July/August 2005 Annals of Family Medicine tip sheet
...RVED Many persistently high users of primary care appear to be over-serviced but underserved, with underlying problems that can be better addressed by a non-medical approach. Analyzing outpatient visits of approximately 58,000 people to primary care physicians in a Midwestern city, the study finds that a ...Penn named a 'Breast Cancer Center of Excellence' by Department of Defense
...cally undetected state. Consequently, cancers that appear cured may resurface as local or distant recurrences 10 to 20 years later. Breast cancer progression from disease onset to distant metastasis and recurrence is ultimately responsible for essentially all breast cancer deaths. "While tumor progression...Researchers identify gene set linked to breast cancer's spread to lungs
...ve identified a set of genes in breast tumors that appear to predict if the disease will spread to the lungs...ughes Medical Institute investigator. The findings appear in the July 28, 2005 issue of Nature. In a 2003 study, Dr. Massagu and his colleagues identified a ...Antiretroviral therapy may prevent HIV transmission from breastfeeding mothers to infants
...viral therapy than those who are not. Both studies appear in the September 1 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases , now available online. Without antiretroviral therapy for an HIV-infected mother or her baby, transmission of HIV-1 through breast milk occurs in approximately 9 to 16 percent of breast...Mental-state reasoning is universal milestone in child development
...at about the same age the world over. The findings appear in the report, "Synchrony in the Onset of Mental-State Reasoning: Evidence from Five Cultures," published in the May 2005 issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the American Psychological Society. Researchers Tara Callaghan, St. Francis Xavier ...Highly active antiretrovirals for HIV can substantially reduce rates of AIDS
...rly sub-Saharan Africa" (Quote by e-mail; does not appear in published paper) In an accompanying comment Brian Gazzard (Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, UK) states: "This result confirms the view of every clinician, that the short-term to medium-term prognosis of HIV-seropositive patients has been ...Mayo Clinic researchers use ultrasound to describe subtle heart muscle motions
...ccurring within tissue of the ventricular wall can appear chaotic if not observed closely and with high temporal resolution. The data also show how these transitions "reorganize" the ventricle to best perform its cycles of filling and ejection. Significance of the Findings Alterations in the cardiac mecha...Research may provide new link between soft drinks and weight gain
...ydrates. "Similar to dietary fat, fructose doesn't appear to fully trigger the hormonal systems involved in the long-term control of food intake and energy metabolism," said coauthor Dr. Havel. The researchers say that further studies in humans are needed to determine if high-fructose corn syrup in soft dr...Early warning signs of Alzheimer's show up across cognitive areas years before official diagnosis
...stage with a sharp drop in function. The findings appear in the July issue of Neuropsychology, which is published by the American Psychological Association. Researchers at the Karolinska Institute and Stockholm Gerontology Research Center, affiliated also with the Max Planck Institute for Human Developmen...Many body-conscious teens use supplements to improve physique
...ir physique. Moreover, adolescent supplement users appear to be heavily influenced by the media. In the largest population-based study to explore the use of hormones and supplements, body image, and media influences, 8 percent of all girls and 12 percent of all boys reported using products in the past year...Standardized guidelines improve outcomes in stroke care
...earchers at UCSF Medical Center. The study results appear in the August 9 issue of Neurology . "There are several treatments for the most common form of stroke, which is ischemic stroke, and these have been proven to reduce disability and complications," said lead author S. Claiborne Johnston, MD, PhD, d...Tsunami raises questions about disaster mental health, Science reports
...ory, "The Tsunami's Psychological Aftermath," will appear in the 12 August issue of Science . AAAS Senior Writer Edward W. Lempinen interviewed him by email this week. Let's start with some scene-setting: When you first arrived in the Sri Lankan tsunami zone, what did things look like? What was your impre...Purdue research shows added calcium benefits women on the pill
...er in life. On the other hand, oral contraceptives appear to decrease bone density. "It's estimated that eight out of 10 women in the United States use oral contraceptives at some time during the years in which peak bone mass is developing," said Dorothy Teegarden, assistant professor in Purdue's Department...Many choose more aggressive breast cancer surgery despite breast-sparing option
... when faced with a cancer diagnosis. Study results appear in the August 20issues of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Medical practice guidelines encourage surgeons to promote whenever possible breast-conserving surgery, in which only the tumor and a small amount of normal tissue around it are removed. But...Coffee is number one source of antioxidants
..., Vinson says. Both caffeinated and decaf versions appear to provide similar antioxidant levels, he adds. H...nson emphasizes moderation. "One to two cups a day appear to be beneficial," he says. If you don't like coffee, consider drinking black tea, which is the seco...Penn study shows genes may affect response to different quit-smoking medications
...as the nicotine patch or nasal spray. The results appear in the August issue of Neuropsychopharmacology. "This study provides new evidence that genetic differences in the brain-reward pathways of smokers may reveal whether they would benefit more from Zyban© or nicotine replacement therapy as an aid...Marijuana-derived drug suppresses bladder overactivity and irritation in animal models
...me scarred or irritated, and pinpoint bleeding may appear on the bladder wall....Resident physicians report that training often not adequate to treat patients from other cultures
... of cross-cultural care seem to be positive, there appear to be relatively few opportunities for meaningful education and mentoring, and little evaluation. These findings highlight a need for significant improvement in cross-cultural education to help eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health care,"...Children's receives one of only two national pediatric rheumatology training grants
...already led to the discovery of several genes that appear to be involved in the destruction of the joint itself. In another project, delivering gene therapies to diseased synovium of children with JRA is being investigated to improve the safety and effectiveness of new biologic drugs -- such as etanercept -...UCI neurobiologists find treatment to block memory-related drug cravings
...or developing addiction treatments. Study results appear in the Sept. 15 issue of Neuron. "Our findings suggest that memories responsible for relapse in drug addicts may be similarly disrupted by a therapeutic agent targeting ERK or related proteins," Marshall said. "This work, however, is a first step to...