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Low-income patients with obstructive sleep apnea are less likely to start CPAP therapy

A study in the April 1 issue of the journal SLEEP demonstrates that low socioeconomic status independently predicts the poor acceptance of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for obstructive sleep apnea, and patients with higher incomes are more likely to begin treatment.

1 Apr 2009

New light-based system reveals breast tumor oxygen status

Light directed at a breast tumor through a needle can provide pathologists with biological specifics of the tumor and help oncologists choose treatment options that would be most effective for that individual patient.

1 Apr 2009

Researchers delve into blood cell generation process

These new insights represent an important contribution to future clinical therapeutic approaches.

1 Apr 2009

Brain vessel malformations - intervention or a hands-off approach?

Individuals diagnosed with a brain arteriovenous malformation (BAVM) -- an abnormal tangle of arteries and veins -- are at increased risk of vessel rupture and bleeding that can cause permanent brain damage.

1 Apr 2009

Possible genetic cause for advanced colorectal cancer in blacks

Researchers have identified a possible genetic cause for increased risk for a more advanced form of colorectal cancer in blacks that leads to shorter survival, according to data published in Clinical Cancer Research , a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

1 Apr 2009

Financial crisis strikes at health in all parts of the world

WHO last issued a public statement on the financial crisis in the days prior to the Washington meeting of the G20.

1 Apr 2009

New understanding on how probiotics can prevent disease

Using probiotics successfully against a number of animal diseases has helped scientists from University College Cork, Ireland to understand some of the ways in which they work, which could lead to them using probiotics to prevent and even to treat human diseases.

1 Apr 2009

Haemofiltration significantly reduces ECMO duration in newborns

Haemofiltration has already been shown to improve fluid balance in children treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) but now researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Critical Care have reported that continuous haemofiltration significantly reduces ECMO duration in newborns.

1 Apr 2009

Diet and lifestyle choices influence cancer survival

Head and neck cancer patients who smoked, drank, didn't exercise or didn't eat enough fruit when they were diagnosed had worse survival outcomes than those with better health habits, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

1 Apr 2009

Health benefits, consequences of folic acid dependent on circumstances

For the past several decades, evidence has shown that greater dietary intake of the B-vitamin, folate, offers protection against the development of certain common cancers and reduces neural tube defects in newborns, opening new avenues for public health interventions that have a great impact on health.

1 Apr 2009

Treating shoulder separations

While low-level shoulder separations can commonly be treated nonsurgically and high-level injuries often require surgery, a literature review published in the April 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS) finds that many surgeons still disagree on the best course of treatment for those injuries that fall in between.

1 Apr 2009

FDA approves generic Topamax tablets (topiramate)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first generic versions of Topamax tablets (topiramate) to prevent seizures.

1 Apr 2009

A new theory on autism put forward

Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have proposed a sweeping new theory of autism that suggests that the brains of people with autism are structurally normal but dysregulated, meaning symptoms of the disorder might be reversible.

1 Apr 2009

Addiction drugs help compulsive behaviors

It appears that a drug commonly used to treat alcohol and drug addiction has a similar effect on the compulsive behavior of kleptomaniacs – it curbs their urge to steal, according to new research at the University of Minnesota.

1 Apr 2009

Doctors identify patients at high risk of Clostridium difficile

Doctors have developed and validated a clinical prediction rule for recurrent Clostridium difficile ( C. difficile ) infection that was simple, reliable and accurate, and can be used to identify high-risk patients most likely to benefit from measures to prevent recurrence.

1 Apr 2009

Novel optical technique distinguishing single cells

Researchers at the University of Rochester have developed a novel optical technique that permits rapid analysis of single human immune cells using only light.

1 Apr 2009

TV series brings dwarfism into the spotlight

A popular cable reality television show, Little People, Big World, focuses on the daily lives of short stature individuals.

1 Apr 2009

Compassion fatigue: Impact on healthcare providers of caring for the terminally ill

Compassion fatigue in nurses, doctors and other front line cancer-care providers significantly impacts how they interact with patients, with patient families, with other healthcare workers, and with their own family, according to analysis by Indiana University School of Medicine and Regenstrief Institute researchers published in the March issue of the Journal of Health Psychology.

1 Apr 2009

Do people with autism look at faces differently?

In the first study of its kind researchers will use video clips of spontaneously produced facial expressions in a real life social context to explore emotion recognition in autism.

1 Apr 2009

Combat injuries: A matter of life and death

Orthopaedic surgeons play a crucial role in the care of active duty military personnel according to a Forum article in the April 2009 issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS).

1 Apr 2009