Study reveals dramatic rise in allergic diseases
...ses have occurred in England over the last decade, finds a study in this week's BMJ. Researchers in London used national hospital discharge statistics from 1990-1 to 2000-1 to identify trends in admissions for four allergic conditions (anaphylaxis, angio-oedema, food allergy, and urticaria). Over 49,000 ad...Many diagnostic tests are not based on good evidence
...isease are not supported by high quality evidence, finds a study in this week's BMJ. Researchers examined how many common clinical tests used in one respiratory medicine clinic in the UK were based on high quality evidence (evidence was graded according to a recognised quality scale). Only half the tests t...News tips for Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2003
... with coronary artery disease (CAD). New research finds that excessive daytime sleepiness predicts a poorer quality of life of CAD patients with chronic stable angina (chest pain). The Emory University study of 57 angina patients assessed quality of life (QOL) aspects via standard questionnaires, at base...Teaching hospital physicians report trouble obtaining specialty services for the uninsured
...ever, a recent survey of teaching hospital faculty finds that such physicians may have difficulty accessing specialty care for their uninsured patients. The study from the Institute for Health Policy at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) appears in the November/December issue of Health Affairs. "Our res...News tips for Monday, Nov. 10, 2003
...th in health clubs: shocking success. A new study finds automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are being put to good use in a large chain of 76 health clubs. In a 12-month surveillance after instituting emergency preparedness procedures according to American Heart Association guidelines, eight (five me...New studies show factors responsible for enhanced response to music
...of music including speaking and singing. One study finds that positive emotions induced by pleasant music can have an analgesic effect on people, pointing to a possible role for music in pain management therapy. "Music touches almost every cognitive ability that neuroscientists are interested in -- not onl...News tips for Sunday, Nov. 9, 2003
...he GuidelinesSM. Another study, Abstract #3334, finds that in one Minnesota county, only 55 percent of recovering heart attack patients took part in rehabilitation, despite evidence that participation enhances survival. Females and older patients were less likely to join the programs....Annals of Internal Medicine, tip sheet, November 4, 2003
...as heart disease, stroke and diabetes, a new study finds (Article, p. 740). But care for important geriatric conditions (e.g., bedsores, falls, incontinence) and end-of-life care need improvement. Vigilance and treatment for such conditions help the elderly continue to remain independent. Researchers studi...Time to stop exploiting trust doctors
...HS grades, leaving them unsupported and exploited, finds a study in this week's BMJ. In a special issue of Career Focus in BMJ Careers, which accompanies the study, editor Rhona MacDonald argues that such posts are unfair, unethical, and should be replaced by a grade that does not exploit doctors or leave ...Breast cancer patients treated with lumpectomy and radiation survive longer if they dont smoke
...sicians at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia finds that women treated with breast-conservation surgery and radiation for their breast cancer live longer if they stop smoking. What's more, survival also is affected by smoking even if women quit before their diagnosis. Fox Chase radiation oncologist ...Aortic aneurysm death risk hinges on choice of surgeon, study finds
...essel in your body threatens to burst, a new study finds that your best bet is to have it repaired by a surgeon who has operated on many other patients with the same condition. If you do, your risk of dying before you leave the hospital will be far lower than it would be with a less-experienced surgeon. A...Study overcomes stroke care's biggest travesty
...t of the nation's third biggest killer. The study finds that a focused educational campaign aimed at the public and health professionals nearly quintupled the use of an emergency clot-busting drug in stroke patients in three Texas counties, so that 69 percent of eligible patients got it. And the three-yea...Trial results have dramatically reduced HRT use
...t suitable for the prevention of chronic diseases, finds a study in this week's BMJ. Six months after the trial results were published, researchers in New Zealand surveyed 776 women who were taking HRT. Of 734 respondents, 423 (58%) had stopped taking HRT when the results were published, 132 (18%) had rest...New scientific advances in gastroenterology presented at college's 68th annual meeting
...characterize people with this disorder. The first finds that a significant portion of Americans suffering from functional dyspepsia also have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The second addresses the first detailed study of this disease among African Americans. Bone Density and Inflammatory Bowel Disease...Dietary fat not linked to risk of stroke
...oes not seem to be associated with risk of stroke, finds a study in this week's BMJ. Researchers followed 43,732 healthy middle-aged men for 14 years to examine the association between intake of total fat, specific types of fat, and cholesterol and the risk of stroke. They assessed dietary intake by using ...Sexual pleasure improves after hysterectomy
...ual attractiveness, but a study in this week's BMJ finds that sexual pleasure improves after hysterectomy. Researchers in the Netherlands compared the effects of three types of hysterectomy (vaginal, subtotal abdominal, and total abdominal hysterectomy) on the sexual wellbeing of 413 women. All women compl...Deaths after fracture have not declined in 20 years
...not declined appreciably during the past 20 years, finds a study in this week's BMJ. Researchers analysed NHS statistics on hospital admissions for 32,590 people aged 65 years or over who were admitted with fractured neck of femur between 1968 and 1998. They calculated death rates during the first month an...Study: Racial, ethnic disparities seen in all types of pain
...for some than for others and a new research paper finds that members of racial and ethnic minorities often bear the worst of it. The paper, written by a panel of top pain experts and based on a survey of more than 180 pain-related studies from a broad range of specialties, documents a phenomenon that pain......realities in the battle of the sexes. A new study finds that women are more likely to forgive than men, but both are equal in seeking revenge. When counseling forgiveness in victims of child sexual abuse, there is no such thing as an open and shut case of forgive and forget. An ongoing ten-year study......tis and depression, are at higher risk of falling, finds a study in this week's BMJ. In fact, chronic diseases may account for 30% of falls in this group. Researchers at the University of Bristol surveyed 4,050 women aged 60-79 years about whether they had had a fall in the previous 12 months, how many tim...