Stroke news tips for Friday, Feb. 6, 2004
...ical methods evaluated application of each quality indicator in data collected on 2,342 stroke survivors. Except for smoking, risk factor documentation was poor, even in patients admitted to neurological services. Where protocols were followed and a neurologist was involved, there was more lipid testing and ...University of Pittsburgh imaging agent study suggests breakthrough in Alzheimer's research
...ia were apparent. "These results are a very strong indicator of PIB's usefulness in providing quantitative information on amyloid deposits in the living brain," said Dr. Mathis. In addition to Drs. Klunk and Mathis, the team included researchers from Uppsala University and PET Centre/Uppsala Imanet AB in Uppsa...Ebola virus a threat to great ape populations
...l carcasses found in an area would therefore be an indicator of a forthcoming outbreak about to hit nearby villages. Such finds could therefore aid in attempts at more effective prevention of Ebola virus transmission to humans. The Ebola virus, identified for the first time in 1976 in the Democratic Republic ...Hospital volume may not be best criteria for selecting hospital for coronary bypass surgery
...tes the limitations of using hospital volume as an indicator of the quality of CABG surgery. Hospital volume had generally poor predictive accuracy as a means of identifying hospitals with significantly better or worse CABG mortality rates. Similarly, using volume as a sole referral criterion for selecting a p...Patient outcomes are better indicator than patient volume for selecting hospitals for VLBW babies
...f care at the NICU, would tend to be an unreliable indicator of quality in our sample of hospitals (e.g., many hospitals with low-patient volume or low-level NICUs would have better patient outcomes and vice versa). "Our results suggest that direct-quality indicators based on patient mortality are likely to ou...Morning headaches associated with depression, anxiety disorders
...yon writes. "Chronic morning headaches are a good indicator of major depressive disorders and insomnia disorders. Contrary to what was previously suggested, however, they are not specific to sleep-related breathing disorder," concludes Dr. Ohayon....Study suggests possible clue to miscarriage
...involved in the immune system could be a potential indicator for miscarriage, suggest authors of a research letter in this week's issue of THE LANCET. Around 10-15% of pregnancies result in miscarriage, with no treatment available to prevent fetal loss and no biological markers to identify women at high risk. ...Overweight and obesity thresholds may be misleading for Asian populations
...f Medicine, USA, discussed the merits of BMI as an indicator of health outcomes across different ethnic populations. The increased body-fat proportions of some Asian populations suggest that a lower BMI (22-25 kg/m2) may be a more appropriate upper cut-off point; values above this adjusted threshold would indi...Brain area identified that weighs rewards
...colleagues used eye movement as their experimental indicator of response, the posterior cingulate cortex has been linked to control of other muscle movements, suggesting that it plays a broader role in decision-making about actions. Further studies will aim at understanding the neural machinery of the posterio...Annals of Internal Medicine, tip sheet, December 2, 2003
... Task Force suggests using waist measurement as an indicator of stomach fat. For men, a waist measurement greater than 40 inches and for women a waist measurement greater than 35 inches can indicate a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. (NOTE: The USPSTF recommendations are the subject of an ACP Internal M...Air pollution, even at 'safe' levels, is bad for the heart
...are important because levels of CO are a very good indicator of primary pollution. In Athens, as well as in many other cities, the basic pollution source is traffic, and the most characteristic pollutant from traffic is CO," Panagiotakos said. "During the past two decades, the average CO levels in the Athens ...For smokers, air pollution is a drag on the heart
...MO index, widely used in France as a daily overall indicator of air quality. The index ranges from one to 10, where one indicates very good and 10 very poor. It is calculated via the daily monitoring of four pollutants, both gases and particles (nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone and PM10). Air pollutio...Vital sign device improves resuscitation monitoring
...nt of oxygen saturation in the blood, an important indicator of a person's cardiopulmonary status. A radio transmits the information to a wearable or handheld computer, where it is displayed for a medical team. "If there is a mass casualty event, having this information on all the victims will allow the emer...Systolic better than diastolic or pulse blood pressure as indicator of mortality risk
...er. Rising systolic blood pressure is the clearest indicator for increased risk of death compared to other bloo...stolic blood pressure components, is an inadequate indicator of mortality risk," said Dr. Guallar....New study details effects of exercise on sleep quality in postmenopausal women
...eports that increased physical fitness is a strong indicator of improved sleep quality in postmenopausal women, who are at higher risk for lower sleep quality, more research needs to be conducted to build on these preliminary findings as well. The complete study, entitled "Effects of a Yearlong Moderate-Inten...UCLA study examines health of California seniors
...ving such insurance, the largest difference of any indicator in the report. Mental health: Emotional problems like depression or anxiety impair the daily activities of 11.5 percent of California's elders. One-quarter report that they do not feel calm and peaceful most of the time. Those most likely to report m...Weight control throughout life key to reducing risk of raised blood pressure in middle age
...ues tested whether the effect of birthweight as an indicator of fetal growth on blood pressure changes with increasing age. For comparison, the investigators made a similar assessment of the effect of childhood social class on adult blood pressure. Over 3600 people from a birth cohort study of men and women b...'Genetic switch' proves two mechanisms exist by which immune system cells differentiate
...ially in AIDS patients, T-cell count is a relative indicator of the body's ability to fight disease. Until recently, however, researchers have understood little about how T-cells are generated. Now, thanks to what a researcher at the University of Georgia calls a "lucky lab accident," a new "genetic switch" in...PTH and Alendronate: combining treatments shows no bone density advantage
...oth tested BMD in the spine and hip. BMD, a common indicator of bone health, is used to diagnose the bone-weakening disease osteoporosis, detect low bone mass before the disease develops and help predict the risk of future fractures. Although clinicians had hoped to optimize osteoporosis treatment and increase......rkably consistent and appeared to offer an overall indicator of the performance of health care systems in each country. He sounded a warning note for the future on the east-west divide. "The survival trends reflect a substantial and increasing gap in the overall prognosis of cancer between eastern and western ...