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People with lower socioeconomic status remain at higher risk of dying from colon cancer

Despite medical advances in colon cancer screening and treatment, people with a lower socioeconomic status remain at a higher risk of dying from colon cancer. A new study in The Milbank Quarterly finds that states and communities that focus on increasing the adoption of innovative health care practices along with providing greater access to public health information can reduce these deaths.

6 Oct 2012

Improved battlefield transport and triage improves survival of severely wounded soldiers

Wounded soldiers who sustained chest injuries in Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq) had higher mortality rates than soldiers in Korea and Vietnam, according to a military trauma study presented at the 2012 American College of Surgeons Annual Clinical Congress.

6 Oct 2012

Opiate substitution therapies linked to reduced risk of HIV transmission

Methadone reduces the risk of HIV transmission in people who inject drugs (PWID), as reported by an international team of researchers in a paper published today in the online edition of the British Medical Journal. This team included Dr. Julie Bruneau from the CHUM Research Centre (CRCHUM) and the Department of Family Medicine at the Universit- de Montr-al.

6 Oct 2012

Many breast cancer survivors insufficiently active after leaving supervised programs

More than 40 percent of older breast cancer survivors are insufficiently active after leaving a supervised program. But new research shows that those women who developed behavioral skills such as self-confidence and motivation during their program were far more likely to continue exercising on their own.

6 Oct 2012

DPP-inhibitors reduce cardiovascular events in diabetes patients

Type 2 diabetes patients who are treated with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors have a significantly reduced risk for cardiovascular events, particularly myocardial infarction, compared with their peers who take placebo or other drugs, results of a meta-analysis show.

5 Oct 2012

Increased heart death risk for elderly sleep apnea patients

Untreated severe obstructive sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular death in the elderly, say researchers.

5 Oct 2012

HIV transmission can be reduced by using opioid substitution treatments instead of injection drug use

People who inject drugs (PWID) can significantly reduce their risk of HIV infection with the use of opiate substitution treatments such as methadone, as suggested by an international team of researchers in a paper published today on bmj.com.

5 Oct 2012

Type 2 diabetes screening does not appear to affect mortality rates

Screening for type 2 diabetes does not appear to affect overall population mortality rates, according to a new study published in The Lancet.

5 Oct 2012

QRS prolongation associated with increased rates of heart-failure mortality

A new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden demonstrates that a change in the ECG wave called the QRS prolongation is associated with a higher rate of heart-failure mortality.

5 Oct 2012

Myocardial infarction mortality rates decrease by 44% over the last 15 years in Argentina

Mortality caused by myocardial infarction has decreased by 44% over the last 15 years in Argentina, according to new research which will be presented during the 38th Argentine Congress of Cardiology.

5 Oct 2012

New ToxIC study identifies current drug poisoning trends

Nonprescription medications are just as likely a cause of poisoning as prescription drugs, according to a new study by Timothy Wiegand, M.D. from the University of Rochester Medical Center in the US and colleagues.

5 Oct 2012

New gene test can detect pre-cancerous cells in patients with mouth lesions

Researchers from Queen Mary, University of London have developed a new gene test that can detect pre-cancerous cells in patients with benign-looking mouth lesions. The test could potentially allow at-risk patients to receive earlier treatment, significantly improving their chance of survival.

5 Oct 2012

STAT-ED may help identify adolescents at risk for suicide

Investigators at Nationwide Children's Hospital and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center are hoping to better identify adolescents at risk for suicide and improve how these at-risk children receive follow up mental health treatment.

5 Oct 2012

Study shows impact of obstetric unit closures on outcomes of mothers and babies

After a series of Philadelphia hospitals started closing their maternity units in 1997, infant mortality rates increased by nearly 50 percent over the next three years. The mortality rates subsequently leveled off to the same rate as before the closures, but pediatric researchers say their results underscore the need for careful oversight and planning by public health agencies in communities experiencing serious reductions in obstetric services.

5 Oct 2012