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Comparison of venlafaxine and SSRIs in the treatment of depression

There are numerous antidepressant medications currently on the market, but sadly, many patients still experience the debilitating symptoms of depression even with treatment.

21 Feb 2008

Pets also suffer from obesity

It's no secret that obesity is a problem in humans. Reality television makes millions of dollars chronicling the efforts of Americans attempting to shed excess weight.

21 Feb 2008

Depression in arthritis patients

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are twice as likely to experience depression but are unlikely to talk to a doctor about it, according to researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

21 Feb 2008

Calls to doctor's office may delay stroke treatment

Calling a primary care doctor instead of 9-1-1 at the first sign of a stroke can delay patients from reaching an emergency room during the most critical period - the first three hours after onset of stroke symptoms, researchers reported at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2008.

21 Feb 2008

Doctors meet to get it right for new Orange hospital

The furore over the new Bathurst hospital which has been deemed dysfunctional by medical staff is now being followed by another uproar this time over plans for a new hospital in Orange in central western New South Wales.

21 Feb 2008

Optical tool detects biomarkers in breath

Exhale on a cold winter day and you will see the water vapor coming out of your mouth.

20 Feb 2008

More support needed for menopausal women in rural areas

Good social support and reliable information are essential for women who find menopause an intense and life-altering experience, especially if they live in rural areas where health services are patchy or inaccessible.

20 Feb 2008

Stereotypes and misinformation about HIV still commonplace in healthcare

The doctor who wouldn't come into the patient's hospital room. The neurologist who avoided eye contact. The ambulance attendant who angrily threw her bloodied gloves into the street after learning the injured patient was HIV-positive.

20 Feb 2008

CT scan can harm kidneys, but cheap drug can help

As more and more Americans undergo CT scans and other medical imaging scans involving intense X-rays, a new study suggests that many of them should take a pre-scan drug that could protect their kidneys from damage.

20 Feb 2008

Researchers find protein targets for potential treatment of multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is not a single condition, but an ebbing and flowing of stages affecting the body ' s central nervous system.

18 Feb 2008

Marijuana causes emotional and memory problems in multiple sclerosis patients

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who smoke marijuana are more likely to have emotional and memory problems, according to research published February 13, 2008, in the online edition of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

18 Feb 2008

URMC testing new device for Parkinson's

The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) is one of a handful of sites nationwide testing a new device for patients with Parkinson's disease and essential tremor, a neurological movement disorder.

14 Feb 2008

NSW public hospitals below par with obsolete equipment

The latest report from the New South Wales (NSW) Auditor-General office offers more evidence that the state's public hospital systems are falling below par in some respects.

13 Feb 2008

Health care providers play key role in likelihood their patients are screened for colorectal cancer

The findings suggest that interventions targeting both the provider and the patient are needed to boost colorectal cancer screening rates, and in particular must take into account patient barriers such as concerns about payment and worries that cancer will be discovered.

12 Feb 2008

Are patients making clinical decisions?

Doctors are adjusting their bedside manner as better informed patients make ever-increasing demands and expect to be listened to, and fully involved, in clinical decisions that directly affect their care.

12 Feb 2008

Australians lacking basic knowledge to keep themselves healthy

The Healthy Communities Research Centre at UQ Ipswich is calling for a national focus on "health literacy" following the release of findings which reveal that most Australians don't have the basic knowledge to keep themselves healthy.

8 Feb 2008

Is it safe delaying decision about having prostate cancer surgery?

Is it safe to wait to make a decision about having prostate cancer surgery, even after you've waited and waited for all the doctor appointments and test results? Or will the additional delay reduce your chances of being cured?

8 Feb 2008

Hot flashes may be getting an unfair rap for disrupting women's sleep at midlife

Studies have often reported that sleep problems increase during the transition into menopause, reinforcing the idea that hot flashes are to blame. But even under controlled conditions in sleep laboratories, the connection between hot flashes and sleep disruption remains unclear, reports the February 2008 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch.

8 Feb 2008

HIV drugs, Abacavir and Didanosine increase the risk of heart attack

A study to assess the adverse effects of anti-retroviral drugs shows that two widely-used HIV drugs are associated with an increased risk of heart attack/the formation of blood clots in the heart.

8 Feb 2008

Beneficial bacteria found in healthy women provide clues for slowing HIV transmission

Beneficial bacteria found in healthy women help to reduce the amount of vaginal HIV among HIV-infected women and might make it more difficult for the virus to spread, boosting the possibility that "good bacteria" might someday be tapped in the fight against HIV.

8 Feb 2008