Medical Research News

RSS

Activity levels best reflect functional capacity of back pain patients

The level of physical activity displayed by an elderly individual with chronic low back pain is a better predictor for functional capacity than psychosocial factors, results from a community-based study indicate.

10 Jul 2012

Biomarkers predict benefit of targeted therapy in metastatic renal-cell cancer

In metastatic renal-cell cancer, the level of cytokines and angiogenic factors identify those patients with an aggressive disease course who derive the greatest benefit from treatment with the molecular-targeted therapy pazopanib, a retrospective analysis of clinical trials shows.

10 Jul 2012

Seizure risk should not influence AVM treatment decisions

Choosing to treat patients with arteriovenous malformations surgically rather than conservatively has no bearing on their risk for seizures, suggest findings from the Scottish Audit of Intracranial Vascular Malformations.

10 Jul 2012

Lessons learned from transfusion refusal

Jehovah’s Witness patients who refuse blood transfusions during cardiac surgery are not at risk for surgical complications or long-term mortality compared with non-Witnesses who receive transfusions, report US researchers.

10 Jul 2012

Long-term study shows effectiveness of fissure sealing

Sealing pits and fissures with a resin-based material can arrest the progression of noncavitated dentinal occlusal caries, show results of a 36-month clinical trial.

10 Jul 2012

Sleep studies essential before bariatric surgery

Obstructive sleep apnea frequently goes undiagnosed in obese patients who undergo bariatric surgery, show findings from a US study.

10 Jul 2012

Psychologic well-being reduced in schizophrenia patients

Patients with schizophrenia have significantly lower psychologic well-being compared with mentally healthy individuals, say researchers.

10 Jul 2012

Daily temperature linked to bipolar admissions

Results from a Taiwanese study suggest that high daily temperatures are associated with increased hospitalization rates for mood symptoms among patients with bipolar disorder, particularly women.

10 Jul 2012

Liver failure, cancer and mortality in cirrhotic patients coinfected with HIV/AIDS and HCV predicted by liver stiffness

Researchers from Spain established that liver stiffness, measured by transient elastography (TE), is an independent predictor of liver failure, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and mortality in cirrhotic patients coinfected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and hepatitis C virus (HCV).

10 Jul 2012

Hepatitis C levels higher among males and African Americans

Epidemiologists have determined that levels of hepatitis C virus (HCV) found among injection drug users (IDUs) were higher in individuals who are male or African American even after differences in other factors were considered.

10 Jul 2012

Mechanical treatment shows promise in thalassemia

Vibration therapy may be an effective nonpharmacologic intervention to increase bone mass in patients with thalassemia, US researchers report

10 Jul 2012

Women unaware of TOLAC delivery option

Study findings suggest that women eligible for trial of labor after a cesarean know little about their options for mode of delivery, with many leaving the decision up to their physician.

10 Jul 2012

Telephone monitoring improves drug use, psychiatric symptoms

Patients being treated for a substance use disorder achieve significant short-term improvements in their drug use and psychiatric symptoms when receiving telephone continuing care, show study findings.

10 Jul 2012

Sleep loss mirrors stress affects on immune system

Acute sleep loss affects the immune system in a similar way to stress, researchers report.

10 Jul 2012

Osteoarthritis gene tic markers identified

Scientists have used data from the Arthritis Research UK Osteoarthritis Genetics study to identify five gene loci significantly associated with the development of the disease.

10 Jul 2012

Daily IOP changes undermine measurement, medication

Day-to-day variability significantly undermines the precision of intraocular pressure measurement and the estimation of medication effectiveness in glaucoma patients, report researchers.

10 Jul 2012

Efficacy of steroids for heel pain confirmed

The efficacy of a single steroid injection for plantar fasciitis has been proven over placebo in one of the few controlled trials of the treatment.

10 Jul 2012

Surgery advised in face of uncertain sinus sampling result in Cushing patients

Surgeons should consider transsphenoidal surgery in patients with Cushing disease caused by adrenocorticotropic hormone overproduction, almost irrespective of the results of inferior petrosal sinus sampling, say US researchers.

10 Jul 2012

Physicians and e-prescribing systems do not align

Hospital physician prescribers frequently do not use shortcut functions in electronic prescribing systems, leading to inefficiency and revealing possible misalignment with users’ prescribing behaviors, report Australian researchers.

10 Jul 2012

Herpes zoster vaccine recommendations questioned in patients on biologics

Administration of the live attenuated herpes zoster vaccine is not associated with an increased risk for shingles shortly after vaccination in patients receiving biologic treatments for immune-mediated diseases, researchers report in JAMA.

10 Jul 2012