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Elderly with hypertension less likely to get lifestyle modification advice from doctors

People older than 60 with high blood pressure are less likely than other groups of patients to receive advice from their doctors about lifestyle modifications that can help lower their blood pressure, a study by UNC researchers concludes.

5 Nov 2007

Common blood pressure medications ACEIs and ARBs provide equal control

Two common classes of blood pressure medications – angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) – are equally effective at controlling high blood pressure, according to a report released by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

5 Nov 2007

Social and interpersonal skills of autistic adolescents can be improved

The challenges that autistic patients face become more pronounced during adolescence, a crucial period when many kinds of social behaviours are developed and when these individuals can become more keenly aware of their relationship difficulties.

5 Nov 2007

MRIs reveal 13% of healthy adults have a brain abnormality

A Dutch study has revealed that as many as 13% of healthy adults may have some type of undiagnosed abnormality in the brain.

4 Nov 2007

The slimmer the better when it comes to avoiding cancer

A new study which has analysed 40 years of international research has revealed that maintaining a healthy weight is essential to preventing cancer.

4 Nov 2007

Weight loss - some people just lsoe more!

There is no "one size fits all" when it comes to weight loss through exercise, says Queensland University of Technology behavioural scientist Neil King.

2 Nov 2007

US adults most likely to report medical errors and skip needed care due to costs

At a time when the U.S. spends more than double what other countries spend for medical care - $6,697 per capita in 2005 - a new Commonwealth Fund seven-nation survey finds that U.S. patients are more likely to report experiencing medical errors, to go without care because of costs, and to say that the health care system needs to be rebuilt completely.

2 Nov 2007

Studies attribute recent increase in multiple myeloma survival to novel therapies

Multiple myeloma is one of the most common and devastating bone marrow cancers in the U.S., but survival rates have risen dramatically over the past decade.

2 Nov 2007

Anti-leukemia drug dexamethasone increases patient fatigue

The anti-leukemia drug dexamethasone contributes to a relentless fatigue and poor quality of sleep in children undergoing treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), according to a new study from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

2 Nov 2007

PET scan distinguishes Alzheimer's from other dementia

A PET scan (positron emission tomography) that measures uptake of sugar in the brain significantly improves the accuracy of diagnosing a type of dementia often mistaken for Alzheimer's disease, a study led by a University of Utah dementia expert has found.

2 Nov 2007

Overweight mothers run greater risk of having hyperactive children

If a woman is overweight when she becomes pregnant, the probability is much greater that her child will evince ADHD-like symptoms when he/she reaches school age, according to a new Nordic study.

2 Nov 2007

Patients denied admission to intensive care because of doctors' pessimism

Doctors are overly pessimistic about the chances of survival for patients with COPD related attacks and, as a result, some patients may be denied admission to hospital for vital help, according to a study published on bmj.com.

2 Nov 2007

Minority patients do not necessarily have worse outcomes after liver transplantation

When treated at the same medical centers as Caucasians, they fare just as well. These are the results of a new study in the November issue of Hepatology, a journal published by John Wiley & Sons on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). The article is also available online at Wiley Interscience.

2 Nov 2007

New studies add weight to link between pre-eclampsia and heart disease

Two studies, published together on bmj.com, add further weight to the theory that pre-eclampsia and cardiovascular diseases may share common causes or mechanisms.

2 Nov 2007

Minority patients prefer optical colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening

The clinical importance of colorectal cancer screening is well established, however the majority of eligible people do not undergo screening tests.

2 Nov 2007

Mice predict the effectiveness of orally taken drugs

The amount of an orally taken drug that makes it to the site in the body at which it exerts its effects is much lower than the amount of an intravenously administered drug and it varies considerably between individuals.

2 Nov 2007

Link between sleep apnea and increased heart rate variability

A sleep-related breathing disorder, common in heart failure, increases one's heart rate variability.

2 Nov 2007

New evidence that psychological factors play a role in disease progression

Even though effective drug cocktails have improved the outlook for many patients with HIV, disease progression, including the time from AIDS onset to death, varies widely from patient to patient.

2 Nov 2007

Increased glucose level is a strong risk factor for colorectal cancer

Diabetes is a very common illness that affects more than 20 million people in the U.S. and it is estimated an additional 54 million Americans have pre-diabetes, a condition that occurs when a person's blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

2 Nov 2007

High-fat diet makes mice susceptible to liver injury

A high fat diet may kill regulatory T cells in the liver, allowing steatosis (simple fatty liver) to develop into steatohepatitis (fatty liver with inflammation), according to the results of a new study in the November issue of Hepatology, a journal published by John Wiley & Sons on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).

2 Nov 2007