Study finds that coordinating care of chronically ill patients does not increase liability
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. Conventional wisdom is wrong: primary care doctors who coordinate the care of their patients by specialists may actually have lower liability risk than primary care doctors who do not attempt care coordination. ...That is one finding from a study by Mark Hall, J.D., of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. But many doctors believe otherwise. "A representative nation...Economist: Cuba's state-run baseball doesn't go to bat for players
On the brink of a U.S. Major League season featuring a fresh crop of Cuban stars who've forsaken their communist homeland, Cuba still touts its state-run baseball system as a superior way to structure the game....... Cuba not only reigns as the world's Olympic baseball champion, its citizens enjoy superlative professional play at bargain prices in ballparks largely free of commercial gimmicks an...Study shows acrylamide in baked and fried food does not increase risk of breast cancer in women
Boston, MA-- Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, have found no association between acrylamide intake in foods and risk of breast cancer among Swedish women. The findings appear in the March 16, 2005 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association....... In 2002, the Swedish National Food Administration first reported the...Does the college experience damage your brain?
... ... ... ... ... ...Academic pressures, binge drinking, poor diet, sleep deprivation, and substance abuse are facts of life at most colleges and universities. Recent brain research documents how this college experience can take a terrible tol...'Artery clearing' system does not provide benefit for patients undergoing PCI
Use of a device and system to clear dislodged "debris" during percutaneous interventions to open a blocked artery following a heart attack does not appear to be clinically beneficial, according to a study in the March 2 issue of JAMA....... Dislodgement of atheromatous (an abnormal fatty deposit in an artery) and thrombotic (blood clot) material ("debris") during percutaneous coronary interventio...Columbia study shows widely used artery clearing device does not help patients during heart attack
NEW YORK, NY, March 1, 2005 - Interventional cardiologists from Columbia University Medical Center have shown that a commonly used procedure to remove fatty debris from blocked arteries during a heart attack does not improve patient outcomes....... , found that the devices were successful in removing debris from the arteries in angiopl...Treatment for brain tumor does not always follow recommendations
An examination of how the most common type of primary brain tumor is treated found that care does not always follow established practice guidelines, according to a study in the February 2 issue of ....... Malignant gliomas (brain tumors, grade III or IV) are the most common primary brain tumor, and their incidence is increasing over time, according to background information in the article. These...Need better social research but it doesn't come cheap
Social science is regarded as a relatively inexpensive area of research, but human decision processes are as complex and elusive as anything in biology, physics or chemistry, and the resources needed to study them effectively are considerable....... That is the view of the man leading a ground-breaking ESRC-funded investigation of new ways to design survey questions which come as close as possibl...Pharmacist review does not keep older people out of hospital
The NHS recommends regular medication reviews for older patients, yet a study published on bmj.com today finds that home based monitoring does not keep older people out of hospital.... ...The research team identified 872 elderly patients discharged from hospital after an emergency admission. Patients were randomly selected to receive two home visits by a pharmacist (intervention group) or usual c...CPR performance does not follow guidelines
New research indicates that CPR performed outside the hospital and in the hospital often does not meet or adhere to standard guidelines, according to 2 studies in the January 19 issue of JAMA....... The importance of CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) for survival of cardiac arrest patients has been demonstrated, according to background information in the article. There are indications that the...Study suggests isolation of patients with MRSA does not reduce cross-infection in ICUs
This release is also available in <a href="http://www.eurekalert.org/staticrel.php?view=LancetIvM...">German. ...Results of a UK study published online today (Friday 7 January 2005) suggest that the widely practised approach of isolating intensive-care patients infected with MRSA does not reduce cross-infection. Authors of the study caution that this finding should not be extended to general hos...Making emergency contraception readily available does not increase unprotected intercourse
Making it easier to obtain emergency contraception would not increase unprotected intercourse, lead to abandonment of regular contraception, or increase the risk of ...sexually transmitted infections (STIs), according to a study in the January 5 issue of JAMA. ... ...It is estimated that half of the 3.5 million unintended pregnancies that occur each year in the United States could be averted if...Poor response to chemotherapy does not mean poor outcome for patients with rare breast cancer
HOUSTON - Women with a rare type of advanced breast cancer who do not benefit from primary (pre-surgical) chemotherapy still have been found to do better in the long run than patients with a more common advanced breast cancer who do respond to chemotherapy....... Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center came to the surprising conclusion after discovering that chemothera...Breast reconstruction with implants after mastectomy doesn't hurt survival chances
Breast implants after mastectomy to treat breast cancer do not reduce the long-term survival of patients, reveals the first study on the long-term effects of breast implants, published today in Breast Cancer Research. ...... Previous studies have shown that breast implants do not have adverse health effects for cancer patients in the short term, but no representative study has addressed the quest...Breast MRI moderately useful for detecting breast cancer, but does not eliminate need for biopsy
In women with breast lesions that are suspicious for cancer, based on clinical examination or mammography, performing a breast MRI has high sensitivity but only moderate specificity for detecting breast cancer, but does not necessarily eliminate the need for tissue sampling, according to a study in the December 8 issue of ....... Mammography is the primary imaging modality used to detect clinica...Magnetic resonance imaging helps detect breast cancer but does not eliminate need for biopsy
A multicenter study of 821 patients referred for breast biopsy based on prior examinations that suggested cancer finds that while magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) distinguishes between benign and malignant breast tumors better than mammography, biopsies are still needed to confirm the diagnosis. ...... The study, called the International Breast MR Consortium, was carried out in 14 university hos...Does the lack of sleep make you fat?
