Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

Lifestyle modification should be the first line of treatment for obesity

A new study shows that treatment with a lifestyle modification program of diet, exercise and behavioral therapy when used in combination with the weight loss medication sibutramine (Meridia) resulted in significantly greater weight loss among obese adults than treatment with the medication alone.

28 Nov 2005

Medical workforce of the future will not be prepared

The medical workforce of the future will not be prepared for the challenges of tomorrow's disease burden unless drastic changes are made to introduce flexible work patterns and multidisciplinary teamwork, according to a health policy expert.

26 Nov 2005

New European Union directive on food labelling

Safety for people with food allergies will be boosted later this month when new European laws will force manufacturers to label their food more accurately, but the laws do not offer full protection, says an editorial in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

26 Nov 2005

48% of people with diabetes are not using aspirin to reduce risk of heart attack and stroke

Survey results released by the American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) found that nearly half (48%) of U.S. adults 40+ with diabetes are not utilizing aspirin therapy to reduce their risk of recurrent heart attack or stroke nor had they reported discussing such therapy with their healthcare provider.

26 Nov 2005

Obese and overweight refused joint operations

A regional health authority in the UK will refuse to treat overweight people needing hip and knee replacements on the National Health Service.

24 Nov 2005

Allergists help manage asthma better

Compared to patients receiving care from primary care physicians, asthma patients who are under the care of an allergist report fewer asthma control problems and less sever asthma symptoms, according to new research in the December 2005 Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology (JACI).

20 Nov 2005

Clinical decision support system reduces overall use of antimicrobials for colds, bronchitis and sinusitis

A clinical decision support system intervention reduced the overall use of antimicrobials for respiratory tract infections such as colds, bronchitis and sinusitis, according to a study in the JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

15 Nov 2005

Doctors' surgeries open round the clock

In future patients in the UK will be able to see a GP in the evenings and at weekends.

14 Nov 2005

$230 billion in health care spending nationally is devoted to insurance administration

Billing and insurance paperwork consume at least one out of every five dollars of private insurance health spending in California, according to a new study by health policy researchers.

14 Nov 2005

Antibiotics overprescribed for sore throat

Physicians prescribe antibiotics for more than half of children with sore throat, exceeding the expected prevalence of strep throat, and used nonrecommended antibiotics for 27 percent of children who received an antibiotic prescription, according to a study in the November 9 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

13 Nov 2005

Cancer survivors require tailored follow-up plans

Citing shortfalls in the care currently provided to the country's 10 million cancer survivors, a new report recommends that each cancer patient receive a "survivorship care plan."

13 Nov 2005

Mental illness exacts "enormous toll" for U.S. businesses

A study led by a Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine psychiatrist highlights the toll anxiety and depressive disorders exact on workplace performance and profits and points to employer-guaranteed specialized psychiatric care as both cost effective and humane.

10 Nov 2005

Lancet warns Herceptin breast cancer drug 'over hyped'

The Lancet medical journal which is both influential and well respected, has cast some doubt on the claims that Herceptin was "a cure" for breast cancer and has attacked the hype surrounding the treatment by the Government and the media.

10 Nov 2005

Refusal to give new breast cancer drug lands health authority in court

British health secretary Patricia Hewitt has become embroiled in a row over the provision of the revolutionary breast cancer drug Herceptin.

9 Nov 2005

Nearly one-fourth of all dialysis patients have a close relative on dialysis

Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, and others, report in the current online edition of the American Journal of Nephrology. The researchers suggest screening other relatives for undetected kidney disease.

3 Nov 2005

Top priority flu shots for children with neurological and neuromuscular disease

According to a new study children suffering from muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy and other such conditions, have a much higher risk of severe complications from influenza, re-affirming the need for them to be vaccinated each year.

2 Nov 2005

Strong association between physical and mental health problems and restless legs syndrome

Adults with restless legs syndrome (RLS), a common debilitating condition, may be affected physically, mentally, and socially by their disease.

1 Nov 2005

Researchers aim to overcome resistance to bowel cancer screening in Scots

Academics are to look at ways to encourage Scots to take part in a new national screening programme for bowel cancer, a leading cause of cancer deaths in Western nations.

1 Nov 2005

Buccal mucosa may help test for lung cancer

In a new study presented at CHEST 2005, the 71st annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), scientists found that buccal mucosa, or cells scraped from the inner part of the cheek, may contain information that separates patients with lung cancer from high-risk negatives

1 Nov 2005

Should the NHS continue to pay for drugs for rare diseases?

The growing number and costs of drugs for rare diseases (orphan drugs) are straining healthcare budgets. Should the NHS continue to pay for them and how will this affect other health services, ask two articles in this week's British Medical Journal (BMJ)?

30 Oct 2005