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Moderate consumption of coffee benefits aortic distensibility in hypertensive elderly individuals

A detailed study conducted by a team from the University of Athens on the Aegean island of Ikaria has demonstrated that moderate consumption of coffee by hypertensive elderly individuals can lead to improvements in aortic distensibility. Distensibility is a measure of the elasticity of arteries, and low levels have long been recognised as an indicator of atherosclerosis and a reliable predictor of future cardiovascular events.

2 Sep 2010

Physicians assistants, nurse practitioners take on more primary care duties

In the final part of a three-part series on primary care, NPR reports on physicians assistants and nurse practitioners taking the place of physicians as deliverers of primary care. "Unlike physicians in primary care, the number of physician assistants and nurse practitioners are on the rise. According to the American Academy of Physician Assistants, there were 74,100 physician assistants in practice in 2008, the most recent census available.

2 Sep 2010

Overflowing petitions to save local GP from deregistration

General Practitioner Dr Rajendra Moodley has helped hundreds of people in his care during his tenure. After being deregistered by the Medical Board of Australia last Friday, his patients are rising to appeal the deregistration decision.

1 Sep 2010

Doctor depression on the rise: Review

According to a review of Australian and international research released by Beyondblue this week, doctors use more prescription drugs and have a higher rate of suicide than the general population. General Practitioner Naomi Harris says doctors are less inclined to seek help for their own mental illness, resulting in some disturbing trends and she is urging doctors to come out for help being a member of an advisory committee formed to deal with the problem.

1 Sep 2010

CPA and Nightingale launch interactive Personal Health Record portal

Canadian Patient Access Inc. and Nightingale Informatix Corporation today announce the launch of myPatientAccess.ca, Canada's first interactive patient portal to be fully integrated with an electronic medical records (EMR) system. A breakthrough offering in consumer healthcare, Canadian patients will, for the first time, have full, web-based, real-time access to their Personal Health Record (PHR), with information that has been validated by their physician.

31 Aug 2010

LocateADoc.com launches new Vein Treatment specialty procedures

Due to Americans living increasingly sedentary lifestyles, coupled with being overweight, which is a leading cause of varicose veins, more and more adults are seeking both surgical and non-surgical treatments to remove their varicose veins.

31 Aug 2010

Recommendations for revascularisation in coronary artery disease patients

There have been several studies into the impact of completeness of revascularisation in recent years, yet few clear recommendations are available on the likely clinical outcomes. This topic is not formally addressed in either the European Society of Cardiology guidelines or those jointly issued by the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology.

31 Aug 2010

ECG-based screening for young footballers at risk of heart disease needs to be reviewed: Study

The screening process for young footballers at risk of heart disease needs to be re-evaluated. That is the conclusion of a recent study, which has shown that the common criteria used for assessment does not take into account the type and intensity of the exercise performed. The single most common cause of sudden death in competitive footballers is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - a disease that thickens the heart muscle without any obvious cause.

31 Aug 2010

Older adults likely to have destination memory failures

Older adults are more likely to have destination memory failures - forgetting who they've shared or not shared information with, according to a new study led by Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute.

31 Aug 2010

Death toll expected to rise as flooding subsides in some parts of Pakistan

Pakistani government officials say the death toll from the country's flooding stands at more than 1,600 and it could rise significantly as flood waters recede and more bodies are identified, CNN reports (8/28). "There is no official estimate of the number of missing because mass displacements have made accounting for them almost impossible," according to Reuters (Haider, 8/29).

31 Aug 2010

ESC/EACTS releases new Myocardial Revascularisation guidelines

Multivessel and left main disease have been long considered as mainstay indications for coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG). This recommendation, however, has been strongly challenged on several occasions. The release of new Myocardial Revascularisation guidelines by ESC and the European Association of Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons (EACTS) at the ESC Congress on Sunday 29 August is likely to shed new light on what has become a controversial topic.

31 Aug 2010

Marathon running does not cause sustained heart damage

A study of 167 amateur runners at the 2006 and 2007 Berlin marathons is lowering concerns that this type of activity leads to sustained heart damage, particularly among older competitors. Marathons are becoming an increasingly popular challenge for amateur runners wanting to test their endurance over the classic 26-mile distance. The medical community, however, has long been concerned about how marathons impact the heart - and it has not yet been shown if the effects vary among different age groups or genders.

31 Aug 2010

Study shows statin therapy not associated with cancer

In the largest and most reliable study of its type, the University of Oxford (UK) and the University of Sydney (Australia) have demonstrated that statin therapy is not a cause of increased cancer rates and deaths. The conclusions of this study will reassure the millions of people worldwide who are taking statins to lower cholesterol levels, and clarifies earlier research that had raised concerns of a causal link.

31 Aug 2010

Genetic profiling to predict treatment benefits of ACE inhibitor therapy for CAD

The advantages of prescribing angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors for stable coronary artery disease (CAD) may be increased by targeting the therapy to the patients most likely to benefit.Clinical characteristics alone do not allow a reliable identification of these patients, so a research programme was carried out at Erasmus University Medical Centre in Rotterdam to develop a genetic profiling model that predicts the treatment benefits of ACE inhibitors and optimises the recommended therapy.

31 Aug 2010

Using clopidogrel, PPIs increases cardiac damage risk: Study

Patients with coronary artery disease undergoing stent implantation are often prescribed the antiplatelet drug, clopidogrel. This drug prevents blood clots, but is known to have a side-effect that can cause stomach bleeding. Consequently, many users are also prescribed a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). Now, however, a meta-analysis of almost 160,000 patients carried out at the Medical University of Vienna and Wilhelminenhospital, Vienna, has shown that simultaneous use of these drugs can increase the risk of cardiac damage.

31 Aug 2010

Texas Children's Fetal Center announces 200th TTTS laser ablation surgery milestone

As one of the leading medical centers in the U.S. diagnosing and treating twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), Texas Children's Fetal Center is proud to announce the successful completion of its 200th TTTS laser ablation surgery.

31 Aug 2010

Sutter Health collaborates with iTriage

Consumers can check health symptoms, look up health conditions and now find detailed information about doctors, hospitals, emergency rooms and medical clinics in the Sutter Health network via the free mobile health care application – iTriage.

31 Aug 2010

Medicare beneficiaries receive prescription drug cost relief under Affordable Care Act

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced that more than 1 million Medicare beneficiaries have received prescription drug cost relief through the Affordable Care Act.

31 Aug 2010

Patient Home Monitoring releases Reverse Take Over third quarter 2010 results

Patient Home Monitoring, a new company focused on in-home cardiology healthcare services, today released its post Reverse Take Over third quarter financial results, which primarily represent the period from the RTO on June 2, 2010 to June 30, 2010.

30 Aug 2010

Children, teens need good health before the start of new school year, says medical director

With the back to school shopping season in full swing, it is also important to arm area children and teens with other tools they need to have a good school year- like medical exams. These are critical to good health and should take place before or shortly after the start of the new school year, and include a routine doctor's exam to confirm that all immunizations are up-to-date, a dental check-up, and a vision exam.

30 Aug 2010