Vioxx went mostly to patients who didn't need it, Stanford researcher says
... carry some risks, but physicians and patients are generally willing to use them if the likely benefits outweigh the harms. Many people, for instance, are allergic to antibiotics and yet physicians accept this inherent risk in patients who have significant bacterial illnesses because the benefits of treatment ...Colonoscopy still most effective colorectal cancer screening method
...he colon, rather than the stool test alone. "It is generally preferable to undergo colonoscopy, which allows complete evaluation of the colon and also, at the same time, biopsy or removal of most cancers or polyps that are identified. If detected early as precancerous polyps, the majority of colorectal cancer...African Americans half as likely to receive surgery for esophageal cancer
..." Researchers reported that African Americans were generally undertreated for their disease. Twenty percent of African-American patients received radiotherapy as their only treatment and 26% received no therapy at all, compared to 13% and 15% of white patients, respectively. Surgery is the most common form of ...Program effective at reducing depression in teens
...are, psychotherapy (the more difficult option) was generally preferred," they add. "In conclusion, the present results demonstrate that quality improvement interventions for adolescent depression are feasible in primary care settings and associated with benefits on measures of depression, quality of life, and ...Florida Department of Citrus responds to URMC's release on grapefruit-drug interactions
... don't wish to comply with this restriction, there generally are non-interacting, alternative medications within each drug class that should provide the same therapeutic effect with no need to avoid grapefruit juice. It is safe to consume grapefruit juice while taking any over-the counter medication. A patie...Researchers develop way to track quality of home health care
...ber of people receiving home care in any region is generally much larger than the number receiving facility-based care, as home care now represents one of the most important sectors for health spending. More than 20,000 providers deliver home care services to some 7.6 million individuals who require services b...First new treatment for alcoholism in ten years, now available Campral(R) (acamprosate calcium)
...nical trial program, side effects for Campral were generally mild with the most frequently reported side effect being diarrhea. (4) Campral is contraindicated in patients with severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance less than or equal to 30 mL/min) and requires a dose reduction in patients with moderat...Elevated glucose levels and diabetes are associated with increased risk for cancer
.../L), risks for cancer incidence and mortality were generally elevated compared with those without diabetes. "While the generalizability of the findings is uncertain, we have shown that fasting serum glucose level and diabetes are associated with cancer risk in a population far leaner than the Western populatio...Happy home and social life makes living in a poor neighbourhood more bearable for adolescents
...rivation in education, income and employment had a generally poorer perception of local amenities, whereas those from areas near to parks or major roads were more positive in their views. Children from areas of educational deprivation also tended to express greater dissatisfaction with their environment. Whils...Carefree people care less about cancer symptoms, endanger health
... doctor. So, I was surprised to find those who are generally optimistic and unconcerned had the longest delays." The study will be reported in the May 2005 issue of Psycho-Oncology and is currently available online at the journal's web site. The study examined 69 patients diagnosed with rectal tumors and treat...Colorectal cancer screening underutilized
...ty is reduced when a premalignant growth, which is generally at an earlier stage, is detected and treated. Clinicians can use tests as simple as the fecal occult blood test (FOBT), which is the cheapest but least sensitive test, to tests that examine part of the colon with the sigmoidoscopy, or all of it with ...Tip sheet Annals of Internal Medicine, Jan. 4, 2005
...p. 11). Light and moderate average alcohol use was generally not associated with an increased risk for stroke. Heavy drinking was defined as consuming more than two drinks daily; light or moderate drinking was defined as consuming two or less drinks a day. Moderate drinking of red wine was associated wi...Study shows long-term use of NSAIDs causes severe intestinal damage
...ancer in the United States. This study analyzed 43 generally healthy patients, including those who use NSAIDs daily for relief of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or non-specific arthritis, and a control group who did not use NSAIDs or aspirin for their arthritis symptoms. Results show that 71 percent of ...Government solutions won't cure kids' obesity, survey says
...h institute. For instance, the survey participants generally supported ideas like restricting the availability of unhealthy foods in school vending machines and cafeterias but they opposed raising the costs of these foods or implementing a "junk food tax," the researchers found. Those surveyed were also overw...Tobacco-company-sponsored parties with free cigarettes may encourage students to start smoking
...they are among the few places where smoking is not generally restricted by clean-air laws. In the study, students who reported attending these events were more likely to be current cigarette smokers (defined as having smoked a cigarette in the past 30 days) than students who had not attended one of these event...Do cigarette additives pose additional risk to smokers?
...ed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), generally regard these substances as safe in foods, but the risks for smokers are not known after combustion in cigarettes and inhalation. Can the toxicological effects for smokers be measured? A new report concludes they can. The Study The independent, non...Holidays, birthdays and postponement of cancer deaths
...s is a well-known and predictable seasonal pattern generally attributed to changing temperatures. "We've known for a long time that higher death rates are directly associated with falling temperatures." Cancer mortality, however, showed no variation from season to season. Conducting a second analysis of...Women seeking treatment for even minimal 'male-type' hair growth need endocrine evaluation
...he male pattern in women, which we call hirsutism, generally is a good indicator that there is an underlying hormone imbalance. Now this relatively large study shows that nearly 55 percent of women who have minimal unwanted hair growth have an androgen excess-related disorder, primarily the polycystic ovary sy...Annals of Internal Medicine, tip sheet, Dec. 21, 2004
... Veterans Health Administration found VHA patients generally received better care than patients in other settings (Improving Patient Care, p. 938). VA care scored best in areas in which the VHA routinely monitors quality. In one of the most comprehensive comparisons between VHA care and other care, researchers...Researchers report early success using saliva to detect oral cancer
...s total, a "core signature" of about 280 mRNAs are generally present in the saliva of healthy people. With these baseline data as their scientific anchor, the researchers could begin to test whether saliva contains distinct mRNA patterns. "We obtained saliva and blood from 32 people who had been recently diagn...