Having a stable partner delays AIDS in HIV patients
... with slower rate of progression to AIDS or death, finds a study in this week's BMJ. Researchers in Switzerland followed 3,736 adults with HIV who had started highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) before 2002. Every six months, patients were asked whether they had had sexual intercourse with a stab...Antiviral drug, valacyclovir, reduces genital herpes transmission
An international team of researchers finds that taking a single daily dose of an approved antiviral drug known as valacyclovir can reduce the transmission of genital herpes to uninfected partners by 50 percent. The results are published in the Jan. 1 issue of the New England Journal of Medi...Study expands understanding of alcoholic memory disorder
ST. PAUL, MN New research finds that deficiencies in the hippocampus play a key role in alcoholism-related Korsakoff's syndrome, a memory disorder. The deficiencies are comparable to those found in the brains of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in the December 23......ting in serious injury than cars of other colours, finds a study in this week's Christmas issue of the BMJ. Researchers in New Zealand examined the effect of car colour on the risk of a serious injury in over 1,000 drivers who took part in the Auckland car crash injury study between 1998 and 1999. Factors ...Nurses wash their hands more often than doctors
...s are more conscientious handwashers than doctors, finds a study in this week's Christmas issue of the BMJ. Hand washing is a quick, cheap and easy way of preventing the spread of infection. Identical soap dispensers were installed next to the sinks in the consulting room of each member of a primary care s...Men do not cause yeast infections in women
...y University of Michigan Health System researchers finds that the presence of yeast in male sex partners do not make women more prone to recurrent yeast infections. Certain sexual activities, however, were linked to increased risk of recurrent yeast infections in women, according to the study. "Many physic...Risk factors determine need for colonoscopy
... examine the lower half of the colon. If this exam finds polyps, the colonoscope is used to view the upper half of the colon. The colonoscopy is more invasive, more costly, and poses small but serious risks to some patients. "The risk-to-benefit ratio of colonoscopy is not favorable for everyone," Dr. Imp...Are Gulf war veterans getting better?
...rsonnel, but the health gap has narrowed slightly, finds a study in this week's BMJ. A second study shows no increased risk of cancer among Gulf war veterans. The first study compared the health of members of the UK armed forces who served in the 1991 Gulf war with non-deployed military personnel over a fo...Natural plant oil does not improve eczema
...te 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 concentrations. Researchers i...New research in seizure treatment at American Epilepsy Society meeting
...Seizures in the Elderly A large, nationwide study finds that tolerability is a key factor in selecting a drug therapy for elderly people with epilepsy and misdiagnosis represents a serious problem in these patients. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder in Women with Partial Epilepsy Premenstrual dysphoric d...No rationale for giving penicillin for a sore throat
... should not be given penicillin for a sore throat, finds a study in this week's BMJ. Dutch researchers identified 156 children aged 4-15 who visited their family doctor with a severe sore throat. The children were randomly assigned to penicillin for seven days, penicillin for three days followed by placeb...More doubts over value of defibrillators
...rs to emergency calls shows only a modest benefit, finds a study in this week's BMJ. A second study shows that public place defibrillators are not good value for money. In the first study, defibrillators were provided to one fire brigade region and two police districts in and around Amsterdam. Half of the ...Patients and doctors lack knowledge about adrenaline injections
...ine after anaphylaxis (severe allergic reactions), finds a study in this week's BMJ. Researchers assessed the knowledge of 60 patients (or their parents) who had been prescribed injectable adrenaline and 50 general practitioners about their understanding of when and how injectable adrenaline should be use...'Musical fruit' rich source of healthy antioxidants; black beans highest
... their high fiber and protein content, a new study finds that beans, particularly black ones, are a rich but overlooked source of antioxidants and may provide health benefits similar to some common fruits, including grapes, apples and cranberries. The study, which researchers say is the first to link b...CT scans find tiny bladder, kidney & urinary cancers
...us pyelogram (IVP) or intravenous urography (IVU), finds the cause of symptoms less than 50 percent of the time. And IVP's high false-positive and false-negative rates often mean that high-risk patients either endure a series of tests and scans before getting a firm diagnosis, or get a false sense of secur...Major inequalities in access to kidney transplant waiting list revealed
...aiting list and renal transplantation in Scotland, finds a study in this week's BMJ. These inequalities may also exist elsewhere in the United Kingdom. Researchers identified 4,523 adults starting renal replacement therapy in Scotland between January 1989 and December 1999. They followed them to placement ...Aspirin is most cost effective way to prevent heart disease
...(statins) and clopidogrel (an anti-clotting drug), finds a study in this week's BMJ. Estimates of cost and effectiveness were obtained for aspirin, antihypertensive drugs, statins and clopidogrel. Cost per coronary event was calculated for treatments individually and in combination for patients at various ...Injured workers dissatisfied with compensation system
...pressured to return to work before they are ready, finds a University of Toronto survey. The study by occupational therapy researchers asked injured workers about their experiences with the compensation and rehabilitation system in Ontario. More than one-third of the 290 respondents agreed or strongly agre...Annals of Internal Medicine, tip sheet, November 18, 2003
...ors support national health insurance, a new study finds (Article, p. 795). Among 1,650 primary care physic...ctiveness analysis of data in 10 published studies finds that mammography screening for breast cancer every two years reduces death at reasonable cost for 65......h women who have the same partner for both births, finds a study in this week's BMJ. Researchers from Norway compared pregnancy outcomes in 31,683 women who changed partner between their first two births and 456,458 women with the same partner for both births. After taking into account the mother's age and...