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Monday Best Time for Hospitalization With Heart Failure, Study Says
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, May 24 -- Patients hospitalized for heart failure appear to have better odds of survival if they're admitted on Mondays or in the morning, a new study finds. Death rates and length of stay are highest among heart failure patients admitted in January, on Fridays and overnight, according to the researchers, who are scheduled to present their findings Saturday in Portugal at the annual meeting of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology. "The fact that patients...
Read more...Common Supplement May Help Patients Fight Heart Failure
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, May 24 -- Regular doses of the dietary supplement Coenzyme Q10 cut in half the death rate of patients suffering from advanced heart failure, in a randomized double-blind trial. Researchers also reported a significant decrease in the number of hospitalizations for heart failure patients being treated with Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). About 14 percent of patients taking the supplement suffered from a major cardiovascular event that required hospital treatment, compared with 25 percent of...
Read more...Sleep Duration Linked to Suicidal Thoughts in People With Insomnia
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, May 24 -- New research suggests a link between sleep duration and suicidal thoughts among people with insomnia. Every additional hour someone with insomnia sleeps is associated with a 72 percent drop in the likelihood of moderate or high risk of suicide, according to researchers from the University of Pennsylvania. "We were surprised by the strength of the association between sleep duration and suicide risk," study author, Linden Oliver, clinical research coordinator for the...
Read more...Common Glaucoma Drug May Cause Droopy Eyelids, Study Finds
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, May 24 -- Drugs commonly used to treat glaucoma may cause droopy eyelids and other side effects that can interfere with vision, according to a new study. The drugs, known as prostaglandin analogues (PGAs), which are used to reduce eye pressure, have already been shown to cause blurred vision, dryness and changes in eye color, the researchers said, suggesting that the new findings could lead to labeling changes for PGAs. Doctors should be conservative when prescribing these drugs, the...
Read more...High Cadmium Levels May Raise Risk for Dying From Liver Disease: Study
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, May 24 -- People with high levels of cadmium in their urine are much more likely to die of liver disease than those with lower levels, a new study finds. A high level of cadmium in urine is evidence of long-term exposure to the heavy metal that is present in industrial pollution and tobacco smoke, the Johns Hopkins researchers explained. They also said their findings do not show that cadmium directly causes liver disease but instead suggest an association that requires further...
Read more...Low-Income, Minority Parents More Open to HPV Vaccine for Girls, Study Says
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, May 24 -- Low-income, minority parents have more realistic views about their teens' sexual activity and are more open to vaccinating their daughters against the cervical cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV), a small new study contends. Conversely, white, middle-class parents are more likely to put off vaccination for their daughters, according to researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine. "Approximately 33,000 Americans will get an HPV-related cancer each year, many...
Read more...Many Medical Students Have Anti-Fat Bias, Study Finds
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, May 24 -- Two out of five medical students have an unconscious bias against obese people, a new study found. The study authors, from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, noted the anti-fat stigma is a significant barrier to the treatment of obesity. They concluded that teaching medical students to recognize this bias is necessary to improve care for the millions of Americans who are overweight or obese. "Bias can affect clinical care and the doctor-patient relationship, and even a...
Read more...Sharp Rise in ICU Admissions From U.S. Emergency Rooms
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, May 24 -- The number of U.S. patients admitted to hospitals' intensive care units after spending time in an emergency room has increased by nearly 50 percent, according to new research. The study, conducted by researchers at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services in Washington, D.C., found that patients wait five hours in the emergency room on average before being admitted to the ICU. The researchers said improved coordination between ER and ICU...
Read more...Parents Underestimate Influence Over Teens' Substance Abuse: Survey
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, May 24 -- About one in five parents think they have little control over whether their teens take up smoking, drinking or illicit drug use, a new U.S. government survey finds. That's too bad, say experts at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), since new research shows that parents are actually one of the most influential forces helping to shape their child's views on these issues. "Surveys of teens repeatedly show that parents can make an enormous...
Read more...Top-Ranked Golfer Beats Scoliosis
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, May 24 -- As a world-class golfer, Stacy Lewis' accomplishments are remarkable. But it was a physical challenge in her childhood that defined her ascent to the top of her sport. "I was an 11-year-old girl with my heart set on playing golf when my scoliosis was diagnosed by my orthopedic surgeon," said Lewis, who has become a spokeswoman for both the Scoliosis Research Society and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons so she can help others in the same situation. "[But] having...
Read more...Bowel Issues Affect 3 Out of 4 Pregnant Women
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
FRIDAY, May 24 -- Nearly three out of four pregnant women experience bowel problems such as constipation and diarrhea, but these issues don't significantly affect their quality of life, a new study finds. Researchers from Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill., noted that these bowel issues are due to physiological and hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy. Nutritional supplements that women take during pregnancy also can play a role. The study authors added that since women...
