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Study: Eating sweet foods causes the brain to form memories that may control eating behaviors

Eating sweet foods causes the brain to form a memory of a meal, according to researchers at Georgia State University, Georgia Regents University and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center.

13 Nov 2015

UM SOM Dean E. Albert Reece to be honored with 2015 David E. Rogers Award

The Association of American Medical Colleges announced today that University of Maryland School of Medicine Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, will receive the 2015 David E. Rogers Award, which honors a medical school faculty member who has made major contributions to improving the health and health care of the American people. He will be presented the Award on November 8, 2015 at the AAMC's Annual Awards Event.

6 Nov 2015

Expressive writing may improve functioning among combat veterans with reintegration problems

In a study of nearly 1,300 returning veterans reporting reintegration problems, those who completed online expressive-writing sessions showed more improvements than peers who had not written at all or who had engaged only in factual writing.

5 Nov 2015

Pediatricians send away families who refuse to vaccinate their children

One in five pediatricians dismiss families who refuse to vaccinate their children, according to findings published today in the journal Pediatrics and based on research by faculty from the University of Colorado School of Medicine on the Anschutz Medical Campus.

3 Nov 2015

VA should hold senior officials accountable, says American Legion National Commander

The leader of the nation's largest veterans organization called a senior VA official's concession during a congressional hearing tonight that the department has an accountability problem "one of the understatements of the year."

3 Nov 2015

Older women who complain of memory problems may experience thinking impairment decades later

New research suggests that older women who complain of memory problems may be at higher risk for experiencing diagnosed memory and thinking impairment decades later. The study is published in the October 28, 2015, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

29 Oct 2015

Stopping cholesterol medications before surgery may increase risk of death during recovery

Patients who stop taking cholesterol medications before surgery are following outdated recommendations, and significantly increasing their risk of death if they don't resume taking the medications within two days after surgery, according to a study of more than 300,000 patients being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2015 annual meeting.

28 Oct 2015

Limited use of general anesthesia does not cause developmental problems for children

An international team of researchers that includes a pediatric anesthesiologist from the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children's Hospital Colorado is reporting that limited use of general anesthesia with an infant does not cause developmental problems for the child.

27 Oct 2015

Restoring memory in aging mice

A new study, led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System (VA) and University of California (UC) San Diego School of Medicine shows that increasing a crucial cholesterol-binding membrane protein in nerve cells (neurons) within the brain can improve learning and memory in aged mice.

22 Oct 2015

Patient-physician communication can help determine true life expectancy of older adults

Health care providers must have detailed discussions with their older adult patients to better determine their true life expectancy, as older adults do not accurately predict their own prognosis, a key factor in making decisions about future health interventions, according to researchers at UC San Francisco and San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

20 Oct 2015

Developing tailored interventions for cognitive and behavioral symptoms key to improving outcomes after TBI

Kessler researchers assessed moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) for frontal behavioral syndromes and cognitive function. Their finding suggest that adding the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale to neuropsychological assessment may yield useful information about the behavioral sequelae of TBI.

15 Oct 2015

Team-based delivery models can improve quality of care in patients with cardiovascular disease

Patients with coronary artery disease, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation receive comparable outpatient care from physicians and advanced practice providers-- physician assistants and nurse practitioners - although all clinicians fell short in meeting performance measures, according to a study published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

13 Oct 2015

Novel mathematical method may help reduce development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria

It is estimated that each year in the United States 2 million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to one or more types of antibiotics, and at least 23,000 people will die because of these infections. This problem is being exacerbated by overuse of antibiotics for livestock and also in community clinical practice. This overuse, combined with the slow pace of novel drug discovery is a growing threat to public health.

12 Oct 2015

People with restless legs syndrome at higher risk for stroke, heart and kidney disease

Imagine trying to lie down and rest but feeling an uncontrollable urge to keep moving your legs. That, in a nutshell, is the ongoing ordeal facing people with restless legs syndrome. Considered a neurological, sleep, or movement disorder, RLS affects up to 1 in 10 people in the U.S. For those coping with a more severe form of RLS, countless sleepless nights--during which they may toss and turn constantly, or get up and pace the floor--can shatter quality of life.

9 Oct 2015

Research: Many Americans use prescription pain relievers, most people see abuse as serious health issue

More than one in four Americans has taken prescription painkillers in the past year, even as a majority say that abuse of these medications is a very serious public health concern, according to new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research.

8 Oct 2015

Cleaning patient rooms with combination of chemicals and UV light cuts transmission of superbugs

Healthcare facilities continue to battle drug-resistant organisms such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that loiter on surfaces even after patient rooms have been cleaned and can cause new, sometimes-deadly infections.

8 Oct 2015

New guidance statement on palliative care to be presented at 2015 Palliative Care in Oncology Symposium

A new guidance statement from the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine is being presented for the first time at the 2015 Palliative Care in Oncology Symposium in Boston.

7 Oct 2015

Positive emotions may make your heart healthier

People with heart disease may benefit from maintaining positive emotions, according to health researchers. Over the course of five years the researchers tracked more than 1,000 patients with coronary heart disease. Patients who reported higher positive psychological states were more likely to be physically active, sleep better and take their heart medications and were also less likely to smoke, compared to patients with lower levels of positive states.

6 Oct 2015

Risks of water intoxication increase as outdoor endurance recreation grows in popularity

While emphasis is often placed on keeping athletes and outdoor enthusiasts properly hydrated, too much water can be just as dangerous. Exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH), also known as water intoxication, results in an extreme, and potentially fatal, sodium imbalance.

30 Sep 2015

Routine water testing at SEVC identifies Legionella bacteria in water treatment system

Routine water testing at the Southeastern Veterans' Center in Spring City has identified the presence of Legionella bacteria in the water treatment system. No cases have been reported of any residents having a physical aliment or diagnosis of Legionaries Disease. There is only a presence of the bacteria at this time.

26 Sep 2015