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Tackling misdiagnosis of asthma in primary care

There are three kinds of problem – though we do not have any reliable quantitative data to know how common they are. Firstly, there is sometimes a delay in making an asthma diagnosis in people who have asthma – this is less common than in the past, but it still happens.

13 Sep 2017

Study finds most Instagram marketing on cosmetic surgery is by non-board certified professionals

A recent study conducted by the Northwestern University indicated that most of the aesthetic surgery service providers who advertise themselves on social media are not board certified, thereby putting the people who respond to these ads at risk.

31 Aug 2017

Study finds excessive mortality in people with extremely high levels of good cholesterol

It has been accepted wisdom for many years that the more good cholesterol people have in their blood, the better. But the good cholesterol, also known as HDL, might not be as good as we think.

23 Aug 2017

Diagnosing prostate cancer through a £225 urine test

This test, which we have branded SelectMDx for Prostate Cancer, came with the acquisition of a company in the Netherlands called NovioGendix. They developed a prototype assay, so they did most of the heavy lifting in terms of discovering the two specific biomarkers that are currently in the product. These biomarkers are tuned towards the detection of what I call clinically significant prostate cancer.

24 Jul 2017

Social media worries young girls into vaginal surgery, say doctors

Girls as young as nine are undergoing surgery to have their labia reduced due to insecurities stemming from social media and pornography, according to leading doctors.

3 Jul 2017

ESCAPE-NET created to search for sudden cardiac arrest causes and compare treatments

A European network has been created to find sudden cardiac arrest causes and compare treatments.

19 Jun 2017

Cluster headaches: searching for effective therapies

Cluster headaches are probably the most painful types of pain a human can suffer and it is for no small reason that this condition is also sometimes referred to as suicide headache.

25 May 2017

Cyber attack puts additional pressure on NHS

A cyber attack of unprecedented scale inactivated more than 230,000 computers in 150 countries on Friday 12 May. A number of large companies across the world were affected, including Telefónica in Spain, the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK, FedEx, and Deutsche Bahn.

15 May 2017

Improved primary care may help reduce hospital readmissions for diabetes patients

PEOPLE who regularly visit their family doctor following discharge for a diabetes-related hospitalisation significantly reduce their chance of being readmitted, an Australian study has found

7 Mar 2017

New analysis finds high rates of initial medication non-adherence in chronic treatments

A new analysis indicates that not obtaining a medication the first time it is prescribed-called initial medication non-adherence-is common among patients within the Catalan health system in Spain.

23 Feb 2017

Anti-epilepsy medicine use during pregnancy does not harm overall health of children, study finds

Children whose mothers have taken anti-epilepsy medicine during pregnancy, do not visit the doctor more often than children who have not been exposed to this medicine in utero. This is the result of a new study from Aarhus.

21 Feb 2017

Study: Post-deployment screening not effective in reducing mental health disorders in UK Armed Forces personnel

A trial testing a potential post-deployment screening programme for UK Armed Forces personnel, based on a computerised assessment and tailored mental health advice, found it was not effective in reducing symptoms of mental health disorders or encouraging personnel to seek help, compared to the general mental health advice which is the standard of care in the UK military.

20 Feb 2017

Non-severe infections can increase risk of developing serious mental disorders

A new study shows that non-severe infections that do not require hospitalisation can also increase the risk of subsequently developing schizophrenia or depression.

1 Feb 2017

IPF diagnosis: how do patients feel about the discussion with their physician?

IPF (Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis) is a difficult disease to diagnose. Many patients will experience many visits to the doctor and some may even be told they have a different respiratory condition before they finally get the correct diagnosis that...

12 Dec 2016

Finding reliable health information online: an interview with Dr Andrew Boyden

The research was presented by pharmacists from the Calvary Public Hospital in Canberra, who looked at conversations that took place in selected parenting groups on Facebook.

22 Nov 2016

Dissatisfaction in relationship during pregnancy may increase risk of infection in mother and child

Pregnant women dissatisfied in their relationship have an increased risk of infectious diseases. This also affects their children.

17 Oct 2016

Studies look at alternative ways to overcome barriers and improve cancer screening rates

Early diagnosis of cancer is linked to better survival rates. Unfortunately, participation rates for cancer screening worldwide are low even when screening programmes are free.

6 Oct 2016

Simple blood test can quickly detect serious infections in children

Using a simple decision rule and a finger prick to test blood, general practitioners can now detect serious infections in children very quickly. This ensures that seriously ill children don't have to wait for a diagnosis until they're hospitalized - a delay that may have fatal consequences.

6 Oct 2016

Mobile app helps reduce symptoms of urinary incontinence in women

Urinary leakage whilst coughing and jumping is common in women. Using a self-administered treatment via a mobile app called Tät for three months reduced symptoms, led to fewer leakages and improved quality of life.

13 Sep 2016

Remote monitoring shows no improvement in outcomes for heart failure patients with CIEDs

For heart failure patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs), remote monitoring of their condition does not improve outcomes compared to usual care, according to Hot Line results presented at ESC Congress 2016 and to be simultaneously published in JAMA.

29 Aug 2016