Medical News

RSS

Simple smartphone fundus photography could help detect eye disease

Retinal (or fundus) photography is an essential part of any ophthalmology practice. Commercial fundus cameras can cost tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars, making the technology out of reach for smaller ophthalmic practices and to physicians in third-world countries.

25 Sep 2013

Engineered nanomaterials inhalation negatively impacts gestational development in animal models

After a decade of rapidly growing industrial use, unimaginably tiny particles surround us everywhere, every day, in everything we do. Used in the manufacturing of cosmetics, clothing, paints, food, drug delivery systems and many other familiar products we all use daily, little is known about the effects these materials have on health.

25 Sep 2013

State highlights: N.C. Medicaid director resigns, heads to private sector; Ohio readies funding for new Medicaid computer system

Carol Steckel, the state's Medicaid director, is leaving after eight months on the job. Her departure is the latest in a string of high-profile departures from the Department of Health and Human Services, which has been plagued of late by personnel issues (Hoban, 9/23).

25 Sep 2013

States question exchange readiness, appropriateness and effects

Officials in some states are expressing pessimism that the new Obamacare health insurance exchanges will be the place for residents to buy health coverage or are questioning their readiness. In Missouri, the Lt. Gov. is telling residents to stay away from the exchanges.

25 Sep 2013

Older adults with poor kidney function have increased risk for adverse outcomes

Recent studies have shown that older adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD; defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate [GFR; a measure of kidney function] of less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) have a high prevalence of concurrent complications and increased risk for adverse outcomes including mortality, cardiovascular disease, and kidney failure.

25 Sep 2013

Disturbances in body insulin levels linked with increased risk of obesity-related cancers

It is estimated that over a third of the new cancer cases expected to occur in the U.S. in 2013 will be related to overweight or obesity, physical inactivity, and poor nutrition. Thanks to the work of one NYU Steinhardt researcher, we may better understand why.

25 Sep 2013

MacLean Center receives Cornerstone Award for outstanding contributions in field of bioethics

The University of Chicago Medicine's MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics has been awarded the prestigious Cornerstone Award from the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities for "outstanding contributions from an institution that has helped shape the direction of the fields of bioethics and/or medical humanities."

25 Sep 2013

Fat grafting shows promise as effective treatment for scars

Millions of people with scars suffer from pain, discomfort, and inability to perform regular activities. Some may have to revert to addicting pain medicine to get rid of their ailments.

25 Sep 2013

FDA says most smartphone health apps won't get regulatory scrutiny

The federal agency will reserve its attention for apps that function like medical devices.

25 Sep 2013

Shadow of past highest weight affects eating disorder symptoms and recovery

Dieters and weight loss researchers are familiar with the principle: The more weight you've lost, the harder it is to keep it off. A complex and vicious cycle of biological and behavioral factors make it so.

25 Sep 2013

Appropriate exercise programs can provide benefits to people with asthma

Appropriate exercise programs can provide valuable benefits to people with asthma, helping to reduce the severity of attacks or prevent them entirely, finds a new evidence review in The Cochrane Library.

25 Sep 2013

MGH researchers identify rare gene mutations that appear to cause late-onset AD

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers have identified and validated two rare gene mutations that appear to cause the common form of Alzheimer's disease (AD) that strikes after the age of 60.

25 Sep 2013

As opening day approaches, confusion continues about health exchanges

With the Oct. 1 launch of the health law's online insurance marketplaces just days away, news outlets examine questions such as who will use them, what will make them a success, how long will it take to judge whether they are working, and other key issues.

25 Sep 2013

Majority of underage students get cigarettes and alcohol from friend and family member

A survey conducted by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) shows that a majority of those underage students in Ontario, Canada who smoke or drink are getting cigarettes and alcohol from a friend or family member.

25 Sep 2013

Johns Hopkins receives $7.3M contract to reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia

The Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality has been awarded a three-year, $7.3 million contract from the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality to bring its proven checklist for reducing ventilator-associated pneumonia — the most lethal of all hospital-acquired infections — to hospitals nationwide.

25 Sep 2013

Exercise and diet led to less knee pain for adults with knee osteoarthritis

Among overweight and obese adults with knee osteoarthritis, combining intensive diet and exercise led to less knee pain and better function after 18 months than diet-alone and exercise-alone, according to a study in the September 25 issue of JAMA.

25 Sep 2013

Researchers identify molecular pathway linking ICU ventilation to brain damage

At least 30 percent of patients in intensive care units (ICUs) suffer some form of mental dysfunction as reflected in anxiety, depression, and especially delirium. In mechanically-ventilated ICU patients, the incidence of delirium is particularly high, about 80 percent, and may be due in part to damage in the hippocampus, though how ventilation is increasing the risk of damage and mental impairment has remained elusive.

25 Sep 2013

Simple traffic light test helps reduce drinking rates in people with risk of liver disease

A simple 'traffic light' test that detects hidden liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in high risk populations could reduce harmful drinking rates and potentially prevent hundreds of alcohol-related deaths a year.

25 Sep 2013

Targeted radiation therapy may offer safe treatment option for elderly pancreatic cancer patients

A highly targeted cancer radiation therapy may offer a safe and effective treatment option for elderly pancreatic cancer patients unable to undergo surgery or combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy, according to researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

25 Sep 2013

State political dynamics shaping Obamacare implementation in the states

The fights over Obamacare are far from over in Florida -- where a burgeoning Latino population is complicating opposition -- and Alabama, where the governor's stance against the Medicaid expansion and the health insurance exchange is showcasing their resistance.

25 Sep 2013