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Research roundup: Unearthing factors in hospital readmissions; dissecting the enrollment surge

Using inpatient data from an urban teaching hospital, we examined how elements of individual characteristics and neighborhood socioeconomic status influenced the likelihood of readmission ... Patients living in high-poverty neighborhoods were 24 percent more likely than others to be readmitted, after demographic characteristics and clinical conditions were adjusted for. Married patients were at significantly reduced risk of readmission, which suggests that they had more social support than unmarried patients. These and previous findings that document socioeconomic disparities in readmission raise the question of whether CMS's readmission measures and associated financial penalties should be adjusted for the effects of factors beyond hospital influence at the individual or neighborhood level, such as poverty and lack of social support (Hu, Gonsahn and Nerenz, May 2014).

12 May 2014

GE Healthcare, Tesla Engineering announce collaboration to develop ultra high-field MRI systems

Today at the joint meeting of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and the European Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and Biology, GE Healthcare and Tesla Engineering Ltd. announced that they will collaborate together to produce 7.0 tesla (7.0T) human whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners, and build upon the ten year history of GE innovations in this advanced, technical field.

12 May 2014

Behavior of middle predators in marine food webs plays important role in welfare of whole system

Northeastern University researchers at the Marine Science Center have shown that the behavior of the "middle child" in the predator-prey food chain plays a strong role in determining how the reef as a whole will fare.

12 May 2014

Coronary artery calcium score may help guide aspirin therapy, finds new research

For over 30 years, aspirin has been known to prevent heart attacks and strokes, but who exactly should take a daily aspirin remains unclear. New research published today in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes shows that your coronary artery calcium (CAC) score, a measurement of plaque in the arteries that feed the heart, may help determine whether or not you are a good candidate for aspirin.

12 May 2014

Federal judges hear 'origination clause' challenge to health law

The case, brought by the Pacific Legal Foundation in Sacramento, Calif., argues the law's insurance mandate is unconstitutional because the Constitution's origination clause requires all revenue-raising measures to originate in the House of Representatives and this legislation began in the Senate.

12 May 2014

New drug approach for safer clean-up of deformed blood vessels in eye

A new drug approach has been developed for safer clean-up of deformed blood vessels in the eye by a research team at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto.

12 May 2014

AACN to present ICU Design Citation to Children's Hospital Los Angeles

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses will present the ICU Design Citation to the newborn and infant critical care unit (NICCU) at Children's Hospital Los Angeles during the 2014 National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition, Denver, May 17-22.

12 May 2014

Whitehead Institute scientists identify genetic cause of hemifacial microsomia

Whitehead Institute scientists have identified a genetic cause of a facial disorder known as hemifacial microsomia (HFM). The researchers find that duplication of the gene OTX2 induces HFM, the second-most common facial anomaly after cleft lip and palate.

12 May 2014

Treating ADHD with stimulant medication may reduce smoking risk

Treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with stimulant medication may reduce smoking risk, especially when medication is taken consistently, according to an analysis led by researchers at Duke Medicine.

12 May 2014

Hagan defends Medicaid expansion, criticizes GOP rival in Burwell hearing

During a nomination hearing Thursday for Sylvia Mathews Burwell, Sen. Kay Hagan -- a North Carolina Democrat in a tough re-election battle -- criticized North Carolina Republicans for declining to expand the Medicaid program under the health law. Her GOP opponent, Thom Tillis, is the state House speaker.

12 May 2014

Shorter men live longer, shows research

Short height and long life have a direct connection in Japanese men, according to new research based on the Kuakini Honolulu Heart Program (HHP) and the Kuakini Honolulu-Asia Aging Study (HAAS).

12 May 2014

Study finds link between long-term exposure to childhood poverty and obesity rates among young adults

A new study from the University of Houston Department of Health and Human Performance finds childhood poverty reaches into the lives of white, Hispanic and African-American young adult women, contributing to their propensity to be overweight and obese.

12 May 2014

Virtual doctors visits await regulation, grow in popularity

And recommendations on digital privacy protections for electronic health records could come as early as June.

12 May 2014

AFib patients who are on blood thinning medications are at higher risk of developing dementia

A new study by researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City has found that atrial fibrillation patients who are on blood thinning medications are at higher risk of developing dementia if their doses are not in the optimal recommended range.

12 May 2014

Grape skin extract: A new possibility in diabetes treatment

The diabetes rate in the United States nearly doubled in the past 10 years. Approximately 26 million Americans are now classified as diabetic, stressing an urgent need for safe and effective complementary strategies to enhance the existing conventional treatment for diabetes.

12 May 2014

Study: Calcium supplements may not increase risk of cardiovascular disease in women

Calcium supplements are widely taken by women for bone health. Previous studies have suggested that calcium supplements may increase risk of cardiovascular disease, but the data has been inconsistent.

12 May 2014

Senate to vote on exempting veterans from employer mandate

Meanwhile, USA Today looks at Congress' failure to pass legislation that would address the fragmentation of mental health services following the 2012 shootings in Newtown, Conn., and Sen. Lindsey Graham plans to push a bill that would ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

12 May 2014

People with longevity gene have improved brain skills

Scientists showed that people who have a variant of a longevity gene, called KLOTHO, have improved brain skills such as thinking, learning and memory regardless of their age, sex, or whether they have a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.

12 May 2014

Regular grape consumption may help alleviate pain linked with symptomatic osteoarthritis of knee

New research presented last week at the Experimental Biology conference in San Diego, California, suggests that regular grape consumption may help alleviate pain associated with symptomatic osteoarthritis of the knee, and improve joint flexibility and overall mobility.

12 May 2014

Study of rare childhood neurodegenerative diseases identifies new source of DNA damage

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists studying two rare, inherited childhood neurodegenerative disorders have identified a new, possibly common source of DNA damage that may play a role in other neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and aging.

12 May 2014

Medical News

Research roundup: Unearthing factors in hospital readmissions; dissecting the enrollment surge

GE Healthcare, Tesla Engineering announce collaboration to develop ultra high-field MRI systems

Behavior of middle predators in marine food webs plays important role in welfare of whole system

Coronary artery calcium score may help guide aspirin therapy, finds new research

Federal judges hear 'origination clause' challenge to health law

New drug approach for safer clean-up of deformed blood vessels in eye

AACN to present ICU Design Citation to Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Whitehead Institute scientists identify genetic cause of hemifacial microsomia

Treating ADHD with stimulant medication may reduce smoking risk

Hagan defends Medicaid expansion, criticizes GOP rival in Burwell hearing

Shorter men live longer, shows research

Study finds link between long-term exposure to childhood poverty and obesity rates among young adults

Virtual doctors visits await regulation, grow in popularity

AFib patients who are on blood thinning medications are at higher risk of developing dementia

Grape skin extract: A new possibility in diabetes treatment

Study: Calcium supplements may not increase risk of cardiovascular disease in women

Senate to vote on exempting veterans from employer mandate

People with longevity gene have improved brain skills

Regular grape consumption may help alleviate pain linked with symptomatic osteoarthritis of knee

Study of rare childhood neurodegenerative diseases identifies new source of DNA damage

Membrane proteins in focus: Turning high-risk targets into routine workflows

How metabolic phenotyping can detect viral infections in minutes

Directed enzyme evolution and the Nobel Prize: Making enzymes evolve in the lab

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