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Alcohol-impaired driving on the increase

A national survey has found that after a long, slow downward trend alcohol-impaired driving has recently increased significantly. From 1993 to 1997 the estimated annual number of episodes of alcohol-impaired driving (AID) declined at a rate of a little more than one percent per year, from 123 million to 116 million.

27 Apr 2005

Male therapists are just as likely as female therapists to encourage patients to admit infidelities

“Contrary to the perception that male counselors are less likely to reveal infidelity, because men in our society have more liberal attitudes about affairs and are more likely to have had them, that did not turn out to be the case in our study,” said Rosaria Carlone Upchurch, who did the research for her doctoral dissertation in counselor education.

27 Apr 2005

New breast cancer drug combo could save thousands of lives

New hope has been given to thousands of women living in dread of the return of an aggressive form of breast cancer.

26 Apr 2005

The power of advertising means you may get medications you don't need

A study published this month confirms what has often been suspected, that prescription drug advertising not only persuades patients to ask for certain medications but also has a profound influence on what doctors prescribe.

26 Apr 2005

Breast cancer screening situation will get worse

According to a recently published study, community-based mammography facilities do not have enough radiologists and certified technologists to adequately deliver screening and diagnostic services to the public, and the situation will probably get worse.

26 Apr 2005

Moderate alcohol consumption enhances the formation of new nerve cells

Moderate alcohol consumption over a relatively long period of time can enhance the formation of new nerve cells in the adult brain. The new cells could prove important in the development of alcohol dependency and other long-term effects of alcohol on the brain. The findings are published by Karolinska Institutet.

26 Apr 2005

Herceptin in combination with chemotherapy reduces risk of breast cancer recurrence in women with with early-stage breast cancer

Results from two clinical trials show that patients with early-stage breast cancer who received trastuzumab (Herceptin) in combination with chemotherapy had a 52 percent decrease in risk for breast cancer recurrence, compared with patients who received the same chemotherapy without the drug. The difference is statistically highly significant.

26 Apr 2005

Abnormal liver tests in a Mediterranean population

recent population-based study in a small town in Southern Italy found that one in eight residents had abnormal liver tests.

26 Apr 2005

Direct-to-consumer advertising may influence physicians' prescribing decisions

Patients requesting specific medications can have a profound effect on physicians prescribing medications for major depression, according to a new study in the April 27 issue of JAMA.

26 Apr 2005

Revised Bethesda guidelines effective at identifying patients at risk of colorectal cancer

The revised Bethesda guidelines, used for screening patients for a type of hereditary colorectal cancer, are effective for determining which patients should undergo further genetic testing, according to a study in the April 27 issue of JAMA.

26 Apr 2005

Hereditary colorectal cancer risk lowered in those without certain gene defect

Families with a certain type of hereditary colorectal cancer have a reduced cancer risk if they do not have a gene defect found in many with this type of cancer risk, according to a study in the April 27 issue of JAMA.

26 Apr 2005

Pulsating ultrasound enhances gene therapy for tumors

High-intensity focused ultrasound emitted in short pulses is a promising, non-invasive procedure for enhancing gene delivery to cancerous cells without destroying healthy tissue, according to a study in the May issue of the journal Radiology.

26 Apr 2005

Color doppler sonography speeds detection of necrotizing enterocolitis in premature infants

Measuring blood flow to a newborn's intestines using a special form of ultrasound can help radiologists identify a life-threatening complication in a serious bowel disease, according to a study in the May issue of the journal Radiology.

26 Apr 2005

Managed care organizations evaluate trends in epilepsy to provide better care

Computer algorithms were used in a recent study to identify the prevalence and incidence of epilepsy, and epilepsy-related mortality of patients in a managed care organization (MCO).

26 Apr 2005

Genetic screening for iron blood disorder feasible in the workplace

Screening for a condition called haemochromatosis, where iron to builds up in the body, could help prevent organ damage and disease, suggests a study published online today by The Lancet.

26 Apr 2005

Fickle enzyme helps protect, but also can promote heart failure

Enzymes that make the gas nitric oxide (NO) not only protect the heart from damage due to high blood pressure or a heart attack, but also promote heart failure through overgrowth and enlargement of the muscle tissue, say animal researchers at Johns Hopkins.

26 Apr 2005

Despite knowledge, very few follow a healthy lifestyle

New research has shown that despite access to advice on healthy lifestyles and government campaigns to encourage people to adopt a healthier way of life, very few Americans are applying that knowledge to themselves.

25 Apr 2005

Virginity pledges don't reduce teen sexual activity

Adolescents who take public virginity pledges are no less likely to engage in various forms of sexual activity than adolescents who do not take these pledges, a recent study of teen behavior found.

25 Apr 2005

New statin study shows arrested progression of atherosclerosis

The first study to use cutting edge magnetic resonance imaging to examine the effect of a statin - rosuvastatin (Crestor) - on the fatty plaques in arteries, was presented yesterday at the 75th European Atherosclerosis Society Congress. ORION revealed that rosuvastatin has a beneficial effect on the size and composition of fatty plaques in arteries (specifically the carotid artery in the neck). Fatty plaques that are vulnerable to sudden rupture can cause heart attacks and strokes without warning.

25 Apr 2005

Substantially more effective therapy than current treatments for Alzheimer's disease

PET scans and cognitive tests have suggested that Alzheimer's disease patients with genetically modified tissue inserted directly into their brains show a reduction in the rate of cognitive decline and increased metabolic activity in the brain, according to a study published in the April 24, 2005 online issue of the journal Nature Medicine by researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine.

25 Apr 2005