The recent rise in obesity may be partly due to the reduced amount of time we spend asleep, according to new research from the University of Bristol, UK....... Dr Shahrad Taheri from Bristol University, and colleagues in the United States, examined the role of two key hormones that are involved in regulating appetite ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin increases feelings of hunger while leptin acts to s...Ovarian cancer does have early warning signs, Mayo Clinic and Olmsted Medical Center find
ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Results from an Olmsted Medical Center and Mayo Clinic study analyzing symptoms recorded in the medical records of ovarian cancer patients suggest ovarian cancer, long considered asymptomatic until late-stage cancer develops, does in fact have early symptoms, including urinary incontinence and abdominal pain.... ..."Ovarian cancer is called 'the silent killer,'" says Barbara Y...As obesity increases in people with diabetes, so does risk of cardiovascular disease
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. As weight goes up among people with diabetes, so does risk for developing cardiovascular diseases, according to a national study of people with diabetes. ...The study compared body mass index (BMI) a measure of body fat based on height and weight against three generally accepted risk factors for cardiovascular disease among people with diabetes: high blood pressure, low-den...Soy likely doesn't affect fertility, according to research in monkeys
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. New research shows that the plant estrogens in soy don't impair fertility in monkeys. The study was designed to test a theory that high-soy diets can compromise fertility in women. ... ...The results, from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and Emory University School of Medicine, were reported today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Me...Telephone follow-up does not reduce rehospitalization for low-risk heart failure patients
STANFORD, Calif. - Nurse care management - a widely used system of telephone-based health instruction and follow-up designed to help patients manage their illnesses - did not lower rehospitalization rates in clinically low-risk heart failure patients, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.... ......The findings, which appear in the Oct. 19 issue of...DOE labs, universities and second sight partner to speed development of 'artificial retina'
CHICAGO, IL In an effort to speed the design and development of an artificial retina that could potentially help millions of people blinded by retinal diseases, Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham announced today that five Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories, a private company and three universities have signed agreements to form a research partnership. ...... The goal of the agree...Livermore scientists join DOE consortium
CHICAGO, Ill. - A Department of Energy consortium of national laboratories including Livermore and universities today signed an agreement with Second Sight Medical Products Inc. to jointly develop technology that could restore sight to those who have lost vision later in life.... ...The Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) allows Second Sight Medical Products Inc. of Sylmar, Cal...Wealth does not create individual happiness and it doesn't build a strong country, either
A study in the recent issue of Psychological Science in the Public Interest addresses how economic status is no longer a sufficient gauge of a nation's well-being. The authors argue that the psychological well-being of its citizens is the greatest measure of a nation-- not the well-being of its economy. "While wealth has trebled over the past 50 yearswell-being has been flat, mental illness has...Researchers explore gene treatment to obliterate HIV before it does damage
STANFORD, Calif. - Doctors may someday have a new way to combat AIDS by going straight to the source: destroying the virus before it has a chance to wreak havoc on a patient's immune system. ......Thomas Merigan, MD, the George and Lucy Becker Professor of Medicine in infectious diseases at Stanford University School of Medicine, is seeking volunteers for a study to test a possible method of empo...A non-invasive treatment for angina does not lead to enhanced athletic performance
Washington, DC Each year, about one in 100 Americans experiences severe constricting pain in their chest, often radiating from the precordium to the shoulder and down the arm, due to arterial narrowing of the heart muscle. This is known as "angina pectoris," which occurs when the heart muscle does not get enough blood and oxygen to do its work. It is a serious condition because it is a warning s...Guideline: Heart condition does not increase risk of second stroke
ST. PAUL, Minn. A new guideline refutes the current thinking that people with a heart condition called a patent foramen ovale (PFO) who have had a stroke are at greater risk of having a second stroke. The guideline, developed by the American Academy of Neurology, determined that people with a PFO who suffer a stroke with no known cause and receive treatment are at no greater risk of having a sec...Continuous insulin monitoring does not raise hospital costs
HERSHEY, PA--Patients with diabetes whose glucose is continually monitored after coronary bypass artery graft surgery do not incur higher medical costs despite the additional testing, Penn State Diabetes Center researchers report....... "Increasing evidence suggests that sickness and death can be reduced among surgical patients with diabetes if we provide tighter control of blood glucose just bef...Ultrasound treatment for hurt muscles may feel good, but doesn't promote healing, study suggests
