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Study examines how opioid overdose differs by prescribed dose for chronic pain conditions

More and more Americans with chronic pain not caused by cancer are taking medically prescribed opioids like Oxycontin (oxycodone) and Vicodin (hydrocodone). The January 19 Annals of Internal Medicine features the first study to explore the risk of overdose in patients prescribed opioids for chronic noncancer pain in general health care.

19 Jan 2010

New study indicates appendicitis may be caused by viral infection

The researchers evaluated data over a 36-year period from the National Hospital Discharge Survey and concluded in a paper appearing in the January issue of Archives of Surgery that appendicitis may be caused by undetermined viral infection or infections, said Dr. Edward Livingston, chief of GI/endocrine surgery at UT Southwestern and senior author of the report.

19 Jan 2010

Testing for high-risk types of HPV DNA can be effective in preventing invasive cervical cancer

Results from a study of more than 90,000 Italian women published by the Lancet Oncology found that testing for high-risk types of the human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA is significantly more effective in preventing invasive cervical cancer than cytology (Pap testing) alone.

19 Jan 2010

US hospital emergency departments treat an average 31,500 table saw-related injuries per year

Woodworking is a popular hobby, with table saws being owned and used by an estimated 6 million to 10 million people in the United States. Although table saws are associated with more injuries than any other woodworking tool, there have been no previously published national studies of table saw-related injuries.

18 Jan 2010

Surveillance colonoscopy need to be better aligned with patients' risks for colorectal cancer

How often patients receive surveillance colonoscopy may need to be better aligned with their risks for colorectal cancer, according to two papers published this month by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers.

18 Jan 2010

Table saw-related injuries remain high; new technology to prevent injuries needs to be affordable

18 Jan 2010

Researchers uncover novel genetic markers for diabetes-related traits

In two major studies published in Nature Genetics today, researchers use biological understanding to dissect the genetics of diabetes. An international team comprising researchers from more than 100 institutions analysed vast suites of genetic data from more than 100,000 people of European descent to uncover the associations.

18 Jan 2010

Fertility drugs cause a high percentage of multiple births; contribute to growing crisis of prematurity

The widespread use of so-called fertility drugs, not just high-tech laboratory procedures, likely plays a larger role than previously realized in the growing problem of premature births in the United States, because these drugs cause a high percentage of multiple births, the March of Dimes said today.

18 Jan 2010

Atlantic examines drug-resistant TB control worldwide

The Atlantic examines the emergence of drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis around the world, with a look at the situation in South Africa. "[T]he resurgence of tuberculosis is not limited to South Africa. India and China have the largest numbers of tuberculosis cases, and multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has been found in nearly every country, with XDR [extensively drug resistant]-TB in at least 57 countries," according to the article.

18 Jan 2010

Study finds large number of new couples among young adults infected with HPV

A groundbreaking study of couples led by Professor Eduardo Franco, Director of McGill University's Cancer Epidemiology Unit, in collaboration with a team of colleagues from McGill and Universit- de Montr-al/Centre Hospitalier de l'Universit- de Montr-al (CHUM), found more than half (56 per cent) of young adults in a new sexual relationship were infected with human papillomavirus (HPV).

18 Jan 2010

Study finds Achilles tendon ruptures can become career-altering injuries

Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore and Washington DC (January 12, 2010) More than a third of National Football League (NFL) players who sustained an Achilles tendon injury were never able to return to professional play according to research in the current issue of Foot & Ankle Specialist (published by SAGE). The injured players who did return to active play averaged a 50% reduction in their power ratings.

13 Jan 2010

Unintentional suffocation of infants twice as common in rural areas of China

The death rate from injuries in rural areas of China is higher than in urban areas, according to a new study by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for Injury Research and Policy.

13 Jan 2010

Studies suggest ways to prevent post-surgical infections in hospitals

Two new studies are suggesting relatively simple ways in which hospitals can prevent many post-surgical infections by killing bacteria the patients themselves bring in, according to Monday's New York Times.

13 Jan 2010

Women with high BP face greater risk for dementia later in life

High blood pressure may put women at greater risk for dementia later in life by increasing white matter abnormalities in the brain, report researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health in a study published online in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension.

12 Jan 2010

Analyzing physicians' practice patterns may hold clues to curb rising healthcare costs

Analyzing physicians' practice patterns may hold valuable clues about how to curb the nation's rising health care costs, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

12 Jan 2010

Obese white men with diabetes face worse outcomes following radical prostatectomy

Obese white men who have both diabetes and prostate cancer have significantly worse outcomes following radical prostatectomy than do men without diabetes who undergo the same procedure, according to research from Duke University Medical Center appearing in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention

12 Jan 2010

Public awareness campaign needed to curb health threats posed by hepatitis B and hepatitis C

Stepped-up vaccination requirements, a boost in resources for prevention and treatment, and a public awareness campaign similar to the effort that dispelled the stigma of HIV/AIDS are needed to curb the health threats posed by hepatitis B and hepatitis C, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

12 Jan 2010

Researchers identify genetic variant linked with the risk of prostate cancer

Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues have identified the first genetic variant associated with aggressive prostate cancer, proving the concept that genetic information may one day be used in combination with other factors to guide treatment decisions.

12 Jan 2010

Yale - New Haven Hospital earns SCPC accreditation

The Society of Chest Pain Centers (www.SCPCP.org), an international non-profit focused on improving care for cardiac patients, has announced that Yale - New Haven Hospital has earned the SCPC accreditation in recognition of its ability to quickly determine and intervene when a patient is experiencing cardiac symptoms.

9 Jan 2010

Cancer Research UK scientists named on New Year's Honours list

Several of Cancer Research UK's scientists have been named on this year's New Year's Honours list, as has the government's National Cancer Director and a long-term supporter of the charity.

9 Jan 2010

Epidemiology News and Research

Study examines how opioid overdose differs by prescribed dose for chronic pain conditions

New study indicates appendicitis may be caused by viral infection

Testing for high-risk types of HPV DNA can be effective in preventing invasive cervical cancer

US hospital emergency departments treat an average 31,500 table saw-related injuries per year

Surveillance colonoscopy need to be better aligned with patients' risks for colorectal cancer

Table saw-related injuries remain high; new technology to prevent injuries needs to be affordable

Researchers uncover novel genetic markers for diabetes-related traits

Fertility drugs cause a high percentage of multiple births; contribute to growing crisis of prematurity

Atlantic examines drug-resistant TB control worldwide

Study finds large number of new couples among young adults infected with HPV

Study finds Achilles tendon ruptures can become career-altering injuries

Unintentional suffocation of infants twice as common in rural areas of China

Studies suggest ways to prevent post-surgical infections in hospitals

Women with high BP face greater risk for dementia later in life

Analyzing physicians' practice patterns may hold clues to curb rising healthcare costs

Obese white men with diabetes face worse outcomes following radical prostatectomy

Public awareness campaign needed to curb health threats posed by hepatitis B and hepatitis C

Researchers identify genetic variant linked with the risk of prostate cancer

Yale - New Haven Hospital earns SCPC accreditation

Cancer Research UK scientists named on New Year's Honours list

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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