Lowering 'bad' cholesterol as good or better than angioplasty for mild coronary artery disease
... good or better than angioplasty plususual care in reducing ischemic events," the authors conclude. "It appears thatin patients with relatively normal left ventricular function who are notseverely symptomatic, choosing an initial strategy of aggressive lipid loweringwith atorvastatin will reduce ischemic eve...New nationwide study in six cities will look at the method & message for changing risky HIV behavior
...al decision-making and setting long-term goals for reducing HIV risk. Aparticipant will be shown a menu of re...know the key to controlling HIV infection rates is reducing high-riskbehavior, but we need to know the best way to get this message across to a newgeneration of...New biological target identified for cholesterol-lowering drugs
...ata support an important new biological target for reducing heart attackrisk." In their study, researchers tested pravastatin, a cholesterol-lowering drug, forits ability to reduce C-reactive protein (CRP), which is elevated duringinflammation. "We have known for some time that elevated C-reactive protein, a...Heart failure deaths reduced by 30 percent
... but had not been tested previously as therapy for reducing deaths inheart failure patients. Known as the Randomized Aldactone Evaluation Study (RALES), the trial defiescurrent thinking that spironolactone and other drugs that block the action of ahormone known as aldosterone should not be administered in con...New computer model supports the importance of annual mammograms
...weenmammograms may be the most critical factor for reducing the breast cancer deathrate. The conclusions are based on a new computer model developed by JamesMichaelson, PhD, of the MGH Cancer Center, in collaboration with Elkan Halpern,PhD, and Daniel Kopans, MD, MGH director of Breast Imaging. The model su...Adhesive tape connected to hospital infections
...rding the outer layer of tape is one simple way of reducing the risk ofbacterial infection," says Dr. Don Redelmeier, associate professor of medicineat U of T and de Souza chair in trauma clinical research at Sunnybrook andWomen's College Health Sciences Centre. Rates of contamination were similar in differe...One in seven adolescents still doesn't have health insurance
...gress has been made over the past fifteen years in reducing thenumbers of uninsured adolescents," said Paul Newacheck, DrPH, professor ofhealth policy and pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco(UCSF). He is the principal author of a study published in the August issue ofthe journal Pediatri...New coating could lead to safer, more convenient asthma drugs
...r. The coated drugs need severalhours to dissolve, reducing the need for frequent inhaler use and minimizingunintended, potentially harmful, release of the drugs into the blood stream. "Pharmacists prefer drugs that patients only have to take once a day, becausethey tend to forget to take them at times other ......most advanced patients longer and better lives,and reducing their reliance on heart transplants." Heart failure most often arises as a result of other common diseases, includingheart attack, narrowing of the arteries, high blood pressure and infection ofheart muscle or valves. The weakened heart muscle deteri......basis to helppeople get the sleep they need, while reducing the likelihood of those next-dayeffects." The Impact of Insomnia Insomnia affects nearly 84 million Americans, according to the NationalSleep Foundation (NSF). Insomnia may be caused by a number of factors,including a change in sleeping or da...A leading cause of preventable blindness may be controlled by simple course of oral antibiotic
...esubstantial benefit to people in endemic areas by reducing infection. "A goal for this study was to assess control of trachoma through treatment ofentire communities. In practice, the advantage of oral azithromycin will beeven greater than these study results show because of the good compliance thatcan be a...New studies of a liquid of life -- Lung surfactant
... mammalian lungs and allows themto draw breath, by reducing the work of breathing. In the U.S., 40,000 premature babies per year are born without enoughlung surfactant, and thousands of deaths result. The typical preemie has only1/20 of the lung surfactant needed to breathe. Fortunately, additional l...New study finds a mouthful of reasons to consider hormone replacement therapy
...symptoms (such as hot flashes andirritability) and reducing the risk for coronary artery disease. "While the study points to another possible benefit of hormone replacementtherapy, women also need to consider the risks," said Dr. Robert Schoor,president of the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP). "Women...Selective and nonselective beta-blockers equally effective in preventing sudden death
...ers found both types of drugs equally effective in reducing the risk ofsudden death. In a study of 26 patients with congestive heart failure, researchersfrom UT Southwestern and Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center found nodifference in the reduction of QTc dispersion -- a marker of risk for suddend...Non-drug techniques help reduce symptoms of fibromyalgia
...rug treatments were superior to drug treatments in reducing thenumber of FMS symptoms patients reported and in improving their ability tofunction on a daily basis. In fact, no drug treatment had any significanteffect on daily functioning. There was no difference between drug and non-drug treatments in their...Statement from Dr. Claude Lenfant, director, NHLBI and Dr. Phillip Gorden, director, NIDDK
...s is at the heart of the publichealth strategy for reducing rates of type 2 diabetes and its cardiovascularcomplications. Drug therapy may be required to control diabetes and CVD risk factors,especially when diet and exercise are not sufficient. Highly effectivemedications are now available to control high l...Heart failure deaths reduced by 30 percent with new drug regimen
... but had not been tested previously as therapy for reducing deaths in heart failure. Known as the Randomized Aldactone Evaluation Study (RALES), the trial defiescurrent thinking that spironolactone and other drugs that block the action of ahormone known as aldosterone should not be administered in conjunction...New HIV drug intervention cheap and effective
...and co-author of the paper. "Our study shows that reducing HIV transmission from mother to child in developing countries is economically feasible. It lends strong support to HIV prevention efforts." HIV has infected three million children since the pandemic began, and 90 percent of them have been born in Af...Cedars-Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center adds new dimension in radiation treatment
... radiationto the entire structure of a tumor while reducing the risk of damage tosurrounding normal tissues, according to Ronald W. Thompson, M.D., Director ofRadiation Oncology at Cedars-Sinai. While stereotactic radiation is used inother parts of the body, it is especially valuable in treating tumors in the...UI study suggests variable effects of fetal alcohol syndrome on brain
... high alcohol overexposure causes abreakdown, thus reducing the size of the corpus callosum." Miller said human clinical studies underway at other institutions may confirmthis difference between callosal hypergrowth and hypogrowth. "One particularly interesting finding in our study was that the alcoholovere...