Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

New survey finds huge decline in substance abuse, delinquency among teens

More than a decade of data indicates teens have become far less likely to abuse alcohol, nicotine and illicit drugs, and they also are less likely to engage in delinquent behaviors, such as fighting and stealing, according to results of a national survey analyzed by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

25 Oct 2017

New set of guidelines released for managing and caring patients with mitochondrial disease

Physicians who see patients with mitochondrial disease now have a practical new tool--a set of guidelines for managing and caring for those patients.

25 Oct 2017

'Intelligent' nanoparticles could help treat cancer patients

Scientists from the University of Surrey have developed 'intelligent' nanoparticles which heat up to a temperature high enough to kill cancerous cells - but which then self-regulate and lose heat before they get hot enough to harm healthy tissue.

24 Oct 2017

Enrollment news to bank on: Obamacare is still here so it’s time for coverage checkup

The open enrollment period begins in one week for 2018 marketplace coverage, but many consumers are confused about what to expect. No wonder!

24 Oct 2017

Study identifies protein that plays crucial role in diabetic retinopathy

For millions of Americans, their world is dissolving into an unrecognizable blur. Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease affecting one-third of the estimated 30 million Americans who struggle with diabetes. As the patients' vision slowly fades, it never recovers and few treatments are available.

24 Oct 2017

Physical and emotional benefits of exercise

You have probably heard that exercise is good for your health, but did you know that it can actually help to heal your body? Understanding the value of exercise is more important than ever since our nation is in the midst of an "inactivity epidemic."

23 Oct 2017

UCI researchers aim to identify early indicators of dementia

With $3.8 million in support from the National Institute on Aging, University of California, Irvine neurobiologists are working to identify the early indicators of dementia in older adults as disease-related brain plaques accumulate but before symptoms can be observed.

23 Oct 2017

Rutgers researchers to explore ways for tackling emerging fungal infections

In recent years, hospitals nationwide have been reporting an increase in life-threatening illnesses resulting from a deadly fungal infection caused by the yeast Candida auris that can enter the bloodstream. This yeast is difficult to identify and often does not respond to commonly used antifungal drugs, leading to high mortality.

23 Oct 2017

Proton beam therapy has lower rates of toxicity in pediatric patients with head and neck cancer

Pediatric patients with head and neck cancer can be treated with proton beam therapy (PBT) instead of traditional photon radiation, and it will result in similar outcomes with less impact on quality of life.

23 Oct 2017

African Americans have shorter lifespan because of heart disease and stroke

The average lifespan of African Americans is significantly shorter than white Americans, mostly because of heart disease and stroke, which contributed to more than two million years of life lost among African Americans between 1999 and 2010, according to a new scientific statement published in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.

23 Oct 2017

So much care it hurts: Unneeded scans, therapy, surgery only add to patients’ ills

When Annie Dennison was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, she readily followed advice from her medical team, agreeing to harsh treatments in the hope of curing her disease.

23 Oct 2017

Prolonged hospitalization of advanced cancer patients linked to physical, psychological symptom burden

New research indicates that hospitalized patients with advanced cancer experience many physical and psychological symptoms, and that patients dealing with a higher burden of these symptoms have longer hospital stays and a greater risk for unplanned hospital readmissions.

23 Oct 2017

VUMC reaches new milestone after performing 2,000th liver transplant

This month, Vanderbilt University Medical Center performed its 2,000th liver transplant, another milestone for one of the largest liver transplant programs in the Southeast.

20 Oct 2017

Direct‐acting antiviral therapy linked to 71% reduction in liver cancer risk

A new study presented this week at The Liver Meeting - held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases - found that eradication of the hepatitis C virus induced by direct‐acting antiviral medications is associated with a 71 percent reduction in the risk of liver cancer.

20 Oct 2017

Study finds increasing health care costs for patients with alcoholic cirrhosis

Health care costs for privately insured patients with alcoholic cirrhosis are nearly twice that of non‐alcoholic cirrhosis patients in the United States, according to research presented this week at The Liver Meeting - held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

20 Oct 2017

Researchers analyze frequency of mislabeling in herbal and dietary supplements

Herbal and dietary supplement mislabeling is common and should be evaluated as a potential cause for liver damage, according to research presented this week at The Liver Meeting - held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

20 Oct 2017

Study examines risk of using liver organs from hepatitis C positive donors

Use of liver organs from selected hepatitis C positive donors should be considered due to modest risk of hepatitis C transmission and the availability of safe and effective direct‐acting antiviral therapies, according to research presented this week at The Liver Meeting - held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

20 Oct 2017

Daily aspirin therapy linked to reduced risk of HBV‐related liver cancer

A new study presented this week at The Liver Meeting – held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases – found that daily aspirin therapy was significantly associated with a reduced risk in hepatitis B virus‐related liver cancer.

20 Oct 2017

NAFLD linked to higher cardiovascular risk in women, but not in men

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with significantly higher risk of subsequent cardiovascular events in women, but not in men, according to research presented this week at The Liver Meeting - held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

20 Oct 2017

Increased use of split liver transplantation could decrease pediatric waitlist deaths

A new study presented this week at The Liver Meeting - held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases - found that increased utilization of split liver transplantation (sharing a donor liver between one pediatric and one adult patient) could decrease the number of children who die awaiting liver transplantation without decreasing liver transplantation access for adult patients.

20 Oct 2017