COLUMBUS, Ohio Ultrasound therapy does nothing to help an injured skeletal muscle heal any faster, according to a new study conducted in rats.... ...Although ultrasound is one of the most frequently prescribed treatments for one of the most common sport and athletic injuries skeletal muscle contusions there's really no good scientific evidence showing that it treats injured muscles effectively...Having emergency contraception at home does not boost rate of unprotected sex among teens
PITTSBURGH, March 30 When emergency contraceptive pills are readily available, teen-agers are more likely to use them and use them sooner, when they are more effective. But they are not more likely to have unprotected sex, according to a University of Pittsburgh study being published in the April issue of the Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology....... Between 1997 and 2001, more than...State-required continuing medical education does not affect heart attack care
NEW ORLEANS -- In the first such analysis, Duke University Medical Center researchers have found that state-mandated programs for continuing medical education (CME) for physicians have little impact in improving outcomes for heart attack patients or in increasing the use of therapies proven effective by clinical trials.... ...Just as interestingly, the researchers found that heart attack patien...Combination therapy does not appear to benefit cardiac patients before heart catheter procedure
Patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI - heart attack) who are referred for percutaneous coronary intervention (such as angioplasty and stent placement in the coronary artery) do not have a reduction in the amount of damaged heart tissue when administered two drugs compared with a single drug to restore blood flow, according to a study in the February 25 issue of ....... According to back...Computer-aided detection system for mammography does not change recall, detection rates
A study of more than 100,000 screening mammograms acquired at a large academic practice and interpreted either with or without the results of a computer-aided detection system has found that computer-aided detection does not change either the recall rate or breast cancer detection rate compared with mammograms interpreted without a computerized detection system. These results, published in the Fe...Taking vitamins to lower amino acid level in blood does not reduce the risk of recurrent stroke
Among patients with a previous stroke, reducing levels of the amino acid homocysteine (thought to contribute to heart disease) in the blood with high-dose vitamin therapy does not reduce the risk for recurrent stroke, heart disease or death, according to a study in the February 4 issue of ......Previous studies have indicated an association between elevated levels of total homocysteine and strok...Does the sleeping brain 'wake up' if only just a little with every snore?
ANN ARBOR, Mich. Patients who snore or have other symptoms of sleep apnea often undergo testing in a sleep laboratory to measure the number of breathing pauses and arousals that occur while they slumber. But doctors find these tests do not effectively predict daytime consequences suspected to arise from sleep apnea, such as sleepiness in adults or hyperactivity in children.... ...Now, neurologi...Informed consent does not seem to influence decision-making process for cataract surgery
CHICAGO Informing patients of the risks of cataract surgery as part of the informed consent procedure one day before surgery does not seem to influence patients' decisions to have the procedure, according to an article in the January issue of The Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.... ...Cataract surgery is the most frequently performed eye surgery and is the cause for...Does birth order among siblings decide position in soccer?
Fathers everywhere will be relieved to know that, when it comes to playing football, the youngest in the family will not always be nominated the goalkeeper and the eldest the striker.... ...In this week's Christmas issue of the BMJ, Michael Perkin, a child health specialist and father of three young boys, wrote to all 24 clubs in the Nationwide Division Three. Fourteen clubs replied, supplying si...Natural plant oil does not improve eczema
Borage oil (sold as starflower oil in chemists and health food shops) does not improve symptoms of eczema, despite some studies suggesting a dose related benefit, finds a study in this week's BMJ. ...... Purified borage oil contains a minimum of 23% gamma linolenic acid (GLA), an essential fatty acid that is needed for normal skin function. Evening primrose oil also contains GLA, but in lower con...Addition of rituximab to standard chemotherapy does not influence response rates in older ...
(San Diego, Calif., December 7, 2003) - Adding rituximab to the standard chemotherapy regimen for lymphoma patients, CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone), does not significantly increase survival in older patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, according to a study presented today during the 45th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH). Rituxi...The usefulness of providing training in obesity management to general practice teams is questioned by researchers in this week's BMJ....... Moore and colleagues evaluated the impact of a training programme intended to improve the management of obesity. The study involved 44 general practices (22 completed the training and 22 acted as controls) and 843 obese adult patients. Control practices were...