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Surgeons told to pull the plug on robotically assisted hysterectomy

US researchers are calling for curbs on the rapidly increasing use of robotically assisted hysterectomy after an extensive study of the technique showed that it fails to improve outcomes over laparoscopy.

26 Feb 2013

Thermo Fisher Scientific launches Brilliance GBS Agar

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today announced the launch of Brilliance GBS Agar for the testing of Group B streptococci (GBS) during pregnancy.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 26 Feb 2013

CHADS scores possibilities extend beyond atrial fibrillation

The CHADS-based risk scores can predict long-term vascular outcomes and mortality in patients with stroke who do not have atrial fibrillation, research suggests.

25 Feb 2013

Gas transfer predicts survival in lung disease patients

Gas transfer is the best lung function predictor of survival in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, study results suggest.

25 Feb 2013

COPD has negative prognostic impact in heart attack patients

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is associated with an increased risk for death and hospital readmission for cardiovascular causes in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, research shows.

25 Feb 2013

Adolescent bipolar disorder ‘does not conform to checklist’

Young people with bipolar disorder who are in a depressive episode do not conform to the child behavior checklist–juvenile bipolar disorder phenotype profile, the results of a US study indicate.

25 Feb 2013

SciDev.Net examines usefulness of global health data for policymakers

"The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2010, launched last December, brought unparalleled access to analyses of health and mortality trends spanning two decades," but "hurdles remain in ensuring the accessibility and usefulness of data for policymakers in the global South," SciDev.Net reports.

24 Feb 2013

Selenium supplements and heart disease risk: an interview with Dr Saverio Stranges, University of Warwick

Selenium is a micronutrient which has antioxidant properties by means of selenoproteins which play many important functions in the body. They actually are contained in many different foods. The amount of selenium we get from diet is closely linked to the amount of selenium in the soil.

21 Feb 2013

Progress on reducing maternal mortality in Nigeria requires cooperation

Referencing the phrase "impatient optimists," coined by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Aminu Magashi, an adviser for the USAID-funded Targeted States High Impact Project, writes in Nigeria's Daily Trust, "Although in many developing countries, the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5 of improving maternal health by 2015 will not be achieved, we should all be optimistic and impatient to continue doing what we can to reduce the burden of maternal death which will positively reduce the burden of newborn and child mortality."

21 Feb 2013

Hydroxyethyl starch associated with increased risk of death and acute kidney injury

In an analysis of studies that examined critically ill patients requiring an increase in blood fluid volume, intravenous use of the fluid hydroxyethyl starch was not associated with decreased mortality, according to an article appearing in the February 20 issue of JAMA.

21 Feb 2013

Policymakers, insurers should consider generic-only coverage to improve health and reduce costs

A new study published online today in the American Journal of Managed Care found that in Medicare Part D, generic drug coverage was cost-saving compared to no coverage in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, while also improving health outcomes.

21 Feb 2013

Positive effect of smoking cessation becomes noticeable within a short period of time: Study

Professor Hermann Brenner and colleagues analyzed the data of 8.807 individuals aged between 50 and 74 years using data of Saarland citizens. "We were able to show that the risk of smokers for cardiovascular diseases is more than twice that of non-smokers. However, former smokers are affected at almost the same low rate as people of the same age who never smoked," says Brenner.

21 Feb 2013

Childhood cancer on the rise across the developing world

Across the developing world, childhood cancer is on the rise, and mortality is high. Once thought of as a rich world disease, cancer is a growing health threat across low-income and middle-income countries (LMCs). A major new Lancet Oncology Series by some of the world’s most eminent cancer experts outlines the biggest challenges to treating childhood cancer in developing nations and proposes strategies to improve care for children and young people.

20 Feb 2013

Air pollution exposure raises cardiac death rate

Long-term exposure to high levels of particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 mm or below increases a person’s chance for dying following a heart attack, show results from a large UK study.

20 Feb 2013

Misconduct biased fluid resuscitation studies

There are “serious safety concerns” associated with the use of hydroxyethyl starch for fluid resuscitation in critically ill patients, say the authors of a meta-analysis in JAMA.

20 Feb 2013

‘Liver first’ approach first choice for metastatic rectal cancer

Using the “liver first” approach to treat locally advanced rectal cancer and synchronous liver metastases allows nearly three-quarters of patients to receive optimal neoadjuvant therapy and resection for both their primary tumor and metastases, researchers report.

20 Feb 2013

Air pollution associated with increased deaths after heart attacks

Air pollution contributes to an increased number of deaths among patients who have been admitted to hospital with heart attacks, according to a study published online in the European Heart Journal

20 Feb 2013

Heart OMics in AGEing project receives European Commission grant

The HOMAGE (Heart OMics in AGEing) project, coordinated by the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), has been awarded a grant by the European Commission for a 6 year period.

20 Feb 2013

High coronary artery calcium together with slow walking speed multiplies risk of mortality

High coronary artery calcium (CAC) together with slow walking speed multiplies the risk of mortality, reveals a new study published in the International Journal of Cardiology. Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death worldwide and also a common cause of sudden death - heart attack often being the first sign of the disease.

20 Feb 2013

Physicians do not talk to patients about psychosocial impact and long-term risks of ICDs

New research at Saint Louis University shows physicians do not talk to patients about the psychosocial impact and long-term risks of implanting cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) to treat irregular heart rhythms, leaving them misinformed about how the device may affect quality of life.

20 Feb 2013