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The benefits of the contraceptive pill far outweigh the risks

A study by researchers in Scotland confirms that for most women who take the contraceptive pill, the benefits far outweigh any potential risks.

12 Sep 2007

Uninsured community health center patients often have difficulty accessing specialty services

Uninsured patients in publicly funded community health centers face significant obstacles accessing specialty services outside of these centers, a new study finds.

12 Sep 2007

The contraceptive pill may reduce risk of developing cancer

Taking the contraceptive pill does not increase a woman's chances of developing cancer and may even reduce the risk for most women, according to a study published on bmj.com today.

12 Sep 2007

Parental surveys boost diagnosis abilities of pediatricians

A simple questionnaire developed at the University of Oregon and requiring no more than 15 minutes of a parent's time before or after a doctor's appointment is credited with a 224-percent increase in referrals of year-old and 2-year-old children with mild developmental delays in a yearlong study.

12 Sep 2007

Generic prostate drug finasteride helps find high-risk cancers early

Men now have another good reason to consider taking finasteride, a well-known generic drug that shrinks an enlarged prostate and reduces the risk of getting prostate cancer by 25 percent.

12 Sep 2007

Call for closer examination of 'brain death' as the end of life

The medical diagnosis of brain death is at odds with our traditional view of when death actually occurs, says a leading academic speaking at an international conference on Death, dying & disposal in Bath today (Wednesday 12 September 2007).

12 Sep 2007

St. Jude follows outcomes of stem cell transplant survivors

Patient care at St. Jude doesn't stop when the child is cured. The end of successful therapy is the start of many years of follow-up care. This care is aimed at helping make the recovery process successful and preparing the family and hometown doctor for long-term complications that might arise from the disease or its treatment.

11 Sep 2007

Smoke-free environments help smokers quit

With Pennsylvania's elected leaders debating the need for a smoking ban, yet another reason is emerging for the Keystone State to clear the air.

11 Sep 2007

Maximizing opportunities for personalized treatment

Scientists and clinicians from around the world will gather in Atlanta, Georgia next week at the American Association for Cancer Research's second International Conference on Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development.

11 Sep 2007

Eight things you need to know about ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer doesn't get the kind of attention breast cancer gets. It's not as common, and because survival rates are poor, it does not produce an army of survivors to raise awareness.

11 Sep 2007

A neurostimulator device that detects, stops seizures under study at Medical College of Georgia

A small device implanted in the skull that detects oncoming seizures, then delivers a brief electrical stimulus to the brain to stop them is under study at the Medical College of Georgia.

11 Sep 2007

Everything that itches isn't a yeast infection!

Most women who think they have a vaginal yeast infection are wrong and may be doing more harm than good in treating their problem, says a Saint Louis University researcher who presented her findings recently.

11 Sep 2007

Millions unaware they have potentially fatal high blood pressure

According to a medical charity in the UK more than five million Britons are living with potentially fatal high blood pressure and are unaware of it.

10 Sep 2007

Occupational vocal cord dysfunction

Researchers from the UAB and the Vall d'Hebron Hospital have diagnosed two patients affected with vocal cord dysfunction, which causes coughing and difficulty in breathing due to irritating agents that are breathed in at the workplace.

10 Sep 2007

Soy isoflavone genistin may reduce a baby's susceptibility to rotavirus infections

The soy isoflavone genistin--at concentrations present in soy infant formula-- may reduce a baby's susceptibility to rotavirus infections by as much as 74 percent, according to a University of Illinois study published in September's Journal of Nutrition.

10 Sep 2007

Nuclear medicine approach can be first choice for excluding pulmonary embolism in young women

Young women at risk of having a pulmonary embolism - a potential life-threatening blockage in a lung artery - should first undergo a ventilation/perfusion lung scan (V/Q scan) rather than a CT (computed tomography) angiogram, conclude authors in a paper published in the September Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

10 Sep 2007

Canadian's warned again about dodgy goods from China

Canadian consumers are being warned yet again about products from China.

9 Sep 2007

Experts say screening families of heart attack victims could save many lives

Scottish researchers say by screening the relatives of middle-aged heart attack sufferers many lives would be saved.

9 Sep 2007

Adolescents need to see their doctors more often to receive the HPV vaccine

Despite recommendations for annual preventive exams for adolescents, only 10 percent of teens have enough visits within 12 months to receive the recommended three shots needed for HPV vaccine. Ideally the three shots are delivered within six months, and only 1 percent of teens see their physicians that often.

5 Sep 2007

Scoliosis in adults

Scoliosis is an abnormal lateral curvature of the spine. It is most often diagnosed in childhood or early adolescence, but can also be diagnosed in adults.

5 Sep 2007