Study shows promise in identifying kidney failure
...nt issue of The Lancet, sites evidence in favor of using the protein neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, or NGAL, as a new biomarker for diagnosing kidney failure (also called acute renal failure) in patients. "Despite major achievements in treating children and adults with kidney failure, little h...New marker for early diagnosis of kidney failure identified
...0 patients developed acute renal injury. Diagnosis using serum creatinine was possible only one to three days after the initial injury. However, testing for high concentrations of NGAL could diagnose kidney failure in two hours. Professor Devarajan concludes: "Effective therapeutic measures for kidney fai...UCSF study offers insight into human circadian rhythms
...y taking blood samples of the individuals and then using linkage analysis to hone in on the region of DNA within the chromosomes most likely to reveal the relevant gene, based on what was known about other genetic markers related to circadian rhythms. The gene was found on chromosome 17. (The mutated form ...March/April 2005 Annals of Family Medicine tip sheet
...ective helping people avoid unwanted pregnancies, using resources prudently, staying engaged in the natural world to help prevent the collapse of the biological systems upon which all we all depend. Ecological Change and the Future of the Human Species: Can Physicians Make a Difference By Roger A. Ros...Physicians may not be accurate in their confidence levels of their diagnoses, says Pitt study
...cern when one thinks about how to improve practice using information technology," Dr. Friedman said. "While this was a study performed in the laboratory and not in the clinic, the apparent prevalence of overconfidence represents a major challenge to designers of decision support systems--if the advice of t...Professionalism and professional ethics in medicine
...ommon strategies were switching to a generic drug, using office samples and discontinuing nonessential medicines. "Further work is needed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of these strategies," the authors conclude. (Arch Intern Med. 2005; 165: 633 636. Available post-embargo at www.archinternmed...Raw food vegetarians have low bone mass
...e rates. Other, more imminent studies will involve using micro MRI to get a 3-D look at bone architecture and structure. Those studies could begin soon. In the meantime, Fontana isn't telling people to follow such an extreme diet. "I think over the long term, a strict raw food vegan diet could pose some he...Acupuncture found to lower elevations in blood pressure
..., Calif., March 28, 2005 -- Acupuncture treatments using low levels of electrical stimulation can lower ele... world is waiting for a clear scientific basis for using acupuncture, and we hope that this research ultimately will lead to the integration of ancient heali...Novel therapy tested in mice could chase away cat allergies
...reover, these results provide proof-of-concept for using this approach to develop therapies to prevent deadly food allergy reactions as well," says NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. The injectable treatment puts a brake on the release of a key chemical from cells involved in cat allergy reactions. That...Some brain cells 'change channels' to fine-tune the message
...t researchers harness the process, perhaps one day using it to protect cells that die in Lou Gehrig's disease. Much as turning the television dial changes what comes into the living room, these brain cells are able to change what they allow in by swapping one kind of channel, or membrane opening, for anoth...Billions in cost estimated for firefighter injuries
... arson. It also calls for early detection of fires using smoke detectors as well as improved on scene command procedures to locate firefighters and understand threats to them. The study praises firefighter bravery as "legendary and real," but calls for new ways to instill safety awareness in firefighters. ...Benefits of lung cancer screening with CT questioned
...lung cancer screening trial conducted in the 1970s using chest radiography, lending support to their suggestion that while CT helps radiologists find more early-stage cancers, many of these are slow-growing tumors that probably would not have been lethal over the patient's lifetime. "While there is still r...Child care may affect entire community's risks of infection
...riage. The researchers don't dissuade parents from using child care, despite the large group centers' apparent role in increasing the risk of infection. "I think that child care or any group play situation has real developmental and social benefits," said lead author Susan Huang, MD, MPH, of Harvard Medica...Treatment of cardiac lesions without anaesthesic
...nit is the undertaking of the monitoring procedure using intracardiac ultrasound equipment. This technique, developed in Spain at the Gregorio Maran Hospital in Madrid and currently only used in two hospitals, significantly simplifies the medical treatment. Thus, a catheter introduced into the heart withou...RIT takes eye-tracking research to next level
...t incarnation of the wearable eye tracker, Pelz is using a binocular tracker that monitors both eyes to study how people move them together to explore the third dimension. "By tracking both eyes, we can measure the angle between them and calculate not only the direction, but also the distance to objects i...Stanford patient is first to test new treatment for peripheral arterial disease
...nificant improvement for patients." The success in using drug-eluting stents for coronary artery disease suggests they should work for PAD. Still, said Sze, the challenges are greater when placing stents in leg arteries, which are much longer and wider than coronary arteries. A typical coronary stent is no...Three-year cervical cancer screening recommendations may be applicable for certain women with HIV
...d States have been recently updated and now advise using an interval of 3 years between screenings in healthy women 30 years or older who have normal cytology (cells) results and who test negative for oncogenic (cancer-associated) human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA. The recommended interval is 6 to 12 months ...Specific test key to determine whether or not allergy symptoms are really allergy-related
...oms related to hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, by using a definitive blood test to screen for actual allergies. The test can easily be administered in a physician's office, and the test results are easy to interpret. Instead of testing for allergies, most family physicians are likely to prescribe medicati...Chronic fatigue patients show lower response to placebos
...nts retain physical conditioning when possible and using psychological and psychiatric interventions to help patients adapt to living with chronic illness. She doesn't discount the placebo effect, however. "When you say to people, 'I believe you, I will help you manage your symptoms, I will advocate for y...UW research shows risk factors for relapse among health care professionals who abuse drugs
...e disorders cannot adhere to plans to abstain from using drugs, including alcohol or medications that may be available to them through their jobs. It does mean that these special concerns need to be addressed for treatment to be effective." Domino added that some health care workers may have to change spec...