Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

Mending broken hearts

The causes of "broken heart syndrome" remain a mystery, but doctors will soon have an easier time recognizing and treating this rare, life-threatening condition, thanks to data being reported at the 30th Annual Scientific Sessions of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), May 9-12, 2007, in Orlando, FL.

11 May 2007

Catheter-based aortic valve replacement is set to take off

Twenty years ago, few interventional cardiologists could have imagined that during their professional careers it would be possible to replace a diseased aortic valve using catheter-based techniques, rather than open-chest surgery.

11 May 2007

Most women 55 years and younger who have heart attacks don't recognize warning signs

Women younger than 55 years represent less than 5 percent of all hospitalized heart disease patients, but because so many heart attacks occur in the United State each year, even this small percentage affects a large number of people.

11 May 2007

FDA announces results of investigation into illegal promotion of OxyContin

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI) has announced that The Purdue Frederick Company, Inc. has agreed to pay more than $700 million to resolve criminal charges and civil liabilities in connection with several illegal schemes to promote, market and sell OxyContin, a powerful prescription pain reliever that the company produces.

11 May 2007

Health care professionals should inform sensitive patients about the risks of exposure to air pollutants

If you have some form of lung or cardiovascular disease, has your doctor told you how to check today's "AQI", and what to do if it's over 100?

11 May 2007

Counseling helps arthritis sufferers

Arthritis sufferers who undergo psychological counseling and learn skills for coping with pain have less disability and better quality of life, according to a new systematic review.

11 May 2007

People with diabetes need more than sunglasses to protect their eyes

The crack of the bat on Opening Day at Fenway Park is a sure sign that summer is on its way.

10 May 2007

Bisphosphonates for osteoporosis treatment in women

A class of drugs called bisphosphonates has become the new mainstay treatment for postmenopausal women diagnosed with osteoporosis in the post-hormone-replacement era.

10 May 2007

Theophylline offers relief for unexplained chest pain

The discomfort caused by esophageal (non-cardiac) chest pain is often severe, driving many patients to emergency rooms and physicians' offices despite the fact that the ailment has no definable pathology.

10 May 2007

Frequent urination often indicates an underlying medical condition

An increase in the number of trips to the bathroom - day or night - is a signal it's time to see a physician.

10 May 2007

Caring for the sick now a public health priority for developing countries

Palliative care is commonly used in developed countries to improve the quality of life of patients with life-threatening illnesses, through strategies aimed mainly at pain relief.

10 May 2007

Low-dose MDCT of the abdomen and pelvis reduces hospital stay in patients with acute nonspecific abdominal pain

Extremely low-dose MDCT of the abdomen and pelvis is useful in providing needed diagnostic information and reducing hospital stay in patients with acute nonspecific abdominal pain, according to a new study by researchers from the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA, and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA.

9 May 2007

FluMist may help reduce the burden of seasonal influenza

MedImmune, Inc. has announced research results showing that use of FluMist(R) (Influenza Virus Vaccine Live, Intranasal) in daycare and school settings may help reduce the burden of seasonal influenza.

9 May 2007

Ischemic-targeted approach to angioplasty among asymptomatic survivors of heart attack

When compared with intensive drug therapy, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI, angioplasty) was more beneficial in reducing the long-term risk of major cardiac events among heart attack survivors with "silent ischemia", according to a study in the May 9 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association.

9 May 2007

Abbott seeks U.S. and E.U. approvals for Humira as a treatment for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

Abbott has announced it has simultaneously submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and a Type II Variation to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) seeking approval to market HUMIRA (adalimumab) as a treatment for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) in the U.S. and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in the European Union (EU).

9 May 2007

MRI used to determine features of knee osteoarthrosis

Abnormalities in the ligaments found on the outside of the knee (lateral collateral ligament complex or LCLC) are commonly seen on MRI in patients with knee osteoarthrosis (OA), according to a study conducted by researchers from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA.

8 May 2007

Study provides new understanding of excessive gambling

People process information about financial loss through mechanisms in the brain similar to those used for processing physical pain, according to a new imaging study.

8 May 2007

Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of liver tumors safe and effective

Percutaneous imaging guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of hepatocellular carcinoma is a safe and effective technique, with benefits such as reduced post-procedural pain and length of hospital stay, according to a study conducted by researchers from Changi General Hospital in Singapore.

8 May 2007

Functional anesthetic discography allows diagnosis of lower back pain cause

Functional anesthetic discography (FAD), a new diagnostic procedure involving injecting anesthetic directly into a spinal disc, can be used to confirm the presence of injured discs as the source of a patient's lower back pain symptoms, according to a new study by researchers from Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, NY.

8 May 2007

Multitasking mental cells

In the mid-1990s, scientists at the University of Parma, in Italy, made a discovery so novel that it shifted the way psychologists discuss the brain. After researchers implanted electrodes into the heads of monkeys, they noticed a burst of activity in the premotor cortex when the animals clutched a piece of food.

8 May 2007