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Even small amounts of exercise good for people with serious mental illnesses

A new study from Indiana University suggests that even meager levels of physical activity can improve the mood of people with serious mental illnesses (SMI) such as bipolar disorder, major depression and schizophrenia.

15 Jan 2009

Antidepressants improve symptoms of fibromyalgia

The use of antidepressant medications by patients with fibromyalgia syndrome is associated with a reduction in pain, sleep disturbances and depressed mood and improvement of health-related quality of life, according to an analysis of previous studies, which is published in the January 14, 2009 issue of JAMA.

14 Jan 2009

Women suffer more from rheumatoid arthritis

Tuulikki Sokka from the Jyvaskyla Central Hospital, Finland, along with other members of the Quantitative Standard Monitoring of Patients with RA (QUEST-RA) program, explored possible associations between gender and disease activity measures, treatments, and clinical characteristics in more than 6,000 RA patients from 70 sites in 25 countries.

13 Jan 2009

Strong quadriceps may benefit those with knee osteoarthritis

Studies on the influence of quadriceps strength on knee osteoarthritis (OA), one of the leading causes of disability among the elderly, have shown conflicting results.

13 Jan 2009

Potential health consequences of recession

The Bureau of Labor Statistics just announced a jump in the jobless rate, from 6.8 percent in November to 7.2 percent in December.

13 Jan 2009

Relapses more frequent in patients diagnosed with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis

Patients who develop multiple sclerosis before age 18 appear to experience more relapses of symptoms than those diagnosed with the disease as adults, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Neurology.

12 Jan 2009

Glaucoma may be linked to reading impairment in older adults

Glaucoma appears to be associated with slower spoken reading and increased reading impairment in older adults, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

12 Jan 2009

Latest genetic research on ADHD

A special issue of American Journal of Medical Genetics (AJMG): Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics presents a comprehensive overview of the latest progress in genetic research of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

7 Jan 2009

United States preterm birth rate continues to rise

New government statistics confirm that the decades-long rise in the United States preterm birth rate continues, putting more infants than ever at increased risk of death and disability.

7 Jan 2009

Caring for chronic diseases in a "fragmented" health care system

Ed Wagner, MD, MPH, knew there had to be a better way. He and Group Health colleagues set out 15 years ago to explore how best to engage patients with chronic diseases in effective care.

6 Jan 2009

Exercise great for children with developmental disabilities

Group exercise programs, treadmill training and horseback riding can be healthy choices for children with developmental disabilities, a new review of studies concludes.

1 Jan 2009

Two common biomarkers help predict stroke risk

Two common biomarkers have now been shown to improve the ability to predict who will suffer from a stroke.

18 Dec 2008

Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging predicts effects of multiple sclerosis flare-ups on optic nerve

One of the most pernicious aspects of multiple sclerosis (MS) - its sheer unpredictability - may finally be starting to yield to advanced medical imaging techniques.

17 Dec 2008

Physical disability can boost marital happiness

A new study finds that the onset of physical disability boosts marital happiness more often than not.

17 Dec 2008

New system of scoring IQ tests taken by children with fragile X syndrome

Parents of children with intellectual disabilities have long been frustrated by intelligence quotient (IQ) testing that tells them little to nothing about the long-term learning potential of their children.

16 Dec 2008

Physical therapy best for musculoskeletal pain relief

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) is urging patients with musculoskeletal pain to consider treatment by a physical therapist, in light of a new federal survey showing that more than one-third of American adults and nearly 12 percent of children use alternative medicine - with back and neck pain being the top reasons for treatment.

15 Dec 2008

Hospitals using quality improvement program increase compliance to stroke treatment guidelines

Hospitals participating in a voluntary quality improvement program for stroke treatment increased adherence to national recommendations, researchers reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

15 Dec 2008

New system of scoring IQ tests benefits children with intellectual disabilities

Parents of children with intellectual disabilities have long been frustrated by IQ testing that tells them little to nothing about their children's long-term learning potential. That's because the tests are scored according to the mean performance of children without disabilities, so the raw scores of many intellectually disabled children are converted to the lowest normalized score: typically a zero.

15 Dec 2008

Research aims to reduce scarring from heart attacks

A heart damaged by heart attack is usually broken, at least partially, for good.

14 Dec 2008

New spinal deformity classification system

A University of Cincinnati (UC) neurosurgeon who has spent his career helping people with severe spine problems stand up straight has spearheaded the creation of a new spinal deformity classification system.

10 Dec 2008