Read more...Health Tip: Pondering Allergy Shots?
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
-- Allergy shots, also called immunotherapy, can help allergy sufferers control symptoms and find relief. The American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology mentions these factors to consider before you decide to begin the shots: How long allergy season lasts where you live, and how severe your symptoms are. How effective allergy medications have been in preventing your symptoms. Your desire to take allergy medication over the long-term. Your ability to commit to getting the shots and to...
Read more...Health Highlights: May 24, 2013
Posted yesterday in Daily MedNews
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay: 'Nanoparticle' Flu Vaccine Could Be an Advance Scientists have used nanotechnology to create a flu vaccine that may be quicker to develop and more adaptable to changing flu seasons. "This is, I believe, an important advance," Dr. Tony Fauci, head of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told NBC News. Researchers at the institute developed the new vaccine, which is...
Read more...Could Statins Raise Diabetes Risk?
Posted 2 days ago in Daily MedNews
THURSDAY, May 23 -- Certain statins -- the widely used cholesterol-lowering drugs -- may increase your chances of developing type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests. The risk was greatest for patients taking atorvastatin (brand name Lipitor), rosuvastatin (Crestor) and simvastatin (Zocor), the study said. Focusing on almost 500,000 Ontario residents, researchers in Canada found that the overall odds of developing diabetes were low in patients prescribed statins. Still, people taking Lipitor had a...
Read more...Modified Polio Virus May Help Fight Brain Tumors, Study Suggests
Posted 2 days ago in Daily MedNews
THURSDAY, May 23 -- A modified version of the polio virus might one day help fight brain tumors, preliminary research suggests. Scientists at Duke Cancer Institute said the investigational therapy, known as PVSRIPO, uses an engineered form of the virus that is harmless to normal cells, but attacks cancer cells. The therapy shows promise in the treatment of glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive brain tumor, they said. "These early results are intriguing," principal investigator Dr. Annick...
Read more...Glucosamine Supplements Tied to Risk of Eye Condition
Posted 2 days ago in Daily MedNews
THURSDAY, May 23 -- Glucosamine supplements that millions of Americans take to help treat hip and knee osteoarthritis may have an unexpected side effect: They may increase risk for developing glaucoma, a small new study of older adults suggests. Glaucoma occurs when there is an increase of intraocular pressure (IOP) or pressure inside the eye. Left untreated, glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness. In the new study of 17 people, whose average age was 76 years, 11 participants had...
Read more...Shortage of Key Drug Hampering U.S. Efforts to Control TB: Report
Posted 2 days ago in Daily MedNews
THURSDAY, May 23 -- A shortage of a critical tuberculosis drug has hampered the efforts of health departments across the United States to contain the spread of the highly infectious lung disease, federal officials report. The drug, isoniazid (INH), was first used in 1951 and is one of four drugs considered to be the core of any first-line treatment for tuberculosis (TB). Patients must take the drugs for six to nine months, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention....
Read more...Scientists Can't Replicate Surprising Finding on Alzheimer's Treatment
Posted 2 days ago in Daily MedNews
THURSDAY, May 23 -- Although a study in 2012 suggested a cancer drug could reverse the thinking and memory problems associated with Alzheimer's disease, three groups of researchers now say they have been unable to duplicate those findings. The teams said their research could have serious implications for patient safety since the drug involved in the study, bexarotene (Targretin), has serious side effects, such as major blood-lipid abnormalities, pancreatitis, headaches, fatigue, weight gain,...
Read more...Low Prenatal Iodine May Affect Child's Brain Development
Posted 2 days ago in Daily MedNews
THURSDAY, May 23 -- Mild to moderate iodine deficiency during pregnancy may have a negative long-term impact on children's brain development, British researchers report. Low levels of the so-called "trace element" in an expectant mother's diet appear to put her child at risk of poorer verbal and reading skills during the preteen years, the study authors found. Pregnant women can boost their iodine levels by eating enough dairy products and seafood, the researchers suggested. The finding,...
Read more...Statins May Hamper Workout Results
Posted 2 days ago in Daily MedNews
THURSDAY, May 23 -- Statins are proven drugs taken by millions to lower their cholesterol, but the medications also could hamper heart patients' ability to improve their cardiovascular health through exercise, researchers say. A small group of overweight or obese people were unable to make any significant fitness gains while taking a 40 milligram daily dose of simvastatin, while another group not on the drug but undergoing the same exercise regimen did show improvement, found the study released...
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