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'Aggressive' surgery for early stage lung cancer provides better outcomes

Patients with early stage lung cancer live longer when they receive a lobectomy- the most common type of operation for the disease- rather than a less extensive operation or radiation treatment, according to a study published online today in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

30 Nov 2017

Study provides potential explanation for increased prevalence of asthma in adult women

In childhood, asthma is more common in boys than girls. But around the time of puberty, that picture reverses. By midlife women are twice as likely as men to have asthma.

29 Nov 2017

Researchers reduce over-prescription of antibiotics by using computer alerts to inform doctors

Physicians at Kaiser Permanente in Southern California reduced the odds of prescribing an antibiotic for sinusitis by 22 percent using computer alerts to inform doctors when antibiotics may not be the best course of treatment. The research was published today in the American Journal of Managed Care.

21 Nov 2017

New technique holds promise to screen cancer cells for drug susceptibility

Doctors have many drugs available to treat multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer. However, there is no way to predict, by genetic markers or other means, how a patient will respond to a particular drug. This can lead to months of treatment with a drug that isn't working.

20 Nov 2017

New tool can offer accurate estimates of cardiac risks for older surgery patients

A tool designed to more accurately predict the risk of heart attack in older patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery works significantly better than traditional risk assessment tools.

16 Nov 2017

Tax reform proposal could impact care for older Americans

Earlier this week, the Congressional Budget Office advised members of Congress that the U.S. House of Representative's tax reform bill (the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act," or H.R. 1) would result in automatic cuts to key federal programs, including a $25 billion cut to the Medicare program in 2018 as a result of existing Congressional "pay-go" rules.

16 Nov 2017

Treatments for preventing acute kidney failure post angiogram make no difference to health outcomes

Treatments commonly used to prevent acute kidney failure and its complications arising from common angiography procedures make no difference to health outcomes, a major new study has found.

13 Nov 2017

Study finds mislabeling in nearly 70% of cannabidiol products sold online

In recent years, there has been an increased interest in the medicinal use of Cannabidiol (CBD), a chemical that naturally occurs the in cannabis plant (aka "marijuana"). There is interest in CBD as a medicine because there is some evidence that it has medical benefits,

7 Nov 2017

Ohio’s drug-pricing ballot question triggers voter confusion

Lawmakers in the nation's capital have yet to grapple with rising drug costs, but Ohio voters are being asked — in a single ballot-box question next week — to figure out how best to lower the tab the state pays for prescriptions.

7 Nov 2017

Commonly prescribed medications may not benefit depressed CKD patients

A clinical trial involving hundreds of participants has shown that one of the most frequently prescribed antidepressants may not benefit millions of patients who also have chronic kidney disease (CKD).

3 Nov 2017

Top nursing organizations urge to improve veteran access to anesthesia care

Twenty-two nursing organizations, including the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, sent a letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin on October 24, 2017, expressing their concerns about surgical cancellations and postponements for veterans due to a lack of access to anesthesia services at the Denver VA Medical Center.

28 Oct 2017

New study hopes to shed light on mechanism behind epileptic and non-epileptic seizures

Seizures are a common result of traumatic brain injury, especially in military veterans. A new study funded by the DOD, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, and conducted in Providence RI and Birmingham AL hopes to shed new light on the mechanism behind seizures associated with post-traumatic epilepsy and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures.

25 Oct 2017

Research identifies molecular mechanism that causes kidney cancer to resist drug treatment

New research from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has identified the molecular mechanism that causes kidney cancer to resist drug treatment.

25 Oct 2017

Direct‐acting antiviral therapy linked to 71% reduction in liver cancer risk

A new study presented this week at The Liver Meeting - held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases - found that eradication of the hepatitis C virus induced by direct‐acting antiviral medications is associated with a 71 percent reduction in the risk of liver cancer.

20 Oct 2017

Study finds mitochondrial DNA damage in Veterans with Gulf War illness

Researchers say they have found the "first direct biological evidence" of damage in veterans with Gulf War illness to DNA within cellular structures that produce energy in the body.

19 Oct 2017

Arsenic trioxide could be powerful therapy to extend lives of certain glioblastoma patients

From Sherlock Holmes to Agatha Christie, arsenic is often the poison of choice in popular whodunits. But in ultra-low dosage, and in the right form, this naturally occurring chemical element can be a potent force against cancer.

17 Oct 2017

Combination of serrated polyps and high-risk adenomas may increase odds for colorectal cancer

Most colorectal cancer develops from precursors known as polyps, the most common and well researched of which are conventional adenomas. Conventional adenomas often progress to colorectal cancer through an intermediate step called high-risk adenomas.

11 Oct 2017

High degree of mental health issues in women veterans linked to increased risk for CAD

Women Veterans exhibit a high degree of mental health issues that are associated with an increased risk for coronary artery disease (CAD).

11 Oct 2017

Medicare plans place few restrictions on coverage of prescription opioids, Yale study finds

Medicare plans place few restrictions on the coverage of prescription opioids, despite federal guidelines recommending such restrictions, a new Yale study finds. The research results highlight an untapped opportunity for Medicare formularies to limit opioid prescribing, the researchers said.

10 Oct 2017

Shifting toward novel pricing models that closely link drug's price to its value

One of the health care issues about which seemingly all Americans agree: Prescription drug prices have skyrocketed. And they keep going higher.

9 Oct 2017