer units at risk for long-term illnesses

Tens of thousands of Gulf Coast area children who lived in trailer units provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 might have increased risk for long-term health problems, according to physicians and federal health officials, the AP/Denver Post reports.

28 May 2008

CMS approves Pennsylvania Medicaid Waiver Program to help residents with autism

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) on Thursday announced that CMS earlier this month granted approval of a waiver program that allows the state to allocate part of its federal Medicaid funds toward services for adult residents with autism, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

28 May 2008

Medical errors - Is healthcare getting worse or better?

Most would say worse. And one of the many reasons is medical errors. Most Americans say the quality of care has not improved, and dissatisfaction among patients and caregivers has increased. The perceptions exist despite the efforts across the country to reduce medical errors.

28 May 2008

Bivalirudin improves net clinical outcomes and increases survival in heart attack patients

A study led by Gregg W. Stone, M.D., professor of medicine at Columbia University Medical Center/NewYork-Presbyterian and chairman of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation, has shown that heart attack patients who were administered the direct thrombin inhibitor bivalirudin during primary angioplasty had a reduced rate of adverse clinical events, a lower rate of major bleeding, and a lower mortality rate than those who were treated with a regimen of heparin and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPI).

26 May 2008

Iraq war and risk of developing bronchiolitis

A large group of soldiers returning from Iraq have been diagnosed with bronchiolitis, a disease affecting the small airways of the lung, according to Vanderbilt University Medical Center physicians who will present their findings at the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on Wednesday, May 21.

21 May 2008

Old age is the new middle age - Health Secretary Alan Johnson says

Health Secretary Alan Johnson today called on the NHS to rise to the challenge of providing more and better preventative care for older people.

21 May 2008

Washington Post series examines childhood obesity

An "epidemic of obesity" is "compromising the lives of millions of American children" and is "expected to add billions of dollars to the U.S. health care bill," the Washington Post reports.

20 May 2008