New studies show mixed results on epilepsy drugs and birth defects
...lts can be somewhat reassuring to women. They also emphasize the importance of trying to control seizures with only one epilepsy drug if possible and the importance of planning carefully how epilepsy drugs will be used during pregnancy before the pregnancy occurs." The bad news is about the drug valproic acid....Boston University team finds link between high cholesterol and better cognitive performance
...ed with cholesterol-lowering drugs." The authors emphasize that these findings do not provide a justification for people to disregard their physician's recommendations with regard to medications for high cholesterol. Researchers next must consider individual elements of total blood cholesterol, such as LDL ...Invasive pneumonia and antibiotic resistance decreased after childhood vaccine introduced
... to continue combining vaccines with programs that emphasize appropriate use of antibiotics."...Vitamin E may not prevent cancer or cardiovascular events, but may increase risk for heart failure
...been proven to be effective. However, our findings emphasize the need to thoroughly evaluate all vitamins, other natural products, and complementary medicines in appropriately designed trials before they are widely used for presumed health benefits."...Studies address issues of risk and survival in rapidly increasing GI cancers
... more than six-fold increase in risk. Researchers emphasize that the study findings are based on small numbers and not cause for alarm, but illustrate the need for further research to confirm or refute the link between prenatal exposures and esophageal cancer. The time window of interest for research on esop...HIV patients may be at risk of heart problems when taking protease inhibitor drugs
...t, Crixivan, Norvir and Fortovase. The researchers emphasize that the drugs' therapeutic benefits are still greater than the risk of heart problems linked to their use. They urge physicians to apply this new finding by following their patients more closely over the long term, and by looking specifically for he...Using the internet's power and anonymity to reduce problem drinking
... provide feedback, are empathic and nonjudgmental, emphasize personal responsibility, and give people several options for how they would like to go about changing their drinking. Interventions that have these elements are more likely to reduce drinking. Effective computer interventions basically pull from th...Alcohol's damaging effects on adolescent brain function
...f these disorders should be a priority. "I want to emphasize the complexity of this problem, the effects of alcohol on the adolescent brain, and the need to bring 'transdisciplinary and translational science' to bear on it," said Monti. "I don't think the problem can only be solved by people in neuropsycholog...Teaching a less obvious medical skill -- Ethical decision-making
...n their approach to ethical reasoning, the authors emphasize the doctor's own ethical integrity by referring to "conscientious practice," meaning that doctors and other health care providers need to be able to practice medicine in a way that does not contradict their deepest personal and professional values. A...News briefs from the journal CHEST, February 2005
...ggesting an additive relationship. These findings emphasize the importance of smoking cessation in patients with reduced lung function but also indicate that smoking cessation may not be able to fully reduce inflammatory markers to normal levels if lung function is already reduced. The study appears in the Fe...Varicella vaccine effective on chicken pox; Impact on herpes zoster unclear
...ricella. "These findings are relevant because they emphasize the importance of continuing the varicella vaccination program," said Vazquez. "It is possible that varicella vaccine may be useful in helping prevent zoster if it is administered to elderly persons who have had chickenpox. The longterm effects of un...From town planning to intimate sex: Understanding the risks in our lives
...ing context, and the greater use of policies which emphasize individual responsibility and pro-activity in a range of areas from social welfare to education, and the regulation of the media to retirement. Projects in the network include: studies of sexual relations and intimacy; how ideas about risk are tr...Whole-body CT screening costs overshadow benefits
... of an ongoing debate. Proponents of whole-body CT emphasize the potential benefit of early detection of disease, but others caution that the costs, false-positive findings and unnecessary radiation might render the procedure more harmful than beneficial. "Our findings show that the average person should think...Mental health crisis looming for tsunami survivors, warns psychologist just back from Indonesia
...e also counseled a number of victims. "I tried to emphasize in both my workshops and in dealings with victims that experiencing trauma is normal for anyone under these extreme circumstances and should not be viewed as a sign of weakness." He also participated in recovering bodies of victims, and expects the ...Authors warn of inaccuracies concerning use of race in health & social science research
...either genetic or environmental explanations. They emphasize the co-action and interaction of genes and environments in health and offer example of twin-studies and quantitative genetic approaches as alternatives. Race and Genetics: Controversies in Biomedical, Behavioral, and Forensic Sciences. Authors Pilar ...If you suffer from pain, your doctor should consider it a disease
...ing it much more than just a symptom. Data further emphasize the financial implications of pain as overall costs are comparable to those of cancer and heart disease. Efforts need to be devoted to "increasing the attention devoted to the problem by healthcare professions, including increased awareness and use o...New treatment guidelines for pregnant women with asthma
...r pregnant women and their fetuses. The guidelines emphasize that controlling asthma during pregnancy is important for the health and well-being of the mother as well as for the healthy development of the fetus. A stepwise approach to asthma care similar to that used in the NAEPP general asthma treatment guide...The sustained benefits of very early treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with anti-TNF-alpha therapy
... with conventional DMARDs alone. "This appears to emphasize the importance of not only adequate disease suppression over time, but also of rapid disease suppression for optimal improvement in these outcomes," notes the study's author, Mark A. Quinn. "Rapid control of disease activity may prevent patients fro...Reduced progression of atherosclerosis tied to statin drugs lowering fats, protein
...level. "Taken together, these two studies emphasize the importance of inflammation in patients with coronary heart disease and suggest that inflammatory markers such as CRP may be useful along with traditional risk factors such as LDL cholesterol in patient management," Smith said. "The question at th...Some harms of beta-carotene supplementation may persist after discontinuing use
...he agent is unclear. The results of CARET and ATBC emphasize that chemoprevention trials require careful monitoring of all disease endpoints even after the study intervention is discontinued." In an editorial, Anna J. Duffield-Lillico, Ph.D., and Colin B. Begg, Ph.D., of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center...