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E-counselling can lower blood pressure and enhance quality of life

E-counselling can significantly lower blood pressure, improve lifestyle and enhance quality of life, says Heart and Stroke Foundation researcher Dr. Robert Nolan.

24 Oct 2011

PSA test predicts biopsy need and prostate cancer development

The prostate-specific antigen test, commonly known as the PSA test, is valuable in predicting which men should have biopsies and which are likely to be diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer, a Mayo Clinic study has found. The findings were released today during a meeting of the North Central Section of the American Urological Association in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

22 Oct 2011

NIPPV helps decrease mortality rates among hospitalized COPD patients

Although increased use of noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation (NIPPV) nationwide has helped decrease mortality rates among patients hospitalized with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a small group of patients requiring subsequent treatment with invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) have a significantly higher risk of death than those placed directly on IMV, according to researchers in the United States who studied patterns of NIPPV use.

22 Oct 2011

X Prize Foundation offers $10 million for innovative diagnostic device

Jim, I'm a doctor, not a device developer! Remember how in Star Trek, Dr. McCoy could point his tricorder at things and magically - oops, I mean, "scientifically" - determine all kinds of chemical components and medical diagnoses? The X Prize Foundation - best known for offering prizes for space flight and cheap genome decoding - is about to put up $10 million for the invention of a medical device in the spirit of that tricorder: It must be able to diagnose 15 common medical conditions within three days, with no intervention from a health care professional.

22 Oct 2011

MRI helps researchers to study molecules directly in organs and tissue

Researchers at Lund University can now study molecules which are normally only found in very small concentrations, directly in organs and tissue. After several years of work, researchers in Lund have managed to construct an instrument that 'hyperpolarises' the molecules and thus makes it possible to track them using MRI.

22 Oct 2011

E-voucher program providing food to malnourished Zimbabweans living with HIV, TB

An electronic voucher system, introduced by the World Food Programme (WFP) and implemented by the health ministry and non-governmental organizations, is helping Zimbabweans living with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) and their families obtain food and fight malnutrition, PlusNews reports.

22 Oct 2011

New sleepwear now available for post-surgery breast cancer patients

For breast cancer patients, surgery is often the first line of treatment. Following surgery, patients must deal not only with the healing process, but also with lasting after effects such as scarring, skin sensitivity and body asymmetry. A new line of sleepwear now available to breast cancer survivors is the result of an ongoing research partnership between Ryerson University and Princess Margaret Hospital that examines how the side effects of surgery and treatment affect women's physical comfort, confidence and sexuality.

22 Oct 2011

CHEMM-IST helps first responders to identify hazardous chemical exposure

Exposure to hazardous chemicals can cause serious illness quickly, but emergency medical providers often don't know the key piece of information that determines treatment: Which of the tens of thousands of toxic chemicals is making patients sick?

22 Oct 2011

C-11 choline PET/CT scans can be utilized as prostate cancer staging tool

Recent studies have suggested that C-11 choline positron emission tomography/computerized tomography (PET/CT) scans can be utilized as a staging and potentially therapeutic tool in prostate cancer.

22 Oct 2011

No link between shockwave lithotripsy and diabetes: Study

A Mayo Clinic study finds no correlation between the use of shock waves to break up kidney stones and the long-term development of diabetes. The study was released Friday during a meeting of the North Central Section of the American Urological Association in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

22 Oct 2011

AAN recognizes six nurse informaticians with nursing fellowship

Six nurse informaticians, all leaders in the area of nursing known as nursing informatics, were inducted into the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) as Fellows, Saturday evening, Oct. 15, at the annual AAN Meeting and Conference.

22 Oct 2011

ACP applauds CMS' improved Medicare ACO Final rule

The American College of Physicians (ACP) today applauded CMS for making substantial improvements in its long- awaited Final Rule on Accountable Care Organizations.

22 Oct 2011

Imaging study shows slower brain growth in children with autism

Researchers at UCLA have found a possible explanation for why autistic children act and think differently than their peers. For the first time, they've shown that the connections between brain regions that are important for language and social skills grow much more slowly in boys with autism than in non-autistic children.

21 Oct 2011

EAE, ASE to issue echocardiography guidelines for early detection of cardio toxicity

"Considering that the early detection of cardio toxicity is a critical issue for patients undergoing chemotherapy, the ASE and the EAE have come together to write guidelines which will highlight the technical advantages of echocardiography in identifying cardio toxicity early," explained Prof Juan Carlos Plana, Co-Director of the Cardio-oncology Center, Cleveland Clinic, from the ASE. "

21 Oct 2011

CMS provides new guidance on EHR payment program

Modern Healthcare reports on this development, which will set up a "double check" to ensure that hospitals have what is necessary to become "meaningful users" of electronic health records.

21 Oct 2011

Fecal immunochemical testing an inexpensive alternative to colonoscopy

Eventually, colon cancers bleed and so tests for blood in stool seem an inexpensive and noninvasive alternative to traditional colonoscopies. In fact, a recent article in the journal Cancer Prevention Research showed that fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) is an accurate predictor of colorectal cancer and can provide a low-cost screening alternative for medically underserved populations.

21 Oct 2011

Blood test can help assess severity of preeclampsia in pregnant woman

A blood test can help to assess whether a pregnant woman who suffers from pregnancy-induced hypertension, so-called preeclampsia, is at risk for an imminent delivery.

21 Oct 2011

New Zealand can provide valuable model for health policy makers, IT professionals

A new report suggests that New Zealand can provide a valuable model for health policy makers and IT professionals seeking to reduce costs and increase the quality of health care in the United States and other nations.

21 Oct 2011

Bristol scientist to unlock secrets of miniscule algae cells that produce silica

A scientist at the University of Bristol has been awarded £1.3 million to unlock the secrets of miniscule algae cells that have the remarkable ability to produce silica - the fundamental constituent of glass. It is hoped the findings from the research could lead to the next generation of medical imaging tools.

21 Oct 2011

Covidien releases results from largest global post-market P.A.D. device study

Covidien, a leading global provider of healthcare products, today released the six-month results of the DEFINITIVE LE (Determination of Effectiveness of SilverHawk Peripheral Plaque Excision System for the Treatment of Infrainguinal Vessels/Lower Extremities) study, the largest global post-market peripheral arterial disease (P.A.D.) device study ever undertaken.

21 Oct 2011